Low-carb diets are the burpees of nutrition: Sure, they might be effective, but are they worth the pain?

Yes, you can lose weight on a low-carb diet, but these eating plans aren't for everyone.

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OK, that might be a bit extreme. After all, the number of weight-loss testimonials from keto and other low-carb diet devotees continues to grow, and the results are, well, tempting. But are those impressive success stories too good to be true? And are low-carb diets healthy in the long term?

For our Ask the RDs series, we asked readers to send us their biggest nutrition questions and then posed the 12 most common to a panel of registered dietitians. It turns out everybody has low-carb confusion. Here, the experts break it down.

"One of the pros of the keto diet is that most people will see a significant weight loss initially. Carbohydrates hold onto water, so because you're not eating carbohydrates, you're going to lose some water weight. It's encouraging to people trying to lose weight because you get that boost from eating keto or low-carb.

And also the foods you're encouraged to eat on keto are high-fat, so they're tasty, they've got a good mouthfeel. Avocado, cheese, bacon, steak things like that. For a lot of people, the foods that the keto diet is made of are their favorite foods.

If you're doing keto in a healthy way, it encourages non-starchy vegetables, leafy vegetables like kale, cauliflower, green peppers. Some people also enjoy the benefits of increased clarity or mental focus.

"Some people don't feel good doing keto. If they're not drinking enough water or getting enough electrolytes, they might have what's called the keto flu."

One of the cons is that you might get sick of not eating carbohydrates, especially if you're someone who absolutely loves carbohydrates, or it's a part of your culture or how you and your family enjoy meals.

In that case, you might want to do a cyclical keto, where you're cycling in and out. Or maybe you're doing keto most of the time and then on weekends you might want to enjoy a slice of pizza or some pasta with your family.

Another con is that some people don't feel good doing keto. If they're not drinking enough water or getting enough electrolytes, they might have what's called the keto flu.

It might just not be a good fit for them, and they might find there are other ways to lose weight or maintain weight that are a better fit. It always comes down to the person your individual preferences, your individual lifestyle."

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"To me, the most important principle I've used since I went into this business decades ago is the word balance. I really believe in balance. I think it's important to feel balanced in the way you feel throughout the day. It's important to eat a diet that's balanced so that you're getting a bit of everything.

Keto is about 75 percent fat. That, to me, is unbalanced. So, I am not a fan of that diet because I think for most people and I know there are plenty of people who love this diet and that's fine for them it's not sustainable.

If your regular diet is really high in carbs and you're cutting them down so that you're having smaller portions, I think that could be a great idea. I'm a supporter of lower-carb diets but not the severely low, restricted-carb diets that a lot of people follow."

"The cons of a low-carb diet can include low energy and weakness in the gym, which can affect athletic performance, whether it's strength training or running.

You can also become deficient in some nutrients, such as fiber, some B vitamins and, if you're not doing any fruit, potassium and vitamin C.

Then there's the sustainability. It's very hard to stay on a ketogenic diet for the long term. When you're running on 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, it's really hard to stick to that.

"Low-carb diets like keto can have a place, but I would try to get people to be more flexible and modify a little bit."

When it comes to benefits: A lot of people are eating high amounts of carbohydrates and mostly unhealthy ones so when they're reducing carbs, they're going to maybe cut down on some of those processed foods.

Of course, there may be weight loss, because when you're cutting out so many of those foods, you're going to lose weight, and people do enjoy that.

Low-carb diets like keto can have a place, but I would try to get people to be more flexible and modify a little bit. I would add in whole grains and more fruits and suggest sticking to the higher-quality carbohydrates.

Maybe instead of 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates, shoot for a lower-carbohydrate diet of 100 to 130 grams of carbs per day. Maybe try and get to that level at least, and if you're exercising, you might need a little bit more. But don't sink as low as 25 to 50 grams per day."

Low-carb diets like keto can help with weight loss, might improve mental clarity and can encourage eating more non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats; however, low-carb eating plans can be difficult to sustain in the long term, may cause nutritional deficiencies and might leave you feeling weak or low energy. If you are considering trying a low-carb diet, speak with a doctor first to make sure it's right for you.

