We all know that cholesterol is not good for our health. It can cause heart disease and other problems. However, we might not know that cholesterol is also vital for our bodies. This blog post will explore the benefits of cholesterol and why we need it.
What is Cholesterol?
You’ve probably heard a lot about cholesterol and how it can harm your health. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. But what you may not know is that cholesterol isn’t all bad. In fact, cholesterol is essential for our bodies to function correctly. Here’s a closer look at the good and bad of cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in our bodies. It is mainly produced in the liver but can also be found in some foods we eat. There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is often called “bad” cholesterol because it can build up in the arteries and form plaque. This can lead to heart disease. HDL is often called “good” cholesterol because it helps remove LDL from the arteries and prevents plaque from forming.
The Benefits of Cholesterol
1) Cholesterol is essential for our brain health.
2)Cholesterol helps our body to repair itself.
3)Cholesterol is necessary for hormone production.
4)Cholesterol protects us from infections.
5)Cholesterol aids in vitamin D absorption
6)Some Vegan diets might lead to high cholesterol levels
7)We need cholesterol for a healthy pregnancy
8)Eating foods rich in cholesterol does not necessarily increase our cholesterol levels
Setbacks happen, and there is no need to stress about them over and over again!
Personal barriers can trigger setbacks and distract you from your motive, whether it is about maintaining a healthy life, following a diet or going to the gym. For instance, an injury can put a stop to your daily workouts, a family gathering can force you to overindulge, or an emotionally stressed moment can upset your healthy eating habits.
Either you can keep stressing over your intruded diet plan, or you can learn from the setbacks and turn it into motivation.
Want a piece of advice? Go with the second option.
Here are 12 recovery techniques to get you back on track.
Forgive yourself for going down the road of pessimism;
Set new goals;
Contact a nutritionist and ask them to make a new diet plan for you. This time a little easier than the last;
Focus on your nutritional health rather than weighing yourself over and over again;
Avoid stress at all costs. Keep yourself away from negative people and thoughts. Perform relaxation therapies like yoga for peace of your mind;
Get creative with exercise. Play different sports, compete on the run with your friend, plan a family hike, or you can go swimming;
Extract your frustration through exercise – just sweat it off;
Whenever you’re feeling down, reach the social support of your friends and family. Spend quality time with them;
Hire a personal workout trainer to get tailored services and attention;
Go slow, don’t take big steps at the start! Taking too much on can be overwhelming and can throw you off to your old humdrum habits;
Bare minimum. If you can’t go on a full-on diet and exercise routine, start small. Start by skipping bad sugary drinks and processed foods or adding a fruit or vegetable to your plate;
Set up a music player and make exercising fun. Pause your exercise for a while and dance wildly to your favourite songs because hey…! No one’s watching.
For decades, protein supplements have solely been consumed by athletes, bodybuilders, and those who indulge in heavy exercise routines. It might have been a sports supplement used to enhance muscles but, nowadays, a lot of health-conscious individuals are using protein shakes in their diets.
Protein supplements have various benefits and can be found in the form of powder, solid food, or fluid formulation. The supplements are preferred over traditional protein sources because of their availability and reduced preparation time. A large population is currently using these supplements for weight reduction and muscle toning. Other possible benefits of protein supplements include:
Nutrition
Those who struggle to meet their daily protein requirements can use supplements as an alternative. Older adults, weight lifters, athletes, and those with chronic illnesses may require more protein intake. Researchers have found that athletes involved in strenuous exercise training can benefit from having around twice their daily recommended protein intake, ranging between 1.4 and 2.0 grams per kg of body weight.
Muscle Gain
Protein supplements may help if you want to gain lean muscle. According to a research study done at Rice University, an adult who is looking to put on muscle needs to strength train several days a week and increase his protein intake from 0.40-0.60 g per pound of his body weight to 0.60-0.90 grams.
Recovery After Exercise
In addition to muscle growth, protein supplements can help in repairing damaged tissues and muscles. During workouts, the body naturally directs amino acids and energy to support muscle contractions. After the workout, your muscles go through a recovery phase. Drinking a protein supplement after the workout can help soothe muscles that may have been damaged during the exercise.
The supplement can also help in speeding up the recovery of sore muscles by reducing muscle damage and enhancing muscle performance and protein synthesis.
