If youve spent any time on TikToklately, you already know that people aredowning chlorophyll drops like crazy, to help boost energylevels, clear up their skin, promote quick weight loss, and even reduce body odor.The tempting promise is thatjust by adding 15 drops of liquid chlorophyll to your water voila! the benefits arrive. But is this actually true? And with these touted benefits could there be a downside to chlorophyll? Here's the unvarnished truth about nature's green juice.

The green pigments you see in plants and algae are actually chlorophyll. It helps plants convertenergyfrom the sun and soil, to grow. Chlorophyll works by absorbing the sun's rays as the plant goes through photosynthesis. It contains vitamins, antioxidants, and other therapeutic properties that may be beneficial to our health.

The liquid chlorophyll in those chlorophyll drops that many people are using to create their green water arent fully chlorophyll. Instead,the drops are a combination of chlorophyll with sodium and copper salts that forms chlorophyllina version of chlorophyll thats believed to be more absorbable by the body. The FDA states that adults and children over the age of 12 can safely consume 100 to 200 milligrams of chlorophyllin daily,but should not exceed 300 milligrams.

Theres a surprising amount of research that showcases the potential benefits chlorophyll (and chlorophyllin) can bring to our body, but not all have been done on humans or consist of using liquid chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll may potentially give you the clear skin of your dreams, but only when used in topical form. A small 2015 study found that individuals dealing with acne and enlarged pores noticed an improvement in their skin when using a topical chlorophyllin gel afterthree weeks. Anotherstudy found similar benefits using topical chlorophyllin, but this time participants saw an improvement in sun-damaged skin aftereight weeks of use.

There are many products and supplements that claim they help detoxify your body, and is chlorophyll water any different? First things first, your body naturally detoxifies itself through both your kidneys and your liver. Regardless of whetheryou've used alcohol, taken a drug, or ingested another foreign substancesuch as pesticides in your fruit or vegetables, the liver's job is to filter out those unwelcome toxic chemicals and release them throughyour urine. What chlorophyll water could potentially do is support both the liver and kidneys by keeping them strong and pumping along at optimal levels in order to function properly.

A 2019 animal study published in the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research found that chlorophyll was helpful in reducing oxidative stress in the liver. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals (bad) and antioxidants (good). When this occurs, it impacts the liver's ability to detoxify these bad guys. This can lead to cell and tissue damage.

When it comes to human research,the science is very limited: A very small study from 2009 consisted of four volunteers. The results found that taking chlorophyll may limit ingested aflatoxin, which is a compound that has been linked with cancer.

There is very limited research on whether or not sipping chlorophyll water can help with weight loss. A small study from way back in 2014 consisting of just 38 females who took a chlorophyll-containing green plant membrane supplement every day before breakfast for 12 weeks showed some benefit: The results found that those taking the supplement had greater weight loss than those who were consuming the placebo. The supplement group also saw improvements in cholesterol levels and had decreased cravings for sweets.

Although the science behind chlorophyll looks promising, there needs to be larger human studies (and review of populations taking it for longer periods of time) to confirm these preliminary results. Much of the current research also doesnt solely focus on chlorophyll. There may be other factors that are playing a role in these benefits, since chlorophyll is solely found in healthy, nutrient-dense green vegetables. So it could be that greater benefits come from eating leafy greens and high-fiber vegetables.

You dont have to hop on Amazon or make a dash to your nearest health food store to get liquid chlorophyllto reap the benefits of this natural green liquid. Chlorophyll can easily be incorporated into your diet just by choosing fresh green veggies. Someof the best include:

The green veggies arethe onesthat contain chlorophyll, but the amounts may vary. For example, spinach contains more chlorophyll than broccoli because of its intense green pigment. Although broccoli is quite green on the outside, when you cut into it, the color lightens into a whitish color, which indicates it has a smaller amount of chlorophyll. You could even make your own chlorophyll water by taking a handful of parsley and blending it up with water.

Incorporating these foods into your dietalso comes with many short-term and long-term health benefits, and not just because of their chlorophyll content.Leafy green vegetableslike spinach and kale are chock full of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, iron, and fiber.

Before you hop on the liquid chlorophyll train, have a conversation with your doctor to ensure its safe for you to have this green beverage regularly. You should avoid taking chlorophyll supplements if youre currently pregnant or breastfeeding, as the effects of itare unknown. If youre given the okay, start slow. High doses of chlorophyll may bring side effects including gastrointestinal cramping, diarrhea, or dark green stools.When choosing a supplement keep in mind that the FDA does not regulate these since, they are considered food, not drugs, and food products do not need approval before being released to the public to buy. Check for supplements that contain a GMP stamp of approval. This means Good Manufacturing Practices, which are regulations that the FDA has in place for those that manufacture, package, or hold dietary supplements. This ensures the identity, purity, quality, strength, and composition of the supplement youre receiving.

Bottom Line: There is no major downside to chlorophyll unless you consume too much of it, which is over100 to 200 milligrams of chlorophyllin daily, but the best way to get your greens is by eating them.

