Med Health News

Category: Nutrition

  • 3 Delicious Recipes You Can Add Guava Juice to for Better Health

    3 Delicious Recipes You Can Add Guava Juice to for Better Health

    Many wonderful recipes call for fruit juice for a tangy, sweet kick. But substituting guava juice can amp up the dish’s taste even more, while also adding a significant health boost. Here are a few recipes that you can add guava juice to:

    1. Orange Juice Chicken

    Orange juice chicken is a popular baked chicken dish where the chicken is marinated with orange juice, mustard, brown sugar, and onion. In some instances, butter and flour are used for better texture.

    Guava juice has the same sweet, sour, and tangy flavor as orange juice, except with an added strawberry-esque side. Switching orange juice with guava juice makes this chicken dish healthier because it has 500 percent more vitamin C and 200 percent more vitamin E, but only about half the calories.




    2. Juicy Apple Juice Steak

    Kansas City is known for its steaks and barbecue meats. One of their famous recipes involves steak marinated in apple juice. A marinade of apple juice, vinegar, molasses, basil, lemon juice, black pepper, garlic, and other ingredients is prepared and blended with a strip or ribeye raw steak. The steak is then grilled or baked and served juicy.

    Apple juice and guava juice share a similar sweet flavor, but guava juice also has the tangy sour properties of lemon juice. Since the marinade calls for both apple and lemon juice, you can switch out both for guava juice. Guava juice has multiple times more vitamins than apple juice, including 300 percent more vitamins A, C, B3, and B6. It also has a bit more important minerals, like magnesium, iron, and potassium.

    3. Coconut Green Juice

    Green juices are a mainstay for health buffs – but it’s not exactly easy to gulp down a straight drink of blended cruciferous vegetables and water. That’s why green juices are mixed with a sweet, but healthy ingredient – and fruits or their juices are popular choices. Kale and coconut juice is one such combination.

    Organic kale is blended with some choice ingredients and coconut juice for flavor. Coconut juice itself has antioxidants and nutrients, which adds more to the already antioxidant-rich green juice.

    Using guava juice instead of coconut juice makes this green juice a lot more flavorful and easier to drink. Guava juice shares the sweetness of coconut juice, and may be even sweeter. It also adds a rich tangy flavor to the mix.

    Doing so also boosts the drink’s health benefits many fold. Guava juice has only a fifth of coconut juice’s calories, but is far more rich in antioxidants. Guava juice also has multiple times more vitamins C, A, E, B3, B6, K and others. It also has more minerals.

    If one of the recipes you frequently use involves some kind of fruit or fruit juice, use guava juice instead. Chances are good that guava juice is far healthier than your usual ingredient. It’s just that guava juice isn’t as popular, so most recipe makers aren’t aware of its powerful flavor and health benefits. Guava juice is also weight loss-friendly since it usually has half or less of the calories of your usual fruit juice – so that’s something to consider if you’re trying to shed some pounds!

  • How Guava Juice Is More Nutritious for You Than These 7 Popular Fruit Juices

    How Guava Juice Is More Nutritious for You Than These 7 Popular Fruit Juices

    Guava juice is healthier than most fruit juices, including apple and orange juice! But sadly, this exotic fruit juice is less known, leading many people to choose less nutritious, more sugary fruit juices over it. Here are a few fruit juices that aren’t as healthy as guava juice.

    Most people have a glass of fruit juice in the morning – usually orange juice. They think they’re doing their health a favor, which is true. But they don’t realize there are healthier fruit juices out there – like guava juice. Guava juice is actually healthier than many popular fruit juices.

    If you’re one of those who enjoy a glass of fruit juice once a day, here are some that you should switch for guava juice and why:

    1. Guava Juice Has More Vitamin C Than Orange Juice But With Fewer Calories

    Orange juice is known for its vitamin C content. When you need vitamin C to fight off a cold or scurvy, you’re quick to go for the OJ. But did you know that guava juice would have five times more vitamin C than orange juice (if you assume they use the same amount of guava as oranges in one glass of fruit juice)?

    And if the same number of guavas are used as the number of oranges in one glass of fruit juice, then a glass of guava juice would also have about half the calories of a glass of orange juice!

    Guava juice also has more vitamin A than orange juice, and twice the amount of vitamin E. Guava juice has vitamin K, while orange juice does not. But orange juice does have more B vitamins than guava juice.

    Choose guava juice if your reason for drinking orange juice is primarily to get vitamin C.

    2. Guava Juice Has More Vitamin A Than Apple Juice With Half the Calories

    If apple juice is your thing, you should know guava juice is better. One glass of guava juice has over three times the amount of vitamins A, B3, B6, and C as one glass of apple juice. It also has about 20 percent more magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, and vitamin E than one glass of apple juice.

    If you’re anemic, one glass of guava juice has twice more iron than one glass of apple juice.

    But if you’re looking for vitamin K, guava juice falls behind because one glass of apple juice has about four times more vitamin K than one glass of guava juice.

    3. Guava Juice Has More Vitamin E Than Pineapple Juice With Less Than Half the Calories

    If you make your own pineapple juice and use the same amount of fruit as you would to make guava juice, then guava juice would come out nutritionally on top. One glass of guava juice would have 400 percent more vitamin E than one glass of pineapple juice. But that one glass of guava juice would have only about 45 percent of the calories of the glass of pineapple juice.

    One glass of pineapple juice would also have less than a third of the vitamin A in one glass of guava juice. One glass of guava juice would also have almost twice more vitamin C than one glass of pineapple juice. One glass of guava juice would also have more rare, but essential nutrients that your body needs, like zinc, copper, and selenium. Your body uses these three elements to bolster your immunity, protect you from toxins, and other important daily biological processes.

    One glass of guava juice would also have a bit more vitamin K, phosphorous, and potassium than one glass of pineapple juice.

    But one glass of pineapple juice would surpass guava juice when it comes to select key nutrients. It would have up to about 200 percent more B vitamins. It would also have 10 times the manganese content and over three times more calcium and iron.

    Depending on which nutrients you’re going for, you’d probably be getting more from one glass of fruit juice by choosing guava juice over pineapple juice – and you won’t take in as many calories too!




    4. Guava Juice Blows Cranberry Juice Nutritionally Out of the Water

    Cranberry juice is a favorite among all ages – it’s probably one of the most popular fruit juices. But did you know guava juice is many times more nutritious? If you use the same amount of fruit to make a glass of cranberry juice as you would guava juice, that glass of guava juice would have about 26 percent less calories and almost five times as much vitamin A and about 10 times as much vitamin C.

