Category Archives: Diet And Food

Unless you're one of the lucky ones who have been blessed with a photographic memory, most people could admit that they desire to improve their memory in some way or anotherwhether to clear up some fogginess after a brain injury, reverse mental decline or they're just forgetful.

Activities like meditation, studying, and even doing crossword puzzles have been said to give memories a helping hand in working to their fullest potential. But there's also something that's fairly simple to do to help boost memory: make small changes in your diet.

Here are some healthy diet changes that can make a lasting impact on your memory, and for even more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

Remember as a kid when you couldn't leave the table until all of the greens on your plate were gone? Although we might not have appreciated it, even from an early age there's an understanding that leafy greens are a healthy source of vitamins. According to health coach Cecilia M. Serban, leafy greens like kale, microgreens, and spinach are packed with vitamins that are beneficial to brain function and memory.

"Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene," Serban says.

Here are The Healthiest Types of Lettuce and Leafy Greens Ranked by Nutrition.

Blueberries go great with nearly everythingin a smoothie, on top of pancakes, in a fruit salad. The same can be said for several other berries as well. They're healthy and delicious treats, and on top of that, they can even help boost your memory.

"Berries, especially dark ones like blackberries, blueberries, and even cherries, can greatly benefit your memory function as well," says Ashlee Van Buskirk, the owner of the fitness and nutrition coaching business WholeIntent. "This is because they are packed with anthocyanins and other flavonoids that have been thoroughly studied and linked to memory function."

No wonder blueberries are considered The One Snack Food To Eat for a Longer Life!

Rather than pouring another bowl of sugary cereal, or an instant breakfast that can be made in the microwave or toaster, consider switching to a regular consumption of eggs in the morning to make an impact on your memory.

"Growing research indicates that choline, a nutrient found in eggs, may have important benefits for cognition in older adults," Registered Dietitian Katherine Brooking says. "New studies are exploring how choline throughout life may have lasting effects on cognition and one study found moderate egg consumption may have a beneficial association with certain areas of cognitive performance in middle-aged to older adults."

Need some ideas? Check out our list of71+ Best Healthy Egg Recipes.

A good way to start building the brainpower that will lead to a more lasting memory is by consuming foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, like nuts, seeds and cold-water fish like salmon. A study by Harvard Health found that there is an encouraging link between consuming the polyunsaturated fats and building a stronger memory.

"A study showed that after 6 months of omega-3 supplementation, the cognition level and memory of the young adult test subjects had increased," says Kerri Axelrod, a holistic health coach and nutrition consultant.

Plant oils and certain fortified foods are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Stock up on some of these foods with this list of26 Best Omega-3 Foods.

Think about your last wild night outit might be hard to remember and not just because the pandemic has kept us all inside for so long. It's not much of a surprise to learn that alcohol has a negative impact on memory, and while it's common knowledge that drinking can lead to hazy memories, it's less commonly known that binge drinking directly impacts your brain's capability to store memories.

"Repeated episodes of binge drinking can damage the hippocampus, a part of your brain that is essential for your memory," says Van Buskirk. "You can have a drink or two now and again, but try to avoid excessive alcohol intake, especially on a regular basis."

With a bitter, musky taste, turmeric is a valuable spice addition to foods like curries, rice pilaf, or soupadding a kick of colour with its orange hue as well. It also makes a tasty addition to eggs, salad dressing, and smoothies. Turmeric is not just beneficial for the taste buds, it can also be helpful for strengthening memory skills.

"In a study done on curcumin, the main component of turmeric, it was shown that the memory of many Alzheimer's patients increased significantly after the introduction of turmeric in supplement form," Axelrod says.

Axelrod recommends using black pepper alongside turmeric, as it increases curcumin absorption.

Here are5 Foods To Help Prevent Alzheimer's, According to Doctors

Read any interview with a celebrity on their glowing skin and "skincare routine" and the answer is almost always the samethey just drink a ton of water. Whether they're being fully truthful or not, the benefits of staying well-hydrated have not gone unnoticed. The Mayo Clinic recommends drinking 15.5 cups of water per day for men and 11.5 cups of water per day for women. as water promotes cardiovascular health, cleanses your body, and keeps skin looking great. According to Megan Byrd, RD and food blogger at The Oregon Dietitian, it's also great for keeping your memory sharp.

"Many studies have shown that even being slightly dehydrated can decrease your attention and short-term memory," says Byrd. "Just by drinking more water, you can improve your cognitive function and memory."

Get started on your water intake today! Here's How Much Water You Need to Drink.

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7 Healthy Diet Changes That Improve Your Memory | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Everyone asks me "Why did you go plant-based?" And the answer is simple: Health. I want to live my healthiest right now. Everyone thinks it's some big sacrifice, and at first, I thought that too. But when you start to eat more plant-based foods you realize it's easy to do. There are so many versions of nut-based cheese, almond or oat milk and non-dairy creamers, ice creams, meatless burgers and bean and vegetable alternatives that are delicious and healthier for you, the truth is once you start to explore this world the possibilities are endless.

The reasons to go plant-based (or eat more plant-based foods): Health, the planet, and yes animals, for those who think that's obvious and those who prefer not to think about it. Here are the top 3 reasons for going plant-based in 2021. If you want to try it, we've created a 28-day plant that makes it easy, fun, and delicious. It's all laid out here.

First, health. In a year that has seen healthy people felled by an unpredictable virus, our first job is to be healthy. How we do that includes several strategies that allow us to: Stress less, sleep more, exercise daily, and eat the healthiest foods we can find. That last part "healthiest foods we can find" has been up for debate, since the meat lovers will tell you they need animal products for protein, but the truth is when you eat plant-based you get your protein from the same place the animals do: Plants.

The Mediterranean diet is known to be heart healthy so most people get to that level and think "I'm doing just fine." But doctors including respected cardiologists, will tell you that studies have found the healthiestway to eat is not that (which includes oils and fish and some animal protein) but what they are now calling the Green Mediterranean Diet, which is essentially a diet of whole plant-based foods that is high in antioxidants, rich in fiber, and gets its protein from vegetables and legumes, whole grains like quinoa, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Why does theAmerican College of Cardiologists(ACC) and The American Heart Association (AHA) continue to recommend both?Its because America typically eats crap, says holistic cardiologist Joel Kahn, MD. Mediterranean is healthier than a meat-based diet. In other words, theyre being practicalbad habits, especially bad eating habits, die-hard for many people. Healthcare professionals want to see some improvement. But ultimately, how you choose to care for your heart isnt up to your cardiologist. Its up to you, and you can do better by choosing low-fat, plant-based eating.

There are studies upon studies, that show eating a diet high in plant-based foods benefits your health and reduces your risk of disease by delivering more fiber,which keeps blood sugar steady, and your fuel system a healthy blend of carbs and fat. There are even more studies that show to lower your lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers (including breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers and those linked to hormone-sensitive tumor growth), a diet lower in animal products and higher in plant-based whole food is best. Inflammation has been linked to meat, dairy, and especially processed meats. So ditch the meat and dairy.

