Is a Vegan Diet the Best Way to Lose Weight?

Attention, meat and cheese lovers. The best way for you to shed unwanted pounds might be to give up your favorite omnivorous treats in favor of a vegan diet (at least for a little while), according to a new study from the University of South Carolina. The good news: You can keep your carbs.

Research published this week in the journal Nutrition followed a group of 50 overweight or obese adults looking to lose weight over a six-month period. Their plan of attack in the battle of the bulge included sticking to one of these five eating regimens:

Vegan: No poultry, meat, seafood, eggs and dairy, but these participants could still fill up on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.Vegetarian: Dairy and eggs were allowed, but meat, poultry and seafood were strictly banned on this plan. Pesco-vegetarian: Fish, dairy and eggs were a yes; meat or poultry, a no.Semi-vegetarian: These dieters could still eat red meat, as long as they limited it to once a week. Poultry consumption was restricted to five times per week or less.Omnivorous: All food groups were a go.

At the end of the six-month study period, the people placed on a vegan diet lost significantly more weight than the dieters on other plans — by about 4.3 percent or 16.5 pounds on average. And the study’s authors think the vegan dieters were more successful for a few simple reasons. 

“One, they were consuming more fiber-containing foods, which helped them feel fuller, preventing them from being hungry and overeating,” says study author Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, Ph.D, RD. “Secondly, their diets were lower in fat, and therefore, most likely had fewer calories.”

RELATED: 12 Vegan Cookie Recipes for the Holidays

What may surprise many folks (especially Atkins aficionados) is that the vegan dieters still shed pounds, even though they were allowed to eat carbs. Why? Participants were told to focus on consuming low glycemic index (GI) carbs, such as whole grains, fruits and beans, rather than high GI carbs, like white rice or pastries.

When you consume high GI carbs, your blood sugar spikes and then crashes, leading you to become hungry again very quickly, according to Turner-McGrievy. But with low-GI carbs, blood sugar stays more stable over a longer period of time. “Soda and whole-wheat pasta are both high in carbs but the pasta is low GI, high in fiber, and will keep you fuller longer,” she says.

RELATED: 12 Fast Food Drinks That Aren’t Worth the Calories

The vegan diet didn’t just melt away pounds either; it also helped improve other markers of health. People on a completely plant-based plan experienced the greatest decreases in fat and saturated fat levels both two months and six months into the study, and had lower BMIs and improved macro-nutrient levels by the end of the research period.

While giving up meat and dairy might seem difficult, it may be worth it if you’re looking for a weight loss plan that actually works, according to this study. Just stick to the right foods, and a slimmer physique will follow. 

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Orange: The Official Nutrition Color of Autumn

If we could choose one color to represent the autumn season, it would be orange. From the crunchy leaves beneath our feet to the healthy, sweet taste of orange vegetables like pumpkin, yams, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, orange is the color of the harvest–and it boasts big health benefits.

What’s So Healthy About Orange-Hued Food?

The orange color in vegetables comes from a very powerful carotenoid antioxidant compound called beta-carotene. It’s been celebrated for its ability to boost the immune system by fighting free radicals, thus protecting our cells from damage. It helps improve eyesight, keeps our reproductive system healthy and has been shown to have cancer-fighting properties. No wonder orange vegetables are so common in the diets of Chinese centenarians! And as a bonus, even though orange vegetables are sweet and satisfying, they’re often very low in calories.

Sweet Potatoes Balance the Glycemic Index

Sweet potatoes, along with many other orange foods, help balance the glycemic index in the body, which controls how the body responds to the food you eat. When someone has an insulin resistance condition, their body responds to everything they eat by creating more insulin than needed, increasing risk for type-2 diabetes, rapid aging, cancer and other diseases. Eating sweet potatoes can help slow this process down.

So instead of white mashed potatoes, think mashed sweet potatoes! And instead of regular potato chips, try crunchy baked sweet potato chips.

Pumpkins Pump Up Your Antioxidants

Think beyond the jack-o’-lantern and traditional pumpkin pie! Scrumptious when prepared as a soup, as a side dish with your favorite meal, or baked in a sweet treat, pumpkins are packed with disease-fighting nutrients. They are rich in potassium and a good source of iron, zinc and fiber. The bright-orange flesh is loaded with beta-carotene, which keeps your immune system strong, benefits vision, helps prevent heart disease, and may defend against cancer. The pumpkin is also the perfect fit for losing weight due to its incredibly low-calorie and high-fiber content. The sweetest taste can be found in the small-sized pumpkin varieties known as sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin. Try roasting pumpkin and then topping with crunchy pumpkin seeds–a simple strategy to create a fantastic side dish.

Butternut Squash Boosts Beta-Carotene

A close cousin to the pumpkin, butternut squash has a sweet flavor and is rich in vitamins A, B and C. While all winter squashes contain beta-carotene, butternut squash has an extra-high content, rivaling that of mangoes and cantaloupe. Beta-carotene has very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is said to help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the vessels; in other words, no plaque develops that can cause restricted blood flow and lead to heart disease. Butternut squash is perfect for cutting in half and baking, flesh-side down in the oven for a tasty side dish.

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You Wanted to Know: High-Protein Diets

With so many diets out there, I understand why it can be hard to figure out where to start when you want to lose weight. It can be especially challenging to figure out what the pros and cons of each plan are which then makes it hard for you to compare diets to each other.


We’ve talked a lot about protein on the show, but wanted to summarize what we know about high-protein diets to help Michelle. High-protein diets are essentially low-carbohydrate diets. Ideally what you’re doing is lowering the calories from carbohydrates in your diet while upping the calories from proteins and healthy fats. Normally carbs make up 45-65% of the typical meal, so anything below 45% is high protein.

