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The term 'clean eating,' is now one that evokes both eye-rolling and a considerable amount of backlash online. Its devotees swear it's the key to a healthier lifestyle while its critics are quick to point out how unsafe it is to swear gospel to terminology that became a phenomenon on the back of many foodie bloggers and Instagram stories.

Blogger and author Ella Woodward, now Mills, AKA Deliciously Ella is one who knows how fast the tables can turn – she is regarded as the one who spearheaded this, despite never once using the term on any cookbook or product.

She has always affirmed that when it comes to eating healthy and eating well, it's about simple dishes that taste great – and more importantly that you enjoy eating. At the launch of her latest range of products – you'll find them stacked with plenty of healthy food options in SuperValu, she spoke to SHEmazing about self-care, her favourite dishes for a woman on-the-go and why doing this one thing is the key to successfully changing your diet.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Deliciously Ella (@deliciouslyella) on

Tell us a bit more about your latest range of products?

We’ve just launched our energy balls, oat bars, granola and muesli, which we’re so excited about. They’re all made with a few simple plant-based ingredients with a big focus on flavour. Each one is vegan-friendly and gluten-free. 

So many hear the words Vegan or Gluten Free and think that the food will compromise on taste, what advice do you have for someone wanting to eat healthier but is afraid to take the plunge?

Start experimenting with your cooking, adding lots and lots of herbs and spices to everything you do – that’s the key to veggie cooking. It’s not about stripping things back and taking flavour away but celebrating flavour, texture and deliciousness. Try something like our five bean chilli; the Thai curries or a spread with a black rice, piquillo pepper and pistachio salad, roasted aubergine, tomato and pesto salad and sweet potatoes with spring onions, chilli and tahini.​

Many women on-the-go want to eat better and cut out the gluten or eat more plant-based foods but are fearful these type of meals will just eat into their time. Do you have any particular meals or foods that you like to prepare if you're in a hurry?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Deliciously Ella (@deliciouslyella) on

Stews, curries and dahls – they take just a few mins of prep time, they’re so hearty and filling and they’re brilliant for batch cooking and freezing. The recipes in the orange chapter of our new book, The Plant-Based Cookbook, are my go-to’s when I’m busy. Each dish is full of warming, toasted spices; hearty veg, potatoes and beans; lots of creamy coconut milk and so much flavour. The Tuscan bean stew, cauliflower lentil dahl with dried apricots and the Thai curries are such winners in our house.

Tell us about your self-care routine – how important do you think it is to have one?

Looking after myself is really important, as we work 14-15 hours a day often seven days a week, so I need all the energy I can get! Yoga is a big part of this, I practice every morning before my day starts and it really helps me create a positive headspace – I absolutely love it, it’s magic for my mental health.
If you're planning to kick-start a new diet change, what are your top tips?   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Deliciously Ella (@deliciouslyella) on

For anything to be sustainable it has to be enjoyable, so find things you love and don’t be too hard on yourself – go slow and steady and think about what you’re adding in not just what you’re taking out.    

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Veganism has become pretty popular these days, with the number of vegans in the UK rising by 360 per cent in the last 10 years, according to a recent study by The Vegan Society.

With this in mind, we're sure there are plenty of Irish people willing to try the vegan lifestyle, which strictly prohibits the consumption of any animal by-products. 

Veganism has been cited to improve the health, aid weight loss and be better for the environment than a carnivorous diet according to its followers. 

Here are a few tips to get started if you want to give it a try: 

8. Watch a few documentaries.

There are plenty of documentaries out there about the reasons for going vegan, and plenty of videos about how to do it efficiently.

Films like Earthlings, Cowspiricy and Vegucated have been credited for turning many people on to the vegan lifestyle. 

A warning though, these flicks expose the grim realities of the meat and animal by-product business and may be a bit much for squeamish folk. 

7. Order PETA's free vegan guide

Animal rights organisation PETA is a huge promoter of the vegan lifestyle.

They have a free Vegan Starter Kit for those interested, all you have to do is head to the website and give your address, and the kit will be sent out to you anywhere in the world, completely free. 

