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There is the Mediterranean Diet. And then there is the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is said to be one of the most healthful in the world. It emphasizes fruit and vegetables while minimizing red meat. It features plenty of fish, along with poultry. It uses oil instead of butter, and herbs and spices instead of salt. It encourages exercise, along with long meals with family and friends.

The Mediterranean Diet, on the other hand, is what is eaten by people who live around the Mediterranean Sea.

There are plenty of similarities, of course the Mediterranean Diet was begun by looking at what people ate around the Mediterranean Sea. And here it should be noted that it is mainly focused on the northern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean. You wont find many foods on it from, say, Algeria (the researchers who first publicized it, Ancel and Margaret Keys, focused on foods from Greece, Crete and southern Italy).

But there are also differences.

For instance, the Mediterranean Diet specifically recommends fatty fish, such as salmon, and the use of canola oil. But salmon is a cold-water fish, native to the Northern Atlantic and Northern Pacific neither of which is particularly close to the Mediterranean Sea.

And canola oil comes primarily from Canada (the can in canola is for Canada). It is also produced in China, India and northern Europe. In other words, nowhere near the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Diet features a lot of lamb and goat meat. Youll find scant mention of either one in references to the Mediterranean Diet. And in northern Italy they use far more butter than olive oil.

So my goal in taking a healthful dip into these foods was to find that happy intersection where the Mediterranean Diet meets the Mediterranean Diet. To see where the healthy benefits of the diet are actually enjoyed by the people for whom it is named.

I began with an appetizer that couldnt be more Mediterranean if it surrounded Italy on three sides: Marinated Olives and Feta. This is a simple dish, but it creates an explosion of flavor.

Or rather, flavors. Everything that is so great about Mediterranean cooking is combined in one chunky dip: olives, feta cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh rosemary and crushed red pepper. Its like going to a Mediterranean food store and buying everything on the shelves.

I marinated mine overnight to allow the flavors to blend, and served it on top of crusty bread and crackers. As the Greeks would say, Nstimo!

Next up was a dish that was, as hard as it may be to believe, even easier to make. Date Wraps are like a slightly healthier and more elegant version of perhaps the best hors doeuvre in the world, dates wrapped in bacon.

This time, the dates are wrapped in prosciutto. The rich flavor of the cured meat plays beautifully off the sweetness of the dates, and the saltiness means you can dispense with the Parmesan cheese that is an important part of the bacon version.

A twist of black pepper on top provides just the right amount of spice to make it interesting. As the Italians would say, Delizioso!

For a side dish, I turned to perhaps my favorite vegetable, asparagus. In Andalusia the southern area of Spain that borders the Mediterranean Sea they cook it in an astonishingly good way.

First, they saut the asparagus spears in olive oil, which is a truly auspicious way to start anything. But then they go a step further by baking the asparagus with a topping made from blanched almonds, garlic and bread crumbs that are sautd in olive oil auspiciously and then all ground together.

Its not the garlic that goes so magnificently with the asparagus, or the almonds or even the bread crumbs. It is the combination of all three. As the Spanish would say, Excelente!

And for a main course, I made fish, of course. Both versions of the Mediterranean Diet involve eating a lot of fish.

I used one of the most popular fish in the region, swordfish, and topped it with an abundance of Mediterranean ingredients: olives, capers, tomatoes and olive oil.

How did it taste? Lets just say the French would call it superbe.

MARINATED OLIVES AND FETA

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup sliced pitted olives such as Kalamata or mixed Greek

1/2 cup diced feta cheese

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately, with crackers or toast points, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Per serving: 100 calories; 9 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 2 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 280 mg sodium; 86 mg calcium

Recipe from EatingWell

DATE WRAPS

Yield: 16 pieces

16 thin slices prosciutto

16 whole pitted dates

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each date. Grind pepper on top.

