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Though hes been known to carbo-load for the big race, Michael Phelps says the tales of his high-cal diet have been greatly exaggerated.

The 28-time Olympic medalist, who has been said to consume 12,000 calories per day during the Games, got real about his eating habits during a Facebook Live with Mens Health.Theres so many stories that are written about that. One random paper picked it up over in London and made this fabricated lie, he said. 12,000 is not real. Its impossible. You cant eat that much.

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That doesnt mean he cant still eat a staggering amount, though.During my prime, I was probably really eating eight to ten [thousand calories per day]. But that was the most, and that was when I was in high school and still growing, he added.

FROM PEN:Super Chef David Burke Shows You How To Make a Decadent Peanut Butter Waffle Sandwich

During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Phelps kept things decidedly healthy.Last year, going into the Games, I was eating just fish and chicken, trying to stay away from red meat, trying to get as lean as I could, he said.

When hes not feeding himself, Phelps and his wife Nicole are busy taking care of their 1-year-old son, Boomerwho just might be an Olympian-in-training.

Read more:
Michael Phelps Says the Rumors About His Olympic Diet Are a 'Fabricated Lie' - PEOPLE.com

Posted June 16, 2017, 6:30 am

Going out for dinner can be a nice way to unwind with family or friends. But if youre watching your salt intake, restaurants arent always so relaxing. Much of their fare is loaded with sodium, a main component of salt. In fact, some entrees at popular chains contain far more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium the recommended limit for an entire days worth of food.

Limiting sodium is especially important for people with high blood pressure, because excess salt worsens this common condition, leaving you more prone to heart attack and stroke. If you eat out only once a month, you probably neednt worry too much. But Americans tend to eat out far more frequently about five times a week, on average.

But there are plenty of strategies for staying within your salt budget when eating out, starting before you even leave home, says Debbie Krivitsky, director of clinical nutrition at the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. When possible, check the restaurants website to look up the nutrition information (including sodium) for different menu items beforehand. You can also search for your favorite dishes at CalorieKing, which includes nutrient data for foods from hundreds of popular nationwide chains. Federal law now requires all restaurants with more than 20 locations to provide this information.

Not surprisingly, the highly processed fare at fast-food restaurants is quite salty (for example, a Big Mac has 950 mg of sodium). Beware of unexpected sources: a Dunkin Donuts reduced-fat blueberry muffin contains 540 mg of sodium. But sit-down restaurants arent all that much better. The typical meal at a chain sit-down restaurant contains about 2,100 mg of sodium for every 1,000 calories, says Krivitsky.

Certain cuisines tend to have higher sodium levels than others. Asian restaurants use a lot of sodium-rich soy and fish sauces, and Italian food (especially pizza) has high-sodium sauces, cheeses, and cured meats, such as pepperoni and prosciutto.

A better option (if available) is a farm-to-table restaurant. These newly fashionable eateries focus on fresh and often locally grown or raised foods. While they may not provide nutritional information, these establishments as well as other neighborhood and smaller mom-and-pop places may be willing to work with you to prepare a lower-sodium meal. These days, with more people following gluten-free and vegan diets, theyre used to making adjustments. And its in their best interest to make their customers happy.

If youre comfortable doing so, tell your server you have a medical condition or are taking medication and need to limit your salt. They may be more inclined to take you seriously, says Krivitsky. Then say, Please tell the chef to grill, broil, or steam my food with no added seasonings or sauces. If youre ordering a piece of meat, chicken, or fish, find out the weight of the serving size. Have the server bring you a plate with only the amount you want to eat and bag the rest to take home.

If youve got your heart set on a special entree thats over your sodium budget, ask the server to box up half of the dish to save for the next day before bringing it to your table. That way, you can enjoy the portion without being tempted to pick at the rest just because its in front of you.

Dont be shy about making sure you get exactly what you want; youre paying for it, after all.

