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Ive written in many of my columns about time restricted eating and how fasting can be beneficial for improving your health and additionally in helping you lose weight.

Fasting is an ancient healing method that has been used for thousands of years. Although many people now practice time restricted eating and fasting with the goal of weight loss, some use fasting to improve their overall health. Its saddening but not surprising that according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research study only 12% of people are healthy, which means that 88% of people are metabolically unhealthy.

You can be identified as having metabolic syndrome if you have three or more markers above certain levels, such as if your waist measurement is over 40 inches for men or over 35 inches for women, or triglyceride blood levels over 150 mg/dl and HDL (high density lipoprotein) under 40 for men or 50 for women, or if you have fasting blood sugar levels over 100 mg/dl (5.6) or blood pressure above130/85. Practicing time-restricted eating and removing added sugars and ultra processed foods from your diet could be life saving.

Time restricted feeding, which most people know as intermittent fasting, can be practiced every day or a few days a week by just restricting your eating window to 6, 8, or 10 hours each day. If you restrict it to 10 hours each day then that means that for 14 hours each day you are not eating. And thats really not hard, if you just stop eating a few hours before you sleep and start eating a few hours after you wake up then youve already fasted for over 14 hours.

Of course, it is also important what you eat during this time. However, even if youre eating some moderately unhealthy foods you may still see benefits from intermittent fasting.

Practicing regular fasting can lead you to become metabolically flexible so you can heal your body and improve your health markers. Other specific benefits include lower blood sugar, improved or reversed diabetes, improved gut health, reducing the likelihood of chronic diseases, improved sleep, improved mood, improved cognitive function, and weight loss.

According to a study on metabolic flexibility and insulin resistance by NIH Metabolic flexibility is the capacity for the organism to adapt fuel oxidation to fuel availability. The more common concept of metabolic flexibility has been promulgated in the context of fuel selection in the transition from fasting to fed states, or fasting to insulin stimulation to explain insulin resistance. (metabolic syndrome)

If you are relatively healthy then you can start by trying a 14 hours fast, then you may gradually increase to maybe 16 or 18 hours fast a few times a week. Of course, if you are using medication you may need to ask your physician.

However, eating less often is something that anyone can practice. Most of us eat much too often without realizing it, and intermittent fasting can help us to be aware of how much and how many times we are actually consuming calories. If you try it and on that specific day it doesnt feel right then just stop and try it again when you are ready on another day. Remember, this is not just a temporary change, this is a practice for your health.

Resources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5708991/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866840/

sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181128115045.htm

unc.edu/posts/2018/11/28/only-12-percent-of-american-adults-are-metabolically-healthy-carolina-study-finds

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5513193/

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2584808/

Ayda Ersoy is anutritionist (Dip.C.N., Dip.S.N.), master trainer (CPT ACE, NCSF, CanfitPro), registered yoga teacher, founder, Health Angel Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness, and founder, SMS (Stability, Mobility Strength) Intuitive Training System.

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Additional benefits for intermittent fasting - Thegardenisland.com

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Mama June: From Not to Hotstar June Shannon is embracing sober life with boyfriend Geno Doak. The couple has been working hard to live a clean lifestyle after deciding to ditch the bad habit together. Now, the two are set to make even more positive changes in their lives. Aside from living healthy, Geno and his girlfriend are set to make improvements on their looks.

June Shannon is almost seven months sober now and shes very proud of it. TheMama June: From Not to Hotcast member seems to be doing well staying clean alongside her man Geno Doak. The couple is adamant that they will stay away from their bad habit, which definitely destroyed their lives.

And now, it looks like June Shannon and her partner Geno Doak are ready to make even more changes to themselves. Aside from getting help to end their addiction, the couple is gearing up for a major makeover that can further transform their lives.

In recent photos, both June Shannon and Geno Doak showed off their sober body. The Mama June: From Not to Hotstars are working hard to shed the extra weight they gained while in the process of staying clean.

Many were quick to notice that Geno appeared heavier than before. The mother of four, on the other hand, continues her attempts on losing weight by means of proper diet and taking a weight loss drink. But it looks like the pair are taking the easier route in order to lose weight fast. According to DailyMail,the couple is going to have a big transformation.

Apparently, June Shannon and Geno Doak are heading to Beverly Hills, California for a very special visit. The Mama June: From Not to Hotcelebs are scheduled to get cosmetic surgery there next week.

It was revealed that Honey Boo Boos mom is getting liposuction on her torso, a tummy tuck, and new veneers. Meanwhile, Geno will be getting gastric sleeve surgery, similar to what his girlfriend had in the past. It remains unclear who will shoulder the couples expenses. Will the couple be able to maintain their figure this time around?

Get the latest Mama June: From Not to Hot news only here at Soap Dirt.

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'Mama June: From Not to Hot': June and Geno Flaunt Sober Body Ahead of Major Makeover - Soap Dirt

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KEY POINTS

Chadwick Boseman once gave a "thoughtful response" when asked about his changed appearance after losing weight without disclosing any details about his battle with cancer.

Wayne A.I. Frederick, the president of Howard University, met the "Black Panther" star and Phylicia Rashad for dinner to discuss the school's plans for its Fine Arts program in 2019. Frederick noticed that Boseman looked "smaller than he had been" after losing weight and he presumed it was for a film. He even asked Boseman how difficult it was to change weight for a role.

"In his usual style, he gave a long, detailed answer, explaining that he was a vegetarian and was exercising and trying to take care of himself and do what he had to do," Frederick said as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.

"It was a very thoughtful response, never letting on that anything else was happening."

The world only learned about Boseman's battle with cancer when his family announced his death saying that he had been battling the illness for four years already.

"One of his greatest attributes was never burdening anyone else, but being there to shoulder everyone elses burdens," Frederick added.

Many were brokenhearted after learning about Boseman's death. Several took to Twitter and recalled the time some mocked him for his appearance after losing too much weight.

"Chadwick Boseman was relentlessly castigated over his drastic weight loss to the point where he had to delete pictures and turn off comments on IG. Let this be a lesson to be please be mindful about your words & judgements. You dont know what type of battle people are fighting," one wrote on Twitter.

"RIP Chadwick Boseman. I remember when he was trending for his drastic weight loss. Some people expressed genuine concern. Others made memes and jokes. I suppose theres a lesson there for us all," another added.

Looking back, it seems like Boseman could have been hinting at his disease in an interview with Huffington Post writer Matthew Jacobs in 2017. During their conversation, Jacobs also brought up the same weight issue while discussing how the actor had to bulk up and slim down for the roles he portrayed. When Jacobs told the actor, Youve been through the wringer, Boseman responded, Oh, you dont even know. You have no idea. One day Ill live to tell the story.

Chadwick Boseman has done extensive research to play Black Panther in "Captain America: Civil War." The actor is pictured at the Oscars on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. Photo: Getty Images

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Chadwick Boseman Gave 'Thoughtful Response' About Weight Loss Without Revealing Cancer Battle - International Business Times

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Early in the pandemic, anecdotal reports started filtering through that COVID-19 could cause loss of smell.

At first, it was hard to know how much weight to give these stories after all, anyone who's had a headcold or the flu knows you can lose smell for a couple of days while your head's blocked up.