    One glass of guava juice would also have six times more vitamin B3 and over 25 times more folate than one glass of cranberry juice. It also would have more calcium and about twice more magnesium and potassium. It would also have more phosphorous.

    But cranberry juice would have four times more manganese, three times more iron and vitamins E and K than guava juice. Except these select nutrients, one glass of guava juice would have more nutrients in multiples compared to one glass of cranberry juice.

    5. Guava Juice Is on Par With Pomegranate Juice

    Pomegranate juice is another household favorite – mostly enjoyed by older generations. This fruit juice actually holds its ground to guava juice in terms of nutrition. It’s actually richer than guava juice when it comes to protein because it has almost 300 percent more if the same amount of fruit is used. Pomegranate juice also has about 40 times more vitamin K, and more than three times more vitamin E than guava juice.

    But guava juice has vitamin A, while pomegranate juice does not. It also has about five times more vitamin C than pomegranate juice.

    On the other hand, pomegranate juice is far richer in B vitamins than guava juice. It also has about twice more calcium and magnesium. It also has eight times more iron and a lot more phosphorous, potassium, and the rare nutrients copper, manganese, and selenium.

    Both guava juice and pomegranate juice are top options for your daily glass of fruit juice. Depending on which nutrients you want more of on the particular day, you can switch between the two!

    6. Guava Juice Has Over 10 Times the Amount of Folate Than Grape Juice

    Grape juice is a cult favorite of children and many adults. But it too is nutritionally blown away by guava juice. If the same amount of fruit is used in one glass of grape juice as one glass of guava juice, the glass of guava juice would have about 30 percent more protein and over four times the amount of vitamin A, all while still having less than half the calories. It would also have about 10 times more vitamin C and folate.

    That one glass of guava juice would also have about three times more vitamin B3 and selenium than the glass of grape juice. It would also have about 25 percent more magnesium.

    But one glass of grape juice would have almost 18 times more vitamin K than guava juice and a lot more B vitamins (except B3 and folate). It would also have about 30 percent more calcium and five times more iron. It would also have a bit more phosphorous and potassium.

    If your usual is grape juice, switch to guava juice to take in more nutrients — unless you’re looking for the specific nutrients that grape juice has more of.




    7. Guava Juice Has More Nutrients Than Coconut Juice

    Everyone enjoys coconut juice once in a while. It has a clean, sweet taste. But did you know guava juice tastes sweeter and has a ton more nutrients, but far less calories? If the same fruit is used in one glass of guava juice as in one glass of coconut juice, the glass of guava juice would have more than 500 percent less calories and over 300 percent more vitamin A.

    That one glass of guava juice would also have over 100 times more vitamin C, about 14 times more vitamin K, and four times more vitamin E. It would also have more vitamin B6, three times more vitamin B3, and over 200 percent more folate.

    When it comes to minerals, the glass of guava juice would have 10 times more iron and about 30 percent more calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

    But coconut juice still has some redeeming qualities over guava juice when it comes to some rare nutrients. That glass of coconut juice would have five times more zinc, 200 percent more copper, seven times more manganese, and over 10 times more selenium. It also would have about twice more phosphorous.

    Based on these nutritional comparisons, guava juice is the winner and should be your choice of fruit juice if you usually enjoy coconut juice. If you’re trying to get more essential rare nutrients, like selenium, eat two Brazil nuts instead with your guava juice. They certainly have fewer calories than a glass of coconut juice, but with a wealth of copper, selenium, zinc, and manganese.

    If you drink any of these fruit juices, switch to guava juice today! But if you’re looking for specific nutrients that are lacking in guava juice, then stick to your regular fruit juice. But if you’re looking to slim down, one glass of guava juice always has fewer calories than a glass of any of these fruit juices (if the same amount of fruit is used).

  • Can Drinking Guava Juice Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus?

    Can Drinking Guava Juice Help Treat Diabetes Mellitus?

    Guava juice is a lesser known healthy food that’s seen as exotic or foreign. But did you know that it grows naturally in the United States? Researchers have also found evidence that adding guava juice to your diabetes mellitus diet can have beneficial effects on your blood sugar levels.

    How Can You Make Guava Juice?

    Despite its exotic-sounding name, you can make guava juice the same way as any other fruit juice – by juicing the fruit it comes from. Guava you can buy is usually a green fruit with apple-like characteristics. It has an edible peel that protects the red meat of the fruit. But unlike an apple, the inner part of the guava has multiple seed-filled chambers which take up the majority of the fruit’s inner area. You can juice guava just like you would juice an apple!

    If you’re wondering if the fruit is hard to find, you’ll be happy to know you can buy guava from your local health food store or whole foods market. Guava has been growing in the tropical areas of the Americas for centuries – even in Florida, where it grows both wild and cultivated. The fruit also matures during all seasons (but is harvested best in summer), which makes it readily available. (This also makes it cheaper to buy guava or guava juice during the summer because it’s more plentiful.)

    Guava Juice Can Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels and Other Diabetes Mellitus-sensitive Parameters

    Guava juice has been used as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since ancient times. Researchers explored its blood sugar-lowering effects on mice and found that it has the same, but weaker effect as metformin and chlorpropamide. Both normal and diabetes mellitus-induced mice experienced lower blood sugar levels after they were administered 1 gram of guava juice per 1 kilogram of body weight.

    When tested in clinical trials, researchers found that guava juice lowered blood sugar levels in non-diabetic and diabetes mellitus patients.

    If you decide to eat guava rather than drink guava juice to help treat diabetes mellitus, researchers caution that the effects can be different. They found that eating guava without the peel lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. But if you eat guava with the peel, it still lowers your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, but it also raises your total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. From these results they recommend eating guava without the peel if you choose to eat the fruit instead of simply drinking the guava juice.




    Guava Juice Is Also a Healthy Drink Overall

    Whether or not you have diabetes mellitus, drinking guava juice daily can benefit your health. A single averaged-sized guava gives you 0.8 grams of protein and 792 IU of vitamin A. That’s about three times more protein of a single apple. It also has only 51 calories, whereas one apple has 95! It’s also superior to an orange when it comes to vitamin C because it gives you 183.5 milligrams, which is 500 percent more than what’s in one average orange. It also has more than half the potassium content of a banana – 284 milligrams.

    Guava Juice Is More Popular Than You Think – And You’ve Probably Already Had It!