It Helps With Muscle Growth And Recovery
Taking protein supplements will not only build and strengthen your muscles, but it can also prevent muscle breakdown. Combining exercise and regular activity with high protein intake will promote muscle growth and strengthening.
High-quality protein supplements are rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and contain essential amino acids. One of the BCAAs (Leucine) plays a crucial role in stimulating muscle growth and recovery after endurance and resistance training. As such, protein shakes, for instance, are very convenient for athletes who are always on-the-go.
It Promotes Satiety And Boosts Metabolism
Proteins will make you feel fuller than fats and carbohydrates. This may be beneficial to athletes who are always fueling up their bodies for an extended period of time. The supplement’s ability to reduce hunger levels and appetite helps in the reduction of calorie intake, which is a key factor for those trying to achieve weight loss.
Along with the reduction of appetite, taking protein supplements boosts metabolism. Your body utilizes energy to digest and make use of nutrients in the food you consume. This is referred to as the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), and protein’s thermic effect is greater than that of fats and carbohydrates. If you are looking to lose belly fat or want to get the ideal body composition, consider replacing carbs with protein.
Are you tired of all the challenging core exercises and still unable to see the results? Do you want to return to your old sedentary lifestyle? Weight-loss is a taxing activity and requires a lot of hard work. Sometimes people have a lot of motivation in the beginning, but it soon wears out. They want to resume binge eating and consuming all those high-calorie meals they were abstaining from while dieting.
Article Summary: In this article, you will learn the reasons for falling back to old habits when dieting for weight loss. Only once the root cause of the problem is known can one try to solve it. Some of the causes for the inability to maintain weight-loss in the longer run are as follows:
1. Setting Unrealistic Targets;
2. Stress And Depression;
3. Short-Lived Motivation;
4. Looking For Shortcuts;
5. Difficulty With Prioritization.
Setting Unrealistic Targets
Achieving targets gives us a sense of accomplishment. It drives us to excel further. On the other hand, when a person cannot meet their targets, disappointment often turns into resentment and, eventually, the person decides to quit.
When you set unrealistic and non-achievable weekly or monthly targets, you will get stuck in a rut. The solution to this problem is maintaining a journal of weight loss, doing extensive research to opt for the ideal weight loss targets and going easy on yourself in case of any delays. A person should also enjoy a cheat day once a week or fortnightly.
Depression and Stress
Depression and stress are the main reason for relapses and gaining weight. Cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone”, is responsible for increased belly fat. The person starts self-loathing and loses all the motivation to train and lose further weight. This can also result in stress eating and consuming high-calorie foods.
Short-Lived Motivation
A person is usually most motivated when they start losing weight at the beginning of their diet. They have invested time and money in the gym, they are making dietary changes and are starting to see actual results. However, after a while, all the ignition and motivation is lost. People want to fall back into old habits of binge-watching Netflix, eat chips and drink soft drinks. Losing weight requires a lot of commitment throughout the tenure.
Looking for Shortcuts
Losing weight is a lifestyle change and not a one-time activity. People often try to lose weight by taking weight-loss supplements and crash dieting. Initially, they will even do enormous amounts of strenuous exercises without even taking a day off. As soon as they stop these unsustainable activities, they will likely gain back the weight they had lost.
These shortcuts are not sustainable in the long-term. A person must be willing to invest time and energy to make lifelong changes to their lifestyle if they want to lose weight and maintain it.
Difficulty with Prioritization
In today’s era, everyone is busy with their daily routines. A person usually gets stuck in the office, socializing, studies and catering to family needs. More often than not, people have no time left to look after themselves. Weight-loss exercises require time and consistency. A person facing difficulty in taking time out for regular physical activities will likely struggle to lose additional weight.
Bottom Line
Resistance to weight loss is quite common and discourages a lot of people. Keep yourself motivated throughout your weight loss journey. Be willing to adapt to this new lifestyle and make it a fun activity instead of making yourself feel suffocated. Learn new weight loss techniques and give yourself a breather regularly.
Gut bacteria have an important role in your mood and mental wellness. They can alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, but they can also exacerbate them.
Trillions of bacterial cells live in your colon, forming a unique environment known as the gut microbiome. Their functions influence your brain in addition to allowing nutrients into the body and keeping opportunistic microorganisms out.