Per piece: 38 calories; 1 g fat; no saturated fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 248 mg sodium; 4 mg calcium

Recipe from EatingWell

ANDALUCIAN ASPARAGUS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds young asparagus

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, peeled

12 almonds, blanched, see note

1 (2-inch) slice crusty country-style bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon very good quality sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Note: To blanch almonds, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add raw almonds. Let almonds sit in hot water for 45 seconds to 1 minute, but no longer. Drain immediately and briefly run under cold water to stop cooking. Remove peels; they should easily slide off with a pinch.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and discard the bottom few inches from each spear of asparagus, rinse the remainder and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, almonds and bread, and saut, stirring constantly, until all the ingredients are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not allow them to burn. Transfer the almonds, garlic and bread cubes (use a slotted spoon if oil remains in the pan) to a food processor or blender. Add the vinegar and salt and process briefly until the mixture is a coarse meal.

3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, if necessary, and saut the asparagus over medium-low heat until the stalks change color and start to become tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Remove the asparagus and place in an ovenproof gratin dish. Bring a cup of water to a boil and pour it over the asparagus. Then sprinkle the almond-bread mixture over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the asparagus is thoroughly cooked and most of the liquid has boiled away. Serve immediately.

Per serving (based on 6): 183 calories; 12 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5 g protein; 15 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 3 g fiber; 111 mg sodium; 50 mg calcium

Recipe from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon-Jenkins

BAKED FISH WITH CAPERS AND OLIVES

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 pounds boneless fish, especially swordfish, sea bass, haddock, cod, snapper, grouper fillets, halibut steaks or salmon

1 cup very ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 1 cup drained imported canned tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon drained capers, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives, preferably large Italian olives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a teaspoon of oil to coat the inside of a baking dish large enough to hold all the fish in one layer. Place the fish in it.

2. Chop the tomatoes and mix with the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the capers and olives and mix again. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Pile the tomato sauce on top of the fish pieces. Distribute the bread crumbs over the top and drizzle on the remaining 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) oil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and the sauce is very bubbly and browned.

Per serving (based on 6): 199 calories; 5 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 63 mg cholesterol; 28 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 309 mg sodium; 39 mg calcium

Recipe from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Continue reading here:
Mediterranean diet is healthy. But is it Mediterranean? - MyAJC

Swimsuit season is right around the corner! In the new issue of Us Weekly, celeb nutritionists and trainers spill on how to get your best body ever by stealing some secrets from Hollywood. If youre working to have legs as amazing as Carrie Underwood's or abs as toned as Karlie Kloss', check out these diet and fitness tips straight from the pros who train them:

1. Do Some Heavy Lifting

To build her stamina for La La Land, Emma Stone did dead lifts with hefty barbells. Lifting heavier weights is effective because it increases your lean body mass, upping the number of overall calories you burn, explains Joey Gonzalez, CEO at Barrys Bootcamp, where Carrie Underwood trains. He suggests grabbing 12- to 25-pound dumbbells for squats, lunges and triceps extensions.

2. Avoid the Word Lite

Step away from any package boasting that its low-fat, advises Kerry Washingtons L.A. nutritionist Kimberly Snyder: The food has to get replacement flavor from somewhere and its often sodium and sugar. While the salt can cause bloating, adds the New York Times bestselling author, refined sugar encourages your body to hang on to excess weight.

3. Hold Yourself Accountable

Karlie Kloss NYC-based pro Anna Kaiser has her trainees wear Polar Bluetooth heart rate monitors around their chests so they can see how hard theyre actually working, explains the founder of AKT InMotion. Two people could be doing the exact same workout, but burning at completely different levels. In this case, she says, knowledge translates to accountability.

4. Balance Your Plate

Christina El Moussa makes sure each meal contains 50 percent carbs, 30 percent fat and 20 percent protein (her midday salad: kale, quinoa, avocado and veggies). That mix keeps blood sugars stable and keeps you in fat-burning mode, explains her Southern California-based nutritionist Cara Clark. And its the one research has shown is the most satisfying.

5. Vary Sweat Sessions

You dont have to ditch your favorite workout, but try to make it different each time, suggests Lauren Porat, founder of YogaSpark, where Christy Turlington sweats. If youre a runner, add in some sprint intervals, or try Porats preferred exercise. With yoga, she says, theres no shortage of interesting moves and sequences you can do in a 60-minute class.

Pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly on newsstands now to see all 20 diet tips!

Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox!

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Hollywood's Best Diet and Fitness Tips to Steal From the Pros Who Train Carrie Underwood, Karlie Kloss and More! - Us Weekly

Itswell-documentedthat the Duggar clan is big onfood, so it should come as no surprise that theyre prettyadventurous eaters during their travels.

In this unreleased clip from TLCsCounting On, newlyweds Jingerand Jeremy Vuolo take on the local cuisine on their honeymoon in Sydney, Australia.Jeremy loves trying new things and so he definitely helped kind of just get outside of my box and just try the local cuisine, Jinger says.

For an appetizer, the pair chowed down on sometoast with Vegemite spread,a favorite in Australia (and Kate Gosselins household) made from brewers yeast, vegetables and spices.This is an Australian delicacy? a confused Jeremyasks before reaching for the water to wash it down.I dont know what my feelings are.

WATCH:All the Details Inside Jinger Duggars Wedding

After some back and forth with the waiter on what type of pizza to getkangaroo and emu were topping optionsthey ultimately decided on the crocodile pie, which the serverdescribes as tasting like meaty fish. The verdict?That was the best pizza I think Ive ever had, Jinger says.

While the couple was watching what they ate in the lead up to their Arkansas nuptials, there was definitely calorie counting on this trip. I was on a bit of a wedding diet before the wedding for a couple months, Jeremy says, but now youre on your honeymoon so you gotta just enjoy the food and enjoy the places. No more dieting here.

Go here to read the rest:
Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo and Husband Jeremy Broke Their 'Wedding Diet' with Vegemite and Crocodile Pizza - PEOPLE.com

Wichita Eagle

We all know Mediterranean Diet is healthy, but is it Mediterranean? Wichita Eagle The Mediterranean Diet is said to be one of the most healthful in the world. It emphasizes fruit and vegetables while minimizing red meat. It features plenty of fish, along with poultry. It uses oil instead of butter and herbs and spices instead of ... and more »

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We all know Mediterranean Diet is healthy, but is it Mediterranean? - Wichita Eagle

The day opens with stunning spring weather in Los Angeles. We board the shuttle and half an hour later; we're at The London West Hollywood Hotel, located in the old Bel Age Hotel, From the stars on the reviews, it's posh. However, the stucco building isnt much to look at from the outside.

As we approach the entrance, the luxury begins to whisper.

Julee Morrison

The buzzing driveway seemed to fade as we entered the grand foyer. The high ceilings, lovely florals, and glittering mosaic floor bring the elegance to view.

Julee Morrison

We step into the elevator lobby, and I love thelife-size black and white print of a man in a bowler hat carrying a tea-set that adorns the sliding doors of the ground-floorelevator. There are two other elevators with more whimsical embellishments adding to the beauty of this hotel.

It's old Hollywood with modern Hollywood glitz.

Off the elevator and we file into our interview room. It's recognizable by the black sharpie spelling out "Bloggers" on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper hanging on the wall

It's a small room, with a window that has a sweeping view of the Los Angeles skyline. The view seems flamboyant against the muted colors of the room.

One wall is parquet veneer that is a pattern of rectangles forming squares. The colors wash out theroom. An ivory paint with a silver wallpaper printed with a less-silver damask design. In front of the room, a small table covered with ivory linens is the centerpiece. Chairs await our guest.

He enters the room as you'd expect a Star-Lord to enter.

Louise Bishop MomStart.com

The room is a rumble of applause. Chris Pratt, known for his roles in Jurassic Park and Guardians of the Galaxy, has arrived. Star-Lord or not, his presence is known. Standing at 6'2", Pratt welcomes the recognition.

Louise Bishop MomStart.com

Lousie Bishop MomStart.com

Pratt talks about seeing the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for the first time.

