When you find out that you're expecting a child, how much do you have to alter your diet and exercise routine and how does it benefit the pregnancy?

In part two of our three part series on pregnancy and baby life, we examine how to put together the proper exercise plan.

Dr. Susan Passarella, an M.D., OB-GYN and Hospitalistwith Hackensack Meridian Healthcare, says women who exercise while pregnant are healthier and have better deliveries.

She says activities like running, zumba, yoga and swimming are great to do while pregnant.

"The American College of OB-GYN recommends about 150-minutes of exercise per week for patients and you can split that up into 30-minute increments five times a week or you can break it up into even smaller ones," Dr. Passarella said. "A long time ago they used to look at a heart rate and didn't want a mom's heart rate to go over 120 and what we found is that doesn't really make a difference, it's really what your baseline heart rate is."

Dr. Passarella says it's important to build up endurance during a pregnancy to make things easier during labor and delivery.

"Anything that gets your heart rate up is going to help," Dr. Passarella said. "When you're pushing in labor your heart rate is going to go up so it's going to be similar to that and it'll give you more endurance."

You should stay away from contact sports like rugby, soccer, sky diving and water skiing while pregnant.

"The uterus is very protective of the baby but you don't want to take part in any big, high energy sports," Dr. Passarella said.

Having a good diet during a pregnancy is important for you and the baby.

Dr. Passarella says women need to add an additional 300 calories to their diet but weight gain is unique to the individual.

"It really depends what your pre-pregnancy weight is, that's what we look at," Dr. Passarella said. "If you're an average weight we expect someone to gain between 25-35 pounds. During the first trimester people are usually nauseous and sick and they tend not to gain a ton of weight but it tends to catch up to them in the last month where you can gain a half-a-pound to a pound a week."

However, it's not recommended to buy into the "I'm eating for two" diet.

"I know everyone always says when you're pregnant you can eat for two but that's not necessarily what we recommend because then you'll have patients gaining 50, 60, 70 pounds and those patients tend to have more complicated deliveries, they're at a higher risk for diabetes and hypertension and are more likely to have c-sections or have babies that are really small and may not grow as well," Dr. Passarella said.

Do you have to change what and how you eat while pregnant?

Dr. Passarella says you should always wash fruits and vegetables before consuming and meat should be cooked well done, fish is ok but only with low mercury, listeria which is found in certain foods, is definitely a concern.

"We worry about different bacteria's in pregnancies, you do have a mom and a baby and if that baby is exposed to a bacteria that can potentially get in utero that can cause really harmful affects to the baby," Dr. Passarella said.

It's not known how much alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome so doctors say don't drink any amount, smoking leads to smaller babies and pre-term labor, caffeine is fine but limit it to 300 milligrams a day.

On the flip side, you should drink 10-12 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and pre-term contractions.

One of the biggest misinterpretations associated with pregnancy is heartburn and what it means.

Dr. Joanne Chang, an OBGYN with Hackensack Meridian Healthcare says the belief that a lot of heartburn leads to your baby being born with a lot of hair is an old wives tale with no study's to back that up.

"There's no studies that have shown that what you eat affects how much hair your baby has," Dr. Chang said. "You hear anecdotally that women will say 'oh, I had so much heartburn and my baby had so much hair' but on the flip side you'll talk to women who will say 'I had a ton of heartburn and my baby had no hair'."

Dr. Chang says heartburn is a normal part of the pregnancy due to the hormonal changes as well as the baby pushing your stomach which pushes everything up and causes acid-reflux in the esophagus.

"Heartburn is very normal during pregnancy. It's one of the side effects of the hormone changes and from physical space. As the baby grows bigger it pushes up on everything and makes the acid reflux a little bit into your esophagus," Dr. Chang said.

In part three of our series tomorrow a Jersey Shore mom of five children, including her first son that was born over the summer, gives her point of view on what pregnancy is like and how to be a good parent.

Excerpt from:
How to diet and exercise while pregnant: The Do's and Dont's - wobm.com

Share on PinterestConnecting with others can be one way to cope with the holiday blues. Getty Images

The holiday season is a joyful time for many people but it can also be a harbinger of stress.

For those who are coping with loneliness or grief over the loss of a loved one, holiday traditions and activities may heighten feelings of isolation and sadness.

Buying gifts, making food, traveling, and managing other holiday responsibilities can also strain peoples emotional and financial reserves.

Disruptions to your diet, exercise habits, and sleep schedule can affect your physical and mental health, too. Even seasonal reductions in sunlight can take a toll.

If you find yourself struggling with feelings of stress, anxiety, or sadness, youre not alone. Here are five strategies that may help you ward off the holiday blues this year.

If you struggle with feelings of isolation, loneliness, or sadness around the holidays, reaching out to family members and friends may help.

For those persons who experience loneliness or depression during the holiday season, its especially important to reach out to family and friends, Mona Shattell, PhD, RN, FAAN, a mental health specialist and professor of nursing at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, told Healthline.

These individuals should strive to connect in real life with one person per day, she continued. Call a friend on the phone, make a plan to meet someone for a walk or for coffee anything that connects the person to another person.

If you dont have a lot of people to call or visit, volunteering for a local organization may give you the chance to meet new people and strengthen your connections with your community.

Doing something meaningful for others can help mediate loneliness, depression, and stress during the holidays, Shattell said.

Taking part in a service project or volunteering for your favorite organization can help one feel less alone, less stressed, and more alive, she added.

For people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, certain holiday traditions or memories may serve as a reminder of their absence.

Rather than try to suppress feelings of sadness, it may help to acknowledge them and take time to commemorate the person youve lost.

For people who are experiencing grief over the death of loved ones, especially those who have died since the last holiday season, it is helpful to acknowledge the loss and celebrate the life as it was lived, the memories that remain, Shattell said.

You might find it comforting to establish a new holiday tradition in their honor. On the other hand, you might decide to skip other traditions or activities that are too painful to participate in without them.

Give yourself freedom to choose how youll mark the holiday and your loved ones memory, recommends the Hospice Foundation of America.