Lower inflammation is key if the goal is to avoid chronic diseases, hypertension, and ill-health. To keep inflammation in check eat a whole food plant-based diet full of vegetables, fruit, legumes (think: protein-packed beans), heart-healthy nuts, and seeds. You get plenty of protein in these foods. When you combine these foods with lower oil intake (especially coconut oil which has saturated fat) you can keep your markers for heart disease in check.

In a sweepingresearch study published in theJournal of the American Heart Association, the data found that plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of not just heart disease but of"all causes of mortality"in a general population of middle-aged adults. In other words,everyonecan benefit from this way of eating, not just those who have heart disease. When you think youre eating healthy, you have to ask yourself, Is my diet the healthiestit could be? If you arent eating mostly plant-based whole foods, new science tells us: You could be doing better, to be yourhealthiest.

It only takes one month to change your body's heart-healthy markers! One month is enough to see significant drops in measurable health indicators like cholesterol, blood pressure and lipids in your blood.Ina study of 31 participantsfollowing a low-fat whole-food plant-based diet, in justfour weeks:

Other cardiovascular risk factors improved:Weight loss, smaller waist circumference, lower resting heart rate, and all blood markers for heart disease.

Theclimate-changedeniers can all go live on Mars. For the rest of us, watching the Amazon burn last year, and rain forests routinely get cleared for farmingat a rate of 3.5 billion to 7 billion trees per year makes us wonder, What can I do?

Viewing SirDavid Attenborough's A Life onOur Planet,makes us believe that anything we can do to reduce our carbon footprint is a good thing. That starts with what we eat. The now 94-year-old plant-based BBC producerand documentary narratorbelieves that he has stoodwitness over thedecades-longravaging of our natural wildlife, spaces and, manyspecies, includingour own.

How did thisbroadcaster become a planet hero? Back when he was 28, Attenborough was workingfor BBC when he convinced his bosses that he should be traveling the world, reporting on animals. Now, Attenborough is looking back at all the exotic trips he has taken onlyto realize thatthose lands are no longer the same.Wherever I went there was wilderness you could fly for hours over the untouched wilderness." Now,areasthat once were vibrant and colorful like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, "look like a cemetery."

He recently implored his fansto change their diet for the sake of the planet: "We must change our diet. The Planet can't support billions of meat-eaters. If we had a mostly plant-based diet we could increase the yield of the land."

We can choose plant-based proteins over animal ones to minimize the effect of animal agriculture on climate change, since reports have confirmed that raising livestock requires exponential amounts of energy, land, and water (and produces more man-made carbon emissions than any other industry) compared with growing and raising plants. Every time you skip the chicken on your salad and opt for the chickpeas instead, you help the planet.

I am not one to get all preachy, and I won't here. Everyone gets to live their life by their own mores and values.The only thingI have to say about the ethics of eating plant-based food (or as much of it as you can) is that when I skip meat and dairy and opt for plant-based meals I feel better about my personal choice. The truth is we all love animals, respect the planet and want to live a long life, as healthily as we can. Once I saw videos of how dairy cows are treated and their young tossed into pens shortly after birth I couldn't unwatch it. So I came to the cheese-free, oat-milk lifestyle for health, and stayed for the fact that I want to eat this way.

We all care aboutthe causewe know as Planet Earth, andwhen you eat plant-based or as much as you possibly can, you align your consumer decisions with yourvalue system. I won't delve into the unsavory topic of "meat processing plants" formerly known as slaughterhouses, though I respect Sir Paul McCartney and Joaquin Phoenix,Edie Falco, and others in the public eye for raising awarenessfor the cause of animal welfare and against factory farming. (Farms are not what they used to be; my mother'ssister once had a farm down south, that I would visit in my childhood, and the animals there were lovingly fed and cared for. The place most of our meat comes from today does not look anything like that.) On a personal note, I want to think I have tried my best daily to make decisions that I can live with. Eating plant-based, for me, is part of that. If you are tempted to try it out but don't know where to start, this 28-day plan has everything you need to succeed.

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Why Go Plant-Based? If You Want to Live Healthier, Here's Why - The Beet

You've resolved to eat a healthy plant-based diet in 2021. That's a great decision for your health and wellbeing. Eating a plant-based diet will make it even easier to lose weight and feel great. If you have joinedthe Beet's 28 Day Plant-Based Plan, great! Otherwise, sign up now! To help you stay on track and reach your goals, we've gathered the best tips from experts, doctors, nutritionists, and wellness studies, to make it easy to stick with the plant-based plan.

Try these 28 simple strategies to eat healthier, feel better, and achieve your healthy eating goals! Add just one a day and in no time you'll be forging healthy, long-lasting habits.

Your 28 Day Plant-Based Plan Sign-Up

Here's where to sign up for the e-Book that has the entire plan all in one place. For $9.95 you can buy the 77-page e-Book and download it, print it out and keep it handy all month long.

Get The 77 Page e-Book For $9.95

If the idea of going fully plant-based all at once is too ambitious, start by doing something simple like committing to one vegan meal per day or cooking up a batch of vegan snacks like roast chickpeas to eat through the week, suggests Shena Jaramillo MS, RD. Whether you start by practicing Meatless Mondays or making a plant-based smoothie each morning, adding in one simple, attainable, healthy goal per day is a way to start, and as you add more every day your diet will evolve.

For more on ways to start on your plant-based diet, click here.

Sleep is the unsung hero of your diet, according to Nicole Osinga RD, the co-creator of The VegStart Diet for The Beet. When you sleep your body releases leptin which signals that you're fed, full and satisfied. Lack of sleep drives up ghrelin, the hormone that tells your brain "feed me." When you stay up late, your body is sleep-deprived and ghrelin spikes, while leptin levels dip, so you feel hungrier the next day. Move your bedtime to before midnight, even if it means waking up earlier for a few days as you reset your clock. Enjoy a pre-sleep routine like a warm bath or reading to help you unwind.

For more tips to live a healthy long life, click here

Drinking hot water with lemon in the morning is a popular health ritual among celebrities and models alike, and there is mounting evidence that it is beneficial for digestive health and immunity, and even helps spark weight loss. New research shows that this habit can help flush out the digestive system, jumpstart metabolism, and give your body a dose of immunity-boosting vitamin C first thing in the morning. You can get 1/3 of your vitamin C for the day!

For more on hot water and lemon, click here.

Many people only think about fiber for digestive health, but it does so much more. Fiber helps you feel full, banish bloat, and turn on your body's natural ability to lose weight. Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate that is found in plants.

Whereas most carbohydrates are broken down into sugar molecules, fiber passes through the body largely undigested. As it does, it takes with it bile acids and other byproducts, which helps to decrease your cholesterol levels and helps you lose weight. Fiber takes a while to digest, which helps you feel full longer and regulates hunger.

For more on fiber, click here.

