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The term alternative medicine encompasses a wide range of medical practices and systems from cultures around the world. In countries such as the United States, people use it to describe practices that are outside mainstream medicine.

The term alternative medicine is subjective. While doctors in one part of the world might regard a practice as mainstream, doctors elsewhere might view the same practice as alternative.

This article discusses what alternative medicine is, different types of alternative medicine, and whether it is better than conventional medicine.

The term alternative medicine describes any form of medicine or healing that does not fall into conventional medical practice.

In the U.S. it refers to forms of medicine that are not widely accepted or practiced by medical doctors, particularly those that do not have as much scientific evidence to support them as more mainstream methods.

Some types of alternative medicine have been around for hundreds and even thousands of years. Others are quite new. Sometimes, something that begins as an alternative treatment can become part of mainstream medicine due to strong evidence that it works and has no safety risks.

Many people use terms such as alternative medicine, integrative medicine, and complementary medicine interchangeably. However, each term describes something different:

Some people group complementary and alternative medicine together under the acronym CAM. There are many types of CAM. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) group them into five broad categories.

Mind-body therapies focus on the relationship between the mind and body to help treat or manage a condition. Some examples include:

Meditation is an ancient practice that is prominent in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Today, there are many forms of meditation people can try; some are religious in nature, and some not.

Many studies have verified that meditation has health benefits. It can lower blood pressure and stress levels. Research suggests it may also reduce the symptoms of:

Learn more about the types of meditation.

Biofeedback involves the use of machines that measure unconscious or involuntary bodily processes, such as heart rate or muscle contractions. The device then converts the information into audio, visual, or tactile signals. A therapist then helps someone learn to control these signals.

Biofeedback can help people learn to relax painful muscles, alter their mental state, and more. Its most common uses include management of neuromuscular disorders, chronic pain, anxiety, and incontinence.

Hypnosis involves someone going into a deep state of relaxation and focusing on suggestions a clinician makes while the person is in a hypnotic state. The aim is for the suggestions to help change a persons mental state, resulting in health benefits.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), most clinicians agree hypnosis has benefits for:

Similar to meditation, yoga is a mind-body exercise that originates in spiritual practices. It involves moving through sequences of poses and stretches while also focusing on breathing. Many people around the world practice yoga to promote mental and physical well-being.

Some research suggests yoga may help:

Most studies on yogas benefits have been with small numbers of people, so more research is still needed.

Tai chi is a martial art that originated in China. It involves a series of postures or slow movements combined with controlled breathing. Some research suggests tai chi may help:

Biologically based therapies use substances such as plants and foods to improve health or treat conditions. Some examples include:

Some CAM and integrative practitioners use nutritional supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, or other beneficial compounds, to treat or manage conditions.

This includes the use of plants or plant compounds for medical benefits. There are many examples of plants that people use to treat symptoms or conditions. Popular examples include:

Dietary approaches to medicine involve using food itself to treat certain conditions. This may mean eating foods with specific medicinal properties, following diets that contain certain nutrients, or avoiding some foods altogether.

These therapies aim to help people by manipulating invisible energy fields. According to some medical systems and practices, the energy around the body can influence health. By addressing disturbances or blockages in energy, practitioners believe it is possible to treat certain conditions.

Some examples of biofield therapies include:

This involves a practitioner running their hands over or gently touching someones body to control or restore their flow of energy.

Reiki originally comes from Japan. During reiki treatments, practitioners try to control energy in the body by using their hands. This may involve placing them on someone, just above them, or even working at a distance from a person. The aim is to free blocked energy and improve the bodys natural healing abilities.

Body-based therapies involve a therapist physically moving one or more parts of a persons body for therapeutic benefits. Common examples include:

During massage, a practitioner uses their fingers, hands, or tools to knead, rub, or press the bodys soft tissue. It is an ancient therapy, and people have practiced it in most cultures throughout history. There are many types of massage, each of which involves different techniques, rhythms, and areas of the body.

Reflexology involves pressing or manipulating pressure points in the hands or feet. The idea behind it is that a practitioner can target and help other parts of the body. It can also promote relaxation.

This therapy manipulates someones muscles, tissues, or bones to help the body heal from musculoskeletal conditions or help someone cope with a condition that may be causing pain.

Whole medicine systems refer to sets of beliefs and practices that work together. These systems have typically evolved over hundreds of years. Some of the most well-known methods include:

TCM is a complex system based on a belief in two opposite forces: yin and yang. For the body and mind to be in good health, practitioners believe that yin and yang must be in balance. TCM practitioners use a combination of herbal, mind-body, and physical therapies to achieve this.

TCM is over 2,000 years old and is where practices such as acupuncture and tai chi have their origins.

Ayurveda is a holistic health system that developed in India thousands of years ago. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that everyone is made up of five elements: air, fire, water, earth, and ether (or space). The way these elements combine dictates how the body works.

Homeopathy comes from Germany and is around 200 years old. It focuses on two theories: that like cures like and that the lower the dose is of something, the more effective it is.

There is little evidence that homeopathy works for any condition. Additionally, some substances homeopathy uses are toxic, such as white arsenic and deadly nightshade.

Naturopathy is a system that includes a mixture of traditional and alternative approaches to medicine. It focuses on using natural and noninvasive ingredients and techniques, such as herbs, exercise therapy, dietary changes, and massage, among many others.

In some U.S. states, naturopathic doctors can also prescribe pharmaceutical medications, but this varies based on location.

Many people debate whether conventional medicine is better than alternative medicine. When comparing them, it is important to consider the following:

One of the main benefits of standard medical care is that it undergoes rigorous research. Through clinical trials and studies, scientists can determine whether certain techniques, medicines, and courses of treatment are effective and safe.

Many scientists use these methods to study alternative medicine, too. However, the data is not always as abundant or reliable. Some types of alternative medicine, such as homeopathy, have very little scientific evidence to support them.

There are exceptions to this. Some types of alternative therapy have been well-researched by scientists, so doctors can safely recommend them to patients. Examples of this include yoga and meditation, as well as acupuncture. The American College of Physicians recommends acupuncture as a first-line treatment for lower back pain.

Some people believe that alternative medicine is better than conventional medicine because it often focuses on natural substances, which some believe to be safer, gentler, or more suitable for the human body than manufactured medicines.

However, as with conventional medicines, natural medicines can also cause side effects, drug interactions, and poisoning at the wrong dosages. Some natural products can also contain harmful substances not listed on the label. For example, some Ayurvedic products contain naturally occurring toxins, such as mercury or lead.

Even when natural products are safe, it can be more difficult for companies to ensure they have consistent levels of potency and purity. Third-party testing can reduce this problem, but not all companies use it.

For some, conventional medicine is more difficult to access than the alternative treatments available within their communities. In comparison to the U.S. healthcare system, alternative medicine may be:

These are important factors and can make alternative medicine more appealing. People who have had negative experiences of healthcare may also prefer to seek alternative options.

Alternative medicine refers to medical practices that are not mainstream. In the U.S., people use this term to refer to a wide range of therapies and medical systems, from Ayurveda to reflexology.

Whatever form of treatment a person chooses, it is always important to consider the evidence that supports it, potential risks and side effects, and whether the practitioner is fully qualified. Where possible, always speak with a medical doctor before trying alternative treatments, as they can have risks.

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Alternative medicine: Definition, examples, benefits, and risks - Medical News Today

After learning that the venom of a Gila monster lizard contained hormones that can regulate blood sugar, Daniel Drucker started wondering why. And could the venom somehow help treat diabetes?

Drucker is a scientist and endocrinologist at the University of Toronto who has dedicated his career to understanding the universe of hormones in the body, which do everything from regulating appetite to helping with digestion. His curiosity about the Gila monster led to a call with a zoo in Utah. In 1995, Drucker had a lizard shipped from Utah to his lab and began experiments on the deadly venom.

