An animal expert has warned that pet owners who inflict their vegan views on their dogs and cats could be putting them at risk of fatal conditions.

TV and radio dog guru, Anna Webb, has issued the stark warning, after some pet food brands released vegan ranges claiming that it is nutritious to feed dogs and cats in this way, and helps to reduce their 'carbon pawprint'.

Anna has studied natural nutrition and therapies with the College of Integrated Veterinary Therapies (CIVT).

She said, You would never give a rabbit a steak, and its the same thing. Dogs and cats are carnivores and by feeding them diets which dont contain meat, instead of being ethical you are actually being very unethical, and putting your pets at risk of health issues overtime.

All of these products are very processed, and just like humans are being discouraged to eat processed foods, the same logic applies so are our pets.

Obesity related conditions like heart disease and diabetes in dogs is at record levels and that is because most complete pet food is 30 to 70 per cent grains, which dogs cannot metabolise.

"These foods are bulked out with ingredients like rice, barley and beet pulp, which are all sugars. Not only bad for their teeth, these grain heavy foods pile on the pounds, evident with one in two dogs now considered obese or overweight in the UK ."

Anna advocates feeding dogs and cats a biologically appropriate raw food diet, and practices what she preaches with her own pet dogs, Mr Binks and Prudence, and her cat, Gremlin.

'Cats and dogs have to eat meat, and we dont'

Anna, who is a vegetarian herself, said, You should feed a natural diet to dogs and cats, ideally organic meat. Vegans think that they are giving a vegan diet to their pets because they love animals, but the irony is they are being unethical, even cruel to their own canine best friends.

In her new A Dogs Life podcast, Anna discusses the stark truth about canine nutrition (Photo: Anna Webb)

I cannot bear the thought of the unethical treatment of animals, and Im not a fan of industrial farming. I choose to be a vegetarian, but I wouldnt impose my diet choices onto my dogs as I understand that were different species.

Dogs have to eat meat, and we dont. Humans consume 75 per cent of the meat produced globally, so if every human became a vegetarian or a vegan we just might make a difference and save the planet.

Meat is actually bad for humans, because it causes high cholesterol, but dogs - because they are carnivores - cannot get high cholesterol.

Anna advises that, if vegans feed plant-based diets to their dogs and cats for long periods of time, the pets will lack key fatty acids and amino acids only found in meat and be prone to disease.

She said, Cats in particular will die being a vegan because they are obligate carnivores and they need taurine in their diet, which they can only get from meat.

You would think they were fine for a year, maybe longer but eventually they will begin to fall apart.

A Dog's Life

In her new A Dogs Life podcast, Anna discusses the stark truth about canine nutrition as well as a number of other subversive animal topics, including animal and owner telepathy, and the environmental impact of having a pet dog.

The podcast, which launched on 1 March 2020, features interviews with scientists and experts, and there will also be appearances from celebrity dog lovers as Anna explores all levels of modern dog ownership.

Anna also co-hosts the Barking Hour on BBC Radio London, and was a regular presenter on ITV1s The Titchmarsh Show.

See more here:
People who feed dogs and cats a vegan diet could be killing their pets - Shields Gazette

Pixabay Keto diet mainly promises to support weight loss. Advocates claim the very low-carb, high-fat diet helps burn fat more effectively and improves overall health at the same time.

Halle Berry, Kourtney Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens are just some of the famous names who have been on keto and experienced incredible results. The celebrities claimed the eating plan helped them shed some pounds and achieve their desired physique, according to Health.com.

However, to some people, weight loss is not one of the visible effects of keto diet. Despite following the same rules and avoiding high-carb foods, there are simple mistakes that could slow down progress and even cause unintentional weight gain.

Reasons Why Keto Fails To Promote Weight Loss

Too Much Keto Sweets

Keto-approved brownies and other sweets can be the reason why your weight changes slowly or does not change at all. This food contains high amounts of calories and so eating one or two each day may delay your weight loss.

