Dear Rachel,

I really want to lose fat and particularly from my stomach, but I don't have access to a gym or any fitness equipment. How should I be working out to lose fat from home? My goal is to get a six-pack or at least some ab definition, what are the best exercises I should be doing?

Crunched Out

Dear Crunched,

Ah, abs. Such elusive little creatures, aren't they?

In the eyes of many, a rippling six-pack is the epitome of fitness, but truly this isn't the case. In fact, many people you may admire for their ab definition have had to go to extremely unhealthy lengths to get there.

That said, your desire to lose fat from your stomach is one shared by many.

In what may or may not be good news to you, however, endless crunches are unlikely to get you any closer to your goal.

It's a common misconception that doing lots of core exercises like sit-ups, crunches, and planks will lead to abs, but this isn't really the case.

Yes, the abs are a muscle that can be developed like any other in the body, but you won't be able to see them if they're under a layer of fat.

You won't lose more fat from your stomach by doing ab workouts, much like doing endless lunges won't see you losing fat from your thighs in particular. You can't target fat loss. Sorry.

Nutrition coach and personal trainer Graeme Tomlinson AKA The Fitness Chef told Insider that spot reducing fat from the stomach is "simply impossible."

Sadly, it's in fact the area that is likely to be the last to lose fat.

"Your body tends to store more fat in the abdomen region, therefore whilst fat reduces from other areas of your body and the abdomen, it simply takes longer for it to reduce in the abdomen as more fat resides there," Tomlinson explained.

Instead of annihilating yourself with crunches every day, it's better to focus on full-body movements like squats or push-ups, which require you to engage the core while working the whole body.

If you feel like you're not able to get a good workout in without a gym or any fitness equipment, don't stress.

The reality is that formal exercise time actually accounts for very little of your overall calorie burn.

"Losing fat is the same equation during lockdown as it was before lockdown you simply need a calorie deficit," said Tomlinson.

Last night I posted about the validity of relaxing compositional focus during difficult times. But as much as ones mental health may benefit from this relaxation, anothers may be nurtured by progression of their compositional goals. We are all different. Thus, I made this post tonight. Over the last few weeks, and for a significant number of weeks ahead, we exist in new conditions. Every part of our lives has changed. Conditions we are all trying to adapting to. Our health and fitness goals are subject to new conditions too. There is no access to gyms - a place where many manage their energy expenditure. There is no pre-lockdown dietary routine - where one manages their energy intake. Thus, we can be forgiven for succumbing to the notion that elimination of these environments automatically means the curtailment of our progress. But as my graphics show, this notion does not have to be the eventuality for those who want to progress. Because by adapting, we can still manage our compositional goals. Note that these numbers will be unique to you. In most cases, we still have conscious dietary choice. Unless instructed otherwise, we can still walk for an hour or so each day. We can still move around our houses. We can still plan exercise at home. And we can replicate our unplanned energy expenditure (NEAT) by being more active at new times of the day. These two parallel examples are not a tale of success or failure, instead they represent opportunities and temporary postponements. Either option is valid. We are in the midst of something truly significant. A unique time in our lives which affects every facet of it. But the beauty of these seemingly insignificant adaptations is their relationship to the simple science of energy balance. Contrary to industry attitudes, progress can still be made without gruelling home workouts where body parts unnecessarily suffer. The information is here. Do whatever you want with it. - - #burncalories #calorieburn #workout #homeworkout #neat #diettips #nutritioncoach #burnfat #fatlosstips #fatlosscoach #homeexercises #burnfat #burningfat #caloriedeficit #mentalhealthmatters

A post shared by Graeme Tomlinson (@thefitnesschef_) on Apr 20, 2020 at 11:11am PDTApr 20, 2020 at 11:11am PDT

"Whilst you perhaps previously associated burning fat with the gym or working out, the reality is that a workout accounts for approximately 5% of your total daily energy expenditure.

"We must remember that 70% of the calories we burn each day come at rest, 15% through unplanned exercise (known as NEAT), 10% from digesting food and 5% from planned exercise.

"If you don't have equipment and have to stay at home, controlling the calories you consume and increasing NEAT offers an easy way to burn more fat."

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Energy Thermogenesis, and good examples are cleaning, walking up stairs, and gardening. I myself am partial to having a bit of a boogie while cooking and would thoroughly recommend it.

As Tomlinson said, losing fat simply comes down to taking in less energy than you're expending.

"To lose fat, we need to establish a negative energy balance (burning more calories than we consume) and whilst exercise is a great overall contributor to our daily calorie burn, it's actually the nutrition and non-strenuous activities you should be focusing more on," explained Courtney Pruce, a personal trainer currently running Instagram live workouts every Monday, Thursday, and Sunday mornings.