Low-carb diets have been around for a while but became especially popular with the Atkins diet. So how do these diets work? There are a few answers. Theoretically if you cut almost all carbs out of your diet, your body becomes less able to use sugars and instead has to burn fat. The problem is, it’s hard to eliminate carbs in this way and you’re essentially sending your body into a kind of starvation, which isn’t the healthiest long-term strategy for most.

The key reason most people lose weight on low-carb diets is that it’s just not possible to make up the calories you lose in energy-dense carbs with less energy-rich protein. As a result, most people end up dropping their daily calorie count compared to before they started the diet. Lowering the calories in your diet helps shrink your waistline. The great news is that protein tends to keep you feeling full for longer than the simple carbs most of us eat, which means you eat less, feel fuller and consume fewer calories overall.

There are other benefits that come from dropping carbs. A recent study found that dropping calories from carbs rather than fat actually helps to change your body composition. Those on a low-carb diet tend to gain muscle mass, rather than losing it the way you do in a low-fat diet. More muscle means a higher metabolic rate, and that means more calories burned all day long.

Those who drop their carbs also lower their risk of diabetes because high-protein diets release calories into the system much more slowly and trigger less of an insulin response than the simple sugars in carbohydrates. In the same study, those on low-carb diets raised their HDL (good cholesterol) and lowered the level of fat circulating in their blood.

That’s all great news, but, as Michelle asked, how do we know how much protein we’re supposed to be getting in our diet? I’m going to do a little math here, but stick with me. The number of calories you need every day is going to vary depending on your age, weight and gender, and it’s best to consult your doctor about how much you should be getting. In general, most women can eat 1200 to 1500 calories a day and lose weight. Let’s say you manage to up your protein to make it 40% of your calories: 40% of 1500 calories is 600 calories. There are about 4 calories of energy per gram of protein, so 600 divided by 4 is 150 grams of protein per day. A piece of meat the size of a deck of cards is about 3 ounces and contains about 21 grams of protein. So seven decks of cards is the amount of protein you need, though your daily sources of protein shouldn’t all come from meat. Make sure to get your fill of beans, lentils, Greek yogurt and nut butter.

Now to Michelle’s other question: What are the dangers of a high-protein diet? The main danger, as with any diet, is overdoing it. Protein shouldn’t be the entirety of your diet. You still need carbs, but you should try and get them mostly from fruits and vegetables. If you have to eat grains, try to each whole grains rather than refined carbs. Vegetable oils like olive oil or canola oil are healthy and can make up your calories from fats instead of butter. Nuts can also provide a healthy boost of protein, carbs and fat that has been shown to lengthen your life.

In terms of protein, focus more on lean sources like fish and poultry while minimizing red meat. Even though you’ll be cutting calories, remember that you shouldn’t be starving yourself. The point of switching to more protein is that you’ll feel just as full with fewer calories. If you keep your diet varied, include plenty of fruits and vegetables, and keep your calorie count in the healthy range, you shouldn’t run into any trouble.

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YOUR BODY IS A MACHINE, PROVIDE IT WITH THE RIGHT FUEL

People sometimes call the human body a machine-the most wonderful one ever built. Of course, the human body is not a machine. But it can be compared to one in many ways. Like a machine, the body is made up of many parts. Each part of the body, like each part of a machine, does special jobs. But all the parts work together and so make the body or the machine run smoothly. Also like a machine, the body needs energy to work. In such a machine as a car, the energy comes from petrol/gas. In the human body, it comes from food, inhaled oxygen and sunshine.

Although the human body can be compared to a machine, it is far more amazing than any machine. It can do things that no machine can do. For example, the body can grow and heal itself. The body starts out as one cell. In time, this tiny cell multiplies into a body consisting of trillions of cells.

THERE IS ONLY ONE DISEASE-IMBALANCE

Naturopathy, Alternative Medicine, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine hold that, diseases and illnesses are only symptoms of an underlying imbalance. Their main focus is on the big picture: "To restore balance and to help you create such a healthy lifestyle that the imbalance won't occur again."

All these disciplines are based on the realization that the human is born healthy and strong and that humans can stay as such by living in accordance with the laws of nature. Even if born with some hereditary illness, the individual can eliminate it by putting to the best use the natural agents of healing.

Perhaps the most important lesson that Alternative and Holistic Medicine has is the teaching that there is only one disease and that is imbalance.

We are currently living in an epidemic of obesity, and increased occurrences of degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer like never before. Yet all of these be changed and prevented with a few simple changes in lifestyle and ways of thinking.

At the end of the day, our health is a choice; it is up to us. Every day of our lives, every hour of every day, we can, and do, choose either health or illness. When we choose wisely, nature rewards us with health and happiness. When we persistently choose unwisely, nature, in her infinite wisdom, eventually sets us straight: she makes us sick and hopefully gives us a chance to rest and rethink our choices.

Before we give up and think it's too late, let us re-familiarize ourselves with the way nature, creation, and the creator, intended for life to be. Only when we ensure that our physical health does not hinder our progress, can we achieve our ultimate goal in life - happiness! To reach this target, we should use the body as a means. The desires of the body should never be the end.

If we don’t take care of our bodies, they will not take care of us and eventually degenerate. There are simple established rules and laws for all living creatures to follow that result in internal and external balance. If followed, they cannot only bring vibrant health and harmony, but they can slow the aging process and increase our life spans.

Animals are smarter than we think....they are one with nature and respect it
Most undomesticated creatures lead peaceful, long lives without violating nature's rules. That is why they don’t need hospitals, medicines or medical science to the extent humans do. Animals follow their intuition and know when to eat, what to eat, how to exercise before they eat, how much to eat, how much water to drink, when to drink it, and how to heal their bodies naturally when sick, through fasting.