I would recommend people limit keto friendly treats or desserts to only a few times per week, Drew Manning, New York Times best selling author of "Fit2Fat2Fit," said. There isn't really a best or worst keto dessert; the problem is that they are calorie dense and can trigger more cravings, which can lead to over-consuming.

Too Much Fake Sugars

Another common mistake by people on keto diet is relying on artificially sweetened foods and drinks to limit their intake of carbs and get more fats. But it is important to know that some foods marked as "low" or "no sugar" can still contribute to increase in blood glucose levels, according to Melanie Boehmer, a dietitian at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

She recommends that people replace artificially sweetened products with whole, unprocessed foods. Such healthier alternatives could help avoid overeating and provide more nutrients while on keto diet.

Hidden Effects Of Dairy Products

Some dairy products, particularly flavored yogurt and 2 percent milk, could contain high amounts of carbs. Eating such products may stop ketosis, the metabolic state that gives most of the health benefits of keto diet, according to Mens Health.

Eating High Calories

Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet that requires a calorie deficit to see results. However, some people consume more calories when trying to cut carbs and increase their fat intake.

Meeting a dietitian before trying the keto eating plan could help determine the right amount of calories you should consume each day.

A ketogenic diet is designed to use fat for fuel ... but if you're consuming too many calories for your needs, it is still possible that you'll be storing fat just as you would on any dietary pattern, Ginger Hultin, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said.

Medical Condition

In some cases, people may have an undiagnosed condition that blocks the weight loss effects of keto diet. These health problems include food allergies and intolerances that could trigger inflammation.

Another condition is hypothyroidism that has been linked to weight gain, fatigue and muscle aches.

Your Diet Is Not Causing Ketosis

Achieving ketosis is very important. However, your body may not be fully in ketosis because of miscalculated carb intake per day.

There are different ways to confirm ketosis. You can try testing strips for urine and a blood test to see that your body is in such metabolic state.

Related video: Is Fiber the Secret Ingredient to Weight Loss? (Provided by Shape)

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Continued here:
Things That Delay Weight Loss While On Keto Diet - msnNOW

Pets suffering with too much weight is a problem that stretches beyond the four-legged kind, a leading vet has revealed.

Daniella Dos Santos, President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said that she saw a large number of pet snakes with obesity issues whilst working as a small animal and exotics vet.

Daniella believes that this can be caused by a lack of space to exercise coupled with overfeeding.

Her concerns chime with a recent BVA survey of the profession which showed that vets estimated that almost half of exotic pets brought into their practice were not having their five animal welfare needs met.

The need for a suitable environment was the most common with 89% saying that that this was the most common need that was lacking.

Daniella said: Obesity in pet snakes can have a serious impact on their health and welfare, including leading to issues such as liver problems.

The perfect size of a snake enclosure will depend on the species but all pet snakes should have enough space to roam as well as a place to hide.

They also really benefit from enclosures with appropriate enrichment.

Accepted research and husbandry practice says that snakes should have enough room for physical activity.

An inability to maintain an appropriate body temperature means that snake enclosures should also be large enough to provide an appropriate environmental heat level.

Other research talks about the necessity for snakes to be able to stretch.

One such study, published in Vet Record followed some 2018 guidance issued by Defra on selling pet animals and the care of snakes.

A draft version contained an acknowledgement that all snakes should ideally be allowed enough space to stretch out in full.

However, this passage was later removed before final publication and remains controversial for some veterinary professionals.

Snakes are carnivorous, and their perfect diet will depend on the size and species of the snake.

Daniella added: Getting the diet right for a pet snake is essential in making sure that they are healthy, as well as ensuring an appropriate environment is provided.

It is worth bearing in mind that most types of common captive snakes can live to a minimum of 15 years.

The royal python can live up to 30 years and the corn snake, 20 years, so keeping them as pets is a long-term commitment.

I would urge anyone considering getting an exotic pet of any kind to really do their research around the animals needs and think carefully about whether they can realistically provide for these.

Your vet will be happy to help if you have any questions.

BVA recently published an action plan for vets to support them in tackling obesity in companion animals and says that obesity and overfeeding of pets was among their most pressing animal welfare concerns.

