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Kylie Jenner is making her health and fitness a priority in 2021, but she's not turning to expensive exercise programs or adopting an intense diet to do it. Instead, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has started a simple routine that's keeping her full, focused, and fit.

Read on to discover exactly how Kylie has changed her workout and exercise plans to slim down and stay healthy. And for more celebrity transformations, Nikki Bella Shows Off the Exact Workout That Transformed Her Body.

While Jenner recently revealed her major McDonald's order to the world, including Spicy Chicken McNuggets, French fries, and cinnamon buns, she's been trying to eat healthier most of the time. One of the biggest changes she's made? Adopting a primarily plant-based diet, like big sister Kim Kardashian.

In a March 28 post to her Instagram Stories, Jenner revealed her dinner of cooked broccoli, sweet potato, and quinoa. "Really trying to not eat meat rn so here's my little dinner," she captioned the clip.

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Jenner's workout plan doesnt involve expensive personal training sessionsit's actually pretty relaxed. On March 28, Jenner posted a photo of her workouta 3.5 mile run/walkto her Instagram stories. "Cute little Sunday" she captioned a photo of her progress.

And for more celebrity transformations, Model Kaia Gerber Shows Off Her Exact Workout Routine.

It's not just running that keeps Jenner fit, however. The Kylie Cosmetics founder has been open about preferring to forgo the gym in favor of doing an at-home toning routine. In 2020, she told Harpers Bazaar, "I never find myself in a gym. I find myself on the floor of my bedroom looking up on, like, Google or Pinterest and doing abs, lunges, squatsall that good stuff."

Though Jenner has admitted to enjoying everything from In-N-Out to Fritos in the past, she says she tries to avoid eating late at night. So, how does she fight off her late-night junk food jones?

"I avoid late-night cravings because I lock myself in my bedroom and I turn on my TVI get really comfortableand I pre-slice an apple by my bed," she told Harper's Bazaar. "Since I'm really comfortable, I'll be too lazy, probably, to go down to the kitchen, so my only choice is this apple." And for more insight into what your favorite celebs eat, Megan Thee Stallion Reveals the Exact Meals That Transformed Her Body in One Month.

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Kylie Jenner Reveals Her Exact Diet and Exercise Plan | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

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Alishia McCullough, founder of Black and Embodied

In todays society, everyone is walking around with different levels of trauma from a culmination of life experiences. Healing from our past pains can create a better world for everyone; where we are all operating from a place of fulfillment and love. For many people of color, the continued traumas experienced as a result of systemic racism have a detrimental effect on health and wellbeing. Alishia McCullough is a North Carolina-based licensed clinical mental health therapist who focuses her work around the healing of emotional and mental distress that Black and brown people commonly experience. Alishia centers her work around folks living with eating disorders and upholds the values of body justice and fat liberation within Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color(QTBIPOC), and runs a successful Instagram page, Black and Embodied, that boasts nearly 250,000 followers. Alishia sat down with Forbes to discuss what healing looks like to her, why food is a beautiful delight that should not be avoided, and how we as a society can push back against anti-black and Eurocentric standards of beauty.

Janice Gassam Asare: Could you just share a little bit about yourself and your background for the Forbes readers who may not be familiar with you?

Alishia McCullough: Absolutely. So, my name is Alishia McCullough. I use she/her pronouns. I'm a licensed mental health therapist, a nationally certified counselor. I'm also the founder of Black and Embodied Counseling and Consulting, as well as the founder of the Holistic Black Healing Collective, the co-founder of Amplify Melanated Voices, and now I'm just starting the Black Body Liberation Collective as well. Also, published author of Blossoming, which is a poetry book that I published about three years ago.

Asare: The first question that I wanted to dive intoyou do a lot of work around diet culture and white supremacy, and how they're interlinked. Do you want to share a little bit more about that, because I don't think enough people are talking about this linkage between diet culture, anti-blackness, and white supremacy?

McCullough: Absolutely. I will go ahead and say upfront as well that I wasn't aware that there was a link at first, but when I got into the field, I was working professionally, leading groups, working with clients individually, as well as exploring my own journey. I got into the work of Sabrina Strings, and so her book is called Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. Through there is when I made the connection around how fat phobia actually was started here in America when enslaved people were brought over, and those who were enslavers were looking at our bodies and saying, oh, they're in bigger bodies. How do we continue to create distinctions to set ourselves apart from Black folks?

What they did was essentially moralized this slave diet and said, we're not going to eat like them, and so, because they eat the scraps that we give them or the leftovers, we're going to eat this certain way. They also said, thinness is now going to be the ideal, because here we are having all these diverse bodies and not just bigger bodies, but bodies of all shapes and sizes, and we need to be able to distinguish ourselves from those folks. That's what started this whole diet culture. That's what started fat phobia and this idea of escaping fatness, so fat phobia and diet culture are all rooted in anti-blackness, because that was the foundation of how it was started.

