People are often afraid of carbs when they're trying to lose weight, but not all bread is bad. Here's the best bread to buy for weight loss."The bread aisle is full of options and many are made with ultra-refined ingredients," medical expert Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The First Time Mom's Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility. "While eating traditional bread in moderation can be a part of a healthy diet, there are some options that are better than others when it comes to weight loss and belly fat reduction.
Concerned that you eat too much sugar? Your worry may be warranted. Some clinical professionals, like dietitians and physicians, understand that when your blood sugar suddenly rises, your blood actually gets thicker. Over time, this can lead to serious health issues and increase your risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and obesity.
And, many nutrition professionals teach that sugar from processed foods (unlike healthy carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes or brown rice) is a drug. This means that by definition, regularly consuming refined sugar typically only leads to more cravings. So to hear the suggestion you should just totally cut out sugar can feel the way someone with clinical depression hears advice to "just be happy." (If it were only that simple, right?)
I've heard it's important to eat protein right after a workout — even if I'm not lifting weights. Is that true?
Regardless of the type of training you're doing, consuming enough protein over the course of the day is important, dietitian Alix Turoff said.Eating high-carb diets rich in plant protein is a defining feature of the "Blue Zones," the five places in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives — typically reaching, or surpassing, 100 years old in good health.
If you've tried every method you can think of to beat your sugar cravings but still find yourself struggling, one dietitian may have just come to the rescue. Her suggestion? What you actually might need is to add more of something into your diet, rather than totally turning toward cutting the sweet stuff out. We've got the scoop. Oh—and if you've ever asked why you crave sugary, fatty foods before your period, you may have just found the answer.
How does protein affect blood sugar?
Protein is one of three macronutrients that provide our bodies with calories to supply us with energy. The other two are carbohydrates (commonly known as sugars) and fats, and each of these three affects your blood sugar differently.
Carbs cause your blood sugar levels to rise right after you eat, causing the pancreas to release insulin for transporting the sugar into blood cells. Fats, on the other hand, don’t have an immediate impact on blood sugar...but eating a high-fat meal can slow down your digestion and impair insulin’s ability to transport sugars into your cells.
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The sweet tooth was once an evolutionary advantage. Only recently have researchers begun to discover what this still-lingering trait means for our long-term brain health today. The post This Is Your Brain on Sugar: A Dietitian Details How a Love for Sweets May Worsen Your Memory appeared first on The Healthy.
Protein helps to control blood sugar levels by helping to slow down digestion, increasing satiety (or how full you feel after a meal), and reducing post-meal blood sugar spikes by reducing the rate at which your cells absorb sugar.
As registered dietitian and nutrition writer Brittany Lubeck, MS, RD, tells The Healthy, consuming protein causes the blood sugar from the food you eat to be released into the bloodstream slower than when carbohydrates are eaten alone, or in an extra-large serving. "Eating protein will help stabilize your blood sugar and prevent those dreaded spikes and dips that can cause issues, including sugar cravings," Lubeck explains.
According to Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, dietitian and assistant professor with the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA and Senior Dietitian at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, adding more healthy sources of protein to your diet helps to maintain blood sugar stability while slowing down the rate of absorption of starches and carbohydrates in food. "These two mechanisms, blood sugar stability and slowing down the rate of blood sugar absorption, help reduce sugar cravings," Dr. Ellis Hunnes says.
The #1 Best Drink for Preventing Bone Loss
We consulted medical expert Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, on the number one drink to sip on for preventing bone loss.Human bones are constantly undergoing a regenerative process, by reabsorbing old bone and creating new. As a result, at any given moment our skeletal makeup is a healthy mix of old and new bones—about every 10 years, our entire skeleton is replaced. Bone loss occurs, however, when that mix becomes imbalanced. When more old bone is reabsorbed than new bone is created, our bodies become more at risk for fractures and breaks even when doing seemingly simple tasks.
If you eat protein-rich foods but still find yourself craving the sweet stuff, well, here's another insight that might make you think differently: as dietitian Lubeck says, "Another common cause of sugar cravings is not eating enough calories, or not eating the right types of foods at meals and snacks. If you eat only simple, refined carbohydrates, your body's insulin response will be a bit drastic, causing lots of insulin to be secreted from your pancreas."
