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Februarys a great time to focus on your heart. For one thing, theres Valentines Day. and for another, since 1964, February has been designated as American Heart Month to place a public health emphasis on cardiovascular disease education and prevention. There is certainly a genetic component involved when it comes to heart health, but many lifestyle factors can influence ones probability of developing cardiovascular issues. One of the most significant modifiable factors is nutrition.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and represents almost 30 percent of deaths worldwide. Atherosclerosis and hypertension are two of the most common conditions classified within cardiovascular disease.

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory condition that contributes to major incidence of cardiovascular episodes and mortality. It is characterized by the build-up of cholesterol, fat and other molecules in the arteries that results in plaque formation. Excessive calorie intake and inadequate physical activity can contribute to the release of inflammatory molecules that causes fat and cholesterol to penetrate and harden into arterial walls -- creating plaque. As more plaque accumulates over time, blood flow can be restricted and cause cardiovascular episodes. Symptoms can go undetected for a long time, which is why it is important to practice preventative measures through diet and lifestyle.

MORE FUEL UP: Want to reduce inflammation? Try the Mediterranean diet.

In addition to nutrition, high total cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, high LDL-cholesterol, being sedentary, a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, or hypertension may also contribute to atherosclerosis. Hypertension is the scientific diagnosis for a high blood pressure reading above 140/90. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in two Americans has hypertension, yet only one in four have it under control.

The DASH diet was created as an eating pattern to tackle the high incidence of hypertension diagnoses. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and research has shown the eating pattern alone was the only intervention to decrease blood pressure in patients with both high and normal blood pressure. The typical Western diet is high in plaque-promoting fats and refined carbohydrates with low nutrient density. Compared to the American Diet, the DASH eating pattern emphasizes intake of whole grain carbohydrate, a mixture of plant and animal-based proteins, and is much higher in fruits and vegetables. Today, the Mediterranean Diet is studied and promoted as a well-rounded expansion of the DASH eating pattern to improve blood pressure and cardiovascular measures. Here are a few specific nutrition recommendations for optimal heart health.

Aim for moderate carbohydrate intake from plant-based sources and grains: Carbohydrate is the main source of fuel for both the body and brain; therefore, we absolutely need some carbs on all of our plates. In addition to being our primary energy source, plant-based carbohydrate such as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes are high in fiber as well as micronutrients that can lead to better arterial function and blood flow. A prime example is polyphenols, the most abundant dietary antioxidants found in plant-based foods. Whole grains like oats and barley contain polyphenols and a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has been shown to limit cholesterol reabsorption, lowering blood markers of LDL, or bad cholesterol. Thinking about trying the low carb, keto diet? Think again. Research shows that low carbohydrate intake can have a negative effect on cardiovascular measurements in the blood and can exacerbate plaque formation. Aim for a fist-sized serving of plant-based or whole grain carbohydrate on your plate at each meal.

Limit refined and processed foods: These foods are typically low in fiber, low in overall nutrients, and high in sodium. Reducing sodium intake has been shown to lower blood pressure in those with high and normal blood pressure readings. In addition to contributing to the flavor of food, sodium is used as a preserving agent to extend the shelf life of packaged foods, commercially baked pastries and some canned foods. The sodium content in canned foods can be easily decreased by draining the liquid from the can and rinsing the food under water to shake off the salt. Its recommended that sodium intake is less than 2,300 mg per day, which equates to about 1 teaspoon of salt. If you are someone who exercises frequently and sweats heavily, sodium should not be as much of a concern for you.

MORE FUEL UP: Worried about your blood sugar and diabetes? Add peanuts to your daily diet.

Replace trans fats and saturated fats with unsaturated fats: Like protein and carbohydrate, fat is the third macronutrient vital for nutrient absorption and to protect your heart and brain. People often believe that lowering cholesterol through food translates to lower blood cholesterol values. However, this is not the case for the majority of the population! Dietary fat is actually a more influential nutrient than dietary cholesterol when it comes to improving cholesterol. Bad fats refer to trans fats and saturated fats found in commercially baked foods, processed or cured meats, coconut oil, butter, margarine, vegetable shortenings and desserts like ice cream. We want to limit trans and saturated fats, which raise LDL by carrying cholesterol toward your heart. Good fat is found in protective unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, olive oil, oily fish, peanut butter, almond butter and avocado. Swapping trans or saturated fats for unsaturated fats has been shown to have a positive effect on lowering markers of cholesterol and improving heart health.

Focus on your overall eating pattern rather than a single nutrient: When I work with a patient aiming to improve heart health and/or lower cholesterol, I find there is typically a fixation on a single nutrient or food, like the cholesterol in eggs or salt in deli meat. Rather than hone in on increasing or supplementing a specific nutrient, emphasis should be placed on maintaining a well-balanced dietary pattern complemented by a variety of nutrients.

Major organizations like the American Heart Association and the National Institute of Health recommend an integrative approach for cardiovascular health that addresses diet, increasing physical activity, low to moderate alcohol consumption, stress management and limits smoking.

Use these nutrition habits to prioritize your heart health this month, and every month.

Emma Willingham is a registered dietitian who practices in an outpatient hospital clinic and through her private practice, Fuel with Emma. Willingham specializes in sports-performance nutrition, weight management and nutrition counseling, and aims to promote a resilient relationship between food, mind and body. You can find her on social media at @fuelwithemma.

