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The Glycemic Index Diet
The Glycemic Index Diet Review
The glycemic index diet or G.I. diet
is gaining a status as a healthy way to lose weight.
Even though more of a method of eating rather than a
diet, more and more people following the G. I way attain
their weight loss achievement. Many health specialists
agree that the Glycemic Index diet, if followed
properly, can be a great way to weight loss goal,
particularly for those who struggle with conventional
low calorie diets or dieters who have problem
controlling their hunger.
The G.I diet is similar to the low carb diet but it is
not as strict and targets the types of carbs rather than
the quantity of carbs for each meal. There is also a
focus on the correct timing of the two basic types of
meals - a carb or protein meal. The science behind the
timing and types of meal makes G.I dieting a potent way
to help lose fat stores, safely and relatively quickly.
The G.I diet is all about Insulin and controlling blood
sugar levels.
Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate our blood
sugar; actually it lowers blood sugar levels by
stimulating cells to absorb any excess sugar from the
blood. The problem with Insulin is it also causes fat
cells to take up excess fatty acids from the blood.
Often we ingest a meal which includes both sugar and
fats so if any meal includes foods which have a high
Glycemic Index then the fat from that meal can be easily
stored on the hips.
There is an established theory that if one can control
insulin levels then one can control how much fat the
body will store from each and EVERY meal. Fat can only
be stored when Insulin is present, and Insulin is only
released when blood sugar levels become elevated.
What raises blood sugar?
Carbohydrate in foods will raise blood sugar if it is
absorbed too rapidly. The types of foods which cause
rapid absorption of sugar are all those with a high G.I
index rating.
The basics of the G.I index
The Glycemic Index ranks carbohydrate foods by assigning
them a number ranging from 0 to 100. The number point
outs the rate at which the food raises blood glucose
levels during its absorption. The higher the value the
quicker the sugar is absorbed.
A high Glycemic index food has a value of 70 and above.
A G.I value of 56-69 is considered medium and any foods
lower than 55 are considered a low Glycemic index food.
Foods with a low G.I are best as they digest more
naturally and help provide a steady supply of energy
over the course of several hours, it also makes us feel
fuller for longer.
Is the G.I Diet simple?
The diet sounds simple because foods are generally
chosen from the low G.I food list, but it gets
complicated when you create a meal made up of many
different food items, each with a unique G.I value. The
idea is to make sure most items which make up every meal
have a low Glycemic index, thus the overall G.I of the
meal stays within the low to medium range.
Gaining complete nutrition
There are some foods which have a high G.I rating but
are considered a healthy nutritious food. In these cases
healthy high G.I foods can be combined with low G.I
foods to maintain low-medium G.I value, plus help create
a complete nutritional intake. An example is baked
potato (high G.I) topped with baked beans (low G.I).
There are also low G.I foods which should be limited.
Fresh meat and poultry contains no sugar so the G.I.
will be very low, however, they do contain lots of fat
and protein so the energy content will be high. Remember
calories do still count!
One positive point about the G.I meal plan is it's
possible for dieters to enjoy the odd "treat" item once
or twice each week, maybe an occasional dessert after a
light dinner. As long as these "bad" items are NOT eaten
alone it should not ruin the diet plan.
Benefits of G.I. way of eating:
1. Enjoy tasty foods but limit storage of fat
2. Enjoy some favorite foods AND still lose fat
3. Increased energy level and wellbeing
4. Control of blood sugar
5. Less hunger feelings
6. Less craving for sugary foods
7. Less bloating feeling after meals
8. Ability to eat more food if desired
9. Less danger from diabetes and other diseases
10. No strict calorie reduction
Learn about Rheo Blair nutritionist at http://www.rheoblair.com and also be sure to follow on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rheohblair/
Friday, July 27, 2018
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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting we bet you didn't know
Secret revealed! - How Greek philosopher Pythagoras benefited from intermittent fasting?
"Instead of using medicine, rather, fast a day."
- Plutarch (a Greek biographer and essayist) which time period???
Intermittent fasting has its roots in ancient history….
Pythagoras tried to join a Mystery school in Egypt but he was refused entry. He was told that he will have to go on a 40 day fast to get entry into school at Diospolis. After successfully fasting for 40 days he was allowed entry into the school.
“You are not allowing Pythagoras in. Now I am a different man. I am actually reborn,” Pythagoras said while joining the school.Similarly, Israelis went on a fast whenever they faced a war. Such a fast was taken up at the time of Haman (a high priest) when they were defending themselves against enemies.
