Eat to look good and feel even better? Well thats a bright idea I couldnt resist putting to the test when the new healthy meal delivery service Eat Sunny offered to send me a week of meals to try!

The service, which currently delivers to Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Hamptons, offers two plans (each with three meals and a snack per day): vegetarian and flexitarian, which combines plant-based eating with some lean animal protein. I signed up for veg, as I currently eat about 80% plant-based and am looking for inventive ways to cut out meat.

Full disclosure: At first, I jumped at the chance to take a break from the constant cooking Ive been doing in lockdown, but each dish proved to be beyond my expectations and more wildly delicious than the next. My first breakfast was a gluten-free Sweet Potato Oat Waffle, which came with strawberries and a confetti of goji berries. Other faves include the Spinach and Sunchoke Salad, Loaded Scrambled Eggs (think kale, zucchini, mushrooms, basil and avo with perfectly cooked egg whites), a bountiful Cauliflower Fried Rice with Tofu and a dinner simply labelled Spaghetti Squash with Sauce that was studded with eggplant, seriously spiced with red chilis and contained a bit of sesame butter for texture as well as nutrients which has me rethinking my Carbone spicy rigatoni addiction.

Khloe Kardashian Reveals Her Sisters Cray Diets: I Wouldnt Last a Day on Kims

Interestingly, the dishes, which come in plentiful portions, also contain boosters like keratin (known to spur stronger hair and nail growth), adaptogens like maca meant to balance hormones and pearl powder to encourage glowing skin. Ingredients are noted on each dish, and the nutritional and beauty benefits are clearly explained. Whats not listed? Calories.

I throw a bunch of these supplement powders into my usual morning smoothies, but a funny thing happened as my week of consuming only Eat Sunny continued: I felt less bloated and had zero of my typical acid reflux. So, I leaned in to my vegetarian diet and took a deep dive into the hows and whys of Eat Sunny.

Brand co-founder and CEO Tatiana Boncompagni is a longtime friend and fellow beauty writer and editor. She has a history of expertise in covering wellness and is even a certified personal trainer and holistic health coach. She sat down with me to chat about her new baby.

Us Weekly: How does this meal plan differ from others out there, like, say, Sakara?

Boncompagni: I love this question, because I truly believe that we are different than other meal delivery services out there. First, we are the first body-positive meal delivery service. We dont believe in dieting or that you have to look a certain way to be an Eat Sunny customer. Second, our organic meals are made to be satisfying. We do that by balancing the carbs, proteins and fats following the principles of the Mediterranean diet, which is loaded with high-antioxidant vegetables and using slow-digesting ingredients like fiber-full whole grains, lean animal and plant-based proteins and unsaturated, Omega-3-rich fats. Third, we are not vegan or just vegetarian but offer a flexitarian plan for those who feel best when they are eating a little protein. And last, we spoon in the superfood, anti-inflammatory powders and spices collagen, biotin, pearl, maca, turmeric, cinnamon, spirulina, amla berry so you dont have to take them separately. The idea is that we are showing you a way to eat thats sustainable (not a crash diet) so whether you are ordering from us regularly or taking away what we teach you you can maintain this nutritional approach for the long-term, because health is habit.

Us Weekly: As a fitness and wellness lifestyle expert, how do you think food plays a role in daily life?

Boncompagni: If you are trying to get healthier the easiest and fastest way to improve your wellbeing is through food. As a personal trainer and holistic health coach, the one thing I say to my clients to help them differentiate between what a change in diet vs new exercise program to do for them is this: What is on your plate determines your dress size, what you do in the gym determines how good you look in that dress. I believe bodies can be beautiful at any size and shape, but if you want to change your shape, you can do that through exercise, but if you want to change your size, you should focus on your nutrition.

I really created Eat Sunny for people who are having difficulty kickstarting healthy habits either because they dont know how to get started or because they dont have time to cook or simply dont enjoy it. My mission is to make it easier to hit your wellness goals to feed your confidence, make life easier, enhance your immunity (which is so important right now) and your natural beauty.

Us Weekly: Is there a reason why you chose not to include calorie counts?

Boncompagni: We decided not to include calorie counts on the meals because we dont want our customers to think about calories, and more specifically, restriction or diet. Diets dont work and a lot of them fuel the negative self-talk a lot of us in engage in when we eat, so we cant even be fully present and take the pleasure from our food that we should. We want our consumer to focus, instead, on the wonderful nutrition they are giving their bodies, that they are honoring themselves with, and how great the food tastes. That said, its a completely legitimate question as correct portioning is very important to feeling and looking our best so we make the meals so that they fall around 400 calories each, some are a little more, some a little less. None are over 500 calories. The total calorie count of a given day of food is give or take 1400 calories.

How Beyonces Diet and Exercise Routine Keep Her Fierce

So how did it measure up? At the end of my five days of indulging in Eat Sunny, I can honestly say that I felt fully satisfied from every meal there was only one dish that was a clunker for me, but I must admit that with my own cooking during self-isolation, there have been more than one recipe each week that fell flat! As for the glowing skin and boosted immunity, as with all supplements, Id need longer to evaluate effects, but as one who chews gummy supplements for dessert, Im all for healthy additions.

Scroll through to see some of my favorite meals, and check out more about Eat Sunny, including meal plans, delivery schedules and costs here!

Read more:
We Tried It: Eat Sunny, the Healthy Food Delivery Service That Aims to Boost Beauty and Immunity - Us Weekly

Nothing drives me crazier than seeing and hearing people be misinformed when it comes to nutrition.

