Forget Gatorade, try pickle juice

Elite athletes looking to stave off cramps usually reach for a bottle of Gatorade, Powerade, or some other “ade,” but researchers say pickle juice could prove just as effective in battling tightening muscles. In a study comparing pickle juice and water, scientists found that cramps healed 37 percent faster in participants who downed the salty vinegar drink. Just don’t expect any sexy make-out sessions after chugging the liquid from a jar of Vlasic dills.
Full story at AOL News.

Want to boost your brain? Sleep more.

If you think pulling all nighters to study is making you smarter, think again. According to new research, if you aim for ten hours of sleep every night, your vigor, smarts, and alertness will dramatically improve.
Full story at NPR.

Abridged History of Food: Who Invented Caesar Salad?

Combining ingredients like eggs, Worcestershire sauce and maybe even anchovies seems like a dangerous tack to take when making a salad, but it's boldness that makes culinary history. Who invented the romaine-based delight that is a Caesar salad?
Caesar salad was reportedly invented by a man named Caesar Cardini in 1924. Find out the story behind the famed dish in this article.
Full list at HowStuffWorks.com.

No more yo-yo dieting! Faddy diets made her fatter... so how DID this woman lose more than three stone?

By Alessandra Steinherr

Borderline obese. I will forever remember those two words written on a piece of paper which listed the analysis for a set of body measurements I'd had taken by a nutritionist.
I was struck dumb. The words came like a kick in the teeth. Me? Borderline obese? Of course, as a size 18 I knew I wasn't exactly skinny. But then again, who is?
Ever since I embarked on a silly crash diet in my early 20s (I'm now 35), I've struggled with my weight. I'm a typical yo-yo dieter. Over the years I've been everything from a (incredibly hungry and unhappy) size eight to a (stuffed but still unhappy) size 18. You name the diet, I've tried it.

Transformed: Before her lifestyle overhaul, Alessandra Steinherr was 14st 8Ib (left). She now weighs 11st 4.3lb

It's funny being a beauty writer and having a weight problem. Not that anyone in the industry ever made me feel inadequate; women in magazines come in all shapes and sizes.
I've always been blessed with a strong sense of self-worth which doesn't just come from the way I look. However, my inability to lose weight and keep it off disappointed me.
The irony that here I was making a living from dishing out advice as beauty director of Glamour magazine while being unable to tackle my own weight issues had not escaped me.
But the words 'borderline obese' gave me my 'light-bulb' moment. It was then I decided the weight had to go for good.
I was at a loss as to where to start, though. Rather than making me an expert, the countless stupid diets I've tried over the years (liquid shakes, cabbage soup, Dukan diet) simply left me confused.

THEN

• HEIGHT: 5ft 11in
• WEIGHT: 14st 8.8lb
• BUST: 40.25in
• WAIST: 38in
• HIPS: 44.5in
• BMI: 29.7
• VISCERAL FAT AREA: 92cm2

...AND NOW

• HEIGHT: 5ft 11in
• WEIGHT: 11st 4.3lb
• BUST: 35.5in
• WAIST: 29in
• HIPS: 36.2in
• BMI: 23.2
• VISCERAL FAT AREA: 71.5cm2

Having the initial willpower has never been my problem - I'd lose weight on every diet I'd try, but it always came back with a vengeance and then some.
One particularly horrendous algae detox sticks in my mind. I survived on litres of a disgusting green drink and vegetable juices which made me sick, light-headed and irritated.
And the result? I lasted only three days and I ended up gaining back everything I'd lost - a measly 3lb - in one mega-binge meal. So much for having a balanced approach to my health!
So I know that the quick-fix diet is really no fix at all.

This time I had to do it right. I wanted this to be the last diet I ever went on. A diet that isn't a 'diet', more of a realistic lifestyle overhaul - something I could stick to with changes I could live with permanently. I began by working out what was wrong with my current eating habits.
Clearly they weren't perfect, but I didn't think they were a total disaster. A typical day would start with eggs and toast, or porridge. 
Lunch would be chicken with a salad or a sandwich, and dinner tended to be pasta and meatballs or Lebanese takeaway - and, yes, I would have chocolate or sometimes cupcakes when we had them in the office.

Magic formula: Alessandra learned that a quick fix diet wasn't the solution to fixing her weight problem

My measurements told me what I needed to know about my body shape: I carried fat pretty evenly all over. But I wanted to see what was going on inside.
I booked into Harrods Body Clinic for something called an In-body Composition Analysis. It's a pain-free body scan that involves standing barefoot on scales and holding two electronic probes that run a current through the body and give a reading of your internal make-up.
The results changed my life. While I knew I had too much external fat, more scary were my levels of visceral fat. This is the worst kind and it accumulates deep in the mid-section.
Some of it is visible as belly fat, but the invisible bit is lodged around vital organs, and raised levels can lead to heart disease and diabetes. I was horrified.

