What is Anabolic Fasting and Can It Turn Your Body Into a Fat-Burning Machine?

The anabolic diet was first developed by Mauro DiPasquale, a former world champion powerlifter and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. It later became popularized in the fitness industry as it promised to turn your body into a fat-burning machine. The name “anabolic diet” comes from DiPasquale’s belief that a certain method of carbohydrate cycling can mimic the effects that anabolic steroids have on the body. Anabolic fasting came along when CrossFit trainer Cory Gregory combined DiPasquale’s anabolic diet with principles of intermittent fasting to create a new protocol meant to build lean muscle while burning fat. Read on to see what this diet entails and how it holds up from a physiological and safety standpoint. What is Anabolic Fasting? In the body, anabolism refers to growth and building, whereas catabolism refers to the process of breaking food down and using it as energy by the body. Based on these terms, the proposed goal of anabolic fasting is to build up muscle through a reduced consumption of carbohydrates. The concept of fasting for muscle growth may seem counterintuitive, but it involves providing the right amount of nutrients to support anabolism while at the same time minimizing the body’s fat stores. In its essence, anabolic fasting is an eating protocol that cycles between fat-burning and muscle-building stages through two main processes: Carb-cycling: Carb-cycling involves restricting carbs on some days, and consuming a large number of carbs to replenish glycogen stores on other days. Here’s a general idea of what that may look like: 5:2 cycle: For five days straight, the goal is to consume just about no carbs (as little as 25 grams or less.) During this low-carb phase, the goal is to eat a ketogenic diet, with most daily calories coming from healthy fat (65%) and protein (35%). For the following two days, flip things around: most of your daily calories should come from carb sources. High-carb days call for 60% of calories from carbs, and only 15% from protein and 25% from healthy fats. Usually, people will choose to have their low-carb days Monday through Friday and then go high-carb on the weekend. It’s important to point out that before starting on a 5:2 cycle, the protocol is to spend 12 days consuming no carbs in your diet in order to get your body properly adjusted to using fat, not carbs, as its primary energy source. After that, there are two high-carb days to replenish your glycogen stores and then you jump into the 5:2 weekly cycle. Fasting: On top of cycling between high-carb and low-carb days, this diet also involves a fasting protocol. That means you have a relatively small window each day, where you consume all your calories, and then the rest of the day you only drink water. With the intermittent fasting aspect of the diet, most follow a 16:8 pattern where they consume all their daily calories within an 8-hour window. What You Eat / What You Don’t Eat Aside from carb restriction on certain days, there aren’t any foods you are not allowed to eat. In general, anabolic fasting calls for healthy sources of protein, such as lean meats, fish and eggs, and healthy sources of fat, such as olive oil, dairy, nuts and avocado. For the high-carb portion of the protocol, you should eat minimally processed, whole food sources such as vegetables, fruits, brown rice, whole grain pasta and oatmeal. Pros and Cons Carb restriction coupled with intermittent calorie reductions has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce body fat. Still, there are few scientific studies that evaluate the efficacy of carb-cycling on muscle growth and anabolism. There aren’t any studies that prove this method can burn fat while bulking you up; the evidence is mostly anecdotal from bodybuilders who follow Cory Gregory’s diet plans. With any diet that calls for restricting an entire macronutrient group, there are risks of nutrient deficiencies. During the carb-restriction period, intake of valuable micronutrients such as thiamine, folate, iron, iodine and magnesium may be reduced, which can lead to serious deficiencies and poor health outcomes over time. Intermittent fasting also requires you to eat fewer calories and less frequently than you normally would. If your goal is to build muscle, you may have trouble getting enough calories and protein to power you through a workout and adequately cover your energy needs. The Bottom Line: Anabolic Fasting Anabolic fasting combines two fairly difficult-to-follow eating patterns: carb-restriction and intermittent fasting. Whether you’re a bodybuilder, powerlifter, competitive athlete, casual gym-goer or anything in between, it is important to assess whether or not you can follow these protocols without compromising your health or wellness goals. For example, for someone who needs fuel before a workout, the IF portion of anabolic fasting may result in some morning workouts while fasting that cause negative side effects (dizziness, fatigue, weakness and headaches.) The carb-restriction period may also come with symptoms similar to those that some people experience while starting the ketogenic diet, such as brain fog, nausea, headaches, fatigue and irritability. All-in-all, the best diet for muscle gain is one that promotes muscle repair and replenishes the glycogen stores lost during intense exercise. You can do this by eating consistently and incorporating all macronutrients—proteins, fats and carbohydrates—into your diet. If you plan on giving anabolic fasting a try, make sure to focus on minimizing bad carbs such as pasta and cereals and focusing on whole grains, veggies, fruit and legumes to meet your body’s carbohydrate needs during the carb-loading period. (Image: Shutterstock)

From Carb Cycling to Macro Counting: Do These 4 Diets Live Up to Their Weight Loss Claims?