6. Make small swaps

Making small steps like swapping cow's milk for soy or oat milk and switching crisp flavours can take your diet from carnivorous to vegan. 

There are tonnes of options to try when it comes to milk and cheese alternatives. 

5. Try new things

Speaking of these alternatives, don't be afraid to branch out of your comfort zone and try some new taste experiences.

While almond butter and hemp seeds may not sound the most appetising, trying vegan alternatives is so important in order to maintain a balanced plant-based diet. It's not just about eating salad!

 

A post shared by HappyRealFood (@happyrealfood) on

4. Consider why you're doing it.

There are people who move to veganism for ethical reasons, those who do it for health reasons and those who do it to lose weight.

Having a clear motive for your transition will make sticking to it so much easier. 

3. Ditch dairy. 

People cite the amazing benefits of minimising their dairy intake. 

Ditching dairy is a prerequisite for the vegan diet, but it can also help clear the skin and put an end to bloating. 

 

A post shared by Bonnie (@the_wholesome_vegan) on

2. Consider your non-food choices.

A lot of people who choose veganism for ethical reasons look further than their diet when it comes to incorporating the message into their everyday lives. 

Some avoid leather or products made at the expense of any animal, and actively avoid beauty products that test on animals or include animal by-products. 

1. Keep an eye on the carbs.

When going vegan or even vegetarian, it can be easy to rely on pure carbs to keep yourself going if you haven't taken the time to look into new food choices. 

This can leave your plates looking pretty beige, so make sure you're getting plenty of variety into your diet. 

Feature image: Instagram/ Vegan Food Spot/ Lumadeline

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Creating frustration, preventing you from socialising with your friends, heavy on the wallet… here are some of the main reasons most diets don't work on the long run.

Yet, a new type of diet has been widely talked about in the past few months for actually allowing people to lose weight long term, and it is called intermittent fasting. 

While there are different ways of practising it, a new study published this week in the journal Nutrition and Healthy Ageing establishes that the 16:8 method actually works.

According to the researchers of the University of Illinois at Chicago, daily fasting is an effective tool to reduce weight and lower blood pressure on obese individuals.

Scientists worked with 23 obese volunteers who had an average age of 45 and average body mass index, or BMI, of 35.

Between 10am and 6pm, the dieters could eat any type and quantity of food they desired, but for the remaining 16 hours they could only drink water or calorie-free beverages. The study followed the participants for 12 weeks.

When compared to a matched historical control group from a previous weight loss trial on a different type of fasting, the researchers found that those who followed the time-restricted eating diet consumed fewer calories, lost weight and had improvements in blood pressure. 

"The take-home message from this study is that there are options for weight loss that do not include calorie counting or eliminating certain foods," said Krista Varady, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition in the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and corresponding author on the study.

"The results we saw in this study are similar to the results we've seen in other studies on alternate day fasting, another type of diet," Varady said, "but one of the benefits of the 16:8 diet may be that it is easier for people to maintain. We observed that fewer participants dropped out of this study when compared to studies on other fasting diets."

So, could you fast from 6pm to 10am? Would you want to give it a go?

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We all know how important regular exercise is for maintaining a healthy mind and body, but when it comes to proper brain function, it looks like a certain diet could actually be more beneficial than hours spent in the gym.

Research has shown that following a low-fat diet may help preserve brain cells as we age. 

Scientists at the University Medical Centre Groningen in The Netherlands discovered that a diet with 40 per cent fewer calories than the recommended intake contributed to reduced inflammation of subjects brain cells, as well as the maintenance of brain tissue. 

The research, published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, looked specifically at the Microgalia call, which keeps the brain functioning properly. 

And while the term 'proper brain function' might seem slightly vague, the research becomes highly significant when you consider that inflammation in brain cells has been linked to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Rasmussen's encephalitis and dementia. 

It should be noted, however, that the best results were seen with a combination of a low-fat diet and limited calorie intake, and simply reducing the your fat intake may not be enough to prevent these change in the brain. 

