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The Alkaline Diet: Does it Really Work for Weight Loss?

Alkaline Diet, Alkaline Ash Diet, Alkaline Acid Diet and Acid Ash Diet are the various names of diets that come under the umbrella of alkaline diets. The premise these diets are based on is that certain foods can affect the acidity or pH of the body, helping prevent the onset of diseases and even treat them.

Healthy Ways to Love Your Body that added to the hype and interest for this style of eating. Adding to its health benefits of protection against cancer and arthritis, what shot it to fame was the universal pitch that never fails -weight loss!

According to the proponents of this diet, acidity causing foods lead to an increased risk of diseases and an alkaline diet cleanses and protects your body. An alkaline diet allows you to eat:

• Raw Foods
• Plant Proteins
• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• Alkaline water
• Green Drinks
• Foods that cause an acidic environment that must be avoided:
• Eggs
• Lentils
• High Sodium foods

5 Ancient Remedies That Still Work Today

A doctor’s prescription for antibiotics to treat a relatively minor but nagging affliction often triggers a sense of gratitude. “Where would I be without modern medicine?” we might ask. The answer may make us shudder: we might not be at all. Even with all of the problems of today, we console ourselves, it’s good to live in the 21st century.

Nonetheless, pre-modern doctors were not completely without resources. Here are five that have stood the test of time, according to a BBC report:

Willow

Medicines made from willow bark were prescribed by ancient Egyptians and Greeks as an antidote for pain. Salicylic acid is also used in preparations to clear acne and other skin conditions.

Milkweed

Considered “a good treatment for warts,” according to Nicolas Culpeper’s Complete Herbalist (1826), the sap from the milkweed plant was found to contain ingenol mebutate, which inhibits human tissue from replicating.

What Is A Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet has been a hot topic of late. Depending on who you talk to, it is praised for its incredible weight loss results, criticized for being too restrictive, or condemned as dangerous, especially without medical supervision.

What is a ketogenic diet?

A ketogenic eating pattern is very low in carbohydrates and moderates in protein, meaning a high percentage of total energy intake comes from fat found in dairy products and meat.

“A true ketogenic is one where carbohydrate intake is extremely low — usually less than 10 percent of your total energy intake,” Collins told HuffPost Australia.

How does a ketogenic diet work?

During times of severe energy restriction (such as during fasting or starvation), prolonged intense exercise, or when carbohydrate intake is reduced to around 50 grams per day or less, the body can enter ketosis.

This means that, rather than the body burning its primary fuel source, glycogen (a “complex carbohydrate, which in the human body is like petrol for a car”), the body must break down fats as its main source of fuel.

Read the full article at Huffingtonpost.com

Is Your Diet Making Your Liver Sick?

Many diets have been hailed as being able to improve your health, such as the Mediterranean diet. The typical Western diet is high in fat and sugar, and we already know these two components can wreak havoc on our health. The latest findings suggest that the Western diet can have detrimental effects on our liver as well.

Western diet increases risk of liver cancer

A new study was done where researchers fed mice a Western diet, which is high in fat and sugar. These mice were more likely to develop liver tumors compared to mice who did not consume the Western diet. When the Western diet-fed mice were treated with antibiotics, they did not respond to the treatment.

The researchers specifically looked at mice missing farnesoid x receptor (FXR), which is involved in bile synthesis, secretion, and transport. Bile is necessary for proper digestion. Low FXR levels are seen in patients with cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Lead author of the study Dr. Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan explained, “Gut and liver health are linked. Because the liver receives 70 percent of its blood supply from the intestine, it is important to understand how the gut contributes to liver disease development.”

There are many studies that attribute a Western diet to poor health and this is just another one that solidifies the point. Instead, we should opt for a diet low in fat and sugar. As mentioned earlier, the Mediterranean diet time and time again is hailed for its numerous benefits to health. It emphasizes a high intake of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and above all, low fat and sugar.

Bel Marra Health

Sugar Companies to Launch GMO Education Campaign

Genetically modified crops such as sugar beets and corn have been a godsend to the farmers who grow them, an Idaho farmer and biotechnology expert told members of the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture July 27.

To try to change consumers’ understanding and perception of GMO crops, the nation’s sugar beet industry is preparing a $4 million online campaign that will launch this fall.

Roundup Ready sugar beets, which are genetically engineered to withstand applications of the glyphosate herbicide, enjoy 100 percent adoption among Amalgamated growers and save them about $22 million per year, he said.

