One of the biggest reasons we start and stop a weight loss diet or a workout routine to lose weight is the lack of daily motivation required to pursue it. But 26-year-old Kishan Sharma tells us that he cracked the code to see his weight loss journey through till the end by spending big bucks on a one-year gym membership. It compelled me to stick to a routine everyday. If you pay for something in advance, you will definitely work for it (it's just human nature)! he confesses.

But the gym wasnt his first option. I started gaining weight at a very steady pace since college. I was a very big foodie, and would eat and drink anything and everything. But at the same time, I was also very active in sports, especially cricket, football and volleyball. My friends and family would often taunt me for gaining weight but I was unfazed by it. That is until I started working and all the physical activity and sports tournaments stopped, he says.

Now, I was just eating and eating very unhealthy food and going up weight classes and clothing sizes rapidly from XL to XXL. Reality finally hit me when even XXL-size shirts wouldnt fit me. I realised that I cant grown beyond this. This was my limit, now I had to find a way get back in shape by losing weight," he adds.

Thus to lose weight and reclaim my XL-size shirts, I decided to start running. And while running, daily,0 helped a little, the result wasnt satisfactory for me. So, I joined a gym for, as you now know, a whole year, and embarked on the below weight loss plan to not regret my decision, he informs.

I weighed around 97.4 kgs when I began my weight loss journey, and I credit the below weight loss workout and diet plan to my reduced weight of 81 kgs and waist size of 32 inches from 36 inches.

"While the initial few days in the gym were very hard, gradually I developed a habit of working out for 2 hours, a day, while focusing on a 40% HIIT and 60% Cardio routine. My workout plan can be divided into the following 2 phases" -

1. Warmup, which included shoulder stretch, hip flexor stretches, quadriceps stretch, side stretch, the forward hang, etc. Apart from these static exercises, I used to also do some dynamic warmup routines of Jumping Jacks, Squats and Lunges.

2. Burpees and walking up and down the stairs (with dumbbells) (15-20 counts, 3 sets). It is the best way to reduce weight (it worked for me).

3. HIIT - burpees (15-20 counts, 3 sets), mountain climbers (same), butt kicks (same), battle ropes (same) and tyre flip (10 counts, 3 sets)

This was followed by running on the treadmill for 10 mins, cycling 10 mins and forearm & side planks for 3-5 mins.

"After the initial two months, I began weight training. This routine comprised a reduced number of cardio exercises, warmups and HIIT and 40-50 minute window dedicated to weight training."

Straight Barbell Bench Press

Incline Barbell Bench Press (Both Up and Down)

Dumbbell Fly

Pec-Dec Fly

Dumbbell Pullover

Pushups

Pull-ups (10 counts, 3 sets)

Lat Pulldown (2-3 Variants)

Deadlift

Dumbbell Single Arm Row

Bent over Barbell row

Seated cable row

Barbell Push Press

Arnold Press

Dumbbell Lateral raise

Front Dumbbell raise

Seated Dumbbell shoulder press

Shrugs

Barbell Curl

Standing Cable Curl

Hammer curl

Dumbbell concentration curl

Bar Preacher curl

Cable Flex curl

Rope Tricep Pushdown

Tricep Dips

Overhead Triceps Extension

Skull crushers

Bench Dip

Dumbbell Squats

Dumbbell Lunges

Hack Squat

Seated Leg Curl

Leg Extensions

Lying Leg Curls

Leg Press

To ensure his diet was in tandem with his weight loss goals, Kishan restricted his sugar, oil and rice intake. This is the diet plan I was on, it may or may not work foryou but it did the trick for me, he says -

Early morning: A glass of warm water with half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey + almonds (after half an hour)

Breakfast: A light salad made from carrots, cucumbers and beetroots OR oats OR a sandwich made from brown bread

Post-workout: A bowl of freshly-cut fruits

Lunch: 2 chapatis with a gravy or dal preparation

Post-lunch: One apple + a cup of green tea (after one hour)

Evening snacks: Carrots or boiled beans

Dinner: 2 chapatis with a gravy or dal preparation

Post-dinner: A glass of warm water

"Ive been able to maintain my current weight by following and eating normal diet, not too much and not too little. I also try to not eat processed foods as much as possible; I prefer home-cooked food. But as a working professional, it gets a little difficult sometimes, yet I manage to eat only a selected few dishes from restaurants. Exercise is also as important as following a healthy diet, so I try and never miss a gym session either.

Dont ever compare yourself with anyone else, you know your body better than anyone else. You dont need to lift all those heavy weights if you cant. Start slow and steady and gradually pick up pace.

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 guy who lost 16 kgs and got fit by applying this one genius hack - GQ India - What a man's got to do

The eating pattern means the clock, not your body, dictates when you eat. TanyaJoy/Getty Images

The trend:

When it comes to Dorsey's fasting style, the CEO chooses to eat one time daily at 6:30 p.m., at which point he'll consume a protein (either fish, chicken, or steak) and some vegetables (an arugula or spinach salad, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts). Then he'll have a dessert of mixed berries or dark chocolate, which he consumes before 9 p.m.

On weekends, Dorsey fasts until Sunday evening. When he breaks his fast, he'll have bone broth and some red wine, though Dorsey didn't specify how often he consumes alcohol.

"It really has increased my appreciation for food and taste because I'm deprived of it for so long during the day," Dorsey told fitness authorBen Greenfield in April during an episode of Greenfield's podcast.

Dorsey's approach isn't the only way to go about intermittent fasting though. There are four popular types, according to the Cleveland Clinic, including a twice-weekly fast and a time-restricted method where a dieter eats only between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., or between or noon and 8 p.m.