More here:
Sticking to a low-salt diet when eating out - Harvard Health (blog)

Men's Health

Michael Phelps Reveals His Mythic 12000-Calorie Diet "Is Not Real" Men's Health Swimmer Michael Phelps is a 23-time gold medalist who has set the standard for Olympic achievement and crushed countless records in his path to athletic immortality. Given his titanic successes, it's been thought for some time that he had a diet to match. and more »

Original post:
Michael Phelps Reveals His Mythic 12000-Calorie Diet "Is Not Real" - Men's Health

Think pink (and red). Prostate cancer isnt all that common in men in their 40s. After age 50, however, the risk rises, according to the American Cancer Society. Guava, watermelon, tomatoes, and pink grapefruit are all good sources of the antioxidant lycopene, which researchers say may contribute to a decreased risk of the disease. But the top providers of the nutrient may surprise you. The best sources of lycopene are processed tomato products such as spaghetti sauce and tomato juice, says Maxine Siegel, R.D., who heads Consumer Reports food-testing lab. The reason is twofold: Water lost through the cooking process concentrates the nutrient and may also cause the lycopene to become more bioavailable. Eating plenty of these foods in the context of a varied, colorful dietthe American Cancer Society recommends 2 cups of produce per dayis a smart strategy for cancer prevention and overall health.

Keep your drinking moderate. Nearly three-quarters of men in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many approaches you can take to keeping the pounds off, but one factor that can be easily overlooked is alcohol intake. Calories from alcohol count, Siegel says. People generally dont compensate by eating less when theyre drinking; alcohol may actually stimulate food intake, according to an article published in the journal Current Obesity Reports.

Got gout? DASH your diet. Gout, a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood, is more likely to occur in men than women, particularly between the ages of 40 and 50. Men age 40 and older who ate a heart-healthy DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which includes lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and low sodium) had a 22 percent lower risk of developing gout over a span of 26 years compared with those eating a Western-style diet (more red meat, refined grains, salt, and sugar). Thats according to 2017 research analyzing data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study published in the BMJ.

Shake off some salt. Chances are, youre taking in too much sodium, particularly if you eat out a lot or rely on packaged foods. More than 70 percent of the sodium in our diets comes from these foods, according to a 2017 study published in the journal Circulation. Sodium has a greater effect on blood pressure in people ages 50 and older, African-Americans, and those with diabetes, kidney disease, or pre-existing high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. To blunt any possible impact, keep your sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg per dayideally 1,500 mgand look out for the top six sources of sodium in the U.S. dietbread, cold cuts, pizza, soup, sandwiches, and poultry.

Move toward plant protein. Does a plate of barbecued ribs or a big steak seem like a particularly guy-friendly meal to you? Youre not alone: Men tend to view meat eating as a masculine habit, according to a 2012 study in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity. Men are also are more likely than women to be meat eaters. They report consuming more beef, chicken, and pork and fewer vegetarian meals. This tendency may be setting you up for health problems down the road. When researchers from Bellarmine University in Kentucky tracked more than 6,000 adults over age 50, they found that those who ate a diet rich in animal proteinincluding meat and dairywere four times more likely to die of cancer than those who ate a lower-protein diet, or a diet in which the protein came from plant sources like beans. Other research has linked a more plant-based diet with a decreased risk of high blood pressure and obesity, among other benefits. Try plant foods like black beans, lentils, and tofu in familiar settings, like tacos or soup, to mix it up without making too drastic a change.

More:
Smart Diet Plans for Men - ConsumerReports.org

Khristopher Squint Sandifer

The light heavyweight champion discusses the routine of his training camp diet, from his oatmeal every morning to his liver (yes, liver) smoothie each night.

The preparation for any high-stakes fight should be just as demanding as the 12-round bout itself. This is the thinking of Andre Ward, the unified light heavyweight titleholder. After defeating then-undefeated Sergey Kovalev in their first meeting last Nov. 19, Ward (31-0, 15 KOs) was stunned by those questioning the legitimacy of his unanimous-decision victory. Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) blamed the loss on the fact that all three judges were American. There were some even using the term robbery to describe the outcome. Ward entered training camp for Ward-Kovalev 2: The Rematch set for June 17 (HBO Pay-Per-View) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas reminding himself to have fun but also train with the mindset to leave no questions this time when the final bell rings. We caught up with the champ before the bout to discuss his training camp routine, recovery after a fight and his hurl-inducing secret nutritional weapon.

Whats your daily routine during training camp?

If its a day where Im doing some type of cardio and a gym workout in the same day, I have to get up at 5 a.m. and Im out the door by 5:30 to whatever location I need to be at. If Im running the hill, a track workout with my intervals, and sprints, or a pool workout, I like to be there right around 6 and Im finishing up right around 7. I come back to my condo and Im eating breakfast by 7:30 to 8. Breakfast consists of some good, complex carbohydrates. I love different kinds of oatmeal with dry or regular fruit and some lean protein.

