I don’t have as much energy as I used to. Could it be because of low testosterone?  Yes, it’s possible. But it’s not the only answer. Figuring out the exact cause of your specific issues is very important. Recently, there has been a greater awareness that energy level, muscle mass, sexual desire, and mental acuity […] More

Winter is a pivotal season. It’s often a turning point for those who’ve been dragging their feet about making healthier choices, like moving more and eating healthier. That’s why, each year, U.S. News & World Report evaluates the most popular diets, and ranks them by category. The folks create a sort of hierarchy of meal plans, delineating which are best for overall health and body-fat maintenance, which are best suited for quick weight loss, and more.
For 2022, the Mediterranean diet reigned supreme (as it has for many years), ranking no.1 in the best diets overall. If you’re trying to lose weight and optimize your health, check out the top nutrition plans—including what each entails—below.

Best Diets Overall

Mediterranean DietThe goal: Melt fat and avoid chronic diseases, like cancer and diabetes.Pros: You can enjoy poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt in moderation; eat sweets and red meat on special occasions; and have red wine with your fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and seafood. There’s a plethora of research backing up this diet.Cons: You have to be accountable for figuring out calorie consumption to lose or maintain your weight, as well as your workouts.
DASH DietThe goal: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan does what its name suggests: helps lower high blood pressure and encourages weight loss.Pros: It’s straightforward. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy; eat less red meat, salt, and high-calorie sweets. Plus, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers free guides.Cons: You might not lose as much weight as you would on other plans because it’s more catered to improving your health (not necessarily a bad thing).
Flexitarian DietThe goal: Cut fat and live longer with optimal health.Pros: It’s said “flexitarians” (flexible vegetarians) weigh 15 percent less than meat-eaters, live nearly 4 years longer, and can dodge heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.Cons: If you’re hell-bent on eating beef, this might be difficult to adhere to. You’ll also be cooking a lot of your own meals.

Best Weight-Loss Diets

Flexitarian Diet
Volumetrics DietThe goal: Drop 1-2 pounds per week.Pros: Created by a Penn State University nutrition professor, Volumetrics is more of an approach to healthy eating than a regimented diet. You’ll learn to identify and prioritize low-density foods, which are low in calories but high in volume (think: broth) to help you stay full. It’s also affordable, since you’re not purchasing a book, program, or special ingredients. You won’t feel hungry or starved either.Cons: This might be easier to stray from because you have more freedom.
Weight Watchers DietThe goal: Lose 2 pounds a week.Pros: The meal plan’s flexible; you have access to a support group; and there aren’t hard limits on what you can and can’t eat. You’ll simply opt for the most nutritionally dense foods that keep you fuller longer. (i.e. your meals will be lower in calories, saturated fat, and sugar, and higher in protein.)Cons: It can get a bit pricey, and tallying your meal points is a pain.

Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets

Atkins DietThe goal: The diet has four phases. You cut carbs, then eat progressively more until you hit your desired weight. Low-carb diets force your body to burn fat as an alternative source of fuel.Pros: Protein and fat take longer than carbs to digest, so you’ll stay full on the diet. You’ll see weight loss fairly quickly (even if it’s initially due to water loss).Cons: It’s difficult to maintain in the long run. People struggle with getting variety in meals and eating out is difficult.
Health Management Resources (HMR)The goal: Drop 1 to 2 pounds per week for an average of 23 pounds over the first 12 weeks; keeping the weight off is a main priority.Pros: The crux of this diet is meal replacement, which is said to help people cut 3x as much weight compared to traditional diets. You’ll have low-calorie shakes, meals, nutrition bars, multigrain hot cereal, and fruits and vegetables in place of other meals and snacks. You’ll also receive food for the first 3 weeks to drop weight as quickly as possible; then, you’ll transition to the second phase where the diet is less structured and you’ll receive food monthly, as well as weekly telephone coaching sessions.Cons: The first phase can be difficult to adhere to. It’s a tad expensive, especially if you’re not used to buying fruits and vegetables in bulk. The initial 3-week HMR starter kit costs $301 and the 2-week reorder kit costs $185.
OPTAVIA: The goal: Like most weight-loss diets, OPTAVIA relies on a low-carb, low-calorie approach to cut weight quickly with most of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber coming from fortified, pre-made meal replacements, coined “fuelings.” This calorie restriction diet also centers around six “Habits of Health Transformational System”: weight, eating and hydration, motion, sleep, mind, and surroundings.Pros: This is a variation of the Medifast diet. The “fuelings” meals have an identical macronutrient profile, only they’re void of artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. You’ll eat four to five prepackaged meals, then cook your own low-carb meal, prioritizing fatty fish twice a week. You’ll be matched with a coach who can provide support, too.Cons: You may feel hungry on the diet and won’t get the full micronutrients you’d receive from a whole-food diet.
Keto DietThe goal: Quickly lose weight by causing your body to burn fat versus carbs, entering a state of ketosis.Pros: You’ll eventually have fewer craving and boost mood and energy, though it’s a tough transition at first.Cons: You can experience headaches, fatigue, and mental fogginess during the first few weeks. This is difficult to sustain over a long period of time, too. It’s better for quick weight loss.

