Post-Diwali, treat your body with extra care and check out these foods that can help your detoxify your body as well as promote weight loss.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

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01/6​ Foods to stop eating for quick weight loss?

Do you often feel that your diet and eating habits aren’t helping you lose weight? Well, it’s time to hit the pause and take a look at your food preferences that may be silently adding on to your weight and ruining your fat loss goals. So here are a few foods that you must avoid, if you are planning to lose weight and stay in shape.

02/6 ​Potato Chips

A bowl of potato chips or French Fries can be the best binging delight, when it comes to enjoying some quality time. A bowl of 100grams of potato chips contains as good as 536 calories. No wonder, these chips and fries are delicious, but at the same time the high calorie content as well as the addition of excessive salt and oil can silently spoil your weight loss plans. What’s more, packaged potato chips may often contain cancer-causing substances called acrylamides. Thus, the best way to eat healthy is by making chips or fries at home by baking or pan tossing with less or no oil.

03/6 ​Sugar loaded drinks

We often grab a bottle of juice or aerated drinks assuming that they are good for health, but did you know that 1 cup of packaged fruit juice may contain as good as 136 calories. Loaded with sugar and soda, these drinks can instantly spike your blood sugar level and in the long run can lead to weight gain and obesity. So, if you are planning to shed some weight, then ditch packaged drinks and go for homemade fresh juices and healthy blends.

04/6 ​Cookies and pastries

One of the most easily available on-the-go foods, cookies, pastries and other baked goods often seem like a treat to tastebuds, but you would be surprised to know that these baked goodies are packed with calories. So much so that 1 cookie may contain upto 40 calories. Apart from that, cookies and pastries are made of refined sugar, gluten rich flour and fats. Moreover, these baked goodies are also loaded with trans fats and sugar which adds on to the taste, but can end up spoiling your weight loss plans.

05/6​ White Bread

A meal without bread may seem incomplete, but have you ever wondered, this delicious addition to your meal may be secretly adding on to your weight? Well, if you are planning to lose weight or following a healthy diet, then consuming white bread can ruin all your efforts. Yes, white bread is loaded with gluten rich flour, added sugar and other ingredients that can simply add on to the calorie count.

06/6​ Caffeine rich drinks with milk and cream

Coffee is loaded with the goodness of caffeine, which helps in boosting metabolism and helps in burning fats naturally, but the addition of milk, cream, sugar and other ingredients like chocolate or caramel syrups can simply increase the calorie count and induce empty calories. Thus, if you are trying to stay in shape going for black coffee or cold brew can help in managing weight. However, too much consumption of coffee can lead to bloating and discomfort, so make sure you keep a check on your consumption patterns.

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WHAT IS KETOGENIC DIET AND WHAT FOODS CAN YOU EAT — the ketogenic diet is a lifestyle choice that many follow for purposes such as weight loss, treat epilepsy in children and diabetes in diabetics. It is a high-fat, enough-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet. This diet forces your body to burn fats rather than carbs. When you consume carbs, it is converted to glucose which is important for proper brain function. However, with little carbohydrates in your body, the liver turns fats into fatty acids and ketone bodies. These ketone bodies replace glucose in your body as the energy source. Your body is in a state of ketosis when there is an increased count of ketone bodies in your blood.

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New Delhi: It’s easy enough to ensure that your child gets the essential nutrients through diet. Children need to get adequate amounts of nutrients, perhaps, the full alphabet of vitamins and minerals, to grow well and stay healthy. Good nutrition will also make your child’s skin healthy and glowing from within.

Healthy skin is a sign of good nutritional status – and the same applies to your child as well. So, inculcate in them a habit of enjoying better and nutritious foods like fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc. Junk foods loaded with sodium or added sugar can be harmful to your little one’s skin, brain, and overall health.

Vitamins and minerals (A-Z) for kids and teens to stay healthy

To help you and your child follow a healthy eating plan, Ms Pariksha Rao, Co-Founder and Chief Nutrition Officer at Lil Goodness sCool Meal, Bengaluru, makes a breakdown of the essential vitamins and minerals, from A-Z, that kids and teens need for different areas of growth, including where to find them.

