Tag Archives: diet

The Easiest Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Quite simply, metabolism refers to all chemical reactions in the body (the terms metabolism and metabolic rate are also used interchangeably). It’s basic science: the higher your metabolism is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight. Conversely, if you have a slow or sluggish metabolism, you will likely feel low on energy, find yourself gaining weight despite your best efforts, and you might even struggle with depression or other mood disorders. Here are nine ways to boost your metabolism that you can start right away.

Don’t skimp on protein

While all foods raise your metabolic rate for about three hours after eating, protein raises it by up to 30%, compared to 5-10% with carbohydrates and 3% with fats, according to a 2014 study. Furthermore, protein is key to feeling full, therefore reducing cravings and overall calorie intake throughout the day. Strive to eat protein with every meal and snack.

Pretty woman eating bowl of salad at home in the living room

Drink green tea

Studies have shown that the simple act of drinking green tea can boost your metabolism by 5%, and burn more fat. Always opt for natural green, jasmine or oolong tea, and steer clear of canned or bottled versions that contain a long list of other ingredients (primarily sugar).

iced green tea
Image: Pixabay

Eat more spicy foods

Don’t like spicy? Well, maybe give it another shot. Capsaicin is a primary ingredient in hot peppers, and is known for its metabolism-boosting effects. One study even suggested that eating enough capsaicin could burn an extra 10 calories per meal.

spicy dish food
Image: Pixabay

Drink coffee

The news that coffee can boost your metabolism by up to 11% will probably make many coffee drinkers very happy. The leaner you are, the more coffee will likely boost your metabolism, and vice versa. Remember though, if you suffer from anxiety or insomnia, don’t overdo it.

hot coffee cappuccino
Image: Pixabay

Try interval training

Workout ruts and chronic cardio can wreak havoc on your weight loss plan, but high intensity interval training (HIIT) can seriously take it to the next level. Multiple studies have proven that short bursts of very intense exercise will burn more fat and increase your post-exercise metabolism much more than endurance cardio will. Instead of bee-lining it to the elliptical machine, try your gym’s Tabata class. You can also easily do HIIT at home, getting in a great workout in just 15 minutes.

tying shoes fitness exercise
Image: Pixabay

Drink cold water, but not with meals

Drinking water, period, will help to speed up your metabolic rate. One study even showed that drinking a half liter of water sped up children’s metabolism by up to 30% for an hour afterwards. Cold water might boost your calorie burning potential even more, but can also interfere with digestion if consumed with food. Keep your meal-time water to room temperature, but opt for icy cold any other time of day.

cold bottle water

 

Get up

Sounds obvious, but if you spend the bulk of your day sitting, your metabolism is suffering. Getting up every hour from your desk and walking around will not only burn more calories, but prevent you from developing some serious muscle imbalances (back pain, hunched shoulders, etc).

woman at work with tablet

 

Use coconut oil

Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids, which are known for their fat burning and metabolism boosting properties. Replace any vegetable oils you might be using (canola, soy, corn, etc) with coconut oil in cooking.

st lucia coconut pieces
Image: Pixabay

 

Get your beauty rest

Don’t roll your eyes at this one, as it is biologically nearly impossible to lose weight if you’re not sleeping enough. Lack of sleep takes a serious toll on your hormone levels, and in any battle against your hormones, you will not win. Studies show that lack of sleep is hugely related to obesity, due mainly to its metabolism-lowering effects.

sleeping woman city 

Whatever your goal, boosting your metabolism will raise your energy levels and support weight loss efforts. If you already do all of these things but still feel sluggish or like something just isn’t right, speak with your doctor.

High Protein Vegetarian Dinners for a Healthy Heart and Mind

Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle can be onerous through record-breaking ice storms and Siberian-intensity windchill. Mid-winter blues can wreak havoc on our commitment to fitness and diet, ultimately undoing much of the payoff warm-weather workouts awarded us. Aside from self-driven exercise inspiration, making the effort to eat well during the dark months can make all the difference. There are a number of ways to keep yourself active this winter, including going out and dressing up, even in the bitter cold. Cooking warm, healthy meals is another way to keep yourself on track. These high protein vegetarian meals are high in calcium and protein, two essential energy-boosting nutrients. Swap another night of takeout for one of these rejuvenating recipes.

Nutty Quinoa Tofu Bowls

Serves 2

Protein: 43g

high protein vegetarian nutty tofu bowl

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup quinoa

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup broccoli florets

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 small diced bell pepper

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

4 slices extra firm tofu, baked

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 clove minced garlic

 

How it’s done:

Cook quinoa in water according to directions while heating olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add red pepper and cook until soft.

Set in a separate bowl and add broccoli to the skillet.

