How to Lose Belly Fat, According to a Victoria’s Secret Model Trainer

Plank hold

“Get down on all fours resting your forearms and knees on the floor,” says Dede Lagree, owner and head trainer at Lagree Fitness Studio who has worked with Ashley Graham, Viola Davis, Elsa Hosk, and Bella Thorne. “Then step your feet back to a plank position. Contract abs to keep your body in a straight line and spine parallel to the floor. Abs should be pulling toward the ceiling. The key is to hold it for as long as you can.” Lagree recommends starting out by holding for 20 seconds and working your way up to a minute, or longer. Come down to starting position, rest and repeat three times. Want to kick it up a notch? Here’s a look at some plank upgrades.

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This Is the Percent of Vegetarians and Vegans That Go Back to Meat

Making the decision to go vegan or vegetarian has plenty of perks for your health and the planet. (But there is one major mental health downside.) Still, it can be a tough switch to make, especially in America; only Australia eats more meat per capita than we do. The switch is one thing, but according to a new study from the Humane Research Council, sticking with it is even tougher.

The study, which analyzed a representative sample of 11,000 U.S. participants 17 and older, found that 84 percent of people who have adopted vegetarianism or veganism at some point in their lives have gone back to eating meat. A bit less than one in five vegans and vegetarians maintain their diet. All told, two percent of the U.S. population is either vegetarian or vegan.

But the research went a bit further, digging into the rationale behind the diet drop. The researchers posit that some of the drop might be due to a lack of a gradual transition into the diet; 65 percent of former vegetarians and vegans said they made the transition abruptly, over a few days or weeks. For current vegetarians or vegans, only 53 percent transitioned that quickly. (Here are 4 traps you need to avoid when you become a vegetarian.)

The current vegetarians and vegans have different motivations than the former, however. Most (58 percent) in the former group cited just only health as the main motivator, while most in the current group named several factors, including personal health, animal welfare, and environmentalism.  (These 13 things will happen to your body when you adopt a vegan diet.)

[Source: Fast Company]

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The One Ingredient You Should Add to Your Coffee to Boost Your Metabolism

Most of us can’t function before our morning coffee. And fortunately for java junkies, drinking coffee has tons of amazing health benefits, such as improving your memory and helping you live longer. As a matter of fact, this is what happens to your body when you drink coffee every day.

But before you fill your mug with your second (or third!) helping of the day, you should be warned: All that cream and sugar could pose a problem for your waistline. Some of the most popular drinks at Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts could add over 1,000 calories to your daily diet. (You should never, ever order this one drink at Starbucks, in particular.)

This doesn’t mean you should banish your cup of Joe forever; you can always drink your coffee black, of course. But if you don’t want to settle for a boring, bitter brew, research shows that one simple ingredient can boost your metabolism and stave off any dreaded weight gain.

Adding a dash of cinnamon to your coffee can help your body burn fat faster, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute. When the researchers treated human fat cell samples with cinnamaldehyde—the compound that gives cinnamon its flavor and smell—the cells began creating more metabolism-boosting genes and enzymes, which caused them to burn instead of store extra fat. Check out even more ways to make your coffee habit healthier.

While only time (and more research) will tell exactly how much weight you could lose thanks to a dose of cinnamon in your coffee, sprinkling on a little extra spice can’t hurt in the meantime. But to avoid damaging your diet, we recommend opting for a dash of cinnamon in your everyday cuppa instead of a sugar-loaded gingerbread latte.

Craving a caffeinated and tasty treat—without the extra calories? Try even more healthy ways to hack the Starbucks menu.

[Sources: Greatist, NBC News]

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The “Aha” Moment Behind 9 Weight-Loss Success Stories

Get serious for your future family’s sake

When my husband and I had difficulty starting a family after trying for five years, I decided to see a fertility specialist. I was well over 400 pounds at that time and he told me there was nothing he could do for me until I lost weight.

My aha moment: After hearing the doctor’s news, I received an unexpected pregnancy announcement from a family member. That announcement broke me, but I also credit it with finally giving me the kick in the butt I needed. It made me realize if I ever wanted a family that I needed to do something a little more drastic. I’ve been overweight my whole life, and I’d tried every diet from Weight Watchers to South Beach. I decided to get a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and it has completely changed my life. Since January 2016, I have lost 220 pounds. A few years back, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome which makes losing weight very difficult. At the time, I had considered weight-loss surgery, but I was worried people would judge me. It wasn’t until I wanted to start a family and couldn’t do so without intervention that I really got serious. Losing weight isn’t just about eating right or exercising. It’s about finding a balance between the two, and setting attainable goals. Start with small goals and celebrate your progress along the way. For me, accountability is key, I use social media to keep myself accountable for what I’m eating, ensuring I’m exercising and doing weekly weigh-ins. My husband and I are still hoping to conceive! —Lindsay Hackman Shenk, 34, PA, human services program specialist

Curious how your health impacts your fertility? Here are 16 factors that could be harmful.

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Live Long: What Water Is The Best?

