Coconut Milk vs. Coconut Water: What’s the Difference?
Which should you choose: coconut milk or coconut water? Experts help you decide. Plus, here are the real differences in terms of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and more. The post Coconut Milk vs. Coconut Water: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Healthy.
Conventional wisdom about weight gain and obesity has long pointed to what's called the "energy balance model" as a root cause—meaning you're taking in more calories than you burn. But a new perspective published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition challenges that assumption, claiming that it's not how much you eat that leads to weight gain. Instead, it's what you're eating that's the culprit because of how your body reacts to it.
© Provided by Eat This, Not That! leftover food They suggest that foods with a high glycemic load—think highly processed, easily digestible carbs—eaten in an excessive amount kick off a carbohydrate-insulin reaction that changes the metabolism in a way that drives fat storage and overall weight gain.
The #1 Best Thing to Drink Every Day, According to a Dietitian
While most drinks will keep you hydrated and healthy, this is one that a dietitian recommends having every day."The best thing to drink every day is lemon water first thing in the morning. Yes, before you reach for your coffee!" says registered dietitian Amy Shapiro, MS, RD of Real Nutrition and member of the Eat This, Not That! Medical Expert Board. (Related: One Major Side Effect of Drinking Your Coffee Before Breakfast, Expert Says.
RELATED: One Major Side Effect of Eating Ultra-Processed Foods, Says New Study
Here's how it works: When we eat highly processed carbs, the body boosts insulin secretion and suppresses a hormone called glucagon, which is used to break down glycogen, the stored form of glucose that's used as the body's fuel. That process of increased insulin and suppressed glucagon sends a message to the fat cells to store more calories. At the same time, the brain increases hunger signals because it perceives that there isn't enough energy coming in.
© Provided by Eat This, Not That! donuts The result? You stay hungry even if you're eating enough, and that can lead to gaining excess fat. Plus, you could be eating fewer calories and still seeing your weight creep up.
Peeing at Night? What Frequent Urination Says About Your Health
Waking up to pee once every night is normal. Anything more than that may be nocturia. The post Peeing at Night? What Frequent Urination Says About Your Health appeared first on The Healthy.
This model is not new, the researchers suggest, and actually dates to the early 1900s. What's fresh here is that the 17 scientists who authored this perspective now have enough clinical evidence to support this theory as the bigger cause of weight gain than the "calories in, calories out" model.
Gallery: Secret Tricks for Eating Your Way to a Flatter Stomach, Say Nutritionists (Eat This, Not That!)
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Secret Tricks for Eating Your Way to a Flatter Stomach, Say Nutritionists
The secret to eating your way to a flatter stomach isn't a trick at all. There's no sleight-of-hand, no magic involved although many believe there must be some secret formula that no one has thought of until now.
Why do we want tricks? Because losing weight is really hard. And most people don't like to do things that are really hard. So, we're always searching for that easy path to thin. And when we see someone who has lost a ton of weight, we have to know: How did you do it? Please, let us in on the secret!
HDL vs. LDL Cholesterol: What’s the Difference?
Cholesterol gets a bad rap, but not all forms raise your risk for heart disease. Here's what to know about good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and how to maintain target levels of HDL vs. LDL cholesterol. The post HDL vs. LDL Cholesterol: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Healthy.
Well, if you analyzed how most people behaved over the months it took them to slim down, you'd probably notice some variations of a recurring practice: they removed or reduced certain foods and drinks from their diets and replaced them with other foods and drinks. Most often, calorie-dense processed foods get the boot and are replaced by, you guessed it, whole foods, mostly vegetables and some fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Not much of a secret right? Yes, but that's the big secret no one wants to accept: Losing weight and flattening your stomach is best achieved by making your diet of 75% to 80% whole and minimally processed foods. Do that and you'll likely burn more calories than you're swallowing—and you'll flatten your belly. It's simple math, but not so simple to execute because we are human, and pizza tastes amazing.
For some guidance on exactly how to accomplish this goal of reducing processed foods and consuming more weight-loss-friendly foods, we asked nutritionists for their best "belly-flattening" tips. See if you notice a pattern. Read on, and for more on how to eat healthy, make sure you avoid these 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.
