Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 489«..1020..488489490491..500510..»

Home » Page 489

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, the need to support your immune system arguably becomes even more urgent. Yet, there are a few habits you may be doing each day that are working against your body's ability to fight off viruses and even certain diseases.

Of course, there are factors that are out of our control (such as older age) that can hinder immune function. This makes it all the more important to focus on the things we can address now to prepare our immune systems for the worst-case scenario later. (Related: The One Vitamin Doctors Are Urging Everyone to Take Right Now).

The experts at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently published the Healthy Living Guide 2020/2021, and from it, we extracted seven key factors that can depress your immune system.

Habits you have more control over

Eating a diet that's predominantly made up of processed foods andlacking fresh fruits and vegetablescan weaken your immune system. Processed foods are often either high in saturated fat or loaded in added sugars. Sometimes, they're high in both of those things, and consuming them in excess (and over time) can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, which can tax the immune system.

For more, be sure to check out: Here's Exactly How a Plant-Based Diet Can Protect You From Disease, According to Experts.

As the experts at Harvard point out in this year's guide, lack of sleepor rest, in generalcan hinder the body's ability to fight off infection. As we sleep, a cytokine (which is a molecule that is crucial for immune function) is released that helps to fight infection. So, cutting your sleep short can then decrease the number of cytokines and other important immune cells.

Hint: There are several foods and diet changes that may help you to improve your sleep.

Many of us look forward to having a glass of wine, whiskey, or beer at the end of the workday. But, drinking too much can negatively impact your immune system, too. More specifically, alcohol can impair or suppress the normal activity of immune cells, say Harvard experts.

Try to limit your alcohol consumption to just one drink each day, if not cutting it down to just three or four days a week.

According to the CDC, not only can smoking cigarettes harm the immune system by and making it less successful at fighting disease, but it can also compromise its equilibrium, increasing the risk for several autoimmune disorders.

Chronic stress can silently wreak havoc on your immune system. Stress, which releases the hormone cortisol, can suppress the inflammation necessary to activate immune cells and, as Harvard experts point out, the action of white blood cells. White blood cells, also known as lymphocytes, help to fight off infection, as per the Cleveland Clinic.

As the experts at Harvard point out, having obesity is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. Adipose, or fat, tissue produces adipocytokines, which can promote inflammatory processes.

"Research is early, but obesity has also been identified as an independent risk factor for the influenza virus, possibly due to the impaired function of T-cells, a type of white blood cell," the experts write.

Working to shed excess weight could potentially tack years onto your life.

Now for the one that you can't always prevent or control

This isn't a habit. For some people, chronic diseases such as autoimmune disorders are unavoidableno matter how healthy they eat or how many hours a week they spend exercising. Many times, people are born with an autoimmune disease, or they develop it later in life without warning. Some of these disorders can attack and potentially disable immune cells, Harvard experts point out.

For more, be sure to read25 Late-Night Habits That Are Ruining Your Weight Loss Efforts.

Follow this link:
7 Habits That Are Hurting Your Immune System, According to Harvard | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Read More..

The brain is the most complex organ of the body. It regulates multiple bodily functions, interprets incoming sensory information, and processes our emotions. It is also the seat of memory, intelligence, and creativity.

Although the brain gets plenty of exercise every day, certain activities may help boost brain function and connectivity. This in turn may help protect the brain from age-related degeneration.

The brain is always active, even during sleep. However, certain activities can engage the brain in new ways, potentially leading to improvements in memory, cognitive function, or creativity.

This article outlines 22 brain exercises that may help boost memory, cognition, and creativity.

Meditation generally involves focusing attention in a calm, controlled way. Meditating may have multiple benefits for both the brain and the body.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, research suggests that meditation may benefit the brain by slowing brain aging and increasing the brains ability to process information.

Visualization involves forming a mental image to represent information. The mental image may be in the form of pictures or animated scenes.

A 2018 review notes that visualization helps people organize information and make appropriate decisions.

People can practice visualization in their day-to-day lives. For example, before going shopping, people can visualize how they will get to and from the grocery store, and imagine what they will buy when they get there. The key is to imagine the scenes vividly and in as much detail as possible.

Playing card games or board games can be a fun way to socialize or pass the time. These activities may also be beneficial for the brain. A 2017 study found a link between playing games and a decreased risk of cognitive impairment in older adults.

Memory card games test a persons short-term memory and ability to remember patterns. They are a simple and fun way to engage the brain and activate areas related to pattern recognition and recall.

Crossword puzzles are a popular activity that may stimulate the brain. An older study from 2011 notes that crossword puzzles may delay the onset of memory decline in people with preclinical dementia.

Completing a jigsaw puzzle can be a good way to pass the time and may also benefit the brain. A 2018 study found that puzzles activate many cognitive functions, including:

The study concluded that doing jigsaw puzzles regularly and throughout life may protect against the effects of brain aging.

Number puzzles, such as sudoku, can be a fun way to challenge the brain. They may also improve cognitive function in some people.

A 2019 study of adults aged between 50 and 93 years found that those who practiced number puzzles more frequently tended to have better cognitive function.

A 2016 meta-analysis notes that chess and other cognitive leisure activities may lead to improvements in:

A 2015 study found that there is a connection between regular participation in checkers or other cognitively stimulating games and larger brain volume and improved markers of cognitive health in people at risk of Alzheimers disease.

A 2015 review notes that some types of video games such as action, puzzle, and strategy games may lead to improvements in the following:

Enjoying company of friends may be a mentally engaging leisure activity and may help preserve cognitive function. A 2019 study found that people with more frequent social contact were less likely to experience cognitive decline and dementia.

Some social activities that may help stimulate the brain include:

Learning new skills engages the brain in different ways and may help improve brain function.

