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Although fasting and calorie restriction may promote healthy detoxification, your body has an entire system to remove waste and toxins.

Q: I was wondering about fasting and its benefits for your metabolism and weight loss. Is it true that fasting will release toxins in the body?

Fasting has become a hot topic in the nutrition world and for good reason. Research has shown that its associated with a variety of health benefits, including weight loss and reduced blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, and inflammation levels (1, 2, 3).

Whats more, studies suggest that fasting and calorie restriction, in general, have beneficial effects on the aging process and may optimize cellular repair (4, 5).

Additionally, fasting may help enhance the production and activity of certain enzymes involved in detoxification, as well as promote the health of your liver, one of the main organs involved in detoxification (6, 7, 8).

However, its important to note that although fasting and calorie restriction may promote healthy detoxification, your body has an entire system that includes organs like the liver and kidneys, both of which constantly work to remove waste and toxins from your body.

In healthy people, all thats needed to promote healthy detoxification is to support your body by following a nutrient-dense diet, staying properly hydrated, getting enough rest, and avoiding smoking, drug use, and excessive drinking.

Although detoxing via various methods including following restrictive diets, taking certain supplements, and fasting has become popular among those looking to optimize their health, theres no evidence that using these practices is necessary for most people (9).

Keep in mind that although intermittent fasting regimens like the 16/8 method are relatively safe and typically not associated with harmful side effects, more extreme and prolonged fasting methods, such as multiple-day fasts or water fasts, can be dangerous (10, 11).

If youre interested in trying out fasting, consult a knowledgeable healthcare provider to ensure its appropriateness and that you follow proper safety measures.

Jillian Kubala is a Registered Dietitian based in Westhampton, NY. Jillian holds a masters degree in nutrition from Stony Brook University School of Medicine as well as an undergraduate degree in nutrition science. Aside from writing for Healthline Nutrition, she runs a private practice based on the east end of Long Island, NY, where she helps her clients achieve optimal wellness through nutritional and lifestyle changes. Jillian practices what she preaches, spending her free time tending to her small farm that includes vegetable and flower gardens and a flock of chickens. Reach out to her through herwebsiteor onInstagram.

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Does Fasting Release Toxins in the Body? - Healthline

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Myth 1: Juices help reduce weight and cut calorie intake.

Fact: Juices have concentrated source of energy and additional sugar content. Consuming whole fruit is more beneficial for health.

Myth 2: Refined oils are 99% fat free.

Fact: All refined oils,irrespective of their composition,are 99% fat. It may vary acrosstrade names. 1 tea spoon of refined oil contains 45 Kcal.

Myth 3: Low calorie foods can be eaten in unlimited amount.

Fact: Even lowcalorie foods need to be consumed in limited quantity as they could be unhealthy or could have empty calories, which add up and must be burned off, regardless of what kind of food we eat. Reading the labels carefully before consumption would help cut down intake of those extra calories.

Myth 4: Steam or Sauna helps in weight loss.

Fact: These stimulate muscles; boost sweating; will result only in short termloss of fluid but cannot reduce body fat. No sooner you drink a glass of water, original weight comes back.

Myth 5: Consuming high protein/ low carbohydrate diet is a healthy way to lose weight.

Fact: With a high protein diet, you may be eating too much of fat/cholesterol, this may raise heart disease risk. It needs be to balanced out with a varietyof fruits, vegetables & whole grains.

Myth 6: Certain foods like grapefruit, celery or cabbage soup can burn fat and make you lose weight.

Fact: No food can burn fat. Caffeine may speed up your metabolism for a short time, but does not cause weight loss.

Myth 7: Low fat or non-fat means no calories.

Fact: A portion of low fat or non-fat food is often lower in calories as compared to the same portion of the full fat food which may contain added sugar, salt preservatives or starch thickeners. These ingredients add calories. So, read the nutrition facts label carefully on the food packet.

Myth 8: Nuts are fattening & to be avoided in order to lose weight.

Fact: A handful of nuts can be part of a healthy weight loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However.they contain healthy fats and are a good source of protein, dietary fiber and minerals like magnesium & copper.