It can be anything from scrambled eggs to an egg omelet. Im really big on my beet and green juices. I lay around from about 9 to 1 and then Ill start getting ready for the gym; I need to be there at 3. Ill get up and eat my lunch and that would be some type of fortified good salad with some nutrient-dense, high-quality food that is going to give me fuel for that workout. I eat that, pack my bag, head to the gym and well be in that gym from 3 to 6. I try to stay no longer than three hours and thats warming up and cooling down. I drink a recovery drink on my way home to start repairing my body with some type of protein and carbohydrate mix.

When I get home, I settle down for 30 minutes or so. Its kind of hard for me to eat right after a really intense workout. Dinner is a high-quality protein. It can be anything from a bison burger with sweet potatoes and a big salad. I eat a lot of fish during training camp, so dinner can also be sea bass, salmon with rice, potatoes and pasta. My secret weapon started off being liver salad. You know liver is not tasty at all but its extremely nutrient-dense with protein. I got to a point where I couldnt stomach the liver salad, so we started doing liver shakes. So every night after dinner about an hour before bed, Ill drink a liver shake.

Its raw liver blended with bananas, cherries and Ill hold my breath and drink it down. Thats like my nightcap and I go to bed and wake up and do it all over again the next day.

The thought of that concoction makes me queasy.

[Laughs] Literally, were making sacrifices.

How does your diet differ from training to when you can just relax and be Andre Ward, thehusband and father?

[Laughs] Listen, I try to be a healthy individual year-round. Right after a fight, Ive probably gone 10 weeks of literally eating everything that Im supposed to and not slipping one time. But when that fight is over, my body is craving saturated fats, sugars and Ill treat myself for several weeks after the fight to whatever I want. When I start seeing those abs turn into a little bit of flab and that starts sticking out, then its time to start getting back in the groove of eating right. I actually enjoy eating right and feeling good. Its amazing because when I do that, it really shows me how bad some of the stuff we eat is. If Im feeling one way for 10 weeks and I switch and my body is like boom; Im literally putting poison in my body with the sugars and all the things Im not supposed to have. Then when I switch back to a more consistent diet, things level back out. I like to be kind of leveled out as a whole with an occasional cheat day here and there, but I definitely give myself some time right after the fight just as a celebration. I dont party or anything like that but me and my wife will go out, eat, spend time with the kids, and get frozen yogurt and thats how we party.

You moved up from super middleweight to light heavyweight in 2015. Can you explain the nutritional demand to hit that weight and maintain it?

Its funny because I was at 168 pounds in the super middleweight division for many years and at a certain point because I wanted to be a multi-divisional champion it was hard to get a lot of the other 168-pounders in the ring to fight for whatever reason. Also, I was getting older so it was getting harder to make that weight. When I made the decision to go up, I realized that I wasnt really going up. Im going up as far as the weight class from 168 pounds to 175 but Im walking around at 185 to190 pounds. When I had that revelation, and I was sitting with my doctor, my team and were looking at my body fat, we all came to the conclusion that I wasnt moving up. Im just losing weight to get to 175.

I know Im not going to be the biggest guy and Im not going to look the most imposing but Im going to be in tip-top shape and Im going to be strong. If you look at my last fight, my opponent looked bigger, but he wasnt stronger and Im ok with that. Boxing is the only sport where you have to strip your body down during an eight-week training camp, and youre losing weight, but you cant put back the fuel like you need to and then you tell your body to go perform at your highest for fight night. When I moved up, it was actually a benefit for me because Im healthier. I remember the first training camp I had at 175 and the people at the gym were asking me why I was so happy and it was because I could eat! Life was just happier. I was able to put out in the gym and put it all right back in. Im happy I moved up and there wasnt really any major tweaks. It was just being able to eat more, which my body needed because Im putting out on a day-to-day basis.

What are you eating the day of the fight?

