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Ive written lots of articles about probiotics, microbiota, and the health of your gut, especially in relation to things like heartburn, mental well-being, and simple overall health. As Im currently nine months pregnant, Ive been dealing with quite a few unpleasant gut changes, which led me down a fascinating road of gut types. Who knew that there were actually differenttypes of gut that present physically, mentally, and emotionally!

Each human body is individual and therefore requires individual attention and this goes for your gut too. While probiotics, a plant-based diet, and a physically active lifestyle are all great places to start when boosting your gut health, discovering the exact type of issues going on within your gut will help to tailor the food you eat, the type of exercise you take part in, and what type of supplements may help to alleviate any digestive discomfort.

Lets take a little explorative session into the digestive system, the microbiome, the different types of gut, and how we can care for ourselves as individuals!

When you talk about the gut, youre actually referring to an incredibly complicated system that extends between your mouth all the way to your rectum. This system is the main source of nutrient absorption and storage, its how we energize, and how we get nourishment. Alright, so what makes up your digestive system?

The digestive system includes your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (also called your colon), pancreas, liver, gallbladder, rectum, and anus. As you can tell, the digestive system isnt just located in your mid-section generally where you feel most digestive discomfort such as bloating, gas, or upset stomach but its an entire body, top to bottom, network.

On top of that, your gut or digestive system is riddled with good and bad bacteria called microbiota that make up the microbiome, yet another incredibly complicated ecosystem within your body. Yet, this microbiome has been found to play an integral role in not only your digestive health but also your mental health, the efficacy of nutrient absorption, energy level pretty much your overall bodily health.

Each part of the digestive system has an important part to play! Lets take a look at how your food is processed through this amazing network. Digestion begins in the mouth as your salivary glands get active when you see and smell food. Your saliva then mixes with the food to begin to break it down into a form your body can absorb and use.

Next, your esophagus receives food from your mouth [and] a series of muscular contractions within the esophagus called peristalsis delivers food to your stomach. Finally, weve made it to the stomach! This hollow organ holds food while it is being mixed with stomach enzymes [and strong acid] [that will] continue the process of breaking down food into a usable form.

From there, this new conglomeration of enzyme, acid, and nutrients moves into the small intestine where the work really starts! Your small intestine is a 22-foot long muscular tube made of three segments the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum where your food is further broken down using enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver, as well as peristalsis, which aids the food to move through and mix with digestive juices from the pancreas and liver. The first segment of your small intestine the duodenum is responsible for the continuous breaking-down process, while the lower sections the jejunum and ileum are responsible for absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.

The resulting semi-solid mixture water, bile, enzymes, and mucus passes into the colon (of the large intestine). The colon is a 6-foot long muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the rectum and its primary goal is to separate the necessary from the waste. While the colon may be shorter than the small intestine, its made up of more parts including the cecum, the ascending (right) colon, the transverse (across) colon, the descending (left) colon, and the sigmoid colon, which connects to the rectum. Once all the nutrients and water have been removed from the mixture, youre left with waste matter, which is stored in the sigmoid (S-shaped) colon until a mass movement empties it into the rectum once or twice a day.

While we dont reallywantto talk about waste, its important to note that theres a lot more going on there than meets the eye. Your waste or stool is mostly food debris and bacteria. Its the bacteria that you want to focus on. These good bacteria perform several useful functions, such as synthesizing various vitamins, processing waste products, and food particles, and protecting against harmful bacteria.

I covered, very briefly, the difference between microbiota referring to the collection of microbes that live in and on the human body and microbiome referring to the complete set of genes within these microbes. One is talking about the entirety and the other refers to the individual or more detailed version of the former. In another of my gut-related articles Understanding the Gut-Hormone Connection I break down the microbiome:

Themicrobiomeis very similar to a mini-ecosystem in which microscopic organisms thrive. These microscopic organisms, also called microorganisms, create a symbiotic environment called themicrobiome and they includebacteria, pathogens infections agents, archaea prokaryote microorganisms, which lack a nucleus, and eukaryotic microbes microorganisms that have a nucleus. Your microbiome is built from yourpersonal environment and lifestyle, such as geography, health status, stress, diet, age, gender, and everything you touch, therefore every humans microbiome isspecial and uniqueto them.

When it comes to the health of your gut or digestive system there are lots of factors that play an important role including exercise, stress, and medication. Yet, one of the most influential factors is your diet. The effects of diet are probably what you would expect.

A diet thats loaded with highly processed and ultra-processed foods which include refined carbs, sugars, hydrogenated oils, and trans fats is severely detrimental to your gut health, while a diet rich in whole, plant-based foods is linked to a healthy gut. This isnt just hearsay, there have been multiple studies conducted at different institutions and within different parameters that come to similar conclusions such as this study published in the European Cardiology Review or this multi-institutional study entitled The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota.

So, what is it about a plant-based diet that improves gut health? A lot of it has to do with the fact that plant-based diets are naturally anti-inflammatory, yet the other large part is due to the fact that plants are rich in a variety of gut-sustaining nutrients such as dietary fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, and a diverse range of all the vitamins and minerals. For instance, dietary fiber is known to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria that reduce inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk, as well as increases short-chain fatty acids linked to improved immunity and improved intestinal function.

While fiber is important, its also about incorporating a balanced intake of the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients, while excluding the toxic ingredients of processed foods and high amounts of added sugar. All of these play a factor in your gut health!

Alright, now that we know as much as we can about gut health in as short a period as possible, that is! its probably a good idea to take stock of your own gut health. Digestive issues are a pervasive issue in the states. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22.4 million people were diagnosed with a digestive disorder or disease by their physician, while 8.3 million people were separately diagnosed in the emergency room.And this doesnt account for physician or emergency room visits for less severe digestive disorders such as painful gas, diarrhea or constipation, excessive bloating, or upset stomachs.

Most likely, everyone reading this article has one or two gripes about their digestive system! Where do you start? Figure out what type of gut youve got and learn how to properly care for it so you can balance out that microbiome and avoid products and foods that may cause disrupt.

Candida is a genus of yeasts that is typically found in small amounts in the mouth and intestines and on the skin. Its actually quite normal to have small amounts of candida throughout your life, yet when that amount begins to grow uncontrollably, it can cause an infection known as candidiasis, which happens to be the most common cause of fungal infections in humans.

This condition can manifest in weight gain, phlegmy coughs and sniffles, and a white coating on the tongue.Those with a candida gut generally desire foods rich in sugar, dairy, and wheat and are generally incredibly worrisome, anxious, and obsessive.

If youre looking to heal yourself, its recommended to eat a lot of soups, stews, and warm starchy veggies, such as this Chickpea Miso Noodle Soup or these Cinnamon Turmeric Sweet Potatoes fermented foods, such as these Potato Kimchi Pancakes or this Homemade Raw Sauerkraut and incorporate a good probiotic such as this Garden of Life Whole Food Probiotic Supplement, this Florastor Daily Probiotic Supplement, or this Hyperbiotics PRO-15 Probiotic. On the other hand, make sure to avoid dairy, sugar, refined grains, raw foods, and yeast.

A gastric gut is directly linked to your lifestyle, self-care routine, and a slow-moving digest system. In particular, it means that youre overworking and overexerting yourself. This mixture overworking and a slow-moving digestive system leads to habits that cause poor digestion such as not chewing properly, overeating, and taking antacids.

This condition manifests with issues such as gas, bloating, and acid reflux, as well as habits such as eating your food too fast. If youve got this gut type, you most likely are a fiery, passionate, and reactive personality type as well!

If youre looking to heal, try to eat several small meals and stop before youre full, load up on bitter veggies, herbs, and citrus, drink mineral water, [and] supplement with digestive enzymes, such as this Pure Vegan Digestive Enzyme Complex, these Mary RuthsVegan Digestive Food Enzymes, or this Garden of Life Organic Chewable Enzyme Supplement. On the other hand, youll want to avoid alcohol, caffeine, fried foods, and spicy foods. Try a few of these plant-based recipes that are rich in bitter veggies, herbs, and citrus: 10-Minute Seitan Beef and Broccoli, Braised Kale, Cilantro Lime Tacos, Alkaline Green Juice, or this Avocado Grapefruit Jicama Salad.

You may think that a gastric and stressed gut are the same thing and while they may have similarities, theyre actually quite different! A stressed gut is caused by the constant circulation of stress hormones, which diverts blood flow away from your gut and impairs the growth of good bacteria and digestive enzyme production.