Original post:
Worried about hypertension? Here's what to eat to keep your heart healthy. - Houston Chronicle

Dieticians at Wayne Memorial Hospital said part of the reason why Brady dominates on the field is his diet.

HONESDALE, Pa. Tom Brady made history with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

He has the most Super Bowl wins ever, taking home his seventh ring.

Brady even bested Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is 18 years his junior.

The 43-years-old's play is inspiring much younger gym-goers like Matt Santiago at Designer Body Works in Honesdale.

"When I'm 43, I hope I still look like I do now, just like him! The more I work out, the more I feel better," Santiago said.

Dieticians at Wayne Memorial Hospital said part of the reason why Tom Brady dominates on the field is his diet.

"He cuts out really a lot of things. It's gluten-free. It's dairy-free. It's organic," Wayne Memorial Hospital Clinical Nutrition Manager Barbara Griggs-Pratt said.

In other words, it's restrictive. Brady calls his dietthe TB12 Method. It's named after him and the number on his jersey. It's heavy on fish, vegetables, and lots of liquids. It cuts out sugar and caffeine. Brady doesn't even drink coffee.

"Most people would find this kind of diet to be very exclusive and difficult to follow; to his credit, he has his very own chef to help him follow that diet, so that makes it a little easier," Griggs-Pratt said.

"I would love to do it. It just takes a lot of dedication," Santiago added.

If you can't go full TB12, dieticians suggest a Mediterranean diet. It focuses on seafood, vegetables, and whole grains. It avoids processed meats and sugary drinks.

See the original post:
Winning the Super Bowl at 43, how does Tom Brady do it? - FOX43.com

The connection between cooking and health goes back at least as far as1893, but the concept of culinary medicine didnt become widespread in the world of medical education until the last decade, including a growing program at UT Southwestern.

According to the Global Burden of Diseasestudypublished by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the No. 1 cause associated with US morbidity and mortality was a poor diet. The No. 4 cause was obesity. Sectors of the medical industry are beginning to put their money where their mouth is in recognition of nutritions importance. Physicians can prescribe certain foods that can be paid for with insurance for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and can create medically-tailored meals for patients with HIV to reduce healthcare costs down the line.

Dr. Jaclyn Albin is an internist and pediatrician at UT Southwestern and the associate program director for the internal medicine/pediatrics residency program. She directs theculinary medicineclasses to first-year medical students at UTSW, one of 55 residency programs nationwide that use the curriculum. I felt that my students and residents were lacking in their ability to help people make lifestyle changes, she says. I noticed that they wanted to help their patients, but the advice that physicians are trained to give around lifestyle change is Eat less and exercise more, which clearly doesnt work.

Albins husband and oldest child have celiac disease, and the adjusted diet they required helped solidify the connection between health and food, but she realized along the way that there was still much to learn Professionally, I dont feel fully equipped to provide what my patients need, and my students and residents dont either, she thought at the time. [Physicians] cant articulate any formal curriculum around nutrition.

In 2015, she launched the Culinary Medicine Program at UTSW with her partner, dietician Milette Siler. The program allows students to take classes in the teaching kitchen on campus, with meals designed to be straightforward, nutritious, and delicious. If they are too complicated or dont taste great, they are unlikely to be adopted for future use.

The class is intended to impact the students health and wellness during a time of increased physician burnout and give the doctors an understanding of and passion for culinary medicine that they can one day pass on to their patients. Culinary medicine can be taught to anyone. It can be taught to anyone whos lay or a health professional, Albin says. Theres not a person to whom its not relevant. If theyre able to eat and prepare food, then its relevant to them.

Since its launch, the class has been an immediate success, with many more requests than spots in the class. During the pandemic, the course went virtual, and students cooked in their homes. The program has also hosted groups like the Southwestern Medical Foundation and the Cary Council, who help support UTSW with financial support. Dr. Albins Culinary Medicine program is just one cutting-edge segment among many areas of science-backed research changing the landscape of medical innovation in Dallas, said Cary Council chair Amanda Eagle George via release.

The program has also expanded to teach physical therapy and physicians assistant students. Providers need to work in teams with nutritionists, dietitians, and nurses to have a meaningful impact. Culinary medicine has the opportunity to build inter-professional collaboration in a way that healthcare is not always doing a good job of, Albin says.

She hopes the program can help physicians break their focus on weight and what to avoid and instead encourage whole grains, low-fat protein, fruits, and vegetables and give them tools to prepare these foods. Lifestyle change and forming new habits will have a longer-lasting impact than trying to avoid unhealthy foods. We are working with our patients on how they can reframe the conversation to be what good stuff can we practically get into your diet thats not currently there, and let the good naturally push out some of the bad, Albin says.

In addition to the impact on future generations of physicians and their potential patients, Albin wants to take the program to patients who need it. Themedical development at Red Birdcould host culinary medicine programming for underserved communities in the area. Still, Albin recognizes that she is only part of a puzzle of social determinants of health that include transportation, education, and access to healthy foods in neighborhoods that are oftenfood deserts. Providing access to healthy food is just as important as the skills to cook it, and Albin hopes her program can be part of the solution. The average physician in a clinic isnt thinking about how a patient with low food security cant just go home and cook kale and hope everybody eats it when they might just have enough resources to feed their family for the month, Albin says. We have to combine strategies for nutrition, education, food access so that we can solve some of the issues that drive chronic disease.