Humanity too, was healthy and in sync with nature before "modern civilization". Ill-health is now directly proportional to the amount of humanity's negligence of the physical body, the environment, and disregard for all life forms, including its own.

It is NOW time to go back to BASICS so that we can remember how to get back in balance and use our technological advancement to our advantage.

This, in essence, is the whole point and purpose of "The Information Age!"- to utilize our technological advancement and return to balance.

FOOD LIFESTYLE, NUTRITION AND HEALTH

Based on Naturopathy and many Alternative Medicine disciplines, if we consume natural foods appropriately, our excretory organs can release their waste materials regularly.

Dr, Raju Mantena, (Naturopath, India) reminds us that if we eat natural foods before sunset, the time for the excretory process will be quite sufficient. Then the proportion of what is ingested to that, which is eliminated will be 1:1.

However, if we continue to eat 'dead' and processed foods irregularly, till mid night, there is not enough time for excretory action and so 10% of fecal matter will stagnate in the body.

The human cell is like a stove or like a piston in a motorcycle. The energy produced in the cells spreads all over the body continuously meeting the needs of the body. We feel very weak if we delay our food by four, five hours. This means the energy produced in the cells is almost exhausted and the body warns us in the form of weakness to eat food. It sends such natural signals! If we eat food regularly, the cells work continuously and once their lives are over, they give rise to new cells in their place.

Once the engine of a car consumes the fuel, carbon monoxide smoke is released. In the stove, after the wood is burnt, the smoke and charcoal remain as waste material. In the same way, in our cells from the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink, after the cells have provided energy, they release waste material in three forms – in either solid, liquid, gaseous states. These three forms, after exiting the cells, join the blood in outward circulation, and reach the excretory organs. The gaseous state of waste material that joins blood goes to lungs and is let out in the lungs, exhaled in the form of carbon dioxide. The liquid state of waste material goes through the blood to the kidneys and skin and is left there. From the kidney it is excreted as urine. Finally, in the same manner, solid waste exits the intestines as stool. This is a constant, everyday chemical reaction in the body.

Waste material produced in the cell through food, air and water should be proportionate to the waste material sent out (1: 1) from the cells. Then only we can claim to be perfectly healthy people. Whoever has such a perfect proportion in the cells will have a healthy exterior also.

Human Milk for Human Babies
The newborn who depends only on breast-feeding has this 1:1 proportion for the simple reason that s/he drinks only when s/he is hungry and stops when the cells ask him/her to stop. Also, s/he urinates and defecates whenever s/he feels the need. So that purity is there in her/his cells. The 8.4 millions of creatures in creation follow the same formula.

Once the body is given solid food, this process of the body changes and follows different rules.

Simply, the waste material produced in our body is based on the food we eat.

The food we eat can be divided into four types.

1. First type of Nutrition  : 100% Natural, Mostly Raw Foods= 100% Waste

Best Body Fuel-Raw Vegetables, Sprouts, Radishes, Olives, Salads, Avocado, Seeds and Nuts etc
If you eat sprouts, fresh fruits, raw vegetables, seeds, nuts and raw sprouted grains only, the body will release the waste material daily and so the cells will be pure and healthy. The waste material produced by this food is very little. The body doesn’t need much time to complete its excretory process.

Compare natural food to jet fuel for the airplane. The pick up is greater and the smoke produced is less.

Raw and natural food provides the body with important enzymes, bio-available nutrients, more energy and less of waste material. The body will be healthy, and automatically the mind will be sound. This type of food keeps the ailments at bay and body odor away from the body.

2. Second type of Nutrition  :  60% Raw, 40% Cooked=90% Waste

Raw Green Salad on a bed of Cooked Brown Rice & Red Beans

It contains 60% raw vegetables and fruits and 40% cooked whole foods (grains and non-animal protein). These cooked foods do NOT have salt, oil and spices. From this food 90% of waste material is excreted and 10% remains in the body, because the 40% cooked food gives the body more work to eliminate! The waste material formed here is more than in the first type.

This type of food is like the gasoline used for ordinary cars with a pickup of 80%.

Of course there will be NO major problems when one is this type of food, but it is not as pure as the first type because it does NOT have enough raw enzymes and bioavailable nutrients which get destroyed during cooking/heating above 117 degrees. Occasionally one is prone to small disturbances like a cold or fever, but nothing too serious on this type of nutrition.

3. Third type of Nutrition : 100% Cooked, Vegetarian=50% Waste

All Cooked- Vegetables, Beans, Tofu, Lentils etc 

This is totally boiled/cooked food. Salt, oil, and spices are added to only cooked vegetarian food. Spicy pickles and peppers are added also. Fifty percent of this food's waste material stagnates and only 50% is excreted.

Compare this type of food to diesel fuel. It has 50% pick up and 50% smoke.

This food lacks in fresh enzymes and enough minerals and vitamins as heating vegetables and fruit above 117 degrees fahrenheit, destroys all enzymes and destroys some vitamin and mineral content. As a result of the fifty percent stagnated waste in the body, everything that is excreted as sweat, urine and feces, emits bad body and mouth/breath odor. There is uncleanness in the cells that is spread all over, resulting in this putrefying smell. A person on this diet will have some ailments (headaches, irritability, rare colds due to limited minerals and vitamins and other essentials) fairly frequently. They will often feel restless.

4. Fourth type of Nutrition : 100% Cooked/Processed/Meat =30% Waste

Fried, Cooked, Baked, Spicy, Salty, Sweet, Preserved, Processed Foods
Cooked White Rice (processed), salty, spicy meat with almost no vegetables

This is the Standard American Diet (SAD). It is also the standard diet in almost all parts of the world where western civilization has infiltrated and people are eating little or no fresh foods on a daily basis.