But pretty quickly, experts realised the smell loss associated with COVID-19 went beyond simple nasal congestion, and it's now officially recognised as a symptom of the disease.

A global group of researchers, including Australians, is now taking a close look at how coronavirus can lead to smell loss.

"Not only is the impact on smell stronger than with other infectious diseases, but it's also much longer lasting, potentially," says Eugeni Roura, a nutritional chemosensing scientist from the University of Queensland who is involved in the global study.

What Professor Roura and his colleagues are finding may explain why it seems to take some people so long to get their smell back after recovering from the disease and they say it might even be a useful, non-invasive screening tool.

But first, how does smell and taste work when your body's healthy and working normally?

"They're gatekeeper sensors," says Alex Russell, a senior postdoctoral research fellow at CQUniversity, who has studied smell.

"The idea is to keep rotten food or poisonous things out of our bodies."

Taste is relatively straightforward your tongue is coated in bundles of sensory cells called taste buds, which recognise sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury or umami.

There's also chemesthesis, which has to do with how we experience spiciness.

Smell, which also plays into the flavours we recognise in food, is separate to this.

When air flows over the mucous membranes in your nose, chemicals in the air dissolve into your mucous and are detected directly by receptors in the cells that line your nasal cavity (scientists call this the olfactory epithelium), which send signals to your brain.

"The olfactory epithelium essentially is hardwired into our brain," Dr Russell says.

"With vision, the signals that we get from our eyes undergo quite a bit of processing before we start thinking 'what is the thing that I'm seeing'. But with smell, it's hardwired directly into parts of our brain like memory and emotion. So that's why smells are pretty good at bringing up a blast from the past."

Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast podcast.

The reason you lose smell when you have a garden variety cold or flu, is congestion.

You need airflow over those mucous membranes to pick up smells, Dr Russell says.

"If you're all blocked up, you're not going to get the molecules into your nose," he says.

"One of the other things is that you need the molecules to dissolve into the mucus. So if you're particularly dry at a particular time, then you're not going to pick up as much there either."

But Professor Roura says COVID-19-related smell loss isn't caused by congestion.

"COVID-19, appears to get deeper. It crosses the mucosa and it gets deeper into the neurons themselves that will carry the smell to the brain," he says.

It looks like the virus can cause death in the olfactory neurones, possibly indirectly, through inflammation in the surrounding cells.

"That's the reason why it takes so long for some people to get the sense of smell back, because it's deep inside that the virus affects the conductivity of the signals to the brain."

One participant in Professor Roura's study has had COVID-19-related smell loss for four months.

The World Health Organisation lists loss of smell as a symptom that only affects some patients, but Professor Roura says a large majority of his study respondents have reported it.

"There's probably 80 per cent of the patients that we have identified that lose smell, but on top of that, how big of an impact is in the loss of smell it's huge," Professor Roura says.

When people with a cold or flu are asked to rate their smell loss out of 10, where 10 is what they experience when they're healthy, they rate it around 5.

But people with COVID-19 rate their smell loss as less than 3 out of 10.

What's more, it doesn't necessarily track with other symptoms either.

Some people get smell loss as an early COVID-19 symptom. In others it comes after the other symptoms have cleared, Professor Roura says.

"There's obviously variation of how each one of us will respond to the virus," he says.

"But there seems to be a common mechanism that the virus is able to challenge the defence mechanism that we have in these mucosas and get deeper, affecting some of the nervous system and neurones. And that causes a slower recovery."

Loss of smell isn't just a curiosity it can have real effects on people's quality of life.

"[Smell loss] is strongly associated with depression," Dr Russell says.

"You'd be surprised how much joy we take from smell."

It could also slow people's recovery from the virus, Professor Roura points out.

"If we lose the sense of sensing the flavour of foods, we lose the appetite," he says.

"Then people who might have been affected by COVID-19 will have a tougher time recovering from COVID-19 because they lose appetite and that's partially linked to [the ability to] absorb smell."

But there could be an upside to this situation.

Professor Roura says it could be used as a non-invasive screening tool.

Get the latest health news and information from across the ABC.

At the moment, some places require temperature checks before you can enter. But fever is a symptom in lots of different diseases, and many people with COVID-19 don't have fever.

"The impact of COVID-19 on smell is fairly unique in the sense that there's very few diseases that have such a big impact on losing the sense of smell," Professor Roura says.

"Obviously, you would need a defined standard smell. It could be mint, could be a lemon smell or whatever. There's actually hundreds of potential standard smell cues that we could target."

Who knows, you might be asked to sniff something and identify a scent before you can enter a premises sometime soon.

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Why COVID-19 loss of smell can last so long, and how the symptom could help with coronavirus screening - ABC News

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By Hannah Weinberger/Crosscut.com

When Dr. Holly Fearnbach and Dr. John Durban noticed the bodies of two female southern resident orcas widening just behind their dorsal fins, they knew it could mean only one thing: babies.

On July 26, they announced that a killer whale identified as L72 was pregnant. Soon after, they delivered news that Tahlequah, whose traumatic journey with her dead calf captured international attention two years ago, is also expecting. The world erupted in celebration. Adding newborn whales to the endangeredsouthern resident population, which has dwindled to 73 animals, would be a big deal, and Fearnbach said she can now confirm there are pregnancies in all three pods that make up the population. But Fearnbach, marine mammal research director of Sealife Response, Rehabilitation and Research, and many whale researchers like her hesitate to celebrate.

There are always pregnant whales in the population, but most pregnancies are not successful, Fearnbach said, either because the pregnant whale miscarries or the calf dies. Fecal sample studies from the University of Washington show that 69 percent of pregnant southern resident whales lose their babies before birth or soon after. To the best of our limited knowledge, between 37 percent and 50 percent of calves don't survive their first year. Scientists usually avoid announcing pregnancies at all, but Fearnbach and Durban felt the announcement could reinforce their call to give whales more space and inspire more formal requests from management agencies.

Knowing about an orca pregnancy means holding your breath. Orcas having one of the longest gestation periods of any mammal, and the southern residents have very low birth rates. There have been only two births in the three southern resident pods since Tahlequah lost her calf.

The low birth rate in general is very concerning, so I'm not going to downplay that, but in general, wild mammals have a high calf loss rate just because it's so hard, especially for first-time moms, said Dr. Dawn Noren, a physiological ecologist and a research fishery biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Each stage of early orca motherhood comes with physical and emotional hurdles, and negative human impacts on Puget Sound make things even dicier.

One doesnt want to be a Negative Nancy, said Dr. Deborah Giles, a researcher with the University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology. But theres a lot of trepidation mixed in.

Expectant orcas gestate for 18 months, with six-month trimesters. I think it has to do with the complexity of their brain, but a lot of it is simply that they're big animals, Giles said.

Most knowledge of pregnancy comes from the veterinary study of captive orcas. Detecting early pregnancy requires blood- and urine-based hormone tests on animals in captivity, or taking breath or fecal hormone samples in the field from 6,000- to 8,000-pound females.