A 2014 study of older adults found that learning a new and cognitively demanding skill, such as quilting or photography, enhanced memory function.

Increasing ones vocabulary range is a great way to broaden knowledge while exercising the brain.

A simple way to increase vocabulary is to read a book or watch a TV program and note down any words that are unfamiliar. A person can then use a dictionary to look up the meaning of the word and think up ways to use the word in a sentence.

Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak two languages.

A 2019 review notes that bilingualism increases and strengthens connectivity between different areas of the brain. The researchers propose that this enhanced connectivity may play a role in delaying the onset of Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia.

A 2018 study published in Brain Sciences found that listening to music a person enjoys engages and connects different parts of the brain.

The researchers propose that this may lead to improvements in cognitive function and overall well-being.

Learning an instrument exercises parts of the brain that are responsible for coordination.

According to a 2014 study, playing an instrument may benefit cognitive development in a young brain and help protect against cognitive impairment in an aging brain.

Taking up a new hobby can be mentally stimulating and exercise the brain in new ways.

Hobbies that require coordination or dexterity will activate a persons motor skills. Such hobbies may include:

Regular physical exercise is beneficial for both the brain and the body. Authors of a 2019 review note that exercise improves the following aspects of brain health:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exercise has beneficial effects on the following aspects of cognitive health:

Dance is a form of exercise that may also engage areas of the brain involved in rhythm and balance.

Certain sports are both physically and mentally demanding. Some require a range of cognitive skills, such as:

A 2019 review notes that elite athletes who participate in high demand sports tend to have improved attention and faster information processing speeds.

Tai chi is a form of physical exercise that involves gentle body movements, rhythmic breathing, and meditation.

A 2019 study compared brain function and connectivity among tai chi practitioners and those who did not practice it.

The researchers found that the tai chi practitioners had enhanced connectivity between different regions of their brain. They proposed that this may improve cognition and decrease the rate of memory loss.

While not necessarily an active exercise, sleep is crucial for both the brain and the body.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, although many people get less sleep than they need.

A 2015 review notes that sleep has been proven to:

As such, making sure to get enough sleep each night is an important step toward maintaining a healthy brain.

Brain exercises can be as simple as actively engaging the brain in everyday tasks. Others are targeted workouts for the brain, specifically designed to enhance memory, cognition, or creativity.

Exercising the brain may help improve brain function and boost connectivity between the different areas. This may help protect the brain from age-related degeneration.

People are likely to differ in terms of the brain exercises they find most enjoyable. It may be a good idea to try a range of brain-training activities at first and to stick with those that provide the most enjoyment or reward.

View original post here:
Brain exercises: 22 ways to improve memory, cognition, and creativity - Medical News Today

Read More..

A persons nails can say a lot about their overall health, while changes to the nails may suggest an underlying issue that needs treatment, such as nail psoriasis or Raynauds disease.

The curving of the nails does not always indicate a cause for concern, but it may be a good idea to consult a doctor. If changes to the nails accompany other symptoms, it is important to seek care promptly.

In this article, we describe types of nail curving and other nail changes that may need monitoring. We also explore some possible causes.

Some or most of the nail may curve outward, away from the nail bed. For example, a person may have one of the below conditions.

With spoon nails, the nails become so soft and curved that they can hold a droplet of water. Doctors often refer to this as koilonychia.

This issue may occur in newborns, but it may resolve without needing treatment. In other cases, and in people of other ages, koilonychia can indicate health issues, such as iron-deficiency anemia.

This involves the thickening of the tissue underneath the nail, causing the fingertips to become rounded and the nails to curve over them.

Doctors believe this results from increased blood flow to the fingertips. It can run in families and may be harmless, but it may be due to a health condition, especially if it occurs later in life.

Nails that curve far inward at the sides are called ingrown nails. This condition may affect the toenails and be due to wearing shoes that are too tight, particularly in the toe box.

Ingrown nails may also result from cutting the nails improperly. In some cases, treatment may involve removing part or all of the nail.

The nails may become crumbly or brittle due to:

Small dents and pits may also appear in the nails, which may result from:

Curving of the nails sometimes stems from an underlying health issue. This may be temporary, such as a fungal infection, or chronic, such as psoriasis. We explain some of the common causes below.

Iron helps maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails, while an iron deficiency may be due to:

Some common symptoms besides curved nails may include:

Treatment for iron deficiency anemia may involve:

About 90% of people with psoriasis develop the condition on their nails at some point. Besides curving, symptoms may include thickening and shallow or deep holes in the nail.

Treatment may involve:

This rare disorder affects the arteries, causing them to periodically narrow and block blood flow to specific body parts, usually the fingers or toes.

As a result, the fingers and toes may:

Treatment for Raynauds may involve managing stress or taking medication, or rarely, undergoing surgery. However, there is no cure.

This genetic disorder causes the body to absorb too much iron from the diet. While a person typically has around 1 gram (g) of iron in their body at any time, this condition can cause a buildup of 5 grams or more.

Besides curved nails, symptoms may include:

Hemochromatosis can damage the liver, heart, and pancreas. Without treatment, people may show signs of iron toxicity in their 30s, and the disease may be fatal.

Management involves the regular removal of blood until iron levels are within a normal range.

Dietary changes may also help. Learn more here.

This chronic disease can cause trigger inflammation and pain in any area of the body. About 1.5 million people in the United States have a form of lupus, while systemic lupus erythematosus is the most common type.

Symptoms of this autoimmune disorder can flare up and recede. Beyond curvature of the nails, they can include:

Treatment generally focuses on suppressing the immune system with medications.

It may be worth speaking with a doctor about persistent, noticeable changes to the nails. It is especially crucial for a person to consult with a healthcare professional if other symptoms are present.

A doctor will identify the underlying issue and advise on the best course of treatment.