Asare: How do you think that people can push back against the white supremacist and anti-black culture that has become diet culture? We saw all of the backlash that Lizzo has been getting, which I find to be really interesting, because I think society says, how dare you be fat, Black, and a woman! We see all of the backlash that she's been receiving, where people are berating her because of her size, are making assumptions about her health because of her size, and then are telling her to love herself in the same regardhow do you think that we can, especially those of us who identify as folks of colorhow do you think that we can push back against the anti-blackness and the white supremacist culture that is telling us we have to lose weight? That is telling us we have to eat a certain way. White doctors that are telling us that we're too fat, or our bodies are too big. Even something recently that I learned is about the BMI, and the person that created it, and how anti-black that whole sort of calculation is. What do you think that people can do to push back against that?

"We have to be able to also just show up in the fullness of who we are, and take up space, and not ... [+] deprive ourselves, even when it comes to pleasure in our relationships, in our communities, we have to be willing to show up fully."

McCullough: I'm currently writing a piece about this now, and so what I talk about is that body image, diet culture, and well, body image, eating disorders, and disordered eating are all things that were injected on to us through that white supremacy culture. Essentially, the way that that has showed up for us is through unaddressed trauma, and so that can look like current trauma that we're facing, racial discrimination, medical discrimination. That can also look like ancestral trauma. Trauma that was not able to be processed through our ancestors bodies, that just got passed down to us biologically, sociologicallybeing passed on as well, but I also think there's a component, especially for those who do come from enslaved ancestors, of just the general biological starvation that was passed on as well. All of these things are affecting our eating and contributing to us having eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues.

What I say is that first we have to work on that relationship. In regards to the starvation relationship, there is biological studies that show that even for those who were starved, and then they were given adequate nutrition, that two generations afterward were still showing those symptoms of starvation. I think for us, when we know that we cannot continue to deprive ourselves and our bodies, and so when I look at starvation or deprivation, I look at it in a bigger scope of not just what we're eating, but how we're showing up and taking up space. We have to be able to also just show up in the fullness of who we are, and take up space, and not deprive ourselves, even when it comes to pleasure in our relationships, in our communities, we have to be willing to show up fully.

I think that's one aspect of it, and then when it comes to that complex trauma, ancestral trauma, I think that is going to take more of that mental and emotional work. That could look like going to therapy, that could look like getting involved in a spiritual group, or talking to somebody in a spiritual community to be able to commune with those ancestors and work through those intergenerational wounds. I think those are the things that our community can do, and then also to get more embodied within ourselves. I've been talking to a lot of dance instructors and people that do a lot of more sematic work, and they're saying that Black women and femmes are further behind in being embodied than other communities. We don't have that connection of being with ourselves in the present. I think that also taking that intentional moment of presence, being mindful, sitting in the here and now, those are also ways that we can get more into our bodies and access what we have either been trying to escape, or that hasn't become...maybe we've been numbing it out, or we just don't have access to that, because we've just been so far removed from our bodies over time, because of that white supremacy, and because of that violence that was done to our bodies.

Asare: I love the tie in, because you run a really informative Instagram page called Black and Embodied. Is that part of the reason why you decided to start the page and call it Black and Embodied? Was that part of the reason why you decided to focus some of the content on your page around this topic?

McCullough: Absolutely. As a therapist, I specialize within treating eating disorders and disordered eating, and so within that work, what I was finding is that I would lead groups, or I'd work with individuals and they'd all be white folks. I never see people like us in treatment, and if they were, they didn't have a diagnosis already of anorexia or any type of other eating disorder, binge eating, anything like that, but they exhibit the same patterns and symptoms that I would see in the white clients, but it just wouldn't be talked about. It would be either overlooked or misdiagnosed. I got intentional with the people that I would see, that looked like usmaking sure that we were having those conversations, exploring the complexities and not just like, what is your eating like, and what is your body image? but like, what's your relationship to your hair, and your skin tone, and your features? Because all of that ties in with body image as well.

It became more layered and complex. I was like, with us having these eating disorders and with statistics showing, even though they haven't done the research so far, but it's estimated that Black and brown folks actually struggle with eating disorders at higher rates than those in white communities, but still not getting the same adequate treatment. I said, this is an area with a gap, and I want to be the person that helps support, stands in that gap, and also provides resources so that we are getting the help that we need. I also find that a lot of times when Black or brown folks get eating disorders [it is] because of financial inaccessibility and other systematic barriers [and] we're not able to get the treatment that we need. Oftentimes we suffer in silence, or the eating disorders get worse and worse and worse, and we don't get the help that we need because of all of those barriersthat's why I'm doing the work that I'm doing with Black and Embodied. That's why I started a page, so that I could give voice and be a person talking about these things, so that people could get on and say, hey, there's someone who looks like me saying these things and knows my experience.

