There is a lot of misinformation about low-carb diets.

Some claim that its the optimal human diet, while others consider it an unsustainable and potentially harmful fad.

Here are 9 common myths about low-carb diets.

The term fad diet was used for crash weight loss diets that enjoyed short-term popularity.

Today, its often misused for diets that dont have common cultural acceptance, including low-carb diets.

However, a low-carb way of eating has been shown to be effective in over 20 scientific studies.

Plus, it has been popular for decades. In fact, the first Atkins book was published in 1972, five years before the first set of low-fat dietary guidelines in America.

Looking even further back, the first low-carb book was published by William Banting in 1863 and was wildly popular at the time (1).

Considering the long-term and scientifically proven success of low-carb diets, dismissing this way of eating as a fad seems far-fetched.

Opponents often claim that low-carb diets are unsustainable because they restrict common food groups.

This is said to lead to feelings of deprivation, causing people to abandon the diet and regain weight.

Still, keep in mind that all diets restrict something some certain food groups or macronutrients, others calories.

Following a low-carb diet has been shown to reduce appetite so that you can eat until satisfied and still lose weight (2, 3).

In contrast, on a calorie-restricted diet, youre less likely to eat until youre fully satisfied and may end up being hungry all the time which is unsustainable for most people.

Scientific evidence does not support that low-carb diets are harder to stick to than other diets.

Your body stores a lot of carbs in your muscles and liver.

It uses a storage form of glucose known as glycogen, which supplies your body with glucose between meals.

Stored glycogen in your liver and muscles tends to bind some water.

When you cut carbs, your glycogen stores go down, and you lose a lot of water weight.

Additionally, low-carb diets lead to drastically reduced insulin levels, causing your kidneys to shed excess sodium and water (4, 5).

For these reasons, low-carb diets lead to a substantial and almost immediate reduction in water weight.

This is often used as an argument against this way of eating, and its claimed that the only reason for its weight loss advantage is the reduction in water weight.

However, studies show that low-carb diets also reduce body fat especially from your liver and abdominal area where harmful belly fat is located (6, 7).

For example, one 6-week study on low-carb diets showed that participants lost 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg) of fat but gained 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg) of muscle (8).

Low-carb diets tend to be high in cholesterol and fat, including saturated fat.

For this reason, many people claim that they raise blood cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.

However, some studies suggest that neither dietary cholesterol nor saturated fat have any significant effect on your risk of heart disease (9, 10, 11, 12).

Most importantly, low-carb diets may improve many important heart disease risk factors by (13):

Whats more, levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol generally don't increase. Plus, these particles tend to change from harmful, small, dense shapes to larger ones a process linked to a reduced risk of heart disease (22, 23).

Still, keep in mind that these studies mostly look at averages. Some individuals may experience major increases in LDL (bad) cholesterol on a low-carb diet.

If this is the case for you, you can adjust your low-carb way of eating to get your levels down.

Many people claim that the only reason people lose weight on low-carb diets is due to reduced calorie intake.

This is true but doesnt tell the whole story.

The main weight loss advantage of low-carb diets is that weight loss occurs automatically.

People feel so full that they end up eating less food without counting calories or controlling portions.

Low-carb diets also tend to be high in protein, which boosts metabolism, causing a slight increase in the number of calories you burn (24, 25).

Plus, low-carb diets are not always about losing weight. Theyre also very effective against certain health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and epilepsy (26, 27, 28, 29).

In these cases, the health benefits go beyond reduced calorie intake.

A low-carb diet is not no-carb.

Its a myth that cutting carbs means that you need to eat fewer plant foods.

In fact, you can eat large amounts of vegetables, berries, nuts, and seeds without exceeding 50 grams of carbs per day.

Whats more, eating 100150 grams of carbs per day is still considered low-carb. This provides room for several pieces of fruit per day and even small amounts of healthy starches like potatoes and oats.

Its even possible and sustainable to eat low-carb on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

There is a lot of confusion about ketosis.

