That killer cardio class at the gym might take on a new meaning for people worried about the new coronavirus.

Exercise is a prescription for good health, but is it wise to visit a health club as the outbreak grows?

Some cities and states including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have already decided that question for its residents, ordering gyms to close to maximize social distancing and help stop the spread of the virus.

Some national fitness chains, including LA Fitness, have temporarily shuttered all U.S. locations. Gold's Gym has closed all company-owned U.S. clubs, including gyms across Texas, Oklahoma, St. Louis, Alabama, the Carolinas, Colorado Springs and Venice, California.

On March 16, the Coronavirus Task Force urged Americans to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, effectively shutting down group fitness classes.

What about places where gyms are still open?

When it comes to healthy younger people who have no symptoms and live in areas where theres no widespread disease, its safe to go to the gym, said Dr. Michael Ison, an infectious disease physician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

But they have to use extra care, Ison told TODAY.

You have lots of people coming and using shared equipment. When you work out, you often are rubbing your face and nose to get the sweat off and then touching the handlebars that would be a great way for someone to potentially share the virus.

Whether its safe to go to the gym may change over time as more cases emerge. Its also important to follow local guidance since the outbreak is worse in some areas than others.

Trending stories,celebrity news and all the best of TODAY.

The more important question may be: Should you go to the gym even if it seems safe? There's a generational call for healthy younger people to stay at home to prevent the outbreak from growing worse.

People who are at-risk for complications from COVID-19 older adults over 60 and patients with underlying medical conditions should minimize their exposures to the public, which would include skipping the gym, Ison noted. His father, who is in his 80s, has stopped going to his health club to protect himself.

For those who want to keep the maximum social distance, the safest way to exercise may be in a home gym.

People who do decide to go to a health club should be very diligent about washing their hands both before and after they work out, Ison noted.

Heres more advice for healthy young people in areas without a widespread outbreak:

Be sure to wipe down the machine thoroughly with an anti-bacterial wipe before and after you use the equipment a dry towel or a towel with water wont do the trick, Ison said. Try to disinfect all surfaces. Keep your distance from other people.

The number of people in an aerobics class is relatively small and theres usually a reasonable degree of separation between the participants, Ison said. But again, the Coronavirus Task Force is now urging Americans to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people, so group fitness is coming to a halt.

Use your own mat in a yoga class. If using a mat provided by the health club, clean it with antimicrobial wipe.

The chlorine in the pool will likely inactivate the virus, so doing laps is probably less of a concern, Ison said.

The bigger issue is that you have to change in the shared locker rooms, and people are often touching the mouth, nose and face and then maybe touching the lockers, he noted.

If you do, wash your hands carefully before and after swimming in the pool.

This seems to be the best bet. Sunlight is natures greatest disinfectant because the ultraviolet light inactivates bacteria and viruses, said Joseph Fair, a virologist, epidemiologist and NBC News Science contributor.

When exercising outside, there are also fewer people close enough to you for their respiratory droplets to reach your body when they sneeze or cough.

The city of San Francisco, which has ordered residents to stay at home until April 7 except for essential needs, is allowing outdoor activities, such as walking, hiking or running, as long as people maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing.

Going to a restaurant or cafe: Some cities and states have ordered eateries to shut down, except for takeout and delivery. In places where restaurants are still open, its generally safe to go out to eat, Ison said. The cooking process will inactivate the virus. But if theres someone sick sitting next to you or working at the eatery, ask to move or dont eat at that establishment. Don't go in a big group since the Coronavirus Task Force is urging Americans to avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 people.

Getting a haircut: Thats slightly lower risk because its just you and the hairdresser, Ison said. But stay away from sick clients and wash your hands after touching anything in the waiting area. If the barber is sick, I probably wouldnt get my hair cut that day, he noted.

A. Pawlowski is a TODAY contributing editor focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN.

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As coronavirus spreads, is it safe to go to the gym? - TODAY

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Americans have been making runs on their grocery and mass retail stores to buy all the dry beans, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bread, sugar, and ... chicken (?) they can get their hands on. People bought so many respiratory masks that contractors told reporters they were turning down jobs they could no longer do safely.

Does this kind of panic accumulation make sense? Well, noand President Trump has urged Americans to stop doing it. Not only does the average person use just 100 rolls of toilet paper per entire year, but almost all our toilet paper is still made domestically without any risk to the supply chain from travel bans.

Maybe its the very real psychological idea that toilet paper is something that makes our living conditions livable, or the fact that TP is cheap and easy to just throw in the cart.

One person did the math on how foolish it is, though:

Whats the deal with the other things people have decided to emergency hoard?

Along with respiratory masks, hand sanitizer was the earliest scapegoat of escalating stockpiling. Photos of empty drugstore shelves appeared from all corners of the country. But the only people who need to use hand sanitizer are those without access to soap and water, like point-of-sale workers or people who work at reception in medical facilities. Plus, there are people who cant wash their hands so much without exacerbating eczema or other conditions.