Read more from the original source:
Should You Be Taking Chlorophyll? An RD Explains the Risks - The Beet

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Editors note:Destination Health is produced in a partnership with Millennium Physician Group. The views expressed here and in all Destination Health articles are those of the author/MPG and do not necessarily reflect the views of Waterman Broadcasting or NBC2.

Intermittent fasting has become a popular option in helping drop those pandemic pounds. Cardiologist Dr. Brian Taschner says the benefits may go far beyond just shedding a little extra weight. The one thats actually most common now, is what they call time-restricted feeding, says Dr. Taschner. And this is where people leave a fasting interval.

A popular fasting interval is 16 hours: that means eight hours of eating and 16 hours of fasting, but Dr. Taschner says shorter intervals may be easier for some people. There are benefits that come even with 12 hours, 14 hours. Sixteen hours may be a little bit more beneficial if youre trying to lose weight. Probably because in part, were just consuming less calories.

Whatever the fasting interval, researchers have found proven benefits to time-restricted eating. Reduced cholesterol, making diabetes better so people become less insulin resistant, reduced markers of inflammation, there are anti-aging properties, says Dr. Taschner.

Research also shows that when you fast may be more important than how long you fast. Part of time-restricted feeding means that we shouldnt eat late at night, explains Dr. Taschner. We should stop eating three to four hours before we go to bed.

Dr. Taschner also says people who consume more of their calories earlier in the day tend to lose more weight and can lower their inflammation and insulin resistance.

Read the original here:
Destination Health: The Fast Track to Weight Loss - NBC2 News

Fat burners are among the most popular fitness supplements in the world. While fat burners began as specialist bodybuilding supplements, today they are used by a huge variety of people, from bodybuilders and powerlifters to MMA fighters and endurance athletes.

A growing number of fat burners are now also being made for your average person who struggles to lose body fat, especially stubborn fat like belly fat. Gone are the days when fat burning supplements were highly specialized products designed for experienced, high performance athletes!

Of course, this has led to an explosion in the number of fat burners on the market. Right now there are hundreds, potentially thousands of fat burning supplements on sale. All of them claim to help you lose weight fast, boost your metabolism, help get rid of stubborn stored fat, and retain muscle mass.

Obviously, just about every fat burner on the market today claims to be the best fat burner in the world. They all claim to offer superior ingredients, the best value for money, and no side effects at all.

Just as obviously, not every fat burner can really be the best. In reality, the majority of fat burners on sale today are of extremely low quality; they are full of untested, useless ingredients, theyre overpriced, and some are downright dangerous.

So how do you choose a fat burner?

In this article, were going to take you through the most effective fat burning supplements in the world today. We will explain what fat burners are, how they work, the side effect risks, and more. We will also give you our recommendation for the best fat burner to use for maximum fat loss and muscle retention.

The best fat burning supplement on sale right now is, hands down, Burn Lab Pro. This is a brand new supplement, but Burn Lab Pro is already listed as one of the best fat burners on many bodybuilding websites, and reviews from users are extremely positive.

Try Burn Lab Pro Here

The reason Burn Lab Pro is such a good fat burner is simple; the ingredients. No other fat burner or weight loss pill in the world right now comes close to offering the same kind of ingredient quality as Burn Lab Pro. Just check out the ingredients list:

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Each serving of Burn Lab Pro delivers a high-spec, perfectly calibrated blend of proven, effective fat burning ingredients. Each ingredient is in its most potent, branded form, and the doses are right in line with those used in clinical trials. The formula is as pure and as powerful as you can get with a 100% natural, plant-based supplement.

Another thing that impressed us about Burn Lab Pro is that it is a full-spectrum fat burning supplement. The benefits you are likely to get from using Burn Lab Pro include:

This last point muscle retention is very important. Many low quality diet pills out there can help you lose weight. Lots of them can even specifically promote fat loss. But most of them do so by stuffing you full of stimulants, artificially suppressing your appetite and triggering muscle catabolism.

Burn Lab Pro utilizes highly-bioavailable HMB to prevent your body breaking down muscle mass when in a fasted state. This means you will retain the maximum amount of muscle mass while shedding body fat the dream scenario for any athlete!

This fat burner is the cleanest weve ever seen. Vegan-friendly. Gluten, GMO and stimulant-free. Banned substance tested. None irradiated. No synthetic additives at all. You really cant ask for much more from a fat burner. That is why Burn Lab Pro is our top fat burner for 2021, and our number 1 recommended weight loss supplement overall.

Check Out Burn Lab Pro Here

There are lots of different ways that fat burners work. Most fat burners by speeding up metabolism, suppressing appetite, and increasing fat oxidation. A top fat burner will combine multiple ingredients to hit all of these ways of burning fat and more.

Lets look at the main ways in which high quality fat burners work.

Some fat burners work by increasing the rate at which your body burns fat for fuel. There are a number of natural substances that can increase fat oxidation, and they all work in slightly different ways. For example, Forskolin (an extract from Coleus Forskholii) has been found to stimulate the production of lipase, which is the enzyme responsible for breaking down stored fat into fatty acids and making it available for use as fuel.

Numerous clinical trials have shown that Forskolin supplementation boosts fat loss and maximizes muscle retention relative to dieting alone; in one study, people using a high quality Forskolin extract lost an extra 2kg and kept an extra 2% muscle mass than people on placebo. This is an excellent natural fat burner.