1. Vitamin A: Vitamin A is important for healthy skin and normal growth, it also helps vision and tissue repair. Vitamin A can be found in rich quantities in yellow and orange vegetables, dairy products, spinach, fenugreek leaves, papaya, etc.
2. Vitamin B complex: Vitamin B is important for the normal growth and development of children. A deficiency in vitamin B can massively affect the skin as it can cause hypersensitivity and make the skin more sensitive to products, external aggressors and climate – leading to redness, acne or dry, flaky skin, as well as causing the lips to dry and crack. The richest sources of vitamin B come from green peas, sesame seeds, spinach, mushrooms, soy, eggs, whole grains.
3. Vitamin C: This vitamin is the body’s magic pill for healing and fighting off infection. It also strengthens tissue, muscles, and skin. For healthy doses of vitamin C, look to citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, brussels sprouts, spinach, and broccoli.
4. Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the body form and maintain strong teeth and bones. It assists with the absorption of minerals such as calcium. Vitamin D is not found only in a few varieties of foods such as fish and other fortified dairy products. Adequate exposure to sunlight is also a way to get enough vitamin D. Unhealthy skin can make vitamin D absorption poor.
5. Vitamin E: It protects from UV rays and helps to regenerate new skin cells and can lighten brown spots or scars. Vitamin E makes the nerves stronger and helps in nourishing your skin from within. Good sources are all nuts and seeds.
6. Zinc: Zinc is an essential mineral with anti-inflammatory effect. It helps in the fast recovery of damaged skin cells, especially in dry or very hot weather. You can add pumpkin seeds, black eyed peas, chickpeas, and nuts (such as cashews and almonds) to your child’s daily diet.

Additionally, make sure your child drinks about 6- 8 glasses of water every day. Add 1 glass of water or coconut water for every hour of outdoor activities. It will help flush out toxins, help them stay hydrated and keep their skin glowing.

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Many of us often feel bombarded with ever-changing and confusing nutrition advice. If that well-intended guidance leaves your head spinning, rest assured that recommendations for a heart-healthy diet have stayed relatively consistent over the years.

1. Foods High in Sodium

2. Foods High in Added Sugar

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Ketogenic diet that excludes a wide array of essential food groups, can take a toll on our overall health if people are not able to sustain such a drastic change in eating habits that too in a safe manner. As a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet known as the Ketogenic diet, has been touted as one of the best weight loss programmes, at the same time been dismissed by many.

Out of the total daily caloric intake, nearly 70 to 80 per cent comes from fat, 20 per cent from protein and the remaining 5 per cent or so are derived from carbohydrates. The carbohydrate deprivation pushes the body into ketosis, which is a state where fat becomes its primary fuel source.

Despite its ability to cause rapid weight loss, this dieting approach doesn’t find many supporters among medical professionals. The Keto diet is usually not recommended by doctors for the reason that it excludes a wide array of essential food groups that are imperative for optimal health, such as grains, fruits, and some vegetables.

Medical professionals caution people to be aware of the difference between weight loss and overall health. Jeffrey Mechanick a medical director at Mount Sinai Heart’s Marie-Josee and Henry R Kravis Center for Clinical Cardiovascular Health quite frankly stated to USA Today that “I wouldn’t recommend the keto diet to anybody.” Vasanti Malik, an adjunct assistant professor of Nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, expressed her concern regarding this extreme system of eating.

“You want to be mindful because these foods — whole grains, fruits, and vegetables — carry a number of beneficial nutrients — vitamins, polyphenols, fibre — that have been shown time and time again to be beneficial for cardiometabolic health,” Malik told USA Today.

According to Mechanick, depletion of carbohydrates compels the body to scavenge upon its fat and muscle tissue to keep everything up and running. “In theory, the Keto diet basically mimics starvation. If you don’t eat carbohydrates but you eat an excessive amount of fat and protein, you’re still going to waste tissue. The tissue is still going to burn off,” explained Mechanick.

Fad diets such as keto also lead to weight rebound issues with people who are not able to stick to them after losing weight. The answer for sustainable weight loss hence lies with emphasising on the quality of food and not exclusively the number of calories that are consumed.

Mechanik suggests the minimisation of sugars and starches and an increased intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and beans.

Malik recommends people to include more grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, while limiting saturated fat, added sugar and added sodium. Tidying up your menu, in conjunction with daily physical exercise would be enough to create a solid foundation for health.

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Washington: A ketogenic diet — which provides 99 per cent of calories from fat and protein, and only one per cent from carbohydrates — may produce health benefits in the short term, but negative effects after about a week, according to a study conducted in mice.