Setting realistic expectations is essential for limiting stress.

If youre feeling overwhelmed, its okay to scale back on your holiday decorations, baking goals, or social calendar. Rather than taking on everything, the American Psychological Association (APA) recommends prioritizing the tasks and activities that are most important to you.

Sticking to a holiday budget may also help limit stress by reducing financial strain. Dont spend more money on gifts or activities than you can afford.

If you find yourself struggling to meet the expectations of other people, its important to recognize and communicate your needs and limits, Brett Marroqun, PhD, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University, told Healthline.

I tend to talk to patients about interpersonal effectiveness skills, ways to communicate with partners, with adult parents, and with families that have to do with clearly asserting your needs, being really clear about what your needs and your emotions are, and having boundaries, Marroqun said.

What can I fulfill? What do I need to do to take care of myself? Communicating all those things, he continued.

Although it might not be your number one priority during the holiday season, practicing healthy habits is important for maintaining good mental health.

Basic stuff like keeping a healthy diet, keeping up your exercise, keeping up the activities you typically do, including the positive activities that you just enjoy doing, and not letting the stressful stuff sort of overwhelm all that and supersede all of that it creates the foundation for healthy coping, Marroqun said.

Try to get enough sleep, get some exercise, and moderate your intake of holiday treats.

Its also best to avoid consuming alcohol when youre feeling stressed or blue, advises Dr. Ken Duckworth, MD, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Whatever holiday stressors you expect to encounter, planning ahead may help you cope.

For some people, that might mean blocking time off in their calendars to shop when they expect grocery stores or malls to be less busy.

For others, it might mean planning a special activity or gathering with friends on a day when they anticipate feeling lonely or sad.

If you know that Christmas Day or New Years Eve is a particularly stressful time for you, maybe because of a loss that happened around that period or because youve always spent time with your grandpa and hes gone now, Marroqun said, is there something you can do on that day, is there something you can plan with other family members for that day?

A lot of the research is really clear, he continued, that when youre active in planning coping in advance for challenges you know are coming, the better off youre going to be.

Read more:
5 Ways to Beat Holiday Blues - Healthline

So both of their families have reorganized their lives and spent thousands of dollars to enroll in intensive after-school brain training programs that offer the promise of permanent changes to the human mind.

The programs are part of a fast-growing industry thats based on the premise that targeted games and exercises can rewire the brain to boost memory, sharpen thinking or decrease the challenges associated with anxiety, autism, ADHD and other disorders. Brick-and-mortar training centers like Brain Balance Achievement Centers, which Izak attends, and LearningRx, Kyles program, are just one piece of a $2 billion global brain technology market that is increasingly going around the medical industry and marketing directly to consumers.

But the premise behind the programs has faced significant criticism from doctors and scientists who warn that some are making dubious claims. These personalized programs can cost $12,000 or more for six months of training, three days a week. Families have gone into debt or turned to crowdfunding sites to pay for them.

Theyre selling hope, said Eric Rossen, the director of professional development and standards for the National Association of School Psychologists. These organizations are not necessarily predatory, but they are definitely there and almost chasing the parents who are desperate, who are overwhelmed and who feel that they have no recourse.

As the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and autism surges in the U.S., according to federal data, and as parents become exasperated with treatments that dont work or involve medications that carry the risk of side effects, neurotechnology industry analysts predict the demand for programs like these will only grow.

NBC News spoke with more than a dozen scientists and experts who said that while theres promise in some forms of brain training, the field is so new that many companies are making claims that go far beyond what they can prove.

That hasnt stopped families from enrolling. NBCNews spoke to 22 parents of children who enrolled in Brain Balance or LearningRx, two of the largest one-on-one training programs, and many described positive results.

LearningRx makes you use your brain in a different way than you do in school, said Kyles mother, Alana Gregory, who says her son is focusing better and is less likely to hit other children than he was before he started the program in August. Its giving him skills to help when he is frustrated. And when he's not as frustrated, we don't have behavior issues.

But other parents say theyve seen only minor improvements if any despite months of hard work and high bills.

The whole thing is a hoax, said Atheer Sabti, who took out a $12,500 loan in 2017 to pay for a six-month Brain Balance program in Plano, Texas, to help his then 12-year-old son, who was getting into trouble and struggling to focus in school.

They took my money, Sabti said, and my son was the same.

Much of the growth in brain training is in apps and games that people use at home or in school, said Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains, a research firm that tracks the neurotechnology industry. The global market for direct-to-consumer technology grew from $475 million in 2012 to $1.9 billion last year, Fernandez said.

Those numbers dont include franchises like Brain Balance or LearningRX, which Fernandez says are more difficult to track financially. But these centers are now in most major U.S. cities. Brain Balance has 108 locations and said it brought in $51.3 million last year. LearningRx has 70 centers in the U.S. as well as 85 centers called BrainRx around the globe. The company declined to provide revenue numbers but says it hopes to add eight U.S. centers and 20 international centers next year.

Other companies include Neurocore Brain Performance Centers, which made headlines in 2017 when U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos disclosed that she and her husband are major shareholders.

Groups that advocate for people with autism and ADHD, including Autism Speaks and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or CHADD, warn parents to be wary of companies like these that claim to address a long list of disorders without much scientific proof.

We want science to drive treatment and intervention, not just anecdotes, said Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist in Cleveland and the co-chair of CHADDs professional advisory board.

Brain training companies are careful to comply with federal advertising laws, avoiding phrases like treat or cure. But some companies have run into trouble. LearningRx paid $200,000 in 2016 to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission about deceptive claims.

LearningRx maintained that the FTC had unfairly applied medical standards to an educational company, but decided that fighting in court would have been too expensive.

Neurocore, a program that blends diet, exercise, clinical talk therapy and an intervention called neurofeedback that involves attaching electrodes to peoples heads, last year agreed to alter its marketing when an advertising review board objected to ads promoting cures for a host of disorders. But just last month, Neurocore was the subject of a complaintfiled with the FTC by the ad watchdog Truth in Advertising.