However, including a healthy protein along with carbs at meals will help prevent a blood sugar crash that leaves you craving sugar. This is because protein, along with fiber, take longer for your body to digest. This can make you feel fuller longer after meals.
How much protein can help manage sugar cravings?
Wondering how much protein do you need to keep your sugar cravings at bay? As Lubeck explains, the daily requirement varies based on age, gender, weight, and activity level, but a general formula Harvard Medical School offers is to eat 0.36 to 0.45 grams of protein per pound of your body weight.
The #1 Worst Juice To Drink Every Day
While natural juice can be a healthy addition to your day, drinking juice that is made with added sugar can have the opposite effect.However, while moderate amounts of 100% fruit juice can be a healthy part of your diet, one of the worst types of juices to drink every day are juice drinks with added sugar.
Another important takeaway, Lubeck says, is to space out your protein intake evenly throughout the day. For example, if your daily requirement is 75 grams of protein, you might consider eating 15 grams over five snacks or meals spaced throughout the day.
Another good way to prevent sugar cravings is to pay close attention to hunger cues, and don't allow yourself to grow overly hungry. Allowing yourself to reach the point of starving will cause your body to crave simple carbs, as they're the quickest form of energy. You're then more likely to give in to temptation and eat processed junk food to satisfy your sugar cravings. Stay one step ahead of cravings by having healthy snacks regularly throughout the day and not allowing huge gaps between mealtimes.
The best protein sources to fight sugar cravings
Consider adding more healthy proteins—including plant-based protein—to your diet, and keep your kitchen stocked. The best protein source to fight sugar cravings might be legumes (think lentils, chickpeas, black beans, tofu, and peas). These are particularly effective at fighting sugar cravings because, unlike meat and dairy, these protein sources deliver the double benefit of protein plus fiber, which also reduces sudden jolts in your blood sugar. (Read more on the best sources of plant-based protein.)
I eat a low carb diet and do HIIT every day to lose body fat and gain muscle. A dietitian said to eat more protein and carbs and incorporate rest days and strength training into my routine.
To build muscle, you need to eat enough protein while also strength training, and eat carbs to fuel your fitness, dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine said. OLOS/Shutterstock A 34-year-old woman submitted an average day of eating to be reviewed for Insider's Nutrition Clinic. She told Insider she wants to lose fat and gain muscle, and she works out daily. A dietitian said she should eat more protein and fiber, and do less HIIT. If you'd like to have your diet reviewed by an expert, fill out this form. The advice in this article isn't a substitute for a professional medical diagnosis or treatment.
A list of healthy proteins includes:
Legumes: Lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, peanuts, green peas.
Whole grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, seitan.
The closure of non-essential businesses, like gyms, and stay-at-home mandates during Covid-19 have kept most people indoors. For many regular gym-goers, that means taking your workouts inside the home to maintain your health and fitness.
Due to limitations on space and equipment, most people will focus on bodyweight exercises for at-home workouts. "Bodyweight exercise is a good option because it's free and you can do it anywhere," explains Sarah Grooms, trainer on Obé Fitness on demand (which is offering a free month with code: ATHOME), and a personal trainer in New York City. "I'm a firm believer that bodyweight exercises help build a strong foundation, and a solid core before adding any equipment."
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While bodyweight workouts are great, you can also take your at-home workouts to the next level. How? "To provide variation so we don't get bored at home, and to increase intensity so we continue to see progress, equipment will greatly help level up your at-home workout," explains Liz Van Voorhis, founder and CEO of Fit Collective, trainer in New York City.
If you want to amp up your home workouts, consider some of these must-have exercise equipment options to create the ideal home gym. (Plus, check out the workout moves to do with everyday objects at home.)
A pair or two (or three, or four, depending on the weight you want and need) of dumbbells can help you increase the resistance for many bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, crunches, and more, explains says Van Voorhis. "I incorporate binto my classes and will add lighter dumbbells to up the intensity of the punching sets," she says. "Dumbbells will help you create strength more quickly and perform compound movements that work multiple parts of the body." (Also, try out these upper body exercises using dumbbells.)