Asare: How do you grapple with the fact that food is supposed to be healing, and brings you joy, but also at the same time, you're being told that you have to be mindful of the way that you eat, so that you can look a certain way? All of that plays into white supremacy, but do you feel like food can be used as a form of healing the traumas that people are experiencing, especially the racial trauma that people are experiencing?

McCullough: I think thatour relationship with food can be healing if we bring back in that spiritual and emotional piece, but I think that being in this white supremacist society, everything is about how do we separate each piece from it? How do we just make it about this? How does it not become emotional? There's so much demonization around even emotional eating, and it's like, there's nothing wrong with being emotional when you're eating. That's just the way that we are. I think that if we kind of divest and dismantle this idea that everything has to be mechanical, or that we have to strive for certain eating habits that are mostly rooted in rules, and good and bad, and these dualities and binaries, and get more towards food just being a part of our life, and who we are, and our spirit, then I think that's where we start to cultivate that better relationship with food. I know that's a process, because there's just been so much injected oppression put on us over centuries, and so it will take a while to dismantle and unpack all of those messages that have been given to us.

Asare: Alishia, what does healing look like to you, and what does liberation look like for you?

McCullough: Yes. Okay. Healing for me looks like being able to fully be who I am, and know that I am fulfilling the purpose that I was put here to do. For me, the purpose that I feel like I was put here to do is heal myself, and my community, and my family lineage. In that, I know that it requires for me to be able to...go to therapy myself. It requires for me to be able to be in healing community. It requires for me to be able to heal parts of myself that I didn't even have access to, because some of these traumas and wounds came before I was even here. Healing for me looks like being able to do that work while also practicing that compassion and grace towards myself in the process, and feeling fully whole within myself throughout the journey.

I will say, I don't feel like healing has a destination, because I think we're always, as humans, adapting, and changing, and growing, and evolving, but it's the process of healing that...it's just like the beauty in the process of healing, if I can say that? Then in regards to liberation, I think that, and I learned this actually from a mentor of mine, Shawna Murray-Brown, who told me that freedom is more individual. It's like, I'm free so we're good essentially, but liberation is more like our community collective is free, and so, for me, I feel liberated when other folks are liberated as well. That's why I do the work that I do, because while I have access to this information, there's someone out there, and lots of people out there that might not know about this as well. I truly won't feel liberated until other people have access to this knowledge as well, and can also feel that same feeling too.

To learn more about Alishia and her work, click here.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Continued here:
Food Is Not The Enemy: Alishia McCullough Shares Why Fat phobia, And Not Food, Is The Problem We Should Be Addressing - Forbes

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At age 23, Kylie Jenner is known for hustlingwith a TV show and cosmetics lineand never more so than when it comes to her fitness and diet. Leave em on red, she captioned an Instagram post yesterday, in which she showed off her gym-toned arms in a red midriff-baring top with leather pants, while sitting on a white outdoor couch. At the same time, an insider shared her workout with E! Onlineand days before, Jenner herself shared her workout on Instagram. Read on to see Jenners fit look in the new outfit, and learn more about her workout and diet routine.

Jenner prefers doing outdoor workouts because it's more distracting and feels nice to be in nature, the insider tells E! Online. Two days ago, Jenner posted on Instagram saying never miss a monday! The accompanying video has her climbing uphill, running along a trail, hitting the treadmill at a 12.0 incline, and 3.2 speed, and then doing core work: some crunches and planks. Perhaps that helps her fit into these red leather pants. Next, see what the insider told E! about her diet.

Jenner has a three-year-old daughter, Stormi. "She will go on long walks with Stormi on the trails by her house or go for a hike nearby," the insider told E! Online, adding, "Kylie has been watching what she eats at home but isn't restricting herself. When she goes out with friends, she eats what she wants. She has been super motivated recently and is loving the endorphins."

By never missing a Monday, Jenner ensures she can stay on target. Setting timely goals is one of the most effective tips to help my clients stay consistent, says Ilana Muhlstein, author of the bestselling weight loss book You Can Drop It. People like to make broad goals like I want to lose 10 pounds, and its not good enough. When you are faced with chocolate cookies at 4pm or 9pm, its too easy to say, Ehh, its okay, I can have some. However, if you know that you want to lose 10 pounds by that big presentation youre giving or an event you are attending, things will change. It will help you stay more focused and able to say I really dont need cookies right now.