His nose scrunches as he speaks. He punctuates with a smile. Then he moves on to discussing his thoughts on his role as Star-Lord and how it transitions from the original to Guardians to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, we hear Peter Quill talk often of finding his biological father. If you've followed the buzz around the #GotGVol2Event, you know that Kurt Russell was cast as Peter Quill's dad, Ego. It might be the most perfect casting in Hollywood. Ever.

Disney-Marvel

Chris Pratt talks about working with Kurt Russell on and off the screen.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 follows the original with quirky characters and hilarious humor. Star-Lord has some of the funniest lines of any superhero. Like Star-Lord, Chris Pratt is hilarious. He shares scenes that made it into the movie that was not written but ad-libbed.

He did tell us one particular joke, but I don't want to spoil it!

Louise Bishop MomStart.com

If you follow Chris Pratt on Instagram, you know that it doesn't get much more authentic. He openly shares who he is when not behind a character in a movie. He's an ordinary guy, living life one day at a time as the rest of us. One of the bloggers asks a question from her children who follow Pratt's Instagram.

He's invited to discuss Peter Quill's favorite snack and then Chris Pratt's favorite.

Disney-Marvel

I remember Chris Pratt from Community. He was a little more chubby. He now has an incredibly fit body. Obviously. It's something he's made fun of in the past.

Unknown

How exactly does Pratt keep the weight off and his physique up?

And here's where we all fall in love with Chris Pratt again.

He understands the weight struggle and gives diet advice:

Louise Bishop MomStart.com

Men's Fitness Magazine

Chris Pratt is very philanthropic. It's one of the things you may notice about him when he's not acting. He was born in Virgina, Minnesota and as a child, his family moved to Northwestern Washington State. He gives back to his community; he visited a Children's Hospital. He has worked with March of Dimes, Malaria No More.He delivers it with a boy-next-door kind of style. He's referred to as the "Russell Wilson of Hollywood."

Chris Pratt received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame last Friday. His wife Anna Faris did live tweets, showing that Chris is a family man. In an interview after interview, he talks about his marriage and being a dad to his son, Jack. How does he balance it all?

Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

"Thanks for asking me that question. Thats a good question. I know Anna gets asked that question all the time, and shes like, How come no one ever asks you that question? I think its not easy.

Its real. A lot of communication. We have help. We have just to plan everything. Everything has to be planned. You manage it by just making sure everyone is doing what they need to be doing. You check in with everyone. I have a staff of people who work for me, and its their jobs to make sure that Im where I need to be.

Louise Bishop MomStart.com

If I did all the administration in my life, Id never have time to do anything. I told my publicist, 'Im like a parcel. I dont even travel; I just get shipped everywhere.'

I just focus on what I can do. I think you dont have to be present to be a presence, and with technology now, Facetime, little tricks, little things like that. Checking in every day, and nurturing your relationship with your spouse, and not making it just about the kids is important.

We were just in London filming, and I hadnt seen my family in a while. They came to visit me, and stay with me for a few weeks. Anna and I took a weekend trip for ourselves to Paris and left Jack behind. As much as we were enjoying ourselves, we were still saying, "Itd be really fun if Jack were here.

It was good for us to be out there by ourselves, and do that. Just prioritize, work on it, make lists, and probably youre going fail; some of the time. Just do your best."

See Chris Pratt as Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in theaters every where May 5th.

Find out more about Julee Morrison on Facebook 2017 Julee Morrison, as first published on Mommys Memorandum

Read the original post:
Guardians Chris Pratt Talks Ego, Diet and Balancing It All - Huffington Post

Just about every morning, Justin Woolverton wakes up to a big bowl of ice cream. Lately it's been oatmeal cookie, but really, any pint in his freezer will do. As the founder of Halo Top Creamery, his obsession makes sense: He's so willing to stand behind the product that he'll eat it on the daily.