Just being able to get a blood test from an orca is huge, said clinical veterinarian Dr. Hendrik Nollens, who tracked three complete gestation periods in his 13 years as a clinical veterinarian at SeaWorld and now works on conservation medicine with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

NOAA's Noren said, We rely on chance, and it's hard and getting harder when they're not around as much.

Keeping up with a pregnancy in the wild is difficult, largely because researchers cant count on taking regular samples from whales on the move or even seeing them. Orcas reach sexual maturity at age 12, and while they can get pregnant at any point in the year into their 40s, they tend to conceive in the spring.

Researchers like Nollens say healthy orcas are more likely to become pregnant, but a few elements need to be present: A male orca of reproductive age; a cycling female orca thats receptive to him and doesnt have reproductive diseases; and quiet space and time to conceive.

After conception, things quiet down for the first trimester. Everything that happens happens internally, Nollens said. It is really not a terribly taxing period. You could walk past a pregnant orca and not realize it.

Within three weeks of conception, researchers can confirm pregnancies with hormone tests, Nollens said. But it's entirely based on laboratory results. There's nothing else that you would pick up on.

At approximately four months, researchers can identify pregnancies from ultrasounds. At approximately six months, a pregnant orca will display that widening bump, whichcan be identified as a pregnancy from the air. This is how Fearnbach and Durban identified the pregnancies of L72 and Tahlequah, by analyzing drone images.

Over the next year, the fetus continues to develop into a 350-pound calf, and the mothers progesterone levels decrease as she continues gaining between 500 and 600 total pounds a fraction of her 6,000 to 8,000-pound weight.

The two pregnant southern resident orcas are likely in their second or third trimester, Nollens said. Van Ginneken suggests the pregnancies are late stage.

In the past two months of a cetacean pregnancy, he said, you can start to see signs that mama's feeling a little blah: Decrease in appetite, discomfort and possible bacterial infections like bursella that cause late-term miscarriages in other cetacean species. But compared with everything that can go wrong at or following conception or birth, the odds that something will go wrong with these two pregnant animals in the next few months is more limited, he said.

But if the mother does lose her calf, she and the entire orca community must overcome the emotional loss. Whales are highly family bonded, and the UW's Giles said their family members may know of a pregnancy through echolocation. Its like living with moving and breathing ultrasound [machines] all around you, called your mom and brother and sister, she said. It's physically taxing, It's medically taxing and dangerous, And then it's emotionally taxing for these individuals to continuously get pregnant, Giles said.

In some pregnancies, late-term calves can become ticking time bombs in their mothers bodies. If a grown calf dies, gets stuck and releases bacteria in the birth canal, the mother can die.

Calves that do make it through the birth canal need to swim to the surface and take their first breath immediately. The calves flukes and dorsal fins are floppy in utero, but calves come out tails first over one to two hours so their fins have time to harden in the cold water. Calves can be successful when they're born head first, but they don't have that functional paddle, Nollens said, noting calves usually get assistance from other females.

Throughout this process, theres another threat on the perimeter: Male orcas, which can become aroused during childbirth and act aggressively toward the calf if females dont keep them away. Nollens said hes heard reports of newborns with rake marks, and thinks its likely theyre from males thattried to get access to a mom or calf during birth.

Of all the stress points in a whales pregnancy, lactation and weaning require the most work. Pregnancy is cheap it's lactation that is hard, NOAAs Noren said.

When orcas give birth, their caloric needs skyrocket, Nollens said, which means they must work harder to feed themselves and provide 40 percent fat whale milk to help their newborn grow quickly. If a killer whale has unlimited access to food, the food intake within days will go up 50 percent, Nollens said.

This responsibility can be overwhelming. Most of these females already have other offspring that they also need to support, so it is a huge demand to support themselves, nurse their young calf and help support other offspring and family members, Fearnbach said.

It can take two to three years, depending on whom you ask, to gradually wean a calf, which is entirely dependent upon its mother until it learns to forage. Dr. Astrid van Ginneken of the Center for Whale Research notes that where fish are scarce, weaning takes longer because calves have fewer fish to supplement their nutrition.

Dozens of researchers, policymakers and stakeholders have spent the past few years coordinating a $1.1 billion plan to save Puget Sounds orcas from low food availability, as well as ocean disturbance and pollution. While all southern residents suffer from the effects of these factors, its especially pronounced for mothers and their newborns.

All of those threats compound each other, and researchers are split on which ones are worse. I know some people are really about, 'It's only the prey, only the prey,' and other people are, you know, anti-boats, I think it's not that simple, Noren said.

In my opinion, to save these whales, we have to be laser focused on the food issue, and then secondarily the toxicants issue, Giles counters.

The nearby transient orca populations, which prefer more polluted yet more abundant sea mammals (like Steller sea lions, gray whales, minke whales) over salmon but get more to eat, still have low calf mortality and smaller intervals between females pregnancies, which some researchers think supports the idea that food availability is the prime issue. If the whales had enough to eat, the toxicants would not be as much of a problem, Giles said.

To stay pregnant, an orca needs to eat up to 300 pounds of fish a day; this amount increases during pregnancy and lactation. Southern resident orcas evolved to prey on plentiful 100-pound chinook, but the average size of those salmon today is 10 to 15 pounds, and there are fewer of them.

But ocean disturbance from vessels makes foraging harder. Echolocating whales need quiet and space to be able to forage effectively, especially when their pods are spread out and they need to communicate.

Whales and dolphins will stop eating when there's too much noise and too many vessels around or close approaches, and that is a problem I feel like could really have a detrimental effect on a lactating female, Noren said.

Thats the time when orca mothers need to put their energy into protecting and feeding their calf. Calves nurse from out of their mothers lines of sight, and mothers might not let calves nurse if they think they need to protect them, Nollens suggests.

If they dont have good access to fish, or spend a lot of time disturbed by boats, they start relying on bodyfat to make milk. Wild whales lose weight rapidly, and oftentimes wind up skinny.

And then you add the layer of pollution, Nollens said. It really is an uphill battle.

Every miscarriage is traumatic, but there is a silver lining. Orcas have better chances at a healthy calf when they conceive soon after a miscarriage, Giles said.

Many of the legacy pollutants that pose threats to whales physical and neurological health are lipophilic, meaning they can stow away in that fatty blubber. The presence of those pollutants doesnt seem to matter for a calf in utero, possibly because of the placental barrier, but it matters a lot during lactation.

When a whale mom metabolizes blubber to make milk, those legacy pollutants become milk ingredients. For first-time moms, that might mean offloading a significant portion of pollutants collected over 12 years into their babys systems.

However, if they gestate their calf for a long time, lose it, and conceive again quickly, they have less time to accumulate toxicants before nursing a second calf.

In a way, getting pregnant and giving birth is a cleansing thing for the mom, because she's just gotten rid of all the toxicants, which is kind of a creepy, weird thing to think, Giles said.

For whales like Tahlequah and L72, which have both given birth before, that could be a good thing. Im hopeful that [Tahlequahs] baby, because of how pregnant she is, must have been conceived fairly shortly after she let go of her other baby. And therefore shehasn't had very much time to bioaccumulate toxicants, Giles said.

