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This week Im going to start a several-part series on questions I commonly hear regarding weight management, a topic that is extremely important to me and is emphasized in my medical practice. Very low calorie diets (also called VLCDs) are diets that involve restricting your calories to less than 800 kilocalories per day. As part of the diet, the individual must incorporate a significant amount of high-quality protein into their diet to keep their muscles from shrinking and to preserve normal body functions. These diets do work. Men can expect to lose about 5 pounds per week, while women can expect weight loss of 3-3.5 pounds per week if they are faithful to the diet. While theoretically somebody can plan to make home-cooked meals and keep them under 800 calories, most people combine meal planning with meal replacement protein bars and shakes. In my own clinic, where we offer a Weight Management Program, this is one of the diet choices that patients can use to meet their weight loss needs.

Here is the catch with VLCDs: these diets MUST be medically supervised. The main reason is that certain changes can happen to the body during the rapid weight loss process that must be watched for by a medical professional. For starters, one will usually notice that they urinate more. This is especially noticed early on, so drinking plenty of water and monitoring for dehydration is very important. When you are urinating more, you may also lose sodium and potassium in your urine, so this too must be monitored by a physician. Rapid weight loss from any diet or bariatric surgery procedure also leads to a higher risk of gallstones, so the physician may want to put you on a medicine to help prevent stones from occurring. If you suffer from gout, your physician would also want to make sure you are on a medicine to keep your uric acid levels down, since uric acid levels will sometimes rise with these diets. The rapid weight loss also often requires adjustment of certain medications, such as blood pressure or diabetes medicines. These adjustments should be left to your medical provider to make.

One other reason why these diets must be medically supervised is that not everyone is a good candidate for this type of diet. For example, children, the elderly, type 1 diabetics, those with cardiac rhythm problems and cancer patients among others should avoid this diet. Always consult with your doctor as to whether you have any health conditions that would prevent you from starting this type of diet.

While this is a diet that produces significant weight loss, I do not recommend it as a permanent lifestyle change. When I have prescribed these diets, once the patient is at their goal weight, I will typically transition patients to a higher calorie, balanced diet in combination with physical activity that helps prevent weight regain.

Always consult your healthcare provider before implementing any advice given in this column.

Dr. Roy Barco welcomes your questions concerning health and wellness. Please facebook him at http://www.facebook.com/roy.barco.5 where you can submit questions for the column, or write to:

True Medical Group

Shoals Professional Building

203 Avalon Ave, Suite 120

Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

256-286-4026

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Do Very Low Calorie Diets Work and Are They Safe? - courierjournal

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All cholesterol is not equal. It comes in healthy and unhealthy forms, and doctors have long advised people to cut back on the bad cholesterol, LDL , found in red meats and fried foods. The good kind, HDL, pulls out the LDL that builds up on blood vessel walls and raises risk for a heart attack. Upping levels of HDL may therefore protect the heart from damage.

That's the theory, but studies looking at HDL levels and heart disease events haven't always shown that higher HDL levels lead to lower risk of disease. Scientists may finally know why. In a new study of nearly 300 people at high risk of heart disease, published in the journal Circulation , researchers found that just having high levels of HDL may not be enough to make a heart healthy. But the Mediterranean diet may help HDL to work more effectively.

The people in the yearlong study were randomly assigned to eat either a low-fat diet with little red meat and plenty of fruits and vegetables, or one of two versions of the Mediterranean diet : one enriched with olive oil and the other with nuts. After the year, the researchers compared the blood cholesterol levels of the participants to their starting levels. They found that only the people who ate the low-fat, non-Mediterranean diet lowered their total and LDL cholesterol levels, but that the people eating the two Mediterranean diets had better-working HDL.

The scientists, led by Montserrat Fito from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona, knew this because they took other measurements of how well HDL was working. The group that ate the diet higher in olive oil showed the most improvement in HDL function; their HDL was better able to pluck out LDL from heart vessel walls and shunt them to the liver for removal, and it was better able to work as an antioxidant, protecting against the inflammation-related damage that can weaken blood vessels and make them more vulnerable to heart attack-triggering plaques. The HDL in this group was also better able to keep the blood vessels elastic and pliableimportant, since hardened arteries are more susceptible to damage.

Our hypothesis is that all the antioxidant compounds in olive oil bind to the HDL particle and preserve [it] from oxidative stress, says Fito. And that maintains the HDL in better quality.

The people eating the Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts also had some increase in HDL function, but the olive oil seemed to outwork even the nuts.

Its important to note that none of the three diets boosted the amounts of HDL considerably. While diets rich in fruits, vegetables and antioxidants, like the Mediterranean diet, can increase levels of HDL, experts say that other methods, including regular exercise, may be better. Scientists at drugs companies still havent found a drug that can increase HDL levels, either. Based on these new results, they may have to focus not just on increasing amounts of HDL, but also on making sure that HDL is working optimallyan effect olive oil seems to have naturally.

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Why Olive Oil Is So Good for the Heart - TIME

Every day we get new information about health and fitness topic like what to eat, what to wear or how to exercise. Remember when people tried to vibrate the fat off with those crazy vibrator belts? Or what about diets that had people drink liquid protein three times a day and skip food. How do we know whats true and whats not?

Keeping the body healthy is one of the most researched topics around. That means theres a lot of good information available on health and fitness but there are a lot of pie-in-the-sky myths, too. All research techniques are not created equal and many findings are biased depending on where the funding comes from. For example, if a company hires a research group to experiment on its product, it would make sense that the results would be slanted in favor of that client. I have personally had researchers admit to me that they sometimes sell themselves when they receive money from a client to test a product or theory.

Using common sense can help you sift through a lot of fitness nonsense. But since common sense is not always common, Ill help you dispel some of the fitness myths people still live by.

Myth 1: Eating one meal a day will keep the weight off!

People who do this eventually lose muscle tone and collect fat on different parts of the body. Your body knows it needs energy in the form of food (calories) to perform the thousands of chemical actions which take place throughout the day.

When you eat one meal a day your body thinks its being starved. To prevent starvation your body will slow down the rate at which it burns calories and store fat. Your body stores this fat because it provides a good source of reserved energy. It cant depend on you to give it what it needs throughout the day but it knows it can depend on stored fat.