When the body is stressed, it undergoes a sequence of changes that send all energy and key resources to the muscles and brain. Stress also leads the body to release cortisol, which can all have an impact on the gut microbiota.
Similarly, if your gut microbiota is out of balance (dysbiosis), your general mood can suffer. This is due to the fact that the activity of your gut bacteria affects stress and anxiety – a balanced microbiome can promote stress resilience, but an imbalanced microbiome can harm your mental health.
Your gut microbiota needs to be diverse to sustain your health, and diversity helps keep it balanced. However, if it is not balanced — a condition known as dysbiosis — opportunistic bacteria can take advantage of the situation and multiply, resulting in inflammation.
Because your body does not desire opportunistic bacteria, your immune system is activated, causing inflammation. Inflammation, interestingly, can cause depression and sadness can cause inflammation. However, a diversified microbiota can help to reduce inflammation.
Controlling inflammation can thus assist to enhance both mood and anxiety. Diet is one approach to boost the abundance of certain bacteria while decreasing inflammation. Because fibre is a vital source of energy for beneficial gut bacteria, they flourish on a natural, plant-based diet.
It’s tempting to think of the body’s systems as distinct entities, and while they are in some ways, they are also interconnected and can influence each other’s actions. The gut and the brain are good instances of how one can influence the other.
Dysbiosis, or an imbalanced gut microbiome, has been linked to a variety of ailments, including mood disorders such as depression. Similarly, depression can produce inflammation, which disrupts the natural environment in the gut. However, encouraging evidence reveals that probiotics and prebiotics are having positive benefits on depression, anxiety, and stress resilience.
There is a lot of bad weight loss information on the internet.
Much of what is recommended is questionable at best, and not based on any actual science.
However, there are several natural methods that have actually been proven to work.
Here are 29 easy ways to lose weight naturally.
1. Add Protein to Your Diet
When it comes to weight loss, protein is the king of nutrients.
Your body burns calories when digesting and metabolizing the protein you eat, so a high-protein diet can boost metabolism by up to 80–100 calories per day (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source)
A high-protein diet can also make you feel more full and reduce your appetite. In fact, some studies show that people eat over 400 fewer calories per day on a high-protein diet (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
Even something as simple as eating a high-protein breakfast (like eggs) can have a powerful effect
One of the best things you can do to become healthier is to base your diet on whole, single-ingredient foods.
By doing this, you eliminate the vast majority of added sugar, added fat and processed food.
Most whole foods are naturally very filling, making it a lot easier to keep within healthy calorie limits (7Trusted Source).
Furthermore, eating whole foods also provides your body with the many essential nutrients that it needs to function properly.
Weight loss often follows as a natural side effect of eating whole foods.
3. Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods are usually high in added sugars, added fats and calories.
What’s more, processed foods are engineered to make you eat as much as possible. They are much more likely to cause addictive-like eating than unprocessed foods (8Trusted Source).
On average, Americans eat about 15 teaspoons of added sugar each day. This amount is usually hidden in various processed foods, so you may be consuming a lot of sugar without even realizing it (15Trusted Source).
Since sugar goes by many names in ingredient lists, it can be very difficult to figure out how much sugar a product actually contains.
Minimizing your intake of added sugar is a great way to improve your diet.
6. Drink Water
There is actually truth to the claim that drinking water can help with weight loss.
Chia seeds may be small, but they’re incredibly rich in nutrients. A staple in the ancient Aztec and Maya diets, these seeds have been touted for their health benefits for centuries.
The antioxidants, minerals, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids in chia seeds may promote heart health, support strong bones, and improve blood sugar management (1Trusted Source).
What’s more, chia seeds are versatile and can be used in many recipes. Personally, I embrace their gel-like consistency by mixing them with liquid and making chia pudding.
Here are 7 health benefits of chia seeds, all supported by science.
Chia seeds are tiny black or white seeds from the plant Salvia hispanica L. They’re believed to be native to Central America (1Trusted Source).
Historically, Aztec and Mayan civilizations used the seeds in their diets, as well as for medicinal purposes, religious rituals, and cosmetics. Today, people all over the world enjoy chia seeds (2Trusted Source).