Thermogenic fat burners are among the most popular weight loss supplements on the market. All of the top fat burners contain some kind of thermogenic agent. There is a simple reason for this thermogenesis works!

Thermogenesis refers to the process of increasing caloric expenditure by raising your body temperature. In simple terms, you raise your body temperature, which makes your body work harder to stay cool. This means you burn more calories, which therefore puts you into a deeper caloric deficit. So enter a deeper caloric deficit without having to cut out yet more food.

The classic thermogenic fat burner is chili extract. As those of you who like spicy food will know, a substance like cayenne chili extract raises your body temperature very quickly, causing sweating, blood vessel dilation, and an elevated heart rate. All of this means you burn more calories A LOT more.

All of the most effective fat burners on sale today contain some kind of appetite suppressing component. This is important as most people struggle far more with diet control and hunger during a cut than anything else. It isnt unusual for someone to dial in their training and their diet for 8 straight weeks and then undo all their hard work with 3 days of binging.

Low quality fat burners rely on stimulants to suppress your appetite. This is not ideal from a health point of view. The best fat burner will use a natural appetite suppressant such as glucomannan; a substance which makes you feel full after smaller meals by bulking out your stomach with harmless fiber.

This is typically the thing that separates your average fat burner from the best. Typically, only top quality fat burners those designed for bodybuilders, boxers and other athletes include ingredients which help protect and preserve muscle mass during a cut. These ingredients effectively let you drop body weight while keeping your lean muscle mass almost the same (there is always some loss while cutting). This is the holy grail of cutting; something many people actually thought impossible until recently.

A good example of a muscle-retaining substance is HMB, or -Hydroxyl -Methylbutyrate. This compound is naturally occurring in humans. Studies have shown that supplementing with HMB reduces muscle mass loss in athletes undergoing intensive conditioning and weight loss programs. Only the best fat burners will contain substances like HMB to help stop muscle catabolism during a weight loss program.

Finally, we come to energy levels. Generally speaking, we dont recommend using a fat burner which is over reliant on stimulants. Cheap, low quality fat burners are normally stuffed full of stimulants like caffeine. These cause serious side effects and are not sustainable long-term.

A good natural fat burner will support energy levels in a deeper, more effective way. They will increase energy expenditure and metabolic efficiency at the level of your cells, not by pumping you full of stimulants.

The highest quality fat burning supplements on the market right now normally contain substances which help you better regulate your blood glucose levels, promote more efficient nutrient digestion and metabolism, and support healthy cell mitochondria. This is ultimately a more effective approach than taking cheap caffeine pills you can get plenty of caffeine from coffee, and many of you will want to stack a fat burner with pre-workouts anyway!

Lets start looking into how fat burners work in a little more detail. Weve already explained the main ways in which fat burners work; their main mechanisms of action. Now well go through how fat burners do these things.

In other words, were going to go through the main ingredients fat burners use to deliver results.

Forskolin is probably the single most scientifically proven natural ingredient used in fat burners today. Forskolin is an extract taken from Coleus Forskohlii. Studies show that the consumption of forskolin promotes the synthesis of lipase; the enzyme responsible for breaking down stored fat and freeing it up for use as fuel[1].

We all know that caffeine is a potent stimulant. What many people dont realize is that caffeine is also an extremely powerful fat burner in and of itself. Caffeine helps you lose fat in a number of different ways. It increases energy levels and motivation, meaning you can train harder and longer despite running low on calories. It also decreases appetite, preventing food cravings and binge eating. Finally, there is good evidence that caffeine increases your resting metabolic rate.

There is also some evidence that caffeine directly stimulates the release of fat from fat storage cells. It is thought that it does this by triggering the release of norepinephrine[2]. However, the evidence for this is relatively thin. Caffeines main benefits for fat loss come from its ability to fight fatigue, boost motivation, increase resting metabolic rate[3], and crush appetite.

Cayenne chili extract is the go-to ingredient for natural thermogenic fat burners. This is the standard thermogenic ingredient; it is used in cheap and high-spec fat burners alike because it is safe, effective, and backed by hard science.

Cayenne chili extract increases your internal body temperature as your body interprets capsaicin (the oil in chili that makes it spicy) as a burning sensation. This causes a heat response: your blood vessels dilate, your heart rate elevates, and you start sweating as your body fights to keep cool. This heat response costs a lot of calories. So by consuming cayenne chili and triggering this heat response, you put yourself into a greater caloric deficit without having to cut more calories.

Glucomannan is probably the fastest-growing natural fat burner in terms of popularity in the world right now. Not only is glucomannan being added to more and more fat burners coming onto the market, but it is increasingly being used in specialist diet foods and other weight loss supplements.

Glucomannan is a root vegetable packed full of water soluble fiber (which we cant digest, making it essentially calorie-free). When consumed in powder form, it quickly forms a thick, dense paste in the stomach. This paste expands, making you feel comfortably full. Consuming glucomannan before or with food will therefore make you feel fuller despite eating less food. Even better, glucomannan keeps you feeling full for a good few hours, meaning you wont be struck with the same food cravings or desires to binge eat!

