Back Clinic Diets. The sum of food consumed by any living organism. The word diet is the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight management. Food provides people with the necessary energy and nutrients to be healthy. By eating various healthy foods, including good quality vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products, and lean meats, the body can replenish itself with the essential proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to function effectively.
Having a healthy diet is one of the best things to prevent and control various health problems, i.e., types of cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Alex Jimenez offers nutritional examples and describes the importance of balanced nutrition throughout this series of articles. In addition, Dr. Jimenez emphasizes how a proper diet combined with physical activity can help individuals reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, and ultimately promote overall health and wellness.
A nutrient in meat and eggs may conspire with gut bacteria to make the blood more prone to clotting, a small study suggests.
The nutrient is called choline. Researchers found that when they gave 18 healthy volunteers choline supplements, it boosted their production of a chemical called TMAO.
That, in turn, increased their blood cells’ tendency to clot. But the researchers also found that aspirin might reduce that risk.
TMAO is short for trimethylamine N-oxide. It’s produced when gut bacteria digest choline and certain other substances.
Past studies have linked higher TMAO levels in the blood to heightened risks of blood clots, heart attack and stroke, said Dr. Stanley Hazen, the senior researcher on the new study.
These findings, he said, give the first direct evidence that choline revs up TMAO production in the human gut, which then makes platelets (a type of blood cell) more prone to sticking together.
Choline is found in a range of foods, but it’s most concentrated in animal products such as egg yolks, beef and chicken.
Hazen said he and his colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic wanted to isolate the effects of choline on people’s levels of TMAO and their platelet function. So they studied supplements.
The researchers had 18 healthy adults –10 meat-eaters and eight vegetarians/vegans — take choline supplements for two months.
The supplements provided around 450 milligrams of choline daily — roughly the amount in two or three eggs, Hazen said.
One month in, the study found, the supplements had raised participants’ TMAO levels 10-fold, on average. And tests of their blood samples showed that their platelets had become more prone to clotting.
“This study gives us one of the mechanisms by which TMAO may contribute to cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. J. David Spence.
Spence, who was not involved in the study, directs the Stroke Prevention & Atherosclerosis Research Centre at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada.
For the healthy people in this study, Spence said, the TMAO rise from choline might not be worrisome. But, he added, it might be a concern for people at increased risk of heart disease or stroke.
Spence suggested those individuals limit egg yolks, beef and other foods high in choline.
Hazen had similar advice. “You don’t have to become a vegetarian,” he said. “But you could try eating more plant-based foods, and more vegetarian meals.”
He also pointed to the Mediterranean diet — rich in olive oil, vegetables and fish. In an earlier study, Hazen said, his team found that a compound in olive oil seems to inhibit TMAO formation.
The new study uncovered yet another compound that may counter TMAO: low-dose aspirin.
In a separate experiment, the researchers had some participants take 85 milligrams of aspirin (a baby aspirin) a day, in addition to choline supplements. That, it turned out, lessened the rise in TMAO and the change in platelet activity.
Doctors already prescribe low-dose aspirin to certain people at risk of heart disease and stroke.
It’s possible, Hazen said, that aspirin’s effects on TMAO are one reason it helps ward off cardiovascular trouble.
The current study is small and preliminary. But it’s the latest to suggest that the gut “microbiome” plays a key role in cardiovascular disease, Spence said.
The “microbiome” refers to the trillions of bacteria that dwell in the gut. Spence said researchers are just beginning to understand how gut bacteria and their byproducts affect the cardiovascular system.
But one hope, he said, is to figure out what balance of gut bacteria supports cardiovascular health — and possibly use probiotic (“good” bacteria) supplements to help treat people at high risk of heart disease or stroke.
Spence said his own lab is working on just that.
There are, of course, many factors in heart disease risk — from age to high blood pressure to diabetes to smoking, Hazen pointed out.
“We’re saying a portion of the risk is related to the gut microbiome,” he said.
Hazen and a colleague report potential royalty payments from several companies related to “cardiovascular diagnostics and therapeutics.” One company, Cleveland HeartLab, recently launched a test for measuring TMAO levels.
The findings appear in the April 25 online issue of Circulation.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez &�Athletic Fitness Trainer Daniel Alvarado take a look at why people trying to lose weight are always hungry.
Why Am I famished � like all of the time?� Is that a question you�re asking a lot lately? That�s because weight loss is a bit more complex than �calories in, calories out.� While that is certainly important, getting your hormones under control is essential to stifle an out of control hunger.