Cover and steam until broccoli is tender.

Combine broccoli and peppers in a separate bowl.

Mix peanut butter, lime juice, water, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix soy sauce, syrup, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a small baking dish.

Place tofu in the dish and let marinate for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu regularly.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place marinated tofu on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until edges are dark.

Top each quinoa bowl with two slices of tofu and chopped peanuts. Serve warm and enjoy!

 

Cashew Noodles with Broccoli

Serves 4

Protein: 26 grams

Cashew Noodles vegetarian

What you’ll need:

5 cups broccoli florets

4 cups enriched egg noodles

3 tablespoons vinaigrette of choice

1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

 

How it’s done:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add broccoli and cook until soft.

Set aside and return water to a boil.

Add noodles and cook through until soft. Drain well.

Put vinaigrette of choice, cashews, and 1/2 cup water into a blender and purée until smooth.

Return warm noodles to mixture and broccoli.

Cook over medium heat, tossing gently, until heated through.

Serve warm with tofu or other mixed vegetables if desired.

 

Zucchini Paneer with Chickpeas

Serves 4

Protein: 28 grams

Zucchini Paneer vegetarian

What you’ll need:

1 cup chopped tomatoes

4 medium cubed zucchinis

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons chopped ginger

1 chopped red onion

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 cup diced paneer

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup chickpeas

 

How it’s done:

Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet.

Add onion, chopped ginger, and all spices.

Cook for three minutes. Add tomatoes, zucchini, and water.

Cook until zucchini is tender. Add garam masala and cover.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add remaining oil.

Fry paneer cubes until golden brown. Add to the zucchini and stir well.

Toss in cooked chickpeas and serve with rice of choice.

 

Mushroom and Black Bean Burger

Serves 4

Protein: 30 grams

Black Bean Burger vegetarian

What you’ll need:

2 cans seasoned black beans

1 cup sliced portabella mushrooms

1/4 cup vignette of choice

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup onion, grated

4 slices swiss cheese

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

1 cup spinach

1 large sliced tomato

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

 

How it’s done:

Drain canned black beans and mash thoroughly.

Add bread crumbs, onion, egg, and chili powder to bean mixture.

Let sit for 5 minutes. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Make small patties from bean mixture and place the patties in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, flipping regularly.

Place cheese on each patty, and continue cooking until burgers are heated through.

Toast buns until golden.

Place patties on buns and top with tomato, spinach, mushroom, and vinaigrette.

 

Spinach, Mushroom, and Ricotta Grilled Cheese

Serves 2

Protein: 25 grams

Grilled Cheese vegetarian

What you’ll need:

1/3 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/4 cup fresh spinach

1/2 cup mushroom of choice

1 tablespoon basil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon black pepper

4 slices sourdough bread

1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter

1/2 cup reduced-fat alfredo sauce

 

How it’s done:

Fry garlic in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and add ricotta, spinach, mushroom, pepper, and basil to the garlic.

Mix well. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter.

Divide the ricotta mixture in half and spread it on the unbuttered sides of two slices of bread.

Return the pan/skillet to the stove over medium heat and place the sandwiches in the pan.

Cook until cheese has melted and both sides are golden brown.

Sprinkle with extra seasoning and serve with Alfredo sauce.

The Basics of Intermittent Fasting

Spoiler: Real weight loss is not easy. If you’re in the midst of trying to lean out and get healthy, you’ll know this to be true. There’s no magic pill you can take (no matter how many clickbait ads you see!) that will make you lose weight overnight. Despite this, there’s one dieting trend that could have some weight to it – intermittent fasting.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Before we go any further, let’s talk about what intermittent fasting actually is. The diet — which is actually more of a lifestyle than a diet — is basically what it says on the tin: a plan in which you fast intermittently. Rather than prescribing what foods you should and should not eat, fasting diets focus on restricting the times when you’re allowed to eat. However, this can take many different forms.

“There are some very interesting claims which are backed by clinical studies and merit attention. But we also need to consider what actually qualifies as fasting,” explains Gian Bohan, co-founder of plant-based wellness enterprise Shed and T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies graduate.

“Some experts claim you need to fast for at least five days to see its true effects, whereas others may talk about just doing short periods of fasting. It goes without saying that you should always consult your doctor or an expert before changing your diet dramatically.”

intermittent fasting salad

The Most Popular Fasting Diets Right Now

So, intermittent fasting is by no means a one-size-fits-all eating philosophy. That means that the baseline theory has been adapted to a range of ways to create different eating regimes. If you’re considering trying one for yourself, it pays to understand what each plan entails. Here’s what you need to know about some of the most popular fasting plans right now.