Green coffee beans (i.e. raw, unroasted coffee bean) contain a substance called chlorogenic acid. You will often see Green coffee bean extract listed as an ingredient on modern fat burners the usual target compound here is chlorogenic acid.

Studies show that chlorogenic acid potentiates insulin in the human body [4]. In simple terms, it seems that chlorogenic acid makes insulin better at doing its job; shuttling nutrients and glucose to your cells and keeping your blood sugar levels fairly constant. Potentiating insulin is a fantastic way to optimize a cut for both performance and muscle mass retention, as well as eliminating energy crashes, blood sugar lows, and food cravings.

Of all the ingredients on this list, HMB is arguably the most effective substance in existence for protecting muscle mass and preventing muscle tissue catabolism.

Several clinical trials have shown that consuming HMB leads to reduced muscle mass loss (compared to placebo) in people subjected to intensive training or calorie-restricted diets. In fact, there is evidence that HMB may be able to deliver the impossible: reduced fat mass with simultaneous increases in lean muscle mass. In one 12-week study, researchers found that subjects given HMB ended up with more muscle mass than they started with, as well as considerably reduced body fat[5].

Chromium is a trace mineral found in small quantities in vegetables such as broccoli and green beans. Chromium is important for numerous bodily functions, not last for the proper functioning of insulin. Put in basic terms, chromium makes insulin better at doing its job. So in practice, chromium helps to stabilize energy levels, optimizes nutrient absorption an utilization, and enhances muscle growth during recovery (as it is largely insulin which triggers tissue growth). Clinical trials show beyond doubt that chromium helps improve insulin resistance[6].

EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) is a catechin found in large quantities in green tea (it is often the main component of green tea extract). This catechin has several properties beneficial to human health and performance. Of interest here is its apparent ability to stimulate fat loss.

Studies suggest that supplementing with large quantities of EGCG increases fat loss relative to placebo[7]. What is interesting is that, in many of these studies, participants have been relatively sedentary. It seems then that EGCG can promote fat loss independently of exercise; that is, it seems to directly promote fat loss. Be sure to only use a green tea extract that states the quantity of EGCG per serving. You dont want to waste your money on pure green tea powder, or a green tea extract that is 1% EGCG.

One of the most important things to consider before you use a fat burning supplement is safety.

Are fat burners safe to use?

The answer is it depends; different fat burners have vastly different safety profiles and side effect risks.

Many low quality fat burners are stuffed full of stimulants such as Synephrine, Dynamine and Caffeine. Large doses of caffeine can cause serious side effects, and even small doses of the synthetic stimulants like synephrine can pose significant health risks.

Common side effects people get from stimulant-laden fat burners include:

These side effects are much more common, and much more severe, in fat burners which contain multiple different stimulants. This is because the likes of caffeine, theobromine, methylliberine, and synephrine all interact with on another, making each other more potent.

Other ingredients used in fat burners today are also likely to cause serious side effects.

One ingredient to look out for is Yohimbine. This natural extract from tree bark acts as a powerful fat burner in humans. Yohimbine blocks a receptor that increases sympathetic nervous system output, so you get more norepinephrine and, as a result, increased metabolism.

But as a powerful CNS stimulant and booster of norepinephrine, Yohimbine also comes with serious side effects. Some common side effects of Yohimbine use include sweating, dizziness, nausea, stomach cramps, tremors, insomnia, fainting, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pains.

In fact, Yohimbine is such a potent and potentially dangerous stimulant that it is a banned substance in the UK, Canada and Australia.

If you experience any side effects whatsoever while using any fat burners, stop using the supplement in question and seek medical attention right away.

It is important that you do your own research before using any fat burner. If you have any concerns about a particular ingredient or substance, then you need to talk to your doctor first! This is particularly important if you have pre-existing conditions. In general, we advise staying away from large doses of stimulants, synthetic ingredients, and unproven substances (especially when banned in some countries).

When is the best time to take a fat burner?

Should you take fat burners before a workout? Or are they more effective when taken first thing in the morning/last thing at night?

These are very good questions worth answering in some detail.

When using a top fat burning supplement, it should not matter when you take it; be it first thing in the morning, pre-workout, or post-workout. As the best weight loss supplements are designed to promote fat loss and boost energy levels round-the-clock, when you take it matters less than taking it consistently.

If youre using a fat burner containing caffeine, then it is best to take it 30-45 minutes before your workout. That way youll enjoy reduced fatigue and increased motivation (and potentially greater fat loss) in the gym.

Using supplements is just a small part of your weight loss journey. The pros will all tell you the same thing diet is the key to getting shredded. This has been said by every great bodybuilder in history.

Not training. Not supplements. Not drugs.

Diet.

Your nutrition needs to be properly planned if youre going to see the kind of weight loss results you really want. That means being intelligent and disciplined with what, and when, you eat. Nobody ever got truly lean and shredded eating pounds of sugar, processed junk food and heaps of fat.

As well as the quality of your nutrition, proper weight management relies on maintaining a calorie deficit. If you struggle with weight management, then what you really struggle with is probably maintaining a calorie deficit.

Fat metabolism doesnt happen if you are eating more calories than youre spending that is a law of physics.