Ten years later, a synthetic version of a hormone in the venom became the first medicine of its kind approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Known as a GLP-1 (for glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist, the medicine set off a cascade of additional venom-inspired discoveries.

After doctors noticed mice and humans on the drug for diabetes appeared to lose weight, they began to consider its use in obesity science. In June 2021, another effective treatment, this one for obesity, got Food and Drug Administration approval. Called semaglutide and marketed as Wegovy, it also takes its structure from the lizards venom.

If this origin story sounds outlandish, consider the history of obesity treatments. Over the years, people have turned to extreme and unlikely interventions to try to lose weight, from jaw wiring, laxatives, and vagotomies to lap band operations and fen-phen, a miracle diet drug that was ultimately recalled.

The new treatment a once-weekly injectable from Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company that has hired many leading diabetes and obesity scientists as consultants is poised to safely help many people with health-threatening obesity, physicians and researchers say. It may even illuminate some of the mysteries around how appetite works in the first place.

Its phenomenal, says Michael Krashes, a diabetes and obesity investigator at the National Institutes of Health. Semaglutide is a big step forward we finally have something thats reliable and able to produce sustained effects over time, adds Ivan de Araujo, a neuroscientist who studies brain-gut interactions at Mount Sinais Icahn School of Medicine. Neither scientist is affiliated with Novo Nordisk.

Doctors who treat obesity patients told Vox they wished they had a treatment option like semaglutide years ago, and patients described the drug as life-altering.

Yet many people with obesity may not seek out semaglutide, and doctors may not prescribe it to them not only because of the dangerous history of weight loss medications, but also because of a persistent bias and stigma around a disease that now afflicts nearly half of Americans. Obesity is still widely viewed as a personal responsibility problem, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. And history has shown that the most effective medical interventions, such as bariatric surgery currently the gold standard for treating obesity often go unused in favor of dieting and exercise, which for many dont work.

Theres also a practical challenge: Health insurers dont typically cover obesity medications, says Scott Kahan, an obesity doctor and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the George Washington University School of Medicine. Medicare explicitly excludes weight medications, Kahan, who consults with Novo Nordisk, says. And most insurers follow what Medicare does.

The new drug certainly wont be a cure-all for obesity, Krashes adds. You are not taking a 280-pound person and making them 130, he points out, though reductions that are enough to improve health outcomes are typical. Drucker, who began consulting with Novo Nordisk and other drug companies after his reptilian discovery, agrees that its a starting point for obesity: It will only scratch the surface of the problem in the population that needs to be healthier.

But semaglutide is the most powerful obesity drug ever approved, he adds. Drugs that will produce 15 percent body weight loss we did not have that before in the medical therapy of obesity. With additional, potentially more effective GLP-1 receptor agonists coming online in the future, were at the beginning of a promising new chapter of obesity therapeutics. A look at the fascinating science of how the medication works could also go a long way to changing how Americans think about this disease.

We have to thank the lizard for that, Drucker says.

To understand how semaglutide causes some people to eat less, its helpful to understand what hormones do. Theyre the bodys traveling messengers: Manufactured in one area, they move to another to deliver messages through receptors molecules that bind to specific hormones in distant organs and cells.

The gut makes dozens of hormones, and many of them travel to the brain receptors that either curb appetite or stimulate it, Drucker explains. GLP-1 is one such gut hormone. Its unleashed in the gut in response to food and stimulates the pancreas to make more insulin after a meal, which lowers blood sugar. (GLP-1 is also made in the brain stem, where it may modify appetite.)

It sends a signal to our brain that says, You know, weve had enough to eat, says Drucker.

Enter semaglutide, one of a class of medicines the GLP-1-receptor agonists that imitate GLP-1, helping the body lower glucose (in the case of people with diabetes) and, researchers suspect, curb appetite (in the case of people living with obesity who may also have diabetes).

The precise way the drug works on obesity is still unknown, in part because scientists dont understand exactly how appetite works. But researchers generally agree that the drug harnesses the brains GLP-1 receptors to curb food intake. When researchers delete the GLP-1 receptors from the brains of mice, the drug loses its appetite-suppressing effects, says Krashes.

Obesity is primarily an issue of our brain biology, and the way its processing info about the environment we live in, says Randy Seeley, a University of Michigan researcher focused on obesity treatments, who also consults with Novo Nordisk.

With semaglutide, the idea is that were changing your brain chemistry for your brain to believe you should be at a lower weight, Seeley added.

This brain-based pharmacological approach is likely to be more successful than diet and exercise alone, Seeley says, because the most important underlying part of somebodys weight has to do with how their brain operates, not a lack of willpower.

Some people with a higher body mass index are perfectly healthy and dont require any treatment. Semaglutide was only indicated by the FDA for patients who classify as clinically obese with a body mass index of 30 or greater or those who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health problem.

For the many people who have used it, it has proved safe and effective, according to the FDA. In weight loss clinical trials, semaglutide helped people lose about 15 percent of their body weight on average significantly more than the currently available obesity drugs and more than enough to improve health outcomes.

The drugs most common side effects nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting were mostly short-lived. De Araujo is finding that adverse reactions might be caused by how the drug differs from the naturally occurring peptide hormone: The hormone acts mostly locally and degrades quickly, while the medicine works mainly on the brain and is designed to stick around in the body. Thats where the nausea, vomiting probably derive from, De Araujo argues.

Patients who have tried semaglutide told Vox that it helped them manage their weight and relationship to food, and that their side effects were manageable and quickly resolved.

Jim Eggeman, a 911 operator in Ohio, said that before taking semaglutide, I could sit down and eat a large pizza, and now its one to two pieces at the most. He started on the drug for diabetes after a heart attack in December 2019 and lost 35 pounds, bringing his weight to 220.

Paula Morris-Kaufman, of Cheshire, UK, used the drug to address weight gain following cancer treatments. It helped her bring her weight back to a normal range, she says, and curb her habit of compulsive eating. If you give me a plate of food, I just eat a small portion of it and feel full really quickly.

Its possible that some of the benefits of treatment come in part from lifestyle changes, which were encouraged by the clinical trials. In many cases, patients on semaglutide also switched to a healthier diet when they started on the drug and added exercise to their routines. But study participants taking the drug still lost significantly more weight than those under the same conditions who received a placebo.

The need for additional interventions like diet and exercise is one reason why Kahan stops short of calling this drug a game changer. Its an incremental improvement over existing drugs, he says, and its still out of reach for many of the individuals who could benefit from it. The game changer description is not appropriate, because many people dont have access to these medicines.

Only about 1 percent of eligible patients were using FDA-approved medications for obesity in 2019, a study showed. The same is true for bariatric surgery, currently the most effective intervention for obesity, which can also drive type 2 diabetes into remission.

If someone walks into your office with heart disease and you as a physician dont try to treat it, thats malpractice, Seeley says. If somebody comes in with a BMI over 30 and you dont treat it, thats Tuesday. He thinks some of the hesitancy for treating patients with obesity medications comes from the history of dangerous weight loss drugs.

Ingrained biases about obesity have also made it harder for patients to get access, Kahan says. Obesity tends to be categorized as a cosmetic issue in health insurance policies, he says. In order to get coverage, employers have to explicitly decide to buy a rider and sign a contract to add weight management services and products to their insurance plans. Hed like to see obesity treatments covered by insurers in the same way diabetes and hypertension drugs are.

That will require a shift in mindset, Drucker says. We would never blame other individuals for developing high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease or cancer, he says. Its widely known that those conditions are driven by complex biological determinants, including genes, as well as environmental factors. Obesity is no different.

When Drucker started in endocrinology in the 1980s, he didnt have many tools to help patients. With the addition of semaglutide, there are multiple surgical options and drugs for obesity and diabetes. The challenge now is helping those who would benefit gain access.