The science behind it:

Some research suggests intermittent fasting can help with weight loss better than restricting overall calories while eating throughout the day.

At the same time, research has found people have trouble sticking to intermittent fasting for the long term compared to other weight-loss plans.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, intermittent fasting isn't entirely proven as a helpful diet, but it does work for some people if they learn how to incorporate it into their lives without feeling deprived.

When it comes to Dorsey's more extreme style of fasting, some professionals see it as disordered eating. And, doing it over a long period of time could be especially detrimental to mental and physical health.

"Humans are mammals that need certain amounts of food and fluid to maintain our physiological [functions] and energy to do things we want to do in the world," Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani, an internal-medicine doctor who specializes in eating disorders, previously told Business Insider.

"When people undercut their need for food with radical under-eating, the body doesn't care about the reasoning. It is just going react to save your life," Gaudiani said.

That reaction will include feelings of mental sharpness because the body is trying to determine when and where from it will get its next meal, according to Gaudiani, which could explain Dorsey's mention of increased mental acuity during the Greenfield interview.

Here is the original post:
7 health trends Silicon Valley tech bros are obsessed with, from dopamine fasting to the keto diet - Business Insider

Dear Rachel,

I'm a university student and I lost 20 pounds from January to April through eating healthily and regular exercise, which I loved. My confidence and mental health, which had been affecting me for a while, were so much better. At the beginning I went to the gym with a friend and we did workouts together, but by the end I was quite happy going by myself and going into the weights section alone. It was such a relief to finally be feeling good and so much more positive about my life.

Then something happened. I started feeling like I could treat myself more. Without noticing, I stopped going to the gym and wasn't making the right food choices. I started to stress-eat around exam time and shut off anything to do with exercise, spending time in the library eating chocolate bars and chips as a comfort blanket. I didn't really notice the weight piling back on. I tend to self-destruct like this when I feel like everything's too much.

It's now a few months later and I'm right back where I started. I feel so frustrated and angry for letting myself do this when I tried so hard. I try to eat healthily but after two days I'm back to binge-eating in the evenings for no reason. I have no motivation to exercise. I feel like I'm at a standstill and don't know how to get started again.

What can I do to improve my situation? I feel stuck in the same cycle that I've always found myself in and find it so hard to stick to a regular routine.

Yo-Yo Dieter

Dear Yo-Yo,

Your frustration is very understandable believe me, I know the feeling and I honestly believe keeping weight off may be harder than losing it in the first place.

For lots of people, you get in a "zone" when you're losing weight. A certain headspace, if you will, where you're focused on your goal. You find out what works for you, and you gradually get there. It feels good.

But then once you're feeling happy with the amount of fat you've lost, you want to move into maintenance and that's often the most difficult bit.

Firstly, it's hard to know how much you can "relax" in order to maintain your current body composition rather than gain weight. Once you move away from your weight loss mindset, it's also all too easy to slip right back into all your old eating habits, which for many of us were what got us feeling like we should slim down in the first place.

So what's the solution?

Firstly, as always, don't beat yourself up.

"While I'm not condoning eating copious quantities of chocolate and not taking part in any physical activity, have you ever thought that this constant berating of yourself is feeding into your behaviour?" sports and eating disorder specialist dietitian Renee McGregor asked.

McGregor told Insider that holding yourself to too high a standard could be setting yourself up to fail.

A post shared by Renee Mcgregor (@r_mcgregor)Sep 7, 2019 at 1:00am PDT

"It's obvious from your message that you have some real beliefs about what makes you happy and a good person. While training and eating right are healthy behaviors, they should also never become obsessive," she said.

"The issue now is that because you've got this belief system that to be healthy you have to go to the gym daily and eat in a certain way, when you don't quite meet this, you feel like you've failed and so you beat yourself up."

And if you don't switch this mindset, you'll never make any sustainable changes.

The key is to try and re-train your brain as much as your body.

McGregor pointed out that taking a black and white approach to "good" and "bad" days is unhelpful.

"What can often happen is that individuals over-restrict on 'good' days," she said. "The body then finds this difficult as it is always trying to achieve energy balance; similarly if you don't provide your body with enough fuel, you will crave more sugar as glucose is the body's preferred currency to provide energy.

"So you set yourself up to fail. You over-restrict, your blood sugars drop, you eat something you deem as 'bad' which then sets up the thinking that you have failed, resulting in you eating to excess, feeding back into the self-sabotage that you are a bad person."

But it's totally possible to move away from this downwards spiral, and that's what will make any changes you implement become part of a new healthy, sustainable lifestyle, meaning any weight lost in the process is more likely to stay off.

A post shared by Rachel Hosie (@rachel_hosie)Apr 22, 2019 at 4:45am PDT

You have to stop thinking about weight loss as something which has an end goal in sight. There's no finish line.

I don't mean for that to sound depressing, or make it seem like you're going to be trying to lose weight for the rest of your life. Instead, you should figure out which healthy habits are enjoyable enough for you to become part of your lifestyle.

This mindset also helped me stop beating myself up if, say, I indulged more than usual on a holiday and put on a few pounds as a result, I feel OK about it because I know in the scheme of my life, it's insignificant. I come back from holiday, and I go back to my normal routine.

Registered nutritionist Lily Soutter agrees that it's important to stop thinking about being on a diet.

"'Dieting' can be a huge driver for binge-eating. In fact, the more restrictive we are with our diet the more likely we are to binge-eat," she explained to Insider.

"Focusing on weight loss can be counterproductive to binge-eating recovery, however, binge-eating recovery can be the best step to achieving a healthy body weight."

