Olive oil or coconut oil: Which is worthy of kitchen-staple status?
Coconut oil has developed a cultlike following in recent years, with proponents touting benefits ranging from body fat reduction to heart disease prevention. Sadly for devotees, the evidence to support these assertions remains rather sparse.
But there is plenty of research to suggest that other plant-based oils have advantages over their animal-derived counterparts, particularly when it comes to heart health. So which is best? While no specific type should be hyped as a panacea, one variety isn’t getting the press it deserves: olive oil.
The case for olive oil continues to grow
Olive oil is a staple fat in the Mediterran...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 18, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Emily Gelsomin, MLA, RD, LDN Tags: Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs
Reframing the Toxic “ Quarantine 15 ”
In the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, there is currently a popular “Avoid the Quarantine 15” tagline making the rounds. This has apparently become the catch phrase warning to all of us quarantined individuals to be careful of possibly gaining 15 pounds. There are tools to calculate what you are predicted to gain during quarantine as well as news and social media outlets capitalizing on this notion to adopt what I would call “a more diet-centric focus into our already over-diet-focused and fat-phobic world.”
I worry that this Quarantine 15 focus in its current usage is toxic and can backfire. It crea...
Source: World of Psychology - June 12, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Sandra Wartski, Psy.D. Tags: Binge Eating Eating Disorders Exercise & Fitness Stress Body Image Comfort Food coronavirus COVID-19 Diet diet culture Emotional Eating Health At Every Size Orthorexia Quarantine 15 self-soothing social distancing Source Type: blogs
How to stock a plant-based pantry (and fridge) on a budget
Given the current pandemic and related economic stressors, many of us are trying to maintain healthy habits while watching our expenses. One of the areas where we can support our immune system is through our food choices. We all have to eat, and eat several times a day, and selecting foods that support our health and our planet — while also saving money — is now a priority for many.
People are going meatless for many reasons
About a quarter of the US is now vegetarian, especially people ages 25 to 34. A survey from 2017 studied US attitudes toward animal farming, and found that 54% of Americans were trying to purchase ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 12, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Uma Naidoo, MD Tags: Cooking and recipes Food as medicine Healthy Eating Heart Health Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Better heart health in eight weeks? Double down on fruits and veggies
Two decades ago, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study tested the effects of three different diets on almost 500 participants over eight weeks. The first diet was a typical American diet, relatively low in fruits and vegetables (3.5 servings daily) and high in junk foods and sweets. The second offered more fruits and vegetables (8.5 servings daily) as well as seeds, nuts, and beans, and not many sweets. The third was the very healthy DASH diet, rich in fruits and vegetables (9.5 servings daily), beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and barely any sweets. Participants truly stuck to each diet plan: All m...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 11, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Food as medicine Health Heart Health Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Study gives insight — and advice — on picky eating in children
As a pediatrician, I hear it again and again from parents: “My child is a picky eater.”
All children are picky eaters at some point or in some way during childhood; it’s part of how they assert their independence. But some children are pickier than others, stubbornly refusing to eat everything except a few chosen foods.
So what is a parent to do? A new article published in the journal Pediatrics gives some insight into picky eating — and into how we can prevent it and help.
What does this study on picky eaters tell us?
Picky eating starts early — and stays. Researchers looked at the habits of children ages 4 to 9...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - June 9, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Claire McCarthy, MD Tags: Behavioral Health Children's Health Healthy Eating Nutrition Parenting Source Type: blogs
Can celiac disease affect life expectancy?
Celiac disease (CD), triggered by the ingestion of gluten, occurs in people genetically predisposed to develop the chronic autoimmune condition.
During the past few decades, doctors have learned much about how the disease develops, including genetic and other risk factors. However, results from studies on whether people with CD have an increased risk of premature death linked to the condition have been mixed. A recent study shows a small but statistically significant increased mortality rate.
Celiac disease can affect the entire body
Until recently, CD was considered a mainly pediatric gastrointestinal disorder, associated...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 28, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Maureen Leonard, MD, MMSc Tags: Allergies Autoimmune diseases Source Type: blogs
Chemicals and Pregnant Women: Taking Care of Your Unborn Baby
This study is not a warning of a scary new epidemic of problems arriving with next year’s babies.
Instead, it’s a peak behind the curtain at what might be the hidden story behind the marvelous kids we already see on today’s playgrounds across the country. Most are very healthy – among the healthiest kids in history. Yes, too many are overweight. Too many have asthma. Too many have allergies. Too many have learning problems. Too many start puberty early. More than half have some chronic illness. But this isn’t slowing kids down as much as the devastating infectious diseases of the past. It is a vib...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 25, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Best longevity app as of 2020? LifeExtend, and it's free
Among the longevity apps, LifeExtend is the clear winner as of May 2020. The app is evidence-based, has great references and it is free:https://lifeapps.io/apps/life-extend/It is backed by thephysician/entrepreneur Don Brown (LifeOmics) and the University of Indiana, so it is not going away next year.The app is packed with features and you can dig deeper in any of the domains/5 pillars when you have time.LifeExtend is based on 5 scientifically proven health pillars, they appear as 5 columns and you collect points in each pillar. It looks like a game but the benefits are very much real.The app tracks the big 5 longevity pra...