Confused about nutrition? Get answers to more common questions in our Ask the RDs series.

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Ask the RDs: Are Low-Carb Diets Like Keto Healthy? - LIVESTRONG.COM

Choripan Argentine Grill is among an increasing number of restaurants in central Ohio offering South American cuisine.

The restaurant, which replaces Tweeters Chicken Crib at 5927 Karric Square Drive in Dublin, serves choripan sandwiches, a grilled steak platter, empanadas and chimichurri wings.

But what Choripan does not have is important: It is free of gluten, grains, soy and sugar, per the dietary restrictions of chef and owner Joel Linik.

"There are so many people with celiac (disease) and grain sensitivity," he said.

Linik makes his food from scratch using natural ingredients and Ohio meats and poultry.

The menu features platters, sandwiches, salsas, appetizers, soups and salads. Most dishes cost $5 to $13.

The restaurant accommodates keto, paleo and primal diets, said Linik, a self-described primal health coach.

Linik makes his bread, as well as the noodles for the restaurant's chicken noodle soup. He creates chorizo -- featured in the choripan sandwiches -- with a mix of beef and pork and smokes his own bacon, which first is brined in kombucha.

"I make the plates look good," said Linik, a native of Argentina and trained chef who said he worked with master chef Hartmut Handke of Handke's Cuisine, now closed, from 1998 to 2002.

Linik said he changed his diet in 2009, when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure and prediabetes.

Linik said he was determined to beat the diagnoses without medications, so he completely overhauled his diet, which improved his blood pressure and blood-sugar levels.

He emphasizes the importance of animal proteins in one's diet.

"I am not a vegan," he said. "I strongly believe it's very hard being healthful being a vegan."

Choripan's hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant is closed Mondays.

For more information, call 614-467-9288.

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Village Taco, yet another vegan destination in central Ohio, has opened in the former Tatoheads Public House, 1297 Parsons Ave. in south Columbus.

The menu includes tacos, burgers, burritos, sandwiches and salads, most of which cost $3 to $15.

"We have a pretty wide menu," said Jonny Stone, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Heidi Stone.

Jonny Stone said the restaurant's name is meant to connote a warm, neighborhood atmosphere where everyone is welcome and can indulge in freshly prepared meals made from locally sourced produce.

Village Taco is open for dinner Tuesdays through Sundays, with hours to be added when the restaurant is fully staffed, he said.

The trend of Chinese hot noodle soups doesn't appear to be cooling in Columbus.

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Yun Nan Crossing Bridge Noodle has replaced Thai Mango Asian Bistro at 2548 Bethel Road in the Carriage Place Shopping Center in northwest Columbus.

Owner Leon Zhu said the menu offers 10 styles of homemade broth containing rice noodles, served in stone bowls to retain the heat. Customers choose raw produce and proteins, which they dip in the soup to cook, he said.

Most individual servings are $11.

"We emphasize the soup base," Zhu said. "We make our soups every day."

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Papa Giorgio's is replacing Pizza Primo at 5216 Bethel Center Mall in northwest Columbus.

Owner Jim Douglas said the pizzeria will specialize in East Coast-style pies -- whole and by the slice -- made with tomatoes from Stanislaus Food Products, cheese from the Grande Cheese Co. and pepperoni from the Ezzo Sausage Co. Dough is made in-house daily.

"Everything we use is quality," Douglas said. "This is going to be a real cut above other pizzas."

gseman@thisweeknews.com

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Table Talk: Choripan owner tends Dublin grill with dietary restrictions in mind - ThisWeek Community News

DEAR DR. ROACH: Does eating strictly organic food and drinking only bottled water help in a meaningful way to prevent diseases and contribute to a long and healthy life? M.T.

ANSWER: There is no consistent high-quality evidence that consuming organic foods will lead to improvement in health outcomes, including longer life. Some but not all studies have found slightly higher amounts of nutrients in organically grown produce. Organic foods are made without synthetic pesticides, but may use pesticides found in nature. There is not convincing evidence that natural pesticides are any safer, nor that the small amount of residual pesticides left in conventional produce leads to significant health risks. However, there is preliminary evidence that consumption of mostly organic food led to a decrease in the risk of one type of cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but not an overall decrease in cancer. Based on current available evidence, I dont recommend organic food consumption for health benefits.