I would be delighted if no one needed GLP-1 for diabetes and obesity, Drucker says. That might be possible in a food landscape that didnt nudge people toward the overeating and poor diet that leads to these chronic conditions. But for now, we have new options that are safe, appear to reduce complications, and are very effective. ... We shouldnt just throw up our hands and say theres nothing we can do.

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New obesity drug semaglutide is safe and effective for weight loss and diabetes - Vox.com

Cancer can leave you feeling helpless, the very concept an anxiety-inducing thing to read about. But we're glad you clicked on this story, because the Big C is a health condition in which knowledge truly is power.

New research is constantly emerging about how to prevent cancer and catch it early, when it's most curable. And that extends to risk factors. In recent years, scientists have learned a lot about what raises your risk of developing cancer, in addition to well-known factors like smoking and diet. Eat This, Not That! Health asked experts to reveal the surprising things that affect whether you might get cancer. Here's what they told us. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You Have "Long" COVID and May Not Even Know It.

"There may be an increased risk of throat cancer with people eating very hot foods and beverages due to the irritants and heat that can stimulate cell damage," says Thomas Horowitz, MD, of CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles. Some studies, including one published in the March 2019 International Journal of Cancer, have linked drinking very hot beverages like coffee or tea with an increased risk of esophageal or throat cancer.

The Rx: Rich in antioxidants, coffee and tea can benefit your overall health, support weight loss and help prevent cancer. Just don't drink them piping-hot.

"Early menstruationperiods before age 12and starting menopause after age 55 expose women to hormones longer, raising their risk of getting breast cancer," says Nancy Elliott, MD, of the Montclair Breast Center in Montclair, New Jersey.

The Rx: Talk with your doctor about what your menstrual history means for your risk of getting breast cancer, and keep all regular appointments for screening. If you have a child and notice signs of puberty before 12, talk to your pediatrician.

"Breast density is determined via mammography, so it's important to get your annual screening to know your personal composition," says Elliott. "Abnormalities are harder to find in patients with dense breasts, because both dense tissue and cancer are white. It's like looking for a snowball in a snowstorm. Additionally, density is a risk factor for cancer so it's a double whammy."

The Rx: In addition to regular mammograms, "we recommend women with dense breasts get supplementary screening, either an ultrasound or (even better) an MRI," says Elliott.

"An analysis of 53 studies reported that the relative risk of breast cancer increased by 32% for those with who drink 3 servings per day," says Elliott. "Compared to women who don't drink at all, women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer."

Alcohol also raises the risk of several other cancers. "Drinking an excess of alcohol can increase your risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, bowel, and most commonly, the liver," says Janette Nesheiwat, MD, a family and emergency medicine doctor in New York City. "Alcohol damages cells and is toxic to the organs, increasing the chance of cancerous cells forming."

The Rx: Alcohol may not be a surprising carcinogen, but the amount that constitutes risky drinking might. To reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease, experts recommend moderate alcohol consumption: No more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

No, your kitchen microwave doesn't cause cancer. But microwave transmittersan entirely different, industrial-strength thingcan raise cancer risk. "One potential cancer risk is working on roofs of buildings where microwave dishes are mounted as transmission devices. One can get exposed to radiation inadvertently when working in front of these, which has been linked to cancer," says Horowitz.

The Rx: If your work puts you in the vicinity of microwave transmitters, talk with your doctor about limiting health risks.

"Long stints of time on the couch, in the chair at work, or sitting in your car can increase the risks of some types of cancer," says Cara Pensabene, MD, of EHE Health. "In one study, people who spent more than two hours sitting and watching TV had a 70 percent increased risk of developing colorectal cancer."

The Rx: Experts, including the American Heart Association, recommend that adults get at least 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity (such as running or swimming) or 120 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) each week. If you work a desk job, find ways to be more active during the day, if just standing and walking around more.

Eating charred meatswhether they're burgers, steak or chickenis a cancer risk. "When certain types of meat are cooked to high temperatures, they develop these chemical compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)," says Pensabene. "These chemicals are mutagenic, according to the National Cancer Institute, which means that they affect DNA and may make you more susceptible to certain types of cancer."

The Rx: When grilling meat, say "when" before it's blackened. You can also take steps to reduce the formation of cancer-causing compounds while you're prepping: Before putting meat on the grill, marinate it for half an hour, or zap it in the microwave for a few minutes. And speaking of red meat, read on to discover how much is healthy to eat.

"Many women don't realize pregnancy, or lack thereof, also affects their risk of breast cancer. If your first pregnancy is after age 30, you never breastfed, or you never have a full-term pregnancy, your risk increases," says Elliott. "As women have children later in life, this is something to keep in mind."

The Rx: Talk with your doctor about what your childbearing history means for your breast-cancer risk. Follow their recommendations about screening.

"According to a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, men who are exposed to more light at night have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer," says Pensabene. "More research is needed, but it's suspected that exposure to artificial light during sleep interferes with melatonin production and the natural sleep cycle, which can have affect antioxidant levels in the body."

The Rx: Try to sleep in darkness, undisturbed by the TV or bright night lights.

Consuming dietary fiber isn't just about staying regularit's also a potent cancer fighter. "Eating a diet that is not sufficient in fiber, fruits and green leafy vegetables can possibly lead to colon cancer," says Nesheiwat. "Vitamins and minerals in plant-based foods act as antioxidants to help fight free radicals, or atoms that cause damage to cells. Lack of this healthy protective fiber can increase your risk of free radicals and can ultimately cause cancer."

The Rx: Experts say women should aim to consume 28 grams of fiber per day, and men 35.

"Even getting a sunburn just once every two years can increase your risk of skin cancer nearly threefold, including melanoma skin cancer," says Christopher Zoumalan, MD, a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California.

The Rx: "Be your own health advocate by conducting regular self-exams, and if you find anything suspicious, see a board-certified dermatologist," says Zoumalan. "Avoid sunburns, tanning and UV tanning beds. Cover up with clothing when you go outside, including a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Use a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen to your entire body, with an SPF of 30 or higher."

"Toothpaste or oral products that contain triclosan have been recalled by the FDA for its link to cancer as well as endocrine diseases," says Dr. Rhonda Kalasho of Glo Modern Dentistry in Los Angeles. "I recommend discontinuing the use of any such products that contain that triclosan. It is used to kill bad breath odor and is even found in some facial antibacterial soaps, as well as hand soaps."

The Rx: "In 2016 the FDA restricted consumer products that contain the dangerous chemical, and by 2017 they also restricted the chemical in health care settings," says Kalasho. "However, some of the products could still be out there, so you should remain vigilant."

"Glyphosate is a pesticide sprayed on many crops, including wheat and corn, which we eat as part of a 'healthy' diet," says Terhune. "A study in 2019 measured glyphosate exposure in breakfast cereals and found that every cereal they tested went above the safety limits for children. Glyphosate disrupts our beneficial gut microbiome and impacts our immune system defenses. Glyphosate has now been legally linked in many lawsuits of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients."

The Rx: Opt for organic oats, grains and vegetables whenever possible.

Why do we feel so rested after a good sleep? That's because the body repairs itself fixing cellular damage, sweeping toxins out of the brain and ensuring our metabolism stays on track. When you don't get enough shut-eye, all kinds of bodily processes suffer. Poor sleep has been connected to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

The Rx: Experts, including the National Sleep Foundation, say that adults of every age need seven to nine hours of sleep a nightno more, no less.

Researchers believe that sleeping at night replenishes our stores of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body's circadian rhythms and seems to have a role in preventing cancer. Studies have found that people who work at night and sleep during the day have an increased risk of cancer. In 2007 the World Health Organization classified night shift work as a probable carcinogen because of that circadian disruption.

The Rx: If you work nights, talk with your doctor about how it may affect your cancer risk.

Bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausages, salamiall those staples of a All-American diet we all grew up withare now considered as big a cancer risk as cigarettes. Literally. The World Health Organization has named processed meat a Group 1 carcinogen, the same as tobacco, because there's evidence that consuming them regularly can lead to colorectal cancer. How? Researchers believe that nitrites, used as a preservative for processed meat, interact with natural compounds in the food to create a cancer-causing chemical.

The Rx: The American Institute for Cancer Research says you should not regularly consume processed meat including ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs and sausages, as any amount raises cancer risk. "AICR recommends avoiding bacon and other processed meats, saving them for special occasions," says the organization.

Even eating red meat that isn't processedincluding steak, burgers, lamb and porkhas been associated with an increased cancer risk.

The Rx: The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends limiting red meat consumption to no more than 18 ounces per week.

A CT scan is like a chest Xray on steroids: CTs use radiation to create 3D images of the body, and they're useful in detecting issues that were previously only discoverable with exploratory surgery. But a 2013 Australian study, which looked at the medical histories of 11 million people, found having one CT scan before the age of 20 raised a person's lifetime risk for cancer by 24 percent. The higher the radiation exposure and the younger the person, the greater the risk.

The Rx: Experts urge caution about those findings. CT technology has improved over time, and most doctors prescribe them only when absolutely necessary. But if you're being asked to undergo multiple CTs, it's reasonable to ask if low- or no-radiation scans like ultrasound or MRI can be used instead.

In a study published in the journal European Urology, researchers looked at the self-reported ejaculation frequency of 1,000 men. They found that men who reported more than 21 ejaculations per month had a 31 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ejaculated four to seven times a month.

The Rx: First, remember that correlation is not causation. Science hasn't conclusively proven that infrequent ejaculation is a prostate cancer risk, although researchers theorize that ejaculating may clear the prostate of toxins and irritants. And most men would argue that upping that frequency definitely wouldn't hurt.

The sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis is very common. About 3.7 million Americans have the infection, caused by the protozoan T. vaginalis, and only 30 percent will develop symptoms. More concerning: A 2014 study found that T. vaginalis secretes a protein that promotes inflammation in the prostate and stokes the growth of both benign and cancerous prostate cells. In a 2009 study, 25 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer tested positive for T. vaginalis infection and were more likely to have an aggressive form of the disease.

The Rx: Although the science hasn't found a conclusive link, if you're sexually active and may have been exposed to trichomoniasis, talk to your doctor about your risk factors and the benefits of regular STI testing.

Heartburn, or acid refluxin which stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing burning or pain in the chest or throatis often considered a simple nuisance. But over time, stomach acid can damage sensitive tissue, leading to a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus. That could develop into esophageal cancer.

The Rx: If you suffer from regular heartburn, talk to your doctor. They might recommend a prescription, lifestyle changes or further testing.

Coffee may be an underrated cancer fighter, thanks to its high antioxidant content. In a meta-analysis of studies published in the journal BMC Cancer, regular coffee consumption was linked to a reduction in risk of at least 11 types of cancer, including breast, colon, pancreatic, esophageal and prostate. And a November 2015 study in Circulation found that coffee consumption was associated with an 8% to 15% reduction in the risk of death overall, with larger reductions among those who drank more.

The Rx: Drink up. Just try not to drink caffeinated beverages after noon, as it'll affect your sleep.

You may know that drinking too many sugary beverages, like soda, increases your risk for obesity and diabetes. But a March 2019 study published in the journal Circulation found an association between sugary drink consumption and cancer. Each 12-ounce serving of sugary drinks consumed was associated with a 7 percent increased risk of death from any cause, and a 5 percent increased risk for death from cancer.

The Rx: Skip sugary beverages, and shun those with artificial sweeteners as wellthey come with health risks of their own. Hydrate with tap water, seltzers, or homemade fruit-infused H2O.

Some studies have linked the use of hypnotic (a.k.a. sleep-inducing) drugs with an increased risk of cancer and death. Researchers haven't found the exact connection, but why risk it?

The Rx: There are several sleep-hygiene strategies you can follow before requesting a prescription for sleeping pills. They include meditation, relaxation techniques, and avoiding screens for the hour before bed. If you're having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor about them.

RELATED: Sure Signs You May Have Dementia, According to the CDC

If your parents had a particular illness, there's no guarantee you'll get it too. But there is a genetic component to certain conditions like heart disease, diabetes and particular cancers.

The Rx: Make sure your doctor knows about your family history of serious illness, and ask if any screening tests are warranted.

What's the primary risk factor for colon cancer? Age: Your risk of the disease rises significantly after age 50. When detected early (as localized polyps), colon cancer is one of the easiest forms of cancer to cure.

The Rx: The American Cancer Society recommends that you get your first colonoscopy at age 45, and repeat it every 10 years. Your doctor may have different recommendations based on your family background and personal medical history.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 79 million American men and women are infected with HPV (human papillomavirus), the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV can lead to genital warts and cancer in both men and womenincluding cancers of the cervix, penis, anus and throat.

The Rx: HPV is so common that most adults are exposed by the time they're in their 20s. But because six different strains of HPV cause most HPV-related cancersand the FDA has recently cleared the HPV vaccine up to age 45getting vaccinated might be beneficial if you're sexually active. If you're concerned about HPV-related cancer, talk with your doctor.

RELATED: The #1 Cause of Diabetes, According to Science

"Partners of uncircumcised men have a higher risk of cervical cancer," says Horowitz. Why? According to a 2017 review of studies published in the Lancet, researchers found that circumcised men were less likely to contract HPV (human papillomavirus), which causes most cases of cervical cancer.

The Rx: HPV is so common that most adults contract it by their early 20s. But some forms can cause cancer, so it's important to talk with your doctor about your risk factors and regular testing.

"One really lesser-known thing that can contribute specifically to Hodgkin's Disease is the Epstein-Barr (or mono) virus," says Kylene Terhune, FDNP, CPT, a nutritionist and certified personal trainer who herself had Hodgkin's. "This is a virus that in most people lays dormant and inactive after experiencing an acute bout of mono, but in some it can become reactivated under stress, such as food sensitivities or emotional or physical stress."

The Rx: If you've had mono or EBV, talk with your doctor about how to stay healthy. "Someone with chronic EBV should become aware of how to manage it and support their body, since it's been associated with up to 40% of Hodgkin's cases," says Terhune.

RELATED: The #1 Cause of Heart Attack, According to Science

For decades it was prescribed regularly to older women to ease symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and decreased sexual desire. Today, experts say hormone replacement therapy is associated with a higher risk of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancer.

The Rx: "Well-conducted studies have led many doctors to conclude that the risks of MHT often outweigh the benefits," says the American Cancer Society. But it has issued no guidelines about menopausal hormone therapy, stating that the decision should be up to a woman and her doctor after discussing the risks and benefits. And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

Read the original post:
These Everyday Activities Proven to Cause Cancer, Say Experts | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Bodies, the clothes we put on them, and the way they make us feel have been my business for nearly 20 years. As the former Executive Fashion Director at Cosmopolitan (hey guys!!) Id be on set, styling celebs and models for photoshoots, working up-close and personal (like super up close, literally helping them get dressed) all the time. One of my favorite covers I worked on was the Ashley Graham issue in 2016. It was her first major cover, and we loved having the opportunity to celebrate everything that makes her fabulous.

Five years later, my job as Head of Content and Creator Partnerships at Pinterest is very different than my days styling Graham, but Im still inspired by women like Tabria Majors, Katie Sturino, Shiquita Hyman, and Kellie Brown, who fight against old-school mainstream body standards and diet culture.

Data shows were not the only ones sick of a fat-phobic society: On Pinterest, searches for healthy mindset quotes are 13 times higher than they were in 2020, and both body neutrality and stop body-shaming quotes are five times higher. Yet, despite the dramatic increase in searches for weight-inclusive content, ads for weight-loss pills, diet plans, and imagery that shames bodies still feel inescapable on the internet.