See the original post:
The Food as Medicine Movement Is Gaining Momentum in Dallas - D Healthcare Daily

A healthy cardiovascular system is high on the list of benefits that come from an active lifestyle. Youre not just strengthening youre heart, youre also supporting a healthy blood and oxygen flow, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels down, reducing insulin resistance and strengthening the immune system all of which are vital to increasing longevity.

The American Heart Associations minimum recommendation for adults is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. It also recommends at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activity (resistance-building or weight-lifting exercises).

To achieve this weekly goal, you dont necessarily have to participate in what we think of as standard cardio fitness, like running, swimming or cycling. Those are certainly wonderful options, but there are several effective ways to get your heart rate up for the recommended amount of time some of which you might not even think of as exercise.

Basically, what research has shown is any activity that can increase the heart rate to be in that kind of moderate intensity zone is going to be considered enough aerobic activity to help be protective of the heart, said Jennifer Soo Hoo, an assistant professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Heres what heart health experts recommend:

Brisk Walking

Walking at a pace of 3 to 4 miles per hour should be brisk enough to target the moderate-intensity cardiovascular zone for the average adult, according to Soo Hoo.

Walking is also pretty accessible and low impact, meaning its easy on your joints and your likelihood of injury is fairly minimal compared with jogging or other high-intensity exercises. And youre still reaping many of the same health benefits.

With brisk walking and any activity on this list there are a few ways to measure whether youre amply exerting yourself to achieve a cardiovascular benefit. The easiest way is using a wearable device. If you have a product such as an Apple Watch or a FitBit, it will record your pulse and tell you how long your heart rate was in that moderate-intensity zone.

You can also take your pulse yourself by placing your index and middle fingers on either the inside of your wrist, your carotid artery (which is next to your windpipe) or the top of your foot. Count for 15 seconds and multiply the number of beats you get by four.

You want to reach 50% to 70% or 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate for moderate or vigorous intensity, respectively. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 (so, for a 35-year-old, 220-35=185 beats per minute). Heres a helpful chart if maths not your thing.

Finally, you can self-measure based on your perceived exertion. Ask yourself, Does it seem somewhat hard? Did my breathing quicken? If you can carry on a conversation but you cant sing so you basically need a breath every five to six words thats moderate intensity. Vigorous activities are where youre out of breath and cant say more than a few words, Soo Hoo explained.

alexei_tm via Getty Images

Household Chores

Now that weve established the goal of reaching a target heart rate for a certain duration of time a week, think of all the ways you exert yourself that wouldnt be considered fodder for PE class.

Household chores, like mowing the lawn, detailing your car, gardening, shoveling snow off your sidewalk, vigorously scrubbing the bathtub or mopping the floor, all count if executed at a high intensity. Bonus: Youre killing two birds with one stone.

Active Commuting

When moving your body serves a practical function, like getting from point A to point B, it doesnt feel like exercise and yet it can be.

The next time you need to leave the house for a particular destination, you can choose to walk or bike there instead of driving or taking the bus. Ditto with taking the stairs versus the elevator. Build in activity throughout your day and it will all add up.

Dont Forget Strength-Building Exercises

The AHAs recommended two days a week of strength-building activity has an indirect effect on building heart health by keeping your musculoskeletal system fit.

In order to be able to do the aerobic activities for long periods of time, you need to be able to increase your strength and flexibility, Soo Hoo said. The two go hand in hand.

Moreover, the impact that [strength training] has on increasing muscle mass and bone density can increase our metabolic rate and help us keep at a healthy body weight, according to Sean Heffron, preventive cardiologist at the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone.

You can achieve this through yoga or pilates, which builds core strength and flexibility. You can also sprinkle in some resistance training through lifting weights or using bands. Some of these activities might even double as aerobic, if you do them quickly enough to increase your heart rate.

The Good Brigade via Getty Images

Fun, Leisure Activities

Exercise doesnt have to follow a strict regimen; moving your body should not feel like punishment.

Dancing around to a playlist of your favorite jams, hula-hooping, playing a game of pickup basketball or playing fetch with the dog can also count (in addition to being great ways to blow off steam). Be creative and enjoy yourself and youll be more motivated to do it regularly.

Exercise Snacks

You can break down the 150/75 minutes per week guidelines any way you want. It doesnt have to be three 25-minute runs a week or 30 minutes of biking five days a week.

The concept of an exercise snack, or a short bout of activity, can be an effective way to sneak in fitness throughout the day and week as long as you keep track of the time. For example, you could take a break and jump rope for 10 minutes, or take a 15-minute HIIT class or do a seven-minute workout.

Eating Well And Keeping Stress Levels In Check

Finally, dont underestimate your other lifestyle habits. Its not just staying active: Eating well and managing stress greatly contributes to cardiovascular health.

Heffron recommended following a food approach similar to the Mediterranean diet, a whole food plant-based diet or the DASH diet (which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension).