ALESSANDRA'S TYPICAL DIET

• BREAKFAST: Full-fat Greek yoghurt with a handful of berries, sliced almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds. OR 2 poached eggs plus smoked salmon or mushrooms and tomatoes.
• LUNCH: Grilled salmon fillet or a big tin of tuna in oil with a large packet of Lamb’s lettuce, a chopped-up boiled egg, a few cherry tomatoes and ½ avocado.
• DINNER: Chicken or home-made beefburgers plus cooked vegetables (I love broccoli, kale and cauliflower), plus 2 tbsp of olive oil or omega-packed Udo’s Choice oil.
• SNACKS: I try not to snack, but if I am hungry I’ll have a handful of Brazil nuts.

I went to see diabetes and weight-loss expert Dr Charles Clark, who sent me for blood tests which confirmed I have a condition called insulin resistance (IR), meaning my pancreas produces too much insulin, which leads to weight gain.
On one hand it was a relief to find out there was a medical reason my body held on to fat rather than it being down to my being lazy and greedy.
My other thought was: 'What the hell is IR?' Dr Clarke wasn't surprised I hadn't heard of the condition - this type of metabolic imbalance is not well-known and there has been no UK study to demonstrate how many people are affected by it.
But he says the U.S. figure is about 25 per cent, and there is no reason to believe the UK figure would be different.
Happily, the solution was straightforward - to control the amount of insulin my body releases, I needed to cut out refined carbohydrates (cakes, chocolate) and starch, because insulin production is stimulated by carbohydrates.

Instead, I was to eat nutrient-rich protein (eggs/fish/chicken/meat) and vegetables (broccoli/tomatoes/ spinach) plus berries (other fruits are too high in sugar).
It was a tough change to my diet, but I managed to stick to it and the results came surprisingly fast. After four weeks, I'd lost 7lb and my bloating and headaches had gone.
The gym, however, was another matter. My attitude to exercise had always been all or nothing, But I knew if I wanted to get serious about my health, I had to move more.
At first, I was so self-conscious at the gym; I felt huge in my XL man's T-shirt and baggy tracksuit. I walked in with my head held low, convinced everyone was judging the overweight lump on the treadmill. And there was no magic fix for this.
I just took a deep breath and told myself the hardest bit is taking that first step. So I stuck with it, and for an extra push I got advice from a personal trainer, Christina Howells at Home House (homehouse.co.uk).
My exercise regime consisted of cardio sessions three times a week and two toning sessions. Plus, instead of getting the bus, I started walking the three miles to and from work on most days.

HOW TO STICK WITH IT

• EAT IN: I invite friends over instead of going to restaurants, so I can plan the menu.
• BE FLEXIBLE: A too-rigid approach doesn’t work; I reintroduced food groups gradually.
• MAKE TIME: I hit the gym before work.
• WRITE A SHOPPING LIST: And stick to it.
• PLAN INDULGENCES: I allow myself a splurge once a week.
• EAT LIGHT AT NIGHT: It works for me.
• KEEP IT REAL: If you slip up, put it behind you and move on.

But in month two, my weight loss stalled. Everyone who diets knows a plateau kicks in at some point, but it's still emotionally draining. In the past, this is the point when I would go back to my out-of-control eating out of pure frustration and end up back at square one.
But not this time. Rather than wallowing in self-pity with a pint of ice cream in my lap, I swapped my routine. My portions had gone out of control and I needed to reign them in.
It was hard. I love food too much just to nibble on a lettuce leaf, but I needed help.
I decided to try Go Lower (golower.co.uk) - a meal delivery weight-loss programme which provides carb-controlled meals and weekly personal nutritional advice. They tasted delicious, I never felt deprived, I shed fat steadily and it cost only £60 a week.
I know that steady exercise and a healthy diet are key, but the secret to real change has to come from the mind.
I always used to see my body as my enemy. I would look into the mirror, grab flabby bits and cry in frustration. I have never hated anyone as much as I hated myself.
But I had to befriend my body or I stood no chance of long-term success. Pushing the negative voices out of my head was the most valuable step I took. After six months, I'd lost more than 3st.
I had gone from a size 18 to a size 12 and I was thrilled. I used to think there was only one type of slim - the supermodel size. But I learned we all have our own perfect size.
What celebrities weigh, or even what your best friend weighs, is irrelevant. I am happy being a size 12 and my goal is to maintain this shape for life.
But I know I can't take anything for granted - getting in shape was one thing, keeping in it is another matter altogether. I am a work in progress.

Follow Alessandra's ongoing weight journey in Glamour and on twitter.com/alexsteinherr

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1284454/No-yo-yo-dieting-Faddy-diets-fatter--did-woman-lose-stone.html#ixzz0qFXoXYEM