In fact, it is dangerous that so many of us have been fed diet tips that are categorically wrong, have no context and are often purely designed to sell a rubbish product.

I hate the word diet as it is synonymous with a short term solution and something that is never sustainable. if you want it to work long term, it needs to involve real food and it needs to be something you can maintain forever.

We all need to stop looking for a quick fix or magic bullet that simply does not exist.

With this in mind, here are 5 pieces of diet advice I constantly see, hear and read that are absolute garbage.

Carbs get a pretty bad rap when it comes to weight loss, especially when diets like keto really grew in popularity. You dont need to cut carbs out altogether if you want to lose weight and in fact, I highly recommend that you dont.

Carbs are a macronutrient that give us energy, theyre our bodies preferred fuel source and complex carbs contain fibre and release energy slowly to keep our blood sugar levels stable.

The 28 by Sam Wood approach to carbs is all about balance. We enjoy bread, pasta and rice, we just make sure we focus on complex, good quality carbohydrates that form part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Unless youre an endurance-based athlete or you train for hours every day, youre probably not burning as many calories as you might think.

Especially if you sit at a desk from 9-5. Regardless of whether or not you smashed a morning HIIT session, if you then sit for the remainder of the day and make multiple trips to the pantry for a Tim Tam, you probably wont be in a calorie deficit.

The reason shake diets work, short term is that theyre extremely low calorie. However, youre usually not losing fat.

These quick fixes result in a loss in water weight and often muscle too which sucks people into thinking that theyre the perfect solution.

In many instances, you end up putting the weight back on... and then some.

Mindless snacking can absolutely hold you back from achieving your weight loss goals, however eating small, healthy snacks can be a great way to curb your hunger, keep a handle on your portion sizes and encourage you to make better food choices

If you avoid snacking and end up completely ravenous, youre far more likely to overeat at your main meal times or give in to less healthy options.

The sugar industry did a great job in hiding the starring role sugar plays in weight gain, amongst other negative health effects.

Instead, fat became the enemy and clever marketing tools drilled into us that going low-fat was the way to go. That simply isnt true. Low-fat options go through additional processing to make them low fat.

This often involves adding sugar or other additives to replace the flavour and mouthfeel of the fat. Good fats promote satiety, releasing hormones that give you that satisfied feeling and stop you from overeating.

All of these popular, quick-fix solutions never work long term. Theyre restrictive, theyre not enjoyable and theyre simply not sustainable.

The good news is that you can lose weight, keep it off and actually enjoy the process without needing to go on a diet. Eat real food, be mindful of your portion sizes, move your body every day and remember- food is to be enjoyed, not counted.

For more tips on home fitness and nutrition, check out 28 by Sam Wood. 28 minutes a day and all you need is your phone. Join the complete at-home training, nutrition and mind program.

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Sam Wood reveals 5 of the worst diet tips for weight loss in 2020 - 7NEWS.com.au

You may recognize Judge, Tanya Acker, from her political and legal commentary on different networks and shows like Good Morning America, The Talk, Wendy Williams, CNN Reports or The Insider. Acker is more than an experienced commentator. She is also a Judge on the fifth season of Emmy nominated CBS show, Hot Bench.

The show, created by Judge Judy, is a new take on the court genre. Alongside Acker, are two other judges: Patricia DiMango and Michael Corriero. Together the three-panel judges take viewers inside the courtroom and into their chambers. I feel like my responsibility on the show is, to be honest, fair, [and] to try and give people a just and equitable result," Acker says. She is accomplished, honest and especially passionate about her career. In fact, Acker likes the fact that she is able to help people solve problems. I think that efficient ways of solving disputes are really at the core of modern life.

We are a very diverse community [with] different values, backgrounds [and] beliefs. It's inevitable that we're going to find ourselves in some conflicts. I enjoy being a part of a process where you can help resolve the conflicts and diffuse them," she explains.

Acker's career has been built around key moments and professional experiences in her life. Particularly, her time working right after college impacted the type of legal work she takes on now.

Acker didn't foresee doing this kind of work on television when she was in college at either Howard University or Yale Law. I was really open in college about what would happen next," Acker comments. In fact, I deliberately chose a major (English) that wouldn't lock me into anything [because] I wanted to keep all of my options open." Her inevitable success on the show and throughout her career is an example of that. In fact, after graduating from Yale, Acker served as a judicial law clerk to Judge Dorothy Nelson who sits on the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

It was not only her first job out of law school but also one of the formative experiences of her professional life. [Judge Nelson is] certainly, if not my most important professional influence," Acker says. She is really the living embodiment of justice, fairness, and believes in being faithful to the letter and the spirit of the law," she exclaims. She delivers it all with a lot of love." Judge Nelson is still on the bench and is continuing to work through her Foundation: The Western Justice Center in Pasadena, California, where Acker serves on the board. The foundation helps people seeking alternative ways of resolving their disputes instead of going to court.

It was important to her to try and create platforms for people to resolve conflict outside of court because court takes a long time," Acker explains. I'm proud to be a part of that work and to sit on that board."

After her clerkship, she was awarded a Bristow Fellowship and continued building her career. Outside of the fellowship, Acker's legal work incorporated a broad variety of matters from civil litigation, constitutional cases, business counseling, and advising. One of her most memorable moments was representing a group of homeless people against the city. They were being fought for vagrancy and our defense was, they had no place to go," she shares.

As part of her pro bono work, Acker was awarded the ACLU's First Amendment Award for her success with the case. Though, she has a hard time choosing from one of many memorable moments on Hot Bench. Acker does share a few of the things that matter to her. Our show is really drawn from a cross-section of courtrooms across America and the chance to engage with such a diverse group of people really means a lot to me," she discusses.

