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Jun 8

The One Breakfast Trick for a Flat Belly All Day, Say Experts | Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That

Even if there are weight loss programs that say you need to skip breakfast in order to slim down, many experts agree that the one breakfast strategy to lose weight and get a flat belly is to actually eat breakfast, not skip it. Studies have observed that people who eat a protein- and/or fiber-rich breakfast regularly tend to have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) and consume fewer calories later in the day. Another trial published in the Journal of Nutrition offered another reason to eat every morning. Researchers found that skipping breakfast was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

However, many nutrition experts and weight-loss doctors say that while there are certain strategies that work for most people like portion control and calorie restriction, there are many effective ways to slim your belly. The one best breakfast trick for a flat belly all day is the one that works best for you. So, test out these specific tactics on how to eat breakfast and lose weight from experts. Then, read up on these 50 Worst Ways to Lose Weight.

"There are no magic foods or strategies that can make your belly appear slimmer immediately," says Stacey Krawczyk, MS, RD, a registered dietitian for the Grain Foods Foundation and President of FoodWell Strategies. "However, eating in the morning does help with long-term weight management because it sets the tone for the day."

If there's a trick to weight loss, it's establishing a purposeful eating plan.

"Good habits help to create future good habits, so eating a balanced breakfast with fiber-rich grains (including foods made with both whole grains and enriched grains), lean protein, and some fruit or veggies can help keep you satisfied to avoid the 'mid-morning slump' and help you stay on track," says Krawczyk.

Establish good morning eating patterns with our26 Healthy Breakfast Habits to Jumpstart Weight Loss.

Eating breakfast helps you lose weight because it creates a feeling of fullness.

"You don't need to eat much at breakfast if you have a combination of nutrient-dense food ingredients," says Lisa Young, RD, PhD, author of Finally Fully, Finally Slim. "Because your stomach feels full, you don't need to eat another snack before lunch. The key to feeling full longer after breakfast is a combination of protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich complex carbohydrates that'll keep you energized all day long."

Think eggs, oatmeal, fruit, peanut butter and whole-grain bread, and vegetables. Need some recipes? Try these 10 Weight-Loss Breakfasts That Satisfy.

Beachbody Super Trainer Autumn Calabrese believes breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it jumpstarts your sleepy metabolism. To keep your belly flat, you have to "keep your metabolism revving, and breakfast will ramp it up for about 3 hours," says Calabrese, author of Lose Weight Like Crazy Even if You Have a Crazy Life, now available in audiobook through Apple Books, Audible and Google Play.

"That's why I tell [others] to eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours," says Calabrese. "I just saw a lecture by a doctor who was telling us that a plant-heavy breakfast with a lot of fiber can boost your metabolism by up to 16%."

Calabrese says it's best to stay away from super-processed muffins, cereals, and pancakes. Instead, go for whole grains and vegetables, tofu, nuts, and seeds.

"Make it plant-based and make it the most important meal of the day," says Calabrese.

You could also try incorporating these Healthy Breakfast Foods Dietitians Say You Should Be Eating.

For many people, breakfast means a smoothie or shake made with protein powder or a packaged protein breakfast bar. If you're looking to keep your belly flat, paying close attention to the ingredients in your protein supplements is key because many are overly processed, says David Sautter, a National Association of Sports Medicine-certified fitness nutrition specialist and contributor to Top Fitness Magazine.

"Select a grass-fed protein that contains digestive enzymes for better absorption," he says. "The low-quality shakes and protein bars are usually packed with sugar alcohols that can cause gastric distress and bloating."

If you're blending up a shake at home, try this 1 Best Protein Shake to Drink, According to a Dietitian.

There is no downside to drinking water when you get up in the morning. Your body needs fluids, and water is a proven appetite suppressant. Studies show that drinking water effectively reduces your daily calorie consumption by filling your stomach, reducing your intake of sugary beverages, and drowning cravings. Also, thirst is often mistaken for hunger, so drinking water can crush hunger pangs, too. One study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics involving obese older adults found that participants who drank about 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before breakfast reduced their calorie consumption during the next meal by 13%.

Water in the morning can also help you avoid bloating later in the day.

"I drink two glasses of lukewarm water every morning before I have my coffee," says Alabama-based family physician Akil Taherbhai, MD, author of Open Heart. A gastroenterologist once advised him to drink warm water in the morning to avoid constipation, and he has been doing it for years.

If you don't like drinking water, eat fresh cantaloupe, which is "super high in water so it's perfect in the morning," says Young. "Cantaloupe is rich in vitamins A, C, potassium, and fiber. The suggested serving size for cantaloupe is one to two cups, but this fruit is so low in calories that you don't need to worry about how much you eat."

When you're ready to make a meal, try one of our19 High Protein Breakfasts That Keep You Full!

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The One Breakfast Trick for a Flat Belly All Day, Say Experts | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That


Jun 8

How Your Smartphone May Be Affecting Your Diet and Weight – Healthline

Screens and teens are a combination parents try to manage for multiple reasons.

A study out of South Korea adds one more reason to the list.

