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There's good news on the horizon for those who may be trying to lose weight this year. According to the newly released report on the Best Diets in 2022 from US News, you can achieve weight loss in a flexible, non-restrictive way.

This is because the report's winner for the Best Weight Loss Diet for 2022 is the Flexitarian diet, an easier and more usable version of a standard vegetarian diet.

We wanted to learn more about what it's like to follow the Flexitarian diet and its health benefits, so we talked with expert Kim Rose, RD for food tracking app Lose It!.

"Living Flexitarian is enjoying low-calorie plant foods and the occasional animal protein, which still allows you to see changes in your weight, so this dietary option is a total win-win," says Rose.

If you follow a vegetarian diet, you most likely avoid eating meat at all times. The Flexitarian diet is similar, but it takes a more flexible approach. Essentially the individual on this diet would eat mostly plant-based items, with meat-based products on occasion.

In her book, The Flexitarian Diet, Dawn Jackson Blatner says that a diet largely consisting of plants with smaller portions of meat can help lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

If you're someone who wanted to try this diet, Rose suggests stocking up on certain foods. "You'd want to make sure you have plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, because these are all high in fiber, low in calories, and do many wonderful things for the body such as keeping you full for a longer period of time and helping with satiety."

Not only does this diet allow for more fiber and more feelings of satiety, which both help significantly with weight loss, but it allows for more freedom and less restriction.

"Let's face the fact that diets can be hard to maintain, which is especially true if you're advised to avoid specific foods or food groups in order to lose weight," says Rose, "and cravings from this restriction can lead to the overindulgence of the very foods you were trying to avoid."

She concludes with this: "Instead of holding out, you may find greater success losing weight using a Flexitarian diet because it provides the best of both worlds, allowing you to eat a vegetarian diet on the days you desire to, and eat animal protein on the days you're craving it."

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This Surprising Eating Habit Is Now The Best for Slimming DownAnd It's Easy Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Food freedom its a complex term, with definitions ranging from ditching diet culture and restrictive diets to attaining good health and food security through growing your own foods.

Its marketed as an approach to address eating disorders for some and as a way to promote intentional weight loss for others.

However, in the health and wellness space, its an emerging, revolutionary concept that challenges societal norms of dieting and the thin ideal.

It is championed by passionate health professionals and game-changers, such as Shana Spence (@thenutritiontea). Spence is a registered dietitian who takes a non-diet, weight-inclusive approach to health.

She uses her platform to redefine what health means distinct from the diet industrys often-unattainable standards.

Another powerful and passionate food freedom champion is Dr. Kera Nyemb-Diop (@black.nutritionist), who has created a space that emphasizes body respect, eating without guilt, and reclaiming your cultural food heritage as an integral part of your healthy lifestyle.

In this article, we explore food freedom, explain what intuitive eating and mindful eating are, and discuss what roles if any they may have in the pursuit of intentional weight loss.

The food freedom framework has various definitions and applications, including but not limited to (1, 2):

In other contexts, food freedom refers to ditching dieting culture and restrictive diets by giving yourself permission to enjoy all foods in moderation (unless allergies or medical needs prevent you from eating certain foods).

In that application of food freedom, practitioners see food as more than just fuel. They seek to build a positive and judgment-free relationship with all foods, where guilt is not considered an ingredient in the eating experience.

This view of food freedom encompasses intuitive eating and mindful eating, two philosophies that cultivate self-trust around food choices and reject unnecessary restrictions.

Intuitive eating and mindful eating are often used to support recovery from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, chronic mental illnesses that negatively affect nutritional status and your relationship with food (3, 4, 5).

Overall, food freedom can help people overcome diet culture or introduce flexibility for intentional weight loss.

Because the varied and overlapping marketing of the term food freedom may lead to some confusion, context matters. This article will focus on food freedom as a non-diet approach to health and nutrition.

The term food freedom has various definitions, including ditching diet culture and cultivating self-trust around food choices. The food freedom approach has been used to support both eating disorder recovery and some intentional weight loss programs.

Food freedom as a therapeutic approach for eating disorder recovery grew out of the need for non-pharmaceutical treatments that emphasize behavioral changes, such as a positive body image and healthy eating attitudes (3, 6).