Myth 9: Fad diets work well for permanent weight loss.

Fact: Fad diets often promise quick weight loss by omitting certain foods from your diet but they may be unhealthy, nutritionally imbalanced, cause fatigue, nausea & stress on liver & kidneys. Fad diets are not sustainable.

Myth 10: You have to workout for 45 minutes at a stretch to get benefit from exercise.

Fact: Plenty of studies show that walking 30 minutes, three times a week,too benefits tremendously. Ideally, your target should be at least 30 minutes 5 times a week.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Myths related to foods - Economic Times

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Keeping track of all the strict rules on the keto diet can make your head spinso it's no wonder headaches are one of the side effects of the uber-trendy diet. All kidding aside, keto headaches *are* actually A Thing that many keto dieters deal with when they start the diet.

Keto headaches, which are one of the totally miserable symptoms lumped into the "keto flu" category, often appear at the beginning of a ketogenic diet overhaul. The severity and duration of the symptoms vary from person to person, just like the real flu. Some people only have mild symptoms while others feel completely knocked out, with icky body and energy symptoms lasting hours or up to weeks.

The good news is the headaches are generally a short-term effect that only happen as your body adjusts to the low-carb, high-fat eating plan and switches into fat-burning mode. Nutritionists also have many tips for how keto dieters can prevent and treat keto headaches, so they don't throw off your whole day or lead you to ditch the eating plan altogether. Here's everything you need to know to nix the discomfort.

When you start the keto diet and dramatically drop your carb consumption (to somewhere around 20 to 50 grams per day), your body transitions into a process called ketosis within two to seven days. That means the body starts making ketones and burning fat for energy to make up for the lack of carbs coming in. You also go through carb withdrawal (yes, that's a thing), which brings on symptoms like keto headaches.

The keto headaches occur during the transition into ketosis. "Headaches may occur as a result of consuming fewer carbohydrates, especially sugar," says Valerie Agyeman, RD, women's health dietitian and founder of Flourish Heights. "When you start the diet, your body begins relying on ketones instead of glucose, which can cause your blood sugar levels to drop. In turn, this may lead to low blood sugar." This transition into ketosis may stress out your brain, which could result in a brain fog as well as headaches, she adds.

That's not all: Agyeman says these factors also increase your risk of keto headaches:

Keto headaches, like other keto flu symptoms, are very personal. "It varies for everyone, but most people get headaches in the beginning phase of following this restrictive diet and might improve as you remain hydrated and eat plenty of nutritious foods," says Agyeman. The pain can pop up anytime of day, too.

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"Much like any diet plan, theres a right way to do it healthfully," says Keri Glassman, RD, nutritionist at Nutritious Life. "If you go right to eating packaged foods because theyre labeled keto and loading up on only hard-to-digest foods, your body will have a harder time thriving on this diet and can result in more headaches, brain fog, aches, and pains."

You're not totally powerless against keto headaches. Nutritionists say there are many ways you can get ahead of them and stay on track with your keto diet.

Keep in mind, the keto diet may not be to blame for your headaches. As Agyeman warns, "If you continue to experience headaches constantly on the keto diet, consult a health professional to ensure that an underlying medical condition isnt to blame." And if keto just isn't for you, that's okay too. Nutrition is super personaland you can work with a health pro to find the best eating plan for you.

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What Are Keto Headaches? Causes And Prevention Tips From Dietitians - Women's Health

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Juggling work and family life while keeping her weight loss firing has finally clicked for Dominique Withers.

The 32-year-old lives in Redditch, Worcestershire, with her husband, Joe, and their two children, Wilfred, five, and Gwyneth, two.

Her weight increased to almost 13st after the birth of her first child. But she has now transformed her diet after joining Slimming World.

She's now a target member of Kerry Wards Slimming World group in Webheath, Worcestershire, and even runs her own groups in Redditch.

Here she explains her remarkable story...

I started gaining weight when I was 16 after getting a job in a shoe shop; it was great for my bank balance, but as I spent my wages on sweets, my waistline got bigger, too. Most nights, Id sit in front of the TV with my boyfriend, Joe, eating pick n mix sweets and chocolate bars.