Dieting does not burn fat or calories. Eating 3-6 small meals a day will allow your body to get the energy it needs. Digesting these meals actually causes the body to burn calories. Eating small meals throughout the day and exercise both stimulate your body to burn calories. Muscle tissue uses more energy than fatty tissue so a well-toned body burns calories at a faster rate than a flabby body.

Myth 2: You should stretch before you warm up!

You should always warm up the body before you stretch. Stretching your muscles before you warm up can cause injuries. Doing a warmup before you stretch allows for increased blood circulation and releases hormones, which aid in stretching. When you exercise muscle size can increase up to 20 percent. A warmup allows this to happen slowly and gently. To warm up do some type of continuous movement exercise such as brisk walking, light jogging or jumping jacks for 5-10 minutes. If youre lifting weights you can warm up by doing a 2-3 sets with lightweights for each body part you work. Stretching is not a necessary part of a fitness program.

Myth 3: If you stop lifting weights the muscle will turn into fat!

Fat and muscle are two separate tissues. One does not turn into the other. Fat is found between the muscle and skin. Fat is also distributed throughout muscle tissue but the fat that makes a body look out of shape is found beneath the skin. Many once-toned bodies take on a flabby appearance for several reasons. The most common have to do with the fact that the person becomes inactive and neglects to modify the amount of food he or she eats once they stop training. Steroid use also causes changes in a persons muscle-to-fat ratio once a person stops using them.

To keep excess body fat from accumulating you need to do some form of aerobic exercise 3-5 times a week and do muscle-toning exercises for each body part two times a week. What you eat is also important. The average healthy diet should be high in complex carbohydrates (55-65 percent), low in fat (15-20 percent), and include a moderate amount of protein (20 percent or .7 grams per pound of body weight). An athlete may require 5 percentmore protein than the average person.

Myth 4: Doing 100-500 situps a day will give you a great set of abdominal muscles!

Developing a great set of abdominal muscles (stomach/waist) does not require a high number of repetitions and you dont need to do them every day. Your abdominal muscles are like the rest of the muscles in the body. Five hundred repetitions for any exercise is too much. You dont do 500 bicep curls or 500 squats. Doing that many repetitions will open you up for injuries.

Abdominal exercises done properly will help you get the tone you want. When doing abdominal exercises do them slowly and deliberately. When you do them quickly you are using inertia to help with the movements more than muscle. While you lift, exhale and suck your abs in as if you are trying to button a pair of jeans that are too small. If you allow the stomach to come up in a rounded shape you will develop hard, round abdominal muscles (a hard pot belly). As you return to relaxed starting position inhale and let your abs stretch so you can fully contract with each lift. Do 10-12 repetitions for each set. Do 3-6 sets of each exercise. Pick 3-4 different exercises.

Doing aerobic exercises will burn the fat on the sides and on top of the abs so you can see that hard-earned muscle. A diet low in fat and sodium, high in complex carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein will also make a big difference in how your abs look.

Myth 5: You need exercise your lower abs to reduce a lower stomach bulge.

There is no such thing as lower abs. Those great abs youre going for is actually one long muscle, called the rectus abdominis, that extends from below your chest to your pelvis. To work your abs, you should do exercises to target all four muscles: the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques and the transverse abdominis.

Second, doing crunches will not help you get a six-pack if you have a layer of fat over your abdominal area. In order the see the muscle, you must reduce your body fat.

Myth 6: If Im not sore the next day, I didnt workout hard enough.

Many people use muscle soreness as a gauge of how good their workout is. Tiny tears in the muscle fibers cause muscle soreness and, while some soreness is expected if you regularly change your program, being sore for days after your workout most likely means you overdid it. If youre sore after every workout, youre not allowing your body time to recover, which is when you experience the most muscle growth.

To prevent soreness, you should warm up before your workout and cool down before and after. If you experience soreness, rest for a day or so. If you do the same exercises that caused you to be sore in the first place, lower the intensity.

Myth 7: If I cant work out often enough and hard enough, I might as well not even do it.

The general rule for weight loss is to do cardio 4-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes as well as weight training 2-3 times a week. Some people simply dont have the time to work out that much and they think, since they cant do all of that, why do any of it? Remember: Any exercise is better than no exercise, even if its only a 15-minute walk. Being physically active is proven to reduce stress and make you healthier. So, even if you cant make it to the gym, you have no excuse not to do something active each day.

Myth 8: Strength training will make me bulk up.

Some women avoid weight training because they dont want to bulk up. However, strength training is a critical element to maintain a healthy weight and strengthen your body. Wayne Wescott, weight training expert and Ph.D., researched the effects of weight training on women and found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 pounds of lean weight ... and loses 3.5 pounds of fat ... women typically dont gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause bulking up.

Myth 9: If I eat more protein, I can build big muscles.

Building muscle mass involves two things: Using enough weight to challenge muscles beyond their normal levels of resistance and eating more calories than you burn. With all the hype about high-protein diets lately, its easy to believe that protein is the best fuel for building muscle but, according to the American Dietetic Association, muscles work on calories which should be predominately carbohydrates. The remainder of the calories are divided between fat and protein.

If you consume too much protein, you run the risk of creating nutrient imbalance, kidney strain or dehydration. Plus, excess protein results in extra calories that are either burned or stored. For muscle mass, you should incorporate a healthy eating plan, as well as a workout that combines cardio exercise as well as consistent weight training.

Dont take everything you read or hear as true when it comes to your health and fitness no matter what the source. ask yourself these few questions when trying to evaluate information:

1. Is the information being used to advertise a product?

There are a lot of infomercials out today that seem like real information.

2. Who paid for the research?

You always have to consider the source because no one is going to do a bad study on themselves.

3. Do I believe the information just because I want to believe it?

Be objective, know whats being explained. Lead with your head, not your heart.

4. Do the experts agree?

Experts do disagree but some of them should support the new information.

5. If you still cant make heads or tails out of it ask me, Vince.

If I dont know the answer Ill try to find it for you.

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Dispelling common fitness myths - The Philadelphia Tribune

One of the latest diet fads is the blood type diet. Although this approach is based on our blood types, it lacks scientific evidence. This diet, recommended by Peter J. DAdamo, is based on the theory that different blood types A, B, and O react differently to the food you eat.

In fact, they react differently to various factors such as stress and anxiety. DAdamo claims that people with a particular blood type are susceptible to certain diseases or health conditions.