As well as upping your NEAT, Pruce advises eating in a gentle calorie deficit (there are lots of online calculators to help you, such as Tomlinson's or Jordan Syatt's) and seeing how you get on.

"Start by creating a moderate calorie deficit through both daily activity and food intake, and see how your body responds," she advised.

Courtney Pruce. Courtney Pruce

After a few weeks, you can adjust if needs be if you're not seeing any progress, you could try adding five minutes to your daily walk or slightly dropping your calories.

However, it's important to bear in mind that scale weight isn't the best way to measure progress as the number will be affected by all sorts of factors like eating a large, salty meal, doing an intense training session, when you last went to the bathroom, and where a woman is in her menstrual cycle.

Instead of living and dying by the scale, take measurements and photos to assess your progress.

"There is no great elixir exercise to shed belly fat. A calorie deficit is the only exercise required," said Tomlinson.

"Ensuring you enjoy what you eat, and can sustain the deficit and mode of energy expenditure, you have a greater chance of consistently losing fat over time."

So that means don't do anything drastic as you'll never be able to sustain it.

People talk about weight loss, but what they really mean is fat loss.

Body recomposition is the aim, which means losing fat and holding on to (or even building) muscle, thus reducing your body fat percentage.

As someone who has previously done this rather successfully (if I do say so myself), I know there are three main components in this:

Firstly, ensuring your energy deficit is only small.

Secondly, keeping your protein intake high (which is also satiating so it's helpful in a calorie deficit) ideally, you want to aim for 0.8-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight.

And thirdly, you need to resistance train.

You may be thinking that's impossible without a gym or any fitness equipment, but that is in fact not the case, as top trainers Luke Worthington and Emily Ricketts previously explained to me.

"You don't need access to a gym or any home kit to get a great workout in!" Pruce stressed. "There is plenty you can be doing with your bodyweight alone. Remember that any workout is better than no workout!

A post shared by Courtney Home Workouts (@courtneypruce)Apr 22, 2020 at 10:10am PDT

"There is a big misconception surrounding training for fat loss that we need to be doing all cardio and crazy long HIIT sessions, but that's not the case.

"When dieting, our body will naturally try to give up muscle mass before fat mass, so we have to ensure we are still regularly resistance training (bodyweight or with additional load) to ensure we promote fat loss over muscle loss."

Good news for anyone forcing themselves to go on runs that they hate.

When it comes to abs, it's important to remember that genetics play a role. Some people are naturally predisposed to have leaner limbs but more insulation around their middle, whereas others might carry more fat on their thighs and hips but be able to maintain defined abs with little effort.

You can't change your genetic make-up, so instead of beating yourself up for not having a chiseled six-pack, try and learn to love your body as it is.

Over the past few years, I've embraced the fact that I'm never going to have an hourglass figure and have gradually learned to love my broad shoulders and more athletic physique. It takes time, but you'll be much happier if you stop wishing for someone else's body.

A post shared by Rachel Hosie (@rachel_hosie)Apr 15, 2020 at 11:24am PDT

Focus on all the wonderful things your body can do, and that should help you learn to love how it looks too.

That said, there's nothing wrong with wanting to lose some fat if it would make you healthier and happier, provided the desire isn't coming from a position of hate.

"You just have to be patient, stick to your calorie and activity targets, and remain consistent," said Pruce.

Don't rush the process and be kind to yourself.

Wishing you well,

Rachel

As Insider's senior lifestyle reporter and a self-described fitness fanatic with an Association for Nutrition certified nutrition course under her belt, Rachel Hosie is fully immersed in the wellness scene and is here to answer all your burning questions. Whether you're struggling to find the motivation to go for a run, confused about light versus heavy weights, or unsure whether you should be worried about how much sugar is in a mango, Rachel is here to give you the no-nonsense answers and advice you need, with strictly no fad diets in sight.

Rachel has a wealth of experience covering fitness, nutrition, and wellness, and she has the hottest experts at her fingertips she regularly speaks to some of the world's most knowledgeable and renowned personal trainers, dietitians, and coaches, ensuring she's always up to date with the latest science-backed facts you need to know to live your happiest and healthiest life.

Have a question? Ask Rachel atworkingitout@insider.comorfill out this anonymous form. All questions will be published anonymously.

See more here:
How to eat and exercise at home to lose fat and get defined abs - Insider - INSIDER

We've been massively spoilt for choice recently when it comes to ridiculous quotes from the president of the United States.

But just days after saying it might be a good plan to inject bleach, he's come out with another iconic line.

On Twitter, Trump has said he's the hardest working president in history. Behold... the tweet:

Trump's slightly insecuretweet follows alengthy New York Times report which claims that during the pandemiche has been holed up in the residential wing of the White House and passes the majority of his hours anxiously watching TV coverage to see how his leadership is being received. Pretty relatable, right?

Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff told the Post:

I can tell you that he will go back in and have a lunch just off the Oval Office and more times than not it is interrupted by several phone calls. If he gets more than 10 minutes of time in a given day I havent seen in the five weeks Ive been here.

Another official went one further, claiming sometimes Trump doesnt eat lunch, full stop.

There are times when lunch isnt even a thought, the aide said. A lot of time theres either no time for lunch or there is 10 minutes for lunch.

As for the TV claim, they say watching coverage is perfectly reasonable for the head of state to do. An official said:

How else are we going to know whats being said and whats being reported out there?

The Post also said theyd seen data on presidential phone calls which apparently prove his packed schedule (a detail not contested by the Times feature).

In the Times report that has riled the president so much, journalistsspoke to more than a dozen administration officials and advisers who told them Trump is allegedly isolated from the supporters, visitors, travel and golf that once entertained him.

The Times also reported that Trump is surrounded by comfort food like French fries and Diet Coke and though he spends his days in meetings, briefings and on calls he is constantly fixated on news coverage about him, which hes increasingly angered by.

Even the likes of Fox News, a former ally, are now criticising his handling of the crisis.

I work from early in the morning until late at night, havent left the White House in many months (except to launch Hospital Ship Comfort) in order to take care of Trade Deals, Military Rebuilding etc., and then I read a phony story in the failing @nytimes about my work schedule and eating habits, written by a third rate reporter who knows nothing about me. I will often be in the Oval Office late into the night & read & see that I am angrily eating a hamburger & Diet Coke in my bedroom. People with me are always stunned. Anything to demean!

In fact, the Times story did not detail Trump eating a hamburger and Diet Coke in his bedroom and supported the claims that he is both in the Oval Office late into the night and wakes early each morning.

However the report saidthis is so Trump can begin his marathon of viewing television coverage about him.

A bad case of square eyes imminent?

Read more from the original source:
Trump says he's the 'hardest working president in history' as report says he's watching TV and eating fries all day - indy100

Not all plant-based celebrities areas vocal about their cruelty-free diet as Joaquim Phoenix, or at least it's not the main topicinterviews tend to focus on,so many people on this list may actually come as a surprise. It's common knowledge in Hollywood that celebritieswill temporarily adopt a vegan diet to lose weight for glamour shots, a movie role, orto slim down for a vacation when paparazzi can catch them "off guard at the beach."

Some celebrities go on and off their vegan diets, and don't want to be "caught" eating fish or poultry or dairy, so they don't self- identify as vegan. At The Beet we applaud any attempt to embrace a plant-based or plant-forward lifestyle and this list is inclusive of anyone who has "ditched meat" or dairy, or is stealthily vegan, since they may be doing it for reasons of their own, whether it's health, the planet, or animals. Phoenix gripped the audience during the Oscars with his heartfelt speech of animal awareness, but whatever reason stars have for turning towardthe plant-based lifestyle, we want to be inspired by their healthier choices.

Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights. You have probably heard of the movement #meatlessmondays and have seen the hashtag on your Instagram feed. Yes, it means that you avoid eating meat on Mondays but what you may not know is Paul McCartney and daughters, Stella and Mary McCartney launched the first "Meat-free Monday"campaign in 2009 that started the popular movement and hashtag. Stella McCartney, Paul's second daughter, is a well-known fashion designer to ethical vegetarian luxury clothing brand Stella McCartney.

Paul works closely with PETAtovoice opinions about animal rights. In November, helaunched a campaign with the nonprofit to encourage others to say no to turkey for Thanksgiving. The campaign shows Paul wearing a T-shirt with the saying " EAT NO" and an image of a turkey below the phrase. Just recently he used his voice to advocate for the abolishment of "wet markets" and we expect to hear more from him in the coming days on related topics.

We give Paul a round of applause on and off stage for his efforts to inspire others tolimit meat on Mondays and use ethical practices in your daily food consumption.

If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word.

She's actively involved in different vegan awareness campaigns and a documentary film. And, you probably didn't know that she recently shared a vegan pie with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy on the animated Scooby-Doo Where Are You!series. Sia cares deeply about animal welfare and teamed up with PETA to launch her own campaign to pledge the end of animal homelessness. She's also appeared in the documentary,Dominion, along withJoaquin Phoenixand Rooney Mara, which covers modern animal agriculture through hidden cameras.

Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy,Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. We want to ask her, was this the spark that got Ellen Pompeo to go vegan? In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV staris known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious.She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly livea cruelty-free life. Understandably,she keeps it private and hasn't shared any new information about her vegan journey of late, but according to onesource, she feels it is a "lifestyle," not a dietary choice.

Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview inPeopleMagazine. Now39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body andstay fueled.

Her family, including her children Vivian and Benjamin, all eat this way because it's "healthy and good for the planet." Brady is known to keep a super-strict, mostly plant-based diet, which he credits for staying fit, strong and healthy enough to be about to enter his 21stseason in the NFL, starting his third decade as QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming fall, after winning 6 Superbowl rings with the New England Patriots.

Gisele shared with People what she eats in a day, starting with a green juice,vegetable soup for lunch, hummus andcrudits for a snack, and leafygreens with quinoa for dinner. She also loves chamomile tea before bedtime. Talk about the perfect couple.

Alec Baldwinhas made a bigger commitmentto plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment. In a CNN articlewritten by Baldwin entitled "The path to a better planet goes across your plate" Baldwin explains how "Human activity is fundamentally altering the planet."

He writesthat "In wealthier countries, we also need to shift our diets away from rampant overconsumption,notably of meat, and toward a nutritious mix of plant-based foods that are less resource-intensive, require less land, and are better for our health."

Of course, Alec Baldwin met his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, at New York's Pure Food and Wine eatery, a popular raw vegan bote.

Miley adopteda gluten-free diet back in 2012for health reasons and two years later, committed to a vegan diet she still lives by today. In a tweet to PETA, she thanked the organization..." for giving me the honor of receiving the Best Voice 4 Animals award! Living a completely vegan lifestyle, whether it's what I eat or wear I am very certain that veganism is taking over and stoked to see so many brands jumpin' on this revolution!"

The animal-loving celeb wrote on Instagram, if you choose to eat meat you love pets, not animals."She recently adopted a dog from an animal shelter with new boyfriend Cody Simpson, clickhereto read see their cute newest puppy.

On another note, in case you're not up to date with the Miley and Liam break up, Liam Hemsworthjust announced he dropped his vegan diet after developing kidney stones. But, Miley continuestospeak up for the "voiceless" and uses her massive Instagram following of 107 million followers to advocate for the cruelty-free lifestyle.

We all remember Pamela Anderson as thecurvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she playedCasey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame.She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization. "I cant stay silent when animals are suffering or abused,"Anderson said. She became vegetarian at a young agegrowing up ina household of hunters in Western Canada, and could not fathom the idea of animal cruelty after seeing her father a hang up a deer head as a trophy.

Anderson doesn't wear real leather or faux fursince she doesn't like the concept of appearing to be wearing the real thing.Still, in order to promotemoving consumersaway from leather and fur,she sent her friends, Kim Kardashian and Melania Trump faux fur jackets so they would stop wearing real animal skins. Anderson wants to advise people that, Being vegan is an aphrodisiac diet. Its a win-win.Meat makes you impotent and unhealthy."

"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show"Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings Host Sean Evans allows his celebrity guests to choose whether they want to compete with real or faux meat and when someone like Paul Rudd opts for vegan wings it sends the vegan world into a paroxysm of speculation as to whether the star has gone vegan.

The question still lingers, When did Stewart go vegan? Was it before her vampire role in The Twilightseries, or in time for the Charlie's Angel remake she was promoting last January? There's no actualconfirmationfrom Stewart herself butBritish Voguehas quoted her as saying her new diet "makes her feel like a woman." Before, she had a more boyish body. When GQ asked Stewart what she ate her answer revealed her new vegan bent:

"Everything. Well I mean honestly, we shouldn't eat as much meat guys," she replied. "You know what I'm saying? But like I'm trying a lot, hard. I'm trying earnestly." We applaud that.

Remember the 2016 Joker played by Jared Leto?You probably painted your face and dyed your hair green for Halloween to look like him. Well, this award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants.Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.

From time to time, fans ask questions on his Instagram: How do you burn fat so fast? How do you build muscle easily?Leto told Billboardmagazinethe secrets to hisfit physique and low body fat is eating plant-based.Twenty solid years of eating vegetarian/vegan and taking care of myself, he answers. Leto also enjoys hiking, yoga, and lifting weights.

In his interview withBillboard, Leto ate vegan tacos while answering questions about his rapid weight gain to play the role of the villain in theSuicide Squad.He reported that he bulked up by eating a strict high-protein plant-based diet.

Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In arecent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn'tstopped him fromespousing the plant-based life.

For his 21st birthday in July 2019,Smith donated free vegan meals tothe homeless in downtown Los Angeles. Smith opened up his own food truck called theI LOVE YOURestaurant, and served the homeless vegan food on Skid Row. We appreciate Smith's initiative to help those in need by deciding to servenutritious plant-based food.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussexhas neveradmitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how shehopesto raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet. However, before leaving for America, there was reportedly sometensionwiththe Queen abouther plans toraise the royal baby vegan.Maybe Queen Elizabeth has since changed her mind, though, since Her Majesty just celebrated her 94th birthdayand PETA sent her a vegan meatless pie!