The quality of tap water varies greatly across North America, but most locations have high-quality water available at extremely low cost with minimal environmental impact compared with bottled water. Even if tap water is unpalatable in a persons location, I recommend a filter system rather than resorting to bottled water, again for environmental concerns as well as cost. Bottled water is rarely the only option, and if so it is usually due to contamination of tap water with microbes or heavy metals, which should be known to the community. My own municipality mails me a water quality report yearly, and it is outstanding quality.

Two additional points are worth considering. The first is that organically prepared foods have been the cause of foodborne illness due to contamination at a much higher level than expected. The second is that organic farming prohibits nontherapeutic antibiotics, a practice with which I strongly agree as a means of reducing the potential for antibiotic resistance.

Until further evidence is available, my opinion is that most people would do better eating more produce, whether conventionally or organically grown. Locally grown fresh produce may have more benefits than organically produced due to freshness.

DEAR DR. ROACH: All of the latest information states that an adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Is this unbroken sleep? For example, I sleep for four hours, wake up for one to two hours, and then sleep three to four more hours almost every night. If the sleep is to be continuous, is it better to take a sleeping aid or continue with the current pattern? Nothing I read indicates if sleeping seven to nine hours with a sleeping aid provides the same benefit as not sleeping continuously for that time period. P.M.

ANSWER: While it is true that people who sleep seven to nine hours per night tend to live longer than those who sleep less (or more), it is likely that there are some people who need more or less sleep than the average. Further, it isnt clear whether the apparent improvement in longevity is due to better sleeping, or whether people who dont sleep well have an underlying medical condition that is really responsible for the harm seen.

As far as whether continuous sleep is better than interrupted sleep, there isnt good evidence to compare the two. There is strong historical evidence that prior to artificial lighting, two distinct sleep periods separated by an hour or so was considered normal.

Most sleeping aids adversely affect sleep quality, and increase risk of falls and accidents the next day. If interrupted sleep is working for you, Id recommend continuing versus using a sleeping pill.

Originally posted here:
To Your Good Health: Risks and rewards of a strictly organic diet - Arizona Daily Star

If you are following a low carb diet or a ketogenic diet, you often end up relying on protein for your daily diet. At times even having more than you should. Eating a low carb diet should by no measure mean that you have a high protein diet. For some people, having too much protein can bring negative effects, including weight gain.Lets admit it! Protein is clearly the most valued macronutrient (macro). If you want to lose weight, you must have been asked to cut down carbs and increase protein. Same goes for muscle gains too. While it is true that it is an important macro since it's composed of amino acids that are essential for repairing and growing muscles, people do tend to end up eating too much protein. So if you are obsessed with steak, chicken breasts or eggs, it is time you read ahead. How much protein do you need?First lets figure how much protein our body really needs? According to dietary guidelines, you need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. So a 60 kilo man will need approximately 48 grams of protein. However, the number may go up for people who are physically active. So if you lift weights often or are preparing for a marathon or sports event, you may need 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. So it entirely depends on your body needs and a registered nutritionist can guide you on your customised requirement. But another thing that we need to take into consideration is that the body can process only so much protein. The first rule is to spread out your protein intake throughout the day. Do not have too much in one go. Ideally, a quarter of your plate should be protein and remaining healthy fats and fiber. You need to know that protein eats up more bodys energy to break down protein and digest it. And that is the reason a high protein meal will make you feel much fuller than a high carb meal. So maybe have 30 grams of protein on one meal to boost satiation. ConclusionFor some people, going overboard with protein can be dangerous. These people are those with kidney disorders and heart ailments. Too much protein can also lead to chronic constipation and may also act as a big hindrance in your weight loss goals. But you cant do big harm with one meal so ensure that you do not go overboard for a consistent period of time.

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How much protein should you really have in low-carb diets - Times of India

Baked chicken recipes that can easily fit in a high-protein meal.