Read the original here:
Pet snakes pile on the pounds due to diet and lack of space to exercise, say vets - Deadline News

Gisele Bundchens unhealthy habits as a 20-something led to panic attacks that were so intense she hit rock bottom.

The supermodel admits her diet as a young model was so poor she started every day with a coffee and four cigarettes.

I felt like I reached rock bottom, she tells Australian Vogue. It became so unbearable I couldnt breathe and I thought, I gotta change.

But adopting a healthier lifestyle was more difficult than she imagined.

My system was so used to that life it was in shock because I stopped everything, she says. We are beings of habit and I think you cant just expect to do something you have always done and stop. You have to replace bad habits with good habits.

She adds, So when I stopped having coffee, the mocha frappuccino for breakfast and four cigarettes when I woke up in the morning, I started running. I dont run anymore, but I ran then because it allowed me to feel my lungs and every time I ran for 20 minutes I was like, OK, I can feel my lungs. OK, Im not smoking.

The 39-year-old, who is now a mum of two, claims meditation helped to get her breathing back on track.

I was meditating with breathing techniques so I would not feel anxious, she shares. (Before that) I would get into the elevator and I would feel like I was going to die. So I replaced bad habits with things that were supporting me and I realized that every day I was feeling better.

The rest is here:
Gisele Bundchen thought she 'was going to die' on diet of caffeine, cigarettes - Montreal Gazette

A few weeks back Diet Cig announced a spring tour with Sad13 and Thin Lips, and that was enough to get us properly excited for the changing of the seasons. This week, theyve upped the ol ante, as the New York guitar-rock duo of Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman drop a banger new tune with a lyrical refrain that were going to start incorporating into daily conversations with pretty much everyone: Im thriving thanks for asking.

That tune is called Thriving, and it will be included on the bands forthcoming sophomore album, Do You Wonder About Me?. The LP arrives May 1 via Frenchkiss Records. And if Thriving is any indication, were in for something special.

Thriving is a cathartic, campy release of feelings. Its about the duality of absolutely thriving without someone but also desperately wanting them to notice you doing so. Inspired by the melodrama of reality TV and musical theater, we wanted the song to bounce back and forth between a lavish personal anthem and the anguish of feeling forever beholden to others opinions.

Part of that aforementioned spring tour are stops at The Met in Providence on May 18 and Cambridges The Sinclair on May 20. Get all dates after the video jump, and go out there and thrive any way you see fit.

More here:
Diet Cig are 'Thriving' but let's be honest you already knew that - Vanyaland

A dietary trend that caught wind over the last few years, veganism, is believed to be the most environment friendly among all diets. Even though the production of meat and dairy does produce a large percentage of greenhouse gases responsible for the global climate change crisis, veganism, does not pose as the most effective solution. The vegan diet, limiting the intake of all animal produced foods, leaves a large number of resources unutilized. The diet might not be as sustainable as the world thinks.Diets with meat can feed more peopleThe most pressing puzzle faced by man, today, is ensuring the production of enough food for everyone. However, the amount of agricultural land on Earth may not suffice for everyone. In such a scenario, if a majority of the population convert to veganism, agriculture might not be able to provide for everyone. Diets which have a component of meat or dairy mean more amount of food for more number of people.

Providing vegan food all year longFollowing a vegan diet is a yearlong commitment to consuming only plant based food like fruits, vegetables, nuts and soy. A privilege provided to modern man allows us to get the same produce all year round. With the rising popularity of veganism, the world need to be producing all kinds of fruits and vegetables all year-round. However, unprecedented amounts of energy is used to grow these produce when they are not in season, which when coupled with packaging and shipping waste, have the same deteriorating effects on the environment.

More here:
Is the vegan diet as sustainable as promised? - Times of India

Olive oil is the health nuts worst-kept secret: Almost everyone, it seems, has been waxing ecstatically about the health powers of this Mediterranean staple for the better part of the past few decades. But now, the Internet is full of chatter about the potential benefits of giving your diet an oil change.