Meghan reported to Good Housekeeping magazine that she takes her Vitamix blender everywhere she goes to make her nutritious plant-based shakes. "When I had my car brought out [to Canada], I shipped myVitamixin the backseat... I cannot travel without my Vitamix."

Known for her posh and propper style, Markle wears clothes by Stella McCartney, a well-known vegetarianwho innovates in the cruelty-free luxury market. Markle even refuses to wearfake furs and told Good Housekeeping Magazineback when she appeared on Suits:"My wardrobe for my part inSuitsisn't like Working Girl dressing for work doesn't have to be so on-the-nose these days...personally, I love cropped pants in vegan leather, a great fitted blazer and a button-down [shirt]." A bigtennis fan, Markle is close to Serena Williams,our next vegan celeb.

As a professional athlete, fueling the body isa key factor to Willaim's successes. In aBon Appetitearticle, she explained that she adopted aplant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.

Venus labeled Serena as "chegan," meaning she is mostly vegan but occasionally eats chicken -- but Serenanotes "I don't eat red meat or pork." Serenamentioned we would find her fridge full of "coconut water, Gatorade (my favorite!), cucumbers, mint, kale, vegetables, ginger, and wheatgrass."

The Beet reported on Serena's husband,Alexis Ohanian, telling GQ that he was going plant-based "to be a better dad" for their daughter Olympia. (We love that.)

Back in March, Serena Williams introduced a new vegan clothing line to her fashion brand, "Serena," the vegan leather pants and leather blazer sold out within the weeks of the launch date. She wears her favoritegiraffe-print dress in the photo above.

The Williams sisters rally to support the vegan lifestyle and Serena's husband, Alexis Ohanian, is on board, click here to read why Ohanian madethis healthy lifestyle switch.

The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eatprocessed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65. During his interview with Business Insider, the mentioned he eats only 3 vegan meals a day and rarely snacks, but when he does, it's only a couple of Medjool dates.

John Mackey is the author of the popular book, The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity,and swears that much of his success has come from eating vegan. Mackey, who's dedicated to living a plant-based lifestyle, takes his rice cooker on the road with him because he travels a lot for work. His favorite breakfast is steel-cut oats cooked in his rice cooker and he'll pop into the nearest Whole Foods for lunch,and makes a "big salad" and eats steamed veggies "with some kind of lentil" for dinner with his wife Deborah.

Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazinesources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."

In addition to his raw plant-based diet, Mraz told Vegetarian Times he doesn't put a lot of "stress on his diet," and he occasionally heats up a bowl of soup or roast vegetables and admits he is probably eating a 75% raw diet. And, just like Meghan Markel, Mraz loves his Vitamix and blends together a mixture of raw foods and powders before he takes a flight.

Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet.Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but toldWomen's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner. Recently, Leona Lewis married Dennis Jauch at Sting's Estate in Italy. The couple celebrated with delicious vegan Italian dishes by pastry chef Marco Falla who created a vegan version of Millefeuille, normally made with dairy.

Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlingswhen she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.

She now considers herself "plant-based" and in an interview with the Huffington Post, Teter mentioned," I feel stronger than Ive ever been, mentally, physically, and emotionally. My plant-based diet has opened up more doors to being an athlete. Its a whole other level that Im elevating to. I stopped eating animals about a year ago, and its a new life. I feel like a new person, a new athlete."

You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world,she's well-knownfor her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion. The Beetcaught up with Maggie Qlast summer tohear about her latest project, her sustainable activewear line called Qeep Upthat gives back to charities that support ocean life. We adore Maggie Q, and everything she's done to help the environment and protect animals.Her most recent series,Designated Survivor,was picked up by Netflix so enjoy a binge-watching party.

Read More:Maggie Q On Her New Sustainable Activewear Line, Qeep Up| https://thebeet.com/we-talked-to-maggie-q-about-her-new-sustainable-activewear-line-qeep-up/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, MadelainePetsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."

She told PETA that her favorite restaurant is Veggie Grill, but it changes from time to time and her favorite snack is shaved beets popped in the oven, baked into crispy chips. The advice Petsch gives to plant-leaning or plant-curious in her PETA video is: "As long as you're aware, that's the first step."

After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods. The famous actress recently launched a new vegan beauty line called Florence by Millis. The makeup products, which include skin tints and eye gel pads, are certified vegan by the animal rights organization PETA.