In addition to Judge Nelson, Judge Judy is certainly among her top professional influences. I think it's incredible [and] I feel very lucky that my professional career has been bookended by these incredible judges," she acclaims. I've really learned a lot from Judy about this job, doing this kind of job on television." Before Acker was selected for Hot Bench, she hadn't been a judge. It was Judge Judy who recommended that she get some experience. Acker briefly comments on her first experience as a temporary judge on a volunteer basis in traffic court. I was happy to be able to have the chance to kind of get a feel for it before we started doing the show," she comments. Judy is a wonderful, kind, generous person [and] she's taught me quite a lot. I feel lucky."

Photo Courtesy of Annie Shak.

Outside of Hot Bench, Acker took recent trips to Haiti and Alabama. They were memorable and meaningful.

Haiti, in particular, was the first trip she excitedly talks about. She did some work there in an orphanage as part of LOVE Takes Root, an organization that is driven to help children around the world whether it's basic aid or education. Haiti has a special place in my heart," she began. As a person who's descended from enslaved people, I have a lot of honor and reverence for a country that threw off the shackles of slavery."

She was intrigued by the history of Haiti. Especially regarding the communities, corrupt government and natural disasters. They really had to endure a lot, but I tell you this when I was there, I saw people who were more elegant, dignified, gracious and generous as any group of people I've ever met anywhere in the world," she goes on. I think it left me with was a strong sense of how you can be graceful and elegant under fire." Acker is optimistic about the country's overall growth and success.

[Judge Nelson is] certainly, if not my most important professional influence," Acker says. She is really the living embodiment of justice, fairness, and believes in being faithful to the letter and the spirit of the law."

Her other trip was different in more ways than one. She traveled there for the first time with her mother as part of a get out to vote effort, that Alabama's First black House Minority Leader, Anthony Daniels was organizing. It was incredible to take that trip with her [and] I've got to tell you, the South of today is not the South of my mother's upbringing," she explains. Originally from Mississippi, Acker's mother hasn't been back in the South since 1952. Every place has a ways to go, but it was a really exciting trip [and] it was nice for me to connect with that part of the country and that part of my history."

As a black woman, Acker has certainly faced challenges based on her race and gender. But it doesn't define who she is or what she can accomplish. There are certainly times when people treated me differently or made assumptions about me because I was a black woman," she says. There's no sort of barrier that someone would attempt to impose upon me that they didn't attempt to impose on my mother, grandmother or great-grandmother." In a space where disparity is sometimes apparent, she recognizes that there is no barrier someone would try to impose on her that they didn't attempt to impose on her mother or grandmothers. I've got it much better, but that doesn't mean it's perfect...it certainly isn't, but you just have to keep it moving," Acker states. The conversation continues truthfully and seriously. Acker shares what it can be like for black women, specifically. I think we're underestimated and we can be disrespected, whereas other folks are allowed the freedom to enjoy a full range of emotions and feelings," she articulates.

At times black women are often restricted from expressing themselves. If someone wants to make an assumption or jump to a conclusion about me because of my race or gender, that's on them, but their assumptions aren't going to define me," Acker declares. If something makes me angry or happy I will express that and if someone wants to caricature me, that's their pigeonholing; that's not my problem." A lifelong lesson she learned and shared is to not let other people define who you are. It is one of three bits of wisdom.

It's really important that you have a really firm sense of what you want to do and be, and how you're moving in the world because when people try to sway you, judge you or steer you off course you've got to have some basis for getting back on track."

Have a strong community of people who you trust, love and who love you," she advises. But also learn to love and trust yourself because sometimes it's your own voice that can provide you the most comfort or solace in something."

Trust yourself. Take care of yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. Be honest with yourself.

There are times when it's not enough to say this is who I am. Take it or leave it. Sometimes we've got things that we need to work on, change or improve upon," she concludes.

Acker stands out not only because of her accomplishments, but the way she views certain aspects of her life. These days, she's comfortable accepting what makes her different. I think there's a time when you're younger when conformity feels comfortable, [but] I'm comfortable these days not conforming," she laughs. She enjoys being a decision maker and helping people work through it on Hot Bench.

This article was originally published May 15, 2019.

Original post:
How Stress Depletes And How To Use Food To Build Yourself Up - SWAAY

It's safe to say that Sue Bird is a basketball legend. With three WNBA championships, four Olympic gold medals, and two decades as the Seattle Storm's point guard, the 11-time All-Starnow 39is still at the top of her game. (She's even hosting the reimagined virtual ESPYS in June.)

Keeping her game (and body) this strong has taken work, though. In fact,Sue completely overhauled her diet about five years ago.

"Basically, I took a little bit of a dip in my career," she tells Women's Health. "Physically, I wasn't where I needed to be in order to play at a high level. I could feel it, and I think everybody could see it in my game. I wanted to do whatever I could to try to turn it around and nutrition was was a big part of that."

And turn it around she did. "I met with a nutritionist, who had me jot down what I was eating for the whole month," she says. "Then, he built a plan for me, all centered around having energy, fueling for workouts, and recovering from workouts." (Read: CARBS.)

Sue then went on to won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Olympics and a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm in 2018.

Five years later, she still follows that eating plan. (Clearly it's working!) Here's exactly what Sue eats in a day.

Sue is all about the first meal of the day. "Breakfast is my favorite meal so I literally never miss it," she tells Women's Health. "I will wake up an hour early if it means I can get breakfast in."