Antigens A, B, and O are genetic markers and are present everywhere in our body. These markers bind with certain food ingredients such as lectins (a protein) and cause agglutination of blood.

This leads to various skin conditions and digestion issues. Also, our gut bacteria or the normal flora in our body, which aid in digestion, differ with each blood type. This factor also seems to influence the way our food is digested.

Hence, DAdamo recommends eating food suitable for our blood type. A person with blood type A, for example, would not flourish on a blood type O diet.

But do these diets really work? Does your blood type really influence the way your body processes food? In this article, well examine the blood type O diet, outlining the blood type O diet foods to eat. A breakdown of the blood type O diet food list may help you figure out whether the diet will work for you or if it even works at all.

As we previously noted, all of the blood type diets have different dietary directions. The idea is that you eat right for your blood type.

In the case of blood type O diets, the theory is that those of blood type O have hunter ancestors that ate a lot of meat and fish that could be hunted or caught. These ancestors also only ate certain types of vegetables and fruits. This also revolves around what might help ailments that people of blood type O may suffer from.

When speaking in these broad terms, it sounds like it makes sense. However, when you start breaking it down, much of it does not.

Theres not a lot of science to actually back up any of this and more and more, the science is pointing to how this doesnt make sense for everyone. Just because someone may be blood type O, doesnt mean they have the same background or issues as another person of blood type O.

The blood type diet considers ancestors in the broadest of strokes. A native Canadian, for example, may be of type O blood like his friend who is from South Africa, but that doesnt mean they have the same ancestorsnot by a long shot. This can be completely shown in the diets various food lists.

For the type O diet, you are supposed to go heavy on the proteins but not so much on the vegetables, and processed foods are not allowed. It doesnt sound like a bad idea until you start dissecting it a little more.

In terms of meats, you are supposed to stick with lean meats. Lean cuts of beef, mutton, veal, venison, and meats of other animals that the blood type O ancestors would hunt and farm are featured on the list.

Fish would include cold water types like cod, herring, and mackerel. Seafood is recommended as it can help with thyroid issues that can occur within people of blood type O but not all seafood.

Octopus, caviar, smoked salmon, and catfish are allowed and recommended. Vegetables are very limited on a blood type O diet as most are to be avoided. Kale, broccoli, spinach, dandelion, garlic and a few others are allowed, but most vegetables are to be eaten on a limited basis or not at all.

The main flaw in the blood type diets is that while it looks kind of cool, it doesnt account for something as simple as all blood types not sharing the same ancestors.

The diet above fits fine if your background is European, but what about someone with blood type O of South American heritage? Many of food products listed above may have never been available to that persons ancestors. If thats the case, does the diet work? Do any of the blood type diets work?

Thats not to say that this diet is bad for you. Lean meats are a good idea as is plenty of fish in the diet.

But lean protein is important for a good diet in general and has nothing to do with blood type or ancestors. After you see the selection of food you arent supposed to eat, we can delve a little further.

For the O type blood diets, you are supposed to go heavy on the protein and meat, but there are some meats that are off limits. All versions of pork (bacon, ham, pork chops, etc.) are not allowed. Goose is also off the list. All processed meats (like luncheon meats) are also not accepted.

Most seafood is not allowed as well as many vegetables. Eggplants, potatoes, corn, and all sorts of mushrooms and sprouts are to be avoided. Most fruits are off the list, especially melons, most berries, oranges, and coconut.

The theory, once again, is that if your ancestors could not have hunted it, then you shouldnt be eating it. And once again, blood type diets dont take into account the diversity of heritage.

Now that weve debunked much of the blood type dietespecially the blood type O diet there should be a few things noted. While the science is inconclusive, the blood type O diet does have some good ideas to it.

Lean meats, for example, should be eaten over more fatty cuts and types. Eating a lot of fish is also a good idea. Not eating processed meat is also a pretty good tip as processed meat tends to have higher sodium levels and arent as good for you as a cut of meat.

That being said, adding more vegetables to your diet than what the blood type O diet recommends would also be a good idea, especially anything high in fiber. Once again, it should be noted that benefits of this diet are not proven to relate to blood type.

Related:

Sources: Watson, S., The Blood Type Diet, WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/blood-type-diet Braverman, J., Blood Type O Positive Diet Foods, Livestrong, April 13, 2015, http://www.livestrong.com/article/237156-blood-type-o-positive-diet-foods/ DAdamo, J., Blood Type and Your Health, Dadamo; http://www.dadamo.com/txt/index.pl?1001 Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens, National Center for Biotechnology Information; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2267/ Leech, J., The Blood Type Diet: An Evidence-Based Review, Authority Nutrition, https://authoritynutrition.com/the-blood-type-diet-review/

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Blood Type O Diet: Does It Work? - Foods4BetterHealth

A month ago, five Washington Post staffers embarked on a 30-day diet, each looking for a way to reset their eating habits. Now, they're turning the page, but this is much more than a tidy endpoint: It's the beginning of making their new, healthy habits stick.

This month-long challenge wasn't a contest per se, and there is no one winner; all the staffers made their chosen plans work for them, and each has good results to show for it. Collectively they've freed themselves from unhealthy habits and adopted positive ones; they have been enjoying more nutritious foods and less hyper-processed, sugary stuff; they have been eating more sensible amounts more mindfully; and they feel better and have lost weight.

But, predictably, life also got in the way of some of the goals they set - with house moves, IRS audits, traffic jams, travel and irresistible parties interfering with their best intentions. I spoke with each of them to get their main take-aways from this diet experiment, and help them strategize all-important next steps. I also managed to convince them to let me check in with them next January to see how they have fared a year later.

If you started a diet on Jan. 1 like they did, or otherwise made resolutions to live healthier, this is an invitation to pause, reflect on your successes and, perhaps, dreams dashed over the past month and recalibrate your plan so you can keep moving forward. Hopefully, the insights shared here will inspire and inform your own next steps.

Kendra Nichols: The Whole30

Kendra's wise words to those thinking about the Whole30 diet is to be smart about planning when to start. For her, this challenge was smack in the middle of a move, making it more stressful and difficult than it otherwise would have been. Being between homes and unable to locate the right cookware amid all the boxes, she found it nearly impossible to achieve one of her main personal goals: trying an array of new recipes. She also told me she was "crankier than usual," to the point where her co-workers dubbed her diet persona "Whole30 Kendra." But she admirably stuck it out, and lost 9 pounds in the process. Along the way she learned, among other things, that it suits her to eat a hearty breakfast so she isn't hungry again until lunchtime, and that she can live happily without a vending-machine sugar fix or the 20-ounce diet soda she had been drinking daily.