There are many opinions in this respect. But all depends on the purpose of fasting. If the fasting is very much serious, if, for example, it is required to cure or ease a dangerous illness considerably and quickly, then certainly the most suitable water for such fasting would be distilled water. If the fasting's task is just a little cleaning before a long juice-diet, the best water usually is well-filtered water. But in our case of a short-term fasting the proper training for the first attempts is to accustom the organism to this kind of therapeutic fasting. Therefore, the easier goes the first day the better.

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Summer Tips to Keep You Healthy

The sun is out, the temperature is rising, and the evenings are getting fabulously long. Dreaming about laying back on the sun lounger, sand between your toes and cocktail in hand. The sun's rays feel good right? But they're no friend to your skin.

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10 Things You Need to Know About the Cabbage Soup Diet

What is the cabbage soup diet?

The cabbage soup diet involves making a basic cabbage soup loaded with veggies, and eating two to three servings of that each day, along with certain additional foods, like fruit or beef. You’re supposed to follow the diet for seven days, in order to lose several pounds of weight. Try these other foods to help you lose weight.

What’s the cabbage soup diet recipe?

There are multiple variations on it, but as the name suggests, cabbage is the main ingredient. The base of the soup is usually tomato, and variations include adding celery, bell peppers, green beans, or carrots. The cabbage soup diet recipe from Epicurious includes:

1. • 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded or chopped
   • 2 large onions, chopped
   • 16 to 28 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped with juices
   • 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
   • 4 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
   • 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
   • 1/2 pound green beans, stem ends snapped, sliced on the diagonal
   • Black pepper to taste
   • Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, sage, dill, cilantro, or thyme
2. Garnish
   • Balsamic vinegar or lemon or lime juice
   • Minced fresh herbs
   • Chopped green onions

What else can you eat?

It depends on the version you follow. Some allow for a small, sensible meal, while others allow you to incorporate one or two additional food items. WebMD shares:

• Day 1: Fruit, except bananas
• Day 2: Vegetables like leafy greens (not starches), but no fruit
• Day 3: Fruits and vegetables
• Day 4: Bananas and skim milk
• Day 5: Beef (or baked chicken without the skin) and tomatoes
• Day 6: Beef and vegetables
• Day 7: Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices, and vegetables

What’s the upside of the cabbage soup diet?

The diet promises to help you lose ten pounds of weight—and most people will likely drop a few pounds by following it. “It is a simple diet to follow,” says Stephanie Carrell, RDN, CNSC, a clinical dietitian at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. “It also allows for a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are full of important nutrients. It promises fast weight loss which can help to kick-start an exercise and diet program.” Try these weight loss tips from people who have dropped 50 pounds or more.

Does the cabbage soup diet work?

Like many fad diets, it works in the short term—as you’ll lose mostly water weight in that first week. “The problem with this diet is that while it may result in short-term weight loss, it does not teach long-term healthy eating habits,” Carrell says. “The weight lost would likely be regained when a normal diet is resumed.”

Can you follow the cabbage soup diet long term?

The short answer? No. “It is lacking in several key nutrients, like healthy fats and protein,” Carrell says. “Healthy fats are required for certain vitamins to be utilized by the body. If followed longer than seven days, the cabbage soup diet could lead to deficiencies of important nutrients.” On top of that—how much cabbage soup can you really eat? “The cabbage soup diet does not allow for much flexibility so it would likely get boring after just a few days,” Carrell says. See the worst diet advice nutritionists have ever heard.

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Is it safe for you?

That all depends on the current state of your health. The diet is extremely low in carbs, which could make controlling blood sugar levels difficult for people with diabetes, and the soup is high in sodium, which means if you’re supposed to be on a low-sodium diet, this won’t work for you. Find out if diet or exercise is the key to weight loss.

Why is the cabbage soup diet still so popular?

The cabbage soup diet recipe has circulated since the 1980s, and it shows no signs of slowing. Carrell points to several reasons for its popularity: “Everyone is looking for a quick fix. It promises up to ten pounds of weight loss in just one week and that appeals to a lot of people. The instructions seem easy to follow. I think many people assume they will lose the weight and it will be gone forever, but that is not the case.” Try these health pros-approved quick weight loss tips.

What about other fad diets?

Like trendy clothing, fad diets aren’t made to last—and usually, they aren’t based on good science or healthy eating habits. And that means that in the long run, trying something like the cabbage soup diet isn’t good for you. “Fad diets usually involve restrictions of whole food groups and/or severe calorie restriction,” Carrell warns. “This diet restricts calories which can lead to weakness and fatigue.”

What’s the final verdict?

If you like a veggie-based soup, there’s nothing wrong with whipping up a big batch of the cabbage soup diet recipe and enjoying it. But if you’re looking to lose weight and keep it off, Carrell has a better solution: “People should consider consulting with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RD/RDN) for a plan that is individualized to their specific needs. An RD/RDN can teach healthy eating habits and provide the tools needed for sustainable weight loss.”

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10 Positive Things That Happen to Your Body After Just One Workout

General goodness for your body

People who work out everyday get crazy benefits—good for them. But what about that very first workout, or just one session? “Overall there are several physical and mental benefits related to any type of exercise,” says Murphy Grant, MS, ATC, PES, executive chair of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine (ICSM), and associate athletic director for sports medicine at the University of Kansas. “Depending on the type of workout you’re doing, there can be lots of beneficial changes, including improved cardiovascular efficiency, increased bone density, higher metabolic efficiency, increased lean muscle mass and of course decreased body fat.” And most people would be surprised to know how much of that good stuff can start in just one exercise session, Grant adds.