While a yoga mat won't necessarily increase the intensity of any particular exercise, it's a sanitary way to put padding between you and the floor, as well as a way to keep from slipping during certain exercises. "Yoga mats offer a slight cushion when working out at home, and they're a great way to keep your downstairs neighbor from banging their broom on their ceiling if you're incorporating high-impact plyometrics training into your day," explains Grooms. "If you're doing a tabletop or side-saddle specific exercise, using a yoga mat will have your wrists, knees, and hips thanking you later." (Just be sure you know how to clean your yoga mat when you're done with it.)
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Slip one of these small resistance bands around your ankles or knees (depending on the exercise) and get ready to feel a big difference. "The idea behind these versatile bands is that they provide an extra external force working against the body during your movement," explains Grooms. "Whether you're using bands to activate your glutes prior to a run, or you're super-setting an upper body workout with a resistance band, you will feel every last inch of the burn in the best way." Plus, these bands travel easily, too. (To get more use of your mini resistance band, give this exercise routine a go.)
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Weighted medicine ball
$30- $39
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Small ball, big weight. Weighted medicine balls come in a variety of weights so choose one that your body can handle. "Medicine balls can add explosive power and also rotational power to exercises like linear and lateral slams, as well as reverse lunges," says Trevor Franklin, group fitness trainer and personal trainer at Performix House in New York City. If you have downstairs neighbors, we recommend avoiding the slams though.
This piece of equipment was developed by a Navy Seal looking to work out during deployment with limited space and equipment. This makes the TRX Suspension Trainer the ideal piece of equipment to add to any home gym. "The TRX allows you to use your body weight at various angles, which increases resistance, therefore making bodyweight training even more effective" explains Van Voorhis. "It's also a great tool if you have injuries that may prevent you from doing other types of exercises, as the straps provide additional support. For example, if you can't do a push-up on the ground, you can work up to it by starting at a lesser angle on the TRX, gradually increasing and then taking it fully to the ground." The TRX can also up the intensity of exercises like ab or core-focused moves, too.
TRX is also offering its app for free over the next three months, so you'll be able to learn how to use your TRX Suspension Trainer with a huge library of exercises and customizable workout plans. Use code: YUPVKVHVRW
Upgrade from towels and consider purchasing this underrated gliding tool. "They're an inexpensive option that allows you to work on both stabilization and low-impact exercises, and they're extremely versatile during a workout," says Grooms. "My two favorite exercises to do using sliders are reverse lunges and plank mountain climbers. For the reverse lunge, place the slider under the ball of the foot that will be moving backwards. For your plank mountain climbers, put a slider under the ball of each foot." Bonus? Your core is guaranteed to get stronger with every exercise you're doing with sliders.
If you have a door frame and you're able to do pull-ups, or you want to work on your pull-ups, consider investing in an at-home pull-up bar. "Aside from being able to work on pull-ups, which are arguably one of the most valuable back and grip strength builders, this tool also adds a whole new realm of leg raise movements that aren't as easy to do with just the body," explains Franklin. "It requires little space and is usually a small upfront financial investment." (Here's how you can learn to do a pull-up.)
Take your flow from the gym floor to your living room by purchasing a kettlebell (or two, or a set). "You get the most out of a workout doing compound exercises that allow you to work multiple body parts and muscle groups, and kettlebells allow you to do that with added resistance," explains Van Voorhis. "They're especially effective when performing certain dynamic exercises as well as flowing from one dynamic exercise to the next, which weights like dumbbells aren't designed to do." The main exercise movement is the kettlebell swing, which is generally used to flow from one exercise to the next. You can also try several variations of the farmer's walk too.
Perform mountain climbers, push-ups, or if you want to really challenge yourself, try pistol squats using a BOSU Balance Trainer. This is a versatile tool shaped like half of a Swiss ball, rounded and soft on one side, and flat and hard on the other. "Whether you're doing cardio or strength exercises, you're guaranteed to get an extra core burn with a BOSU ball as it brings an added element of stability to every move," says Grooms. "It doubles the bang for your buck as you're able to utilize the tool on both the flat and round sides for different challenges." Try incorporating it into these cardio workouts you can do at home.