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Honestly, I'd set my alarm extra early for Bird's morning meal, too. "I'm obsessed with egg sandwiches," Sue explains. Depending on what she has on-hand, Sue usually adds two eggs, sauted onions, and leafy greens (like spinach or kale) to a gluten-free English muffin or bagel.

"I recently found out I have a small gluten allergy, so during the season, I try to go 100-percent gluten-free," Sue says. (She doesn't have celiac, though, so she doesn't stress about nibbling on a bit of gluten here and there in the off-season.)

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Of course, this Seattleite's breakfast isn't complete without a cup of joe. "Obviously I've got coffee in there," Sue adds. "I don't do dairy, so I put in a little bit of almond milk or oat milk in my coffee."

Sometime after breakfast, Sue usually gets her sweat sesh, so she's worked up an appetite by mid-day. "I make sure I get a protein, a carb, and a veggie in there," she says. That leaves a lot of room for variety. "Lunch could be a salad, a sandwich, or anything in between," she adds.

What exactly she eats, depends on her mood. "Living in Seattle, I have some amazing options," Sue tells Women's Health. "There's a sandwich spot called Homegrown, and it's really easy just to call them, scoop up my sandwich, and head home."

Every now and then, though, Sue treats herself to a bowl of ramen or pizza. "I think if you're gonna have a cheat meal, right after a workout is a good time to do it," she says.

When she travels for games, Sue has to be flexible with her eatingbut she has a couple of tried-and-true strategies. "When I'm on the road, I look for Asian places because they usually have rice bowls," she explains. "I just tell them no sauce."

Another on-the-go go-to for Sue: veggie- and protein-topped rice bowls from salad shops like sweetgreen.

Between lunch and dinner, Sue often snacks on fruit (she especially loves strawberries and pineapple) or beef jerky.

Her other go-to snack: non-dairy ice cream. "At Pressed Juicery, they have this thing called a Freeze that's as close as you can get to ice cream without it actually being ice cream," she says. (This plant-based soft-serve is made from fruits, nuts, and vegetables.)

When she has time, Sue also makes zucchini muffins from Shalane Flanagan's Run Fast. Eat Slow. cookbook. "They're great for a midday snack, or even a little something before a workout."

On game days, Sue adds extra coffee and carbs into the mix. "I have a small little cup of coffee, usually when I'm driving to the game from home or on the bus to the game," she says.

Then, she shakes up a bottle-full of Vitargo, a powdered, fast-acting carb supplement. "I drink it, like 30 minutes before the game, and boom, it kicks in," she says. "I'll make a full shaker bottle of it and drink half before the game and the rest at halftime."

By dinnertime, Sue gets a bit more selective with her carbs. "Carbs are a huge part of fueling up for workouts and recovering after," she explains. "And though I don't really avoid white carbs during the day, I do at night."

In the evening, Sue opts for carbs like sweet potatoes and squash. She pairs them with veggies and whatever protein she's in the mood for. "Usually, it's chicken or fish," she says. "I don't eat a ton of red meat."

Recently, Sue got on the Instant Pot trainand it's been a go-to for quick dinners, like curries with cauliflower rice. "We've definitely gotten a little creative with it," Sue says. "I'm sure there are a billion recipes and we've only just scratched the surface, so it's kind of fun." (By "we," she means her girlfriendand equally badass athletepro soccer player, Megan Rapinoe.)

Most nights, Sue keeps dessert super healthy with a little more fruit. "That's kind of like the cap to the night," she says.

When she's feeling a treat, though, Sue goes for warm cookies, ice cream, or brownies. "I eat 80-percent on-plan and leave 20 percent to eat what I like," she says. "Food is comforting and enjoyable, and you need space for that."

Though Sue doesn't drink much on weekdays or during the WNBA season, (maybe one drink a week, max), she leaves room for cocktails and wine on the weekends.

Recently, Sue and Megan started sharing their Saturday-night drinks in their new Instagram Live show, A Touch More. "It started off as 'let's go online, drink some drinks, and see what happens.' Now, it's actually turned into a little show with guests."

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Usually, though, "I save the alcohol for when I'm with friends or going to a really nice dinner with a great wine selection," Sue says. (She'll have a glass of red, please!)

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WNBA Star Sue Bird, 39, Completely Changed Her Diet 5 Years Ago And Never Looked Back - Women's Health

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Like folk stories of old, the raw food diet has been making the rounds for more than 100 years and continues to be buzzworthy today.

For followers, the diet is a lifestyle, not just a way of eating. They believe consuming mostly raw foods is a pathway to optimal health.

But health experts are raising red flags. They caution that sticking to a diet of raw foods could negatively impact your long-term well-being.

Lets do a deep dive into the raw food diet basics, including its advantages, disadvantages, and more.

The raw food diet (aka raw foodism) consists of eating only or mostly raw and unprocessed foods. Theres some flexibility though. In a raw food diet, 70 percent or more of the food you eat is raw.

Theres some debate, but generally a food thats never been heated above 104F (40C) to 118F (48C) is considered raw. For this diet, foods should also be unrefined, unpasteurized, and pesticide-free.

Several preparation methods jive well with the raw food diet. Juicing, (raw) souping, blending, dehydrating, soaking, and sprouting are commonly used techniques. Basically anything that doesnt require heating the food.

Raw food diet staples include whole food, plant based fare. Unsurprisingly, raw foodies are often also vegetarian or vegan. So it makes sense that fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds dominate the raw grocery list. Soaked or sprouted grains and legumes can also make the cut.