Jenner's recent workout video started off with a cup of coffee, smart because coffee can cause fat cells to be used as an energy source as opposed to fat. Jenner may know that java can help fuel workouts. I usually stick to a splash of almond or whole milk and stevia, says Mulhstein on how to stay healthy.

Kylie promotes the moisture-sealing effects of her lip balm, and sells a hydrating face mask, so she knows how important liquid is: When running on the trail, Jenner is seen with a bottle of water. I always recommend choosing #waterfirst to meet your water goal, says Muhlstein, who recommends drinking a minimum of 16 ounces of water before every meal. For more on Jenners diet and workout, dont miss this essential list: Kylie Jenner Reveals Her Exact Diet and Exercise Plan.

Excerpt from:
Kylie Jenner Shares Crop Top Photo and New Workout | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

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Yates County Cornell Cooperative Extension| The Chronicle Express

SNAP-Ed New York offers tailored nutrition education to balance health benefits with personal preference

This year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is urging Americans to personalize their plates for National Nutrition Month. From a young age, people are taught to celebrate their individuality. Unique dietary habits should be no exception. Whether based on age, sex, culture, ethics, or taste, everyone has different nutritional needs and preferences. The Academy recognizes that to prescribe a universal dietary solution to health would be unrealistic. In addition to individual preference and characteristics, there are also a variety of social and economic barriers to consider when examining food intake choices. Encouraging personal modifications to the recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans is an effective compromise to balancing nutritional needs with dietary preferences.

National Nutrition Month was developed in March of 1973 as a mechanism to deliver nutrition education teachings. With nutrition as its cornerstone, the SNAP-Ed New York-Southern Finger Lakes Region team uses the month of March to invigorate its goals and teachings. This year, the team intends to collaborate with vital community partners to find effective ways to help residents across the region personalize and enrich their diets in a manner that fits within their lifestyles.

This month is an important opportunity for the SNAP-Ed New York-Southern Finger Lakes team to emphasize community partnerships in determining resident-specific barriers to healthy eating, said Justine Cobb, SNAP-Ed New York Project director. Right now especially, community members are facing unique hardships. Through working collaboratively with partner agencies, we are hoping to target and reduce these obstacles by offering nutrition education programs that can be personalized from participant to participant.

In line with the theme of Personalize your Plate, the Academy is advocating for eating right through the life stages, consuming nutrient-rich foods, and putting personal touches on traditional dishes. As humans grow and evolve, so do their nutritional needs. It is important to make dietary choices according to age to improve immunity and prevent chronic disease. Both immunity and disease prevention can also be optimized through using food as the primary source of nutrients. Evidence shows that diet is a more reliable source of vitamins and minerals than pills or supplements. Through making subtle, nutrient-dense swaps to favorite recipes, it is possible to maximize both nutritional value and joy from eating.

In program delivery, SNAP-Ed New York-Southern Finger Lakes nutritionists emphasize eating a variety of healthy foods from each food groups, offer age-specific curriculums, and encourage participants to make personal modifications to recipes. Through reinforcing these themes during program education, our team consistently aids community members in individualizing the Dietary Guidelines in a way that works for them, commented Olivia Dates, senior nutritionist of SNAP-Ed New York-Southern Finger Lakes Region.

For more information on available SNAP-Ed New York programs in the Southern Finger Lakes Region, tips on healthy eating, or recipes, visit http://www.snapedny.org. Ideas on how to participate in National Nutrition Month and information on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics can be found at http://www.eatright.org.

About Cornell Cooperative Extension & SNAP-Ed New York:

Cornell Cooperative Extension and its partnerships provide programs forresidents on youth and family development; nutrition, health, and food safety; community and economic vitality; and agricultural sustainability through Cornell based research.

Locally, SNAP-Ed New York in the Southern Finger Lakes region operates under Cornell Cooperative Extension Steuben County, in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County. The SNAP-Ed New York Southern Finger Lakes region supports residents of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates Counties.

SNAP-Ed New York is a federally funded evidence-based program that helps people lead healthier lives. SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education is FREE to all individuals who qualify for and/or receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP-Ed teaches people using or eligible for SNAP about good nutrition, how to make their food dollars stretch further and the importance of being physically active. SNAP-Ed New York provides nutrition education lessons, materials and sponsors education events and classes in communities across New York State. Visit http://www.snapedny.org to find a program in your community.