The 5:2 Diet

Perhaps the most popular of all the fasting eating plans, the 5:2 diet is often hailed as the “Holy Grail” of modern-day weight loss. For five days a week, you eat your regular diet and consume as many calories as you usually would. (For women, the recommended amount is around 2000 calories per day.)

When it comes to your fasting days – the other two days of the week – you only consume 25% of your normal calorie allowance. That means that you should be eating around 500 calories throughout the 24-hour period. When it comes to what food to eat, there are little restrictions; it’s more about cutting back than considering the type of meals you have.

fruit salad for intermittent fasting

Fasting Mimicking Diet

As the name suggests, this diet doesn’t actually involve fasting — at least, not in the literal sense. The weight loss plan was created by Valter Longo, Director of both the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California. Revealing research suggests that following this specific regime could offer health benefits, such as decreasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The “fasting” element of this diet takes place over a five-day period. During that time you eat only ProLon branded energy bars, chips, and soups totaling between 700 and 1,100 calories per day. The rest of the time, you “refuel” by eating a healthy and balanced diet.

The 16/8 Method

Rather than fasting for a whole day, the 16/8 method means restricting your eating to an eight-hour period. For example, you might have your first meal at 10:00 a.m. and then your last at around 5:00 p.m. After 6:00 p.m., though, you will fast until the next morning and start over again. It essentially means that you don’t eat anything for 16 hours of each day. Of course, you can adjust when you start and finish your eating period depending on your schedule.

woman making smoothie for intermittent fasting

Alternate Day Fasting

Sticking to a day-in, day-out, calorie-controlled diet can be tough at the best of times. That could be why alternate day fasting (or the Eat-Stop-Eat method) has become so popular. The diet involves fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week. For instance, you may decide that you’re not going to eat anything on Wednesday but keep to a regular meal plan for the rest of the week.

When compared to an average diet plan, researchers found that this fat loss plan delivered similar results. With that in mind, opting for this fasting regime when you find traditional methods of dieting tricky could be a smart way to shed some pounds.

Now that you know the basics, are you itching to get started? Before you embark on a fasting plan of any description, you need to make sure that it’s the right way to go for you. It’s important to realize that everybody is different and what works for someone else may not work for you. That’s why you should also do your own research and figure out which plan – if any at all – will work for your specific health needs and lifestyle.

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

Protein may be the Beyonce of nutrition. Composed of chain-forming molecules called amino acids, protein forms tissue, muscles, organs, enzymes, collagen, and many important hormones; in short, proteins are what make us who we are.

Ironically, of the three macronutrients that make up our diets (including carbohydrates and fats), proteins should only account for 10-30% of our daily requirements, and those wanting to increase muscle mass still only need as much as 35%.

Our bodies already create many of the amino acids that we need, but the others, called essential amino acids, are obtained through our diet. And since proteins cannot be stored, we need to eat the right quantity and quality daily. But how much is enough? What happens when we get too much or too little? And, is it possible to meet our daily protein requirements while following vegetarian or vegan lifestyles?

 

How much protein do we need?

The average person only needs about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Meaning, a 130-pound person who rarely works out only needs an average of 46.8 grams of protein per day. On the other hand, protein is essential in muscle-building and repair and athletes require more than the average person. High-intensity athletes are encouraged to eat between 0.5 – 0.8 grams of protein per pound while bodybuilders may require a little more still.

how much protein 1

To put the quantities into perspective, 100 grams of turkey breast yields 22 grams of protein while 1 egg and 1 ounce of dry roasted almonds each provide 6 grams.

After some time, regularly eating more protein may lead to weight loss because it helps burn fat, but overconsumption can also have the opposite effect and lead to weight gain. Other side effects of too much protein include bad breath, constipation, diarrhea, organ failure, and even cancer. Too little protein can lead to unhealthy muscle and weight loss, fatigue, and a weakened immune system.

 

How can you be sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet?

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need to think about this question because we would meet our nutritional requirements with a well-rounded diet. In reality, however, planning meals can be difficult amid pursuing successful careers, family obligations, and hobbies. MyFitnessPal is an app that can record the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins consumed in meals. Logging in regularly can help be more mindful of nutritional intake.

how much protein 2

Animal meat and dairy aren’t the only ways to eat more protein. Those on a vegetarian or vegan diet can get a delicious boost with shakes since protein powders come in a variety of ingredients and flavors. Healthy and satisfying vegetarian dishes are possible with a few simple pantry staples like tofu, beans, and nuts. Soups are another guilt-free way to create satisfying meals filled with protein.

