Vexing Vocabulary: Exploring Energy - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

'I feel like I don't have any energy. What can I eat to give me energy?' This is a quote I hear from new clients on a regular basis in my private practice. Being a Dietitian and self-cited mediator of information, what better way to answer this question then a quick Google search? In 0.28 seconds, Google finds me 24 million results that supposedly answer this seemingly popular issue. Upon further inspection of the information at my fingertips, I find an article on Business Insider: '10 Foods that will give you energy'. Sounds perfect! Here is an abbreviated list of the cited foods:

Almonds, Dark chocolate, Salmon, Spicy herbs, Greek Yogurt Popcorn, Leafy Greens, Whole Grains, Blueberries, Eggs

That is a nice list covering a variety of nutrient dense foods. Is the impact on the body that all of these foods share the fact that they give you energy? Your answer likely depends on how you define energy. For the purpose of this blog, I will group the many possible definitions of energy into 3 main groups.

Group one is what I call daily energy. This is the most traditional sense of the word, as it refers to calorie containing foods, aka what our body burns when we expend energy! It is what allows us to do things like think and move (fairly important...). The sources of energy that permit this are carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Water and sleep also fall into this group because without any one of these our body cannot function for extended periods at an optimum level. More specifically, carbohydrates are the most direct form of energy, and the preferred fuel source for our brain and muscles. A small, portioned carbohydrate based snack can do a lot for mental clarity and your short-term energy levels.

Group two is what I refer to as enhanced energy. This refers to things that give you a jittery sensation or an elevated sense of vigor through nerve stimulation. The most common example of this is caffeine. Caffeine gives us 'energy' by inhibiting a regulatory neurotransmitter that essentially let's our main source of neural stimulation run free. This is a direct up regulation of our nerves, which gives us a feeling of liveliness many wish to replicate non-stop. There is evidence this temporarily improves performance and concentration, but is generally not sustained for extended periods (hence 'enhanced').

Group three is what I call assisted energy. The assistants are what help our body regulate the pathways of daily and enhanced energy (calories and our nervous & endocrine system). Without this group, our body would not be able to produce actual energy for daily processes. In this sense, they are an indirect source of energy. This becomes important when we reveal what this group consists of. The energy assistants are exercise, vitamins and minerals. Why does this matter? Energy drinks and energy shots, all touting ability to provide lasting energy, and boasting a B-vitamin complex fit for a week of intake are the reason this group makes energy such a vexing word. The main role of B-vitamins in 'energy processes' is in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein. Our body relies on them to breakdown our true energy. When you realize the B's don't provide direct energy (unless you are deficient and begin consuming it), it becomes obvious that the 'more is better' mentality does not make sense. Your body needs a certain amount of each of the B-vitamins to carry out specific processes. Less than that amount, you are not running at max efficiency and will have reduced energy, but consuming excess has no enhancing impact on energy levels.

With the definition in place, let's revisit that list from the business insider again:

Almonds: Fats, Protein, Vitamin E, Minerals Dark chocolate: Caffeine (& other Methyxanthine), sugar, fat, phytonutrients Salmon: fat, protein, vitamin E, iron Spicy herbs: phytonutrients, trace vitamins/minerals Greek Yogurt: protein, carbohydrate, minerals Popcorn: carbohydrate Leafy Greens: fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients Whole Grains: carbohydrates, minerals Blueberries: carbohydrates, vitamins, phytonutrients Eggs: protein, fat, vitamins, minerals

Once we break out the main nutrients each food provides, a couple things become obvious. Clearly, there is not a common nutrient or ingredient that ties these foods together. Instead, the energy they provide is a result of a diet that follows the Lifestyle Triad: Balance, Moderation, and Variety.

The next time you are feeling fatigued, instead of buying a B-complex at GNC or slinging back a redbull with a triple shot of expresso, try assessing your lifestyle. Chances are one of the following is out of balance. Correct the issue and overcome the problem!

Are you sleeping enough? (6-8hrs) Are you eating enough? (calories, fluids) Are you exercising regularly? (150 minutes per week minimum) Are you eating enough of the right foods? (vegetables, grains, proteins, fats) Are you more stressed than normal? Entities 0 Name: Google Count: 2 1 Name: GNC Count: 1 2 Name: Protein Count: 1 3 Name: Salmon Count: 1 4 Name: Leafy Greens Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1nzgfmU Title: Big Data Cuts Buildings' Energy Use Description: Deep in the bowels of the Stata Center on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's campus is an energy war room. A row of flat-screen monitors lines one wall, showing exhaustive data on energy use in dozens of buildings across the campus. Buildings are displayed in colors that depend on their overall energy use.

10 More Reasons You Should Try The Diet LeBron James Used To Lose Weight - SportsGrid

Content:

Recently, I discussed my experience with the Whole30 program, a 30-day diet (or as I call it, a 'lifestyle alteration') which I believe LeBron James used for 67 straight days to drop weight in what he called an offseason challenge. Whether or not he did it for 'basketball reasons,' you have to admit: Bron looks good.

And hey, I look good too. Well, at least I think I do. Back in June, I did the Whole30 (also for non-basketball reasons), cutting grains, dairy, legumes and sugar - among other things like soy and alcohol - and I took a lot of great things from my time on the program that I believe make me a healthier person today. This isn't native advertising: I just want to make sure people know LeBron didn't embark on a diet that's impossible for regular people to follow. As far as I'm concerned, that dude copied me.

But in the days following my original post, I've seen some push back at other publications around the web. For example, Business Insider (full disclosure: I used to work at BI and have a lot of respect for the site) published an article called ' The 67-Day Diet That LeBron James Used To Lose A Ton Of Weight Is Too Extreme For Normal People.' It quotes several dietitians who say cutting food groups from your diet isn't advisable because:

a) It may lead to nutrient deficiency.

b) It isn't sustainable long-term.

LeBron was able subsist on just meats, vegetables, fruit and nuts/seeds for such a long time because he has, in all likelihood, people dedicated to making sure he eats well and right. It takes planning to do what he did for as long as he did.

And you know what? You can plan too. You can make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals too. You can do this too. In an effort to push you the right direction, allow me to bust some myths about the Whole30 - which, even if it isn't exactly what LeBron used, is close enough in philosophy to be used as an example here and a basis for your own experimenting at home - and explain why it's a safe, natural, and even fun way to get healthy. I swear.

NOTE: This rundown isn't meant to be all-encompassing. The science behind much of this can be found on the Whole30 site (I'll provide some links) as well as in their book, 'It Starts With Food,' which I refer to often here. Think of this as a checklist of reasons you can tell yourself, and others, as to why you're doing this. It's a cheat sheet of sorts, okay? I'm not an expert, nobody is an expert.

1) First of all, we all know this isn't 'sustainable long-term.'

To be 100 percent 'Paleo' or otherwise on the Whole30 guidelines forever is impractical. The original program only calls for a 30-day experiment - you can go longer, as LeBron did, but it's usually upped to Whole45, or Whole60, or Whole90. Not Whole365x100. The Whole30 people say this themselves.

If you feel comfortable and happy sustaining yourself on a Whole30 diet, great. But most people want to eat cookies occasionally. Or put that chicken parm between two slices of bread. Or put milk in their coffee. Or beans in their taco. Whatever. We get it - life is full of delicious things, and you shouldn't have to limit yourself all the time. But there's a reason the program asks you to abstain from certain foods for an extended period. Speaking of which...

2) The reason you take all these foods off the table is so you can put them back on.

Pretty mind-blowing, huh? The point of removing grains, dairy and the other foods on the Whole30′s no-list is that they are the most common causes of chronic, systemic inflation. But since everyone is different, you won't be sure which of these foods is most damaging to you personally until you clear them from your body entirely. After 30 days, there's a reintroduction period as you slowly cycle each of these food groups back into your diet.

After three days of seeing how your body reacts to a healthy diet + grains, or a healthy diet + dairy, or + legumes, you'll get a better idea of what foods make you tired, which make you gassy, which contribute to acne, etc. For me, dairy isn't really an issue, but I found that legumes like black beans and grains, particularly gluten grains, gave me heartburn, which was my original reason for going on the program in the first place. Success.

3) There's not a single vitamin or mineral in grains you can't also get from fruits and vegetables.

This line from the dietitian in Business Insider's article stood out to me:

'When you start excluding dairy and whole grains, those are all very nutrient-rich sources that provide important vitamins and minerals into the diet. And when you start restricting that, particularly for a length of time, you can run the risk of nutrient deficiency,' [Joy Dubost, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics] said.

I'm sure Joy Dubost is a smart person and more knowledgeable than I am on this subject, but frankly, I have no idea what she's talking about. Let's talk about grains first: They are NOT nutrient-dense when compared to fruits and veggies. Whole grains provide more than three times the sugar and sodium as a diet featuring veggies and fruit, while giving us less potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.

Refined grains lack most of the original nutrients in whole grains (but still have most of the calories), and whole grains don't even deliver on fiber when compared to fruits/veggies. Here's a quick rundown:

Whole-grain bread (serving size, two slices): 3.4 grams of fiber

Brown rice, cooked (serving size, one cup): 3.5 grams of fiberBroccoli, raw (serving size, one and half cups): 3.5 grams of fiber

Green beans, cooked (serving size, one cup): 4.0 grams of fiber

Blackberries (serving size, one cup): 7.6 grams of fiber

Pear (serving size, one medium): 5.1 grams of fiber

What makes grains so much more nutrient-friendly than vegetables and/or fruit, then? I'm not sure. By the way, there's also science that supports the idea that eating grains doesn't mean you'll be able to use the nutrients stored inside.

4. The same goes for dairy - we can find better sources of the vitamins it provides.

Calcium is mostly what people talk about when they say not drinking milk is bad. WHAT WILL WE DO WITHOUT THE CALCIUM FROM MILK? As the Harvard School of Public Health notes, one or two servings of dairy per day should be the limit - otherwise, get your calcium from things like, yes, vegetables ('Calcium-rich non-dairy foods include leafy green vegetables and broccoli, both of which are also great sources of vitamin K, another key nutrient for bone health.') Other ways to boost bone health include getting vitamin D (go outside, get some sun) and do some weight-bearing exercise.