Ultimately, you do you, some peeps include raw eggs, dairy, fish, and meat in their diets.

Advocates for the raw diet are usually against taking supplements. They assert that your body gets all the nutrients it needs from the wholesome food that youre enjoying.

A raw diet doesnt need to be a raw deal! It can be chock-full of flavor, texture, and complexity.

Let this sample raw, vegan menu inspire you. Adjust it to fit your needs and tastes.

The answer is both. Research shows both cooked and raw foods are good for you, and nutritional value varies by food and preparation method.

Raw foodies believe the process of heating destroys the nutrients and natural enzymes found in food, thus preventing you from reaching peak dietary wellness.

Science doesnt support this. Cooking decreases some nutrients, but increases others. Cooking also destroys harmful bacteria and other undesirable compounds.

Here are the deets:

Its true that high heat can destroy some enzymes. But the acids in your belly can do the same thing. Think of them as your guts DIY juices, theyre responsible for digestion and energy production.

Cooking lowers some nutrients in foods, especially water-soluble ones like vitamin C and B vitamins. But, cooking gives other nutrients a boost. For instance, lycopene and beta-carotene are more easily absorbed by your body when heated first.

Cooking foods eliminates a lot of bad for you stuff you, like bacteria. Heating grains and legumes also reduces dangerous levels of mineral-absorbing lectins and phytic acid. More on this in a second.

Some raw foods arent safe to eat like that day-old sushi buffet in the airport.

Food safetys a bigger concern for raw diets that include raw, unpasteurized, or undercooked animal products.

Even if youre sticking strictly to plant foods, though, you need to be careful. Raw fruits and veg have been known to carry harmful bacteria like E. coli. Always wash produce thoroughly before eating it.

Cooking destroys toxins, bacteria, and other germs that may be lurking in your food. (Buh-bye food poisoning!)

So how does the raw food diet stack up nutritionally?

A raw diet packs in tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, which means vitamins, minerals, and fiber galore. It features nuts, seeds, and oils that provide plenty of healthy fats. On top of all this, fresh raw foods are more hydrating than their cooked counterparts.

Because raw foodism emphasizes unprocessed foods, it minimizes the amount of nonessentials in your diet. Manufactured food often contains ingredients linked to poor nutrition. (Think sugar, excess salt, those weird chemical additives you cant even pronounce.)

If youre into volumetrics, youll like that the raw food diet tends to be low in calories. All those fruits and veggies give a lot of slow-burning bang for the caloric buck. This means you may be able to eat a bigger quantity of food than on other diets.

Despite all that loveliness, your system can take a real hit from being on a raw diet.

The diet tends to be low cal, so eating enough each day to satisfy your caloric needs can be challenging. This is partly because plant foods have fewer calories to begin with, and partially because raw foods are less digestible, so its harder for your body to grab the calories that are available.

In fact, studies show that you get way fewer calories from some foods when theyre raw.

That digestibility issue also means you leave many of the raw foods nutrients and antioxidants on the table, so to speak. Cooking boosts the digestibility and nutrient-absorbability of many foods.

Lastly, raw food diets can be unbalanced. They have a habit of going heavy on the fats (nuts and oils) and sugars (fruit) while being light on protein. So, raw diets risk being calorie- and nutrient-deficient.

If you take up a raw vegan diet, it just gets more tricky. In addition to the deficiencies common to the regular raw diet, you run extra risk of not getting enough calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin B-12.

The raw food faithful believe this diet has many benefits. These include:

Research only supports some of these claims. Heres what we know.

Research shows the raw food diet is linked to having less body fat and to losing larger amounts of body fat. The study found that 15 percent of men and 25 percent of women on the raw food diet were underweight. It also showed that, after switching to a raw diet, men and women lost an average of 22 to 26 pounds.

The study also revealed that low body weight from such a diet can mess with a womans menstrual cycle. From the same study, 70 percent of women on the raw food diet experienced period disruption and nearly a third stopped getting their periods, known as amenorrhea.

What goes in must come out, the basic GI formula. The high fiber and water content of raw diets can help your bodys digestive processes. This can reduce inflammation in your gut, improve your bodys ability to use food more efficiently, and help with waste elimination.

Theres some evidence that the limited calorie and protein intake of a raw vegan diet may lead to low bone density or osteoporosis. Other research found that maintaining a raw diet for a long time can increase your risk of tooth erosion.

In addition to your nutritional wellbeing, the raw food diet impacts other important health markers. Following a raw food diet may lower your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It can also drop your HDL cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol), vitamin B-12, and iron to undesirable levels.

A raw diet often has a smaller lifetime carbon footprint compared to other diets. This is largely due to its focus on plants rather than animals. Raw food dieters also tend to value other sustainability ideals, like eating locally sourced food and minimizing food waste.

Becoming a raw fooditatrian could potentially save you a wad of cash. Savings can be traced to:

By sparing all those animals from your chow line, your grocery costs may shrink. Studies have repeatedly shown plant based diets to be cheaper than meat based diets.

By not cooking your food (or having to refrigerate it as much), your energy bill is likely to downsize as well. Food prep and storage is a huge portion of home power bills. Depending on your cooking method, appliance type, and fuel sources, etc., going raw can reap major savings per year.

Though probably safe in the short run, its not a safe and sustainable practice long term.

Following a raw diet lifestyle is linked to nutritional deficiencies. If your raw diet is nutritionally lacking (chances are that it is), your body will burn through its vitamin and mineral reserves. These deficiencies can lead to health problems down the line.