Ancient civilizations viewed chia seeds as highly nutritious — a belief that’s backed by modern science. In fact, just 1 ounce (28 grams or 2 tablespoons) of chia seeds contains (3Trusted Source):
calories: 138
protein: 4.7 grams
fat: 8.7 grams
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): 5 grams
carbs: 11.9 grams
fiber: 9.8 grams
calcium: 14% of the Daily Value (DV)
iron: 12% of the DV
magnesium: 23% of the DV
phosphorus: 20% of the DV
zinc: 12% of the DV
vitamin B1 (thiamine): 15% of the DV
vitamin B3 (niacin): 16% of the DV
This nutritional profile is particularly impressive considering that it’s for just a single serving of about two tablespoons.
SUMMARY
Despite their tiny size, chia seeds are highly nutritious. They’re packed with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various micronutrients.
2. Great source of protein
Salmon is rich in high quality protein.
Like omega-3 fats, protein is an essential nutrient that you must get from your diet.
When you’ve got fitness or weight loss goals set in your sights, every decision you make throughout the day matters. How many steps you take, how much water you choose to drink and how many veggies you put on each plate, all help you move closer to – or further away from – your ultimate goals. One such decision that comes into play is dining out. No matter if you’re headed out to happy hour with coworkers, to a dinner party with friends, or to a big family meal, it’s important to know how to feel comfortable in making healthy decisions that don’t compromise your diet goals. There are two important ways to look at dining out when you’ve got diet, health or fitness goals to achieve. The first is how to make good decisions that help you stay on top of your nutrition and the second is how to make trade-offs so that you still enjoy those nights out. In this article,
we’ll talk a little more about both of those viewpoints.
Making Good Decisions While Dining Out
There are several things you can do to prepare yourself for a night out. If you’re headed to a specific restaurant, you can look up their menu beforehand and give yourself an idea of the choices you’ll have to make. Going into the restaurant with a good idea of what you’ll order plus any changes you need to ask for will make the process a lot less stressful. A complete meal would be one with a lean protein, at least two vegetables and a healthy fat option. Once you’re at the restaurant, here are a few tips to make your meal a little lighter/healthier:
Ask for sauce on the side;
Skip anything fried;
Ask for no added salt;
Stick with a grilled, lean protein option;
Swap pasta or rice for a side of vegetables;
Ask for a lettuce wrap instead of bun or bread.
If it’s a party or dinner where you aren’t sure what will be served, do your best to make sure your nutrition during the day is the best it can be. Fill up on the good stuff early on so that the unknown at dinner doesn’t seem so scary. Remember to stay adequately hydrated throughout the day and try to drink a full glass of water before heading out. Eat a light snack before you leave home. Munching on a small apple, a handful of almonds or some carrot sticks will help you avoid the bread basket at the restaurant or the bowl of chips at your friend’s house, and it will also help you with portion sizes during the meal.
Making Trade-Offs so You Still Enjoy Your Meals
Food choice matters and so do calories when you’ve got diet goals to achieve, but that occasional night out isn’t going to make or break your progress.
Feeling stressed? Instead of reaching for candy, try one of our top 10 foods for stress relief. There’s no cure-all food to erase frustration, but you can get some stress relief by exercising and including more of these foods in your diet.
Avocado and Banana
That’s two things, we know, but what do these fruits have in common? They’re loaded with potassium, a vital mineral for keeping blood pressure low.
Tea
Calm frazzled nerves with a soothing cup of your favorite tea blend.
Swiss Chard
The magnesium in Swiss chard and other leafy veggies helps balance the body’s stress hormone, cortisol.
Fatty Fish
The heart-healthy omega-3 fats in fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna manage adrenaline levels to help keep you calm, cool and collected.
Madeline Vann, MPH, is a Williamsburg, VA., based health and medical freelance writer. She has been working in the field of health and medical writing and journalism for over 15 years. Reach out to her via her website http://www.fleetpen.com or follow her blog at http://www.fleetpen.com/.
Not only does a healthy diet help control your waistline, but smarter food choices may also help ward off symptoms of depression. The best nutritional plan to prevent depression is likely to be a varied diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. While you increase these healthy foods, cut down on the processed and prepackaged foods you eat, according to dietary recommendations for depression published in August 2015 in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience.
“Eating several servings of fruits and veggies daily, along with whole grains, lean meats, and occasional treats is the best way to support good mental and physical health throughout life,” says Felice Jacka, PhD, president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) and the Australian Alliance for the Prevention of Mental Disorders. Dr. Jacka’s research into the relationship between diet and depression has pointed to the importance of healthy foods and a varied diet to boost mood. “The way that food interacts in our bodies to support or reduce health is highly complex,” she says. “This is why reducing the focus to single nutrients or food components is of limited value.”
