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NEW YORK (CNN) At 37 years old, Lisa Pessah-Bloom, a mother of three, was pre-diabetic, struggling with losing postpartum pounds and concerned about her health.

"I had gestational diabetes for all three of my pregnancies. After my third, my A1C (blood sugar measurement) kept rising, and the doctor told me for the first time to be careful, because I was on track for diabetes."

Pessah-Bloom knew that she had to shed her pregnancy pounds and get her blood sugar under control. She did a Google search on diets for diabetes and stumbled upon the Paleo diet, which includes protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and nuts, as well as vegetables and fruit, but excludes grains, dairy, legumes, sugars and salt. "People said that their diabetes was reversed," she said.

She started eating more vegetables and unprocessed foods. But while following Paleo helped Pessah-Bloom eat a clean, lean diet, it wasn't enough to get her to her goal. She needed something else a support system of sorts and so she opened an account on Instagram under the handle @paleoworkingmama.

"I started my Paleo page for motivation, really for myself," Pessah-Bloom said. But it wasn't long before she found people with health issues like herself who were also using the photo-driven app. "I started following others who reversed Crohn's and IBS too, which I also had," she said.

"The more I followed people, the more I felt empowered. And then something unexpected happened. After some time, people who followed me told me that I me! empowered them. It was a chain of support," she said. "I got it from others, and I gave it to others. People asked me to come to their house to perform refrigerator cleansing! They are inspired by the pictures I post of the food I make and what I keep in my kitchen, like my spices."

The community support that Instagram provides may be its most valuable asset for those hoping to achieve their health goals.

"The first picture I posted was a mason jar of water with lemons," Pessah-Bloom said. "I had just learned about my high blood sugar, and I wrote, 'Making lemonade out of lemons.' " The post marked the start of Pessah-Bloom's new diet and exercise journey, and in her post, she encouraged others to follow and support her.

"One person posted my post on her page she had over 15,000 followers, and she said, 'Let's give @thepalemoworkingmama our support' and then all of a sudden I had 100 followers. This was someone I didn't even know ... someone who has plenty of her own followers, but she really wanted me to succeed on my journey."

There's also the benefit of being part of a more intimate community. "With Instagram, you can have a separate part of your profile dedicated to food journaling, and you don't have to be worried that your family member or neighbor who just wants to see pictures of your dogs or vacations will be turned off," said Christina Chung, a doctoral student at the University of Washington and lead author of a study that analyzed women who consistently use Instagram to record and share what they eat, in order to learn about the benefits and challenges of using the platform to achieve one's health goals.

"Instagram is just pictures. There are no posts about politics. It's easy to navigate, with no chaos or clutter," Pessah-Bloom added. "If you follow someone, you're following them for a specific reason ... and often someone with a similar goal."

Pessah-Bloom also appreciates the convenience that Instagram provides. "People are so busy, and sometimes you can't go in person to a Weight Watchers meeting. With Instagram, it's in your face. You're seeing it all the time. When I eat something bad ... and I see someone preparing something wonderful, I say, 'Why did I do that?!' It keeps you inspired!"

Food pictures that create cravings for tasty, healthy food help, too. "When you see something so mouthwatering and appetizing, you're more likely to try it, and then you get hooked on eating well," Pessah-Bloom said.

#Paleo almond crusted fudge squares for my beloved who turned 40 today . His dessert request was chocolaty and decadent. I also needed to wallow in some sweets as my two oldest left for sleep-away camp today . Anyhooo...What if I told you this took about 15 minutes to make? And that this is vegan, dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, no bake, no blender and only SEVEN ingredients? Oh, and delicious. In a small bowl add: 1 cup blanched almond flour, 3 tbsp melted coconut oil, 2-3 droplets of organic stevia and 1 tsp vanilla extract (*if this is not "sticking" add some organic maple syrup). Mix together with spoon until mixture begins to stick together. Take loaf pan and with your fingers, spread evenly. This is your "pie crust". Next, in a bowl add: 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/2 cup crushed almond pieces, 3 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp melted coconut oil. Mix together and add on top of pie crust in loaf pan. Finally, in another bowl add: 1/2 cup of organic cacao powder, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil and 1-2 tsp stevia. Mix together to form chocolate sauce. Pour over crust/coconut. Place loaf pan in freezer for about 1/2 hr and serve . Leave uneaten squares in freezer, as it will melt if it's left out (much better when it melts in your mouth ) #dessert #chocolate #birthdaycake #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #soyfree #refinedsugarfree #treats #sweets #eatclean #cleaneating #foodporn #paleoporn #foodie #organic #recipe #feedfeed #nobake #easy #healthy #coconut #birthdayboy

A post shared by Lisa (@paleoworkingmama) on Jun 27, 2017 at 7:02pm PDT

For those who use Instagram to track what they eat, the ease of snapping a picture is particularly helpful during a jam-packed day.

"The benefit of photos is that it's more fun to do than taking out a booklet or typing hundreds of words of description in an app," Chung said. "Plus, it's more socially appropriate for people who are trying to track their diets to snap a photo of their plate when they're out with friends: Everyone's doing it, and it doesn't look weird."

As one of the study participants noted, "if I was out with friends or something, then a quick snapshot of the food would be easier than saying, 'Hold on, guys, I need to pull up MyFitnessPal and put everything down and the right serving size.' "

But just how accurate is Instagram as a tracker for weight loss? Can you really know the portion sizes, fat grams and calorie counts of what you ate or should eat when you swipe through photos?

"When it comes to losing weight, food pics may or may not help," said Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "The food could be great quality, but even an excessive amount of 'good' food will cause weight gain."

If, for example, someone spots a picture of healthy chicken parmigiana as food inspiration for weight loss, it may be difficult to figure out the correct portion size, unless it is listed.