Fasting, throughout centuries, has been claimed as a method that brings physical as well as spiritual renewal. Other examples include:
1. In Judaism, there are many annual fast days such as Yom Kippur, known as Day of Atonement.
2. In Islam, fasting is undertaken in the holy month of Ramadan.
3. Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholics go on a 40 day fast during Lent. Lent is a period when Christ fasted for 40 days in the desert
All the above details clearly highlight the fact that intermittent fasting is nothing new. It has been practiced for centuries and we all can also benefit from intermittent fasting.
In recent history also there are stories of remarkable transformation brought about by fasting like what happened with patient “A.B.”. Let us move back in time to 1971.
In 1971, a 456-pound man went to Department of Medicine, the University of Dundee seeking help.for?? The patient, referred to as A.B., was certainly overweight and had to lose weight.
His physician suggested a drastic step; stop eating.
Patient A.B. responded quite well to brief fasting stint. Excited by results achieved, he decided to continue fasting for more than one year. His fasting became longest recorded fast and entered into Guinness Book of Records, 1971.
The astonishing thing was that the patient suffered very little to no negative effects on his health. When his 382-day fasting ended, he had lost 276 pounds. Moreover, during his abstinence, he ingested only non-caloric fluids, yeast, and vitamin supplements.
More importantly, after 5 years when doctors checked back, they pound that patient A.B. had only gained 15 pounds!
Are you intrigued listening to this story? Would you want to know how you can benefit from intermittent fasting?
Read ahead…
So, in the next few sections let us look at what intermittent fasting is and how it can be helpful for you.
Does intermittent fasting mean starvation?
Starvation is where your food intake plummets because of the scarcity of food.
When we look at starvation, it is the involuntary absence of food intake. Additionally, it is not controlled or deliberate. On the other hand, in fasting, we perform voluntary withholding of food consumption.
In intermittent fasting, food is readily available but we decide not to eat the same. Such fasting can be for any period of time, ranging from few hours to days.
Can we term it a “diet’? what is the difference between fasting and dieting?
No, instead of calling it diet, the right term would be eating pattern. Why???
Where is the need to fast? Why should you fast? Or How can fasting benefit you?
When we fast, it can result in substantial reduction in insulin levels as well as in blood sugar. In addition to it, a drastic improvement in human growth hormone (almost 5-fold) can occur. Human growth hormone is a hormone that enhances growth, cell regeneration, and cell reproduction in humans.
Additionally, studies also reveal that this type of fasting can help us live longer.
Moreover, intermittent fasting can also provide protection against different diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others.
Different types of intermittent fasting
In past few years, different methods of intermittent fasting have become popular. Let us look at some of them here.
1. 16/8 method: Here you will have to fast for 16 hours every day. As for instance, you may well select to eat between noon and 8 pm.
2. Eat stop eat: In this type of fasting you will have to stop eating anything from dinner to dinner next day. This is to be done once or twice every week and also known as a 24 hour fast.
3. 5:2 diet: On any 2 days in a week make certain that you are not eating more than 500 to 600 calories.
4. Alternate day fasting: As the name suggests, here you will have to fast every other day.
5. The warrior diet: Here you will be fasting during the day and then have a big meal at night.6. Spontaneous meal skipping: In this option, you can decide to skip a meal when you are not feeling hungry or do not want to cook. As for instance, you can skip breakfast and have a good lunch and dinner. Similarly, if you are traveling somewhere and not getting your type of food then you can skip the meal.
Can it be beneficial for us? “Intermittent Fasting can be a boon for your health”
Can support changes in hormones, genes, and cells
Intermittent fasting brings about changes in your body such as:
1. There can be a drop in insulin level, which helps in initiating the process of fat burning.
2. As mentioned above, there can be a five-fold increase in growth hormones in a person doing intermittent fasting.
3. Our body may well start cellular repair processes like the removal of waste materials from the cells.
4. Beneficial changes can take place in molecules and genes related to protection from diseases and in longevity.
Thinking of weight loss? Why not try intermittent fasting?
It has also been found that intermittent fasting can improve our metabolic rate by 3.6 to 14%. This, in turn, helps us burn more calories. Metabolic rate refers to the rate of metabolism, the total amount of energy used by us in a specific time period.
Studies show that this type of intermittent fasting can result in weight loss of 3-8% when it is continued for 3-24 weeks. Moreover, it has been found that people lose belly fat by 4 to 7% by continuing intermittent fasting.