Excerpt from:
EXTENSION CORNER: Modifying diets to fit individual lifestyles, not the other way around - Penn Yan Chronicle-Express

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As we get older, many changes happen to our body, we become frail, our hair turns white, and our skin wrinkles. We also become more susceptible to disease and may lose our cognitive abilities.

Aging is generally considered an inevitable part of life, but can it be delayed, prolonging our youthful years? We asked 8 experts the question,'Can aging be delayed?'Interestingly, there was a75 percent 'likely' consensus.Here is what we found out.

All living things are made of cells. Scientists often grow cells in the lab to study them. In 1961, researcherLeonard Hayflicknoticed that, on average, a human cell can only divide 50 times before it goes into a hibernation-like state called 'senescence'. It is thought that an accumulation of senescent cells in tissues of the body could damage other cells andplay a crucial role in aging.

There are many causes of aging and senescence at the cellular level. These includeoxidative damage, accumulations ofsmall errors in DNA,and the shortening of telomeres. Essentially, different components of the cell go through general wear and tear throughout the cell's lifetime. At some point, this damage means the cell can no longer function as it used to.

Whilst Hayflick noticed that normal human cells had a finite lifetime,some cellsare able to multiply indefinitely. These cells are normally from cancers or have been genetically modified. Bychanging certain pathways in cells, such as how they multiply or the maintenance of telomeres, we can overcome the normal process of aging.

Aging can therefore be delayed in cells and is routinely done so to aid research. Importantly, however, these cells are not the same as the healthy cells you would find in the human body.

Genetic manipulation can not only delay aging in cells but also in whole animals (also called 'model organisms'). Experiments to delay aging started in the nematode wormC. elegans. Due to how easy these animals are to work with in the laboratory, scientists have found awhole range of pathwaysthat can be tinkered to delay aging.

Interestingly, one of these pathways is connected to metabolism and diet. Restricted diets have been found to delay aging in a whole range of animals, fromfliestomonkeystodogs. The restricted calorie intake might prompt the cells in the body to go into a 'protective' mode, which slows down aging.

Dr Gerardo Ferbeyre, an expert in anti-aging from Montreal University,points outthat "[a]lthough not everything that works in model organisms will likely work in humans, some of the ideas coming from aging research may eventually lead to anti-aging therapies."

Professor Janet Thornton, an expert in anti-aging from the European Bioinformatics Institute,highlightsthat "[i]n humans, it is not ethical to perform mutations, and there are so many conflicting forces at work that it is difficult to assess the impact of dietary restrictions. In the lab, worms' life span can be increased 10-fold; in flies and mice, the max increase is just 1.5 fold, but an equivalent measure is not available in humans. It is likely that the human system is complex with many interconnections and buffering, so such extensions may not be accessible."

Despite these complications, there aresome drugsthat are undergoing clinical trials to see if they can delay aging in humans. So far, it is not clear whether these compounds will work.

Dr Marco Demaria from the Groningen Universitysays,"We have several lifestyle interventions clearly influencing onset and progression of aging (diet and exercise at the top of the list)." Many of the other experts suggested improving diet and exercise in order to delay aging. People who do regular exercise and live healthy lifestyles are usually more mobile andenjoy a higher quality of lifewhen they get older.

Whilst aging is stilllikely inevitablefor all living things, it is possible to delay it in cells and animals experimentally. For us humans, the best way to delay aging is to eat a balanced diet and do regular exercise.

Article based on 8 expert answers to this question: "Can aging be delayed?"

This expert response was published in partnership with independent fact-checking platform Metafact.io. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter here.

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Scientists Think We Can 'Delay' The Aging Process, But How Far Can We Actually Go? - ScienceAlert

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ByMichael Ormsbee, PhD,Florida State UniversityEdited by Kate Findley and proofread byAngelaShoemaker, The Great Courses DailyVitamin B12 and iron are essential for maintaining health and come from a variety of food groups, both plant and animal sources. Photo By Tatjana Baibakova / ShutterstockAvoiding B12 and Iron Deficiencies

One nutrient that plant-based dieters are often deficient in is Vitamin B12 since only animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products contain substantial amounts of it. You can get B12 from foods like cereals that are fortified with it, but otherwise supplementing might be needed.

Iron is also a nutrient that needs special attention when eating primarily plant-based diets. Heme ironmost readily absorbablecomes from animal products and makes up about 40% of iron in meat.

Non-heme iron is the less well-absorbed form of iron found in nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruit. Plant-based dieters need almost two times the amount of iron from plant sources to get the same amount of iron as meat eaters.