Dr Bart Eggen who was the lead author of the study is quoted by PsyBlog as saying: "A low-fat diet per se was not sufficient to prevent these changes."

"Nevertheless, these data do show that, in mice, the fat content of a diet is an important parameter in terms of the detrimental effects of ageing on the brain, as well as caloric intake."

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Most people who try to follow a reasonably healthy diet will be familiar with the concept of a 'cheat day' – 24 hours when calories don't count, because hey, you havn't even looked at a square of chocolate in over a week.

One day off won't do any harm, right?

Well, not exactly.

As it turns out, just one day of binge eating can have a huge impact on your body's health. 

Researchers from the University of Loughborough asked 15 heathy people to eat a diet high in fat for just one day.

They indulged in three high-calorie meals including, sausages, bacon and fried eggs for breakfast, sausage rolls and cheese sandwiches for lunch, followed by a pork pie snack, then a burger and a chocolate chip muffin.

In total, participants consumed about 78 per cent more calories then the recommended amount, and by the end of the day, their whole-body insulin levels has decreased by 28 per cent.

Researchers say this result in highly “significant”, as over time, the pancreas could become dysfunctional, leading to an increased risk of type two diabetes.

The study concluded: “A single day of high-fat, overfeeding impaired whole-body insulin sensitivity in young, healthy adults. This highlights the rapidity with which excessive consumption of calories through high-fat food can impair glucose metabolism, and suggests that acute binge eating may have immediate metabolic health consequences for the individual.”

So, perhaps it might be better to spread your treats throughout the week…

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Every Sunday, it's the same. You're flung on the couch, almost bored to tears, but refusing to do anything even remotely wholesome or worthwhile.

In fact, the only thing which has even a hope of stirring you from your stupor is the talk of a takeaway, and within minutes, you and your BFF have sprung to life.

While initial chat focuses on the desire to take it handy and merely grab a light bite, it's not long before you're knee deep in wedges and chicken wings, promising yourself you'll knock it all on the head come Monday.

Ladies, it's like looking in a mirror…

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It's a common opinion that white bread is less healthy than brown, wholemeal, or sour dough, and one team of scientists decided to test the throry. 

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science assessed the nutritional levels in a group of test patients, to see exactly what the difference is between white bread and brown.

The results? They found it made pretty much no difference to their health. 

The carb connoisseurs decided to test whether or not white bread actually had a significantly lower nutritional value than brown in a human diet.

To do so, they split 20 volunteers into two groups and asked half to eat whole-wheat sourdough for a week, while the others had white bread.

They then switched for a second week, so each group had one week on white and one week on fancy sour dough. 

The researchers then tested a number of markers in the two groups to assess their nourishment levels at the end of each week.

They looked at the participants' vitamin, mineral, fat and cholesterol levels.

Despite popular belief that white bread is less healthy, the team found no significant difference between the two groups at the end of the experiment. 

'The initial finding, and this was very much contrary to our expectation, was that there were no clinically significant differences between the effects of these two types of bread on any of the parameters that we measured,' Researcher Eran Segal told The Sun.

'We looked at a number of markers, and there was no measurable difference in the effect that this type of dietary intervention had.'

'The findings for this study are not only fascinating but potentially very important – different people react differently, even to the same foods.'

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As holiday season rolls around, it's safe to say a lot of us what to ditch our, er… rolls in time to don an itzy bitzy bikini.

But as ALL of us know, it's not that easy, and sometimes we have to be super honest with ourselves in order to achieve our goals.

So, if you're determined to drop those extra few inches over the next couple of months, here are a few tips to help you along the way.

Sleep is QUEEN

Nabbing at least seven hours of sleep every night helps you manage your appetite (and keeps you sane).

Late nights and extra early mornings can mess with your hunger hormones and lead you down a path of munching on those very-tempting greasy foods.

10pm Dominos, how are ya?

Image result for sleeping

 

Losing weight and a healthy diet go hand in hand

Unfortunately, no matter how hard you workout, you can't trick your body.

No matter how many hours you spend at the gym it won’t work if you consume more calories than you could possibly burn.