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Watch Out! These are the 4 Most Harmful Ingredients in Packaged Foods

Grab the broccoli with cheese sauce from the freezer, the box of instant rice pilaf from the pantry, or the hot dogs from your fridge and squint at the ingredient list’s fine print. You’ll likely find food additives in every one.

Is this healthy? Compared to the foods our bodies were built to eat, definitely not.

Processed, packaged foods have almost completely taken over the diet of Americans.
Unfortunately, most processed foods are laden with sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives. But the trouble is not just what’s been added, but what’s been taken away. Processed foods are often stripped of nutrients designed by nature to protect your heart, such as soluble fiber, antioxidants, and “good” fats. Combine that with additives, and you have a recipe for disaster.

(These are the 10 worst foods for your stomach. Make sure you avoid them.)

Here are the big four ingredients in processed foods you should look out for:

TRANS FATS

Trans fats are in moist bakery muffins and crispy crackers, microwave popcorn and fast-food French fries, even the stick margarine you may rely on as a “heart-healthy” alternative to saturated-fat-laden butter.

Once hailed as a cheap, heart-friendly replacement for butter, lard and coconut oil, trans fats have been denounced by one Harvard nutrition expert as “the biggest food-processing disaster in U.S. history.” Why? Research now reveals trans fats are twice as dangerous for your heart as saturated fat, and cause an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 premature heart disease deaths each year.

Trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fats because they boost your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and decrease “good” HDL cholesterol. That’s double trouble for your arteries. And unlike saturated fats, trans fats also raise your levels of artery-clogging lipoprotein and triglycerides.

Check the ingredient list for any of these words: “partially hydrogenated,” “fractionated,” or “hydrogenated” (fully hydrogenated fats are not a heart threat, but some trans fats are mislabeled as “hydrogenated”). The higher up the phrase “partially hydrogenated oil” is on the list of ingredients, the more trans fat the product contains.

Replacing trans fats with good fats could cut your heart attack risk by a whopping 53 percent.

Watch out for these subtle signs that you’re eating too much bad fat.

REFINED GRAINS

Choosing refined grains such as white bread, rolls, sugary low-fiber cereal, white rice, or white pasta over whole grains can boost your heart attack risk by up to 30 percent. You’ve got to be a savvy shopper. Don’t be fooled by deceptive label claims such as “made with wheat flour” or “seven grain.” Or by white-flour breads topped with a sprinkling of oats, or colored brown with molasses. Often, they’re just the same old refined stuff that raises risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks, insulin resistance, diabetes, and belly fat.

At least seven major studies show that women and men who eat more whole grains (including dark bread, whole-grain breakfast cereals, popcorn, cooked oatmeal, brown rice, bran, and other grains like bulgur or kasha) have 20 to 30 percent less heart disease. In contrast, those who opt for refined grains have more heart attacks, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.

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Read the ingredient list on packaged grain products. If the product is one of those that are best for you, the first ingredients should be whole wheat or another whole grain, such as oats. The fiber content should be at least 3 grams per serving.

SALT

Three-quarters of the sodium in our diets isn’t from the saltshaker. It’s hidden in processed foods, such as canned vegetables and soups, condiments like soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, fast-food burgers (and fries, of course), and cured or preserved meats like bacon, ham, and deli turkey.

Some sodium occurs naturally in unprocessed edibles, including milk, beets, celery, even some drinking water. And that’s a good thing: Sodium is necessary for life. It helps regulate blood pressure, maintains the body’s fluid balance, transmits nerve impulses, makes muscles — including your heart — contract, and keeps your senses of taste, smell, and touch working properly. You need a little every day to replace what’s lost to sweat, tears, and other excretions.

What happens when you eat more salt than your body needs? Your body retains fluid simply to dilute the extra sodium in your bloodstream. This raises blood volume, forcing your heart to work harder; at the same time, it makes veins and arteries constrict. The combination raises blood pressure.

Your limit should be 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, about the amount in three-fourths of a teaspoon of salt. (Table salt, by the way, is 40 percent sodium, 60 percent chloride.) Older people should eat even less, to counteract the natural rise in blood pressure that comes with age. People over 50 should strive for 1,300 mg; those over 70 should aim for 1,200 mg.

Only the “Nutrition Facts” panel on a food package will give you the real sodium count. Don’t believe claims on the package front such as “sodium-free” (foods can still have 5 mg per serving); “reduced sodium” (it only means 25 percent less than usual); or “light in sodium” (half the amount you’d normally find).

These 13 foods have WAY more salt than you realized.

HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

Compared to traditional sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup costs less to make, is sweeter to the taste, and mixes more easily with other ingredients. Today, we consume nearly 63 pounds of it per person per year in drinks and sweets, as well as in other products. High-fructose corn syrup is in many frozen foods. It gives bread an inviting, brown color and soft texture, so it’s also in whole-wheat bread, hamburger buns, and English muffins. It is in beer, bacon, spaghetti sauce, soft drinks, and even ketchup.