8 Healthy Ginger Recipes to Fire Up Your Diet

Knobby and sometimes intimidating, ginger can fire up your diet and your central nervous system, boosting your metabolism by as much as 20 percent. Once peeled and grated, ginger also can easily be thrown into various sauces, glazes, and marinades: soothing morning sickness, reducing exercise-induced muscle pain, relieving chronic indigestion, lowering blood sugar, and suppressing the growth of cancer cells.

Part of the holy trinity of Asian cooking, if you really enjoy the burn of fresh ginger and want even more, dehydrate it—this causes the spice level to double. Can’t take the heat? “Cut the ginger into coins to perfume a dish with a light ginger flavor with little-to-no burn,” says Hali Bey Ramdene, Kitchn’s Food Director. You can store unpeeled ginger wrapped in plastic in your fridge for three weeks or in your freezer for six months. Need to store peeled or cut chunks? Freeze the nubs or submerge them in vodka.

Tangy freshness, light spiciness, warmth, and mellow sweetness: here are 8 recipes that’ll deliver a fiery punch to your dinner plate.

 

Vegan Carrot-Ginger Soup

ginger recipes
Photo courtesy of Lydia Walshin

What you need:

  • Olive oil
  • Chopped onion
  • Roughly-chopped carrots
  • Grated ginger
  • Thinly-sliced garlic
  • Sweet curry powder
  • Ground coriander
  • Long-grain white, brown, or basmati rice
  • Orange juice
  • Agave nectar
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper
  • Pumpkin seeds or chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Pureéd to silky smoothness, Soupchick’s carrot-ginger soup is a mix of spicy and bright ginger root, garden-fresh carrots, and summer citrus topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds. Vegan and gluten-free, with nutty coriander, mild sweet curry powder, and agave nectar—an all-natural sweetener that’s one and a half times sweeter than sugar—will tickle your roughly 10,000 taste buds.

 

Ginger Pear Smoothie

ginger recipes
Photo courtesy of Silk/Danon North America

What you’ll need:

  • Sliced pear
  • Grated ginger
  • A chopped and frozen banana
  • Cinnamon
  • Ground flax
  • Vanilla almond, soy, or coconut milk

Power through your workday with Silk’s ginger pear smoothie. A blend of potassium-rich bananas, antioxidant-packed pears, inflammation-busting ginger, and dairy-free almond milk, this five-minute, 230-calorie smoothie will help you keep your cool.

 

Instant Pot Korean Beef Tacos

Korean-Beef-Tacos_TasteofYum
Photo courtesy of Jenna Arend

What you’ll need:

For the Korean beef

  • Canned or fresh pears
  • Fresh ginger
  • Garlic cloves
  • Soy sauce
  • Brown sugar
  • Sesame oil
  • Top sirloin or chuck roast

For the tacos:

  • Chopped cilantro
  • Chopped peanuts
  • Sriracha mayo or yum yum sauce
  • Flour or corn tortillas
  • Kimchi or coleslaw

Fire-eaters, if you can’t beat the heat, join it. Straight out of an instant pot, Pinch of Yum’s food-truck, fusion-style tacos are like edible heatwaves. Gingery, garlicky, melt-in-your-mouth beef is piled onto bendy, pillow-soft tortillas and topped with chopped peanuts, sriracha mayo, and kimchi—a hot and spicy Korean staple made from fermented veggies.

 

Coconut Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole

ginger recipes
Photo courtesy of Diana Johnson

What you’ll need:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Grated ginger
  • Coconut milk
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Orange zest
  • Orange juice
  • Chopped pecans
  • Chopped candied ginger

While sweet potatoes may have honeyed flavors and velvety textures, they’re not potatoes or yams. They’re actually part of the morning glory family. What’s inside of these gorgeous orange root tubers? Vitamin A, manganese, calcium, fiber, and vitamin C. All the more reason not to confine these root veggies to Thanksgiving day —where they’re topped with cornflakes, pecans, brown sugar, and gooey marshmallows. Eating Richly’s coconut ginger sweet potato casserole features coconut milk, orange juice, chopped pecans, ground cinnamon, and candied ginger that’s at home on any plate at any time of the year.

 

Asian-Style Garlic Ginger Chicken Wings

What you’ll need:

  • Chicken wings
  • 7up regular, ginger ale, club soda, or sparkling wine
  • Soy sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Grated garlic
  • Grated ginger
  • Sea salt
  • Diced scallions
  • Finely-chopped cilantro

Up your chicken wing game with Dennis Littley’s garlic ginger chicken wing recipe. The finger-lickin’-good chicken is marinated in 7up—Littley’s favorite mixer and childhood friend—for half an hour. Soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper, grated ginger, and grated garlic are roundhouse kicks to your tongue.

