MaxFlow Air Purifier MaxFlow Air Purifier

SleepCloud Sleep Tracker SleepCloud Sleep Tracker PowerUp Wireless Charger PowerUp Wireless Charger

Shop Now
FlexCharge Charging Dock FlexCharge Charging Dock

SleepTight Eye Mask SleepTight Eye Mask GoodGlow Self-Tanning Mousse GoodGlow Self-Tanning Mousse




“Healthy” Foods That Are Actually Unhealthy

Published on 04/25/2021
ADVERTISEMENT

Almost every week there is a new superfood or ingredient that should help you shed extra pounds, boost your energy and strengthen your immune system. For decades, food companies have been trying to convince their customers to buy products that are full of additives, chemicals, and other questionable items. And while many of them are marketed as particularly healthy, these products can have negative effects on your health. Here are some supposedly “healthy” foods and their better alternatives.

“Healthy” Foods That Are Actually Unhealthy

Granola

Granola is the healthy breakfast alternative to sweet donuts or pancakes with syrup? Unfortunately not – granola is full of sugar (8 to 12 g per serving) and empty calories and should therefore be considered a dessert. Ingesting a large amount of sugar in the morning can be detrimental to your health. Studies show that increased sugar intake is linked to a higher risk of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. You can avoid this by simply making your own granola (or granola / granola bars) at home with nutrient-rich ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits for natural sweetness. If you want to leave out granola entirely, just use chia seeds or hemp seeds as a crispy alternative to your yogurt or bowl of oatmeal!

Processed Fruit Juices

Even if you used to think that fruit juice was healthy – now you should definitely cross it off your shopping list. It contains a high and concentrated dose of fructose, but without the beneficial fiber that you get from whole foods. The same fiber has numerous benefits and helps you slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, avoiding sudden sugar shocks or hypoglycaemia. It also reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

Diet Snacks

Snacks such as vegetable chips are considered a healthy snack between meals and an alternative to high-fat products such as potato chips. However, many of the store-bought brands are deep-fried and are usually high in sodium, fat, and other artificial additives that you should absolutely avoid.
So how about homemade vegetable chips made from carrots, courgettes, radishes or cabbage? Fat-free popcorn, roasted chickpeas, or roasted pumpkin seeds are also healthy alternatives.

Artificial Sweetener

Artificial sweeteners are mostly hidden in “healthy” foods, but they are actually harmful to your health. Studies show that sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccharin can even stimulate your appetite and lead to food cravings. This subsequently leads to weight gain (possibly even obesity) and a deterioration in your intestinal health. You should definitely avoid diet foods with artificial sweeteners. Sweeten your food yourself. With fresh fruit, stevia, raw honey or maple syrup you can season your meals naturally and so satisfy your cravings for sweets – without any additional chemicals or other no-gos.

Coughs And Cold Home Remedies – Tips For A Cold

Published on 01/17/2023
ADVERTISEMENT

You got a cold again? No wonder! There are over 200 different cold viruses that can get us. It affects adults up to four times a year, children even more often. But how can you quickly start the day fit again? We show you the best tips against cold symptoms.

Coughs and Cold Home Remedies – Tips For A Cold

Drink Enough

Warming herbal teas such as linden blossom tea, chamomile tea, thyme tea or elderflower tea are particularly beneficial. They not only provide fluid, but also have a calming, anti-inflammatory and warming effect. In addition, the mucus in the nose, sinuses and bronchi is liquefied from the inside. This makes it easier to blow your nose and cough up

Gargle

A cold usually begins with a sore throat, a sore throat or difficulty swallowing. Gargling with salt water (1/2 teaspoon in 1 glass of warm water) or sage tea helps against these unpleasant cold symptoms.

Cold bath

If a cold is looming, a warm cold bath is a good tip. The water should not be too hot (maximum 39 degrees, 20 minutes bathing time) and can be enriched with essential oils such as eucalyptus oil, pine needle oil or thyme oil. People at risk of allergies, people with asthma and children should avoid adding oils, this applies in particular to menthol. The essential substances it contains can irritate the respiratory tract in small children. Breathing problems up to life-threatening shortness of breath can be the result.