What does this mean in practice?

It means eating a diet relatively high in protein, low in saturated fat, and low in simple, fast-acting carbohydrates, all while maintaining a sensible caloric deficit (200 calories per day is ideal for minimizing muscle mass loss).

It also means eating more fiber. Fiber, especially water soluble fiber, helps keep you full and satisfied while dieting. Many people find fiber to be instrumental in getting the best results while dieting.

Diet is far and away the most important variable when getting diced.

But after nutrition comes your training. Just as nobody ever got shredded while eating a poor diet, nobody ever got ripped, lean and muscular without exercise.

How should you exercise to burn fat?

Simply put, the type of exercise you do shouldnt change too much between bulking and cutting. Most bodybuilding routines are ideal for both fat loss and muscle gain; what separates a bulk from a cut is mainly just the quantity of food.

However, during a cut you are almost certainly going to have to train with lighter weight. When you lose weight, your strength will quickly decline, so attempting the same set of 3 on the bench press that you did when you were 20lbs heavier might end up giving you an injury.

For optimal weight loss results and to burn fat as fast as possible, we recommend introducing some high intensity cardio into your training.

High intensity interval training will burn fat much faster than steady state cardio. It will also increase your resting metabolic rate for hours after training, meaning even more weight loss.

Make your workouts as intense and as fast-paced as possible while cutting. You could do this by finishing with hill sprints, or by making your bodybuilding routine more explosive and higher volume. It doesnt matter how you do it, all that matters is that your workouts elevate your heart rate and subject you to intense anaerobic and aerobic work.

Its also important to keep your overall health in mind when cutting. In a deep caloric deficit, and when training intensively, your health can suffer as your immune system becomes suppressed and your strength declines.

The best fat burning supplement on sale right now is Burn Lab Pro. There is simply no weight loss supplement out there that even comes close to offering the same quality of ingredients, value for money, or end results as this product.

Using 100% natural ingredients, Burn Lab Pro directly boosts fat metabolism, increases energy levels, deepens a caloric deficit and stabilizes appetite while protecting muscle mass.

No side effects. No stimulants. No banned substances 100% plant based ingredients proven to burn excess fat and preserve muscle mass.

You can learn more about our top rated fat burner from the merchant site: BurnLabPro.com.

No, generally speaking fat burners do not break a fast. High quality fat burners are typically zero-calorie. Even fat burners which use things like glucomannan do not break a fast, as the body doesnt digest those kinds of water soluble fibers.

Some fat burners may cause diarrhea. In particular, fat burners which contain very high doses of caffeine and other stimulants are likely to cause bouts of diarrhea. That is why we recommend using stimulant-free weight loss supplements.

Fat burners do not eat muscle, but a poorly planned cut can destroy muscle mass. During any cut, your body will eventually hit a plateau and fat loss will slow. If youre dropping weight too quickly, on a fat burner or not, you could be losing lean muscle mass.

Most good quality fat burners should not have any effect on fertility whatsoever. Natural fat burners are generally safe and side effect free. They do not work by changing your hormones, so they should not make you less (or more) fertile.

The best fat burner for burning belly fat is the fat burner which most effectively burns fat, period. No fat burner is particularly good at burning belly fat. When you lose fat, your body takes from stores all over your body. You cannot target fat loss in one area. Some places, like the belly, are the bodys preferred fat storage sites, so these are the last fat stores to be exhausted.

Read more:
Best Fat Burners 2021: Top Rated Fat Burners For Rapid Fat Loss - generationiron.com

Bridget Benelam of the British Nutrition Foundation offers some nutritional advice for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, and looks at whether fasting is actually good for your body.

On Monday 12 April, Muslims around the world, including myself, began celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. During the month, many Muslims fast throughout daylight hours, only eating one meal (the suhoor or sehri) just before dawn, and another (the iftar) after sunset. While enjoying the celebrations, due to the impact of the fast, it is very important that health stays front of mind; my three main pieces of advice are to hydrate, replenish nutrients, and avoid overindulgence.

At both suhoor and iftar, hydration is key. Unsurprisingly, water is usually the best option. Juices and smoothies which contain natural sugars can provide some energy as well as hydration, however, to avoid excess sugar consumption its best to have these in moderation. Low-fat, water-rich foods, including soup or yoghurt, are also good options for hydrating and fuelling while breaking the fast.

Fresh fruit is a traditional way to break the fast in many South Asian cultures and this is a good, healthy option as fruit provides fibre, natural sugars, fluids and some vitamins and minerals. Dates, which are an integral part of Ramadan, also contain fibre, natural sugars and minerals like potassium, copper and manganese. They are another nutrient-rich, delicious way to start or end the fasting day you could also try other dried fruits like prunes, raisins or apricots.

When we are celebrating, and after fasting for a long period, its natural to want to treat yourself with some delicious foods. But, while enjoying this time with your family is important, you should also remember to keep a sense of balance. During non-fasting hours we need to focus on the quality of our diets, eating a balance of foods to keep our bodies healthy. Once the fast has been broken and you have rehydrated, it is time to prioritise the key foods and nutrients that are going to allow you to lead your life healthily and support your efforts throughout the month.

Wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, dairy foods and protein-rich foods, like lean meat, fish, eggs and beans, should all form a part of the diet. As a meal idea, you could have a range of fish, meat or pulse-based curries including plenty of vegetables, served with rice, chapattis and yogurt. Although meat is typically found in the cuisines of many Muslim countries, dishes with more plant-based sources of protein, like beans and lentils, add extra fibre and are naturally lower in fat.

At the beginning of the day, as well as prioritising hydration, eating starchy foods and those that are high in fibre, such as oats, wholegrain breads and wholegrain breakfast cereals (ideally lower sugar options), will help provide you with energy for the day. Try to avoid anything too salty, like processed meat, olives and pickles, as these could leave you with a long day of feeling thirsty!

This time of year often sparks a conversation around the benefits of fasting generally for health and weight loss. When it comes to Ramadan fasting, there are some studies that suggest it may have benefits in terms of weight loss and metabolic health, although we need more research to confirm these. There have also been studies on intermittent fasting as a weight loss strategy and popular methods include the 5:2 diet, where calories are heavily restricted on two days of the week. Research suggests that this approach can be effective for some people and, although intermittent fasting isnt superior to other kinds of weight loss diet, it may suit certain individuals who dont want to restrict their food intake all the time.

Provided you are generally in good health, Ramadan fasting isnt harmful to health, but it is important that we eat a balance of healthy foods and keep hydrated. It is a time to celebrate with loved ones and, while COVID-19 restrictions mean we cannot enjoy the large celebrations we would in a normal year, we hope everyone has a happy and healthy Ramadan at home or out in your local area.

If you would like more information on eating well during seasonal celebrations like Ramadan, visit the British Nutritional Foundations (BNF) website.

See original here:
Nutritional tips to stay fit and healthy during Ramadan - New Food

Following a balanced diet based on whole foods and of natural origin is not only a basic measure in every healthy pregnancy, it is equally or even more important in the postpartum period and lactation. On many occasions, new moms give special priority to losing the weight they gained during pregnancy and forget a little about how important it is to properly nourish the body. It is simply a fundamental measure to support recovery, milk production, promote good rest and even to combat postpartum depression. Based on this, we undertook the task of making a summary with the most recommended dietary guidelines for this beautiful and challenging stage in the lives of women.

One of the main mistakes women often make after giving birth is to opt for the carbohydrate restriction with the goal of losing weight faster. However, experts suggest that it is not an entirely healthy option. In fact carbohydrates are necessary for new moms, they are important in the production of breast milk, also for mental health, hormonal regulation and more. Therefore, it is possible to start on the path focused on losing weight gradually and always ensuring adequate calorie consumption, to keep up with the physical and mental demands of caring for a baby. The key is to be patient, eat full meals, and give yourself time.

The first rule of thumb is to choose a wide variety of foods from all the groups. Specifically during the postpartum period, it is recommended to base the diet on the consumption of healthy foods: high biological value proteins, abundant fruits and vegetables, high fiber carbohydrates, healthy fats, nuts and seeds. It is also a good decision to have the supervision of a specialist, especially to take into account what is the adequate caloric intake and the appropriate ranges of macronutrients for each woman. Which vary according to activity levels, body size, weight and specific conditions (for example health problems such as diabetes). The truth is that the nutritional needs of each woman are different and depend on many factors.

Balance diet. / Photo: Shutterstock

Medical experts agree that postpartum is a stage in which fluid requirements are increased in women, in fact it is an especially important measure in the case of breastfeeding women. The consumption of 3 liters of water a day is recommendedHowever, hydration needs may vary, therefore thirst will be a good guide. Bet on the consumption of natural liquids such as herbal teas, lemonades, teas and kombucha. Hydration is essential for successful breastfeeding and supports weight loss.

Kombucha. / Photo: Shutterstock

Basing the diet on an adequate calorie intake is not only important to accelerate weight loss; feeding the body with the right amount of calories will be of great help in keeping the energy and milk supply in optimum condition. According to information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a breastfeeding mother should consume approximately 2,300 to 2,500 calories per daycompared to 1800-2000 calories for a non-breastfeeding woman. However, individual caloric needs are highly variable, which is why medical supervision is very important.

Calories / Photo: Shutterstock

Complementary to a balanced diet, good hydration, it is important that women continue with the intake of prenatal vitamins or specific supplements for postpartum. It is also very important to control caffeine consumption, experts recommend limiting yourself to 300 milligrams or less per day. It is also of vital importance minimize the consumption of empty calories, found in processed foods, fast foods, and snacks that are conspicuous by their high content of sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. Specialists also emphasize the importance of avoiding fish with a high mercury content, such as tuna, mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish or tilefish. Last but not least, It is vital to limit alcohol consumption while breastfeeding.

Coffee in pregnancy./Photo: Unsplash

It may interest you:

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What are the best foods to recover from postpartum? Explica .co - Explica

By Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi May 5, 2021

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Intermittent fasting (IF) is a term people use to describe patterns of eating that include regular periods of fasting in which they consume very few or no calories.

This has been a popular trend for many of the health conscious and some people are using it to lose weight, improve their health and simplify their lifestyles.