Meanwhile, we've been so obsessed about drinking milk for the calcium that we forgot: cow's milk (which is mostly what we drink in the U.S.) is meant for, you know, baby cows. It contains tons of hormones that are meant for growing calves. Why mess around with hormones when you can get the calcium you need from other sources?

5. Yeah, even legumes and soy do more harm than good.

The most common response I got when I told people about the foods I was cutting out of my diet for a month was 'Legumes too? What's so bad about legumes?' It's more that legumes are not as micronutrient-dense as we first thought, and some of the short-chain carbs (i.e. sugars) found in legumes aren't properly absorbed in the small intestine, which, long story short, leads to unpleasant symptoms like gas and bloating (ya know, like, how beans make you fart?).

Meanwhile, soy is rich in hormonally-active substances, so our body recognizes the compounds in soy as estrogen. Seriously.

6. Cutting out sugar and sweeteners (and alcohol) makes you realize how addicted you are to them.

Many foods on the Whole30 no-list can be referred to this way, but sugar and sweeteners are especially 'supernormally stimulating.' We don't have things that taste that sweet in nature, so when we start eating things with sweeteners, we crave them. The sweet taste of table sugar, Equal, Splenda, and so on promote overconsumption and have no nutritional value. That's how you end up eating a whole sleeve of Oreos, or more.

The same goes for alcohol. It is wildly addictive, as we all know, and not only does it provide a ton of empty calories with no nutritional value, but it's a toxic substance that triggers an unhealthy psychological response that leads to bad decisions (like eating a whole pizza, or hooking up with your ex).

7. You end up eating a lot of delicious things, and not having to worry about limiting yourself.

There's too much science to go into here, but here's the basic deal: There's no calorie-counting on the Whole30, so you eat until you're full. And you eat lots of amazing things, like steaks, and roasted chicken, and (sugar-free) bacon, and lobster, and fish, without worrying about the fat content. (Fat makes you fat, right? Nope. It's time to stop oversimplifying that word and understanding that fat contains plenty of healthy things that we need and have been ostracizing.)

You eat tons of things that most 'diets' would tell you to minimize or lay off altogether. I can remember my mom going on diets that involved writing down every little thing she ate and taking a caloric count of it. That's insane to me - I just want to feel satisfied. And while it's hard to imagine finishing a meal without ice cream and feeling good about it, trust me: You'll start to get similar satisfaction from blueberries and nuts after a dinner of sirloin steak, sweet potato and asparagus. Just as an example.

8. You're perfectly capable of planning out your meals and making sure they're Whole30-friendly.

Here's another thing I didn't understand from that BI article:

'LeBron James will walk into a restaurant and they're going to do whatever they can to accomodate [sic] him. He's going to have personal chefs and personal nutritionists,' Dubost said. 'Your everyday person will not get that.'

Okay, well, I get that LeBron can probably order sushi at a pizza joint and get the rolls he wanted in about 10 minutes, but just because he's a star doesn't mean he's the only one who can ask for certain accommodations at restaurants. The most I ever needed to say was 'Does that have cheese? Can it... not have cheese?' or maybe 'Does that have croutons? Can it... not have croutons?' or even 'What kind of dressing does that come with? Can I... have that on the side?'

That was pretty much it.

Here's another way I made sure I was eating everything I needed to stay healthy: I looked at charts. I looked at numbers. I looked at lists of vegetables that were nutrient-dense, like kale, or broccoli, or squash. Then I went out and bought those things and cooked them and ate them. Simple.

9. Reading labels at the grocery store helps you understand how much we put into our body that we don't need.

I found early on in my Whole30 that, if left to my own devices, I wouldn't be able to discern which things had sugar or legumes or other bad things in them. I started reading labels and realized that most things at the supermarket have some kind of gross preservative or otherwise non-healthy additive. Here's a brief list of things I couldn't eat because they contain sugar: ketchup, pasta sauce, peanut butter, most salad dressings, most fruit juices, bacon. Yes, this made surviving my 30 days more difficult, but it helped me appreciate that my diet hadn't been under my control for years - I was feeding myself things I didn't even know were bad (though that applies to this entire experiment, really).

10. The sense of self-empowerment and self-control is immeasurable.

Here's a feeling you can share with LeBron: It's difficult to cut all these addictive and commonly eaten foods out of your diet. It does get easier to turn down cake at a birthday, or a beer at a bar, or a PB&J from mom, but it's never easy. He probably felt a lot of pride in his accomplishment, and you will too.

But here's something he likely didn't have to contend with, and thus something that you can take even MORE pride in: fending for yourself. When you go from constantly taking the easy way out of getting full (just make it into a sandwich!; just eat a bunch of french fries!; just eat the whole pint of ice cream!) to having to get creative, you'll understand the 'fun' aspect of the Whole30. I went from being downright stupid in the kitchen to making some things that I wouldn't mind sharing with other people; I used to just make things that were 'good enough' rather than 'good.' Becoming a proficient cook is a skill that lasts a lifetime; ditto being a smart shopper. And knowing what foods make you sick or otherwise inflamed is information you'll wish you had years ago.

You might not make millions of dollars like LeBron, but how good is his chicken stir-fry? That's what I thought.

Reminder: I'm not a dietitian. I don't know what works for everyone. But I know what worked for me, and we all see what worked for LeBron. The only way to know if it works for you is to try it yourself. At the top of the Whole30′s nutrition pyramid is self-experimentation, so as much as you can read articles or books or tweets telling you about one study or another, at some point, you've got to take the plunge and see for yourself.

Just don't let anyone tell you can't because it's too extreme, or you're not rich, or you don't have what it takes. That's just fear talking, and maybe a little bit of self-consciousness - if they 'can't' do it (and they can), they don't want you to either.

By the way: The Whole30 is easier with friends and supporters. Get some of those on board, too.

Read my original article on LeBron and his 'extreme' diet > Photo via Instagram

Entities 0 Name: James Count: 3 1 Name: Joy Dubost Count: 2 2 Name: Brown Count: 1 3 Name: Harvard School of Public Health Count: 1 4 Name: U.S. Count: 1 5 Name: Pear Count: 1 6 Name: Splenda Count: 1 7 Name: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Count: 1 8 Name: Bron Count: 1 9 Name: Broccoli Count: 1 10 Name: Dubost Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1tb5raH Title: Torrey Lost 85 Pounds: 'I Needed To Make A Change For My Wife And Daughters' Description: Posted: How I Gained It: I moved to New Orleans in the summer of 2004 to attend college. After I moved, it was a struggle to maintain healthy eating habits -- all throughout college I was eating too much of the wrong thing. When I met my now-wife, I gained a lot of "happy" weight.

10 More Reasons You Should Try The Diet LeBron James Used To Lose Weight - SportsGrid

Content:

Recently, I discussed my experience with the Whole30 program, a 30-day diet (or as I call it, a 'lifestyle alteration') which I believe LeBron James used for 67 straight days to drop weight in what he called an offseason challenge. Whether or not he did it for 'basketball reasons,' you have to admit: Bron looks good.

And hey, I look good too. Well, at least I think I do. Back in June, I did the Whole30 (also for non-basketball reasons), cutting grains, dairy, legumes and sugar - among other things like soy and alcohol - and I took a lot of great things from my time on the program that I believe make me a healthier person today. This isn't native advertising: I just want to make sure people know LeBron didn't embark on a diet that's impossible for regular people to follow. As far as I'm concerned, that dude copied me.

But in the days following my original post, I've seen some push back at other publications around the web. For example, Business Insider (full disclosure: I used to work at BI and have a lot of respect for the site) published an article called ' The 67-Day Diet That LeBron James Used To Lose A Ton Of Weight Is Too Extreme For Normal People.' It quotes several dietitians who say cutting food groups from your diet isn't advisable because:

a) It may lead to nutrient deficiency.

b) It isn't sustainable long-term.

LeBron was able subsist on just meats, vegetables, fruit and nuts/seeds for such a long time because he has, in all likelihood, people dedicated to making sure he eats well and right. It takes planning to do what he did for as long as he did.

And you know what? You can plan too. You can make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals too. You can do this too. In an effort to push you the right direction, allow me to bust some myths about the Whole30 - which, even if it isn't exactly what LeBron used, is close enough in philosophy to be used as an example here and a basis for your own experimenting at home - and explain why it's a safe, natural, and even fun way to get healthy. I swear.

NOTE: This rundown isn't meant to be all-encompassing. The science behind much of this can be found on the Whole30 site (I'll provide some links) as well as in their book, 'It Starts With Food,' which I refer to often here. Think of this as a checklist of reasons you can tell yourself, and others, as to why you're doing this. It's a cheat sheet of sorts, okay? I'm not an expert, nobody is an expert.

1) First of all, we all know this isn't 'sustainable long-term.'

To be 100 percent 'Paleo' or otherwise on the Whole30 guidelines forever is impractical. The original program only calls for a 30-day experiment - you can go longer, as LeBron did, but it's usually upped to Whole45, or Whole60, or Whole90. Not Whole365x100. The Whole30 people say this themselves.

If you feel comfortable and happy sustaining yourself on a Whole30 diet, great. But most people want to eat cookies occasionally. Or put that chicken parm between two slices of bread. Or put milk in their coffee. Or beans in their taco. Whatever. We get it - life is full of delicious things, and you shouldn't have to limit yourself all the time. But there's a reason the program asks you to abstain from certain foods for an extended period. Speaking of which...

2) The reason you take all these foods off the table is so you can put them back on.

Pretty mind-blowing, huh? The point of removing grains, dairy and the other foods on the Whole30′s no-list is that they are the most common causes of chronic, systemic inflation. But since everyone is different, you won't be sure which of these foods is most damaging to you personally until you clear them from your body entirely. After 30 days, there's a reintroduction period as you slowly cycle each of these food groups back into your diet.