Black seed oil, also called black cumin or kalonji, has a long history of culinary and medicinal use in certain regions of the world, but it is fairly new to the American market. Even so, youll come across no shortage of self-appointed health gurus who are all too happy to gush about this oil and say that you should definitely run to your closest health food store and splurge on the stuff.

But what exactly is black seed oil, is it really that good for you, and how the heck are you supposed to add this mysterious liquid into your diet? We looking into the latest research to find out.

Black seed hails from Nigella sativa, a flowering shrub that grows abundantly in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. The seeds are a traditional Middle Eastern spice used in range of recipes including breads and salads. The tiny black seeds can also be pressed to extract their liquid fat.

Black seed has been used medicinally in its countries of origin for eons to help treat everything from asthma to an upset stomach to sagging energy levels. Its believed that archaeologists even found black seeds in King Tuts tomb, signifying their importance. But in recent years, black seed oil has gained popularity in the North American health food sphere as awareness of its believed health benefits spreads.

Beyond the anecdotal, a handful of scientific studies, primarily conducted on animals, have shown that there is a potential for the consumption of this new oil to aid in knocking our bodies into better shape.

[Want to fly up hills? Climb! gives you the workouts and mental strategies to conquer your nearest peak.]

Some research suggests that black seed oil may help slash the risk for diabetes by improving blood sugar control, help lower blood pressure numbers, enhance liver functioning, aid in fending off certain cancers, and work to improve blood cholesterol numbersmaking it a potential champion for heart health. A daily dose may even help bring a new generation of cyclists into the world by improving semen quality in infertile men. But to date, there are no studies that have addressed any connection between daily black seed oil usage and athletic performance.

Most likely, the potential diverse health benefits of black seed oil are owing to certain chemical compounds such as thymoquinone that may have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Like other edible oils such as olive oil, black seed oil is also a source of beneficial unsaturated fats. One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that replacing some of the saturated fat in our diets from sources such as red meat and dairy with unsaturated omega-6 fat, which can be found in seed oils, may improve heart health by reducing the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol particles.

As mentioned, though, there is a lack of long-term human studies to back up the purported benefits of black seed oil, so at the moment, its difficult to draw any definitive conclusions on its healing properties. And we dont yet know how much black seed oil you would have to take and for how long to reap the rewards. More research is needed.

When eaten, black seed oil has a slightly bitter flavor thats reminiscent of a combo of cumin and oregano. Its robust flavor and high price point, about $20 for an 8-ounce bottle, means that most people wont be using black seed oil as a go-to for dressing or stir-fry.

As with other strongly-flavored oils like hazelnut and sesame, its best reserved for light culinary use such as drizzling over finished dishes such as soups, curries, roasted vegetables, and pasta dishes. Start slow until you understand how the flavor of the oil changes the personality of your final dish.

The recommended daily dose for black seed oil is 1 to 2 teaspoons daily. For optimal freshness and to prevent rancidity, keep it in a dark, cool place away from heat and direct sunlight. The oil is also available in capsules making for a convenient option.

The bottom line: With its potential (though largely unconfirmed) health benefits, black seed oil seems like its worth the hype, but much more long-term research in humans (and athletes in particular) is necessary before we can say for sure that it should be a pantry staple.

Until then, its best to ignore the latest buzzy health trends and make sure youre following a nutritious, whole-food-based diet that includes other healthy (and more research-backed) oils like olive oil.

Read this article:
What is Black Seed Oil and Is It Better for You Than Olive Oil? - Bicycling

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Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, is one of the most iconic personalities in the world. Not just because hes filled to the brim with charm. But because he is a physical phenomenon. One look at the guy and your mind almost bends in half trying to imagine how a human body can get to that size.

So its no surprise that Dwayne Johnson has become not just one of the biggest actors in the world. But hes also something of a physical fitness guru. And it isnt just routines and diets that can help you out. Your wardrobe can also play a key role in your fitness.

How can your wardrobe affect your fitness? Simple. If you are uncomfortable when youre working out, you wont go as hard as you should. Even if its a subtle decrease in effort, it will affect your progress. You need to go hard at all times, and comfort will help you out.