Theyve continued to market in a really inappropriate way, said Bonnie Patten, Truth in Advertisings executive director. Theyre marketing unapproved medical devices as being able to treat ailments such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, migraines and memory loss when there's no reliable scientific evidence.

Neurocore CEO Mark Murrison points to research showing that neurofeedback works, though scientists say it has not been fully proven. He says Pattens organization has never reached out to him and he doesnt believe she understands his program.

His company has encountered skeptics, but thats to be expected when you offer an alternative to the status quo, he said.

The FTC declined to comment.

Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.

Brain Balance centers are colorful, cheerfully decorated places, often located in shopping centers in affluent neighborhoods. They each have a cognitive room where students play video games that target memory or brain function and a sensory motor room filled with mats, balance beams and monkey bars.

On a recent afternoon at the Brain Balance in Oxford, about 40 miles north of Detroit, classical music played softly as coaches guided students through exercises designed to stimulate the left or the right side of their brains.

The Brain Balance program is demanding, calling on families to reduce childrens screen time and to cut most sugar, gluten and dairy from their diets. But what has raised eyebrows among mainstream scientists are some unproven theories that drive the one-on-one training.

One of those theories is the popular notion that the right and left side of the brain have different influences on personality. Brain Balance claims that a right brain weakness can cause impulsivity and anxiety, while a left brain weakness can lead to poor math or reading skills. Thats why kids remove just one sock: Brain Balance believes that as a bare foot makes contact with the floor, the opposite side of the brain will get more stimulation. Metronomes and shakers are placed on the same side as the bare foot.

Another Brain Balance theory has to do with primitive infant reflexes, which are the instincts babies are born with to help them survive. The rooting reflex, for example, supports nursing by leading babies to turn toward objects that touch their cheeks. The moro reflex, which likely evolved to help infants cling to their mothers, causes babies to extend their arms and legs when startled.

Doctors say that most people outgrow these reflexes by the time they start preschool. Robert Melillo, a chiropractor and author who founded Brain Balance in 2006, asserted that children who retain reflexes face academic and behavioral struggles. Brain Balance tests children for eight primitive reflexes and has exercises that target each one. The one that targets the moro reflex has children stretch their arms and legs, then curl into a ball.

Other exercises, such as standing on one foot, target balance and coordination to promote connectivity in the brain, said Rebecca Jackson, Brain Balances vice president of programs and outreach. I always like to tell the kids that its kind of like a workout for your brain, she said. We all have strong muscles and weak muscles, and its the same thing with the brain.

George Anderson, a senior research scientist in the Child Study Center at Yale University, is doubtful of this approach. He is among several university-affiliated experts and medical professionals who reviewed the research on the companys website and saw little proof to support the programs theories.

There is evidence that people with neurological issues like ADHD and autism are, in fact, more likely to retain primitive reflexes than their peers, Anderson said. But that doesnt mean that the Brain Balance exercises can eliminate retained reflexes, or that eliminating those reflexes would permanently reduce challenging behaviors.

There's just a lack of foundation for what theyre doing, he said. There are things that they really need to show, and Im surprised theyre in business and have 100 centers if they havent shown that. Actually, I'm not surprised theyre in business if they can get $12,000 for doing this. Its a way to make money. Im surprised they dont view this as unethical.

Daniel Simons, a University of Illinois psychology professor who has scrutinized 130 papers cited by brain training programs, said there is zero evidence to support the Brain Balance theory about problems being caused by a weakness on one side of the brain. This is pseudoscience at best, he said.

Brain Balance CEO Dominick Fedele says science supports the programs components, including the benefits of exercise for the brain. But he acknowledged that the company had not, until recently, attempted a comprehensive study comparing lasting outcomes for children who came through the program to a control group that did not. The company is now helping to fund such a study by a Harvard researcher.

We know there are skeptics out there and we suspect there will continue to be, but we want to be able to show that this is a program that truly makes a difference, Fedele said.

The company rejected the notion that selling an intervention that hasnt been fully proven is unethical. Many families report positive results and the activities arent harmful, said Jackson, the Brain Balance vice president.

Asked about downsides, Jackson replied, the downside is there is cost or time and money involved.

Melillo, who sold most of his stake in the company to a private equity firm several years ago, told NBC News that he honed the program over 10 years of working with children before he started charging for it.

The idea that we always have to wait to make sure we have absolute proof makes no sense, he said. The only way you know it works is by using it.

Parents who say the program doesnt work resent the thousands of dollars they spent to test it out.

Srikanth Mamidi was so angry about not seeing lasting benefits for his autistic son after six months in a Brain Balance program in Cary, North Carolina, that he tracked Melillo down at a ribbon cutting for another center and confronted him.

It was a time waster, an energy waster and a money waster, Mamidi said.

The program had seemed wacky to him, but he and his wife were determined to avoid giving medication to their son, who was 11 at the time and was struggling to make friends and pay attention in class, he said. They were hopeful when they paid $10,000 for the program and committed to driving 40 minutes each way for the training sessions.

But Mamidi said the small changes they saw in the beginning, such as a slight improvement in their sons ability to communicate, faded quickly.

When Mamidi confronted Melillo in 2016, the company founder just walked away, Mamidi said. They are interested in making money rather than improving peoples lives, he said.

Melillo said he did not recall the confrontation but notes that Mamidi is just one disgruntled parent among thousands who swear by the results.

Most Brain Balance reviews posted on Google and Yelp are glowing. Many franchise owners, including the couple who own the Oxford center, are former clients who tell moving stories about the relief they felt when they walked through the door after an overwhelming quest to help their children.

Izaks mom, Patty Lopez, says her son is a different child than he was when he started Brain Balance last spring. Back then, he was prone to daily tantrums that would last for an hour or more. When he was briefly in kindergarten last year, he trashed the classroom so many times that a teacher described him as the worst student that she had ever had in 18 years, Lopez said.

The family has made sacrifices to adopt the programs strict dietary and screen-time guidelines and make the hourlong drive to trainings. But its all been worth it, she said.