 

Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream

ginger recipes
Photo courtesy of Sue Moran

 What you’ll need:

  • Heavy cream
  • Low-fat milk
  • Sugar
  • Ground ginger
  • Cinnamon
  • Allspice
  • Ground cloves
  • Grated nutmeg
  • Molasses

Beat the heat with The View From the Great Island’s homemade ginger ice cream.   A simple mix of heavy cream, low-fat milk, sugar, molasses, and ground ginger with just a touch of vanilla, its fiery flavor will catapult your taste buds into the magic of Christmastime.

 

Grilled Eggplant with Ginger Dressing

ginger recipes
Photo courtesy of Sarah Gory

What you’ll need:

  • Japanese eggplants
  • Spring onions
  • Fresh ginger
  • Sesame oil
  • Mirin
  • Tamari or soy sauce
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Sesame seeds
  • Bird’s eye chilies
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coconut rice

Fire up the grill and your flavor palate. Highgate Hill Kitchen’s Japanese eggplants are cut lengthways, coated with olive oil, and charred for 15 minutes until creamy and tender. Then they’re sprinkled with a flaming-hot ginger sauce and placed on a bed of cooling coconut rice—which is prepared by soaking white rice in coconut milk or cooking it with coconut flakes. Sesame seeds, spring onions, and bird’s eye chilies top this dish off, adding crunch and a rainbow of colors.

 

Asian Pork Meatballs

ginger recipe
Photo courtesy of Colleen Kennedy

What you’ll need:

For the meatballs:

  • Ground pork
  • Minced sweet or red onion
  • Minced garlic
  • Sesame oil
  • Kosher salt and pepper

For the ginger garlic sauce:

  • Sesame oil
  • Minced garlic
  • Minced ginger
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Honey
  • Chili with garlic sauce
  • Cornstarch
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Here’s your go-to, foolproof, Asian-style meatball recipe that you’ll never want to be without. Souffle Bombay’s pork meatballs are stuffed with minced red onion, garlic, and ginger. After being fried in olive oil until golden brown, they’re baked on a sheet pan and slathered in a ginger-honey sauce that has notes of garlic and chili.

The Benefits of Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to Your Diet

From bone broth to matcha lattes, the past few years have seen a rise of tonics as a way to boost energy and soothe ailments, but the simplest tonic to add to your diet may be apple cider vinegar. Before you start adding a morning shot of apple cider vinegar to your daily routine it’s important to understand the history of tonics and both the benefits and possible side effects.

Tonics and elixirs are anything but new. They date back to the ancient Egyptians who used combinations of plants, barks, fruits, and other products from nature to create bitters, tonics, and elixirs that fought disease, aided digestion, and cleansed the body. Here’s the lowdown on the apple cider vinegar tonic.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Sometimes called cider vinegar or ACV by the cool kids, apple cider vinegar is simply vinegar made from apples. It’s actually pretty easy to make at home if you have apples, sugar, water, and patience—it takes a couple of months to be ready to drink.apple cider vinegar

What Does it Taste Like?

Honestly, ACV does not have a pleasant taste. It’s a wake-up shot to your system with a very acidic apple and vinegar taste. Thankfully, you shouldn’t actually drink ACV straight, but more on that later.

Lovely, So Why Should I Add Apple Cider Vinegar to My Diet?

ACV has a long history of health benefits, some of which are still thought of as old wives’ tales, but others are backed up by scientific studies. A few of the more established reasons to add ACV to your diet include: it can kill many types of bacteria, lower blood sugar, help fight diabetes, and make you feel fuller. There’s also some evidence that adding ACV to your diet can prevent indigestion, lower cholesterol, and boost energy.

woman stirring tea apple cider vinegar

Got It. So How Should I Add Apple Cider Vinegar to My Diet?

Don’t drink it straight. ACV is highly acidic and could make the enamel on your teeth erode leading to a whole host of other issues. Buy raw, organic, unfiltered, and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. You can add a tablespoon to a cup of tea or even your morning smoothie or simply add a tablespoon of it to a glass of water along with a tablespoon of either lemon or honey. Another easy way to add it to your diet is to use it your rinse your fruits and vegetables. It adds some ACV to your diet while also cleaning your produce.

Is Gluten-Free for Me?

Pizza, cookies, even waffles—these days it seems like everything and everyone is going gluten-free. It’s one of the health trends du jour with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Since 2009, the number of people going sans gluten has tripled and today 1 in 3 Americans say they are trying to avoid gluten.

Chances are you know someone who doesn’t eat gluten and maybe you’ve even tried or are considering cutting back on gluten yourself. Nearly 72 percent of Americans that avoid gluten are considered PWAGs, people without celiac disease avoiding gluten. But before you commit to the gluten-free diet it’s important to understand what gluten is and if avoiding it is helpful or harmful for those without a gluten intolerance. Consider this your gluten-free cheat sheet.