For a few years now, Johnson has teamed up with Under Armour to deliver some of the best workout attire you can ask for in the Project Rock Collection. These are high-quality clothes that will keep you relaxed the entire time you work out. And they look so good, you can wear them out when youre hanging with friends.

A bunch of items have just been added to Project Rock. So much so, that we have gathered some of our favorites below to show you all that is awaiting when you head to the Under Armour store.

So check out our favorites in the new batch below.

And click here if you want to check out the entire Project Rock collection.

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!

Original post:
The Rock Has Added Some New Items To His Under Armour Collection - Men's Journal

Is it possible to go low-carb a plant-based diet? Eating fewer carbs is indeed harder when you're plant-based since when you first give up animal products, there's a tendency to pile on processed foods and carbs, and fill up on pasta, rice, cereal and crackers or chips. People tend to go overboard on the carbs when they go vegetarian, plant-based, or even flexitarian, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It.Its easy to fill up on our favorite food group. Hereshow to avoid the carb trap, and stay fit, healthy and lean on a plant-based diet.

One of the reasons plant-based dieters are likely to overdo the carbs is that theyre really easy to make, find, and eat, says Taub-Dix. Especially for people who are on the go. Muffins, crackers, bread or rolls are the kind of the foods thatyou reach for, because they're so easy, portable, and their prep is basically nonexistent.

In some cases, the economic ease of eating carbs is a factor. A carb-heavy snack like pretzelsis less expensive thannuts, or another plant-based snack. Of course seeds and nuts or a piece of fruit (even though it has carbs is full of fiber) would be a better choice.

One of the main reasons we all love carbs is that they are the king of comfort, says Taub-Dix. When you eat carbohydrates, especially carbohydrates that are pure, like a piece of whole-grain toast, the carbohydrates get absorbed and stimulate the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which provides comfort feelings. Thats why youre more likely to reach for a carb snack when youre feeling stressed, rather than carrots and hummus. Your body is wired to crave carbs for that serotonin release that will improve your mood.

When you first decide to reduce carbs from your plant-based diet, assess how many grams youre eating daily so you know how much you need to dial it back. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that 45 to 65 percent of your diet should be carbohydrates (about 225 to 325 grams per day). Thats if youre following a 2,000-calorie diet, which is often used as an example. If you're eating less than 2,000 calories, dial it down accordingly.

Not everyone needs a 2,000-calorie diet, says Taub-Dix. And for some people, 325 grams is a lot of carbs each day and not necessary. If youre trying to lose weight, experiment within the lower end of the range. Download an app that will help you track carb counts to find a range you feel satisfied with while creating balanced meals. We like MyFitnessPal, Carb Manager, Senza, and Macros to name a few.

Remember that carbs arent just grains, potatoes, pasta, and rice. Sources of naturally occurring carbs include fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Choose carbs that are high in fiber, unprocessed, and filling, like carrots, broccoli, artichokes, and beets.

The most important thing to calculate when choosing carbs are "net carbs" which are the carbs absorbed by the body. To calculate your net carbs, subtract the fiber in your food from your carbs. That is the number of carbs that your body uses as fuel, or if you don't use them (walking, running, commuting or just sitting at your desk) those carbs are the ones slated to be stored as fat.

To calculate net carbsin processed foods, subtract the fiber and a portion of the sugar alcohol on the label (which also does not get absorbed the same way as carbs) from the total carbohydrates listed. In general, most processed food is lower in fiber than natural whole foods, so if you're eating carbs, eat complex carbs in the form of grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Some plant-based meal delivery services allow you to choose meals that are lower in carbs, when you sign in and choose the menu choices, such asPurple Carrots Spaghetti Bolognese with zucchini noodles and ground beef crumbles, Macro-Mediterraneans Roasted Tomato and Black Walnut burgers on their weight loss program, or one of Thrive Foods Directs meals. Learn to cook this way as you go: Those zoodles have fewer net carbs than regular pasta because the fiber content in the zucchini counts in your favor.