As the new year approaches, we’ve been sharing roundups of our Diets Decoded series, highlighting the pros and cons of some of the most popular (and not-so-known) diets out there. The thing is, most healthy diets—from paleo to Mediterranean to keto—share many of the same basic principles. All involve eating whole foods (as opposed to packaged and processed ones) and filling your plate with quality sources of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, and vitamin-, mineral-, and fiber-rich vegetables. However, each proposes a slightly different path that leads to fulfilling those principles. “For each individual, the healthiest diet is an approach to eating that fuels your body and mind and fits into your lifestyle,” says Nutritious Life founder Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. “Eating empowered, one of the eight pillars of a Nutritious Life, means listening to your body and focusing on the diverse, delicious, healthy foods you can have rather than what a hard-to-follow diet says you can’t have.” This week’s Diets Decoded roundup takes a look at diets touted specifically for their weight loss abilities. We digest them for you, highlighting their pros and cons, and offering actionable advice and a bottom line. If one of your New Year’s goals is to find an eating plan that helps you lose weight, read on for a rundown on four of today’s most popular weight-loss diets to see if they fit your life as part of a holistic approach to weight loss. 4 Weight-Loss Diets—and Whether They’re Right For You Carb Cycling Diet Think of carb cycling as keto’s more approachable cousin. Instead of abandoning carbs altogether, (which, let’s be real, can be really hard for most people) this adapted way of eating involves cycling between periods of low-carb and high-carb intake. The diet started years ago in the bodybuilding and fitness communities as a way to burn fat and build muscle more efficiently. But now, an increasing number of athletes and trainers have been following it to induce occasional ketosis, while still feeling properly fueled for heavy days at the gym or endurance activities. Others have been touting its potential weight-loss benefits. Wondering if carb cycling might work for you? Read on for our Carb Cycling Diet decoded. CARB CYCLING DIET Sirtfood Diet The Sirtfood Diet promises to help you lose seven pounds in seven days. It made headlines last year after singer Adele said it was the secret to her weight loss. This diet’s foundation rests on research surrounding sirtuins (SIRTs), a family of proteins found in the body that may play a role in metabolism, inflammation, aging and chronic diseases. Certain polyphenols (plant compounds that act as antioxidants) may increase levels of sirtuins in the body. Diet founders, Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten, say they modeled the diet after the eating patterns of “the slimmest, healthiest and longest-lived populations around the world, known as the Blue Zones.” They refer to SIRTs as your body’s natural “skinny genes” and have have named the foods high in these polyphenols as “sirtfoods,” claiming they will activate mechanisms controlled by your body’s SIRTs to burn fat. When combined with calorie restriction, the founders claim your body will produce higher levels of sirtuins, which will result in greater weight loss. Color us intrigued. But, is it safe—and, more importantly, sustainable? We have the Sirtfood Diet decoded. SIRTFOOD DIET Macro Counting Diet You’ve probably heard fitness influencers or healthy eating enthusiasts talk about “counting their macros.” But what does that really mean? Essentially, they are monitoring how many grams (and calories) they consume from the three macronutrients—carbohydrate, protein and fat. The idea is that if you create a calorie deficit and properly proportion how much of each macronutrient you eat in a day, you’ll achieve your desired weight and, at the same time, reach other health goals—including maintaining or building muscle. To calculate your calorie needs and macro proportions, the specific target numbers will depend on sex, age, physical activity and weight and fitness goals, so there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Curious about counting macros? Here we have Macro Counting decoded. MACRO COUNTING DIET The Dukan Diet Created by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French doctor who specializes in weight management, the Dukan Diet promises to help you lose weight quickly and permanently, all while being able to eat as much as you like. The Dukan Diet is a high-protein, low-carb and low-fat diet that is divided into four phases. Two phases to help you shed the weight, and two phases that help you keep it off. The length of each phase depends on how much weight you want to lose in order to reach your “true weight,” which the diet describes as the weight you can reach without struggling or restricted eating. Before you start the diet, you’ll need to calculate this true weight using a variety of factors such as age, gender, weight history, and bone structure. Sounds like a dream? We took a deeper dive to decode the Dukan Diet and its pros and cons. (Images: Shutterstock) THE DUKAN DIET

From the Mayr Method to the Ayurvedic Diet: 5 Biohacking Diets to Optimize Your Health