Registered Dietician and founder of Newtricion Wellness Dieticians, Omy Naidoo, says fasting has been around for decades and many different religions practice some sort of fasting during holy periods.

Intermittent fasting is a type of weight-loss strategy in which the person undergoes a voluntary fast for a specific period of time. The benefit of this fasting is that after 12 hours your body starts to break down fat through a process called lipolysis; as opposed to storing fat, which is typically seen after eating a meal. Scientists refer to this process as a way to flip your metabolisms switch.

So far, the research studies evaluating intermittent fasting have been relatively short and have enrolled only a limited number of participants. In one, published July 1, 2017, in JAMA Internal Medicine, 100 overweight people were assigned to one of three eating plans: restricting daily calorie intake by the same amount every day (similar to a traditional diet plan); fasting on alternate days; and continuing with normal eating habits. At the end of the 12-month study, both diet groups had lost weight compared with the normal eaters. However, the fasters didn't fare any better than the conventional calorie cutters.

Naidoo says: The benefits of IF include weight loss, some improvements in blood glucose levels, anti-ageing effects, reduction in cardiovascular risk, as well as cancer.

While there is growing evidence that IF has its benefits, it is crucial to remember it may not be an approach that works for everyone. It is important to work with an expert such as a registered dietician, to determine which strategy would be the best for you. This could be IF, low carb diets, Keto Diet, Calorie Restriction, Very Low-Calorie Diets (800kcal), etc. Remember, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

He says that the best approach for IF would be the 16/8 whereby you consume all your calories in an 8-hour window. This would mean having supper at 6pm and then your next meal at 10am the next morning. The best results have been seen when you combine IF and a calorie restriction; this means one should still be mindful of the types of foods being eaten in the 8-hour window.

Some research shows that IF actually helps with fat loss, as well as fat redistribution whereby the fat around the tummy is redistributed in the body, thereby reducing the risk of cardiac disease, he says.

Naidoo further suggests that intermittent fasting is not for everyone, since it does not always yield positive results and can cause hypoglycemia for diabetic people and low blood sugar levels in pregnant women.

Although intermittent fasting can seem convenient to do, it is advisable that you consult your medical practitioner before implementing it, especially if you have a medical condition, concludes Naidoo.

More here:
How to do intermittent fasting the right way - IOL

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There are many different approaches to losing weight, including countless diets, exercise programs, and meal plans. But for many, learning how to track calories is the most effective option. This is where a fitness tracker becomes extremely useful: they allow you to monitor the number of calories coming in and going out to ensure you maintain a deficit.

If you dont know how to track calories, though, you may find the idea a little daunting. How do you keep track of everything you eat? How do you know how many calories you should be burning? What is a good deficit? Read on, and all will be explained about calorie tracking.

See also:The best fitness apps to get into shape and stay there

In theory, losing weight is a simple equation. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will have a surplus. Those calories will then be stored around the body as fat. But if you burn more calories than you consume, your body will need to look for extra energy. That energy will come from fat stores, which will be burned for energy.

Losing weight is a simple equation.

Thus, if you want to lose weight, all you need to (theoretically) do is calculate the number of calories you burn on a typical day and make sure to eat less than that.

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This is where things get a little complicated. Of course, there is no way to know with absolute certainty how many calories you burn on any given day. Therefore, you will need to make do with a rough estimate.

So, how can you track calories burned? One way to calculate this is by working out your Active Metabolic Rate (AMR). The AMR is comprised of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) plus your activity.

BMR represents the number of calories you will likely burn while at rest. Even if you dont move, youll still burn calories because youll be breathing, maintaining slight tension in the muscles, digesting food, healing wounds, etc. This BMR is calculated based on your weight, height, age, and gender.

For women, it looks like this:

BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 x weight in kg) + (1.850 x height in cm) (4.676 x age in years)

For men, it is as follows:

BMR = 66.47 + (13.75 x weight in kg) + (5.003 x height in cm) (6.755 x age in years)

To get an AMR from this, we then need to multiply the result by a set amount. For example:

The resulting number is your AMR. This is roughly how many calories you burn in a day.

If you get a score of 2,500, you should aim to eat anything less than that to keep losing weight. The difference between your AMR and your target caloric intake is known as the deficit. A good deficit for most people is around 500 calories. Dont go too much higher than that, or you are likely to feel tired and hungry and fall off the wagon. Dont go too much lower, or your progress will be slow.

Conversely, if you eat more than you burn, this is called a surplus.

And to answer the question of how many calories do I burn in a day? the answer is roughly 1,600-2,400 for women and 2,000-3,000 for men.

Left to right: Xiaomi Mi Band 6, Huawei Band 6

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The astute of you might have already noticed that there are some issues here. What if, for example, you have a day where you are particularly active, and you burn a lot more calories? What if you have a few sick days and you stay in bed all day? What if your activity is so varied that you cant accurately make a prediction?

Note that a higher BMR will actually lead to a higher calorie burn during exercise so making a flat multiplication like this is actually very simplistic.

See also:The best running watches you can buy

Thats where your fitness tracker can come in handy. Fitness trackers from the likes of Fitbit, Garmin, and Samsung can actively track your activity using their various sensors, thereby creating a much more accurate final estimate of total calorie burn.