A 2017 study demonstrated that dieting accompanied by body dissatisfaction and the pursuit of thinness increases the risk of developing bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and purging disorder (7).

Even dieting among inherently lean individuals increases their risk of developing anorexia nervosa (7).

The multibillion-dollar diet industry promotes the thin ideal with unhealthy weight management behaviors, potentially encouraging disordered eating patterns that can contribute to the development of eating disorders (7, 8).

Theres evidence that dieting doesnt help those who are seeking long-term weight loss, either.

Weight regain within 15 years is common among chronic dieters, and approximately 33% of dieters regain more weight than they initially lost (8).

Dieting restrictions contribute to disordered eating. Food freedom, on the other hand, seeks to combat this (5).

Food freedom as a mindfulness-based practice may address disordered eating, including emotional eating and binge eating disorder. It can also help you avoid eating in response to external cues, such as the sight or smell of foods, when youre not physically hungry (6, 9).

In particular, intuitive eating is associated with improved psychological well-being and physical health and fewer dietary restrictions (5, 10).

Food freedom arose from the need for behavior-change approaches emphasizing positive body image and healthy eating attitudes instead of dieting restrictions. It can support folks in recovery from disordered eating or clinical eating disorders.

Although these three terms are often used interchangeably, you may wonder whether they are essentially the same. There are minor distinctions among their presiding principles.

For instance, mindful eating is rooted in the Buddhist practice of mindfulness and living with awareness and intention (11, 12).

Its a meditative practice that is built on the mind-body connection and fosters a state of nonjudgmental awareness that engages your senses sight, smell, taste, and feel during a meal (11, 12).

Mindful eating is the art of being present while you eat.

Similarly, intuitive eating nurtures a mind-body connection, but its distinctively rooted in a weight-inclusive approach to health and serves as the core of the Health at Every Size paradigm (10).

Intuitive eating is guided by 10 principles, including respecting your body, rejecting diet culture, making peace with food, and honoring health through gentle nutrition.

Food freedom, however, isnt so well defined. It may represent true forms of intuitive eating or mindful eating, or it may attempt to bridge gaps between intentional weight loss, caloric restriction, and increased flexibility with food.

Despite these differences, there is a common thread among the three terms: They all seek to reduce unnecessary dietary restrictions and improve your relationship with food.

They aim to remove prospects of guilt, shame, and negative emotions associated with consuming forbidden or bad foods.

The terms food freedom, intuitive eating, and mindful eating may be used interchangeably, but there are differences among these practices. However, they all seek to reduce dieting restrictions and increase flexibility.

Food freedom, when used as a non-diet approach to health, seeks to liberate you from the thin ideal and diet culture, unsafe weight loss or weight management behaviors, and yo-yo dieting.

Whether you choose to adopt a meditative approach with mindful eating or work through the 10 principles of intuitive eating, freedom from restriction and judgment is possible.

Here are some tips:

Food freedom as a non-diet approach to nutrition includes tuning in to your internal cues of fullness and hunger, removing morality from foods, and focusing on health-promoting behaviors rather than the scale.

Intentional weight loss is the active attempt to change your body weight, with the goal of lowering the number on the scale.

Although studies show that intuitive eating is associated with weight loss and a lower body mass index (BMI), at its core, intuitive eating is not a weight loss method (10).

A true intuitive eating program would not advertise weight loss as an outcome, since some people may lose weight while others may gain or maintain weight.

Intuitive eating allows your body to find its happy weight, or biologically determined set point weight.

Likewise, the fundamental principles of mindful eating are not focused on weight loss though some weight loss programs have co-opted its messages of mindfulness (11).

Other programs work to bridge the gap by focusing on health-promoting habits while instituting small calorie deficits that promote slow-paced weight loss without completely avoiding pleasurable foods that might not be nutrient-dense or low in calories.

The principles of intuitive eating and mindful eating dont focus on intentional weight loss, although weight loss, gain, or maintenance may occur when you adopt them. Instead, they focus on allowing your body to reach its happy, natural weight.

Food freedom is a highly marketed term with various definitions, ranging from overcoming diet culture and restrictive diets to engaging in food sovereignty. Therefore, context matters.