"It's not very accurate if you are looking for tracking information such as detailed nutrients, portion size and calories, since it might be difficult to assess this information from photos," Chung said.

If you're looking for a 200-calorie meal, you might search using the hashtag #200calories and find some options. But in Chung's study, participants used the platform in conjunction with other apps if they were seeking more detailed nutrition data.

Calories aside, for those who use Instagram, the visual cues that the app provides actual pictures of food may be just enough motivation to continue eating on plan, or in some cases to eat less.

"Before (when using MyFitnessPal), I would have a small snack pack that was a bag of chips and be like, 'Oh, that doesn't really count because it's just a little tiny bag.' But I think with Instagram, it helped me because I was taking a picture of it: It's real, and it exists, and it does count towards what I was eating. And then putting a visual image of it up really helped me stay honest," one study participant said.

Tensions between tracking honestly and posting something perceived as more desirable were also observed in the study. That could present a dilemma, leading some to spend time on making photos look better, explained Chung. But the thought of posting something "off-plan" may also help people stay on track, she added.

Over a year later, Pessah-Bloom's cooking skills have improved, and she is no longer pre-diabetic. Her IBS is resolved, and she weighs less than she did at her wedding about 12 years ago. Her husband, a huge Instagram fan, has lost 40 pounds with the help of the app and his wife's cooking, and her kids eat healthier now, too.

Pessah-Bloom says she could not have done it without her online community that evolved from her photo journal.

"I love the people I follow on Instagram. ... They have become my online 'support' group. Everyone inspires each other. I work full-time and have three kids. I couldn't have done any of this without Instagram."

The-CNN-Wire & 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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How the 'Instagram diet' works - KSL.com

K

ISSIMMEE, Fla. Twelve-year-old Cecily Vamminos eyebrows shot up as she closed her lips around the veggie pie. It was a subtle mlange of carrots, potatoes, and zucchini, surrounded by a vaguely sweet crust, and it was not working for her.

Cecilys jaw carefully dispatched the invader while her left hand slid the remaining threat to a place where it could not harm her.

Uh-uh, she said, shaking her head.

Like every other meal Cecily would be sharing with 19 other children and their parents this month, this one was freshly cooked and served by the crack staff of kitchen professionals who were working under strict orders: Give the kids anything they want, as long as its all organic, and free of gluten, dairy, salt, and processed sugar.

It was a grand medical and, in ways, social experiment. The children are all living with a rare kidney disorder called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS, in which their kidneys leak proteins into the bloodstream. The disease strikes 5,000 people in the United States each year, and for a subset of pediatric patients, like most of those here, treatments like steroids and immunosuppresants dont help. They face painful symptoms and, eventually, the prospect of kidney failure.

For decades, FSGS has represented a stubborn medical mystery, but in recent years researchers have unearthed clues that have led them to ask a simple question. In an age when seemingly every ailment is treated with a pill, could a change in diet essentially force this disease into remission and, possibly, save these childrens lives?

It would be huge, said Dr. Leonardo Riella, the black-bearded nephrologist who is leading the research team here. Were hopeful, but we will see.

To get to the answer, though, Riella and his colleagues had to first design a research trial that could control the childrens diet long enough to observe possible effects, in a place where medical and scientific protocols could be followed and, importantly, in an environment that might tempt families to sacrifice a month of their lives in the name of science.

Two ideas came to mind: camp and Disney.

Since it would be difficult to find an established camp in Orlando that could accommodate such dietary restrictions for a large group, Riella and his team at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston created a camp-like environment at a water park resort here.

For every time Cecily and her friends confronted veggie pies (and whipped avocado desserts), there were considerable perks: a romp at the water park, movies in a huge in-home theater, a private performance from former Ringling Bros. acrobats, and trips to Disney.

It was all experienced from the confines of luxurious houses with backyard pools. It was all for free. And it was all in the name of science.

R

iellas clinical trial has its roots in a bit of research conducted in the early 1970s, the results of which were published in the Lancet. That small pilot study suggested that a subset of patients with nephrotic syndrome, a condition related to FSGS, improved while on dairy-restricted diets. Despite multiple similar case reports that followed, most of the field focused on drug treatments instead of dietary changes.

But theres always been chatter about this, said Lauren Lee, director of research and engagement for NephCure Kidney International, a Pennsylvania-based advocacy group for people with FSGS and other protein-leaking kidney disorders. (NephCure helped recruit patients for the trial.)

Then, three years ago, the parents of a 1-year-old girl in Brazil with nephrotic syndrome reached out to Riella. The girls condition had failed to improve with conventional treatments. Her parents had read that modified diets had helped others, and wondered if their daughters disease might be related to food sensitivity. They asked a doctor in Brazil to guide her through a new diet.

Within two weeks, the girls kidneys all but stopped leaking protein, and she effectively went into remission. Her parents were ecstatic, but they also wanted the medical community to better understand the mechanisms of this intervention, in hopes that doctors would embrace it as a treatment.

They were prepared to anonymously fund a research trial, but they wanted it done quickly.

As in this summer.

I thought, No way could we make it happen, said Riella, back in one of the three houses the research team rented for the trial one of which serves as the cafeteria and medical-team headquarters.

Riella, who is associate director of the Brighams kidney transplant program, has published widely on issues related to nephrotic disorders and immune-related topics, and is currently investigating a drug that could increase the success of kidney transplants.

For the Orlando-area study, at least, there would be no need for lengthy Food and Drug Administration approvals because no drug was involved. But he still needed to design the protocol, have it approved by his hospitals review board, and set up the operation 1,300 miles away from his office.

And then there was the small matter of recruiting 20 families to participate.