When you eat very few carbs such as fewer than 50 grams per day your insulin levels go down and a lot of fat is released from your fat cells.

When your liver gets flooded with fatty acids, it starts turning them into so-called ketone bodies, or ketones.

These are molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier, supplying energy for your brain during starvation or when you dont eat any carbs.

Many people confuse ketosis and ketoacidosis.

The latter is a dangerous metabolic state that mainly happens in unmanaged type 1 diabetes. It involves your bloodstream getting flooded with massive amounts of ketones, enough to turn your blood acidic.

Ketoacidosis is a very serious condition and can be fatal.

However, this is completely unrelated to the ketosis caused by a low-carb diet, which is a healthy metabolic state.

For example, ketosis has been shown to have therapeutic effects in epilepsy and is being studied for treating cancer and brain diseases like Alzheimers (28, 29, 30).

Many people believe that your brain cannot function without dietary carbs.

Its claimed that carbs are the preferred fuel for your brain and that it needs about 130 grams of carbs per day.

This is partly true. Some cells in your brain cannot use any fuel besides carbs in the form of glucose.

Yet, other parts of your brain are perfectly capable of using ketones.

If carbs are reduced sufficiently to induce ketosis, then a large part of your brain stops using glucose and starts using ketones instead.

That said, even with high blood ketone levels, some parts of your brain still need glucose.

This is where a metabolic pathway called gluconeogenesis becomes important. When you dont eat carbs, your body mostly your liver can produce glucose out of protein and byproducts of fat metabolism.

Therefore, because of ketosis and gluconeogenesis, you dont need dietary carbs at least not for fueling your brain.

After the initial adaptation phase, many people report having even better brain function on a low-carb diet.

Most athletes eat a high-carb diet, and many people believe that carbs are essential for physical performance.

Reducing carbs indeed leads to reduced performance at first.

However, this is usually only temporary. It can take your body a while to adapt to burning fat instead of carbs.

Many studies show that low-carb diets are good for physical performance, especially endurance exercise, as long as you give yourself a few weeks to adapt to the diet (31, 32, 33, 34).

Other studies indicate that low-carb diets benefit muscle mass and strength (34, 35).

Low-carb diets can have powerful health benefits. Theyre very effective for people with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Nonetheless, theyre not for everyone.

Still, many common notions about low-carb eating are simply untrue.

Read this article:
9 Myths About Low-Carb Diets - Healthline

Beyond daily brushing and flossing, it's rare that we take much notice of our teeth. Until, that is, toothache strikes. Of course, a quick trip to the dentist fixes most teeth woes, but with dental surgeries closed during the coronavirus pandemic, some people are taking things into their own hands. The Daily Mail online reported that last month, "desperate dad" Bill Taylor, 33, from Devon, England, took it upon himself to pull out his own tooth after suffering from excruciating toothache (editor's note: please don't be like Bill.) But is it really impossible to get a dentist appointment right now? Dr Rhona Eskander, multi-award-winning dentist, shed some light on the situation.

"COVID-19 hit and, all of sudden, we had to close," said Dr Eskander. "We were told that there were dedicated NHS centres, located in different places across the country, designated for people with dental emergencies. So, for example, you can go to Guy's Hospital if you have a toothache, but a lot of patients don't want to go to a hospital right now. Many of the treatments that are being done at these centres are general patching up of teeth, so they can be fixed when dentists reopen and in many cases pulling them out as there are no other options. But delaying some dental treatments can cause long-term issues; infections can turn into abscesses."

"Some patients are in tears begging me to see them," Dr Eskander added. "Infections can become life-threatening, so we are having to prescribe antibiotics which we would prefer to avoid."