After seven months of Brain Balance, Lopez said Izak is doing well in school and now rarely has meltdowns, and she and her husband have been able to avoid giving him the medication that doctors wanted to prescribe. Its a huge change, she said. Its more relaxed. We can play. We can have conversations with him now.

Why do some families see benefits from brain training programs while others dont?

Experts say there could be lots of reasons all interventions, including medicine, affect children differently. Also, parents spending large sums of money can fuel the placebo effect, the belief that a treatment is working even if its not.

Children in the Brain Balance program are doing regular exercise and eating better than they may have been before, which can lead to better sleep. Many spend less time watching TV or staring at a phone. Theyre getting lots of personal attention from Brain Balances coaches. And theyre developing and maturing.

At the end of the year, they're better and many times they would have gotten better on their own, said Rossen, of the National Association of School Psychologists.

Many variables affect childrens lives new teachers, new schools, new milestones. It can be difficult to know what accounts for behavioral changes.

Ben Forbush, 19, a freshman at Michigan State University, said Brain Balance helped him with depression and anxiety when he enrolled as a high school senior.

He started eating breakfast and getting more exercise. He significantly curtailed the time he spent on his phone, and slept much better.

It might have been that the program enabled me to take care of myself a lot more than I had before, he said. Ill never know which aspect it was. Theres a chance it could have been any of them. If it works, it works. It definitely helped me a lot.

Crystal Hoshaw, a California mother, believes Brain Balance helped her son Noah, 7, with reducing repetitive behaviors related to autism and anxiety, such as sucking on his hands, that had been exacerbated by his parents separation and a move to a new home.

She credits Brain Balance with Noahs improvements because his tics were related to the nervous system, which the program targets. Noah also may have benefited from the extra time he and his mother spent together during the 45-minute drive to Brain Balance in San Francisco. The two stopped for burgers in what became little special dates, she said. To Hoshaw, the exact source of Noahs progress matters less than the results.

It doesn't have to be a hard line a good or a bad or a magic bullet or snake oil. It doesnt have to be so polarized, she said. It can just be one part of a holistic, well-rounded approach to helping a kid.

The LearningRX training center in Colorado Springs buzzed with activity on a recent afternoon as seven students and their trainers worked together at small tables. The noise level is intentionally loud to train clients to tune out distractions.

One child bounced on a mini-trampoline as she tried to recall all 45 U.S. presidents. Another child tossed a ball with his trainer as they took turns reciting the alphabet in time with a metronome, an exercise designed to help him multitask.

Many of LearningRxs brain games are similar to exercises that psychologists use to conduct IQ tests, including recalling numbers or shapes. Theyre given easy tasks to start and are rewarded with high fives from their coaches and points they can save up to buy prizes. When they can recite all of the presidents, their picture is posted on the wall.

LearningRX, which was founded in 2003 by an optometrist, initially as a vision therapy program, says it has always done research to show that the program can, for example, help the 29 percent of clients who have ADHD. The company has made a greater effort to publish that research since the FTC charges.

In the past three years, the company has published 11 peer-reviewed studies, said Amy Moore, an educational psychologist and research director of the LearningRxs research arm, the Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research. Among them is a small clinical trial published in a neuropsychiatry journal that found statistically significant improvements in a group of seven clients who had ADHD compared to a control group of six people with ADHD who did not attend LearningRx.

Prove is not in our language, but we have a convergence of evidence that shows that the program changes test results, Moore said. It changes connectivity in the brain and it changes real life.

But questions persist.

I would want a lot more evidence, said Thomas Redick, a psychology professor at Purdue University who has reviewed hundreds of brain training studies. He was among several experts who spoke with NBC News who noted that the peer-reviewed controlled trials and other studies touted on LearningRxs website were fairly small or lacked methodological rigor, such as measures to control for the placebo effect.

Redick added that he doesnt doubt that LearningRx clients do better on IQ tests after months of training, but he questioned whether the benefits translate to other settings. He is skeptical of LearningRxs claims that its clients have improved at school.

You can learn mnemonic strategies that are effective but that only works for those materials, he said. Its not changing whether or not you have ADHD.

Still, Alana Gregory, Kyles mom, said LearningRx has built confidence in her son, which has improved his behavior.

There is no magic pill, she said, but you have to find out what works for your individual child and go with it.

Go here to see the original:
Parents pay thousands for 'brain training' to help kids with ADHD and autism. But does it work? - NBCNews.com

The self-sacrificing woman of the household is not just another trope. Its apparently a reality that we are far too used to in India. And, when this behaviour extends into ignoring ones health, the situation can go from okay to bad very fast.

A recent survey indicates that, as Indian women strive to do the best in their profession and life, they are neglecting their health. According to the survey, out of the total respondents, 16% did not go for any tests while 63% went for health check-ups only if they were unwell. It also revealed only 39% of women were covered by any health cover. Among those who were not insured, 53% never gave a thought to purchasing health insurance, the report mentioned. The survey also indicated that more than 80% of men and women interviewed believe that the breadwinner should primarily be insured against health and life-related threats, according to Anuradha Sriram, Chief Actuary, Aditya Birla Health Insurance.

She goes on to add that usually, women are less conscious regarding their health owing to a few reasons such as lower literacy rate, lower employment, and social stigma when it comes to physical exercise, food and eating habits etc.

Childbirth and care is an additional factor, which radically takes away a lot of time from them. Regardless of the odds, women from all walks of life multitask all the time. Unfortunately, they are not very vigilant about their health. Women are the support system of the family as homemakers and as employees in the workforce. Since they are involved in taking care of their families and workplaces, most of them usually neglect their routine check-ups, unless it is the need of the situation, writes Sriram.

Her advice: women must take time out for themselves, emphasize on eating a proper balanced and assorted diet and get an appropriate amount of exercise. Its for a reason that passengers are advised to put on their own oxygen masks first in case of an emergency, before helping others. A healthy and fit you will be better equipped to aid and nurture others.