The condition usually manifests in adrenal fatigue, which causes sleep issues, decreased libido, and trouble focusing. These folks tend to consume too much coffee and/or too much alcohol and generally have a type-A workaholic personality.

If youre looking to heal, incorporate salty, dark-colored foods, such as this Vietnamese Purple Yam Soup or these Homemade Dark Chocolates supplement with B vitamins, and look into getting some adaptogens into your life such as these Natures Way Astragalus Root Capsules, these Pure Mountain BotanicalsHoly Basil Capsules, or this NaturaLife LabsOrganic Maca Root Black, Red, Yellow.

Make sure to avoid alcohol, caffeine, refined grains, and sugar.

One of the main culprits behind an immune gut is food sensitivities most commonly, gluten and dairy. Unfortunately, there are a few factors that are somewhat unavoidable that can cause an immune gut including longtime use of antibiotics, birth control pills, and steroids.

An immune gut is treatable, but at its worst results in autoimmune disorders and inflammatory bowel diseases. Those with this type of gut generally have a habit of going for the antibiotics on a regular basis and are usually perfectionists, insecure, and detail-oriented personality types.

If youre looking to heal an immune gut, its a bit more complicated than other types. First off, youll want to pair up with your doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian in order to work out an elimination diet in order to find out exactly what youre sensitive too. Next, its recommended to focus on reestablishing the health of your gut through supplemental digestive enzymes, soil-based (SBO) probiotics, and L-glutamine. Also, think about incorporating healthy fats on a daily basis think avocado, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil! On the other hand, steer clear of alcohol, dairy, raw foods, and packaged foods.

Find the perfect probiotic and digestive enzyme for your body using the following guide articles 10 Vegan Digestive Enzyme Supplements and Vegan Probiotics: How To Get Them From Supplements and Food

And then try out some of these healthy fat-filled recipes: Garden Green Soup, Peach, Raspberry and Coconut Yogurt Chia Pudding, Brussels Sprouts Salad with Macadamias and Apple, Avocado Pesto Pasta, or this Super Quick Chocolate Porridge.

Last, but not least, the toxic gut!

This type of gut is actually caused by the Standard American Diet basically, eating processed or fast food. As mentioned earlier, processed and ultra-processed foods are incredibly detrimental to your gut microbiome, so much so that eating too many are referred to as toxic. By eating processed foods, youre actually eating unhealthy fat, sugar, and chemicals.

This condition manifests in an inflammatory chain reaction from our liver to our intestines, leading to symptoms ranging from gallstones to rosacea to neurological distress. People who suffer from toxic gut generally are impatient, frequently frustrated, and quick to anger personality types. If youre looking to heal a toxic gut, incorporate an abundance of raw, green, and/or sour foods, drink dandelionormilk thistle tea, [and]get more sleep. On the other hand, avoid alcohol, non-organic produce, fried foods, nut butter, [and] oils.

Try some of these recipes that are rich in raw, green, and sour foods: Raw Cranberry Coconut Energy Bars, Carrot Ginger Soup With Curried Raisin Relish, Spinach Potato Soup, Thai Tempeh Collard Greens Wraps, Fizzy Pink Grapefruit Lemonade, or these Super-Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles.

Learning everything you can about gut health is an excellent step towards a better functioning body! From boosting energy to smoothing out digestion to absorbing more nutrients and even conquering mental health issues, starting with the gut is a great idea!

Homemade Probiotic Cashew Yogurt/One Green Planet

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help withchronic inflammation,heart health,mental wellbeing,fitness goals,nutritional needs,allergies,gut health,andmore! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, includingacne,hormonal imbalance,cancer,prostate cancerand has manyside effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading theFood Monster App with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about theenvironmentalandhealth benefitsof aplant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to theOne Green Planet Newsletter! Lastly, being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please considersupporting usby donating!

Original post:
A Guide to Your Gut Type and What This Means for Your Diet - One Green Planet

In August, we are normally preparing our children for school. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many adults may also be getting ready for a return to work in person for the first time since March. Be it in a school building, office complex or other place of employment, theres a lot to think about to ensure that the first day back gets off to a good start.

With countless changes and new safety protocols, we have come up with several rules of thumb to consider:

Dont go back if you pose a risk.

This is an easy one. If you or your children have COVID-19 symptoms, or have come into contact with someone who has symptoms, continue to isolate or quarantine pending the results of a test. We all have a responsibility to our community to stay put if we pose a risk to others.

Waiting for the right time to return to regular activities is crucial. Follow Massachusetts guidelines and be sure to self-quarantine for 14 days after exposure and self-isolate for at least seven days if you tested positive and have mild symptoms that are improving.

Be prepared to not go back.

Mentally and physically we need to be prepared to not return to our offices or for our children to not go back to the schoolhouse. It will be important to stay informed and make note of your communitys policies and guidelines coming from the Commonwealth.

Stock up on supplies.

As folks return to work and school, there will be plenty of bathroom tissue on supermarket shelves, but youll need to invest in hand sanitizer, sanitary wipes and face masks. While your employer and schools should have plenty, its best to be safe and stock up on medical-grade hand sanitizer that is at least 65 percent alcohol and wash your hands with soap and water frequently. It will also be wise to have enough masks for the school and workweek so you have a fresh, clean mask each day.

You should also consider other available supplies that can help support your immune system. For example, there are many versatile supplements like zinc, elderberry and vitamin C that each support immune health and can help your body fight the coronavirus.

Be mindful of stressors.

While we discussed managing your stress during the pandemic in a recent Over the Counter column and its benefits for your health and immune system, it will be important to take note of your familys behavioral health as well. Be mindful of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions signs of anxiety and depression in your children, like fear toward people or places and altered eating patterns, and facilitate an open dialogue with your entire family to gauge how they are feeling as things return to normal. If you or a loved one are feeling depressed, seek guidance from a behavioral health clinician.

Pack a healthy lunch.

Once youre back on the job, dont rush to your favorite lunch counter too quickly for two reasons: to avoid unnecessary contact and to eat healthily. Limiting your trips to busy lunch-hour destinations will help ensure youre not coming into contact with COVID-19. It will also be an opportunity to continue the healthy eating habits that we recommended in an Over the Counter column earlier this summer, including consuming a nutrient-rich diet that can boost your immune system.

The same goes for your children. Schools have done a great job creating balanced and healthy meal options that millions of youths rely on, but packing a lunch box with some extra healthy snacks or lunch alternatives are the best way to make sure your children are getting the nutrients they need.

Dont forget to exercise and sleep well.

Just because youre headed back to work doesnt mean you should curtail your home workout routine. Theres a good reason why children have recess and gym class. Try to continue those push-ups, crunches and virtual yoga sessions at home before or after work, or in the office on your break. Some virtual yoga sessions can be done with a chair in as little time as 15 minutes.

At the very least, continue to get outside every day. Take a 15-minute walk during the workday, or carve out some time before or after work to get out and soak up some of the suns vitamin D.

We likely dont have to remind you of the importance of sleep on your immune system or your childrens development. But if you are having trouble getting to bed earlier since youre waking up earlier to get your kids ready and to commute, consider natural sleep remedies like magnesium, melatonin and lavender oil.

Things will certainly be different, but by practicing common sense and working to ensure the health and safety of you and your family, youll be better prepared to navigate the new normal.

Gary Kracoff has a degree in naturopathic medicine and is a registered pharmacist and John Walczyk is a compounding pharmacist at Johnson Compounding & Wellness in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit http://www.naturalcompounder.com. Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can email gary@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.

Read more:
Over the Counter: Getting ready for back to school and work - Milford Daily News

With the rising threat of climate change, people around the world are increasinglyrecognizing the importance of large-scale sustainability. In a recent poll of American and Australian citizens, 93% of respondents expressed concern for the environment and indicated that they are ready to act. Sustainable habits that individuals themselves can undertake include recycling, driving less, avoiding single-use plastics, and adopting a plant-based diet.

But its important to keep in mind that identifying a problem is just the first step of a much larger project: Changing your lifestyle to incorporate sustainable habits can prove to be a bit more challenging. To better ensure success as you work to incorporate more sustainable habits into your daily life, consider digging a little deeper into the science behind habit formation.

It is generally accepted that habits have three distinct components: Trigger, action, and reward. When youre working to form a new habit, its crucial that you focus on how each component relates to your end goal.Our reward centers primarily fuel change, so you must be sure to reward yourself every time you reach a goal or milestone.