A 2017 study found that people should use 3 milliliters (mL) of hand sanitizer each time. That means even the travel size 3-ounce (oz.) bottle holds nearly 30 applications, which isnt enough for someone working with cash and customers, but is enough for days and days of home use by people who are washing their hands as directed.

This out-of-stock Target brand pump holds 32 oz., so nearly 1,000 mL, which is over 300 applications. The average normal number of times to urinate per day is between six to seven trips, so lets round up generously to 10 per day altogether. After each of those, you wash your hands. (Youd better.) But if you relied on just hand sanitizer, that one $4 bottle would still last an entire month of bathroom trips, which is twice the length of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) current recommendation of two weeks of self isolation.

While plenty of people eat beans regularly as a super healthy and nutrient-dense food, lots of people dont. If you werent preparing beans from dry already, this seems like a wild time to imagine youll start. But what will happen if you shift from, lets say, an average FDA calorie distribution to a diet of beans?

A one-pound bag of black beans ends up growing to 5 to 6 cups of cooked beans, where a cup has about 250 calories, 12 grams of fiber, and 14 grams of protein. If you ate just beans for every meal up to the 2,000-calorie U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard, youd also be eating 96 grams of fiber and 112 grams of protein. Get ready to change the math on how much toilet paper youll need.

Even if you mix 50/50 with white rice, thats still 48 grams of fiber, which is way, way outside of the average Americans diet and the FDA recommendation of between 25 and 35 grams. If youre going this route and its not your usual diet, maybe stick with mostly rice.

For two weeks, youd need about 15 pounds of just dry beans. Thats still only a few big bagsnot a cartful of everything you can get.

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Colleagues told me theyd seen meat counters totally emptied of fresh raw chicken. Chicken is the most dangerous food in restaurants and lasts just 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. Are people rushing home to put all this chicken directly in the freezer? Youd be better off buying completely shelf-stable canned chicken or tuna, especially if the alternative left on the shelf is big pieces with bones in and youre used to cooking boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Calorie-wise, boneless, skinless chicken breast is the least effective form of chicken to buy; it takes up the most room for the least nutritional density of any cut of chicken. To eat 2,000 calories in a day of boneless, skinless chicken breast, youd need to eat more than 12 servings of 3.5 cooked ounces each.

If you wanted to buy enough chicken to last through a two-week self quarantine, youd be bringing home pounds and pounds of the most vulnerable mainstream protein and trying to find room for it in your freezer. This just doesnt seem like an efficient use of your space.

Instead, you could use that freezer space to make your dairy milk last 1 to 2 months. You can freeze ginger and other fresh flavorings that dont require a crisp texture. Or you can freeze ice cube tray sections of lime juice or fresh herbs mixed in water.

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Hoarding Toilet Paper and Hand Sanitizer Doesn't Make Senseand Here's the Math to Prove It - Popular Mechanics

Kidney (Photo Credits: Pixabay)

Most kidney detoxes that you must have heard of or read of promises weight loss and increased energy levels. Sadly, those promises come with a lot of caveats, and they are not backed by science. While there is no magic solution to detox your kidneys, optimising your kidney health is vital. When you cleanse your kidneys, you support detoxification for other organ systems in your body. Here are some of the top ways to cleanse your kidneys and boost their health.

Eating a balanced diet is the first step to getting your kidneys back in optimal shape. According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, adjusting your diet can help protect your kidneys from further damage. Eat a lot of apples, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, grapes, cherries, kale, spinach, sweet potato, cilantro and parsley to reduce the stress from your organs. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and polyunsaturated fatty acids can be beneficial for people with chronic kidney disease.High-Protein Diets and Kidney Disease: What Happens When You Eat Too Much Protein?

According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, you need to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water in a day. But the amount of water that you need to drink each day depends on your body size, climate, physical activity and medications that you may be taking.World Kidney Day 2020: What are Kidney Stones and How to Prevent Them?

While plain water is always the best bet to detox your kidneys, increasing your fluid intake with supplements like dandelion tea, alfalfa, green juices, green tea and alkaline water can aid in improving your kidney health.World Kidney Day 2020: Is It UTI or a Kidney Infection? From Back Pain to Smelly Urine, Most Common Signs of Pyelonephritis in Women.

We got you some sample kidney detox diet plan:

Breakfast: Make a smoothie with berries, spinach, low-fat yoghurt and cranberry juice.

Lunch: Whip up a spinach salad topped with four ounces of salmon and cranberries. Use olive oil for dressing.

Snack: Eat a choice of your fruit as a mid-afternoon snack.

Dinner: Some grilled chicken with onions and green peppers can be a fantastic pick for dinner.

Breakfast: Veggie omelette with a bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit on the side.

Lunch: Prepare a chard salad with lots of blueberries and cranberries. Add some boiled sweet potatoes for extra calories.