The study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, suggests that the keto diet could, over limited time periods, improve human health by lowering diabetes risk and inflammation.

The keto diet has become increasingly popular as celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kim Kardashian, have touted it as a weight-loss regimen, the researchers noted.

The diet tricks the body into burning fat, said lead author Vishwa Deep Dixit from the Yale University in the US.

When the body’s glucose level is reduced due to the diet’s low carbohydrate content, the body acts as if it is in a starvation state — although it is not — and begins burning fats instead of carbohydrates.

This process in turn yields chemicals called ketone bodies as an alternative source of fuel.

When the body burns ketone bodies, tissue-protective gamma delta T-cells expand throughout the body.

This reduces diabetes risk and inflammation, and improves the body’s metabolism, said Dixit.

After a week on the keto diet, mice show a reduction in blood sugar levels and inflammation, he said.

However, when the body is in this “starving-not-starving” mode, fat storage is also happening simultaneously with fat breakdown, the researchers said.

When mice continue to eat the high-fat, low-carb diet beyond one week, they consume more fat than they can burn, and develop diabetes and obesity, the researchers said.

“They lose the protective gamma delta T-cells in the fat,” Dixit said. Long-term clinical studies in humans are still necessary to validate the anecdotal claims of keto’s health benefits, the researchers noted.

“Before such a diet can be prescribed, a large clinical trial in controlled conditions is necessary to understand the mechanism behind metabolic and immunological benefits or any potential harm to individuals who are overweight and pre-diabetic,” Dixit said.

“Obesity and type 2 diabetes are lifestyle diseases. Diet allows people a way to be in control,” he said.

With the latest findings, researchers now better understand the mechanisms at work in bodies sustained on the keto diet, and why the diet may bring health benefits over limited time periods.

“Our findings highlight the interplay between metabolism and the immune system, and how it coordinates maintenance of healthy tissue function,” said Emily Goldberg, a postdoctoral fellow at Yale.

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We all have those days where we just spend the entire daydreaming about your bed. Bedtime can’t come sooner, and when the time finally comes, you feel like you’re going to fall asleep the minute your head touches your pillow. But as soon as you go to close your eyes, you can’t fall asleep.

Insomnia happens to all of us, even on those days when all we want to do is go to sleep. There are tons of ways to treat insomnia, from melatonin pills to bedtime music. But you also can treat insomnia with food, so be sure to eat these foods the next time you want to guarantee you get a good night’s sleep:

Dark Chocolate

A late-night snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and help you fall asleep? Say no more. Dark chocolate is full of magnesium, which is excellent for helping you catch those z’s.

Brown Rice

Swap out your pasta for brown rice on those days you have a late dinner and still want to get to bed early. Brown rice shares similar properties to melatonin, rich in tryptophan, which is an amino acid that can help you get sleepy.

Almonds

Almonds are surprisingly full of melatonin and a great source of magnesium. Magnesium can help fight inflammation and reduce stress levels of cortisol, which can lead to restless nights.

Chamomile Tea

In addition to being anti-inflammatory, drinking a cup of warm chamomile tea is a great way to ensure you’ll get a good night’s rest. Chamomile has also been found to reduce anxiety and depression and improve your skin overall.

Spinach

Spinach can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways, from blended into a green smoothie to wilted in a pasta. Regardless of the way you choose to enjoy spinach, it’s a great food source to help you fall asleep. Spinach is high in magnesium and tryptophan, both of which can help you get to sleep no problem.

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Despite trying out various methods to lose weight, if you are still not able to get the desired results, there is a need to revamp your goals. While this may seem like a difficult task, here is some advice from nutritionist Lovneet Batra who lists down what exactly needs to be done. Take a look!

According to Batra, it’s important to keep a log of what one’s diet on a daily basis that helps identify key issues in one’s routine. “It helps you understand how much you’ve eaten, what your calorie intake is and what the gap between your meals is. Through this analysis you are able to make an accurate assessment of your progress and can make changes accordingly for better results,” she said in the Instagram post.

Here is what she suggests that we avoid

Skipping meals

Not taking enough protein

Not doing strength training

Not maintaining a food journal

Only focusing on the weight scale

Here’s why these pointers matter

*There is a reason why skipping meals is not a good idea. Blood sugar decreases when one skips meals, which, in turn, makes people feel irritated and fatigued. It also leads to the production of cortisol that leads to stress. When one skips meals, the metabolism goes for a toss which hinders weight loss.

