【推荐1】For most Americans, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are a time when we’re eating more than we should.     1     The problem wasn’t really the small weight increase but that study participants never lost what they put on during the holiday season.

So, how do you avoid gaining weight without missing out on the holiday fun? There are several small changes we can make.

We have to make time to exercise. With all the shopping that needs to be done and the holiday get-togethers, the first thing cut out of our schedules is often exercise.     2    Exercise not only burns off those holiday treats, it reduces our stress as well.

    3     Allow yourself to enjoy the foods you really love, but choose wisely and watch your portion (份额) size. If you’ve looked forward to Aunt Sally’s Christmas cookies all year, have one. Mindful eating is the key. Take a small portion of your favorite dessert or high-calorie dish and then enjoy it.

Try never to go to a holiday celebration hungry. When you are really hungry, you tend to eat more than you normally would.     4     Then you’ll find it easier to control how much you eat.

Weigh yourself at least once a week on the same day, at the same time and on the same scale (称). It’s important to keep in mind that our weight can change because of salt intake or other factors.     5    

【推荐1】Air fryers are quickly becoming popular in the US these years, with many people having the idea that air fryers are a great way to make quick, healthy meals.

An air fryer can be used to get the crispness of deep-fried food without actually deep frying the food in oil. Breaded foods are among the most popular dishes in America. Instead of placing something like breaded chicken into oil, the air fryer blows hot air around the chicken and causes it to crisp up and brown, creating a crunchy texture (松脆的口感) that is similar to fried chicken.

Nutritionist Bellatti said, “When you are just using a teaspoon of oil in an air fryer, it’s going to be a lot less caloric than something in a real fryer where a lot more oil is being taken in. It’s a way to lower your calorie intake greatly. Additionally, for those who are watching fat intake for medical reasons, air fryers can help them create fried foods that are lower in total fat content.”

Reducing fat and calorie intake can help a person lose weight and eat healthier when compared to eating fried foods. But some experts say there is no guarantee that air frying is a healthier way to cook.

If you’re turning to an air fryer every day to cook every meal, you’re not necessarily eating healthier, according to nutritionist Hartley. Air frying makes some dishes healthier, but it doesn’t add nutritional value. Similarly, it doesn’t make an unhealthy dish a smart choice. At the end of the day, air-fried breaded chichen is still breaded chichen—grilled chichen would be the healthier choice.

“Air frying is just an easy and low mess way to cook dishes that have the satisfying crispness of fried foods,” Hartley said. “Instead of thinking of them as a dieting tool, think of them as a tool for cooking simple and satisfying meals.” Hartley also added air fryers would probably not help you lose weight, saying there was “zero research” to back that up.

And cutting oil out of your diet completely isn’t always for the best. “Although a low-fat, air-fried diet sounds attractive, you’d end up missing out on the wonderful advantages of plant-based fats such as avocado oil and olive oil,” said nutritionist Cucuzza.

【推荐2】We all may know someone we consider to be a picky eater, who tends to dislike some common food regularly and causes social embarrassment when ordering at restaurants. But for some people picky eating can actually become a serious disorder, and clinical definitions of picky eating behaviors often include people who only consume around 20 different kinds of foods for a long period of time.

“Having restricted diets can lead to nutritional deficiencies (缺陷) as well as health problems like heart disease, poor bone health and dental issues,” explained Lorenzo Stafford, one of the authors on the latest study. “There is also a social cost because normally enjoyable moments between family members can easily turn into stressful, anxious, and conflict-causing situations when picky eaters feel ashamed or pressured to eat certain food.”

A new research homed in on the effect of plate color on food desirability for picky eaters. The experiment was based on a foundational study from 2018 which looked at the way different colored food bowls affected a person’s sense of taste.

Using a design similar to the 2018 research, the new experiments had participants rate the sweetness, saltiness and overall desirability of a snack food eaten from different colored bowls. In this instance the snack was salt and vinegar potato crisps consumed from either a red, blue or white bowl. Around 50 participants were recruited (招募) and classified as either picky or non-picky eaters based on a standard questionnaire.

The results revealed picky eaters considered the snack to be saltier when it was eaten from a red or blue bowl compared to the white bowl. And overall, picky eaters found the snack generally less desirable when eaten from a red bowl.

It is worth mentioning that a recent survey estimated nearly one in five American adults could be clinically classified as picky eaters. So exploring ways to help these people better engage with more types of food could result in valuable health outcomes.

【推荐3】Many people drink protein shakes regularly to lose weight, build muscle or both. Others, however, question the belief that protein shakes are better than normal, high-protein foods. So what is the truth?

Protein shakes are dietary supplements (饮食补充剂) designed to help people consume more protein than they otherwise would. Protein shakes can be ready-made drinks. Besides, people can mix their own shakes using protein powder. Protein powder can be made from plants or animals. Plant-based protein shakes can include soy, pea or rice protein. Animal-based protein powder is usually made from cows’ milk. Those who want to avoid milk can also get protein powder made from egg whites.

Studies indicate that consuming protein shakes is helpful if you want to build muscle. They can also improve your performance and help you recover while exercising. And if you’re losing weight, protein shakes can help to make sure that you don’t lose muscle.

Consuming protein shakes can also help you lose weight. Eating a high-protein diet helps you feel full, so it’s easier to resist eating too much. High-protein diets can also make your body burn energy quickly. When you use more energy than you take in through food, you lose weight.

However, you don’t have to drink protein shakes to have a high-protein diet. Many wholefoods are rich in protein. In fact, the people in many high-protein diet studies didn’t drink protein shakes. The studies proved the benefits of eating protein-rich foods. Moreover, these foods contain other natural nutrients besides protein. In contrast, many protein shakes contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, which are not healthy.

To sum up, yes, protein shakes are convenient and they work. However, they are not your only choice for eating a high-protein diet.

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