What if I told you that there's a red carpet trick that the stars use to get those sleek camera-ready bodies in time for the Oscars and that it's safe, healthy, effective, and freeand you can use too. That's the claim of a new book by a diabetes specialist who has studied the best way to get his patients off the insulin, free of all their meds and slimmed-downfast. His name is Dr. Jason Fung and hegave The Beet a preview of his new book that he'sco-authored, called "Life in the Fasting Lane" coming out this April.

The book is all about how to use intermittent fasting to lose weight and to do it safely, healthfully and effectively to slim down in a matter of just days or weeks, depending on how much fasting you want to try. "Life in the Fasting Lane"isabout to hitbookstores and make intermittent fasting, or IF the mostfollowed diet in the country, since it's healthy, it works and you can use it any time you need to lose weight fast.

Before you shake your head in disbelief and think: "No way is this a good idea," I too was skeptical since I've always believed a healthy diet that is low in calories is the way to go.After editing a health and fitness magazine for over a dozen years and imparting knowledge of how to follow the "fewer calories in, more calories out" way of losing weight the safe and healthy way, when I listened to the science behind fasting, and then read the book, I was convinced that Dr. Fung is onto something.

In fact, fasting dates back to the beginning of humankind when no matter how hungry, humans had to be sharp, strong and energized to find, forage or hunt for that next meal. Cycling through feast and faminewas as natural as cycling through sleep. When Dr. Fung explains the science of how fasting works, he unwound decades of scientific "knowledge" I had held dear. In short, he is extremely convincing.

Here is Dr. Fung's take on how to use IF to empower you to lose weight, get yourself through the hungry moments and not suffer brain fog or lack of energy between meals. The result is that you'lllose weight, have a healthier body, and shed inches withoutlosing tone. Meanwhile, you will see vast improvements in your important health metrics like cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. I too was a doubter. Not anymore.

Onething to know before you start: There is a way to do it right, and that will help youlose without "yoyo-ing" in energy or weight gain. It all has to do with fuel systems in your body and training your energy to pull from fatandkeep insulin levels low so they nevertell your body to "store excess energy as fat." Once you get the hang of it, you will burn fat as fuel, all day long.

If all of this sounds barbaric, consider that doctors use intermittent fasting to maintain their weight and energy levels during long, grueling hours of rounds when they need to be alert.

Dr. Jason Fung trained conventionally in internal medicine at the University of Toronto and then practiced nephrologythe study ofkidney diseases such as diabetes and cancerwhile at UCLA. Fung learned first-hand from his patients that obesity creates type-2 diabetes and that diabetes, in turn, leads to kidney failure and then dialysis. "Doctors were treating the kidney failure," and as far as he was concerned "they got it backward. First, they needed to treat the cause, which was obesity. And the best way to do that is to ask your patients to stop eating."

"At first, Ipracticed like every other doctor practiced in treating Type 2 Diabetes, which is the reason for a lot of the kidney disease we see in America. And the numbers just keep getting bigger and bigger.

"What we were doing was treating patients with medication and insulin and it didn't work. And that impacted a lot of patients I was seeing. And I realized that what we were doing was treating it backward. The causality goes from obesity to diabetes to kidney disease and then dialysis. So we have to treat the obesity -- not the kidney failure -- because if you treat obesity then you can reverse type-2 diabetes. I know this because I tried it. And my patients who did it got better."

Fung:"The obesity epidemic dates back decades, and started in the '70s, so it's not really a genetic thing. People had access to food. There was no problem with access to food in the 60s, yet there was no obesity. So people were talking about genetics as a cause, but something else happened. Seventy percent of Americans are obese or overweight today. Consider this: If you see one child fail in school that may be an individual's issue, but if 70 percent of children fail then that's something wrong with the way the school is teaching. So instead of blaming the individual, let's look at the whole system and what's happening.

"The idea that we need to be looking at calories didn't ring true. So that's when I started to look at the hormonal underlying or underpinning reasons -- why are so many people obese. It's not about calories. The body isn't having a response to calories. In fact, 100 calories of soda vs. 100 calories of salmon -- the hormonal response to those are not the same at all. Our bodies respond to hormones. The effect of grilled salmon vs. cola or cookies on your body is completely different.

"Predominantly, we are talking about the insulin response in your body. Insulin tells the body to store fat. When you eat, insulin response goes up, and it tells the body to store excess blood sugar as fat. When you don't eat, like when you sleep, insulin levels fall. So you have to mobilize calories from fat to burn energy to live.If you eat too much sugar or too many carbs, you have to store all those calories as fat. After you do that, there is no energy available -- so you go out and eat more. And again, when insulin goes up again, all the new calories are stored as fat.

"Some foods are more fattening and some foods are less fattening. People who eat more salad don't get fat while people who eat more cookies and cake (or any sweets) do get fat. So, the next step is to understand how the hormonal response to the type of food you eat tells your body to store fat or not store fat. This is why people care about the glycemic index of food. The lower the GI, the less your insulin response spikes.

"In the 1930s people were eating up to 2,500 calories a day. Back in 1917, they did studies -- called semi-starvation studies -- where they actually measured what happened when they cut the number of calories a day to between 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day. So they cut calories to that number, which means they had originally been eating more like 2,200 to 2,400 before they reduced for the study. And in the 40s the same thing was true. They cut calories 40 percent to 1,600, so they had been eating more like 2,000 calories a day. And people weren't obese. So it's an interesting paradigm. It's not about the number of calories you eat, but the insulin.

"If you never let your insulin drop then you never tell your body to pull calories from fat. So there is a whole movement among athletes to training in the fasting state. If you train without eating, then you need to pull calories out of storage to get through an intense workout. If you eat in the morning -- let's say you have a muffin before your workout -- then you use up that source and your body never uses calories fromfat and your workout was not effective if the reason you'reworking out is to lose fat.

"So I started to understand more about insulin. At that point, when I started my studies on Type 2 Diabetes patients, there hadn't been a lot of people talking about it and I started thinking about fasting. If you want to drive your insulin low then that's going to involve fasting. And I thought 'That sounds like a bad idea.' But then I realized that there is a misconception that your body slows down. That does happen on a low-calorie diet, but not when fasting. You're switching your body over to a new fuel system.

"People who cut their calories and go on a low-fat diet are losing all the dietary fat. If you do that and lower your calories to 1,500 -- you may be lowering your intake but since fat has no effect on insulin, if you have 1,500 calories of bread orpasta, the carbs still stimulate an insulin response. But, if you eat whole foods that have fat, such as avocado, it won't stimulate insulin. So look backatthe low-fat 90s trend in dieting, and insulin gets mobilized by those calories -- even if they are lower calories than you're used to eating. When you eat a low-fat, high-carb diet, your insulin still responds to the carbs. So you have to reduce your calories in order to draw down fat as energy. Just reducing calories wasn't working. People got fatter.

"If you fast, and don't eat at all, for 12 or 14 or 16 hours, then your insulin is going to fall-- therefore, your body is going to switch over and naturally burn fat. So your body wants 2,000 calories a day, and your body has maybe 200,000 calories stored (as fat). So your metabolic rate doesn't fall, even without exercise. You just start to burn all those stored calories from fat.

"This is proven. Take one study -- they fasted patients for 4 straight days and measured their metabolic rate and after four days of eating zero, they were burning 10percent more calories than when they ate 2,000 calories a day.

"So if insulin falls, the counterregulatory hormones in the body go up. You activate your fight or flight response, your norepinephrine goes up, and adrenaline goes up, etc., which means you burn more.

"When you go back to eating, your metabolic rate stays the same. You start burning food as fuel. Your body fat is nothing more or less than the body's fuel storage system. But you have to fix the hormoneresponse to food in order to pull that energy out of storage.

"When we askedpatients with Type 2 Diabetes to participate in fasting 24 hours, three times a week, the lost weight and got better. They even got off their meds. And it happened so fast.

"But you don't have to fast for 24 hours for this to work for you. You can eat an early dinner, and then not eat until morning or early afternoon and you are essentially doing it, burning fat.