Kendra has done Whole30 before, and does well with a strict set of rules to follow. The downside has been that when the diet is over, she is left rudderless and winds up returning to her old habits. Last time she did Whole30 she skipped the reintroduction phase (in which you gradually add back the forbidden foods) and went straight to cake. This time she is thinking more long-term. She's going to view the suggested reintroduction as an extension of the rules, following the specific 10-day transition the book offers. Even more, "I'm going to make myself a little rule book" to follow thereafter. This personal, formalized structure will go a long way toward helping Kendra achieve what she called her ultimate goal: "making moderation the new normal."

Tom Sietsema: Weight Watchers

Tom sees food though a somewhat different lens after following the Weight Watchers program for the past month. The plan "makes you aware of the consequences of different choices," he says. Having been allotted 36 points a day, Tom quickly learned that some foods, like what became his go-to snack, almonds and clementines, offer more satisfaction for fewer points than, say, peanut butter-filled pretzels. And that sometimes you have to choose between a cupcake and a second glass of wine.

While he won't continue to track his points, he says, "Doing it a full month, it gets drilled into you. . . . Now I know what to do." Besides making smarter choices, he also knows that exercise is a key component, and he is committed to keeping it up regularly.

He also knows it's okay to go off the rails a bit once in a while. Confronted with some fabulous restaurant meals (as he frequently will be as the Post's food critic) and a once-in-a-lifetime charity event, he indulged, but even did that mindfully, choosing oysters instead of prosciutto and staying conscientious about portions. In alignment with the Weight Watchers philosophy, he says: "You can splurge - just get back on track right after. Enjoy it, mindfully, then forget about it. Don't feel guilty." Sure, Tom could have lost even more than seven pounds this month without those splurges, but I believe the experience of being able to get back on track, and the knowledge that you can continue toward your goal weight and indulge, is an even more valuable achievement in the long run.

Joe Yonan: Buddha's Diet

Joe is the only one of the five who plans to continue his diet indefinitely, a testament both to the flexibility of Budda's Diet - with its only limitation a nine-hour time-window for eating - and Joe's balanced approach to it. I worried he would be weak from hunger at his morning workout (so he could eat a later dinner) or eat a 5 p.m. dinner alone at his desk rather than with his significant other, or get pulled over for speeding and try to explain to the officer that he had to rush home to eat on time. But although Joe did skip eating before his workouts, he felt fine doing it, and although he had to pass on grabbing a late bowl of ramen with friends one night, he found it easy enough to plan ahead so as not to sacrifice the social pleasures of mealtime. His sage advice: "The overarching philosophy is to have a mindful relationship with food, so don't get too anxious about a few minutes here or there. The worst thing would be to let the deadline make you scarf your food down."

In the past 30 days, he has broken the habit of mindlessly munching after dinner, has realized he doesn't have to grab for food at the slightest twinge of hunger and has lost five pounds. "I couldn't have done this without tea," he says. Tea helped slow his pace and calm him as he sipped, and because it is allowed outside the nine-hour window as long as it doesn't have sweeteners or milk.

Another key strategy was preparing food ahead, stocking his refrigerator on the weekends with "building block ingredients such as blanched and roasted vegetables," so he could quickly pull meals together on the weekdays. Once Joe reaches his goal weight (he has another 25 or so pounds to go), his maintenance plan is to add a second "cheat day." From what I can tell, Joe has landed on a sustainable way of life that fits him perfectly.

Bonnie S. Benwick: SouperGirl 'Cleanse'

Bonnie is officially "sold on soup." "The words 'soup diet' sound a little crazy," she says, " but it's a food that everyone should eat every week - it's a good go-to." This month has helped Bonnie reach her main goals of eating more vegetables and getting portions in check. At first she worried the soups wouldn't be enough, but found the opposite to be true. (The volume of vegetable-based soups and the fact that their heat slows you down make them especially filling.) The big takeaway is her realization that she can be satisfied without overeating, and she now is more in touch with how food makes her feel. She also has stopped eating past 9 p.m.

Her long-range plan is to make soup every week so she always has it on hand. She is also going to pay attention to how she feels as she eats, savoring slowly, and tuning into her level of satiety rather than continuing to eat just because her mouth wants more. Bonnie wasn't weighing herself this month, but she recently bought a scale so she can track her weight as an incentive and an indicator - and if she gets off track, she will do another week of the SouperGirl "Cleanse" to reorient her. She also has an exciting event to inspire her to maintain these healthy changes: her son's wedding in October.

Adam Kilgore: Offseason reset

The notion that you can "slip up and then move on" gives Adam's plan the potential for longevity. He did that a few times this month, with restaurant meals and vacations that drove him off-plan. But his core changes - focusing on healthful whole foods, limiting alcohol and exercising more - still led the way, and he has dropped 16 pounds as a result. His positive attitude of embracing the good choices you are making rather than yearning for what you are missing also goes a long way toward his success.

Adam told me that the realization that it doesn't have to be all or nothing - that he can see results even if he dips off his plan here and there - gives him a good template for how to keep this going after April, when he typically returns to his weight-gaining spiral. I pressed him to come up with specific strategies to put into place at that time, and he outlined this sensible three-pronged approach: 1) weigh in at least once a week; 2) exercise at least twice a week; 3) avoid alcohol for at least two days a week. Adam's overall advice to those embarking on a healthier way of life is simple but profound. It's something we could all make our mantra year-round: "Whatever choice you are making, make it a good choice. Then do it again."

Author Information:

Ellie Krieger writes a healthful-eating column for Local Living and a weekly Nourish recipe for Food. She is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author and hosts public television's Ellie's Real Good Food. Her most recent cookbook is "You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals."

@Ellie_Krieger

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The 5 Diets Project: Everyone lost, and everyone gained - MyAJC

Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME

Want to keep your heart and cardiovascular system healthy for years to come? Keep these meals and snack items away from your cart and out of your regular diet. Save them for occasional indulgencesat mostand replace them with heart-healthy swaps whenever possible.