Snack: Low-fat yoghurt can be an excellent choice to keep you full till dinner.

Dinner: For a light and filling dinner, pair grilled salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and spinach salad.

Eating processed foods and drinking alcohol can also put a lot of pressure on your kidneys which requires them to work overtime. By upping your water intake and improving your diet, you can get your kidneys back on track.

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World Kidney Day 2020: Why Do You Need a Kidney Detox? Here's How to Cleanse the Organ Safely and - LatestLY

Coronavirus has killed 71 people so far in the UK resulting in Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling the nation they should practice 'social distancing', people over the age of 70 should self-isolate for 12 weeks, and should anyone with an underlying condition.

Here are the answers to the questions about coronavirus as asked by Mirror readers.

Q My elderly mum is feeling poorly and shows coronavirus symptoms. Can I help look after her?

A Yes, but there are very strict guidelines about protecting yourself and anyone else from infection. Eg: Keep three steps away and use a separate bathroom if you can.

Even visiting a healthy elderly relative, you should keep a bit more distance, preferably at least three feet, no kissing and hugging, sadly, and hand hygiene practices are incredibly important, says Caroline Abrahams of Age UK.

Visit http://www.gov.uk for more guidelines.

Q Can my partner and I still have sex?

Do you have a coronavirus story to share? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk

A Coronavirus is not sexually transmitted but the chance of contracting from an infected person is very high, specifically due to respiratory droplets being passed during kissing.

Q Can we hold a funeral that may attract a crowd?

A Government advice is to limit gatherings, so perhaps invite immediate family only. New guidelines are to come.

Q Is any hand sanitiser more effective than the rest?

A There are two main types: alcohol-based and alcohol-free. Alcohol-based kills most germs. Washing with warm water and soap remains the gold standard for preventing the spread of infections.

Q Do face masks help protect against coronavirus at all?

A The World Health Organisation says masks are only effective in fighting infectious diseases if used correctly and accompanied by regular and through hand-washing with an alcohol hand rub or soap and water.

The masks must cover the nose and mouth with no gaps, be disposed of safely and replaced if they become damp.

Q What are the latest guidelines on delaying the spread of coronavirus?

A 1 Household isolation: entire households are being asked to stay at home if one person among them is symptomatic.

2 Social distancing: to delay the spread, it is recommended that people work from home, limit their use of public transport and avoid unnecessary social gatherings.

3 Shielding, which is not yet in place. By the weekend, the Prime Minister has indicated that it will be necessary to go further than these measures to ensure those with the most significant health conditions, regardless of age, are shielded from contact for 12 weeks.

Q Might I have had coronavirus already and not know?

A Possibly. Some people who tested positive reported very few symptoms.

Q How likely am I to recover from coronavirus?

A At least 52 people are known to have recovered from the disease in the UK, according to figures from Public Health England. However, the true number of people who have recovered from the virus will be higher.

More than 79,000 people around the world have recovered from Covid-19, out of 182,000 confirmed cases of the disease.

Q How long is the coronavirus pandemic expected to last? Should I cancel my summer travel plans?

A It was announced this week by Imperial College London researchers that drastic restrictions will be required for up to 18 months in order to save thousands of lives.

Britons have been advised against undertaking non-essential travel to anywhere in the world for 30 days. On Tuesday, the Foreign Office said anyone who decides they still need to travel abroad should be fully aware of the increased risks of doing so including the possibility of being stranded overseas if restrictions are put in place.

Q If I have symptoms, how do I get tested?

A The chief medical officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said only people who are patients at hospitals will be formally examined. Testing in hospitals will be carried out on patients who are suffering from respiratory problems and this will probably be extended to other conditions.

Q What symptoms mean we have to call 111?

A You should contact NHS 111 if anyone feels they cannot cope with their symptoms at home, their condition gets worse, or their symptoms do not get better after seven days. People are asked to phone 111 only if they cannot get help online.

Q I had the flu jab at the start of the winter. Am I immune from coronavirus?

A No, the flu vaccine does not protect against coronavirus.

Q Can children catch coronavirus or are they carriers?

A Children can contract it. A newborn baby in North London tested positive for Covid-19, with the mother also testing positive. Children are not, so far, experiencing severe symptoms. But anyone who is infected can still spread the disease. It is still a good idea for them to follow guidance issued for everyone (such as washing hands, catching sneezes in tissue).

Q How can I stop my children becoming overanxious about the coronavirus?

A Use simple language and a calm tone. Reassure your child that about your familys fitness and strength and that you are doing all you can to stay healthy and safe. Dont overplay the risks or make bleak predictions. Be clear that you dont have all the answers, but the worlds experts are working hard on it.

Explain that myths and rumours circulate on social media. Direct children to news coverage with an age-appropriate tone, such as BBCs Newsround.

Q Are pregnant women particularly susceptible to coronavirus? Could it affect the babys health?