Changes to the nails, such as curving, sometimes result from an underlying health issue requiring treatment. However, these changes are not always a cause for concern.

If curving of the nails occurs with other symptoms, a person should seek medical treatment.

Read more here:
Curved nails: Causes of spoon nails and curved tips and sides - Medical News Today

Read More..

The South Beach Diet and Nutrisystem are two popular programs often used by those looking to lose weight.

While both programs have several things in common, many key differences set them apart.

This article takes a closer look at the South Beach Diet and Nutrisystem to determine which is better for weight loss.

Heres a brief overview of how each program works.

The South Beach Diet is a low carb diet designed to promote weight loss and improve heart health. Its based on a book by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist.

The diet promotes lean sources of protein, non-starchy vegetables, and heart-healthy fats while limiting added sugars and high carb ingredients.

Although you can follow the diet using the principles described in the book, the South Beach Diet also offers plans that provide fully prepared meals and snacks delivered to your door.

The company has three plans, including:

The program also has a 1-week reboot kit. According to the companys website, this contains an array of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks specifically selected to help you lose up to 7 pounds (3 kg) in 1 week.

Nutrisystem is a commercial weight loss program that offers an assortment of fully prepared fresh and frozen meals each week.

The company offers several plans with varying meals, prices, and customization options.

Here are some of the plans offered by Nutrisystem:

The program is designed to be followed for 24 weeks but can be repeated as many times as necessary to help you reach your goals.

In addition to the meals and snacks provided by Nutrisystem, dieters are encouraged to enjoy two additional healthy snacks per day to round out their diet.

Heres what kind of foods you can find on the menu of each program.

The South Beach Diet features a large menu with a variety of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.

When placing your order, you can mix and match items to create your own meal plan.

You can also filter items to view meals that are vegetarian or diabetes-friendly, as well as those that contain specific allergens and ingredients.

Additionally, you can sort items by their carb content, storage needs, and preparation required.

The nutrition facts and ingredients are also listed for all meals and snacks on the menu, along with customer reviews and details on the preparation method.

Nutrisystem offers an extensive menu with over 150 fresh and frozen meals and snacks to choose from.

The menu also includes a selection of diabetes-friendly, high fiber, high protein, low sodium, and vegetarian options.

Each menu item is accompanied by a list of ingredients and its nutrition facts. You can also filter the menu to exclude items that contain certain ingredients, including pork, wheat, or milk.

With the Basic Plan, you can choose from 100 items on the menu to create a custom meal plan. All other plans allow you to select from the full menu.

Heres how the two programs vary in terms of cost.

The South Beach Diet offers several plans, each of which varies in price and its selection of meals and snacks.

Heres how much 1 months worth of meals costs on each plan:

All plans include free shipping, and additional discounts are available if you prepay for multiple months or sign up for auto-delivery.

You can also add other items to your order for an extra fee, such as meal bundles, protein bars, and shaker bottles.

The prices for Nutrisystem differ depending on which plan you select.

Heres how much each plan costs:

All plans include free shipping, as well as a discount if you preorder multiple shipments.

You can also add an assortment of protein shakes to your order for an additional fee.

Both programs have been shown to increase weight loss and fat loss.

While theres very little research on the South Beach Diet specifically, several studies have found that high protein, low carb diets may aid weight loss.

One study in 331 people with obesity noted that those who followed a low carb, low calorie, high protein diet lost significantly more body weight and fat mass over 9 months than those following a standard low calorie diet (1).

Another study in 164 people showed that reducing your carb intake may help you burn more calories throughout the day, thus promoting weight loss (2).

One older study found that people with metabolic syndrome who followed the South Beach Diet for 12 weeks lost an average of 11.5 pounds (5.2 kg) (3).

Plus, they experienced significant reductions in total percent body fat, belly fat, and body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat thats calculated using your height and weight (3).

Increasing your protein intake may also enhance feelings of fullness and affect certain hormones that control hunger and appetite, such as ghrelin (4, 5).

Although theres limited research on the effectiveness of Nutrisystem for long-term, sustainable weight loss, several studies show that it may be beneficial for increasing short-term weight loss.

For example, one small study in 69 people with type 2 diabetes indicated that following the Nutrisystem program for 3 months was more effective for weight loss than attending a diabetes support and education group (6).

Similarly, a review of 39 studies reported that participants who used Nutrisystem for 3 months achieved an average of 3.8% more weight loss than those who received behavioral counseling or education (7).

Whats more, another study found that people who used Nutrisystem for 12 weeks lost an average of 17.8 pounds (8 kg) and more belly fat than those who followed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (8).

However, keep in mind that this study was directly sponsored by Nutrisystem.

Finally, any low calorie diet is likely to result in rapid weight loss. The Nutrisystem diet that resulted in the 17.8-pound (8-kg) weight loss mentioned above contained only 1,0001,500 calories per day, which is much too low for the energy needs of most adults.

Both the South Beach Diet and Nutrisystem may also offer additional benefits.

The prepared meals offered by the South Beach Diet make it easy to follow a low carb diet and can help save you time and energy throughout the week.

Unlike many other prepared meal services, the South Beach Diet book also offers clear guidelines on healthy eating and physical activity, which may help transition off the service.

In addition to increasing weight loss, the South Beach Diet may improve several other aspects of your health.

For instance, one older study in 20 people showed that following the South Beach Diet decreased levels of fasting insulin, which may help support healthy blood sugar levels (3, 9).

Another study found that participants who followed a diet pattern similar to the South Beach Diet for 24 weeks experienced greater improvements in blood sugar control and triglyceride levels than those following a high carb, low fat diet (10).

With a variety of fully prepared meals and snacks on the menu, Nutrisystem offers a quick, convenient, and simple solution for weight loss.