Obviously, we all know how harmful these outdated images and messages can be, so were doing something about it. Pinterest has officially updated its weight loss ad policy to prohibit all ads with weight loss language and imagery. From now on, they'll be no more testimonials regarding weight loss or weight loss products, language or imagery that idealizes or denigrates certain body types, or references to body mass index.

More than 475 million people worldwide come to Pinterest every month for inspiration to create the life they love. But if someone feels ambushed by diet ads while searching for cute swimsuits or attacked by images of six-packs wrapped in measuring tape while looking for 5k training plans, how could they possibly feel worthy of living a life they love? We need to make it clear that Pinterest is a place where everyone belongsregardless of body shape or size.

The body neutrality conversations happening online now are a great way to promote acceptance, but we still continue to see unsolicited messaging about our bodies, says the incredible model, activist, and Pinterest Creator, Tabria Majors, who helped us craft a policy that that was in line with the ideals she promotes every single day through her platform. "I look forward to creating content on Pinterest...to promote acceptance and empower others to develop a positive relationship with their bodies, she adds.

Whether its content related to body neutrality or wellness, we want to foster an environment that helps people find ideas that inspire them.

I encourage other platforms to join us in taking the same action. Making the internet a more inspiring space is something we can all be a part of now and forever.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Link:
Pinterest's Head of Content Explains Why Diet Ads Are No Longer Welcome There - Cosmopolitan

The idea of doing a detox diet to rid the body of toxins, lose weight and start fresh is especiallyappealing this time of yearwhen the bounty offresh fruits and vegetables makes detoxing seem easier.Summer is also when it's easy to overindulge at summer parties, BBQs, and long-awaited get-reunions, eating fried food, cocktails, cookies, and chips.So should you follow a detox diet to clean up your act?

Will a detox diet or "cleanse" help you lose weight and gain back your energy and focus? Or is the notion of detoxing largely a myth? Science tells us that there are benefits of eliminating junk food, greasy fried foods, added sugar, excess alcohol, and choosing plant-based whole foods instead. But "detox" products that are sold as quick fixes don't help, research has found, and the minute you go back to eating the usual way you'll gain back any weight you've lost. Here's what the latest research tells us about how to detox, and what health experts have to say, about the best way to eat to lose weight and keep it off.

Most diet products sold as "detox" are dangerously low in calories and have not been shown to be effective, according to a recent Harvard Health studyreviewthat warned of "dubious practices" and detox plans that can lead to unwanted side effects. Still, the urgeto hit restart can be a healthyone, if it leads you to eat mostly vegetables, greens, herbs, and fruit andrid your routine of added sugar, excess alcohol, and red meat and dairy, which are inflammatory, so there has to be a way to detox your diet without falling prey to bogus or dangerous claims.

There are basically two types of toxins in your body, according to MD Anderson's article on detox diets.

Endotoxins are one type of toxin,which are byproducts of the body that get carted off in the form of waste including urea and feces and lactic acid, a byproduct ofanaerobic energy production, or what happens when cells have to create energy without enough oxygen. This takes place during intense exercise or stress on the system.

Exotoxins are the other type,which comes from outside the body in our food, the air, and chemicals we come into contact with, whether they are detergents, cleaning products, cosmetics or air pollution, and pesticides in your food. They can come into the body through breathing, eating, or touching chemicals that get transferred into the bloodstream and need to be "cleaned" up.

Excess amounts of alcohol, saturated fat, and added sugar can all overwhelm your natural detoxifying processes in the body, leading to bloat, inflammation, and weight gain, and even what's known as "fatty liver" disease which means the liver gets clogged and can't do its job. While not actually toxic these foods disrupt your health and become toxic when the liver can keep up with the sheer volume.

Your liver is the biggest organ in the body (aside from your skin), and it works to absorb toxins and metabolize the food you eat. The liver's job is tohelpyourcells get what they need in the form of energy, store the rest and jettison toxins, movingthese dangerous compounds out of the body. Your kidneys also help with this task, sendingwaste into your urine to beflushed away. Between thesedetoxifying organsyour liver, and your kidneysyou are kept alive, humming along, and safe from most major toxins, according to a liver cancer specialist and surgeonThomas Aloia, M.D. Detoxifying the normal things we eat, breathe and ingest is part of[the liver's] job and keeps us alive.

As long as your kidneys are functioning well and your liver is healthy, you may not need a specific detox diet. In fact, packaged products that call themselves detox diets may do more harm than good. The best way to do a detox is by eating healthy plant-based whole foods and eliminating toxins (like alcohol) from your diet, according toresearchers.

Eating plant-basedfoods such as cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, citrus fruits, garlic, andherbshas been shownto help your body do a better job of detoxing, according to studies. "There is preliminary evidence to suggest that certain foods such as coriander, nori, and olestra have detoxification properties," according to one review study on the topic of "Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management." But unless you have been told you have fatty liver disease or other disfunction, chances are these processes are happening as you sleep, and without your help.

There is little evidence thatdetox diets eliminate toxins from the body, saidMatthew Bechtold, MD, a gastroenterologist at MU Health Care explained in an articleabout whether detox cleanses work. Detox programs may help in weight loss by eliminating or reducing high-calorie, low-nutrition foods and by reducing water weight for the period of the detox. But the minute you return to a regular diet, the weight will come back. Instead of trying extreme detox measures such as teas or laxatives, he warned, eat a healthy diet consistently.

The colon collects, concentrates, and removes toxins from the body in the form of stools, he said. The liver also removes toxins that are absorbed through the gut by the portal vein. This is how the body protects us against ingested toxins.

However, and this is a big caveat, your liver can only handle so much. Fatty Liver disease occurs when the liver, like a greasy sponge, gets clogged with too much fat, compromising its function. And too much protein can cause kidney failure since your body is not meant to absorb more than a healthy amount of nutrients at any one sitting. Overwhelm the system with an unhealthy amount of carbs, protein, fat, oralcohol and the liver and kidneys can't process themfast enough, causing inflammation, weight gain, and disease.

There are specific foods and drinks that can help these organs do their jobs, and there are foods and drinks that hinder their functioning. Doctors, RDs, and medical researchers have looked atthe best ways to help our bodies function better, lose weight and "reset," from calorie restricting and intermittent fasting tospecific diets that support liver health, kidney function and shift the gut microbiome to healthier bacteria, to help our bodies ridthemselves of toxins more effectively.

Juicing or detoxification diets tend to work because they lead to extremely low caloric intake for short periods of time, however, tend to lead to weight gain once a normal diet is resumed," according to one review study that looked at four methods for weight loss called "Popular Weight Loss Strategies: a Review of Four Weight Loss Techniques." The authors concluded that:"Both intermittent fasting and the paleo diet lead to weight loss because of overall decreased caloric intake," and that exercise works equally well:"Studies on short bursts of high-intensity training have shown remarkable weight loss and improvements in cardiovascular health." But as with any other diet or weight loss strategy, the minute you return to your regular way of eating, you will regain the weight.

The amount of food and types of food matter when it comes to detoxing, losing weight, and supporting liver health. Because your liver is the air traffic control tower for everything you eat if you eat too much sugar you make it harder for the liver to regulate blood sugar levels.

Excess sugar gets stored as glycogen and when the glycogen stores are topped off,the extra getsstored as fat. The liver iscentral to the ebb and flow of energy since when blood sugar is low, it breaks down glycogen toglucoseto be used by the cells. Your liver also breaks down the proteins you eat by converting amino acids for rebuilding cells, which releases ammonia. Instead of allowing ammonia to become toxic, the liver converts it into urea which gets eliminated in urine. In other words, your liver is busy. Here's how to help it do its job:

Over 30 percent of Americans havefatty liver disease, which is akin to your liver acting like a greasy sponge that needs to be wrung out before it can be fully functional again. Alcohol can inhibit the liver's ability to metabolize fat, making this situation worse. If you're detoxing, stay off the booze, even wine, and beer which add extra carb calories to your diet.