A The Government says limited evidence suggests there are no coronavirus-related complications in pregnancy. Pregnant women are advised to limit social contact but continue to attend antenatal appointments. The Royal College of Midwives says appointments are essential to ensure the wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies.

Q There is a confirmed case of coronavirus at my childrens school, but the school has not closed. Should I keep my kids home?

A Public Health England is advising schools to stay open. Only people with symptoms of the virus, or in a family with someone with symptoms, should self-isolate at home for 14 days.

Q Can we eat any specific foods to boost our immunity against coronavirus?

A Micro nutrients essential to fight infection include vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and the minerals iron, selenium, and zinc. A varied, balanced diet rich in leafy green veg, oily fish, fruits such as oranges, kiwis and berries, meat and whole grains can help boost your immune system.

Q Do hot drinks help keep us safe from coronavirus?

A There is no medical advice from the NHS or WHO to confirm this. It is advised to keep hydrated by drinking water.

Q Is food delivery safe?

A Yes. Many delivery services are putting no-contact delivery services in place so you can arrange for the driver to drop your food somewhere safe like your porch or doorstep.

Q Can I walk my dog?

A If you are showing symptoms, the advice is to stay indoors and away from others.

However, if you arent showing symptoms so if you are self-isolating for another reason then walking the dog should be fine.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said: People should go outside. Yes, walk your pets, but, if youre in household isolation, do go outside but try to avoid other people.

Q Can pets get coronavirus?

A According to the World Health Organisations myth-buster page, there is no evidence that cats and dogs can become infected. However it is still always a good idea to wash your hands after contact with pets.

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Coronavirus: Your questions about the killer bug COVID-19 are answered - Mirror Online

However, she quickly added, Maintaining weight loss can get easier over time. Over time, less intentional effort, though not no effort, is needed to be successful. After about two years, healthy eating habits become part of the routine. Healthy choices become more automatic the longer people continue to make them. They feel weird when they dont.

On the other hand, perfection is not realistic and can be self-defeating, Dr. Phelan said. Successful maintainers know there will be lapses. But they also know they can recover from lapses and how to get back on track. They accept slips and dont engage in black-and-white thinking like I was bad, an attitude that is self-defeating. Rather, they know there will be ups and downs, and they have a plan for coping with lapses thats empowering.

A personal example from one who lost a third of her body weight and kept it off for half a century: I anticipate and plan for the times when I expect to be confronted with culinary largess. Im a little more abstemious beforehand, enjoy the indulgence and get back to normal the next day.

Rather than constant deprivation and self-denial, I practice moderation. The studys co-author, Gary Foster, who is chief scientific officer for WW, explained that in the WW program, Everything is on the menu. Fad diets are overly restrictive, which dooms them from the onset. We advocate moderation, were anti-dieting. People have to find habits and routines that make long-term weight loss sustainable.

And as many of the successful weight maintainers in the study reported, time and practice have permanently modified what I find appealing, so I rarely feel deprived and have less need to exercise self-denial all the time. I do admit, though, that Im less good at ignoring cravings than many in the new study are. Im more likely to give in but control the amount I consume.

What I may be best at is monitoring my weight. I weigh myself every day and keep within a range of two or three pounds. Nearly all the successful maintainers in the study weigh themselves weekly or more often, which makes it easier to self-correct before the numbers on the scale rise significantly.

Dr. Foster said, Whats on your mind is as important as whats on your plate. Weight management is something you do for yourself because youre valuable, youre worth taking care of.

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How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off - The New York Times

For anyone who wants to feel better, look great and lose weight, clean eating is the way to go. It's easy to make the switch once you commit to only eating things that you can grow, or pick from a tree,orforage for (mushrooms come to mind). Want to make the change? Clean eating is very simple: Eat whole, natural, minimally processed foodsmostly or entirely from plants.

Clean eating is a plant-based way of approaching your food that embraces the wide variety of foods you can eat, not whole categories of food you have to eliminate. As Jackie Arnett Elnahar, RD, and founder of TelaDietitian explains, Think about the parts of the globe where people have the longest, healthiest lives, like Okinawa and some Mediterranean countries. The people living there eat a wide range of foods across a wide range of cultural traditions, but they have one consistent thing in common. They eat whole foods that are minimally processed and simply cooked.

With a good understanding of the basics, clean eating quickly and easily becomes a flexible and flavorful way of life. Its easily adapted to meet your individual dietary needs and preferences. Clean eating doesnt have to be gluten-free, low in calories, limited in food choices, or consist of only raw foodsunless you want or need it to be. And dont confuse clean eating with doing a cleanse! (Your body has natural cleansing functions that work.)

Try clean eating for a couple of weeks and youll see how easy it can be. Once your taste buds get reacquainted with the full flavors and textures of real food, you wont want to return to the ultra-processed foods that now make up nearly 60 percent of the typical American diet.