After three days of seeing how your body reacts to a healthy diet + grains, or a healthy diet + dairy, or + legumes, you'll get a better idea of what foods make you tired, which make you gassy, which contribute to acne, etc. For me, dairy isn't really an issue, but I found that legumes like black beans and grains, particularly gluten grains, gave me heartburn, which was my original reason for going on the program in the first place. Success.

3) There's not a single vitamin or mineral in grains you can't also get from fruits and vegetables.

This line from the dietitian in Business Insider's article stood out to me:

'When you start excluding dairy and whole grains, those are all very nutrient-rich sources that provide important vitamins and minerals into the diet. And when you start restricting that, particularly for a length of time, you can run the risk of nutrient deficiency,' [Joy Dubost, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics] said.

I'm sure Joy Dubost is a smart person and more knowledgeable than I am on this subject, but frankly, I have no idea what she's talking about. Let's talk about grains first: They are NOT nutrient-dense when compared to fruits and veggies. Whole grains provide more than three times the sugar and sodium as a diet featuring veggies and fruit, while giving us less potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.

Refined grains lack most of the original nutrients in whole grains (but still have most of the calories), and whole grains don't even deliver on fiber when compared to fruits/veggies. Here's a quick rundown:

Whole-grain bread (serving size, two slices): 3.4 grams of fiber

Brown rice, cooked (serving size, one cup): 3.5 grams of fiberBroccoli, raw (serving size, one and half cups): 3.5 grams of fiber

Green beans, cooked (serving size, one cup): 4.0 grams of fiber

Blackberries (serving size, one cup): 7.6 grams of fiber

Pear (serving size, one medium): 5.1 grams of fiber

What makes grains so much more nutrient-friendly than vegetables and/or fruit, then? I'm not sure. By the way, there's also science that supports the idea that eating grains doesn't mean you'll be able to use the nutrients stored inside.

4. The same goes for dairy - we can find better sources of the vitamins it provides.

Calcium is mostly what people talk about when they say not drinking milk is bad. WHAT WILL WE DO WITHOUT THE CALCIUM FROM MILK? As the Harvard School of Public Health notes, one or two servings of dairy per day should be the limit - otherwise, get your calcium from things like, yes, vegetables ('Calcium-rich non-dairy foods include leafy green vegetables and broccoli, both of which are also great sources of vitamin K, another key nutrient for bone health.') Other ways to boost bone health include getting vitamin D (go outside, get some sun) and do some weight-bearing exercise.

Meanwhile, we've been so obsessed about drinking milk for the calcium that we forgot: cow's milk (which is mostly what we drink in the U.S.) is meant for, you know, baby cows. It contains tons of hormones that are meant for growing calves. Why mess around with hormones when you can get the calcium you need from other sources?

5. Yeah, even legumes and soy do more harm than good.

The most common response I got when I told people about the foods I was cutting out of my diet for a month was 'Legumes too? What's so bad about legumes?' It's more that legumes are not as micronutrient-dense as we first thought, and some of the short-chain carbs (i.e. sugars) found in legumes aren't properly absorbed in the small intestine, which, long story short, leads to unpleasant symptoms like gas and bloating (ya know, like, how beans make you fart?).

Meanwhile, soy is rich in hormonally-active substances, so our body recognizes the compounds in soy as estrogen. Seriously.

6. Cutting out sugar and sweeteners (and alcohol) makes you realize how addicted you are to them.

Many foods on the Whole30 no-list can be referred to this way, but sugar and sweeteners are especially 'supernormally stimulating.' We don't have things that taste that sweet in nature, so when we start eating things with sweeteners, we crave them. The sweet taste of table sugar, Equal, Splenda, and so on promote overconsumption and have no nutritional value. That's how you end up eating a whole sleeve of Oreos, or more.

The same goes for alcohol. It is wildly addictive, as we all know, and not only does it provide a ton of empty calories with no nutritional value, but it's a toxic substance that triggers an unhealthy psychological response that leads to bad decisions (like eating a whole pizza, or hooking up with your ex).

7. You end up eating a lot of delicious things, and not having to worry about limiting yourself.

There's too much science to go into here, but here's the basic deal: There's no calorie-counting on the Whole30, so you eat until you're full. And you eat lots of amazing things, like steaks, and roasted chicken, and (sugar-free) bacon, and lobster, and fish, without worrying about the fat content. (Fat makes you fat, right? Nope. It's time to stop oversimplifying that word and understanding that fat contains plenty of healthy things that we need and have been ostracizing.)

You eat tons of things that most 'diets' would tell you to minimize or lay off altogether. I can remember my mom going on diets that involved writing down every little thing she ate and taking a caloric count of it. That's insane to me - I just want to feel satisfied. And while it's hard to imagine finishing a meal without ice cream and feeling good about it, trust me: You'll start to get similar satisfaction from blueberries and nuts after a dinner of sirloin steak, sweet potato and asparagus. Just as an example.

8. You're perfectly capable of planning out your meals and making sure they're Whole30-friendly.

Here's another thing I didn't understand from that BI article:

'LeBron James will walk into a restaurant and they're going to do whatever they can to accomodate [sic] him. He's going to have personal chefs and personal nutritionists,' Dubost said. 'Your everyday person will not get that.'

Okay, well, I get that LeBron can probably order sushi at a pizza joint and get the rolls he wanted in about 10 minutes, but just because he's a star doesn't mean he's the only one who can ask for certain accommodations at restaurants. The most I ever needed to say was 'Does that have cheese? Can it... not have cheese?' or maybe 'Does that have croutons? Can it... not have croutons?' or even 'What kind of dressing does that come with? Can I... have that on the side?'

That was pretty much it.

Here's another way I made sure I was eating everything I needed to stay healthy: I looked at charts. I looked at numbers. I looked at lists of vegetables that were nutrient-dense, like kale, or broccoli, or squash. Then I went out and bought those things and cooked them and ate them. Simple.

9. Reading labels at the grocery store helps you understand how much we put into our body that we don't need.

I found early on in my Whole30 that, if left to my own devices, I wouldn't be able to discern which things had sugar or legumes or other bad things in them. I started reading labels and realized that most things at the supermarket have some kind of gross preservative or otherwise non-healthy additive. Here's a brief list of things I couldn't eat because they contain sugar: ketchup, pasta sauce, peanut butter, most salad dressings, most fruit juices, bacon. Yes, this made surviving my 30 days more difficult, but it helped me appreciate that my diet hadn't been under my control for years - I was feeding myself things I didn't even know were bad (though that applies to this entire experiment, really).

10. The sense of self-empowerment and self-control is immeasurable.

Here's a feeling you can share with LeBron: It's difficult to cut all these addictive and commonly eaten foods out of your diet. It does get easier to turn down cake at a birthday, or a beer at a bar, or a PB&J from mom, but it's never easy. He probably felt a lot of pride in his accomplishment, and you will too.

But here's something he likely didn't have to contend with, and thus something that you can take even MORE pride in: fending for yourself. When you go from constantly taking the easy way out of getting full (just make it into a sandwich!; just eat a bunch of french fries!; just eat the whole pint of ice cream!) to having to get creative, you'll understand the 'fun' aspect of the Whole30. I went from being downright stupid in the kitchen to making some things that I wouldn't mind sharing with other people; I used to just make things that were 'good enough' rather than 'good.' Becoming a proficient cook is a skill that lasts a lifetime; ditto being a smart shopper. And knowing what foods make you sick or otherwise inflamed is information you'll wish you had years ago.

You might not make millions of dollars like LeBron, but how good is his chicken stir-fry? That's what I thought.

Reminder: I'm not a dietitian. I don't know what works for everyone. But I know what worked for me, and we all see what worked for LeBron. The only way to know if it works for you is to try it yourself. At the top of the Whole30′s nutrition pyramid is self-experimentation, so as much as you can read articles or books or tweets telling you about one study or another, at some point, you've got to take the plunge and see for yourself.

Just don't let anyone tell you can't because it's too extreme, or you're not rich, or you don't have what it takes. That's just fear talking, and maybe a little bit of self-consciousness - if they 'can't' do it (and they can), they don't want you to either.

By the way: The Whole30 is easier with friends and supporters. Get some of those on board, too.

Read my original article on LeBron and his 'extreme' diet > Photo via Instagram

Entities 0 Name: James Count: 3 1 Name: Joy Dubost Count: 2 2 Name: Brown Count: 1 3 Name: Harvard School of Public Health Count: 1 4 Name: U.S. Count: 1 5 Name: Pear Count: 1 6 Name: Splenda Count: 1 7 Name: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Count: 1 8 Name: Bron Count: 1 9 Name: Broccoli Count: 1 10 Name: Dubost Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1tb5raH Title: Torrey Lost 85 Pounds: 'I Needed To Make A Change For My Wife And Daughters' Description: Posted: How I Gained It: I moved to New Orleans in the summer of 2004 to attend college. After I moved, it was a struggle to maintain healthy eating habits -- all throughout college I was eating too much of the wrong thing. When I met my now-wife, I gained a lot of "happy" weight.

Gene Variant Affects Link Between Diet and Colorectal Cancer - JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association

An international group of researchers has linked a genetic variant to an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer among those who eat processed meat (Figueiredo JC et al. PLoS Genet. 2014;10[4]:e1004228).

In a study of 9287 affected patients and 9117 healthy controls, the team assessed the interactions between dietary components-meat, fruit, vegetables, and fiber-and approximately 2.7 million genetic variants, looking for any that affected colorectal cancer risk.

Entities 0 Name: Figueiredo JC Count: 1 1 Name: Genet Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/10f7bcb Title: BRCA Gene Mutations Also Linked With Salivary Gland Cancer Description: Posted: By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer Published: 09/29/2014 10:41 AM EDT on LiveScience The genetic mutations that put people at high risk for breast cancer may also be linked with an increased risk of salivary gland cancer, a new study suggests.

Unlimited pasta: One man is eating only Olive Garden for 49 days - The Post-Standard - syracuse.com

Olive Garden's ' Never Ending Pasta Pass' promises seven weeks of unlimited pasta for $100, and one man has decided to make the most of it.