Could reduce insulin resistance and lower risk of type 2 diabetes
By reducing insulin resistance, intermittent fasting can assist in lowering blood sugar levels as well as protect you against type 2 diabetes.
Studies show that blood sugar can go down by 3 to 6% and insulin may well reduce by 20 to 31% when on intermittent fasting.
All these details mean that intermittent fasting protects those who have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Oxidative stress is basically an imbalance between the production of harmful free radicals (toxic byproducts) in body and body's ability to fight them. Oxidative stress results in several chronic diseases and causes aging. It has been found that intermittent fasting can improve the resistance of your body to such oxidative stress.
Moreover, it has been noticed that it can be helpful in fighting inflammation. Inflammation is often the root cause of different common diseases.
Could be beneficial for heart health
According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases are one of the top causes of deaths worldwide.
It might sound disturbing but it is true that heart diseases are presently the leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Heart diseases result in about 633,842 deaths while cancer is at the second position and results in 595,930 deaths.
You need to be aware of the fact that various risk factors are associated with increased risk of heart diseases. Intermittent fasting can have a positive effect on these risk factors. The common risk factors that intermittent fasting helps to decrease include:
1. Blood triglycerides (these are a form of fat present in blood and they can increase the risk of heart diseases).
2. Inflammatory biomarkers (are the biological measures of any biological state that indicate inflammation).
3. Blood sugar levels
4. Blood pressure
5. LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)
Can initiate cell repair process
During intermittent fasting, body cells start a cellular waste removal procedure that is known as autophagy.
Autophagy is a process where cells break down and metabolize dysfunctional proteins that build up over time within cells. A higher level of autophagy can provide protection from several diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
May well help in the prevention of cancer
However, there is evidence that in cancer patients, intermittent fasting helps to reduce different side effects associated with chemotherapy.
Can be good for the brain
Studies conducted on rats show that this type of fasting can cause new nerve cell growth, which can be beneficial for brain functions.Additionally, intermittent fasting increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is a brain hormone. If BDNF is deficient then it can result in depression as well as other brain problems.
Animal studies have also confirmed that this kind of fasting provides protection against brain damage because of strokes.
May prevent Alzheimer’s disease
Additionally, it was noticed that intermittent fasting helped in improving symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in nine out of ten patients.
Moreover, animal studies confirm that intermittent fasting can protect from other diseases like Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Can extend your lifespan
In one study it was noticed that rats fasting on alternate days lived 83% longer than other rats who were not fasting.
Are there any side effects to know about before starting intermittent fasting?
Infertility
Additionally, problems like amenorrhea (where loss of menstrual cycle occurs) can occur when someone under eats and has low body weight.
Moreover, animal studies show that intermittent fasting interferes with fertility in rats.
May impair the performance of athletes
May hamper physical endurance
Athletes need to properly time their calorie intake to achieve better performance results. If calorie intake is restricted for a longer duration then the athlete may feel weak and sluggish you may well feel sluggish. Additionally, if the workout is not synchronized with the eating schedule, it may also hamper muscle growth / weaken muscles timed correctly in the same time phase when you are taking food, it can hamper muscle growth.Thus, your muscles may actually start breaking down instead of building up.
Affect Sleep
In conclusion
This quotation is irrelevant to the topic since we are not asking people to start an intermittent fasting routine
“Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals if he is able to think if he is able to wait if he is able to fast.”
- Hermann Karl Hesse (Nobel prize winner in literature)
Reference Articles:
1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-intermittent-fasting#section22. https://www.dietdoctor.com/intermittent-fasting#intro
3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/11524808/The-history-of-fasting.html
4. http://9waysmysteryschool.tripod.com/sacredsoundtools/id13.html
5. https://www.ou.org/holidays/fast-of-esther/fast-esther-13th-adar/
6. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524509
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23773064
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3245934
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22323820
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16126250
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11835290
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20157582/
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11220789
15. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.0022-3042.2001.00747.x/abstract
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11220789
17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16011467
18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC151440/
19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3022308/
20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844782/
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17306982
22. http://www.aging-us.com/article/NjJf3fWGKw4e99CyC/text
23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2622429/
24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10398297
25. https://academic.oup.com/geronj/article-abstract/38/1/36/570019
26. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047637400001093
27. http://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/212538
28. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/amenorrhea/conditioninfo/causes
29. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052416
30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577439/
31. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/quit-coffee_b_1598108.html
32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
33. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1548337
34. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12425705
35. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2355952
36. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide#section3
37. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15640462
38. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2622429/
39. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-ways-to-do-intermittent-fasting#section1
40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2495396/
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
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How to overcome weight loss plateau by adopting the keto diet?