The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according toa PETA interview. The proteges of Beyonce were discovered when their YouTube cover of her song "Pretty Hurts" reached the superstar herself, and she helped launch their careers. Now 19 and 17, the duo have 2.4 million followers on Instagram and havemoved from their hometown of Atlanta to LA to star in their own show, Grownish. They found that the vegan lifestyle was super easy in their hometown."Eggs and dairy never sat well with me so it was easy, Chloe toldComplex. When we moved to L.A., it really became easy. So many vegan restaurants and vegan aisles in the grocery store are like heaven for us!

Best known for her role asLizzie Mcguirein the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-freeeyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.

In addition to her ethical and cruelty-free practices, Duff partnered with Unilever and Walmart to create a campaign that educates consumers on recycling practices. Duff notes, "I care about the planet and the future of what it looks like for my kids...and generations to follow us.The time is now to be responsible and lower our carbon footprint."

Duff follows a "clean eating plan" which doesn't include meat or dairy because she wants to lower her carbon footprint. She told One Green Planetshe's lost 10 pounds since she's started eating this way last October.

Follow this link:
Sandra Oh and 20 More Stars You May Not Have Known Are Vegan - The Beet

Alexia Akbay, founder and CEO of seaweed farming start-up Symbrosia, explains to The Fish Site how the company aims to both reduce the carbon footprint and improve the productivity of ruminant livestock agriculture.

Based in Hawaii, the company is developing production techniques for Asparagopsis seaweeds, which have been shown to dramatically reduce the methane output and improve productivity of ruminants, including sheep and cattle.

Although the biggest obstacle to overcome is how to produce sufficient quantities of these red seaweeds to make a global impact, Symbrosia is looking forward to field trials in the US sheep farming sector this summer.

My background is in green chemistry. I have both a personal and academic interest in the food system and how it relates to climate change. The methane reduction potential of Asparagopsis, combined with difficulty of growing it, made it an attractive opportunity; breaking that code of production is a challenge that myself and others are really interested in trying to solve.

I was still in university when we established the company and we initially received business and engineering grants from both Yale and MIT. Then we moved onto the Hatch accelerator programme which includes some funding, before closing a US$1.3 million seed round in December 2019. We have investors from California, London, Australia and Singapore. Its a good mix of angels and VCs, usually with ties to agriculture and aquaculture industries.

Our original research was based on growing two species together in a RAS. Weve since abandoned the idea of growing a fish species ourselves in parallel, but were based at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) and are conducting trials with waste from neighbouring finfish and shrimp farms. We currently utilize outdoor flow-through systems and envision scaling production up initially at NELHA due to the consistent year-round photoperiod that is ideal for seaweed growth.

Our highest priorities include establishing the optimum growing and processing protocols. Weve been doing is a series of iterative experiments in the lab to test the best parameters, starting with single variable experiments and working into multi-variates of all those different parameters. We transfer those conditions to outdoor growing systems which is another level of extrapolation.

Our models suggest that we need to achieve almost 10 percent daily growth rate to make Asparagopsis production economically viable. We think thats possible, but it requires balancing many different variables and developing new technologies.

Its very early days, but were initially working with the sheep sector a sheep only needs 6 grams of Asparagopsis a day to reduce its methane emissions, whereas a dairy cow needs around 100 grams.

It helps that weve had dedicated sheep farmers reaching out to us, and weve received USDA grants for research on these farms in anticipation of our product deployment this summer, on a pasture-fed sheep farm in New York. Although, our long term plans are in both the organic dairy and feedlot beef markets.

Making the supplement widely available also depends on the concentration of the active ingredient in the seaweed a big part of our development is trying to produce seaweed with the highest concentration of the metabolite that reduces the methane, because if we can double that, we would only need to produce half the biomass of seaweed for the same impact.

There are some questions over whether working with feed companies is going to be the right option our research suggests that brands and organic producers can see the greatest benefit from the product currently, because they know how to profit from these sustainability claims, have teams that can really push it or have made commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Hatch have been very useful because of their aquaculture focus and they have also provided us with office, lab, and outdoor space for growing and scaling up. This is a real advantage because conducting aquaculture research without being affiliated with a university makes R&D research difficult.

Hatch will also be useful when we start to try to acquire customers, theyve been there before, and have been through the process with other start-ups.

The pricing analyses we undertook suggests that the most we could charge was $2 per day per dairy cow. We now need to concentrate how much we can reduce production costs.

If you assume that a cow produces 40 litres of milk per day, and youre charging $2, that ends up being a couple of cents on the litre. I think that many consumers would be prepared to pay for that.

It might seem like a lot on the farmer end, but if we can translate that through the supply chain and the benefits go back to the farmer, then that would be ideal. There are a lot of consumer-facing brands which understand the reality, and were working with them.

Alltech and DSM have put forward products. DSMs 3-NOP is possibly the most recent product. Our research suggests that DSM spent over $32 million on bringing the product to market. I think its only available in New Zealand now where there are rumours of $8 per day per animal for a 30 percent reduction. When we think about this product pipeline and what the process for us could like, an Asparagopsis market seems feasible given our current constraints.