A post shared by Lily Soutter BSc (hons) (@lily_soutter_nutrition)Oct 12, 2019 at 1:52am PDT

Don't cut anything out of your diet or tell yourself you can't have it, as that will just make you want it even more. If you love cookie dough ice cream, you're not going to be able to live the rest of your life without it, so allow yourself some and learn that "enough is as good as a feast" (or so my mother always says to me). This essentially means re-training yourself to be satisfied by a normal portion size rather than feeling like you need to consume vast amounts.

"If chocolate is a common binge food, instead of going cold-turkey, enjoy this food daily to reduce its desirability," Soutter recommended.

"But be mindful of portion-size and the environment in which you consume this food, only buy small packs and eat slowly and mindfully, ideally in the company of others.

"Often when we eat mindfully we tend to feel more satisfied with our food which better regulates our hunger and fullness cues."

It's never too late to start again when it comes to working towards a healthier lifestyle, and don't worry about the fact that you lost weight then regained it most of us try various approaches, diets, and ways of exercising before finding what's right for us.

It's not failing. It's how we learn.

But you need to start small.

"In order to change you need to make realistic changes, baby steps that don't feel too difficult," McGregor advised.

"If the gym feels like a big jump at the moment, why don't you start with daily walks; if this feels manageable then sign up to a class, something like yoga which may feel more nurturing than the gym.

"Similarly with eating, don't create any rules about what you should or shouldn't eat. The first aim should be to prevent blood sugar fluctuations to do this try to eat something at 3-4 hour intervals."

Soutter pointed out that eating regularly can help remove the urge to binge-eat, too.

A post shared by Lily Soutter BSc (hons) (@lily_soutter_nutrition)Oct 21, 2019 at 12:35am PDT

McGregor recommends eating satiating snacks like Greek yogurt with fruit, oatcakes with houmous or peanut butter, or an apple with brazil nuts.

"This more gentle approach will help you to create sustainable, balanced behaviours and focuses on having a healthy attitude towards food and exercise," she added.

Soutter agrees that taking on too much too quickly is likely to end in disaster.

"It can be all too easy to be overly restrictive when starting up an exercise and nutrition regime," she says. "However, following a routine which is overly taxing and unrealistic can trigger an 'all or nothing' mentality.

"On the other hand, small incremental and sustainable changes can make a big impact long term."

If you lose some weight and then gain some weight, that's OK. There's no rush. And remember, health really isn't to do with the number on the scale.

If you're making healthy decisions like snacking on an apple rather than a chocolate bar, prioritizing your sleep, and getting more activity into your day, applaud yourself for that. By trying to make positive changes, you're already doing amazing.

Wishing you well,

Rachel

As Insider's Senior Lifestyle Reporter and a self-confessed fitness fanatic, Rachel Hosie is fully immersed in the wellness scene and is here to answer all your burning questions. Whether you're struggling to find the motivation to go for a run, confused about light vs. heavy weights, or don't know whether you should be worried about how much sugar is in a mango, Rachel is here to give you the no-nonsense answers and advice you need, with strictly no fad diets in sight.

Rachel has a wealth of experience covering fitness, nutrition, and wellness, and she has the hottest experts at her fingertips she regularly speaks to some of the world's most knowledgeable and renowned personal trainers, dietitians, and coaches, ensuring she's always up-to-date with the latest science-backed facts you need to know to live your happiest, healthiest life.

Have a question? Ask Rachel at workingitout@insider.com orfill out this anonymous form. All questions will be published anonymously.

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How to avoid regaining weight and keep the pounds off - INSIDER

Americans are living longer thanks to medical and public health advances and greater access to health care. If youre a 65-year-old man in the U.S., you can expect to live another 20 years. American women can expect to live even longer to age 86.5.

While this is good news for most of us, increased longevity also creates new challenges. After we turn 65, our risk of developing dementia doubles every five years. By age 85, nearly one in three of us will have the disease. The impact on women is even greater.

New Milken Institute research estimates that by 2020, roughly 4.7 million women in the U.S. will have dementia, accounting for nearly two-thirds of everyone living with the disease. Women often experience a double whammy. Not only are they more likely to get the disease, they are also more likely to take on most caregiving responsibilities for spouses, parents, in-laws and friends.

Women caregivers are more likely to be impacted financially as they leave jobs or miss work to care for family members. Our analysis predicts that the economic costs of treatment, care and lost productivity due to women suffering from Alzheimers and dementia will total $2.1 trillion by 2040, representing over 80 percent of the cumulative costs.

Communities of color face an even greater threat. Older African Americans have the highest risk of dementia, followed by American Indians/Alaska Natives and Latinos. This increased risk, coupled with income differences and cultural attitudes toward family caregiving, results in communities of color shouldering more direct care for people living with dementia than white populations.

Ive experienced firsthand the devastating impacts of Alzheimers disease on families. My dad and his three siblings were diagnosed within a 10-year time frame. As in most families, the emotional and economic strains fell primarily on the women.

My Aunt Trudy, a Julliard-trained concert pianist, began showing signs of dementia in her early 70s. She had chosen her career over a family as many women of her generation had to do. Trudy had no kids, husband, or much savings, so my family patched together a mix of paid and volunteer caregivers to provide her meals, rides, and companionship.

After it became too much of a strain on our finances, young families, and work lives, we had to place her in a nursing home paid for by Medicaid a harrowing decision made by countless Americans every day. Aunt Trudy maintained her indomitable spirit until the end. When she could no longer speak, she could still play the piano by heart, to the delight of many who sang tunes beside her.