Why do these celebrities swear by the keto diet?
“For years, I am following keto diet,” says Halle Berry, the Oscar-winning actress. Hale Halle thinks it is more than a diet to her; it is a “lifestyle change”.
Vanessa Hudgens had to put on 20 pounds for her role in Gimme Shelter. Afterward, to lose the weight she decided to follow the keto diet. “I think there is a misconception that fat is bad, but in reality, fat actually will make you feel fuller for longer,” she says.
Even after 3 kids, Megan Fox has been able to stay svelte by following a strict low-carb diet. “I cut out all types of pieces of bread and other foods that have carbohydrates,” says Megan.
Celebrities and common people alike are showing greater interest towards keto diet. How is it better than the normal staple diet we take?
Lose weight and maintain your weight loss over a long term by following a keto diet
A keto diet is a type of diet which is low on carbohydrates and high on fats. It is also known as ketogenic diet or a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet.
When you start taking a keto diet, the carb intake drops and our body gets into a body state that is called ketosis.
Ketosis is one type of natural state process that is initiated by the body where so that we are can able to in situations survive where food is scarce when food intake goes low. In this state, the liver produces ketones (what are ketones ?)by breaking down fats and the body starts using ketones as its main energy source.
The aim of a keto diet is to burn to use more fat instead of carbs to generate the energy required by our body.
How to know if you have actually entered a state of ketosis?
This can be checked by measuring breath or blood samples and by testing urine.
There are other common symptoms that will help you recognize if you are into ketosis.
- Dryness in mouth and increase in thirst
- Increased urination
- Keto breathes which smells like nail polish remover or fruity. You may well get the same smell from your sweat while working out.
- Reduced hunger.
- Improved energy levels in a few days after starting a keto diet.
What are the things which should be present in your daily menu when on a keto diet?
Eat your heart out (literally)
When selecting any food item to ensure that it has less than 5% carbs. Additionally, you should not take a high protein diet (that contains between 15 to 25% protein). Excess protein gets converted into glucose and makes it harder for you to transition into ketosis.
Let us look at food items and their carbohydrate content:
- Vegetables that grow above ground such as cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, and avocado.
- Unprocessed meats (give examples of unprocessed meat)
- Seafood and fish
- Eggs
- High-fat sauces such as like Bearnaise sauce
- High-fat dairy products such as like butter, cheese, and yogurts. But, avoid milk since 1 glass of milk contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates
- Nuts can be taken in moderation on moderation. However, you should avoid cashews since they are high on carbs instead try pecan nuts or macadamia
- Water, whether it is sparkling or flavored, should become your preferred drink.
- When taking coffee do not put sugar, you can add cream or milk but only a small amount and small amount of cream or milk will be fine
- Tea (you have mentioned specific things for coffee but not tea, also which types of teas are good for keto??)
High-carb foods – The big no-nos
- Food items containing sugar such as soft drinks, juice, candy, pastries, sports drinks, cakes, ice cream, chocolate, and buns. You should also avoid artificial sweeteners
- Foods that those are high in on starch. This list includes rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, porridge, French fries, muesli, etc.
- Avoid legumes which are high on carbs such as lentils (the difference between lentils and legumes is?)and beans.
- Fruits contain plenty of sugar so eat them occasionally, like a natural candy.
Things to be wary of while selecting low-carb foods.
Many companies will try to trick you into purchasing low-carb food that is actually high on carbs. (Actually, the fact is that low-carb items are added with extra sugar to make them as tasty as high carb foods) Few of the things you can do to avoid such junk would include:
- Avoid low-carb alternatives to high-carb food items like ice-cream, chocolate, and cookies.
- Do not purchase food items that show the net carbs value. That is actually a way of tricking you into buying their high carb product.
- How many carbs can one eat when on a keto diet? How much fat can be consumed safely?to eat? You should ideally keep daily carb intake below 20 grams. Regarding fat, you should eat the amount that will make you feel satisfied. Simply, eat when you feel hungry and stop when you start feeling satisfied.
Benefits of keto diet
Weight loss
To start with, insulin (a type of hormone) allows the body to use glucose (sugar) from carbohydrates to meet body’s energy needs.