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Go here to see the original:
No more self-sacrifice: Women must take control of their health; focus on healthy diet and exercise - Economic Times

Visceral fat is of particular concern as its a key player in a variety of health problems. High levels of visceral fat can increase the risk of serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

A poor diet can lead to visceral fat build-up, so making changes to what you eat and drink is advised.

While many people think foods high in fat should be avoided, not all fats are unhealthy.

When it comes to cooking oil, coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats you can eat, and studies have shown the positive impact it can have on visceral fat.

Studies have shown the medium-chain fats in coconut oil may boot metabolism and decrease the amount of fat yo store in response to high calorie intake.

READ MORE:Type 2 diabetes: Foods that could increase your risk of developing the condition

Controlled studies have also suggested it may lead to abdominal fat loss.

In one study, obese men who consumed coconut oil daily for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.1 inches from their waists without changing their diets or exercise routines.

In most of the studies, taking about two tablespoons (30ml) of coconut oil per day was shown to be effective.

But coconut oil is high in calories, so rather than adding extra fat into your diet you should look to replace some of the fats youre already eating with coconut oil.

DON'T MISS

As an overall diet to follow, reducing carb intake has been found to be beneficial for losing fat, including abdominal fat.

Diets with under 50g of carbs per day cause belly fat loss in overweight people, those at risk of type 2 diabetes and women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

A strict low-carb diet isnt essential, as some research suggests simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carb may improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat.

A Framingham Heart Study found people with the highest consumption of whole grains were 17 percent less likely to have excess abdominal fat than those who consumed diets high in refined grains.

Alongside eating a healthy diet, coconut oil and fewer carbs, exercise has been effective at getting rid of visceral fat.

Aerobic exercise has been found to be an effective way to improve a persons health and burn calories.

Studies have also shown its one of the most effective forms of exercise for reducing belly fat.

See the rest here:
How to lose visceral fat: Best cooking oil for reducing the harmful belly fat - Express

Registered dietitian Caroline Susie, who is a Lake Highlands High School alumna, works for a global healthcare company, advising clients of all sizes on how to improve their diets. Shes also shared health tips on episodes of Fox 4s Good Day. The best tip I can give: Dont take nutrition advice from Dr. Google or an influencer on social media.Work with a registered, licensed dietitian. Dietitians have degrees in nutrition, have completed a 1,200-hour supervised internship, passed national boards and complete ongoing continuing education. Look for RD or RDN in title, or when in doubt, ask Susie says.

Load up on H20

Hydration is so important, especially as we age, as water contributes to almost every function in our bodies.Research shows that having a glass of water before each meal can result in consuming fewer calories at the meal.To increase your water consumption, use a water tracker, get a cool water bottle, and vary your water flavors by making spa water, adding citrus or cucumbers.

Focus on adding foods, not eliminating

When you eliminate a specific food or food group from your diet, you cant help but think about it 24/7. I call this, the Chick-fil-A effect.What is the day of the week you always want Chick-fil-A? Sunday [when the fast-food restaurant is closed]. So instead of restricting yourself, focus on adding foods to your diet. This positive mindset will help you make healthier choices and feel good about them.

Dont fear carbs

Yes, its true, not all carbs are created equal, but to simply demonize the entire food category is not fair. We have decades of research associating complex carbs with decreased risk of developing heart disease, stroke and chronic conditions.Some great choices of complex carbs include whole-grain bread and beans, brown rice and fresh fruit.

Naturally occurring sugar is just fine

Remember back in the 90s, when we were so terrified of fat?Well sugar is the new fat.But here is the secret: Sugar is not the bad guy.In fact, naturally occurring sugar occurs in two forms: fruit [fructose] and milk [lactose]. In addition to natural energy, fruit and milkprovide a host of other nutrition benefits like vitamin A, C, D and calcium. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, watch your portion sizes.

Choose lean

Lean protein is not only an essential nutrient imperative to many bodily processes, but research shows that consuming lean protein contributes to satiety, that feeling of staying fuller longer. Reach for fish, lean beef, Greek yogurt, chicken, pork, cottage cheese, eggs, peanut butter, tofu and shrimp.

The perfect pair

I tell all my clients to always pair complex carbohydrates with lean protein at every meal and snack.The complex carbs provide energy, while protein provides that feeling of fullness.Pair them to balance out blood sugar levels. This will prevent you from being hangry later.

Stock up

Your freezer is your best friend. Stock up on healthy foods such as frozen veggies, fruits, grilled chicken and fish. These can save you in a time pinch.

Eat more veggies

Sneak veggies in everywhere.Add veggies to your eggs. Top your sandwich with spinach and a slice of tomato. Puree veggies into your marinara sauce. Incorporate a small salad with lunch and dinner, or try adding more veggies into soups and chilis. Try the crudite approach: finger friendly veggies such as mini peppers, carrots and cucumbers, served with a low-fat dip.

Make exercise a habit

Every step counts. Even if you only have 10 minutes, get moving. Your exercise goal is 150 minutesof moderate intensity exercise per week. Yes, brisk walking counts and yes, you can break this up into 10-minute segments. Schedule exercise into your day. Invest in a wearable device like a Fitbit for motivation. Find a group of friends who can hold you accountable. Always check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.

Follow @CarolineSusieRD on Twitter and Instagram or check out her website for more tips.

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How to avoid the 'Chick-fil-a' effect and other healthy diet tips - Advocate Media

1. Be mindful about what youre eating.

As humans age into adulthood, Chag says we tend to turn off a component in our brain that tells us when were full.

When you see a little kid with an ice cream cone, youll notice they stop eating it when theyre full, she said. But with adults, theres this clean the plate mentality.

Before and after each meal, Chag recommends thinking about how hungry or full you are on a scale of one to 10, with one being starving and 10 being Thanksgiving-dinner stuffed.

At the end of each meal, you want to feel about a six, seven, or eight, she said. You never want to be at a 10, but you also dont want to feel faint.