As a non-diet approach to nutrition, food freedom includes tuning in to your internal cues of fullness and hunger, decoupling foods and morality, and focusing on health-promoting behaviors not just the scale.

At their core, intuitive eating and mindful eating principles dont focus on or promote intentional weight loss. Rather, they help you discover and engage in health-promoting habits that may lead to weight loss, gain, or maintenance.

These frameworks help people foster positive relationships with foods and their bodies that are built on self-trust and self-compassion rather than on the thin ideal.

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What Is Food Freedom? Getting Started, Weight Loss, and Tips - Healthline

Wanna lose weight?A new study found an easy hack that might help.Just chew your food a little longer.(???)

Researchers in Japan had three groups of people eat the same liquid diet during an experiment.One group just swallowed it immediately.Another left it in their mouth for 30 seconds and then swallowed, which didn't make a difference.

But the third group pretended to chew on the liquid for 30 seconds before swallowing it, and that DID make a difference.

They found that just the act of chewing increased people's metabolism through a process called D.I.T., or "diet-inducedthermogenesis."

It only raised their metabolism a little bit and burned a small number of calories.But it could still make a difference if you make it a habit.

They say chewing a little more every time you eat could potentially have a "substantial" effect if you do it every time you eat, 365 days a year.

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Lose weight the easy weigh/way! - KFI AM 640

The spicier it is, the worse it gets too. Stir-fried mala with less spice contained 380mg of sodium and 3.4g of saturated fats per 100g, while the one with extra spice had 519mg of sodium and 6.3g of saturated fats.

If you want (it) extra spicy, theyll add more oil, said Wong. More oil means more fats.

According to dietitian Jacqueline Loh from Mount Alvernia Hospital, there are healthier ways to eat mala. She, for one, usually sees to it that the oil at the top of the broth is removed after her ingredients are cooked.

Sometimes the oil can fill three to four rice bowls, said Loh.

In terms of choosing ingredients, she said those that have been deep-fried beforehand, such as fried tofu skin and fried yam, would absorb double the amount of oil.

She also suggested blanching leafy vegetables like lettuce or spinach, instead of leaving them in the hotpot to cook fully and absorb the oil.

The same principles apply to stir-fried mala. And one way of reducing the sodium level is to ask for less paste and less oil to be used.

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Can mala help you lose weight? 5 things to know about the fiery dish - CNA

Chrononutrition has the ability to impact the internal body clock, that is, the circadian rhythm, and eventually the metabolic health of an individual.   |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: Experts say that an individual is what he or she eats; and now in continuation to it, they feel that an individual is also defined by when he or she eats. The nutritional value of everyday meals makes a huge difference in defining health parameters like body weight, metabolism, and eventually the risk of chronic diseases; however, getting a grip of chrononutrition could be the key to handling it all well.

Chrononutrition refers to a form of nutrition adjusted to suit an individuals biological clock. It involves eating the right type and quantity of food at specific hours during the day while keeping the lifestyle in mind. This study of how meal timing impacts health has three important aspects to look into:

How does chrononutrition impact metabolism?

Chrononutrition has the ability to impact the internal body clock, that is, the circadian rhythm, and eventually the metabolic health of an individual. This is reflected in markers like blood pressure, body fat, body mass index, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Experts say that irregular eating patterns with poorly distributed calorie intake for the day are linked to a high risk of metabolic disorders and accumulation of body fat over time a state known as metabolic syndrome.

In a 2015 study, experts monitored the meal timings of healthy adults over a three-week period. They noticed that eating patterns varied significantly between weekdays and weekends with people eating later on weekends. This shift to a longer, late eating window on weekends was termed as metabolic jet lag, a state that can have serious repercussions over time.

Later, a 2016 study conducted on women with a healthy BMI discovered that a regular meal pattern involving three whole meals and three snacks was linked to less hunger and better insulin sensitivity as opposed to an erratic meal pattern comprising the same amount of calories. This also explains why people working night shifts suffer from metabolic disorders even if they do not eat more calories.

Is there a way to beat metabolic jet lag?