Im a big oatmeal and eggs guys. So breakfast will be oatmeal, eggs and turkey sausage or turkey bacon. That will hold me. I love to take walks the day of the fight. So Ill walk the food off, come lay down, nap, read and just relax. Lunchtime, Ill have a lean piece of chicken with a good complex carbohydrate. Maybe, rice or pasta at that point and a good vegetable that wont be hard to break down like steamed spinach, which I love. My last meal has been the same for the last four to five years. I always get a big piece of fish thats not hard to break down but will give me the fuel I need with the same type of carbohydrates and some more steamed spinach. Anything after that and its probably a [protein] bar right before we leave for the arena. Im fueled because I have three good meals sitting on me and Im fully hydrated after sipping water all day. Im ready to go at that point.

Another thing the public doesnt get to see is the recovery aspectaftera fight. What are some of the things you're doing outside of rest to heal and get your body back to feeling right?

I had to learn this the hard way. I used to come home and just lay in the bed. That was not the right thing to do because I would try and get out the bed and everything would lock up. All the lactic acid is trapped and Im not doing anything to get that out and get my body moving. I got an idea from my pastor [former NFL running back] Napoleon Kaufman. What theyll do in football is theyll play on Sunday, come in on Monday and have a light lift, run a little bit and theyll take the following day off. I kind of took that model, and I did it after the last fight and posted a picture to my Instagram. As sore as I was after the first fight, the next morning, I got on the treadmill and did a light jog. I got a massage and I keep those going for about a week straight to flush all the lactic acid and toxins out.

What can we expect to see from you on June 17?

Honestly, Im going to have a lot more fun; its that simple. Sometimes, you can try to be too perfect and you hinder your gifts. You try to be too technical, too perfect and you look back and see that you were not flowing, and doing what you needed to be doing and thats what I got back to. I dont know what Im going to do on June 17. I couldnt even tell you but I feel like its going to be a tremendous performance, a great show and its going to be a totally different individual Kovalev saw the first time around. That, I can guarantee.

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE

Read more here:
The Real-Life Diet of Andre Ward - GQ Magazine

Judge Mieke Butstraen, center, reads out the ruling on the case of baby Lucas at the Court of First Instance in Dendermonde, Belgium on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

AP

DENDERMONDE, Belgium -- A Belgian court has convicted two parents for their part in the death of their infant, who succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration because they were firm believers in alternative diets.

The court gave both a suspended six-month sentence Wednesday because they failed to take adequate action to take care of baby Lucas, who died with organs shrunk to half their size and without any fat around them.

Britain's Independent newspaper reported, the seven-month-old baby died weighing just 9lbs after his parents fed him an alternative gluten-free, lactose-free diet.

According to local media, the parents of baby Lucas ran a natural food store in the town of Beveren in Belgium. They were attempting to raise their son on an alternative diet that included quinoa milk. Doctors had warned that such a diet is generally unsuitable for such young children.

Lawyer for the defense, Karine Van Meirvenne, center, speaks with her clients on the telephone after a ruling on the case of baby Lucas at the Court of First Instance in Dendermonde, Belgium on Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

Virginia Mayo / AP

According to The Independent in Britain, the court heard that his mother and father failed to seek medical attention despite the baby gasping for air in the days before his death. An autopsy showed he was dehydrated and his stomach was completely empty.

Judge Mieke Butstraen said the demise of seven-month-old Lucas was "the result of the systematic offer of food which was not suitable."

Because of that "his health was seriously impeded and he eventually died."

Public prosecutors in Belgium blamed the parents for their son's death, according to The Independent, saying: "The parents determined their own diagnosis that their child was gluten intolerant and had a lactose allergy.

"Not a single doctor had a dossier about Lucas and child protection services did not know about them."

They also said the parents drove to a homoeopathic doctor on the other side of the country when the baby was starving instead of going to the nearest hospital.

"We never went with Lucas to a doctor because we never noticed anything unusual." Lucas's father, identified only as Peter S, said in court.

The mother, identified as Sandrina V, said: "Sometimes he gained a little weight, sometimes he lost a little. We never wished for the death of our son."

According to their lawyer Karine Van Meirvenne, the parents thought Lucas had an eating problem, according to the independent article.

The case has caused a major uproar about the use of alternative medicine and the responsibility of parents in raising their kids.

The parents could still appeal the sentence.

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Parents convicted in son's death linked to alternative diet - CBS News

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, June 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Regularly drinking coffee or herbal tea may help prevent chronic liver disease, new research suggests.

Scientists in the Netherlands found these popular beverages might help thwart liver fibrosis, or stiffness and scarring due to chronic inflammation.