The human bodys rewards center essentially runs on dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter. There are plenty of ways to give yourself a temporary dopamine boost, most of which have negative repercussions. Whats more, the rewards from smoking a cigarette,drinking alcohol, or overindulging in a rich dessert tend to fade quickly.

Conversely, dopamine cultivated via positive habits such as regular exercise and plant-based eating builds up over time. When it comes to sustainable habits, youre building a strong reward-based foundation every time you bring along reusable totes, take the bus to work, or choose themeat-free option at lunchtime.

Forming sustainable habits starts with your triggers or cues. In regards to adopting a healthier, more sustainable diet, identify the cues or triggers that cause you to crave unhealthy foods. Triggers are highly individualized and can come from both internal and external sources.

Where sustainable habits can help improve your overall health, triggers typically have the opposite effect and can negatively affect you both mentally and physically. According to Bradley University, Physical health can associate significantly with a persons mental health. The good news is that adopting sustainable habits, no matter how small, may induce increased feelings of optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness, as you work to change the world for the better.

Major lifestyle changes cant occur in a bubble, nor should you go at it alone. Those pursuing a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle may lean on healthcare professionals or loved ones for support. Sometimes, we need a second voice to give us a much-needed boost on challenging days.

Ultimately, however, successfully building sustainable habits comes down to your motivation and willingness to change. Simply put, if youre not willing to make the (often difficult) changes to better your life and health, as well as the health of the planet, then youre unlikely to succeed in the long-term. Further, you need to be the spearhead of your own change, especially if your ultimate goal is to foster a sustainable mindset over the long term. In fact, progress towards a self-determined behavioral goal supports patients sense of autonomy and sustains interest, U.K. researchers found.

When implementing lasting change, repetition is key: In fact, repeating your actions consistently is key to the promotion of long-term behavioral changes. Start by setting an attainable goal thats challenging but not overwhelming, and start small. If your goal is to adopt a plant-based diet, for example, choose one or two days per week as meat-free days, and be consistent.

Again, make sure not to skip the reward step. Every time you achieve your goal, reinforce the behavior with something positive perhaps treat yourself to a spa day, or reward yourself with a decadent dessert made with locally sourced ingredients.

As you work to cultivate sustainable habits, try not to feel as though youre missing out on something. Positivity is key when youre working to develop a healthier relationship with food, and in turn, with the natural world. If you primarily look at your evolving habits in a negative light, youll likely end up doing more harm than good, and you may even abandon your goals altogether.

So, to make the habit of sustainability stick, stay positive. Rather than viewing a reduction in single-use plastics or processed foods as a sort of deprivation, focus on how your new sustainable habits can make your life better. For starters, think of the numerous ways in which sustainable eating makes a positive impact on both the planet and your local community. And dont be afraid to seek out encouragement from outside parties if you need extra support.

In this way, positive thinking and sustainability can exist in a sort of symbiotic relationship: As you continue to form sustainable habits, youll stimulate your brains dopamine receptors, reinforcing the myriad positives of cultivating sustainability in every aspect of your daily life.

Original post:
How to Form Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Habits That Will Stick - The Beet

One of the world's Blue Zones is in Nicoya, Costa Rica.

Throughout the world, the average life expectancy is 71 years of age (70 for males and 72 for females). It remains to be seen if the COVID pandemic will affect that average. Whether this pandemic impacts the average lifespan of people around the world or not, a lot can be gained by studying five specific regions in the world where people seemingly effortlessly live to over 90 years in age. These regions are considered Blue Zones.

There are five regions around the world called the Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California. Each region has its own diet, types of exercise, and community structure, but each has specific elements in common - all starting with a sense of purpose. Lets explore the Blue Zone in Nicoya, Costa Rica and what the Nicoyan lifestyle can teach us about humanity and what we could do better in the future.

Nicoya was introduced as a Blue Zone in a 2004 National Geographic article by Mark Buettner. Nicoya is a small, rural beach community located on the Guanacaste peninsula on the northwest coast of Costa Rica. According to researchers, most inhabitants live to at least the age of 90. Nicoyans often live more than 100 years and Nicoya boasts of the highest number of centenarians in the world.

The most amazing part about people who live in Nicoya, Costa Rica is that many of them live without medication or disability. The way Nicoyans choose to live their lives gives us a template from which we can learn to improve our health and find our sense of purpose.

While we may not increase the average life expectancy throughout the world we can use Nicoya as a template for healthier living. The Nicoyan way of life can enlighten people to make choices that will help to increase their life expectancy. People often consider the impact of global decisions on future generations through legislation. But we must also consider the impact of our individual health and lifestyle choices on future generations.

Every morning, at dawn, before the men of Nicoya ride their horses through the mountains of the Costa Rican peninsula, they eat a healthy breakfast. The daily breakfast consists of gallo pinto (rice and beans) with a basket of homemade corn tortillas and hot coffee. This healthy breakfast gives them the nutrients they need for a day of tending crops and livestock.

While starting the day off with rice and beans may not be an ideal breakfast for most people, the key to a healthy breakfast is one rich with protein, complex carbs, and antioxidants (minus the preservatives). Protein helps to rebuild and repair tissue, as well as it helps a person to feel full. Complex carbs provide the energy a person needs to get through the day. And a breakfast rich with antioxidants helps to protect a persons cells from disease.

Rice and black beans, gallo pinto, served with eggs and tropical fruit

Along with starting every morning with a healthy breakfast, Nicoyans also eat nutritious food throughout the day. They eat many fruits and vegetables often grown on their own lands, and they tend not to consume much meat.

For those who might need some meal ideas, Dan Buettner, wrote the Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook. It consists of 100 recipes with ingredients used by those who live in Nicoya, Costa Rica and the other four Blue Zones.

While Nicoyans start their day by eating a healthy breakfast, their diet is not the only secret to living long lives. They also practice good physical and mental health. Many Nicoyans choose to walk from one destination to another instead of driving. Oftentimes, this helps maintain healthy and supportive relationships within their communities, and develop a strong sense of faith and purpose along the way.

While walking gives Nicoyans a chance to exercise and get fresh air, it also gives them time to enjoy the natural beauty for which Nicoya is known. Healthy and supportive relationships with friends and family are another one of their keys to longevity. Maintaining close ties with family and friends helps reduce stress.

One Nicoyan, a centenarian, said he knew death would eventually come for him but it is the love for his children that motivates him to keep going every day. The proper mindset about longevity is not about aspiring to live to a very old age, but to enjoy the best quality of life possible during the last ten years we live, says Alvaro Cedeno-Molinari, a former Costa Rican diplomat and ambassador who works intensely promoting bioliteracy, regeneration, and wellbeing as holistic healthy mindsets.

When Dan Buettner introduced the concept of Blue Zones, he formed the Blue Zones Project. It is a template outlining the lifestyles of people who live in places like Nicoya, Costa Rica. Cities throughout the world can use this template to encourage people to live healthier lives.

Though Chicago is not one of those cities that uses the template outlined in the Blue Zones Project, the city could adapt to the Blue Zones principals. In an article in the Chicagoan, Marc J. Lane reasons why Chicago should use the Blue Zones template to improve the lives of people who live there.

Lane cites the impact of COVID-19 on minorities like Blacks and Hispanics throughout Chicago. While the Blue Zones project Lane discusses isnt a cure for COVID-19, the principals lived by the people in those zones could increase the chance of livelihood for people of other cultures. Lane reported isolation, alienation, and high rates of depression in Chicagos poorest neighborhoods as some of the reasons behind the high rates of COVID cases. By encouraging Nicoyans belief community and sense of purpose through work, family, or nature, cities could help their poorest thrive.

Poor communities are notorious for living in food deserts. Access to natural foods and organic fruits and vegetables (stables of the Nicoyans) is difficult to come by. If youre eating a standard American diet, its probably shaving about six to 10 years off of your life expectancy, Buettner says. People who have diabetes, heart conditions, or are overweight tend to have a more difficult time if they are infected by COVID-19. Changing the American diet and culture around the food we eat can help save lives.

Although the Blue Zone Project isnt all about diet, and its certainly about more than food for the people of Nicoya it is a big difference from the typical American diet (no matter what type of community). For most Americans, an entrance ramp for a new lifestyle change is through their mouth, Buettner says.