Easiest Diets to Follow

Mediterranean Diet
Flexitarian Diet
MIND DietThe goal: The MIND marries the DASH and Mediterranean diets and focuses on foods that support brain health. It’s believed consuming leafy greens (7 1-cup servings weekly), nuts (snack most days), and berries (5 half-cup servings weekly) may lower a person’s risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s.The pros: It’s nutritionally robust with no need to count calories, plus the fiber-rich foods keep you full. The plan also has plenty of recipes to follow.The cons: Not a ton of guidance.

Get the full list here.

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On a typical day at the office, Troy Scott Parker found himself searching for a better trail. Working just outside of Sykesville, MD, a 25-minute drive from Baltimore, Parker’s go-to trail was flat, straight, rutted and in the open. In the summer it was sweltering and in the winter frigid.
“It was miserable,” says Parker. “And boring.”

Parker knew there had to be a better route for connecting a paved path system to the historic downtown. Not only would it be more interesting and enjoyable, it would be more sustainable too (which matters more than ever). Good thing that Parker works as one of America’s preeminent trail designers.
From urban greenways to epic bikepacking routes, trails have never been busier. They were already growing in popularity before the pandemic and lockdowns sent us outdoors in record numbers. That’s a good thing: The more people who are using trails, the more people who care about them, and the more people who stand up for protecting green and wild spaces, like public lands, says Parker.
But while any trail will do during stay-at-home orders, biking and hiking indiscriminately will not always be the case. Inspiring long-term interest requires not just any strip of dirt, but a well planned and built network.
Mountain biking singletrack trails in Bentonville, Arkansas. Shutterstock
Natural Fundamentals
There are plenty of trail builders and designers who know about grade, slope and drainage: the fundamentals of erosion-proof construction and key ingredients in a time of increased use and climate change. But Parker was one of the first, and remains one of the few, who understands that great trails are only 30 percent technical. The rest is psychology.
“It’s about understanding human nature and the user experience,” he says from his Boulder, CO, home office. “It comes down to two factors: the quality without a name and natural shape.”

Mats Hagwall on UnSplash
Parker has spent more time thinking about the qualities of the best trails than just about anyone. He wrote many of the early trail-building standards that evolved into the how-to manuals national parks, mountain bike organizations and volunteer trail stewards use to build paths. And he wrote and self-published the definitive book on the art of trail building in 2004, Natural Surface Trails by Design.

It took Parker decades to figure it all out. Now nearly 60, he started building trails at age 5 on the Ohio acreage where he grew up. First it was for his Tonka trucks and then for his Schwinn banana-seat bike. Design and architecture always fascinated him. As a teen, he dug his own pond and then a system of “Roman aqueducts” and ditches to feed it with clean water (and keep the leaky septic system out).

Trail Philosophy
After college he moved to Boulder and put his self-taught skills—a knack for seeing grade, managing water flow and building stone work—to good use on volunteer trail projects. Eventually that led to paid trail designing and building work, a job he continues. Through it all he philosophized about the elusive attributes of a good trail.
Parker finally found the words in the architecture classic, The Timeless Way of Building by Christoper Alexander. Over more than 500 pages Alexander simplifies why some cityscapes feel better than others to two factors: design patterns and the quality without a name. The theory resonated with Parker.
Wandering in the woods he knew something in our DNA makes us universally attracted to openings and meadows, viewpoints and unique features, and rivers and lakes. We’re also attracted to small things: a big stump, a rock all by itself, a gully. Trails that lead us to these places are pleasing. Ones that link these points, one after another, are a joy.
Shutterstock

We’re equally predictable in our bad habits. Pass within earshot of a waterfall, but not to it, and we will find our own way to check it out. We’re more comfortable walking along the edge of an open area, unless there’s a cool boulder in the middle of it. Then we want to climb it and look around and so should the trail. Stacks of switchbacks are annoying. Just like an empty maze at airport security, we will cut right through them.
“Build a trail that resists our lazy tendencies and plays to our curiosity and you’ll find the quality without a name,” says Parker.
It’s hard to explain, but simple to do: He just acts like an 8-year-old and links whatever catches his eye. Alexander’s “design pattern” (Parker’s natural shape) is even easier to find. Just pick up a stick.
“Something nice and crooked from a native species,” he says. “Put it on the ground and scale up and you’ve got your natural shape.”