Only three or four species of seaweed have been shown to reduce methane emissions by more than 55 percent in vitro, and two of these are types of Asparagopsis. However, there seems to be a lot of misinformation in the market most of the more readily available species such as kelp will only reduce emissions by a comparatively small percentage in some cases kelp species actually increase methane emissions, depending on the feed system.

Continued here:
The seaweed start-up that's set to slash livestock methane emissions - The Fish Site

These habits will give you lasting energy (Photo: Shutterstock)

Ive noticed that now that my physical movement has decreased significantly, Im feeling more and more lethargic. Its becoming harder to concentrate on work or my household tasks all because my energy levels are low.

ALSO READ: Man's work from home blunder as everyone can see x-rated content on laptop

I turned to coffee sometimes tea, but this only gave me a spike in energy which quickly dissipated and I was left feeling exhausted all over again. Sometimes I even opted for Coke just for that jolt of energy to help me do my work. While this helped, taking too much caffeine ended up messing up with my sleep.

If youve found yourself in this same situation,read on for ways you can boost your energy without caffeine.

1. Drink water

One reason you could be feeling low in energy is because youre dehydrated. Make a habit of having a water bottle next to you at all times. Keeping your body hydrated is the easiest way to get an energy boost. Refill it throughout the day to ensure that you get the necessary amount of water in your body.Chewing gum will help you stay alert (Photo: Shutterstock)

2. Get some sun

Now that were spending a lot of time indoors, its become so easy to forget to go outside especially when youre trying to do all your work and be present for family life. Establish a routine and go outside to soak up some much needed rays of sun. The morning sunlight is the best. This will energize you for the rest of your day.

3. Go for a walk

ALSO READ: The importance of wearing sunscreen as you work from home

Exercise is one way to not only boost your energy levels but also improve your mood. If you have a daily exercise routine, well and good. However, if working out is not your cup of tea, make it a habit to go for a walk daily. You could do this in the morning before you sit down to work, in the middle of the day to get rid of the afternoon slump or in the evening to help you relax after a long day.

4. Watch your diet

A diet with too much sugar, fats and refined carbohydrates will only increase your blood sugar making your body functions slower. Just as you should increase your water intake, eat more whole foods, fruits and vegetables. Including protein in your breakfast will help you stay full for longer and give you a steady source of glucose. Avoid eating large portions of food especially at lunch time. Opt for smaller portions instead and healthy snacks whenever you feel peckish.Drink water throughout the day (Photo: Shutterstock)

5. Get enough sleep

Log off your computer and switch it off at least an hour before bedtime. Put off your phone too. Go to bed early enough and if you have trouble sleeping, read a book instead of scrolling through social media. A good nights rest will enable you to wake up early enough and youll feel energised.

6. Chew gum

According to Health.com, chewing gum helps keep you more alert and improves your mood. So pick up a packet of your favourite gum and pop some in your mouth when you feel a little the tiredness creeping in.

ALSO READ: How to protect yourself online

7. Take a power nap

A doctor recommended this to me. A short nap during the day will refill your energy reserves giving you just the right boost to finish your tasks for the day. Keep your nap between 20 and 40 minutes.

For More of This Stories Subscribe to the Standard Epaper to get a copy of Eve Woman in the Standard

Do not miss out on the latest news. Join the Eve Digital Telegram channel HERE.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Evewoman.co.ke

Read the original post:
Seven ways to boost your energy without caffeine - The Standard

Dr Winnie Njenga, a dermatologist at Kiambu Level 5 Hospital, answers some of the most frequently asked questions around skincare. Pick up skin protection tips, discover some of the common skin problems and learn what suspicious growths might mean.After I turned 30, I developed acne. I have never had to deal with that before. What can I do? How does one deal with adult acne?Adult acne is an interplay of factors, such as your skin type, inflammation and the hormonal milieu. Your dermatologist can assess your risk factors and advise on the best way forward. Remember treatment will vary from person to person. You also need to have your skincare and hair products assessed.I have skin tags; many of them. And I dont like them. Is there anything I can do to slow down their development?Many people develop skin tags. They can be removed by your dermatologist. I would recommend that you practice a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and regular exercise as obesity can make this worse.What are the most common skin problems you deal with?

For More of This and Other Stories, Grab Your Copy of the Standard Newspaper. Read Now

Do not miss out on the latest news. Join the Standard Digital Telegram channel HERE.

Continue reading here:
Is there a treatment that reverses balding? - Standard Digital

A new analysis of 121 diet studies, examining the diets of over 21,000 people, found evidence to support something many experts have been saying for years: that strict diets don't work in the long-term.