Kick added sugar to the curb.

Your detox needs to eliminate all added sugar, including simple carbs: Get rid of cereals, bread, pasta, white rice, cookies, and chips. Gluten is inflammatory and to detox properly you want to go into a slight calorie deficit, but you need to eat something so try soups, salads, and whole vegetables, fruits, complex whole grains (quinoa and faro), and nuts and seeds. If added sugar is on the label, it's off the table.

Your liver will filter our chemicals, food additives, even nail polish if you bite that off. So it makes sense that you want to lighten your chemical load where possible and that includes the preservatives in your junk food, which may not seem like a lot but can add up and act as disruptors in the body's hormonal balance. These chemical disruptors appear everywhere, such as plastic containers, soup can liners,anti-bacterial agents in your personal care products, and even in your food.

The less packaged food you eat, with preservatives and chemicals, the better since your endocrine system can get confused, and your body may reactin any number of ways, and long before you see signs of injury or disease, your liver is awash in trying to rid the body of any extra chemicals it doesn't need. Washfruit, avoid household chemicals and cleaning agents, and use natural cleaning products when possible.

Studies have shown that dairy, along with red meat, drives up inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is toxic to your cell function, leading to diseases such as heart disease, stroke type 2 diabetes, and more. Your liver reacts to this becauseinflammation is linked to higher fat metabolism, which in turn can trigger insulin resistance. The easiest fix is to ditch the dairy, as well as the saturated fat-laden meat.

Salads are healthy. Dousing your greens with oil or sauteeing in an inch of olive oil is not. Ultimately too much of anything, even vegetable oil, is going to create a load on your liver sinceit's in the liver that all these macros get broken down, whether you eat carbs or fat or protein. Too much of a good thing is still too much.

Bottom Line: Your body naturally detoxes itself. The exception is if you overwhelm it with toxins including alcohol, greasy junk food, and chemicals (such as from cleaning supplies or processed foods). Pesticides are also chemicals so wash your fruit and vegetables. But if you want to detox eat healthy plant-based foods that support your liver's health and you'll be fine.

Read more here:
Do Detox Diets Work? Here's How to Do it the Healthy Way - The Beet

Depending on whom you ask, healthy eating may take any number of forms. It seems that everyone, including healthcare professionals, wellness influencers, coworkers, and family members, has an opinion on the healthiest way to eat.

Plus, nutrition articles that you read online can be downright confusing with their contradictory and often unfounded suggestions and rules.

This doesnt make it easy if you simply want to eat in a healthy way that works for you.

The truth is, healthy eating doesnt have to be complicated. Its entirely possible to nourish your body while enjoying the foods you love.

After all, food is meant to be enjoyed not feared, counted, weighed, and tracked.

This article cuts through the noise to explain what healthy eating means and how to make it work for you.

Before we dive into what healthy eating means, its important to explain why it matters.

First, food is what fuels you and delivers the calories and nutrients your body needs to function. If your diet is deficient in calories or one or more nutrients, your health may suffer.

Likewise, if you eat too many calories, you may experience weight gain. People with obesity have a significantly increased risk of illnesses like type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and heart, liver, and kidney disease (1, 2).

Additionally, the quality of your diet affects your disease risk, longevity, and mental health.

While diets rich in ultra-processed foods are linked to increased mortality and a greater risk of conditions like cancer and heart disease, diets comprising mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods are associated with increased longevity and disease protection (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

Diets rich in highly processed foods may also increase the risk of depressive symptoms, particularly among people who get less exercise (4, 9).

Whats more, if your current diet is high in ultra-processed foods and beverages like fast food, soda, and sugary cereals but low in whole foods like vegetables, nuts, and fish, youre likely not eating enough of certain nutrients, which may negatively affect your overall health (10).

Healthy eating is important for many reasons, including fueling your body, acquiring necessary nutrients, lowering your disease risk, increasing your longevity, and promoting optimal mental and physical well-being.

Absolutely not!

Although certain people need or choose to avoid particular foods or adopt diets for health reasons, most people dont have to follow any specific diet to feel their best.

Thats not to say that certain eating patterns cant benefit you.

For instance, some people feel healthiest when following a low carb diet, while others thrive on high carb diets.

In general, though, eating healthy has nothing to do with adhering to diets or certain dietary rules. Healthy eating simply means prioritizing your wellness by fueling your body with nutritious foods.

The specifics may be different for each person depending on their location, financial situation, culture and society, and taste preferences.

Healthy eating doesnt involve any particular diet. Rather, it means prioritizing your health by fueling your body with nutrient-rich foods.

Now that you know why healthy eating is important, lets cover some nutrition basics.

When you conceptualize healthy eating, your first thought might be about calories. Even though calories are important, your primary concern should be nutrients.

Thats because nutrients, including protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, and minerals, are what your body needs to thrive. Nutrient density refers to the amount of nutrients in a food in relation to the calories it provides (11).

All foods contain calories, but not all foods are nutrient-dense.

For example, a candy bar or a box of mac and cheese may be incredibly high in calories but lack vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Similarly, foods marketed as diet-friendly or low calorie may be very low in calories but lack nutrients.

For example, egg whites are much lower in calories and fat than whole eggs. However, an egg white provides 1% or less of the Daily Value (DV) for iron, phosphorus, zinc, choline, and vitamins A and B12, while a whole egg packs 521% of the DV for these nutrients (12, 13).

Thats because of the nutritious, high fat yolk that eggs contain.

Plus, although some nutrient-dense foods, such as numerous fruits and veggies, are low in calories, many like nuts, full fat yogurt, egg yolks, avocado, and fatty fish are high in calories. Thats perfectly OK!

Just because a food is high in calories doesnt mean that its bad for you. On the same token, just because a food is low in calories doesnt make it a healthy choice.

If your food choices are based solely on calories, youre missing the point of healthy eating.

As a general rule, try to mostly eat foods that are high in nutrients like protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. These foods include veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, fatty fish, and eggs.

Another component of healthy eating is dietary diversity, meaning eating a variety of foods.

Following a diet thats rich in different kinds of food supports your gut bacteria, promotes a healthy body weight, and protects against chronic disease (14, 15, 16, 17).

Still, eating a variety of foods may be difficult if youre a picky eater.

If thats the case, try to introduce new foods one at a time. If you dont eat many vegetables, start by adding a favorite veggie to one or two meals per day and build from there.

Although you may not enjoy trying new foods, research shows that the more youre exposed to a food, the greater your chances of growing accustomed to it (18, 19).

You can even try some unique veggies you may not have heard of, such as daikon or sunchokes.

Macronutrients the main nutrients you get from food are carbs, fat, and protein. (Fiber is considered a type of carb.)

Generally, your meals and snacks should be balanced between the three. In particular, adding protein and fat to fiber-rich carb sources makes dishes more filling and tasty (20).

For example, if youre snacking on a piece of fruit, adding a spoonful of nut butter or a bit of cheese helps keep you fuller than if you were to eat the fruit alone.

However, its fine if your diet isnt balanced all the time.

Counting macros and following a set macronutrient plan isnt necessary for most people except athletes, people seeking a specific body composition, and those who need to gain muscle or fat for medical reasons.

Plus, counting macros and obsessing about staying within a certain macro range may lead to an unhealthy fixation with food and calories or cause disordered eating tendencies (21).

Its important to note that some people may thrive on diets that are low in carbs and high in fat and protein or low in fat and high in carbs. However, even on these diets, macronutrient counting typically isnt necessary.