I joined Slimming World when I was 19 and it wasnt long before I saw the scales starting to move. When Id lost 1st 7lbs, I stopped going to the group, telling myself: Ive done it. I can eat what I want now.

At 22, I moved in with Joe. I filled our new kitchen cupboards with biscuits, cooked nothing but shop-bought margherita pizza, chicken nuggets, chips, and pasta with garlic bread, and saw the scales creeping back to where Id started. Five months on, I realised the plateful of food in front of me was completely beige!

I went back to Slimming World and my meals turned colourful and varied again. And this time, I ensured they were filling, too. I started planning in advance, buying fresh ingredients and cooking satisfying dinners from scratch, and I also embraced exercise.

Packed with delicious recipes, inspirational stories and practical advice, these are just what you need to power up your weight loss and stay slim for life!

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I reached my first target weight of 9st in time for our wedding in 2013. After our honeymoon, I didnt go back to the group I told myself that I knew what I was doing and didnt need help any more.

And when we started trying for a baby soon after, I convinced myself that pregnancy would mean a big weight gain anyway. Gradually, my weight rose and once I was expecting, I started eating for two. By the time Wilfred was born in 2015, I was nearly 13st.

Not long after, I became pregnant again and though I constantly craved sugary snacks, I gained less weight this time round. After Gwyneth was born in September 2017, with my bathroom scales showing 11st 7lbs, I went back to eating mostly Slimming World meals, but I didnt feel ready to rejoin the group.

By the time Wilfred was two Id lost about a stone, and I felt a surge of determination to be back at my target weight in time for Joes 30th in eight months time. So I switched to a new group with a time that suited me better now that Wilfred was at nursery. Everyone made a fuss of Gwyneth and I felt relaxed enough to focus on my weight loss. Suddenly I realised how much I needed the group.

There was no more thinking: It doesnt matter if I miss one week at the group. Because it did matter to me. Just a few weeks after Joes 30th, I was back at my target weight. And this time, I was confident I would stay there.

Id always had the tools to lose weight and keep it off, and now my commitment had really clicked, too. With my new mindset, nothing seemed impossible. I set myself a new target of 8st 7lbs, which I reached in August 2018 and have stayed at ever since, and decided to train as a Slimming World Consultant.

I loved my weekly groups and hearing people share their weight-loss experiences, because I knew how invaluable that was to me, too. I also kept up my exercise I even ran the 2019 Birmingham Half Marathon!

My soaring confidence helped me cope with anything life could throw at me. So when Wilfred was diagnosed with autism, shortly before he started reception, I took the news calmly. The diagnosis confirmed what Joe and I had suspected for a while and it came as a relief.

When were all sitting at the table, enjoying a Food Optimising roast chicken dinner, Im happy Im setting my children up with healthy eating habits for life. Laughing and talking together over our full plates, its important to me that they grow up enjoying food thats good for them, and see me doing the same.

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Mum-of-two sheds almost 5 stone after changing the colour of her diet - Mirror Online

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The epic fantasy book series, which served as the basis for HBO's multiple award winning show Game of Thrones, awaits the final two books The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring that the author had announced long back but has not yet penned.

Los Angeles: Author George RR Martin says he has made "steady progress" in writing The Winds of Winter, the long-pending penultimate instalment of his A Song of Ice and Fire saga.

The epic fantasy book series, which served as the basis for HBO's multiple award winning show Game of Thrones, awaits the final two booksThe Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring that the author had announced long back but has not yet penned.

In his latest blog post, Martin said he spent several months on lockdown in a cabin in the mountains and that "the enforced isolation has helped me write".

"I am spending long hours every day on The Winds of Winter, and making steady progress. I finished a new chapter yesterday, another one three days ago, another one the previous week," the 71-year-old author said.

Game of Thrones author George RR Martin says he has made progress during this lockdown towards writing The Winds of Winter, the penultimate book in the popular series, A Song of Ice and Fire.