All exercise is worth doing, but to improve your heart, burn the most calories and force your body to dip into fat stores for energy, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the way to go. To get fitter fast, you have to do something to make your heart work hard, and studies show that HIIT does that most effectively.

For a simple HIIT workout, on a spin bike or running (on a treadmill or outside) try sprinting for 10 to 20 seconds, and then walk for 1 to 2 minutes, to let your heartbeat recover. Then repeat this sprinting/rest interval 20 times.

For a great HIIT workout work, click here.

The Japanese have a saying: Eat up to 80 percent full, according to Dr. Satjit Bhusri, Founder of Upper East Side Cardiology in NYC. If you eat to 80 percent of your total fullness and then stop you will never overeat, he adds. Keeping your calories and weight under control is heart-healthy. Try this whenever you are in a situation where you know you are likely to overeat, such as a birthday or other occasion. Always stop before you feel full.

For more ways to stay heart-healthy, click here.

To help keep your blood sugar steady, fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables and avoid insulin spikes that can lead to weight gain. Fill up at least half of your plate with greens or other vegetables, and then add only a few thumbnails of healthy fats, eating 20 to 40 grams of high-quality protein and one serving of complex or starch carbohydrates, according to Brigid Titgemeier, a Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian. The more fiber-filled foods you add to your plate, the more steadily your body will process the carbs you eat, avoiding insulin spikes that tell the body to store the extra energy as fat. So load up on those vegetables!

For more on keeping blood sugar balanced, click here.

The number one food that causes inflammation is processed foods. Sorry chip lovers, but a new study finds that your body's insulin response is triggered by inflammation. So when you eat junk food, inflammation, and insulin both spike, and that causes your body to store fat. This process is triggered by various types of chemicals and foreign molecules called "disruptors" that enter the body and cause your cells to react. These chemicals exist in most processed foods.

For more on processed foods, click here.

As a weight-loss strategy, intermittent fasting works by lowering your insulin levels and forces your body to burn fat as fuel. But IF is not only the fastest way to lose weight, burn fat, and lose weight, according to Dr. Jason Fung, co-author of Life in the Fasting Lane, but also an effective way to help your body fight off infections.

"Fasting is part of a natural reaction to viral infections that is likely beneficial." Not eating allows your body to focus on the cellular cleanup work called autophagy, where your immune cells identify and sweep out any broken, dead, or unrecognized cells, and creates antibodies to neutralize virus cells that it identifies as foreign.

For more on Intermittent Fasting, click here.

Adaptogens have been used in Chinese medicine for over 10,000 years, since they are known to help the body normalize and balance the bodys functions, particularly in the face of stress. From immune function to sleep, to weight loss and more, adaptogens have the ability to help the body to maintain optimal homeostasis. Adaptogens work at the cellular level to improve the function and vitality of every cell in the body, thereby increasing the health of the entire organism.

For more on adaptogens, click here.

There are so many reasons to bring ginger into your daily diet, ranging from quelling an upset stomach to helping fight off infections, chronic disease, and even snuff out sneaky cancer cells growing somewhere in your body. The strong, bitter taste (from the active compound gingerol) is an all-in-one natural remedy that is easy to buy, and may just have super-powers against every type of infection according to studies. Scientists have written extensively on the miracle root's properties, used as a "nutraceutical" or food as medicine, for centuries.

For more on ginger, click here.

You may not realize that certain foods are causing inflammation in your body and this can wreak havoc on your long-term health. Dairy, red meat, and especially processed meat like bacon, have all been linked to higher levels of inflammation and higher incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure (as well as some cancers).

Avoid inflammatory foods and make sure to eat foods that fight inflammation such as legumes, green vegetables, and whole foods that are rich in nutrients. Studies have shown that a whole-food plant-based diet is healthiest to lower inflammation and reduce your lifetime risk of heart disease, and all major lifestyle ailments. The key to lowering inflammation is to eat high-fiber foods and keep your gut microbiome healthy.

For the best foods to lower inflammation, click here.

If youre crashing after treating yourself to a sugary treat, make your next snack or meal is high in fiber, whole foods, and protein-rich. Keep a container of almond butter handy and spread it on an apple slice for a healthy high-fiber, protein-packed snack. No amount of sugar can bolster your energy like protein and fiber can. So avoid simple carbs and choose foods you could grow or pick from a tree!

For more healthy snacks, click here.

If you're looking for optimal health, it may be time to lower your consumption of olive oil. Because vegetable oils come from plants, its logical to assume theyre healthy. Not true. Oil is the most refined, calorie-dense food in the grocery store, says Cyrus Khambatta, Ph.D. and co-founder of Mastering Diabetes.

For cooking, saute vegetables dry (put the onions in first so they naturally sweat their juices) or use low sodium vegetable broth (or water) instead of oil. For salad dressings blend seeds or nuts to make a creamy dressing. In other sauces, use a base of flavored vinegar or juice. For baking, use applesauce, mashed bananas, or ground flax seeds as oil substitutes.

For more on oils, click here.

15. Get creative replicating your favorite non-vegan meals. Pizza? Tacos? Yes!

To make your diet overhaul to a plant-based approach more fun, turn dinner into a cooking challenge by researching and executing a beloved meal vegan. Try updating one of your favorite meals by changing out key ingredients, like meatless tacos instead of beef, or make your favorite omelet using JUST Egg. Some of our favorite vegan spins on a non-veg fare? Vegan French Toast, Harvest Kale Caesar Salad, and Vegan Mac and Cheese.

For more getting back on track, click here.

Whether it's jackfruit in your BBQ burger recipe, or delicious oat-milk ice cream, or pili nut snacks (not necessarily together), turning your vegan journey into a fun opportunity to try new foods will keep things interesting. Some you might not like, but youll be surprised at what a world of foods opens up to you when you go plant-based. Another cool side effect of this quest: As you cook with new foods like tempeh and tofu your cooking skills will get a serious boost.

For more on starting a plant-based diet, click here.

The next time you contemplate paying extra for guac, think about the positive effects avocado has on your body, instead of the negative effect on your wallet. You could even consider avocado as nature's keto starter since studies show it helps your body burn fat for fuel.

Studies have shown that avocados may help you lose weight by keeping you fuller longer, but the weight loss benefit goes well beyond satiety, according to the research. Eat some avocado at breakfast or lunchtime, since it will prevent you from feeling hungry for six hours afterward, according to a nutritionist who has researched the benefits of this unique fruit (yes, avocados are in fact fruit, so go win a bet with that tidbit).

For more on the health benefits of avocados, click here.

Set yourself up for success. Instead of waiting until you are starving to start to think about dinner, plan something plant-based that's delicious and healthy and full of fresh vegetables and whole grains. The best way to do this is to plan out the week ahead and then prepare: Chop the vegetables and keep them ready in the fridge, the way a restaurant has a sous chef prep for the main chef, who then can whip up the menu items quickly, suggests Suzannah Gerber, author of Plant-Based Gourmet.