The study analyzed data of more than 53,000 Korean adolescents from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey and found that teens who used a smartphone for more than 2 hours per day were significantly more likely to eat more processed foods and fewer fruits and vegetables than teens who put their phones down more often.

Additionally, teenagers who spent more than 3 hours per day on a smartphone were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese.

These results do not surprise me considering that screen time is a totally sedentary activity occupying time in which teens could be participating in sports or other physical activities, Dr. Rekha B. Kumar, attending endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, told Healthline.

Other results from the study include:

Time can pass by quickly when a screen is in hand, making it easy to eat while on the phone and not pay attention to the amount of food youre consuming.

When we arent mindful about our eating (which occurs while we are eating while on a screen) we tend to vastly overeat. We are either mindlessly snacking, or eating too quickly, which doesnt allow our digestive system enough time to signal to our brains that we are full, so we eat past the point of fullness, Christina Brown, weight loss coach, told Healthline.

She said the pandemic contributed to this, since social distancing forced teens and adults to use screens for school, work, and social interactions with friends and family.

Researchers of the Korean study added that marketing of unhealthy foods that targets adolescents could also be compounding the problem.

If we could just flip that around and have marketers focus more on healthy eating and how easy it can be to eat healthfully, we could lower the increasing numbers of overweight and obese children and adults, said Brown.

While phones are part of many peoples lives, there are ways to keep them around and stay healthy.

Because many teens dont prioritize healthy eating or exercising, Brown said its up to parents to stress their importance.

We, as parents, can be good health role models for our children. Helping our teens set up boundaries around smartphone usage and emphasizing some sort of physical activity each day can truly help them grow up to be healthier, she said.

The following are a few tips to get your teen (and yourself) started:

Brown suggests making a hard rule in which you put your smartphone down before allowing yourself to eat anything.

Kumar agreed: We should take breaks from screens and have proper meals with friends/family and also put down our screens to enjoy physical activity in the outdoors when possible.

Allow a certain amount of time each day to spend on screens.

Once theyve amassed that amount of time, they have to find other options to keep them busy. Some of those options could be to take a walk or a bike ride, or get in some other type of workout, said Brown.

Tracking everything you eat can help you become mindful of the quantity and quality of the food and drinks you consume.

I will always stress the topic of structure when it comes to balancing food, exercise, and screen time, and healthy sleep, said Kumar. We need to keep track of our behavior and self-monitor our patterns with these things.

Brown added that writing down everything you eat can stop you from eating that extra treat youre craving.

Plus, it can be quite eye-opening to really see how much you eat in a day, she said.

To avoid sitting and staring at your phone for hours, consider setting its alarm to go off every hour as a reminder to get up and move around.

Any extra movement you can get throughout the day, even if it is just several minutes each hour, will add up and have health benefits, Brown said.

Rather than lying or sitting down and using your phone, try standing up and scrolling.

This is similar to having a standing desk at work, said Brown.

Putting away your smartphone before bedtime can help your body get in sleep mode.

We should sleep at night when our bodys hormonal rhythms are set for sleep and not for eating or screen time. When day and night get confused, our eating patterns are thrown off and our hunger and fullness signals dont work normally, leading to excessive calorie intake and weight gain, said Kumar.

The benefit to smartphones is they offer access to information and tools that can enhance health, if used properly.

We most definitely have much more information at the tips of our fingers via smartphones than we did just 15 years ago, and using this information to benefit our health is something that should be prioritized, said Brown.

She points to nutrition tracking apps, which can help with accountability and being mindful of food choices.

Many of my clients will look up the foods being served at a restaurant they are planning to go to prior to going in order to help them make the healthiest choice once they are there. Even without a nutrition tracking app, many restaurant websites will post the nutritional content of their meals, said Brown.

Because the pandemic forced many people to rely on screens, Kumar adds that the availability of streamed training and exercise classes helped many people stay active, and could continue to post-pandemic.

If one could have implemented structure with keeping food/meal times separate and continuing exercise, that would have helped prevent weight gain. We can incorporate our devices things like Peloton, the Mirror, and others [even though] they do use screens technically, but people are also active, she said.

Cathy Cassata is a freelance writer who specializes in stories around health, mental health, medical news, and inspirational people. She writes with empathy and accuracy and has a knack for connecting with readers in an insightful and engaging way. Read more of her work here.

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How Your Smartphone May Be Affecting Your Diet and Weight - Healthline


Jun 8

Weight Gain After Surgery: Causes and How to Prevent It – Healthline

Surgery is usually a highly invasive procedure that takes a toll on your body as it works overtime to promote healing. Depending on the type of surgery you have, your recovery may be a short or lengthy process.

In some cases, you may experience some weight gain after surgery as a result of fluid retention, a side effect of medication, or being sedentary for a long time. However, this depends on the type of surgery, the expected recovery time, and your medical history (1, 2).

Weight gain during the initial recovery period is usually not a result of gaining fat mass but rather an accumulation of fluid as part of the healing process. In most cases, postsurgical weight gain is temporary and subsides as your body recovers.

However, prolonged recovery time, physical inactivity, stress, and changes in your eating behavior can lead to weight gain over time. Therefore, its important to try to resume your usual healthy lifestyle as soon as it is safe to do so.