It may be a particularly good option for people looking to save time during the week, without having to worry about monitoring their portion sizes and counting carbs or calories.

Plus, it may help support healthy blood sugar levels.

In fact, most Nutrisystem meals have a low glycemic index (GI), which means that the meals are less likely to significantly affect your blood sugar levels (11).

In addition to improving blood sugar control among people with type 2 diabetes, some research suggests that low GI diets may be beneficial for weight loss (12).

Both diet programs also have a few downsides to consider.

Although its possible to follow the South Beach Diet by employing the guidelines in the book and preparing your own food at home, the meal plans offered by the company use highly processed and prepackaged foods like cookies, snack bars, and nacho puffs.

While some may enjoy the ease and convenience of these meals and snacks, regularly consuming processed food has been linked to chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (13, 14).

Plus, easing back into a regular diet may be more difficult if youre relying solely on these prepared meals, and it could potentially increase your risk of weight regain.

Additionally, the meal plans offered by the South Beach Diet only provide 1,2001,500 calories per day. While the diet may result in short-term weight loss, this calorie range is far too low for most adults, unsustainable, and may result in weight regain.

Furthermore, the South Beach Diet is expensive and more costly than many similar services, including Nutrisystem, with prices starting at $12.50 per day.

Options to accommodate specific dietary restrictions are also limited. This may not be ideal if you have any food preferences, allergies, or intolerances.

Unlike other programs that promote healthy dietary and lifestyle changes, Nutrisystem relies on premade, preportioned meals and snacks to encourage weight loss.

While this may be effective for short-term weight loss, its likely to lead to weight regain once you resume your typical diet.

It can also be expensive to follow long term, with plans starting at almost $9 per day.

Nutrisystem may not be a good option for those with certain dietary restrictions, including people following vegan or gluten-free diets.

It can also be somewhat restrictive and may not provide enough calories for many adults.

In the long run, decreasing your calorie intake too much can slow your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight (15).

There are several factors to consider when determining which program is right for you.

With a large menu of meals and snacks that require little to no preparation, Nutrisystem is a simple and convenient option for weight loss.

Its also more affordable than similar services, including the South Beach Diet.

On the other hand, while the meals provided by the South Beach Diet are a bit more expensive, you can also follow the diet using the guidelines described in the book instead of purchasing the premade meals.

Doing so can not only make it easier to incorporate other foods into your diet but also ease your transition back to a regular diet to maintain weight loss long term.

Nutrisystem is a weight loss program that offers fully prepared meals and snacks to support weight loss and save you time during the week.

Meanwhile, the South Beach Diet is a low carb, high protein diet based on a book that also offers a variety of prepared meals.

Although the premade meals from the South Beach Diet may be more expensive, the book offers additional guidelines on healthy eating and physical activity, which may ease your transition back to a typical diet once youve reached your goals.

Read more here:
The South Beach Diet vs. Nutrisystem: Comparison and Review - Healthline

Read More..

There's more evidence that intermittent fasting could help people with obesity lose weight.

Sticking to an eight hour "eating window" each day, for 12 weeks, led to moderate weight loss for one in four obese adults, according to a small study published January 28 in PLOS One.

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London looked at 50 obese adults in the U.K. who fasted for 16 hours each day. They were monitored with weekly phone calls for the first half of the study, then had in-person check-ins at the end of week six and week 12.

On average, participants in the study lost about four to five pounds in the 12 weeks. One in four participants lost at least 5% of their body weight by the end of the study.

Participants lost the most weight (an average of eight pounds total) if they stuck to intermittent fasting at least five days a week, over half of them did so through the end of the study. The most common reasons for lapsing in the diet were dining out, happy hours, and other social occasions, according to surveys from participants.

Read more: Some fasting advocates say you can sneak food into the diet without sacrificing the health benefits, but others aren't so sure

These results suggest that intermittent fasting is worth a closer look as a weight loss strategy.

"Simple weight management plans which people can stick to are currently lacking," Dunja Przulj, corresponding author of the study and a research health psychologist at Queen Mary University of London, said in a press release.

The weight loss in this study was comparable to results from other diets, based on the researchers' previous study.

In that study, which is still unpublished, data from 300 obese adults showed similar weight loss results from following the National Health Services advice to eat less, exercise more, count calories, and eat more fiber and produce.

Participants following NHS advice lost slightly less weight, about 4 pounds on average, compared to 6 pounds lost by intermittent fasting dieters in the most recent study. People were also less likely to stay committed to the NHS advice.

That means intermittent fasting could be as good or better for weight loss than current diets recommendations, according to researchers. However, neither of these studies looked at long-term weight loss, so we don't yet know how well intermittent fasting may work over time.

Previous research has found intermittent fasting has potential for treating obesity. Studies have shown it can work as well as other diets for weight loss, but it may not be any more effective. One theory to explain this is that fasting is just one strategy to help people cut calories, so their weight loss results depend on how much less they eat on a fasting diet.

In addition to weight loss, studies have explored whether intermittent fasting may improve health in other ways, such as reducing risk of disease or improving blood sugar control and cholesterol levels.

In this most recent study, intermittent fasting was not found to have an effect on blood pressure or cholesterol levels, which are also important markers of health. Researchers didn't measure blood sugar or insulin.

But still other research has found that intermittent fasting doesn't seem to improve markers of health compared to other healthy diets, and may even lead to side effects like muscle loss.

There's still a lot researchers don't understand about this type of fasting, and more research is needed to better understand how it might work and how best to apply it for health benefits.

See the original post:
There's more evidence that intermittent fasting could help people with obesity lose weight - Insider - INSIDER

Read More..

When you're following a weight loss diet, the humble spud is usually the first carb to be cut from the shopping list which makes the rise of the potato diet all the more remarkable. This extreme way of eating involves consuming nothing other than cooked potatoes for a set period of time with the goal of achieving rapid weight loss.