For more tips on healthy eating, click here.

Start the day with whole foodseven if it's a piece of fruit, like an apple, or a pear. You will benefit from the naturally occurring sugar in the fruit without experiencing a blood sugar spike, because of the fiber, which will keep your blood sugar steady (a pear has 6 grams!). The point is to avoid these sugar spikes caused by added sugar in cereal or bread because they send you on a sugar roller coaster, and for every spike, you experience a dip. That dip is when you feel low energy and reach for more sugar in what becomes an unhealthy cycle. Instead, curb your sugar intake from the start and eat more fruit, vegetables, and plant-based protein, and avoid added sugareven from hidden sources and when you do that you will crave it less.

For more on how to cut back on sugar click here.

Goals can change from hour to hour, but if you try to think of the larger definition of success you may be overwhelmed. Instead of thinking that success is defined by weight loss, which may be overwhelming try to make the healthiest choice you can in the moment. If you aim for reaching small attainable goals and achieve them, that will lead you to your larger idea of success, says chef Suzannah Gerber, author of Plant-Based Gourmet. "When I think of a healthy diet vs. an optimal diet, a healthy diet is better for you and allows you to aim for a certain set of goals. An optimal diet may be too hard to attain, and you may feel you are not able to enjoy life. Make your goals attainable, to reach your success."

For more on attainable goals, click here.

The new goal for optimal hydration: Try to drink half your body weight in fluid ounces That means if you weigh 135 pounds you need to drink 67 or 70 ounces of water a day. So knock back 7 glasses of ten ounces each. It seems so obvious, but few people are properly hydrated and often you may mistake hunger with thirst. If you're not a fan of water, put a lemon in your water bottle for flavor and alkalizing properties suggests fitness trainer Todd Durkin, who helps his 40K followers stay healthy and fit during these uncertain times.

For more great tips from fitness expert Todd Durkin, click here.

The "anti-diabetes diet" is getting a lot of attention because even for people without diabetes, it's the best way to eat. In the US, 34 million people have diabetes and another 88 million have pre-diabetes and may not know it, since there are few obvious symptoms. To stay healthy, slim down, and shed unwanted pounds the best strategy is to work out daily and eat a diet high in fiber, full of plant-based foods that have the lowest glycemic index. This is also known as the anti-diabetes diet.

For more on foods to lower blood sugar, click here.

Scary truth: The artificial sweetener aspartame found in most diet soft drinks is terrible for you. In your body aspartame is broken down and converted into formaldehyde, which the American Cancer Society states "has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory test animals." Not only that, but drinking these sweeteners is known to drive up your craving for sweets, and may confuse your brain into believing that sugar has been eaten, which not only drives up craving for sweets but prompts an insulin response, so the next calories you eat may get stored as fat. Swap out diet sodas for another bubbly beverage: Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea loaded with gut-friendly bacteria.

For more about the benefits and history of kombucha, click here.

Protein is known for its role in regulating hunger and controlling appetite. Research suggests that eating protein may tell the gastrointestinal tract that it should release appetite-regulating hormones. This is especially true at breakfast and snack time, which are generally full of carb-heavy foods, like cereal, toast, chips, or crackers. Eat protein at every opportunity by adding soy foods, beans, and lentils, nuts, and seeds, says Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. At breakfast, add oat milk and chia seeds to your cereal or make roasted chickpeas or mixed nuts as a snack.

For more ways to lose weight on a plant-based diet, click here.

Got a sweet craving? Two-ingredient frozen treats are enough to seriously hit the spot around 3 pm. This will keep you from seeking the chocolate hidden at the back of the snack cabinet. Simply blend 1 cups frozen berries and can of coconut cream with ice in a blender and serve half now and half tomorrow. Top each smoothie with a sprinkle of flaxseed or hemp hearts or chia seeds for added fiber and protein.

For more on tips eating more fruit and veggies, click here.

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol has no health benefits, according to a study published in The Lancet. While red wine has heart health benefits, the effects on cancer risk and mortality from accidents far outweigh those benefits, the study found. Brooke Goldner, M.D., plant-based autoimmune disease specialist, with a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University adds: Alcohol is inflammatory and suppresses immunity."

While you need to weigh the decision to drink carefully, a few alcoholic beverages a week wont hurt but the calories are metabolized the same way simple carbs are, so if weight loss is the goal, skip it. Instead, try practicing a Dry January, both for detoxing and optimal health.

For more on boosting immunity and losing weight, click here.

According to a new study, it only takes 11 minutes of walking to undo the effects of sitting for long stints The 11-minute mark is a much shorter amount of activity than previously required to be healthy. A 2016 study led us to believe that we had to crush that Bootcamp for workout hard or an hour a day to get the benefits of activity. A simple walk in the park is enough to help you live a long healthy life. Of course, to get stronger, a longer or harder session works, but if the goal is longevity, just walk!

For more about the perks of walking for 11 minutes a day here.

A study at Oxford University found that feelings of shame around not meeting particular targets were linked to giving up. "Feelings of shame were linked with the abandonment of efforts," the authors wrote. Use your own progress log (or weighing yourself) as a way of tracking positive actions, not another way to get down on yourself. Your fitness tracking is meant to be evidence of your efforts, even if your expectations are high.

Watch the progress you're making and tell yourself you are inching toward your goal. The upshot: Viewing self-monitoring as a tool to help maintain your healthy eating and steady weight loss is more effective than using it to re-criminate when you slip up.

Be optimistic and tell yourself: I am going to succeed because I am committed to my healthy body goals. My efforts are working!

For more on holding yourself accountable, click here.

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The Best 28 Expert Tips to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Feel Great - The Beet