If the end of the year has you taking stock of your wellness and conjuring ways to improve it, you’ve come to the right place. For those of you specifically looking for ways to enhance your energy, lose weight, or say buh bye to bloat, we bring you Nutritious Life’s Diets Decoded series. The series takes a look at many of today’s popular healthy diets—from paleo to Mediterranean and vegetarian—and breaks them down for you. We explain the facts about each one and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow each diet as part of a Nutritious Life. “For each individual, the healthiest diet is an approach to eating that fuels your body and mind and fits into your lifestyle,” says Nutritious Life founder Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. “Eating empowered, one of the eight pillars of a Nutritious Life, means listening to your body and focusing on the diverse, delicious, healthy foods you can have rather than what a hard-to-follow diet says you can’t have.” In this roundup of today’s popular diets, we take a look at five eating plans that use food as biohacks. In other words, changing eating habits in order to achieve optimal health and well-being. All of these diets—from ancient principles to modern fads—tackle the idea of hacking our food intake to become healthier and happier versions of ourselves, a concept that never gets old. 5 Biohacking Diets—And Whether They’re Right For You The Mayr Method When actress Rebel Wilson declared 2020 the year of health on Instagram, she credited the Mayr Method for kickstarting her impressive weight loss journey. Which led many people to scramble to their nearest Internet search engine to ask, “what is the Mayr Method??” Like everyone else, you may be hearing of this eating plan for the first time. But the Mayr Method is actually based on the 100-year-old Mayr Cure. It was created by Austrian physician Dr. Franz Xaver Mayr, who believed that people are poisoning their guts with the foods they eat. Today, this diet is typically practiced by staying at the luxury wellness clinic VivaMayr resort in Austria or by taking the less expensive route and following the principles and plan provided in The Viva Mayr Diet book. The main premise of the diet is that good health starts with a healthy gut, so the Mayr Method seeks to improve digestion through alkaline foods, mindful eating and other behavior changes. Learn more about this diet and if it might be the eating plan you’re looking for in your next Google search. THE MAYR METHOD DIET The Raw Food Diet Raw food had a moment about a decade ago and its popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years. Raw food devotees are generally vegans who believe that plant foods should be consumed in their most natural form—uncooked and unprocessed—because natural enzymes in “living” food make it best for the body. Raw means nothing heated above 115 F. Since you can’t use heat, raw foodies do a lot of juicing, blending, dehydrating, and sprouting to increase meal options and variety. Read on to discover the pros and cons and whether this diet is sustainable for you. THE RAW FOOD DIET The Vertical Diet Eat more but fewer foods is the premise behind this diet designed to enhance athletic performance, build muscle, shed weight, and optimize health. Instead of eating evenly across a wide variety of food groups (otherwise known as eating “horizontally” by vertical-eating fans), you’re encouraged to consume a limited number of easily digestible foods in large quantities, or, in other words, eat “vertically.” According to Stan Efferding, professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and diet founder, eating vertically enhances metabolism, improves gut health, and helps the body become more efficient at digesting food and absorbing nutrients. Find out if this diet has any scientific merits and get the nitty-gritty on what you can and can’t eat on the Vertical Diet. THE VERTICAL DIET The Macrobiotic Diet The Macrobiotic Diet comes from Japan and emphasizes a mindful, seasonal approach to food. Drawing on the concepts of yin and yang, each plate is balanced: For example, food from the sea should be served alongside food from the land. While that sounds heady, it ends up meaning you basically eat lots of bowls of fresh vegetables and whole grains, with some fish, beans, and seaweed thrown in. While it may be associated with an old-school, hippie vibe, that Instagram-worthy “grain bowl” fad is basically a filtered version of classic macro bowls. Read on to discover how this diet has withstood the test of time and whether incorporating its basic tenets is right for you. THE MACROBIOTIC DIET The Ayurvedic Diet More than just a diet, Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old medical practice and lifestyle based on the idea that the body is made of three energy systems. Vata (wind), Pitta (fire), and Kapha (earth), otherwise known as the doshas, are the elements that we have within us (similar to chakras). While everyone has some of each, one tends to be dominant. According to Ayurveda, your dominant dosha helps determine the healthiest lifestyle choices and diet for your unique body. By eating foods that cater to your dosha, you can nourish and heal your body, strengthen your digestive power (known as Agni), and create balance among your internal energies. Sound intriguing? We think so. But is this the right diet for you? Read on to find out. (Images: Shutterstock) THE AYURVEDIC DIET

From Candida to Hashimoto’s: 5 Diets Decoded for Modern Maladies and Pesky Symptoms