Cutting down on your carbs without feeling like youre eliminating them altogether is the key to success. Just by slicing your current carbohydrate consumption in half and doubling up on vegetables, you'll add the necessary fiber to lower the carb impact on your body.

For breakfast, cook 1/3-cup of dry oats with low-carb fruits, like blueberries, to round out yourmeal and give you slow-burning energy to start your day.

Make your lunch sandwich open-faced and chooseabread that has at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.Portion out a -cup of brown rice at dinner since brown rice has more than four times the fiber of white rice.

Youre patting yourself on the back for following a plant-based diet, but if most of your veggie intake is potatoes, corn, and peas, you could be making smarter choices. Pile your plate with leafy greens, peppers, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, and green beans. Lose thestarchy vegetables (potatoes) and instead opt for cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Choose avocadoes and berries as low-carb fruits instead of bananas which have 27 grams of carbs each.

In order for you to feel satisfied and full while reducing carbs, you may want to increase the amount of fat and plant protein youre eating. A study published in The Lancet found that study subjects who ate low carb diets and replaced their calories withcalories from animal-derived fat had a higher mortality rate. Those who replaced the calories with plant-based fats had a lower mortality rate.

To quote the study:

"Low carbohydrate dietary patterns favoring animal-derived protein and fat sources from sources such as lamb, beef, pork, and chicken, were associated with higher mortality, whereas those that favored plant-derived protein and fat intake, from sources such as vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, and whole-grain bread, were associated with lower mortality, suggesting that the source of food notably modifies the association between carbohydrate intake and mortality."

So the bottom line is: choose carbs that have high fiber content. And round out your dietwith low-carb sources like nuts, seeds, tofu, nut oils, nut butter, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.

Read the original:
How to Lower Your Carbs on a Plant-Based Diet - The Beet

When Arsne Wenger arrived in England in 1996 he was alarmed at the diet or more accurately, lack of diet among his Arsenal players. Wenger banned chocolate immediately, causing senior members of the squad to bristle with resentment. He recalls the resistance en route to his first game: We were travelling to Blackburn and the players were at the back of the bus chanting: We want our Mars bars! Almost 25 years later, the landscape has changed dramatically in English football. Clubs now provide detailed nutritional advice to their players, with the richest clubs even employing full-time nutritionists.

Shortly after Jrgen Klopp moved to Liverpool in 2016, Mona Nemmer joined the club as head of nutrition from Bayern Munich, where she had worked with Pep Guardiola for three years. She quickly established individual dietary plans for every player in the first-team squad. Her sphere of influence does not stop at the clubs training ground, but extends to what players consume on the team bus, in the hotels they use for away games and even their homes. Some players like to cook for themselves, some like to take away a packed bag with food in, but here we like to react individually, she says. If the player wants a cooking lesson, or their wives or girlfriends do, we are free in the sense to help them with whatever they need. A Liverpool FC recipe book was even mooted but it has yet to see the light of day.

Some players go to the extent of hiring their own personal chefs. Harry Kane started working with his own chef a few years ago. It kind of clicked in my head that a football career is so short. It goes so quickly, you have to make every day count, he said in 2017. I have a chef at home to eat the right food, helping recovery. You cant train as hard as youd like when you have so many games, so you have to make the little gains elsewhere, like with food. Hes there every day, Monday to Saturday, and leaves it in the fridge for Sunday. I hardly ever see him because Im at training, but hell cook the food and leave it in the fridge. Weve got a good plan going.

Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gndogan, Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba and Phil Jones are among the Manchester-based players who use the services of Jonny Marsh, a private chef who was trained by Raymond Blanc before working for billionaires and on private yachts. Marsh started working in football when Manchester City contacted him to ask whether he would make Christmas dinner for De Bruyne.