The Conversation

The Second Amendment is one of the most frequently cited provisions in the American Constitution, but also one of the most poorly understood. The 27 words that constitute the Second Amendment seem to baffle modern Americans on both the left and right. Ironically, those on both ends of our contemporary political spectrum cast the Second Amendment as a barrier to robust gun regulation. Gun rights supporters mostly, but not exclusively, on the right seem to believe that the Second Amendment prohibits many forms of gun regulation. On the left, frustration with the lack of progress on modern gun control leads to periodic calls for the amendments repeal.Both of these beliefs ignore an irrefutable historical truth. The framers and adopters of the Second Amendment were generally ardent supporters of the idea of well-regulated liberty. Without strong governments and effective laws, they believed, liberty inevitably degenerated into licentiousness and eventually anarchy. Diligent students of history, particularly Roman history, the Federalists who wrote the Constitution realized that tyranny more often resulted from anarchy, not strong government. I have been researching and writing about the history of gun regulation and the Second Amendment for the past two decades. When I began this research, most people assumed that regulation was a relatively recent phenomenon, something associated with the rise of big government in the modern era. Actually, while the founding generation certainly esteemed the idea of an armed population, they were also ardent supporters of gun regulations. Consider these five categories of gun laws that the Founders endorsed. 1: RegistrationToday American gun rights advocates typically oppose any form of registration even though such schemes are common in every other industrial democracy and typically argue that registration violates the Second Amendment. This claim is also hard to square with the history of the nations founding. All of the colonies apart from Quaker-dominated Pennsylvania, the one colony in which religious pacifists blocked the creation of a militia enrolled local citizens, white men between the ages of 16-60 in state-regulated militias. The colonies and then the newly independent states kept track of these privately owned weapons required for militia service. Men could be fined if they reported to a muster without a well-maintained weapon in working condition. 2: Public carryThe modern gun rights movement has aggressively pursued the goal of expanding the right to carry firearms in public. The American colonies inherited a variety of restrictions that evolved under English Common Law. In 18th-century England, armed travel was limited to a few well-defined occasions such as assisting justices of the peace and constables. Members of the upper classes also had a limited exception to travel with arms. Concealable weapons such as handguns were subject to even more stringent restrictions. The city of London banned public carry of these weapons entirely.The American Revolution did not sweep away English common law. In fact, most colonies adopted common law as it had been interpreted in the colonies prior to independence, including the ban on traveling armed in populated areas. Thus, there was no general right of armed travel when the Second Amendment was adopted, and certainly no right to travel with concealed weapons. Such a right first emerged in the United States in the slave South decades after the Second Amendment was adopted. The market revolution of the early 19th century made cheap and reliable hand guns readily available. Southern murder rates soared as a result. In other parts of the nation, the traditional English restrictions on traveling armed persisted with one important change. American law recognized an exception to this prohibition for individuals who had a good cause to fear an imminent threat. Nonetheless, by the end of the century, prohibiting public carry was the legal norm, not the exception. 3: Stand-your-ground lawsUnder traditional English common law, one had a duty to retreat, not stand your ground. Deadly force was justified only if no other alternative was possible. One had to retreat, until retreat was no longer possible, before killing an aggressor. The use of deadly force was justified only in the home, where retreat was not required under the so-called castle doctrine, or the idea that a mans home is his castle. The emergence of a more aggressive view of the right of self-defense in public, standing your ground, emerged slowly in the decades after the Civil War. 4: Safe storage lawsAlthough some gun rights advocates attempt to demonize government power, it is important to recognize that one of the most important rights citizens enjoy is the freedom to elect representatives who can enact laws to promote health and public safety. This is the foundation for the idea of ordered liberty. The regulation of gun powder and firearms arises from an exercise of this basic liberty. In 1786, Boston acted on this legal principle, prohibiting the storage of a loaded firearm in any domestic dwelling in the city. Guns had to be kept unloaded, a practice that made sense since the black powder used in firearms in this period was corrosive. Loaded guns also posed a particular hazard in cases of fire because they might discharge and injure innocent bystanders and those fighting fires. 5: Loyalty oathsOne of the most common claims one hears in the modern Second Amendment debate is the assertion that the Founders included this provision in the Constitution to make possible a right of revolution. But this claim, too, rests on a serious misunderstanding of the role the right to bear arms played in American constitutional theory. In fact, the Founders engaged in large-scale disarmament of the civilian population during the American Revolution. The right to bear arms was conditional on swearing a loyalty oath to the government. Individuals who refused to swear such an oath were disarmed. The notion that the Second Amendment was understood to protect a right to take up arms against the government is absurd. Indeed, the Constitution itself defines such an act as treason. Gun regulation and gun ownership have always existed side by side in American history. The Second Amendment poses no obstacle to enacting sensible gun laws. The failure to do so is not the Constitutions fault; it is ours.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Read more: * Why Trumps idea to arm teachers may miss themark * How US gun control compares to the rest of theworld * How dangerous people get their weapons inAmericaAs a researcher at the John Glenn School of Public Policy at Ohio State, Cornell was the lead investigator on a project that was funded by a grant from the Joyce Foundation to research the history of gun regulation. Part of the research cited in this essay was done under that grant.

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New U.S. diet guidelines ignore science on sugar and alcohol - Yahoo News

For many, 2020 was a year that provided lots of worries that kept us tossing and turning at night. Tara Parker-Popes guide, How to Get a Better Nights Sleep, is packed with advice:

We spend about one-third of our lives asleep, and sleep is essential to better health. But many of us are struggling with sleep. Four out of five people say that they suffer from sleep problems at least once a week and wake up feeling exhausted. So how do you become a more successful sleeper? Grab a pillow, curl up and keep reading to find out.

Here are more articles from the past year in Well that may help you start the new year with better sleep.

By Anahad OConnor

With the coronavirus pandemic, school and work disruptions and a contentious election season contributing to countless sleepless nights, sleep experts have encouraged people to adopt a variety of measures to overcome their stress-related insomnia. Among their recommendations: engage in regular exercise, establish a nightly bedtime routine and cut back on screen time and social media.

But many people may be overlooking another important factor in poor sleep: diet. A growing body of research suggests that the foods you eat can affect how well you sleep, and your sleep patterns can affect your dietary choices.

Researchers have found that eating a diet that is high in sugar, saturated fat and processed carbohydrates can disrupt your sleep, while eating more plants, fiber and foods rich in unsaturated fat such as nuts, olive oil, fish and avocados seems to have the opposite effect, helping to promote sound sleep.

By Richard Schiffman

A daily dose of sunlight wont fend off or cure coronavirus, though researchers continue to explore the effects that warmer weather and ultraviolet rays might have on the virus. But scientists are finding that exposure to the sun has numerous other benefits that may be especially important now including helping to elevate mood, to improve the quality of our sleep and to strengthen the bodys innate defenses against a variety of pathogens.

Exposure to daylight is critical for accurately setting our internal circadian clock, which in turn regulates sleep and waking, said Mariana Figueiro, the director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

Without adequate light, we can go into a kind of permanent jet lag, Dr. Figueiro explained, where we get more easily irritated and depressed, our immune function is suppressed and our overall health may deteriorate.

By Gretchen Reynolds

People who are evening types go to bed later and wake up later than morning types. They also tend to move around far less throughout the day, according to an interesting new study of how our innate body clocks may be linked to our physical activity habits. The study, one of the first to objectively track daily movements of a large sample of early birds and night owls, suggests that knowing our chronotype might be important for our health.

In recent years, a wealth of new science has begun explicating the complex roles of cellular clocks and chronotypes in our health and lifestyles. Thanks to this research, we know that each of us contains a master internal body clock, located in our brains, that tracks and absorbs outside clues, such as ambient light, to determine what time it is and how our bodies should react. This master clock directs the rhythmic release of hormones, such as melatonin, and other chemicals that affect sleep, wakefulness, hunger and many other physiological systems.

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Sleep Better in the New Year - The New York Times

Westbury resident Andres Loperena remembers a time when he struggled to kneel down and tie his own shoes. In high school, he sported slip-ons so no one would notice.

That was only 12 years ago, but it feels like 40, Loperena said.