Research is beginning to suggest that this liquid sweetener may upset the human metabolism, raising the risk for heart disease and diabetes. Researchers say that high-fructose corn syrup’s chemical structure encourages overeating. It also seems to force the liver to pump more heart-threatening triglycerides into the bloodstream. In addition, fructose may zap your body’s reserves of chromium, a mineral important for healthy levels of cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar.

To spot fructose on a food label, look for the words “corn sweetener,” “corn syrup,” or “corn syrup solids” as well as “high-fructose corn syrup.”

These so called “healthy” snacks are secretly destroying your body.

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Tips to Choose the Right Doctor

Looking for the doctor is not always easy. It is even harder when you go out of network and locate a practitioner that can meet your health needs. However, if you are prepared and informed, your will be able to choose the right one. You can also use our tips to find the right one. Read on to find out more about the tips.

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These 10 Diet Trends Need to Disappear in 2018

Military diet

Dietitians and nutritionists hope the Military Diet, which allows fewer than 1,000 calories per day and emphasizes processed foods such as hot dogs and saltine crackers, disappears in 2018. The diet promises 10 pounds lost in a week and is super specific about what to eat at each meal. For example, one breakfast includes five saltine crackers, one slice of cheddar cheese and one small apple. It’s only three days long, so it’s certainly not teaching long-lasting lifestyle changes. (These are the foods that help you lose weight.) Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RDN says the cons (short term, some low-quality processed foods, and inadequate fiber, vitamins, and minerals) outweigh the few pros (teaching portion control and including a few fruits and vegetables). Her advice: “The Military Diet would need a major makeover to be considered healthful, so I’d recommend sidestepping this one for good!”

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9 Natural Appetite Suppressants That Really Work

Spice it up

An appetite for spicy food may say certain things about your personality—but more importantly, spicy foods can act as natural appetite suppressants. “The active ingredient in many spicy foods is capsaicin, a compound that acts as a natural appetite suppressant,” adds Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, CNS, DC, founder of DrAxe.com, bestselling author of Eat Dirt, and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition. Not only that, he says, but capsaicin also boosts metabolism so that your body burns more calories throughout the day. “Except for bell pepper, all pepper varieties contain a good amount of capsaicin and can be easily added to everything from salsa to soups and sauces,” he says. Cayenne peppers have other health benefits too. As a bonus, “adding a few dashes of the spicy stuff will slow down your eating,” which could lead to your eating less overall, says New York City-based nutritionist Joy L. Bauer, MS, RD, CDN, the founder of Nourish Snacks, the health and nutrition expert on The Today Show, and author of several books including From Junk Food to Joy Food.

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18 Secrets of Women Who Manage to Work Out Every Day

Do it to feel good

If you think that every workout you do needs to be at 110 percent, you may get discouraged when you have an off day. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to go hard every single workout, just getting enough in to feel good,” says Sydney Stargatt, 27. (These common exercise moves actually work against you.)

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50 So-Called “Healthy” Snacks That Are Secretly Destroying Your Body

Frozen yogurt

While fro yo itself is a good treat, it’s easy to eat it the wrong way. “People go to a frozen yogurt place and think ‘Hooray, I’m being so good by having yogurt instead of ice cream, I can pile peanut butter cups and chocolate syrup on top.’ What was initially a good choice is now 600 to 900 calories,” says Angel Planells, MS, RDN, Seattle-based founder of ACP Nutrition, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Your best bet instead is to go light on the extras, he suggests: “Two or three toppings max—think fruit, nuts, maybe a small drizzle of chocolate syrup—otherwise you may as well just eat some ice cream.” For more frozen snack variety, try one of these summer treats.

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9 Exercises That Can Banish Your Back Fat

Bent-over dumbbell rows

Adam Rosante, a certified CFT and fitness nutrition specialist, recommends this exercise to target those middle to back muscles and lats (latissimus dorsi). “A large majority of individuals have a weak upper back, which contributes greatly to poor posture and shoulder injuries,” Rosante says. “These moves strengthen those muscles, helping to pull the body into alignment.” Standing with your feet hip-width apart, grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold at your sides. Maintain the natural arch in your spine as you press your hips back and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor, allowing the dumbbells to hang straight down with wrists positioned under the shoulders. Pull your shoulders back and row the weights to your hips. Hold for one second and lower with control back to your starting position. That’s one rep, Rosante says. Do 12 to complete your set. These easy tricks can perfect your posture.

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This Is Why Exercising Too Much Can Make You Gain Weight

For those of us looking to slim down, a daily workout might seem like a no-brainer (along with these fast, easy tips to lose weight!) But you should also hit the gym with caution, experts say. Believe it or not, while working out might whittle your middle and tone you up, there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to exercise.

Working out too much can cause adrenal fatigue, which includes symptoms like body aches, lightheadedness, and extreme tiredness. (Watch out for even more signs you’re working out too much.) And when these symptoms hit, all those hours you spent at the gym could backfire—big-time.