If one of your New Year’s goals is to find an eating plan that makes you feel stronger, gives you more energy, helps you with a weight loss goal, or eases digestive concerns, look no further. Our Diets Decoded series takes a look at many of today’s popular healthy diets—from paleo to Mediterranean and vegetarian—and breaks them down for you. We explain the facts about each one and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow each diet as part of a Nutritious Life if it is appropriate for you. “For each individual, the healthiest diet is an approach to eating that fuels your body and mind and fits into your lifestyle,” says Nutritious Life founder Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. “Eating empowered, one of the eight pillars of a Nutritious Life, means listening to your body and focusing on the diverse, delicious, healthy foods you can have rather than what a hard-to-follow diet says you can’t have.” In this roundup, we review five eating plans geared toward alleviating the symptoms of many of today’s chronic illnesses—from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis to other autoimmune and blood sugar imbalances. Read on for a rundown on five of today’s most popular diets, which claim to relieve inflammation, heal your gut, or bring balance to your mind, body and spirit. RELATED: From Paleo to Whole30: What a Celebrity RD thinks of Today’s Most Popular Diets 5 Diets for Alleviating Chronic Illness and Pesky Symptoms The Elimination Diet The Elimination Diet is a popular tool used by health professionals like registered dietitians and functional medicine physicians to help people identify foods that may be causing issues such as lack of energy, bloating or acne. As the name suggests, it’s done through a process of elimination. Read on for the details, including what you eat and don’t eat, and the pros and cons of this diagnostic tool. THE ELIMINATION DIET The Gundry Diet You may have seen Dr Steven Gundry, MD, on an infomercial touting his treatment for things like leaky gut or telling you what three healthy foods you should avoid right now. The founder of Gundry MD is a former cardiothoracic surgeon who left that career path in 2002 to start his own wellness clinic, The Center for Restorative Medicine in Palm Springs, Calif. In his new incarnation, he claims to teach people how to avoid surgery by using his “unique vision of human nutrition.” This “unique vision” is the Gundry Diet, an approach to eating that Dr. Gundry claims he’s used to successfully treat “tens of thousands of patients suffering from autoimmune disorders, diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.” The diet is focused on one major principle: avoiding lectins, which are found in a variety of foods and can increase inflammation and impact your gut in negative ways, according to Dr. Gundry. Read on for the details and whether this diet stands up to its claims. THE GUNDRY DIET The Candida Diet Candida is a fungus that’s usually harmless. It’s a type of yeast that lives in your body and even helps your gut with digestion. But when it comes to candida, the more is definitely not the merrier. “Yeast can hang out and patiently wait for the environment to become more hospitable so it can multiply and thrive,” says Dr. Anna Cabeca, DO, a triple board-certified osteopathic physician. That’s when it becomes a fungal infection called candidiasis, which is no fun. The Candida Diet was developed in order to starve the candida and prevent it from spreading. If you’re struggling with candida overgrowth, find out if the pros and cons of this diet might be right for you. THE CANDIDA DIET Hashimoto’s Diet Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease that leads to damage and inflammation of your thyroid, a small but mighty gland that sits at the base of your neck and secretes important thyroid hormones. These hormones regulate energy metabolism, which means they affect nearly every organ and play a large role in your weight, heart rate, digestion, nervous system and more. Symptoms of Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism can include fatigue, unexplained weight gain, heavy or irregular menstrual periods, hair loss, dry skin, constipation, muscle aches, joint pain and depression. The Hashimoto’s Diet aims to reduce inflammation, alleviate symptoms, and reduce the risk of conditions that are often linked to Hashimoto’s, such as other autoimmune diseases, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. Want to put the kibosh on your hypothyroidism? Read on to find out if this diet might do the trick. THE HASHIMOTO’S DIET The Alkaline Diet The pH levels in our bodies, also called the acid-base balance, can impact our health. The human body relies on a healthy balance of acidity and alkalinity to function properly. If this balance is disrupted, it can lead to acidosis (too acidic) or alkalosis (too alkaline), both of which cause their own set of problems. The Alkaline Diet centers on the hypothesis that the foods we eat influence the pH of our bodies and thereby affect our health. It aims to help you strike the right balance, depending on your specific pH level and health concerns. Find out if the Alkaline Diet’s claims are true and whether the foods we eat can actually alter our body’s pH. Read on for more details. (Images: Shutterstock) THE ALKALINE DIET