We thought, could we make a fun environment for them?

Aside from attracting families who would appreciate weekly theme park visits and almost-daily water park trips, Riella suspected the camp-like environment would appeal to a group of people who rarely meet others with their condition. It would also provide an environment for educational programming, like health lectures, cooking classes, and shopping tips, to help them eat a more kidney-friendly diet.

The parents of the girl in Brazil agreed to foot the bill (while insisting on anonymity). The next step was to find participants.

The medical team reached out to colleagues worldwide and attracted families from Belgium, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and the U.S. While locking down commitments from 20 families, they designed a testing protocol that would enable them to ship samples overnight to their Boston lab for analysis.

The participants will be encouraged to revert to their normal diets when theyre home, and theyll be tested again one month later to compare results.

Other researchers are watching the trial with interest. There is no doubt that the scientific question is important and the evaluation of the diet and its impact in a strictly controlled setting is ideal, said Dr. Bradley Warady, a research physician who treats pediatric nephrology patients at Childrens Mercy Kansas City. Whether or not a one-month evaluation is sufficient remains to be seen.

T

aylor Faulkner, 21, slumped on a lounge chair at the poolside on a muggy Wednesday afternoon. I think were all a little tired still from Monday, she said.

Monday was the groups second theme park side trip, and the kids didnt get to bed until nearly midnight. Children with FSGS often tire easily, and the group was still adjusting to their new diet, as well as new beds, noisy homes, and 8 a.m. breakfasts.

Faulker, who is a musical-theater major at Northwest Florida State College, is the oldest participant by several years, and is the de facto big sister of the crew. Children gravitate toward her and she indulges them with applause, bright smiles, and laughter. She wears her hair in broad curls and a Despicable Me bandage over the spot on her arm where her blood was drawn.

Faulkner was 18 when she first noticed strange swelling in her ankles and a metallic taste in her mouth. The swelling is a telltale sign of nephrotic syndrome; swollen faces appear in the morning, and then, after a day of walking or sitting, the fluid settles in the ankles.

Often patients need hospitalization and a cocktail of drugs that draws fluid from the body, while replacing the lost protein. Patients also frequently need drugs to reduce the high blood pressure that accompanies the condition usually steroids, which are commonly prescribed to limit protein leaking.

The side effects from the medications, Faulkner says, are worse than the symptoms from the disease. Her current treatment, tacrolimus, is usually prescribed to people who undergo organ transplants, and it suppresses the immune system so she cant be around people who are ill.

Like most others in this study, such medications can generally control her symptoms, but because they dont control the underlying disease, her kidneys will eventually scar, putting her on course for dialysis or a transplant.

Thats something I worry about, a bit, she said.

But she and others in the group had heard that a couple of the kids had had their urine tested for protein leakage by their private doctors, and the diet seemed to be having an effect already.

We know somethings working, she said. She listed five different medications shes currently taking, and mused about the prospect of one day trashing them. That would be insane.

O

n the morning before exam day, Jodie Urias and four other veteran circus performers led the campers through 15-minute workshops in circus arts, including juggling, hula hooping, and tumbling.

True to day-camp form, most of the kids resisted switching from their favorite activities, but were quickly wrangled by the circus specialists, who played the part of sweetly stern camp counselors.

After an evening of movies and cellphone scrolling, they rested for the next mornings medical regimen. The children delivered urine and frozen stool samples to the medical team, stood for pictures (to track swelling), then underwent exams by Riella and had their blood drawn.

Some of the smaller children in particular clung to their mothers and wailed in fear of the phlebotomist, but most have endured so many needles that they barely flinched when the moment came. Cecily, for one, said shed been stuck with needles plenty in her life.

Despite some occasional struggles with the food, she said the camp experience has been positive mostly because she made friends after about five minutes.

Her mother, Dena, has been trying to continue her job duties as a software consultant while accompanying Cecily. She said Cecily has been lucky with her disease, in that her outward symptoms have been all-but-invisible, though her kidneys are as burdened as many others.

Indeed, one of the benefits of the trial, Dena said, was that Cecily can better understand the implications of the disease. It really hits home here, she said. And Ive learned so much, too, from the workshops and just getting to know everyone else.

Visiting Disney with severe dietary restrictions, though, can be tricky.

You see other kids walking by with the Mickey Mouse ice cream, and our kids are like following them, hoping a piece breaks off so they can eat it, Dena said, laughing. So yeah, it can be tough in the parks. I wont lie.

Senior Writer, Patients

Bob Tedeschi covers the patient experience for STAT, while also focusing on end-of-life issues. He previously covered technology, business, personal finance and a range of other topics for The New York Times.

Read more:
Drug treatments didn't work. Can a simple diet help change these children's lives? - STAT

There was once a time when low-fat cookies, chips, and peanut butter were considered healthy choices. Oh, how times have changed!

Ever since studies began surfacing showing that low-carb, high-fat diets can be more effective for weight loss than low-fat plans, more and more health-conscious folks have fully embraced fat. Sales ofwhole-fat milkand yogurt have soared in recent years, and most nutritionists now tell their clients to incorporate fatty foods like fish, avocado, and olive oil into their diets. The reemergence of all this creamy goodness has led to a century-old diet making a major comeback: theketogenic diet. Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Mick Jagger are both rumored to have taken the plan for a test drive.

(Got 10 minutes? Then you've got time to lose the weight for good withPrevention's new 10-minute workouts and 10-minute meals. GetFit in 10: Slim and Strong for Lifenow!)