A Fargo, North Dakota resident, who goes only by 'Vino,' was able to get his hands on one of the 1000 limited passes, which went on sale September 8 and sold out within an hour. He decided to make it his mission to try every combination of pasta, sauce and meat that Olive Garden has to offer, and chronicle the undertaking on his blog, ' All of Garden.'

'On this site, I will document my journey - the friendships I create and destroy, the changes my body goes through as it adjusts to a purely carbohydrate-based diet,' Vino wrote on the blog. He has a total of 49 days to eat 150 pasta dish combinations.

In order to accomplish this, Vino has been eating four different bowls of past a day. He eats one for lunch, and samples three for dinner. The restaurant's promotion started on September 23, and with the first week of his experiment behind him, Vino has churned out 8 days worth of reviews and hilarious anecdotes.

His body initially struggled with the all-carb, high sodium diet. He told The Daily Mail he had 'severe side effects' in the first few days of the experiment. Here's a sample of his experience from day three:

'There are certain things man was not meant to eat. Today, my body made it quite clear to me that 'Nothing but pasta, forever,' is near the top of that list. I will spare you the details, but suffice to say it will take some time for equilibrium to be re-established and for me to restore order among the bacterial fauna of my gut.'

Now, however, Vino says he has adjusted to the diet.

'So far I haven't gotten bored. There's a surprising amount of subtle differences amongst the menu items once you start looking for them,' Vino told the Mail.

He gives names like 'Penne Loafer' and 'Simon & Garfunkle' to each pasta combination he orders, and posts photos and reviews at the end of each day.

He wrote one review for a combination he called ' Hall & Oates':

'Just as Daryl Hall's rich tenor is perfectly accompanied by John Oates' smooth backing vocals on a solid foundation of rock-soul grooves, this dish is tightly balanced between two stars, either of whom would be a laughingstock if they ever did attempt to Go Solo. And with Chicken Fritta topping only an additional $3.49, you don't have to be a Rich Girl to appreciate this one!'

During his first week, Vino has also documented his clash with Olive Garden staff over using his pass for takeout, and his failure to impress a date with his pasta program.

Vino is not the only 'Never Ending' pass holder to blog about his adventure.

Matt Pershe, an AmeriCorps volunteer, has taken a less extreme approach, but with a different focus. Pershe's Tumblr blog, ' The Never Ending Pasta Blog,' focuses on the financial side of the unlimited pasta deal.

'This is about eating as cheaply as possible off of my AmeriCorps VISTA stipend,' he writes on his blog. 'I won't guarantee that I'll eat there daily, and I'll be taking my health into strong consideration as the weeks go by.'

At the end of each day, Pershe calculates the cost of his pasta, and adds up the total amount covered by the $100 card to date. At the end of day six, he had eaten $67.96 worth of pasta.

Another blog, written by avid Olive Garden fan Hagana Kim, focuses more on the dietary and health side of eating daily pasta. At the end of each post on ' 49 Days of Pasta,' Kim totals out his Olive Garden calories, the cost of the meal, the number of breadsticks he ate and his current weight.

So far, Kim appears to be maintaining his weight between 173 and 174 pounds. He has been thrilled with the pass so far.

'This card is pure magic,' Kim wrote on day six. 'It's like a credit card that you never have to pay off. The bill just disappears.'

Could you eat the same thing at the same restaurant for 49 days straight? Watch Vino's introduction video, and leave a comment below.

Related Stories

Entities 0 Name: Vino Count: 3 1 Name: Kim Count: 3 2 Name: John Oates Count: 1 3 Name: VISTA Count: 1 4 Name: North Dakota Count: 1 5 Name: Hagana Kim Count: 1 6 Name: Simon & Garfunkle Count: 1 7 Name: Matt Pershe Count: 1 8 Name: The Daily Mail Count: 1 9 Name: Fargo Count: 1 10 Name: Daryl Hall Count: 1 11 Name: Pershe Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1rpSy10 Title: What Life Is Like With Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Pass Description: Posted: Owners of Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Pass have had about a week to start carbo-loading. For a measly $100, one thousand lucky noodle lovers snagged seven weeks of unlimited pasta (beyond pasta, card-holders are privy to endless Coca-Cola sodas, breadsticks and soup or salad). Though the promotion didn't start until Sept.

Health briefs for Oct. 1 - Post-Tribune

In 1995, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Now, all but one does, with Mississippi leading the list for the seventh year in a row. Thursday, July 7, 2011. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times

Updated:

Healthy heart diet classes

Porter Health Care System will offer free healthy heart diet classes in October and November, according to a press release from the health care provider.

The classes will provide an understanding on how to read food labels and choose heart-healthy food, along with teaching basic heart-healthy food preparation tips, the release said.

Classes will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 7 and 21, and Nov. 4 and 18; and from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Room on the second floor of Porter Regional Hospital, 85 E. U.S. 6 in Valparaiso.

Advance registration is required by calling (219) 983-8874.

'Pink at Portage'

'Pink at Portage,' which offers a complimentary brunch and massage one Saturday a month to women getting their mammography screenings, is slated for 7 a.m. to noon Oct. 11 in the Women's Center at Portage Hospital, 3630 Willowcreek Road, according to a press release from Porter Health Care System.

Mammograms are an essential tool for early detection of breast cancer, the release said. Early detection is important, as the chances of successful treatment are greater in the beginning stages, with a greater range of treatment options available, less extensive surgery, and better outcomes, the release said.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women age 40 or older, or those considered at risk, receive a mammogram each year, it said.

To participate in 'Pink at Portage,' a woman must be 40 or older and know the date of her last mammogram. Insurance will be charged and only covers one mammogram annually.

For more information or to preregister, call (219) 983-8399.

Support groups

Porter Health Care System will offer a number of upcoming monthly support groups, as follows: Porter Regional Hospital will host Hope & Healing, a support group for people coping with breast cancer, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Porter's Education & Rehabilitation Center, 1401 Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso.

The group offers emotional support, information, education and guest speakers, according to a release from the health care system. It also provides the opportunity for individuals to share their concerns and feelings brought on by breast cancer.

For more information, contact Cheryl Wallace at (219) 983-6171.

Porter Regional Hospital offers a lung cancer support group from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 8 at Porter's Education & Rehabilitation Center, 1401 Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso.

There will be information about local and national resources, and meetings are open to anyone affected by lung cancer, including survivors, family members, friends and caregivers. No registration is necessary.

For more information, contact Cheryl Wallace at (219) 983-6171 or Ray Hewlett at (219) 628-1202.

Eight times a year, Porter Regional Hospital hosts a diabetes support group where numerous topics are discussed and shared, and a nurse educator or dietitian will be on hand to facilitate.

The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Porter's Education & Rehabilitation Center, 1401 Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso, and the topic will be heart health with diabetes.

For more information, call (219) 263-7992.

Staff report

Entities 0 Name: Porter Regional Hospital Count: 4 1 Name: Valparaiso Count: 4 2 Name: Porter Health Care System Count: 3 3 Name: Porter 's Education & Rehabilitation Center Count: 3 4 Name: Portage Count: 3 5 Name: Calumet Ave. Count: 3 6 Name: Cheryl Wallace Count: 2 7 Name: Hope & Healing Count: 1 8 Name: Mississippi Count: 1 9 Name: Ray Hewlett Count: 1 10 Name: Cardiac Rehabilitation Room Count: 1 11 Name: U.S. Count: 1 12 Name: American Cancer Society Count: 1 13 Name: Portage Hospital Count: 1 14 Name: Brian Jackson Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1tcvi2a Title: Screening Smokers for Lung Cancer Description: To the Editor: Re " A Cancer Battle We Can Win," by Andrea McKee and Andrew Salner (Op-Ed, Sept. 22): Certainly screening for lung cancer in select populations has proved its value and deserves to be covered by Medicare, but readers should understand the long and controversial history of this procedure.

3 Ways Whipping Your Finances Into Shape Is Just Like Getting Physically Fit - Forbes

Content:

This post originally appeared on LearnVest.

Blood, sweat and tears. O.K., maybe not the first part, but for anyone who's made it a goal to get in shape, these words can often come into play when you're kicking off a new exercise regimen.

But what about if you've made it your goal to finally get your finances in shape?

Well, it turns out that becoming physically and financially fit are actually complementary goals-at least according to a study out of Washington University.

Researchers found that people who adequately planned for their financial futures by contributing to a 401(k) plan were more likely to take care of themselves physically than those who didn't-and they were healthier overall, to boot.

In making sound decisions when it came to their money and their body, people showed that they were willing and dedicated to making a long-term investment ... in themselves.

Of course, whether you're endeavoring to shed 20 pounds or save $20,000 for a down payment on a home, you can't reach healthy results without some serious elbow grease-and the right mindset.

So read on for some good strategies you can consider for strengthening both your fitness and financial game-along with the skinny on the one ingredient that'll help keep you on the road to success.

Fitness-Financial Connection #1: The Psychology Behind Overeating and Overspending

Think of the initial satisfaction-as well as the subsequent guilt-you may feel following a weekend of bingeing on junk food and ordering one too many drinks at Sunday brunch. Now think of another time you've felt the same way.

Was it, by chance, your last shopping spree?

Whether you're overeating or overspending, the gratification that comes from indulging in something that's bad for you can happen in a flash-and the effects are usually just as fleeting, which is why many people fall into a pattern of repeating the behavior, packing on pounds and debt in the process.

So if, on an intellectual level, we know that the behavior isn't good for us, why do we continue to be reckless with our health and finances? The answer is twofold, with your head and your heart both playing a role.

From a scientific standpoint, overeating and overspending urges tend to stem from the same culprit: stress.



RELATED: Stressed About Money? 6 Thinking Traps to Avoid

According to a study from Harvard Medical School, stress hormones push us to crave comfort foods-typically items high in sugar and fat-that actually send signals to the brain to shut down those problematic hormones. Likewise, spending money is a common activity that some people may use to deal with-or mask-anxiety.

As Hersh Shefrin, a behavioral finance pioneer and professor at Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business, explains it, our brains are actually fighting impulses to overeat or overspend all of the time-but introducing stress ups the ante.