Highlights

It's no secret that a high-protein diet is essential for our body. Not only it would help in building and retaining muscle mass, but it would also satiate us for longer period and curb those hunger pangs. And no, a high-protein diet needs not be all boring and bland; you can experiment and play with a plethora of high-protein foods to create mouth-watering dishes. While you might think of all things greasy and fried when thinking about chicken and mutton, you'll be surprised that you can even bake all those flavourful dishes and relish them without any guilty!

A mouth-watering chicken recipe packed with the flavours of black pepper and chilli. The whole chicken is stuffed with spring onion paste, garlic, rice, chilli and mint and baked for about 40 minutes until tender. A perfect party dish, this whole chicken recipe is one of the easiest one to try at home. Find the recipe here.

(Also Read:11 Best Baked Chicken Recipes | Easy Baked Chicken Recipes)

Give your breakfast a delicious twist with this quick and easy baked eggs recipe. With the goodness of veggies such as spinach and cherry tomatoes mixed in with egg, this dish is baked to perfection for about 5-6 minutes. A quick and easy breakfast recipe, you wouldn't go back to your regular egg and toast!Find the recipe here

This comes with mouth-watering flavours of honey, tomato sauce, beans and other vegetables. Baked eggs with beans can be a great crowd pleaser with everyone from kids to adults drooling over it.Find the recipe here

Soft, succulent, juicy and all things delicious, baked chicken seekh has all the mild Indian flavours, tossed in with chicken keema, made into kebabs and baked to crispy perfection. Simply pair with your favourite dip and serve as a stellar appetiser at your next house party.Find the recipe here.

Try these high-protein baked recipes at home and let us know how you liked them in the comments section.

About Aanchal MathurAanchal doesn't share food. A cake in her vicinity is sure to disappear in a record time of 10 seconds. Besides loading up on sugar, she loves bingeing on FRIENDS with a plate of momos. Most likely to find her soulmate on a food app.

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High-Protein Diet: Indulge In These 4 Delicious Baked Recipes Without Any Guilt - NDTV Food

Food for healthy ageing populations, sports nutrition, food to stimulate specific body function and cognitive performance and to aid recovery from illness are some of the recurring topics at this years event in Amsterdam, June 24-25.

The conference will have five stages covering; Free From Retail; Healthy Food; Vegan; Supplier and Free From Plastic Packaging, with exhibitors from 57 countries.

With many consumers seeking to achieve better nutritional and ethical balance in their diets, the Free From sector continues its meteoric rise, said Ronald Holman, event director, FFF&HI.

This years exhibition reflects the rapid evolution of the marketplace and showcases the latest trends, insight and new products entering the market.

The growth of plant-based alternatives for meat lovers will continue to have a significant presence at this years expo. This is set to continue as meat reduction remains one of the prevailing trends in food and drink.

Similarly, there is a focus on other replacements that deliver healthier alternatives, as well as Low Carb, Slow Carb and other Diet Food Solutions.

He added, the plant-based revolution continues and 2020s Veganuary broke records with more than 400,000 sign-ups.

The past 12 months have also witnessed a bumper selection of new product launches on supermarket shelves and expanded plant-based offerings appearing on fast food chain menus.

For example, Greggs launched a vegan sausage roll last year, which it says has contributed to its 13.5% year-on-year sales increase.

The meat-free snack was made available in 950 of its stores to coincide with Veganuary, developed with a vegetable oil-based pastry and a "bespoke Quorn filling".

Thanks to its success it then rolled the launch out to 1,950 UK Gregg's branches by March 2019 as well as a Vegan Sausage Roll Finder app.

Holman said at FFF&HI this ongoing demand for meat and dairy free is supported by its exhibitor line up, where almost half of the exhibitors are presenting vegan ranges and the latest ingredients.

Euromonitor, will also be giving two presentations: Unpackaging Vegetarianism in Europe: How Different is Western and Eastern Europe When it Comes to Vegetarian Packaged Food? and Traditions vs. Innovations: How New Dairy Trends Affect Lactose Free Products.