While usually temporary, postsurgery weight gain can occur in people who have excess fluid buildup and swelling. Physical inactivity, stress, and changes in eating habits can also lead to weight gain, depending on the length of your recovery time.

There are many potential causes of weight gain after surgery.

The most common cause of weight gain after surgery is fluid retention, also known as postoperative edema.

Edema occurs when extra fluid builds up in your body to respond to inflammation and promote healing. It may also be caused by intravenous (IV) fluids given during surgery. Edema can be localized (in one spot) or generalized (throughout your body) (3, 4).

Common symptoms of edema include puffiness, swelling, decreased mobility at the joints (e.g., fingers, ankles, wrists), decreased urine output, and rapid weight gain (3, 4).

Though it usually subsides on its own, in some cases, your surgeon may recommend a prescription diuretic to reduce swelling or adjust other medications youre taking that may promote edema, such as corticosteroids or calcium-channel blockers (3).

They may also suggest wearing compression clothing, engaging in gentle movement, reducing salt intake, and elevating the affected area. If you have concerns about swelling and edema, its best to talk with your surgeon or another medical professional (3).

Depending on the type of surgery you have, you may need to limit your physical activity for days to weeks afterward.

Though a few days of rest wont cause substantial weight gain, prolonged sitting paired with physical inactivity for extended periods of time can lead to a decrease in muscle mass and daily calorie expenditure. As a result, your fat mass may increase (5).

Fortunately, rehabilitation is a large component of postsurgical care. It includes seeing specialists such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists, who can help you return to your normal activities and reduce muscle wasting (6, 7).

If you had a minor surgery with a short recovery time, allow yourself to rest before slowly reintroducing your usual physical activities. After a major surgery, you may need to rest for an extended period before resuming exercise.

Once you can safely resume exercise, slowly reintroduce gentle movement, such as walking or yoga, to see how you feel and tolerate it. You may need to gradually reintroduce straining activities, such as lifting weights, or avoid them until youre fully recovered.

Though it may be tempting to return to your normal fitness routine once you start feeling better, be sure to speak with your doctor and receive medical clearance first.

Recovering from surgery can be painful, stressful, and emotionally draining. This may have you reaching for your favorite comfort food to help you cope.

However, if you continue to rely on comfort food rather than return to a more balanced diet after youve recovered, you may experience weight gain over time.

During your initial recovery, its important to focus on consuming enough calories and protein to promote recovery, even if you can tolerate only certain foods, such as ice cream, pudding, Jell-O, or scrambled eggs (8, 9).

Depending on your surgery and preoperative nutrition status, you may work closely with a registered dietitian as part of your postoperative care.

They may recommend a therapeutic diet, such as liquids only, or additional supplements, such as protein or energy shakes, to support your recovery (8).

However, as you regain your appetite and ability to eat, focus on reintroducing foods high in protein to support healing and prevent muscle loss. Further, eating high fiber foods will help promote bowel regularity and reduce constipation, which is common after surgery (8).

If youre hungry between meals, try eating small snacks that contain protein and fiber such as peanut butter and apple slices which will keep you satisfied and full.

Additionally, try to stick with low calorie drinks like water, coffee, and tea instead of sugary beverages or alcohol.

Its OK to enjoy comfort foods as part of your recovery. Allow yourself the flexibility to eat foods that feel good for you in the moment. However, if you begin to use food or alcohol as a regular coping mechanism, speak with a dietitian or medical professional.

Edema, or fluid accumulation, can lead to weight gain that will go down as you recover. Inactivity and comfort eating may also contribute to body fat gain. To minimize weight gain, try to resume regular physical activity and healthy eating once youve recovered.

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Weight Gain After Surgery: Causes and How to Prevent It - Healthline


May 15

Does Drinking Water Lead to Weight Loss? – Everyday Health

If there is one holy grail secret to keeping your body healthy, its drinking plenty of water. The U.S. Geological Survey notes that water makes up as much as 60 percent of our bodies, and it's responsible for everything from flushing out body waste to regulating body temperature.

Our bodies are very dependent upon water, as all cells, body compartments, and bodily fluids (for example blood) within the human body contain water to some degree, explains Albert Do, MD, MPH, a gastroenterologist and the clinical director of the fatty liver program at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. He adds that our kidneys are good at managing the amount of water within our bodies; they make more urine in states of excess water intake, and they reduce urine production during periods of reduced water intake. But the body is more sensitive to states of water deprivation, and is generally not able to survive more than a week without water.

In addition to keeping you alive by helping your bodily systems function (which is obviously the biggest perk of staying hydrated!), water can also help you achieve a healthy weight. But its not as simple as water in, weight off. Heres what you need to know about how water may help with weight loss or maintenance.

RELATED: The Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work

There is some scientific evidence supporting water as a tool for weight loss via a number of mechanisms. Dr. Do emphasizes that it is not clear that drinking water directly leads to weight loss, saying the two may be indirectly related.