When on a low-carb diet, insulin level drops and body starts burning fat at a higher rate to meet its energy needs. The higher rate of fat burning results in greater weight loss.
Appetite control
On a keto diet, the body burns fat to produce ketones and use them as its energy source.
As ketone levels increase they bring down ghrelin levels and increase cholecystokinin levels.
Ghrelin is a hormone responsible for increasing appetite and when its level goes down, your desire to eat will likely go down as well.
On the other hand, cholecystokinin( same as leptin ) is a hormone which reduces appetite( indicates satiety). When its level increases, your appetite reduces and feeling of hunger goes down significantly.
When you feel less hungry, it is likely that you will be eating less, which in turn will help in reducing your weight.
Are there any side-effects of a pure keto diet?
Constipation | Leg Cramps | Heart Palpitation | Reduced Physical Performance | Hair Loss | Keto Flu
Constipation
As you suddenly increase your fat and protein intake while cutting down on carb intake, it can negatively affect your digestive system. This usually happens when you try to fulfill your fat and protein requirement by eating more meat, eggs, and fish.
Another reason could be dehydration. When you are on a keto diet, the body rapidly loses water weight. This happens as glycogen (a type of molecule responsible for retention of water) stored within muscles goes down when you cut back on carbohydrate intake( simply this and explain in easier terms).
This, in turn, results in dehydration and the consequent problem of constipation.
How to stop constipation?
Drinking more water is one of the simple solutions to get rid of the problem and normally taking about a gallon every day will help to fix the issue.
In addition to it, you may well include some non-starchy vegetables (like amaranth, asparagus, baby corn, artichoke, etc.) in your diet to make things better.
Leg cramps
Leg cramps are an issue when someone is starting up on a keto diet. Leg cramps are a common issue faced by people who have recently changed to keto diet or recently adopted a keto diet.
As mentioned before, our body tends to lose water at a faster rate in the state of ketosis.
As we noticed earlier (while looking at reasons behind constipation), our body rapidly loses water weight while on a keto diet. This fluid also carries different electrolytes (like magnesium, potassium, chloride, and sodium) with it.
Since magnesium plays an important role in muscle contractions, lack of magnesium in the body results in cramps.
How to stop leg cramps?
Start drinking a lot of fluids and add salt to your diet. This way you will be able to stop loss of magnesium from your body and solve the problem of cramps.
Heart palpitations
Elevated heart rate is common in initial stages when you have just started on a keto diet. A common reason for this the same is sodium deficiency lack of salt and dehydration.
Salt contains sodium m (the electrolyte we mentioned while discussing leg cramps) and lack of sodium in turn results in heart palpitations.
Why does a keto diet lead to sodium deficiency?
When you are eating low carb diet, it brings down your insulin (it is a hormone that stores fat) levels.
In addition to maintaining glucose levels, apart from storing fat, insulin also tells kidneys to hold onto sodium.
On a keto diet, as insulin levels go down, the body also starts shedding excess sodium. The result? , lower sodium level in our body.
How to stop heart palpitations?
The best thing to do in this situation is to get enough salt and also drink plenty of fluids.
Reduction in physical performance.
In the initial stages, your physical performance can go down. This happens due to two reasons.
- Lack of salts and fluids
- Adaptation to burning fats
How to improve physical performance?
- Before you start exercising, just take a glass of water with 0.5 teaspoons of salt in it an hour before you start.
- It will take more time for your body to adapt to this change and start burning fat for energy instead of sugar. The adaptation will occur at a faster rate when you start exercising more while taking a low carbohydrate diet.
Hair loss
Hair loss is seen in first three to six months after you start a keto diet. This occurs when you make a dietary change. Any sort of dietary change can initially cause hair loss. However, this is a temporary phenomenon and within a few months, you will notice that new hair growth has started. More importantly, the thinning of hair will hardly be noticeable.
How to stop hair loss?
Make sure you are not limiting calorie intake way too much.
In addition to it, also ensure that you are getting enough sleep, l which is like at least eight hours of sleep every night.
Induction flu or keto flu
Right after starting a keto diet you will feel quite bad for the first 2-3 days. Few of the problems you will face could include; fatigue, headache, light nausea, and dizziness.
This happens as your body losses excess salt and water from kidneys when on keto diet also, the changes in the levels of insulin could also cause similar weakness and discomfort. Mainly due to lack of insulin as mentioned above while we discussed heart palpitation.
How to prevent keto flu?