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Resistance bands
$18- $27 depending on resistance/thickness of the band
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"Personally if I had to pick only one piece of equipment to use, it would be resistance bands," says Van Voorhis. "You can use them for stretching, you can use them for strength moves, and you can vary the resistance depending on how you use the band—all with only one piece of equipment." She recommends using the bands looped once for exercises like lunges paired with bicep curls, upright rows, or delt raises; looped twice for high knees holding the band overhead; looped three times for standing squat jumps with the band above the knees, or plank jacks with the band below the calves. You can also loop the band around an anchor to perform exercises like lat pulldowns, shoulder extensions, and rotations, tricep extensions, or use it for extra support when you work on pull-ups by wrapping it around the bar and resting your foot in it. (For greater use of your resistance band, try these 5 upper body exercises.)
Tired of crunch variations? Flip over and strengthen your core with this rolling piece of equipment. "The ab wheel is a great way to help strengthen and develop the outer and inner abdominal wall, and if used correctly, it can help fire up the lats and triceps," says Franklin. "My personal favorite trait of the ab roll out wheel is its size—it's small, which makes it portable, so it can easily fit in most gym bags or suitcases if you ever want to take it with you."
The post Craving Sugar? A Dietitian Says You May Need More of This Surprising Nutrient appeared first on The Healthy.
What to Know About Intermittent Fasting for Women .
Are the benefits and risks of intermittent fasting different for women than they are for men? Experts discuss how fasting affects women. The post What to Know About Intermittent Fasting for Women appeared first on The Healthy.
People are often afraid of carbs when they're trying to lose weight, but not all bread is bad. Here's the best bread to buy for weight loss."The bread aisle is full of options and many are made with ultra-refined ingredients," medical expert Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The First Time Mom's Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility. "While eating traditional bread in moderation can be a part of a healthy diet, there are some options that are better than others when it comes to weight loss and belly fat reduction. 
Regardless of the type of training you're doing, consuming enough protein over the course of the day is important, dietitian Alix Turoff said.Eating high-carb diets rich in plant protein is a defining feature of the "Blue Zones," the five places in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives — typically reaching, or surpassing, 100 years old in good health. 
The sweet tooth was once an evolutionary advantage. Only recently have researchers begun to discover what this still-lingering trait means for our long-term brain health today. The post This Is Your Brain on Sugar: A Dietitian Details How a Love for Sweets May Worsen Your Memory appeared first on The Healthy. 
We consulted medical expert Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, on the number one drink to sip on for preventing bone loss.Human bones are constantly undergoing a regenerative process, by reabsorbing old bone and creating new. As a result, at any given moment our skeletal makeup is a healthy mix of old and new bones—about every 10 years, our entire skeleton is replaced. Bone loss occurs, however, when that mix becomes imbalanced. When more old bone is reabsorbed than new bone is created, our bodies become more at risk for fractures and breaks even when doing seemingly simple tasks. 
While natural juice can be a healthy addition to your day, drinking juice that is made with added sugar can have the opposite effect.However, while moderate amounts of 100% fruit juice can be a healthy part of your diet, one of the worst types of juices to drink every day are juice drinks with added sugar. 
To build muscle, you need to eat enough protein while also strength training, and eat carbs to fuel your fitness, dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine said. OLOS/Shutterstock A 34-year-old woman submitted an average day of eating to be reviewed for Insider's Nutrition Clinic. She told Insider she wants to lose fat and gain muscle, and she works out daily. A dietitian said she should eat more protein and fiber, and do less HIIT. If you'd like to have your diet reviewed by an expert, fill out this form. The advice in this article isn't a substitute for a professional medical diagnosis or treatment. 
Fuel your miles, support your health, and take all the guesswork out of your next trip to the store.
Fuel your miles, support your health, and take all the guesswork out of your next trip to the store. 
Are the benefits and risks of intermittent fasting different for women than they are for men? Experts discuss how fasting affects women. The post What to Know About Intermittent Fasting for Women appeared first on The Healthy. 