 

Wait, what is gluten?

Gluten is old. People have eaten gluten for at least the past 10,000 years. In that time gluten has become one of the most consumed proteins in the world.

At its basic level, gluten is what helps bread rise and gives it its chewy texture. It’s a protein found in wheat and other grains including spelt, barley, and rye, that’s created when the protein molecules glutenin and gliadin come into contact and from a bond, such as when bakers knead dough. Essentially, gluten is an edible glue that holds food together.

grocery gluten-free products

 

Got it. So is gluten bad?

For the vast majority of people, gluten is nothing to worry about.

About 1 percent of the population has a severe intolerance to gluten. Suffering from what is known as celiac disease, when these people eat gluten it causes digestive issues, weight fluctuations, and inflammatory conditions. It’s not known exactly what causes celiac disease, although there is an increased risk for those that have a family member with the disease. Those with celiac disease should avoid gluten.

Some people without celiac disease have what’s known as “non-celiac gluten intolerance.” These people may experience fatigue, mood swings, stiff joints, acne, and other side effects when they eat gluten. But the percentage of the population suffering from “non-celiac gluten intolerance” is small. A 2015 study found that of the people who avoid gluten, roughly 86% of them can tolerate gluten just fine.

 

So, how do I decide if I should go gluten-free or not?

If you’re concerned about gluten you should talk to your doctor so that they can rule out celiac disease. After that, if you want to try a gluten-free diet, there’s probably not much harm in it (again, it’s a good idea to talk to your health care professional first), and then commit to going gluten-free for a set period of time, such as 4 to 6 weeks.

To do that, you’ll want to remove all refined grains from your diet: breads, most baked goods, pastas, beer (yes, most beer has gluten in it). You also likely need to stay away from many foods promoted as gluten-free like those cookies in the supermarket because many foods labeled as gluten-free have a ton of sugar in them. Basically you’ll need to become a pro at reading labels and be aware that your daily meal habits may take a bit more work, at least at first.

 

Will I benefit from a gluten-free diet?

Maybe. There’s no easy answer. After 4-6 weeks of no gluten see how you feel and work with your health professional to slowly reintroduce gluten. You may find that you feel better when you’re not eating gluten or you may notice no change at all.

What Drinking Soda Can Do To Your Body

Pop quiz – what are the biggest calorie-hogs in the American diet? Pizza? Potato chips? Hamburgers? Actually, try breads, grainy sweets – cake, cookies, donuts – and sodas, says a 2010, American Dietetic Association study.  The average American sips at least one can of soda per day, nearly 44 gallons per year. Consumption, though, is at its lowest level in 30 years, plummeting from 54 gallons in 1998. While water has finally won the title of “King of the Refrigerator”, soda enthusiasts claim that glugging a can of soda has health benefits.

 

Poppin’ Positives

Pop, with a pH level similar to stomach acid (2 to 3.5), effectively treats 50% of gastric phytobezoars, solid masses of indigestible fibers from fruits and veggies that clog the small intestines, by busting them up, relieving nausea, vomiting, and bloating.

Think of soda as Pepto Bismol’s younger, cheaper, bubblier sister. It contains phosphoric acid, the same ingredient found in over-the-counter, anti-nausea drugs. Plus, its carbonation reduces stomach acidity.  And its sweet flavors trigger the reward center of the brain, making you feel that you’ve “opened happiness”.

drinking soda

With 23-47 grams of caffeine, a swig or two of soda also increases productivity, memory, focus, problem-solving, and general cognitive function. Although a typical can of soda has seven teaspoons of sugar, according to a 2006 study published in Physiology and Behavior, it can rev up your metabolism, increase your body’s temperature, and break down fat cells.

Falling Flat

With the above benefits, why kick the caramel-colored bubbly to the curb? Regardless of soda’s health benefits, a 12-ounce can, with nearly double your recommended daily sugar intake, can wreak long-term havoc to your body.

Your brain

According to a 2002 study, fizzy high-fructose corn syrup causes learning disabilities. It stunts the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF), which is essentially Miracle Gro for your brain’s cells.  Soda has also been tied to Alzheimer’s, obesity, depression, and even schizophrenia.

To make matters worse, some citrus-based sodas contain brominated vegetable oil (BOV), a flame-retardant chemical found in plastics and electronics. BOV prevents the flavoring from separating from the drink, but it also builds up in your system so guzzling more than 2 liters per day can cause long-term memory loss, skin lesions, infertility, behavioral issues, and nerve disorders.