You just have to increase salt intake and drink more fluids. Another thing you can do is drink a cup of broth/bouillon couple of times in a day. Don’t keep conclusion as any of the headings. It is not a formal essay. It's a health article.
In Conclusion:
In a nutshell…
Keto diet is a fun way to lose weight because unlike other diets it is not too restrictive in nature. You are free to consume fats ( under safe limitations, obviously), which almost never happens in any diet plan. This diet is easy to include in your daily routine and it keeps you satiated while helping you drop those extra pounds.
But remember, it needs to be supplement with a suitable exercise routine to help you reach your weight loss goals. One of the biggest advantages of this ketogenic diet is that it completely removes sugar from your diet.
All you need to do is keep your water and sodium levels high and you are good to go!
Keto diet can certainly help you lose weight and also control your appetite. By following a strict low-carb diet it is likely that you will be able to achieve your weight loss goals.
Reference Articles:
1. http://www.diagnosisdiet.
com/ketosis-and-constipation/
2. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-08-keto-diet is-fat-key-weight.html
3. https://www.nps.org.au/medical-info/clinical-topics/news/magnesium-a-treatment-for-leg-cramps
4. https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2017/09/21/the-importance-of-magnesium-in-low-carb-diets
5. https://zerocarbzen.com/2015/08/17/muscle-cramps-on-a-zero-carb-diet/
6. https://www.livestrong.com/article/299666-sodium-heart-palpitations/
7. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/5-most-common-low-carb-mistakes#modal-close
8. https://www.dietdoctor.com/yes-a-low-carb-diet-greatly-lowers-your-insulin
9. http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=718265
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29105987
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4313585/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18175736
13. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/87/1/44/4633256
14. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/g16641173/keto-diet-celebrities/
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Monday, June 11, 2018
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Monday, June 4, 2018
What Is The Spleen?
It also produces certain antibodies and clears away dead cells, bacteria and foreign substances from the blood. The spleen holds in reserve a small amount of blood that can be released in times of need. Hence, this organ plays an important part in maintaining immunity and balance within the body.
What Is An Enlarged Spleen?
This tends to happen when the body is fighting an infection. It could also happen in the instance of leukemia or lymphoma, both of which are malignancies of the blood.
The human spleen is a small organ and comparable in size to a closed fist. Generally, it cannot be felt upon palpation of the abdomen. If the spleen is clearly noticeable upon palpation, this means that it has undergone significant enlargement and swelling. However, this is only a rough guideline and will need to be confirmed by formal diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests.
A person is said to be suffering from mild splenomegaly if the organ swells to the extent that it weighs between 400 and 500gm. Any more than 1000gm in weight indicates severe spleen enlargement. Such a highly enlarged spleen is at risk of becoming ruptured which can occur as a consequence of trauma to the abdominal region.
Why Does This Happen?
For instance, when a person is suffering from a bacterial infection, the immune response of the body manages to deactivate bacteria in large numbers. But it also suffers casualties in the form of dead white blood cells. This puts a greater burden than usual on the spleen whose function it is to isolate this material from the blood and keep the blood clean.
A similar principle applies when a person is suffering from blood cancer. Malignant cells are different from normal blood corpuscles. The spleen identifies them and removes them in large quantities, causing the organ itself to become distended.
There can be a range of other causes as well, including inflammation due to autoimmune activity and congestion on account of liver disease. The list below covers some conditions that could potentially give rise to enlargement of the spleen:
Infections including viral diseases such as infectious mononucleosis, bacterial infections such as syphilis, tuberculosis, and endocarditis as well as infectious parasitic diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis.
Liver disease such as cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, cystic fibrosis and portal hypertension.
Anemia associated with conditions like hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
Metabolic disorders such as Gaucher disease and amyloidosis.
Tumors in the spleen or those that have extended to the spleen from other locations.
Cysts in the spleen.
Trauma to the spleen.
Heart failure.
Cancers including the various types of leukemias, lymphomas, and polycythemia vera.
Myeloproliferative disorders such as myelofibrosis.
Vascular conditions such as obstruction of the hepatic vein, portal vein or the splenic vein.
Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Certain medications or drugs.
What Are The Symptoms Of An Enlarged Spleen?
The list below outlines some symptoms:
A sensation of fullness in the upper abdomen.
This may be accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen or the area of the back corresponding to the location of the spleen.
Feeling full without having eaten much. This happens because the distended spleen is putting pressure on the stomach.