Dental surgeries have been closed due to a lack of PPE equipment, but Dr Eskander told POPSUGAR that dentists have been working to source PPE so they can safely reopen. "I came across a group of dentists called Pandora Dental who have been lobbying the government to get dentists safely and swiftly opened up again," explained Dr Eskander. "They sent a letter containing details of a new seven-point plan with supporting evidence to allow practices to open safely and sooner directed to Matt Hancock, secretary of state for health and social care. We want the health minister to have dentists on board to help make new rules and regulations, because we know, more than anyone, what's realistic."

Dr. Eskander told us that, of course, there are bigger things going on right now than dental problems, but by reopening dentists, it will alleviate the added stress on the NHS of running these emergency dental locations at hospitals. "We're fully prepared to deal with patients. We've bought disinfection machines, air purifiers, gowns with sleeves, and headgear, amongst other things, to ensure we are minimising the risks our evidence shows that with all seven elements advocated in place, the risk to patients and dental professionals is 0.1 percent."

While we await more detailed guidelines following Boris Johnson's address to the nation on the country's lockdown exit strategy, Eskander hopes that the issue of dental offices reopening will be addressed and dentists will able to get back to work soon. In the meantime, she revealed what you need to do if you're suffering from these eight common dental problems.

All you can really do is manage the pain until you can get to a dentist. Take over-the-counter paracetamol in preference of ibuprofen, especially if you have COVID-19 symptoms. For severe pain, you can try codeine or Co-Codamol, but this can leave you drowsy or knock you out.

Switch to Sensodyne toothpaste (15). You can rub it onto affected areas and leave it there, without rinsing, for a targeted treatment. Also, try using Orajel, which is an anaesthetic gel that can numb the sensitive area.

Thorough cleaning is key if you have wisdom tooth pain, explained Dr Eskander, so make sure to diligently clean in and around your gums. Try using Corsodyl mouthwash (8) for one week and switch to a softer diet. A warm saltwater wash can also help to keep the area clean. "If you are having difficulty swallowing, call your dentist or 111, as you may need antibiotics," she added.

If your gums are bleeding, or look very red and inflamed, gum disease is probably to blame. To help, use a fluoride toothpaste and an electric toothbrush for two minutes, twice a day. Be sure to brush the bleeding and inflamed area it's your body's way of telling you that the area needs cleaning and use dental floss or TePe Interdental Brushes (4) daily.

It's unlikely the emergency dental centre will see you for a broken filling or crown. There are temporary filling kits that you can buy, and while they don't do much damage, they also don't last that long, as they are meant to fill the tooth for up to 48 hours while you await an appointment. If left for too long, a broken filling or lost crown could require a root-canal treatment. On that note, if you were half way through a root-canal treatment, this will have been delayed. If you have any questions about next steps, it is best to contact your dentist directly.

If a tooth is sharp, grating against your gums or tongue, or you notice ulcers in the area, then switch to a soft diet. You can use warm saltwater as a mouthwash, and try analgesic and anti-inflammatory Difflam Spray (8). Painkillers and Bonjela can help, too. "Some of my patients have had excellent care at the emergency centres, so call 111 if you think you need an appointment," Dr Eskander added.

"If you're noticing a build-up of plaque and tartar, then try switching to an electric toothbrush and flosser. I recommend Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrushes (105, originally 299) to my patients," said Dr Eskander.

"As for the electric flosser, both the Philips AirFloss (80) and the WaterPik (55) are good options," said Dr Eskander. "And as for mouthwash, I always say it's like using deodorant without having a shower: you need to make sure your teeth are cleaned properly first."

If you're in the middle of your Invisalign treatment and you have run out of aligners, ask your dentist to contact Invisalign. They will send you three identical sets of your last aligner, which will allow you to pause treatment without regressing.

Read more from the original source:
With Dentists Closed Due to Coronavirus, Here's How to Handle Dental Emergencies and Care For... - POPSUGAR United Kingdom

The body of Chris Pratt has its reasons which reason does not know. In the course of his roles, the american actor has become an expert in the transformations that are extreme. Employee overfed in the series Parks and Recreationhe became a hero to the abdominal bulging in The Guardians of the Galaxy. His favorite weapon, the plans drastic. The last date used knowledge, a few little dishes, cooked to the taste of the day, of the Bible.