In the paper, published in the British Medical Journal, the authors concluded that many of the 14 diets they examined resulted in improved blood pressure and an average weight loss of 10 pounds at six months.

But after a year of starting the diet, most of those weight loss benefits were gone and their lowered heart disease risk was back to where it had been except for those adhering to the Mediterranean diet.

"The message is fairly clear," study author Gordan Guyatt, a professor at McMaster University, told Insider. "It doesn't really matter what diet you choose, the weight loss you will get is not very different. Diets, for most people, generally do not work. "

Some 69% of the 21,942 participants were women, with an average age of 49, with diets that lasted about six and a half months. Many of their diets were branded, like Weight Watchers to South Beach, while others were trend-based, like low fat or paleo diets.

"Lowering your blood pressure or your bad cholesterol, for a period of time, say six months, is not going to make any long term difference if it goes back up again," said Guyatt. "You have to have blood pressure and lipid lowering for years before it's really going to lower your risk of bad events like strokes and heart attacks."

Obesity levels worldwide have tripled since 1975. In tandem, America's diet industry has ballooned into a $72 billion behemoth, promising silver-bullet solutions to weight gain or persistent excess weight, without communicating the complexity of the matter.

"The study is reaffirming what we already knew," said Caroline Apovian, director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center. "It just adds to the evidence. It gives us reassurance with almost 22,000 patients that, yes, what we thought is actually the case."

Apovian pointed out that the study didn't tease out differences between the different diets as much as it could have, and that, given the study was an analysis of other studies, the authors had no way of examining if the participants actually ate what they said they ate.

She added that the Mediterranean diet emerged with a moderate victory in the study, as participants who did that omega-3-heavy diet seemed to retain a lowered risk of heart disease at the 12-month mark, unlike all the other diets.

Guyatt told Insider he couldn't offer any advice to people concerned about maintaining their weight.

"There is some evidence that is consistent with our results that we have genetic presets for a particular weight, at least in environments where we can get as much to eat as we want," he said. "There's nothing that we can confidently recommend people when it comes to diets. People must look to their own psychology and friends and family, knowing that it's going to be difficult."

For people who have difficulty sticking to their diets and, according to the existing research, that's most people Guyatt says they should take comfort in the notion that they are not alone.

"If it helps you feel less defeated when you can't keep the weight off to know that other people have exactly the same experience, then that is a good thing," said Guyatt. "I don't think we know what a healthy diet is. So picking something that feels healthy and satisfying is probably the best you can do at this point."

Read more:

'Intuitive eating' is on the rise, and experts say it's because people are fed up with diet culture

A former 'Biggest Loser' contestant became an obesity doctor. She says TV can never fully capture the process of losing weight.

A new kind of weight loss approach helps people deal with self-loathing instead of just ignoring it

The rest is here:
Mediterranean diet is the only diet that works long-term, study finds - Insider - INSIDER

Consuming a Mediterranean diet may lead to higher cognitive function, according to a recently published study.

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, led the analysis of data from two major eye disease studies the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2.

The results of the new study were published in Alzheimers and Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimers Association.

The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish and olive oil. It also emphasizes lessening the consumption of alcohol.

In addition to the diet possibly boosting cognitive function, it may also contribute to slowing cognitive decline.

Over the course of several years, both age-related eye disease studies evaluated the effect of vitamins on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that causes vision loss. While AREDS featured patients with and without AMD, AREDS2 had only participants with AMD. Both studies had 4,000 participants.

In the beginning of each study, researchers evaluated participants for diet. While the AREDS study tested participants cognitive function at five years, the AREDS2 study tested cognitive function in participants at baseline and again at intervals of two, four, and 10 years. Researchers evaluated participants diet with a variety of tests. They also had participants fill out a questionnaire that asked for their average consumption of each component of the Mediterranean diet over the past year.

The results showed that participants who adhered most closely to the Mediterranean diet had the lowest risk of cognitive impairment. It appeared that consuming high amounts of fish and vegetables had the greatest positive effect. Researchers also found that after 10 years, ARED2 participants who consumed the highest rate of fish had the slowest rate of cognitive decline. Cognitive function scores showed that individuals likely wont see a difference in daily function. However, the effects show that cognition and neutral health depend on diet at a population level, the study said.

Additionally, the study showed similar benefits of consuming a Mediterranean diet for people with and without the ApoE gene, which puts them at risk for Alzheimers. That shows the effects of diet on cognition are independent of a genetic Alzheimers risk.

We do not always pay attention to our diets. We need to explore how nutrition affects the brain and the eye said Emily Chew, M.D., director of the NEI Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications and lead author of the studies.

Read more from the original source:
Study: Mediterranean diet may lead to enhanced cognitive function - Greater Milwaukee Today