The potato diet can last anywhere from three tough days to several gruelling months, and while many claim to have lost significant weight following it, no scientific studies have been done to support these claims. Away from the deep fat fryer, this versatile root vegetable has a host of health benefits but is the potato diet safe, and should you try it for weight loss?

We explain how the potato diet works, examine the nutritional profile of the spud and put our health concerns to Pixie Turner, a registered nutritionist for Discover Great Veg:

The potato diet essentially involves eating nothing but potatoes for days, weeks or months. There are several ways to do it, the most popular being a crash diet popularised by Tim Steele, author of The Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified. Commit to eating plain, cooked white potatoes for three to five days, and you could lose up to one pound (0.45 kg) per day, the book claims. All condiments and toppings are vetoed except salt, which is allowed but advised against.

Other, longer-term versions of the potato diet have cropped up in recent years, such as Spud Fit Challenge. It was created by Aussie dieter Andrew Taylor, who ate nothing but tatties for an entire year, shedding 117 pounds (53.07 kg). In his version of the drastic diet, sweet potatoes, herbs and spices, and even certain fat-free condiments are allowed, like sweet chilli, tomato sauce or barbecue sauce.

Generally, the rules for the potato diet vary in three ways:

You'll notice that it isn't called the French fry diet. High-fat, high-salt potato foods such as crisps and chips are off the menu, no matter what. As for washing those spuds down with a drink usually only water, coffee, and tea (without milk or sugar) are recommended.

The potato diet will initially help you lose weight, because it's very low in calories. One medium-sized skin-on potato contains 110 calories, so even if you ate 10 whole potatoes over the course of a day, you'd only consume 1,100 calories far below the recommended daily calorie intake of 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men.

'There's nothing special about the potato in terms of weight loss,' says Turner. 'It simply does whatever any diet tries to do: limits foods in order to limit total energy consumption. Most likely someone would get bored of eating nothing but potatoes pretty quickly and therefore end up eating less food overall compared to usual.'

The potato diet simply does whatever any diet tries to do: limits foods in order to limit total energy consumption.

Flavourful foods set off the reward system in your brain, and unsurprisingly, plain cooked potatoes don't quite have the same effect so it's almost impossible to overeat them. This means you're only likely to eat when you're hungry, and only enough to curb your hunger.

Potatoes also contain proteinase inhibitor 2, a compound that may help to reduce appetite and food intake and stimulate satiety hormones, though more research is needed on that.

While the potato diet has a great deal of worrying downsides and health risks, there are a few potential benefits worth examining:

One potato (around 180g) contains more than a quarter of your daily potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and potassium intake, plus a substantial helping of folate, niacin, phosphorus, and manganese. They're a rich source of antioxidants specifically lutein and zeaxanthin in white potatoes, and anthocyanins in purple and red potatoes.

Each potato contains around 3.7g fibre, about the same as an apple. Not only is fibre essential for a healthy digestive system, it makes you feel fuller for longer and keeps your blood sugar levels stable. Potatoes are also full of resistant starch, which resists digestion and feeds good bacteria in the gut.

Potatoes are cheap, readily-available, and less perishable than other vegetables. They also offer bang-for-buck in terms of fullness, topping the satiety index, which ranks foods according to their ability to satisfy hunger. You'd need to eat seven croissants to feel as full as you would from one tatty.

The potato diet is straightforward, we'll give it that. Some people claim the simplicity of the rules alters their relationship with food that they become more aware of when they are eating out of boredom or tiredness and gain a greater understanding of when they are hungry and full. However, there are far healthier ways to reach this understanding. For example, adopting mindful eating practices or intuitive eating.

There's no question that potatoes deserve a place on every dinner place, but following the potato diet for any period of time can have drastic health consequences, such as:

Strict dieting is a form of disordered eating that can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. 'Eating only potatoes flies in the face of everything we know about a healthy pattern of eating,' says Turner. 'It's restrictive, hugely limiting, boring, anti-social, and it's impossible to obtain all the micronutrients the body needs from just potatoes.'

Potatoes don't contain all the vitamins and minerals you need for optimal health including vitamin B12, vitamin A, calcium and zinc. They're also incredibly low in protein and fat, containing 4.3g and 0.2g respectively per potato. You need protein to help build muscles and bones and make hormones, while fats help the body absorb certain vitamins.

Even though you may lose weight rapidly, it doesn't mean you're losing fat. Muscle loss is extremely common when dieting, particularly on low-calorie, low-protein diets. In one small study, 18 per cent of the weight lost by participants on a 500-calorie diet was lean muscle.

Eating fewer calories that your body needs interferes with your metabolism. One of the ways this happens is through muscle loss, since muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat. Following a low-calorie diet can decrease your daily calorie burn by as much as 23 per cent, and this effect can persist long after the diet ends.

When your metabolism slows and your body burns fewer calories in response to eating very few calories, it's called adaptive thermogenesis. This makes it difficult to maintain your new weight once you return to your normal way of eating. Long-term studies have shown that as many as 90 per cent of dieters return to their previous weight.

Acrylamide is a toxic chemical substance that forms when starchy foods like potatoes are cooked at high temperatures. High doses are known to damage the human nervous system and cause cancer in animals. If you intend to follow the potato diet long-term, don't keep raw potatoes in the fridge and soak them in water before baking.

While it may help you lose weight, the safety of the potato diet hasn't been tested in a scientific setting. However, it's extremely restrictive, lacks important nutrients, and may interfere with your metabolism. 'Just don't do it,' says Turner. 'It's not worth it. Food is a wonderful thing, but eating nothing but potatoes is dull and unnecessary.'