This type of food contains: salt, oil, spices, preservatives, lots of meat, pork, little or no vegetables, sodas, liquors etc. 70% of its waste material stagnates in the cells and only 30% is released.

It is like kerosene with less pick up and more smoke. It gives you only smoke, and cannot power a vehicle.

The urine and bowel movements in this type of nutrition emit a very bad smell. The cells live in a polluted atmosphere as a result of the toxins (chemical-laden preservatives) and accumulated remains. The cells die early because they have little sustenance and nutrition. New cells are born in their place in a great number, but what is the use? Most of the energy produced from the food is spent towards birth and death of the cells, not towards other bodily functions.

People who eat this type of food get tired easily. Their major excretory organs (liver, kidneys, skin, lungs) are over-worked while their bones borrow minerals to keep the body balanced. Weak bones are an early sign of the effects of this type of diet.

People on this type of nutrition are likely to be affected by chronic degenerative diseases early in life and are prone to irritation and anger. They can never be balanced or have holistic health. There is no sign of lasting health in their bodies as long as this is the main choice of diet.

5- Choose Health! Knowledge gives you power to make the right choice!

Do we now understand why food influences our physical health and even mental abilities? Those who consume food that provides more energy and less waste material have healthy bodies and sound minds. The smell that comes out of the cells is based on the accumulated waste material in the cells.

We can now decide for ourselves individually, whether we are healthy or not, depending on the smell that is emitted by our bodies and whether we will do something about it. The choice is ultimately always ours.

You CAN have perfect health within six months if you follow the first or second type of nutrition mentioned above strictly. There is no doubt about it. Hear it from someone who has experienced all the 4 types of nutrition and decided to choose the best fuel for my body for all-rounded health almost 10 years ago. I have never looked back and what I have been able to gain has been priceless! So this is not some idealistic notion that I'm just blogging about. I know and live the benefits on a daily basis. My goal is to inform, inspire, motivate anyone who understands holistic wellness and lifestyle, because it is really, the natural way of being before modern life threw us off balance. It can be done. You can do it!

Do it THE NATURAL WAY…NOW!

WHAT TO EAT: “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT"

Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

All foods are not the same; some supply nutritional materials in the proper proportions while others do not. Whereas one food may assist in building a strong healthy body, another can be a source of toxemia, which results in disease. It is not entirely true that "you are what you eat" but there is more truth in this statement than most people realize.

Food plays the major role in determining the health of the body. If you suffer from any disease that is caused by toxic overload and deficiency, you may be sure that incorrect selection of food has been chiefly responsible. If, on the other hand, you possess vibrant health with great strength, endurance and an abundance of energy year-in year-out, you are no doubt one of the few who has endeavored to make a practical application of food science.

What we eat deeply and radically affects the way we think, feel, and behave - it also affects entire life processes of planet Earth. If we observe nature long enough, we will notice that all undomesticated animals do not suffer from degenerative diseases because they eat what they are designed to eat.

The so-called 'Food Pyramid' is corrupted. The human body requires a 75% Alkaline and 25% Acid blood/body fluid balance. This can achieved by a diet that consists of 75% Fresh Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts & Seeds and 25% Protein and Whole Grains. Anything other than this balance only produces discomfort and degenerative diseases in the long-run.
We must learn to obey the laws of nature. We must learn to eat simple, pure, and natural foods, properly prepared and combined. Our bodies in return will cast off all the poisons we have taken in during our lives. The mysteries of the body, the operations of nature, the vital forces working in nature are far beyond what our minds are prepared to understand at present.

Every great physician or scientist who ever lived marveled in awe and ...humility at the wonders of nature. Yes--we are "wonderfully made!"

References and sources: 'Health Is Happiness', Dr. Mantena, Raju, 'Salubrious Living', Ben Klassen, 'The Wellness Revolution', Paul Zane Pilzer, 'How to Keep Your Body Pure', M. Herbert, T.C Shelton, George S. Fry

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The Amazing Health Benefits of Cabbage

Under the scientific name Brassica oleraceea, cabbage is known since antiquity as both food and a natural cure, especially in its fighting against vitamin C deficiencies or scurvy - the disease caused by lack of vitamin C, manifested in anemia, bleeding gums and tooth loss.

Cabbage can be consumed fresh or preserved (sour cabbage), in both cases with beneficial effects.

Cabbage contains sugars, mineral salts, a hypoglycemic principle, vitamin C and provitamin A, antibiotic principles, mucilage and others.

Cabbage juice, mixed with carrots (for a more acceptable taste) and a few drops of lemon juice, is one of the effective ways to consume it for those who can't stand its taste but still want to benefit from the substances contained.

A glass of sauerkraut juice drunk in several rounds daily, between meals, for several weeks, is a good remedy to fight ulcer; besides the usual vitamins, it also contains the factor/vitamin U, with anti-ulcerous properties, which is lost in the process of boiling.


Raw cabbage is active in ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids and constipation, especially thanks to its mucilage and its substances that contain cellulose.

As a powerful diuretic, cabbage is recommended for edema, kidney stones, cirrhosis and ascites. It is also included in the diet of diabetics. Cabbage may cause indigestion, especially because of some ingredients used in its preparation.

Cabbage is used with good results in the treatment of external conditions such as abscesses or boils. It may also be used as a cataplasm in case of burns, phlebitis, varicose veins and varicose

ulcers. In these situations the leaves are used without ribs, rived by pressing with a glass and applied to the affected area.
As compresses, cabbage has a favorable effect on chilblains, bruises and sprains.