*If taking a high protein diet enables weight loss, the reverse also stands true. When the diet is low on proteins, the muscles begin to atrophy (waste)– by taking Lean Body Mass (LBM), strength, and energy with them. This hampers weight loss plans. Proteins help to control cravings and a lack of it can increase binge-eating. According to Batra, one should take protein, especially after a workout to repair all the muscle tissue that breaks down during the strenuous workout.

*Not spending time on strength training and focussing only on cardio will only lead you to reach a plateau and your body will not be strong, says Batra.

*Awareness regarding what one is eating and in what portions is necessary for weight loss. A food journal whether in a written or photographic form is quite helpful to track progress.

Batra says that it’s not always a good idea to eye the weighing scale as that leads to only weight gain/loss-oriented idea of health which is short-term. “Being obsessed with what you’re weight scale says leads you to look at fitness as a short term goal and that will make the entire process temporary. Being fit, eating healthy is a daily process and you have to be patient about your results,” she advises.

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Many people swear by the ketogenic (“keto”) diet and its supposed myriad of positive health effects. Though there are some concerns associated with keto, it has proven effective for many people who adopted the diet, aiding in weight loss, helping reverse type-2 diabetes, and more. A new study out of Yale University has found that adopting the keto diet in short spurts may be the best way to get the most results from it.

The keto diet involves eating a relatively high level of fat and a low quantity of carbohydrates in order to trick the body into a type of ‘starvation mode.’ When in this state, the body will switch over to burning fat instead of carbohydrates; many formerly overweight people report having experienced substantial weight loss on this diet. Benefits may include lowered appetite and inflammation.

According to the new study out of Yale, however, some of these benefits only persist for a short period of time. The diet can potentially have good and bad effects on protective immune cells called gamma delta T-cells, which work to lower inflammation and the risk of developing diabetes. These cells ‘expand throughout the body’ when it is burning fat (ketones, specifically) for fuel instead of sugar.

That change comes with positive effects on health by tackling harmful inflammation and reducing one’s odds of developing diabetes. The benefit is relatively short-lived, however, according to the new study. The team found that mice who continued to eat a keto diet started consuming more fat than they were burning after the first week.

This nixed the positive effects of the gamma delta T-cells and paved the way for weight gain and, eventually, the development of diabetes.

The potential for keto to increase diabetes risk is a known one; in late 2018, researchers in Zurich published a study that warned type-2 diabetes risk was found to eventually increase after several weeks on the keto diet, though the reason for this was unknown.

The Yale findings indicate that adopting a keto diet for short periods of time may be more effective at lowering inflammation and reaping other health benefits than eating the diet continuously for weeks or months on end. Unfortunately, the ideal length of the diet for humans isn’t known at this time; additional research will be necessary.

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New Delhi: According to the ancient Indian philosophy of Yoga, the ‘Annamaya kosha’ (our physical body) and ‘Mana’ (our mind) is a direct reflection of the ‘Anna’ (food) we eat. Fascinating studies agree with this ancient philosophy and are now telling us that our diet habits – what we eat, how we eat and at what time – affect our body, weight and brain, deciding not only how we look but also how well we can take decisions, execute plans, basically our cognitive performance.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”, says Walt Disney, and so I shall straight away list out a 5-point ‘Eat Right Action Plan’ to help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Action Plans for men for healthy weight loss

Wake up to ‘real’ food! “A good beginning makes a good ending”, says an Italian proverb. Starting off your day right is crucial as it will keep you high on energy and light on your feet all day. Most of us love to have our cup of tea/coffee the first thing in the morning, almost like an every day romance: fingers hugging the hot cup of fresh brew close to the lips, taking in each sip with all the aroma and warmth it offers. But sorry to burst your bubble, tea/coffee is not the best drink as you wake up.

Tea/coffee, of any variety it may be, has caffeine in it. Studies suggest that caffeine triggers the release of cortisol (also called ‘stress’ hormone). A big bump in cortisol puts your body in a ‘stress’ mode and slows down metabolism, breaks down muscle, hampers fat burning, increases blood pressure, etc. This ‘stress rush’ is part of the reason why we feel ‘awake’ or ‘alert’ after our morning cuppa.