Those following the keto diet plan eat alotof fat and just a few carbohydrates. More specifically, 80% of the diet is comprised of fat, 15% is protein, and a mere 5% of calories come from carbohydrates. For someone on a 1,500-calorie diet, that translates to 19 grams of carbohydrates per day, which is less than what you find in a cup of green peas. (For some context, most peoples diets contain 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 15% protein.) The idea is that if you deplete yourself of carbohydrates, the brains preferred fuel source, your body will start breaking down fat for energy. When this occurs, the body goes into a state of ketosis.

But does this really fuel weight loss or make us healthier? According to oneSpanish studyof 20 obese adults, the answer is yes. For the study, participants were put on a low-calorie keto diet and lost an average of 40 pounds over four months. Another small experiment had a similar outcome. In a six-monthExperimental & Clinical Cardiologystudy of 83 obese adults, those on the keto diet lost an average of 33 pounds, while lowering their bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and increasing their good (HDL) cholesterol.

MORE:Exactly What One Woman Ate To Get Off Her Cholesterol Meds

But not all studies on the keto diet are as promising. OneAmerican Society for Clinical Nutritionstudyof 20 participants found that those on the diet didnt lose more weight than those on a non-keto diet. But they did have fouler moods and higher levels of inflammation, which has been linked to a variety of conditions, including heart disease and cancer.

(Discover the ONE simple, natural solution that can help you reverse chronic inflammation and heal more than 45 diseases. TryThe Whole Body Curetoday!)

Since research on the keto diet is fairly limited and inconclusive, its important to educate yourself about the potential risks before trying it. Here, five things you should know before going keto:

View original post here:
Celebs Over 40 Are Obsessed With The Keto Diet. Here's Everything You Need To Know Before Trying It. - Prevention.com

At 37 years old, Lisa Pessah-Bloom, a mother of three, was pre-diabetic, struggling with losing postpartum pounds and concerned about her health.

I had gestational diabetes for all three of my pregnancies. After my third, my A1C (blood sugar measurement) kept rising, and the doctor told me for the first time to be careful, because I was on track for diabetes.

Pessah-Bloom knew that she had to shed her pregnancy pounds and get her blood sugar under control. She did a Google search on diets for diabetes and stumbled upon the Paleo diet, which includes protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs and nuts, as well as vegetables and fruit, but excludes grains, dairy, legumes, sugars and salt. People said that their diabetes was reversed, she said.

She started eating more vegetables and unprocessed foods. But while following Paleo helped Pessah-Bloom eat a clean, lean diet, it wasnt enough to get her to her goal. She needed something else a support system of sorts and so she opened an account on Instagram under the handle @paleoworkingmama.

I started my Paleo page for motivation, really for myself, Pessah-Bloom said. But it wasnt long before she found people with health issues like herself who were also using the photo-driven app. I started following others who reversed Crohns and IBS too, which I also had, she said.

The more I followed people, the more I felt empowered. And then something unexpected happened. After some time, people who followed me told me that I me! empowered them. It was a chain of support, she said. I got it from others, and I gave it to others. People asked me to come to their house to perform refrigerator cleansing! They are inspired by the pictures I post of the food I make and what I keep in my kitchen, like my spices.

The community support that Instagram provides may be its most valuable asset for those hoping to achieve their health goals.

The first picture I posted was a mason jar of water with lemons, Pessah-Bloom said. I had just learned about my high blood sugar, and I wrote, Making lemonade out of lemons. The post marked the start of Pessah-Blooms new diet and exercise journey, and in her post, she encouraged others to follow and support her.

One person posted my post on her page she had over 15,000 followers, and she said, Lets give @thepalemoworkingmama our support and then all of a sudden I had 100 followers. This was someone I didnt even know someone who has plenty of her own followers, but she really wanted me to succeed on my journey.

Theres also the benefit of being part of a more intimate community. With Instagram, you can have a separate part of your profile dedicated to food journaling, and you dont have to be worried that your family member or neighbor who just wants to see pictures of your dogs or vacations will be turned off, said Christina Chung, a doctoral student at the University of Washington and lead author of a study that analyzed women who consistently use Instagram to record and share what they eat, in order to learn about the benefits and challenges of using the platform to achieve ones health goals.

Instagram is just pictures. There are no posts about politics. Its easy to navigate, with no chaos or clutter, Pessah-Bloom added. If you follow someone, youre following them for a specific reason and often someone with a similar goal.

Pessah-Bloom also appreciates the convenience that Instagram provides. People are so busy, and sometimes you cant go in person to a Weight Watchers meeting. With Instagram, its in your face. Youre seeing it all the time. When I eat something bad and I see someone preparing something wonderful, I say, Why did I do that?! It keeps you inspired!

Food pictures that create cravings for tasty, healthy food help, too. When you see something so mouthwatering and appetizing, youre more likely to try it, and then you get hooked on eating well, Pessah-Bloom said.

For those who use Instagram to track what they eat, the ease of snapping a picture is particularly helpful during a jam-packed day.

The benefit of photos is that its more fun to do than taking out a booklet or typing hundreds of words of description in an app, Chung said. Plus, its more socially appropriate for people who are trying to track their diets to snap a photo of their plate when theyre out with friends: Everyones doing it, and it doesnt look weird.

As one of the study participants noted, if I was out with friends or something, then a quick snapshot of the food would be easier than saying, Hold on, guys, I need to pull up MyFitnessPal and put everything down and the right serving size.

But just how accurate is Instagram as a tracker for weight loss? Can you really know the portion sizes, fat grams and calorie counts of what you ate or should eat when you swipe through photos?

When it comes to losing weight, food pics may or may not help, said Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The food could be great quality, but even an excessive amount of good food will cause weight gain.

If, for example, someone spots a picture of healthy chicken parmigiana as food inspiration for weight loss, it may be difficult to figure out the correct portion size, unless it is listed.