Research has found that vitamin C helps with absorption of the non-heme, plant-based iron, but calcium and tannins found in drinks like tea and coffee reduce non-heme iron absorption. Since many plant-based eaters consume a good amount of vitamin C from foods like peppers, kale, and broccoli, the absorption of iron might not be an issue at all. It just makes sense to combine iron intake with vitamin C and try to consume calcium supplements or tea and coffee an hour or two before you eat iron-rich foods.

Vitamin D is also a special concern for plant-based eating. Dairy foods are often fortified with vitamin D, meaning that vitamin D is added to the final food or drink during processing.

Some plant-based eaters avoid dairy as well as meat. Luckily, the best source of vitamin D is sunlight. Thus, if youre a vegetarian lacking in vitamin D and you dont get much sun, then you should talk to your health care professional about supplementing with vitamin D.

Plant-based eaters should also pay special attention to omega-3 fats in their diets. Cold-water fish provide ample supplies of omega-3 fats, but non-fish-eaters can go for walnuts, seaweed, hemp, and flax to take in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

ALA is then converted to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)the types of fatty acids that nutrition experts regard as the heavy hitters of the omega-3-fatty acids. These fatty acids can help with body composition and are also needed for warding off disease.

Unfortunately, the body uses the plant-based sources for omega-3s inefficiently. Thus, once again, supplementation is needed with a DHA or EPA product from fish oil, krill oil, or an algae-based product.

Other needs for plant-based eating include both calcium and zinc. Again, these can be consumed in the diet, but absorption of both tends to be low compared to non-vegetarians.

While zinc is found in many plant foods like lentils, peanuts, and quinoa, its absorption is lower than it is when you get it from animal products. This just means that plant-based eaters need to take in more zinc to fulfill the same requirements.

If you are very physically active and training for performance, a few other dietary considerations include traditional sports supplements like creatine and beta alanine. Creatine is made naturally in your body, but you also get some from your dietif you eat meat and fish, that is.

Those who only eat plants will have lower levels of stored creatine. Since creatine is used for short, explosive movementsand has shown to have some benefits for cognition, neurological disorders, and muscle massit might be needed as a supplement.

Additionally, vegetarians have about 50% less carnosine in their muscle tissues. Carnosine is a protein building block concentrated in muscles when they are working. Due to the link between carnosine concentrations and overall health, as well as evidence for exercise performance advantages emerging in the scientific literature, supplementing with beta alanine for the production of carnosine might be important.

Above all, if you are eating a plant-based diet, make sure to include a combination of plant proteins to meet your dietary goals. Include a good variety of non-starchy vegetables like greens, spinach, arugula, broccoli, and squash and good fats like nuts, seeds, and healthy oils.

Eat fruit, starchy vegetables like corn and peas, and starches like bread, whole grains, and potatoes to complete your energy needs. The health benefits that come from a plant-based diet can be achieved by simply eating more plants.

Michael Ormsbee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences and Interim Director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine in the College of Human Sciences at Florida State University. He received his MS in Exercise Physiology from South Dakota State University and his PhD in Bioenergetics from East Carolina University.

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Which Vitamins and Nutrients Are Plant-Based Diets Potentially Missing? - The Great Courses Daily News

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Islamic Relief has been working with rural communities in South Sudan, where long-standing drought and conflict has led to a major refugee crisis, severe poverty and widespread hunger. Over 7 million people do not know where their next meal is coming from. We have been supporting communities to build thriving agricultural livelihoods and build peace.

In Warrap, South Sudan, poverty is rife, and many families have little to no income. Long periods of drought have had a devastating impact on agricultural livelihoods. Many farmers have been unable to harvest crops which are both a source of income and food for their families.

Communities now live on a diet consisting almost entirely of meat, as they have been unable to grow vegetables and grains. The lack of fibre in their diets and high meat consumption has caused health issues among communities, including heart disease and a loss of eyesight. Whats more, communities in Warrap have also experienced inter-communal conflict, making their situation even more challenging.

Islamic Relief has been helping 2,000 people in Tonj, Warrap, to create sustainable livelihoods and combat the effects of the changing climate. Bringing community members together in groups, we provided drought-resistant seeds and trained them in agricultural techniques to withstand periods of drought and maximising profit from their produce. We have also repaired a modern drip irrigation system, which produces thousands of litres of water every hour, helping crops to thrive.

Islamic Relief have also helped improve relations between communities in the area, where resources are becoming increasingly scarce as a result of the changing climate and loss of livelihoods fuelling an increase in conflict. We are helping to unite communities through a shared goal of becoming more resilient. Our peacebuilding work has received recognition and appreciation at all levels of government in South Sudan.

Akons story

Mother-of-9 Akon was previously a housewife, looking after her family. They were eating a diet comprising mainly of meat, and faced health problems as a result.