Fast-food burgers The science on whether saturated fats are truly linked to heart disease isnt entirely clear . When consumed in moderation, high-quality, grass-fed beef may even have some heart-health benefits, says Dr. Regina Druz, associate professor of cardiology at Hofstra University and chief of cardiology at St. John Episcopal Hospital in New York City.

But in general, Druz says, saturated fats from animals, especially when combined with carbohydrates, appear to have a deleterious effect on heart health." Avoiding fast-food restaurants, which tend to use lower quality ingredients and unhealthy cooking methods, is always a smart way to cut back, she says.

Processed and cured meats Cold cuts and cured meats (like bacon and sausage) can be high in saturated fat. But even low-fat options tend to be very high in salt. Just six thin slices of deli meat can contain half the daily recommended level of sodium, according to the American Heart Association.

The majority of people should be on a salt-restricted diet because of sodiums link to high blood pressure, says Dr. Laxmi Mehta, director of the Womans Cardiovascular Health Program at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Not everyone needs medication to make big strides, she says. Sometimes my patients with elevated blood pressure are able to make significant improvements just by adjusting their diet."

Deep-fried foods Several studies have linked the consumption of fried foods, like French fries, fried chicken and fried snacks, to an increased risk of heart disease. Conventional frying methods create trans fats, a type of fat shown to raise the bad type of cholesterol and lower the good kind.

If youre making a veggie stir-fry at home and youre preparing it with olive oil and coconut oil, theres certainly nothing wrong with that, says Druz. But what most people understand as typical fried food, the kinds you dont prepare at home, should certainly be avoided.

Candy For many years, fat was branded as the biggest dietary cause of heart disease. But a report published last year in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that studies funded by the sugar industry were largely responsible for pushing that belief. Now, experts say that diets high in added sugar may be just as big a threat by contributing to obesity, inflammation, high cholesterol and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.

The debate in cardiology has pivoted from saturated fat and cholesterol to sugar, says Druz. If there is one ingredient I would say anyone with heart disease or risk for heart disease must avoid, its added sugar in any form.

Soft drinks and sugar-sweetened juices For many Americans, the largest source of added sugar in their diets isnt from food, but from beverages. Recent government reports found that more than 60% of children, 54% of adult men, and 45% of adult women had at least one soda or sugar-sweetened drink a day between 2011 and 2014.

Sugary cereals Even foods that seem like part of a balanced diet, like breakfast cereals, can be loaded with sugar. Eating refined carbohydrates and sugars in the morning is going to produce inflammation and make blood sugar go up and down, so youll crave more sugar throughout the day, Druz says. Instead, she recommends having fruit along with an egg or avocado on whole-wheat toast.

Cookies and pastries Most baked goodsespecially those that are commercially producedare full of sugar and are likely made with saturated fats (like butter or palm oil) or trans fats (like partially hydrogenated vegetable oil). You have two ingredients that work with each other to give somebody the worst possible nutritional profile," Druz says.

Margarine There may be room for debate about the cardiovascular risks associated with saturated fats, like butter. Whats more certain is that diets high in trans fats appear to definitely raise a persons risk of heart disease.

Trans fats are common in sticks of margarine that are solid at room temperature, which are often marketed as a healthier alternative to butter. To be safe, choose a soft, spreadable margarine that contains no partially hydrogenated oils, or stick with olive oil instead.

Meat-lovers pizza After cold cuts and cured meats, pizza ranks second on the American Heart Associations list of salty six foods. (Other salt bombs to watch for include soups, condiments, and salad dressings.) Pizzas sodium contentas well as its saturated fatgoes way up as you pile on extra cheese and meat-based toppings. When eating out or getting delivery, limit yourself to one or two slices, and opt for veggie toppings instead.

Diet soda It may be fat-free and zero-calorie, but diet soda has a dark side. People are under the impression that theyre healthy, and theyre really not, says Druz. Research continues to mount linking the cola to the development of heart-disease risk factors like obesity and diabetes.

Some studies show that people who drink diet sodas tend to overcompensate and consume more calories than they otherwise would, while other research suggests that chemicals in diet soda may actually alter gastrointestinal bacteria and make people more prone to gaining weight. While it may have no sugar, its not a heart-healthy choice, says Druz.

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The 10 Worst Foods For Your Heart - TIME

Nothing seemed to work. So she pushed on, getting a place at Loughborough University to study communications, and then a job as social media manager for a corporate company. But all the while, her condition was making her feel isolated and anxious.

I felt panicky all the time, she says today, sipping mint tea in an east London restaurant. My palms would sweat and my heart would race. I didnt want to go to work or venture far from home. Id try to envisage how every day would pan out and was always anxious if i was going out for dinner, or staying at someone elses house.

IBS is a chronic condition affecting the large colon and requiring long-term management. It affects one in seven on a daily basis and for many, like Hatcher, can be utterly debilitating. In 2013, it was the largest cause of days off work in Britain, with sufferers staying at home for 22 days of the year.

For Hatcher, things culminated when she had to call in sick from her job after a restaurant meal had kept her up all night. After suffering in silence for years, she finally felt her symptoms had reached a point where they were interfering with her life too much.

Read this article:
The FODMAP diet: a recipe for a healthy gut and a happier life? - Telegraph.co.uk

Mark Richardson of Missoula admits he began overeating, and eating unhealthily, after losing his daughter to a car crash.

My relationship with food was unhealthy, he told a crowd at a nutrition boot camp hosted by CostCare Clinic on Tuesday. When my daughter died, perhaps I was filling the hole. Within a year I gained 100 pounds or so.

Richardson, who stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and is 54 years old, weighed 377 pounds when he went in to see a doctor for a health check-up.

He got a variety of bad news. He had unhealthy blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes and was diagnosed with diabetes.

I was really mad at myself and really frustrated, he said. I got pretty emotional after reading all that. I have a history of diabetes in my family, but I dont blame my diabetes on my hereditary genes. It was totally self-inflicted.

Richardson expected to be told to take a variety of medications, but the doctor also recommended buying Whole30, a nutritional program guidebook written by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. Richardson has been on it for 154 days, and hes lost 94 pounds. He said his doctor was so shocked that he used cuss words when he saw how much weight Richardson had shed.

Essentially, the Whole30 program advises people to cut out grains, dairy, added sugars, alcohol and legumes for 30 days, and then eat those foods only in extreme moderation afterwards.