Ultimately, a mothers work is never done, Nollens said, and each calf adds to her workload. Calves may become nutritionally independent at three years of age, but they're still socially dependent on mom, he said. They still rely on her for guidance and protection.

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Pregnant orcas have researchers excited, but is it too soon to celebrate? - Blaine Northern Light

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The best weight gainer or mass gainer is a heaven-sent for many people, mostly for men, who find it difficult to bulk up properly. Eating enough to gain weight when you also actively work out can be challenging as it is, but eating correctly can seem pretty much impossible for many. Mass gainer supplements can help you add more calories to your diet.

Shop weight gainers at Amazon UK Shop weight gainers at Amazon US

This is where weight gainers come in handy: they contain high amounts of calories, as well as carbs and protein, making them a perfect meal replacement for people with quick metabolism. Not only that, but weight gainers are most usually low on fat and sugars, relatively speaking, but definitely compared to the amount of calories they contain.

Fancy something high protein but maybe a bit more savoury? We have the list of the best jerky options, both beef and veggie/vegan.

Ready yo build some muscles? Find the best weight gainer for your needs below.

Weight gainer is a protein powder variety that contains high amount of calories and protein as well as being low in sugars and fat. Weight gainers can effectively replace a meal or can be used in addition to your diet to add clean calories to your bulking diet.

The actual amount of calories per serving and even servings sizes vary wildly from one manufacturer to another. Some products contain less than 400 kcal per serving while others can have as much as 1250 kcal per serving, so it's always a good idea to read the label before you buy.

A few things to check before you buy your first (next?) bag of weight gainer: if you are lactose intolerant, you might want to go for the vegan varieties, they are least likely to contain lactose, although as mentioned before, always read the label before you buy. It is also beneficial to check what other supplements have been included in the mix, apart from oats and protein.

For example, if the weight gainer contains creatine, you don't have to take creatine monohydrate supplement separately. Same goes for BCAAs: if there is any leucine or glutamine included in the mix, no need for you to buy additional BCAA tablets. As long as you take the weight gainer, of course.

This could be you: it only takes discipline and hard work to achieve this level of buffness (and probably a few years' worth of gym workouts)

(Image credit: USN)

First of all, before you start guzzling down weight gainers and three servings of protein powder a day, it is recommended to evaluate what do you eat as it is. If you would like to save yourself from having to log your food manually, there are many apps out there, like MyFitnessPal, that takes the hassle out of food tracking.

These apps have many food items already added to their huge library, all you have to do is scan the barcode of the food item with your phone's camera and mark how much you eat. The app will then calculate the macronutrient (carb, fat and protein) percentages, as well as other useful stats, like how much sugar, salt and fibre you have consumed.

Once you got into the habit of logging, you can set goals for your daily intake: let's say you want to cover your daily energy needs from 65% carbs, 25% protein and 20% fats. The app will tell you how many grams of carbs, protein and fat does this translate to.

This is where weight gainers come into play: when you see you're under your protein and carb goal, you can check how consuming weight gainers will up your daily macro numbers.

It might sound a bit confusing but it really isn't all that difficult in real life. You do need to be a bit more mindful of your diet, sure, but you should be anyway if your aim is to gain lean muscle mass effectively.

For the best results, use the recommended serving and if you want clean gains, mix the weight gainer powder with water as opposed to milk/milk substitute. You could potentially use milk/milk substitute should you want to, but 500 ml of milk will not only add an extra 200 calories, it will also add 25 grams of sugar to your daily intake. It is just unnecessary, especially because weight gainer powder makes a thicker shake as it is.

(Image credit: Optimum Nutrition)

Two meals' worth of calories in each serving

Serving size: 334g

Energy: 1258 kcal

Carbs: 251g

Protein: 53g

Fat: 4.4g

Sugars: 22g

+All the calories you need+High protein content+Many flavours to choose from

-Will go through the 5 kg bag in half a month

Optimum Nutrition recommends taking its Serious Mass weight gainer "between meals, after exercises or before bed." Now, we don't think many people like to go to bed with a full stomach, but even just one portion of the Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass will fill you right up. If you wish to take this supplement before bedtime, have half a portion only, that's still over 600 calories.

Even if you have 3600 calories a day, which would imply that you are hitting the gym 4-5 days a week, having a serving of Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass would still cover one-third of your calorie intake.

The Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass contains no added sugar but it does contain 24 vitamins and minerals per serving. All the better, it comes in many different flavours, so you will get bored with the taste less quickly.

Given the huge amount of calories and protein involved with Serious Mass, we recommend taking it in two half-portions, ideally at the beginning and the end of the day.

(Image credit: The Protein Works)

All the flavours of the rainbow

Serving size: 265g

Energy: 974 kcal

Carbs: 163g

Protein: 52g

Fat: 12g

Sugars: 38g

+Blends really well+So many flavours

-Higher sugar content

For whatever reason, The Protein Works recommends 1-3 servings a day of its Total Mass Matrix Extreme weight gainer. Three servings of this product contains a whopping 3000 calories, and we'd recommend covering that many calories from a variety of sources, not just three shakerfuls of weight gainer.

Saying that, Total Mass Matrix Extreme is a great weight gainer mix and contains a good balance carbs and protein. What it also has, though, is fairly higher amounts of sugar, so be mindful of that when introducing it into your diet.

Other than that, we can wholeheartedly recommend the Total Mass Matrix Extreme, if for nothing else, for all the great flavours, which include Tiramisu, Cinnamon Cereal Milk and White Choc Peanut Sundae.

(Image credit: Bulk Powders)

Zero animal cruelty, maximum lean muscle gains

Serving size: 100g

Energy: 367 kcal

Carbs: 43.6g

Protein: 31g

Fat: 6g

Sugars: 2.5g

+Soya free+Gluten free+Lactose free

-Moderate protein and calorie amounts

The Bulk Powders Vegan Mass Gainer is not only vegan and therefore 100% animal cruelty free, it also contains no gluten the oats used to bump up the carb numbers are gluten free it is also soya and lactose free, so it caters for people with a range dietary restrictions.

On the downside, the Bulk Powders Vegan Mass Gainer has less calories and protein than other weight gainers on this list. The blend used in this supplement is a combination of pea protein isolate, brown rice protein, pumpkin seed protein, flaxseed powder and quinoa flour. One can say it is a very healthy mix of ingredients.

As well as being high in fibre low on sugar, the Bulk Powders Vegan Mass Gainer contains no artificial sweeteners, colourings or flavourings either.

(Image credit: USN)

This is one lean weight gainer

Serving size: 150g

Energy: 564 kcal

Carbs: 77g

Protein: 55g

Fat: 3g

Sugars: 26g

+Carb to protein ratio is 1.4:1+Caramel popcorn flavour+Good for post-workout

-Contains egg, milk and wheat

You can count on the USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic tasting good, although it is at least partially due to the amount of added sugar this product contains. In fact, one-third of the carbs found in the USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic comes from sugars. It is not ideal, but just to put it in context, a 36-gram bar of Mars contains 20 grams of sugar, so you are definitely better off with the USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic.

USN states that the Muscle Food Anabolic "should not be used by persons under the age of 18 years nor should it be used for weight loss." Also, "It is only for bodybuilders and athletes or individuals on a mass gaining plan." So now you know. If you are trying to lose weight, don't take weight gainers. In case it wasn't clear.