"Typically people eat breakfast at 8 am and dinner at 6 pmandin that case,we are already fasting 14 hours a day without thinking about it. In the 70s they ate supper earlier. Even if you eat breakfast at 7 am and dinner at 7 pm then you're fasting at least 12 hours a day. This acknowledges that you're supposed to eat in a cycle. There is a certain number of hours in a day when you are supposed to be eating and a certain number of hours when you are supposed to be fasting.

"If you throw your body out of balance and eat from the minute you get up until the minute you get in bed, then you're only fastingfor 8 hours.

"If you drink alcoholit is metabolized like sugar, so you have to count wine or beer or spirits in this equation -- so people who drink a lotof wine, they need to know that it's metabolized in the body just like sugar. Two glasses of wine are like having dessert.

"If you want to lose weight, skip the carbs and the alcohol. Insulin gets mobilized the same way, whether it's carbs in food or the sugar in alcohol. People talk about drinking with dinner -- which is reasonable, except if you're trying to lose weight.

Here's the great news. whether you fast for 12, 14 or 16 hours or longer it iscompletely flexible --- you could push it up to 16 hours, and do it a couple of times a week. So you eat in an 8-hour window, from 11 am to 7 pm and then have 16 hours of fasting. A lot of celebrities have talked about IF and how it really helped them, like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Hugh Jackman. It's really simple. Counting calories and counting carbs is complicated but timing is simple.

"You can push it up to 24 hours of fasting -- you could have dinner and then fast from 8 p.m. until 8 p.m the next night. That's the one-meal-a-day diet. You still are eating that one meal in a day. Eating is not just for sustenance. It's also for interacting with your family and gives you that time to sit down with your family and be social.

"When people ask me:Is there anything you can eat during the fast? I tell them, Yes. There are variations of fasting. Classic fasting is water only. But there are variations. You can actually do well with all kinds of things: Take tea for example, or coffee with cream, which has fat so there is very little insulin response to that. Just don't put sugar in it. Even if you take something like celery sticks, Insulin would blip up temporarily but go back down. We use a lot of fasting aids, predominantly tea and other drinks. Green tea is very good: The main advantage is the chemical compound called catechin thathelps to suppress hunger.The caffeine in both coffee and tea will help your metabolic rate. Keep your metabolism up.

I love to recommend cold brew green tea -- or I like to tell patients to try Pique Green Tea which comes in crystals; they brew it and dehydrate it, so it's essentially an instant tea.

"It's important to enlist friends who are supportive. The other thing is to understand about hunger -- because it's going to be most people's pressing concern -- is that it doesn't go up and up. It peaks and comes back down again. When you don't eat, you are going to get hungry...you have tounderstand that is your body switching over to burning fat.

"Hunger will go up ad then peak and then go down. Hunger has three peaks, breakfast, lunch and dinner. So there is obviously a trained response to when we are used to eating. But if you don't eat, your hunger subsidesin a little while. When your hunger drops, whether you eat or not, it's because your body fed itself from its own fat. Your body gets more efficient at pulling calories from fat. So as you fast your hunger decreases over time. People say, "I got used to it." I think my stomach shrank. But your stomach didn't actually shrink.The body just got better at pulling calories from fat. Your body is learning to fuel itself on its own body fat.

"It's now fueling itself so efficiently that you won't have the same level of hunger after the first few times you try it.

"I tell people to cut out snacking [after dinner], so you get to 14 hours. Then you push it to 16 hours. Typically it's a lot easier to drop breakfast than dinner. If you look at circadian rhythms, hunger is usually at the lowest point at 8 am and it's easy to not eat. At that moment you've gone 12 to 14 hours without eating and you're the least hungry. Your body is fueling itself without food.

"It works well on a plant-based diet, which is how people ate for many years in Asia. And they stayed slim. It's only when you add processed or high-carb foods that you have to watch out. You have to be careful about the types of foods you eat since processed foods like wheat and flour, breadis now so processed.For bread now they take the wheat berry and grind it into a fine dust. So the absorption is super quick, unnaturally quick. So if you eat a lot of cakes and cookies and processed breads and donuts, that will spike your insulin. If you're eating a plant-based diet, make sure to keep it whole-food, plant-based, not processed food.

"So if you're plant-based and eating beans, legumes, vegetables and whole grains like quinoa that all keeps insulin low. If you look at the simple sugars in cereal like Captain Crunch and chocolate donuts that may be vegan but they're terrible for you.

Try Intermittent Fasting for 16 hours. Between 16 and 24 hours twice a week is probably the most popular amount of time. When you get into it for health reasons like diabetes you can go much longerbecause you've trained yourbodyto know what to do. But always consult your doctor first, of course. Our body carries body fat --so we can use it.Therefore, ifyou don't eat you're going to lose it. If you eat all the time you will never lose it.

"I worked at UCLA and celebrities use this all the time when they have to go on the red carpet.This is an open secret, that everyone does in Hollywood. You can stop eating for several days and get in shape quickly. You can fast and look really good and there is nothing wrong with it. You can look fit. You get rid of all that sugar and your body gets lean. I mean, bears do it -- they don't eat for weeks. Because they have body fat, and so do we.

"Fasting actually makes you more focused and helps your mental acuity. You can think a lot more clearly when you're not trying to digest a heavy meal. When you're not eating, everyone thinks itwould make it harder to concentrate, but actually the opposite is true: You can think more clearly. The lion who just ate is sleepy and not dangerous -- but the hungryanimal is dangerous and can focus on what it needs. When you're full -- or you've had a big meal -- all you want to do is lie down and take a nap. So when fasting you're super sharp.

"It's a fascinating area because it's the opposite of what people once thought. This research gives people the freedom to not eat. You aren't doing yourself any harm. In fact, you're doing a body good. It gives people the knowledge and confidence to think "I am not hungry and I want to lose weight and so why not skip lunch today?"

"We eat in airports. Schools give snacks all day long. At soccer, kids eat before, during the half time and after the game. We are used to eating before we eat: We haveappetizers before dinner. We think we need to eat eat, eat, eat, eat to lose weight. Does that make any sense? No!"

I thought about this interview. I had heard all these years that reducing below about 1200 calories a day would turn the body onto dimmer mode, lower your metabolism, and cause you to lose weight temporarily but then gain it back the minute you start eating normally again. And that you would have successfully lowered your metabolism in the process. The fact that the body works on an "on" and "off" switch due to insulin response to the food we eat makes sense.

I thought about my mother who was always preternaturally thin. When she had a big day of eating she would intuitively stop eating the next day, and pat her nonexistent belly and say: I feel full from yesterday. Then she would start eating again when her appetite came back, usually about 24 hours later. She intuitively knew that intermittent fasting worked for her. She never held back what she wanted or loved: Ice cream and pasta and wine. Then she would flip a switch and not eat for a day or so. She never gained weight, never lacked for energy and would work hours into the night on her paintings and always had a cup of black coffee nearby. This may be the "new" way of dieting but it's been around forever.

I tried it, and I am trying it still. IF does give you a sense of power, that you can have your delicious lunch of Beyond Sushi (true story) then a light dinner with my husband (he had a burger while I had a spinach salad with mushrooms, a glass of red wine, and half his fries) then turn off the eating from 9 p.m. until about lunchtime the next day. I went running -- hill repeats with my triathlon team at 6 a.m. -- and ordinarily, would have had half of a banana or a handful of blueberries before heading out the door.

After my hill run,ordinarily, I would have nibbled on a bagel or breakfast cereal. Instead, I drank my black coffee and resolved to wait to eat until later. I'm not good with hunger as I get "hangry" and never thought that "depriving myself" was a good thing -- it flies in the face of my feminist sensibility that I always had to watch my weight when my brother could eat Doritos all day and never have to worry?

Then I realize if you watch fit, slim, healthy people, they often cycle through their eating habits. They usually eat with abandon one day and then fast the next. Even as toddlers, my kids were like this. One day they would eat enough for two people, then lose all interest in food the next. This seems like a natural human state: indulge, then hold back. Or eat when hungry, and then don't eat for stretches when hunger subsides. I never used to "skip" a meal. Now I see intermittent fastingas a chance for my body to self-regulate, and so far I'm enjoying this new way of giving myself a chance to be both satisfied (with the food I eat) and healthy, and maintain a weight that fits my clothes, my lifestyle and my desire to be active and fit. Try it, do it your way, and let me know what you think.