Most fitness trackers will ask for your age, sex, weight, and height when you set them up for the first time (and you should be sure to update your weight as this changes). They will then monitor your activity levels throughout the day to adjust that number accordingly. They can tell you the calories burned walking, the calories burned sitting, and the calories burned during that impromptu play-time with the kids. All that, plus your calories burned during exercise. The result is something that should be much more accurate and dynamic.

Moreover, fitness trackers can be a great form of encouragement because they show you how many calories you have left to burn, right there on your wrist!

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Now you know how many you should be consuming and burning. The next question is how to track calories coming in and out.

As far as counting calories goes, the easiest method is to use another app such as MyFitnessPal. Other options include Noom, Nutracheck, Lost It, and others. These should integrate with most good fitness trackers, allowing you to see your current deficit or surplus.

See also:The best health apps for Android

MyFitnessPal allows you to scan food items and log them that way easily. Scan the barcode, and you can quickly get the total calories that food contains, along with other nutritional information. If you are cooking, you can scan the individual ingredients.

MyFitnessPal allows you to easily scan food items and log them.

Once an item is scanned, it will be saved for easy access. You can likewise store and retrieve common recipes. You can also look up countless items that the community has scanned. Type in Heinz baked beans, and you will quickly get those details; no scanning necessary.

Of course, you can manually enter calories if you want to guestimate, too.

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All this makes the busy work of calorie tracking far less time-consuming, especially as many of us will repeatedly eat the same items. In fact, sticking to a fairly consistent meal plan for at least some meals of the day is a great way to easily reduce calories without putting too much thought into it.

This process can also be eye-opening. You will quickly learn that you consume many invisible calories from sources such as cooking oil, butter, soda drinks, and coffee. Cut these out of your diet, and you will immediately make progress.

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You can lose weight simply by cutting your calories, but adding exercise is highly advisable. This will allow you to eat more while staying in a deficit and will accelerate your progress. More to the point, when you exercise, you actually increase your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories even at rest. In short, you increase your BMR because muscle is more metabolically active.

And once you know how to track calories with your fitness wearable, youll be able to see the immediate results of that training.

See also: The best pedometer apps and step counter apps for Android

Again, the key is in the dosage: find a form of exercise that you enjoy and stick with consistently. You dont need to go to the gym or perform intense HIIT sessions: you can do something fun and simple, like going for walks or even playing a bit of Beat Saber instead.

The key is in the dosage.

And its not just about working out, either; its also about being more active throughout the day. That means walking more often (calories burned while walking account for a lot of energy expenditure during the day).

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You may notice that your tracker provides two numbers after a walk: your total calorie burn and your active calorie burn. What does this mean? Simple: the active calories are what you burned by moving, whereas the total calorie count includes your BMR.

For example, your calories burned walking a mile might be somewhere in the region of 120. However, seeing as you would typically burn about 20 calories in the 15 minutes it takes you, only 100 of those calories were active calories. This is useful to keep in mind if you want to know how to track calories accurately.

The average for calories burned walking is indeed about 100 per mile, but it depends on weight and other factors. Try wearing a weight vest to burn around 12% more!

Calorie tracking is a great way to lose weight, and its always the first place to start if youre looking for predictable results.

However, this doesnt immediately work for everyone. There is a very passionate crowd of people who will tell you that calorie tracking is simple math: the law of conservation. They say that if you arent losing weight with this method, you simply arent trying hard enough. I find this attitude to be unhelpful and unsympathetic.

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One open-ended variable is BMR. Your resting metabolic rate is dependent on countless factors that arent accounted for in this calculation and that not even a fitness tracker can help with. One of the biggest factors is hormones. If you have a slow metabolism due to hypothyroidism, low testosterone, or anything else, you wont burn as many calories as other people. This wont be reflected in your BMR or AMR, meaning that you wont see results by sticking purely to that method.

Medication can also play a huge role here. If youre on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), youll burn through calories in no time. The oral contraceptive pill can cause weight gain in many women. Antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and countless other medications have similar effects. Gut health plays a role, as do nutrient deficiencies, genetics, and much more.

Remember, calorie tracking is never a precise art

Cutting calories isnt the problem, per se. The issue is that calorie tracking is never a precise art. You can always try cutting back your caloric intake further, but there comes a point where this becomes untenable. Better would be to see your doctor, try a different diet (this is why things like intermittent fasting or keto can be effective for some people), or increase your exercise.

A final word of caution is not to consider calorie tracking as the be-all and end-all of health. Theoretically, you can lose weight by eating only donuts and never exercising, as long as you kept your deficit at a certain number.

Hopefully, you dont need me to tell you that this is not a good idea. Food is not just fuel; it also provides the very building blocks that your body uses to build tissue, create enzymes, and fight infections. Therefore, a proper, balanced diet is key. Likewise, the benefits of exercise go far beyond weight loss.

Learning how to track calories is one thing, but consider it just another tool in your arsenal. Although, with the right tracker and the right strategy, it can be an extremely effective one.

Read the rest here:
Calorie tracking: How to track calories with a fitness tracker - Android Authority