A stress hormone called cortisol is partly to blame, according to personal trainer and injury-prevention specialist Liz Letchford, MS, ATC. Pushing your body past its limits through high-intensity, long-duration exercise can mess with that hormone, leading to fatigue, reduced performance, and weight gain around your belly.

In other words, exercise “is not just about strong muscles and losing fat,” Letchford told PopSugar. “Your entire central nervous system is regulated by a complicated system of hormones. Throw them out of whack, and you’ve got some serious issues.”

Luckily, preventing your body’s burnout is easier than you think. Letchford recommends choosing an exercise routine—either long duration/low intensity or short duration/high intensity—that matches your fitness and weight loss goals. And avoid going to the gym more than once a day, Letchford says. “Your body needs it to recover from all of the breaking down that has been happening during workouts.”

Don’t know where to start? Try these trusted expert tips for the best workout plan for your body.

[Source: PopSugar]

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This Popular Diet Could Sabotage Your Health, According to a Nutritionist

Tightening up your diet is practically a no-brainer when it comes to fast, easy ways to lose weight. But cutting carbs? Don’t even think about it. Not only does a low-carb (also called ketogenic) diet leave you feeling drained and foggy-brained, but it could also backfire if you’re trying to get healthy, experts say.

There’s a simple reason why this happens, according to registered dietitian Rachel Clare. Here’s the basic rundown: Your body gets the energy it needs by breaking down the carbohydrates you eat. But because it lacks this vital nutrient, it will begin to break down fat, instead.

Sounds good so far, right? But it’s not what you think. As your body breaks down fat, it releases ketone bodies, which are molecules produced by the liver from fatty acids. High levels of these bodies can, in turn, cause dehydration and change the chemical balance of your blood. What’s more, a low-carb diet is difficult to sustain, which could cause your weight to fluctuate if you can’t stick to it. All of this spells bad news for your health.

“In some small medical cases, the ketogenic diet is actually used for benefit,” such as for people who suffer from epilepsy, Clare said. “But for the general public, the ketogenic diet is quite dangerous.” That’s not the only myth about carbs that’s wrecking your health, either.

So, what’s a well-meaning dieter to do? In order to drop pounds, doctors recommend swapping out your favorite carbohydrates for whole grain versions, instead. Opt for brown rice, whole wheat bread, and even whole oat oatmeal. When in doubt, search for brands that include the word “whole” in front of the first ingredient and have at least three grams of fiber per serving. Not only will this swap be more sustainable in the long run, but your body will also thank you, guaranteed. Check out these 10 nutritionist-approved healthy carbs to get you started.

[Source: Business Insider, Harvard Health]

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The 10 Worst Foods for Your Stomach

Carb-dense foods

This may change the way you look at “good carbs” and “bad carbs” forever. Carb-dense foods can alter the balance of our gut flora, triggering inflammation. Foods are considered carb-dense if they have a high ratio of carb grams relative to their weight. A small potato, which many consider a bad carb, weighs 170 grams, but it’s mostly water; only about 23 percent of it is carbohydrate. A plain rice cake, by contrast, weighs only nine grams, but almost 80 percent of it is carbohydrate!

Found in: bagels, bread (including whole-grain breads), crackers, pasta, cereals, white rice, pretzels. Some carbs are bad for your belly, but make sure that you never cut these carbs from your diet.

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Do You Know Why Heartbeats Make A Noise?

Do you know... Why heartbeats make a noise... Which is the most difficult food to digest... Why pinpricks on the fingertips are more painful than on the buttocks... The secrets and mysteries of the human body never cease to fascinate. Here below, we unravel a few...

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Don't Let Health Excuses Become a Barrier to Your Success - Power of Positive Thinking

"But My Health is not Good." Health excuses range all the way from the chronic "I don't feel good," to the more specific "I have got such and such wrong with me." "Bad" health, in a thousand different forms, is used as an excuse for failing to do what a person wants to do, failing to accept greater responsibilities, failing to make more money, failing to achieve success or just another Defense Mechanism to escape from one's Obligations and Responsibilities.

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Health Experts Reveal the One New Year’s Resolution They Plan on Making

Appreciate one thing about my body every day

“It’s easy to criticize yourself on your way to a healthier place, but instead of looking in the mirror along the journey and saying ‘I wish this’ or ‘I hate that,’ this year I’m going to celebrate at least one thing about my body each and every day. (You can also try these other tricks to boost self-confidence.) Perhaps when doing pushups it’s, ‘Look at me … I can do 10 on my toes,’ or even in low-endurance walks, congratulate my legs for being strong enough to do this and not think of it as exercise.”

—Shannon Fable, director of exercise programming for Anytime Fitness

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10 Unexpected Things That Happen to Your Body When You Quit Drinking Coffee

You could lose weight

Your regular Starbucks run could be doing a number on your waistline; drinking less coffee could save you money as well as calories. Research at Duke University shows that daily consumption of caffeine in coffee, tea, or soft drinks increased participants’ daily sugar levels by nearly 10 percent, boosting their risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Even if you avoid the loads of sugars and fats dumped in a latte, just adding cream and sugar to your homebrewed coffee could quickly skyrocket to over 200 calories per serving, according to Prevention. Alternatively, cutting out your favorite sugar-packed caffeine drink completely could trim hundreds of calories from your diet in a single day. Here are some signs you’re drinking too much coffee.