Your teeth and bones

Each time you knock back a soda, its sugar bonds with the bacteria in your mouth, creating acid that lowers your saliva’s pH balance.  To buffer the acid, your body leaches calcium from your bones. Your weakened enamel boosts bacterial growth leading to cavities. Researchers at Tufts University also found that dark-soda drinkers are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis. Even though participants took calcium and vitamin D supplements, they had a four percent lower bone density in their hips. An interesting side note: participants that drank citrus-based, light-colored sodas didn’t suffer from any bone loss.

teeth lips sugar

Your heart

Sugary drinks are linked to 180,000 deaths per year. This might be because pop puts a strain on your ticker, says a 2012 American Heart Association study. Researchers discovered that participants who drank just eight ounces of soda per day were 20% more likely to have a heart attack.

According to a 2013 study, downing soda can cause irregular heart function, erratic heartbeats, and even death. The scary cause is high fructose corn syrup and caffeine, two of soda’s main ingredients, which are diuretics that flush potassium, a mineral that helps your heart beat regularly, from your body. Low potassium levels can grind your muscles, and the shredded tissues then clog your bloodstream and make your electrolyte balance go haywire, which leads to further heart problems.

Your lungs

According to a 2012 study published in the journal of Respirology, heavy-soda drinkers are 80% more likely to get COPD.  They also have a 30% increased risk of asthma. This is because the ingredients in soda can swell your trachea and obstruct your bronchial tubes.

Your skin

Sugar-packed sodas are like Pac-Man: they gobble away healthy tissue. This causes inflammation that results in dull, dry, sagging skin and worsens eczema and cystic acne. Sick of your deep wrinkles? Ditch darker colas. They accelerate aging because they contain advanced glycation end products that bond with your body’s proteins, fats, and DNA.

red hair woman skin

Your hormones

Holy Hormones! A 2013 study found that soda-lovers had a 16% higher estrogen level. Produced in the ovaries, the adrenal gland, and the placenta during pregnancy, sky-high estrogen levels activate cancer causing genes, called oncogenes, that can raise the risk of uterine fibroids, uterine bleeding, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.

 

Travel Hack: Tips to Eat Healthy at the Airport

The struggle to find something, anything, healthy to eat at the airport is all too real. Whether you had to leave for your flight so early that there was no way you could stomach anything besides coffee or you disembarked from the first leg of your journey starving with a three-hour layover, there’s nothing like airport food to make eating healthy feel like an insurmountable challenge. Yet, while traveling it’s almost more important than normal to stay hydrated and eat well. It helps you feel better physically while en route and when you arrive at your destination.

To crack the code of eating healthy at the airport we spoke to flight attendants from Hawaiian Airlines, Travel Guidebook author James Kaise, Director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at the Boston Medical Center, Dr. Caroline Apovian, and Certified Health & Nutrition Coach Caryn O’Sullivan. Here are their tips and go-tos.

 

Before You Go To The Airport

With a little planning you can sidestep the challenge of eating healthy while traveling. Apovian and the Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants recommend bringing food along whenever possible. Apovian suggested fresh fruit and nuts and a low sugar protein bar with plenty of fiber. If you want to hack your breakfast, the frequent traveler flight attendants said to pack a ziploc bag with dried oatmeal, nuts, and berries that you can add hot water to for a ready-made breakfast. And don’t forget a piece of dark chocolate to compliment a cup of coffee during mid-flight.

packed lunch sandwich

At The Airport

Sometimes you’re just going to have to buy something at the airport. If you know you’ll be in that situation try to find out what your dining options are at the airport ahead of time and check out the nutritional information. Avoid anything with lots of added sugars or a low calorie snack that doesn’t have much protein. Kaiser, while not a vegetarian, tends to avoid meat at airports as it forces him to find meals with more vegetables.

dubai airport restaurants

Look For

Look for things that contain healthy fats and proteins. You want to choose foods that won’t leave you hungry.Think Greek yogurt, string cheese, hummus cups, salads with hard boiled eggs, or grilled chicken.  At some of the more popular fast food restaurants opt for items like an egg white veggie wrap, spinach and feta wraps, and turkey sandwiches. And don’t forget to stay hydrated. O’Sullivan recommends consuming fresh juices and smoothies as they will help keep you hydrated and alert on the go. The fruit can also help you ward of jet lag. Just be cautious and try to choose vegetable and fruit smoothie combinations, as all-fruit smoothies contain a lot of sugar.