"Over the past decades, we gradually deviated towards more unhealthy habits, including a sedentary lifestyle, decreased physical activity, and consumption of a 'happy diet,' " said study lead author Dr. Louise Alferink.

This "happy diet" -- commonly known as the Western diet -- is rich in sugary, processed foods that lack nutrients. This unhealthy way of eating has contributed to the obesity epidemic and a surge in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which occurs when excessive amounts of fat accumulate in the liver, said Alferink, a researcher at Erasmus MC University Medical Centre in Rotterdam.

To investigate the possible protective effects of coffee and tea, researchers examined data on more than 2,400 Dutch individuals age 45 or older who did not have liver disease. The investigators examined medical records, including results of abdominal and liver scans. They also analyzed responses to food and beverage questionnaires that asked about tea and coffee consumption.

The study participants were divided into three groups based on their coffee and tea consumption. The researchers also noted what type of tea the people drank, including herbal, green or black.

They found that frequent coffee drinkers had significantly lower risk for liver stiffness and less scarring regardless of their lifestyle and environment. Overall, frequent herbal tea and coffee drinking appeared to have a protective effect on the liver and prevent scarring among those who had not yet developed any obvious signs of liver disease, researchers said.

The study results were published June 6 in the Journal of Hepatology.

"Examining accessible and inexpensive lifestyle strategies that have potential health benefits, such as coffee and tea consumption, is a viable approach to finding ways to halt the rapid increase of liver disease in developed countries," Alferink said in a journal news release.

Already, there is some experimental data suggesting that coffee has health benefits on liver enzyme elevations, viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer, said the study's principal investigator, Dr. Sarwa Darwish Murad.

"The exact mechanism is unknown but it is thought that coffee exerts antioxidant effects," said Murad, a hepatologist at the medical center. "We were curious to find out whether coffee consumption would have a similar effect on liver stiffness measurements in individuals without chronic liver disease."

However, the study can't prove that coffee and teas actually improve liver health. And the researchers concluded that more research is needed before making general recommendations.

Also, the study had limitations, according to the authors of a journal editorial. For one, most people in the study were older and white. In addition, the beverage components were too varied to reliably estimate any benefits, they said.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCE: Journal of Hepatology, news release, June 6, 2017

Link:
Can Coffee, Tea Protect the Liver From Bad Diet? - WebMD

PEOPLE.com

Jennie Garth Reveals How Her Rural Upbringing Influenced Her Family's Diet PEOPLE.com Garth, who teamed up with vitafusion and the Fruit Tree Planning Foundation to plant fruit trees in the Bronx to help feed the underprivileged, says her childhood has formed the type of diet she now eats. I have three girls and growing up on a farm in ... and more »

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Jennie Garth Reveals How Her Rural Upbringing Influenced Her Family's Diet - PEOPLE.com

PEOPLE.com

From Steak to Shakes, Ashley Tisdale Packs Her Diet with Plenty of Protein: 'It's All About Feeling Good' PEOPLE.com With her own line of cosmetics, Ashley Tisdale knows skincare and knows that a healthy glow starts with what you eat and drink. For me, it's all about feeling good, the actress, 31, tells PEOPLE of her diet. I have a makeup line, Illuminate by ... and more »

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From Steak to Shakes, Ashley Tisdale Packs Her Diet with Plenty of Protein: 'It's All About Feeling Good' - PEOPLE.com

L

OS ANGELES The box is lovely, sleek and white. But its so small.

Ive decided to try the ProLon diet five days of mimicking fasting that is supposed to help me lose weight, trim belly fat, drop my cholesterol and glucose levels into healthier zones, and even slow aging. Ive been researching the science behind fasting check out my full story on that topic here so Im excited to try it myself.

But the box is so small. Not much larger than a shoebox, it contains all the food and drink, other than water, that Ill get for five days. I sift through the futuristic-looking and tiny packets of olives and freeze-dried soups, kale chips, and nut bars. I love food so much. Im a little bit worried.

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The diet consists of an ultra-low-calorie blend of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and nutrients thats meant to trick the body into thinking it is fasting, but with less discomfort or risk than a true water-only fast. Thats according to its inventor, biochemist Valter Longo, the director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.

Hes launcheda company, L-Nutra, to market the diet; its sold for $300 per box or $750 for three boxes, if youre inclined to repeat the five-day fast every few months. (L-Nutra provided one box to STAT at nocost.)