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The Most Inspirational Weight-Loss Transformations of 2017

“My wife’s courageous cancer battle inspired me to be healthier.”

In November 2015, newspaper editor Jon LaFontaine was faced with devastating news he never expected to hear: His wife, Emily, had leukemia. During this dark time, this couple fought together to win the scary battle, and that included Emily undergoing two bone marrow transplants. Throughout his life, LaFontaine had struggled with unhealthy food addiction. But after witnessing the love of his life conquer leukemia—her doctors declared her cancer-free in December 2016—LaFontaine was inspired to change his lifestyle and prioritize his health.

Over the course of a year, he dropped 95 pounds, accrediting much of his success to Subway, where he selected veggie-rich meals instead of more fatty options. Once he started exercising and burning more calories, he added low-carbohydrate snacks, but always paid close attention to his calorie intake to ensure he was always burning more than he was consuming. While the details might seem exhausting, LaFontaine believes shifting his lifestyle and mental attitude is what made weight loss possible. “If you want to lose weight, it’s about committing yourself to choosing healthy options, moderating the portions, and forcing your body into action. It requires consistency, too,” he says, “actively squashing excuses to eat bad food, excuses to avoid working out, and excuses to ‘start next week.’ It took me eight months and one day to lose 95 pounds; however, it took me nearly 12 months to even start my healthy journey.”

Need some motivation for own weight loss journey? Make sure to repeat these mantras for weight loss motivation.

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Big Bad Blue Light

Have you heard of blue light? Blue light is a harmful wavelength of light that can damage the eye and lead to problems with vision as time passes. It is emitted from mobile electronic devices. Learn how it can affect your eyes and health in this article.

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Suggestions for Health Sector Reform in Trinidad and Tobago

Health reform refers to the changes in health administration, health planning and health research that places significant emphasis on local health challenges aimed at improving health administration, planning and healthcare. They will combine to produce an efficient model of healthcare delivery capable of increasing patient physical, medical and psychological safety. Health reform should be driven by empirical data, best practice and evidence based practice. A variety of health statistics; such as mortality, manpower needs, technology functioning and patient satisfaction; should be analyzed and employed in strengthening health systems.

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7 Home Remedies to Help You Lose Belly Fat

Beyond weight loss: The many benefits of banishing belly fat

Does stubborn belly fat have you frustrated? While we all want to look and feel our best, getting rid of extra belly fat is also beneficial to our long-term health and reduces our risk of serious illnesses. Excess belly fat can lead to heart disease, raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, boost the odds of developing high blood pressure, and more. Keep reading to find out how the following home remedies can help you reduce unwanted belly fat quickly–minus fad diets or latest fitness trends. Also try out these ways to lose weight without a lick of exercise.

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5 Benefits of Chiropractic Care

People look for a good chiropractor for many different reasons. Whether you want to get adjusted for lower back pain or headaches, know that the spinal adjustment may help you get better. If you take care, your entire nervous system will work fine. With a properly functioning nervous system, your whole body will work the way it should. Therefore, we suggest that you try out the services of a good chiropractor. Let's take a closer look at some of the major benefits of chiropractic. Read on to know more.

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The Vital Importance of Chaperoning in General Practice for Doctors

With tightening regulations and laws governing the practice of doctors, it is becoming important to stay updated with the latest. Today, it is vital for doctors and other medical practitioners to get chaperoning in general practice. This is an essential and effective way to ensure the doctor-patient relationship is healthy and fruitful.

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5 FDA-Approved Prescription Weight Loss Pills That Really Work

Lorcaserin (Belviq)

Is the new obesity pill a miracle drug? As with all these drugs, it’s approved by the FDA for people who are obese—they have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 (for example, someone who is 5’6″ would have to weigh more than 185 pounds); or for people who have a BMI greater than 27 (such as a 5’6″ person who weighs 167 or more) with an obesity-related condition such as diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. You can calculate your BMI here.

Lorcaserin (Belviq) is a brand-new molecule that stimulates the area of the brain that regulates appetite and satiety, explains Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, the director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, DC. Belviq takes aim at the brain receptors for serotonin, a brain chemical that plays a role satiety. (Serotonin also plays a role in mood regulation.)

What can you expect? Studies comprising nearly 8,000 obese and overweight people who took Belviq show an average weight loss of 3 to 3.7 percent, and those who combined the drug with diet and exercise lost even more. His rule of thumb is that if you do not lose 5 percent of your weight after 12 weeks of treatment, you likely will not respond. “We are seeing good weight loss in about 50 percent of patients and it is very safe,” he says. Both cholesterol and blood sugar levels also seem to decrease among Belviq users. Side effects may include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, constipation, and low blood sugar for people who take drugs to treat diabetes, but there is a very low likelihood of these, he says. It is among the best weight loss pills when it comes to safety. “One of the feathers in Belviq’s hat is that it is very well tolerated,” he says. That said, people with a history of heart disease, psychiatric disorders and those who are pregnant should not take this medication. The FDA’s advisory panel initially rejected this weight loss pill due to risk of tumors seen in animal studies, and the European Medicines Agency was so concerned about the drug’s safety that it rejected Belviq. However, an analysis in JAMA indicates that Belviq is linked to fewer adverse events than other Rx weight loss pills.