While we sleep, all our body processes slow down. As we wake up, the body systems also need time to wake up and start functioning in its full capacity. In such a situation, it is better to eat ‘real’ food that is easy on it versus something that will further load or stress it out.

Action Plan 1

• Start your day with fresh fruit or dry fruits or a handful of nuts or hot homemade breakfast within half an hour of waking up. Post this meal, you can enjoy your morning cup of tea/coffee.
• Planning meals ahead: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” said Benjamin Franklin. Everyone in business knows that planning helps prevent crisis so that you spend less time firefighting and stay ahead of the game.
• Similarly, if you do not want to be caught up in food crisis/accidents (like gorging on a pastry at 6 p.m when you had just decided to eat healthier in the morning), you need to be planning ahead for your meals.
• Eating small, frequent meals every 2-3 hours gives a slow, sustained release of blood sugar which in turn keeps your mind alert and body energetic through the day without feeling the need for stimulants like tea/ coffee/ cigarettes.

Action Plan 2

• Plan for your lunch and evening snack (between 4-6p.m) in advance. For mid-meals, nuts, dry fruits, chana, fruits, yogurt, cheese slice, coconut water, nimbu sherbets are great options.
• Local food, global spirit – Indian men, today are going global like never before. For an undying global spirit, what we must stay true to is eating local. Eating local and seasonal foods is good for your health, supports the local economy and benefits the environment at large. Whereas eating foods from far off places, industrialised and packaged adds inches to your waistline, hampers work productivity and will negatively affect your bottom line.

Action Plan 3

• Replace the cookies/biscuits in meetings with peanuts/cashews, aerated drinks/colas with buttermilk/local sherbets, cakes/pastries with chikki/laddoo/dates, etc.
• Add ghee to your meals: Ever wondered what the traditional business communities (Marwaris/Gujaratis/Parsis/Sindhis) of India eat in common? It’s the ghee. Ghee being rich in omega-3s boosts brain power and improves memory and cognitive function. Its unique SCFA accelerates fat burning, giving you a younger body and sharper mind.

Action Plan 4

• Make sure you have at least 1 tsp of ghee each with breakfast/lunch/dinner.
• Keep a 2 hours gap between dinner and bedtime: Eating a wholesome dinner that is not close to bedtime will allow enough time for digestion to occur, induce sound sleep and reduce the chance of waking up tired, bloated or acidic the next morning. In short, you would be all set to take the busy day head-on!

Action Plan 5

• Choose between dinner options like curd rice, rice and dal/sambhar, khichdi, appam and stew, etc, and have it 2-3 hours before you go to bed.

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A recent survey of registered dietitians named the low-carbohydrate keto diet yet again as the most popular diet in the United States. In Ireland, it consistently ranks high in Google searches, with keto recipe books featuring high in the publishing charts – particularly at this time of year.

Powering this diet is fat, and loads of it – all the way up to a hefty 90 per cent of one’s daily calories.

Its fans (and marketers) feed social media with before and after photos, crediting the diet for life-altering weight loss or other effects. They swirl butter into their coffee, load up on cheese, and eat lonely burgers without its bestie, the bun. Staples such as whole grains, legumes, fruit and starchy vegetables are being largely pushed off the plate as devotees strive for ketosis – when the body begins to burn fat instead of glucose as its primary energy source.

The diet is hailed for dropping pounds, burning more calories, reducing hunger, managing diabetes, treating drug-resistant epilepsy, improving blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, the major storage form of fat in the body. People have reported improved concentration, too.

First, a word: choosing an eating plan or an approach to eating is very personal. Everyone’s body, tastes and background are unique. The best approach to food intake is one in which you are healthy and nurtured and matches your social and cultural preference. If you want guidance, it’s recommended you consult with a dietitian.

What is the ketogenic diet?
A “typical” ketogenic diet consists of at least 70 per cent of calories derived from fat, less than 10 per cent from carbs and less than 20 per cent from protein. The ketogenic diet, long used to treat epilepsy in children, calls for 90 per cent of daily calories to come from fat, with the amount of protein or carbs varying as long as it’s 4 grams of fat for every combined 1 gram of carb and protein, according to the American Epilepsy Society. That can mean chowing down on a lot of cheese, butter, eggs, nuts, salmon, bacon, olive oil, and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, greens and spinach. For the arithmetic-challenged, apps and online programmes can do the math for you.