Feeling tired.
Shortness of breath.
What Are Some Potential Complications?
Anemia: When the spleen becomes excessively distended, it can destroy far more red blood cells that it should. The resulting deficit of healthy red blood cells leads to anemia which leaves the patient feeling weak and short of breath.
More frequent infections: Reduced numbers of white blood cells leave the body unable to fight infection.
Frequent bleeding: Platelet counts can drop drastically, lowering the ability of blood to coagulate when required.
Splenic rupture: A swollen spleen can become ruptured by application of force on the abdomen. This can occur when playing contact sports or even by sustaining a fall.Patients who have already been diagnosed with an enlarged spleen should take care to avoid situations that could potentially lead to splenic rupture as this can be a critical condition.
Bleeding and death of tissue: When the spleen becomes severely enlarged, the blood supply that it normally receives becomes insufficient for the maintenance of the enlarged organ. As a result, parts of the enlarged spleen may bleed and even die.
How Can It Be Diagnosed And Treated?
The following procedures can aid in making a diagnosis:
Physical examination.
Medical history.
Blood and urine tests for signs of metabolic disorders, anemias, blood cancers or infection.
Imaging tests such as X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Liver function tests.
Tissue biopsy. If, for example, myeloproliferative disorders are suspected, samples of bone marrow may be obtained for biopsy. Obtaining tissue from the spleen itself is not generally viable unless the organ has been surgically removed.
Other, more specialized, tests may be ordered depending on specific findings that come to light through the diagnostic procedures listed above. Treatment is dependent on the final diagnosis.
Bacterial infections can be effectively cleared up by means of antibiotics. Antiviral medications are prescribed for viral infections. Radiation therapy can help to bring down the enlargement of the spleen in some cases. In extreme instances, doctors may advise complete surgical removal of the enlarged spleen by means of a procedure known as splenectomy.
Conclusions:
When the condition is severe enough to warrant surgical intervention for the removal of the enlarged organ, patients must take care thereafter to protect themselves from infections. This can be done by making sure to take vaccines as prescribed by their doctor.
Friday, June 1, 2018
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
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Thursday, May 24, 2018
Technology and healthcare: The future of medicine
From using the alarm on your phone to wake up in the morning to reserving seats at a fancy restaurant for dinner, technology plays an important role in everyday lives.
This also includes health care. This marriage between technology and healthcare is responsible for improving and saving countless lives all around the world.
By analyzing the revolutions in healthcare, we are able to see a trend towards personalized healthcare. We want to understand our own bodies.
This is the basis of personalized medicine as a whole. We want to understand how our bodies are working, what are the problems it faces, its causes, and available methods of treatments.
When it comes to healthcare, the dependence on medical technology cannot be stressed enough, and the role played by innovation is a crucial one. Areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, information technology, the development of medical devices and equipment, and more have all made significant contributions to improving the health of people all around the world.
From “small” innovations like adhesive bandages and ankle braces, to larger, more complex technologies like MRI machines, artificial organs, and robotic prosthetic limbs, technology has undoubtedly made an incredible impact on medicine. As a result, healthcare practitioners can continue to find ways to improve their practice – from better diagnosis, surgical procedures, and improved patient care.
Digital Medicine
Remember back in the day when you wanted to catch a cab you would have to run out and wait for a cab to come by and wave. Now you can skip all of that and do it with just a flick of your finger in your phone and it is done. Imagine you being able to do that with when it comes to your Medicare. Now stop imagining and do it.With on hand access to any type of information they need – from drug information, research and studies, patient history or records, more and more physicians, hospitals and practices using medical technology like mobile devices on the job. Applications that aid in identifying potential health threats and examining digital information like x-rays and CT scans also contribute to the benefits that information technology brings to medicine.
WearableMedicare
The future of medicine and healthcare is in the empowerment of patients as well as individuals taking care of their own health through technologies, one cannot leave out the importance of devices like health trackers, wearables, and sensors. They allow one to get to know more about themselves and retake control of their lives.
Whether or not, you want to manage your weight, your stress level, your cognitive capabilities better or you would like to reach an overall fit and energetic state, one can suggest a variety of wearables starting from Fitbit Surge for fitness tracking, to the Pebble Time and Sleep As Android for sleep tracking or the Muse headband for enhanced meditation.
To put this into perspective, let us consider the life of Paul. After retiring Paul and his wife retired to rural Sothern Spain. On most afternoons they usually go for a walk on the countryside. Although lively and energetic on the outside, Paul has a history of cardiovascular disease which can threaten to flare up at unexpected moments.