I feel fantastic, as good as I ever felt in my life, Richardson said. I got drafted to play professional soccer when I was younger, and I feel as good as I did then.

Richardson almost broke into tears when he talked about how much his unhealthy eating affected his work.

My general manager and her husband are now doing the Whole30, a lot because of the difference shes seen in my work, he said. I have more energy to give them. I owe them more than I gave before. I used to breathe heavy just going up the stairs.

The Whole30 diet has become hugely popular in the United States in the last year, and many Missoulians are taking part in the program.

Carol Bridges co-owns the Cost Care Clinics in Missoula with Lesley Von Eschen. Bridges, a physician, has seen her share of fad diets like the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet and the so-called Paleo Diet. However, she believes the Whole30 diet is sustainable because theres a lot of science behind it.

Thats why shes offering six-session nutritional boot camps in Missoula to guide people through the process and offer support.

One of the reasons its catching on is because its so effective and sustainable, she said. The program is designed to help people treat obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, insomnia, depression, chronic fatigue and heartburn. Weve got a year under our belt pushing people to do a 30-day challenge, and the results are amazing.

Bridges tells her students that humans evolved to live without diets full of processed foods until about 150 years ago, when processed flour, high fructose corn syrup and antibiotics all began to be consumed by humans. She said added sugars and processed foods are overconsumed, and she recommends to people that they eat more proteins like baked chicken, vegetables like broccoli, and unprocessed foods. She said legumes, although they contain protein, also cause low-grade inflammation.

Bridges is quick to point out that the Whole30 isnt necessarily a weight loss program. In fact, many of the students in her class are overweight. The main point, she said, is to treat chronic diseases like diabetes and stomach issues associated with foods that cause inflammation.

Like many diets that have seen an explosion in popularity over the years, the Whole30 diet has its critics. This newspaper is not a medical journal and this article should not be taken as an endorsement of any particular diet program. However, the customers in Bridges' class seem satisfied.

My wife suggested it along with Dr. Bridges because I was eating unhealthy and I was overweight, said Alan Powell, 54. I knew that I could probably lose some weight. And Ive lost 20 pounds on this program. I feel great. Basically, I have a lot more energy and Im not fatigued.

Bridges said that the food industry has maximized the amount of sugar in processed foods and shifted the blame for unhealthy consequences to fat.

That has caused us to eat rich, nutrient-poor no brake foods, she said. "I decided to do the 30-day challenge myself. All of the things they say can happen did happen like how you feel better, sleep better and have clearer thinking."

For Mark Anderson, who has lost nearly 100 pounds, he believes the diet will add years to his life if he sticks to it like he plans.

"At one point I was just checking days off my life," he said. "It took diabetes, really a life-changing event, to set me on a path for my children, my grandchildren and my employer."

The next CostCare boot camp will be held in April. For more information call 370-7050.

Original post:
Missoula man battles unhealthy diet with new nutrition boot camp after losing daughter - The Missoulian

Buncombe County, like much of the nation, has a diabetes problem. The diseasewas ranked as the 10th-leading cause of death in the countyin the 2015 Community HealthAssessment, an annual gathering of data from residents to determine local wellness in relation to state and national averages. While there are numerous reasons why this has become an epidemic, the assessment found that23.5 percent of Buncombe adults are obese, and that just over 30 percent of students in K-5 public schools are overweight or obese, factors that increase the incidence of diabetes.

The good news: Asheville-area health professionals say there are affordable and accessible ways to address this growing risk for generations young and old. A wealth of information, diet trends and practiceshas emergedto address weight loss and the prevention of diabetes.

Christin Banman, a registered dietitian with Mountain Kidney and Hypertension Associates, is accustomed to dealing with the factors that lead to diabetes, Type 2 in particular. You immediately have to get into the home life situation with these issues, she says.Who does the cooking? Whos in the house? The majority of her patients have fought weight gain, high blood pressure and long-standing medical issuestheir entire lives. Their multiple problems create the onset of Type 2 diabetes, she says, which in turn causes kidney malfunction due to higher levels of blood sugar.

Banmans advice for someone who has contracted the disease and is seeking reversal of the diagnosis is similar to that shed offeranyonewho is prediabetic. She recommends affordable and simple dietary solutions that include buying frozen vegetables for cost and longevity, avoiding most beverages in favor of purchasing foods, buying grains in bulk, and shopping at Aldi and other affordable markets in their area.

Watchingyour weightis key to help preventing Type 2 diabetes, Banman says. I really feel like if someone can jump start or hit the restart button with the sugar busters or Atkins diet just to get an initial amount of weight off, Im a supporter of that. I think the long-term benefits of just getting a little bit of weight off exceed the consequences of that diet.

I think what were dealing with is whats referred to as a toxic food environment, where we have heavily marketed, very inexpensive, unhealthy foods on every corner in hospitals, airports and even in our school systems, she continues. This food environment surrounds us. So its hard for me to argue with someone who says, The croissant sandwiches were two-for-one on the way in. With someone that has limited food money, that speaks. So thats part of the food environment were dealing with.

Diabetes and lifestyle

Type 2 diabetes affects 29.1 million people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The most common causes for the onset of this illness are obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, age, family history, high blood pressure and a high alcohol intake,according to WebMD.

Diabetes causes blood glucose levels to rise above normal. When people eat, their bodies turn food into glucose, or sugars, for their body to use as energy. The pancreascreates the hormoneinsulin, which allows those sugars to get into the cells of the body. But with Type 2 diabetes, thebody is no longer able to use its own insulin as well as it should, causing sugar to build up in theblood.

In 2014, the North Carolina State Report nameddiabetes as the seventh-leading cause of death in the state, the fourth-leading cause for African-Americans and the third-leading causefor American Indians. In WNC, the rate of white people living with the disease is highest, at 11.6 percent, while the rate of African Americans in the eastern part of the state is 15.3 percent.

Harvard UniversitysPATHS (Providing Access to Healthy Solutions) report for North Carolina in 2014outlined how legislation could mitigatethe disease, including a mandate for insurers to cover diabetes-related services as well as the creation of a unified public health system to providewhole-person care. The PATHS report is funded through Together on Diabetes,a philanthropic program of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation,and was launched in 2010 to improve the health outcomes of people living with Type 2 diabetes bystrengthening patient self-management education, community-based supportive services and broad-based community mobilization.