Unfortunately, 10 years since Aunt Trudy died, Alzheimers is the only disease among the top-10 causes of death in the U.S. with no known cure. Recent Phase III drug trial failures this year represented a setback in research.

But thanks to increased National Institutes of Health funding to study Alzheimers disease, researchers today understand better dementias pathology. Perhaps most hopeful for those of us at high risk for dementia, emerging evidence shows that despite family history and personal genetics, lifestyle changes such as a diet, exercise, and better sleep can improve brain health.

Increased participation by women in clinical trials has helped us understand why more women than men have dementia. Researchers believed dementia is primarily connected to longer life expectancy. But new studies have linked it to biological differences, such as hormonal imbalances, that change brain chemistry.

With no cure in sight, we must double our efforts to reduce the risk and cost of dementia. At the Milken Institute, we work to solve significant global problems. That is why we are making recommendations to improve brain health, reduce gender and racial disparities, and ultimately change the trajectory of this devastating disease.

Most importantly, we must spread awareness of how individuals, communities, and health professionals can improve cognitive function and brain health for all ages. If we can delay the onset of dementia by only five years, we can cut the incidence in half.

With more women working full-time and family size decreasing, we must increase efforts to create a dementia-capable workforce to effectively identify people with dementia, tailor services to meet their needs and those of their caregivers, and ensure those living with dementia get the right care at the right time. The high costs of care for Medicare beneficiaries with dementia are linked to avoidable hospitalizations, poor coordination across care teams, and ineffective care transitions.

We offer many more ideas in the new report, Reducing the Cost and Risk of Dementia: Recommendations to Improve Brain Health and Reduce Disparities. We are in a race against time. We want to ensure that all of us will be singing songs by heart and enjoying our family and friends as we age. To provide a better future for millions of Americans impacted by dementia, we must act now.

Nora Super is senior director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging. She previously was executive director of the White House Conference on Aging.

More:
Dementia impacts women more and new approaches are needed | TheHill - The Hill

-We'll continue our interviews with candidates interviewing to be Boise's next mayor. Today, we're talking with the fourth candidate in our series of seven: Cortney Nielsen, who argues that Boiseans have lost interest in their government because they don't feel heard.

- Meridian has officially banned the use of cellphones while driving, but the municipality still allows hands-free devices. The measure will go into effect in January of 2020. Idaho Matters will learn more about what the new ordinance means and how to avoid breaking the law.

- October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States. Some people are more susceptible than others. But everyone can take more preventative lifestyle measures to help reduce their chance of getting the terrible disease. We'll look at how diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes affect the chances of a person getting breast cancer.

- Opera Idaho is preforming a mythological piece inGeorge Frederick Handels "Acis & Galatea." It is the first time the arts organization is performing one of Handel's works, and they're bringing in Emmy Award WinnerKarim Sulayman to perform the piece.

Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet@KBSX915using #IdahoMatters

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On The Tuesday, October 29, 2019 Edition Of Idaho Matters - Boise State Public Radio

Drugs

Last week, a US biotechnology company claimed to have produced the first drug with the ability to slow down the development of Alzheimers. Biogen says it hopes to release aducanumab on to the market after it gets US Food and Drug Administration approval, which could take up to two years. Research into the drug had been abandoned but trials using higher doses of the drug are claimed to improve cognitive functions such as memory, orientation, and language.

A Mediterranean diet has been suggested to reduce cognitive decline. Limiting saturated fats and simple carbohydrates benefit the cardiovascular system, having an effect on overall health. While evidence based on these dietary recommendations is not yet conclusive, increased consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish appears to have a beneficial effect on prevention and management.

Alzheimers disease may develop more quickly in people living solitary lives with limited interaction with others. Regular social engagement can spark new brain connections, which stimulate activity. A study over three years noted that participants who socialised less showed more cognitive decline. However, it did not consider factors stopping individuals from socialising, such as depression and anxiety.

Scientists have tested the effects of mental stimulation in relation to slowing down Alzheimers. People who engaged with puzzles, board games, learning a language or playing an instrument showed reduced severity of symptoms.

Numerous studies have shown a positive relationship between exercise and slowing cognitive decline. Studies in patients living with AD have shown a similar benefits, although further research is needed to define the amount and type of exercise.

Original post:
The five: ways to slow the onset of Alzheimers - The Guardian

PITTSBURGH As Cameron Sutton and Steven Nelson started to share a locker room this spring, the veteran cornerback noticed the crystals in the younger defensive backs locker.

I'm very into it, Nelson said. I know exactly what that is. It's spirituality.

The two cornerbacks quickly formed a bond that's continued into the thick of the season. Their conversations cover the types of soaps they use, gum they chew and their decision not to eat red meat or pork.

But the crystals came early on. And as the slightly younger Sutton pulls through a 2019 season with a changed, though increasingly prominent role in the team, he continues to do so with a regular practice of crystal healing.

They all serve their own purpose, you know what I mean, Sutton said. Obviously it's coming from nature's greatest.

Sutton and Nelson, among plenty of others, believe that proximity to certain rocks and minerals can help with ones day-to-day disposition, energy levels and focus, among other attributes, plenty of which are widely open to the individuals interpretation.

And while the size of the the crystals varies greatly, the Steelers defensive back notes that cultures in different parts of the world believe in the ability of different stones to aid people in their daily lives. His girlfriend, Courtney Alexander, told him about the practice years ago. Shes better-read on the subject than Sutton is, he said, and handcrafts bracelets and jewelry with the stones.

Throughout the week of practice leading up to a game, Sutton will pick out a stone for a purpose for each day. And, if at the end of the week, the Steelers are traveling, Sutton will pack four or five, plus a hand-held dream catcher to bring with him.