What surprised him, though, was when he realized there were people even more hardcore than he is. Namely, an intrepid GQ reporter who decided to take elimination diets to the next level, eating nothing but Halo Top Woolverton's low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein ice cream for 10 days straight. Not long after GQ published the feature, Halo Top's notoriety, and revenue, went through the roof (2016 sales were up a whopping 2,500 percent over 2015, according to Adweek), and it's inspired others to test out eating the lightened-up ice cream themselves, much to their nutritionists' chagrin. Here's what went down:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The Subjects: Yahoo editors Summer, Alex, Mia, and Kelli

Their Tactic: Eat five pints a day, averaging about 1,400 calories per day

What Happened: Only one person didn't cheat during the 72-hour timespan, breaking the diet to eat something other than Halo Top

The Bottom Line: "I have to say that [Halo Top] actually has fairly good quality ingredients, if you're going to go for a light version [of ice cream]," nutritionist Keri Glassman told Yahoo. "Even though some people might lose weight, because it could be a lot less calories than they're consuming normally, it's not a good idea. It's not sustainable, it's not healthy, and the person might even probably feel sick after."

Total Weight Lost: 8 pounds combined (so, about 2 pounds per person)

Get the full scoop on their highs (and popcorn-sneaking lows) here.

The Subject: Spoon University reporter Meredith Davin

Her Tactic: Eat between 1,240 to 1,280 calories of Halo Top, with 120 grams of protein, per day

What Happened: At first, Davin "could hardly contain [her] excitement," she said, but as you might expect, an ice cream-only diet started to wear on her mid-week. In five days, she went through 25 pints of ice cream.

The Bottom Line: Davin doesn't recommend eating only ice cream, instead suggesting a balanced diet and regular exercise. "Even after my experiment, I will undoubtedly eat this low-calorie ice cream again," she wrote.

Total Weight Lost: 1.4 pounds

Get the full scoop on her experience here.

The Subject: GQ journalist Shane Snow (AKA the reporter who started it all, back in January 2016)

His Tactic: Eat five pints a day, aiming for 120 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbohydrates and 60 grams of fat

What Happened: Snow's friend, a ripped fitness trainer, admitted to eating a pint of Halo Top each night, which inspired the writer to embark on what he called a week-and-a-half-long brain freeze. You know, for science.

By Day 5, a coworker compared him to Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant, as he shivered through another pint of ice cream while wearing a wool poncho to stay warm.

The Bottom Line: Snow craved anything savory even cartoon burgers in subway ads and celebrated breaking his diet with the opposite of a cheat meal: spinach and eggs.

Total Weight Lost: 9.9 pounds

Get the full scoop on his journey here.

Follow Delish on Instagram.

Go here to read the rest:
Here's What Really Happens When People Eat Only Ice Cream For Days - Delish.com

My battle with anxiety started in college, with a combination of the pressures of academics, social life, not taking care of my body, and definitely drinking too much.

Because of all this stress, I started having panic attacksin the form of chest pains, heart palpitations, and pain in my chest and arms. I was afraid that these were heart attack symptoms, so I didn't want to ignore them. I'd go to the hospital and spend thousands of dollars on EKGs, just to have doctors tell me there was nothing wrong with my heart. What they didn't tell me was that anxiety was the root of the problem.

And my diet certainly wasn't helping. I was usually skipping breakfast or getting something on the run from my sorority house, like fried hash brownsor bacon, egg, and cheese on bagels on the weekend. Then I'd go to the cafeteria and hit the candy dispensers hard, grabbing huge bags of sour gummies and chocolate-covered pretzels to munch on while studying. For lunch (if you could call it that) I'd dip barbecue chips into almost anything, or have Cool Ranch Doritos from the library vending machine. There was also the typical late-night eating: pizza, subs, margaritas with chips and dip, and yes, Big Macs from the McDonald's drive-through. Even though I was often feeling dehydrated, and eating way too much sugar, I was still happyand having fun.

The fun tapered off a bit when I moved to New York City and started working a stressful corporate job as a paralegal. I was ordering takeout a lot, still drinking, and living an overall unhealthy lifestyle. And although I was starting to think about the idea of health, that manifested in calculating calories in vs. calories out and not really putting anything of nutritional value into my body. I tried to cut carbs and calories any way I could and was also trying to save money, which meant I'd eat cheese quesadillas or flatbreads with low-fat cream cheese as a meal twice a day. What I thought was "healthy" portion control actually made me almost 20 pounds underweightI'd become restrictive without even realizing it.