There's a psychological immune system to help us deal with these cravings and urges, he says. But when we are under stress, our emotional immune system is affected, and our ability to exercise self-control can be impaired.

Brande R. Plotnick, 41, an aspiring entrepreneur based in Philadelphia, is well aware of the emotional reasons that can encourage people to overdo it. 'I was in a cycle where I would overspend on my credit card, feel guilty about it, and then make huge payments each month, which left me broke,' she says. 'Then I'd need the credit card for essentials, and it would start all over again.'

Plotnick says that her behavior stemmed from a need to keep up appearances. 'I was comparing myself to other people and what I thought they had,' she says. 'Fortunately, I realized that just because they owned things I wanted didn't mean they could afford those things.'

Once she recognized that her overspending habits were standing in the way of her financial security-as well as her dream of starting her own cooking brand-Plotnick resolved to revamp her finances, a task she tackled 'with the determination of a bride trying to fit into her wedding gown on the big day.'

Her first plan of attack was to adopt a visual budgeting system, requiring her to stuff a set amount of cash for such priority expenses as food and gas into envelopes at the start of each month. Once the money for each item was gone, she had to stop spending-regardless of whether it was the middle of the month or the end.

According to Hank Lobel, a CFP® with LearnVest Planning Services, it's this part of financial fitness-budgeting-that can be hardest to start and maintain, just like the dieting component of getting physically fit is often the more difficult obstacle to hurdle.

'I think people like to focus on exercise-getting stronger and leaner-instead of their diets. Similarly, they'll focus on growing their bank accounts, but they don't want to pay attention to budgeting,' Lobel says. 'It's like a person who goes to the gym and presses 300 pounds, and then goes to McDonald's.'

And so just like it's difficult to see lasting physical results unless you combine a fitness plan and healthy diet, you may not see financial results without adjusting your spending and savings habits.

In Plotnick's case, diligently following her revamped budgeting system allowed her to save enough to significantly hack away at the six-figure student loan debt that had been keeping her up at night-in just over a year's time.

Sticking to a budget helped her reframe her perspective too. 'These days I value financial security much more than any handbag or fancy vacation,' she says. 'I've experienced having high-end things-and lying awake at night worrying about how to pay for them. I never want to go back to that place.'

But while a refreshed mindset like Plotnick's is essential for long-term success, it's only part of the equation. Your next challenge? Retrain your brain to adjust your actions.

Fitness-Financial Connection #2: The Regimen for Long-Term Success-Automation and Determination

In the same way that you can't expect to see significant results after just working out and eating right for a couple weeks, it's also not realistic to expect results if you only save money for a short stint before returning to your old habits.



Getting financially fit takes discipline-and it's not always easy.

'Discipline is something most people need to learn,' says Manhattan-based therapist Paul Hokemeyer, Ph.D., who regularly counsels people who adopt self-destructive behaviors. 'For many, this knowledge comes the hard way-by gaining weight or having a sloppy financial 'physique.' But through these lapses, people wake up to the fact that success isn't a given-it must be earned.'

So how exactly do you work on earning that success?

The first step is to establish a foundation. Just as 'calories in, calories out'-the idea that you must consume fewer calories than you burn in order to lose weight-is the cornerstone of any effective diet, consider making 'money in, money out' your financial mantra. Bottom line: When you take home more money than you spend in a given month, your savings account has a chance to grow.

And a good way to stay on top of this simple call to action is to write down everything you spend. While you may feel nervous about tracking how much you're really shelling out-ignorance is bliss, right?-setting up an air-tight budget and carefully monitoring your bank account could be the exact wake-up call you need to take a look at your financial big picture.

'Keeping tabs on your money can help you see trends on why and how you're spending,' Lobel explains. 'You start to identify habits and triggers-things like, 'When I hang out with these people, I overspend.' '

Once you understand what makes you give into temptation, it's time to layer on another important success tactic to help keep yourself from continuing those bad habits-automation. It's a strategy Brad Hines, a 30-year-old productivity coach in Boston, has down cold for both his diet and financial priorities.

'With my finances, my credit card is set up to be paid in full automatically each month, and I use a monthly sum of money to automatically purchase an index fund with direct reinvestment,' Hines says.

Using this system, he not only maintains a zero balance on his credit card but he's working on growing his portfolio at the same time. By continually-and automatically-investing in his future, setting money aside has become a guaranteed action for him.

The same goes for Hines' streamlined grocery habits. 'When I go to the supermarket, I shop off a list of nothing but healthy stuff,' he says. 'The habit keeps the shopping experience fast, cheap and deters me from deviating and purchasing crap.'

Automating these basic tasks can be a good way to avoid getting suckered into deals that look too good to be true, Lobel notes. 'Just like you might be tempted to buy an additional bag of Oreos, since they are 'Buy two, get one free,' saving in a well-allocated portfolio helps ensure you don't chase the hot stock or mutual fund.'

As for how to stay on track over the long haul, Benjamin Felix, a 26-year-old former NCAA Division I basketball player and investment adviser in Ontario, Canada, actually channels some of his athletic determination.

'I have set savings goals, just like I used to have weight-training goals, and I know exactly what I need to do to achieve them,' Felix says. 'So just like I wouldn't allow myself to miss a workout, I will not allow myself to miss a monthly deposit into my savings. I allocate the amount I need for fixed living expenses, and only allow myself to spend the amount left over on non-necessary items.'

In this way, Felix's extra money is akin to leftover calories: If he finds himself with a surplus after a long workout, he can allow himself a treat without sacrificing his overall goals-another planner-approved strategy.

'By treating yourself, you get to enjoy and savor what it is you're working for,' Lobel says. 'And it gives you more incentive to keep going.'

Fitness-Financial Connection #3: The Secret Ingredient for Lasting Success



As you may have figured out by now, the process of managing your money is a marathon. And it just may pay off to be the patient tortoise-not the overconfident hare-in the race toward success.

'In the weight room and on the basketball court, trying to achieve a long-term goal too quickly by overtraining will cause anyone to either give up or get injured,' Felix says. 'The same idea applies to money-saving is a long-term game, and it has to be spread out over a lifetime, in a disciplined manner, to be successful.'

Translation: Setting unrealistic financial goals is one of the easiest-and fastest-ways to get knocked off track.

One way to define reasonable goals for yourself? Consider building some wiggle room into your get-fit action plan. It's a strategy Lobel says can be 'absolutely crucial' in order to help keep yourself motivated on the journey.

It's precisely why Plotnick has started allocating a set amount of cash each month into envelopes for non-financial priorities like clothing ($100), hobbies ($100) and vacation savings ($200).

'With my new approach to financial fitness, I still do the things I love but with much more awareness,' she says. 'And I don't feel deprived at all.'

For example, she does most of her clothing shopping two times per year-once in late summer and once around the holidays-to get the best deals. 'Because I've already saved a few hundred dollars in my clothing envelope, I can take advantage of those sales,' she explains.

Hines has also identified an approach that helps him stay on track when it comes to shopping and dieting. 'Sometimes looking at things to buy in the store, maybe even putting them in your cart-but not purchasing them-can serve to trick you psychologically,' he says. 'It works both to save money and to keep me from purchasing things I don't really need.'

In other words, it provides him with the exhilaration that's associated with a shopping rush without putting a major dent in his bank account.

Of course, nobody's perfect. Every once in a while, you probably will purchase that junk food (or the fancy tech gadget). And that's O.K., because wiggle room isn't just necessary to keep you on track-it can also help get you back on the wagon if you've fallen off.

Ever disciplined, Hines has even crafted a system for jump-starting his progress again if he's gotten off track.

'When I don't have any willpower left to eat healthily anymore, work out or keep track of my money, rather than take my hands completely off the wheel, I will just do onetiny thing,' he explains. 'I'll do a few pushups, floss my teeth, monitor my savings- anything -and this often replenishes a bit of willpower to resume tackling bigger and more important goals.'

LearnVest Planning Services is a registered investment adviser and subsidiary of LearnVest, Inc., that provides financial plans for its clients. Information shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal or tax planning advice. Please consult a financial adviser, attorney or tax specialist for advice specific to your financial situation. Unless specifically identified as such, the people interviewed in this piece are neither clients, employees nor affiliates of LearnVest Planning Services, and the views expressed are their own. LearnVest Planning Services and any third parties listed in this message are separate and unaffiliated and are not responsible for each other's products, services or policies.

Entities 0 Name: Lobel Count: 5 1 Name: Plotnick Count: 4 2 Name: LearnVest Planning Services Count: 4 3 Name: Hines Count: 4 4 Name: Felix Count: 3 5 Name: Canada Count: 1 6 Name: Ontario Count: 1 7 Name: Benjamin Felix Count: 1 8 Name: Philadelphia Count: 1 9 Name: Harvard Medical School Count: 1 10 Name: Santa Clara University Count: 1 11 Name: Paul Hokemeyer Count: 1 12 Name: NCAA Count: 1 13 Name: Leavey School of Business Count: 1 14 Name: Hersh Shefrin Count: 1 15 Name: LearnVest , Inc. Count: 1 16 Name: LearnVest Count: 1 17 Name: McDonald 's Count: 1 18 Name: Brande R. Plotnick Count: 1 19 Name: Hank Lobel Count: 1 20 Name: Washington University Count: 1 21 Name: Boston Count: 1 22 Name: Brad Hines Count: 1 23 Name: The Psychology Behind Overeating Count: 1 24 Name: CFP Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1poQ7pO Title: Eight slow, difficult steps to become a millionaire Description: Money of course isn't everything. Not by a long shot. Where your definition of success is concerned, money may rank far down the list. Everyone's definition of "success" is different. Here's mine: "Success is making those that believed in you look brilliant."

When There's a Vegetarian Child in the Family - New York Times

When a friend mentioned last year that her 7-year-old daughter had gone vegan, I stifled a sigh of relief. 'Thank God I'm not raising children in Brooklyn,' was my smug little thought.

What a fool I was. This summer, my 9-year-old returned from sleep-away camp a vegetarian.

I felt her eyes on me as I frantically chopped up a defrosted chicken before dinner one evening. 'How is it O.K. to eat other animals?' she murmured. 'What did they ever do to us?' I mentally rummaged through and discarded potential answers:

'It's a dog-eat-dog world'?