From Paleo to Whole30: What a Celebrity RD Thinks of Today’s Most Popular Diets

As the new year approaches, we inevitably start thinking about ways to improve our well-being in the coming year. New Year’s resolutions aside, the pandemic has shown us two things: That our time here is finite and precious, and that it’s upon us to make sure we’re living our happiest and healthiest lives. If one of your New Year’s goals is to find an eating plan that makes you feel stronger, gives you more energy, helps you with a weight loss goal, or eases digestive concerns, look no further. Our Diets Decoded series takes a look at many of today’s popular healthy diets—from paleo to Mediterranean and vegetarian— and breaks them down for you. We explain the facts about each one and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow each diet as part of a Nutritious Life. “For each individual, the healthiest diet is an approach to eating that fuels your body and mind and fits into your lifestyle,” says Nutritious Life founder Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. “Eating empowered, one of the eight pillars of a Nutritious Life, means listening to your body and focusing on the diverse, delicious, healthy foods you can have rather than what a hard-to-follow diet says you can’t have.” Read on for a rundown on five of today’s most popular healthy diets to see if they fit your life—mind, body and soul alike. 5 Popular Healthy Diets—And Whether They’re Right For You Paleo Diet The Paleo Diet focuses on mimicking how our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors ate as closely as possible, using foods available now. Followers say it will help minimize your risk of chronic disease (based on the premise that those ancestors didn’t suffer from the ones we now face) and lead to weight loss. Find out how to hack the downsides of the paleo diet the Nutritious Life way. READ MORE HERE Mediterranean Diet The Mediterranean Diet is inspired by the traditional diets of people who live around the Mediterranean sea, particularly in Greece and Southern Italy. It emphasizes plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, plenty of extra-virgin olive oil and fresh fish. True followers focus on eating seasonally (although depending on where you live, the seasonal foods available may not exactly be those that are available near the Mediterranean). How you eat also matters; preferably with friends and family while enjoying red wine and each others’ company. READ MORE HERE Ketogenic Diet The ketogenic diet is like Atkins amplified. Instead of just low-carb, it’s almost no carb and lots of fat. Originally developed to treat children with epilepsy, the keto diet restricts carb intake to as low as 2% to 4% of calories. (For comparison, standard diets contain about 45% to 65% of calories from carbs; we generally recommend sticking to the lower end of that spectrum and avoiding refined carbs.) The goal of eating this way is to move the body into a state called ketosis. During ketosis, instead of breaking down carbs into glucose for fuel, the liver converts fat into ketone bodies, which become the body’s primary source of energy. Advocates say when your body uses fat as fuel, major benefits follow. But there are downsides to this diet to consider as well. Find out if it’s right for you. READ MORE HERE Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) Diet Think of this eating plan as more of a lifestyle than a diet. There’s no clear definition of a whole-food plant-based diet, so you might see the term being used to refer to a variety of eating patterns, such as vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian. Nonetheless, a WFPB diet simply refers to a diet that emphasizes whole plant foods and keeps animal products and processed foods to a minimum. It’s hard to deny the numerous health benefits associated with plant-based diets. Get more insights into its benefits. READ MORE HERE The Whole30 Diet The Whole30 originally developed as a 30-day clean eating reset. (Think paleo meets the elimination diet.) Its popularity spawned multiple books, cookbooks, and a global, passionate virtual community of people who swear by its power to change your life. (A few years ago, when this diet was trending, you could find social media posts left and right about how the diet changed their bodies too.) The basic premise is that many people are sensitive to certain foods often considered healthy, such as grains and beans. You cut those food groups out for a while and then take stock of how you feel. When the 30 days are up, you can continue eating this way or gradually add some of the foods back in, one by one, to see which may have been causing your issues. Many people who become devotees of the lifestyle stick to a paleo diet afterward (The paleo diet is interpreted differently by different people, but in general, it’s a less strict, long-term lifestyle version of the Whole30). Read up on the ins and outs of the Whole30 diet, and what everyone was raving about. (Images: Shutterstock) READ MORE HERE