    According to the University of Florida, guava juice is one of the major ingredients that manufacturers often use in their juice blends as part of the processing process. Chances are – if you’ve ever enjoyed a commercial juice blend, you’ve had some guava juice.

    Don’t be scared to add guava juice to your diabetes mellitus diet. Doing so has been proven to help you manage your blood sugar levels. But if you prefer to eat the fruit, remember to eat it without the peel to help prevent any increase in your cholesterol and related levels. And if you don’t have time to make guava juice, you can also buy 100 percent natural guava juice at the store.

    References:

    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6660217

    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27790420

    sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/FlaFoodFare/Guava.pdf

  • 3 Hidden Causes of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 You May Not Know About

    3 Hidden Causes of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 You May Not Know About

    Diabetes mellitus type 2 is commonly known as type 2 diabetes, which you probably know is mostly caused by living unhealthy by eating too many sugary foods everyday. But that’s not the only way you can develop diabetes – here are a few things you didn’t know could put you at risk for developing diabetes mellitus type 2.

    Everytime you guiltily sink your teeth into your favorite glazed donut, creampuff, eclair, or other dessert, you probably feel in the back of your mind that you might get diabetes if you keep this up. So maybe you try to offset any damage by trying all sorts of things, but some of these things can actually increase your risk for developing diabetes mellitus type 2. Here are some surprising causes of diabetes you should refrain from doing:

    1. Using Artificial Sweeteners

    Lots of artificial sweeteners and products containing artificial sweeteners like to boast claims that they contain minimal carbohydrates or sugar. You start thinking that using these products safely lets you enjoy sweetened foods without the risk of diabetes mellitus. But sadly, you’d be wrong.

    Researchers took non-diabetic participants and had some of them take the zero-calorie artificial sweetener sucralose. The rest drank water. Ten minutes later the researchers had both groups ingest the same amount of sugar. Surprisingly, the participants who took sucralose beforehand experienced higher blood sugar levels for a longer period of time than the participants who drank water. The researchers officially concluded that ingesting sucralose can significantly affect your blood sugar level control.

    It seems that if you chronically use sucralose, it may increase your risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 2 because it can keep your blood sugar levels higher than they normally would. Other artificial sweeteners may have similar metabolic effects.

    If you’d like a safer zero-calorie sweetener, choose stevia, which is a natural sweet compound.




    2. Not Drinking Enough Water

    Some professional body builders say that drinking too much water is counterproductive to building muscle. Weight loss gurus also often talk about water weight and how losing it is a part of weight loss. With so much misrepresented negativity surrounding drinking water in both these popular aspects of fitness, it’s not surprising that some people might become wary of drinking too much water when trying to stay healthy. But doing so is another diabetes mellitus danger.

    French researchers found that drinking the recommended eight glasses of water daily can protect you from developing hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) by 21 percent. Chronic hyperglycemia is a sign of prediabetes, which can lead to diabetes mellitus.

    3. Taking Too Much Niacin

    Being health-aware and taking multivitamins is great. But you could be increasing your risk for developing diabetes mellitus type 2 if you take too much niacin (vitamin B3).

    The National Institutes of Health list niacin intake as a potential cause of diabetes mellitus. They reviewed numerous clinical trials and found that long-term niacin supplementation moderately increases your risk for developing diabetes mellitus.

    Does that mean that taking vitamin B3 supplements is bad? No. The participants in these studies were taking higher doses of niacin, some as part of niacin therapy. You should only be worried if you’re taking so much niacin that you experience side effects – like niacin flush, which is when you experience redness or an uncomfortably warm feeling on your skin which lasts for up to an hour. Niacin flush can also cause tingling or itching of the skin.

    Take an appropriate amount of vitamin B3 and try not to exceed the recommended daily intake in order to prevent any increased risk for developing diabetes mellitus.

    Now you know that watching your sugar intake isn’t the only way to prevent developing diabetes mellitus type 2. You should also watch your vitamin B3 intake, and make sure you’re drinking enough water everyday and staying away from artificial sweeteners (and products that use them).

  • Why You Should Ask Your Doctor to Switch You From These Diabetes Mellitus Medications That May Actually Cause Diabetes in the Long Term

    Why You Should Ask Your Doctor to Switch You From These Diabetes Mellitus Medications That May Actually Cause Diabetes in the Long Term

    Being proactive about your diabetes mellitus treatment is important. Sometimes there are safer alternatives to what your doctor is prescribing. Here are some common diabetes mellitus medications that actually worsen the condition.

    Contrary to popular belief, doctors don’t always know what’s best for your health. They’re trained to be competent, not excellent. They may prescribe you antibiotics for acne without telling you to stay away from dairy products, which have been proven to exacerbate acne. The same is true for diabetes mellitus treatment. Did you know there are some diabetes mellitus medications that can actually exacerbate the disease in the long run?

    If your doctor has you on these diabetes mellitus meds, here’s why and what you should ask him to switch you to:

    1. Rosiglitazone (Avandia)

    Dr. Louise Aronne, M.D. of New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center says that some doctors don’t know that some diabetes mellitus medications have weight gain as a proven side effect. Rosiglitazone, also known by its brand name Avandia, is one such drug. It increases insulin sensitivity. But it’s also known to increase your risk for heart disease and weight gain.

    In fact, the National Institutes of Health say that Avandia can cause rapid weight gain. In one study on mice given rosiglitazone, they gained significantly more weight than the control group of mice fed the same diet.

    Safer alternative: Metformin

    Metformin is also a medication used to treat diabetes mellitus, but it’s been shown to cause weight loss instead of weight gain. It helps lower insulin resistance, but also lowers your appetite. It can also prevent some diabetes mellitus complications, like kidney failure, blindness, and neuropathy.

    2. Pioglitazone (Actos)

    Pioglitazone, which is also known by the brand name Actos, is used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2 by lowering blood sugar levels. But researchers also found that pioglitazone caused significant weight gain in diabetes mellitus type 2 patients even though it lowered their fasting blood sugar levels.

    Safer alternative: Sitagliptin (Januvia)

    Sitagliptin, which is also known by the brand name Januvia, boosts insulin levels by inhibiting the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) enzyme. DPP-4 increases blood sugar levels by promoting glucagon production and secretion. With DPP-4 inhibited, insulin release is promoted because the hormones that downregulate it can’t activate.

    Sitagliptin doesn’t cause weight gain, and has actually been found to help prevent diabetes mellitus complications. Researchers found that sitagliptin helps prevent neuropathy and kidney failure by lowering inflammation, cell damage, and cell death in the nervous system and kidneys.