As it turns out, there are some simple ways to beat the metabolic jet lag to eventually reduce the risk of disorders.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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Lose excess weight and lower BMI by timing your meals better: Experts tell you how - Times Now

It's that time of year again when the chances of seeing an ad for a weight loss program, a fitness app, or a company that wants to help you transform your body are even higher than usual.

Much of this messaging stems from what's known as diet culture.

"For me, diet culture is mostly about forcing people to look a certain way, forcing people to fit into a colonial standard of beauty," said Amirah Oyesegun, a recent UPEI foods and nutrition graduate and dietitian-in-training on P.E.I.

Diet culture, Oyesegun said, focuses more on your looks and weight rather than your overall health and well-being.

So, how can we better recognize and challenge diet culture?

It can be a challenge to notice, especially because of how diet culture is often presented.

"The issue is diet culture is often packaged as health. And so that's where the problem is," said Oyesegun, whose pronouns are they/them.

They said diet culture shows up in every client they have, even people whose health issues aren't related to weight loss.

"They still believe weight loss is the solution. Weight loss isn't necessarily the solution to all health problems."

Katharine MacDonald first started looking into the body positivity and anti-diet culture movement after having a stillbirth in 2013.

"That was kind of a traumatic experience, and it produced a change in my body," said MacDonald, who is originally from Charlottetown and now lives in Halifax.

"I just kind of started down this path of, like, looking towarddiversifying the kind of media that I was consuming, because I wanted to see more body types."

MacDonald said advertisers have gotten better at trying to sell diet culture "under the guise of health and wellness."

"But ultimately, if it's all centred on weight loss it is still rooted in anti-fatness, essentially."

Oyesegun reminds clients to be compassionate to themselves.

"Being healthy also includes your mental health," they said.

"If you force yourself and you're starving yourself to be in a smaller body and your mental health is not doing very well, then you're not healthy overall."

It's something Amila Topic, a personal trainer, also thinks about.

"We need to look at the whole person, their mental and emotional well-being as well as their physical," said Topic, who is alsothe owner of Kinetic Fitness in Charlottetown,

Many of her clients try to change two big things when the new year rolls around:their eating and fitness habits.

"With those two changes, to really make long-lasting positive changes in a person's life, we also need to look at their work and life stressors, how much sleep they're getting, what their personal life looks like," she said.

"I love to discuss what's realistic, what will help them feel good short term and long term."

There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to lose weight it all depends on your reasons why, said Topic.

"I like to ask, you know, 'Is losing 20 pounds something that's going to make you feel happy? Or is that something that long-term is sustainable?'" she said.

She encourages her clients to consider other goals.

"Can I make myself stronger, more mobile? Maybe start a weightlifting program and then allow that weight loss goal to be sort of a secondary goal?"

But Topic said she tries not to dismiss weight loss goals entirely. She said she's noticed "a huge pendulum swing" in the fitness industry away from esthetic goalsto the point where it's frowned upon to voice them at all.

"I try to validate the fact that somebody has that goal. And then I just try to question," she said.

Being surrounded by images of one type of thin body can be challenging if that's not what you look like.

"As a millennial woman, you know, you grow up with, like, The Biggest Loser on TV and pointed images of thinness everywhere that you look," MacDonald said.

If you're struggling with diet culture, she recommended seeking out a broader diversity of bodies on social media, something she did several years ago.

"Body types that were larger than mine, more folks who are disabled, racialized bodies, like, I just wanted to see more diversity in general, and I felt like that would serve me better."

The change helped her to accept her own body and judge others less.

"When people are given representation that they deserve people are less likely to be judgmental towardothers," she said.

Topic, as the owner of a fitness business, also hopes to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

"Fitness businesses and health businesses can do a lot better job at having more representation in their social media and in their media in general," she said.

"We definitely fall into the category of a business that could do better, too."

MacDonald said she and her two sisters had a conversation with their mom about the way she spoke about their bodies.

"We've had to kind of say, 'Look, we know that when you talk to us about our bodies, that it is coming from a place of love, but it's also rooted in some problematic ideas about bodies and health,'" said MacDonald.

"'Even if you want to compliment us on our weight or appearance, it's still going to feed into a narrative that overall that how we look matters and that our appearance is important.'"