Diets Decoded: Plant-Based Diet

Is a plant-based diet healthy? Plant-based—the wellness buzzword that has been hash-tagged more than 32 million times on Instagram and can be found in everything from headlines to menus. But what exactly does it mean to eat plant-based? We’ve got the plant-based diet decoded for you. What is a Plant-based Diet? Think of this one as more of a lifestyle than a diet. There’s no clear definition of a plant-based diet, so you might see the term being used to refer to a variety of eating patterns such as vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian. Nonetheless, a plant-based diet simply refers to a diet that emphasizes whole plant foods and keeps animal products and processed foods to a minimum. What You Eat on a Plant-Based Diet You’ll be keeping it simple with this diet. Minimally processed, plant foods including vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds will make up the majority of your meals and snacks. In other words, whole foods without a label, package, or long ingredient list are most often what you’ll be looking for. Animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, can be consumed too, but the emphasis will be on the plants. Food quality is also another important part of a plant-based diet. Locally sourced and organic foods are often prioritized. If you’re going to consume animal products, then you should aim to purchase quality items such as grass-fed beef or free-range eggs. What You Don’t Eat on a Plant-Based Diet Nothing is off limits on a plant-based diet, but animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, are either removed or consumed sparingly. Think of animal products as supporting actors rather than the main show with this diet. You’ll also want to avoid processed foods as much as possible, even if they’re plant-based. This includes highly processed foods such as chips, lunch meats, and vegan meats and cheeses that no longer provide the same nutritional benefits as they do in their original, whole-food state. Pros and Cons of a Plant-Based Diet A plant-based diet is an all around win-win, especially given the flexibility it affords to meet your personal preferences, nutritional needs, and lifestyle. It’s no secret you’re better off without overly-processed foods that are stripped of their nutrients and high in added sugars, refined grains, and sodium. Additionally, eating less animal products means more room in your diet to load up on nourishing plant foods that are loaded with gut health-promoting fiber, disease-fighting antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory healthy fats.  RELATED: The Inflammatory Foods You Should Really Avoid It’s hard to deny the numerous health benefits associated with plant-based diets. One meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found those assigned a vegetarian diet had significant weight loss compared to those assigned non-vegetarian diets. In addition to weight, evidence suggests that plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancer.  Wondering how you can add more plants to your diet? Try meatless Mondays and use meat as a garnish rather than a centerpiece. Pile up at least half your plate with vegetables, swap animal protein for legumes, tofu or whole grains, or try enjoying fruit as a sweet treat. Better yet, check out some of our favorite recipes below for delicious, plant-based inspiration for every eating occasion. The Bottom Line Flexible, sustainable, nutritious—this is one diet we wholeheartedly support. Load up your plate with as many nutrient-dense whole foods as possible. Then you get to decide if and how you’d like to add in some high-quality animal products. By focusing less on what you’re removing from your diet, and more on what health-boosting foods you can add to your diet, the plant-based eating pattern is one you can and should do for the long haul. The healthiest diet is an approach to eating that fuels your body and mind and fits into your lifestyle. Eating empowered means listening—really listening—to your body and focusing on the diverse, delicious, healthy foods you can have rather than what a hard-to-follow diet says you can’t have. Plant-based Recipes We Love Low Sugar Berry Green Smoothie This is as green as a smoothie can be (the way we like it!) but is sweet and yummy thanks to the vanilla-almond butter-berry combo. The addition of avocado makes it extra creamy. Get the recipe here. Healthy Morning Glory Muffins If you love the flavors of autumn, you’ll fall for these muffins fast, thanks to pumpkin, apple and cinnamon. Bonus: chia seeds add a protein punch. Get the recipe here. Avocado Toast with Roasted Zucchini and Corn Avo toast is a great source of (Instagram-friendly) healthy fats, while zucchini provides fiber, folate and vitamin C. While corn gets a bad rap because it’s such a massive GMO commodity, it’s actually filled with antioxidants. (Just buy it fresh from a local organic farm stand, if you can). Get the recipe here. Smoky Rosemary Maple Tempeh Tempeh is an excellent source of plant-based protein, and since it’s fermented, many people find it more easily digestible compared to tofu. Here, that protein is supplemented with all kinds of nutrient-dense marinade ingredients, like garlic, cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar. Get the recipe here. Coconut Bacon Sandwich Instead of processed meat, you get mushrooms, which are one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D. The protein-rich chickpeas are tossed with antioxidant-rich spices. And while a standard BLT doesn’t come with a letter A, we’ll put avocado’s healthy fats on anything. Get the recipe here. Vegetarian Quesadilla with Broccoli Rabe Who doesn’t love a cheesy quesadilla? This one layers nutrient-dense broccoli rabe (fiber! vitamins!) into the protein-packed cheese and black beans—and holds it all together with a tortilla made with whole grains instead of white flour. Get the recipe here. Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Protein Muffins These muffins are a sweet treat for all kinds of eaters—from vegan to gluten-free—without the use of any strange replacement ingredients (just healthy, whole foods). They also deliver tons of flavor and protein. Get the recipe here. Peanut Butter Honey Energy Balls These energy balls take