Along with a prescribed treatment plan, certain foods may help manage depression by providing a variety of important nutrients. Start by putting these 10 foods on your menu.
Nuts
Jacka recommends consuming fresh nuts on a daily basis. Nuts are healthy foods densely packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats — just keep track of calories, which can add up quickly. Try to get about 1 ounce a day of mixed nuts, including walnuts and almonds. Munch on nuts containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts and almonds, for the greatest long-term benefits.
Grass-Fed Beef
High-quality proteins are building blocks for a mood-boosting diet, Jacka says. She highlights grass-fed beef as an example of a healthy protein to include for balancing depression and diet. According to Jacka’s research team, grass-fed beef contains more of the healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, that might play a role in managing depression.
Fish
Fish is one healthy food that can help fight depression, according to research published in January 2014 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Fish plays a role in many traditional regional diets, such as the Mediterranean, Norwegian, and Japanese diets, that have been studied and recommended for their anti-depressive benefits. Try eating a 3-ounce serving of fish two or three times a week, Jacka says.
Whole Grains
Choosing whole grains and high-fiber foods over refined sugar and flour products is good for your body and brain health. “Keeping your blood sugar stable by not eating too many sweets or highly refined carbohydrates is a good place to start,” says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, RD, CDN, a dietitian in New York City. “Blood sugar-stabilizing foods can affect mood by helping to regulate brain neurotransmitter secretions.” Women should get 25 grams of fiber daily, while men need 38 grams, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Fruit
The more fruit you eat, the lower your risk of depression, according to a review of research examining the correlation between fruit and vegetable consumption and depression. The results of the data analysis appeared in September 2015 in the journal Nutrition. Fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients, making it a great food to indulge in when you want a sweet sensation. Eating a variety of fruits, including berries, is ideal, Jacka says. Aim for 1½ to 2 cups of fruit daily, recommends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Start with a banana — a healthy sweet treat that’s been linked to improving mood.Top Articles
Vegetables
“Eat a wide array of vegetables, with lots of leafy greens and high-fiber root vegetables,” Jacka says. The same research analysis that linked higher fruit intake with reduced depression risk suggested that eating more vegetables correlates with the same outcome. When you’re feeling blue, a carrot might be the last thing on your mind, but the variety of vitamins and minerals in vegetables, as well as their fiber content, may help protect you against low mood and depression. You’ll want 2 to 3 cups of vegetables daily, the USDA says.
Fermented Foods
“The new and rapidly emerging field of research into gut health suggests that diet is essential in maintaining healthy intestinal microbiota, which appears to influence behavior as well as health,” Jacka says. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha, and certain yogurts are good sources of healthy bacteria called probiotics.
Beans and Peas
The Mediterranean-style diet has many advantages, including a potential role in preventing and managing depression over your life span, according to a study published in February 2013 in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. Legumes, including lentils, beans, peas, and chickpeas are a large component of the Mediterranean diet. What’s more, legumes and other high-fiber foods (including oatmeal, asparagus, and bananas) support gut health by providing prebiotics, which feed the healthy bacteria in your gut.
Depending on your age and gender, you should be eating 1 to 2 cups of beans per week, according to the USDA. Reach for some warming lentil soup or scoop up hummus with raw veggies at your next meal.
Hot Cocoa
Research published in May 2013 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology looked at the mood and cognitive benefits of having a chocolate drink every day for a month. Chocolate contains a type of antioxidant called polyphenols, which are thought to boost mood. The 72 female participants were divided into three groups, drinking cocoa with 0 mg, 250 mg, or 500 mg of polyphenols. Those who drank the chocolate with the highest polyphenol count experienced the greatest boost in mood, feeling calmer and more content.
Coffee
A cup of caffeinated coffee could boost your mood, both short and long term. On a short-term basis, the caffeine provides an immediate pick-me-up — and can provide a social mood boost if you’re at a coffee bar. Plus, a review of data from 12 studies of caffeine and depression suggests that coffee may help protect against depression. According to the results, reported in January 2016 in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, you’ll get the most protection with about 2 cups (400 milliliters) of coffee per day.