Due to a combination of my job, my diet, and my surroundings, I became extremely unhappy, and anxiety began to take over my life. Around that time, I stopped going out and stopped wanting to be social. My best friend was worried about me, so she invited me on a trip to escape the city to her mountain house in North Carolina. On our second night there, away from the craziness and distraction of New York City, I had somewhat of a meltdown and finally realized that my diet and coping mechanisms for my anxiety were not working at all for me. I returned to the city and started seeing a nutritionist to gain weight. She opened my eyes to the importance of healthy fats and an array of nutrients from produce, which completely changed my approach to eating. I started to embrace a more whole foodsoriented diet and move away from the downward spiral of calorie counting, and I began cooking my own food. I started venturing out to farmers' markets and health food stores, reading about nutrition, and immersing myself in the health food world.

Very slowly, I noticed that the palpitations started to go away. With the therapeutic nature of working with my hands, and eating these natural, nutritious ingredients, I felt more like myself. I wanted to be social, but in a different waywithout feeling the need to drink. I began to discover the real connection that we have between our bodies and what goes into them.

I decided to veer from my plan since high school of becoming a lawyer and instead forge a new career path that allowed me to immerse myself in my newfound passion for nutrition and cooking. I enrolled in culinary classes at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC and about two days later, I got a call from a friend looking for a marketing manager for a health food brand called Health Warrior. I did a phone interview the next day, landed the job, and began on the path that would eventually lead me to start my own brand.

Two days after graduating from the culinary institute in August 2013 as a Certified Holistic Chef, I moved back to my beloved hometown of Nashville and bought the domain name for LL Balanced, where I shared a compilation of my healthiest, most delicious home cookfriendly recipes. The goal was to not label the site as adhering to any specific "diet"readers can find and easily execute anything from vegan, to gluten-free, to Paleo eats, along with nutritious twists on Southern comfort food. My newest and most exciting step in this wellness journey is The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook (out this May), which will bring my take on food to life and into even more health-forward homes.

Nutrition has changed my life in almost every way. It's the linchpin of my emotional health and the key that allowed me to reconnect with myself and reconnect with other people. Through eating whole, fresh, mostly plant-based food, I've been able to take control of both my physical and mental health. While I'll always be a naturally anxiety-prone person, and it still comes and goes, it was the role of nutrition in my life that allowed me to finally find balance and know my own body. It made me myself again.

Read more here:
How Clean Eating Helped Me Cope with Anxiety - Shape Magazine

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Steering clear of salty foods might not be as helpful for your heart health as previously thought, a new study claims.

Participants in a long-range heart study did not appear to derive any health advantage from a low-salt diet, said lead researcher Lynn Moore.

"People who were on a lower-sodium [salt] diet in general over the next 20 or 30 years actually had no benefit, specifically in terms of their blood pressure or their risk of developing heart disease," said Moore, an associate professor with the Boston University School of Medicine.

On the other hand, these people did enjoy better health when they increased their intake of potassium, a mineral that helps the heart in a couple of ways, Moore and her colleagues found.

"Higher intakes of potassium were strongly associated with both a lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease," Moore said. "The same was true for magnesium."

But before you reach for the shaker, consider that a leading proponent of low-sodium diets, the American Heart Association (AHA), questioned the study's validity and said it would continue to recommend limiting salt intake.

"When there are really well-conducted clinical trials that show a direct and progressive relationship between sodium and blood pressure, I would pause before I did anything based on what's reported in this abstract," said AHA spokeswoman Cheryl Anderson. She's an associate professor of cardiovascular epidemiology with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

The AHA recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams -- about a teaspoon -- of sodium a day, and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 milligrams (mg) daily for most adults.

Moore said her results show that Americans' average sodium intake -- around 3,000 to 3,500 milligrams (mg) a day -- should be healthy, particularly if they also get enough potassium and magnesium.