Shutterstock
In other words, straight is boring. Twisting and turning, going up and down, keeps us guessing and motivated to see what’s around the corner. Trail builders call it rolling grade. Mountain bikers call it flow. And hikers knock off miles with surprising ease.
Natural shape is naturally sustainable too. Even a slight up and down or side to side, helps shed water off the trail, reducing erosion. It slows riders down, so there’s less braking. Both are important with climate change in mind.
Dryer, hotter weather turns dirt to dust and boots and skidding tires, especially, lift it into the air. Wind literally blows trails away. Even more destructive is water. With bigger rain events, more often, ruts, wash outs and in-cutting add maintenance when trail crews are already struggling to keep up with the impact of more tires and boots.
Troy Scott Parker Courtesy Image
“Erosion destroys trails,” says Parker. “But what sets up that destruction is poor design.”
We need to build to a more robust standard, capable of handling more traffic and extreme weather, he says. And, as we expand trail networks to keep up with demand, we have to think about what is the best and highest use of the land.

Land Relations
Hikers, bikers, horseback riders and motorized users: They all have different relationships with the trail, he explains. ATVers and dirt bikers are more focused on their machine than what’s flying by. On a horse, the interaction with the animal is as important as the scenery. Focused 20 feet in front of them most of the time, mountain bikers care more about what the trail does then where it goes. Hikers are the most demanding, especially if they drove two hours to the trailhead. They expect the path to connect them to the environment and immerse them in the landscape.
Land managers need to keep these relationships in mind as they consider where to put new trails, thinks Parker. Old industrial sites and damaged landscapes make great motorized zones. Quiet areas with few other users work best for horses. Places with lots of ups and downs and ins and outs are ideal for mountain biking. Reserve the most spectacular places for those who appreciate it the most: hikers.

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“With more interest in being outside and more interest in our public lands, there’s more pressure to make the right choice for the right reasons,” says Parker. “It forces us to up our game and prevent bad ideas from happening.”
Back in Sykesville, that’s what he was doing. Parker left the high ground of the existing trail and headed down the slope toward the South Branch Patapsco River. The forest felt wild. Ravines and creeks teased him along. Bird calls filled the air.
Looking on social media he couldn’t find a picture or mention of the area. “It’s 25 minutes from Baltimore,” he says. “I can’t believe it.”
Cameron Venti on Unsplash
He created a proposal for a trail that would slowly roll its way down the slope from the path system, through the forest, in and out of gullies, all the way into town. Following the topography it has natural shape and the quality without a name.
“It will be so much more interesting,” he says. “I think people will really love walking it. Now we just need to build it.”

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The idea that our electronic devices are keeping us awake and ruining our sleep is pretty widely accepted—and one common remedy is to alter the screen so it gives off a warm, yellow light. But new research from the University of Manchester suggests that might not be the best idea. Using dimmer, blue-toned lights in […] More

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Troy Aikman may have retired 20 years ago, but he’s still finding ways to stay on top of his game. Here’s how.

Adjust Your Plan
I was still doing the same routines five years after retiring——bothered with back pain. I walked into a local gym and asked if someone could write me programs. Jason Harnden walked out, and I’’ve been training with him for 17 years. Now I hit the weights four days a week, for 30 minutes. We change it up every four  or five weeks, adding battle ropes, kettlebells, and slam balls. Keeping the training up these days meant getting a home gym together. I find the FreeMotion Dual Cable Cross Machine effective without straining the joints.
Center Yourself
Phil Jackson’s book Sacred Hoops got me intrigued about meditation and mindfulness. The light really came on when I picked up The Untethered Soul. It was hard at first. I had the whole ““monkey mind”” going, but eventually I was able to slow my thoughts. I meditate first thing in the morning to set me up for a good day. I like the apps Insight Timer and Calm. I also listen to the audiobook of Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now on walks.

Keep It Clean
I’’ve gotten better about eating vegetables in these later years. I get most of my protein from fish, avoid processed foods and dairy, and don’’t put excessive butter or oil on anything. I rarely eat red meat but, when I do, I grill it myself. I’’ve gotten into making smoothies before and after workouts. I use Dymatize Iso 100 Whey Protein Powder and Athletic Greens with spinach, collagen powder, banana, and almond milk.
Take a Breather
I’’m a prime example of someone who overtrains. I’ve always done something seven days a week. During my playing career, there was always an urgency to work as hard as I could. I never walked away thinking I didn’’t show up as strong as possible. That’’s followed me into retirement. I’’m starting to allow myself recovery days. I’’m not as sore and stiff and know maintaining this pace isn’’t sustainable. I need to pause and accept that life is good.

Troy Aikman will share his insights as FOX Sports’ lead NFL analyst during the NFC Championship as Tom Brady and the Buccaneers take on Aaron Rodgers’ Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. on FOX. 

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