This Surprising Drug May Help You Scorch Fat, New Study Suggests
New research out of Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals that a drug designed to treat Alzheimer's disease may also help stimulate fat loss.However, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered that a drug originally designed to treat Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and sick cell disease can stimulate cells in mice so that they burn more fat.
Read the original article on Eat This, Not That!
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1. Eat vitamin Bs to banish belly fat
Psychological stress can turn into belly fat. When you are highly stressed, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol. "While cortisol is great for times of fight or flight, overproduction can cause elevations of cortisol and some research shows it could cause fat deposits into the abdomen," says registered dietitian nutritionist Jeanette Kimszal, RDN, founder of Root Nutrition. Stress also depletes vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, all of which help maintain a healthy nervous system and also fight belly fat. Studies indicate that B vitamins found in dark leafy greens, avocados, sunflower seeds, almonds, broccoli, beans, lentils, and citrus fruits are needed calming stress, she says.
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2. Fill up on fiber
The most important type of fat to get rid of is visceral, or belly, fat. "It's the abdominal fat that's intertwined around the organs and has been linked to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease," says registered dietitian nutritionist Nicole Stefanow, MS, RDN.
Eating more fiber is an effective way to fight that hard-to-lose belly fat. Make sure some of that fiber is the soluble kind that can be dissolved in water. "It acts as a prebiotic that is fermented by your healthy gut bacteria to create Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs), which research has linked to decreased visceral fat and adiposity," she says. So, if you are looking for a diet that helps flatten your belly, choose foods that are high in sources of soluble fiber like beans and legumes, oats, and barley, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
Science Just Confirmed This Is The Best Method for Weight Loss
According to this study, you can lose weight not by eating less food, but by eating higher-quality food. A dietitian explains how.Thankfully, a new study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that highlights exactly what the best method for weight loss is, according to science. According to this study, you can lose weight by limiting heavily processed carbohydrates and focusing on options that contain nutrients like fiber, protein, and healthy fats. In other words, you don't have to eat less food—you just have to eat higher-quality food.
RELATED: The #1 Cause of Belly Fat, Says Dietitian
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3. Sprinkle on spices
Simply flavoring your food with spices can help you trim belly fat. "Turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, sage, thyme, cinnamon, curry leaf, and chili pepper spices like cayenne, paprika, red pepper, and chili powder lower blood sugar levels by improving your body's response to insulin," says Melina B. Jampolis, MD, a board-certified physician nutrition specialist and author of Spice Up, Slim Down: A Guide To Using Herbs and Spices To Live A Longer, Healthier, and More Vibrant Life. She also recommends:
Cumin. "In one study overweight and obese women were divided into two groups, both decreasing their daily calories to 500," she says. "One group ate a little less than a teaspoon of cumin every day in their yogurt, and after three months, they lost three more pounds than those who didn't eat cumin."
Saffron. Research suggests it may help people control excess snacking and help diabetics reduce belly fat.
Cardamom. This highly fragrant herb "may help counter the effects of eating too many carbohydrates," says Jampolis. "In one study overweight subjects who took cardamom gained less belly fat and avoided increases in their blood sugar, cholesterol, and inflammation levels," she says.
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4. Break up with sweetened beverages
As we alluded to earlier, one of the best moves you can make to significantly reduce your belly size is to stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) like soda, juices and fruit punch, and sweet iced tea. "Sweet drinks are silent killers that cause weight gain, especially the more dangerous belly fat, while putting you at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Jampolis.
This One Exercise Is the Closest Thing to a "Fountain of Youth," Says Expert
Swimming has been shown to improve memory, cognitive function, and immune response. It may also forge new neural connections in the brain. But scientists are still trying to unravel how and why swimming, in particular, produces these brain-enhancing effects.As a neurobiologist trained in brain physiology, a fitness enthusiast and a mom, I spend hours at the local pool during the summer. It's not unusual to see children gleefully splashing and swimming while their parents sunbathe at a distance—and I've been one of those parents observing from the poolside plenty of times.