Registration for the show is now open. Tickets are free of charge until May 22, after this date tickets will cost 30.

Read more:
Consumers are increasingly looking for better nutritional & ethical balance in their diets - GlobalMeatNews.com

People often ask me if I am vegetarian. My reply is, no. Im just Greek.

I was raised in the village of Argos, Greece. In Greece, when I was growing up, our diet was predominately plant-based, although we did eat a minimal amount of animal-based foods like fish and dairy.

As a child, I used to eat haloumi cheese. My mother used to tell us eat very little of that cheese. With each mouthful of haloumi, have another mouthful of bread and a little bit of tomato sauce to go with it. This instruction was to ensure you ate bread to fill you up. Haloumi cheese was only put on the plate as a way to add flavour and to add taste to the bread.

People often ask me if I am vegetarian. My reply is, no. Im just Greek.

These days, some people eat Mediterranean foods like haloumi cheese because its part of the Mediterranean diet, which is considered to be healthy. But, if the bite of cheese is a lot larger than the biscuit or bread it is served on, that is not really the Mediterranean way.

Its these sort of practices, which differ from the way people in the Mediterranean used to eat, which makes the Mediterranean diet very much misunderstood.

The Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest diets in the world, is the traditional diet that people in Mediterranean countries followed before the 1960s.

Although the philosophies of the traditional diet are still very sound from an environmental, health and affordability perspective, the modern Mediterranean diet is merely an interpretation of the traditional diet. In my opinion, regrettably, many of the true traditional Mediterranean diet and its practical aspects have gone.

The Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest diets in the world, is the traditional diet that people in Mediterranean countries followed before the 1960s.

The traditional Mediterranean diet features locally produced, seasonal foods that are in their natural state and have not been processed. The only processing exception is wheat that has been milled for the purpose of making bread.

Meanwhile, the modern Mediterranean diet people eat today includes a lot of highly processed and packaged foods.

In the past, the bread consumed in Greece was sourdough made with wheat that had been milled in a traditional stone mill. Bread makers sifted the flour to get rid of the bran and that was all the processing done. Meanwhile, the modern bread we eat undergoes a lot more processing.

The traditional Mediterranean diet is also meant to be plant-based with a small amount of animal-based foods like cheese, eggs, milk and fish. Meat served in small proportions, was only eaten once a month or once a week. We would cook it with green beans or potatoes, and the meat was hidden in the vegetables.

But that the traditional Mediterranean diet wasnt just about specific types of food eaten. It was also about how you ate food and the customs surrounding it.

For example, traditionally, meat was always cooked with the bones still in it.When we had finished eating the meat, we licked the bones clean. Now, theres a lot of waste as people often dont cook meat with the bones still in it. That means people miss out on all the extra nutrients.

But that the traditional Mediterranean diet wasnt just about specific types of food eaten. It was also about how you ate food and the customs surrounding it.

One of the most common dishes in the Mediterranean region is the traditional salad. It consisted primarily of vegetables dressed with olive oil and lemon and was eaten practically with every meal. The idea of the salad was that it provided the vitamin C required to absorb iron from your animal or plant-based protein in your main meal.

If people these days eat a main meal but dont consume a salad, they are not staying true to the nutritional principles behind the Mediterranean diet.

The other custom associated with the Mediterranean salad was the dipping of the bread in salad juice. This was done to mop up the nutrients left behind in the salad juice. So even if you eat a traditional salad but throw out the juice, the most nutritious part of your salad will have gone down the sink.

These days, it may prove hard to follow the traditional style of unprocessed Mediterranean diet as it was intended without growing all the vegetables yourself and milling your own wheat.

But people can follow the simple ways of Mediterranean diet and eat fresh food, in season thats grown locally.

However, the most important step that home cooks should stick to, if they want to say as true to the traditional diet as they can, is to choose unprocessed plant foods and follow a substantially vegetarian diet.

Always aim to eat naturally, not just healthily.

Mark is a traditional Mediterranean diet enthusiast and an honorary research fellow at La Trobe University, researching various aspects of thetraditional Mediterranean diet.