Cynthia Sass, MPH, RDN, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics based in Los Angeles, points out that water is just one piece of the weight loss puzzle, and she doesnt recommend counting on it as a sole weight loss solution. However, water is needed for every process in the body including healthy circulation, digestion, and waste elimination so drinking enough water benefits health in other ways, she explains.

One small study, published October 2018 in Clinical Nutrition Research, found that drinking water before meals helped naturally reduce calorie intake, which may in turn support healthy weight management. When subjects drank one and a quarter cups of water prior to a meal, they ate less compared with the groups who drank the same amount after a meal or drank nothing at all. This study involved only 15 participants, all of whom were between ages 20 and 30, so larger, more diverse studies are needed.

In other words, drinking water before eating or with food may lead to reduction of food consumed and thus lead to weight loss, Do explains. Drinking water in the hour before eating a meal may allow time for hormonal signals of satiety to take effect and lead to less hunger at the time of eating.

He also notes that increasing fiber intake before meals, or opting for multiple, smaller snacks throughout the day (rather than three larger meals) may have a similar effect.

A review of studies from June 2016, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, concluded that increasing water intake not only promoted weight loss via decreased feeding, but also helped speed metabolism by increased lipolysis (the breakdown of fats and other lipids by hydrolysis to release fatty acids).

Research shows that water can help rev metabolism, and while the effect may be slight, it can snowball to create a greater impact over time, adds Sass.

RELATED: 7 Health Benefits of Water Backed by Scientific Research

Do says there is no specific amount of water thats recommended for weight loss, because the relationship between the two hasnt been scientifically proven. But to maintain hydration balance, he suggests following recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or 124 ounces) for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters or 92 ounces) for women. This includes water and fluids from food, he says.

As for when you should drink water to maximize weight loss, prior to meals may help decrease your appetite and prevent overeating. And, because water can help with digestion, consider drinking some after a meal. In general, though, Sass recommends spreading your water intake throughout the day.

Additionally, some drinks contain chemicals such as caffeine which stimulate urine production, Do notes. In other words, they have an opposite, dehydrating effect. While you dont need to switch to decaf for hydration purposes, he suggests trying to recognize when additional water intake should be considered for example, in cases when you are exposed to hot weather or physical exertion and make sure to rehydrate in response.

RELATED: The Best Times to Drink Water

As with other healthy lifestyle behaviors, incorporating water breaks into your daily routine can help you stick to the practice, suggests Do. This could mean linking water intake to current habits (for example, drinking a cup of water after brushing teeth in the evening) or setting up reminders to do so.

Another approach may be to add water-containing foods to your diet. TheMayo Clinic points out that many fruits and vegetables have a high water content, and highlights watermelon and spinach as two foods that are nearly 100 percent water.

Sass suggests keeping a water bottle with you, and setting reminders on your device to prompt yourself to drink. You can also enlist the help of a smart water bottle, like HidrateSpark, which calculates how much water you need to drink and keeps track of your consumption.

Finally, Sass suggests motivating yourself to drink water by infusing it with flavor. If youre not a fan of plain water, spruce it up with healthful add-ins, like lemon or lime, fresh mint, sliced cucumber, fresh ginger, or slightly mashed bits of seasonal fruit, she suggests.

RELATED: These Genius Hacks Can Help You Drink More Water

Water weight is the fluid weight your body hangs onto, explains Sass. And if youve ever started a diet and noticed the numbers on the scale dropping almost immediately, thats likely due to the loss of water weight. Do adds that body weight from water can vary from day to day and depends on ones current hydration status, dietary habits besides water, geographic location including weather and altitude, and other factors.

Water weight is often due to a higher than usual intake of sodium, because excess sodium triggers fluid retention, Sass continues. Water weight can also be retained due to hormonal shifts, she adds. If the water weight is due to excess sodium, ironically, the best way to lose it is to drink more water, and up your intake of potassium, which triggers the release of excess sodium and fluid, she explains. Potassium-rich foods include potatoes and sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, and leafy greens like spinach, per the Cleveland Clinic.

From a health perspective, water weight is not harmful in fact, its natural for the body to hold some water weight. Rather, weight from fatty tissue (also known adipose tissue or fat mass) is of concern for health. Total body weight is a substitute measure for fat mass weight as the latter is difficult to directly measure, he continues. Fat mass quantity directly causes metabolic health issues such as elevated cholesterol, insulin resistance and diabetes, cardiovascular and fatty liver diseases.

RELATED: The Truth About Hydration: 5 Myths and 5 Facts

Water-rich foods which include watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, peaches, oranges, cucumber, and even yogurt and cottage cheese can provide about 20 percent of your total fluid intake, says Sass. Yet it can be hard to calculate water intake from food sources. There is water in all foods [to various extents], so it can be difficult to measure exactly how much water one is drinking on a day-to-day basis, Do says.

If you are trying to lose weight, you should also take into consideration the nutritional content of each food including calories, carbs, and grams of protein and how they will impact your overall diet.

Water fasting is a type of fasting that involves consuming only water. Sass doesnt endorse the practice, especially not on your own, without full medical supervision. (There are certain circumstances in which your physician might recommend temporarily fasting prior to a medical procedure, like a colonoscopy, or for blood tests.)