If you want to read more from Dr. Jason Fung, get a copy of "The Complete Guide to Fasting."And his other book,"The Obesity Code." Life in the Fasting Lane is available for pre-order on Amazon.

See more here:
The Quickest Way to Lose Weight: Intermittent Fasting. Here's How - The Beet

STAFF PHOTO/BROOKE WILLIAMS Dr. Samir Pancholy frequently reminds patients that its never too late to improve their heart health.

Whether its American Heart Month or not, Dr. Samir Pancholy always reminds his patients that its never too late to improve their heart health.

The treatment of heart disease comes down to diet, diet, diet, exercise, and then medicine, in that order, he said. Procedures are like fire extinguishers. You need them when youre in the middle of a crisis, but they dont really change the course of the disease itself.

The general and interventional cardiologist takes care of patients with a broad variety of cardiovascular illnesses and performs procedures like catheterizations and stent placements.

Since 1996, Dr. Pancholy has been practicing in Clarks Summit, later opening North Penn Cardiovascular Specialists in 2007. His procedural practice is mainly in Regional Hospital of Scranton.

For 20 years, he has also been making trips to see patients in Tunkhannock.

Its been a very good journey for me as far as taking care of patients from Wyoming County and providing service to people who live over there, and working with the doctors in Wyoming County, particularly at Tyler Hospital, Pancholy said.

Outside of the office, Pancholy spends time trying to improve the field of cardiology through original inventions.

Were up to 20 different patents now in the USPTO and worldwide, he said. Were going to market our first device that we invented starting hopefully next month, and were just in the process of prototyping our second device. My whole focus is to make the catheterization procedure simpler and safer for patients.

Starting catheterization procedures from the groin used to be a common practice. In 2002, Pancholy learned an alternative method overseas, starting the procedure from the wrist instead.

We realized that one of the problems with the wrist is that sometimes the artery clogs up and shrivels up, he said. It blocks up the access for future procedures.

His device prevents the radial artery from clotting up and losing its patency.

The second invention in the works improves the transit of the catheters.

Our new device will allow the doctors to push these catheters safely through very unfriendly territory, he said. Its called a transporter catheter and its going to have four or five different embodiments.

Over the last two years, Pancholy has also trained in robotics for catheterization and stent procedures.

In December of 2018, he was part of a team overseas that performed a stent placement remotely from 20 miles away. Next year, he anticipates performing a transcontinental stent placement from Europe to India.

One day, he hopes this technology can become more widely applied to help patients in areas such as Tunkhannock.

Right now, our biggest problem in medicine is that we have a big shortage of doctors, and even a bigger shortage of specialized doctors, he said. If you can bring that expertise over the wire into a rural area, then I think the residents will have a lot to gain.

When it comes to heart health, its important to recognize warning signs such as abrupt changes in your ability to perform any type of exertion, Pancholy said. Discomfort in the chest and weak spells should also be red flags.

While various heart issues exist, Pancholy highlighted antherosclerotic heart disease caused by blockage in the arteries as a dangerous issue.

Every person has full control of how much plaque their arties build up by how they treat their body with their diet and their habits, he said.

While its never too late to change the bodys chemistry for the better, he said this education should begin with young children in schools before they grow into unhealthy adults.

Here were talking about health care expenditures as one of the biggest problems, he said. The bigger problem we are ignoring is the declining health of our population. Unless we fix that, nothing is going to fix our health crisis.

Local medical centers have plenty of educational resources, which Pancholy encouraged the public to use.

In acknowledgment of February as American Heart Month, Commonwealth Health has free heart health fairs planned for Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Regional Hospital (McGowan Conference Center, General Services Building, 743 Jefferson Ave., Scranton) and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital (1st Floor Concourse, Heart & Vascular Institute, 575 N. River St., Wilkes-Barre).

For more information, visit commonwealthhealth.net.

See original here:
Cardiologist promotes heart health - The Wyoming County Examiner

When it comes to high heat cooking, its incredibly important to choose an oil that is stable.

For instance, its recommended to never use hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats. On the other hand, other oils may be a surprise such as canola, grapeseed, soy, and corn. These oils have components called PUFAs polyunsaturated fatty acids which are unstable, especially when they are exposed to heat.

Therefore, not great for frying up those sweet potato fries!

So, what is a cook to do?

Choose high heat-friendly, plant-based oils! Lets take a deep dive into your pantry and get the skinny on unsafe and safe oils and how to make the best decision for your body and kitchen.

If you love to cook then you most likely have your favorite oils and generally more than one! For me, I have virgin avocado oil, virgin coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil on my shelf at all times. Avocado and coconut both go in the frying pan, while that olive oil is generally sprinkled on top of veggies for roasting or used raw on salads.

Yet, for beginners to the kitchen, how do you know which oil to use? On top of that, did you know that some oils are actually worse for your health when you heat them up?Yep, it turns out that some oils break down in the face of certain high heat temperatures and oxidize, which has been linked to unsavory health side effects including cancer.

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Oils are a product of an extraction and pressing process mostly from seeds and nuts, like sunflowers, almonds, walnuts, olives, avocados, coconuts, and even rice bran. All oils come with their own unique chemical composition, which means some oils are better suited for salads, while others are wonderful for searing tofu and veggies.

So, why are some oils unhealthy at high heats?

A lot of this is to blame on the PUFAs also called polyunsaturated fats a type of fatty acid. Unfortunately, PUFAs find their way into many processed food products and, when exposed to heat, can become damaging to the human body. This is all due to oxidation the point in which fats become unstable, go rancid, [and] become toxic.PUFAs are labeled as unstable fats more prone to oxidation, which, in turn, leads to free radicals, and can cause cellular damage in your body that can manifest both internally in the form of damaged organs/glands and externally in the form of rapidly aging skin. On top of that, when consumed these PUFAs can actually turn into trans fatty acids within our bodies and trans fats have actually been banned in the United States due to their dangerous health ramifications.

Where do you find PUFAs?

Well, the bad news, theyre present in nearly all foods (even vegetables). Of course, small amounts of unprocessed PUFA in a well-balanced diet are unlikely to cause issues, but the PUFAs you find in cooking oils that are made to be exposed to heat, are the dangerous ones.Cooking oils with the highest levels of PUFAs include canola oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, generic vegetable oils, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, margarine, [and] flaxseed oil.

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Youre looking at the grocery store shelf, youve avoided the above lit of obvious offenders, but youre now selected a wonderful bottle of refined avocado oil. Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points, so it should be safe right?

Not exactly. Youll want to think twice about purchasing a refined oil product.

When oil is refined, its gone through a process that uses chemicals that are harmful to us, whether that means treated with acid, or purified with an alkali, or bleached. On top of that, refined may also refer to a product that has been neutralized, filtered or deodorized all of which require chemicals like Hexane!

What else happens during the refining process?

Turns out that this purity process actually leads to the creation of PUFAs!

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Choosing an oil thats safe for your cooking needs depends largely on the level of heat and therefore the smoke point that youll be cooking with.

Alright, what in the heck is a smoke point?

In short, a smoke point is the threshold at which the oil becomes unstable. This means if youre cooking with high heat, such as stir-fry youll want an oil that has a high smoke point oil that is stable under higher temperatures, meaning it wont et oxidized, smoke, and become rancid and potentially harmful for consumption.

A_Different_Perspective/Pixabay

If youre just not sure what to use, its best to go with an oil that has a high smoke point. Yet, its not choosing a smoke point oil, theres lots more to it. Ask yourself, what nutrients am I getting from this oil? How about, does this meet my ethical standards? For those looking for high heat-friendly, nutritious, and vegan-friendly oils, here are a few to start with!

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The creme de la creme of plant-based oils is truly avocado oil. This oil is relatively new to the scene within the last couple of decades and quickly became a vegan-friendly favorite.

Refined avocado oil has a dramatically high smoke point of 520 degrees Fahrenheit, which means you can pretty much cook at your ranges highest heat and remain safe from those carcinogenic burn effects. With that said, if youre looking to avoid those refined oils, you can also go with virgin avocado oil with a smoke point of 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plus, avocado oil is loaded with the many nutrients that plain old avocados have!