So, be kind to your body and give it the best nutrition you can.

Sliced Oranges Kiwi Melon Blueberry and Dragonfruit on White Ceramic Platter

 

Mix it up

Being an expert in yoga might give you a confidence boost, but if you get too comfortable you’re going to stop seeing results, so try and mix it up.

Fitness instructors often suggest doing a mix of cardio, weight-training and aerobics.

If anything, it'll make things interesting.

Low Angle View of Woman Relaxing on Beach Against Blue Sky

 

You DO have the time

Making the time to look after your health will help you develop better habits that your future-self will thank you for.

We know it can be difficult if you work long days, or go to college at night, but trading in an episode of Riverdale for a 30 minute gym sesh will make your mind and body feel so good.

Archie is getting super annoying anyway…

Woman in White Jacket Holding Silver Iphone

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Veganism may seem like a bit of a fad, enjoyed by tanned travel Instagrammers who never seem to have a problem picking a raw coconut over a slice of pepperoni pizza.

There has been quite a lot of debate over the lifestyle choice, with some feeling it truly is the best way to nourish your body, and others feeling that cutting out so many aspects of the food pyramid isn't right. 

Now, a new study has shown that people who eat a plant-based diet end up slimmer than those who prefer a diet heavy in meat, eggs, dairy and animal fats.

Those who consume lots of fruit and vegetables, grains, pulses, olive oil and who enjoy potatoes (in all their glorious forms) have a significantly lower chance of becoming obese in the long run, which kind of proves what we've all known for eternity, that fruits and veggies are some of the healthiest foods out there. 

The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, examined the nutritional data of 16,181 people who were not obese at the start of the research.

The subjects were tested on their diets, and those with diets where animal by-products were consumed were more likely to become obese than those who maintained the plant-based diet over 10 years. 

'Our study suggests that plant-based diets are associated with substantially lower risk of developing obesity,' said Professor Maira Bes-Rastrollo, from the University of Navarra in Spain, who presented the study.

'This supports current recommendations to shift to diets rich in plant foods, with lower intake of animal foods.'

However, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum Tam Fry did not condone removing all forms of animal by-products from the diet.

'Clearly you shouldn't cut out unprocessed food such as fresh meat, diary or fish entirely but, as the research student suggests, keep them in check.'

'Our ancestors found cabbage and cauliflower much easier to catch than cows, and thrived on the diet.'

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Lena Dunham has never made any secret of the medical conditions which have plagued her for most of her life.

While making a name for herself in the entertainment industry and spearheading one of the most successful television shows in recent years, the 30-year-old has lived with anxiety and endometriosis.

And media outlets who wouldn’t be aware of this aspect of Lena’s life are few and far between.

So, when Us Weekly ran a feature on the star and used her recent weight loss as a platform to provide so-called diet tips, Lena, unsurprisingly, wasted no time highlighting the inaccuracy of their coverage.

Taking to Instagram to share an image of the cover, Lena, who was recently hospitalised, provided her followers with a more accurate representation of her ‘weight loss journey’.

 

20 slimdown diet tips! 1. anxiety disorder * 2. resultant constant nausea 3. an election that reveals the true depths of American misogyny 4. constant sweaty dreams of dystopian future 5. abdominal adhesions pinning ovary below uterus * 6. baseless but still harrowing threats to physical safety online and through smail mail 7. watching institutions you love from Planned Parenthood to PBS be threatened by cartoon mustache-twirling villains 8. finally realizing superheroes aren't real (specifically the X-Factor, really thought they'd handle this) 9. marching your ass off 10. a quiet rage that replaces need for food with need for revenge 11. sleeping 19 hours a day 12. realizing that even the liberal media wants dem clicks no matter whut 13. worrying ceaselessly about the health and safety of women you know and women you don't 14. realizing who ya real friends are 15. having to switch from Uber to Lyft (lots of calories burned trying to understand a new app, then even more trying to understand if the conflict was resolved) 16. bladder spasms, urinary frequency and urgency * 17. having your phone number leaked and violent images texted to your phone by randos under names like VERYFATCHUCKYBOY@creepz.com 18. keeping your back arched against the wind 19. um, who the fuck cares? 20. I have no tips I give no tips I don't want to be on this cover cuz it's diametrically opposed to everything I've fought my whole career for and it's not a compliment to me because it's not an achievement thanx * Star indicates a pre-existing condition

A post shared by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on

Including but not limited to anxiety, abdominal adhesions, bladder spasms and intense distress over various elements of her private life, Lena ensured Us Weekly that her weight loss is not something to aspire towards nor is she in any position to offer ‘motivation’ to the female demographic.

