Friday, May 12, 2017
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
The Healthiest Way to Do Intermittent Fasting, According to a Nutritionist
You've probably been hearing some buzz about intermittent fasting–the weight loss method that alternates fasting days and non-fasting days–especially since there's been more and more research on its potential to help people slim down.
For example, in a new study published in JAMA, researchers divided obese men and women into two groups: One followed a traditional calorie-restricted eating plan, and the other group practiced intermittent fasting. After one year, the participants in both groups experienced similar results in terms of total weight loss, blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar and insulin levels, insulin resistance, and markers for inflammation.
The researchers noted, however, that the participants in the intermittent fasting group had a higher dropout rate (38% compared to 29%), which suggests that the eating plan may be less sustainable over time. In my practice I find that the approach isn't for everyone. That said, if you’re interested in trying it—or you’ve already started—here are six strategies I recommend to maximize your results, and help you stick it out.
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Make every calorie count
There isn't one standard protocol for intermittent fasting. But many plans limit total calories to just 500 on fasting days—which is why it's important to make food quality a priority, and squeeze the most nutrition possible out of your meals and snacks. That means nixing processed foods, and focusing on fresh, healthy fare. Yes, you can technically afford to eat a 100-calorie snack pack of mini-chocolate chips cookies. But spending those same 100 calories on veggies and an organic egg delivers a broad spectrum of nutrients your body needs for energy, immunity, and digestive health. Bottom line: A calorie isn’t just a calorie, and quality is king.
Don’t fast on active days
It’s crucial to make sure you’re giving your body enough food to fuel upcoming activities. So if you’re going to fast Mondays and Wednesdays, don’t put more demands on your body with an intense spin class, or other serious workout. Make fasting days your rest days. Or at the very most, plan to do some stretching or light yoga.
In other words, timing matters. Think of your body like a car: You need to fill the gas tank before you go for a long drive, not the next day. The difference between a car and your body, however, is a car with no fuel will stop, while you can push your under-nourished body to keep moving. But slogging through workouts will only wear your body out, and up your risk of injury.
RELATED: What to Eat Before and After Every Kind of Workout
Focus on satiating foods
Certain foods tend to keep us feeling full longer than others. Generally, satiating nutrients include protein, good fat, and fiber. Think pulses (the umbrella term for beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas), eggs, poultry and seafood, nuts and seeds, avocado, and extra virgin olive oil.
Be sure to eat these foods on fasting days. Yes, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil packs 120 calories out of your 500. But using it to sauté or dress veggies will significantly boost how full you feel after a meal–and prevent lingering, gnawing hunger.
Up your volume
Larger portions don’t always mean more calories. It depends on what you’re eating. For example, three cups of popped popcorn (about the size of three baseballs) counts as a serving of whole grain; but it’s a much larger volume than a half cup of brown rice, which also counts as one serving of whole grain. Bonus: You can eat the popcorn one piece at a time, which makes it seem like even more food.
Raw veggies are another way to fill up your plate without blowing your calorie budget. One medium zucchini provides just 35 calories. And when shredded with a box grater, it becomes a generously sized “bed” for a serving of protein. Other veggies with low calorie counts per serving–which is one cup, or about the size of a tennis ball–include red bell peppers (45 calories), grape tomatoes and broccoli (30), spinach (7), and white button mushrooms (5).
Start to compare the calorie content of foods within the same group that differ in portion size. For example, a dozen steamed or boiled shrimp contains about the same number of calories as a single egg–with significantly more volume and more protein.
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Use herbs and spices generously
Natural seasonings offer several advantages on fasting days. They’re virtually calorie-free, but make meals and snacks more flavorful, aromatic, and visually appealing. They’ve also been shown to boost satiety, and rev up metabolism. Plus they’re chock full of antioxidants and help reduce inflammation in the body, which is tied to healthy metabolism and chronic disease prevention.
Simply adding roasted garlic, fresh basil, and a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar can transform a vine-ripened tomato. Rosemary compliments nearly any oven-roasted veggie. And a combo of lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro can jazz up anything from avocado to cauliflower.
If you aren’t super familiar with using culinary herbs, there are tons of online resources you can check out for guidance. But I also recommend experimenting on your own—I bet you’ll you have fun discovering some new favorite combinations.