Avocado oil is loaded with oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid polyunsaturated fat, and saturated fats. Youll also get a healthy dose of lutein, a carotenoid thats naturally found in your eyes, and may be linked to a reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.Along with a slew of vitamins and minerals, due to the high healthy fat content, avocado oil has been shown to help your body absorb nutrients.

Try using avocado oil in these super high heat recipes:Fried Chicken and Gravy, Southern-Fried Tofu With Maple Dill Sauce,Fried Rice,Broccoli, Green Bean, and Tofu Stir-fry, Cast-Iron Skillet Bibimbap or this Banana Peel Stir Fry.

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Refined coconut oil has a high smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit and it also happens to have a wonderfully rich coconutty flavor, while also pulling off being a superfood. Looking to avoid processed items? Go with unrefined or virgin coconut oil with a smoke point of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

All great things!

Coconut oil has quickly become a plant-based eaters go-to oil. It can pretty much be used for anything under the sun including baking, frying, and roasting. Coconut oil is perfect for making veggies crispy or thickening up a vegan batter.

This oil is also riddled with health benefits including increasing your bodys ability to burn fat, killing harmful microorganisms, reducing appetite, raising your HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), plus coconut oil has been known to boost the health of your hair, skin, and teeth.

One of the most astonishing health aspects of coconut oil is the medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs, which are popularly used in bulletproof coffee. MCTs have gained attention over the last few years for their impressive ability to boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy. These medium chain fats go straight to the liver, where they are used as a quick source of energy or turned into ketones which are champions at burning fat for energy.

As mentioned, coconut oil is very diverse as long as you dont mind a bit of coconutty flavor! Here are a few super-diverse recipes to give you inspiration! Asian Rice Soup, Zucchini Boats, Crunchy Peanut Butter Squares, Parsnips with Rosemary Butter and Walnuts, or these Almond Butter Swirl Brownies.

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You may think olive oil is best for baking, roasting, dipping, or salad dressings, yet light olive oil is a great substitute for high heat cooking. Extra light olive oil also a fancy way of saying refined has a smoke point of 465 degrees Fahrenheit.

Extra virgin olive oil unprocessed has a much lower smoke point of 325 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, yet you avoid the processed aspects of the oil.

Most of us are pretty familiar with extra virgin olive oil with its thick texture and luxurious flavors. Yet, what does light or extra light mean? Basically, these terms refer to the color and flavor of the olive oil, not its calorie content, and the label on the bottle should say something to this extent. When looking for that high smoke point olive oil, choose the bottle that says extra-light olive oil which means it can withstand hotter temperatures before breaking down.

Olive oil is known far and wide for its wonderful health benefits including decreasing heart disease, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing blood clots, reducing the risk of cancer, and lowering inflammation. This is mostly due to the fact that olive oil is riddled with healthy fat such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated as well as antioxidants.

For that unprocessed extra virgin olive oil, go with the roasted veggie or soup recipes or low-heat, slow simmer recipes such as Red Lentil Potato Soup, Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry, Pea Risotto With Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Tomato Coconut Soup, or this Spicy Maple Roasted Carrots.

PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay

Alright, so now you know the safest oils and maybe youve picked up a few other oils that are part you reserve stash. Now its time to get to actually cooking with these wonderful ingredients! Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Chickpea Fries/One Green Planet

Just because a food is fried doesnt mean its unhealthy! In fact, its all comes down to the type of food being fried and the oil youre using. For instance, any oil that has those super unstable PUFAs will be very unhealthy, while those high-heat safe oils can actually boost the nutritional value of said fried food.

First off, always heat your oil first before tossing the ingredients in the pot! Try to avoid getting that oil to the point of smoking generally between 300 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit and choose one of those stellar high heat oils such as avocado oil.

Quick and Easy Broccoli Stir Fry/One Green Planet

Sauteing is one of my favorite ways to cook my veggies! I feel more control over the cooked-ness of the veggie, plus I can do a mini-steam by plopping in a bit of water and covering it if I feel some of the veggies need a little softening.

Much like frying, youll want to start with a partially hot pan. Begin your sautee session with a smaller amount of oil, such as a tablespoon, as a little goes a long way. Add more as needed depending on the length of time youll be sauteeing.

As youll generally be using lower heats for a sautee, you can opt for either olive or coconut oil!

Colorful Roasted Root Veggies/One Green Planet

One of the most important lessons Ive learned when it comes to roasting veggies is that less is more when it comes to oils. For a baking sheet of carrots, peppers, and squash, I generally only use one to two tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil. If you overcoat, then you wont necessarily get that crisp or roasted shell on the veggie, plus they can get mushy.

Plus, make sure to use the appropriate oil for your intended goal!

For instance, when youre trying to get a good crispy outer layer on your veggie, go with a coconut or avocado oil, which will heat up quicker. Looking for a simple, soft roasted veggie with maybe a slight touch of golden brown? Opt for that extra virgin olive oil.

We also highly recommend downloading ourFood Monster App, which is available foriPhone, and can also be found onInstagramandFacebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

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Dietary Needs

As we enter 2020, the issue of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) continues to be a dark cloud that hangs over the dog food sector. And while U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators have been unable to find a causal relationship between DCM and dog foods rich in legumes or potatoes, the DCM impact will not likely to go away any time soon.

As scientists search for answers, dog food manufacturers are doing their own research on recipes and how to give consumers what they want in a diet that delivers proper nutrition to their dogs. And thats something that crosses all pet categories; balanced nutrition.

Whether the pets in question are corgis, collies, goldfish, gobies, hedgehogs, mice, cockatiels, finches, bearded dragons or turtles, diet is of optimal importance to their well-being, and not all animals are equal when it comes to nutrition. Thanks to transparency and the clean label trend, todays consumers want to know specifics on the sourcing of ingredients. Theyre looking for such terms as human-grade and organic, and theyre gravitating toward foods that are free of artificial additives and preservatives.

While there is a lot of variety to diets for dogs and cats, those for reptiles, small animals, birds and aquatic livestock are more specified based on the specific species of animal. When it comes to reptiles, brands are offering specially formulated diets, including commercially raised insects that are fed a high quality dietknown as gut-loadedbefore being fed to the companion pet to ensure its dietary needs are being met.

Among small animals, rabbits and chinchillas are fibrevores while ferrets are obligatory carnivores, so consumers obviously cannot expect them all to flourish on the same diet. And the lifestyle of companion birds are far different than that of their wild brethren, thus their diets should not be identical.

And the diets among aquatic livestock might be the most complex of all, as there are thousands of species being kept as pets. Not only does a fish require certain nutritional needs to be met for it to remain healthy, its diet will determine whether it will be able to reproduce.

Stella & Chewys Freeze-Dried Dinners

Formulated to mirror the best nutrition for pets. Stella & Chewys starts with responsibly sourced animal proteins (cage-free poultry, grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish), with no added hormones or antibiotics, and add wholesome fruits and vegetables. These freeze-dried dinners are complete and balanced, and they are 90 to 95 percent meat, organs and bones. They are made with no grains, are gluten-free and include probiotics to support digestion.

http://www.stellaandchewys.com

WellnessCORERawRev

WellnessCORERawRev recipes give pet parents a convenient way to addrawprotein to their dogs diet. Available in four recipes:OriginalDebonedTurkey, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal;OceanWhitefish, Herring Meal & Salmon Meal; Small BreedOriginal Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal; andPuppyDeboned Chicken, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal.