"But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It's going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go," he added.

Martin further said that he was "heartbroken" after having to cancel his trip to Wellington, New Zealand, for the 78th World Science Fiction Convention.

However, he now hopes to visit Wellington next year when hopefully "both COVID-19 and The Winds of Winter will be done".

"Of late I have been visiting with Cersei, Asha, Tyrion, Ser Barristan, and Areo Hotah. I will be dropping back into Braavos next week."

"I have bad days, which get me down, and good days, which lift me up, but all in all I am pleased with the way things are doing," Martin said.

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George RR Martin updates fans on upcoming Game of Th..teady progress writing Winds of Winter during lockdown - Firstpost

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The consumer shift to a more plant-based diet is marching ever forward, with more and more plant-based products coming onto the market to meet new levels of demand.

Research released by Roy Morgan in April 2019 found just over 12 per cent of the population (2.5 million) follow a plant-based diet, up 14.2 per cent from 2014.

Cargill Texturising Solutions Australia & New Zealand national sales manager Brian Pert told Food & Drink Business that Cargills recently launched pea protein Radipure was developed in response to this growing consumer demand for plant-based proteins.

Pert says consumer interest spans beverages and food. Soy drinks have been around for a long time but research by Euromonitor International showed its 2014-19 compound annual growth rate was down to minus one per cent. Meanwhile, growth in other plant protein beverages was 11 per cent.

Plant-based beverages often suffer from a poor taste profile, texture, flavour and sedimentation compared to dairy beverages, but Radipure is a highly soluble and clean-tasting protein, Pert says.

Cargill also has a wide range of specialty ingredients and texturising solutions to help manufacturers bridge that last mile in terms of mouthfeel, specifically simulating the creaminess and fullness of dairy beverages.

Pert says its C*PolarTex range of highly stable texturising hydroxypropylated starches delivers excellent viscosity and mouthfeel. It means we can help manufacturers bridge the sensory gap between plant-based beverages and dairy.

Technical director for Cargills Food Ingredients and Bio-Industrial business in Asia Gaetan Heynderickx toldFood & Drink Businessabout the challenges manufacturers face in terms of texture, taste and solubility when working with plant-based ingredients.

With the breadth of our offerings for plant-based food and drinks we are in a strong position to deliver a complete solution to our customers.

We have thirteen innovation centres and applications labs globally, with five in Asia Pacific, so we are well equipped to partner with customers from concept to solution.

Starches for stability

Pert says plant-based meat products can also suffer from textural challenges. He says Cargills C*CreamAx range of modified tapioca starches can play a critical role in achieving the desired springiness as well as stability in plant-based meat.

Cargill also has a wide range of other starches in its arsenal. Botanicals such as corn, waxy corn, tapioca and potato come from its 12 modified starch manufacturing plants around the world. Its plants in Indonesia, Thailand and China provide shorter lead times and competitive pricing for Australian customers.

It also has hydrocolloids, stabiliser systems, and other texturising ingredients.

Packaging trends also need to be taken into account. Pert says: Not just from a food safety standpoint but aesthetically, water needs to be held inside the product for an increased amount of time and appearance has to be bright and pleasing. Its another reason modified starches play an important role in this burgeoning category is they denote food safety as well as providing the desirable texture and appearance.

For Pert, Cargill has double-barrelled expertise to work with manufacturers in or wanting to enter the plant-based food and beverage market.

For plant protein beverages we can provide our highly versatile Radipure pea protein and work closely with customers to optimise their recipes using our wide array of texturisers such as modified starches and stabiliser systems.

When working with plant-based meat products, our extensive range of modified, clean label and native starches, together with our hydrocolloids knowledge, means we can help our customers develop a complete textural solution to optimise the texture and improve the eating experience of their product, he says.

As the popularity of plant-based diets continues to grow, Pert says Cargill is determined to be the go-to partner for companies keen to take a bite of the market.