"Looking beyond Costa Ricas Blue Zone in Nicoya, elements that make our population stand out and that describe our focus on wellbeing can be found in every corner of our territory. This is due to key decisions the country has taken through its history that have positively affected its performance in social progress, environment, society and overall peace indicators, explains Daniel Valverde, Essential Costa Rica country brand director.

Over the last several months, the world has mourned the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. The best way we can mourn those lives lost is to honor them by creating a better future for our children, their children, and their childrens children by making healthier choices now.

Now is the time for cities like Chicago to learn from the five Blue Zones throughout the world like Nicoya, Costa Rica. The template laid out in the Blue Zones Project: natural foods, daily movement, community, and sense of purpose, can help anyone develop stronger immune systems, so they can live healthier and longer lives.

We do not need to wait for our cities of residence to adopt the principles for healthier living outlined in the Blue Zones Project. We can start making healthier choices today, thus living more enriching lives and encouraging others to adopt similar healthy ways of living.

We can no longer afford to allow the COVID pandemic to cause us to live in or out of a place of fear. We must make the health of future generations our responsibility by implementing the lifestyles of the Blue Zones people now.

"The sense of community, shared purpose and celebration and appreciation for life in all its forms allows for a way of thriving that can even be seen today to have a connection to vitality and mitochondrial health." Pablo Jenkins, a regenerative investor and futurist explains that it is a great time to take on that wisdom from the local ancestors and combine it with new regenerative ways of living. It is the reason why the founder of Omega Institute set up Blue Spirit in Nosara and a Longevity center. Having worked with the pioneers in mind-body research and psychoneuroimmunology.

Many of us in Western countries know we need to eat less junk and add more natural food to our diets. We know we should include exercise into all parts of our lives (not just an hour at the gym). Its difficult to maintain family bonds and friendships when school and work take us far from home, into strange communities. Speaking of work, finding work/life balance is a constant challenge for many. What we can incorporate about Nicoya into our culture is the sense of purpose Nicoyans enjoy. That sense of purpose drives them in all aspects of their lives. If we can harness that, we can hopefully improve the health of future generations.

Adapting our lifestyles wherever we live to healthier practices such as intermittent fasting, walkability, exploring plant-based gastronomy, and low glycemic index food intake sound like your everyday doctors recipe for a healthy life, says Cedeno-Molinari.

But the simplest truth is that what one needs is to sleep eight hours every night, eat a nutritious, plant-based diet during a six-hour period to give your pancreas an 18-hour break until your next meal, and be at peace with everything and everyone all of the time, he adds.

Nicoya, Costa Rica

For Priscila Chaves, a Costa Rican social tech-entrepreneur and ethics thought leader, the question that still stands is, how can we translate these apparent otherworldly effects, to the rest of us? Many believe it will be through the cutting-edge innovations of regenerative medicine that the privileges of the Blue Zones can be democratized, so that anyone, anywhere, and at any time has access to the technology that allows us to replenish, replace and rejuvenate our physical bodies.

What weve witnessed during 2020 are healthcare systems around the world that are reactive, bureaucratic, inefficient, and saturated. Theyre focused on sick care, and so the actual healthcare is often neglected, says Chaves. Imagine yourself in a future not-so-distant, where more conscious lifestyle decisions you make at an individual level, are supported by a branch of medicine that attempts to change the course of diseases and regenerates failing parts of our bodies. Longevity then would not be a luxury only reserved for a few living in Blue Zones, but a reality for billions.

In the future, when we do emerge from the current pandemic, many cities and companies will revisit wellbeing as a main topic for their citizens and employees. There will be a lot to learn and a lot to do to get back to a healthier normal. That is when brands, businesses and cities will be able to look at Blue Zones like the one in Nicoya and find a model to follow.

When that day comes, Nicoyas Blue Zone will continue to be an example of the resiliency of the human body and spirit. For many the hope is that the lessons that these centenarians can teach us and the secrets of wellbeing and longevity that live in this extraordinary part of the world, will be able benefit all of humanity in the future.

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What Costa Ricas Blue Zone Can Teach Us About The Future Of Wellbeing & Longevity - Forbes

Omari McQueens profile is rising quickly. Illustration: Eliana Rodgers

It was more complicated than I thought it would be to schedule a Zoom call with Omari McQueen, a young chef who is quickly gaining fame in the United Kingdom as a leading proponent of all things vegan. Yes, we had to work around an unwieldy time difference Im based in California; McQueen lives in London but it was mostly because his team, which consists of book publicists, an agent, and even his parents, all have to coordinate in order to fit media appearances into his schedule.

Also, McQueen is 12 years old, so between recipe-development sessions and strategy meetings, hes got homework to do and Fortnite to play.

In the end, however, I meet McQueen 20 minutes before Im supposed to. He isnt yet wearing his signature yolk-yellow apron, adorned with the logo of his fledgling snack company, Dipalicious just a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, a sartorial choice that says lets get down to business. McQueen logged in early to check if the link I circulated actually works, and hes flanked on his right by his mother, Leah. McQueen smiles shyly and waves hello, I apologize for lurking in the Zoom room, and we agree to meet back at the scheduled time because he still has a few ingredients to prep before our conversation officially begins.

The team, which also consists of Omaris father Jermaine, runs an impressively efficient operation: Between running an e-commerce shop, where McQueen sells vegan chip dips like Caribbean Kick (mango, pineapple, and chili), his YouTube channel Omari Goes Wild, appearances on British television, and the rigors of school, McQueen also found time to sell his first cookbook, Omaris Best Bites, which is slated to arrive next year from Scholastic UK.

My book is a childrens book and an adults book, he says as we reconvene on Zoom, before giving me the full sales pitch. If they all start making vegan meals more often, then they might become vegan, he adds with a hopeful lilt. And then theyll be like, You changed my mind.

This is McQueens defining ethos as a chef: convincing people that vegan alternatives are just as delightful as their meaty counterparts. Accordingly, his book will feature a number of the plant-based recipes that earned accolades at a pop-up restaurant he ran in the trendy London food hall Boxpark in 2019, like fries made from breadfruit. It will also showcase dishes hes perfected at home for a dining audience of his five siblings and parents, including vegan patties and a secret dip, about which he says coyly he cant disclose more, at least at this early stage.

Some of his recipes are inspired by the Jamaican dishes he ate growing up Leahs grandparents and Jermaines parents are from Jamaica while others are takes on family favorites, like a smoothie he invented whole cloth for his mom. The cookbook project is one hes had on his vision board, for three years, according to Leah, who leans into the frame on our Zoom call to note that its only the first in a long line of recipe collections he hopes to publish.

McQueen tells me he first became interested in food when he was 7 years old: I learned to cook when my mum was sick and my dad was going to work, he says. Jermaine taught both McQueen and his older brother Laquarn how to make tuna pasta. For the younger sibling, the lessons really stuck.

Shortly thereafter, McQueen was researching foods that he hoped might help relieve his mothers hemiplegic migraines when he came across the word vegan. One thing led to another, and he stumbled upon one of PETAs more graphic videos. Hes been a vegan ever since.

At age 8, McQueen turned his interest into a revenue stream. He began peddling homemade dips to his siblings at precisely 2.44 apiece. (I just thought of 2.44, because when Id go to the shop, Id see so many things priced at 2-something, he explains of his pricing strategy.) Before long, with Jermaines help, hed worked up official packaging, labels, and leaflets so he could participate in a childrens business fair in London, then the Catford Vegan Festival a couple of years later.

I said to my mum, I dont just want this to be my hobby I want it to be my business as well, he tells me. During quarantine, his dip business has been booming, and his fan base continues to grow. A few days before our call, he was deep in a session of Fortnite when the Dipalicious order phone rang and interrupted his game. A 9-year-old superfan was on the other end of the line.

Her homework was to write about an influential Black person in London, Leah says. I was so proud of him. McQueen shifts his weight and looks down at the counter modestly. This little 9-year-old had phoned to find out more about Omari. I was like, Would you like to speak to Omari? and she completely freaked out!

For our call, McQueen has agreed to cook his signature callaloo mix-up. Its a favorite dish he eats it weekly and a recipe hes finalized for Omaris Best Bites. He adds olive oil, plus a few cups of diced onion and bell peppers. Meanwhile, he explains how he salt-washes his greens for about five minutes before draining, for extra flavor.