Press cabbage leaves (without their veins ) by rolling a bottle on top of them; then apply the washed leaves as a mask for the night, to reactivate circulation, for cleansing the skin and fight cellulite.

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Can Exercise Destroy Your Teeth?

Tons of articles have been going around lately about how working out is bad for your teeth. Research studies have cited the comparison of healthy adults, both athletic and nonathletic, and have concluded that there are significant differences in the oral health of those who spend a good amount of time endurance training–even the Olympic athletes in London in 2012 showed signs of poor oral health as an entire group.

While most dental-health professionals aren’t surprised at these findings, the state of one’s teeth is typically not a primary concern when in the midst of endurance or strength training, but it definitely should be.

How Saliva Is Involved?

During an intense workout, saliva production decreases. This is significant because saliva production is our bodies’ protective mechanism, bathing the teeth with antibodies and keeping our pH levels neutral. Remember, low pH is acid and this demineralizes teeth and creates an environment for the bad bacteria that cause gum inflammation to thrive. 

You might remember from high school chemistry that pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity, ranging from 1 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline, or basic). We also remember that the pH of water is neutral is 7. The pH of the mouth is important because a low or acid pH demineralizes teeth and creates an environment for the bad bacteria that cause gum inflammation to thrive. Pregnant women and people on prescription medications both have changes in mouth pH and need to be even more proactive about their oral health to prevent cavities and periodontal disease.

Acids and carbohydrates in the food you eat can directly and indirectly lead to breakdown of the minerals in your teeth. Your body needs to constantly rebuild your teeth to keep them strong and healthy. The natural pH of saliva hovers around neutral in the range of 6.75 to 7.25, which is the perfect range for this process of remineralization. If the pH drops below 5.5, cavity-causing bacteria flourish and demineralization of the teeth accelerates. The body is no longer able to effectively repair the damage, opening up your teeth to occupation by bacteria that cause dental disease.

When you exercise, your mouth dries out and saliva can’t prevent the pH from dropping. The damaging consumption of sugary, acidic sports drinks (the pH of Gatorade is 2.95, in case you were wondering) during your workout pushes your pH way down into the acidic level. To make matters worse, athletes tend to clench their teeth when exercising, further damaging the surface of their teeth and creating a recipe for disaster.

Here is a simple equation:

Working out = less saliva + force on teeth from exertion = tooth and gum problems.

Solution.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Rather than cutting out exercise, focus on nutrition. Eating tooth-healthy foods like cheese, meat, nuts, milk and crunchy veggies like carrots and celery that raise the pH help fortify your teeth against damage. Maintain a good oral hygiene regimen by brushing twice a day and flossing nightly.

It’s also a good idea to wear an athletic mouth guard while lifting weights and in competition. If you spend a lot of time training, it’s worth discussing your lifestyle with your dental hygienist, who you should already be seeing regularly. As experts, they can work with you to ensure the best dental care possible. Last but not least, drink water during your workouts, and if you must drink sports drinks, rinse with water during and after exertion.

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Movember: How to Keep the Reluctant Man in Your Life Healthy

It’s finally November, the time of year when I start thinking about turkey and spending Thanksgiving with my extended family. It’s also a time when we start to see mustaches on friends and family who normally don’t grow one, participating in the latest health-awareness trend: Movember. While you might not be a fan of your husband’s newest facial feature, the hair growth provides us with a reminder that all men are at risk for a variety of devastating illnesses, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental illness.

I want to take some time to talk about this because men often downplay the importance of their health. Many studies have shown that women visit the doctor more often than men and, as a result, undergo needed screening for potentially deadly diseases more often. They get the added benefit of understanding their health and knowing their body better.

There are many reasons men go to the doctor less often, but a big reason is that we’ve been taught to “man up” our entire lives. Girls who fall down and start crying often get a little TLC until they feel better, whereas boys are told to suck it up and stop crying. That teaches us to do the same when it comes to all of our health problems. If I’ve got a new pain somewhere, my bowel movements have changed recently, or I’ve been feeling sad for a while, most men tell themselves to suck it up and keep it to themselves.

Unfortunately, that’s the worst way to deal with your health. Cancer is a great example of why this is the case. The sooner we can find and attack cancer, the easier it is to destroy it once and for all. That means the strange lump that just appeared on your testicle should be mentioned to your doctor right away, rather than saying “it’s probably nothing” and giving it a few weeks to go away. By the time you’re forced to see someone, it might be too late.

Mental illness in particular can be a difficult problem to tackle. I’ve talked many times before about how important mental health is. I’ve also talked about the stigma associated with mental illness that keeps those who suffer from it from speaking up. That stigma is multiplied in the male population, who tend to see mental illness as a weakness to be battled through alone rather than something they need help with.

It’s easy for me to say that the men in your life should probably be going to the doctor more, but it’s another thing to get them to do it. In the spirit of Movember, here are a few tips for getting even the most stalwart in for a checkup:



Express your concern. This might seem too easy, but sometimes just letting someone know you’re concerned about their health can give them a reason to go to the doctor. Letting someone know you’re worried about their prostate cancer risk might get them thinking they should be too.Give them different reasons. Sometimes it can be tough to get someone to see the light, especially when the person you’re worried about might not think there’s a problem. Don’t be deterred. Try a different tack if others haven’t worked. For example, if doing it “for your health” isn’t enough, try suggesting they see someone just to confirm they really do know what’s going on with their body. You could even mention a bonus excuse to get a little bit of time away from work to pop out for an annual visit.Tell them to do some research. If a guy is adamant there’s nothing wrong, ask him to do some searching around on the Web first. This is especially useful for mental illness, which can be very isolating. Finding out other people are getting help for going through something similar normalizes seeking medical Remind them they’re taking control of their health. Make sure they know that regular checkups often mean fewer visits (eventually). While you might feel healthy, everyone eventually ends up at the doctor. Going once or twice a year could save you many more visits and a possible hospital stay once you’re forced to see someone.