Keep in mind that temporary weight loss may result from most liquid-based fasts and cleanses, including water fasting. But there is little to no scientific evidence of long-term weight loss on this type of eating plan. And, while temporary weight loss may be the only potential pro to doing a water fast, the con list is very long. Among thepotential health consequences? Kidney damage, nutritional deficiencies, fainting, brain fog, fatigue, and, in women, hormone level alterations, Do says.

Water is a crucial component to our overall health after all, we literally need it to survive. But while drinking water can help you achieve your weight loss goals indirectly by reducing your caloric intake or speeding up metabolism, you cant simply drink your way to a lower number on the scale.

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Does Drinking Water Lead to Weight Loss? - Everyday Health


May 15

Women blame weight-loss tea for positive drug tests – Boston 25 News

BOSTON A drink advertised to detox your body, improve your mood and lose weight is the subject of a classaction lawsuit now. Several women say after drinking the tea they were fired from their jobs for failing a drug test.

Tina Hills said she started drinking TLCs raspberry lemonade iaso tea for weight loss. Total Life Changes is a company that sells various vitamins and supplements for weight loss, hair and skin care and increased energy.

The label says 0.0 THC, so I thought for sure that it was fine Hills said.

Hills said she even became an official distributor of the tea and encouraged her employees to try it. But after a round of random drug testing for her and other workers, Hills said she learned she had failed and was fired from her job as an airport regional manager in Syracuse, New York.

She said she lost the federal clearance needed to work in the airline industry too. Hills said she called Total Life Changes.

TLC told me that long-term use of the tea could possibly result in a positive testing. I explained to them, you know, it is a little late to find this out now. Had I known this in the beginning, I would have never risked drinking this tea Hills said.

Women across the country have reported drinking the companys raspberry lemonade iaso tea and failing drug tests by testing positive for THC, the chemical found in marijuana that makes you high.

I was clueless, devastated, and I was like, are you sure you have the right person? said Belinda Granger, a nurse in Florida.

Granger said she started drinking the TLC raspberry lemonade iaso tea on her weight loss journey in January 2020. But last October when she applied for a new nursing job, Granger said she was shocked to learn she failed the required drug test.

I want to see that tea taken off the market said Pam Johnson.

>>>MORE: Kids in mental health crisis: Families speak to Boston 25 News

Johnson was a city bus operator in Pennsylvania for 18 years and said she had submitted numerous drug tests and has never failed. But she said that ended when she tested positive after drinking the tea.

I felt like the whole room was closing in. I was in shock. Total shock, said Marilyn Williams of Minnesota.

Williams said four days after drinking the tea she was called for a random drug test. She had a high-profile job in the nuclear industry in Minnesota requiring federal clearance. Williams said she tested positive for THC and was fired immediately, losing her federal clearance.

I ended up going and buying at-home test kits. I tested the tea and sure enough, the tea came up positive, Williams said.

Still unemployed, Williams is now fighting TLC in court in a Minnesota class-action lawsuit.

A TLC spokesperson sent us this statement:

We are aware of the allegations about our iaso raspberry tea product. At TLC, we care deeply about our customers and are committed to their well-being. We are in the process of learning more about the relevant facts but are not in a position to report more fully at this time. The iaso raspberry tea product remains available for sale in the United States.

In the United States, hemp-derived products are legal if they have 0.3% THC. The packaging for TLCs raspberry lemonade iaso tea those women bought said the product contained hemp extract and 0.0% THC.

Our sister station in Charlotte had an independent lab run tests on two samples to see if the tea contained THC. The labs CEO, Dr. Volker Bornemann, said that in both samples they found trace amounts.

This measured at 8.2 parts per million and the other showed 17.3, which is a low amount, but it is exact and measurable, said Bornemann.

He added thats just enough to show up positive on a drug test.

On the Total Life Changes website, the packaging for the tea no longer advertises 0.0% THC and theres also a new disclaimer at the bottom stating:

We do not recommend use if you are subject to drug testing.

Hills is still unemployed and said she wants her story to serve as a warning for others.

This just made me look really bad, she said.

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Women blame weight-loss tea for positive drug tests - Boston 25 News


May 15

Bamboo Shoots: Nutrients, Benefits, and More – Healthline

Bamboo shoots are a common ingredient in many Asian dishes.

Theyre often enjoyed boiled or canned and boast a crisp texture and mild, earthy flavor.

Despite their popularity, you may be unsure whether this vegetable is healthy and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

This article takes a closer look at the research to determine whether bamboo shoots are good for you.

Bamboo shoots are the edible shoots of bamboo plants that are featured in many types of Asian cuisine.

Its estimated that there are up to 1,500 species of bamboo worldwide. Certain species like Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis are among the most common types used in cooking (1)

The shoots are typically peeled before consumption, as the exterior has a woody, thick texture that can be difficult to chew.

They can be found in many forms, including dried, fresh, or canned. Before adding them to recipes like stir-fries, curries, soups, and salads, theyre typically boiled, soaked, cooked, or pickled.

Bamboo shoots are the edible shoots of bamboo plants, usually boiled, soaked, cooked, or pickled and enjoyed in a variety of dishes.