Supplementation can help your body replenish nutrient stores. But its unlikely to fully compensate for your diets shortage of calories and protein.

People with certain health conditions should be wary of a raw food diet. For example, if youre pregnant or have a compromised immune system this might not be a suitable regimen. Talk to your healthcare provider before jumping on the raw bandwagon.

Not gonna lie. The raw food diet lifestyle may be a challenge to keep up. Several things factor in.

First, food choices can be limited. Yes, there are lots of options to pick from on that list at the top of this article. But that might get old fast. Also, depending on the season and your location, it may be harder to get your hands on a variety of raw diet-compatible foods.

Even if you dont find the food options limited, they may be limiting. Dining in restaurants or with friends can be tricky if cooked foods are a no-go. And it can be tough being that hard to accommodate person in your tribe.

As for food prep, nixing the cooking really limits your options. You have to get creative with the soaking, pickling, blending, and so on to ward off dietary boredom. This may take imagination, a willingness to experiment, and time to make it all work for you.

After all that effort, you may find that your cold food caf is not so hot. (i.e., Youd give your carob-coated goji berries for a steaming bowl of ramen.)

Ok, youve read up on raw food diet. You want to give it a go. Cool. Now what?

Nutritionist and health coach Caitlin Fowler recommends easing into a raw food diet slowly. Sudden changes to your dietary regimen can lead to an unhappy tummy situation. Fowler offers these suggestions to help you be more successful:

Adhering to a raw food diet can be rough, especially if you have a hectic lifestyle. Fortunately, you dont have to go full raw to see some positive impacts. Folding some of these foods, techniques, and habits into your routine can still benefit you.

As always, if you have health concerns you should talk with your healthcare provider before starting the raw food diet. Your dietitian may offer personalized advice thatll up your chances of health and success.

A raw food diet consists of at least 70 percent uncooked and minimally-processed foods. Most raw foods are plant based, but some raw foodists eat raw eggs, dairy, meat, or fish.

Fans of the raw food diet believe it offers a bunch of health, environmental, and possibly financial benefits. Unfortunately, it can also be risky and negatively impact your health. In the long term, the bad may offset the good.

Youll probably lose weight on a raw diet. But, you might also have trouble meeting your nutritional and caloric needs. This can translate into a host of health issues.

A number of foods are more digestible when cooked. Cooking also makes some nutrients easier for your body to absorb. Processing foods can also improve food safety.

Theres no doubt that raw foods bring nutrition, complexity, and variety to snacks and meals you definitely need them to have a healthful diet. But, eating a combo of raw and cooked foods is likely even better for your health.

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Raw Food Diet: Everything You Want to Know - Greatist

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Tyler Wilmer had to overcome an eating disorder while he was a freshman and sophomore at Riverheads, but now he's ready to help others who face similar issues.(Photo: Patrick Hite/The News Leader)

STAUNTON - It was the night before the state cross country meet in 2017. The Riverheads boys team had qualified for the race and Tyler Wilmer, then a sophomore, was excited about getting the opportunity to run.

A call from his doctor changed all of that. Blood work had come back indicating Wilmer'selectrolytes were too low.His heart rate was low also, and the doctor said that if Wilmer ran, he could die. Heart failure was a very real concern.

Jessica Wilmerhad to break the news to her sonthat he couldn't run in the state meet.

"It was pretty devastating," she said. "He had worked so hard."

It was a health issue that had started more than a year earlier when Wilmer was a freshman. He began to have negative thoughts about himself, feeling like he wasn't good enough or that he didn't perform well enough on the cross country course. He didn't like the way he looked.

"I started having these terrible mental thoughts about myself," he said.

He coped with those thoughts by using extreme diets and long exercise routines. He started dropping weight, which he was happy about, but he was never satisfied that it was enough. He ate less and less.

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Jessica Wilmer noticed something was wrong with her son. At first, she and her husband, Andy, just thought he was losing weight because he started running. But they began to realize it was more than typical weight loss. He was being very restrictive with what he ate, and his parents knew that wasn't good.

"Then it kind of snowballed until we knew something was really wrong," Jessica Wilmersaid.

She took him to the pediatrician, but could never get a diagnosis that seemed correct. That's when his parentstook him to the Teen and Young Adult Health Center at the University of Virginia. They diagnosed him almost immediately.

Wilmer was suffering from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by weight loss and a distorted body image. At the beginning of his freshman year Wilmer weighed 165pounds. By his sophomore year, he was down to 104 pounds.

Tyler Wilmer, standing between his parents, Jessica and Andy, struggled with an eating disorder during his freshman and sophomore years at Riverheads.(Photo: Submitted)

"It was a very difficult sophomore and junior year for me," he said.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)cited a study showing that males represent 25% of individuals with anorexia nervosa, and they are at a higher risk of dying from the disease.

Young people in general, those between the ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia, have 10 times the risk of dying compared to their peers in the same age group, according to NEDA.

Until he was healthier, running was out for Wilmer.He not only missed that state cross country meet as a sophomore, but he also missed the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

He was hospitalized three times. He took classes and was in therapy. None of it seemed to be working until he found residential treatment, a live-in healthcare facility where Wilmer stayed for five weeks in the summer before his junior year.

There were other people around his age in treatment with him, but Wilmer had very limited contact with anyone outside of the facility. That included no contact with family for the first three days.

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When the shorter hospitalizations weren't working, Jessica Wilmerknew that residential treatment was probably the next step.

"It was a hard decision," she said. "Probably the hardest one we ever had to make."