He wants to sell you a $300 fasting diet to prolong your life. It might not be as crazy as it sounds

Fasting, Longo says, pushes the body to burn fat, rejuvenates cells, and lowers risk factors for a host of diseases. Ive read the scientific studies and theres ample evidence that fasting can have great benefit for research animals, such as the mice in Longos lab.

The evidence for human benefits, though, is more speculative. Short-term studies have shown that fasting can improve certain data points in human subjects (such as lowering cholesterol levels), but theres no proof yet that such improvements are sustained in the long run or that theyll lead to clinical benefits such as fewer heart attacks or longer lives.

Theres also no proof that Longos particular blend of foods works any better than any other low-calorie diet or intermittent fasting regime.

So Im going into this armed with skepticism but also, a great deal of curiosity. A 40-something mother of two, Im not technically overweight but a good 15 or 20 pounds over my ideal weight. I want to know what effect the dietwill have on my health.

Also, whether Ill have the willpower to stick with it.

Most people can choose any five-day period for the diet, so they can avoid big social events or strenuous athletic activities. But I need to diet on five specific days because Im taking blood tests immediately before and after to gauge how the diet affects my body. (I get the tests done at USC, so Longo can pull the results, but STAT pays for the lab work.) Because of poor planning on my part, the first day of my fast falls on Mothers Day.

I love food so much. And the box containing my diet for the next week is so small. Im a little bit worried.

So the one day of the year I normally get breakfast in bed, I get nothing. Which makes me grumpy. I make myself a cup of spearmint tea. My breakfast will be an L-Bar a 280-calorie nut-based bar. Since were going on a hike, I decide to wait to eat the bar in case I get hungry while were out. Its not a great start.

I open the bar mid-morning, while hiking. It is delicious. A blend of macadamia nut butter, almond meal, and coconut, it tastes like a dessert. I eat half, slowly, and save the rest for later.

I am getting grumpier. I am also starting to get a bad headache. I think its because I havent had any caffeine, but USC research nutritionist Mahshid Shelehchi, who is supervising my fast, tells me that its normal to get a headache while fasting. Even non-coffee drinkers get them.

Lunch is tomato soup that I microwave, olives, and kale-and-seed crackers with a kick of pepper. It all tastes pretty great. My afternoon snack is another nut bar I could get used to these, I think and spearmint lemon tea. Dinner is another freeze-dried soup, minestrone. I deeply resent the 120-calorie soup as I cook it. This is not the Mothers Day dinner of my dreams. At least I get dessert a Choco Crisp Bar thats delicious. All four bites of it.

With my headache roaring, I decide to turn in earlier than usual.

I am getting grumpier. I am also starting to get a bad headache.

The first days diet contained 1,150 calories. It was hard, but not impossible. Tomorrow I have to drop to 800 calories. Im not sure Ill make it.

The 800-calorie days all include a bonus: A glycerol solution you mix with water that serves as an energy drink to help you get through the day. I flavor mine, as advised, with a sachet of hibiscus tea from the box. Its crazy bright pink but because it staves off hunger, I can tell it is going to become my best friend.

I drink my spearmint tea, trying hard not to look at my cappuccino machine, which seems to beckon me from across my kitchen. Being Californian, I also really want my avocado toast. Instead, I unwrap a nut bar.

Then its off to USC, where I have a busy day visiting Longos lab. I end up staying a long time so I dont even get to eat my lunch of mushroom soup and olives until about 3. I feel OK, considering. When I realize I get olives with my afternoon tea also, Im thrilled. It seems like a bounty.

My entire family is obsessed with my fasting diet and not all that helpful.

My son asks: Will you poo? (Constipation is a side effect; I survived.)

Could your diet one day be tailored to your biology?

My husband decides to make his childhood favorite meal for dinner sloppy Joes. While I eat my Quinoa Mix Soup, my family raves about how good their sloppy Joes are. These are so good, they could be served in the finest restaurants of Barcelona, my husband says. I am sad.

I do get a Choco Crisp Bar for dessert. And I dont even miss having wine with dinner. I crawl into bed early, with laptop, and start devouring episodes of Queen of the South. Thank you, Netflix, for giving me something to binge on.

Tuesday is my hungriest day. There is no afternoon snack, no ChocoCrisp Bar. Just one nut bar, tomato soup, kale crackers, minestrone soup, and the energy drink, which I carry everywhere like a security blanket.