Be mindful
On fasting days make a conscious effort to slow your eating pace. One tool that may help is to listen to a guided meditation once a day, even for just five minutes. Short daily meditations help improve mindfulness and slow your pace overall, including during meals and snacks. Eating slower, taking smaller bites, and removing mealtime distractions (including the TV and phone) have all been shown to boost satiety, and naturally curb calorie intake. This strategy is especially effective for helping you stick to your healthy regime—whether it's intermittent fasting or another balanced plan.
Cynthia Sass is Health’s contributing nutrition editor, a New York Times best-selling author, and consultant for the New York Yankees. See her full bio here.
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Friday, May 5, 2017
Monday, May 1, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Mom of 3 Drops 120 Lbs. After Having Her Youngest Child: 'I Wanted to Get Healthy for My Kids'
This article originally appeared on People.com.
Emily Powers had struggled with her weight since high school, when she began eating cafeteria food instead of homemade meals and put on 100 lbs. by the time she graduated.
By the time the Ontario, Canada-based daycare worker was in her 20s, Powers had reached 273 lbs.
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“I tried different fad diets and I’d lose some weight and then I’d gain it back and more,” Powers, 24, tells PEOPLE.
It wasn’t until she had her youngest daughter last year — she is also mom to an 8-year-old stepdaughter and 3-year-old daughter — that she decided she needed to make a lasting change.
“It was about June last year after having my six week check-up that I decided I wanted to get healthy for my kids,” she says. “They deserved more. I could barely even take my kids for a walk. At the park, I’d sit on the bench and watch them rather than play with them.”
RELATED: What 'Girls' Got Right About New Motherhood in the Series Finale
Powers began logging her food intake using the Lose It! app, and was alarmed to see how many calories she was consuming in her fast food-heavy diet.
“I didn’t really know what I was putting in my body,” she says. “The app helped me hold myself accountable. I could actually look at what I was putting into my body and how it’s affecting it.”
Powers set carb and calorie limits based on her weight loss goals, and learned to use portion control to stay within those limits.
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“I eat a lot of lean meats — chicken or fish or occasionally red meat — and vegetables instead of potatoes or pasta,” she says. “I try to stay as low-carb as I can now that I’m still losing.”
The busy mom has already dropped down to 151 lbs., and hopes to lose five more. In addition to staying on top of her diet, she’s also started exercising at least three times a week.
“Now I love going to the gym,” says Powers. “It’s my time alone away from my kids when I can relax and do my own thing. I’m very active compared to what I used to be!”
While she loves being able to shop anywhere she wants, the best part about dropping the pounds has been being able to be more active with her three children.
“I like that my kids are used to hearing ‘yes’ a lot more,” says Powers. “Before, I could never take them to the park and run around with them and be the mom that I wanted to be. Now there’s no limitations.”
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
How One Woman Shed 137 Lbs. With Strength Training and Simple Diet Changes
Ashley Javar, 38, 5'4", from Las Vegas
Before: 287 lb., size 22/24
After: 150 lb., size 8
Total pounds lost: 137 lb.
Total sizes lost: 7/8
From an early age, I always turned to food for comfort. Every day I would binge on one or two massive, mostly fried meals. Fast-forward to 2013; I was 24 and a mom, but otherwise not much had changed. I was still overweight. It hurt my knees to walk up the stairs of my house, I was often fatigued, and I could barely play with my daughter. Then I threw my back out while tidying up at home. When I got to the hospital, it took multiple nurses just to help me into an extra-large wheelchair. I was so ashamed.
RELATED: 28 Tips from Real Women Who Lost Weight and Kept It Off
Banishing bad habits
Once I recovered and was back at home, I stepped on the scale. I was stunned to see that I weighed 287 pounds! That’s when I decided to revamp my diet. I began prepping three meals and two snacks daily, filling my plate with lean protein—like skinless chicken breasts—along with salad greens and quinoa. I also ditched all fried foods and soda (I had been drinking four cans a day for years and years). With these simple tweaks, I easily dropped about nine pounds a month. The steady loss made me feel so accomplished. By January 2015, I had settled into my new happy weight of 150 pounds.
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Family time, transformed
My goal now is to get even stronger. I do a lot of strength training, along with the occasional Zumba class. But my favorite way to be active is with my now 6-year-old daughter. Before, I could hardly walk around our cul-de-sac with her. Now my husband and I walk the mile to and from the local park with her, or we bike to my cousin’s house to swim in her pool. As my daughter gets older (and even more energetic!), I’m reminded of why I got healthy in the first place: I couldn’t bear to miss out on her childhood. And now I know I won’t.