Fortunately, you�re not destined to get a life of counting calories (and feeling starved all the time). Eating well, exercising and moving more during the day are key methods to shed weight. However, you can find several other ways to begin chipping away at those last few pounds, too. Here are a few odd things which make you hungry. And how you can start taking steps to reverse overeating �
I Am�Hungry Because? 3 Odd Causes
1. Salt
Eating salt makes you thirsty? Nope. A team of researchers from Vanderbilt University found that while excessive salt consumption can cause you to be thirsty initially that the body really begins producing and keeping more of its own water. This forces the body to truly use lots of fuel to break down muscle mass, fueling your hunger. This breakthrough finding changes what we all know about salt and hunger and sheds new light on overeating and its dangerous side effects. (1)
Getting your salt intake under control is essential, if you�re appearing to lose weight quickly.
2. Air Conditioning
There a theory that our body is primed by air condition for overeating and weight gain. Individuals look to eat more in chilly temperatures. Why? The body�s trying to remain warm. I get using air conditioning in order to avoid extreme and dangerous heat, but I wouldn�t make air conditioning a habit if you�re attempting to slim down. (2, 3)
3. Particular Drugs
Certain drugs might be fueling your desire. Insulin, some allergy meds, steroids and even some blood pressure meds and anti depressants are proven to activate hunger and weight gain. While you shouldn�t only get from your meds without speaking to your own doctor, fixing leaky gut can go a ways in actually reversing a long listing of other symptoms and also allergies. (Rather than simply covering them up.) Working on bowel repair can start the process of fixing the main cause of several ailments.(4)
How to Get Your Hunger Under Control
It’s possible for you to take several approaches to get reset your food cravings � and finally Why I ‘m keen, involve some solutions on your �?� question. You might want to work with your doctor to ID any hormone imbalances. But regardless of that, here are other things it is possible to do:
Work natural appetite suppressants. These generally include green tea extract, foods that are hot, saffron extract and high-fiber foods.
Find out the way to work with grapefruit essential oil. Just the smell of grapefruit oil excites sympathetic nerves that supply the brown adipose tissue and adrenal glands, which might help stimulate fat loss.
Exercise consistently. Mix it up with other types of exercise and busted training you like.
Eat foods that balance your hormones naturally. Avocados are at the very top of that list.
Final Thoughts�On, �Why Am I Always Hungry?�
There really are several things that are surprising that may be causing you to overeat.
A lot of salt doesn�t make you thirsty, it really activates your body to generate and keep more water, which makes you even hungrier and takes bunch of energy.
Getting enough sleep, eating foods that balance your hormones and selecting appetite-suppressing foods and spices are able to help you avoid overeating.
Straightforward smelling grapefruit essential oil can in fact help boost weight loss and hunger amounts that are reduced.
It�s hard to overcome a bad reputation � even for food! But some edibles once deemed to be health hazards have been vindicated by the ever-evolving science of nutrition.
�With new research emerging on these topics, our recommendations change,� says Kelly Pritchett, national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
It happened with eggs. One of America�s most popular breakfast foods was branded a villain to heart health in the 1970s due to high levels of cholesterol. Now, experts are changing their tune. They�re even singing praise for the egg � yoke and all.
�The 2015 Dietary Guidelines gives the thumbs-up on having one egg per day,� says registered dietician Joy Dubost. �Eggs are an all-natural source of high quality protein and a number of other essential nutrients, all for 70 calories per large egg.�
In a 2013 study, participants who ate an egg breakfast were better able to control their food intake than those who a carbohydrate-heavy cereal breakfast. And don�t go the egg white-only route. The yolk is packed with three grams of protein as well as vitamins D and B12, riboflavin, folate, phosphorous, selenium and choline.
Here are seven other good foods with bad reps:
Whole milk: A 2015 review of 25 studies published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate full-fat dairy products were no more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes than those who stuck with the low-fat versions. Even more surprising, the full-fat crowd reported less weight gain and obesity. Experts recommend drinking only organic milk from grass-fed cows.
Coconut oil: A high saturated fat content tarnished the reputation of coconut oil, but research reveals that much of it is medium-chain triglycerides, which are healthy fats that boost both immunity and metabolism. A study published in the journal Lipids found that coconut oil reduced abdominal fat. It�s also one of the healthiest oils for cooking because it can withstand high heat without oxidizing better than vegetable oils.
Potatoes: The carb-heavy spud was kicked to the curb due to its high glycemic index, meaning it can spike blood sugar. But pairing potatoes with protein or healthy oils slows down digestion of them. Furthermore, potatoes are low-calorie, very filling and rich in several nutrients, including potassium, fiber and vitamin C. Eat the skin and you�ll also reap powerful antioxidants. Just don�t deep fat fry them or slather a baked tater with gobs of butter, sour cream and bacon bits.
Popcorn: All bets are off if you eat this movie theater munchie bathed in unhealthy oils � or cooked in a microwaveable bag lined with toxic chemicals. But air-popping organic popcorn will deliver a 100-calorie whole grain treat, per three-cup serving, that also delivers three grams of fiber and more healthy phytonutrients than most fruit.