Its not very accurate if you are looking for tracking information such as detailed nutrients, portion size and calories, since it might be difficult to assess this information from photos, Chung said.

If youre looking for a 200-calorie meal, you might search using the hashtag #200calories and find some options. But in Chungs study, participants used the platform in conjunction with other apps if they were seeking more detailed nutrition data.

Calories aside, for those who use Instagram, the visual cues that the app provides actual pictures of food may be just enough motivation to continue eating on plan, or in some cases to eat less.

Before (when using MyFitnessPal), I would have a small snack pack that was a bag of chips and be like, Oh, that doesnt really count because its just a little tiny bag. But I think with Instagram, it helped me because I was taking a picture of it: Its real, and it exists, and it does count towards what I was eating. And then putting a visual image of it up really helped me stay honest, one study participant said.

Tensions between tracking honestly and posting something perceived as more desirable were also observed in the study. That could present a dilemma, leading some to spend time on making photos look better, explained Chung. But the thought of posting something off-plan may also help people stay on track, she added.

Over a year later, Pessah-Blooms cooking skills have improved, and she is no longer pre-diabetic. Her IBS is resolved, and she weighs less than she did at her wedding about 12 years ago. Her husband, a huge Instagram fan, has lost 40 pounds with the help of the app and his wifes cooking, and her kids eat healthier now, too.

Pessah-Bloom says she could not have done it without her online community that evolved from her photo journal.

I love the people I follow on Instagram. They have become my online support group. Everyone inspires each other. I work full-time and have three kids. I couldnt have done any of this without Instagram.

Read the original:
How the 'Instagram diet' works - fox2now.com

A woman has revealed how she managed to shed four and a half stone without dieting or going to the gym.

At 16 stone, single mother-of-two Tiffanys weight had spiralled so out of control that she persistently felt uncomfortable, miserable and even depressed, Popsugar reports.

Now, she has dramatically transformed her life by dropping to a toned 11 and a half stone, and becoming a successful social media personality.

But perhaps the most surprising part of her success is that she managed to do it all without fad diets or frittering away her cash on a gym membership.

Instead, the young mum says that it was all down to completely cutting out unhealthy food, eliminating dairy and working out from home.

I decided to 100 per cent commit to being done with 'junk food.' No more candy bars, sodas, or other things alike. I went dairy-free and gluten-free, she said.

I felt better than I have ever felt in my life. No out-of-control cravings or anything. Just content.

Her diet now consists of a large protein shake for breakfast, lean meat and veg for lunch, and a large chicken salad for dinner.

She also snacks on apples, peanut butter and carrots.

In addition, Tiffany regularly worked out at home, and while she admits she had to pause a lot in the beginning, her fitness levels gradually improved.

As well as living a healthier lifestyle, she has also enjoyed being able to buy clothes that she likes and not ones that just fit as she has plummeted from a 2XL to a size small.

Sharing her journey on Instagram, Tiffany is open and honest about her weight loss story and says that the support of her online fit family is what keeps her motivated.

People message me every single day and tell me that I'm their motivation. That they're on their weight-loss journey because I made them believe they could reach their goals.

I am setting an example for so many people, and it gives me purpose. I can't let them down. I want everyone to achieve the change of life I have been so blessed to be able to achieve.

Tiffanys advice for those about to embark on their on weight-loss journey is to not diet, eat healthily and exercise. And, while starvation diets or pills might be tempting, she insists that "solving the real problem will give you the real and permanent solution".

When you lose weight the right way, it comes off slower. Learn to be OK with that and love the process! It's a journey, not a destination.

See original here:
Woman loses four and a half stone without dieting or going to the gym - The Independent

Crews will begin restoring two traffic lanes and removing street parking on Vista del Mar starting Aug. 21, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

Work on a 1.5-mile stretch of the beachfront thoroughfare north of Imperial Highway is expected to take two to three weeks to complete and will include temporary lane closures.

Crews will make every effort to minimize construction-related delays, but at times lanes will need to be closed temporarily to accommodate implementation, the agency said in a statement. Occasional full street closures will occur during night hours only.

LADOT advised drivers to plan ahead and use alternate routes, including Imperial Highway and Westchester Parkway to travel east and west, and Pershing Drive, Lincoln Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard and the 405 Freeway to go north and south.

Officials also warned that a separate Bureau of Engineering construction project may intermittently restrict southbound traffic to one lane daily before 3 p.m.

Lower parking fees

Parking will be available in lots along Dockweiler State Beach and fees will come down in the near future.

Although the details havent been finalized, preliminary figures would lower the all-day parking rate at the Imperial Highway lot to $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends for the first 300 visitors, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

RELATED:LA City Councilman 'truly sorry' for closing traffic lanes on Vista Del Mar

The current summer parking rate is $8 on weekdays and $13 on weekends.

The department should know late next week when exactly the lower fees will take effect, said public information officer Nicole Mooradian.

The restriping comes after two months of public outcry and litigation over a road diet that was suddenly implemented along Vista del Mar just before Memorial Day weekend to prevent pedestrian deaths, like one that cost the city a $9.5 million settlement in April.

The road was reduced to one lane in each direction and parking was reconfigured into 400 angled spaces on the west side of the street.

The changes, which coincided with similar reductions on other major streets in Playa del Rey, resulted in gridlock and uproar from commuters. South Bay city leaders began discussing legal action and a group of condo owners filed its own lawsuit in July. A grass-roots opposition group, Keep L.A. Moving, gathered thousands of online petition signatures and started crowdfunding for its own lawsuit. The backlash even launched an effort to recall Westside Councilman Mike Bonin.

Next steps

In a video posted July 26, one day before Manhattan Beach was to consider pulling the trigger on a lawsuit, Bonin acknowledged most people outright hated the changes and he apologized for the traffic headaches. He then announced Vista del Mar would be restored to four lanes.