For healthy, sustainable weight loss, balance complex carbohydrates with 'plenty of fruit and vegetables, including leafy greens like kale, cavolo nero, and spinach; protein sources like meat, fish, beans and tofu; sources of fat like oily fish, avocados and cheese; and some foods you enjoy just for the fun of them,' she says.

Last updated: 28-01-2021

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

Originally posted here:
Potato diet: is it safe, and does it work for weight loss? - Netdoctor

Read More..

Following a low carb diet means youll limit the number of carbohydrates (carbs) you consume every day. Research has linked low carb diets to some health benefits, such as weight loss and blood sugar management.

Is it worth saying see ya! to some of your fave high carb foods, like pasta and sourdough? Maybe. But its not right for everyone.

Heres how to know what to eat, what to skip, and whether a low carb diet is right for you.

Eating according to a low carb diet means youll restrict the proportion of carbs to other calories you eat every day.

For low carbohydrate diets, that means getting less than 130 grams of carbs per day, or less than 26 percent of your total calories from carbs. For very low carbohydrate diets, its 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day or less than 10 percent of total calories from carbs.

This might seem like a simple rule to follow, but for most people this would be a big change from their normal diet. Americans usually get 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbs.

Why make such a major shift? A low carb diet could help you avoid health issues that some studies have linked to modern-day high carb diets. It might also help you lose weight.

You can build your low carb diet by figuring out what works best for you, but there are also popular diets you can follow.

The ketogenic (keto) diet comes in many forms, but the standard keto diet means youll get 70 percent of your calories from fat, 20 percent from protein, and 10 percent from carbs.

The Atkins diet requires eating 20 grams of carbs each day for the first 2 weeks and then slowly increasing until you reach 50 grams of carbs per day.

Although keto and Atkins are prob the most recognizable low carb diets, there are plenty of others out there, like the Low Carb, High Fat (LCHF) diet; the Bulletproof Diet; and the Dubrow Diet.

Low carb diets can contain a wide variety of foods, including some that are higher in carbs, depending on the macro composition of your preferred low carb diet.

If youre following a low carb diet, youll want to get most of your daily calories from whole, nutritious foods like these:

Depending on your level of carb restriction, you may need to limit or avoid the following foods:

Other higher-carb foods and beverages, like grains and wine, can be included in more moderate low carb diets.

Regardless, the most important factor when planning a low carb diet is to make sure youre staying within the recommended carb intake for your specific diet.

In general, youll want to say so long to foods with a high proportion of carbs, such as these:

Remember that many of these foods, especially fruits, starchy veggies, and beans, can be a part of many low carb diets. The amount you can eat depends on your level of carb restriction.

Theres a bunch of different low carb diets, each with its own recommended carb intake.

Heres a 1-week menu for a very low carb ketogenic diet. This plan contains less than 50 grams of carbs per day.

Keep in mind that this is a very low carb plan, so its not appropriate for those on more moderate low carb diets.

Low carb diets have been linked to some health benefits. Doctors often prescribe them in a clinical setting to manage certain medical conditions.

Check with your doc first

The benefits below are potential perks of going on a low carb diet for folks without known risk factors.

If you have certain health conditions, such as liver failure, following a low carb diet can actually be dangerous to your health. Its always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before going on a low carb diet to make sure you can do so safely.

Going low carb could help improve blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes and diabetes.

Some studies have found that low carb diets led to greater weight loss and a slightly greater decrease in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) than diets with normal or high carb content.

The low carb diets also led to a much bigger decrease in triglyceride levels. (High triglyceride levels are common in people who have high blood sugar and can increase the risk of heart disease.)

Research suggests that adopting a very low carb ketogenic diet may even help people with type 2 diabetes reduce or discontinue their blood sugar medication.

Your diet and your blood sugar

Studies have found that some low carb diets are extremely hard to stick to in the long term because theyre so restrictive. Following a less-restrictive lower-carb diet is likely a better choice for long-term blood sugar management.

Low carb diets are all the rage in the weight loss world, and theres evidence to support this popularity. Studies suggest low carb diets are at least as effective as low fat diets and sometimes even more effective.

A small 2020 study found that older adults with obesity who followed a very low carb diet lost more body fat in 8 weeks than those who followed a low fat diet.

The people in the very low carb diet group also lost about three times as much visceral fat as the low fat dieters did. Visceral fat is a type of fat that surrounds your organs and is linked to an increased risk of many chronic diseases.

But research suggests that more moderate low carb diets can also be effective for promoting fat loss, and theyre generally easier to stick to. So if youre looking for a more reasonable approach to long-term weight management, you can prob skip the very low carb options.

Some studies have also found that low fat diets are just as effective as low carb diets, as long as the calorie content is the same.

Dieting for weight loss

Remember: The healthiest and most effective eating plan for weight loss is one thats sustainable and nourishing and that works for your unique lifestyle and nutrient needs.

Keto diets have been used in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy for a long time. Theyve also shown promise in treating other neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers disease.

Research also suggests that going low carb may help improve sleep and reduce the risk of anxiety in some people.

Low carb diets may help treat medical conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome and fatty liver disease. More research is needed, but some studies suggest they could even be a valuable supplement to cancer treatments.

Keep in mind that research in these areas is ongoing, meaning theres still a lot to learn about low carb diets and their impact on health.

Theres a wide range of low carb diets, and some diets might be really helpful for one population but really dangerous for another.

In general, its important to check with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a low carb diet.

Very low carb diets arent appropriate for people with certain medical conditions, like pancreatitis and liver failure. These diets can also lead to nutrient deficiencies if youre not intentional about what nutrients youre getting.

If youre pregnant or breastfeeding, a moderate low carb diet might be OK. But a keto diet is typically not recommended unless youre under medical supervision for a health condition like drug-resistant epilepsy.