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com

Versele-Laga Complete Small Animal Food

Containing all nutritional elements, this complete, high-tech all-in-one extruded small animal food has an industry-leading palatability and prevents selective eating. Based on advanced scientific insights, the composition is tailored to pets to keep them in top form. Available for rabbits, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, degus, ferrets and more.

http://www.versele-laga.com

ZIWI Peak Pet Food

ZIWIPeakall-natural recipes use a slow andgentleair-drying method to eliminate pathogenic bacteria which preserving the nutrition of the raw ingredients. ZIWI Peaks proteins are100 percent free-range, grass-fed and grass-finished, ensuring the companys recipes are free from added growth hormones, antibiotics and GMOs.

http://www.ziwipets.com

Purina Oyster Strong System

Purinas Organic layer feed for chickens now includes the exclusive Oyster Strong System, meaning all the calcium hens need to stay healthy and lay strong-shelled eggs is included in the bagno supplements needed. Purina Organic layer feed is available in crumbles or pellets.

http://www.purina.com

Tiki Cat Raw

Tiki Cat Raw offers cats complete and balanced nutrition with the soft texture cats prefer. The single-protein formulas come in hermetically sealed food-safe tubs and are available in ground chicken or turkey plus liver options.

http://www.tikipets.com

Hills Science Diet Youthful Vitality

The Hills Science Diet Youthful Vitality formula contains ingredients that provide key nutrients important for aging cats (7 years old and older) to support brain function, energy and vitality, a healthy digestive system, luxurious fur and coat and healthy kidneys and bladder. It is available in chicken & rice recipe for dry food and tasty canned varieties in chicken, tuna and salmon.

http://www.hillspet.com

Sunseed SunSations Natural Parakeet Formula

Sunseed SunSations Parakeet is a natural diet with a variety of grains, seeds, pellets and specialty ingredients. Containing over 10 percent veggies, fruits and nuts, its the Sunthing Special that birds need and pet parents expect. What people wont find in SunSations are artificial colors and preservativesjust natural, delicious nutrition and foraging fun.

http://www.vitakraftsunseed.com

FEGNION

FEGNIONs biologically appropriate recipes consist of high-quality, fit-for-human consumption, single-species meat protein, raw bones and organs, sprinkled with minerals, vitamins and other trace nutrients. The products are free of fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, artificial colors, flavors, hormones, antibiotics and preservatives. The single-species meat recipes come frozen and are available in chicken, turkey and rabbit.

http://www.fegnion.com

Farmina N&D Rawcan

Farmina Pet Food N&D Rawcan is a one-step, gently steamed GMO-free wet food incorporating the highest quality European ingredients. Every formula is complete and precisely filled into BPA-free cans using a proprietary six-stage fill system so every can is nutritionally identical. All recipes are free of guar, xanthan, cassia, carrageenan and all industrial gums, and they have no water added for processing.

http://www.farmina.com/us

Grandma Maes Country Naturals

Grandma Maes Country Naturals has five new pts and three new slices in gravy canned cat formulas. Grain-free, carrageenan-free and non-GMO. All of the new formulas are supplemented with DL-methionine to promote and maintain urinary tract health.

http://www.grandmamaes.com

ZuPreem PastaBlendZuPreems line of daily pet bird food has fun pasta shapes and natural colors. It provides the essential vitamins and minerals birds need every day for good health and is available in three pellet sizes for medium birds, parrots and conures and large companion birds.

http://www.zupreem.com

Betta Worm Shaped Bites

Tetra Betta Worm Shaped Bites is a nutritionally complete worm-shaped food specifically tailored to the needs of bettas and other labyrinth fish. Designed to imitate the size, shape and color of natural bloodworms, the food floats on the waters surface to appeal to bettas by enticing their natural instinct to hunt.

http://www.tetra-fish.com

GO! SOLUTIONS

Petcureans GO! SOLUTIONS wet food collection includes 14 premium recipes for dogs and cats. Packaged in sustainable, recyclable and re-closeable Tetra Pak cartons, these pocket-sized packs of solutions-based nutrition provide functional wet food recipes for unique dietary needs, including picky eating, dandruff or dull coat and food sensitivities. Petcurean is currently the only company to offer the distinct textures of shredded, minced and pate, plus stews.

http://www.petcurean.com

Timberline Reptile Lunch Box

Timberlines Lunch Box contains 24-plus fresh, maintenance-free crickets boxed up and ready to go on the retail shelf. The packaging of each Lunch Box is clear plastic, so retailers and customers can see whats inside without having to worry about escapees. Each Lunch Box comes clearly marked with a born on date, allowing for seven days of shelf life, and customers get approximately seven days of home use, often more.

http://www.timberlinefresh.com

RAWZ Meal Free Dry Cat Food

RAWZ Meal Free Dry Cat Food is a minimally processed, rendered-free, dry food for cats. The first seven ingredients are real protein. It contains no added rendered chicken fat, and there is no added water. The diet offers a high-protein, low-carb, moderate-fat food for cats. The food is produced in small batches, and 100 percent of profits are donated to charity.

http://www.rawznaturalpetfood.com

Grandma Lucys Moxie

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Trends and Products: Dietary Needs - Pet Age

It is always advised to use less salt in your food. This advice is for you as well as high blood pressure patients. What you don't realize is that if you eat more salt, then you are inviting many such serious diseases. Salt contributes to the soaking of water in your body, which puts a greater burden on your heart and blood vessels. Not only this, it can increase the risk of bowel cancer, kidney disease, kidney stones, headaches and swelling and weight gain in the body. Start eating less salt in your food today. With the help of these special tips, it can be easy for you to reduce the use of salt.Read the labels First and foremost, you must read food labels regularly. When you buy processed food such as chips or other snacks, read the nutritional value on the label. It is advised to keep salt consumption under 2,300 mg or less a day. Look for 'no added salt' which means no salt was added during processing, but the product is not necessarily salt-free.

Use spices Use spices to taste. Always keep chili flakes and black pepper powder on the table. Add them to your food for increased flavour. If a recipe calls for a pinch of salt, replace it with onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, nutmeg, cumin, curry powder, ginger, coriander, bay leaves, green leaves of ajwain or dry mustard.

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Tips to reduce salt in your diet - Times of India

Babe Ruth Major League Baseball's legendary record-setter for home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage among others was reputed to enjoy a quart of bourbon and ginger ale for breakfast. That was accompanied by a porterhouse steak and a half-dozen fried eggs. In 1925, when he was just 30, he was hospitalized during spring training for binging on at least a dozen hot dogs in a single sitting.

Finding a nutritionist today who would recommend Ruth's diet is going to be tough. Even at the time, hot dogs and alcohol weren't exactly synonymous with healthy, high-performance eating. But how we approach athletic diets continues to evolve as new findings come to light.

For example, pregame prep is only part of the dietary equation. As nutritionist Michele Clarke-Mason points out, optimal post-game recovery, particularly in collision sports, now plays an increasingly important role in athletic diets.

"Especially in the past, you talk about athletic nutrition, and everyone went straight to the macronutrients. How many carbs should I have? How much protein should I have? Do I avoid fat? For me, recovery is about the micronutrients your antioxidants, your minerals, your vitamins," she says.

"And I throw probiotics in with those micronutrients. They are vital for good digestion and immune health. If you have a really healthy population of gut bacteria, you will be getting a low-level amount of some of the B vitamins on a regular basis. You break down your foods better. They feed and are sort of the housekeepers of the lining of your digestive tract."

Clarke-Mason knows a thing or two about supporting safe, speedy recovery processes in collision sports. Between 2013 and 2019, she worked as a nutrition consultant for the Seahawks. More recently, she's started working with Seattle's pro rugby team, the Seawolves, and launched a specialized catering service for sports teams called Veracious True Foods.

The name of her company is a good indication of her wider nutritional philosophy for athletes. Avoid highly processed foods. Keep refined sugar intake to a minimum between games. And don't treat supplements like a substitute for good eating.

"Because all the advertising we see is on sports products and sports supplements, the general public envisions athletes with tables full of pills and powders and drinks. In my style of nutrition, that's the fine-tuning. That isn't the foundation or the basis at all," she says. "I'm wary of anything that says it will fix X. The body's far more complicated and things work in concert with each other."

Quinn Width photo

Nutrition-planning for high level athletes, like Seattle's Seawolves rugby players, doesn't rely on supplements.

Hailey Haukeli, an assistant athletic trainer with men's basketball at Eastern Washington University, adopts a similar mindset.

"We try to avoid all processed foods," she says. "One thing that the guys are taught to do when they go grocery shopping is to stay on the outside of the aisles. The aisles are where the processed food is. The outside is where the fresh fruit and vegetables are. It's being mindful of what you're putting in your body and how that's going to make you perform on the court."