The goal of the ketogenic diet is to enter a state of ketosis through fat metabolism. In a ketogenic state, the body uses primarily fat for energy instead of carbohydrates; with low levels of carbohydrate, fats can be converted into ketones to fuel the body.

For ketosis, a typical adult must stay below 20 to 50 grams of net carbohydrates – measured as total carbs minus fibre – each day. Crossing that threshold is easy: a thick slice of bread adds 21 carbohydrates, a medium apple 25, and a cup of milk 12. It’s not just bread and soda that are on the outs but high sugar fruit and starchy veggies such as potatoes, as well as too much protein. Also, dieters have to be on high alert for hidden carbs, often invisible to the eye, yet coating that seemingly keto-friendly fried cheese.

Can I lose weight on the keto diet?
Yes. Certainly in the short-term, it appears that way. For the first two to six months, there’s evidence that a very low carbohydrate diet can help you lose more weight than the standard high carbohydrate, low fat diet, according to a recent literature review of low-carb diets by the National Lipid Association in America. “By 12 months, that advantage is essentially gone,” said Carol Kirkpatrick, director of Idaho State University’s Wellness Center, and lead author of the new literature review. After that, weight loss seems to equalise between those two popular diet regimens. She said keto is best used to kick start a diet, before transitioning to a carb intake that you can adhere to for the longer term.

How long does it take to see results on the keto diet?
For some, it’s the promised land of diets. Instead of cringing through carrot sticks, they can fill up guilt-free on chorizo with scrambled eggs. Indeed, some evidence suggests that people feel less hungry while in ketosis, and have fewer cravings. “That’s why it’s become so popular for the general population,” said Dr Mackenzie Cervenka, medical director of Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Adult Epilepsy Diet Center. “Because once you are in ketosis, it’s easy to follow.”

Usually, it takes between one to four days to enter the state, doctors say, but it depends on many factors such as activity level: a runner, for example, may sprint there faster than a couch potato.

The keto diet appears to deliver fast results: The first pounds may seem to slip off. That can be seductive, but it’s likely water weight. Then, dietitians say, it’s back to energy in minus energy out.

But can the ketogenic diet help to burn more calories?
There is some evidence that it can. The research is limited and conflicting here, too. It may be a very small effect, and not meaningful for weight control. That’s what one study found. In it, 17 obese or overweight volunteers moved into metabolic wards for two months and had every last spoonful of food monitored. (This recounting of the science uses definitional terms such as “obese” to be clear about the subjects of research studies.) For the first month, they consumed a high carb diet; for the second, they had a ketogenic one, with both plans equal in calories.

In the end, though insulin levels did decrease while eating the bunless burger, they didn’t lose more fat than when they had bread. The study was limited, though, by having a small sample size, and not having a comparison group that wasn’t on the back-to-back regimens.

For some, a low carb diet can be appealing.That doesn’t mean that diet is superior, according to a study that followed 609 overweight adults on either a low carb or a low-fat diet for a year. In the end, both groups shed almost the same amount on average – about 12 to 13 pounds, according to the randomised clinical trial that examined a low carb diet less restrictive than the keto.

Does the ketogenic diet benefit long-term? 

It’s not known yet. “If you tell people to go on this diet forever and for a longer term, there is no evidence,” said Carla Prado, an associate professor and director of the University of Alberta’s Human Nutrition Research Unit.

The diet does help children with epilepsy: Nearly a third to two-thirds of patients experience 50 per cent fewer seizures after six months on the regimen. (Even back in 400BC people fasted to treat epilepsy. And the ketogenic diet itself is nearly a century old, having been popular to help with seizures until the discovery of an anticonvulsant drug.) There are case studies on how 10 patients with a rare condition fared on the diet for a decade, but most well-designed studies in this field have not extended beyond two years.

Does a low carb diet help people with diabetes?

Yes. “Carbohydrate is the biggest driver of blood sugar,” said Dr William Yancy, director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, who sees a lot of promise in the diet helping those with diabetes.

A new randomised clinical trial enrolled 263 adults with type 2 diabetes into group medical visits, with half receiving medication adjustment for better blood sugar control, and the others undergoing weight management counseling using a low carb diet. (All participants of the study had a BMI that fell within the range of overweight or obese.) Both groups experienced lowered average blood sugar levels at the end of 48 weeks, according to findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine. However, the weight management group on the low carb diet slimmed down more, required less medication and had fewer problematic low blood sugar episodes.