The first 72 hours there were the most difficult. He didn't go willingly. Looking back now, he said he was in "complete denial," and wasn't happy that he was placed in treatment, butalmost two yearslater he understands the benefits.

"It made like a spark go off in my head that I needed to recover," he said, "and I needed to really focus on becoming happy again."

He returned to running as a junior. And now, with high school over, Wilmer is ready for the next chapter in his life. He'll be attending Roanoke College in the fall, where he'll run cross country and track.

Tyler Wilmer will be running for Roanoke College next year.(Photo: Tom Jacobs/The News Leader)

He also wants to major in health and physical education. For now he's considering going into the mental health field when college is over, possibly as a therapist or nutritionist. He believes he can talk to others dealing with similar issues. He wants to help them avoid the struggles he faced.

"I know that he is going to help somebody along the way," his mom said. "If he can just help one person not to have to go through this I think he'll have done his job."

Wilmer is now between 130 and 135 pounds and said his doctors are happy with that weight. They'd like for him to weigha little more, but as a runner that's not easy.They continue to do blood work to monitor his health, which is good now as he gets ready for college.

That doesn't mean he's completely healthy. It's a daily battle he faces, one of negative thoughts toward himself. Doctors and others who have been through this tell him those will probably never go away completely.

"They kind of haunt you in the back of your head," he said. "It's more of having to see through the fog and realize that it's something you can't do to yourself again. It's something that you need to kind of ignore those bad thoughts. It's a very challenging thing to do."

His mom knows it's been a struggle for their son, for the entire family. It could tear some families apart, she said, but for them their bond grew tighter.Now, she's excited to see where he goes next.

"He came out stronger," she said, "and we're super proud of him."

Follow Patrick on Twitter @Patrick_Hite

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Negative thoughts led to eating disorder for Riverheads runner - The News Leader

Commentary Commentary

During these stressful times, if you find yourself reaching into the pantry of your past, you're probably not alone.

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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania: Have you noticed grabbing an extra bag of chips at the supermarket?

Or eating more frozen dinners than you used to? Or even eating snacks that you havent eaten since you were a little kid?

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every facet of our daily lives, from how we dress, to how we work, to how we exercise.

Its also changing the way we eat.

MORE PACKAGED FOOD

One recent survey by the International Food Information Foundation found that 42 per cent of respondents indicated theyre purchasing more packaged food than they typically would and less fresh food.

Sales of frozen pizza have almost doubled. Sales of frozen appetisers and snacks are over a third, while ice cream sales have increased 36 per cent.

According to Uber Eats, the most common food delivery order in the United States has been french fries, while the most popular beverage has been soda.

To me, these foods have one thing in common: Theyre the stuff we ate as kids.

Why might grown adults be reaching back into the pantry of their pasts? What is it about a pandemic that makes us feel like were teenagers at a sleepover?

The reasons are deeply rooted.

STRESS EATING

At its core, the purpose of food is to nourish. Of course food provides us with the necessary energy and balance of vitamins and minerals to power and fuel the body.

But anyone whos reached for a pint of Ben and Jerrys after a particularly stressful day will know that nourishment is about more than nutrition.

During periods of stress, people tend to eat more and show a greater preference for higher calorie foods. The sweeter and saltier the better.

Regardless of hunger, a tasty snack can feel comforting. Theres evidence to suggest that highly palatable foods, especially those high in fat and sugar, may elicit a response in the brain that is similar to the response from opioids.

Yes, a delicious slice of rich chocolate cake can be just as good as drugs.

We tend to call many of these foods comfort foods, but the definition of comfort food is a bit slippery. Food is deeply personal.

The foods that comfort people depend on their cultural background, taste preference, and personal experience. We know, however, that food can induce feelings of nostalgia that transport us back to simpler times.

SOME COMFORT

So perhaps its no surprise that, during a period of uncertainty that has many of us desperate for some relief and comfort, the foods of our childhood can act as a salve.

For some of us, that bowl of Lucky Charms isnt just a sweet treat; its a reminder of days gone by, a time of safety and stability.

Theres nothing inherently wrong in finding temporary relief from chaos and uncertainty through food. But its probably best to view these changes in eating behaviour as a temporary habit during a weird time.

After all, a diet rich in macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets doesnt exactly set our bodies up for long-term success.

As peoples lives start to regain some sense of normalcy, diet can actually be a major part of the equation. Returning to a more health-conscious diet could be part of reestablishing your previous routines.

And if youve never been able to find the time to prioritise healthy eating, now could actually be a good opportunity to start laying the groundwork for habits that become the new normal.

Download our appor subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Carli Liguori is Instructor of Nutrition and Behavior Change, University of Pittsburgh. This commentary first appeared in The Conversation.

Originally posted here:
Commentary: Our coronavirus diets and what's behind the urge to eat like kids - CNA

D.C. resident Charlie Everetts has had such bad back pain since starting working from home during the coronavirus pandemic that lying on the floor became the best option.

My lower back just became so, so tight and so, so sore. Everett said. I needed to make my back as flat as possible. I couldnt even sit in a chair anymore.

Everett creates digital campaigns for a nonprofit and spends at least nine hours a day on a computer. Working from home seems to have contributed to the pain.

As a greater portion of the nations workforce logs on from home, calls to chiropractors have increased, an expert at Johns Hopkins Hospital said. Back pain can indicate lasting damage if its not addressed.

The hospitals director of spine rehabilitation, Dr. Akhil Chhatre, said that increased back pain during the coronavirus stay-at-home orders can be blamed on unhealthy patterns as many work from less-disciplined environments.