All those diets have in common that they all incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables, high-fiber foods, some degree of fish consumption, very little processed food and red meat intake, Heffron explained. Its also recommended that you limit alcohol consumption.

Feeling stressed out or often angry, or abusing amphetamines or nicotine, can cause your blood pressure to spike and put undue strain on your heart and circulatory system. Developing healthy coping techniques like deep breathing, or talking to a friend or therapist can help keep your resting heart rate low.

Heffron described a healthy heart as one thats not working too hard. It can be called upon and respond when you need it to, but one thats in such good shape that most of the time, it sits around bored just pumping its blood.

View original post here:
7 Heart-Healthy Activities That Have Nothing To Do With Traditional Cardio - HuffPost

Allie Egan couldnt figure out what was going on with her skin and she was beyond frustrated.

As a student at Harvard Business School in 2014, Egan had developed dry, flaky patches on her face.

After a dermatologist couldnt offer any solutions, Eganwent down a Google rabbit hole; she tried all sorts of suggested remedies she found online, including an elimination diet for her skin, at one juncture, even not using face wash when she showered.

Sometimes it would get better, said Egan, who earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginias McIntire School of Commerce, but then it would rear its ugly head again.

It wasnt until three years later that Egan while having fertility issues as she tried to start a family with her husband finally figured out what was wrong. She was diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is gradually destroyed.

One symptom of the disease: Problems getting pregnant and maintaining pregnancy.

Another: Dry and patchy skin.

Suddenly, everything Egan had been experiencing all the pain, all the anger, all the helplessness, all the disappointment made perfect sense.

I was like, Holy [cow]! said Egan, who suffered two miscarriages during a 2-year span. I realized it was crazy. I had been trying to figure out the answers to my own health problems and didnt have the tools and resources despite seeing a doctor.

I believe that if I had known about my thyroid and autoimmune condition earlier, I would have been able to seek treatment earlier and not had to endure nearly as much of the suffering as we did.

Eventually, Egan was prescribed proper medication, became more cognizant of the food she was eating she went gluten-free and wound up giving birth to a son, Cooper, last August.

Along the way, Egans skin returned to normal.

It was during the painful process that Egan the former CEO of global lifestyle brand Cynthia Rowley, who had also worked at cosmetics behemoth Este Lauder had an idea: What if she could give people like herself the tools to get to the bottom of their own skin issues?

I was inspired to create a company, brand and platform that helps to empower women to understand more about their specific skin and bodies, she said, and hopefully not have to go through what I did.

In early 2020, Egan launched Veracity, a skin care company that provides customers with at-home testing to gather data about the current state of their skin and health and offers products based on unique biofactors.

Instead of relying on things like age, skin type or race to determine a skin care routine, Veracity uses, well, science.

The company has a medical advisory board that includes experts across dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, endocrinology, functional medicine and nutrition.

I see us as being at the intersection of skin care, health care and wellness, Egan said.

Veracity customers receive test kits, then ship a saliva sample back to scientists, who analyze it for six biomarkers that have been tied directly to skin health.

From there, Veracity creates a report on the biomarkers, detailing what they mean specifically to a persons skin and overall health.

Veracity provides skin care product recommendations, as well as actionable insights into other areas of health, including diet and exercise.

We are not a personal trainer or a dietitian, Egan said, but I think its important not to treat skin in a vacuum, but holistically. I dont believe in general or unachievable wellness proclamations. So, for example, we give you diet recommendations that are about adding discrete things and will provide your body nutrients it might be lacking, such as eating two brazil nuts a day.

This month, Veracity began selling its Skin + Health test kits in advance of a line of skin care products it plans on making available in June.

Egan said Veracitys mission is to shed light on whats actually going on inside peoples bodies so that they can make the best decisions for themselves, based on real data.

Egan knows as well as anybody how crowded the skin care space is, but feels Veracity is unique.

In a way, we have lots of competitors, but in another way, nobody is doing what were doing, she said.

The way I think about it is there are a bunch of brands talking about personalization within skin care, but theyre all doing it on kind of like this quiz basis. They send you a quiz or theres something on their website that asks, What type of skin do you have? and What zip code do you live in? To me, it relies on self-diagnosis.

But the whole point of wanting personalization is because you dont know and need assistance with that. So we are really the only ones in any way, shape or form who are using real objective data and testing in the skin care space, which is super exciting.

Egan grew up in suburban Philadelphia. While at UVA on a summer abroad trip with a McIntire course taught by associate professor William Wilkerson, she met her future husband, Jim.

Jim Egan remembers the exact moment they met at a Heathrow Airport gate.

While they didnt begin dating until the spring semester of their fourth year, they became good friends.

We had a lot in common, Jim Egan said, and got along very well.

After graduating in 2008, Egan whose maiden name is Biggar moved to New York for what she thought would be a career in finance. She did a summer internship at Bear Stearns and planned to work there full-time until the financial crisis struck.

She ended up working with a small financial consulting firm before moving on to investment bank Greenhill. While there, she realized she liked the consumer end of things. Subsequently, she went on to take a position focused on consumer retail at private equity firm Catterton (now L Catterton).

I was looking at both new investments, as well as really working closely with our existing ones and helping CEOs and founders build and accelerate their businesses, Egan said. Thats what led me to my sort of a-ha moment of wanting to change careers and go more toward the brand-operating side.