He also announced traffic signal improvements and the formation of a task force to address the road diets on Culver, Jefferson Boulevard and Pershing.

County Supervisor Janice Hahn was credited with making the Vista del Mar lane restorations possible by arranging to make more affordable parking available in the county-run beach lot to satisfy the California Coastal Commission.

RELATED: Manhattan Beach mulls legal action of Vista del Mar lane closures

Keep L.A. Moving leader Karla Mendelson said her group is almost ready to file its lawsuit.

Bonins office is set to share details soon about the Playa del Rey Road Safety Task Forces next steps.

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Work to restore Vista del Mar traffic lanes to begin soon - Beach Reporter

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By SARA ARTHURSStaff WriterGo online even briefly and you may come across the claims: This superfood will cure all diseases! Eat THIS and lose 10 pounds overnight! And so on.Dietitians have heard it all.And they'd like to politely encourage you to seek out truth rather than myth."There's a lot of misinformation out there," said Martha Gonzalez, clinical nutrition manager at Blanchard Valley Health System.How often do people misunderstand the facts about nutrition?"It's all the time," she said.Gonzalez said people now pick up information from Facebook and elsewhere on the internet.She pointed out anyone can claim to be a "nutritionist." A dietitian, by contrast, is licensed by the state after going through specific training.And the years in school studying nutrition include "a lot of science classes," said Rachel Snyder, a registered dietitian at the health system.There's no "bad food" or "good food," Gonzalez said. Instead, both she and Snyder stressed the importance of variety.Snyder has noticed that people believe "this new hot trend" or fad diet will solve everything. Someone reads about a "superfood" -- say, kale, or apple cider vinegar -- and becomes convinced it will solve all their dietary problems.She said a "superfood" is characterized as one that is very healthy and high in antioxidants, which protect against free radicals that can damage cells, causing disease. But Snyder said this is often reported as a cure-all: "Let's put kale in every single thing."Not that Snyder is not a fan of kale. "Kale is great," she said. Just be sure to incorporate it into your diet with a lot of other foods, too. Good nutrition involves looking at your diet as a whole: "One food does not cure all," Snyder said.What you eat does, of course, make a huge difference in your health.When dealing with a health issue, one of the first approaches should be changes to your diet, such as eating more fruits and vegetables if you have Type 2 diabetes, Gonzalez said. Some people with diabetes can discontinue medications after changing their diet, she said.It starts with more fruit and vegetable consumption, Gonzalez said. Eat fresh vegetables, and cook or grill them yourself, rather than eating TV dinners. And be sure to watch fat and processed food, she said.Plenty of nutritional subjects elicit strong opinions, but one of the biggest is carbs. They're bad, right? Everyone knows that.It's not that simple, Snyder said. Carbs are actually the main source of energy for your body.Dessert is full of carbs. But you also find them in fruits and vegetables, grain products like pasta and bread, and dairy -- all of which are part of a balanced diet, Snyder said.So, when people say they are "cutting out all carbs," she asks what they mean -- are they just cutting out dessert, or are they also cutting out fruits, vegetables and whole grains?Snyder said it would be valuable to make at least half of your grain consumption whole grains. You could use whole-grain spaghetti instead of white flour, but you do not need to cut all pasta out of your diet, she said.Gonzalez said protein is usually associated with meats including fish and poultry. But you can also get protein from beans, lentils and nuts, and these nonanimal sources of protein can help those who want to watch their cholesterol, she said. Eggs and milk are also good sources of protein.So, yes, vegetarian and vegan diets can include plenty of protein.One source of vegetarian protein is soy. Snyder works with cancer patients, and said those with breast cancer worry that soy may be dangerous to their health. However, research has indicated that soy is actually protective, she said. But she said tofu and soy milk are preferable to soy that has been very heavily processed. Soy is high in a chemical called "phytoestrogen," and that name scares people because they worry too much estrogen can cause health problems. In fact, this is a different type of chemical than human estrogen hormones, Snyder said.And, she said, there are "so many positive benefits" to soy.Another thing "everyone knows" is that raw vegetables are superior to cooked, as cooking removes all the vitamins.But once again, it's not so simple. It depends on what you're cooking and how you're cooking it. If you boil green beans, the nutrients will indeed leach into the water, leaving fewer nutrients in the cooked beans. But you actually get more lycopene out of cooked and canned tomatoes than raw ones.Snyder said eating cooked green beans or raw tomatoes one day is fine. Again, you're striving for variety. The biggest thing is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, whether raw or cooked.What about coffee? Is it OK?"Well, I drink coffee," Snyder said. Gonzalez does, too.The women agreed that it depends. If you consume lots and lots of caffeinated beverages, "we may get irritable," Snyder said.She said research has shown that coffee is protective against Alzheimer's disease. Pay attention to how much you consume, though, and how late in the day.Snyder noted that with a beverage like diet soda, the more you drink it, the less water you're drinking. The same is true of coffee.With beverages, in general, pay attention to excess sugar. Snyder said excessive sugar can lead to weight gain and a variety of chronic diseases.And there's no scientific evidence that "detox" diets work, Gonzalez said."Our body detoxifies naturally," with the liver, kidneys and lymphatic system excreting toxins.Snyder said if you fuel your body with the right types of foods it will help the organs detoxify -- you don't need to do a detox cleanse. Again, eat fruits and vegetables instead.A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds in a week is considered safe, Snyder said. If you're scrolling Facebook and you see a post that says you can lose 20 pounds in a week, consider it a "red flag.""Just don't even click on it," Snyder said.Gonzalez said diet and exercise need to go together."You can't do one without the other," she said.Strive for exercise that raises your heart rate, such as a brisk walk. And eat fruits and vegetables, lean meat and other sources of protein.But you can have treats, as long as they're in moderation. After all, we live very, very close to Dietsch's. Just don't eat it every single day."There's some calcium in ice cream," Gonzalez said. "There's vitamin D."Gonzalez hears from people who say if they "just don't eat," they won't gain weight. This is a myth, she said.We need food for so many things, including energy. Your sleep is affected by your eating and vice versa, so you need to keep eating to have a healthy metabolism, she said.But, Gonzalez said, it may be more beneficial to eat five to six small meals a day, rather than three large ones. If you eat breakfast and skip lunch, you will be starving by dinner, she said.The general rule is that women should not eat fewer than 1,200 calories and men should not eat fewer than 1,500. So if you're following a diet that only calls for 800 calories, "maybe rethink things," Snyder advised.She said calories indicate the amount of energy. Carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram.How many calories you need depends on your height and weight. And the more active you are, the more calories you need, Snyder said.Then there's the "five-second rule," the belief that if you drop food on the floor it's safe to eat if you pick it up within 5 seconds. Not true, Gonzalez said.If you feel like you're not well informed about nutrition, there are plenty of resources that can help you.Don't be afraid to reach out for help, Snyder said. You can ask your doctor to make a referral to an outpatient dietitian, who will work with you to establish and work toward goals.And there are good, reputable sources online. Snyder and Gonzalez recommended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' eatright.org, the USDA's MyPlate and the American Heart Association. Snyder said parents can use MyPlate as a reference to teach their children about nutrition.Gonzalez said there are also apps like My Fitness Pal, which can be "very handy." They have their limits, but can help you get started, she said.Gonzalez has been in the field for more than 20 years and said, in that time, the internet has had both positive and negative effects. People are interested in learning and, though there is a lot of misinformation out there, there is good information out there, too.Online: http://www.bvhealthsystem.org/ http://www.eatright.org/ https://www.cdc.gov/ https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/ Arthurs: 419-427-8494 Send an E-mail to Sara Arthurs Twitter: @swarthurs