Bamboo shoots are highly nutritious and contain a good amount of fiber, copper, and vitamins B6 and E in each serving.

One cup (155 grams) of cooked bamboo shoots contains (2):

As you can see, theyre especially high in copper, a mineral important for your skin health, brain function, and more (3, 4).

The shoots are also a great source of vitamin B6, a water-soluble vitamin involved in over 140 biochemical reactions within your bodys cells (5).

Plus, eating bamboo shoots boosts your intake of vitamin E, which acts as a powerful antioxidant that protects against inflammation and chronic disease (6).

Bamboo shoots are low in calories and rich in fiber, copper, and vitamin B6 and E.

Bamboo shoots have been associated with several potential health benefits.

Some studies suggest that bamboo shoots could help reduce your cholesterol levels to improve heart health.

For instance, one test-tube study showed that fibers extracted from this vegetable had powerful cholesterol-lowering properties (7).

Plus, a small, older study from 2009 among 8 healthy women found that consuming 12.7 ounces (360 grams) of bamboo shoots significantly decreased levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol after 6 days, compared with those following a control diet (8).

This may be due to the soluble fiber found in bamboo shoots. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the gut and has been linked to decreased cholesterol levels (9).

Bamboo shoots are a great source of fiber, with 2 grams in each 1-cup (155-gram) serving (2).

Fiber can promote regularity and may even protect against issues like hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and colorectal cancer (10).

According to test-tube research, bamboo shoots also act as a prebiotic, meaning that they provide fuel for the beneficial bacteria in your gut (11, 12).

Research shows that your gut microbiome may play a central role in health and disease and could help prevent conditions like heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression, and obesity (13, 14).

Bamboo shoots are low in calories but high in fiber, making them a great addition to a healthy weight loss diet (2).

Fiber can help slow stomach emptying to help keep you feeling fuller for longer between meals (10).

According to a review of 62 studies, increasing fiber intake boosted weight loss and decreased belly fat, even without making any other diet modifications (15).

Emerging animal research also shows that these shoots could support gut health to benefit weight loss.

For example, one study found that feeding bamboo shoot fiber to mice on a high fat diet helped protect against weight gain by enhancing gut microbiome health (16).

That said, more studies are needed to confirm its potential benefits for humans.

Some research suggests that bamboo shoots could help lower cholesterol levels, improve gut health, and increase weight loss.

Fresh bamboo shoots contain toxic amounts of the cyanide taxiphyllin. However, different processing methods greatly reduce their taxiphyllin content, making them generally safe for consumption (17).

To reduce the amount of taxiphyllin, the shoots must be boiled or soaked and dried prior to consumption (18).

Bamboo shoots are also considered goitrogenic, meaning that they may affect your thyroid gland function (19).

In one test-tube study, certain compounds extracted from bamboo shoots decreased the activity of the thyroid gland cells responsible for producing thyroid hormones (20).

Fortunately, getting enough iodine and selenium in your diet can help prevent thyroid dysfunction (21, 22).

Cooking foods can also deactivate certain enzymes and decrease how many goitrogens remain (23).

Therefore, you can safely enjoy cooked bamboo shoots in moderation as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet, even if you have impaired thyroid function.

Bamboo shoots contain toxic cyanide compounds and are considered goitrogenic. Fortunately, cooking them first allows you to enjoy them in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Fresh bamboo shoots are versatile and easy to prepare.

To get started, peel them and remove the fibrous outer layers.

Next, add them to salted, boiling water and cook them for at least 2030 minutes or up to 2 hours at medium-low heat. This helps remove the bitter taste and softens the texture.

You can use a skewer or toothpick to check whether theyre ready. Ideally, the skewer should go through without resistance. If the shoots are ready, remove them from the water and let them cool. You can then slice them and add them to your favorite recipes.

Bamboo shoots are easy to prepare. Simply peel, boil, slice, and add them to your favorite recipes.

Bamboo shoots are a popular ingredient in many types of Asian cuisine.

Theyre rich in nutrients and may be associated with several health benefits, including increased weight loss, improved digestive health, and decreased cholesterol levels.

However, its important to cook them properly to reduce their amount of toxic compounds and enjoy them in moderation as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet.

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Bamboo Shoots: Nutrients, Benefits, and More - Healthline


May 15

Breastfeeding history and the risk of overweight and obesity in middle-aged women – BMC Blogs Network

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Breastfeeding history and the risk of overweight and obesity in middle-aged women - BMC Blogs Network


Apr 18

The Egg Diet Plan – Weight Loss, Dangers, and Effectiveness – menshealth.com

EGGS ARE a power food for any meal of the day, especially for breakfast.

That's largely because they're high in protein, but also choline, a brain-aiding nutrient found in the yolk (you are eating the whole egg, right?).

Eggs are so beloved that theres a whole diet centered around eating them in order to help you lose weightor at least that's what the (not-that-creatively named) The Egg Diet promises.

Men's Health

What, exactly, does that entail? The Egg Diet is a low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein eating plan that leads to rapid weight loss without losing muscle mass, which often happens when you drop pounds too quickly. Again, that's the promise.