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Why the Mediterranean diet you follow may not be as traditional as you think - SBS

Think of wellness and you may well think of Gwyneth Paltrows brand, Goop: modern, exclusive, quite possibly rubbish. But a lot of what would fall under that banner dates back centuries and has its roots in Europe, not California.

There is a unique wellness culture in Europe, says Beth McGroarty, the director of research at the Global Wellness Institute, a US nonprofit group. It dates as far back as Roman spas and the ancient Greek focus on preventing sickness, not merely treating it. Europe has its own ancient medical thinking and wellness traditions and we dont seem to pay any attention to them.

The continent is also home to some of the happiest, healthiest countries in the world, although the UK doesnt trouble the top 10. So, what can we learn from European wellness practices and traditions?

The siesta, a short afternoon nap, is believed to have evolved in Spain to allow farmers time to rest during the hottest hours of the day. The tradition persists in the country, with work hours extending later to accommodate the break.

A large study in 2007 found that heart diseases were less prevalent among people who regularly took a 30-minute nap, while research in 2010 discovered that an afternoon snooze could improve the brains ability to learn.

Even just slowing down for a short period of time allows you to disconnect from the world and subsequently boost energy, focus and creativity, says Paul Joseph, the founder of the travel company Health and Fitness Travel.

Iceland consistently ranks highly in metrics such as life expectancy and blood pressure, placing third in Bloombergs 2019 healthiest country index, behind Spain and Italy.

The Nordic diet shares some similarities with the life-extending Mediterranean diet, although it is lower in fruit and vegetables, advocating moderate consumption of fat and protein along with canola oil (a type of rapeseed oil), wild berries and root vegetables.

A diet high in fresh fish, and therefore omega-3 fatty acids, is considered key to a healthy diet in Iceland. Haddock, herring and cod including the cheeks and tongues, the most prized parts are all dietary staples. Fermented shark is a national dish.

It is also common for Icelanders to take a daily supplement of cod-liver oil during the winter months, when it is difficult to get enough vitamin D from sunlight alone. The benefits of fish oil and omega-3 are contested, but their proponents say they relieve joint stiffness associated with arthritis and improve the condition of teeth, nails, hair and skin.

Although the use of mud as a beauty treatment was documented in ancient Egypt, with clay from the banks of the Nile being applied to the face and skin to improve appearance and texture, it was popularised in Italy during Roman times fango is Italian for mud.

From there, fangotherapy spread with the Roman empire; mud treatments and wraps remain a common spa treatment across Europe and further afield.

While different types of mud (mixed with mineral or thermal water) are said to have different properties, fangotherapy is most effective as a gentle cleansing treatment and has relaxing, anti-stress effects. These should not be sniffed at: chronic stress affects the immune system and causes high blood pressure, fatigue, poor mental health and even heart disease.

Is there anything the Mediterranean diet cant do? It draws together common food types and healthy habits from several southern European countries, including Greece, Spain, southern France, Portugal and Italy. As such, there is no single definition, but it is typically high in fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, olive oil and unsaturated fats, with moderate dairy intake.

Its benefits have been found to be remarkably wide-ranging: it has been associated with longer life expectancy, a healthier gut, better heart health, protection from disease, lower risk of depression, diabetes prevention and alleviation and even improved athletic performance.

Sauna culture exists across Europe, but it is deeply ingrained in Finland, where there is one facility for about every two people, the Finnish Sauna Society says. The traditional experience is to push yourself to your limit in a communal sauna with a very high temperature, then to immerse yourself in cold water or snow and repeat.

The cold experience is crucial, says McGroarty, with the contrast between hot and cold thought to bring health benefits. She says: It seems to have a strong impact on cardiovascular health.

This is Europe is a new stream of Guardian journalism that investigates the big challenges that transcend national boundaries, and seeks out the solutions that could benefit us all. These are testing times, and crises are not limited by national borders. But then neither are we.

Scientific studies have found that the effectiveness of this contrast therapy (such as for treating athletes injuries) is questionable, but the physiological effects are such that it persists regardless. As no one knows better than the Finns, it feels good to be really hot, then really cold. As such, icy plunge pools and snow rooms are popular as a chaser to heated or humid experiences at spas worldwide.