Once the onions have softened, McQueen tips in his prepped greens with the easy finesse of someone on a televised cooking show, and moves the bowl offscreen one of his biggest pet peeves when his family members cook, he says, is that they dont keep things neat. McQueen spices the greens and cooks them down for a few minutes as they release water, stirring constantly with a little wooden spoon.

We talk about his favorite vegetables (sweet potato sliced into wedges and baked) and next steps. Once his cookbook project has wrapped, McQueens major goal is to open a permanent restaurant called Prince of the Kitchen, by the time hes 16. And in the meantime, he has his sights set on another dream: meeting his culinary hero, Gordon Ramsay. I asked McQueen what hed cook for Ramsay if he had just one chance to turn him vegan. His answer: curried jackfruit, and rum-raisin ice cream for dessert, if he drinks.

Satisfied with the texture of the greens, McQueen adds chopped tomatoes in their juices and some water, and covers the skillet to let the callaloo simmer. Hes going to serve it over rice for dinner. McQueen makes many of the familys meals, Leah says, though McQueen cops to loving his dads yam balls.

Currently, McQueen is also locked in an ongoing lasagna battle with his grandmother, trying to prove that a vegan version of the famously cheese-heavy pasta casserole can be better. (Recently, after tasting his latest attempt, McQueens grandma acquiesced that it was delicious, and took some home for leftovers.)

McQueen lifts the lid from his callaloo and gives it one final stir. Thats looking so good, I say, lamenting that it is being cooked roughly 5,500 miles away. How does it smell over there?

It smells nice, the chef confirms, as I make eye contact with a days-old croissant half on my counter, threatening to crumble into a pile of dust. McQueen transfers the warm callaloo over to a serving plate, as it throws off cheerful steam. Leah nicks an approving bite.

And then its time to go: Its a school night, after all, and he has a math exam the next morning at 10 a.m. Hes hoping to squeeze in a little more studying, and a little more Fortnite before its time to go to bed.

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Can a 12-Year-Old Convince You to Go Vegan? - Grub Street

I should be miserable Id been cautioned: Watch out for day three. Thats when the demons begin to rage. Im on a medically supervised 10-day fast that promises to help me shed some weight while also futureproofing that newly slimmed-down body against aging. Worth the odd demon or a pang or two, then.

Indeed, Im a bit hungrybut thats not surprising, given that Ive consumed little more than tea, juice and soup over the past 48 hours. But I had been anticipating far worse, as several friends, all veterans of the Buchinger Wilhelmi process I am undertaking, had warned me. The real challenges in forgoing food wouldnt be simple hunger, they said. Fasting isnt the hard part, said one. Its the emotional side. I usually spend the third day curled in a ball in my room, weeping. Everything you repress just comes out, all at once. A second moaned about the physical side effects on day three for her: throbbing headaches, a furry tongue and dry skin, all because the toxins her body was purging began to crest, she said, wide-eyed. The consensus was that Id feel, generally, dreadfulnot just hungry but also sad, aching and exhausted, likely confined to my bed, wakefully toggling between napping and fretting. Yet another confided that it was day three when the risk of cheating peaked. Shed heard that folks usually skulk out the clinics back gate and into the nearby town to scarf down a furtive frankfurter or two to offset the gnawing pains.

Instead, I feel fine.

The pool at the Buchinger Wilhelmi clinic.Winfried Heinze

More than fine. Remarkably, I feel absolutely dandy. Ive no physical problems whatsoever; in fact, Im swimming 50 laps in the pool here at the Buchinger Wilhelmi spa every afternoon, and the only reason my eyes are watering is the troublesome pollen. I miss chewing, for sure, and Im not partial to some of the broth recipes: The mere mention of turnip evokes Dickensian deprivation, though the watery tomato is bright-flavored and delicious. But I havent cheated, despite deliberately wandering into town yesterday morning to tempt myself with the smells of fresh-cooked sausages. I took a deep breathdelicious for sure, but I was happy to eat with my eyes.

Either Im too two-dimensional to be troubled by deep thoughts or Im one of the lucky ones, sailing straight from eating three meals daily to the Zen state of semi-starvation without detouring down a physical and emotional rabbit hole. Ive arrived, instead, at 200-calorie nirvana, where the body, now short on fuel, is forced into overdrive. With my metabolism working harder to produce energy, I experience a new level of strength and mental clarity. I am Superman without the blue tights. In fact, the only challenge for me is my sleep. Usually, I slumber deeply and soundly anywhere, so its strange to find myself so fitful, with bouts of deep rest punctuated by an unfamiliar alertness. Otherwise, I nod sympathetically as I try not to gloat when folks mournfully complain in the feeding salon, the lounge-like area where our non-meals are devoured.

A suite at the Buchinger Wilhelmi clinic.Winfried Heinze

Its inside the salon that I first meet my fellow fasters on day one, at what passes for a welcome party at Buchinger Wilhelmi, on the shores of Lake Constance in Germany, just across the border from Switzerland. My fellow fasters are a motley bunch, drawn from across the world. Im surprised the room is equally split between men and women. There are several first-timers like me: a Saudi couple, for instance, well-padded fiftysomethings who plan to stay for three weeks. Other newbies include a pair of friends, fit, middle-aged financiers who usually take an adventure vacation together each year, leaving their wives at home. Most of the room, though, consists of starvation pros, folks whove followed the Buchinger Wilhelmi method several times before. Typical is the French sculptor whos back for a seventh stay. He became a devotee when his first stint allowed him to permanently shed the 40 pounds hed gained after a car accident. Tall and gaunt, he looks to be in his late 60s or older; hes come again, he explains, as an anti-aging effort. More than the chance to shed pounds, its this elusive promise that underpins the work at Buchinger Wilhelmi.

For this is no conventional fat farm. Forget face-lifts and fitness classesits bouts of fasting that Buchinger Wilhelmi claims will offer a slimmed-down path to eternal youth, or something close to it, at least. Fasting, the staff preaches, will better safeguard your body against the forces of age. The focus here, though, is not only extending your life span but also improving the quality of whatever life you have, or whats now known as your health span. The clinics practice aims to address a conundrum: How do we ensure our brains and our bodies remain in peak condition for our entire lives, bringing both quantity and quality of life in sync? Slash our daily energy source, Buchinger Wilhelmi posits, and the bodys metabolic switch is triggered. Deprived of easy fuel, our bodys metabolism instead turns to ketones, compounds produced from fats by our liver in a state known as ketosis, achieved by fasting at least 10 to 12 hours. Theres more afoot, too: During ketosis, the body starts to repair and reboot, helping bat away looming bad health. Per the clinics owners, eating 200 to 300 daily calories for several days, any time from your 20s to your 60s, isnt just good for your waistline; its an investment in the well-being of seventy-something you.

The Buchinger Wilhelmi clinic.Winfried Heinze

Theres no hardship here, though. The clinic doesnt resemble a traditional sanatorium but rather a five-star hotel. Scattered among several buildings on a steep hill, the rooms are decorated in muted tones and filled with tasteful, vaguely modernist furniture. One of the front-of-house staff is an alum of the Ritz Carlton in New York and proudly wears the lapel pin of Les Clefs dOr, the elite cabal of concierges. Theres a hair salon but no conventional luxury hotel-style spa. Instead, the clinic offers two main medical complexes, where the doctors and nurses on staff perform their examinations, plus numerous treatment rooms discreetly tucked into various buildings, where guests can book everything from osteopathy and shiatsu massage to outre rituals like Chi Nei Tsang, a Chinese abdominal massage, to pass the time between non-meals.

And, yes, the food. Other than at the start and end of your stay, when youll receive delicious, low-calorie vegetarian meals to help ease your digestive system into and out of hibernation, theres little to eat. (Dont confuse fasting-induced ketosis with a ketogenic low-carb, high-fat diet.) Breakfast is herbal tea and a tiny saucer of honey; keep it for the day, the nurse advises, and eat it sparingly when you need some energy. Lunch is fresh-squeezed juice, cut with more herbal tea to reduce its calories. Dinner is the aforementioned broth. Such scrapsor dripsof food leave my digestive system effectively fallow, though there are regular enemas from the nurse just to make sure. She also checks my vitals each morning, reminds me to drink at least six liters of water a day (to stay hydrated and prevent gout) and comes to my room every afternoon to wrap my liver, one of the quirks of the Buchinger Wilhelmi process: After what passes for lunch, youll spend an hour or more in bed, swaddled like a baby with a hot water bottle pressed to your liver. Per the clinics theories, such cosseting helps boost the livers ketone production process.