Whole foods are unprocessed or minimally processed foods with nothing added. So, for example, all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables are whole foods. So far, so good. The prewashed salad mix and the trimmed green beans? Still good. That convenient bag of mixed frozen vegetables ready to stir fry? Also good, because its been minimally processed. But that pouch of microwaveable broccoli in creamy cheese-like sauce? Well, we think any vegetables are better than no vegetables, but the nutritional value of the broccoli has been largely stripped away, while lots of chemicals and industrialized dairy and fat have been added. Its way beyond minimally processedso skip it.

To be sure youre getting a clean food when you buy a packaged or prepared product, read the nutritional label. If you can pronounce everything on it and know what it looks like, the food is probably a good choice. Watch out for the weasel words that disguise added sugarevaporated cane syrup, for example.

Ideally, your clean eating menu would consist only of natural, healthy, organic foods. What does that really mean? Right now, natural and healthy dont have formal USDA or FDA definitions. These terms are often misleadingly used on food packaging for their halo effectthey make you think the food is good for you.

Organic was formally defined by the USDA back in 2000. A food can carry the official organic label only if it was produced without using conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, sewage sludge fertilizers, genetic engineering, or irradiation. For processed foods, the regulations say all the ingredients need to be organic; the product cant contain artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

Unfortunately, the organic rules have some loopholes that let some highly processed foods slip through. Read the nutrition label and use your common sense before you choose these products and remember that organic junk food is still junk food.

Organic foods can be more expensive than conventional foods. Theyre also often harder to find in the typical supermarketyou may have fewer choices or even no choice at all. When the choice comes down to nonorganic vegetables and no vegetables, or between organic vegetables and your budget, choose nonorganic. Clean eating doesnt have to be perfect eating.

You can cut down on the cost of organic produce by supporting your local farmers. Their produce may not be officially certified organic (the cost is often too high for small farms to sustain), but you can talk to the farmers in person about their growing methods. By supporting local agriculture, youre cutting down on the carbon footprint of your food and helping to preserve open space in your neighborhood.

Clean eating takes some thought. You need to keep track of what you eat to make sure youre getting enough calories and good, balanced nutrition. Preparing and cooking your food when you eat clean takes longernot a lot longer once you have some experience, but certainly longer than microwaving a frozen dinner.

Eating meals away from home means either bringing food with you or being limited in your food options. And its hard to avoid pizza Friday at the office or eating at a social event. Plan ahead, make the best choices you can and accept that not every day is going to a completely clean day.

Is the extra time and planning worth it? According to Jackie Arnett Elnahar, without a doubt. She says, After just a couple of weeks of clean eating, youll probably notice that your energy level has zoomed! Youll feel more focused and engaged. Many of my clients lose weight even though they dont limit their caloriesthe high fiber content of whole foods is very satiating. I find that my clients also stop complaining about bloating and constipation.

Study after study has shown that people who eat a plant-based diet rich in whole foods are healthier overall. Theyre less likely to be overweight and have a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other chronic health problems as they grow older. Because clean eating with a plant-based diet means all your calories are packed with nutrients, youre giving your body what it needs to help slow the aging process and have the energy to stay active and vibrant.

Want another great reason to eat clean? Youre helping the planet by cutting your consumption of environmentally harmful manufactured food, reducing the carbon footprint of food shipping, and supporting organic farming.

Try clean eating with an open mind and open heart for just a couple of weeks. Youll discover a whole new world of great food and better health. Sign up for The Beet's 2 Week Clean Eating Plan today for 56 Recipes and lots of great motivation to keep on track.

In a fascinating 2019 study from the National Institutes of Health, the role ultra-processed food in weight gain was proven for the first time by a controlled study. The researchers recruited 20 healthy adults, ten male, and ten female, to spend a month at the NIH, eating only foods provided to them. The participants were randomly divided into two groups of ten. For the first two weeks, one group ate a diet of ultra-processed food while the other group ate a diet of minimally processed foods. Both diets were matched in their calories and macronutrients (protein, sugars, carbohydrates, fats, fiber). After two weeks, the groups swapped diets. For both diets, the participants could eat as much or as little as they wanted.

The results were amazing. While they were on the ultra-processed diet, the participants ate about 500 calories a day more than they did on the minimally processed diet. They also ate faster. And they each gained, on average, almost two pounds in just two weeks. When they switched over to the minimally processed diet, they ate fewer calories, ate slower, and on average lost two pounds in two weeks.

Remember, both diets were balanced to provide the same calories and macronutrients. (To get the ultra-processed diet up to the same fiber content as the minimally processed diet, the researchers had to give them a lemonade drink laced with soluble fiber.) What it all comes down to is that on the ultra-processed diet, the participants overate and gained weight; on the minimally processed diet, the participants ate less and lost weight. This is the first study to demonstrate through a controlled experiment that eating ultra-processed foods leads directly to weight gain.