Hoping you aren’t sick isn’t a great way to hold the reins of your health. A doctor can give you tools to put you behind the steering wheel instead. Take testicular cancer as an example. When done properly, regular testicular exams are an excellent way to detect cancer early. Once you learn how to do the exam, you shouldn’t need to see the doctor about testicular cancer unless you find something. With a single visit, you’ve gained the power to monitor your health

attention.

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Antioxidants Explained in Human Terms

Antioxidants are frequently mentioned in everyday conversations.

This applies to both scholars and laymen alike.

You can find antioxidant supplements in store shelves, and their health benefits are beloved by both marketers and media.

However, very few people actually know what they are and how they work.

The concept of antioxidants is fairly complex, but this article explains it in plain, human terms that anyone can understand.

In order to understand how antioxidants work, we must start at the molecular level…

As you may know, all matter in the universe is made of atoms.

Atoms are composed of a core with protons and neutrons, and a bunch of electrons that revolve around the core.

The blue balls are electrons, which carry a negative (-) charge, while the protons (red balls) in the core carry a positive (+) charge.

When two or more atoms are linked together, they become what we know as molecules.

The human body is made up of substances like proteins, fats and DNA, which are basically just large molecules with dozens, hundreds or thousands of atoms joined together.

This is an image of a fatty acid molecule. Each ball represents an atom:

Humans and other organisms maintain their structure and function by chemical reactions. All the chemical reactions needed to sustain life are collectively known as metabolism.

In these chemical reactions, bigger molecules are broken down into smaller molecules, and smaller molecules are organized into bigger molecules.

In order for a molecule to be stable, it must contain the right amount of electrons. If the molecule loses an electron when it isn’t supposed to, it can turn into a free radical.

Free radicals are unstable, electrically charged molecules in the cells, that can react with other molecules (like DNA) and damage them.


They can even form chain reactions, where the molecules they damage also turn into free radicals.

This is where antioxidants come in… if a molecule loses an electron and turns into a free radical, the antioxidant molecule steps in and “gives” the free radical an electron, effectively neutralizing it.

This is how it happens:

This is the mechanism behind antioxidants. They donate electrons to free radicals, which neutralizes them and prevents them from causing harm.

Antioxidants are molecules that fight damage by free radicals, unstable molecules that can harm cellular structures. Antioxidants do this by giving electrons to the free radicals and neutralizing them.

Free radicals are constantly being formed during metabolism.

Without antioxidants, they would destroy our bodies very quickly.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that free radicals also serve important functions that are essential for our survival (1).

For example, the body’s immune cells use free radicals to kill bacteria that try to infect us (2).

As with so many things in the body, we need a certain balance… we need the right amount of free radicals, and the right amount of antioxidants to keep them in check.

When this balance gets disrupted, things can start to go wrong.

When the free radicals (pro

-oxidants) outnumber the antioxidants, this can lead to a state called oxidative stress.
During oxidative stress, important molecules in the body can become severely damaged… sometimes even leading to cell death.

Several stress factors and lifestyle habits are known to promote excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress:
Air pollution.Cigarette smoke.Alcohol intake.Toxins.High blood sugar levels (3, 4).Consuming large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (5).Radiation, including excessive sunbathing.Infections by bacteria, fungi or viruses.Excessive intake of iron, magnesium, copper, or zinc (1).Too little oxygen in the body (6).Too much oxygen in the body.Intense and prolonged exercise, which causes tissue damage (7).Excessive intake of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E (1).Antioxidant deficiency (8).
Prolonged oxidative stress leads to increased risk of negative health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. It is also thought to contribute to the aging process.

The body needs a certain balance between free radicals and antioxidants. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to oxidative stress, which can cause all sorts of negative effects.

Antioxidants are essential for the survival of all living things.

The human body even generates its own antioxidants, such as the cellular antioxidant glutathione.

Plants and animals, and all other forms of life, have their own defenses against free radicals and the oxidative damage caused by them.

Therefore, antioxidants are found in pretty much all foods of plant and animal origin.

Getting antioxidants from foods is important. In fact, our life depends on the intake of certain antioxidants – namely, vitamin C and vitamin E.

The health benefits associated with a diet rich in plants is, at least partially, due to the wide diversity of antioxidants they provide (9).

Meat products and fish also contain antioxidants (10, 11), but in smaller amounts compared to fruits and vegetables. Berries are a particularly good source (12).

Then there are plenty of other good sources of antioxidants… including green tea, coffee and dark chocolate.

According to some studies, coffee is actually the single biggest source of antioxidants in the Western diet (13, 14), but this is partly because the “average” individual doesn’t eat that many antioxidant-rich foods.

Antioxidants can increase the shelf life of both natural and processed food products. Therefore, they are frequently used as food additives (15). For instance, vitamin C is often added to processed foods to act as a preservative.

There is a huge variety of different antioxidants found in foods.

They can be broadly categorized into two groups, water-soluble and fat-soluble antioxidants.

Water-soluble antioxidants perform their actions in the fluid inside and outside cells, whereas fat-soluble antioxidants act primarily in cell membranes.

Here is a list of a few important dietary antioxidants:

Many substances that happen to be antioxidants can also have other important functions.

Notable examples include curcuminoids in turmeric and oleocanthal in extra virgin olive oil. These substances function as antioxidants, but they also have potent anti-inflammatory activity (17, 18).

There are many different types of antioxidants in the diet, including vitamins C and E, as well as flavonoids. These substances can serve various other functions that are not related to the antioxidant activity.

Dietary intake of antioxidants is essential for optimal health.