The reality: "This fad diet is based around the idea that eggs are a nutrient-dense, inexpensive, and complete protein source, but rather than eating highly processed, packaged, and artificial foods, The Egg Diet is centered around a whole-food approach, says Ilyse Schapiro R.D.

To further complicate matters, there are also different variations of The Egg Diet. Some are egg-only diets or revolve around eating only hard-boiled eggs (!), but all types require three meals per day without any snacks.

These meals tend to include lean proteins, 1 to 2 servings of fruit per day, dark leafy greens, and non-starchy vegetables. Adequate water intake is also encouraged along with any zero-calorie beverage of your choice (think black coffee and unsweetened teas).

Like Schapiro says, The Egg Diet is a fad diet, though, so we have to wonder if it works and if its healthy for short- and long-term weight loss.

Let's take a closer look.

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In terms of immediate results for weight loss, yes, The Egg Diet works. But there's a catch (of course).

"Given that all versions of The Egg Diet result in eating fewer calories, it is likely that you will achieve short-term weight loss, says Schapiro. Any time you eat fewer calories than your body requires, youll lose weight. If youre able to maintain the strict diet long-term, you will be able to maintain the weight loss.

A Man, A Pan, A Plan: 100 Delicious & Nutritious One-Pan Recipes You Can Make Right Now!

"However, this plan is too restrictive and regimented to be considered a well-balanced, sustainable way of eating," Schapiro says. So, you wouldnt want to consider this a type of eating plan as sustainable or beneficial long-term.

"The problem comes in when it comes to real-life and not wanting to feel so limited and follow such a strict diet all of the time," adds Lyssie Lakatos, R.D.N. When you go back to eating normally, its likely you will gain the weight back.

"Also, if you were to continue on the diet long-term, youd miss out on a lot of important vitamins and minerals that you need to keep you healthy, Lakatos says.

Many versions of these egg-based diets are too low in calories to be healthy long-term, and can ultimately also slow metabolism. There are healthier and more sustainable ways to seek weight lossa loss that you can also maintain without jeopardizing your metabolism or mental and physical health.

Theres one extreme version of an egg-based diet that may be.

It's known as the egg fast diet, and is sometimes connected to ketogenic diets. Take note: the keto egg diet is only meant to last for a few days and involves eating six whole eggs per day along with sources of fat, such as butter, cheese, or oil.

This egg fast can induce ketosis, which is a metabolic process that occurs when your body runs out of enough carbohydrates to burn for energy, so instead, the body burns stored fat and creates ketones for a source of fuel, says Schapiro.

This type of eating strategy is extremeand a crash diet worth avoiding.

While there is currently no consistent answer, The American Heart Association generally recommends one egg, or two egg whites, per day as part of a healthy diet. But that recommendation might be based off old science.

Recent research has found that the dietary cholesterol in egg yolks has little effect on raising total and bad LDL cholesterol levels, says Schapiro.

So, youre safe to enjoy a higher number of eggs than you may have previously thought were allowed.

Plus, the yolk is rich in nutrition. The egg center is ... high in protein, fat soluble vitamins, folate, and vitamin B12, so, its both delicious and nutritious, says Schapiro.

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The Egg Diet Plan - Weight Loss, Dangers, and Effectiveness - menshealth.com


Apr 18

How Dare There Be Effective Drugs for Obesity? – Medscape

Recent studies published in JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine highlighted the remarkable efficacy of once-weekly injections of semaglutide for long-term weight loss, with average losses of 16% and 14.9% over 68 weeks, respectively. Given the challenges of maintaining weight loss and the benefits of weight loss for many weight-responsive diseases, quality of life, mobility, and reduction of risk for chronic noncommunicable diseases, you might expect such a drug to be released to uniform cheer.

You'd be wrong, though, because when it comes to obesity, many would seemingly prefer there to be no effective pharmaceutical treatments. The loudest voices opposing medications for obesity, though they often share talking points, usually fall into one or more of these four categories:

The food-is-medicine proponents

The lifestyle-is-medicine proponents

The weight-biased

The obesity denialists

The first two groups' arguments are the most obvious and generally involve some riff on, "Why would anyone take medication for obesity? They just need to go on the diet," or "Whatever happened to eat less, move more?"

The weight-biased, of course, tend to perseverate around what they perceive to be the moral failings of people with obesity and frame medications as a reflection of their purported weaknesses, while the obesity denialists frame everything as a medico-pharma conspiracy for a disease that they believe doesn't exist and therefore requires no treatment.

Of the four groups, I'd venture that the most prevalent are the weight-biased. And here I'm not speaking of explicit bias but rather implicit bias which, when it comes to healthcare professionals having negative feelings toward those with obesity, is well documented and has been shown to affect care.

In the discourse that followed the release of these two recent studies, there were disparaging remarks about the cost of medications, frequent suggestions that the drug's primary mechanism of action is nausea (rather than what is for most a transient or minor side effect), and complaints about the drug's requirement for long-term use. Also apparently problematic was the fact that for many people, the 15% weight loss achievable from a single medication will still have them weighing more than some table says they ought to.