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The Clean Eating Diet: Want to Feel and Look Your Best? Switch to Real Food - The Beet

March 2020 has already reserved a dubious position for itself in history. As each one of us comes to terms with the coronavirus reality were all suddenly faced with, each cough, sneeze, ache, and pain is being placed under a microscope. Self-isolation has quickly become the name of the game in terms of containment, so in many ways, it really doesnt matter if youre feeling sick at this particular moment. Its still imperative that you stay home and avoid contact with others.

That being said, a new study is making a pretty strong case that now is not the time to try out a keto diet while you binge Netflix and dust off Monopoly to pass the time. Researchers in Australia have found compelling evidence across social media that a ketogenic diet can cause several flu-like symptoms during the first few weeks. Common symptoms of the keto-flu include fatigue, nausea, lack of energy, body aches, dizziness, faintness, and heart palpitations. Quite a few of those symptoms are also associated with Covid-19.

Right now everyone is on edge, its impossible not to be considering the situation were all in. Adding extra stress to your body, and possibly wrongly convincing yourself youve come down with Coronavirus because of a recent keto regiment isnt a good idea right now. There will be plenty of time to work on our summer appearances once this ordeal is under control and in the rearview mirror.

Keto-flu symptoms usually appear quickly after starting the diet, peaking within seven days and then disappearing over the coming weeks.

The keto diet, or a high-fat & low-carb approach to eating, has quickly become among the hottest fitness trends in recent years thanks to its relatively quick results when it comes to burning fat. Moreover, keto diet proponents believe it can also strengthen ones memory and even help fight diabetes or cancer.

The keto-flu itself isnt exactly breaking news, many dieters have reported a variety of adverse bodily reactions when first trying out a ketogenic diet. So, in an effort to attain authentic first hand accounts of the keto-flu, this studys authors took a novel approach. They searched through 43 online forums (social media posts & platforms) that mentioned the keto-flu and put together 101 written accounts of relevant symptoms, their severity, and their duration.

The experiences of symptoms by many people strengthens the evidence for side-effects following the initiation of a ketogenic diet, says Dr. Emmanuelle Bostock of the Menzies Institute for Medical Research of the University of Tasmania, in a press release. These consumers have the most immediate experience of effects and side-effects and many choose to report and share these in online forums.

We focused on social media because of its widespread use for discussion of health topics, which makes it practical to harness the experience of people who have tried the treatment in question, Dr. Bostock continues. In the present study, we responsibly and respectfully used public domain online forum posts and analyzed their content to produce new insights into side-effects of the ketogenic diet.

Just like prior research had found, social media users complained of multiple symptoms; headaches, difficulty concentrating, stomach problems, and even classic flu-symptoms (sneezing, stuffy nose). Most of the time users reported more than just one of these symptoms.

If you find yourself wondering if youre dealing with a keto-flu or legitimate coronavirus symptoms, the keto-flu is not known to cause an increase in body temperature. So, that appears to be a sure-fire way to make a distinction.

To be clear, in a vacuum the keto-flu really isnt anything to stress out about. Its just how many peoples bodies react to switching over to a keto diet. All things considered, the symptoms are relatively mild and disappear, in most cases, within two weeks.

Beyond the keto diet, and even Covid-19, this set of research is especially interesting because it illustrates just how helpful social media can be in regards to conducting research. In all likelihood, well see more and more studies using social media to aid in data collection efforts and first-hand accounts.

Normally the keto-flu is just a bump in the road on ones fitness or weight-loss journey, but these days life is anything but normal. Many of us already have hypochondriac tendencies, often exacerbated by frequent visits to WebMD, and the coronavirus is amplifying the anxiety. With all of this in mind, the added strain that a new keto-diet can put on the body, coupled with the possibility of worrying flu-like symptoms appearing, make it a venture not worth taking right now.

The full study can be found here, published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

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Health This trendy diet will not help you during the Coronavirus pandemic - Ladders

3 Tested Ways to Achieve High Work Performance and Deep Thinking

My wife and I just had our firstborn child, so figuring out how to maintain high performance while on limitedsleep makes a ton of sense for me right now (there isnt enough coffee in Starbucks to keep me caffeinated).Andwhile we all want to walk around like Bradley Cooper in Limitless, operating at stunningly efficient levels in a state of total human optimization, the reality is, well, were human.

Everybody knows that great habits lead to better results if you're looking to change your habits. That means getting a good nights rest, eating healthyand having a positive attitude. Habits are important, given that 69 percentof American adults say that health care is a significant source of stress, according to a November 2019 survey by the American Psychological Association. Moreover, 56 percent reporting beingstressed over the nations political climate. Americans also dont get enough sleep. A 2018 survey by National Sleep Foundation found that only 10 percentof U.S. adults prioritize sleep over other daily activities. For people who have excellent sleep health, 90 percentsaid they are very effective each day.