'The circle of life'?

'Just don't think about it'?

Whereas pickiness was formerly seen as a character flaw, a failure of parenting or just plain bad manners, it can now acquire a veneer of health, mindfulness and principled ethics. Kids aren't being picky; they are choosing.

An April 2014 poll of 1,200 Americans conducted by Harris Interactive for the Vegetarian Resource Group found that 4 percent of those ages 8 to 18 identified themselves as vegetarians. That's roughly two million children, including a half-million vegans. Bookstores teem with volumes like ' The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids' and ' Give Peas a Chance.' Perhaps inevitably, a sequel to the 2011 best-selling book 'Go the ____ to Sleep' is scheduled to come out this fall. The title: 'You Have to ____ing Eat.'

Alas, parents have never had as much control over what their children eat as they'd like. Between the opposing poles of restriction and freedom - the carrot-apple bars and the Hostess cupcakes at the bake sale - lies a vast and unruly playing field of 'No, thank you.' There are the children who won't eat anything green, the children who will eat only food that is white, the children who insist their cheese be the kind that comes in individually wrapped, artificially colored yellow slices. (They know who they are.)

Even without child-imposed parameters, parents have plenty to freak out about when it comes to their children's eating habits. Allow your kids to consume everything and manage their own choices, and you could add another statistic to the nation's obesity epidemic. Ban lollipops and muffins that don't pretend to be anything other than cake, and you could wind up raising a neurotic diet obsessive, or devastatingly, a child with an eating disorder. At a minimum, every parent in your child's classroom will hate you.

I can see where my daughter's choosiness comes from. Among the elders in my family lies a litany of gastronomic foibles. My father, the son of a meat market owner, refused to eat any food that was white or, he claimed, that began with the letter Y, putting yogurt in a verboten category all its own.

I'm probably worse: I can't eat cheese or butter unless it's fully melted. I have not willingly had a sip of milk since toddlerhood. And I stopped eating red meat at 14 out of pure squeamishness after venturing into the meat locker basement of the Turkish restaurant where I worked. At least my daughter can claim a higher moral cause.

I know I should be glad she has joined the ranks of conscientious consumers, aligned with those 6-year-olds who eschew added sugar and refuse nonorganic fruit. She eats arugula and radishes, and is arguably the greenest member of the family. I now have someone to share the evening's salad with before it wilts.

Still, I fear I am doomed to turn into the dreaded Restaurant Mom, tailoring meal planning to each of my children's fancies. For the most part, my other two kids continue to live in a world of chicken and cheese, though pasta now comes with turkey meatballs or chicken sausage on the side, leaving my once-cherished turkey Bolognese recipe dormant. I broil fish, resigned to the fact that one child's plate will remain unsullied while the other two choke down their required dose.

Other parents envy their friends' kids' grades or manners. I envy their eating habits. 'How come their child likes sushi?' I'll wonder. 'Why doesn't my kid willingly eat chia?' Other people's children gobble up Gwyneth Paltrow's ' green potato chip ' recipe (roasted kale; my kids are not fooled). Other people's children tolerate protein unadorned with bread-crumb coating. Many nights, I find myself mournfully tabulating the cost of the brutally ignored or merely prodded morsels that are scraped off our plates at the end of a meal.

Paradoxically, other parents praise my daughter's chosen path. 'That's fantastic,' they exclaim when she tells them, looking at me in admiration, while peppering her with questions about her decision process. I have to suppress interjecting, 'Don't encourage her.'

The truth is, with the occasional exception of ice cream (which I find myself foisting on her - 'No, not the sorbet!'), she is essentially vegan. Inside my head, some long-dead and forgotten Jewish maternal relative's voice ricochets between 'How will she get enough protein?' and 'Maybe she'll get over it.'

In the meantime, I've learned to cook chickpeas seven different ways, including a stir-fry with cumin that two out of three children will eat. My daughter showed me how to whip up a delicious rosemary white bean dip. She eagerly sticks Post-its into my dusty copy of ' Bean by Bean,' and leaves it on the kitchen counter.

Perhaps one day, like her mother, my daughter may become prone to the typical American inconsistencies, drinking overpriced bottles of raw ginger-lemon juice before foraging for Twizzlers in the office candy drawer, all the while vaguely wondering whether a wheat-free diet may propel her to a higher plane of consciousness. For now, she's well ahead of me. I can only fret over what to make for dinner tonight.

Entities 0 Name: Harris Interactive Count: 1 1 Name: Turkish Count: 1 2 Name: Vegetarian Resource Group Count: 1 3 Name: Brooklyn Count: 1 4 Name: American Count: 1 5 Name: Gwyneth Paltrow Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1tb5raH Title: Torrey Lost 85 Pounds: 'I Needed To Make A Change For My Wife And Daughters' Description: Posted: How I Gained It: I moved to New Orleans in the summer of 2004 to attend college. After I moved, it was a struggle to maintain healthy eating habits -- all throughout college I was eating too much of the wrong thing. When I met my now-wife, I gained a lot of "happy" weight.

Billy Idol: Sex, Drugs, 'Charmed Life,' and the Crash That Nearly Killed Me - TIME

Content:

TIMEIdeasMusic

Billy Idol: Sex, Drugs, 'Charmed Life,' and the Crash That Nearly Killed Me

By the morning of February 6, 1990, I'd been living on a fine edge for more than a decade, always courting disaster to experience the biggest high. I'd been living the deranged life. I felt so nihilistic, yet why hadn't I just tuned in and dropped out? Instead, I followed Jim Morrison's credo, the credo of Coleridge and, at one point, Wordsworth, the credo of self-discovery through self-destruction I so willfully subscribed to until this moment: By the morning of February 6, 1990, I'd been living on a fine edge for more than a decade, always courting disaster to experience the biggest high. I'd been living the deranged life. I felt so nihilistic, yet why hadn't I just tuned in and dropped out? Instead, I followed Jim Morrison's credo, the credo of Coleridge and, at one point, Wordsworth, the credo of self-discovery through self-destruction I so willfully subscribed to until this moment:

Live every day as if it's your last, and one day you're sure to be right.

On this fateful morning, I'm standing wide-awake at dawn in the living room of my house in Hollywood Hills, overlooking the Los Angeles basin that falls and stretches away toward the high-rising pillars of downtown. I haven't slept, still buzzing from the night's booze and illicit substances lingering in my bloodstream, staring at the view of the city beginning its early morning grumblings. Daylight unfolds and casts shadows within the elevation, as if God is slowly revealing his colors for the day from his paint box, the hues of brown and green of earth and foliage offset by the bleached white of the protruding rocks that hold my home in place on the hillside.

Standing at my window, I hear sirens blaring in the distance. Someone wasn't so lucky, I think as I tune in to the rumble of cars ferrying tired and impatient commuters on the 101 freeway that winds through the Cahuenga Pass, the sound of a world slowly getting back in motion. The constant moan of the freeway echoes that of my tired and played-out soul.

Just the night before, after almost two years of work, we put the aptly titled album Charmed Life to bed. I'm feeling some pressure, home early from the de rigueur studio party. I say that as if we threw one party to celebrate the completion of the album, but the truth is that the party went on for two years. Two years of never-ending booze, broads, and bikes, plus a steady diet of pot, cocaine, ecstasy, smack, opium, quaaludes, and reds. I passed out in so many clubs and woke up in the hospital so many times; there were incidents of returning to consciousness to find I was lying on my back, looking at some uniformly drab, gray hospital ceiling, cursing myself and thinking that I was next in line to die outside an L.A. nightclub or on some cold stone floor, sur- rounded by strangers and paparazzi.

I've been taking GHB, a steroid, to help relieve symptoms of the fatigue that has been plaguing me and preventing me from working out and keeping my body in some semblance of good shape. If you take too much GHB, which I'm prone to do, it's like putting yourself in a temporary coma for three hours; to observers, it appears as if you are gone from this world.

When we began recording in 1988, we promised each other we'd be cool and focused, and not wholly indulge in drugs and debauchery. But as weeks stretched into months, Fridays often finished early with 'drop-time'-the moment we all took ecstasy. And then Friday soon became Thursday and so on, until all rules were taboo. We somehow managed to make music through the constant haze. It seemed like every few days I was recovering from yet another wild binge, and it took three days to feel 'normal' again. The album proved to be slow going and the only way to feel any kind of relief from the pressure was to get blotto, avoid all human feelings, and reach back into the darkness once again. Somewhere in that darkness, I told myself, there was a secret of the universe or some hidden creative message to be found.

We'd invite girls to come to the studio to listen to the music. Mixing business with pleasure seemed the best way to see if the new songs worked. We'd be snorting lines of cocaine, and then the girls would start dancing. Before long, they'd end up having sex with one or more of us on the studio floor. Once the party was in full swing, we walked around naked but for our biker boots and scarves. Boots and Scarves became the running theme.

The girls loved it and got in on the act. It helped that we recruited them at the local strip bars; they felt comfortable naked. We had full-on orgies in those studios we inhabited for months. It was like a glorified sex club. We were all about instant gratification, lords of the fix.

Now that it's all said and done, I feel exhausted and shattered. The keyed-up feeling that prevents me from sleeping is the result of the care and concern I put into making a record that will decide the course of my future. That's the sort of pressure I put on myself every time. Then there's the fact that the production costs have been astronomi- cal; the need to keep the bandwagon rolling has drained my spirit and sapped my will.

Months later, Charmed Life will go on to sell more than a million copies. The 'Cradle of Love' single and video, directed by David Fincher, will both become massive hits. But I don't know this when I retreat to my home alone at 2 a.m., intending to get some rest after wrapping recording. The breakup of my relationship with my girlfriend, Perri, the mother of my son, Willem, has left me bereft, but finishing the album has been my only priority. 'If the thing is pressed . . . Lee will surrender,' Lincoln telegraphed Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox in 1865. And then: 'Let the thing be pressed.' That's a rock 'n' roll attitude. The difficult has to be faced straight-on and the result forged out of sweat and tears. That's where I take my inspiration. The wide-screen version of the last few years' tumultuous events plays in my subconscious and cannot be ignored. What can I do to keep away these blues that rack my thoughts and creep into my bones? It's a fine day, warming up, the sun burning off the morning smog. Still, I feel uneasy, dissatisfied in the pit of my stomach. With the album now finished, I'll have to take stock of life and contemplate the emptiness without Perri and Willem.