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Harvesting value from the rise of plant-based diets - Food & Drink Business

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A slow metabolism can cause a lot of trouble over time but luckily, there are plenty of ways to speed up metabolism naturally. If you want to lose weight fast, you should consider applying some of the tips below to your daily routine. Who knows, they might help you blast belly fat sooner rather than later. You don't even have to put yourself through the horrors of intermittent fasting or the keto diet either although both approaches have been researched thoroughly and proven to aid weight loss.

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One way to help weight loss is to speed up your metabolism naturally and these 3 easy-to-follow tips can help you do just that. You dont necessarily need a wealth of equipment either. In fact, as well as weight loss, it's even possible to get big arms with no weights.

Fitness experts predict top 5 post-lockdown fitness trends

An improved rate of metabolism can help you keep weight off, and generally turn you into a healthier and leaner individual. As usual, there's no instant fix to be had here, but being fit and having a faster metabolism quickly become a virtuous circle.

The new Centr Unleashed programme uses bodyweight exercises only to get you fitter

(Image credit: Centr)

Why should you try HIIT workouts? For one, it improves metabolism and burns calories long after you finished with your daily HIIT session, making you a fat-torching machine that's on 24/7. The best thing about HIIT workouts is that they can be done anywhere using any sort of equipment: you can do a full body HIIT workout in the park or even follow the ultimate HIIT workout that uses your bodyweight only (and a skipping rope).

Is weight loss faster if you add a fasting diet to cardio?

You can also have a HIIT sessions on a treadmill, elliptical trainer or rowing machine but even if you haven't got the best home gym setup, you can do HIIT with cheap fitness equipment still available to buy online. Try to do HIIT workouts in the morning: research reveals early morning is the best time for weight loss.

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(Image credit: The Protein Works)

According to research cited by Healthline, "proteincauses the largest rise in TEF (thermic effect of food). It increases your metabolic rate by 1530%, compared to 510% for carbs and 03% for fats." As Healthline explains, the "thermic effect of food caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal."

Since digesting protein takes more effort from your body, by eating more of it you will basically work out using your metabolic system (we might be exaggerating here). Protein is also essential for muscle repair and recovery, so if you are actively working out, it is recommended to take between 1.6-2 grams of protein per body kilogram per day.

You should source protein from a variety of food stuff like lean meat, nuts, green veg and eggs. Supplementing protein is also popular among athletes: protein powder shakes are probably the most convenient way to get your protein fix on the go but you can also have protein bars or jerky as well as post workout snack.

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Caffeine found in coffee and teas can boost metabolism significantly. Not everyone reacts to caffeine the same way and it is also recommended not to drink too many cups of coffee/caffeinated beverages in a day. Green tea has a lower caffeine content so combining coffee and green tea consumption can have better results.

Drinking more water can also improve metabolism: combine increased water consumption with more fibrous food for the best results.

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How to speed up your metabolism naturally: Top 3 tips to blast belly fat and get in shape - T3

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A study presented at the Obesity Societys annual meeting has found that having your dinner before 2pm can reduce hungercravingsfor the rest of the day and boost your fat-burning reserves. While it may up the chances of a midnight salvage for scran, it means that you're likely to be cramming all of your meals in a six-hour window in the name of abetter body.

But is it really healthy? The research documented that the plan worked well on animals, but what happened when it came to humans? One of its earliest and most famous adopters is Aussie actorHugh Jackman. To find out, we put aMHwriter throughWolverine's weight planto see if he could slash fat from his body. Snikt!

RELATED:The 7-Minute Workout Hugh Jackman Uses to Build Muscle and Shred Fat

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Name:David Morton, fasting scepticChallenge:To follow Hugh Jackmans Wolverine meal planClaim:Cutbody fatwhile you bulk up quickly

WhenHugh Jackmansnarled his way onto our cover, I had an epiphany of sorts. The men who graceMens Healthare always inincredible shape, but Jackman, I realised, had what I didnt know Id always wanted: size and strength that would be just as useful on the rugby pitch as it is impressive in the mirror; a shape that would suit my naturallyblocky bodytype. I wanted to be Hugh, as Im sure you did.