Breakfast: Tea With Honey (65 calories)Jenny Huang

The woman who helped formalize many such theories is Francoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, M.D. Trained as a conventional physician, she visited the clinic as a guest in her 20sand never left. After marrying into the family, she became the medical director. Toledo is now the clinics head of medical research and lives in a sleek glass box of a house nearby; one of her two sons, Leo Wilhelmi, handsome with a mane of dark hair, handles day-to-day operations. At 66, she has a gamine energy and a feline intelligence, and could easily pass for a decade younger. Doubtless, shed attribute her youthful glow to her decades-long adherence to fasting, both daily (in 16-hour windows) and twice yearly, when she follows the clinics regimen for 10 days or more at a stretch.

She invites me over for teafresh herbs, thyme picked from her gardenso she can explain the work here in person. Like the clinics staff and entire operation, the Swiss-born Toledo slides fluently between French, English and German as she talks; she has an evangelists charisma. Think of fasting as metabolic training, she urges, teaching the body how to use different energy sources, much as a hybrid auto switches between electricity and gas for efficiency. Hunger isnt to be avoided but rather deployed, a forgotten reflex that we need to relearn. Toledo is pleased that the clientele here includes so many men as well as womenthat 50:50 ratio is a rarity for conventional spas. Fasting is not easy, as we take away everything you like at the beginning, so its more of a challenge. Men like that, she says.

Indeed, it was a man who founded the clinic, a hundred years ago. His reasons were personal: Otto Buchinger, a physician, was wheelchair-bound from severe rheumatoid arthritis, at least until he fasted for almost three weeks on the suggestion of another doctor. Buchinger followed the most extreme protocols, ingesting only water. As a result, he later claimed, he was able to walk again. Buchinger turned his belief in the healing power of calorie restriction into his lifes work, setting up this clinic, which his descendants, including his great-grandson Leo, still run. But it is only in the last two decades or so that conventional science has turned its attention to the potentials of calorie restriction, and men have increasingly embraced fasting as the final fitness toola way to put their insides through as punishing a training regimen as they follow at the gym. Broadly speaking, there are two common approaches that aim to leverage reduced food intake for health and weight benefits. The first, periodic fasting, is the approach followed by the clinic; cut calories for an extended period every year or so, for example. The second is intermittent fasting, which deprives the body of nutrition in a given pattern each day or week: 16 consecutive hours in every 24 is popular (often called 16:8). Proponents claim both systems allow the body to shift into that sought-after state of ketosis.

Lunch: Freshly Squeezed Juice (50 calories)Jenny Huang

Peter Bowes is a longtime BBC journalist who periodically fasts in his role as host of the podcast Live Long and Master Aging. During fasting, he says, the body undergoes autophagy, or spring-cleaning mode, meaning it recycles damaged or old cell machinery. Studies suggest that this processwhich derives from Greek words meaning self and to eatcan even result in new synapses forming in the brain. When your immune system is challenged like this, it throws out the cells its not using, that are maybe a little weather-worn, Bowes says, and builds a new immune system, re-growing white blood cells.

A prolonged state of autophagy, then, could be thought of as a real-life counterpart to the serum that transformed scrawny Steve Rogers into super-soldier Captain America. Indeed, the US government has explored how to use intermittent fasting to improve the performance of elite commandos, according to Mark Mattson, a world-renowned expert in fasting and adjunct professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Mattson says officials from NASA and the air force contacted him to discuss how to use his research in just this way. Its evolution, he says. If youre food-deprived, you need to be more alert and motivated to find foodthats why you often feel sleepy after a meal. He suggested using intermittent fasting as a training tool, spending two days per week, for example, drinking only water. Mattson has focused his studies on such intermittent fasts and has a hunch its more effective than the Buchinger Wilhelmi method of one long annual fast, though he recognizes the benefits of calorie-deprivation of any kind. His research includes clinical studies of individuals at risk of cognitive impairment from Alzheimers and similar diseases, in which he found that those on a diet that included fasting showed memory and learning improvements within two months. Mattson says intermittent fasting is also a promising component in cancer treatment. You should hit them in the fasting state with drugs or radiation because cancer cells cannot use ketones [as fuel], so if the glucose levels in the body are relatively low, it makes them more vulnerable, he explains.

Dinner: Broth (36 calories)Jenny Huang

Andrew Jenkinson, a London bariatric surgeon and author of Why We Eat (Too Much), does not recommend long-term fasting but is a proponent of the 16:8 approach. Ketogenesis is probably the best way to lose weight, but unfortunately, its difficult to sustain. Whatever diet you do for weight loss needs to be your new life, says Jenkinson, who recommends a low-carb diet. Fasting for a sustained period of time will improve the inflammatory response over the short term, and it will make you think faster and more clearlyit will give you a real buzz.

Experts differ on how long it takes for autophagy to kick in from intermittent fastingfrom right away to 12 weeksbut for optimal results, Toledo recommends practicing it five days a week. Jenkinson urges caution, too: Individual metabolisms and default weights vary. Veer from the program and youll likely rebound to where you started, he says. Though Toledo has led extensive in situ studies to determine the safety of the protocols used at the clinic, there are no records on the long-term efficacy of stays. The high ratio of repeat visitors could suggest that it is, indeed, hard to maintain such weight loss. Then again, it could be evidence of how effective her evangelical zeal proves in recruiting converts.

Im impressed, if not completely converted, by day 10. At my final morning check-in with the nurse, Ive lost close to 12 pounds and two inches from my waistline. More than anything, though, the stay here has changed the way I eat. I couldnt even finish the first meal of solids, post-fast, served up with a candle and certificate in celebration. Im just not as hungry as often anymore, and Ive adopted that 16:8 system most days. Three months later, even during lockdown with limited exercise, Ive remained slim. Would I come again? Absolutely. But perhaps the bigger question is: Why should I need to? Check back with me in a year.

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I Went to Germany to Go on a 200-Calorie-A-Day Liquid Diet. Heres Why I Would Do It Again. - Robb Report

A 48-hour fast is a form of intermittent fasting that involves taking a 2-day pause on eating while drinking only calorie-free fluids. A 48-hour fast may not be suitable for everyone, as it carries certain risks for some groups of people.

Intermittent fasting as a whole has gained popularity recently due to the potential health benefits of the practice. A 48-hour fast is one of the longest fasting durations, with shorter fasting periods being more common.

In this article, we discuss how to perform a 48-hour fast and the potential risks and benefits. We also provide some tips that may help make the fasting period a smoother experience.

Intermittent fasting involves rotating between periods of eating and fasting to give the body in particular, the digestive system a rest.

During this time, the body creates energy from stored fuel sources.

A 48-hour fast is an extended form of intermittent fasting. It involves not consuming any calories for a full 2 days.

While the fast involves eliminating foods that contain calories, it is still important to drink plenty of noncaloric fluids, such as water, throughout the fast to keep the body hydrated.

Some people may use a 48-hour fast to reduce their calorie intake and help them lose weight. Others may use the fast to support digestive health.

While taking a 2-day break from eating seems daunting at first, this method typically makes use of the bodys natural rhythms to make the fast more manageable.

A simple 48-hour fast will use the bodys sleep schedule to cut into that time.

As an example, for a fast starting on Monday, the person would stop eating in the evening on that day. They would then start eating again in the evening on Wednesday.

Using this method, the person will give their body time to digest their last meal on Monday before they sleep. By the time they wake up on Tuesday, about 1012 hours of their fast has already passed.

The person then spends Tuesday and Wednesday drinking only calorie-free fluids, such as water, herbal tea, and black coffee.

When Wednesday evening comes, the person has a light, simple dinner. From Thursday onward, they can gradually reintroduce their regular diet.

Hydration is one of the most important aspects of any fast. Fluids keep the body and cells hydrated, as well as helping eliminate waste. It is important that people avoid dehydration during a fast by ensuring that they drink plenty of fluids.

It may also be advisable for people to try other, less extreme versions of intermittent fasting before attempting the 48-hour fast. One such version is the 16:8 method, which involves consuming all food within an 8-hour window and then consuming only calorie-free beverages for the next 16 hours.

Starting with shorter fasts will help a person prepare for longer ones and get an idea of how their body will respond.

A 48-hour fast can serve as a reset for the body, allowing it to take a break from digestion to focus on other tasks. This break may allow it to focus energy elsewhere, such as on repairing the body.

According to the authors of a 2014 article, fasting may reduce obesity, hypertension, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.