I need to finish up an article and I feel a little dopey, so I admit to the scientist Im interviewing that Im on a fasting diet. Shes intrigued and wants to know all about the biochemistry behind it. Everyone, actually, wants to know about this crazy diet Im on.

Wednesday, I have a busy day shadowing several groups of elementary school kids for another story Im writing. Its a lot of walking, for hours, and I have to occasionally sit and rest in the shade. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be old. Shelehchi advised me that I might not want to drive while fasting, for safety, but between work and my kids many activities, thats just impossible. I do skip my exercise classes.

Its a lot of walking, and I occasionally have to stop and rest. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be old.

On Wednesday night, my husband has a work dinner that happens to be at my favorite restaurant. (Im mad and jealous.) So I have to shop and cook for thekids. Im worried about going into a grocery store while fasting, so I steel myself out in the Trader Joes parking lot. I take several gulps of energy drink and walk in the store.

Its actually not that hard. I look at the food the shrink-wrapped meats, the frozen pizzas laden with cheese and it all looks kind of disgusting. I dont want to eat any of it.

I could maybe use an extra nut bar, but Im OK with my soup. And my Choco Crisp Bar.

Cooking dinner for my kids is a breeze. I dont feel hungry anymore. I kind of love having all my meals planned out for me and so easy to prepare. I even feel a little spoiled. Best of all, my headache has disappeared. I thought I would miss normal food and wine with dinner. (No alcohol is allowed on the diet.) But what I miss most, still, is coffee.

Thursday is easy. I have a lot of energy, which Shelehchi says tends to happen after the initial fasting days. She even does her kickboxing classes while shes on the fast. (Initially unconvinced by the diet, she came around after seeing data from the studies she helps Longo run and now uses the diet several times a year.)

I run some errands and end up staring at a man eating Mexican food out of a styrofoam container. I want to grab his food. Maybe its time to return to the world of the eating.

Seeking an alternative to medication, parents tinker with diet to treat ADHD

I cant eat Friday until after my follow-up blood test in the morning, but its not food I care most about. Im plottinghow to get my cappuccino as soon as possible after my blood is drawn.

Youd think I would want to binge on food after doing the diet, but the coffee is enough. Which is good, because Longo advises transitioning your stomach back to normal food with soups, juices, and light meals on the first day after the diet.

After the blood draw, I sit and chat with Shelehchi at a coffee shop near the clinic. Ive lost nearly 4pounds. I feel great. Shelehchi is not surprised. She says my body is now in ketosis, or fat-burning mode, and I should still keep seeing benefits for several days during refeeding.

I kind of love having all my meals planned out for me and so easy to prepare. I even feel a little spoiled.

I tell her one benefit of the diet is that I realize I can eat a lot less food than I do that right now, much smaller portion sizes and light soups for lunch seem a really easy way to keep losing weight. Its a common side effect of the diet, she says, adding: It makes you think about every single thing you put in your mouth. She said many women (like me) who carry extra fat they never lost after pregnancy are able to lose it using this diet.

I knew my cholesterol was on the high side going into the diet Id recently had a physical and hadelevated cholesterol for the first time in my life. My doctor said it was probably due to the high-protein diet I had been trying, and Longo agreed. Its the worst idea, he said. The absolute worst.

So, when Longo calls later with my blood test results, Im delighted to hear that my overall cholesterol and my LDL, or bad, cholesterol dropped during the five days of the diet, though my triglycerides didnt. I also saw big improvement in my levels of IGF-1, or insulin-like growth factor-1, which is linked to higher rates of cancer. (Longo says mine might have been elevated originally because of that high-protein diet.) Its not clear if lowering IGF-1 translates into better health or longevity, but it cant hurt.

Im a cynical journalist and Im known to be skeptical especially about faddish health food claims, heavy marketing, and quick fixes. But this diet seems to have worked for me in the short-term. Nearly one month after ending the diet, Im still eating much smaller portions, many of them plant-based, and limiting my protein intake. Ive lost threeadditional pounds.

And Im still savoring every cup of coffee.

Usha Lee McFarling can be reached at ushalee.mcfarling@statnews.com Follow Usha Lee on Twitter @ushamcfarling

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Kale crackers and hibiscus tea: My five days on a 'fasting diet' - STAT

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