Depending on genetic factors and each persons overall health, very low carb diets can have varying effects on measurements like insulin resistance and blood lipid levels. This is why its important to be monitored by a healthcare provider if youre following a very low carb diet.

Switching to a very low carb diet may cause unpleasant side effects like headaches, constipation, and fatigue. You might have heard of this keto flu.

Are low carb diets healthy?

Even though very low carb diets may be beneficial for some people, a restrictive diet is usually not necessary to improve your health.

If you have questions about how to lose weight or improve other aspects of your health, work with a qualified healthcare provider like a registered dietitian to come up with a healthy plan that works for you.

Research on the long-term effects of low carb diets on overall health isnt conclusive.

Theres a lot to learn about low carb diets, including how to do them properly and whether theyre healthy and safe to follow.

Even though this article offers some helpful advice, its best to work with a registered dietitian or another healthcare provider if youre interested in following a low carb diet.

See the original post:
Low Carb Diet: Types, How to Choose, Menu, and Benefits - Greatist

Read More..

The coronavirus pandemic dominated the headlines and our daily lives for most of the past year. Medical News Today have covered this fast-moving, complex story with live updates on the latest news, interviews with experts, and an ongoing investigation into the deep racial disparities that COVID-19 has helped unmask.

However, this hasnt stopped us from publishing hundreds of fascinating stories on a myriad of other topics.

This week saw the launch of MNTs latest evidence-backed information hub, all about womens health, and thats where we begin this edition of the Recovery Room. Its a comprehensive resource with dozens of articles covering every aspect of the topic, with fresh content added continually.

Next, a hugely popular article on exercise, which will be useful for beginners as well as people looking to take their weight loss and muscle gains to the next level. We also cover cerebral pursuits, thanks to our evidence-backed guide to exercising your brain.

Along the way, we look at research into the phenomenon of clairaudience, how to follow a nutritionally-complete vegan diet, and why frying food is particularly bad for the heart.

We also have exciting news of possible treatments for two neurodegenerative diseases that could treat millions of people. Scientists say further research and development are needed, but identifying a protein linked to Parkinsons disease looks promising.

We highlight this research below, along with other recent stories that you may have missed amid all the COVID-19 fervor.

This week saw the launch of MNTs latest collection of evidence-backed resources, this time focusing on womens health.

Youll find over 70 articles on topics as diverse as nutrition, exercise, mental health, menopause, cancer, hormones, and sexual health. They include eight features that unravel the myths and misconceptions around womens health, as well as our recommendations for products and programs.

Click below for science-backed information and advice to help you live your strongest, healthiest life.

Learn more here.

This weeks most popular new article is all about losing weight and gaining muscle through exercise. Starting with pointers on choosing a workout, we explore the evidence for how often we should work out to lose weight or gain muscle.

Personal fitness goals determine which workouts to follow, so this article includes a range of beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercises that target all the bodys major muscle groups.

This article has attracted over 137,000 sessions since Monday, making it this years most popular so far.

Learn more here.

Some people claim to hear the voices of the dead, an experience called clairaudience. This week, MNT reported new research into this type of religious and spiritual experience and how it relates to auditory hallucinations in people with mental health conditions.

The United Kingdom study involved more than 200 people with varying spiritual beliefs. The researchers asked them to complete a survey measuring how absorbed they become in music, movies, or their own thoughts, as well as questionnaires relating to hallucinations, paranormal beliefs, and identity.

What did the researchers find? And how do people who experience clairaudience differ from the general population? Click below to discover more.

Learn more here.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to play a vital role in learning, memory, and maintaining brain flexibility, or plasticity.

A low-level form of BDNF, called mature BDNF (mBDNF), is linked with depression, while a high level of its precursor, proBDNF, is associated with inflammation and nerve degeneration, and may even trigger depressive symptoms. Existing blood tests have been unable to differentiate levels of these two forms.

However, MNT reported this week on a new test that can distinguish between the two forms more accurately. Researchers have since found that people with depression or bipolar disorder have significantly lower levels of mBDNF in their blood than control group participants without these conditions.

Learn more here.

A recent Recovery Room featured an article on myths about vegetarian and vegan diets. This week, we followed up with advice on avoiding nutrient deficiencies that may occur when following a vegan diet.

The article looks at which nutrients and minerals, such as vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, are most likely to be lacking in these diets. It includes tips on how to boost levels of these nutrients through specific foods and supplements.

For a detailed explanation of the nutrients to target on a vegan diet, click below.

Learn more here.

Regardless of whether your diet is plant-based or includes meat and dairy, a new meta-analysis, reported in MNT this week, serves as a reminder of the danger of frying foods. Researchers analyzed 19 studies and found that people who ate the most fried foods had a 37% increased risk of heart failure.

Studies have already established correlations between consuming fried food and developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and hypertension, but this research marks the first definitive evidence of a link with heart failure.

The article also looks at why frying food is so harmful compared to other cooking methods.

Learn more here.

We could be one step closer to developing a new treatment for Parkinsons disease. Scientists have identified a protein that can slow or even halt the progression of the condition in mice.

The protein is a neurotrophic factor a type of molecule that supports the survival and development of nerve cells that may protect the dopamine-producing neurons that become damaged in Parkinsons disease. It may even restore their function.

The researchers are now seeking an industry partner to assist in the development of this discovery. They hope their findings will pave the way for new treatments for some of the estimated 1 million people in the United States with Parkinsons disease.

Learn more here.

We also reported on a discovery relating to another chronic neurological condition, multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers have found that people with this condition have low levels of oleic acid in their fatty tissues, which may lead to autoimmune reactions and inflammation that causes damage to the central nervous system. Symptoms of MS include fatigue, vision loss, and muscle weakness.