A study featuring in Obesity notes that regular intermittent fasting offers many benefits for the body, including:

The researchers suggest that many of these benefits are due to the influence of weight loss.

The concept of autophagy is also popular with proponents of intermittent fasting. In the simplest terms, this is the process of the body removing parts of cells that are no longer functioning as they should.

By recycling or disposing of damaged cell material, autophagy allows the tissues to regenerate. The depletion of energy stores, which occurs during extended fasting, activates certain pathways that trigger autophagy.

A 2018 review states that fasting and calorie restriction are both ways to trigger autophagy in the cells of the body. Slowing down the digestive process allows the cells to focus on self-regeneration.

A 48-hour fast represents a large chunk of calorie deficiency in the diet, which can aid long-term weight loss in some people. However, a person should not perform 48-hour fasts too often.

A review article in Behavioral Sciences reports that intermittent fasting produces similar short-term weight loss results as traditional continuous calorie restriction in people with overweight and obesity. Therefore, cutting excess calories from the diet may be just as effective as fasting for weight loss.

As part of a regular intermittent fasting program or healthful weight loss regimen, a 48-hour fast may help a person reach their long-term weight loss goals, as long as they do it in a safe way.

With that said, no fast will replace diet and lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise and a balanced, nutritious diet, to support a moderate weight.

Learn more about intermittent fasting and exercise.

Side effects are common with longer fasts, such as a 48-hour fast, which is why it is important to try a smaller fast first to see how the body responds. If a person feels unwell, they should stop fasting.

Common side effects during longer fasts may include:

Additionally, it is important to reintroduce foods slowly. Overstimulating the digestive system by eating a big or heavy meal after a fast may cause its own side effects, such as:

Fasting may also affect people with underlying conditions differently. People with diabetes who take insulin or are on blood sugar-lowering medications will need to check with their doctor before engaging in any type of fasting, as fasting can drastically change how some medicines and insulin work.

Additionally, some people should avoid fasting altogether. Pregnant or breastfeeding women and people who have underweight or an eating disorder should not fast.

People who take certain medications alongside food may also need to avoid fasting. These medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), blood pressure medications, and blood thinners.

There are some general safety tips to keep in mind while fasting:

Intermittent fasting may provide the body with some benefits, such as giving the cells more time to repair and reducing inflammation. However, a 48-hour fast is a rather long fasting period, and it is not for everyone.

People who work long hours or have underlying conditions may have trouble with a 48-hour fasting period and should talk to a doctor before attempting it.

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48-hour fast: Benefits, how-to, and tips - Medical News Today

Whether you love him or hate him, every basketball fan is familiar with JJ Redick. The sharpshooter first burst onto the scene at Duke University; while his NCAA success didnt immediately translate to the NBA, the guard has turned into a solid pro player. After 14 seasons in the association, hes still going strong.

Although Redick has plenty of natural talent and a silky shooting stroke, thats not the only thing that helped him carve out a niche in the NBA, In fact, his bowl of beets diet is actually a key part of his on-court success.

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Thanks to its status as one of the NCAAs modern powers, Duke University is able to recruit plenty of star players. During his time in Durham, JJ Redick grew into one of the Blue Devils top talents.

After making a name for himself in high school, Redick arrived on campus ahead of the 2002-03 NCAA season. While there were some growing pains along the way, the guard established himself as a deadly shooter and a capable scorer; he finished his freshman campaign averaging 15 points, 2.5 rebounds, and two steals per outing.

Redick improved each year and, by the time he was a senior, had become a legitimate star. During his final season on campus, the guard poured in an average of 26.8 points per night. He shot 47% from the floor and knocked down more than 42% of his three-pointers; that offensive dominance made him helped him sweep the 2006 National Player of the Year awards.

RELATED: JJ Redick Slams Donald Trumps Stance on Not Watching Basketball

Coming out of college, JJ Redick seemed like a cant miss draft pick. While the Orlando Magic agreed, selected the guard 11th in 2006, it took him some time to find his stride.

At the NBA level, Redick found it hard to survive as a pure shooter; curling off screens might work in college, but it was harder to find space in the pros. The guards defense also wasnt up to scratch. Those factors, combined with some injuries, limited Redicks effectiveness. As a rookie, he only appeared in 42 games, averaging six points per outing.

Over time, though, JJ began to adjust to life in the NBA; he started earning more playing time and rediscovered his scoring touch. While the guard has bounced around a bit, hes become a solid contributor capable of slotting into any lineup. Reddick might not carry a team as he did at Duke, but hell give you 30 minutes of effort and double-digit points every time he takes the floor.

NBA players have plenty of resources, ranging from specialized coaches to unique training regimens, to ensure theyre at their best whenever they hit the court. JJ Redick, however, has another ace up his sleeve: beets.

In a GQ Youtube video highlighting 10 things that he cant live without, Redick discussed his relationship with the root vegetable in surprising detail. For those that dont know, for cardiovascular endurance training and endurance sports, like basketball, beets are an incredible nutritional supplement, he explained. During the season, I eat beets twice a day. I dont mean one or two beets, I literally mean give me a bowl of beets. He also drinks a bottle of water mixed with beet crystalsthose were the actual item that he couldnt live withoutbefore taking the floor.

Despite that, though, Redick doesnt love the taste of his essential vegetable. Beets taste terrible, theyre really tough to eat, he continued. But I genuinely believe in the science behind it and I also believe in the results Ive gotten from eating a lot of beets.

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference and Basketball-Reference

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JJ Redick's 'Bowl of Beets' Diet Helps Him Get Results in the NBA - Sportscasting

In mid-July, Burger King announced it would start adding lemongrass to its cows' diets to combat the methane emissions they produce during digestion.

During the complicated bovine digestive process, the grass they eat is broken down, fermented and released. With the millions of cows across the world raised for dairy and meat production, these burps have become a massive problem. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, methane from cow burps is responsible for 39 percent of greenhouse gas production related to the global livestock industry. And according to FoodTank, this accounts for 26 percent of the United States total methane emissions.

Burger King said its lemongrass feed program could reduce methane created by cows by about 33 percent. Scientists dove deeper into the fine print of the unpublished research, discovering that Burger Kings holy-grail lemongrass only reduces cow-produced methane emissions by about 3 percent. Burger King hasnt responded to that criticism. Still, it is promising that the huge casual restaurant company is at least somewhat caving to the pressure from investors and consumers to address this issue, opening the door for other more efficient feed additives.

Methane from cow burps is responsible for 39 percent of greenhouse gas production in the global livestock industry.

Researchers and startup companies have recognized the enormous opportunity associated with addressing the cow methane issue by changing their diet and are working on natural feed additives to reduce methane emissions from cows. Here are five companies racing to offer options for farmers. Each offer natural additives. Synthetic additives are on the market for methane reduction, but they cannot be used by organic farmers.

Blue Ocean Barns is one of two companies on this list working with Asparagopsis taxiformis, a red seaweed. Blue Ocean Barns trials at the University of California, Davis and other peer-reviewed studies on the seaweed have shown just a small sprinkling of the additive to the cows diet can reduce methane emissions from 50 to 90 percent.

"Weve met with over 50 ranchers, dairy producers, processors and food companies," said Joan Salwen, founder of Blue Ocean Barns. "All of them really want to see the carbon footprint from livestock go down and not by 20 or 30 percent, but really dramatically. None of them could have envisioned the 80 percent reductions that were proving."

The seaweed prevents hydrogens from binding to carbon atoms in the gut, which creates methane.Instead, the cow releases carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas.

Blue Ocean Barns has a bit of a head start compared with other red algae companies. It has been growing the seaweed for two years on hundreds of acres of oceanfront land in Hawaii. It plans to have products available by the end of 2021, focusing on California, where farmers are mandated by law to reduce methane emissions and where it already has connections through UC Davis. It has garnered investments from large dairy producers such as Mars, which awarded Blue Ocean Barns $200,000 to conduct a pilot with the company, and Land O'Lakes.

Symbrosia is also working on red algae. It, too, is only in the research phase and is completing its first trial on a sheep farm in New York. In Hawaii, Symbrosia is working on growing the algae, which can be quite finicky and difficult, and figuring out how to scale production. To get certified by the Food and Drug Administration, it will need enough product to run a full commercial trial.

"We're really familiar with the entire value chain and what this means to all the stakeholders," said Alexia Akbay, founder and CEO of Symbrosia. "We can bring the value the whole way through the supply chain. We really understand how to market the product and what we need to do on the technology to make it a marketable opportunity."