At Este Lauder, she learned the ins and outs of the beauty and skin care industry by heading up three brands: Clinique, La Mer and Origins.

Then, as CEO of Cynthia Rowley, she helped take the business from a wholesale licensing distribution business model to a direct-to-consumer model.

Last year, Egan, buoyed by her personal experiences and feeling like she had a good handle on the skin care landscape decided she wanted to go out on her own.

UVA alumnus Scott Law, the general partner of venture capital firm Meridian Street Capital, was Veracitys first investor.

I've known Allie for over a decade and shes on a small list of folks whomI would fund, no questions asked, Law said. When I wrote the first check, I did just that. At the time, she just had a vague sense of direction and that was enough for me.

Allie is one of the most determined and hardest-working people I know.

At a McIntire event, Egan met fellow McIntire alumna Nancy Twine, the founder and CEO of Briogeo Hair Care, and the youngest African American to launch a product line atSephora. The two hit off it off, with Twine choosing to invest in Veracity shortly after.

So much of what you see on the outside manifests from whats happening on the inside, said Twine, when asked what she likes most about the company. Veracity has the potential to disrupt customized skin care with insightful wellness and health knowledge that drives bespoke skin care solutions rooted in clean and efficacious ingredients.

Egan cant help but shake her head when she thinks about her past skin struggles.

If I had known in 2014 what my issue was, I dont know if I would have had to go to fertility treatments and this whole rigmarole, she said. I might have been able to understand what my issues were and get them under control naturally.

I think that applies to the fertility space, but then so much more even beyond that. People only find out things are a problem when theyre a big problem. So if you can use your skin as a sign of your health, you can make more proactive change much earlier.

An avid runner who has qualified for the Boston Marathon multiple times, Egans strength, determination and drive are what makes her truly special, according to Jim Egan.

It was a very trying and difficult number of years, said Egan, the co-head of securitized product strategy at Morgan Stanley. To be where we are now I couldnt be more proud of her. I couldnt be more completely blown away by what shes been able to accomplish.

Allie Egan said launching a business during a global pandemic has had its challenges, but the flip side is that it has allowed her to work from home and be with Cooper, who recently turned 5 months old.

Hes a mini-perfectionist, like his mom probably, Egan said with a laugh. Hes a pretty easy baby. Hes fun-loving. He thankfully started sleeping through the night at 11 weeks so we got really lucky there. And he wears lots of UVA gear, as you can imagine.

Egan said the joy of motherhood has been everything she envisioned.

I dont even know how to summarize it, she said. For all of these other things that Ive done in life and achieved, this is just the best one and it just keeps getting better as he grows up and becomes his own little person. Im just so happy.

Read more here:
Joy and Pain: Alumna's New Skin Care Company Born Out of Tough Times - UVA Today

The small and large intestines are a vital part of the human digestive system. The length of the small intestine is roughly 916 feet (ft), while the large intestine is shorter, measuring about 5 ft long.

The intestines sit in the abdomen and absorb nutrients, vitamins, and water. They form part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the latter section of the digestive system. Together, the intestines run from the end of the stomach to the anus.

While the intestines can fit inside the abdomen, they are much longer than many people may realize. The exact length of the intestines can also vary from person to person.

Older research investigating the length of the intestines in people who donated their body to science suggests an average total intestinal length of about 26 ft, with a range of 21.9 ft to 30.3 ft.

The study authors emphasize that measurements of intestinal length are rare. For this reason, there is no scientific evidence that intestinal size or length correlates with health or affects how well digestion works.

In this article, we discuss what the research says about the length of the small and large intestines.

The small intestine is actually longer than the large intestine but gets its name from its smaller diameter. It is located toward the bottom of the abdomen and connects the stomach to the large intestine.

The small intestine makes digestive juice to complete the breakdown of food. It also absorbs water and nutrients. If the small intestine is unable to absorb enough water, a person may get diarrhea.

The small intestine consists of three distinct parts:

It is difficult to measure the length of the small intestine in a healthy living person, but researchers estimate that it ranges from about 9.8 ft to 16.4 ft.

The three sections of the small intestine differ significantly in length:

Older research found that the total length of the intestines correlates with weight, such that people who weigh more have longer intestines. Younger people and males also have, on average, longer intestines.

The small intestine is long enough that a person can undergo small bowel resection surgery to remove part of it if an underlying disease or condition causes it to stop functioning.

The large intestine, which doctors also call the colon, has a larger diameter than the small intestine. The primary function of the large intestine is to reabsorb fluids, electrolytes, and vitamins and then form and propel feces toward the rectum for elimination.

It contains four distinct parts:

As with the small intestine, the total length of the large intestine varies from person to person. Heavier people, younger people, and males generally have longer intestines. In most people, it is about 5 ft long.

The colon is the longest part of the large intestine, while the cecum measures about 2.4 in long. The rectum is about 7.5 in long, and the anus, the smallest part of the large intestine, is about 1 in long.

Some people with certain health conditions may need to undergo a colon resection, or colectomy, to remove part of or the whole large intestine.