However, more is not always better.

Excessive intake of isolated antioxidants can have toxic effects and may even promote rather than prevent oxidative damage.

In fact, some studies have shown that high doses of antioxidants increase the risk of death (19, 20).

Therefore, you should avoid high-dose antioxidant supplementation.

In addition, studies show that foods reduce oxidative damage more than supplements.

For example, a study using blood orange juice showed that it had significantly greater antioxidant power than a drink with sugar water that contained the same amount of Vitamin C (21).

The truth is… real foods have hundreds (if not thousands
) of different nutrients that work synergistically. Taking just one or two isolated nutrients won’t have the same beneficial effects.
The best (and healthiest) strategy to ensure adequate intake of antioxidants, is a diet rich in various vegetables and fruit (22), along with other healthy dietary habits.

However, low-dose supplementation, such as in multivitamin tablets, may be beneficial if you are deficient in certain nutrients or unable to follow a healthy diet.

Adequate intake of antioxidants is an essential part of a healthy diet… but getting too much of isolated antioxidants (via supplements) can in some cases be harmful.

At the end of the day, the best way to ensure that you get the right amount of antioxidants, is to eat a real food based diet that includes plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables.

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Fiber Can Help You Lose Weight, But Only A Specific Type

Fiber is a well known nutrient, but not well understood. Put simply, fiber refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested by humans.
They are classified as either soluble or insoluble, depending on whether they dissolve in liquids.
Insoluble fibers function mostly as “bulking” agents and are not very interesting.
However… soluble fiber can have powerful
effects on health and metabolism (1).
Several studies show that soluble fiber can help you lose fat… but this fiber must have certain properties. Let me explain…

It is estimated that around 100 trillion bacteria live in the human gut, primarily in the large intestine (2).

These bacteria are known as the gut flora.

Having bacteria
in the gut may sound undesirable, but this is actually a good thing.
Different types (species) of bacteria play important roles in various aspects of health, including weight management, blood sugar control, immunity and even brain function (3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

Just like other organisms, bacteria need to eat well to stay healthy.

This is where fiber (mostly soluble) steps in… it passes through the digestive system mostly unchanged, eventually reaching the friendly bacteria in the intestine who end up digesting the fiber and turning it into usable energy.

Nourishing the friendly bacteria in the intestine is known as a prebiotic effect, and is believed to be very beneficial for health and body weight (8, 9). Another type of fiber called resistant starch behaves in a similar manner.

Fiber does not get digested and tends to reach the large intestine relatively unchanged. There, certain soluble fibers can help feed the friendly bacteria that are absolutely essential for good health.

Gut bacteria have long been known to have an effect on inflammatory pathways (10). They produce nutrients for the body, including short-chain fatty acids that feed the cells in the colon. This leads to reduced gut inflammation and improvements in related inflammatory disorders (11, 12, 13).
Just to clarify, acute (short-term) inflammation is beneficial as it helps the body fight foreign invaders and repair damaged cells.

However, chronic (long-term) inflammation becomes a major problem when it is inappropriately deployed against the body’s own tissues.

We now know that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in almost every
chronic Western disease, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s and metabolic syndrome, to name a few (14, 15, 16).
There is also mounting evidence that inflammation is a strong driver of weight gain and obesity, possibly mediated via its effects on the hormone leptin (17, 18, 10).

Several observational studies have shown that a high fiber intake is linked to lower levels of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream (19, 20).

Inflammation is a strong driver of disease, including obesity. Fiber consumption has been linked to reduced inflammation..

While I don’t believe that counting calories is necessary, it is a simple fact that we need to be in calorie deficit to lose weight. That is, more calories (energy) need to be leaving the body than entering it. Anything that reduces our appetite can make us take in fewer calories without having to think about it. Fiber is often believed to have this effect… that is, making us feel more satiated so that we eat less.

However, according to the evidence, only a specific
type of fiber does this.

A recent review of 44 studies found that while 39% of fiber treatments increased satiety, only 22% actually reduced food intake (21). If we break it down further, it seems that the more viscous a fiber is, the better it is at reducing appetite and food intake. Put simply, the viscosity of a substance refers to its resistance to stress – as in, the “thickness” of a liquid. For example, honey is much more viscous than water. Viscous soluble fibers such as pectins, ß-glucans, psyllium, glucomannan and guar gum all thicken in water, forming a gel-like substance that “sits” in the gut (22). This gel slows down the emptying of the stomach and increases the time it takes to digest and absorb nutrients. The end result is a prolonged feeling of fullness and a significantly reduced appetite (23, 24).

There is some evidence that the weight loss effects of fiber target the belly fat specifically, which is the harmful fat in the abdominal cavity that is strongly associated with metabolic disease (25).

Fibers with a high viscosity have been shown to increase satiety, reduce appetite and cause automatic weight loss. Fibers with low viscosity appear to have no influence.

Fiber supplements are typically made by isolating the fiber from plants. While these isolated fibers may have some health benefits, the evidence for weight control is mixed and pretty unconvincing.
A very large review study found that psyllium and guar gum (both soluble, viscous fibers) are ineffective as weight loss supplements (26). One notable exception is glucomannan, a fiber extracted from the konjac root.

This is one of the most viscous dietary fibers known, and has been shown to cause modest weight loss when used as a supplement (27, 28, 29).

But in the real world, it’s the synergy
of all the nutrients in foods that provides the most benefits, consuming isolated nutrients will never have the same effects.
For this reason, getting your fiber from whole
plant foods is best.

Fiber supplements are mostly ineffective for weight loss, with the exception of a powerful type of fiber called glucomannan. Getting your fiber from whole plant foods     is the best and healthiest approach.