The bike will blow away these post-album blues, I think. As I open the garage door, the chrome of my 1984 Harley-Davidson Wide Glide gleams with expectation, beckoning me.

The L.A. traffic is thick and the warmth of the sun is fresh on my face, its glow spreading over my bare head. California has yet to pass legislation making the wearing of helmets compulsory, and I've always liked the feel of the wind in my hair. My bike clears its throat with a deep, purring growl. The gleaming black tank and chrome fixtures flash in the sharp, sacrosanct daylight. I've opted for all denim to match the blue-sky high.

The Harley's firm hold on the road this morning is comforting, and I begin to relax; its curves perfectly match the contours of the pavement below. I try to outrun the demons. The sweet, jasmine-honeyed air intoxicates my spinning mind. I rev the bike, which reacts easily to my commands as I sail breezily along the winding canyon road toward Sunset Boulevard. The lush greenery and trees lining the road refresh my thoughts, and my concentration wanders. My mind is filled with images of Peter O'Toole as Lawrence of Arabia speeding through the English countryside, testing his bike, pushing it to the limit, when-

WHAM!!!

An almighty explosion interrupts my silent reverie. I feel my body violently tumbling through the air, floating into a pure void. I black out before landing.

I sense beings crowding around me. I hear voices, some very close and loud, others softer and farther away. The whirl of movement in this dark vortex tells me that other worlds exist; I can feel their magnetic pull. People have a gravity of presence, and I can feel their move- ment as I slowly regain my senses. I'm not sure if I'm alive or dead.

I'm transported to just above myself. There are no white tunnels or distant lights, rather a red dimension. Walking through the shadow world on the other side, I see the beings who grace the crimson night crowding around to greet me. They pour out their love. The strange dimension sends a beam of thought: You're all right. We love you. Don't worry, here is love. They press and push. The circle of people holds my soul in a warm embrace.

Now I slip into a warp of darkness, pulled from this loving dimen- sion. I hang in a slip of time between life and death; I slowly begin to regain consciousness. The screen behind my eyes has yet to come on. It's as if God has not yet spoken those immortal words 'Let there be light.'

**

I heard the crash. Bikers say that if you don't hear that crash, you're already dead. I open my eyes. Bright sunlight floods in. I'm staring at the curb, my forehead resting just an inch from the sidewalk's edge. I'm lying in a bloody heap in the street, my Harley not too far away.

I'm positioned awkwardly on my left side, on top of my left arm. I free my arm, only to see something is very wrong. My wrist is f-cked up, leaving my fingers contorted, clawlike.

I lift up to look at the rest of my body and a terrific pain courses through my nerve endings. Any attempt at movement brings waves of agony that rack me to the core. Looking down, I see that my right boot is without a heel, smashed into the asphalt. I try to move my leg; nothing happens. I see a bloody, mangled stump sticking through my torn jeans. It looks as if my foot and my lower leg are separated from me, the denim lying flat on the pavement beneath my knee, a pool of blood quickly spreading from the soaked cloth. I lie there and wait for help.

The immortal biker slogan 'There are those who have been down and there are those who are going down' reverberates through my brain as I watch a man walk across the street. Though he sees my condition, he asks, 'Are you all right?' Ignoring the question, I blurt out, 'I've got Blue Cross Blue Shield-take me to Cedars-Sinai,' before passing out.

I'm zapped back to reality with a sharp jolt as the EMTs move me from the street to the ambulance on a stretcher. They start to cut my clothes off, and I actually think to myself, Just as well I didn't wear my favorite leather riding jacket.

The herky-jerky movements of the ambulance as it picks its way through traffic-slowing down then speeding up-combined with the blaring siren are strangely comforting. The actions of the two paramedics are cool, calm, and deliberate. I am in good hands. The speed with which they transfer me to the hospital gurney and take me to the emergency operating room reminds me of an experience I had in Thai land the year before, where I was escorted speedily out of the country by a platoon of the Thai Army, tranquilized and lashed to a military stretcher. By the time I reach the emergency room, the pain is so intense my thoughts are stopped cold as my injuries wreak havoc on my nervous system. I am probably screaming, but I am deaf to any sound.

The fact is, I have been deaf to many things. The road I've taken may have been the one less traveled, but definitely not in a good way. It was littered with disregarded warning signs. Despite spiritual reassurance by those friendly beings regarding my mortality, back in the real world, it's payback time. It is not the first time nor the last that William Broad will be held to account and asked to pay a heavy price.

TIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary and expertise on the most compelling events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. To submit a piece, email ideas@time.com.

Entities 0 Name: Wordsworth Count: 2 1 Name: Perri Count: 2 2 Name: Jim Morrison Count: 2 3 Name: L.A. Count: 2 4 Name: Willem Count: 2 5 Name: Coleridge Count: 2 6 Name: Lawrence of Arabia Count: 1 7 Name: Sunset Boulevard Count: 1 8 Name: Appomattox Count: 1 9 Name: William Broad Count: 1 10 Name: David Fincher Count: 1 11 Name: Hollywood Hills Count: 1 12 Name: Lee Count: 1 13 Name: Cahuenga Pass Count: 1 14 Name: California Count: 1 15 Name: Los Angeles Count: 1 16 Name: Thai Army Count: 1 17 Name: Lincoln Count: 1 18 Name: Harley Count: 1 19 Name: Charmed Life Count: 1 20 Name: Peter O'Toole Count: 1 21 Name: Cedars-Sinai Count: 1 22 Name: Ulysses S. Grant Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1us81yN Title: The Woman Who Walked 10,000 Miles (No Exaggeration) in Three Years Description: A hundred years ago, when Robert Falcon Scott set out for Antarctica on his Terra Nova expedition, his two primary goals were scientific discovery and reaching the geographic South Pole. Arguably, though, Scott was really chasing what contemporary observers call a sufferfest.

Modi's fast ball baffles Americans but the Force is with him - Times of India

WASHINGTON: It has now been more than 96 hours since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had a morsel of food. He has been subsisting only on hot water, not even lemon juice he was initially reported to be drinking. This is about the time experts say the process of ketosis sets in. The body starts to break down ketones from fatty tissues to use as fuel, instead of the usual glucose from the carbs we consume.

READ ALSO: PM Narendra Modi enthralls a rapturous crowd at Madison Square Garden

There was a time when ketosis was considered a critical response to fasting, but more recently researchers have said that depending on the individual, the body is resilient enough to subsist on little or nothing, perhaps up to three weeks in cases of water fasting. In fact, in recent years, many low-carb, high protein dieters go on such burn-the-fat binge-fasting - also known as muscle sparing - to lose weight.

READ ALSO: PIO cardholders to get lifelong Indian visa, PM announces at Madison Square

What is less well chronicled is the effect of such fasting on the functioning of the mind. As anyone who has skipped a meal or two in a day can attest, an empty stomach is not the best friend of cool head or clear thinking. Typically, those who undertake fasts go into a low metabolic state, avoiding vigorous activity and quietly settling into a restful state.

READ ALSO: Modi overshadowed Nawaz Sharif at UN: Pak daily

Narendra Modi is not only NOT doing that, but he has also embarked on a rigorous, almost tear-away schedule in the US that can burn-out a younger, fitter man chowing down good, healthy, regular meals. And he's doing that after a jetlag-inducing journey that long-distance flight veterans can tell you fatigues the mind.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks as Australian actor Hugh Jackman look on at the Global Citizen Festival at Central Park in New York, USA (PTI Photo)

Some 36 meetings and events in five days is what was on the original schedule, including energy sapping public rallies like the one in Central Park and Madison Square Garden over the weekend. That did not account for numerous unscheduled meetings. On Saturday, for instance, New Jersey governor Chris Christie dropped by at the hotel, for an unscheduled meeting that lasted over half an hour. Then there were school friends from Mehsana district, Gujarat.

The crowd of US-based supporters await the arrival of PM Narendra Modi for a community reception at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AFP photo)

How the Prime Minister is pulling it off this feat and the physiology involved is something that deserves to be studied regardless of one's personal pathology towards him. These are not one-way meetings during which he just listens and nods. He engages. Governor Christie and he exchanged notes about disaster management. Mayor Blasio and he discussed crowd control (with Modi telling about Kumbh Mela). With is Gujarati friends, he laughed and joked while posing for photographs. In one half-hour meeting, he wasn't even seen sipping the water in front of him.

The scoreboard shows a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India above the arena floor before a community reception for the Prime Minister at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AFP photo)

Naturally, there is quite a bit of skepticism about whether he is totally off all kinds of food. What about a few Snickers bars at the bottom of his suitcase, joked one American businessman. But aides and officials around him swear they have not seen him have a single bite. One official who has seen him at close quarters for long said he was not surprised. 'He has done it for nearly 40 years. Besides, women in India do this all the time. What's the big deal?' he asked.

READ ALSO: Modi at Madison Square Garden: Top 10 quotes

But with this kind of schedule and intense engagement? At the UN general assembly, Modi delivered his speech in a voice that was strong and resonant. Ditto Central Park, where he spoke in English, exhibiting impressive clarity and timbre. And the top item on his agenda, the meeting with President Obama, his cabinet members, and US lawmakers is still more than 24 hours away - in Washington DC. By that time, he's have been on a water diet for five days.

READ ALSO: Modi wins the hearts of US lawmakers

'May the force be with you,' he wished the Central Park crowd in a charming show of StarWars familiarity.

The Force is certainly with Narendra Modi.