For example, if you feel your best on a low carb diet, simply choosing low carb foods like nonstarchy veggies, proteins, and fats more often than high carb foods will usually suffice.

One of the best ways to improve your diet is to cut back on ultra-processed foods.

You dont have to avoid processed foods completely. In fact, many healthy foods like shelled nuts, canned beans, and frozen fruits and veggies have been processed in one way or another.

In contrast, highly processed products like soda, mass-produced baked goods, candy, sugary cereals, and certain boxed snack food contain little if any whole food ingredients.

These items tend to pack ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and artificial sweeteners (9, 22, 23).

Research links diets high in ultra-processed foods to a greater risk of depression, heart disease, obesity, and many other complications (9, 24, 25).

On the other hand, diets low in these foods and high in whole, nutrient-dense foods have the opposite effect, protecting against disease, lengthening lifespan, and promoting overall physical and mental well-being (5, 6, 7, 8).

Thus, its best to prioritize nutrient-dense foods, especially vegetables and fruits.

Include a variety of nutrient-dense, whole foods in your diet, taking care to limit highly processed items.

In a healthy diet, its best to restrict certain foods.

Decades of scientific research link ultra-processed foods to negative health outcomes, including increased disease risk and early death (9, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28).

Cutting back on soda, processed meats, candy, ice cream, fried foods, fast food, and highly processed, packaged snacks is a smart way to improve your health and lower your risk of certain diseases.

However, you dont have to completely avoid these foods all the time.

Instead, try to prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and fish, saving highly processed foods and beverages for special treats.

Foods like ice cream and candy can be a part of a healthy, well-rounded diet, but they shouldnt be a significant part of your calorie intake.

You should limit your intake of ultra-processed foods and drinks like candy, soda, and sugary cereals, but that doesnt mean that you have to eliminate these items from your diet.

Food is one of the many puzzle pieces of your day-to-day life. Between commuting, working, family or social commitments, errands, and many other daily factors, food may be last on your list of concerns.

The first step to following a healthier diet is to make food one of your priorities.

This doesnt mean that you have to spend hours meal prepping or cooking elaborate meals, but it does require some thought and effort, especially if you have a particularly busy lifestyle.

For example, going to the grocery store once or twice per week will help ensure that you have healthy choices in your fridge and pantry. In turn, a well-stocked kitchen makes choosing healthy meals and snacks much easier.

When grocery shopping, stock up on:

If youre drawing a blank at mealtime, keep it simple and think in threes:

For example, breakfast could be a spinach and egg scramble with avocado and berries, lunch a sweet potato stuffed with veggies, beans, and shredded chicken, and dinner a salmon filet or baked tofu with sauted broccoli and brown rice.

If youre not used to cooking or grocery shopping, focus on a single meal. Go to the grocery store and shop for the ingredients for a couple of breakfast or dinner dishes for the week. Once that becomes a habit, add more meals until most of your meals are prepared at home.

If you dont have a good relationship with food, youre not alone.

Many people have disordered eating tendencies or eating disorders. If youre concerned that you have one of these conditions, its critical to get the right help.

To develop a healthy relationship with food, you have to have the right tools.

Working with a healthcare team, such as a registered dietitian and psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, is the best way to start mending your relationship with food.

Food restrictions, fad dieting, and self-prescribed notions like getting back on track wont help and may be harmful. Working on your relationship with food may take time, but its necessary for your physical and mental health.

Here are some realistic tips for you to get started with healthy eating:

These tips can help you move toward a healthier diet.

You can also work with a registered dietitian, especially if youre not sure how to start improving your diet. A dietitian can help you develop a sustainable, nutritious eating plan that works for your needs and schedule.

Tips like cooking at home, grocery shopping, eating a lot of plant foods, choosing filling meals and snacks, and honoring your dislikes can help you create and maintain a healthy eating pattern.

If youre interested in healthy eating, making a few small changes can get you moving in the right direction.

Although healthy eating may look a bit different for everyone, balanced diets are generally rich in nutrient-dense foods, low in highly processed foods, and comprised of filling meals and snacks.

This guide may help those who are starting on a healthy eating journey and act as a refresher for those who know nutrition basics but want to go deeper.

If you want detailed, individualized dietary advice, consult an experienced dietitian.

Read this article:
Healthy Eating 101: Nutrients, Macros, Tips, and More - Healthline

Intermittent fasting is a popular practice that involves regularly engaging in periods of fasting, or not consuming calories, and a few types exist.

Alternate-day fasting refers to when you consume calories every other day. Also, time-restricted feeding when you consume calories within a specific period or feeding window, typically lasts 610 hours and has grown in popularity in the last decade (1, 2).

Dirty fasting is a new practice being used by some people who engage in intermittent fasting.

This article explains what dirty fasting is, how it works, and whether its effective.

Before diving into what dirty fasting is, its important to note that the term isnt used in the medical community. Theres no research on this practice or how it compares with clean fasting.

Dirty fasting is a term used to describe consuming some calories during a fasting window.

This differs from traditional fasting or clean fasting, which restricts all foods and calorie-containing beverages.

People who practice dirty fasting will typically consume up to 100 calories during their fasting window. This may include some milk and sweetener in their coffee or a cup of bone broth.

Again, theres no set definition of dirty fasting, so some people may consume many more calories during a dirty fast, while others may consume fewer.

On the other hand, people who practice traditional methods of fasting, or clean fasting, dont consume any calories during fasting windows.

An exception to this is modified alternate-day fasting, in which you consume a small number of calories, typically 500 or so, on fasting days (3).

Advocates of dirty fasting suggest that having a small number of calories doesnt technically break a fast and that this method of fasting makes it easier to maintain a fasting regimen.

Dirty fasting is a term for consuming a small number of calories during a fasting window. This differs from traditional or clean fasting, a method in which you dont consume any calories during fasting windows.

Dirty fasting is technically modified fasting, meaning that you consume a small number of calories during fasting windows.

Although youre still consuming some calories, any sort of calorie restriction will result in health benefits.

For example, if weight loss is your goal, dirty fasting can promote fat loss. This is simply because youre likely consuming far fewer calories when dirty fasting than you would during a typical day of eating without time restrictions.

However, some people use intermittent fasting for the other benefits that fasting offers, including promoting autophagy, reducing insulin resistance and blood sugar levels, and more (4, 5).

Autophagy is a process that involves the programmed cleaning of cells. Its an important process thats necessary for maintaining healthy cellular function and preventing disease.

Theres no evidence that dirty fasting is as effective as traditional fasting methods which involve complete calorie restriction during fasting periods for promoting these potential benefits.

While consuming a splash of milk in coffee or a cup of bone broth isnt the same as having a full meal, technically, youre not fasting if youre taking in calories, no matter whether its a small number.

Most experts agree that although taking in zero calories is the only way a person can be sure theyre truly in a fasted state, zero-calorie beverages like black coffee arent likely to break a fast.

However, drinking coffee with cream, milk, sweetener, or other calorie-containing beverages may break a fast.

Modified alternate-day fasting, which involves calorie intake during fasting windows, has been linked to some health benefits, including weight loss and reduced inflammatory markers, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

However, this practice is different than other types of intermittent fasting, which include complete calorie restriction during fasting periods (6).

This means that it may not have the same effects as traditional fasting methods that involve zero calorie intake during fasting periods. Similarly, dirty fasting should be considered a modified type of fasting.

Again, theres no research specifically on dirty fasting. Its likely that people who practice dirty fasting may not technically be in a fasted state during fasting windows, especially if theyre consuming more calories than they realize.

Dirty fasting is technically a modified type of fasting. The only way to ensure youre in a fasted state is to abstain from all calories during a fasting window. For this reason, dirty fasting may not have the same effects as clean fasting.

If youre interested in intermittent fasting, its best to choose a method that has research backing its effectiveness over dirty fasting, such as time-restricted eating where you consume all of your calories within a specific timeframe (7).