    3. Glibenclamide (Glyburide)

    Glibenclamide, which is also known as glyburide, is another diabetes mellitus medication that can cause weight gain. It boosts your insulin levels by binding to your pancreas’s insulin-producing cells and stimulating them to make more insulin.

    But glibenclamide has been found to cause weight gain. Researchers found that patients on glibenclamide gained about 3.74 more pounds, on average, than diabetes mellitus patients who simply made dietary changes.

    Safer alternative: Exenatide (Byetta)

    Exenatide, which is also known by the brand name Byetta, is an injectable medication that treats diabetes mellitus type 2. It’s injected within an hour before the first and last meals of the day, but there is also a once-a-week only dose. It acts on your pancreas’s cells and boosts insulin production while also lowering its glucagon production. It also slows down the absorption of sugar in your gut, which helps control blood sugar levels by preventing blood sugar spikes.

    Best of all, it also helps suppress your appetite, which leads to weight loss. Researchers found that diabetes mellitus patients on exenatide experience a long-term weight loss effect due to increased satiety.

    Exenatide’s common side effects are usually mild gastrointestinal symptoms, but it can also cause pancreatitis.




    4. Glipizide (Glucotrol)

    Glipizide, which is also known by the brand name Glucotrol, is another diabetes mellitus medication that acts on your pancreas’s insulin-producing cells to promote insulin production. But researchers found that glipizide caused an average weight gain of about 2.65 pounds in diabetes mellitus patients.

    Safer alternative: Pramlintide (Symlin)

    Pramlintide, which is also known by the brand name Symlin, is a medication that can treat diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. It’s a compound that mimics amylin, and is injected to enter directly into the bloodstream. It helps inhibit glucagon production and suppresses your appetite.

    Researchers found that pramlintide caused an average weight loss of 3.75 pounds in diabetes mellitus type 1 patients and 8.16 pounds in diabetes mellitus type 2 patients after a year of treatment.

    If you’re on any of these potentially diabetes mellitus-causing medications that may also increase your risk for diabetes mellitus complications, you should consider asking your doctor about these safer alternatives since they promote weight loss and can even protect you from diabetes mellitus complications.

    How Weight Gain Can Cause and Exacerbate Diabetes Mellitus in the Long Term

    Diabetes mellitus type 2 is an unavoidable condition for only a minority of sufferers, like those with improperly functioning glands that result in obesity. The secret truth is that diabetes mellitus type 2 is a disease that’s mostly caused by a careless lifestyle. It turns out that about 90 percent of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients are overweight or obese. That means that if you’re not carelessly putting on the pounds, you’re only facing the risk of being in the 10 percent of normal weight diabetes mellitus patients. But if you’re not watching your weight, then you risk becoming one of the 90 percent of high BMI diabetes mellitus patients.

    Researchers also found that losing weight boosts insulin sensitivity even without exercise. They also found that obese diabetes mellitus patients who went on a calorie-restricted diet for only a week experienced a significant decrease in insulin resistance. These findings point to the conclusion that becoming fat can slowly cause the development of diabetes mellitus, while losing weight helps prevent and treat it.

    The theory (which seems to be correct, given all the evidence) is that when you get too fat, your body doesn’t want to store any more energy as fat. Since insulin tells your cells to take in energy, your cells start rejecting the excess energy by not responding to insulin. Then, when you lose weight, your body has the capacity to store energy again and your cells become responsive to insulin again.

    Another way to look at it is like when the milkman comes around the neighborhood delivering milk. If households are out of milk, they’ll welcomingly open their doors. But if they’ve still got a stockpile, their doors remain closed. If everyone has a stockpile of milk, the milkman ends up with a surplus of undelivered milk. The milkman is like sugar in your bloodstream, and the houses are like your cells. When you have a normal weight and have a great insulin response, your cells welcomingly take in the sugar. When you’ve got a stockpile of energy stored and have diabetes mellitus, your cells don’t “open the door” and the sugar builds up to high levels in your bloodstream. But once you get rid of the stockpile (losing weight), then your cells will welcome sugar again.

    But don’t think that you’ll automatically develop diabetes mellitus by becoming overweight or obese – only 30 percent of overweight and obese patients suffer from diabetes mellitus. Just consider that being fat is one of the major risk factors for diabetes mellitus. That’s why these diabetes mellitus medications that cause weight gain actually make your condition worse in the long run. In the short term, the medications lower your blood sugar levels, but if they make you fatter, then you’re only worsening your insulin response in the long term. It’s like they’re putting out the smoke but adding to the fire.

    Natural Supplements That Can Boost Insulin Sensitivity While Helping You Lose Weight

    If you’re now convinced to switch to these safer diabetes mellitus medications that promote weight loss, consider that even they have side effects (albeit less harmful). The good news is that there are natural, holistically healthy supplements that have been proven to lower insulin resistance, help normalize blood sugar levels, and promote weight loss. Of course, these won’t work as fast or efficient as pharmaceuticals, but they’re safer and healthy for your whole body. Here are a few:

    1. Fish Oil

    Researchers found that fish oil supplementation has protective effects against neuropathy arising from diabetes mellitus complications. They also found that diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who supplemented with more fish oil experienced a greater decrease in body mass index, blood sugar levels, and lipid levels. They concluded that taking fish oil supplements can help diabetes mellitus type 2 patients manage their blood sugar levels and protect them from heart disease arising from diabetes mellitus complications.

    But fish oil is also good for your brain and has been found to protect you from neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s. It also has been found to boost your cognition. Supplementing with fish oil has also been proven to lower depression.

    Fish oil also lowers your overall inflammation, and researchers found that fish oil supplements are a good alternative to anti-inflammatory medications. Since diabetes mellitus increases overall inflammation, fish oil supplementation helps counteract that.

    Fish oil also lowers your overall risk for developing cancer. More benefits from fish oil supplementation are still being discovered by scientists. But because of its lowering effects on insulin resistance, blood sugar levels, and weight, as well as its protective effects against diabetes mellitus complications, it’s definitely a supplement you should be taking if you have diabetes mellitus type 2.

    2. Magnesium

    Magnesium is a vital element everyone needs daily whether they have diabetes mellitus or not. But researchers found that most people suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 are deficient in magnesium. They say that magnesium regulates insulin, and a magnesium deficiency can worsen insulin resistance. They even say that not getting enough magnesium is one of the risk factors for diabetes mellitus because there’s evidence that it lowers insulin sensitivity in people who don’t have diabetes mellitus.