Meat is a traditional food for people in Warrap. The effect of eating too much meat has led to several cases of loss of eyesight.

As part of our project, Akon was provided with training and now practices small-scale farming to feed her family.

Now, were able to grow a variety of vegetables such as okra, tomatoes, collard greens and groundnuts. This has greatly helped our situation, and meant that the health and diet of my family has really improved, says Akon.

The project has meant that families now have a reliable source of income from selling their produce, a more balanced diet and improved relationships in the community.

Islamic Relief began humanitarian operations in South Sudan in 2003, before the country gained independence from Sudan. With your support, we provide lifesaving aid and development programmes for vulnerable people like Akon.

Read the original post:
Diversifying diets and improving health and livelihoods in South Sudan - South Sudan - ReliefWeb

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As a teenager, Stephen Campolo tried out for baseball several times in high school, but never made it onto the team due to his weight. "Being overweight, it sucked," he says. "When you're young, people judge you on your appearance, you know, I got bullied a lot."

In a recent episode of the Truly series Brand New Me, Campolo shares how at his heaviest305 poundshe came to the understanding that he had to change his lifestyle: "I said, I do not want to be the fat guy any more."

He started running every night, and quickly began to lose weight. "I became addicted to seeing my body change," he says. "I became addicted to seeing the scale drop... Ever since that day, I've not looked back."

After losing a considerable amount of weight, he then discovered a love of fitness which helped him build strength and muscle. "When I lost that initial 50 pounds, I realized I had this loose skin, because I hadn't replaced the fat with any kind of muscle tissue. So now I'm like, OK, now I have to do something about this situation, so that was what led me to join the gym and start weight training to really build up my body."

Campolo has since leveraged his passion into a new life as a trainer and fitness influencer, and he enjoys being able to use the benefit of his own experience to advise and motivate people who are at the beginning of their own weight loss journeys.

"Once people started following me, and asking me all these questions, I realized maybe I could make a career out of this," he says. "Because I love the lifestyle so much, I became a personal trainer and I started helping other people get in shape. I'm very proud of how far I've come on my journey, but what I'm even more proud of is that I'm able to use my own story and help other people."

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How This Guy Lost 85 Pounds, Got Fit, and Became a Personal Trainer - menshealth.com

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By Lina Begdache, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Binghamton University, State University of New York

If you have experienced unwanted weight gain or weight loss during the pandemic, you are not alone. According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 61% of U.S. adults reported undesired weight change since the pandemic began.

The results, released in March 2021, showed that during the pandemic, 42% of respondents gained unwanted weight 29 pounds on average and nearly 10% of those people gained more than 50 pounds. On the flip side, nearly 18% of Americans said they experienced unwanted weight loss on average, a loss of 26 pounds.

Another study, published on March 22, 2021, assessed weight change in 269 people from February to June 2020. The researchers found, on average, that people gained a steady 1.5 pounds per month.

I am a nutritional neuroscientist, and my research investigates the relationship between diet, lifestyle, stress and mental distress such as anxiety and depression.

The common denominator to changes in body weight, especially during a pandemic, is stress. Another poll done by the American Psychological Association in January 2021 found that about 84% of U.S. adults experienced at least one emotion associated with prolonged stress in the prior two weeks.

The findings about unwanted weight changes make sense in a stressful world, especially in the context of the bodys stress response, better known as the fight-or-flight response.

Fight, flight and food

The fight-or-flight response is an innate reaction that evolved as a survival mechanism. It empowers humans to react swiftly to acute stress like a predator or adapt to chronic stress like a food shortage. When faced with stress, the body wants to keep the brain alert. It decreases levels of some hormones and brain chemicals in order to turn down behaviors that wont help in an urgent situation, and it increases other hormones that will.

When under stress, the body lowers levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and melatonin. Serotonin regulates emotions, appetite and digestion. So, low levels of serotonin increase anxiety and can change a persons eating habits. Dopamine another feel-good neurotransmitter regulates goal-oriented motivation. Dwindling levels of dopamine can translate into lower motivation to exercise, maintain a healthy lifestyle or perform daily tasks. When people are under stress, they also produce less of the sleep hormone melatonin, leading to trouble sleeping.

Epinephrine and norepinephrine mediate the physiological changes associated with stress and are elevated in stressful situations. These biochemical changes can cause mood swings, impact a personss eating habits, reduce goal-oriented motivation and disrupt a persons circadian rhythm.

Overall, stress can throw your eating habits and motivation to exercise or eat healthy way out of balance, and this last year has certainly been a stressful one for everyone.

Easy calories, low motivation

In both of the studies, people self-reported their weight, and the researchers didnt collect any information about physical activity. But, one can cautiously assume that most of the weight changes were due to people gaining or losing body fat.