For example, some people may choose to eat within a 6- or 8-hour window and fast for the remaining 1618 hours.

The only way to ensure that youre in a fasted state is to take in zero calories during your fasting window. However, most experts agree that the negligible number of calories in drinks like black coffee and herbal teas wont break your fast (8).

Although intermittent fasting has been linked to a number of health benefits, its important to know that intermittent fasting is unnecessary to improve health.

Whether you want to lose body fat, reduce your disease risk, or increase your longevity, there are many other ways to achieve these goals without using fasting protocols.

If youre interested in trying out intermittent fasting, check out this comprehensive guide.

Working with a registered dietitian can also help you decide whether intermittent fasting is the right choice for your specific needs and health goals.

If youre interested in trying intermittent fasting, stick with a method that has research to back its potential benefits, such as time-restricted feeding, and speak with a medical professional or registered dietitian first.

Dirty fasting involves consuming a small number of calories during fasting windows.

Proponents of dirty fasting suggest that this method makes sticking to fasting regimens easier, but dirty fasting is not technically fasting. If youre taking in calories no matter whether its a small number you may break your fast.

The only way to ensure youre in a fasted state is to forgo all calories during your fasting window.

See more here:
Dirty Fasting: Effectiveness, Recommendation, and More - Healthline

It is aptly said that weight loss is 80% dieting and 20% working out. I never myself followed any fancy, strict dieting or eating pattern, but just made sure that I replaced all my foods with homemade meals, cooked food in less oil and mostly had healthier versions. During my journey, I also ensured that I did not skip any meals. On the contrary, I really enjoyed my dieting style.

My breakfast: I used to start my day with lukewarm water+ one tablespoon honey+ lemon and 3 dates.

Then, I would have a cup of lukewarm milk (without cream or sugar). If I was hungry, I would have poha/upma/daliya/moong chilla.

My lunch: I totally stopped having wheat flour chapatis and started to have jowar rotis (1 and a half), 2 bowls of daal, a big bowl of vegetable salad and whatever vegetable curry was made at home. I also stopped consuming white rice and potato consumption.

My dinner: I made sure to finish dinner by 7 p.m., no matter what schedule or appointments I had. It used to be mostly light, such as oatmeal, moong dal khichdi with plenty of vegetables in it (but did not include rice in the preparation), paneer burji or tikki (100 grams of paneer) or any legumes or idlis.

Pre-workout meal: It is the same as my morning drink.

Post-workout meal: Apple cider vinegar followed by sattu drink.

Low-calorie meals I swear by: Oats/idli/moong dal chilla/any paneer dish.

I hardly ever had any cheat meals during the journey.

Apart from this, here are a few basic diet rules that I made sure to follow:

-Stopped consumption of white sugar or any sugary drinks or ice cream

-Reduced my salt intake

-Stop having any sort of packaged or outside food

-Portion control while you eat is a must

-Drink plenty of water (3-4 litres per day)

-Complete ur last meal (dinner ) of the day by 7 pm or latest by 8 pm.

-Eat plenty of green vegetables, plenty of salads in both major meals.

-Reduce Carbohydrates and fats, increase protein intake and whole grain.

-Never keep yourself starved or skip any meal, it will only add to ur irritability, instead have some healthy eating snacks

View original post here:
Weight loss story: "I gave up white rice and potatoes for 4 months to lose 20 kilos" | The Times of India - Times of India

More feed ingredients to work with means more resiliency for the industry

Insects can provide new solutions for animal diets and many benefits, but the industry faces challenges too, according to Stephanie Collins of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Collins, faculty member of Dalhousies Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, spoke during the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience.

Its important for us to remember that agriculture is constantly working on developing new tools, new technology in terms of animal nutrition, also new feed ingredients, and looking for different solutions with worldwide applications, Collins said. One of these new feed ingredients or classifications of new feed ingredients is insects. And, actually, within insects, there are a number of different species that we could feed. And within those species, there are different products that we can derive from them. And each one of these new feed ingredients adds to our available tools. They add to our list of resources and give us more power when we are formulating our animal diets.

Having new feed ingredients like insects helps keep the industry resilient.

The more feed ingredients we have available for our use, the more resilient we are able to be, she said.

Benefits of feeding insects to animals include that they require little land and water, can be farmed vertically and can divert post-consumer food was to develop a high-value feed ingredient. However, barriers remain.

Key barriers to use of insect products in poultry diets right now would include availability, and cost is fairly high on the list, Collins said. Additionally, a lot of these feed ingredients are novel feed ingredients. And depending on where they are produced, there is regulatory approval thats required before they can be included in animal diets.

Because many regulatory approvals require production data, there is much research being done in this area.

The chitin in insects exoskeletons is an insoluble carbohydrate that is thought to contain antimicrobial properties, as well as a bioactive component, Collins said.

The protein value is quite strong in some of these products, but additionally, if we were to include a high-chitin product that has a number of antimicrobial properties, this could be a tool that we use to influence bird health throughout the production cycle, she said.

Nutrient composition can vary between species of insect, as well as across life stages and depending upon rearing conditions. And, for each insect, form of presentation can vary, Collins said.

A full fat insect meal is quite common. However, in an animal like a laying hen perhaps, fat composition may limit inclusion of that product in the diet. So, a defatted insect meal might be something more beneficial. And from defatting an insect meal, we can end up with an oil product, which could be used as an energy source, she said.

Collins said she doesnt expect to see insect-based protein replace other protein products, but to be a good option for alternatives.

I dont see us completely replacing one plant-based protein product with an insect-based protein product, she said. But I could see people formulating diets based on cost, based on nutrients, based on additional bioactive or antimicrobial capacity, and finding a diet that works for your chickens.

Collins said growth of insect meal use in global feed production will depend on availability of insect species and feedstock for those insects.

I believe that developed countries do have an opportunity to be a prime user of insect protein, she said. And thats because we produce a fair amount of waste. And this is food waste that could be upcycled into a high-value product. And doing so, if we were to take this feed ingredient and feed it to our animals, it would be environmentally sustainable. And also could be useful in terms of health benefits for our poultry.

See original here:
Insect meal expands alternative options for poultry diets - FeedStrategy.com

Date: 24 June 2021Time: 13:00-14:30 CESTRegister: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xo5EhsYGTqSKvltphGJ9ug

The World Health Organization will host the Summit for Health: For a healthy and resilient future in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a virtual event on 28-29 June 2021. The Summit will be an important opportunity to discuss SIDS food systems and encourage SIDS to engage in the Food Systems Summit. SIDS unique ecosystems hold rich potential to support healthy and sustainable diets thanks to their terrestrial and marine biodiversity. However, for many SIDS, the coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases is evident at the population, community and even household level.

Young people have an important role in our food systems and can significantly act upon its success for a healthy and sustainable future. However, young people are often left out of the decision-making processes that affect them and their future, even though agriculture remains the dominant source of young peoples employment in low- and middle-income countries. Nevertheless, youth movements have a huge political impact across the globe, e.g., the school strike for climate. Food systems transformation for better planetary and peoples health needs a similar youth movement to shake up political will and hold decision makers accountable. The Act4Food Ac4Change is a global group of young people who are passionate about creating fairer, healthier and more sustainable food systems.

The year 2021 is a pivotal moment to turn this trend around as SIDS work to build forward from the wide-ranging consequences of COVID-19. The UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021, the 26th Climate Change Conference in November 2021 and the Nutrition for Growth Summits in December 2021, are critical opportunity for stepping up commitment to implement nourishing actions. Young people are the next generations powerful voice. Collective demand calling for our food systems to deliver healthy and sustainable diets should be heard in this nutrition year of action, at the mid-way point of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.

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Building towards healthy and sustainable food systems in Small Island Developing States: listening to voices from young people - World Health...

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