    These researchers found that high blood sugar levels cause your body to excrete more magnesium into your urine, which worsens the magnesium deficiency. But they also found that most diabetes mellitus type 2 patients don’t take in enough magnesium through their diet.

    Magnesium deficiency in diabetes mellitus patients has also been linked with increasing the risk for diabetes mellitus complications. They found that very low levels of magnesium is a sign of neuropathy, while also increasing the prevalence of arrhythmias.

    The good news is that taking in higher levels of magnesium (without overdosing) has been shown to boost insulin sensitivity, lower overall inflammation, and delay the development of diabetes mellitus type 2. Although most doctors ignore the magnesium status of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients, researchers found that supplementing with magnesium lowers both their fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels, while also boosting their insulin sensitivity.

    These researchers conclude that supplementing with magnesium is a potentially viable diabetes mellitus type 2 treatment because of its beneficial effects on blood sugar levels and insulin response, and because it lowers the risk of diabetes mellitus complications by lowering inflammation and helping neutralize the elevated levels of free radicals caused by the condition.

    3. Vitamin D

    Vitamin D deficiency also plagues most people suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2. They also found that supplementing with vitamin D boosts insulin sensitivity and insulin production by the pancreas. Some studies have found that supplementing with vitamin D in conjunction with calcium lowers fasting blood sugar levels.

    Researchers also found that diabetes mellitus type 1 patients who were vitamin D deficient experienced better blood sugar level control after supplementing with vitamin D. Researchers also found that vitamin D deficient diabetes mellitus type 2 patients can enjoy the same enhanced blood sugar level control if they supplement with vitamin D.

    They also found that taking vitamin D promotes weight loss and suppresses your appetite by boosting your leptin levels, which is the hormone responsible for making you feel full. If you take vitamin D and it leads to you having a lower BMI, then supplementation helps directly treat your diabetes mellitus in the long run.

    Vitamin D also lowers cortisol levels, which lowers stress and inflammation. All these health benefits make vitamin D a necessary daily supplement if you’re suffering with diabetes mellitus. Given that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among diabetes mellitus sufferers and that supplementing with vitamin D seems to help insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, there is a strong chance that vitamin D deficiency is one of the major risk factors for diabetes mellitus, which makes daily supplementation even important.

    If you’re vitamin D deficient, supplementing with vitamin D can only be good for your body. And even if you’re not deficient, getting higher levels of vitamin D has been shown to lower depression, boost bone health, boost immunity, protect your cardiovascular system, and protect against neurodegenerative disorders.




    But It Doesn’t Always Have to Be About the Pills and Injections. You Can Proactively Boost Your Insulin Sensitivity With These Physical Diabetes Mellitus Treatments

    Although taking diabetes mellitus supplements and medications are probably the quickest ways to boost your insulin sensitivity and lower your blood sugar levels, did you know there are also natural, healthy activities you can do that can improve your insulin response and normalize your blood sugar levels over a longer period of time?

    Here are a few you can try:

    1. Intermittent Fasting

    Simply change your eating habits to include a daily fast. Researchers found that diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who ate two large meals a day experienced weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and increased insulin sensitivity. Specifically, the patients took their calorie-restricted six meals per day and combined them into breakfast and lunch. They didn’t eat dinner or any other meal besides those two.

    This diet regimen falls under intermittent fasting because you’re essentially starving your body between lunch and the next day’s breakfast. Intermittent fasting has been found to protect your cardiovascular health, help you live longer, improve your immunity, lower inflammation, and more.

    But it’s all or nothing – you have to commit to eating only breakfast and lunch. Breaking that arrangement by eating dinner will make you go over your daily calorie restriction and put you in danger for weight gain and high blood sugar levels.

    2. Exercise

    The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says that exercising can help boost insulin sensitivity and lower your blood sugar levels. It makes sense – if your muscles suddenly need more energy because you’re using them more, then they’ll take in more sugar from your bloodstream, which helps lower your overall blood sugar levels.

    Here are the two kinds of exercises they recommend the most for diabetes mellitus patients:

    Three days of aerobic exercise every week. The ADA says that diabetes mellitus patients should do moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise at least three times per week. They actually recommend exercising five times per week for 30 minutes each session, but say that you can also exercise a total of two and a half hours per week as long as you don’t go more than two days without exercising. They say that aerobic exercise boosts insulin sensitivity, while also relieving stress. You can jog, run, dance, play tennis, climb stairs, or even do heavy gardening to get your aerobic exercise in!

    Two days of strength training every week. The ADA says that strength training helps diabetes mellitus patients lower their blood sugar levels for the long term by increasing their muscle mass. Muscle cells passively burn more calories than fat cells, which means having more muscle boosts your resting metabolism. This leads to lower fasting blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance. Strength training also strengthens your bones. Strength training exercises range from carrying canned goods and water bottles to using weights and weight lifting equipment. Doing push-ups and sit-ups are strength training exercises too!




    Watch TV sitting on the floor or an exercise ball. It would be best if you could quit sitting or lying for long periods of time watching TV because sedentary activity lowers your metabolism, which could worsen your insulin resistance. But if you can’t stop, there’s a way for you to burn more calories while watching, which also helps lower your blood sugar levels and boost your insulin sensitivity. Instead of lying on a couch, chair, or your bed, sit on the floor or an exercise ball. These will make your muscles work harder to keep you balanced, which helps tone them and makes them burn a few more calories. Sitting on an exercise ball is the better choice because it helps tone more core muscles.

    What You Should Keep in Mind About Treating Your Diabetes Mellitus

    The key is knowing that not all diabetes mellitus medications are equal – some are bad for your condition in the long run. You should also know that there are natural, healthy supplements you can take that can have the same effects as pharmaceutical diabetes mellitus medications. There are also activities you can do regularly that lower your blood sugar levels and improve your insulin response.

    But the real takeaway is that if you want to permanently cure your diabetes mellitus type 2, you should strive for a normal BMI. All of your doctor’s advice, all these medications, and all these diabetes mellitus treatment activities – they’re all about losing weight. Your long-term goal should be to lose enough weight that your cells are responding normally to insulin again. Don’t lose hope – researchers were able to permanently reverse diabetes mellitus type 2 in patients by having them go on a strict fast, which led to weight loss.

    Remember to ask your doctor before changing your diabetes mellitus treatment – some medications, supplements, and activities are only effective for diabetes mellitus type 2, and can be dangerous for diabetes mellitus type 1.