Certain stones have very specific purposes, whereas others are more open to the needs of whoevers around them.

The approximately 10-inch tall selenite crystal that was in Suttons locker last week, he explained, is an energy stone, bringing positivity and clarity. Though there are different meanings, those are the base readings, he said.

It's really cool obviously to see the benefits that they put out and obviously in return the benefits you reap from that, Sutton said. I think it's something that obviously you don't' force on anybody. People ask about it and then obviously it brings attention and curiosity to some people.

But obviously there's a few people that keep up with those things too.

Nelson is the most direct supporter of the practice, but when the Steelers travel, Sutton does charge the crystals in the light of the hotel room window, moving a table over and placing the rocks there to absorb the light of the sun and the moon.

His weekend roommates dont mind. Sutton shares a room with Artie Burns on the road. Joshua Dobbs roomed with Sutton before he was traded in Week 2, and he had no issue with the practice, either.

If there's no window, Sutton will take the crystals outside. Between uses he and his girlfriend clean and charge them. They charged them all up at the last full moon.

A lot of people don't really, you know, they see crystals, they don't think about it, Nelson said. They just think it's a rock. But it has meaning.

The crystals are part of the same diet, exercise and health product discussions Nelson and Sutton share.

It works for Sutton. He used to buy his stones at Journeys of Life in Shadyside before it shut down. He still looks for shops that sell them whenever he travels with his girlfriend.

On Friday, as the Steelers neared the end of their preparation for their first game since Sutton shined with a clinch interception against the Los Angeles Chargers, he explained the powers of citrine. It provides clarity, love and energy.

They're reasons why it's a regular in Sutton's rotation of rocks.

It's kind of just what you want out of those stones, what those stones define in how you're feeling, he said. And like I said that's something else that's manifested and you can bring that out and carry with you.

Sutton, like a lot of the youngest Steelers, still lives on South Side just a few minutes away from the team's headquarters. He and his girlfriend have talked about moving North or into some suburb of Pittsburgh, but he's in Year 3 of a four-year rookie contract, carving out a role playing a specific slot corner position all but exclusively on passing downs.

There's little point in moving out and buying up.

Still, Sutton feels a benefit from stones. That sensation isn't isolated to those he carries with them as he's feeling whatever lift he's getting on a given day. But he knows, he said, and that's enough.

It could be lucky socks. It could be 'Hey I wear these lucky socks, manifest a good game, manifest, making plays, manifest, you know, certain things that guys have that they can carry with them, Sutton said. It's not really a pinpoint thing.

Its something that they use. It keeps you motivated.

Here is the original post:
Steelers CB Cameron Sutton powers on (in part) aided by his crystal collection with support of Steven Nelson, - PennLive

Youve definitely heard of the ketogenic diet starving your body of carbs to force it to burn fat and produce the mind-clarifying, brain-healing compounds known as ketones. You may have even heard of people and athletes ingesting ketone salts or drinks to propel them into or keep them in a state of ketosis. And if you were paying close attention during the Tour de France this year, you may have spied Team Jumbo-Visma openly drinking ketones mid-race.

The funny thing is, these athletes are not on a ketogenic diet. They are not fat adapted.

For the last three years or so, weve seen Tour athletes fueling with carbs and then supplementing with exogenous ketones to score a two to three percent boost in performance from dual-fueling, says Matt Johnson, a former competitive cyclist and co-founder of The Feed, an online sports nutrition shop and leading supplier of exogenous ketones in the U.S. June was insane with teams placing $10,000 to $20,000 orders for ketone esters and rush shipping them to France. We could barely keep up with it.

Elite athletes biohacking to score a tiny edge? Nothing new.

But this is: a study in the Journal of Physiology says everyday athletes who arent on a keto diet, who arent fat-adapted, may improve their recovery by a whopping 15 percent just from drinking exogenous ketones after intense training days. And the news is spreading.

We have also had a huge spike in individual athletes ordering the product that seems to be only growing, Johnson adds.

Now, will this approach work for you? Heres everything you need to know.

First, a quick biology lesson slash crash course in the trendiest diet of the twenty-teens: in an ideal world, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is then transported and used or stored as energy for your muscles, organs and, most importantly, your brain.

Your brain is at the top of the pecking order it gobbles about 20 percent of your total energy expenditure, a lot for a single organ and if its not fueled, everything else stops functioning. When you deprive your body of carbohydrates, your muscles can use fat for fuel, but your brain cant. Instead, your body has a fail-safe to prevent total shutdown: the liver starts converting fat into a superfood designed to save your starving brain: ketones.

Even if your body can adapt to burning fat quickly to fuel long runs and rides, it would still prefer to burn carbs. Which is why the notion of pro athletes downing exogenous ketone drinks without having to give up carbs is completely bonkers.

Ketones are essentially a fourth macronutrient your blood sugar is stable, your body is burning fat and your brain has entered an almost elevated state of functionality. In ketosis the state you reach when adhering to a keto diet your brain starts producing more mitochondria (the little powerhouses of energy in your body) and better regulating neurons. Staying in a state of ketosis has been shown to help clear the brain of proteins that can lead to and worsen Alzheimers disease, reduce seizures in about half of people with epilepsy and even extend the lifespan of mice.

In athletes, staying in ketosis via a ketogenic diet can increase fat utilization during exercise (great, considering your body can store way more fat for fuel than carbs), help reduce body fat and sometimes improve endurance time trials and sprint peak power.