Unsurprisingly, that rule of thumb doesn't deviate much from general dietary advice. That's why a pregame meal for the EWU basketball team is very similar to a hearty, balanced meal on anyone's table.

"When we're at home, if the game is a six o'clock, usually we'll eat around two. That always consists of whole-grain pasta with a red sauce. We don't do white sauce because it's too high in fat. And then there will be chicken and always salad with it as well. There's usually a fruit salad with cantaloupe, pineapple and grapes that they have on the side too," she says.

Meals before earlier weekend games are a lot like "breakfast foods," such as "eggs, potatoes, turkey bacon, sausage."

For athletes, much like everyone else, the potential pitfalls come when healthy options aren't readily available. That's when fast food and processed snacks a burger combo meal or a gas-station burrito become tempting. Clarke-Mason says that organization is the best defense against the lure of quick-and-easy convenience. She encourages players to travel with a bag of nuts or a high-quality protein bar for that reason.

For Haukeli and the EWU athletic staff, advance nutritional planning can be almost like military-style mobilization.

"Our director of ops will look at the restaurants around the area that we're staying in. More times than not, we end up getting food catered to our hotel, so when we have a pregame meal it looks just like it does here," she says.

"One other thing is that we actually travel with a Ninja blender. When we get to where we're going, the managers will go to the nearest grocery store and get a bunch of frozen fruit, bananas and coconut water. They'll make smoothies for the guys that they have in addition to whatever meal we're having."

And the Babe Ruth diet? The idea that athletes can eat whatever they want without compromising their performance is one of the most persistent misconceptions that both Haukeli and Clarke-Mason have to counter.

"I've been told this by young adult athletes that they can eat whatever they want because they're so active. And that speaks back to recovery. I'm not anti-fat at all, but the fats used in processed foods tend to be fats that feed the inflammation process. So there is a cost. Just because you can compensate for the calories doesn't mean it's serving your body in its best capacity," Clarke-Mason says.

Even a legend can't argue with that. In the year that Ruth was hospitalized for his hot dog binge, the Sultan of Swing had his lowest-performing season with the Yankees.

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Athletic diets can vary from sport to sport, but the ground rules for healthy eating are the same - Pacific Northwest Inlander

Theres a lot more you can do to de-food fret and overcome your food-related anxieties, self-recrimination, judgment, and guilt. Here are some suggestions to transcend the cycle of dieting and obsessing about food and weight.

Dont obsess about dieting. One consequence of ongoing dieting can be increased obsession about food, eating, and weight. Indeed, more and more research is linking traditional dieting with increased risk of weight gain. Consider dieting in the best sense of the word: as a way of life and eating were telling you about in this book.

And consider this: from the perspective of the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle, food in itself is not sinful, good, bad, right, or wrongunless youre projecting moral attributes onto it and onto yourself! Nor is food something to be counted, feared, and analyzed. In other words, Im suggesting that, instead of viewing food through the lens of todays new normal of judgment, relate to it as an expression of the ancient meaning of the word diet, in the lens of Whole Person Integrative Eating: as a social, ceremonial, and sensual delight and as a gift that enhances your physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being each time you eat.

Stop counting calories compulsively. Traditional diets that ask you to restrict calories and to eat by the numbers (counting calories, fat grams, and so on) dont work for the long term. Counting calories by itself is not a problem; a compulsive and obsessive attitude about calories is. To lose weight, consider other ways of relating to food so that each time you eat you have an enjoyable experience that nourishes your entire being. Instead of staying lost in a maze of measurements, nutrients, and numbers, focus on fresh foods (see chapter 8, Fast Foodism Rx: Get Fresh for more about this), delicious flavors, the profound pleasure of eating, and the de- light you take in dining with others. In other words, bring heartfelt appreciation to all aspects of the dining experience.

Give up guilt-tripping when you overeat. Guilt and its relativesself-reproach, shame, remorse, and blameare part of a food fretters relationship to food. Its all about what is right and what is wrong. Eat something wrong that isnt in your diet, that you shouldnt eat, or that tastes sinful, andif youre a food fretteryoure likely to respond with guilt.

Consider this: guilt isnt a real feeling. At its core lies the belief youve done something wrong, and now you must suffer for it. To break that conviction and get the upper hand over guilt, change what you choose to believe with the WPIE guideline of bringing heartfelt appreciation to foodand its origins. If you overeat, appreciate and savor the experience. Should you relapse, enjoy the experienceespecially if it was with food you like! Finally, forgive yourself, for forgiveness is a necessity in any relationshipincluding the one you have with food. Then return to your usual Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle.

Cease obsessing. If youre fixated on and preoccupied with food-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, if you think or worry about food or weight constantly and compulsively, you are obsessing. The way out is to step from the shade in which youre living, into the sunshine. Our WPIE Guided Meal Meditation in chapter 13 in this book can help you do this. It can show you how to replace obsessive, food-related thoughts and feelings with the nourishing guidelines (fresh food, positive feelings, mindfulness, gratitude, loving regard, and sharing) inherent in Whole Person Integrative Eating.

Cultivate awareness. To overcome Food Fretting, familiarize yourself with the strongest elements of food fretters: obsessing about food; anxiety about the best way to eat; food cravings; and feeling bad, guilty, or gluttonous in response to overeating. The second step: when one of these elements surfaces, cultivate awareness by having a self-monitoring strategy in place that you can turn to, such as keeping a log of any critical, judgmental, or obsessive thoughts you may have. Then pause, take a slow, deep breath, and let the thought pass on.

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Ensure That Your Dinner Evokes Feelings of Gratitude Instead of Guilt - Thrive Global

In 2019, the "wellness" world was dominated by CBD (cannabidiol), meditation and intermittent fasting. At a time when the global wellness industry is worth $4 trillion, according to CB Insights, what comes next?

Experts from the Global Wellness Summit (GWS), an international organization made up of spa and wellness industry leaders, made their predictions for the biggest health trends of 2020. Their forecasts are based on interviews, keynotes and debates from 550 executives, doctors, academics and finance professionals in the wellness market. Here are five of the fads they say will be big this year.

Whether you're a morning bird like Tim Cook, or prefer to take naps like Bill Gates, sleep and routine can drastically impact your productivity and health. But according to the GWS report, "circadian health optimization," or adjusting your schedule, diet and environment to sync with your body's internal clock will replace the current obsession with sleep tracking.

Research suggests that circadian rhythms influence several bodily functions from your hormones to your body temperature, and they also determine your sleep patterns. Soon you might shift your work schedule in accordance with your "chronotype," or your preference for morning or night, in order to optimize your performance and be more productive throughout the day. Or you may time your meals so that you're only eating during the daytime and fasting when it's dark. (There's some evidence that eating within an eight-to-10-hour window can improve your metabolic health, including your blood pressure and glucose control.)

As for products, "wellness homes" are already a trend, and they're often outfitted with smart light bulbs that adjust lighting to boost your energy when you're awake and calm you for sleep at night. Jet lag apps like Timeshifter create a customized schedule (complete with advice like "see bright light" and "avoid caffeine") to get your rhythm on track. And given the connection between circadian rhythm and body temperature, wearable devices like the $299 Embr Wave cool or heat your body temperature to help you fall asleep faster and wake up refreshed.

About 42.6% of the 46.6 million adults living with any mental illness in the U.S. received mental health treatment in 2017, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And half of millennials and 75% of Gen-Zers have left a job, both voluntarily and involuntarily, partially due to mental health reasons, according to a recent study.

Many people who have demanding schedules struggle to find time for therapy appointments, but digital solutions help, according to the GWS report. Beyond just therapy apps or teletherapy platforms, the GWS expects virtual reality therapy, meditation headsets that measure your heart and breathing rate and wearable biosensors that look out for physiological symptoms of stress and anxiety, will fill that gap.

While the idea of a sabbatical may not be new, the GWS report highlights the need for a wellness-focused retreats to ward off workplace burnout and find "the ideal personal balance of work and wellness pursuits."

The idea behind wellness sabbaticals is to keep working remotely, but take time away from your usual work environment to focus on a project and devote time to your well-being. Some travel companies have started to offer unstructured wellness getaway packages that cater to working professionals, or are specifically designed to address burnout, according to the report.