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Blog - May 21, 2020 Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Apps Longevity Source Type: blogs
I have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). What should I eat?
One of the most frequent questions that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ask is: what should I eat?
It is clear that in addition to genetic factors, certain environmental factors, including diet, may trigger the excessive immune activity that leads to intestinal inflammation in IBD, which includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the limited number and high variability of studies have made it difficult to confidently advise patients regarding which specific foods might be harmful and which are safe or may actually provide a protective benefit.
New IBD dietary guidelines
To help pat...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 18, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Garber, MD Tags: Digestive Disorders Health Healthy Eating Nutrition Source Type: blogs
The most profound and complete failure of presidential leadership in modern history . . .
sayeth Ezra Klein. He isn ' t the first to note that the Administration has no plan whatsoever to deal with the second greatest crisis in our history. The individual occupying the office of president does not care on whit for any human being, or for that matter any animal, vegetable, or entity other than himself. And he is too stupid, intellectually lazy, and unreflective even to do himself any good. As Klein correctly explains:We are used to policy debates revolving around whether the administration has chosen the right or wrong plan. You could imagine that being the case here.There are, at this point,a slew of reopening ...
Source: Stayin' Alive - May 13, 2020 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
5 Things To Be Proud Of When Fighting Depression (And How To Get Better)
I have heard depression described as an angry black shadow that follows you wherever you go -- and this is a description I agree with wholeheartedly.
I mean, if you take a second to think about it, it just makes sense.
You are forever in its presence, constantly aware of it, but not often within its dark embrace. You feel it creeping away at the edge of your consciousness, but everytime you turn to look at it, it disappears into nothingness.
Then it suddenly engulfs you at the slightest provocation, and you are rendered completely and utterly incapitated.
During these times it feels as if the world is end...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - May 12, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Lindsay Israel Tags: depression featured motivation psychology self-improvement positivity Source Type: blogs
What to eat to reduce your risk of Alzheimer ’s disease
Would you like reduce your risk of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia? Researchers from around the world having been studying a variety of different factors that might reduce these risks and keep the brain healthy.
Old news: The Mediterranean diet is beneficial
One factor that a number of studies have converged on is a Mediterranean-style diet. This diet includes
fish
olive oil
avocados
fruits
vegetables
nuts
beans
whole grains
red wine in moderation.
Now, if you’re like me and you happen to like all these foods, then you have all the information you need to eat a brain-healthy diet. On the other...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 8, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Andrew E. Budson, MD Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Health Healthy Eating Memory Source Type: blogs
Expert Tips Revealed: How to Boost Mental Health in Lockdown
You're reading Expert Tips Revealed: How to Boost Mental Health in Lockdown, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Many of us have our own hacks for managing mental health, but how do they fare in lockdown? In these unprecedented times, we’re all having to adapt to a new way of living, and with that, new ways of managing our wellbeing, too.
In these trying times, and with social interaction being largely off limits, it’s important we give our brains that extra bit of love. While experts have been calling...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - May 6, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Elizabeth Nightingale Tags: featured health and fitness productivity tips psychology self-improvement covid_19 quarantine self improvement Source Type: blogs
Whole Foods as First Foods
It may seem overwhelming at first, but in reality baby’s first food could be as simple as a nice banana, mashed with a bit of breast milk or formula.
In the U.S. for many years the go-to for baby’s first food has been an instant white rice cereal. While there is nothing wrong with rice per se, white rice in particular has been stripped of many of its beneficial nutrients, including fiber, Vitamin E, magnesium, and a host of other trace minerals the body relies upon to function optimally. What is left is essentially a simple carbohydrate that quickly turns to glucose, resulting in spikes in blood sugar. It’s not exact...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 5, 2020 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog First Foods Infant & Baby Feeding Infant Feeding Starting Solids Source Type: blogs
Wait time between skincare products – is it necessary? episode 219
Welcome to the Beauty Brains, a show where real cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions and give you an insider’s look from scientists in the cosmetic industry.
On today’s show we’re going to be answering questions about…
Is the wait time necessary when you are applying acids?
How do you debate product safety with someone?
Do skin products with natural moisturizing factor work better?
Should you avoid glycerin and dimethicone in hair products?
And we’ll cover some beauty science news too.
Beauty Science news
What’s your stance on wearing masks?
Perry on Ecowell podcast
J&J lawsuits get ...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - May 4, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry Romanowski Tags: Podcast Source Type: blogs