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WITH AUDIO: Myth busters: Dietitians set the record straight, from superfoods to the 5-second rule - The Courier

Extra vitamin B3 in prenatal vitamins might prevent some birth defects.

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By Gretchen VogelAug. 9, 2017 , 5:00 PM

An extra dose of vitamin B3 might help prevent certain kinds of complex birth defects, according to a new study. The vitamin can help compensate for defects in the bodys ability to make a molecule, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which researchers have linked for the first time to healthy fetal development in humans. The find raises the possibility that boosting levels of B3 in pregnant womens diets might help lower overall rates of birth defects.

The story started with a search for genes that can cause heart defects. Sally Dunwoodie, a developmental geneticist at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, and her colleagues study the genes that influence heart development, and for years doctors have connected them with families of children born with heart problems so that the team could try to pinpoint any responsible genes. In 2005, Dunwoodies team dealt with a particularly severe case: a baby who had major defects in the heart, backbone, and ribsthe rib problems were so severe that the childs lungs couldnt fully inflate. The team found that the family carried a mutation in a gene related to the production of NAD, a molecule crucial for energy storage and DNA synthesis in cells. Both parents carried a mutation in one of their copies of the gene, and the affected baby had inherited two defective copies.

No one had reported any role for NAD in heart or bone development, Dunwoodie says. We didnt know what to do with it.

In 2012, however, the team found a related mutation in a family whose baby had a similar combination of defects. This time the mutant gene was involved in the next step in the reaction that makes NAD. That was our Eureka moment, Dunwoodie says. She and her colleagues eventually found that two more families who had children with similar birth defects had mutations in the same two genes. They describe the mutations from the four families today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

To confirm the role of the mutations in organ and bone development, the researchers knocked out the twogenes in mice to see whether similar birth defects appeared. At first all the pups were normal. But then the researchers realized that standard mouse chow is rich in niacin and that cells can use either niacin or nicotinamideboth known together as vitamin B3to make NAD by an alternate pathway.

So the scientists fed pregnant mutant mice a diet without it. Many pups died in utero, and those that survived had defects that closely resembled those seen in the four families affected children. Giving the mutant pregnant mice low doses of niacin led to pups with less severe defects, and a niacin-rich diet allowed the mutantmice to give birth to healthy litters. The work suggests that B3 supplements might help families with mutations in NAD-related genes, by preventing birth defects or perhaps even by treating already affected children.

Of course,more human studies are needed before doctors could recommend B3 supplements for pregnant women, says Matthew Vander Heiden, who studies the role of NAD in cancer biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. But the work opens a potentially exciting new area of research for developmental biologists: Trying to understand how cell metabolism affects development. Few people would have guessed that NAD deficiency causes birth defects, he says, but it fits in with what weve been finding about how NAD can influence cell growth.

The researchers arent sure exactly how NAD levels affect development, because the molecule plays a key role in so many different cell functions. It might be that cells without enough NAD dont have enough energy to keep up with the fast pace of cell growth and division that development requires. The molecule also helps cells respond to certain kinds of stress. But both Dunwoodie and Vander Heiden suspect the role NAD plays in DNA synthesis and repair might be especially important. They note that patients with Fanconi anemia, a disease in which DNA breaks easily, often have birth defects similar to those seen in the families in the study.

Dunwoodie says she has counted at least 95 genes that are involved in NAD levels in the body. Its possible that mutations in any of those could leave a developing fetus vulnerable to birth defects, even if neither parent has any obvious symptoms. Extra vitamin B3 in a mothers diet might help compensate for any of the faulty genes, she says.