HisWolverine physiquewas powered by an eating regime called 16:8 a form of intermittent fasting (IF) where you eat nothing for 16 hours a day, then cram all your calories into the other eight.It clearly worked for Hugh, so I resolved to follow a 16:8 diet for 10 days to find out if it could for me and if it will work for you, too.

Research shows there's more to the diet than mutant pecs. I.F. has been found to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease (American Society of Clinical Nutrition) and extend your lifespan (Medical Hypotheses). Fasting also turns on several very cool biochemical processes, says nutritional scientist Ben Coomber. One is apoptosis or autophagy, which is the process of cell death. This means you clean out dead cells and dispose of them, clearing up toxins. This all sounds rather good.

It doesnt feel that bad, either. I skip breakfast (cups of coffee are fine) and then tear into half a rotisserie chicken at 11am, with baby spinach and a wholegrain roll. That weighs in at about 800kcal with more than 50g of protein (almost 90% of my RDA). Igo to the gym at 1pm, when I would normally eat lunch. I eat again around 3pm:high-street sushior a sandwich. Dinner is down by 7pm and then the 16-hour stopwatch begins again.

As with so many things in life haircuts, holidays, pregnancies 16:8s success comes down to careful scheduling. If youre an A-list action hero, your job depends on you staying in shape, and you can afford to work out at midday, every day. This makes the absolute most of the hormonal effect of yourfasting period: When you dont eat, your muscle cells become more sensitive to insulin, says Coomber. So, when you do take on food, the muscle cell is as receptive as possible and you get a much greater anabolic response when you exercise.

I only have lunch breaks to go to the gym, though, so sacrifice the possible cellular boosts to maintain a more normal day-to-day routine. In fact, my attempts to eat dinner at home with my girlfriend mean that the 16-hour fasting window gets pushed back bit by bit and twice during the test I have to reset the clock in order to avoid eating alone at 11pm.

Nevertheless, at the end of my 10-day experiment Id knocked down mybody fatby nearly 2%. Although not X-Men approved, the results are better than I had predicted. Especially as I didnt cut out a single food from my daily diet and always felt full.

f you want to lose a bit of excess weight without mucking around, 16:8 is a scientifically sound and simple eating plan to grasp. But if you want to train hard during the week, socialise at the weekend and if you value eating meals with family and friends more than looking like Hugh, you should see it as short-term solution only.IF will kick start your physique but if you want to buildtrue Wolverine size, youll need to make intermittent fasting a regular thing.

This article originally appeared on Men's Health UK.

RELATED: What Is Intermittent Fasting And Is It For You?

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Exactly What Happened When We Tried Hugh Jackman's '16:8 Diet' - Men's Health

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We are sure you must have used this exotic spice to make tea or a special curry, but it's time you think outside the box. If you want to keep infections at bay, drinking a cup of soothing star-anise infused tea regularly will be a healthy choice.

Boil a cup of water and add 4-5 star anise to it. Let it simmer down well. Cool for 10-15 minutes before drinking. Your cold and cough fighting drink is ready in minutes!

Luke also shared an easy recipe for a detoxing concoction, which also combines the healing properties of other Indian spices like ginger and cumin. Add these spices to some boiling water. Strain the solution.

Both the drinks are best consumed on an empty stomach. It can also be given to young children. If you have been diagnosed with ovarian or spiked up oestrogen levels, consider taking a doctor's advice first before adding this to your diet. Moderation is advised.

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Star Anise is the secret flu fighter in the kitchen you should be having! - Times of India

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Modern sled dogs from across the Arctic can trace their ancestry back to Siberia, according to a new genetic study that dovetails with archaeological evidence. Todays familiar breeds such as huskies and malamutes are descended from a lineage that was well-established in Siberia 9,500 years ago and has been critical to human survival in the Arctic ever since.

We know that modern sled dogs belong to a human cultural group, the Inuit, and that is probably the common origin of the Alaskan and Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, and Greenland sled dogs because those dogs are closely related, says Mikkel-Holder Sinding, co-author of new research published in the journal Science and a population geneticist at Trinty College, Dublin.