The catch: it all rides on you steering clear of carbs with no slip-ups. If you eat more than your allotted count typically 50 grams, which is one cup of pasta or just two bananas your body falls out of ketosis and you dont get any of these benefits. And pretty much all nutritionists agree that even if your body can adapt to burning fat quickly to fuel long runs and rides, it would still prefer to burn carbs.

Which is why the notion of professional athletes downing exogenous ketone drinks without having to give up carbs is completely bonkers.

In the early 2000s, as part of a DARPA program to enhance U.S. soldier performance, Oxford professors Kieran Clarke and Richard Veech set out to distill the exact molecular structure of one of the ketones our body produces. The resulting ketone ester is a specific molecule, butanedial, that converts directly to beta hydroxybutyrate, the ketone our liver naturally produces in the ketogenic state, when you digest it, explains Geoffrey Woo, co-founder and CEO of HVMN.

HVMN is currently the only company to produce ketone esters, as they lease the patent to Clarke and Veechs molecular structure.

Now, keto followers are probably familiar with other brands of keto drinks (usually based on MCT oil) and ketone salts. But esters are different than these aids. MCT oils dont produce ketones; they help put your body in a state of ketosis so it can start producing its own but since that requires carbohydrate starvation, thats not an option for dual-fueling athletes, Johnson explains.

Ketone salts, meanwhile, use beta hydroxybutyrate as well, but by their nature, theyre bound to a mineral. Because you have to take so much ketone to raise your blood levels enough to see an effect, youre also gaining a lot of mineral load. This leads to a lot of GI issues in athletes, explains Woo. That, plus the fact that the salts dont raise your ketone levels that much, leaves a lot of room for a superior product. There has been minimal testing on the aids but the HVMN esters have been tested and verified, Johnson says.

Ketone esters are a way to eat ketones directly thats going to convert 100 percent to ketones in your body, Woo adds.

Woo says professional athletes drinking exogenous ketones during a race report about a two to three percent increase in performance. That matters in an event like the Tour but the real benefit for athletes, especially everyone other than Egan Bernal or Geraint Thomas, seems to be in downing a bottle once the race is over.

The aforementioned Journal of Physiology study, conducted by seemingly impartial Belgian researchers, simulated a Tour with everyday athletes: 20 fit men trained twice a day (HIIT or intermittent endurance training in the morning, then 1.5- to 3-hour endurance sessions at night), six days a week for three weeks. Half drank a ketone ester after each workout while half drank a placebo.

After three weeks, the guys were shredded everyone showed signs of cardiovascular, hormonal and perceptual overreaching. But those who had taken ketone esters regularly had significantly less damage in all these areas, and on a two-hour endurance test, they were able to ride at a higher sustainable pace and produce more power in the final 30 minutes compared to guys who recovered regularly. All in all, researchers estimated the ketone esters helped improve recovery by 15 percent.

Mainly, its providing your body with another option for fuel, says Jonathan Scott, Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland who researches performance nutrition and dietary supplements.

You can still have your cake and eat it too. Athletes dont need to consume a diet thats extremely restrictive, and they can then consume exogenous ketones to introduce yet another fuel source the body can use.

Your brain is either going to use glycogen or ketones for power. If ketones are available, glycogen is spared and your muscles can instead use that energy to fuel fiber repair and metabolic cleanup. Whats more, now your body isnt going to break down other structures like muscle fiber to get your brain the fuel, saving your body extra damage.

And, because ketones keep your blood glucose stable, your body is steadily producing insulin, which sweeps glucose into your cells, continuously topping off the pool of energy as its being used and at a much faster rate than youre able to with food, Scott explains.

In addition to faster post-exercise glycogen replenishment, a 2018 Italian study in Current Sports Medicine Report foundthat exogenous ketones decrease proteolysis (the breakdown of proteins into amino acids) and act as metabolic modulators and signaling metabolites.

Theres also some chemistry research to suggest exogenous ketones may help realign your hormone production, adds Krista Austin, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., a sports scientist, exercise physiologist and nutritionist. The anterior pituitary produces hormones that become dysregulated if youre overtraining, dont sleep well at night, have a poor heat tolerance, or experience something like a traumatic brain injury, she explains. Exogenous ketones seem to help realign the production of susceptible hormones like prolactin, which can otherwise prevent proper sleep and recovery.

To top it off, it takes very minimal effort for athletes to earn all these gains: You can still have your cake and eat it too literally and figuratively, Scott explains. Athletes dont need to be consuming a diet thats extremely restrictive on food choices or energy sources during exercise, and they can then consume exogenous ketones to introduce yet another fuel source the body can use.

Johnson says its only a matter of time before major American sports stars pick up the training aid and that well definitely see it in the Olympics. Basketball and hockey especially have some grueling schedules. Imagine the benefit in-season for back-to-back games on the road?

Johnson estimates that roughly 80 percent of the interest in exogenous ketones on The Feed comes from Europe and about 60 percent of that is from non-elites.

For most amateur athletes, that 15 percent improvement in recovery means youll simply feel better after a grueling workout youll have less muscle soreness and stiffness, more energy, better range of motion and sleep better, says Austin.

But thats not necessarily the score it sounds like. If you dont feel terrible after a series of tough training days or a hard race, youre much more likely to get back out, sooner, Austin says. But you might do more harm than good. Until we understand better how exogenous ketones affect the body and recovery, numbing the alarm doesnt change the need for rest.

And will they even work for you like they do for the pros? Jurys still out. Everyday athletes are likely going to respond differently to exogenous ketones, considering just the impact of genetics and training on energy substrate metabolism (how well your body burns other fuel sources) alone, Scott says. And, as with all supplements or performance aids, there are very clearly responders and non-responders. It simply doesnt work for everyone, he adds.