Given the moderate calorie content, the USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic can be used as a port-workout drink. 500+ calories is still a decent amount, so please be mindful of that and should you have a smaller frame, take only a half portion at a time.

(Image credit: MyProtein)

Halfway between a protein powder and a weight gainer

Serving size: 100g

Energy: 388 kcal

Carbs: 50g

Protein: 31g

Fat: 6.2g

Sugars: 2.6g

+Very low on sugar+Can be used post workout

-Only standard flavours-Moderate calories and protein

The MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend can most certainly be used post workout, given the moderate amount of calories this protein powder contains. Even better, it is super low on sugar, so you don't have to worry about going over your daily limit either.

Since the MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend is low on carbs compared to the rest of the entries on this list it represents a good balance between regular protein powders and weight gainers. If you would like to immerse yourself into the world weight gainers gently, definitely go with this one.

Given the very low sugar content, this weight gainer is the best for mixing with other ingredients, like peanut butter or milk, although we don't recommend using more than 500 ml of it. The MyProtein website suggests adding "3 1/3 large scoops (100g) [of MyProtein Weight Gainer Blend] to 500-1000 ml of water or milk", but for us, a litre milk sounds a bit excessive, so either take it with 500 ml of milk (maximum) or a litre of water, if you want a very thin shake.

Round up of today's best deals

Optimum Nutrition Serious...

THE PROTEIN WORKS Total Mass...

BULK POWDERS Vegan Mass...

USN 100 g Anabolic Chocolate...

Myprotein Weight Gainer, 2500...

Originally posted here:
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Its pretty normal to feel full of energy for exercise some days, and as though you cant be bothered on other days.

For women, theres a physiological explanation behind this. While mens hormone levels do change over a lifetime, day-to-day they remain quite stable. Women, however, experience fluctuating levels of sex hormones daily.

Scientists havent yet worked out the complete picture when it comes to how the menstrual cycle affects exercise. But we know different phases of the menstrual cycle, due to the fluctuation of hormones, can affect metabolism and recovery from exercise, particularly for women participating in endurance activities.

Understanding the rise and fall of hormones during the menstrual cycle can allow women to adapt their exercise routines, and optimise their chances of succeeding with any training or weight loss goals they may have.

A womans cycle, which is generally 28 days, can be broken up into two main stages: the follicular and luteal phases.

The follicular phase days 1 to 14 starts on the first day of a womans period. During this phase, levels of oestrogen (the primary female sex hormone) progressively increase and progesterone (the other female sex hormone released from the ovaries, which stimulates the uterus to prepare for pregnancy) stays stable.

At this time, women are physiologically similar to men in their metabolism and recovery. Training will feel easier and you will recover more quickly than during the luteal phase, which well get to shortly.

Read more: Childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, menopause, 75+: how your diet should change with each stage of life

This ease of training and speed of recovery become more pronounced during the later part of the follicular phase.

Around day 12, levels of oestrogen and another type of hormone, the luteinising hormone, surge, triggering ovulation. Youre likely to experience an increase in energy and strength at this time, allowing you to put even more effort into your workouts.

So the follicular phase, particularly at the end, is the time to train hard: to incorporate new exercises and train at higher intensities. This is particularly relevant for women trying to lose weight.

The luteal phase represents the second half of a womans cycle.

During this phase progesterone levels peak, resulting in an increase in resting heart rate, and decreases in aerobic capacity and ability to tolerate heat. Exercise may feel like an uphill struggle and you will tire more quickly.

The body burns more fat during the luteal phase, as the peak in oestrogen and progesterone suppress gluconeogenesis (the making of sugar from protein and fat).

This increase in fat burning may seem like good news from a weight loss perspective, but it makes it harder for the body to access sugar. This means exercise will feel harder.

So during this phase, the focus should be on incorporating lower-intensity cardio and strength sessions, and active recovery sessions such as walking, yoga and stretching.

Read more: Period pain is impacting women at school, uni and work. Let's be open about it

Progesterone also breaks down muscle, so you wont enjoy the same gains from your workouts, and recovery is slower.

Finally, the hormonal changes during this phase result in a shift of fluid from your blood plasma to your cells, resulting in bloating or fluid retention. Coupled with pre-menstrual symptoms such as headaches and fatigue, exercise is likely to seem harder than usual, so its not a time to be smashing your goals.

At this time your metabolism peaks (an increase by 5-10% from the lowest point one week before ovulation), and so can your appetite. The best way to manage all of this is with exercise just of the low-intensity variety.

Eating carbohydrates and protein within a couple of hours of exercise also helps as it reduces your reliance on making glucose from other sources. This results in increased energy levels and quicker recovery.

You could try chopped fruit with 100% nut butter, some wholegrain bread with 100% fruit spread, or a serve of dairy, such as yoghurt.

And make sure to surround yourself with plenty of foods naturally high in sugar and fat such as fruit, avocado, nuts and seeds. These foods release the same pleasure response in the brain as the processed and packaged foods you might be craving.

It seems counter-intuitive, but when your period starts, you will start to feel normal again, as hormone levels return to baseline.

A well-planned food and exercise program will allow you to work with your cycle, not against it. This is worth thinking about even if you dont usually experience menstrual symptoms these hormonal changes are happening in your body regardless.

Start by tracking your menstrual cycle. Circle the first and last days of your period and count the days between the first days of two consecutive periods to determine cycle length. Or you might choose to use an app.

By recognising these phases of the menstrual cycle, women are better placed to deal with common pre-menstrual symptoms, and achieve their health, training and weight loss goals.

Read more: Four common myths about exercise and weight loss

Read the original:
From energy levels to metabolism: understanding your menstrual cycle can be key to achieving exercise goals - The Conversation AU

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Get the most out of your workouts. By now, weve all gotten the message that we should be exercising more

Get the most out of your workouts.

By now, weve all gotten the message that we should be exercising more for better health and well-being. But did you know that there are certain things you can do to make your workouts even more effective and efficient? The following 12 strategies can help you make the most of your time working out.

1. Set goals.

I think the first thing you want to do with any workout plan is to set goals, says Dr. D. Harrison Youmans, a sports medicine physician with Orlando Health in Florida. If youre training for an event, you want to make sure youve got the goal in mind and that youre trying to build toward that.

Working with a coach or trainer can help you establish the right goals and build a smart and sustainable plan for achieving them.

2. Stay hydrated all the time.

Staying hydrated throughout the day is important, Youmans says, both for helping you feel good and so you can perform well during a workout. He encourages his patients to take in 16 ounces of water before starting a workout and drinking to thirst during the workout.

3. Rehydrate after.

You also need to put back what you may have lost during the workout through sweat, says Dan Daly, coach, trainer and co-creator of the Equinox Group Swim Program EQXH2O in New York City. One way to make sure youre getting enough water is to weigh yourself just before and after the workout. The difference in weight is nearly all water weight, so put back that same amount of water.

One cup of water weighs just over a half a pound, so if youve lost two pounds during the workout, you should drink four cups, or 32 ounces of water, to replenish what youve lost. Plain water is typically best, but if youve been sweating a lot, you can consider adding an electrolyte replacement drink that will put back some of the sodium and other electrolytes youve lost while sweating.