These days, the 30-year-old weighs 100 pounds less than when he graduated high school. He has turned his own weight loss journey into a business: Pledge To Fitness in Bellaire.

I built Pledge as a solution to all my problems, Loperena said. Its all the answers to the questions I asked years ago. People gave me 4,000 places to go, 1,500 diets to follow. I think Pledge would have been the solution to my problems.

He basically synthesized all he learned from his own experiences into one place, where he can create customized programs for individual clients.

The first step is a 3D body scan, which provides body composition and fat percentages, as well as concise weight and measurements.

Then, Loperena or a trainer on his team asks clients to describe in detail their own health journey.

Tell me how you got here, Loperena asks.

Combining the information from the scan with personal stories allows Pledge to build a program that matches an individuals lifestyle and goals. Each fitness prescription blends strength training, mobility work, massage, yoga and Pilates. In addition, clients are coached in nutrition and recovery.

Weve become a one-stop shop, Loperena said. People come in so beat up from other places. You need massage, corrective exercise.

He wants each person who walks through his doors to know that Pledge will take care of them.

Were worried about you holistically, he said. Were worried about you in the long-run. I want to help you start living a different life.

No one ever said that to him. Instead, Loperena learned gradually.

Originally from Venezuela, he moved to Houston with his parents Martin Loperena and Clara Rojas in 1999 at age 10. His mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she came to the area for its world renowned medical care. The family also wanted to be close to his uncle, cardiologist Gustavo Grieco.

Loperena shouldered stress from the move and worries about his mother. He took comfort in the junk foods he was discovering in his new hometown, especially Diet Mountain Dew, candy and pizza. When he started driving, fast foods were a new temptation.

By his freshman year in high school, Loperena weighed 227 pounds.

Then, he discovered he had sleep apnea, after landing in the hospital with petit mal seizures, which are short but can be dangerous.

I was always tired, he said. I was always in bed. I was depressed.

By senior year, Loperena weighed 350 pounds. He was finally getting treatment for his sleep apnea but still gaining weight, despite trying fad diets like Atkins and South Beach.

After graduating, Loperena went to Spain with his family in the summer of 2008.

I didnt fit anywhere, he said. I didnt fit in the chairs. I didnt fit through the doors. This isnt normal. Im living a lifestyle that doesnt make sense.

By the time Loperena enrolled at the University of Houston, change was in the air.

I just had enough, he said.

While in college, he met with a nutritionist who taught him about portion control, and joined Life Time Fitness, where hours on the elliptical machine helped him drop 80 pounds. He also tried Quick Weight Loss Center and lost another 76 pounds - but gained much of it back.

At school, he discovered psychology, which would become his major.

The big anxiety issues, fitting in, self-esteem were all part of the class, Loperena said. I was like, I didnt know we came with a manual. I wanted to learn more.

All of these small moments combined changed trajectory. Rather than plan a career as a therapist, he decided to help people as a trainer who could guide them through fitness and nutrition.

I wasnt quite sure of how to get there, but even if I could help one person, I wanted to do it, Loperena said.

With weight loss came improved health and emotional well-being. He no longer had sleep apnea or seizures. Something as simple as being able to kneel down and tie my shoes helped me fell like no one can stop me now, he said.

Loperena signed up at National Personal Training Institute in 2012. He became certified in personal training, sports nutrition, as well as kettlebell and suspension (TRX) training.

At age 23, Loperena started his own company. At first, he operated as a team of independent trainers at another gym, but he quickly became frustrated with not having his own facility. He wanted to create an environment where all of the trainers operated in the same way and followed the research on how to best help others.

Lets make the training the best we can, he decided. Fitness is a relationship. You have to love fitness, since you have to do it for the rest of your life. If theres any relationship thats worth working on, its that one.

Last year, Loperena made Pledge to Fitness a brick-and-mortar reality. Before COVID-19, he was operating a team of 10 trainers and serving 80 to 90 clients, including his parents.

Then the pandemic halved his clientele.

Still, Loperena has no plans to abandon on his dream of helping others reach their health goals.

Thats why he settled on the name, Pledge. Its a promise he makes to support clients on their journey - as well as a nod to the pledge they must make to commit to their own health.

This is personal, Loperena said. We take your health personally here - and that makes a difference. Its never too late to start - and every minute you have with a better quality of life is a better minute.

At Pledge to Fitness, all ages and fitness levels are welcome, he added.

Bellaire resident Donna Grehn looks forward to her workouts at Pledge, and stops by three days a week for sessions. She first started training with Loperena at her home - and was excited to learn that he opened a location in her neighborhood.

He really listens, said Grehn, who was an aerobics instructor for 10 years. I know how to work out hard, but I needed to work out smart and differently. If Im going to lift weights and change my body, hes the guy Im going to.

Heights resident Will Drennan believes that Loperenas own story better equips Loperena to help clients like him.

Trainers who start out fit and ripped from the beginning, they dont know how I feel, he said. Starting off skinny and staying fit is definitely different than starting out bigger and trying to lose weight.

Loperena never makes Drennan feel judged - or asks him to stick to a strict diet. The trainer never pushes him through pain in a fitness routine.

Hes struggled through this - and he gets it, Drennan said. He takes everything in steps. You dont have to do it all at once, unlike other gyms.

And that makes health more obtainable, Drennan explained.

Weight loss is a journey - but then you have to learn to keep it off, Drennan said. You have to have a sustainable way of getting there and staying there. Thats what I like about Pledge - its realistic. And that makes it a much better experience.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.

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After losing 100 pounds, Houston trainer makes a Pledge to help others change their lives - Houston Chronicle

Rebel Wilson is saying goodbye to 2020 by sharing one last reflection on her Year of Health, during which she accomplished her goal of losing 60 pounds. Signing off for 2020! she captioned an Instagram post featuring two before-and-after photos from her journey. I like these two pictures cause together they represent the UPHILL JOURNEY Ive been on this year with my YEAR OF HEALTH mission.

The Pitch Perfect star actually met her goal a month early, sharing a snapshot of her weigh-in on Instagram in late November. Even though its not about a weight number, its about being healthy, I needed a tangible measurement to have as a goal and that was 75 [kilograms], she wrote, which is 165 pounds. The scale read 74.6 kilograms.

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All year, Wilson worked alongside celebrity trainer Jono Castano, who helped her develop a simple but effective fitness regimen (7 days a week!), and she also cut sugar and junk food from her diet. The actress reportedly followed the Mayr Method, a restrictive diet inspired by the Mayr Cure created by Austrian physician Franz Xaver Mayr, M.D, which eliminates sugar and caffeine, reduces gluten and dairy, and encourages chewing food 40 to 60 times. According to People, Wilson visited Austrias detox and wellness center VivaMayr to help her achieve results with the method.

At 40, shes proud of what she accomplished over one short (and overall challenging) year. Guys, now I gotta think: what will my goal/s be for 2021?? she continued her reflection. Thanks for following my adventures this year and to all the people who made 2020 so special! She finished by encouraging fans and followers to create a plan for achieving their own goals: What are your goals for next year? Believe in yourself, work hard, you can do it!