Ashley's 3 ways to keep the weight off
1. Melt fat with tea. I started drinking green tea because it curbed my caffeine cravings, but I stuck with it when I learned about all its antioxidants and metabolism-boosting perks.
2. Shop and step. Shopping has always been my favorite pastime, so when I started getting active, walking around the mall became my main form of exercise. I’d even wear a heart monitor to help ensure I burned a couple of hundred calories while I perused the stores.
3. Healthy-up faves. I love re-creating the foods I crave—with a healthy twist. Instead of fries, I toss red potatoes with olive oil, fresh garlic, and pink Himalayan salt and bake them until golden. They’re less greasy but still so yummy!
As told to Anthea Levi
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Forget Your BMI and Focus on This Measurement Instead
When it comes to determining whether a person is overweight, body mass index (BMI) is the most widely used measure out there. But doctors admit that BMI—a ratio of weight to height—is far from perfect. Now, a new study suggests there may be a better way to estimate the risks of health problems associated with excess weight.
The new research, published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that waist-to-hip ratio was a better predictor of whether people would die over the course of the study, compared to BMI. This isn’t the first study to reach this conclusion, but it's one of the largest to-date.
Researchers from Loughborough University in the U.K. and the University of Sydney in Australia looked at data from 42,702 men and women living in England and Scotland over a 10-year period. Specifically, they wanted to know if people who carried extra weight around their middles were at increased risks of health problems, compared to those who were technically overweight but carried their extra pounds elsewhere.
Over the course of the study, 5,355 of the participants died. After controlling for factors such as age, gender, smoking status, and physical activity, the researchers found that people who had normal BMIs but who also had “central obesity”—defined as a high waist-to-hip ratio—had a 22% increased risk of death from all causes, compared to people with normal BMIs and healthier waist-to-hip ratios.
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Obese people with central obesity were also at higher risk of death compared to normal-weight and normal-waist individuals.
On the other hand, people who were technically overweight or obese based on their BMIs—but who did not have central obesity—were less likely to die than people with normal BMIs but high waist-to-hip ratios.
Surprisingly, overweight people with central obesity did not have an increased risk of death from all causes, compared to people with a normal weight and smaller waistlines. These findings are counterintuitive, say the authors, but they’re similar to those of previous research: A 2015 study found that people with normal BMIs but central obesity had the worst long-term survival rates, even when compared with overweight and obese people who also had central obesity.
Explaining these “paradoxical findings” is challenging, the authors say. One possibility is that overweight and obese people are more likely to also have extra fat stored around their legs and hips, which has been linked to healthier metabolism.
RELATED: 11 Reasons Why You're Not Losing Belly Fat
The authors also say that limitations in their research—like the fact that BMI and waist measurements were only collected once, rather than several times over the course of the study—may have skewed the results.
But they point out that all participants with central obesity, in every BMI group, were at increased risk of dying specifically from cardiovascular disease. This may imply that the health risks of excess belly fat are specifically related to heart problems, the authors say, more so than other major causes of death.
People with a BMI between 18.5 and 25 are considered normal weight; between 25 and 30 is considered overweight, while 30 and higher is obese. Central obesity is defined as a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.85 or higher for women and 0.9 or higher for men. (Here’s how you can calculate both.)
RELATED: 15 Best Foods for a Flat Belly
Lead author Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD, associate professor of public health at the University of Sydney, says that while BMI has its flaws, it does provide some useful information—especially for tracking general trends in large groups of people over time.
“Instead of ditching BMI and replacing it with waist-to-hip ratio, which is relatively easy to measure and is consistently associated with cardiovascular health and mortality risk, we should be thinking about adding waist and hip measurements into routine medical examinations and in health studies,” Stamatakis told Health via email.
But Stamatakis says that, on an individual basis, waist measurement might be more important for overall health. “If I had to choose between making sure my BMI or my waist-to-hip ratio are OK, I would go for the latter,” he says.
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BMI can be affected by many things, he says, including the amount of lean muscle mass a person has. (That’s why super-fit people, especially men, can register as overweight based on BMI alone.)
A high waist-to-hip ratio, on the other hand, most likely means high amounts of abdominal fat—which has been definitively linked to serious health risks.
“People with larger waistlines may want to start thinking and, if needed, seek help to alter their lifestyle to reduce that belly fat,” says Stamatakis. “Increasing physical activity, improving diet, and cutting down on alcohol consumption can work miracles if sustained in the long term, and all have a myriad other co-benefits in terms of health and wellbeing.”
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