For those with Type 2 diabetes, a low carb diet seems to improve average blood sugar levels better in the first year than the high carbohydrate, low fat diet. After that time period, the review by the National Lipid Association found that difference almost disappears — but with a very important benefit: the low carb participants were able to use less medication. “People like that because they don’t like to be on diabetes medicines,” Dr Yancy said.

Is there a healthy way to eat more fat?

When Dr Cervenka starts her patients with epilepsy on a low carbohydrate diet, she doesn’t rule out saturated fats from animal products. She wants them to get used to the new way of eating. But if cholesterol levels climb and stay that way, she advises them to shift to foods and oils with mono- and polyunsaturated fats such as avocados or olive oil.

While the diet’s effect on LDL (“bad” cholesterol) appears to be mixed, the National Lipid Association’s review found that a very low carbohydrate diet does seem to improve HDL (commonly known as the good cholesterol). Beyond a year, it seems these benefits don’t last, much like in weight loss. Only lowered triglyceride levels seem to have any staying power. Other findings: the evidence on blood pressure is inconsistent, and the reports of improved mental clarity are not supported by controlled studies.

What’s the effect of all that fatty meat on your health?

And what happens, for example, after cutting down fruits, legumes and whole grains – all food that studies point to reducing cardiometabolic risk? Dr Neil Stone, a preventive cardiologist, worries about this, having seen the bad cholesterol levels of some of his patients on the keto diet increase drastically. (It doesn’t happen to all but it does happen to some). “Any diet that raises major risk factors for coronary heart disease puts patients at risk over the long term,” he said.

There are many ways to interpret the keto diet. Some people will eat a salad with chicken, dressed in olive oil, while others will feast on stacks of bacon washed down by diet soda, the kind of diet known as “dirty keto”. That’s eating anything, including processed foods, as long as your carbs are low enough and your fat high enough to achieve ketosis.

The best diet is one that works for you, but if you want to try this, they recommend avoiding trans fats such as margarine, limiting saturated fat by consuming lean cuts of beef, skinless chicken breast, and incorporating fatty fish such as salmon into your diet. Reach for foods high in unsaturated fats like avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

Are there side effects of the keto diet?

At first some can experience some stomach issues and gastrointestinal (GI) distress. “Ninety percent of calories from fat is probably going to be a shock to the system,” said Linsenmeyer. It’s crucial, doctors say, to consult with a dietitian or physician, have cholesterol levels regularly checked, and replenish the fluids and sodium lost by increased urination and the severe restriction of carbohydrates. If not, within two to four days of beginning the diet, that depletion can bring on the “keto flu” – symptoms such as dizziness, poor sleep and fatigue in some people.

“Carbohydrates have a lot of nutrients that can help us maintain our body function,” said Prado. On the diet, some people experience “keto breath”, a halitosis likely caused by the production of acetone, which is one of the ketone bodies.

Possible side effects for patients with epilepsy starting the diet include constipation from reduced fibre intake, vomiting, fatigue, hypoglycemia, worsening reflux, and increased frequency of seizures. The National Lipid Association review urges that patients with lipid disorders (like high cholesterol or triglycerides), a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (such as having a heart attack or stroke), heart failure, and kidney and liver disease take caution if considering the diet. People on blood thinners should take extra care.

Advice we can all agree on: Eat healthy, there is no quick fix

Advice from the battling diet camps can be confusing.

Keto isn’t the only way to lose weight or change your life, obviously. Dietitians say it is not essential to cut back on as many foods, since a moderate low carb diet may still hold benefits for diabetes or weight loss.

One thing is certain, any meaningful change starts with behaviour. Are you at a right point to make a change in your life? Dr Yancy suggests asking friends and family to support you, confer with a doctor, incorporate physical activity, and begin to think of it not as a temporary measure but more of a lifestyle change. 

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New Delhi: Weight loss is part diet and part exercise. Other factors that play a crucial role in determining weight loss are lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol and drug use, etc. Various diets for weight loss have come into the picture in recent times. While some have been hailed by medical professionals and dietitians as a “healthy lifestyle”, others have been declared fads, or unhealthy, even when they help you lose weight.

Another diet plan or pattern is now being explored is the Dubrow diet. The diet was developed by a reality TV couple and follows the method of intermittent fasting. Here is what you need to know about the Dubrow diet. 