Coffee: Once blamed for stunting growth and contributing to various maladies including heart disease and cancer, coffee is now being hailed as healthy for most folks. In fact, research published in the journal Circulation found that people who downed three to five cups a day were 15 percent less likely to die from any cause than non-coffee drinkers. Credit the anti-aging flavonoids for protecting cells from deterioration. Just don�t go dumping a lot of fattening sugars and creams into your java.
Avocados: It�s hard to believe that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only got around to declaring this superfood to be �healthy� in May 2016. The problem previously was its high fat content, but most of it is the healthy monounsaturated kind. Avocados are not only rich in nutrients but their fats also help you to absorb fat-soluble nutrients from other foods. So go ahead and order the guacamole, but nix the chips!
Beer: The sudsy stuff is a source of B vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and bone-building silicon. It�s also loaded with antioxidants. �Beer is not just empty calories,� declares Dubost. �In addition to the nutrients, large population studies consistently show that moderate alcohol consumption, including beer, reduces mortality.�
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses clean eating.
When it comes to eating clean, it�s often much easier than you think. Plus,�you rarely�have to alter the essence of your favorite dishes to achieve a cleaner plate. The key to turning them�into �a �clean� dish is to start from the root�the ingredients.
To build a cleaner plate, it first starts in the market where you choose your produce, whole grains, dairy, proteins, and other items. Look for ingredient lists that are short and contain no preservatives, artificial colorings, added sugars, and other processed ingredients.
Make sure you balance your plate by filling at least half with fruits and veggies, choosing whole grains for a fourth of your plate, and lean, clean meat for the remaining fourth.
To Convert A Recipe To Clean Recipe Look At The Ingredients & Substitute
Protein > Choose leaner meat, and limit meat portions such as pork and red meat to 3 ounces and chicken to 4.5 ounces per day. Seafood and plant-based proteins are encouraged. Look for meat that is grass-fed and raised without antibiotics or hormones.
Condiments, dressings and salsas >�Make your own, and nix the added sugars and excess salt.
While this recipe is almost completely clean, the marinade calls for brown sugar. For a cleaner sugar, replace 1� teaspoons of maple syrup for the 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
The need to take a daily run might be something that spreads person-to-person, new research shows.
How much people run can depend to a certain extent on their responses to other people’s running, according to the findings from the analysis of social network data worldwide, The New York Times reported.
The results of the study in the journal Nature Communications also suggest that if you want to improve your running performance, it might be a good idea to become virtual friends with people who are a bit slower.
The researchers concluded that “running can be socially contagious,” said study leader Sinan Aral, professor of management, MIT, The Times reported.
“In general, if you run more, it is likely that you can cause your friends to run more,” Aral said.
For many people, eating healthy means eating organic whenever possible. But choosing only organic foods can take effort and be costly. So when does it make the most sense?
Experts from the University of Texas suggest feeding young children organic foods whenever possible to limit their exposure to pesticides. Adults should make their primary goal to eat healthy in general. In other words, make sure you’re getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they’re organic.
Next, add in organic foods as your budget allows. Some organic fruits and vegetables are only slightly more expensive than non-organic varieties, so focus on them before the more expensive ones. You might also look for foods on which organic has the most impact. Generally, produce that you peel before eating will have less pesticide residue so it makes more sense to spend money on organic cherries than on organic bananas.
However, aside from limiting your exposure to pesticides, there’s little conclusive evidence that organic foods are healthier.
But there are other reasons — from taste to the idea of putting fewer chemicals in the soil — that might influence you to go organic. In the end, it’s often a very personal decision.
People who cycle to work have a substantially lower risk of developing cancer or heart disease or dying prematurely, and governments should do all they can to encourage more active commuting, scientists said on Thursday.
In a study published in the BMJ British medical journal, the researchers found that cycling to work was linked to the most significant health benefits – including a 45 percent lower risk of developing cancer and a 46 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to non-active commuters.
Walking to work was linked to a 27 percent lower risk of developing heart disease and a 36 percent lower risk of dying from it, though it also appeared to have no effect on cancer risk or overall premature death risk, the study showed.
The research involved 264,377 people with an average age of 53 whose data forms part of the UK Biobank – a database of biological information from half a million British adults.
Since the study was observational, no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, the researchers said. Its findings could also be affected by some confounding factors, they added, including that the mode and distance of commuting was self-reported, rather than objectively measured.
However, “the findings, if causal, suggest population health may be improved by policies that increase active commuting, particularly cycling”, they said.
These would include creating more cycle lanes, introducing more bike buying or hiring schemes, and providing better access for cyclists on public transport.
Lars Bo Andersen, a professor at the Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences, who was not directly involved in the research but wrote a commentary on it in the BMJ, said its findings “are a clear call for political action on active commuting”, saying this had the potential to significantly improve public health by reducing rates of chronic disease.
“A shift from cars to more active modes of travel will also decrease traffic in congested city centers and help reduce air pollution, with further benefits for health,” he said.
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