People who find it difficult to visualize the length of the intestines may find these comparisons helpful:

The length of the intestines can vary greatly among individuals. Research suggests that the combined length of the small and large intestines is at least 15 ft in length. The small intestine can measure about 916 ft, while the large intestine is roughly 5 ft long.

The intestines have the important role of helping break down and absorb nutrients from food and drink. Generally, the length of the intestines should not affect a persons life.

Originally posted here:
How long are your intestines? Length of small and large intestine - Medical News Today

Walking home from the shops one day I spotted a large advertisement for a local gym plastered to the side of a building. Flatten the curve in 2021, it shouted. Fascinating, I noted, how it simultaneously played on the collective trauma of the past year while also signalling its intrinsic fatphobia. Advertising, after all, is designed to first instil and then prey on our insecurities and anxieties.

We can all agree that the past year has been tough for the body. Lockdown restrictions and a surge in working from home have lulled most of us into a sedentary lifestyle. Add to this, too, the closure of spaces where wed step and sweat out our weeks gluttony: gyms, pools, even nightclubs. The past 12 months have even introduced us to concepts such as Covid kilos added body weight gained from surviving a deadly global pandemic.

Its been tough, but January takes the cake. Itchy from the crumbs of 2020, the month is kneaded with meager attempts at reinvention as new years resolutions seduce us into redistributing our behaviours, choices and priorities. Stricter diets and amped up exercise routinely perch atop most lists.

My local gym (surprise! Im not immune) uses a familiar tactic. The promotional fodder sees before/after photos of members, explicitly detailing how many kilos theyve shaved away.

And as I scroll down Instagram I realise that many of us have become mules for the Diet Industrial Complex, publicly sharing the success of our bodys journey from before to after. And why shouldnt we? Training and calorie-deficit dieting are examples of a discipline that is surely worthy of recognition.

But, when it comes to health, are body transformation photos truly the best metric to weigh on? Are before and after photos markers of achievement, or are they perhaps emblematic of our broader societys obsession with weight loss and narrow builds of body image?

In our pursuit to post, are we prioritising individual forms of bodily achievement over the collective wellbeing of our online communities? Why, I wonder, do we continue to see weight loss as an explicit phenomena worth celebrating?

At this point, many reading will sneer. Theyll cite statistics on the growing rate of obesity in Australias adult population. Theyll list the comorbidities: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke. Weight loss, theyll suggest, is inextricably tied to health.

But as HuffPosts Michael Hobbes reported in 2018, everything you know about obesity is wrong. Through a host of interviews and scientific papers, Hobbes maintains that weight loss isnt as simple a science as one might assume. Some will have a much, much more difficult pathway to weight loss due to their unique individual factors. The longform piece concludes by arguing that mitigation efforts must shift from individual responsibility and intervention towards a focus on systematic issues, such as poverty, food management and regulation.

The piece also highlights a massive threat to fat people: our attitudes towards them.

Fatphobia, and its associated shame, stigma, and bias, can also cause severe health complications in fat people. New podcasts such as Maintenance Phase are doing important work in debunking our assumptions around wellness and weight loss.

Our unequivocal celebration of thinness doesnt help. In May 2020 Adele emerged from a social media blackout considerably slimmer. Editor of Bitch Magazine, Evette Dionne, was cautious about all the glowing praise: In a culture that often equates thinness with moral goodness, weight loss is worthy of celebration, no matter how its obtained or what it signals about whats happening with our bodies. Dionne reminds us that we dont know the details of Adeles weight loss nor should we yet were comfortable projecting our own virtues on to her new figure. The fact that we so uncritically assign positive attribution tells us everything we need to know about how we view bodies and value them.

This is personal. A decade ago my own disordered eating saw me lose a considerable amount of weight. I was told I looked great; but at what cost? Meals quickly became maths equations, calculating exactly how many calories sat on my plate. My body became a game in which there was no clear winner. When would I start living happily with my very own after?

My difficulty with body transformation photos is that were all somebodys before and somebody elses after in a system that so brutally values only a narrow margin of physiques. The crowded online environment feeds us an overflowing source of images that reveals to us the body hierarchy: here, one persons success can all too quickly become anothers source of shame. Whats more, were sold universal dreams (flatten the curve you could lose this weight, too) that grate up to the very real limits of our body or worse, we decide to push beyond them.

In July 2018 Lena Dunham shared an Instagram before/after that was startlingly different. In the before she was thinner, complimented all day and propositioned by men and on the cover of a tabloid about diets that work. In the after she was bigger, happy joyous & free, complimented only by people that matter for reasons that matter. Shes honest about her reflections: Even this OG body positivity warrior sometimes looks at the left picture longingly, until I remember the impossible pain that brought me there and on to my proverbial knees. As I type I can feel my back fat rolling up under my shoulder blades. I lean in.

The past 12 months have taught us that we need to be kinder to ourselves, heaving off arbitrary pressures and expectations.

We need to curve a new language around our bodies and their unique capabilities and limits. We need to prioritise our bodys internal circuitry both physical and mental if were to take our health seriously. We need to uproot our internalised fatphobia. Most importantly, we need to start recognising that everybody every body is deserving of dignity and respect.