Rest and Relaxation

During a cold, the body is primarily concerned with getting rid of the pathogens. To do this, he needs enough energy. It is therefore a good cold tip to ensure relaxation, sufficient sleep and little stress. Physical exertion and sports should be avoided during a cold.

Home remedies

Home remedies are still a good way to relieve the common cold and get back on your feet quickly. Potato wraps, onion juice, and chicken soup are just a few examples that aid in recovery.

Inhale

Inhalations are also among the 10 best tips for colds. The inhaled water vapor moistens the airways and liquefies viscous mucus. Herbal supplements such as peppermint or chamomile have a calming and anti-inflammatory effect. For a steam inhalation you need a bowl of hot water. The head is not bent too close over the bowl and covered with a towel. Breathe deeply and calmly. Try breathing through both your mouth and your nose alternately.

Blow your nose properly

People with runny noses should be careful not to blow their noses too hard. Otherwise, the pathogenic pathogens can get into the paranasal sinuses and cause inflammation (sinusitis) there. Always hold one nostril closed and blow the other when blowing your nose. It’s safest to just wipe your nose and not blow your nose at all.

Keep warm

If you have a sore throat, wear a towel or scarf around your neck to keep it warm. Cold feet can be warmed up with a hot water bottle (caution: not if you have a fever). If your feet are cold, this leads to poor blood circulation throughout the body, especially in the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. This makes it easier for cold viruses to spread further.

Introduction

Nearly 7% of the world population is obese1 and about 66% of the adults in the United States are overweight or obese.2 Obesity is associated with a number of adverse medical conditions including increased risk of gallbladder disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease (CHD), osteoarthritis, cancer death and reduced life expectancy.3–8 Obesity is also associated with adverse social and psychological consequences, including bias, discrimination and decreased quality of life.9,10

More effective treatment strategies are urgently needed for obesity management. The total caloric intake or energy density of one’s diet appears to be associated with obesity11–14 and a diet that induces a negative energy balance continues to be an important part of obesity management. Strategies to achieve the difficult task of eating less than desired include reduction of the energy density of foods by increasing food volume by the addition of fluids,15,16 bulk17–19 or their combination;20 or by increasing satiety by various anorectic drugs or macronutrient combinations of high satiety value.

Satiety is positively associated with the protein, fiber and water content of foods and negatively with fat and palatability ratings.21,22 However, within food groups, there may be as much as a twofold difference in satiety values, suggesting that certain foods promote greater satiety independent of macronutrient content or energy density. An egg is an example of such a food that has a 50% greater satiety index compared to white bread or ready-to-eat breakfast cereal.21 Compared to an isocaloric bagel breakfast of equal weight, an egg breakfast had a greater satiating effect, which translated into a lower caloric intake at lunch.23 The resulting decrease in energy consumption lasted for at least 24 h after the egg breakfast.

This study was undertaken to exploit the short-term satiating benefits of an egg breakfast23 for weight loss in a longer-term trial. The objectives were to determine if the incorporation of an egg breakfast in the diet by overweight or obese subjects would (1) induce reduced energy intake and unintentional weight loss, even when not attempting weight reduction; or (2) enhance weight loss when following a reduced energy diet. We compared the effects of an egg vs isocaloric bagel breakfast of equal weight on weight loss, indices of body size and composition, dietary compliance, food cravings and health-specific quality of life.Materials and methods

The study was approved by the institutional review boards at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and at Saint Louis University. Written informed consent was obtained from the participants. We certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations regarding the ethical use of human volunteers were followed during this research.

Participants

Of the 160 participants enrolled, 8 did not complete the trial. The final study sample included 152 participants (131 women and 21 men; mean age 45.0±9.4 years; black participants 47.7% and white participants 52.3%). Demographic characteristics of the participants are provided inTable 1