4. Eat something before.

Not everyone likes to work out on a full stomach, but Youmans says its important to make sure you have some calories on board. But it may take some trial and error to find the right pre-workout snack for you.

Many people like to have a banana or another piece of fruit beforehand. Others prefer a slice of toast with peanut butter. Generally speaking, a mix of carbs and protein can be helpful for making sure youve got adequate nutrition to perform well during your workout. Limiting fat intake is generally a good idea before a workout, as it takes longer to digest and could cause an upset stomach if youre working out hard. Experiment to find the right pre-workout snack for you.

5. Eat after your workout.

While many people believe that theres a window of time 30 minutes or so after a workout when its most optimal to eat, Daly says this theory of meal timing post-workout may be overstated. However, within a few hours, it helps to replenish glycogen stores, particularly after workouts lasting more than an hour.

Glycogen is a type of sugar thats stored in the muscles and the liver and is the primary fuel your muscles use when youre exercising. When you deplete your stores of glycogen, that can negatively impact your ability to perform when working out.

Daly recommends eating complex carbohydrates within your caloric and macronutrient needs and consuming some protein to provide amino acids for muscle and cellular repair.

Youmans agrees that eating a meal after a workout is important. After the workout, we want to balance some carbohydrate and some protein because protein is going to help the muscles recover, but we also need to replenish those energy stores with the carbohydrates.

Scrambled eggs with veggies and avocado, salmon and sweet potatoes or yogurt with nuts and berries can all make excellent post-workout meals.

6. Stretch.

After a workout, stretching can facilitate a rest and digest state in the nervous system, initiating the recovery process, Daly says. And this can help promote faster muscle healing.

Before you undertake a stretching routine, its best to understand what your range of motion is in each joint and if any joints are tight or inflexible. In all cases, approach stretching gently and consider consulting a fitness trainer or physical therapist for assistance in developing the right stretching and mobility routine for your specific needs.

7. Mix it up.

For general wellness, fitness and weight loss, most people would benefit from moving most days of the week for 30 to 60 minutes, Daly says. But you shouldnt only do one type of exercise. Youll get better results if you mix up your workouts with aerobic exercise, which gets you sweating and your heart rate up, and with strength training, which can build stronger muscles and bones and improve your ability to balance and perform daily tasks. The two types of exercise complement each other and will help you achieve gains across the board.

Daly recommends focusing two or three workouts per week on a full-body strength routine, and two or three workouts per week on cardio, with a mix of steady state, low-intensity volume (long distances), middle-distance race pace intensities and short all-out high-intensity intervals.

These variations in length of workout and intensity can be done with virtually any aerobic exercise, from running and swimming to rowing, walking and working out on an elliptical machine.

8. Add some caffeine.

Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate. Many people find that it perks them up and makes them feel more alert, which could help you have a better workout.

Caffeine has been widely researched as a legal ergogenic (or performance boosting) aid for exercise and performance, Daly says. Drinking a cup of coffee before a workout could boost your performance and alertness during the activity.

But caffeine might help after a workout too. According to one 2008 study, the primary fuel used by the muscles during exercise glycogen replenished more quickly when participants consumed carbohydrates and caffeine following intense exercise. The study found that athletes who had ingested caffeine and carbs after a strenuous workout had 66% more glycogen in their muscles 4 hours later compared to athletes who had only carbs after their workout.

The faster your muscles can rebuild their glycogen stores, the faster your muscles can repair themselves and adapt to the training youve completed. This is good for strength gains and being ready to go for your next workout sooner.

9. Consider supplements.

Though some fitness professionals say that supplementing your diet with certain nutrients might help you perform your best, Daly says its best to consult with a licensed nutritionist, particularly a sports nutritionist, before considering adding supplements. Supplements are generally 1% of the equation, in terms of improving your fitness and performance. There are many things most individuals could focus on that would have a much greater return on their progress.

But if you suspect you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency that could be impacting fitness, work with your doctor to verify the deficiency with bloodwork and devise a plan for correcting it with dietary changes, supplements or medications.

One widely used supplement that does have some evidence backing its use for improved sports performance and recovery from workouts is creatine.

Creatine is the most researched sports supplement ever, with a lot of evidence supporting improvements in sport, particularly high intensity, short duration activities, like sprinting and weight lifting, Daly says. Nevertheless, you should check with your doctor before taking creatine or any other supplement to ensure its safe for you to do so.

10. Sleep consistently.

Getting plenty of sleep is very important for recovery, Youmans says. Daly agrees. Sleep is one of the most anabolic, or tissue building, windows we have.

Its during sleep that your body repairs itself and can make the positive adaptions intended by the workout. So get consistent with a set bedtime and set wake time and establish a bedtime routine that lets you wind down and be ready for sleep when its time to get into bed.

Youmans also recommends trying to complete sleep cycles if you can, rather than waking up to an alarm clock. Sleep cycles typically last about 90 minutes to two hours. The alarm clock can be difficult because it might wake you in the middle of the sleep cycle, and then youll feel groggy. Or if you wake up on your own an hour before youre planning to get up and go back to sleep for an hour, youll be in the middle of a sleep cycle again.

Youmans encourages his patients to establish a set bedtime and keep it consistent. Over time, youll naturally find the best waking time for you and may be able to do away with the alarm clock all together.

11. Be consistent.

One of the best ways to ensure you continue to make good progress towards your fitness goals is by committing to workout out consistently. Whether thats two, three four or more times a week may be guided by your goals, but sticking with the frequency you choose can help you make each workout even more effective.

When you stop and start a fitness plan, youll lose what gains you may have made and have to rebuild from square one when you start again. Being consistent means the adaptations youre working towards with training will come about sooner and be more likely to endure.

12. Stay healthy.

Lastly, Youmans says that if youre new to a fitness routine, its best to check in with your primary care physician prior to getting started. Once youre cleared to get moving, do your best to establish a consistent plan, but dont get discouraged if you feel some aches and pains initially or progress slower than youd hoped. Theres certain things you can kind of manage through, such as muscle soreness.

That said, there are some red flag symptoms that you shouldnt push through, Youmans says. Especially with joint pain or if you get mechanical symptoms like catching or locking. If you get swelling in a joint that you havent had before, or if a joint feels unstable. And any pain thats worsening instead of getting better as you try to work through it those are all reasons youd want to seek help to try to figure out what the issue is and how to correct it.

12 Workout Tips to Improve Your Results

1. Set goals.

2. Stay hydrated throughout.

3. Rehydrate after.

4. Eat something before your workout.

5. Eat after your workout.

6. Stretch.

7. Mix it up.

8. Add some caffeine.

9. Consider supplements.

10. Sleep consistently.

11. Be consistent.

12. Stay healthy.

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12 Before and After Workout Tips to Boost Results originally appeared on usnews.com

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2020 has been remarkably stressful from the fear of nuclear war to a presidential impeachment to a pandemic that has killed more than 186,000 Americans as of September 3. And lets not forget the record unemployment, the school closures, the police killing of George Floyd and other people of color, the months of protests against police brutality and systemic racism, and accelerating climate change.