Chag said that mindless snacking and grazing also tends to happen when we turn off this mechanism. She says before you reach for between-meal foods to check in internally and ask, Am I hungry, or am I kind of dehydrated?

Sometimes, you just need a cup of water, she said.

And when it comes to mindful eating, practice makes perfect.

Its easy to talk about, but it takes a lot, she said. If you can tap back into it, it will be your guide. It takes time. Its not going to happen overnight. Be patient with yourself."

2. Fill up half your plate with veggies.

Gone are the days of meat and potatoes dominating dinner plates. To keep healthy, Chag recommends loading up half your plate, or a portion two to three times the size of your fist, with non-starch vegetables. (Starchy vegetables can include potatoes and corn.)

Vegetables to strive for include bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens the world is your oyster, Chag said.

However, when it comes to choosing veggies, variety is key. You dont want them just to be green. Get some color on the plate," Chag said, noting that different-colored foods can help supply a range of vitamins and minerals.

3. Adhere to the 80/20 rule.

In general, every meal should follow the 80/20 guideline, Chag said, where 20 percent of the food eaten is a lean protein like chicken, fish, or pork.

Red meat lovers: You can have your beef and eat it, too, as long as you opt for a lean cut like a top sirloin or prime rib and consume it in moderation, she said.

When it comes to starches like potatoes, rice, and bread, generally a portion the size of your fist, or half your fist, would be a Chag-approved goal. (Yes, that includes the mashed potatoes and Thanksgiving stuffing.)

4. Nightshades are now on the table (literally).

If Brady is known for any weird diet quirks (remember his well-documented love of avocados?) its his aversion to nightshades, which include tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes.

However, Chag said that now, for some people, nightshades are (literally) on the table. Chag said she and Guerrero Bradys controversial trainer and TB12 co-founder who helped develop the football stars diet and off-field exercise regimen look at what was historically said and evolve based on research and experience.

For example, if a veggie-averse client is only eating three vegetables a day and two of those are nightshades, then if theyre not feeling any negative effects, there would be no reason to cut them out of their diet.

Its person-dependent, she said. We want to make sure people are getting enough fruits and veggies a day, since theyre rich in vitamins and antioxidants."

So does this mean Brady himself is back on the nightshade train? With a laugh, Chag noted that Guerrero is the point person on Bradys diet, and that she had no idea if he has come around on tomatoes.

5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Another headline-grabbing statistic from The TB12 Method: Brady apparently drinks as much as 25 glasses of water a day.

Twenty-five . . . is a lot. Very much a lot, Alicia Romano, a clinical registered dietician at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center, previously told the Globe. I would never recommend that to a patient.

So when Chag begins to wax poetic about the benefits of staying hydrated, I ask what she thinks about the 20-some glasses of water a day.

Generally, she says people should take their body weight in pounds, divide it by two, and use that number in ounces as a baseline for how much water to guzzle a day. (Surprisingly, after doing the math, this seems pretty doable for most people.)

However, if youre active, she says, thats when we start taking other things into account, like what your sweat rate is, because we want to make sure were making up for losses.

6. When it comes to alcohol, moderation is key.

In order to fend off dehydration, Chag recommends opting for water or seltzer as a first drink when you arrive at bars, parties, or family dinners where alcohol is front and center.

If you skip the first one, you build a little bit of armor for yourself, she said. Alcohol is super pro-inflammatory and dehydrating, so we try to get the number of alcoholic drinks as low as we can.

She also notes that simply having a non-alcoholic drink in your hand can deter mindless alcohol intake.

"People are eager to get you a drink because they want to be a good host, but if you already have something in your hand, you can say youre all set.

You dont need to go alcohol free to be TB12-approved, though. And dont feel like you need to choke down vodka sodas in a quest to limit calories.

If youre drinking, pick something you enjoy and have it in moderation, she said. From a diet standpoint, I dont care where your number [of drinks per week] is, I just try to bring it down. Some of my clients have two drinks a week, max. Some of my clients are wine aficionados, and they have 15 glasses of wine a week.

For those of us more who are simply aiming to clean up our down-the-hatch act, Chag recommends against sugary cocktails that use rely heavily on juice or soda, since refined sugar is inflammatory. Go more straightforward, she said.

7. Its OK to enjoy guilty pleasures now and then.

Its the holidays. No one is expecting you to refuse every chocolate or home-baked sugar cookie, Chag said.

Avoiding sugar can be challenging, especially this time of year, she said. Dont beat yourself up over that Lindt chocolate ball.

In terms of how often you consume something, Chag says there are two categories: Sometimes foods and everyday foods. The sometimes foods tend to include the sugary, delectable treats that are a no-no in the TB12 world.

Its OK to just have them some of the time, she said. Its not not having it, but spreading it out. Make sure it becomes a sometimes food, not an everyday food."

And even if you pig out on foods that are unsanctioned by the TB12 nutritionist (gasp!), Chag said that its not a big deal to do once in a while.

Enjoy it, she said. Know that one meal wont undo one month or one years worth of hard work."

8. Dont forget to move.

Yes, Chag is aware that movement is not a food. But she says its still important to work into a healthy diet.

For example, after a family meal, get everyone together and go on a walk around the neighborhood, Chag suggests.

It doesnt have to be sweat-inducing," she said. Go on a leisurely walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Little things build up over time.

Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter: @JaclynReiss

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8 tips on holiday eating from a TB12 nutritionist - The Boston Globe

If there's one part of the body that most people would like to be free of excess fat, it's the belly. And it's not just for appearance's sake: The specific type of fat that accumulates around your midsection has been linked to a higher risk of disease, including some cancers, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Core exercises can reduce the appearance of belly fat, but there are better ways to get rid of it altogether.

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Spot reduction, or the idea that you can target fat loss from specific areas of the body, is a myth, so there's no exercise or food that will magically melt away belly fat. But if you're looking to lose belly fat for the long haul, there are a number of research- and expert-backed things you can do.

The first step to getting rid of your belly fat is understanding how it's different from other types of body fat and how that factors in when it comes to weight loss.