At first, her mom found it hard to hear.

"Having a frank conversation about it might be a little difficult. But I know that a lot of my peers, a lot of, especially women, in their 20s and 30s, have had to have this kind of talk with their parents," MacDonald said.

This change won't happen overnight, said MacDonald.

"Understanding the way that fatphobia or anti-fatness seeps into our lives, and then improving acceptance of your own body and of other bodies is definitely a process," she said.

"It's not a quick and easy thing."

Oyesegun agreed, saying that switching your thought process is challenging.

"It is hard, because diet culture has been associated with health for so long."

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6 ways to recognize and challenge diet culture this year - CBC.ca

By now, we're sure you've concluded that there's no way to lose weight in a jiffy. It just doesn't happen. There are no magic potions or spells to get rid of belly fat overnight.

Weight loss is a product of adding healthier habits to replace the ones that are putting on the weight and sticking with them until they become a routine of your life. Some habits, fortunately, show weight-loss results faster than others. For example, the #1 drinking habit to adopt for faster weight loss is adding "beverages with benefits," says registered dietitian nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, creator of the website and blog BetterThanDieting.com.

What she means is making a habit of choosing drinks that contain ingredients that are known to support a healthy body weight.

Registered dietitian in private practice Laura Poe Mathes, RD, agrees that weight loss comes not so much from what you subtract from your diet or deny yourself, but from the healthy things you add.

By her estimation, two of the drinking habits to add to your routine for weight loss, other than more water, are drinking green tea and the fermented beverage kombucha.

"Kombucha has beneficial probiotics that support the microbiome, which has been linked to lower risk of obesity," she says. "And green tea is one of the best because of its high antioxidant content, which may help decrease inflammation, a factor linked to weight loss."

READ MORE:What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Green Tea for Weight Loss

A number of studies suggest that powerful antioxidant polyphenols, called catechins, found in abundance in green tea in combination with tea's caffeine may also improve weight loss by boosting metabolism.

One of Taub-Dix's favorite beverages with nutritional and weight loss benefits is unsweetened almond milk.

"Almond milk has only 30 calories per cup but you're getting more calcium than even dairy milk, as well as vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin A," she says. So almond milk can be an effective weight-loss beverage as a substitute for cow's milk, she says.

"If you need to develop a taste for almond milk, you may want to try a new product called Almond Breeze Extra Creamy. The pleasing mouthfeel comes from almond oil, one of the healthy fats," Taub-Dix says.

"Almond Breeze Extra Creamy contains just 80 calories per cup and 4 grams of added sugars. If you're looking for that decadence, it's really great and versatile. I use it on cereal, in smoothies, and in baked goods, soups, and stews."

Try out your favorite almond milk in some of these 25 Best-Ever Weight Loss Smoothie Recipes.

Both nutritionists say that making their favorite beverages with benefits a habit can also help you elbow out the worst beverage for weight loss, soda. "Kombucha, because it's carbonated, makes a great soda substitute," says Mathes.

After all, there's little redeeming value for soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages like juice cocktails and sweet tea. Government surveys show that SSBs contribute about a third of the added sugars the average American consumes daily. On average, adults consume 145 calories from SSBs every day.

"Drinking soda is like mixing 10 teaspoon packets of sugar in a glass of water and drinking it down," says Taub-Dix. "It's devoid of anything nutritious."

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The #1 Drinking Habit for Faster Weight Loss, Says Dietitian Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

NFL star Ndamukong Suh has managed to stay injury-free for his entire 12-year NFL career, and has done so at a weight of 315 lbs.

The 35-year-old defensive tackle has started all 17 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year, and currently holds the NFL's lead in consecutive starts by any active player since 2012, and hasn't missed a game to injury as a pro. He credits his strict lifestyle for his longevity and durability.

Suh toldGQthathe follows wellness practices, including intermittent fasting, drinking kombucha every day, and a high-protein diet.

"When I started to take a holistic approach to my training, that's when I saw big payoffs," he told GQ. "We really take a holistic approach as we go throughout a week."

As a follower of intermittent fasting, Suh followsa schedule that switches between periods of eating and periods of fasting. It's an eating strategy that doesn't put limits on what you eat, but rather when you eat.