Short of legislative measures, how can the millions of Americans seeking to control their weight and improve their health avoid Type 2 diabetes?

Dr. Daniel Stickler of the Apeiron Center for Human Potential in Asheville relates the illness tolifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is not truly a disease, he says.Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle aspect. You can progress to the point where you actually poison your beta cells in the pancreas after years of being Type 2 diabetic, but it really is a lifestyle. Weve seen plenty of reversals on people that were diabetic or prediabetic that changed their lifestyle and completely reversed the disease without medication.

Stickler saysthat a whole-person approach is needed. Apeiron uses that approach, looking closely at a persons genetics and at about 75 different genomic variations that help predict appetite, hunger and nutrient selection from fats to carbs and proteins.Apeiron tailors diets specifically around a persons genomics, goals and experiences to create a program that is individualized, rather than using a diet from a book.

The problem that you run into is that when you diagnose someone with a disease, they become the disease, Stickler says. The title becomes them, and until they can get to the point where they understand they are not Type 2 diabetes, youre not going to make any progress with them. Were treating it with these medications that arent treating the core cause, which is lifestyle. Its OK to bridge that to get things under control, but the whole focus needs to be on treating the core cause, which is a lifestyle component that has created an insulin resistance in the body. And it is easily reversible.

We have epigenetic coaches that work with clients and read their genetic data, looking at 500 genetic variations and working with sleep, stress, nutrition, exercise and human movement environment, thoughts, etc. So were venturing into all realms in how we address health.

Ways to approach diet, exercise

Banman notes thatMedicare initially covers only three hours a year of dietary intervention and just two hours annually thereafter. This is where support becomes very limited, she says, adding that a majority of her patients arediagnosed in their mid-60s, which makes it difficult for them to get up and get moving. In addition, stress from finances, work and family are debilitating factors, pushing diet and exercise to the bottom of their priorities. Im struck with the layers in their lives that are making things so complicated, and Im very sympathetic to it and help however I can, she says.

Stickler and Banman both recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is in concert with the diabetic diet, according to Banman, and which research has consistently shown to bean effective way to also reduce the risk of heart disease, lower low-density lipoproteins (or bad cholesterol) and lower risks associated with cancer, Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases.

The American Diabetes Association outlinesa Mediterranean meal plan on itswebsite. Key components of the diet, according to the Mayo Clinic, are limiting red meat;eating fish at least twice a weekand otherwise primarily plant-based food, whole grains and nuts; replacing butter with olive oil; and using herbs and spices instead of salt.

In Buncombe County, residents can address stress, exercise and dietthrough the Diabetes Wellness and Prevention Program offered by the YWCA, a program designed specifically for adults with or at risk for Type 2 diabetes. Preventive health coordinatorLeah Berger-Singer saysthatparticipants are given a gym membership, bimonthly personal training, aweekly support group (which discusses health-related topics such as living healthy on a budget) and tips onstress management. Were aiming to provide access to people that may not otherwise have access to a gym, cooking classes, swim lessons and other options, she says.We also provide monthly dinner lectures or lunch and learns, hands-on cooking demos, field trips and other extracurricular activities.

Chiropractor and yoga instructor J. Anya Harris of Crystalign Chiropractic in Asheville saysthat stress-reduction techniques coupled with group exercise can be keys to combating many diseases, including diabetes.Getting out of your routine and your house and away from your cellphone is really important, she advises. Her approach with patients is to address both spinal health and overall physical health, as well as stress and energy levels. Chiropractic care helps to create arange of motion and mobility, freeing up the body to get patientsto the point where they feel good enough to exercise again or continue exercising, she explains. It also opens up the neural pathways that keep the organs, muscles and spine balanced, she adds. With the energy work, Im shifting relationships and trauma to give them the spark to get them moving. Its all about setting up the mind, body and soul to help them feel at ease in their own skin and really define their why. If you dont know your why, then none of it matters, because you wont stay consistent. The why will give them reframing in their consciousness that will keep them moving toward their goal.

For more information:

Mountain Kidney & Hypertension, 10 McDowell St., Asheville, offers a variety of services, including diet and meal planning for diabetics and services for those suffering from hypertension and kidney disease. 258-8545

The Apeiron Center for Human Potential, 190 Broadway, focuses on preventive wellness, including genomic assessments, epigenetic coaching and human potential assessments and coaching. (888) 547-1444

Crystalign Chiropractic,36 Clayton St., off Charlotte Streetin Asheville, offers head-to-toe chiropractic adjustments, trigger-point muscle therapy, energy work, nutrition analysis and wellness coaching. 335-2208

The YWCAs Diabetes Wellness and Prevention Program operates atthe YWCA in downtown Asheville, offering a comprehensive diabetes program to prevent or reverse the illness.Preventive health coordinator Leah Berger-Singer can be reached at 254-7206, ext.212, or Leah.bs@ywcaofasheville.org.

The rest is here:
Exercise and a healthy diet help prevent Type 2 diabetes | Mountain ... - Mountain Xpress

MARVIN JOSEPH | The Washington Post

Five Washington Post staffers plan to try five diets in January to see how they work. From left: Food and Dining Editor Joe Yonan, Local Living Editor Kendra Nichols, food critic Tom Sietsema, Deputy Food Editor Bonnie S. Benwick and sportswriter Adam Kilgore.

A month ago, five Washington Post staffers embarked on a 30-day diet, each looking for a way to reset their eating habits. Now, theyre turning the page, but this is much more than a tidy endpoint: Its the beginning of making their new, healthy habits stick.

This month-long challenge wasnt a contest per se, and there is no one winner; all the staffers made their chosen plans work for them, and each has good results to show for it. Collectively theyve freed themselves from unhealthy habits and adopted positive ones; they have been enjoying more nutritious foods and less hyper-processed, sugary stuff; they have been eating more sensible amounts more mindfully; and they feel better and have lost weight.

But, predictably, life also got in the way of some of the goals they set with house moves, IRS audits, traffic jams, travel and irresistible parties interfering with their best intentions. I spoke with each of them to get their main take-aways from this diet experiment, and help them strategize all-important next steps. I also managed to convince them to let me check in with them next January to see how they have fared a year later.

If you started a diet on Jan. 1 like they did, or otherwise made resolutions to live healthier, this is an invitation to pause, reflect on your successes and, perhaps, dreams dashed over the past month and recalibrate your plan so you can keep moving forward. Hopefully, the insights shared here will inspire and inform your own next steps.