A nutritious diet, ample rest and a positive outlook are what remindus thatwe can determine ourquality of life more than external stimuli or events beyond our influence. Here are ways to boost your performance at work and life in general.

Speaking of Limitless, increasing numbers ofpeople are taking supplements to ensure their mind and body can accomplish more. Smart drugs, or nootropics, are particularlypopular among individuals who seek an edge in daily performance. The global dietary supplements market will grow 7.8 percentannually to $195 billion by 2025, according to Grand View Research, and North America leads the way as the largest market for these products. The market is driven by the hectic work schedules among working individuals coupled with fluctuations in diet intervals, according to the firms May 2019 report.

As we all know, a full day requires concentration, dedication and nutrition.AsMau Pan, co-founder of Nuoptimal, explains,Nootropics can be the catalyst to achieving greater productivity and happiness in your daily life. When taking the right combination of ingredients, they can boost work output and even promote long-term brain health." I agree.

Planning how you spend time leads to better results. More importantly, youre less likely to get overwhelmed by a chorus of tasks. Peak performance isnt possible when youre interrupted by emails, texts and social-media notifications.I like the Pomodoro Technique for staying on track. Its a time-management strategy created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s that uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks of five-to-10 minutes. My preferred cycle is 40 minutes of work followed by 10 minutes of rest.

Everyone has 24 hours a day, but planning actually increases your productive time. By focusing on important tasks, youre able to reject less impactful and less meaningful activities. Think of it this way: Youre constantly saying no to alternative actions. If you choose unproductive activities, then youre saying no to working, to parenting, to running errands.

A January 2018 study by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis (UMM) found that workers lose efficiency when they constantly switch from one task to another. Planning your day helps you to focus on the key task at hand until its finished. Our brains process tasks better one at a time, says the study'sco-author, Sophie Leroy, a former faculty member at UMM. Our brain truly tries to keep the interrupted work on our mind so that we dont forget about it.

Related: 7 Steps to Peak Performance in Business and Life

Interruptions lead to a downward spiral of frustrations, stress and ineffectiveness. Multitasking is destroying your ability for long, deep, cognitive thinking.Most of your distractions probably come from your phone and mobile apps, which steal an enormous amount of time, attention and productivity. Ive definitely felt, at times, an addictive tendency towards my phone, and I'm not alone. The average U.S. adult now spends three hours on their mobile devive each day. This study from Behavioral Health compares smartphone distractions to cocaine, suggesting startlingly similar side effects. Let that sink in.

This sounds somewhat counterintuitive, butI do enjoy a handful of mobile apps that help me focus and stay productive. Brain.FM is a cool one that gives you music that helps you focus, stay productive or sleep. Freedom is another one I like that lets you block any appor site that is a distraction.

The more time you spend on distractions, the less time youre spending on constructive acts. Dont let your smartphone make you dumb. Remove unnecessary apps so you can declutter your day and streamline your life, anddelete all notifications. And when working, set your phone to airplane mode.

Id love to hear your tips. Give me a shout on Twitter @andrewmedal.

Related:3 Tested Ways to Achieve High Work Performance and Deep ThinkingA Former Editor of 'Cosmopolitan' On Her Secret to (Almost) Infinite EnergyDhvani Bhanushali - The Pop Sensation and Million View Queen

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The coronavirus presents many uncertainties, and none of us can completely eliminate our risk of getting COVID-19. But one thing we can do is eat as healthily as possible.

If we do catch COVID-19, our immune system is responsible for fighting it. Research shows improving nutrition helps support optimal immune function.

Micronutrients essential to fight infection include vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and the minerals iron, selenium, and zinc.

Heres what we know about how these nutrients support our immune system and the foods we can eat to get them.

Read more: What is a balanced diet anyway?

Vitamin A maintains the structure of the cells in the skin, respiratory tract and gut. This forms a barrier and is your bodys first line of defence. If fighting infection was like a football game, vitamin A would be your forward line.

We also need vitamin A to help make antibodies which neutralise the pathogens that cause infection. This is like assigning more of your team to target an opposition player who has the ball, to prevent them scoring.

Vitamin A is found in oily fish, egg yolks, cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes.

Further, vegetables contain beta-carotene, which your body can convert into vitamin A. Beta-carotene is found in leafy green vegetables and yellow and orange vegetables like pumpkin and carrots.

B vitamins, particularly B6, B9 and B12, contribute to your bodys first response once it has recognised a pathogen.

They do this by influencing the production and activity of natural killer cells. Natural killer cells work by causing infected cells to implode, a process called apoptosis.

At a football match, this role would be like security guards intercepting wayward spectators trying to run onto the field and disrupt play.

B6 is found in cereals, legumes, green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, chicken and meat.

B9 (folate) is abundant in green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and is added to commercial bread-making flour.

B12 (cyanocobalamin) is found in animal products, including eggs, meat and dairy, and also in fortified soy milk (check the nutrition information panel).