Intermittent fasting has been popularized as a weight-loss technique, but for Suh, who maintains his 315-lb frame to be an effective defensive lineman, that isn't his objective.

One benefit associated with intermittent fasting is reduced inflammation, a focus for professional athletes trying to avoid injury.

When your body is in a fasted state, your glucose reserves are next to empty, which may reduce painful inflammation,Andrew Wang, MD, a professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, previously told Insider. Wang said the bodyproduces less inflammation when burning ketones compared to glucose. Some studies have foundthat diets that promote ketosis can also alleviate inflammatory pain.

Another potential benefit Suh gets from intermittent fasting is improved cognitive function a key quality for older players who are not as nimble and fast as younger ones. A small 2016 study which tested amateur weightlifters after a 48-hour fast found that the those who fasted had improved "mental flexibility," which was defined as participants' ability to quickly and efficiently switch between tasks, according to the researchers.

Suh's eating period comes around mid day, so lunch and a pre-lunch snack are his biggest meals, according to GQ.

For his pre-lunch snack, Suh will eat almond butter, hard boiled eggs, parfaits, and trail mix, which are all dense in protein.

Suh said kombucha aprobiotic-rich, low-sugar alternative to soda is also regularly featured in his pre-lunch snack. Kombucha is a fermented tea made by adding sugar and yeast to black or green tea.

The probiotics in kombucha can establish themselves in your gut and help the healthy bacteria in your digestive system digest and absorb other nutrients, Vanessa Rissetto, RDN, co-founder of Culina Health, previously told Insider.

Suh said his most common lunch is low-carb, like a salad with chicken or vegetables.

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NFL player who has never been injured shares high-protein fasting diet - Insider

Shark Tank investor Kevin OLeary may be bulking up his portfolio with cryptocurrency these days, but he is slimming down his weight.

The 510 millionaire businessman is currently 164 pounds, after dropping 20 pounds late last year. OLeary tells Yahoo Finance Live he was incentivized to shed those pandemic pounds after his annual medical checkup revealed he had high blood pressure.

My doctor said youve got to lose 20 pounds, your blood pressure is way up. Its been going up every year because youve been gaining weight, said O'Leary, chairman of O'Shares Investment. "That happens to a lot of people, over time, you become more sedentary and put on pounds."

At his doctors recommendation, the 67-year-old began intermittent fasting, and he says the pounds started melting off.

I fast for 16 hours everyday so basically, I dont eat breakfast, OLeary said. I have my meal at 7 or 8 at night, maybe a little later, and then I dont eat again until around 1 in the afternoon the next day. It was hell for the first 3 weeks, and now Im never hungry, he said. Its a remarkable thing what your body can do if you get used to it.

MIAMI, FL - Kevin O'Leary meets and greets fans at Costco to sign his wine label on December 4, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Aaron Davidson/WireImage)

A passionate wine drinker and investor, OLeary has even cut back on drinking alcohol, despite owning the the award-winning wine label, OLeary Fine Wines. He admits reducing his wine intake hasnt been easy but says it quickly eliminates a few hundred daily calories from his diet. On average, there are 200 calories in an 8-ounce glass of red wine.

OLeary also says he makes an effort to eat right, which means plenty of salads and fresh fish and makes time for physical activity every day even if that just means going for a walk.

Alexis Christoforous is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter@AlexisTVNews.

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Shark Tanks Kevin OLeary on how he lost weight: 'Now Im never hungry' - Yahoo Finance

Pork belly is a popular meat dish in world cuisine. You can find pork belly all over the world in different cultures from guo bao (pork belly bao buns) to flskesteg (Danish pork roast) and Lechon kawali (Filipino deep-fried pork belly).

Its rich flavor and versatility make pork belly a popular option at home and in many restaurants.

As its name suggests, pork belly is a fatty piece of meat. This may make you wonder whether its healthy and whether it provides any nutritional benefits.

This article explores all you need to know about pork belly, including its nutrition, benefits, and potential downsides.

Pork belly is a boneless cut of meat that comes from the underside of a hogs belly.

Once the butcher has removed the spareribs and loin from the pig, the tender pork belly may be left over. This may explain its lower price at your local meat market.