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Technological Advancement in Health Communication in Less Developed Countries

The article proposes that in less developed nations, healthcare can be improved by. the adoption of social media tools such as Skype, zoom and video conferencing. This would free up health providers, making it possible for them to spend more time with critically ill patients in hospitals. Patients who are less acutely ill can remain at home and get the required care without having to spend long wait times at hospital.

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Accreditation Is Key in Securing a Cord Blood Transplant

Umbilical cord blood plays a potent role in treating life-threatening ailments like sickle cell anaemia, lymphoma, leukaemia and the like. Today, over 25,000 patients round the globe have had cord blood transplants since their parents had a long-term vision that made them donate the child's umbilical cord blood to a prominent cord blood bank.

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15 Things You Don’t Realize Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

Over-emphasizing health food

Start with the fact that there are plenty of unhealthy foods that masquerade as healthy—like these 17. Although choosing healthy foods are the correct path, they can’t be consumed without keeping portions in check. “My patients often report eating low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets full of healthful foods like quinoa, green leafy vegetables and berries, but they are eating too much of these foods,” says Gillian Goddard, MD, an endocrinologist and certified nutrition support clinician in New York City. “What makes foods healthy is their nutrient content. This does not mean we can eat them in limitless quantities.” For example, a half cup of quinoa has 111 calories. “Most people are eating two or three cups of quinoa in a sitting which can come in at 400-600 calories. That doesn’t include, the nuts cheese and olive oil they are adding,” adds Dr. Goddard.

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13 Foods with Way More Salt than You Realized

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese with fruit is an old lunchtime favorite, packed with protein and calcium. But if you’re aiming to lower your sodium, you might want to skip these creamy curds, as they’re actually foods high in sodium. Cottage cheese has at least 400 mg of sodium per half cup. For a tasty substitute, try Greek yogurt. You’ll get more protein, calcium, vitamin D, and as a bonus, some good-for-your-gut probiotics. Most Greek yogurts weigh in at only 70 mg of sodium per half cup. Greek yogurt can be part of one these healthy high-protein breakfasts you’ll want to start eating.

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9 Ways to Blast Belly Fat in a Single Day

Lose belly fat by cutting out sugar

Eating sugar, especially refined sugars added to sweeten food and beverages, is a leading contributing factor to visceral fat. The glucose and fructose that come from sugar are simple carbohydrates that get quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and metabolized to release energy. When there’s excess intake, they get converted to glycogen to be stored in fat tissue. Eating a lot of sugar also spikes your blood sugar, which triggers insulin to be released in large amounts, potentially leading to a condition called insulin resistance that’s associated with metabolic syndrome. Cutting out all sweetened foods and drinks, including fruit juices, is one of the best things you can do today to lose belly fat fast. Learn to enjoy small amounts of natural sweeteners such as fresh fruit, raw honey, dates, and coconut crystals. (Don’t be tempted by these other bad-for-your-belly foods.)

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Finding an Authoritative Health Magazine

Many consumers today get their health information from the internet, TV, and magazines. It is also true that most of the published materials are also availed online at some point. While the resources are great, some offer information that is good and up to date while others do not. Things have become very convenient these days and there are many health magazines that have become available online today.

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - How My Healthy Lifestyle Changes Helped Extreme Fatigue and Weakness

As new scientific research emerges, is the mystery of what's underlying Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) finally being revealed? My own journey of living with extreme fatigue and many other CFS symptoms shows how modern day living may have been the trigger for this very real illness.

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12 Things You Need to Know About Glucomannan—the Hottest Weight Loss Pill Right Now

It’s technically a fiber supplement

The benefits of fiber are impressive—here’s a list—and glucomannan is a water-soluble fiber supplement that comes from the konjac root, which is native to Asia. “People in East Asia have used konjac fiber, also known as glucomannan powder, for thousands of years as both food and traditional medicine,” explains Josh Axe, DNM, CNS, DC, founder of DrAxe.com, author of Eat Dirt and co-founder of Ancient Nutrition.

It may help with weight loss

There are many supplements and foods that help you lose weight, and glucomannan is one of them. In fact, there is even a brand-name dietary supplement called Lipozene that boasts glucomannan as its primary ingredient. “Glucomannan weight loss just might be possible if you also lead a generally healthy lifestyle, but it’s important to choose the right product and take it in a safe manner,” Axe says. Konjac root’s fiber is very low calorie and very high in fiber. “Consuming konjac powder can help weight loss by promoting a feeling of fullness or satiety, which makes you less likely to overeat,” he says. “Of course, the rest of your diet has to be healthy, and you also need to be exercising regularly.”