But most importantly, there are so many other aspects of performance that everyday athletes would be better served to focus on, Scott points out, including but not limited to sleep, diet composition, diet quality, nutrient timing, hydration, training program, rest days, stress management, meditation, visualization and even social relationship quality. For elites, all these things are taken into consideration and already optimized, he says. But I would hate for an amateur athlete to start taking ketones to improve sleep for better recovery when its really their stress management that needs to be tweaked.

The upside: as long as you monitor everything above, all our experts agree, theres close to no risk in trying.

Pretty much everyone agrees you shouldnt be using exogenous ketones to enhance recovery after every hard workout or race. This isnt meant for a long weekend ride, Johnson cautions. Even if it was really hard and I came home completely bonked and exhausted, I dont need a ketone ester to feel better at work the next few days.

Not only will drinking it post-ride regularly lead to overtraining, but, at $37 a bottle, a few bottles a week doesnt make economic sense for most of us. The effects of exogenous ketones last roughly an hour after ingestion and youre intended to drink a whole bottle immediately after moving for recovery.

If a client is having trouble sleeping, Ill have them drink ketones before bed so their body can catch up on repairs. But its important to address the underlying issues of why theyre not sleeping in the bigger picture.

But when marathon training gets serious and youre logging 15K, 18K and 12K all within a few days? Thats when you want to take it. Harder training weeks, multi-day endurance competitions, multi-stage races I would absolutely be using it after every stage. That level of benefit is enormous, Johnson adds.

Austin agrees, but adds shell also use it sparingly to disrupt recovery inhibitors. If a client is having trouble sleeping, Ill have them drink ketones before bed for just a few nights so their body can catch up on repairs, she says. But its important to address the underlying issues of why theyre not sleeping in the bigger picture.

And while we have no studies on microdosing (which would be more approachable and more wallet-friendly), Austin says shes seen some results. If someone is new to training, that mid-morning fatigue can be debilitating in terms of getting work done, but taking 10 milliliters of ketones can give them an energy boost, she explains.

Everyone agrees, given the current state of research, exogenous ketones are generally safe. And the one high-quality product we have on the market now (HVMN) is good to go.

But its worth noting that exogenous ketones are currently sold as dietary supplements, which means theres no oversight by the FDA. As ketones become more popular and more formulas come to market, well inevitably see products packed with both other enhancements and other cost-cutting, potentially dangerous ingredients, Scott says. (The upside: the hefty price of formulas like HVMN will likely come down, too.)

We also dont know the effects or risks of using it long term is there a threshold after which exogenous ketones stop being as effective? If your body gets used to the aid in recovery, could it eventually stop being as efficient at rebuilding without it? Do you get any of the neuroprotective benefits of naturally going into ketosis? And, perhaps most importantly, if youre an ultra-runner or frequent multi-day racer using exogenous ketones for recovery, what nuanced alarm bells are you overlooking?

There are definitely a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to exogenous ketones. But with minimal risk and serious potential gains, we wouldnt knock anyone for giving a sip.

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How Athletes Are Reaping the Benefits of Keto Without Actually Giving Up Carbs - gearpatrol.com

Plant-based diets have many health benefits, from better heart health to lower risk of certain cancers. But eschewing meat and other animal products may not really improve your sex life, according to available evidence.

Meat-eating is often associated with masculinity in popular culture. We call muscular men "beefy," and words like "sausage" often euphemize male genitalia.

However, a growing number of advocates and experts hypothesize that it's actually a plant-based diet that best supports erection size and staying power.

The new vegan-friendly Netflix documentary, "The Game Changers" (produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and James Cameron) dedicates a scene to exactly that topic, claiming that after a single plant-based meal, 3 young men found their erections lasted three times as long and were nearly 10% stronger.

Anecdotally, vegans have stronger, longer lasting erections but there's no evidence to back that up. Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The film features Dr. Aaron Spitz, urologist and author of "The Penis Book," a comprehensive medical guide to the human member.

In the movie, Spitz conducts a brief test on three male college athletes, measuring the girth, strength and duration of their erections over two nights as they sleep. The first night of the test, each of the men are given a meat-based burrito, and the resulting effects on their overnight erections is measured. The second night, the men are given plant-based burritos.

After eating the plant-based meal, all of the men showed an 8% increase in erection hardness, and a 300 to 500% increase in the amount of time their erections lasted, compared to the meat-based meal.

"This is not a scientifically validated study, but the results that we're seeing are very exciting," Spitz said in the film.

It turns out that those claims are supported by a rather flaccid body of evidence. Although anecdotal evidence is promising, there aren't yet any rigorous scientific studies to show a meat-free diet makes a difference on erections.

Vegan and vegetarian diets are typically low in saturated fat and cholesterol, which are plentiful in beef, pork, and dairy products. Healthy blood flow is also directly related to healthy erections high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other vascular problems linked to meat-eating have also been linked to erectile dysfunction.

It's true that better cardiac health can improve overall blood flow, which may lead to better erections, said Dr. Seth Cohen, urologist at NYU Langone Health.

"The harder your heart has to work to pump blood to your organs and everywhere else, the less actually makes it to the penis." Cohen told Insider.

But it's too early to say how, or if, plant-based diets affect sexual health, since the research just hasn't been done, he said.

"There really isn't any good data to say that a vegan diet will improve your erections," Cohen added Research slated for late this year aims to prove the virility of a plant-powered erection. gLuBeR/Getty Images

A new study to test how veganism directly affects men's sexual health has been scheduled for late 2019 or early 2020, led by Dr. Robert Ostfeld of Montefiore Medical Center. The research is funded by the Purjes Foundation, a nonprofit created by financier Dan Purjes to promote the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first and only research of this kind," Purjes told Insider via email. "To be clear, there are many anecdotal stories that are similar, but not clinical trials or other rigorous scientific studies."