The team sequenced the genomes of 10 modern Greenland sled dogs and compared them to not only a 9,500-year-old sled dog (represented by a mandible found on Zokhov Island, Siberia) but also a 33,000-year-old wolf from Siberias Taimyr Peninsula. Their analysis shows that the majority of the modern Arctic sled dogs ancestry is descended from the same distinct lineage as the 9,500-year-old Siberian dog. This is especially true of the Greenland sled dog, which, given the relative isolation of their home island, has the least mixture with other dog groups and most closely represents the original ancestry.

Evidence of ancient genes from the 33,000-year-old Siberian wolf also appeared in the modern dogs. Surprisingly, however evidence of North American wolf ancestry was absent in the modern sled dogs sampled, although the two species have lived in proximity across the Arctic for thousands of years and share familiar physical features and howling cries. The lack of North American wolf genes in modern sled dogs is a puzzle, particularly because Arctic people know sled dogs do mix with their wild relatives. Perhaps, Sinding says, dog ancestors might lie among the many North American wolf populations that were eradicated.

These Pleistocene wolves are very old, predating the domestication of dogs, so they are not a perfect match at all for this signature we are picking up, Sinding says. Who really knows what kind of wolf diversity there was around even just a few hundred years ago? Theres more to this story for sure.

A long lineage

The site at Zokhov Island that yielded the 9,500-year-old sled dog genome also includes physical evidence of sleds and harness materials. Bone analysis has led one team of scientists to suggest that the site may represent the earliest-known evidence for dog breeding, with sledding as a goal, and that the process may have started as long as 15,000 years ago.

The sled dogs genetic history aligns with archaeological evidence. Together, the findings suggest the dogs have been established for nearly 10,000 years and have spent those many millennia doing the same things they do today.

For me, one of the most important aspects of this study is how it shows the importance of utilizing all available data from the archaeological record alongside the analysis of ancient genetics, says Carly Ameen, a zooarchaeologist at the University of Exeter. Ameen wasnt involved in the study but last year co-authored a study how sledge dogs accompanied Inuit dispersal across the North American Arctic.

The sites inhabitants would have had good reason to want sled dogs. The remains of polar bears and reindeer found on Zokhov show that hunters had a wide range and somehow transported large animal kills to their camp. Tools suggest even wider travel. Obsidian implements found here have been sourced to more than 900 miles away. For ancient Arctic peoples to cover such distances, the authors theorize, dog sledding might have been essential.

Shared with the polar bears

Sinding and colleagues also found genes that appear to be unique among sled dogs when compared to their canine relatives. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of the standout adaptations have to do with food.

Sled dogs, like the Arctic peoples they live with, have eaten a steady diet of unusual fare, including fatty seal and whale blubber. The Inuit and their dogs have evolved an ability to eat huge amounts of fat but avoid cardiovascular disease. Their genetic solutions to this problem are entirely different; the sled dogs method matches another Arctic icon, the polar bear.

The polar bear has a very specific gene thats selected to help it eat unlimited amounts of blubber without getting cardiovascular disease, Sinding says. We see almost exactly the same gene being very highly selected in the dogs.

Other adaptions found in sled dog genes seem to show coevolution with species that are not similar yet share the same problems. The woolly mammoth genome features highly selected thermal receptors that helped these animals sense changes in temperature, and the features mark a major difference between them and their elephant kin. That same group of proteins is selected in sled dogs, according to the study. We have no clue why, Sinding says. But given that we see it in the mammoth and now in the sled dog, it seems to mean that this temperature sensation has some really important role in the Arctic.

Ameen stresses that a genetic study like this can help to illuminate different, interesting aspects of ancient dogseven if it hasnt entirely put to rest the question of how much wolf ancestry is in their bloodlines.

Recent attempts to discover the origins of the first domestic dogs have been stalled by a sole focus on genetic and morphological difference between dogs and wolves, she says. But when incorporated with archaeological evidence for sledding, as well as investigating dogs adaptation to new human-provided diets, a much clearer picture of those early domestic dogs emerges.

Link:
Husky Ancestors Started Working 9500 Years Ago | Science - Smithsonian

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