It’s not a magic bullet

There’s little question that fiber can help you maintain or lose weight—here are 30 ways to get more fiber in your diet without even trying. But the research results on glucomannan are mixed. In one study, healthy overweight people were randomly assigned to ingest either a fiber supplement or a dummy pill while on a calorie-restricted diet. The fiber supplements were either glucomannan, glucomannan and guar gum (a common fibrous food additive), or glucomannan along with guar gum and alginate (another fibrous additive). After five weeks, all of the participants taking any form of glucomannan lost weight compared to their counterparts who were given a placebo. That said, a 2012 review of nine trials of glucomannan failed to show any statistically significant weight loss. “There really is no magical weight loss pill,” Axe says. “You need to follow a healthy lifestyle, including a whole foods-based diet and regular exercise, in order to have any additional element help you lose weight.”

It’s a natural prebiotic

Do you need a probiotic? Here’s how to know. Probiotics help restore the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics are precursors to probiotics, and konjac root powder is a prebiotic that feeds the friendly bacteria in the intestine. “Glucomannan, like all prebiotics, passes through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and remains undigested because the human body can’t fully break it down,” Axe says. “But once prebiotics reach the colon, where they’re fermented by the gut microflora, they create probiotics.”

It relieves constipation

There are many reasons you’re constipated, and eating too little fiber is one of them.”Glucomannan is considered a bulk-forming natural laxative, which means that the intake of it is able to promote a larger, bulkier stool that more easily passes through the colon,” says Axe. Glucomannan and other bulk-forming laxatives typically encourage a bowel movement within 12 to 24 hours of intake, he says.

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It lowers cholesterol

An analysis of 14 glucomannan studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the weight loss supplement had beneficial effects on total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol, dangerous blood fats called triglycerides, body weight and fasting blood sugar levels. However, it did not affect high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol or blood pressure. “Being the fiber-centric substance it is, it’s able to decrease absorption of cholesterol in the gut by sponging up water in the digestive tract, which reduces the absorption of cholesterol by the body. You then have less cholesterol floating around in your blood,” Axe explains. There are other drug-free ways to lower your cholesterol.

It improves blood sugar control

Blood sugar is important—here are some ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels—and glucomannan can help you control it. There are more than 20 scientific studies involving glucomannan and diabetes, Axe says. “One of the ways it can help diabetics is because it delays the stomach’s natural emptying process, which leads to more gradual sugar absorption and lower blood sugar levels after meals,” he says. But don’t overdo it if you have diabetes, he warns. “If you have diabetes and take glucomannan, you should monitor your blood sugar closely since it can lower blood sugar levels,” he says, “If you’re taking it along with a blood sugar-lowering drug, it may cause your blood sugar to go too low.” Make sure to discuss glucomannan with your diabetes doctor before trying it.

It’s tasteless

Since it’s pretty much tasteless, glucomannan powder can be added to smoothies and be used to make a high-fiber pasta, Axe says. Check out these super-food smoothies to jump start your mornings. When choosing a glucomannan powder or flour, make sure that it’s 100 percent pure with no additives or fillers. “Eating shirataki noodles or using glucomannan powder to make homemade noodles can be a great, safe way to incorporate glucomannan into your diet,” he says.

It’s safer as a powder

Glucomannan powder and capsules are likely safe for most healthy adults for up to four months, Axe says. Minor side effects can include diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating. “Solid tablets containing glucomannan can be unsafe for adults and are likely unsafe for children due to the fact that they can sometimes cause throat or intestinal blockages,” he says. There are some other vitamin mistakes you might be making.

It does pose some risks

Never take glucomannan products without water, Axe says. “It’s highly possible to choke if you try to swallow it dry,” Axe says. “If you have any medical condition or are taking medication already, consult a doctor before taking glucommanan.”

You can overdo it

The recommended dosage of glucomannan is lower than other fiber supplements because it expands so greatly in water, Axe says. “I highly recommend starting with one very small dose per day,” he says. Most powdered products suggest a half level teaspoon (two grams) daily with at least eight ounces of water 30 to 45 minutes before a meal. In general, when it comes to supplements, more is not always better.

There is a lot we don’t know

Supplement taker beware, warns Reshmi Srinath, MD, assistant professor of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Bone Disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. “Supplements like glucomannan are not FDA regulated so we don’t know much about dosing or side effects,” she says. Check in with your doctor before taking glucomannan or any other supplements to help aid with weight loss. There are more secrets vitamin manufacturers don’t want you to know, too.

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Incorporating Heart Healthy Habits in Life

The Heart Foundation suggests that cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer combined and coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually. Many of us are well aware of these facts about heart diseases but still we do so little for the health of our tickers, which keep working grudgingly for us despite being subjected to our neglect. Caring for our tickers requires attention to many aspects of our life. By adopting the following heart healthy habits, we can add years to life besides staving off financial burden.

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15 Weight-Loss Motivation Mantras from People Who Successfully Slimmed Down

“You are who you’ve been waiting for.”

“Often we look for answers to our challenges outside of us. Many times, we even blame our failures on other people or situations. The more I chanted this mantra to myself, the more confident I felt that I had exactly what I needed to support myself in my weight-loss goals. Bringing it back to me helped me stay on track and make permanent changes in my routine. Say it in the morning before your feet hit the floor, when you start to talk yourself out of exercising, before you make poor meal choices and while looking in the mirror before going to bed.”—Eva Santiago Reed who lost 25 pounds (Find out the 10 foods you should avoid at all costs for better health.)

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