The comments section filled with congratulations and awe, and many shared their personal aspirations for the new year. What a great close to a crazy year! So much love for you, Rebs! director Mark Hapka commented. Another fan added, Your journey has been the most wholesome thing to see in 2020. Regardless of body size or not your smile is beaming of confidence and self assurance. I have walked the same path and it is not easy! I just wanna commend you.

You look fabulous and inspired me to do the same, another wrote. Heres to a happy, healthy 2021.

Go here to join Prevention Premium (our best value, all-access plan), subscribe to the magazine, or get digital-only access.

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Rebel Wilson Reflects on Her Uphill Journey Following 60-Pound Weight Loss in 2020 - Prevention.com

Its the end of 2020 and for some of us, its about celebrating the end of this emotionally draining year. For others, it may spark adverse feelings as the coronavirus pandemic prolongs. Despite your personal outlook, you may find yourself with a drink in your hand, especially during New Year's Eve celebrations.The holiday seasonis popular for extravagant feasts and nostalgic traditions, andthese festivities are also notorious for alcohol overindulgences.

This time of year, experts predict that more individuals will resort to heavy drinking to cope with the current state of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic in addition to lockdowns, less social interactions, increased stress, and unemployment has created a perfect storm for more people to turn to drinking as a way to cope, especially during the holiday season, says Dr. Kristamarie Collman, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician and founder of Prse Medical. A report published earlier this year showed that adults ages 30 to 59 reported drinking 14 percent more than last year. Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to numerous illnesses, such as heart disease and liver disease in addition to mental health disorders, according to Collman.

If alcohol is a part of the celebrations, drinking in moderation is your safest bet. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, this is defined as having up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks for men. However, this holiday season, you may not realize when you had one too many with all of the Zoom gatherings at home, says Dr. Collman. It will probably not be uncommon to wake up the next morning and find yourself in a dazed state, experiencing a variety of unpleasant hangover symptoms. In an exclusive interview with The Beet, Dr. Collman provides recommendations on some natural remedies that harnesses the power of plants to ease and heal a bad hangover:

Ginger and Peppermint have been around for thousands of years and have been used in helping to improve nausea symptoms. Research has shown that ginger may impact certain receptors in the digestive system that may soothe an upset stomach and reduce nausea, says Dr. Collman.

A 2017 review published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found that ginger is filled with bioactive compounds and anti-inflammatory properties to prevent nausea and vomiting. In a 2020 study published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, peppermint oil significantly reduced the frequency of nausea, vomiting, retching, and the severity of nausea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Ginger and peppermint tea can be made by seeping some dried ginger or peppermint tea leaves in a pot of hot water, respectively.

Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family and has been used for thousands of years for a variety of illnesses. Specifically, it was in traditional Indian medicine systems such as Ayurveda to heal disorders of the skin, upper respiratory tract, joints, and digestive system, according to the National Institute of Health. Turmerics active ingredient is curcumin which has potent anti-inflammatory properties. This works well to help prevent inflammation and reduce pain, says Dr. Collman.

A 2018 study published in The Journal of Immunology found that curcumin in turmeric inhibits inflammation by suppressing the pathways that activate it in the body. Not only can turmeric be added to rice, soups, and stews but also can be used to make golden milk, a caffeine-free delicacy. Dr. Collman recommends that it may be beneficial to mix turmeric with black pepper as it can help your body to better absorb the turmeric.

If someone is experiencing hangover symptoms such as vomiting, they are at risk for electrolyte losses and imbalances. Foods such as avocados, bananas, and leafy greens (like spinach and kale) are rich in nutrients which can help to replace important minerals and vitamins that may have been depleted, says Dr. Collman.

Low intakes of potassium have been linked to high blood pressure, increased insulin resistance (risk of type 2 diabetes), and poor bone health, according to the National Institute of Health. A 2019 study published in Nutrients found that over half of the potassium intake in the sample of adults came from minimally processed foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Making a smoothie with these ingredients could be a simple way to incorporate these foods, but depending on ones digestive symptoms, it might be easier to have small bites throughout the day, says Dr. Collman.

When you have one too many, you may feel dehydrated with symptoms such as a dry mouth or headache. This is because alcohol is a diuretic, which can cause your body to remove fluids through your kidneys, ureters, and bladder at a faster rate than other liquids, according to the Mayo Clinic. Replenishing one's system with hydrating foods may aid in alleviating symptoms caused by dehydration, says Dr. Collman.

She recommends foods such as watermelon and cucumber, which are not only water-rich but also have essential nutrients such as vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium. Other fruits high in water per cup include strawberries (151ml), plums (143.9ml), and apricots (133.8ml), according to USDA Food Data Central. These food items can be added to the diet by consuming as a snack, smoothie, or even used to make a salad, adds Dr. Collman. Make a snack plate filled with water-rich fruits like berries, melon, cantaloupe, and grapes while you are drinking to stay hydrated.

Increasing ones water intake may certainly help to ease hangover symptoms. Besides the refreshing taste, coconut water can help with hydration and has an abundance of electrolytes (such as potassium and magnesium) and minerals beneficial to the body, says Dr. Collman. After a heavy drinking session, it is best to drink lots of water to restore your hydration levels, suggests the Mayo Clinic.

A 2018 study published in Cell Metabolism found that alcohol-induced dehydration, stimulating water intake for hydration balance. If you feel like you have a drink or two during the festivities, try pre-gaming with a glass of water to reduce your chance of waking up with a hangover. Drinking water before and after the booze is your best bet to have a good morning the next day.

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5 Natural Hangover Remedies That Work, According To a Doctor - The Beet

The younger generation (late 20s and early 30s) tend to choose beverages such as sparkling water, green tea and kombucha over sugary drinks like soda. And instead of buying groceries at big box or multipurpose stores such as Walmart or Costco, they look for more specialized grocers such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, which sell options that are more ethically sourced and contain less processed ingredients, according to a study of 12.5 million millennial social media posts by CBD Marketing.

As you begin your nutritional and weight-loss journey in 2021, consider experimenting with new ingredients and cooking methods that will prevent you from getting bored with your food intake. To get you started, we asked nutrition experts about nine foods from a definitive list of60 millennial foodsby Buzzfeed, a website that reaches nearly 83 percent of millennials, according to Nielsen Holdings.

1. Avocado toast, perhaps the most obvious millennial food because it appears on restaurant menus and is a staple of weekend brunch, can make for a nutritious breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are heart healthy and serve as a good fat replacement for butter. The fruit (yes, avocados are a fruit) also contains 10 to 11 grams of fiber per avocado, said VanBeber.

"Pairing a third of an avocado with one slice of 100 percent whole grain bread can provide between 15 to 20 percent of daily fiber needs for adults over 50 years of age, said Elizabeth Spencer, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine Center DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois.