There are two types of belly fat:

"As we get older and our hormones change, we tend to deposit more visceral fat, which is very pro-inflammatory and much more dangerous to health than subcutaneous fat," Luiza Petre, MD, a cardiologist and weight-management expert, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Generally, a waist size over 35 inches for women and over 40 inches for men indicates excess visceral fat, according to the National Institutes of Health.

First things first: Weight loss is a systemic process, which means that energy (read: fat) is burned at an equal rate throughout the body, Dr. Petre says. In other words, your body doesn't tap any one particular area before any other.

"What may seem to be focal weight loss is actually a product of how our fat tissue is distributed," she explains. Women tend to store more fat around the thighs and hips, while men carry more around the waist. Therefore, when weight loss occurs, it's more visible in those areas.

However, there is a difference when it comes to which type of fat goes first. Visceral fat is more readily metabolized into fatty acids, per Harvard Health Publishing, so it responds to diet and exercise more efficiently than soft fat on, say, the hips and thighs.

Once you create a healthy calorie deficit and implement the tips below, you can expect to see a difference in your belly in about two weeks.

Credit: Chaloemphon Wanitcharoentham / EyeEm/EyeEm/GettyImages

How quickly can you expect to watch your belly disappear? Well, that all depends on your calorie deficit.

If you want to lose belly fat, you need to lose weight, which means you need to consume less calories than you burn. Most people can safely cut between 500 and 1,000 calories per day, which typically leads to between 1 and 2 pounds of weight loss per week, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Wondering how to calculate your calories for weight loss? Download the MyPlate app to do the job and help you track your intake, so you can stay focused and achieve your goals!

If you stick to that schedule, you should start to notice a difference in your abdominal area in about two weeks, says Holly Roser, a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist.

Don't fall for fads promising lightning-fast weight loss or six-pack abs in just a few days. Here's what really works when it comes to trimming your tummy and keeping visceral fat at bay.

Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

When you think about exercise for a flatter belly, your mind may immediately go to crunches and other core-targeting moves. But while abdominal exercises can tighten the muscles and make the abdomen look better, Dr. Petre says these moves won't actually trim down the fat around your waist. "Not all exercises are created equal when it comes to belly fat," she stresses.

Research, including a September 2019 study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, has found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is more effective in reducing abdominal fat compared to other types of training. Researchers noted that people who practiced HIIT not only shaved more inches off their waists but also lost more body fat and gained more lean muscle mass than those who performed other moderate-intensity exercise, including brisk walking and cycling.

Compared to low-fat diets, Dr. Petre maintains that lower-carb diets are better when it comes to blasting visceral fat. One important study, published August 2019 in the Journal of Hepatology, found that a lower-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet was more effective at reducing belly fat than a diet lower in fat.

Everyone needs fat in his or her diet. But the type of fat you're eating is important, too. Those following a Mediterranean diet are encouraged to avoid or limit saturated fats found in such foods as butter, lard, full-fat dairy, fatty meats, fried foods and commercial baked goods and instead stick to unsaturated fats like olive oil, avocado and nuts.

The Mediterranean diet also puts the focus on whole grains over refined carbs, which can help put the kibosh on belly fat. According to Harvard Health Publishing, these refined foods (think: white bread and rice, chips, sweets and sugary drinks) cause sharp spikes in blood sugar and elevate your triglyceride levels, which cause your body to store more fat around the waist.

Avocados are a smart choice when you're trying to lose belly fat.

Credit: Milan_Jovic/E+/GettyImages

Ilana Muhlstein, RD, dietitian and co-creator of Beachbody's 2B Mindset, is a fan of cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, arugula, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts as great belly fat-blasting fuel. "They are low in calories but high in fiber," she explains.

Eating more fiber can help you feel full on less food, which helps with weight loss in general. And eating more soluble fiber such as the kind found in many veggies but also flax seeds, oranges, beans and oats in particular may be key in reducing abdominal fat. One oft-cited study published in the February 2012 issue of Obesity followed more than 1,000 people for five years and found that each 10-gram increase in soluble fiber intake decreased belly fat accumulation by 3.7 percent.

Before you get too caught up in exactly how much and which kind of fiber you should be getting, keep in mind that there's no perfect amount to aim for instead, simply fill your plate with a variety of veggies as often as possible.

"A combined program of a low-carbohydrate and high-fiber diet with regular exercise and a de-stress plan will allow you to see a waistline again."

Research has established a link between sleep and visceral fat, Dr. Petre says. Indeed, a May 2014 study published in Obesity found that those who sleep a healthy amount of time defined by researchers as seven to eight hours a day gained significantly less visceral fat than those who slept too little or too much.

One of the culprits here is cortisol, aka the stress hormone, which your body tends to release when you're short on shut-eye. Cortisol signals your body to store more fat in your belly while also increasing your hunger and negatively affecting your metabolism.

Speaking of cortisol, research has also connected higher stress levels to more belly fat. "High cortisol levels can actually increase your visceral fat, as the hormone is known to increase the amount of fat that clings to your body and magnifies the growth of your fat cells," Dr. Petre says.

Stressful situations are nearly unavoidable in everyday life, but you do have control over your response to them, which can help mitigate the effects of cortisol on your body: Check out eight ways to beat stress-induced belly fat.

Because there are so many components involved in blasting belly fat, Dr. Petre says that motivation and commitment are key even when you don't see results right away. "A combined program of a low-carbohydrate and high-fiber diet with regular exercise and a de-stress plan will allow you to see a waistline again," she says. "You can push past your genetics and bad habits to get rid of that elastic waistband forever."

Read more:
How to Lose Belly Fat: 6 Things That Really Work - LIVESTRONG.COM

Bananas are a true superfood in every sense. In fact, a lot of gym-goers prefer to have a glass full of banana smoothie before or after a grueling workout. A lot of athletes too, prefer to have a banana on the go. Plus, it makes for such a tasty fruit!