For example, the Kamalaya resort in Koh Samui, Thailand, offers a 21-day "Well-being Sabbatical" that's described as "an immersive wellness experience that simultaneously accommodates your need to stay on top of business." The startup Amble, on the other hand, gives creative professionals the opportunity to take a crowd-funded, sabbatical to visit and work for the National Parks Service for a month.

With more than half of the babies born in Japan likely to live to 100, Japan is finding ways to ensure that their long lives are fulfilling, including increasing community and work-life balance. According to the GWS report, the rest of the world is taking notice. The result? J-wellness, or Japanese-inspired wellness.

For instance, people in Japan work so much there's actually word for "death by overwork," called "karoshi." To combat this, in 2015, the Japanese government implemented a "Stress Check Program" for workplaces with more than 50 employees, as a way to prevent burnout and improve workers' mental health. The GWS report suggests that more countries will adopt these types of assessments.

J-wellness also includes things like forest bathing, or "shirin-yoku," a practice that involves connecting all five senses to nature, according to the report. Studies suggest that forest bathing can have a beneficial effect on people's mental and physical health, reducing blood pressure, stress hormones, as well as anxiety and depression levels. In Japan, there are 62 therapeutic forests for people to explore, but regardless of where you live research has found that walking in nature can boost your creativity and increase your cognitive functioning.

Infertility is common, with about 12 out of 100 couples in the U.S. struggling to become pregnant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Given the increased awareness around infertility, more companies are offering fertility treatments including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), egg-freezing and other reproductive assistance technologies as benefits for both men and women employees looking to start a family.

However fertility benefits don't cover everything, and the average cost of a single round of IVF is over $20,000 (and most people require multiple rounds) according to FertilityIQ. So the GWS report predicts that fertility clinics, as well as fertility wearable trackers such as Ava and apps that help people learn about and keep track of important metrics that affect fertility, including ovulation and fertile days, will further democratize and simplify access to care.

Investors are also taking note of femtech start-ups: The fertility start-up KindBody, for example, received $10 million in funding from GV in December, bringing their total funding to $32 million. "Silicon Valley seems more keen to bankroll such initiatives," according to the report. As a sector, femtech could reach a market size of $50 billion by 2025, according to a 2018 study from Frost & Sullivan.

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From 'internal clock' diets to VR therapy sessions, 5 wellness fads to watch - CNBC

What are you getting yourself into if you commit to one of these diets?

The Paleo diet mimics the kind of food early humans used to consume, in the belief that our bodies are not able to handle the modern diet that has come about because of modern farming practices. The Paleo diet includes food that could be obtained through the prehistoric method of hunting and gathering: lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds (via Mayo Clinic).

TheMediterranean diet adopts the eating habits seen in cuisines around the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. It involves consuming plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oils. People on the Mediterranean diet can also expect to see less meat and dairy. Doctors have given the plan two thumbs up because the say can lead to a healthier heart (via National Health Service).

Intermittent fasting is just as it sounds: You fast for certain periods throughout the day. There are a few ways to go about intermittent fasting, and they may not work the same way. "There is evidence to suggest that the circadian rhythm fasting approach, where meals are restricted to an eight to 10-hour period of the daytime, is effective, [but people should] use an eating approach that works for them and is sustainable to them," metabolic expert Deborah Wexler tells Harvard. Researchas reported in Cell Metabolism also shows that the earlier the food window, the better the results.

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Study shows Paleo diet gets the worst results - The List

From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the food we eat, almost everything in our environment is laced with man-made chemicals and toxic substances. Yet, it doesnt stop there. Toxins are also promoted within the human body by sedentary lifestyle habits, poor diets lacking in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.In short, our organs of detoxification and excretion are overwhelmed and our body is overloaded with waste products and toxic metabolites which render it vulnerable to all sorts of bacteria and viruses.

This is a terrifying statement, one which is relatively true, and yet it spurs people to make the wrong decisions about dealing with said toxins.

Im talking about artificial, marketed detox and cleanse programs.

If you havent taken part in one of these, then youre probably one of the few. This seemingly healthy and necessary trend has taken the health and wellness world by storm, sucking in even the most prominent voices of right and reason.

Of course, when you get right down to the science of the human body, most detoxes and cleanses arent healthy and definitely arent necessary.

Alright, yes, its oftentimes a good idea to give your body a break from the baked goods, processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar-heavy products, especially following the holiday season. Infusing your diet with lots of plant-based foods that are high in dietary fiber, protein, healthy fats, and loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while also cutting the processed products is an extra step that will do your body and mind a world of favors.

Yet, this is what is called eating healthy, not cleansing or detoxing.

Not only is their confusion around the need to detox or cleanse, but, as you can see, theres also a whole lot of confusion around the terms, what they mean, and what they entail.

More and more research is surfacing about detox and cleansing programs in which people follow a highly restrictive diet for a short (or lengthy) period of time that claims to boost your bodys ability to rid itself of toxins. While there are definite ways to aid your body in detoxifying such as increasing certain foods that boost the health of natural toxin filtering organs and systems your body is already detoxing on a regular basis, every day!

StockSnap/Pixabay

First and foremost, lets take a stab at defining the terms.

Detoxification refers to diets, regimens, and therapies sometimes called detoxes or cleanses that promise to remove toxins from your body, [help you] lose weight, or promote health. The problem with defining a detox is that there actually isnt one single definition, but a variety of approaches that can be devised by a medical doctor, a naturopath, a nutritionist, or your next-door neighbor. Some of the most popular detox approaches include fasting, drinking juices or beverages, eating only certain foods, using dietary supplements, using herbs, reducing environmental exposures, or even using a sauna.

Cleanses follow many of the same guidelines as detoxes, except they generally include more over-the-counter products. These OTC products are well-known for cleansing certain parts of your body such as your digestive tract or lymphatic system. For example, one of the most popular cleanses happens to be a colon cleanse, which is performed by enemas, laxatives, or colon hydrotherapy (also called colonic irrigation or colonics).

Why is healthy eating lumped into the same category as detoxification and cleanse?

The human body is a natural detoxifier, thats why we have a host of organs and systems that naturally detox our bodies on a regular basis through fecal mater, through urine, through our pores, and so on. What we eat is a crucial component for a healthy body and therefore healthy detoxification. By eating a diet rich in plant-based foods that are filled with dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, youre basically boosting your bodys ability to rid itself of those toxins and environmental stimulants on a daily basis.

Eating a healthy diet is a forever detox that doesnt involve highly restrictive habits, chemical products, or uncomfortable cleanses.

PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay

Ive talked the talk about the human body detoxifying itself on a regular basis, but how exactly does this take place?If youre geared up to really enhance your bodys ability to detox, then this is the first step education on the natural detoxification systems. Below are the main organs that provide detoxification. Keep in mind, there are more to the puzzle, such as skin and the respiratory tract, yet the below highlighted are the main game-changers.

LJNovaScotia/Pixabay

First, lets tackle the big behemoth, the liver.

The liver represents the bodys major detoxification system. To begin, this organ inactivates and removes toxic substances that have been ingested, including many environmental factors such as food additives, harmful minerals, toxic medications, [and] excess hormones. On top of that, the liver also extracts residues and waste material from the blood and excretes them via the intestines or kidneys. What about protection from natural dangerous agents? The liver is there for you! Within the liver, there are Kupffers cells, which filter and destroy foreign invaders such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and cancerous cells.

As I said, the liver is a behemoth when it comes to detoxing the body!

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Next up? The kidneys! The liver and kidneys play many roles in tandem, yet you need both of them at high functioning levels to really get those toxins out of your body.

Your kidneys purify the blood from harmful substances, such as toxic medications and other chemical substances, by filtering them out of the blood and excreting them in the form of urine. On top of that, the kidneys also remove acid that is produced by the cells of your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in your blood. Why is this important? Without proper balance the bodys nerves, muscles, and other tissues may not work normally.