Diets Decoded: Macro Counting

Is Macro Counting Healthy? We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Most popular healthy diets that are touted for weight loss—from Paleo to Mediterranean and vegetarian—share many of the same basic principles. All involve eating whole foods (as opposed to packaged and processed) and filling your plate with quality sources of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and vitamin-, mineral-, and fiber-rich vegetables. (Again, we’re talking about the ones that fall somewhere on the healthy spectrum, not unhealthy fad diets like, ahem, the Grapefruit Diet.) However, each proposes a slightly different path that leads to fulfilling those principles. In this column, we’ll be breaking them down for you, one by one, so you can figure out which (if any!) is right for you. We’ll explain the facts and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow the diet as part of a Nutritious Life. You’ve probably heard fitness influencers or healthy eating enthusiasts talk about “counting their macros.” But what does that really mean? Essentially, they are monitoring how many grams (and calories) they consume from the three macronutrients—carbohydrate, protein and fat. The idea is that if you create a calorie deficit and properly proportion how much of each macronutrient you eat in a day, you’ll achieve your desired weight and, at the same time, reach other health goals—including maintaining or building muscle. Here, we have Macro Counting decoded. What is Macro Counting? Macros aka macronutrients are the calorie-providing nutrients that your body needs in large quantities. The three macronutrients—protein, carbohydrate and fat—each play a unique role and are essential for optimal health.  To calculate your calorie needs and macro proportions, the specific target numbers will depend on sex, age, physical activity and weight and fitness goals, so there’s no one-size-fits-all formula.  It’s recommended that you aim to get 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh. The remaining number of calories will be made up of carbs and fat set to round out your daily calorie intake. For example, you may determine that you need 1800 calories per day, so those calories should be 40% carbs (720 calories), 35% protein (630 calories) and 25% fat (450 calories).  Instead of counting your total caloric intake for the day, you’ll be counting the macros.  What You Eat You can eat anything as long as you stay within your target numbers for each macronutrient. Check out the popular #ifitfitsyourmacros for inspo. There are no specific recommendations on the types of foods you should eat, so you decide how you want to meet your proportioned daily macro amounts. What You Don’t Eat No foods are off limits in macro counting. You can enjoy all your favorite foods as long as they don’t put you over your macronutrient target numbers. Want a slice of cake after dinner? Go for it! But if you’ve already consumed all your carbs for the day, you’ll have to skip that cake. Pros and Cons Tracking your macros can help you pay more attention to what you eat and provide clear guidelines when making food choices. Unlike many popular diets today, macro counting doesn’t eliminate or demonize any foods. The flexibility and ability to tailor your intake to your own needs and goals means this approach may be more sustainable than other weight-loss diets.  However, there’s no evidence to suggest that specifically monitoring macronutrients will provide greater weight-loss benefits than other calorie-restriction diets. A 2-year clinical trial randomly assigned participants to four different reduced-calorie diets varying in macronutrient composition; however, they didn’t find any clinically meaningful differences in weight loss. Plus, calculating and monitoring your macro intake can be time-consuming and tedious. While there are apps and fitness trackers that can help, it still requires a lot of legwork on your part. This monitoring can also promote an unhealthy obsession with food and induce stress and anxiety, which makes it more difficult to stick with it for the long haul.  It’s important to note, while macro counting is a step-up from calorie counting, it still ignores micronutrients and overall food quality. Eating 100 grams of carbs from bagels, chips and cookies will not provide the same health benefits as eating 100 grams of carbs from whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Research shows that quality, not just quantity, matters when it comes to your diet’s impact on your overall health. The Bottom Line There’s nothing magical about this diet approach— you’re creating a calorie deficit and eating a specific proportion of macronutrients.  If you find tracking your intake helpful and consume mostly whole unprocessed foods, then counting macros can be an effective and flexible way to lose weight and get lean.  If calculating and monitoring macronutrient intake sounds difficult and stressful, then you’ll probably be better off focusing on eating whole foods and listening to your hunger and fullness cues to monitor your intake.