The diet is called the Daniel Dietin other words, the regime of Daniel. It is an fast religious very practiced by the evangelical protestants in the United States. The principle is based essentially on two points : the restriction and the prayer.

Another very important aspect, Chris Pratt must not feed food from the soil. The list of foods prohibited is so long enough. Finished meat and fish dishes are dear to the viandard Chris Pratt. Finished the alcohol, the hero of Jurassic Park will have to settle for water.

21 days, this is the time of this diet drastic like a soul-searching religious. The end date coincides with the release of The Great Adventure Lego 2, in which it doubles a character. The release is planned in France on February 21, 2019. Unfortunately, an animation film requires, it will have to wait to see the new body a saint of Chris Pratt.

THE GREAT ADVENTURE LEGO 2 trailer VF (2018) Animation, Adventure

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Chris Pratt is embarking on a diet inspired from the Bible - D1SoftballNews.com

High blood pressure is a condition which causes pressure inside the arteries to be higher than they should be. If left untreated, dangerous health conditions could arise including heart attacks or a stroke. Eating too much salt, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight and not getting enough exercise can all lead to a person developing the condition. Foods and drinks can either help or hinder high blood pressure and consuming more of this drink has been proven to help lower your reading.

Diet plays an essential role when it comes to high blood pressure.

Mayo clinic said: If youve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down.

Lifestyle plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure.

If you successfully control your blood pressure with a healthy lifestyle, you might avoid, delay or even reduce the need for medication.

Adding apple cider vinegar to your daily routine will help to lower your reading.

Apple cider vinegar has long been hailed as a healthy option to add to ones diet.

The drink has been seen as a popular cure all for many illnesses and conditions including an upset stomach, high cholesterol and sore throats.

In fact, the ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates used apple cider vinegar for wound care and in the 10th century it was used with sulphur as a hand wash during autopsies to help prevent infection.

Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar could play a key role in helping one to keep their blood pressure low.

In a study with Taylor & Francis Online, the effects of acetic acid vinegar on hypersensitive rats was investigated.

The study noted: To clarify the possibility of a preventative effect of dietary vinegar on blood pressure, long-term administration of vinegar or the acetic acid to SHR was examined.

As a result, it was observed that acetic acid itself, the main component of vinegar, significantly reduced blood pressure and renin activity compared to controls given no acetic acid or vinegar, as well as vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar can also be used to help with weight loss which in turn helps to lower blood pressure.

In a 12-week study, 144 obese Japanese adults consumed either one tablespoon of vinegar, two tablespoons of vinegar or a placebo drink every day.

The participants were told to restrict their alcohol intake but to continue their usual diet and activity throughout the study.

Those who consumed one tablespoon of vinegar per day had on average weight loss of 2.6 pounds and those who consumed two tablespoons of vinegar per day lost 3.7 pounds.

The placebo group gained 0.9 pounds and their waist circumference slightly increased.

Excerpt from:
High blood pressure: Studies show adding this drink to your diet will lower your reading - Express

COVID-19 has brought our world to a standstill, and now after a stop-the-spread, flattening-the-curve, shelter-in-place point in time, our nation is looking at methods to responsibly reopen the economy and return life with economic well-being.

These actions impact all of us. How do we get people back to work? Children back in school? Visit friends, family, or a favorite restaurant? Haircut? And how do we do it so safely?

Even with best practices in reopening the economy, our public interfaces everywhere will (and must) be much different. Unlike other storms we have weathered, where in the aftermath were focused on rebuilding, with COVID-19, we are still fighting against its spread and subsequent outbreaks with no approved treatment specific for COVID-19 or a vaccine.

The White House released Guidelines for Opening Up America Again (whitehouse.gov/openingamerica), a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. These steps were created to help state and local officials provide guidance as they reopen their economies, get people back to work and continue to protect American lives.