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When you think of the intestines, you may not realize that the tract stretches all the way from the mouth to the colon. Plus, its notjustfor digestion, but the intestines are also tasked with the elimination of toxins. Digestion takes center stage, yet as soon as the different phases of digestion are completed, the nutrients, penetrate through the intestinal mucous membranes and are transported to the liver.

Yes! Were back to the liver momentarily.

The liver does what it does best detoxes then redistributes the nutrients into the bloodstream and the various chemicals, toxins, drugs, heavy metals and excess sex hormones that were extracted, are dumped by the liver into the bile at which time they are carried back into the small intestine. From the small intestines, these toxic materials continue through the intestinal tract to exit the body in the stool.

You may think the intestines are done, but not quite.

The last step of the process takes place in the colon, where whatever can still be utilized such as fiber, is broken down with the help of the intestinal micro flora, and is transported to the liver for detoxification. The remaining insufficiently digested, large alimentary molecules and toxic residues remain in the intestines to be excreted with the fecal matter.

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While the liver is a behemoth in the detox department, the lymphatic system is both a detoxifying force, as well as our bodys main line of defense against foreign invaders. The lymphatic system not only aims to defend the body, but its also one of the main agents in the purification of the body fluids.

At all times, there are about two liters of lymph fluid [circulating] in our lymphatic vessels that cover the body from the tips of the toes to the top of the head. This lymph fluid allows the waste products to leave the cells and be carried away to the venous bloodstream and evacuated. The network is vast: lymphatic capillaries lead to lymphatic vessels and finally to the lymphatic glands.The entire system is necessary, yet the glands are really where the action is at. Lymphatic glands are stations where infectious agents are filtered and lymphocytes (white blood cells, the police) are produced.

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Youve definitely heard about the spleen and you know you have one, but did you know its one of the main components of your detox system?

First off, the spleen is part of your bodys lymphatic system and its main job is to filter your blood. Along with filtering your blood of toxins, your spleen also affects the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body, and the number of platelets, which are cells that help your blood to clot. On top of that, when the spleen detects bacteria, viruses, or other germs in your blood, it produces white blood cells, called lymphocytes, to fight off these infections.

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I may be ragging on detox programs, yet seeking to get your body healthy is an admirable goal. In fact, humans have been practicing this health trend for thousands of years. From the Native American sauna-like sweat lodge practices to the bloodletting, enemas, and fasting of the 20th century, were dead set on getting rid of those bad bugs in our bodies.

With that said, besides mentally tricking us into feeling healthier, are detoxes and cleanses actually healthy?

Based on emerging research, the answer grows closer and closer to an outright no with a side of high health risks. This is especially compounded by the fact that many people go into detox programs and cleanses withoutseeking medical advice.

In a recent article published by the Harvard Medical School, Harvard Womens Health Watch entitledThe Dubious Practice of Detox,each of the most popular types of detoxes and cleanses were analyzed in regards to actual scientific evidence regarding effectiveness.

Here are two specific cases, which outline why detoxes and cleanses are not only unnecessary but oftentimes dangerous.

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One of the most relevant examples was the analysis of the Master Cleanse Diet involving a 10-day diet of warm salt water, a concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, and a cup of laxative tea. The analysis found that during the cleanse, dieters lose weight drastically, mostly from fluid loss, frequent bowel movements, or diarrhea produced by saltwater and laxative tea. Yet, once the dieter resumes normal eating, rapid weight gain follows.

Plus, the health risks of this diet are far greater then what youmaygain.

First off, the Master Cleanse is lacking in protein, fatty acids, and other essential nutrients, as well as carbohydrates. Basically, youre starving your body of the nutrients it needs to actually detox naturally. On top of that, the daily laxative regimen can cause dehydration, deplete electrolytes, and impair normal bowel function, all of which, once again, disrupt your natural detox systems. This cleanse has also been shown to disrupt the native intestinal flora, [the] microorganisms that perform useful digestive functions, which if the diet is performed regularly can lead to metabolic acidosis, a disruption of the bodys acid-base balance. Metabolic acidosis can lead to coma and death.

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If you havent seen the pictures on the internet of intestinal cleansing, then you count yourself lucky. Basically, an intestinal cleanse is meant to shave off all the icky buildup on the inside of your colon, leaving it smooth and shiny and clear of debris.

Yet, dont let those pictures persuade you into performing this cleanse. First off, many of these pictures are actually faked. Secondly, when they arent faux, they are probably showing stool generated by large doses of the regimens fiber supplement. In short, youre paying for a cleanse to help you have a large bowel movement.

Per The Dubious Practice of Detox article, theres actually no medical evidence for the cleansing procedure as a whole. Furthermore, the analysis of intestinal cleanses found that the rational to dislodge material adhering to the colon walls is fundamentally mistaken. How so? Well, the article explained that when fecal matter accumulates, it compacts into firm masses in the open interior of the colon; it does not adhere to the intestinal walls as the sludge depicted in the advertisements.

Lets just call a spade a spade its a scam.

Plus, intestinal cleanses follow the same risk guidelines as the Master Cleanse with a drastically increased risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, impaired bowel function, and disruption of intestinal flora, all of which negatively affect your bodys ability to naturally detox.

Bright Beet Salad With Quinoa In a Citrus Vinaigrette/One Green Planet

Alright, so detoxes and cleanses aside, how can you boost your bodys ability to kick those environmental and internal toxins to the curb? Start out by making sure your detoxing organs and systems have the nourishment and care they need. Luckily, fiber-rich and antioxidant-packed plant-based foods are the best way to make this happen!

Whether you love em or hate em, beets are one of the best plant-based foods to keep in your kitchen! Theyre incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron. Plus, these vibrantly colored veggies contain high levels of antioxidants and other health-promoting properties. When it comes to detoxing, beet juice can amplify specific enzymes that support the liver and aid in detoxification.

Try out a few of these make-you-love beets recipes: Flourless Cake with Walnut and Fig Crust, Beet and Balsamic Hummus, Beetroot Cake Porridge, Pink Latte, Orange Vinaigrette Beetroot Salad, or this super simple Beet Soup.

Apple Chia Jam/One Green Planet

Apples are not only a super easy snack to take on the road, but they are also a great healthy treat to curb that sweet tooth! On top of that, theyre known as a great aid for your bodys detoxification systems. Apples contain a soluble fiber called pectin, which helps purge toxins from the bloodstream and lower LDL cholesterol.

Plus, cooking with apples couldnt be easier! Slice them up raw for a snack or try some plant-based creations: Apple Pie, Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Porridge, Half Rainbow Salad, Fermented Apple Probiotic Butter, Fresh Apple Cinnamon Juice, or this Apple Chia Jam.

Super Green Parsley and Cilantro Smoothie/One Green Planet

Much like beets, cilantro is one of those foods that people either love or hate. Except, when it comes to cilantro, your dislike may be implanted in your DNA! With that said, no matter what, cilantro has always been known as one of the best plant-based herbs to boost your bodys detoxification. Why is this? Cilantro is whats called a chelator, which means it binds to heavy metals and [helps] your body excrete them. Per a 2013Scientific World Journalstudy, cilantro can enhance mercury excretion and decrease lead absorption.

Looking to get cilantro in your kitchen? Here are a few fun ways to utilize this heavy metal-fighting herb:Mint and Cilantro Chutney With Ginger, Cilantro, Lime, and Black Bean Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, Cilantro Lime Glazed Chickpeas With Mango Salsa,Super Green Parsley and Cilantro Smoothie, or these Cilantro Lime Tacos.

Spicy Carrot Clementine Juice/One Green Planet

So, this one may not be a plant-basedfoodperse, but water is an integral component of a healthy body. Water regulates your body temperature, lubricates joints, aids digestion and nutrient absorption, and detoxifies your body by removing waste products. Yep, water is an essential component for ridding yourself of toxins and waste! This lovely, plentiful liquid transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing, or sweating.

But, this doesnt mean you have to focus on drinking plain old water! You can mix that water up into yummy beverages to get your daily hydration such as Good Morning Beet Juice, Fresh Lavender Lemonade, Raw Turmeric Ginger Smoothie, Juicy Grapefruit Green Juice, or this Spicy Carrot Clementine Juice.

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Originally posted here:
The Dangers of Detox Diets and Products - One Green Planet