Because the GMO beets allow growers to use fewer herbicides, the plants are disturbed less and they face much less competition from weed pressure, which has translated into higher yields, Grant said.

Since GMO corn was introduced in the 1990s, he said, U.S. corn acres have increased from just under 60 million to 90 million, while acres of wheat, which is not genetically modified, has dropped from about 60 million to 45 million in 2017, which is the lowest acreage since records began in 1919.

Continue Reading at Capital Press

Watching your Weight: 8 Ways to Keep Your Diet On Track

Being able to adhere to our diet is what will guarantee whether we see the weight loss results we want, and there are ways and means for us to improve the likelihood of successfully accomplishing that.

To save you time, and to eliminate the guesswork, here are my top eight tips for improving your diet adherence…

1. Make small changes

It’s easy to begin feeling overwhelmed by the amount of “new” things we have to direct our energy towards when making changes in our diet, and all too often will give up when we realize we can’t sustain it.

2. Build a support network

Surrounding yourself with others who support our goals and encourage positive behaviors can have a huge impact on motivating us to stay consistent with our efforts.

Spending more time with those who encourage our efforts, socializing with other gym members, or joining online fitness/coaching and communities can all be great ways of building up that positive support network.

BEAUTY: Far East Rice Water Remedies

The world is looking to the Far East for inspiration in skin care routines. Already, the Korean secrets are now being researched by the biggest cosmetic houses in a bid to create new lines. One of the simplest and most effective ones is the use of rice water as a skin beauty aid. This has immense benefits which include:

Reduces acne and open pores

Rice water cleansing helps to control oily skin and will minimize acne and enlarged clogged pores. Simply wash a cupful of rice and allow it to soak in one cup of water for half an hour.

Brightens the skin tone

Rice water is a used to brighten and even out the skin tone naturally. For it to work well, it should be used in a fermented state. Fermented rice water is very rich in antioxidants and nutrients. The combination of the nutrients works to give the skin a translucent effect.

Continue Reading at Daily Nation

Weight loss diet: Doing THIS Before Bed Could help you Lose the Love Handles

Casein is the main protein present in milk and milk products and is available to buy in powder form, similar to whey protein.

While many fitness fanatics take casein like protein powder to enhance their performance and to look leaner, researchers have found that incorporating it into a weight loss plan and taking it before you go to bed can help burn fat.

A study conducted in the Netherlands found that by multiplying casein intake by two and a half times, participants were able to have a higher metabolic rate while sleeping and a better overall fat balance.

The research, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also found that after taking casein before sleep, satiety levels were 25 per cent higher across the following day.

Weight loss teas are a popular shortcut to flatter stomachs, and the latest version can help with weight loss goals – according to experts.

Missed Periods? Here are Effective Ayurveda Remedies for You

From missed periods to menstrual cramps, the period problems are common but usually are not considered serious. The uneasy and uncomfortable situation may make you cranky and can adversely affect your mood.

Here we have listed a few Ayurvedic remedies which can help you with period problems.

For Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD)

PCOD is a health condition that affects one in every 10 women. PCOS is an aftermath of a hormonal imbalance in women wherein testosterone levels shoots up in the body causing an array of symptomatic reactions.

The most simple and effective treatment for PCOD is Ayurveda. You can rely on Aloe Vera pulp with manjistha (rubia cordifolia) capsule. This helps in purifying blood and gradually restores the health of uterus which results in regular, healthy periods.

For menorrhagia (Heavy Bleeding)

Menorrhagia is defined as menstruation at regular intervals but with excessive flow and duration. This is one of the most common problems in women. Some women have also reported heavy bleeding for 6 to 7 days during periods leading to weakness and other health issues.

Suffer From Insulin Resistance? It’s Not The Same As Diabetes

While diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar, it is caused because of a situation called insulin resistance. This is a condition where the insulin secreted by your pancreas is unable to absorb sugar from the food you eat and so the sugar builds up in your blood stream, bringing you a risk of heart diseases with any more consumption of sugary foods.

Diagnosis

You can undergo various tests to detect insulin resistance in your body. One kind is the blood sugar fasting where your glucose levels are checked after not eating for about 8 hours. Another is a random blood draw where blood samples can be taken at any time of the day to check glucose levels.

People with insulin resistance are also generally low on energy, feel very hungry and find it difficult to concentrate. You may also suffer from other medical conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol because of this resistance.

Treatment

During insulin resistance, since your cells don’t respond accurately to insulin hormone, the body tends to overproduce it.

Continue Reading at Doctor NDTV