Viscous fibers are found exclusively in plant foods. Rich sources include beans (legumes), flax seeds, asparagus, brussels sprouts and oats, to name a few.

If you’re planning to switch to a high-fiber diet, remember to do it gradually to give your body time to adjust.

Abdominal discomfort, cramps and even diarrhea are common side effects if you ramp up your fiber intake too quickly.

Adding more foods rich in fiber (especially viscous fiber) can be an effective way to lose weight.

But, same as with any other weight loss method, it won’t lead to long term results unless it comes with a lasting lifestyle change.

Also, let’s not forget that health is about way more than just weight. Eating plenty of fiber from real foods can have numerous other health benefits.

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You Ran a Marathon, Now What? Getting Past the Post-Race Blues

Forty-eight hours after Tracey Mayling finished her first marathon in New York City on Sunday, the high from the cheering crowds and exercise-fueled endorphins had worn off. It was replaced by irritation as she reflected on her performance. “There are all these things I wish I would have done differently,” says Mayling, a 34-year-old financial services consultant from Manhattan. She wishes she hadn’t gotten stuck in a long bathroom line and missed her running wave. And she regrets not running alongside the pacer who might have helped her reach her goal time of 4:15. Instead, she finished 11 minutes slower. 

The self-criticism was paired with another unexpected emotion: Sadness at the thought of losing the close friendships she’d developed with her running buddies during training. “I have this sense of, ‘Now what?’ Are we still going to hang out on Sundays and run?” she says. 

Experts call the discombobulated feelings many athletes wrestle with after a big competition the “post-race blues.” They can range in severity from a short-term funk to more serious clinical depression. “It’s similar to the feeling people have after a wedding or finishing a big project or finals in college,” explains Jim Afremow, PhD, author of The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train and Thrive. “When we accomplish a goal, it’s easy to lose your focus and feel adrift.” He once had a client who suffered from the syndrome after pitching his first Major League Baseball game. “He said, ‘I’ve been spending my whole life working toward this. I did it. Now what am I supposed to do?’” says Afremow.

The initial challenge for many athletes lies in flipping the switch from focusing on a big goal to transitioning back to a normal routine. This can require everything from re-jiggering your exercise schedule, to catching up with work, to family or social obligations you put on the back burner during intense training. The psychological adjustment can also be difficult. “Training gives us self-esteem and an identity and a physical release. It’s also exciting to say, ‘I’m training for a marathon!’” says Afremow. “Sometimes there’s disappointment because we had expected a marathon to transform us.” And it’s not always rewarding to return to our regular lives, which are often filled with family demands and a backlog of deadlines.

After Mindy Bobe, 36, finished her first marathon in New Orleans in 2012, she savored the chance to sleep in the following week, instead of getting up in the pre-dawn hours to fit in runs before her two young boys woke. “I was on such a high afterward. Crossing that finish line was a really big deal. You have such strong emotions because you’ve worked so hard for so long, and then it’s over so quickly,” says Bobe, a pre-school teacher from Daphne, Alabama who writes the blog Road Runner Girl. “But the next week I was depressed. I thought, ‘What can I do next? Is there anything bigger than this?’”

She signed up for a half-marathon right away and now makes sure she has another race on the books before each competition. “That way I go right back into training mode,” she says.

Even if you can quickly get back into the swing of things, athletes are susceptible to ruminating about what they could have done better for weeks after a race. “We all tend to be extra critical of ourselves, and for perfectionist athletes, a performance is never good enough,” says Afremow.  

Weeks after Carlos Londono completed a half-Ironman in Princeton, New Jersey in late September, he chastised himself for not sticking to a strict training schedule. He had high hopes of finishing the punishing 70.3-mile triathlon in under six hours. Instead, he shaved just 10 minutes from his 7:14 finish at his first half-Ironman in Maryland earlier in the summer. “I said to myself, ‘You’re such a slacker,’” says Londono, 47, a management consultant from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. He told himself he should have gotten up earlier on the weekends to fit in longer bike rides and run more frequently on the treadmill when he was on the road for work. “It was a constant mental fatigue. If I wasn’t telling anyone, I was thinking about it a lot.”

It took Londono nearly a month to appreciate what he had accomplished. Most notably, he took nine minutes off his swim time. During his first half-Ironman swim, he had panicked and struggled to finish. The second time, “I mentally overcame my fear of open water, and that’s big,” he says. “When I feel a tendency to be critical, I go back to that thought and remind myself of my progress.”

Got a case of the post-race blues? It’s normal to feel adrift for a while, or experience a range of emotions once that bib finally comes off. Here are some tips to help get you back to your old self again.

1. Have some fun. It’s easy to forget what life was like before all-things-running overran your life. Ward off the blahs by planning something fun for yourself in the weeks after your race. “This is the time to let your hair down and indulge your carefree side,” says Afremow. Have a couple beers. Go on a trip. Plan a great date night. Take a week off from running. It might seem scary — but a short hiatus could spark a new appreciation for the sport. 

2. Set a new goal. “Even if it’s just a 5K, you want something to look forward to,” Afremow says. If you’re disappointed about your last performance, you’ll have a fresh opportunity to focus on a new goal. Try something different like a mud run, or inspire a newbie runner to lace up for their first fun run with you. You’ll find it’s rewarding to invest your efforts into something other than calculating your splits.

3. Redefine your definition of success. Disappointed you didn’t finish the marathon in four hours? With so many factors out of your control, it’s important to acknowledge that meeting your goal sometimes just isn’t in the cards. Instead, how about looking at your 4:15 finish as your own silver medal?  Or, think of finishing as your bronze accomplishment. “Establish multiple goals and create your own personal podium,” says Afremow. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Think about the many ways you were awesome.”

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