So why did people gain or lose weight this last year? And what explains the dramatic differences?

Many people find comfort in high-calorie food. That is because chocolate and other sweets can make you happy by boosting serotonin levels in the short term. However, the blood clears the extra sugar very quickly, so the mental boost is extremely short-lived, leading people to eat more. Eating for comfort can be a natural response to stress, but when combined with the lower motivation to exercise and consumption of low-nutrient, calorie-dense food, stress can result in unwanted weight gain.

What about weight loss? In a nutshell, the brain is connected to the gut through a two-way communication system called the vagus nerve. When you are stressed, your body inhibits the signals that travel through the vagus nerve and slows down the digestive process. When this happens, people experience fullness.

The pandemic left many people confined to their homes, bored and with plenty of food and little to distract them. When adding the stress factor to this scenario, you have a perfect situation for unwanted weight changes. Stress will always be a part of life, but there are things you can do like practicing positive self-talk that can help ward off the stress response and some of its unwanted consequences.

Read the rest here:
This is actually why youve gained weight during the COVID-19 pandemic - OregonLive

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CC BY-ND

If you have experienced unwanted weight gain or weight loss during the pandemic, you are not alone. According to a poll by the American Psychological Association, 61% of U.S. adults reported undesired weight change since the pandemic began.

The results, released in March 2021, showed that during the pandemic, 42% of respondents gained unwanted weight 29 pounds on average and nearly 10% of those people gained more than 50 pounds. On the flip side, nearly 18% of Americans said they experienced unwanted weight loss on average, a loss of 26 pounds.

Another study, published on March 22, 2021, assessed weight change in 269 people from February to June 2020. The researchers found, on average, that people gained a steady 1.5 pounds per month.

I am a nutritional neuroscientist, and my research investigates the relationship between diet, lifestyle, stress and mental distress such as anxiety and depression.

The common denominator to changes in body weight, especially during a pandemic, is stress. Another poll done by the American Psychological Association in January 2021 found that about 84% of U.S. adults experienced at least one emotion associated with prolonged stress in the prior two weeks.

The findings about unwanted weight changes make sense in a stressful world, especially in the context of the bodys stress response, better known as the fight-or-flight response.

The fight-or-flight response is an innate reaction that evolved as a survival mechanism. It empowers humans to react swiftly to acute stress like a predator or adapt to chronic stress like a food shortage. When faced with stress, the body wants to keep the brain alert. It decreases levels of some hormones and brain chemicals in order to turn down behaviors that wont help in an urgent situation, and it increases other hormones that will.

When under stress, the body lowers levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and melatonin. Serotonin regulates emotions, appetite and digestion. So, low levels of serotonin increase anxiety and can change a persons eating habits. Dopamine another feel-good neurotransmitter regulates goal-oriented motivation. Dwindling levels of dopamine can translate into lower motivation to exercise, maintain a healthy lifestyle or perform daily tasks. When people are under stress, they also produce less of the sleep hormone melatonin, leading to trouble sleeping.

Epinephrine and norepinephrine mediate the physiological changes associated with stress and are elevated in stressful situations. These biochemical changes can cause mood swings, impact a personss eating habits, reduce goal-oriented motivation and disrupt a persons circadian rhythm.

Overall, stress can throw your eating habits and motivation to exercise or eat healthy way out of balance, and this last year has certainly been a stressful one for everyone.

In both of the studies, people self-reported their weight, and the researchers didnt collect any information about physical activity. But, one can cautiously assume that most of the weight changes were due to people gaining or losing body fat.

So why did people gain or lose weight this last year? And what explains the dramatic differences?

Many people find comfort in high-calorie food. That is because chocolate and other sweets can make you happy by boosting serotonin levels in the short term. However, the blood clears the extra sugar very quickly, so the mental boost is extremely short-lived, leading people to eat more. Eating for comfort can be a natural response to stress, but when combined with the lower motivation to exercise and consumption of low-nutrient, calorie-dense food, stress can result in unwanted weight gain.

What about weight loss? In a nutshell, the brain is connected to the gut through a two-way communication system called the vagus nerve. When you are stressed, your body inhibits the signals that travel through the vagus nerve and slows down the digestive process. When this happens, people experience fullness.

The pandemic left many people confined to their homes, bored and with plenty of food and little to distract them. When adding the stress factor to this scenario, you have a perfect situation for unwanted weight changes. Stress will always be a part of life, but there are things you can do like practicing positive self-talk that can help ward off the stress response and some of its unwanted consequences.

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Unwanted weight gain or weight loss during the pandemic? Blame your stress hormones - The Conversation US

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