Sophrology, a practice of dynamic relaxation, was developed by a Colombian neuropsychiatrist in the 60s, but it took root in France and Switzerland, where it remains wildly popular.

It combines eastern and western influences, meditation, breathing techniques, gentle movement, positive psychology and visualisation to give a sense of being calm and in control.

Although the practice is said to be more dynamic than mindfulness, it has similar benefits, and is said to be helpful in stress management, self-development, preparing for public speaking or even childbirth. French studies have recorded positive effects in helping cancer patients to manage their anxiety, stress and fear.

In the UK, sophrology is taught at clinics in London for about 100 an hour. In France and Switzerland, it is widely covered by health insurance, used by corporate high-flyers and professional athletes (including, reportedly, the French national rugby team) and taught in schools and hospitals.

It is gemtlich in German and gezelligheid in Dutch; in English, you might say smelly candles. But it was the parallel Danish concept of hygge that launched a global lifestyle phenomenon in 2016, with concerted cosiness the suggested solution to a turbulent year of Brexit and Donald Trump.

Hygge relates to a level of cosiness and conviviality that incites a feeling of wellbeing, says Joseph. The core of the practice is to live in the everyday moment and appreciate everything around you streaming the ideas of eastern mindfulness.

There is no easy English translation, but the Dutch word uitwaaien refers to spending time in wild, windy weather usually by going for a walk or a bike ride. By replacing bad air with good air, it is believed to leave you feeling clear-headed and refreshed.

It feels exhilarating wind is distracting, so its sort of meditative, in the sense you cannot think about anything else, says McGroarty.

Many northern European countries have an equivalent of the Japanese term shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), which refers to the restorative effects of spending time in woodland or parks.

Time spent outdoors in any capacity has recorded benefits, such as increasing vitamin D levels, improving mood and focus, encouraging incidental exercise and possibly reducing pain. A 2018 study found that exposure to green space can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, pre-term birth, stress and high blood pressure. Even as little as two hours a week may have an effect.

Comparable to the western coffee break, fika is another simple Scandinavian wellness philosophy that involves slowing down to prioritise social interaction. It is a meal or a meeting allowing for social interaction and stronger relationship bonds, increasing feelings of positivity, calm and creativity, says Joseph.

The meeting can happen at any time of day and preferably several times a day, advises the Swedish government. Although baked goods or sweets are often served, the key purpose is the social interaction.

This factors into other areas of life in Sweden. Herman Rutgers, a co-founder of the nonprofit organisation EuropeActive, notes that group exercise is popular in the country: They like to do things in groups, to be social and to drink coffee afterwards. The country has one of the highest rates of gym membership in the world 21% of the population are signed up to a fitness club.

Building a social component into exercise, by taking a fitness class or working out with a friend, has been shown to increase motivation and accountability and even improve performance. A University of Aberdeen study in 2016 found that people exercised more when they did so with a friend, due to the emotional support.

The concept of wellness tourism, valued by Bloomberg at $639bn, began in Europe centuries ago, says McGroarty. She points to the 200-year-old German tradition of the kur: a commitment to taking a longer break for the purpose of wellness.

From the late 18th century until the second world war, it was common to retire to a sanatorium or a spa for a weeks- or months-long programme of rest, fresh air, bathing and steam. McGroarty likens the best-known of these destinations Baden-Baden and Bad Ems in Germany, Bad Gastein and Bad Ischl in Austria, Bath in the UK to our Las Vegas of health: the places to be and to be seen. Composers and authors would go there to work, while others would go to recover from or avoid illness.

Even today, a two- or three-week-long kur can be prescribed and even paid for through the German (and Austrian) healthcare system, in recognition of the fact that healthy, rested workers are more productive.

The idea of taking a longer break just to be well is at odds with the modern fashion for shorter, high-impact holidays but the pendulum will need to swing back, says McGroarty. She predicts a trend for wellness sabbaticals, as people retreat for longer to recover from the busy world.

Read more:
From siestas to saunas: the 10 European wellbeing traditions everyone should try - The Guardian