Had simply, in its original form or topped off in dishes and shakes, there is no denying that bananas make for an excellent addition to your diet, especially for those who are on the lookout for a simple weight loss plan. They are loaded with good digestive enzymes that fuel up the system, recharge the metabolism and also have the ability to satiate you, which can cut down on untimely hunger pangs and stop you from overeating. It also raises the production of dopamine in the body, which keeps you more energized to workout!

Bananas also release energy slowly in the body and fuel your exercise. It is also an excellent source of potassium, which ensures that your skeletal and heart muscles keep flexing and contracting while you workout. They also contain a good source of potassium and fiber content in them which helps in regulating body fat, fight toxins actively and recharge the body to fight away the free radicals in the body.

Well, what if we told you, there is another secret health benefit of the fruit-something that's hiding in its peels?

Yes, before you decide to simply throw away the peels after eating the pulpy fruit inside, think twice. Eating the peels can actually accelerate your weight loss mission in an easier way! Banana peels not just cut out on food wastage, but can also help you ditch the flab a little faster!

According to Australian dietician Susie Bowell, banana peels can be an easy way to lose weight and if consumed regularly, it can provide ample nourishment, specifically to trim down your waistline. Detailing the benefits of the same in a study, Bowell mentioned that eating the peels in any form can increase your overall fiber content (by at least 10%), which is a good addition. Plus, the skin also guarantees a whopping 20% more vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium content, supporting the fact that it is full of nutrition. With the fiber, you stand to regulate your digestion and smoothen up the weight loss problems from the root. Hence, this way, not just the bananas but the peel too can help lose weight faster.

According to experts, the colour of the banana skin also carries with it several other nutritious benefits that are super healthy for you. Ripe, green banana skins contain a good portion of tryptophan (which is an essential amino acid), resistant starch which is essential to maintain a good gut. Yellow skinned bananas, the most popularly found ones contain several antioxidants that have cancer-protecting properties and strengthen your immunity too. The nutrients in the skin can also supply melatonin, which can improve sleep quality.

While studies are still underway to test how successful and helpful they are for weight watchers, banana peels, are no doubt super healthy. You can boil them or have them raw, or introduce them to your diet in a slow manner. Be sure to clean and thoroughly wash the bananas before consuming them to ensure that you do not ingest traces of germs or pesticides along with the health benefits!

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Weight loss: Can eating banana peels help you lose weight? - Times of India

Fitness is not ripped muscles or abs. Fitness is a way of life a healthy life that makes you feel good everyday. For 42-year-old Narendra Firodia, losing weight was just the first step to realising this goal.

My goal was to get healthy and fit! And, I knew that to make it happen, the first step that Id have to take was - lose my bodys excess weight. This first step commenced two years ago when Firodia weighed a whopping 102 kgs.

Two years ago, as I was approaching my 40th birthday, I met Luke Coutinho, author, holistic lifestyle coach and co-founder of RESET - Holistic Living Concepts during the learning session of Entrepreneurs Organization Pune, he says. Coutinho is a well-known lifestyle coach, who forefronts healthy eating habits and wellness practices over fad diets. I had been following Luke on Facebook for a while before I saw him address the crowd in Pune that day. I had always thought that one day, when I meet him, Ill ask him to guide me on a path of holistic living, he informs.

When I finally met Luke, post the event, we went through my medical records, and consequently, I enrolled myself in Lukes one year program that was centered around eating right, exercising, sleeping and creating a balance between my professional and personal life to get started on my weight loss and fitness journey. Below, he highlights the key elements of this one year program and weight loss plan that eventually helped him lose 18 kgs and trim from 102 kgs to 84 kgs.

My weight loss plan, comprising a workout routine and a daily diet plan, was customised according to my body type. I was also assigned my own personal nutritionist, who charted a new diet plan for me devoid of wheat, milk, sugar, tea and coffee. While these food items were restricted from my diet, the new meals I started consuming werent that different from what I was used to eating.

The new diet focused more on tips for preparation of food, portion control and substituting rich and heavy foods with healthy alternatives such as Poha and Idlis, Jowar/Bajra rotis and Dal, various types of Khichdis and Soups and Salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Various types of detox routines also became a part of my overall weight loss plan. According to Luke and Dr Deepti Bagree, Head of Department - Healthcare Division, RESET - Holistic Living Concepts, these detox plans included foods that were easy to digest like fermented foods such as idlis, dosas, probiotic beverages like kombucha, dark coloured fruits and vegetables and makhanas, sprouts as snacks.

Apart from switching to healthier alternatives, following a monthly intermittent fasting routine also greatly helped me get in shape.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesnt specify which foods you can or cannot eat. It only focuses on when you should eat them.

There are many IF plans and patterns that you can follow, but the most effective one, according to studies is the 16:8 IF diet. The 16:8 IF diet entails one to observe a 16-hour fasting period, followed by an 8-hour eating window.

You can commence a 16-hour fast at 10:00 pm in the night, after you eat your last meal of the day and go to sleep thats 7-8 hours gone right there. You can break the 16-hour fast at 2:00 pm with your lunch and eat small meals till 10:00 pm this makes up the 8-hour eating window. Alternatively, you can also begin your fast at 8 pm and break it at 12 pm, the next day.

ALSO READ: Is intermittent fasting really worth It?

As a part of his weight loss exercise regime, Firodia used to brisk walk 12000 steps every day and also devote time to practise Yoga and functional training. Id workout 6 days/week and 1 day was reserved for rest and recovery. But I felt quite energetic on this rest day as well, as I followed what's commonly known as active rest, which essentially translates to keeping the body active by focusing on your daily routine and mundane tasks.

"Luke's team did not just concentrate on tweaking my food habits but also made sure that I slept well and that my mental/emotional health were in tandem with my physical health. Moreover, through this transformation I have become like a brand ambassador of sorts for fitness and healthy food in my hometown of Ahmednagar in Pune. I have also motivated many of my family members and friends to eat healthy and exercise daily to stay fit."

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

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How to lose weight like this 42-year-old who lost 18 kgs by tweaking his eating habits instead of crash dieting - GQ India - What a man's got to do