READ ALSO: US efforts to court Modi 'ludicrous': Chinese media

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8 Surprising Reasons Your Hair is Falling Out - Wicked Local Hudson

In biblical times, a woman's hair was considered her crowning glory. And today, though the era has certainly changed, we spend billions collectively to ensure that our coifs are cut and curled to perfection. It can be devastating, then, for a woman to lose her hair, and while we may associate hair loss to aging women or chemotherapy patients, those instances don't account for every case.

Hair loss can strike all women from all ethnicities and age groups. So if you've been noticing a few too many strands in your hairbrush lately, check this list of eight possible causes that may totally surprise you.

1. Pregnancy

We all know that the process of having a baby can be pretty tough on a woman's body, but growing that cute little fetus can also wreak havoc on your hair. 'When a woman is pregnant, the body focuses primarily on nurturing the fetus,' says Dr. Tamim Hamid, founder and inventor of Theradome, the only FDA-approved, over the counter hair rejuvenation helmet. 'The demand for blood supply and nutrients can create challenges to the body's limited resources. Hair is not necessary for survival so it's often a victim of the process.'

To minimize hair loss while pregnant, Hamid encourages women to take prenatal vitamins regularly and to maintain a healthy immune system.

2. Thyroid imbalances

You may be jealous of your co-worker who can eat a 5-pound bag of M&Ms daily and never gain an ounce, but her uber-fast metabolism may actually mean trouble for her follicles. 'An overactive thyroid gland results in too much production of the hormone thyroxine and can accelerate your body's metabolism significantly, Hamid explains. 'An overly fast metabolism consumes nutrients at a rapid rate, placing stress on the body. Since hair isn't critical to survival, it is often robbed of the nutrients it needs to maintain healthy growth.'

Conversely, adds Hamid, an under-active thyroid can also put stress on the body, as nutrient overload and a lethargic lifestyle can impair hair growth.

3. Female pattern baldness

So you thought only men suffered receding hairlines at the expense of some evil, hair-destroying gene? Think again. 'Women are often genetically pre-disposed to female-pattern baldness, and once established it is incredibly difficult to break,' says Lucinda Ellery , a hair restoration specialist. 'It typically remains in the crown area but can spread to the hair above the ears. The visibility depends on the structure of the hair, thick or fine.'

As if news of this genetic torture weren't bad enough, Ellery also adds that female-pattern baldness is no longer exclusive to older women. 'We live in a toxic world and have far more stresses and strains on women than in the past, such as work and family responsibilities,' she says.

4. Trichotillomania

Ever heard a woman say she was dealing with something so overwhelming that she wanted to pull her hair out? Well, some women aren't kidding. 'Trichotillomania (TTM) can start with simply pulling out an eyelash, then migrating to eyebrows and eventually the scalp or any part of the body,' Ellery explains. 'The pulling sensation is often accompanied by a rush of pleasure, peace and harmony and is often a prelude to a trance-like meditative state.'

According to Ellery, TTM is often triggered in childhood and can be caused by a variety of stressors, from the death of a parent to losing a goldfish. Typically, people are unaware of their actions, but as time passes and a habit forms, they are no longer unable to resist the pulling. A behavioral analysis and psychotherapy are usually the best treatment.

5. Poor diet

As it turns out, all those greasy French fries and pints of ice cream you've been gorging on are impacting more than your dress size. Sally Pansing Kravich , a holistic nutritionist and author of Vibrant Living , says that diet and nutrient intake has a significant role on hair growth – of lack thereof.

Kravich's 'do not eat' list includes foods containing artificial color and dyes, artificial sweeteners and any preservatives; most packaged foods; and sodas. Meanwhile, she urges clients to load up on healthy fats, probiotics, whole grains and lots of fresh veggies. Supplements are recommended only in the case of an inadequate diet.

'I've had male and female clients who were losing their hair – with various health conditions, stress factors and diets,' says Kravich. 'All improved their hair either fully or partially by following these suggestions.'

6. Hairstyling

'Wearing your hair in the same type of style or ponytail repeatedly can lead to traction alopecia, which is hair loss caused by a pulling effect,' explains Ellery. This problem is often common with African American women who wear their hair in braids, or others with hair extensions. And while the urge may be to remedy the problem by discontinuing any handling of the hair, that actually has an opposite effect.

'Often women stop to washing and/or combing or brushing their hair when they notice it getting finer, but that worsens the problem as hair needs to be clean and aerated to grow healthily,' Ellery adds.

7. Trauma or shock

Recovering from something as serious as a car accident or death in the family is difficult enough emotionally, throw in the fact that it may also cause your hair to fall out and things get especially worrisome. Telegenic effluvium is the medical term for hair loss due to trauma or shock, and it can be triggered by anything from a heart attack or other major illness, to the simple birth of a baby.

'With this condition, more hairs are found on the shower floor or on the person's shoulders,' says Dr. Fayne Frey, MD , a board-certified dermatologist. 'As hairs 'fall asleep,' they fall out, causing a diffuse, temporary thinning of scalp hair. The process commonly occurs two to three months after the trauma.'

8. Autoimmune disease

Officially, an autoimmune disease is any illness that develops when your immune system recognizes healthy cells as foreign invaders and begins to attack them. It is estimated that up to 50 million Americans suffer from some type of autoimmune disease – including celiac disease and psoriasis – and many can lead to hair loss.

'Several processes fall under autoimmune hair loss,' says Frey. 'Alopecia areas causes a patchy balding of the scalp hairs. There is no particular blood test, but thyroid dysfunction can be associated with it. Total hair loss of the scalp is called alopecia totalis, and total loss of body hair due to the same process is called alopecia universalis. There is no way to tell which form a person will develop but, fortunately, the latter two forms are fairly uncommon.

'Lupus is another autoimmune disease which may cause hair thinning. A scarring form called discoid lupus causes a patchy scarring and often permanent, inflammatory hair loss. Although there is a blood test for systemic lupus (ANA), this test may be negative in individuals with discoid lupus.'

This article originally appeared as 8 Surprising Reasons Your Hair is Falling Out on Spry Living

Entities 0 Name: Ellery Count: 5 1 Name: Hamid Count: 3 2 Name: Kravich Count: 1 3 Name: Frey Count: 1 4 Name: Dr. Tamim Hamid Count: 1 5 Name: alopecia universalis Count: 1 6 Name: M&M Count: 1 7 Name: Sally Pansing Kravich Count: 1 8 Name: Dr. Fayne Frey Count: 1 9 Name: Lucinda Ellery Count: 1 10 Name: TTM Count: 1 11 Name: African American Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/Yz2kRE Title: 5 Signs Your Hormones Are Out Of Whack Description: Posted: By Chloe Metzger Raise your hand if, in the last few weeks, you've felt tired, bloated or cranky. Sound familiar? Then you know the drill: Every month, your hormones -- the body's itty-bitty secret weapon -- come out to play, wreaking havoc on your mood, skin and mind.

DN Editorial: Health Nuts - Philly.com

Posted: Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 3:01 AM

IN THESE DAYS of growing income inequality, the rich get richer and the poor get . . . diabetes. And heart disease. And cancer.

A recent study of the eating habits of 29,124 Americans by the Harvard School of Public Health verified a widening 'food gap' between the poor and everyone else. While people at higher income levels are eating more healthy foods than they were 12 years ago, low-income Americans are lagging even farther behind.

Poor eating habits, and the obesity that often results, are strongly tied to a host of chronic (and expensive to treat) diseases. So the poor get sicker and health-care costs rise for everyone.

Not that Americans in general eat anywhere near healthy. On Harvard's Index of Healthy Eating, a perfect score is 110. In the most recent measurement (for 2009-2010), the American average in was 46.8 - and that was an improvement. In 1999-2000, the score was 39.6.

Score one for the Nanny State: Much of the improvement can be traced to changes in government policy, specifically on super-unhealthy trans fats, which used to be ubiquitous in restaurant and processed foods. Not only did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration require trans fats to be included in nutrition labels, many states and cities - including Philadelphia - banned their use in restaurants and other food sources.

After grumbling, most processedfood manufacturers responded to the changed marketplace and lowered or eliminated the trans fats in their products. Last November, the FDA administered the coup de grace by proposing to essentially ban the stuff.

Not surprisingly, Harvard's scientists concluded that depending on individuals' 'personal responsibility' is nowhere near as effective as 'collective action' - legislation and taxation.

So much for the somewhat encouraging news about healthier eating: The real takeaway from the study is that, as the income gap between rich and poor grows, so does the gap between the amount of healthy food they eat. According to Harvard, low-income people lagged 3.9 points behind the average 12 years ago; the most recent figures have them 7.8 points behind.

There's no mystery why: healthy food like fruits and vegetables cost more than processed and junk food. Large numbers of the poor live in 'food deserts' far from supermarkets or discount stores. Even if they could afford to buy fresh produce, some lower-income people don't have the knowledge of nutrition, let alone the time it takes to turn healthy ingredients into regular meals.

Right now, this sad situation could be much worse in Pennsylvania than it is. Last year, Congress passed cruel cuts to food stamps that would have resulted in 400,000 Pennsylvania households losing an estimated $60 to $65 per month in food aid. In an instance of rare good sense, Gov. Corbett found a way to forestall the cuts, by increasing federal utility subsidies for poor families, which allowed them to stay eligible for the food stamp program. (In fact, after 14 other governors took similar action, just four states - one of them New Jersey - enacted the food-stamp cuts.)

But the average $1.40 a meal supplied by food stamps can't supply the basics of a nutritious diet, no matter how knowledgeable or skilled the cooks. And that isn't healthy for the nation.

Entities 0 Name: Harvard Count: 3 1 Name: Pennsylvania Count: 2 2 Name: FDA Count: 1 3 Name: Corbett Count: 1 4 Name: Congress Count: 1 5 Name: Harvard School of Public Health Count: 1 6 Name: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Count: 1 7 Name: Philadelphia Count: 1 8 Name: American Count: 1 9 Name: New Jersey Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1vpIP92 Title: Global Survey Says We're Eating Better, But Our Diet Is Still Unsustainable Description: Andrea Stone Published September 29, 2014 More people are eating local and organic foods and plan to consume less meat and bottled water. However, most also believe they lack enough information and influence to become more environmentally sustainable consumers, a new National Geographic survey has found.