  • 3 Sweets and Carbs You Need to Include In Your Daily Diet If You Have Diabetes Mellitus

    3 Sweets and Carbs You Need to Include In Your Daily Diet If You Have Diabetes Mellitus

    If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus but have a sweet tooth, you’ll be happy to know there are sweets and carbs that health professionals recommend for diabetics. Here are three healthy foods that help you control your blood sugar levels.

    Diabetes mellitus is a trying condition to live with because you have to watch your blood sugar levels throughout the day. If you eat something that’s too high in carbs and sugar, it could dangerously spike your blood sugar levels and make you sick. That means that liking sugary treats can be dangerous. But like everyone else, your body still needs your daily carbs for energy and to make vital proteins – so you’re allowed some leeway to sate your sugar cravings.

    But did you know there are sweets and carbs that are almost a must for people suffering with diabetes mellitus? Here are a few expert-recommended healthy foods that help you keep your blood sugar levels safe:

    1. Blueberries

    Blueberries are sweet and melt in your mouth. They’re great with salads or just about any meal. But blueberries are also a superfood because they’re rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Their antioxidant content can help protect and lessen any damage arising from diabetes mellitus complications.

    But despite their sweet flavor, blueberries have been found to help prevent and treat diabetes mellitus type 2 by lowering insulin resistance. They gave obese and insulin-resistant adults blueberry smoothies or blueberry and bilberry extracts for six weeks and found that the participants experienced greater insulin sensitivity.

    They also fed blueberries to rats that were also on an unhealthy high-fat diet for 1 to 3 months and found that they had better glucose tolerance.

    Blueberries are also fiber-rich, which allows you better blood sugar level control because it steadies the amount of sugar absorbed from your gut. The fiber slows sugar from being absorbed by getting between it and your intestines’ villi. Instead of all the sugar from your meal being absorbed rapidly, blueberries’ fiber slows its absorption such that all of it enters your bloodstream steadily over a longer period of time, which helps keep your blood sugar levels normal and keeps you feeling sated for longer.

    Blueberries seem to help boost your insulin sensitivity independent of your diet, and their fiber content helps keep your blood sugar levels from spiking after eating. They’re definitely one food you need to include in your diet if you’re suffering from diabetes mellitus.




    2. Tree Nuts

    Most tree nuts, like Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, and cashews, are superfoods because they’re rich in vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and other nutrients that are important for your brain, heart, and many other vital organs.

    Eating tree nuts has also been found to help treat diabetes mellitus. Participants suffering from diabetes mellitus were instructed to eat two servings of tree nuts everyday for two weeks. The researchers found that the participants didn’t gain weight and had improved fasting blood sugar levels. They stated that eating tree nuts can best prevent and treat diabetes mellitus type 2 if they’re eaten in substitution of simple sugar foods, like white rice.

    Tree nuts are also fiber-rich, which allows them to help you maintain normal blood sugar levels.

    Include tree nuts in your diet and you most likely will see an improvement in your blood sugar levels – you’ll also be enriching your body with vital nutrients.

    3. Purple Yams

    Purple yams, like most yams, are sweet and scrumptious. They’re also known as the Okinawan Sweet Potato because they’re a main part of the Okinawan diet, which is famous among health enthusiasts as the diet that lets you live until 100 years old with the ability to run fast even in your 80s.

    Purple yams are superfoods rich in vitamins A, C, and B6. They’re also loaded with antioxidants and contain the vital trace elements copper and manganese.

    Researchers found that purple yams’ flavonoids, which are a type of antioxidants, lowered diabetic rats’ fasting blood sugar levels and their cholesterol levels. Another study found that these purple yams’ flavonoids also protect your cardiovascular system from artherosclerosis caused by diabetes mellitus.

    And you guessed it – purple yams are rich in fiber, which lets them help you keep your blood sugar levels stabilized.

    Since purple yams can lower your blood sugar levels and help protect you from diabetes mellitus complications, you should switch out your bread for this diabetes mellitus-protective carb.

    You can indulge your sweet tooth daily with these healing sweets and carbs that help treat and protect you from diabetes mellitus. It’s best if you switch out your regular carb foods, like white bread and white rice, for these three superfoods if you want the maximum healing benefits they can offer you.

  • Experts Say Wearing Sunscreen Lowers Your Vitamin D Production: Here’s What You Should Do

    Experts Say Wearing Sunscreen Lowers Your Vitamin D Production: Here’s What You Should Do

    Wearing sunscreen is becoming more important as the ozone layer continues to be depleted and the atmosphere protects you less from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. But now researchers are finding that protecting yourself from the sun’s UV rays with sunscreen also blocks the sunlight’s natural ability to cause vitamin D production in your body. Don’t worry – here’s how you can continue helping to prevent developing skin cancer while getting your daily vitamin D.

    Why Is Vitamin D Important for Your Health?

    Vitamin D is a critical nutrient your body needs for good bone health, mental health, and disease prevention. Your bone cells need vitamin D to build, strengthen, and maintain your bones. Without vitamin D, your bones can become brittle, and you may develop rickets or osteoporosis. Why? Because vitamin D contributes significantly to your gut’s ability to absorb calcium, and it also controls how much phosphate and calcium are circulating in your blood. Without vitamin D, insufficient calcium and phosphate would be accessible to your bone cells.

    Vitamin D has also been linked with lowering inflammation and boosting your immunity. Not getting enough vitamin D has been linked with an increased chance of catching colds and flus. Doctors also found that supplementing with vitamin D can shorten the severity and length of a flu or cold significantly.

    Vitamin D has also been linked with cancer. Researchers found that people with higher concentrations of vitamin D are 50 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer. There is similar evidence for vitamin D intake and prostate and breast cancers.

    Vitamin D also plays a significant role in your cardiovascular health. Researchers found that low concentrations of vitamin D increase your risk for heart disease by 60 percent compared to someone with high vitamin D levels. In fact, you’re 300 percent more likely to develop hypertension if you have chronically low levels of vitamin D compared to if you’ve kept your vitamin D levels high.

    If you’re trying to lose weight or want to stay fit, researchers found that healthy vitamin D levels play a critical role. They found that most obese and overweight people have lower concentrations of vitamin D. What’s even more interesting is that they found that women who lost weight also experienced an increase in their vitamin D levels.




    Vitamin D may also be linked with diabetes. When nondiabetic patients were given 700 IU of vitamin D with calcium for three years, they experienced lower fasting plasma glucose levels.