Purjes said he hopes the trial confirms the hypothesis that a plant-based diet can help with erectile dysfunction, paving the way for more rigorous studies that could eventually bring the research to a mainstream audience.

Any future testing, Cohen added, would have to not only need to include more than three participants to be scientifically valid, but also account for other variables such as exercise, sleep, and other healthy lifestyle markers.

Diet does have a significant impact on health. What's good for the rest of your body is also good for your sex life for example, a 2004 study found a healthy diet and exercise could help mitigate erectile dysfunction in obese men.

However, the study doesn't specify a vegan diet, just one that's high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Other types of diets that fit this description like the Mediterranean diet, which includes fish have also been linked to improvement of erectile dysfunction. Exercise also plays a major role, according to the research.

"Diet and exercise together are the key to success. If you have someone that's eating a poor diet with a lot of meat and saturated fats and things to eating more vegetables, of course it'll be good for you," Cohen said. "Is it going to take your erections from zero to hero? I don't know."

Julia Naftulin/INSIDER

Your most recent meal may also have an immediate impact on your well-being; a small study found that eating a single fast food meal constricted the blood flow of otherwise healthy college students.

A healthy diet can include meat, but should also have lots of fresh produce, whole grains, and healthy fats, registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix previously told Insider. And as always, any serious dietary changes should be done gradually and with careful planning.

"You don't have to be a vegan, in this case. Even going from a diet that is very animal product-heavy to one that is more plant-forward would be a good idea," she said.

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A vegan diet can boost erections, according to a new Netflix documentary. Here's the reality. - INSIDER

Its been a big year for plant-based protein. Following White Castle last year, in August Burger King launched its meat-free Impossible Whopper. In April, Del Taco introduced Beyond Tacos, made with plant-based Beyond Meat protein. And in September, McDonalds announced that its first North American plant-based sandwich, the PLT, would arrive in Canada, also featuring Beyond Meat.

In 2018, both plant-based meat companies made headlines for their landmark investment deals. Impossible Foods raised a $189 million venture capital round, and Beyond Meat posted the best first-day IPO performance in nearly two decades, with shares popping 163% on its first day of trading.

According to Nielsen, the plant-based food market grew 20% between June 2017 and June 2018, while total food sales only grew 2% over the same period. In the U.S., the industry is estimated to be worth nearly $4.5 billion, up 11% in value between 2018 and 2019.

So, will the 2020s be the decade that meat becomes obsolete? And what should marketers do about it?

Embrace the Plant-Curious Era

While veganism an absolute rejection of animal-based products is growing, it remains a niche community. But a new consumer cohort is emerging: the Plant-Curious. These consumers dont follow a specific diet, but they are interested (for ethical, health or environmental reasons) in incorporating more meat-free meals in their routine. They are moved by a desire to gradually change their habits, not embrace a new identity. And thats a big difference: For many people, its no longer about whether or not you eat meat, its about how much meat you eat. According to a study by Nielsen, while only 3% of U.S. consumers follow a vegan diet, 39% are actively trying to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets. The plant-curious consumer, not the vegan consumer, will be the one that makes "vegan" products go mainstream.

Help your audience reconcile "want" and "should"

While conducting an ethnographic study of millennials food habits a few years ago, I was reminded that food is a loaded subject. It is highly emotional, and intrinsically linked to identity and community.

Whatever label people choose or dont choose for their diet, most of us experience a sharp tension between what we want to eat and what we know we should eat.

In my view, brand leaders have a responsibility to champion plant-based food because its healthier and more sustainable - it is truly what we should eat. Recent research suggests that Americans must consume 90% less beef and 60% less dairy in order to bring their carbon footprint to sustainable levels. And in 2015, The World Health Organization classified processed meats including ham, salami, bacon and frankfurts as a Group 1 carcinogen, which means that there is strong evidence that processed meats cause cancer.

But for most of us, meat is associated with reward, community, celebration, strength and in some cases, gender identity. Most cuisines place meat at the center of the meal. Meat is what we want to eat. What brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have understood is that the plant-curious crowd, who are really just U.S. consumers, wants ways to reconcile the want with the should. A burger that is plant-based, low in cholesterol and with a small carbon footprint, but that bleeds and tastes just like a real burger, is exactly that.

Start thinking of meat marketing as luxury marketing

If the Plant-Curious wave does become a watershed moment, we might soon find ourselves in a new paradigm where meat-free is the norm, and meat the exception.

In Meat: A Benign Extravaganza, Simon Fairlie explains that exceptional consumption of meat is actually the most environmentally effective use of resources by human societies, above and beyond pure veganism. Thats because some land will always be more suited to grazing than farming, and because of the agro-chemical benefits of creating food-production systems that leverage both animals and plants. For millennia, thats also how meat was consumed by humans: not as a thrice-a-day staple, but as a special occasion treat that brought the community or the family together.

One day soon, we will come to consider the meat-heavy diets of the 20th and early 21st centuries an anomaly in a food history dominated by plants. If that becomes the case, and if public regulators decide to act on the advice of public health specialists, and make health warning compulsory, the marketing of meat might well end up looking like the marketing of an exclusive champagne: a luxury item, best saved for celebrations, and savored with moderation.

Agathe Guerrier is the head of strategy of BBH LA.

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Vegan to plant-curious: A small shift that could make all the difference - Campaign US