Because pork belly has a high fat content, its best when prepared in any of the following ways:

If you want the most tender pork belly, you may opt for a slow, moist cooking method such as braising or stewing.

These cooking methods distinguish pork belly from bacon, which is pork belly with its skin removed that has been cured, salted, and smoked. Chefs often pan-fry bacon or cook it in the oven.

Pork belly is a boneless, fatty cut that comes from the underside of a hogs belly. You can cook it in a variety of ways, such as slow-roasting, braising, stewing, or grilling.

A 4-ounce (113-gram) serving of pork belly provides (1):

Because pork belly consists mostly of fat, this serving size packs up to 585 calories, 60 grams of total fat, and 22 grams of saturated fat (1).

However, its also an excellent source of B vitamins, as well as a source of other important nutrients such as vitamin E, zinc, iron, and copper (1).

Plus, pork belly is very low in sodium, providing only 36.2 mg per serving. Some recipes may boost the sodium content, so take note of how you prepare your pork belly (1).

Though pork belly is high in calories and fat, it provides B vitamins, zinc, and other nutrients.

Compared with other pork cuts, pork belly is higher in fat and lower in protein.

Heres a comparison of pork belly and two other pork cuts of the same serving size (4 ounces or 113 grams) (1, 2, 3):

These cuts contain similar amounts of the same nutrients, such as B vitamins, iron, and zinc (2, 3).

Compared with the same serving size of other pork cuts, pork belly is higher in calories and fat but lower in protein.

There are many culinary benefits to pork belly.

Pork belly is well known for its succulent, rich flavor.

You can deepen the rich, savory taste of pork belly by slow-cooking it so that the fat renders and breaks down.

Considering pork bellys strong fatty taste, you may want to serve your dish with light, fresh ingredients such as cucumber, lettuce, citrus, herbs, and pickled onions.

Pork bellys versatility makes it a popular ingredient in dishes from many cultures.

You can find it in sandwiches, stuffed buns, stews, hot pot, ramen, tacos, tamales, and many more dishes. Its also served by itself either roasted, barbecued, or deep-fried.

Moreover, many dishes use crispy pork belly as a garnish.

If youre searching for a delicious yet affordable cut of meat, pork belly is a great option. Its cheaper than other pork cuts such as tenderloin and loin.

You may find that pork belly is a perfect dinner option due to its versatility, rich flavor, and low cost.

Though there are some notable benefits of pork belly, there are also a few downsides.

Because pork belly contains so much fat, its high in calories. It has roughly 585 calories per 4 ounces (113 grams) (1).

Therefore, it may not be a great option for people trying to lose weight or decrease calorie intake.

However, if you enjoy pork belly on rare occasions, its unlikely to affect any weight loss goals you may have.

Compared with other cuts of pork, pork belly contains more saturated fat.

While saturated fat can be part of a healthy diet, a South Korean study on pork belly intake suggests lowering your total calories from saturated fat. Thats because it may be linked to numerous health conditions, including heart disease (4).

A 4-ounce (113-gram) serving of pork belly has 22 grams of saturated fat, or almost 10% of calories from saturated fat based on a 2,000-calorie diet (1).

Therefore, you may decide to eat pork belly only on special occasions or to consume smaller portions.

Pork belly is lower in protein than other cuts of pork.

For example, pork loin contains an impressive 24 grams of protein per 4-ounce (113-gram) serving. Pork belly contains only 10 grams for the same serving size (1, 2).

If youre looking to increase your protein intake, opt for other pork cuts, such as pork loin, pork tenderloin, ribs, or ham.

Pork belly is high in calories, total fat, and saturated fat but lower in protein than other pork cuts. Therefore, it may not be the best cut of pork if youre watching your weight or looking to reduce your fat intake.

Pork belly is known for its succulent flavor, versatility, and low cost all of which help make it a staple ingredient in many world cuisines.

However, compared with other cuts of pork, pork belly contains more calories, total fat, and saturated fat. Furthermore, it contains about half as much protein as other pork cuts.

If you enjoy eating pork belly, it may be best to keep portion sizes small and to eat it on special occasions.

Link:
Pork belly nutrition - Healthline

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