Many Americans are understandably feeling anxious about this cascade of events on top of any stressors they may have already been dealing with. The technical term is, Its a lot, says Linda Goler Blount, president and CEO of the Black Womens Health Imperative.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of 5,412 people in late June found that 31 percent were experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, about three times the number of respondents who said the same in the first two quarters of 2019. Another 26 percent reported symptoms of a trauma- or stressor-related disorder. Eleven percent of people said they had seriously considered suicide in the previous 30 days.

Now some researchers are asking if stress especially chronic stress might be another preexisting condition that makes Covid-19 infections worse.

Our bodies have evolved to respond in the moment to stressful situations, both physical and emotional. This is often called the fight-or-flight response, and it helps us react quickly to danger. But when this becomes a long-term response, these involuntary reactions can be harmful.

There isnt a single agreed-upon definition of what chronic means, though some researchers think stress that persists for weeks or months likely qualifies. Generally, People thinking about something consistently over time qualifies as a chronic stressor, says Paula Braveman, director of the Center on Social Disparities in Health at the University of California San Francisco.

Other researchers say an important feature of chronic stress is its instability, of not knowing whether or when the stressor will end. (The pandemic seems to fit the bill.) Still others define it as the bodys inability to return to base level amounts of important hormones, often developing a new, elevated normal for stress hormones such as cortisol.

Cortisol is an important part of the stress response, and new research suggests cortisol levels appear to impact the severity of Covid-19. Theres still a lot we dont understand about the relationship between the two, but clinical trials of a Covid-19 treatment using dexamethasone a drug that reduces the bodys natural cortisol production, as well as inflammation has been found to help critically ill patients.

High levels of cortisol are associated with poor [Covid-19] outcomes, and drugs that block the hormone seem to improve outcomes, says Kavita Vedhara, a University of Nottingham professor of health psychology who is conducting an ongoing study on Covid-19 and stress. Vedhara says that while further research is needed, she wouldnt be surprised if chronic stress was found to be a risk factor for a severe case of Covid-19. It fits with what we know about psychological stress generally, and in particular the evidence on stress and other viral infections, she added.

Understanding how stress impacts Covid-19 could hold clues for preventing or reducing the severity of infections, as well as responding to the inequities that put some racial and minorities groups at greater risk.

Fifty years of research on stress suggests it has a profound effect on the body, influencing everything from memory to the way the body stores fat. Its even been found to cause structural changes in the brain.

In general, Chronic stress wears the body down, says Kathryn Freeman Anderson, a sociology professor at the University of Houston. Over time, stress keeps the body locked into a heightened response, resulting in damage somewhat similar to an engine idling for too long.

Prolonged stress also weakens the immune system. In 1991, scientists studying the relationship between psychological stress and immune response intentionally exposed 394 healthy participants to one of five respiratory viruses, including a coronavirus. The subjects were then quarantined and monitored. Even after controlling for factors like age, sex, education, weight, and prior antibody status, the researchers found that a persons underlying stress levels were associated with an increased risk of getting sick. Since then, dozens of studies have shown that chronic stress increases the risk of not only catching the common cold but also developing conditions such as asthma and Alzheimers disease, among others.

Chronic stress can also make vaccines less effective. One study compared the vaccine responses of 32 caregivers of a spouse with dementia a role associated with chronic stress against 32 subjects in a control group. After vaccinating both groups against influenza, the researchers found that the caregivers stress was associated with a lowered antibody response, meaning less protection against the flu.

Conversely, in 2018, Vedhara designed an experiment for 138 older adults to see whether a positive mood could have a protective effect. For two weeks before and four weeks after their annual flu shot, participants self-reported how they felt using a diary. Vedhara found that psychological influences, including stress and mood, influenced participants antibody response. (Stress responses are often measured by observing specific emotional states.)

Vedhara found that if participants felt unstressed and upbeat, particularly on the day they were vaccinated, the vaccine worked better. The effect on antibody production was about as large as the effect of statins on cardiovascular events. These are very tangible, very profound effects, Vedhara says.

Similar results have also been seen in young people: A 2018 study of 83 undergraduates found that people with a positive affect feelings of happiness and positivity had better antibody responses to a vaccination. Affects, or observable emotions, are impacted by stress, both for better and worse.

One study found that people who had a negative affect in response to daily stressors over the course of a week meaning they dont recover well from daily stress had poorer physical health in the long term. Another study of 8,542 participants found that a positive affect not only helped reduce the damaging effects of stress but was also associated with lower mortality rates. Further research is needed into what actually causes these differences. It may be for both behavioral and neurobiological reasons; when stressed, people might behave in ways that hurt the immune system, such as by drinking alcohol or not getting enough sleep.

But stress also influences the concentration of many hormones, including cortisol, that impact the production of antibodies. During the fight-or-flight response, the brain activates a network that includes the pituitary and adrenal glands. These glands release cortisol and other hormones that keep the body on high alert. But cortisol also turns out to have a surprising place in the immune system: Most immune cells also have a receptor for it. This means theres a direct mechanism by which cortisol can regulate immune cells and our immune system, Vedhara says.

When people have chronically high levels of cortisol from being stressed, they end up with lots of inflammatory cytokines. High levels of cytokines have also been noted in severe cases of Covid-19, as have lower levels of lymphocytes, the white blood cells that help fight infections.

Scientists are looking for other direct relationships between chronic stress and Covid-19. Besides cortisol, other important hormones, including one called Ang-II, are impacted by stress; Elevated levels of Ang-II have already been associated with severe Covid-19 cases.

Although most of us have experienced more stress this year, chronic stress, like so much else, tends to affect some individuals, like people of color, more than others.

In April, during the early stages of Covid-19, Vedhara found that Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities in the UK reported feeling more stressed than white people, even after accounting for age, gender, and working situation. These same communities also reported disproportionate deaths from Covid-19.

According to CDC data, Blacks, Native Americans, and Latinos all have age-adjusted hospitalization rates around 4.7 times higher than the rate of white people. A Black person with Covid-19 is almost four times more likely than a white person to die from it.

Goler Blount says its frustrating that the data is often reported without context. Its not because theyre Black, its because of the experience of being Black, Goler Blount says.

Discrimination doesnt stay in the realm of mental health, says Anderson. We can actually measure the physical impact on the body. In the 1990s, public health researcher Arline Geronimus studied what the experience of racism does to the body and found that racial inequalities not explained by poverty existed across a range of biological systems. She called the health consequences of the large and small stresses caused by racism weathering and this kind of erosion is more than a metaphor.

Multiple studies show that an experience of discrimination increases cortisol levels, and the effects accumulate over a lifetime.

Chronic stress can start damaging health and affecting gene expression even before birth. A number of studies have linked stress with shorter telomeres, a protective casing at the end of DNA strands that is diminished each time a cell divides. Shortened telomeres have been linked to increased disease and shorter lifespan.

Though telomeres can be repaired by an enzyme called telomerase, stress and cortisol exposure reduces the bodys supply of the enzyme. One study found that the higher a mothers prenatal anxiety, the shorter her babys telomeres were, raising questions about whether stress risks can be inherited. If true, this might amplify the disproportionate effect chronic stress has on people of color.