The Dubrow Diet for Weight Loss

The Dubrow diet sounds like a mix of the Keto diet and Intermittent Fasting. Low-carb food is consumed, in time-restricted intervals, to boost weight loss. The creators of the diet also claim that it can improve blood sugar control, improve energy levels, and slow signs of ageing.  

What food is consumed on the Dubrow diet?

It is a low-carb diet, where one consumes food that is low on calories. Foods consumed on the Dubrow Diet are lean proteins, healthy fats, non-starchy vegetables and fruits.

How does the Dubrow diet work?

Dubrow diet’s emphasis on healthy eating will definitely help you lose weight in the process. When you cut out processed and oily food from your diet, your body naturally feels healthy and fit. 

Foods consumed on the Dubrow diet are rich in fibre, nutrients, protein, etc. which can help your body become healthier. The foods consumed on the Dubrow diet can also make you feel fuller since they are high in protein and fibre, and help curb appetite, which can restrict the amount of food you eat. Feeling fuller with the healthy food you eat is very essential, especially with time-restricted eating, as you may feel hungry during the fasting hours. 

The Dubrow diet is low in carbs, which can also help improve metabolism and help you lose weight, especially from the abdomen. Intermittent fasting has been hailed as one of the best diets for weight loss and health, which is also a part of the Dubrow diet.

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Every year, US News & World Report ranks trending diets for the year ahead. Despite its overwhelming popularity, the report ranked the ketogenic diet as the worst for healthy eating and the second to last overall.

For those who don’t know, the ketogenic diet is a very rigid regimen for rapid weight loss. The plan essentially tricks your body by depriving it of carbohydrates. Eventually, this lack of carbohydrates triggers a metabolic state called ketosis, which causes your body to burn fat for energy instead of storing it.

Proponents of the diet say that it has evidence of success, plus it allows you to eat high-fat foods like red meats, fatty fish, butter, and cheese while still helping you lose weight. Furthermore, the diet can help people with Type 2 diabetes improve their blood sugar levels and help people with epilepsy reduce the frequency of their seizures.

However, the diet also requires that you consume no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, and if you mess up, your body will simply start storing fat again. This can have dangerous results since the diet suggests that you consume fat for upwards of 80 percent of your daily caloric intake.

For its evaluation, US News & World Report evaluated 35 of the most popular diets based on seven categories. These categories included nutritional completeness, ease of dietary plan, weight loss potential, and likelihood of disease prevention. Not surprisingly, the high-fat, low-carb trendy diet plan performed low in nearly every category.

Because the keto diet heavily relies on saturated fats, it can enhance a person’s risk of heart disease. Therefore, it scored poorly in the area of disease prevention. Because of the aforementioned potential for errors that undo the diet just from eating things like fruits and whole grains, it also scored poorly in the area of ease and sustainability.

In fact, the keto diet only excelled in one area: rapid weight loss potential. In this category, it tied with Atkins, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig for third place.

However, experts caution that a diet’s ability to help you rapidly lose weight doesn’t make it healthy. Nutrition specialists affirm that nutritionally unbalanced diets like keto and Atkins almost guarantee short-term losses but the very nature of their restrictive plans make long-term adherence all but impossible.

In addition to the long-term disbenefits, the keto diet’s rapid weight loss technique can pose numerous other consequences as well. Quick, significant jumps in weight can cause stretch marks, changes in taste perception, interruptions in your menstrual cycle, and even depression. Furthermore, most experts still advise that slow and steady weight loss is the best method for overall health and long-term maintenance.

If you’re looking for a regimented weight loss plan that cuts out some of the negative aspects of the keto diet, some health advocates recommend a hybrid version of the keto diet with either vegan meals prepared at home or Mediterranean diet aspects.

This diet cuts out high-calorie, processed foods for more nutrient-dense items. These vitamin-rich foods provide nutrients that help prevent diabetes, cancer, and other diseases.

What’s more, US News & World Report awarded this easy-to-follow diet as the top choice for a third year in a row.

While fad diets tempt us all, it’s important to research any diet and consult your doctor before jumping on the bandwagon. A medical professional or experienced dietitian can help you plan eating habits that will provide the best results and health benefits for your body without major negative side effects. The biggest lesson we can take from US News & World Report’s study is this: Just because plans like the keto diet have massive followings and promise rapid weight loss, that doesn’t mean they’re safe or even remotely beneficial in the long term.

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