Flexible Dieting: What It Means to Count Your Macros

If you’ve only briefly heard of flexible dieting (or IIFYM; “If It Fits Your Macros”) before, the first thing to know is that it does away with traditional calorie counting and watching exactly what it is you eat. In actuality, it’s a nutritional concept that lends flexibility to the kinds of foods you can eat while still being able to achieve your body specific goals. You mean I can have my cake, and eat it too? That’s right. You can still have some of your favorites daily as long as the macro fits. Hello doughnuts, my old friend!

donuts

How It Works

Flexible dieting focuses solely on tracking the amount of macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) in the foods we eat. Having the right ratio of fats, carbs, and proteins allows our bodies to maintain energy and create muscle growth. No matter what diet you currently follow, macronutrients can be found in every meal that you eat because it is an essential component of all foods. This holds true whether you’re having healthy grilled chicken and brown rice or decadent desserts like cupcakes and ice cream.

Flexible dieting shifts the focus from the body recognizing food as either healthy or unhealthy, but instead on how the stomach breaks down and processes macronutrients solely. The very essence of IIFYM is that it recognizes that a tuna salad with the exact same macro makeup of a double cheeseburger will achieve the same results in your body composition. By counting macros, you are aware of how your body processes food and the specific result it will have on your body.

Counting Macros

The amounts of macronutrients we consume can be easily identified in relation to the daily calorie amounts we’re used to seeing. However, this is not your typical calorie counting. In the three main macros (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), one gram has a specific calorie value assigned to it.

Macro calorie breakdown chart

 

One gram of protein = 4 calories

One gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

One gram of fat = 9 calories

So while in traditional calorie counting, where you simply add up the calories from the different foods you eat to reach a target goal of 2,000 calories a day, flexible dieters will use macros to reach that same calorie amount.

Counting macros to reach a targeted daily calorie amount:

150g of proteins = 600 calories

170g of carbohydrates = 680 calories

80g of fat = 720 calories

________________

Total calories via macro counting: 2,000 calories

 

What’s the Benefit?

For one, variety. With flexibility dieting, you learn how to make the foods you love work for you and your fitness goals. There is less guilt when you do finally reach for one of your favorite snacks because you’ve allowed for it. Another benefit is that it’s sustainable. Traditional diets commonly label bad food days as “cheat days”, but many of us aren’t proud of that term. When you feel like it’s okay to have certain foods in your diet, you are less likely to binge and fall off the deep end and follow through. Flexible dieting is also convenient. The restrictions are less heavy when going out for social gatherings or worrying about to have for lunch at work this week.

Common Misconceptions

A huge misconception of flexible dieting is that you can eat nothing but junk and somehow still achieve all of your fitness goals. The key difference in flexible dieting is that you can still have a treat in your diet if the macro makeup of it makes sense. The important thing to remember is that in IIFYM, macronutrients are the focus. Sugar levels, fiber, and other micronutrients should also be watched closely for specific body and health goals.

Getting Started

Set your goal

First, be aware of your total daily energy expenditure (or TDEE), which is simply a summary of everything your body does, actively and passively, to burn calories in a day, in relation to your current weight and exercise habits. From there, calculate the amount of macros you can have in a day to reach your fitness goals.

Use available resources

Since flexible dieting is all about measuring macros, it’s important to find a practical way to track these amounts daily. These online resources offer just that and are personalized to fit your needs, as well as having a community of likeminded IIFYMers there to support you.

using an app for flexible dieting

If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) website is a comprehensive flexible dieting site including over 700,000 members. It offers IIFYM programs, guides, and helpful articles.

Working Against Gravity is a company that offers online couching services with flexible dieting programs that will get you to feel confident in counting macros in no time.

MyFitnessPal is a free app used to track macros that is a favorite amongst flexible dieters. It makes macro-counting simple and also includes the world’s largest nutritional database. Available in iOS or Android.

My Macros + is a specialized app made strictly for counting macros that’s designed by people who lift weights. It includes a detailed IIFYM-style macro tracker. Available in iOS or Android.

Get a scale

To track macros more efficiently, it’s helpful to use a food scale to get the accurate amounts down. While food packaging includes detailed information, a scale can ensure that serving size is right. This is especially helpful when cooking and tracking meals at home.

With any diet, it’s important to find ways to make it work for you. The great thing about flexible dieting is that it uses the very notion of being able to sensibly have what you want while still being able to move forward toward your body specific goals. Since it uses a method to fit many of our normal eating habits into our diets, it’s more of lifestyle enhancer rather than a complete diet overhaul. Many of these dieters find that the less restrictive nature of IIFYM allow for them to stick with it, as opposed to traditional yo-yo dieting where binge eating and the emotional instability to carry on are a major cause for them to fail. Flexible dieting bridges the gap by keeping things in moderation and finally striking a healthy balance between “good” vs. “bad” foods. Here’s to getting our macros on!