People are working from their beds or from their couches, which can translate to more pressure and more stress on the neck and lower back, Chhatre said. If somebody were to do that for a couple days or for a week, they would probably cope, but now as were going into more projected months for some areas with this type of work, its causing a lot of issues.

Bad posture during the quarantine isnt the only thing to blame for back and neck pain. Chhatre said that unhealthy eating habits, immobility for long periods of time and stress all contribute to pain.

He suggested taking multiple short walks a day, avoiding staying in one position for longer than 30 minutes, considering a standing desk, stretching and maintaining a healthy diet.

Smokers, excessive drinkers, people who are obese and those who do not regularly exercise are more likely to experience pain.

Considering everything thats going on, this is a tremendous toll that its taking on even the healthiest individual, Chhatre said.

Mercedes Yanez said she feels a toll on her body as she works remotely for Northern Arizona University. She said her living conditions make the pain even worse.

Its been difficult to have such a small apartment during the quarantine because I really dont have a lot of space to move around, she said.

Yanez, who had back problems before the pandemic, said its now more difficult to visit or get in touch with a chiropractor. She has taken it upon herself to find remedies.

Ive been taking more walks and doing yoga and stretching every day. Its not something that we usually think about to do. But while were all cooped up inside, its something thats really helped me, she said.

Gopi Kinnicutt, the owner of Bhakti Yoga DC, said more movement may relieve your back pain too.

Repeated stretches and the holding of healthy posture strengthens different parts of the body, she said. A lot of people collapse their chests while sitting and working at a desk from home because their back, neck and spinal muscles arent strong enough to hold them upright for longer periods of time. This is why movement is really important to create joint mobility, muscle strength and circulation.

Bad posture can negatively affect ones mental health and back pain can be indicative of stress and anxiety held within the body, Kinnicutt said. She suggested stretching, doing yoga and practicing deep breathing.

Your breath has this power to stabilize the mind and your racing anxiety, she said. The breath can help one find presence and sensations in the body.

But if yoga and Chhatres recommendations dont seem to be working for you, the doctor advised taking further action.

If folks are feeling like theyre having this pain and if its lasted for longer than a few weeks, reach out to your doctor, he said. Most offices are offering tele-visits and you can do it from the comfort of your home.

So whether you lay out on the floor to ease your back pain or practice yoga, Chhatre said its important to manage your aches to prevent lasting injuries and strains once stay-at-home regulations are completely lifted.

Read more:
Why Your Back Hurts as You Work Remotely and What You Can Do - NBC4 Washington

There are several reasons why some people feel hungry after a meal.

For starters, it could be due to the nutritional composition of your meal.

Meals that contain a greater proportion of protein tend to induce greater feelings of fullness than meals with greater proportions of carbs or fat even when their calorie counts are similar (1, 2, 3).

Numerous studies have shown that higher protein meals are better at stimulating the release of fullness hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), cholecystokinin (CCK), and peptide YY (PYY) (4, 5, 6).

Also, if your diet lacks fiber, you may find yourself feeling hungry more often.

Fiber is a type of carb that takes longer to digest and can slow your stomachs emptying rate. When its digested in your lower digestive tract, it also promotes the release of appetite-suppressing hormones like GLP-1 and PYY (7).

Foods that are high in protein include meats, such as chicken breast, lean beef, turkey, and shrimp. Meanwhile, foods that are high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains.

If you find that youre hungry after a meal and notice that your meals tend to lack protein and fiber, try incorporating more protein- and fiber-rich foods into your diet.

Aside from meal composition, your stomach has stretch receptors that play a key role in promoting feelings of fullness during and immediately after a meal.

The stretch receptors detect how much your stomach expands during a meal and send signals directly to your brain to induce feelings of fullness and reduce your appetite (8).

These stretch receptors dont rely on the nutritional composition of food. Instead, they rely on the total volume of the meal (8).

However, feelings of fullness brought on by the stretch receptors dont last long. So while they may help you eat less during a meal and shortly after, they dont promote long-term feelings of fullness (8, 9).

If you dont find yourself feeling full during or immediately after a meal, try incorporating more foods that are high in volume but low in calories (10, 11).

These foods, such as most fresh vegetables, fruits, air-popped popcorn, shrimp, chicken breast, and turkey, tend to have greater air or water content. Also, drinking water before or with meals adds volume to the meal and may further promote fullness (12).

Though many of these high volume, low calorie foods promote short-term, immediate fullness through the stretch receptors, they tend to be high in protein or fiber, both of which promote feelings of fullness long afterward by stimulating the release of fullness hormones.

In some cases, hormonal issues may explain why some people feel hungry after eating.

Leptin is the main hormone that signals feelings of fullness to your brain. Its made by fat cells, so its blood levels tend to increase among people that carry more fat mass.

However, the problem is that sometimes leptin doesnt work as well as it should in the brain, especially in some people with obesity. This is commonly called leptin resistance (13).

This means that although theres plenty of leptin in the blood, your brain doesnt recognize it as well and continues to think that youre hungry even after a meal (14).

Though leptin resistance is a complex issue, research suggests that getting in regular physical activity, reducing sugar intake, increasing fiber intake, and getting adequate sleep may help reduce leptin resistance (15, 16, 17, 18).

Aside from the key factors above, several behavioral factors may explain why you feel hungry after eating, including:

You may feel hungry after eating due to a lack of protein or fiber in your diet, not eating enough high volume foods, hormone issues like leptin resistance, or behavioral and lifestyle choices. Try implementing some of the suggestions above.

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Feeling Hungry After Eating: Why It Happens and What to Do - Healthline