However, be watchful. One medium avocado packs between 250 and 300 calories, so it may be too many calories for a meal or snack, especially when combined with other food items. Older adults often need fewer calories and higher amounts of specific vitamins, minerals and protein, she added.

2. Caulifloweris a vegetable common to many household crispers that has taken on new popularity as a carb replacement in the form of cauliflower crust and rice. For those looking for a savory alternative, there are also versions of cauliflower wings and cauliflower steak. These are lower in calories and carbohydrates than their starchy meaty counterparts and, obviously, work for vegans and vegetarians.

"Replacing rice with riced cauliflower or wheat in pizza crust with cauliflower can significantly cut down on carbs while retaining fiber, leading to feelings of fullness, as well as increasing daily veggie servings, said Spencer. Cauliflower is also a rich source of choline, which aids in muscle movement, metabolism, and nervous system and brain health. So, clearly, it's good for people of all ages.

However, cauliflower pizza and snack foods don't pass as healthy when combined with piles of cheese and pepperoni, which can increase calories and bring up levels of sodium.

"As with other processed foods, the best rule to follow is fewest ingredients is best,' said Maxine Smith, a registered dietitian with Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition in Ohio.

3. Kalehas been a darling of leafy green lovers for years now. It provides nutrients that are important for healthy bones, heart, brain and the gut, says Smith.

It is versatile and can be used in salads and soups, or cooked as a side dish on its own. Most recently, millennials have transformed the ingredient into kale chips, burrito wraps, and juice another great way to cut the carbs.

However, because it is a cruciferous vegetable (meaning that it contains a sugar called raffinose) it often is left undigested in the gut until bacteria ferments it, leading to gas and bloating, said Spencer. Cooking kale may alleviate the problem.

"Kale also contains a high amount of vitamin K, which helps our blood clot, said Spencer. Older adults on blood thinners should be mindful of their vitamin K intake and work with their doctor and registered dietitian to safely fit kale into a healthful eating pattern."

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Is 2021 the Year to Eat Like a Millennial? - AARP

Nature has blessed us with a lot of immunity-boosters and giloy is one of them.

Owing to the pandemic, the demand for giloy also rose potentially and for good reason- from boosting immunity to promoting weight loss and keeping the skin young and healthy, Guduchi giloy, as it is known by its Ayurvedic name is one powerful antidote to ailments and illnesses. Extensively found in India, Giloy root and powder have been extensively used since ages to treat and prevent infections, finds mentions in ancient texts as well. In fact, according to Ayurvedic beliefs, it is one of the three 'Amrit' plants or works as an anti-mortality drug which contains natural healing properties.

With a slightly bitter taste, the stem of the Giloy plant is said to have potent nutritional benefits. The roots and leaves also promise numerous benefits and alleviate health problems. We explain to you some of the best, helpful benefits of consuming the wonderful herb regularly, and the best ways to have it:

1. Works as an excellent fever reliever

If you are looking for a natural way to bring your fever down, look no further than giloy. Both Ayurveda and modern science support the working of Giloy in bringing down the temperature and cooling the body down, particularly in chronic, recurrent cases.

Since Giloy has antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties in it, it helps to boost immunity, act down on inflammation (which results in a fever or spiked up the temperature) and reduces body heat. Ayurveda also suggests that Giloy works to remove the toxic 'Ama' in the body, which is caused by improper digestion or consumption of unsuited foreign particles.

Thus, by keeping toxins away and regulating body temperature, Giloy works to keep inflammation levels under control and keep a person healthy. Drinking Giloy twice a day can help fight fever when you are battling an infection. It can also suit kids who do not like taking medicines.

2. Vitalizer for the heart and the body

People who are disturbed by problems of chronic fatigue and exhaustion are often advised to add supplements like giloy to their diet plan. Giloy is wonderful for your heart and works to revitalize the entire body. It reduces stress levels, fights toxins, alleviates anxiety and its soothing properties can calm the body down.

You will be surprised to learn that frequent consumption of a powerful natural herb like Giloy can also boost mental power, memory and cognitive functions.

3. Rich of antioxidants, anti-cancer propertiesGuduchi Giloy also contains a strong dose of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents which promote healthy living. Small studies have suggested that giloy can act as a good anti-cancer drug.

Animal studies have showcased that administrating part of the giloy root, which contains a natural chemical called Tinospora cordifolia could bring down the size of metastatic potential of melanoma cells.

A pilot study done by researchers based out of AIIMS also found that certain Ayurvedic drugs, such as Giloy could be really helpful in treating cancer and improving health for patients who were administered strong chemotherapy. Isn't this wonderful?

4. Keeps the immune system young and healthy

One of the strongest reasons behind the resurgence of Giloy in the modern day and age are the benefits it carries for ones immunity. Not only does the herb fight infections and toxins naturally, but it also contains immunomodulatory effects which keep the immune system in good shape, boost its power and strengthen metabolism. A strong and healthy immune system acts as our first line of defence and keeps many illnesses and germs at bay. Consumption of giloy and other immunity-boosting herbs should be increased after an age, or for people who are bogged by problems of frail or bad immunity.

Since it vitalizes and recharges the immune system, giloy is also used to treat certain liver, urinary tract and gut infections.

5. Aids digestion

Giloy also works wonderfully to root out problems related to digestion and gut functioning. According to multiple studies and researches conducted worldwide, Guduchi Giloy, with its vitalizing properties can aid digestion, prevent problems such as stomach infection, diarrhoea, acidity, nausea as well as colitis, with regular intake. It also takes care of stress levels, which can also cause gut problems and indigestion.

6. Helps manage blood sugar levels

There is yet another benefit for people suffering from prediabetes, diabetes and related health problems. According to Ayurvedic experts, giloy acts as a hypoglycemic agent and helps treat type 2 diabetes. Giloy juice has shown wonderful results in people with high blood sugar levels.

Regular consumption can also manage and prevent additional problems which may flare up with uncontrolled blood sugar- such as obesity, inflammation and may even slow down ageing.

7. Improves vision

According to traditional beliefs, giloy mixed with water can be applied on eyelids, or consumed regularly to bring benefits for vision and improve eyesight. It's a custom which is still practised in many parts of the country.

Since it is also touted to contain strong anti-ageing properties, it further works to improve your vision and slow down signs of degeneration, fine lines and wrinkles.

The best way to have Giloy

Giloy is widely used and available in many forms- be it the root, powder or capsules or syrups. An individual can choose to have Giloy root in its entirety, have it as a daily supplement or use the powdered version. Do remember to check you use organically sourced versions so as to ensure maximum gains out of your immunity booster.

Giloy can be had daily, safely in a variety of ways. While the most commonly used way is to mix Giloy powder in milk or water and consume it regularly.

Many also prefer having giloy juice on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning.

Making a giloy kadha (concoction), in addition to other spices and herbs is a wonderful way to enrich your diet with goodness.

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Giloy health benefits: Reasons to add giloy to your diet and boost immunity - Times of India