She recommends replacing SSBs with water or green tea. "Studies have shown that a type of antioxidant found in green tea called EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) can aid in fat-burning during exercise, improve the body's response to insulin and reduce belly fat," says Jampolis. (Related: Secret Effects of Drinking Green Tea, Says Science.)
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5. Slow down your eating
Even eating healthy whole foods can push out your belly with gas if you eat too quickly and don't watch your portion sizes, says Trista Best, MPH, LD, a registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements. When you scarf down food fast, you end up swallowing more air, which leads to bloating. Inflammatory foods like gluten or dairy products or even high fiber meals can exacerbate bloating and gas especially when the necessary enzymes are not present in the gut for adequate digestion. "Slowly integrating cruciferous vegetables and fiber-rich foods is a good way to prevent gas," she says.
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6. Eat like a Greek
Kristin Kirkpatrick, RDN, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, says the best way to "clean up your diet," is to build 90% of your food choices around the Mediterranean diet way of eating. Based on the traditional diet of long-living people in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, this diet style focuses on plant-based foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, and spices, plus fatty fish, and poultry in moderation. Olive oil is the main fat. "If I feel a client needs a little bit more of intensive intervention, I'll work with a Mediterranean protocol that is a little bit lower in carbs, which means a little less grains, beans, and legumes," says the host of the PBS show The New Rules of Food with Kristin Kirkpatrick.
CDC Says Wear a Mask in These States
The CDC now recommends even vaccinated people wear a mask indoors when in areas of “substantial or high transmission.”
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7. Stop before you're stuffed
For many people, the cue to stop eating is a clean plate, a feeling of fullness, or unbuttoning the top of the jeans. Stopping before you feel full is a simple strategy that cuts calories and can help you lose weight. "Look at food as fuel," advises Kirkpatrick. "Eating to fullness means you're over-fueling your body." Instead, stop eating when you are no longer hungry. "It can feel empowering to push your plate away before reaching that feeling of belly fullness."
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8. Combine a whole foods diet with resistance exercise
It's not a trick but it works like magic. "If you stick to whole foods, avoid grains, sugar and dairy, add in a regular resistance routine, and have a little patience, losing lower abdominal fat will come," says nutritionist Jay Cowin, NNCP, RNT, director of formulations for Asystem. "The right fuels at the right time coupled with resistance routines (plus a little cardio) can have amazing effects on body composition."
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9. Try intermittent fasting
Limiting your window of time for eating can help stoke your body's ability to incinerate fat. That's the premise behind intermittent fasting. "When we sleep, we are fat-burning machines, and this spills over when we wake up; if we continue that fast for a few hours after we rise, we can utilize that ability to burn more belly fat," says Cowin. Extending that non-eating window to 11 or noon gives you roughly 16 hours of uninterrupted calorie burn. "Once we put carbs/sugar into our mouths our metabolism really slows down and we store the unburned calories," Cowin says. "The right fuels at the right time coupled with resistance exercise (plus a little cardio) can have amazing effects on body composition."
READ MORE: One Surprising Side Effect of Intermittent Fasting, New Study Says
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10. Switch dinner out to lunch out
The friends we hang with play a big part in why and how we eat. Out to dinner, they may order extra appetizers, bread, desserts for the table, or another round of drinks, making it hard for you to stay focused on eating healthy.
You don't want to stop dining with friends, so what can you do? "One tip is to meet for lunch rather than dinner," suggests weight-loss expert Ilana Muhlstein, MS, RDN, author of You Can Drop It! How I Dropped 100 Pounds Enjoying Carbs, Cocktails & Chocolate—and You Can Too! "Lunches can be simpler to navigate, especially when it comes to skipping the dessert course and alcoholic drinks." And here's a way to prep for lunch that'll reduce the number of calories you consume: Have a low-cal pre-lunch snack or appetizer. A study in the journal Appetite found that eating an apple or ordering a clear soup before a restaurant meal can lower the total calories intake of the meal by 20%.