Dejan Jotanovic is a freelance writer based in Narrm/Melbourne. Twitter: @heydejan

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Weight loss 'before and after' photos don't give us a full picture of our health - The Guardian

Sure, you may not have legions of fans or Mark Walhberg cheering you on, but you can be inspired by the weight-loss success stories of these famous musicians, who all recently cleaned up their diets to drop pounds and get into better shape. Whether it's quitting alcohol, cutting back on carbs, or ditching processed foods, each of these male musicians found a slimming strategy that works for them. Read on to see how you can adopt these healthy eating changes into your own lifestyle rockstar status or not. And for more, make sure to check out these 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

After gaining weight on tour from post-show wine and wings, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran cut back on alcohol and started exercising regularly, enabling him to shed an impressive 50 pounds. He also quit smoking and started running in an effort to clean up his lungs along with his diet.

Can't totally give up wine? Check out these low-carb and less sugary options.

Tim McGraw's 40-pound weight loss didn't happen overnightit's been a decade-long process, which he opens up about in his new book, Grit & Grace: Train the Mind, Train the Body, Own Your Life.

Like Sheeran, alcohol became a stapleand a crutchfor McGraw to get through shows. So, he quit drinkinga smart move, since studies show how much alcohol contributes to weight gain. The country star also copped to cutting out burgers and other "truck-stop foods" and upping his workouts majorly: aiming for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. "There's such a feeling of accomplishment that comes from being my age and still being at the top of my game," McGraw, 52, said in an interview.

Craving a burger? Try these 13 Hacks To Make Your Burger Healthier.

DJ Khaled kickstarted his weight-loss journey by partnering with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) back in 2017. In doing so, he lost 43 pounds and changed his approach to food. His new philosophy? Moderation. Kaled cut back on white rice and bread, replaced sugar in his cappuccinos with stevia (a plant-derived, zero-calorie sweetener), and started eating more fish and salads. He reportedly still indulges in his favorite sweets (like pumpkin pie), only now, he does so sparingly and treats it like a celebration.

In a salad rut? Here are 35+ Non-Boring Salad Recipes for Weight Loss.

Earlier in his career, Eminem ballooned to almost 230 pounds by "constantly eatingand eating badly," he said in an interview with Men's Journal. "When I got out of rehab, I needed to lose weight, but I also needed to figure out a way to function sober." He started running, but got compulsive about how many calories he was burning each day. He's since found more balance, mixing up his at-home workouts (favoring P90X and Body Beast). In April 2020, he celebrated 12 years of addiction recovery.

Country crooner Kenny Chesney has one simple rule for keeping up his fit physique: "No carbs after 5 pm. That's no potatoes, no rice, no pasta, nothing," Chesney told CMT's Cody Alan. To make up for any carb cravings, he eats more protein and doubles up on vegetables, so he can "wake up feeling leaner." Low- carb diets have long been linked with weight loss, and Chesney's rule offers a manageable way to reduce carbs.

At age 48, rapper Busta Rhymes proudly claims that he's in the best shape of his life. Rhymes experienced a major turning point after an emergency surgery in 2019 forced him to take his health into his own hands. He told Men's Health, "I had to steer things in a different direction. I was too young to be on all of these blood-pressure medications and acid-reflux medications." He hired a trainer and completely overhauled his dietprioritizing whole, real foods like oatmeal and eggs at breakfast, salads for lunch, and fish or steak with lots of veggies for dinner.

Wanna up your veggie game? Here are 18 Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes that will add color, flavor, and great nutrients to your diet.

For the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, weight loss was a side effect of a much more serious health endeavor. Reynolds has a rare autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),which has caused him constant agony for years. In order to manage his pain, Reynolds overhauled his diet and exercise routine and now, he's "ache-free and happier than ever," according to Men's Health.Oh, and he's also completely shredded. He sticks to a clean, anti-inflammatory diet full of nutrient-rich fruit and veggies and complex carbs: Oatmeal, berries, bananas, salads, sweet potatoes, brown rice, chicken, lamb, and lots of olive oil.

After a hypertension diagnosis, rapper (and chicken-wing devotee who owns 25 Wingstop franchises) Rick Ross dropped a staggering 100 pounds. How'd he do it? "It's all about the balance to me," Ross told ABC News, adding that he has healthy snacks between meals and slows down eating heavy meals later in the day. Per his doctor's orders, he also cut out soda, which research shows is linked to weight gain.

For more celeb weight loss news, check out these 6 Celeb Weight-Loss Tricks You Can Steal Right Now.

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8 Rockstars Who Lost a Ton of Weight By Cleaning Up Their Diets | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

The small oval-shaped pumpkin seeds also referred to as pepitas are a powerhouse of nutrients. Rich in magnesium, iron and fibre, the seeds make for a healthy and crunchy snack. The American Heart Association recommends having a quarter cup (30 grams) of pumpkin seeds every day as a part of a healthy diet.Here in this article, we will discuss the benefits of pumpkin seeds and easy ways to consume them.Benefits of pumpkin seedsGood for your heartPumpkin seeds have healthy fats, fibres and antioxidants that are good for your cardiovascular health. The tiny seeds also have monounsaturated fatty acids that help in lowering the bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. The magnesium in the seeds helps by regulating the blood pressure levels.

Helps you sleep betterPumpkin seeds have Serotonin, a neurochemical that is considered a natural sleeping pill. These are also rich in Tryptophan, an amino acid that gets converted to serotonin in the body, improving the quality of your sleep. A handful of seeds before you go to bed can be an easy and natural way to get a good night's sleep.