Amid controversy and uncertainty as to when both essential and nonessential businesses will reopen, one thing is certain: At some point, all businesses that have survived the crisis will reopen. And each must draw on the ways that essential businesses have responsibly continued operations over the past weeks by:

Taking aggressive measures for the safety of workers and customers and developing new protocols

Maintaining timely, clear communications to meet the challenges

The purpose of guidance is just that, to offer direction and provide a framework for best practices in the reopening phase. But as the saying goes, the devil is in the details, and not every business, organization, institution or every area throughout the country are the same. Not every opening scenario can align with every other at the same time.

No one will be reentering businesses under normal conditions. COVID-19 is still in the picture. Experts see the management phase of the crisis lasting well into 2021, consisting of reorganizing how we work, travel, congregate, eat move and connect.

Much of the fabric of public interfaces, from checkouts to shaking hands to meetings to getting gas, has changed during this pandemic. And this will be reflected in the physical marketplace, too.

The top priority across all sectors of reopening is to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols for workers, customers, and visitors including actively supporting the guidelines and understandings, limiting the number of people in a closed space, partitioning between customers and workers, monitoring employees health and regularly cleaning surfaces and strengthening hygiene procedures (e.g., providing hand sanitizer, sinks/soap/water, and personal protective equipment).

Special accommodations need to be considered for personnel who are members of a vulnerable population.

Temperature checks may be implemented for visitors entering buildings. New technologies are fast developing to quickly screen the temperature of many people at a time via heat-detection cameras, while connecting findings to a laptop or a tablet in real time.

COVID-19 spreads mainly from person-to-person but also via surfaces. New research warns it can be transmitted easily by talking. So, as you step into the new phases of reopening, its most important to be vigilant in protecting yourself and others. Following the CDC guidelines, you should:

Wash your hands, often and thoroughly with soap and water (20 seconds), including after sneezing, blowing your nose or touching surfaces. If soap/water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Wear a protective mask covering your mouth and nose when out in public. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Maintain strict social distancing protocols. Stay at least 6 feet from other people.

Avoid congregating/engaging in common areas or large groups.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces often (use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection).

Avoid contact with people who are sick, even inside your home.

Respect your state and local recommendations.

Maintain a healthy diet, exercising routinely along with getting quality sleep.

Taking time for healthy self-care physically, mentally and emotionally.

And, please, maintain careful measures knowing that COVID-19 can be transmitted by others, completely unknowingly, termed silent spreaders. There are three categories:

Asymptomatic: People carrying the virus but never having any symptoms. Testing would be the only way to confirm, but people without symptoms rarely seek testing.

Presymptomatic: People infected who are incubating the virus but dont yet show symptoms. Once infected with this virus, it can take 5 to 14 days for any symptoms to appear, allowing them to unknowingly spread it to others.

Very mildly symptomatic: People who may feel slightly unwell but continue to be in contact with others, often thinking its nothing or just a little cold often powering through, going to work and public places, where they infect others who can become far sicker. This doesnt really count as silent transmission because theres some sign the virus could be present. With even a mild cough, low fever, or any flu symptoms, assume you have COVID-19 and isolate yourself from others immediately.

This pandemic is not a one-time event that weve weathered. Its an ongoing, developing situation with many unknowns and challenges.

Reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by carefully managing these measures is an essential part of reopening public spaces. Every American has been called upon to slow the spread of the virus and care for our communities through social distancing and preventive hygiene.

Everyone has a role in making sure our communities are as safe as possible to reopen and remain open.

Dr. Nina Radcliff, of Galloway Township, is a physician anesthesiologist, television medical contributor and textbook author. Email questions for Dr. Nina to editor@pressofac.com with Dr. Nina in the subject line.

This article is for general information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions and cannot substitute for the advice from your medical professional.

Continued here:
Staying safe, healthy amid pandemic during proposed reopenings: Dr Nina Radcliff - Press of Atlantic City