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11. Eat flat-belly foods
"Eating for a flatter stomach should be about maintaining a calorie deficit (meaning consume fewer calories than you burn) by including low-calorie density, high-volume foods that keep you feeling full but do not cost a lot of calories," says National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach Karisa Karmali, founder of Self-Love and Fitness. That means eating what she calls "flat-belly foods" containing lots of water and fiber and foods high in protein. "Proteins (like lean chicken breast, fish, beans and whey protein smoothies) build muscle and raises your metabolic rate." To get the most protein boost for the calories, check out Popular Foods with More Protein Than Beef.
And for more, check out these 108 most popular sodas ranked by how toxic they are.
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Although these researchers note more studies will have to be done to test both models, there are good reasons to consider focusing on moving away from highly processed carbs in the meantime.
"These foods generally lack high fiber content that aids in digestion and keeps the body full longer," says Shena Jaramillo, RD, a registered dietitian at Peace and Nutrition. "This is another way they may contribute to unintended weight gain."
RELATED: 25 Best High-Fiber Snacks to Buy That Keep You Full
Also, focusing on cutting calories—rather than tweaking food choices—could lead to too much of a calorie deficit, she adds, and that tends to slow your metabolism. Many people find themselves in a constant binge-and-restrict cycle that can be problematic for their metabolism and can kick off the cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods for a quick energy boost.
That doesn't mean you have to swear off high-glycemic foods forever, adds dietitian Kara Hoerr, RDN. Eating a modest amount and pairing them with a protein or healthy fat can slow down the release of carbs into the bloodstream, she says. Another factor along with what you eat, she suggests, is why.
"Many times we eat because of emotions, such as stress or boredom, even when we're not actually physically hungry," she says. "During these moments, our food choices are often quick-energy foods, like chips or chocolate. Continuing to eat out of emotion or outside of our physical hunger can also result in weight gain over time."
The bottom line? Calories still matter, and likely always will, but taking a closer look at the "what" and "why" of your eating might make a big difference in changing whether you gain weight.
For more, be sure to check out Popular Foods That Increase Visceral Fat, Says Dietitian. Then, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.
Read the original article on Eat This, Not That!
CDC Says Wear a Mask in These States .
The CDC now recommends even vaccinated people wear a mask indoors when in areas of “substantial or high transmission.”
Which should you choose: coconut milk or coconut water? Experts help you decide. Plus, here are the real differences in terms of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and more. The post Coconut Milk vs. Coconut Water: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Healthy. 
While most drinks will keep you hydrated and healthy, this is one that a dietitian recommends having every day."The best thing to drink every day is lemon water first thing in the morning. Yes, before you reach for your coffee!" says registered dietitian Amy Shapiro, MS, RD of Real Nutrition and member of the Eat This, Not That! Medical Expert Board. (Related: One Major Side Effect of Drinking Your Coffee Before Breakfast, Expert Says. 
Waking up to pee once every night is normal. Anything more than that may be nocturia. The post Peeing at Night? What Frequent Urination Says About Your Health appeared first on The Healthy. 
Cholesterol gets a bad rap, but not all forms raise your risk for heart disease. Here's what to know about good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and how to maintain target levels of HDL vs. LDL cholesterol. The post HDL vs. LDL Cholesterol: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Healthy. 
New research out of Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals that a drug designed to treat Alzheimer's disease may also help stimulate fat loss.However, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered that a drug originally designed to treat Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and sick cell disease can stimulate cells in mice so that they burn more fat. 
According to this study, you can lose weight not by eating less food, but by eating higher-quality food. A dietitian explains how.Thankfully, a new study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that highlights exactly what the best method for weight loss is, according to science. According to this study, you can lose weight by limiting heavily processed carbohydrates and focusing on options that contain nutrients like fiber, protein, and healthy fats. In other words, you don't have to eat less food—you just have to eat higher-quality food. 
Swimming has been shown to improve memory, cognitive function, and immune response. It may also forge new neural connections in the brain. But scientists are still trying to unravel how and why swimming, in particular, produces these brain-enhancing effects.As a neurobiologist trained in brain physiology, a fitness enthusiast and a mom, I spend hours at the local pool during the summer. It's not unusual to see children gleefully splashing and swimming while their parents sunbathe at a distance—and I've been one of those parents observing from the poolside plenty of times. 
The CDC now recommends even vaccinated people wear a mask indoors when in areas of “substantial or high transmission.” 