Notable too was that the majority of these doctors weighing in on what they perceived as the drug's shortcomings were physicians who don't practice obesity medicine and who had probably never prescribed a glucagon-like peptide 1 analogue or followed and counseled a patient in the context of weight management. Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but I would never presume expertise in a field where I didn't practice. But of course, everybody eats, and consequently everybody is an expert, it would seem.

All this is to say, obesity is a chronic noncommunicable disease that medicine treats like no other. With all other chronic noncommunicable diseases, when indicated and when lifestyle means are insufficient or undesired, physicians rightly and readily recommend and prescribe long-term medication or combinations of medications.

Take hypertension. Our patients can in theory choose to go on low-sodium diets, lose weight, increase their exercise levels, improve their sleep hygiene, treat their sleep apnea, and focus on mindfulness. Doing so would in many cases lead to marked improvement and in some, remission of their disease. But if their efforts fail, stall, or are found to be insufficient, or if they simply state that they're unlikely to find the time, energy, or interest to make such lifestyle changes, we invariably and unhesitatingly free from judgment about their character prescribe them antihypertensives with the understanding that they are likely to be long-term medications, barring any major lifestyle changes.

Yet with obesity, which too is in theory modifiable through lifestyle means, many physicians are not only hesitant but plainly opposed to prescribing medications in the first place, let alone for long-term use. And those who do will often demand patients "try" to lose weight first before they are given the prescription (as if they haven't probably been trying their whole lives already, and as if there isn't a tremendous amount of privilege involved in perpetual intentional behaviour change in the name of health).

With respect to costs, perhaps they'd be lower were more physicians comfortable prescribing these medications. With respect to the nausea, it's minimal or transient for most. But even if it wasn't, if the mechanism of action was nausea, and people in the studies voluntarily stayed on them for 68 weeks despite the nausea, what would that say about the drug's perceived benefits to the individual and the burdens associated with obesity? Finally, with respect to subtotal weight loss, how many chronic noncommunicable diseases are you aware of that are wholly treated with monotherapy?

True physician allies for patients with obesity are those who treat obesity like any other chronic disease, where treatment can of course involve lifestyle counseling, encouragement, and support but which, when appropriate, also includes the option of pharmacotherapy and, regardless of patient behaviour changes, is free from blame.

Yoni Freedhoff, MD, is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa and medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute, a nonsurgical weight management center. He is one of Canada's most outspoken obesity experts and the author of The Diet Fix: Why Diets Fail and How to Make Yours Work.

Follow Yoni Freedhoff on Twitter:@YoniFreedhoff

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How Dare There Be Effective Drugs for Obesity? - Medscape


Apr 18

A Top Trainer Shared 5 Reasons Why You Might Not Be Losing Weight – menshealth.com

In a new YouTube video, trainer and Athlean-X founder Jeff Cavaliere C.S.C.S. speaks about how losing weight can be as much about finding the right mentality as it is about eating, or exercise. He also lays out the five sayings that he frequently hears from clients which function as "red flags," and let him know that somebody needs to go back to basics in figuring out their weight loss journey.

While there are specific exercises that will help train the muscles in certain parts of your body, when it comes to cutting weight in certain areas, that won't work. "The line of thinking is flawed, and that's what's holding you back," says Cavaliere. "Not only is an exercise not going to be capable of targeting any specific area on your body, but more importantly, it's not about exercise at all, and it never will beit's about nutrition."

"Not only is cardio not the main driver of your results, but fasted cardio is actually no better than cardio itself. Though you might burn a higher percentage of fat within the session, you actually burn a lower percentage of fat after the session vs. a fed cardio session. And when it nets all out, you're actually burning the same... Instead, think of cardio as a way of strengthening your heart, and focus your efforts on the deficit through what you put into your mouth. It's always going to come down to nutrition."

Cavaliere argues that while somebody might be able to truthfully say they only eat chicken, fish, salad and oatmeal, it's important not to generalize. There can be a whole range of difference in the nutritional and caloric value of these foods depending on the source: for instance, skinless chicken breast vs. chicken parm, or steamed salmon vs. sushi. "The differences matter," he says, "especially when you're looking to create long-term weight loss."

Whether it's the Atkins diet, the keto diet, the paleo diet, or the South Beach diet, Cavaliere warns that thinking of your nutrition in terms of being "on" or "off" a diet at all isn't sustainableand this has been true of fads for decades. "If you have a name for how you eat, it's an indicator to me that you've got a short-term solution to your long-term problems," says Cavaliere. "Diet plans are, by nature, short-term fixes... You've got to figure out a way to make this a lifelong lifestyle, if you're looking for that long-term permanent weight loss."

Setting goals can obviously be a hugely helpful and important part of any weight loss and fitness journey, especially in terms of establishing motivation. But similarly to the short-term diet plan problem, having a set deadline or expiration date for your weight loss means you're not thinking about long-term, sustainable change.

"Maybe you talk about a summer cut, but summer's eventually going to turn to fall," says Cavaliere. "Then what happens? Oftentimes, we find ourselves going back to exactly what we did to put ourselves in the situation where we're looking to get in shape again for the next event. You have to look deeper... Find what lies beneath the surfaceliterally."

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