Alltechs product, Yea-Sacc, is already commercially available. This product, a yeast culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, doesnt directly reduce methane gas production. Instead, it increases the efficiency of cow milk production. Adding the yeast to the cow's diet creates a healthier gut microbiome, allowing the cow to turn grass into milk easier and quicker.

Alltech claims that Yea-Sacc provides higher sustained milk production per cow, therefore reducing the greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product. However, this approach might just lead to more, highly efficient cows and methane production could remain stable.

Mootral, a Swiss agriculture company, has developed a garlic and citric acid natural feed supplement to reduce methane emissions from cows. The allicin in the garlic and the citrus extract in orange inhibits methane production in the rumen by as much as 23 percent, according to a UC Davis study.

While the seaweed additive might have better reduction rates, according to Mootral CEO Thomas Hafner, it is years away from marketability. Whats more, those startups will have to overcome scaling obstacles in growing the seaweed, he said.

"[Mootral has an advantage] simply because we can tap into an existing supply chain," Hafner said. "We can tap into the existing garlic industry. Have them grow our particular species that gives us a higher yield of active components. But there are 26 million tonnes of garlic being produced every year. If we were to serve 200 million cows, we were using 3 percent of that."

Mootral is exploring partnerships with brands all over the globe, including Brades Farm, which produces climate-conscious milk perfect for baristas.

Agolin has had a methane-reducing product on the market since 2008, however it markets the additive to farmers as a milk production booster. The product is a blend of essential oils from herbs such as cilantro that create a healthier, more productive and less methane-producing gut biome in the cow.

"It's adjusting the profile of the rumen microbiome," said Michael Roe, commercial director of Agolin. "It's suppressing some microbiomes, which allows others to proliferate. We're not interfering directly with chemical processes, I would say more sort of shifting the population profile within the rumen very slightly."

An animal research trial showed an 8.8 percent reduction in methane per day; other studies showed a 15 to 20 percent reduction per kilogram of milk production.

The next step for Agolin, and any methane-reducing additive product, is to get its methane claims verified by the FDA and be able to market the product as methane-reducing. No company has gotten this stamp from a regulator yet.

"For whatever company breaks through, it would pave the way for others," Roe said. "It's also a challenge for the FDA. They've never made an [methane-reducing] approval. How are they deciding to assess these products? The challenge is on both sides. The companies have to have a good enough dossier that can get through, and the FDA has to decide where the bar should be."

More:
5 feed companies that could relieve the cow burp methane problem - GreenBiz

As Bayer AG seeks to discount concerns that Monsantos glyphosate-based herbicides cause cancer, several new studies are raising questions about the chemicals potential impact on reproductive health.

An assortment of animal studies released this summer indicate that glyphosate exposures impact reproductive organs and could threaten fertility, adding fresh evidence that the weed killing agent might be an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disrupting chemicals may mimic or interfere with the bodys hormones and are linked with developmental and reproductive problems as well as brain and immune system dysfunction.

In a paper published last month in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, four researchers from Argentina said that studies contradict assurances by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that glyphosate is safe.

The new research comes as Bayer is attempting to settle more than 100,000 claims brought in the United States by people who allege exposure to Monsantos Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicide products caused them to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The plaintiffs in the nationwide litigation also claim Monsanto has long sought to hide the risks of its herbicides.

Bayer inherited the Roundup litigation when it bought Monsanto in 2018, shortly before the first of three trial victories for plaintiffs.

The studies also come as consumer groups work to better understand how to reduce their exposure to glyphosate through diet. A study published Aug. 11 found that after switching to an organic diet for just a few days, people could cut the levels of glyphosate found in their urine by more than 70 percent. Notably, the researchers found that the children in the study had much higher levels of glyphosate in their urine than did the adults. Both adults and children saw large drops in the presence of the pesticide following the diet change.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is the most widely used weed killer in the world. Monsanto introduced glyphosate-tolerant crops in the 1990s to encourage farmers to spray glyphosate directly over whole fields of crops, killing weeds but not the genetically altered crops. The widespread use of glyphosate, by farmers as well as homeowners, utilities and public entities, has drawn growing concern over the years because of its pervasiveness and fears about what it could be doing to human and environmental health. The chemical is now found commonly in food and water and in human urine.

According to the Argentinian scientists, some of the reported effects of glyphosate seen in the new animal studies are due to exposure to high doses; but there is new evidence showing that even low dose exposure could also alter the development of the female reproductive tract, with consequences on fertility. When animals are exposed to glyphosate before puberty, alterations are seen in the development and differentiation of ovarian follicles and the uterus, the scientists said. Additionally, exposure to herbicides made with glyphosate during gestation could alter the development of the offspring. It all adds up to show that glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides are endocrine disruptors, the researchers concluded.

Agricultural scientist Don Huber, professor emeritus from Purdue University,said the new research expands on knowledge about the potential scope of damage associated with glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides and provides a better grasp of understanding the seriousness of the exposure that is ubiquitous in our culture now.

Huber has warned for years that Monsantos Roundup might be contributing to fertility problems in livestock.

One noteworthy study published online in July in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, determined that glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides disrupted critical hormonal and uterine molecular targets in exposed pregnant rats.

A different study recently published in the journal Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology by researchers from Iowa State University looked at glyphosate exposure in mice. The researchers concluded that chronic low-level exposure to glyphosate alters the ovarian proteome (a set of expressed proteins in a given type of cell or organism) and may ultimately impact ovarian function. In a related paper from the same two Iowa State researchers and one additional author, published in Reproductive Toxicology, the researchers said they did not find endocrine disrupting effects in the mice exposed to glyphosate, however.

Researchers from the University of Georgia reported in the journal Veterinary and Animal Science that consumption by livestock of grain laced with glyphosate residues appeared to carry potential harm for the animals, according to a review of studies on the topic. Based on the literature review, glyphosate-based herbicides appear to act as reproductive toxicants, having a wide range of effects on both the male and female reproductive systems, the researchers said.

Alarming results were also seen in sheep. A study published in the journal Environmental Pollution looked at the impacts of glyphosate exposure on the development of the uterus in female lambs. They found changes that they said might affect the female reproductive health of sheep and show glyphosate-based herbicides acting as an endocrine disruptor.

Also published in Environmental Pollution, scientists from Finland and Spain said in a new paper that they had performed the first long-term experiment of the effects of sub-toxic glyphosate exposure on poultry. They experimentally exposed female and male quails to glyphosate-based herbicides from the ages of 10 days to 52 weeks.

The researchers concluded that the glyphosate herbicides could modulate key physiological pathways, antioxidant status, testosterone, and the microbiome but they did not detect effects on reproduction. They said the effects of glyphosate may not always be visible with traditional, especially short-term, toxicology testing, and such testing may not fully capture the risks

Glyphosate and Neonicotinoids

One of the newest studies looking at glyphosate impacts on health was published this month in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Researchers concluded that glyphosate as well as the insecticides thiacloprid and imidacloprid, were potential endocrine disruptors.

The insecticides are part of the neonicotinoid class of chemicals and are among the most heavily used insecticides in the world.

The researchers said that they monitored the effect of glyphosate and the two neonicotinoids on two critical targets of the endocrine system: Aromatase, the enzyme responsible for estrogen biosynthesis, and estrogen receptor alpha, the main protein promoting estrogen signaling.

Their results were mixed. The researchers said with respect to glyphosate, the weed killer inhibited aromatase activity but the inhibition was partial and weak. Importantly the researchers said glyphosate did not induce estrogenic activity. The results were consistent with the screening program conducted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which concluded that there is no convincing evidence of a potential interaction with the estrogen pathway for glyphosate, they said.

The researchers did see estrogenic activity with imidacloprid and thiacloprid, but at concentrations higher than the pesticide levels measured in human biological samples. The researchers concluded that low doses of these pesticides should not be considered harmless, however, because these pesticides, together with other endocrine disrupting chemicals, might cause an overall estrogenic effect.

The varying findings come as many countries and localities around the world evaluate whether or not to limit or ban continued use of glyphosate herbicides.

A California appeals court ruled last monththat there was abundant evidence that glyphosate, together with the other ingredients in Roundup products, caused cancer.

Go here to read the rest:
New weed killer studies raise concern for reproductive health - US Right to Know - U.S. Right to Know

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