Anti-inflammatoryPumpkin seeds have anti-inflammatory properties, which help in reducing arthritis pain. The seeds work as an easy home remedy in treating joint pain.

Boosts immunityThe seeds are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals that help in boosting your immunity and reducing your chances of getting sick.

Good for prostate healthAs per studies, zinc is helpful in promoting men's fertility and preventing prostate-related problems. Pumpkin seeds have DHEA (Di-hydro epi-androstenedione) that lowers one's risk of prostate cancer.

Good for diabeticsPumpkin seeds help in controlling the blood sugar levels by decreasing the oxidative stress. The seeds are also rich in digestible protein, which stabilises the blood sugar levels.

Promotes weight lossMore than half the world wants to lose weight and get fit. The tiny pumpkin seeds are densely rich in nutrients, which helps keep you fuller for longer. The seeds are high in fibre that keeps you satiated and stops you from binge eating.

Improves hair growthPumpkin seeds have cucurbitacin, which is a unique amino acid that helps in hair growth. These are also rich in vitamin C, which also plays an important role in hair growth. You can apply pumpkin seed oil on the scalp or consume a handful of pumpkin seeds daily to see results.

Rich in antioxidantsPumpkin seeds have antioxidants like vitamin E and carotenoids. These help in reducing inflammation and protect the cells from harmful free radicals. This in turn protects your body against various diseases.

In a study conducted on rats, it was found that inflammation in rats with arthritis was reduced by giving them pumpkin seed oils. On the other hand, rats given anti-inflammatory drugs experienced negative side effects, while the rats given the pumpkin seed oil experienced no side effect.

Lowers your risk of certain cancersIt has been found that diets rich in pumpkin seeds have been linked with a lower risk of stomach, lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer.

Another study found that the consumption of pumpkin seeds reduces the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

May improve sperm qualityLow zinc levels are linked with reduced sperm quality and increased risk of infertility in men. As pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, their consumption can help improve the quality of sperm.

A study conducted on mice found that pumpkin seeds protect human sperm from damage caused by autoimmune disease and chemotherapy.

The various antioxidants in the seeds improve the health of testosterone. All these factors together can help improve reproductive function in males.

Ways to consume pumpkin seeds- You can have dry roasted pumpkin seeds as a snack

- Grind some pumpkin seeds and add them to your salads and curries.

- Garnish your cupcakes with raw/roasted/grated pumpkin seeds.

- Add pumpkin seeds to the trail mix

Read more:
Pumpkin seeds: Benefits and easy ways to include them in your diet - Times of India

If youve been diagnosed with anemia, youve likely experienced the unpleasant side effects that it can cause. Some of these side effects and symptoms can mirror those of anxiety.

So, is there a connection between anemia and anxiety? The short answer is, maybe.

Anemia is a condition where your body doesnt have enough red blood cells. The job of red blood cells is to carry oxygen throughout your body, so when you dont have enough of them, your body isnt getting the oxygen it needs to function properly.

Eating a diet that lacks vitamins and minerals can also be a contributing factor to some types of anemia.

A 2013 study of schoolchildren in China found that of those who didnt have access to a well-balanced diet, 42.4 percent were anemic. After being given a multivitamin, the rate of anemia in these students went down by 7 percentage points. Interestingly, these students also reported decreased anxiety.

Many of the symptoms of anemia are similar to those of anxiety and some may actually create anxiety if youre experiencing them.

Symptoms of anemia may include:

Having these symptoms may magnify or increase anxiety. If youre experiencing uncomfortable digestive symptoms, you may worry about going out in public. If youre having chest pain or shortness of breath, you may worry that its a sign of something more serious.

These symptoms can also indicate other serious health problems. If youre experiencing any of these symptoms, see a healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room if the symptoms are severe.

If youre having symptoms of anxiety or anemia, its important to be evaluated by a healthcare professional as soon as possible to determine whats causing your symptoms and begin treating the underlying causes.

Anemia is diagnosed through blood tests, your medical history, and a physical exam.

Blood tests can show whether youre making enough red blood cells and whether theres enough iron in your body, while the medical history and physical exam will explore any symptoms youre having.

Lab tests to diagnose anemia can include:

There are many types of anemia. The type of anemia you have will depend on whats causing it and what other medical conditions you may have.

The most common types of anemia include:

It can be hard to distinguish between symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of anemia since many of them are the same. Symptoms of anxiety include:

The good news is, anemia is a very treatable condition. The treatment for anemia depends on the underlying cause and may include:

After a mental health professional or doctor has diagnosed you with anxiety, there are different treatment options available to help with symptoms. These options include:

If youre experiencing symptoms of anxiety that interfere with your daily life, help is available here:

If youre having thoughts of harming yourself, talk with your doctor, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

In addition to these treatment options, there are many things you can do to help reduce and manage your anxiety. These include:

Risk factors for anemia include:

Both anemia and anxiety are serious conditions if left untreated. However, once theyre diagnosed by a medical professional, treatments like diet adjustment, medications, and therapy can be extremely helpful.

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Anemia and Anxiety: Understanding the Connection - Healthline

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