Physicians already recommend that women consume specific amounts of folic acid, or vitamin B9, to prevent spinal cord defects, but the new work is not enough to offer a similar proposal for B3. Researchers need to learn more about how pregnancy influences NAD levels in general, and what a healthy level is, Vander Heiden says. Its possible that the extra B3 in standard prenatal vitamins is already helpful. Too much niacin can cause dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea, but low doses dont have any known side effects. Theres little downside to adding a bit of niacin to peoples diets, he says. If it could prevent even a few severe birth defects, its a pretty exciting possibility.

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Vitamin B3 could help prevent birth defects - Science Magazine

Photo: Peggy Greb, U.S. Department of Agriculture [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.When you think of major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture might not immediately come to mind. However, food production contributes about a quarter of all emissions, a magnitude comparable with other major sectors like energy production and transportation. Food production is also responsible for about 70% of fresh water use and takes up more than one-third of all potentially cultivatable land.

Thus, changes in diet can potentially have big effects on the environment. But scientists are just beginning to quantify these impacts and identify the dietary changes necessary to achieve them.

I think if we want to reduce our environmental footprint, we definitely need to pay attention to our diets, says Lukasz Aleksandrowicz, a PhD candidate at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Aleksandrowicz and his colleagues systematically reviewed scientific studies measuring the environmental impacts of shifting from a typical Western diet to a variety of proposed sustainable diets. These included vegetarian diets, vegan diets, and Mediterranean diets, as well as more fine-tuned changes, such as replacing beef with chicken or reducing the total number of calories consumed.

The review showed that sustainable diets could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land use by as much as 70% and reduce water use by 50%. Most of the scenarios achieved smaller environmental footprints by replacing animal-based foods, especially beef, with plant-based foods.

Photo: Jon Sullivan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.Although consuming less meat had a positive environmental impact in most of the studies reviewed, there may be some trade-offs. For instance, diets that might be favorable in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions might have more detrimental effects on other environmental indicators like water use. Aleksandrowicz says that more research needs to be done to identify the environmental impacts of specific food items.

Another complication is that most of the available studies focus exclusively on Europe and the U.S. The results may not make sense for low-income countries or in populations that rely economically on herding cattle or other livestock.

Aleksandrowicz says that although more work is needed to evaluate the impacts of shifting to sustainable diets, the major action we can take to reduce environmental impacts from agriculture is decreasing our meat consumption.

Its important to put the environmental impacts of agriculture on peoples radar, he says. I hope this kind of research helps people understand that the food choices they make have an impact on the environment, and that they can make more sustainable choices.

Reference:

Aleksandrowicz, L., Green, R., Joy, E. J. M., Smith, P., and Haines, A. (2016). The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review. PLOS One 11(11): e0165797. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165797.

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To Decrease Your Environmental Footprint, Eat Less Meat - PLoS Blogs (blog)

ONTARIO, Calif., Aug. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For those looking to quickly, safely lose weight and improve their health markets, Body & Mind Medical Weight Loss Center (http://www.bodyandmindontario.com/) offers the KE Diet as part of its innovative Jump Start to Health program. This medically supervised intervention has already helped patients achieve tremendous results; more information about the program is available by calling 844-695-4331.

"Burning fat is key to losing weight and reversing lifestyle diseases like hypertension and type 2 diabetes," says Dr. Tanya Scurry, founder and medical director of Body & Mind Medical Weight Loss Center, "and the KE Diet has proven to be the best and safest way to turbocharge the fat-burning process. That's why it's an important element of our Jump Start to Health program. At Body & Mind Medical Weight Loss Center, we're helping people embrace a better way of life."

The KE Diet is administered during the first 10 days of the Jump Start to Health program. Patients receive a complete education on the diet during their intake and throughout the program. Under local anesthesia, a small naso-gastric tube is inserted to continuously deliver a specially formulated feeding solution rich in protein and fat. An obesity medicine physician closely monitors the patient throughout the diet, with no less than three follow-up appointments. Lab tests before and during the KE Diet ensure patient safety by checking electrolyte levels, ketones and other important markers.

Originally developed in Italy, the KE Diet has helped hundreds of thousands of people lose significant amounts of weight in a short time. At Body & Mind Medical Weight Loss Center, a 56-year-old male with hypertension, high cholesterol and an increased amount of abdominal fat shed 22 pounds in only ten days.

The KE Diet works by forcing the body to burn fat rather than carbohydrates for energy. The feeding solution has zero carbs, which acts as a "hard reset" for the body. While carbs are an important part of a balanced diet, the standard American diet of today suffers from an excess of this macronutrient. Simple, highly palatable carbs are especially a problem. Many preventable health issues are a direct result of excess fat and obesity caused by carb-rich diets. The 12-week Jump Start to Health program offers the tools and resources to learn healthier food choices and eating habits.

To qualify for the KE Diet, patients must have a body mass index (BMI) over 30, or over 27 with a medical condition related to obesity sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc. Patients of normal weight but high body fat percentages (over 25 percent for men, 32 percent for women) may also participate.

Once the KE Diet portion of the Jump Start to Health program concludes, patients work with a registered dietitian to develop a personalized meal plan to sustain their progress and set them on a path for a lifetime of better health. Patients also receive a personal fitness assessment by a personal trainer. The goal, according to Dr. Scurry, is to be successful in fat loss, not just weight loss.

About Body & Mind Medical Weight Loss Center

Under the leadership of Dr. Tanya Scurry, the goal of Body & Mind Weight Loss Center is to provide a helping hand to those struggling with obesity, to provide an ear to listen to their pain, to lift them up in encouragement and support, and to provide a safe place for them to heal.

Contact:

Dr. Tanya Scurry909-443-5191rel="nofollow">165841@email4pr.com

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