De Bruyne is particularly fond of carbonara, so Marsh spent a few months developing a recipe for the dish that tastes right but has none of the usual ingredients. The players love simple food. Kevin De Bruynes favourite dish is the Kevin Carbonara - which is not bad for you at all, writes Marsh in his food column for the Mirror. The attention to detail that goes into something that looks so simple is huge. Making sure Im using natural anti-inflammatory and recovery agents from food on specific days enables players to recover quicker, making sure that players with certain deficiencies are able to eat normal food without having to ram certain foods down them. I make sure that snacks, desserts and breakfasts, fuel, recover and aid them in their days.

The way it works is, I ask what they want that week and then me and my chefs will start prep on a Monday and get everything ready for everyone. Then we deliver all over the country to players. Its mad though word gets out if someones playing well and suddenly everyone wants to eat what they had.

Marsh liaises closely with club nutritionists, such as Tom Parry at Manchester City, to ensure menus are specifically tailored towards the players requirements. Nutritional advice will differ depending on the players age, metabolism, position and even taste, says Dr Mayur Ranchordas, a nutrition consultant who currently works with Wolverhampton Wanderers. We are dealing with a variety of different cultures and different tastes. So we create diverse menus suitable for a Mediterranean diet, as well as English or South American ones. You have to make allowances for that. Wolves employ several chefs to cater for the individual tastes in their squad.

Ranchordas has worked in football for decades and has noticed how attitudes have changed over time. Nutritional support was brought in as and when it was needed, rather than being a service that is required on a day-to-day basis, Ranchordas says. Nuno [Espirito Santo] is very open to anything we can do to help players from both a performance and recovery perspective. It has become more holistic. Ten years ago players would pay attention to what you were saying, but they werent that fussed about applying the info. Whereas now players are so much more receptive and open-minded as they realise what impact good nutrition can have on their performance, recovery and injury prevention and will act upon it accordingly.

The technology available to nutritionists has also improved, with everything from heart rate and body fat percentages checked and monitored at all times. I have continuous feedback and data, Ranchordas says. For example, when we do the bloods, we know if players are deficient in certain nutrients. So, some players might need vitamin D or Omega 3, or they might be lacking iron, so you can target the nutrition intervention through adapting their diet and providing supplements.

What players eat also depends on their position on the pitch. The players who cover a lot of distance such as full-backs or box-to-box midfielders expend more energy than centre-backs or goalkeepers so will need a lot more calories. Chris Rosimus, who has worked with Leicester City as well as the England cricket teams, says: For a footballer theres a huge emphasis on ensuring that the body is loaded with fuel before a match, mainly through carbohydrates so that they can perform and delay fatigue over those 90 minutes, Rosimus says. Whereas cricketers can be in the field for a long period of time for many days in hot conditions so its not highly anaerobic work. Although they might need comparable amounts of calories, the distribution of the carbohydrates, fats and proteins would be entirely different.

Most players will eat five times a day, Ranchordas says. Theyll have breakfast then train, followed by lunch, then after more training they will have a mid-afternoon snack followed by dinner and lastly a protein meal or shake with a bit of fruit before they go to bed. With nutrition what you eat before, during and after can have huge implications on how you perform and on how you feel.

If you think about how many meals a football player eats in a typical season, how many games they play, small changes in what and when they eat plus the quality of that food has massive implications on how they feel and how quickly they can recover so that is why nutrition is no longer overlooked or viewed just as a treatment but very much as a performance enhancer.

The days of the whole team eating the same meals together are long gone. When I first came into the industry there was pretty much a blanket approach, says Rosimus. But nowadays, although the food provision is roughly the same, how that is applied to individuals is very specific. So chicken and pasta will always be staples of a high-performance diet but how and when they are consumed is what makes it different.

Aside from providing guidance and healthy menus, nutritionists occasionally have to warn players off particular foods, as Ranchordas recalls. A few years ago a player came to me as he had been told by some of his fellow professionals that eating bulls testicles would increase his testosterone and he wanted to explore that. Thats probably the weirdest thing I have had to deal with during my time in the game. One imagines there were not too many protests when this particular foodstuff was taken off the menu.

Richard Fosters new book Premier League Nuggets is out now and you can follow him on Twitter.

Go here to see the original:
The evolution of football nutrition: from chocolate to 'Kevin Carbonara' - The Guardian