Diets Decoded: The Mediterranean Diet

Is the Mediterranean Diet healthy? We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Most popular healthy diets that are touted for weight loss share many of the same basic principles. All involve eating whole foods (as opposed to packaged and processed) and filling your plate with quality sources of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and vitamin-, mineral-, and fiber-rich vegetables. (Again, we’re talking about the ones that fall somewhere on the healthy spectrum, not unhealthy fad diets.) However, each proposes a slightly different path that leads to fulfilling those principles. In this column, we’ll be breaking them down for you one by one so you can figure out which (if any) is right for you. We’ll explain the facts and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow the diet as part of a Nutritious Life (with recipe suggestions). The One-Liner The Mediterranean Diet is inspired by the traditional diets of people who live around the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in Greece and Southern Italy. It emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, plenty of extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh fish. True followers focus on eating seasonally (although depending on where you live, the seasonal foods available may not exactly be those that are available near the Mediterranean). How you eat also matters: preferably with friends and family while enjoying red wine and each other’s company. RELATED: Olive Oil vs. Coconut Oil: Which is Healthier? What You Eat Tons of fresh veggies, some fruit, whole grains like brown rice, beans, and nuts. Fish and chicken are key, especially flavored with fresh herbs and spices. Dairy is included occasionally—in the form of fresh cheeses and yogurt—as are eggs. While pasta is a staple, it’s usually consumed in small portions at the start of a meal and freshly prepared. Picture a vibrant Greek salad with greens, juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta tossed in EVOO and herbs and topped with a piece of grilled chicken or fish. RELATED: 7 Healthy Chicken Dinners That Actually Aren’t Boring What You Don’t Eat You generally stay away from processed, packaged foods made with added sugar or refined grains and oils. Red meat is limited to an occasional option (i.e. a few times a month), and you stick to olive oil in lieu of other cooking fats like butter and canola oil. Pros and Cons The basics of this diet mirror the basic principles of good nutrition: whole foods, tons of veggies, and healthy fats. (Win, win, win!) Its health benefits are also the most well-documented (of ALL diets, seriously) by research studies. It’s particularly powerful when it comes to heart health. It’s been linked to lowering heart disease risk factors like high LDL cholesterol levels and high blood sugar and to reducing heart attacks and death from heart disease. The diet may also protect your brain as you age. Bonus: the Mediterranean Diet recognizes the importance of enjoying meals (and a really nice bottle of red) with family and friends, which comes with additional mental health benefits. The only potential con is that it may be hard to recreate while trying to eat locally depending on where you live, and some of the benefits may stem from the broader Mediterranean lifestyle. (In other words, if you can move to a gorgeous, remote Greek island, we highly recommend it.) You can also overdo it: it’s easy to go a little overboard on portion size when picking at olives and cheese while sipping red wine. 3 Mediterranean Diet-Approved Recipes Broccoli Rabe Pesto Hummus Salmon and Feta Omelet with Asparagus Cucumber Feta Greek Yogurt Dip Next Up: Is the Paleo Diet healthy?

Diets Decoded: The Paleo Diet

Is the Paleo Diet healthy? We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Most popular healthy diets that are touted for weight loss—from Paleo to Mediterranean and vegetarian—share many of the same basic principles. All involve eating whole foods (as opposed to packaged and processed) and filling your plate with quality sources of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and vitamin-, mineral-, and fiber-rich vegetables. (Again, we’re talking about the ones that fall somewhere on the healthy spectrum, not unhealthy fad diets like, ahem, the Grapefruit Diet.) However, each proposes a slightly different path that leads to fulfilling those principles. In this column, we’ll be breaking them down for you one by one so you can figure out which (if any!) is right for you. We’ll quickly explain the facts and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow the diet as part of a Nutritious Life (with recipe suggestions!). First up, going Paleo. The Paleo Diet The One-Liner The Paleo Diet focuses on mimicking how our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors ate as closely as possible, using foods available now. Followers say it will help minimize your risk of chronic disease (based on the premise that those ancestors didn’t suffer from the ones we now face) and lead to weight loss. RELATED: What the Heck is Inflammation and How Does if Affect my Health? What you Eat Meat from animals raised the way nature intended (i.e. grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken) wild-caught fish and other seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs, nuts, seeds, healthy oils like olive and avocado, and small amounts of raw honey and maple syrup. What You Don’t Eat Processed foods. Grains (not even the ancient ones are ancient enough)—so that means bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, crackers, chips, etc. Legumes are also a no-no, as are vegetable seed oils and refined sugar. The true Paleo diet also outlaws dairy, although many followers disagree and do eat foods like grass-fed butter and Greek yogurt. RELATED: Should You Take Probiotics? Pros and Cons Eating high-quality meats and fish with tons of veggies and no processed foods is basically a great formula for weight-loss and long-term health. However, too much of anything is …too much, and with all grains, beans and dairy off the table, Paleo eaters often end up leaning way too heavily on meat. How to eat Paleo as part of a Nutritious Life Go heavy on the veggies. For example, at lunch and dinner, make them three quarters of your plate, with one quarter occupied by meat—instead of the other way around. If you’re OK with just Paleo-ish, you could even replace a few meat dishes each week with a plant-based meal that incorporates legumes or Greek yogurt (cue the fainting of Paleo purists). Which brings us to my second point: there are few science-backed benefits to getting wrapped up in every nitty gritty ingredient in attempts to truly follow what your ancestors ate. I mean, there are now Paleo-approved packaged snacks, and I doubt cavemen were wandering the aisles of Whole Foods. If you take the basics and tweak them to fit your lifestyle, you’ll be better off. 3 Paleo Diet-Approved Recipes Green Vegetable Omelet Steak Salad with Lemon Dressing Sweet Potato Pie Cookies