This article explores the role of oleic acid in the behavior of regulatory T cells that may have links with the progression of MS and other autoimmune conditions. However, further research is now needed to determine whether a diet rich in oleic acid can help treat MS.

Learn more here.

According to estimates, up to 22% of people gained weight over the past year of lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19.

But how has the pandemic led to such widespread weight gain? This article looks at the possible causes, as well as recommending strategies for losing weight during lockdown. And while exercise and nutrition are important, its also a good idea to consider your mental health and well-being.

Learn more here.

This weeks Recovery Room features articles that focus on keeping the body in shape, but what about giving the brain a workout too?

Our editors have compiled a list of exercises that could boost brain function and protect against age-related deterioration. Theres a varied selection to choose from, including meditation, playing games, learning a language, dancing, and of course, sleeping.

We also delve into the evidence of each activitys benefits, with an abundance of links to related MNT articles offering more in-depth analysis. Plenty to keep your brain busy into the weekend and beyond.

Learn more here.

We hope this article offers a taste of the stories that we cover at MNT. Well be back with a new selection next week.

We publish hundreds of new stories and features every month. Here are some upcoming articles that may pique our readers interests:

Here is the original post:
The Recovery Room: News beyond the pandemic January 29 - Medical News Today

Read More..

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --The keto diet has gained a reputation as an effective weight-loss tool. However, Suraksha Naturals has long felt that when approached in a haphazard manner, "going keto" has the potential to create some fairly serious long-term effects.

The health and wellness brand found that with so much fat being thrown at them, your kidneys can find themselves under undue stress. This can lead to kidney stones over time. In addition, a lack of fiber has the potential to wreak havoc on your gut health if given enough time. By keeping your body in a state of ketosis for months and even years of dieting, you may even be damaging your bone health.

Most of the red flags associated with keto require further information to back them up, and time will likely reveal more information. However, one area of concern that tends to be agreed upon is that a reckless keto diet can eventually lead to nutrients deficiencies. By cutting out food groups like carb-heavy fruits, legumes, and grains, you cut yourself off from the positive benefits that they can offer to your body.

This is precisely why Suraksha Naturals has created its line of Ketoveyda products. Each item in the Ketoveyda line bolsters the body's nutrients, helping to keep dieters on their feet while they continue to burn fat through ketosis.

Many of the Ketoveyda products focus on providing nutrients to support specific bodily areas or lifestyle activities such as the liver, kidneys, exercise, or beauty. They often do so using ingredients sourced from typically off-limits items like beans and fruits. For instance, KetoSlim is designed to support weight management and maximize fat loss. In this case, among other things, green coffee extract, black pepper extract, and Garcinia Cambogia come together to help promote cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Suraksha Natural's motivation when creating their Ketoveyda products was to introduce a dash of Ayurvedics into the keto mix. In the words of the company, the 5,000-year-old tradition of Ayurveda focuses on "diet, practice, and medical treatments that address the body in a holistic way." It goes on to further detail that this means the objective is to "treat the entire body and its overall health, rather than narrowing in on specific ailments as they arise."

While there is no perfect diet, keto has long been hailed as an effective and healthy way to lose weight. As the diet has continued to gain steam, some of its potential flaws have been revealed, including a lack of vital nutrients. Suraksha Natural's commitment to holistic solutions has sought to remedy this shortcoming. Its Ketoveyda line enables individuals to embrace their keto diets while minimizing the concern of long-term repercussions due to a lack of nutrients a fact that should have keto-junkies everywhere rejoicing.

Please direct inquiries to:Kendra Krewski(954) 875-4399[emailprotected]

SOURCE Suraksha Naturals

View original post here:
Suraksha Naturals is Rounding Out the Keto Diet - PRNewswire

Read More..

Not to get super old-school on you, but we all know that fitness trends come and go. One thing that never goes out of style? Treadmill workouts. They're just too darn versatile cardio sessions that can help you work up a sweat, build endurance, and even lose weight, especially if you opt for intervals.

In fact, treadmill interval training has multiple weight loss benefits, said Heather Milton, MS, exercise physiologist supervisor at NYU Langone Health's Sports Performance Center. This style of training (also known as HIIT, or high-intensity interval training), has been scientifically proven to burn more fat than moderate-intensity, steady-state workouts, according to a 2019 review. HIIT workouts are also known for triggering something called the EPOC (excess postexercise oxygen consumption) effect, which means the workout is so intense, your body continues to burn a modest amount of calories even after it's over.

It's important to note that, while exercise like this workout is a key part of weight loss, your diet and other healthy habits are crucial too. You want to eat a balanced, nutritious diet (think: veggies, whole grains, healthy fats like avocados, and lean protein like chicken and fish) while also prioritizing sleep and staying in a modest calorie deficit. Milton also recommended balancing cardio workouts with strength training, which helps to build muscle and boost your metabolism.

Milton created this treadmill interval workout to be a "safe and effective" way to help with your weight loss goals. It's 25 minutes long and you'll be feeling every second of it, but the sweat is all worth it in the end! Hop on the treadmill, ramp up the speed, and get ready to burn some calories.

Directions: Start with a bodyweight warmup, then begin the treadmill interval workout listed below. After the workout, cool down with a full-body stretching session.

This workout is based on your rate of perceived exertion (RPE), aka how hard it feels like you're working. A zero means you're at rest, while a 10 is your greatest possible effort, going so hard you have to stop.

Love trying new workouts? Want a community to share your fitness goals with? Come join our Facebook group POPSUGAR Workout Club. There, you can find advice on making the best out of every sweat session and everything else you need to help you on your road to healthy living.

Originally posted here:
This 25-Minute Treadmill Workout Is Expert-Approved to Help You Lose Weight - POPSUGAR

Read More..

Contact Us Today

Page 489«..1020..488489490491..500510..»

Home » Page 489