Another line of research has shown that if young people experience systemic discrimination, it can trigger higher levels of cytokines, magnifying the impact of future stress on their health. A study by the Yale School of Public Health found that by middle age, women who had frequent experiences with discrimination had significantly higher levels of visceral fat, putting them at higher risk for serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes (two risk factors for severe Covid-19). In older adults, stress changes the levels of hormones involved with blood pressure and contribute to hypertension, another risk factor for Covid-19.

Its not just the experience of discrimination, but also the fear and anticipation of racism that cause harm. The vigilance, the concern itself is a strain on the body, says Brenda Major, a professor and social psychologist at the University of California Santa Barbara. She says the recent videos and other coverage of police killings and protests against police brutality are themselves a source of stress. Reading about people like you being shot and killed can itself heighten concern, fear, and vigilance, says Major.

UCSFs Braveman says chronic stress is also structural, tied to how we track people into unhealthy places and expose them to unhealthy conditions over their lifetimes. She says the US culture perpetuates racism and its stress even when there is not a particular individual intending to discriminate.

We dont have to look far for examples of how communities of color are disproportionately exposed to environmental pollutants like cancer-causing chemicals and fine particulate matter that can cause respiratory illnesses, as well as a higher risk of natural disasters environments that are often sources of stress themselves, as well as an indirect stress when friends and family become ill. This is literally the environmental impact on us, and its how our bodies are responding, says Goler Blount.

To better understand how stress both recent and long-term might be impacting individuals risk for Covid-19, many researchers are conducting experiments.

Following up on her April survey of almost 4,000 people in the UK and New Zealand, Vedhara is now asking participants to send in a small hair sample. Shell use this to measure cortisol, investigating how self-reported mental health over the course of the pandemic results in measurable physical changes. Shell also look to see whether cortisol levels are associated with being infected with Covid-19 and the severity of illness.

Already, other research suggests that cortisol is tied to worse Covid-19 outcomes. In a recent study of 535 people published in The Lancet those with confirmed cases of Covid-19 had much higher levels of cortisol than those who did not. After taking measurements within 48 hours of being admitted to the hospital, the scientists found that a doubling of cortisol concentration was associated with a 42 percent increase in mortality.

More research is needed, but in the meantime, Vedhara notes that while the known risk factors for severe Covid-19 cases age, ethnicity, and preexisting conditions are largely out of our control, there are ways to improve mental health. We dont know yet how much reducing stress might help protect against severe Covid-19, but there may be measures that can be used now to reduce anxiety overall.

Understanding the source of stress can be helpful in figuring out how to manage it. The first step is to understand what is giving rise to those negative feelings, Vedhara says. Some stress is emotion-focused like the ongoing uncertainty of when the pandemic will end and can be reduced through skills like mindfulness. For instance, when patients with colorectal cancer meditated at the beginning of chemotherapy treatments, it improved their cortisol response.

But changing personal behavior cannot combat structural sources of stress. (Meditation is certainly not a cure for the stress of systemic discrimination.)

One of the most striking features of [self-reported stress in April], Vedhara says, is that it was strongly related to how much people were worried about contracting Covid-19.

A recent study suggests the high numbers of Black, Latinx, and Asian people dying from Covid-19 might actually be an underestimate. Goler Blount says a Black Womens Health Imperative analysis found that in the next three years, every Black person in the US will lose someone they know to Covid-19 or its long-term consequences. Vedhara suggests this demonstrates a need for more effective public health interventions, rather than psychological ones.

As the pandemic continues to take thousands of American lives each day and as other economic, safety, and logistical stresses mount Goler Blount says stress is only accumulating. All these things are connected. We are here, all in the middle of this, grieving.

Lois Parshley is a freelance investigative journalist. Follow her Covid-19 reporting on Twitter @loisparshley.

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After a lifetime of feeling uncomfortable in her body, Mary Carney wanted to do something about her weight and health. At 71, she was upset by how she looked and wanted to have more energy. But she wasnt quite sure how to start.

My clothes looked horrible. I didnt look good in them, Carney, now 78, of Summerville, South Carolina, told TODAY. I didnt like the way I looked or the way I felt.

Carney knew that losing weight was imperative to her health.

I walked down a long stairway, I got halfway down and I was panting, I said to myself, This is silly, she said. I thought I have got to do something to lose the weight and get back that energy I had before.'"

Thats when she found Autumn Calabrese, a popular Beachbody fitness trainer, and her 21 Day Fix workout program. Carney decided to try it and over six months, she went from 197 pounds to about 135 pounds.

That is crazy at my age, Carney said. At the end of the program, I did a five-minute plank.

While her friends were impressed that she could hold a plank for so long, ride a bike and walk on the beach without getting winded, Carney credits her success to how easy it was to follow the 21 Day Fix. The plan focuses on exercise, including weight training, and developing healthy eating habits, which incorporate fruits, vegetables, lean protein and portion control. Calabrese also provides modifications for workouts so even now at 78 and nursing an injury, Carney can exercise safely.

She did a great thing for me, made me feel energized coming from a size 18/20 to a size 6/8, Carney said.

Trending stories,celebrity news and all the best of TODAY.

While Carney lost about 60 pounds in her early 70s, she recently injured herself and regained some of that weight. On top of moving less, she often ate mindlessly in front of the TV and would snack on something sugary, causing the weight to creep back.

When she noticed that she couldnt keep up with her grandchildren, she knew exactly what she had to do to lose weight and enjoy her time with her 6-year-old twin grandsons Grayson and Gunner.

Anyone who has grandchildren wants to be able to play with them, she said. I want to feel better about myself and be able to play with my grandchildren.

So she recommitted to the 21 Day Fix. Now, she especially likes that she has containers for the proper portions for meals.

Calabrese describes what food to put in the containers so you dont overeat, she said. My energy now, I just cant believe it. I just started back.

Calabrese featured Carneys story in her recent book Lose Weight Like Crazy Even if You Have a Crazy Life. Carney believes that shes proof that anyone at any age can lose weight and improve their health.

It is a successful way, a good energetic way of losing your weight through the 21 Day Fix. You wont hurt yourself. You wont feel bad, she said. You will feel a lot better.

Here are her tips that motivated her to develop healthy habits.

Being overweight kept Carney from enjoying her time with her family.

When your grandchildren come up to you and ask, Can you please get up? Can we take a walk? When you are heavier, you are sluggish and you just want to sit and color, she said. That woke me up again. I did not have the energy or the stamina.

After losing the weight, she's able to be more active with Gunner and Grayson.

It is just beautiful, she said.

Carney loves that the plan clearly explains what she should eat and how she can exercise and it includes modifications so she can easily work out.

She planned it out so thoroughly, Carney said. Its a great thing for anybody of any age.

Carney wanted to lose weight so she could enjoy her life and be active with her family. Being committed to her health goals led to her success.

You cant lose anything by trying it. You will be amazed at what you can succeed at in life if you commit yourself to doing it, she said. I really feel great about myself. I have so much energy.

See the article here:
How to lose weight: 71-year-old loses 62 pounds in 6 months - TODAY

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