"There seems to be no real added risk in that range," Moore said. "I think the average American is probably doing OK in terms of sodium, but almost all Americans need to increase their intake of potassium."

Foods rich in potassium include dark leafy greens, potatoes, beans, squash, yogurt, salmon, avocados, mushrooms and bananas.

The new study comes on the heels of another controversial paper published last May. It suggested that restricting dietary salt to less than 3,000 mg a day appeared to increase the risk of heart disease as much as eating more than 7,000 mg a day. The AHA also disputed the earlier study, which appeared in The Lancet.

Moore's findings are based on data from more than 2,600 men and women participating in the Framingham Heart Study, a long-range heart health study of people from Framingham, Mass.

Participants had normal blood pressure at the study's start. But, over the next 16 years, those who consumed less than 2,500 milligrams of sodium a day tended to have higher blood pressure than participants who consumed more sodium, the researchers reported.

The investigators also found that people with higher intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium had lower long-term blood pressure.

But the research team relied on six days of detailed dietary records to estimate people's intake of sodium and other various minerals, which is a relatively unreliable method, Anderson said.

The gold standard for tracking sodium levels is through urine samples taken across multiple days, she said. Food diaries can be inaccurate.

"They may not have captured sodium intake accurately," Anderson said.

The study's positive results regarding potassium have been supported by other studies, Anderson added.

Potassium helps the kidneys flush salt from the body, reducing blood levels of sodium, Moore said.

The mineral also helps relax the blood vessels and make them more flexible, which can help lower blood pressure, Moore and Anderson said.

People who consume a lot of salt -- 5,000 milligrams per day -- should cut back, Moore said.

Also, "for that subset of the population that's sensitive to salt in the diet, a really critical thing is how much they're getting of other minerals, in particular potassium but perhaps magnesium as well," Moore said.

Moore was scheduled to present her findings Tuesday at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting, in Chicago. The results should be considered preliminary until the data is peer-reviewed for publication in a medical journal.

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCES: Lynn Moore, D.Sc., associate professor, Boston University School of Medicine; Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor, cardiovascular epidemiology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine; April 25, 2017, American Society for Nutrition, annual meeting, Chicago

Read the original here:
Is a Low-Salt Diet Always Healthy? - WebMD

Give your diet a Spring-cleaning!

For tips on how to eat lighter and healthier for this warmer weather, I called Phillip and Cru Von Holtzendorff Fehling. This duo recently opened Mama Gaia - a fast-casual restaurant in Crosstown Concourse that offers organic vegetarian fare.

First and foremost, if you eat smarter, you will feel better and be treating your body (and your world) better.

There have been multiple studies around the globe why a vegetarian and vegan diet is more healthy. You reduce your risk significantly of getting cancer, diabetes, and heart disease if you cut down on meat, and ideally even completely reduce it. You feel more healthy and it is also very good for the environment at the same time.

Phillip and Cru also stress the importance of eating organic.

Organic produce is so important because organic produce is more nutritious and it doesnt have all these chemicals like herbicides and pesticides like conventional produce does.

A vegetarian diet doesnt have to be bland it can even be exciting!

Nature is very bountiful so it gives us a lot of herbs and spices and seeds that add lots and lots of flavor to vegetarian dishes.

And it can also be so satisfying that you will never miss the meat!

So at Mama Gaia we use a lot of quinoa in our dishes. Quinoa is very filling and its a super food so it has all the things that you really need and it fills you up quite a bit.

Ill never be able to give up meat 100%, but I plan to make veggies the center of my plate at more meals each week this Spring. Try it too!

This is Jennifer Chandler for The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!

For more information about Mama Gaia, visit http://www.mamagaia.net.

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Lighten your diet for Spring - WKNO FM

'Diet' products can make you fat, study shows Science Daily Researchers found that rats fed a diet high in sugar but low in fat -- meant to imitate many popular diet foods -- increased body fat mass when compared to rats fed a balanced rodent diet. The high-sugar diet induced a host of other problems, including ... and more »

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'Diet' products can make you fat, study shows - Science Daily

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