    Vitamin D has also been found to help treat depression. Clinically depressed patients who supplemented with vitamin D for one year experienced better scores on depression tests. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked with cognitive impairment.

    There are many more diseases that have been linked with low levels of vitamin D, including Parkinson’s disease and autoimmune disorders. In fact, high levels of vitamin D decrease your risk of developing multiple sclerosis by 62 percent compared with if you had chronically low levels. It becomes obvious from the extensive evidence and findings that vitamin D is integral to your holistic health, and having chronic low vitamin D levels can put you in danger.

    How Do You Get Your Daily Vitamin D?

    Vitamin D is mainly made by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. The sun’s UV radiation catalyzes a reaction that lets your skin convert compounds into inactive forms of vitamin D that then get converted to active forms by your tissues, liver, and kidneys.

    You can also get a little vitamin D from eating fish, liver, eggs, and yogurt. Because vitamin D is found in little amounts in Western diets, most commercial products, like cereals, milks, and baby formulas, are fortified with vitamin D.

    But most of these commercially processed foods and dairy products (except yogurt) are high in cholesterol, and not at the healthy end of the spectrum. If you’re a health buff, you’d most likely stay away from foods fortified with vitamin D – which leaves you relying on sun exposure as your main vitamin D source.

    Are You at Risk for low Vitamin D Levels?

    Given vitamin D’s difficult sources, it explains why the overall population’s vitamin D levels have been declining in recent years. With advancing technology, people are staying indoors more. And as people become more health-conscious and start avoiding dairy products, they consume less dietary sources of vitamin D.

    But some groups of people are more at risk for low vitamin D levels. Experts found that vegetarians, vegans, and people with milk allergies or who are lactose intolerant have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency because they’re avoiding diary sources of vitamin D. Breastfed infants have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency because their mothers aren’t supplementing with enough vitamin D for both her child and herself.

    Researchers found that people with darker skin pigmentation are at risk for chronic low levels of vitamin D. Ninety-five percent of African Americans have been found to be vitamin D deficient.

    Doctors also warn those with chronic gastrointestinal disorders that affect absorption of nutrients to increase their vitamin D intake. Irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and other conditions can lower your vitamin D absorption from food. Over time, this can lead to lower levels of vitamin D.

    If you spend most of your time indoors throughout the week (working at the cubicle or at your home computer and only exercising at the gym or your home gym), you also run the risk of chronic low vitamin D levels if you aren’t supplementing with more vitamin D from food.

    As you get older, your body makes less vitamin D. If you’re getting up there in years and aren’t eating more dietary sources of vitamin D or staying in the sun longer, then you risk having chronic lower levels of vitamin D.




    But Now Scientists Discovered That Being in the Sun Isn’t Causing Enough Vitamin D Production

    As if getting vitamin D wasn’t hard enough – new findings suggest that staying out in the sun might give the false sense that you’re giving your skin what it needs to make vitamin D. Dr. Kim Pfotenhauer states in a clinical review published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association that wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater blocks so much of the sun’s UV radiation that it lowers your skin’s sun-catalyzed vitamin D production by 99 percent!

    That means that if you’re being responsible and health-conscious by protecting yourself from skin cancer by wearing sunscreen everytime you plan on exposing yourself to the sun’s harmful UV rays, you’re also practically cutting off a source of vitamin D without even knowing it.

    But does that mean that you should stop wearing sunscreen or wear lower SPF protection? No!

    Here’s What You Must Do to Get Your Daily Vitamin D Without Sacrificing Skin Protection

    Wearing sunscreen is mandatory if you’re going to spend time in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The sun’s harmful UV radiation can cause skin cancer and speed up signs of aging (like wrinkles, lines, and roughness of your skin).

    But what should you do about your sunscreen blocking 99 percent of your skin’s vitamin D production? You can up your dietary intake of vitamin D by incorporating your own vitamin D-infused mushrooms into your daily diet.

    The American College of Healthcare Sciences says that if you place your grocery-bought mushrooms on a sunny windowsill for a couple of hours, they’ll start making vitamin D via similar chemical processes that happen when your skin is exposed to sunlight.

    Any mushroom will do, but different mushrooms produce varying levels of vitamin D. For example, every 100 grams of portabella mushrooms make 835 IU of vitamin D. You should choose mushrooms based on their nutrition and not their vitamin D-producing capacity. Among the top picks are shiitake and chaga mushrooms, which have some of the highest antioxidant activities and are being investigated as potential supplemental cancer therapies.

    Eating your naturally vitamin D-enriched mushrooms as a dietary source of vitamin D is the solution that lets you up your vitamin D levels without resorting to eating more mercury-contaminated fish or unhealthy dairy products, or exposing yourself to more harmful UV radiation.

    Mushrooms are vegan-friendly and a clean source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which do wonders for your brain and heart. They’re also filled with antioxidants and nice sources of some vitamins and minerals.

    Unlike dairy products, these holistically healthy properties are why health buffs encourage you to incorporate mushrooms into your daily diet as a replacement for proteins sourced from meat, which have been found to increase your risk for cancer by 13 percent. (Whereas mushrooms’ antioxidants fight cancer.)

    You can also take a daily vitamin D supplement, but here you run the risk of a vitamin D overdose if you don’t watch your dosage. Vitamin D supplements are also less economically savvy than mushrooms because all you’re getting is pure vitamin D without the additional natural nutrients of mushrooms, which are cheaper than the supplements.

    Now that you’re more aware of vitamin D’s role in your holistic health, you should up your dietary intake by mixing your sunbathed-mushrooms into your daily salads and meals. Continue wearing sunscreen because it protects your skin from cancer and accelerated aging from contact with the sun. If you’re breastfeeding an infant, it’s important to double your vitamin D intake because you’re the main source of your baby’s vitamin D.

  • 3 Foods That Can Help Heal Your Broken Heart

    3 Foods That Can Help Heal Your Broken Heart

    Have you just had your heart broken? Try these healing food that have been proven to help you feel better.

    Everyone gets their heart broken at some point – be it unrequited love, a romantic relationship gone sour, or the betrayal of a platonic friend. Although the passing of time is the only real way a heart can mend, there are foods you can eat that can boost your mood and more. Here are a few you can try for a healthy pick-me-up:

    1. Chocolate

    You might think that chocolate is a sinful snack, but the health benefits of eating chocolate regularly are widely documented. They include doing wonders for your brain.