Kendras wise words to those thinking about the Whole30 diet is to be smart about planning when to start. For her, this challenge was smack in the middle of a move, making it more stressful and difficult than it otherwise would have been.

Being between homes and unable to locate the right cookware amid all the boxes, she found it nearly impossible to achieve one of her main personal goals: trying an array of new recipes. She also told me she was crankier than usual, to the point where her co-workers dubbed her diet persona Whole30 Kendra.

But she admirably stuck it out, and lost 9 pounds in the process. Along the way she learned, among other things, that it suits her to eat a hearty breakfast so she isnt hungry again until lunchtime, and that she can live happily without a vending-machine sugar fix or the 20-ounce diet soda she had been drinking daily.

Kendra has done Whole30 before, and does well with a strict set of rules to follow. The downside has been that when the diet is over, she is left rudderless and winds up returning to her old habits. Last time she did Whole30 she skipped the reintroduction phase (in which you gradually add back the forbidden foods) and went straight to cake.

This time she is thinking more long-term. Shes going to view the suggested reintroduction as an extension of the rules, following the specific 10-day transition the book offers. Even more, Im going to make myself a little rule book to follow thereafter.

This personal, formalized structure will go a long way toward helping Kendra achieve what she called her ultimate goal: making moderation the new normal.

Tom sees food though a somewhat different lens after following the Weight Watchers program for the past month. The plan makes you aware of the consequences of different choices, he said.

Having been allotted 36 points a day, Tom quickly learned that some foods, like what became his go-to snack, almonds and clementines, offer more satisfaction for fewer points than, say, peanut butter-filled pretzels. And that sometimes you have to choose between a cupcake and a second glass of wine.

While he wont continue to track his points, he says, Doing it a full month, it gets drilled into you. ... Now I know what to do. Besides making smarter choices, he also knows that exercise is a key component, and he is committed to keeping it up regularly.

He also knows its okay to go off the rails a bit once in a while. Confronted with some fabulous restaurant meals (as he frequently will be as the Posts food critic) and a once-in-a-lifetime charity event, he indulged, but even did that mindfully, choosing oysters instead of prosciutto and staying conscientious about portions.

In alignment with the Weight Watchers philosophy, he says: You can splurge just get back on track right after. Enjoy it, mindfully, then forget about it. Dont feel guilty.

Sure, Tom could have lost even more than 7 pounds this month without those splurges, but I believe the experience of being able to get back on track, and the knowledge that you can continue toward your goal weight and indulge, is an even more valuable achievement in the long run.

Joe is the only one of the five who plans to continue his diet indefinitely, a testament both to the flexibility of Buddhas Diet with its only limitation a nine-hour time window for eating and Joes balanced approach to it.

I worried he would be weak from hunger at his morning workout (so he could eat a later dinner) or eat a 5 p.m. dinner alone at his desk rather than with his significant other, or get pulled over for speeding and try to explain to the officer that he had to rush home to eat on time.

But although Joe did skip eating before his workouts, he felt fine doing it, and although he had to pass on grabbing a late bowl of ramen with friends one night, he found it easy enough to plan ahead so as not to sacrifice the social pleasures of mealtime.

His sage advice: The overarching philosophy is to have a mindful relationship with food, so dont get too anxious about a few minutes here or there. The worst thing would be to let the deadline make you scarf your food down.

In the past 30 days, he has broken the habit of mindlessly munching after dinner, has realized he doesnt have to grab for food at the slightest twinge of hunger and has lost 5 pounds.

I couldnt have done this without tea, he said. Tea helped slow his pace and calm him as he sipped, and because it is allowed outside the nine-hour window as long as it doesnt have sweeteners or milk.

Another key strategy was preparing food ahead, stocking his refrigerator on the weekends with building-block ingredients such as blanched and roasted vegetables, so he could quickly pull meals together on the weekdays.

Once Joe reaches his goal weight (he has another 25 or so pounds to go), his maintenance plan is to add a second cheat day. From what I can tell, Joe has landed on a sustainable way of life that fits him perfectly.

Bonnie is officially sold on soup. The words soup diet sound a little crazy, she said, but its a food that everyone should eat every week its a good go-to.

This month has helped Bonnie reach her main goals of eating more vegetables and getting portions in check. At first she worried the soups wouldnt be enough, but found the opposite to be true. (The volume of vegetable-based soups and the fact that their heat slows you down make them especially filling.)

The big takeaway is her realization that she can be satisfied without overeating, and she now is more in touch with how food makes her feel. She also has stopped eating past 9 p.m.

Her long-range plan is to make soup every week so she always has it on hand. She is also going to pay attention to how she feels as she eats, savoring slowly, and tuning into her level of satiety rather than continuing to eat just because her mouth wants more.

Bonnie wasnt weighing herself this month, but she recently bought a scale so she can track her weight as an incentive and an indicator and if she gets off track, she will do another week of the SouperGirl Cleanse to reorient her. She also has an exciting event to inspire her to maintain these healthy changes: her sons wedding in October.

The notion that you can slip up and then move on gives Adams plan the potential for longevity. He did that a few times this month, with restaurant meals and vacations that drove him off-plan. But his core changes focusing on healthful whole foods, limiting alcohol and exercising more still led the way, and he has dropped 16 pounds as a result.

His positive attitude of embracing the good choices you are making rather than yearning for what you are missing also goes a long way toward his success.

Adam told me the realization that it doesnt have to be all or nothing that he can see results even if he dips off his plan here and there gives him a good template for how to keep this going after April, when he typically returns to his weight-gaining spiral.

I pressed him to come up with specific strategies to put into place at that time, and he outlined this sensible three-pronged approach: 1) weigh in at least once a week; 2) exercise at least twice a week; 3) avoid alcohol for at least two days a week.

Adams overall advice to those embarking on a healthier way of life is simple but profound. Its something we could all make our mantra year-round: Whatever choice you are making, make it a good choice. Then do it again.

Ellie Krieger writes a healthful-eating column for Local Living and a weekly Nourish recipe for Food. She is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author and hosts public televisions Ellies Real Good Food. Her most recent cookbook is You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals.

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The 5 Diets Project: Everyone lost, and everyone gained - Charleston Gazette-Mail (subscription)

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