When your body is fighting an infection, it experiences whats called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to the production of free radicals which can pierce cell walls, causing the contents to leak into tissues and exacerbating inflammation.

Vitamin C and vitamin E help protect cells from oxidative stress.

Read more: Coronavirus: it's time to debunk claims that vitamin C could cure it

Vitamin C also helps clean up this cellular mess by producing specialised cells to mount an immune response, including neutrophils, lymphocytes and phagocytes.

So the role of vitamin C here is a bit like cleaning up the football ground after the game.

Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, berries, kiwifruit, broccoli, tomatoes and capsicum.

Vitamin E is found in nuts, green leafy vegetables and vegetables oils.

Some immune cells need vitamin D to help destroy pathogens that cause infection.

Although sun exposure allows the body to produce vitamin D, food sources including eggs, fish and some milks and margarine brands may be fortified with Vitamin D (meaning extra has been added).

Most people need just a few minutes outdoors most days.

People with vitamin D deficiency may need supplements. A review of 25 studies found vitamin D supplements can help protect against acute respiratory infections, particularly among people who are deficient.

We need iron, zinc and selenium for immune cell growth, among other functions.

Iron helps kill pathogens by increasing the number of free radicals that can destroy them. It also regulates enzyme reactions essential for immune cells to recognise and target pathogens.

Zinc helps maintain the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes. Zinc and selenium also act as an antioxidant, helping mop up some of the damage caused by oxidative stress.

Iron is found in meat, chicken and fish. Vegetarian sources include legumes, whole grains and iron-fortified breakfast cereals.

Zinc is found in oysters and other seafood, meat, chicken, dried beans and nuts.

Nuts (especially Brazil nuts), meat, cereals and mushrooms are good food sources of selenium.

Read more: Health Check: should I take vitamin C or other supplements for my cold?

Its true some supermarkets are out of certain products at the moment. But as much as possible, focus on eating a variety of foods within each of the basic food groups to boost your intake of vitamins and minerals.

While vitamin and mineral supplements are not recommended for the general population, there are some exceptions.

Pregnant women, some people with chronic health conditions, and people with conditions that mean they cant eat properly or are on very restrictive diets, may need specific supplements. Talk to your doctor, Accredited Practising Dietitian or pharmacist.

Read more: Social distancing: What it is and why it's the best tool we have to fight the coronavirus

And beyond diet, there are other measures you can take to stay as healthy as possible in the face of coronavirus.

Stop smoking to improve your lungs ability to fight infection, perform moderate intensity exercise like brisk walking, get enough sleep, practise social distancing and wash your hands with soap regularly.

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CBS This Morning host Gayle King is renowned for her mastery during stressful interviews and, of late, knowing when to apologize after more awkward exchanges.

The 65-year-old morning show host looks easily ten years younger and thats thanks to her self-care routine thats obviously working for her.

Kings favorite diet seems to be Weight Watchers (WW), which makes sense, considering her best friend Oprah Winfreys stake in the company. The journalist has had success with the plan and goes back and forth on it depending on how shes feeling about her weight at any given time. She ended up losing almost thirty pounds on the program.

Some people dont eat pasta or bread or sweets ever, King wrote in 2004 about her eating philosophy in O magazine. I love those foods too much. So for the most part, I eat healthy, but if I go to a party or on vacation, Im going to enjoy it; then I work extra hard to get back to where I was.

The hardest part of a diet can be snacking and stopping at a small one, at that. Many nutritionists recommend having a healthy snack, and one that you know youll enjoy, at the ready for yourself. Otherwise, unplanned and excessive snacking likely will happen. Still, King admits to having her indulgences that simply wont melt away with the pounds.

Ive been on a raisins kick, she told Elle this month. But Im on WW and theyre not good for you in terms of points. And I dont keep it handy, but Ive been known to walk around the office saying, Does anybody have anything with icing? Anything?

For a woman of 65 years of age, and really any woman over 50, the battle with weight is an uphill one due to menopause and the slowing down of metabolism. In fact, for women of this age, its unfortunate, but true, that weight gain will take place, and that, with very little effort. For King, shes found an exercise routine that works for her and helps her to feel shes doing her part to keep her bones strong and heart healthy.

As she told her CBS This Morning colleagues in 2016, Once you go through menopause, it is hard to lose weight! She said of WW, Its slow, baby steps, but it definitely works.

In her conversation with Elle, she said, I try to figure out a way to get some kind of exercise. Ive been reading this book about the joy of movement, and I do think theres something to that. Im not saying Ilikeworking out. Im just saying I do it. I do the treadmill, I do the elliptical, and I do weights. But Im not going to sit here and say, Oh my god, I love it.

Read more: Should Gayle King Have Cast A Shadow On Kobe Bryants Legacy?

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Gayle King's Go-To Workout Routine and the Office Snack She's Been Sneaking - Showbiz Cheat Sheet