    The cocoa in chocolate has been found to increase blood flow in three areas of your brain which contribute to alertness, cognition, and creativity, but only for two to three hours. The chemicals responsible are cocoa’s flavanols, which are powerful antioxidants that have already been found to promote better cardiovascular health.

    But most commercial chocolate bars contain less than 20 percent cocoa. It’s better to buy 100 percent cocoa from the grocery and make a chocolate shake with stevia or sugar to get cocoa’s brain-boosting effects. You’ll probably feel a adrenaline-like high and feel your mental faculties increase significantly. If you have a written test and you’re feeling down because of your broken heart, drinking this will give you a brain boost during your exam. You can also buy a dark chocolate bar, which can contain between 60 to 85 percent cocoa!

    But cocoa’s brain-boosting flavanols are only the beginning when it comes to chocolate’s ability to heal your broken heart! Neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis conducted a study with two groups of couples. One group ate chocolate, and the other group shared a very passionate kiss. The couples had electrodes attached to their scalps measuring their brain activity, and also had their hearts monitored.

    Surprisingly, the couples who ate chocolate had more stimulated heart rates and brain activity than the couples who kissed passionately! When the chocolate started melting in the couples’ mouths, all their brain regions were excited far more than the couples who kissed. These brain- and heart- exciting effects for the couples who ate chocolate lasted four times longer than the lesser effects of the couples kissing.

    Psychologist Sue Wright offers an explanation for the phenomenon. She says that chocolate’s phenylethylamine can boost your endorphin levels, which are the notorious compounds responsible for the highs that drug abusers chase after.

    A dark chocolate bar should definitely be your go-to snack if you’re getting over a broken heart. It will immediately boost your brain power and excite your brain and heart far more than a passionate kiss!




    2. Dark Leafy Greens Salad

    Magnesium is an important mineral for your mood. Your body uses it to make serotonin, which combats depression and helps calm you down and lower anxiety. Studies show that supplementing with magnesium boosts your mood and combats depression in clinically depressed patients. Upping your magnesium intake will definitely lift your spirits while you’re in the process of mending your broken heart. If you’re feeling too emotional, the magnesium will boost your serotonin, which will help calm you down.

    A salad filled with dark leafy greens is brimming with magnesium. A cup of broccoli gives you 100 milligrams of magnesium. Add spinach, kale, and other dark green veggies to that and you’ll easily be pumping between 200 to 300 milligrams of this perk-me-up nutrient into your body!

    3. Fish or Nuts

    One of the most popular things people do when they feel down is binging TV and snacking on something. Most TV snacks are bad for your health and will only make you feel worse because of the carb overload. But if you snack on nuts or fish, they’ll boost your mood.

    Fish and nuts, like walnuts and almonds, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers who supplemented bipolar depressive patients and children with depression with omega-3 fatty acids saw greater than 50 percent improvement in their depression scores.

    If you’ve turned to your favorite streaming show to help forget about your broken heart, grab a couple of packages of nuts from the grocery! After snacking and watching, you might feel your mood pick up as the omega-3 fatty acids take into effect.

    Remember that only time can truly mend a broken heart. But try these three healthy foods with special mood-lifting properties and you might feel better sooner!

  • Zero Carb Diets: Why You’ll Lose Muscle

    Zero Carb Diets: Why You’ll Lose Muscle

    According to the CDC, approximately 70 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. If you’re fighting the tide by going on a diet, make sure you educate yourself first. You might feel compelled to avoid sugars and carbs at all costs — but doing so could seriously harm your body. Carbohydrates are essential for your hormones and muscle building and maintenance.

    Your muscles are made up of protein, which are composed of only 20 amino acids. Your body uses carbohydrates to produce 10 of these, called nonessential amino acids. Your body can’t produce the other 10 (essential amino acids), so you get them from eating protein. Your body also needs these 20 amino acids to synthesize enzymes and hormones which regulate most of your bodily functions, from temperature regulation to fat breakdown.

    Fat can’t be converted into the nonessential amino acids you need. Although not eating carbs rushes your body into burning fat, burning fat gives your body energy, not protein. Your body will then break down your muscle to get protein to make amino acids. Thus, not getting carbohydrates will result in muscle loss. This is worse if you’re simultaneously exercising and dieting; your body won’t be able to repair your muscles post-workout, leaving you sore and weak.




    You might consider eating protein to replace carbs. Fitness experts advise against this for two reasons. If your protein source is meat, you’ll be increasing your cholesterol, which is dangerous long term. If your protein sources are zero-carb protein shakes, your body still won’t be able to fully repair or build muscle without carbohydrates.

    Losing weight is great if you’re overweight. Make sure to eat foods with slow-burning carbohydrates, like blueberries or red potatoes. Your body needs carbohydrates to build your muscles, enzymes, and hormones. Some amino acids require carbohydrates to be synthesized; because of this and the high cholesterol involved, a meat-only diet is even more harmful than a no-carb diet.

  • Eating These Foods Will Give You a Sexy Bronze Tan

    Eating These Foods Will Give You a Sexy Bronze Tan

    Twenty percent of Americans have or will develop some kind of skin cancer. Sun exposure is the major cause of skin cancer — but does playing safe and staying out of the sun mean you can’t ever have that sexy bronze tan? Nope! All you need to do is eat these veggies and that bronze tan will naturally be yours.

    The secret is in the carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants which protect your cells from oxidative damage. According to the National Institutes of Health, carotenoids decrease your risk for many diseases, including cancer and opthalmologic diseases. The magic happens when you eat enough of these miraculous compounds, which get stored in the fat close to your skin’s surface — giving your skin a healthy bronze glow.

    In fact, studies involving university students supplementing their daily diets with extra servings of beta-carotene-rich foods experienced increased skin pigmentation (tanning) after a few months. These are some of the foods that do the trick:

    Carrots, Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, and Sweet Potatoes. Sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, and carrots are rich in carotenes.

    Spinach and Kale. Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach are rich in beta-carotene.

    Salmon or Astaxanthin Supplement. The carotenoid astaxanthin is responsible for salmon’s pink color. It’s such a strong carotenoid that it provides more UV protection than vitamins C, E and CoQ10. Consuming a concentrated astaxanthin supplement will quicken your skin’s bronzing, over time, and protect you from the sun’s UV rays – like a natural sunscreen.




    Of course, unlike spray tanning or a day at the beach, this healthy, safe tanning method won’t deliver results overnight. But you can have your sexy, bronze tan without the risk of developing skin cancer just by eating carotenoid-rich foods.