“I have no tips. I give no tips,” she wrote.

“I don't want to be on this cover cuz it's diametrically opposed to everything I've fought my whole career for and it's not a compliment to me because it's not an achievement thanx ,” (sic)

Like Cosmopolitan’s astonishing decision to frame a story about cancer with a clickbait headline about weight loss, US Weekly conveniently decided to forget that Lena has a medical background which can impact on her weight and appearance.

Instead of running coverage on Lena’s courage and strength in the face of ill health, US Weekly appeared to think their female demographic would be more inclined to open the magazine if they splashed some weightloss tips on the cover.

Like Cosmo, Us Weekly wrongly assumed they could disguise poor physical and mental health with some handy tips on trimming down and toning up.

And like Cosmo, they were wrong.

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Researchers have found that 'diet' foods can actually make you put on weight and contribute to an array of other health problems.

Scientists from the University of Georgia conducted a study and found that even though high-fat foods are often targeted for obesity, it's actually sugar-laden 'diet' products which cause the most harm.

In the study, rats were fed the equivalent of 'diet' foods (high in sugar but low in fat) and saw that this actually made them put on weight when compared to a balanced rodent diet.

Image result for fat free food products

The study's principal investigator, Krzysztof Czaja, said: "Most so-called diet products containing low or no fat have an increased amount of sugar and are camouflaged under fancy names, giving the impression that they are healthy.

"The reality is that those foods may damage the liver and lead to obesity as well."

Krzysztof continued: "What's really troubling in our findings is that the rats consuming high-sugar, low-fat diets didn't consume significantly more calories than the rats fed a balanced diet.

"Our research shows that rats fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, the efficiency of generating body fat is more than twice as high — in other words, rats consuming low-fat high-sugar diets need less than half the number of calories to generate the same amount of body fat."

The unbalanced diets also caused chronic inflammation in the intestinal tract and brain. which Krzysztof believes damages the vagus nerve, which controls sensory signals, including the brain's ability to determine when you're full.

"The brain changes resulting from these unbalanced diets seem to be long term, and it is still not known if they are reversible by balanced diets," she said.

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It looks like our foodie pics might be a bit more helpful than just making our Instagram feeds look good.

It turns out that taking pictures of your food can actually make you healthier.

Research carried out at Oregon State University claims that snapping your food can improve your health and can even help people with diabetes.

The study was carried out on 114 nutrition students in the US and Australia. They had to identify the foods that were in the pictures, as well as figure out their serving sizes and weight.

barbecue, embers, food

The students were able to identify different foods, with an 80 per cent success rate. However, when it came to serving sizes, only 38 per cent of the students were able to give an estimate that was within 10 per cent of the actual weight.

"Dietary intake information is important both to individuals using nutrition-based therapy for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and to entire populations for identifying nutrition and disease risk," the study said.

The research further claims that by using photography as a means of understanding food, it could help people in the first stages of diabetes come to terms with their dietary changes.

Mary Clusky, one of the authors of the study said: "If you're providing me with your dietary intake information, you may not be trying to falsify the information, because you're sincerely interested in improving your diet.

Lunch table / salad

"But I'm depending on your ability to recall what you ate and your ability to correctly tell me what portions and specific ingredients you had; there are all kinds of things that can make it go wrong.

"Images can facilitate your recall, and they also prompt important questions from a dietitian: 'Was that low-fat dressing or high-fat?' Plus, images make dietary assessments more entertaining because people do like to take pictures of food."

So, there you go. Time to start snappin'.

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