Thanks to the advancements in digital Medicare his physicians are now able to provide personalized advice and preventive care whenever he needs it. Using analytic technology that uses clinical and operational data, Paul’s doctor is able to get real-time insightful information form the mountainhistorical data from Paul’s previous checkups, like lab results, vital readings and more.
Thanks to machine learning algorithms, which use this data, one is able to know when Paul is at risk from a major clinical deterioration. This, in turn, helps doctors to provide advice on resource planning and ensure the right staff is available at the right time.
After his relaxing walk, Paul visits the community center for his regular checkup. Although the nearest town is miles away, thanks to the virtual care room at the center, he is able to have access to the latest technology and medical equipment to receive the best medical care and advice without even having to go to the hospital.
Paul can talk to his doctor via Skype while also taking the reading of his blood pressure and other tests. And on his way back he gets an email from his doctor confirming his prescription has already been ordered online and will be received soon by post.
The next morning Paul feels a bit under the weather. So he uses a health care chat box online to find out what could be wrong. Through simple questions and answers, the chat gives some recommendations on what could be the problem and what could be done about it.
And if his condition doesn’t improve in two hours a visitor doctor can drop in to conduct a further test and review his past medical history and if needed recommend a visit to the hospital just to be safe. While all of this data is saved to the cloud and can be used by physicians to collaborate and consult one another to come up with a solution to provide better care.
BioData
The thing about biological data is that it’s deep, dense and diverse. In the past, unstructured data was inaccessible to computing systems without human collation and structured data was incomplete.
Computing has evolved to parse this heterogeneous data, with programs that combine machine learning, natural language processing, and advanced text analytics.
With the advent of EMR, medicine began to gather unstructured data sets of real-time, comprehensive information
This has led to radical innovation by allowing the generation of hypothesis from loosely associated processes.
An example of this is the 1980’s work by Swanson where Raynaud’s disease was loosely associated with fish oil, and this loose association was used to successfully reverse the symptoms through a clinical trial.
Research
Medical scientists and physicians are constantly conducting research and testing new procedures to help prevent, diagnose, and cure diseases as well as developing new drugs and medicines that can lessen symptoms or treat ailments.
Through the use of technology in medical research, scientists have been able to examine diseases on a cellular level and produce antibodies against them. These vaccines against life-threatening diseases like malaria, polio, MMR, and more prevent the spread of disease and save thousands of lives all around the globe. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that vaccines save about 3 million lives per year, and prevent millions of others from contracting deadly viruses and diseases.
Genome sequencing
The initial investment for the research into genome sequencing is quite hight. The Human Genome Project cost approximately $2.7 billion for the US government. That being said, in January 2017, DNA sequencing giant Illumina unveiled a new machine that the company says that one day would be able to order up your whole genome for less than $100. This, in turn, would mean that you might have a cheaper genetic test than a general blood test (for which prices vary between approximately $10-150).
And this has a lot of potential. You can get to know valuable information about your drug sensitivity, multifactorial or monogenic medical conditions and even your family history. There are already various fields of study and business considering the advantages of genome sequencing, such as nutrigenomics, the cross-field of nutrition, dietetics, and genomics.
Some companies like Habit, a California-based start-up are offering personalized diets based on genetic codes. And the Nova Scotia-based performance company, Athletigen Technology Inc. that aims to use collected DNA information of sportsmen to improve their performance, health, and safety.
Drug Development
The process of developing new drugs is a long and expensive one. However, thanks to improvements in healthcare technologies, there are ways to solve this problem ranging from artificial intelligence to better organizational procedures, revolutionary being the concept of in silico trials. Individualized computer simulations are used in the development or regulatory evaluation of a medicinal product, device or intervention.
Robotics
Robotics is one of the most exciting and fastest growing fields of healthcare. Developments range from robot companions through surgical robots like pharmabotics, disinfectant robots or exoskeletons. The potential these devices have include paralyzed people being able to walk, rehabilitation of stroke or spinal cord injury patients.
Artificial intelligence
The evolution of machine learning raises the threshold of intelligent analysis beyond that of the human brain and can teach us more about what it means to be human.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to redesign healthcare completely. AI algorithms are able to go through medical records, design treatment plans or creates drugs way faster than what can be done today.
Last year, the start-upAtomwise, launched a virtual search for safe, existing medicines that could be redesigned to treat the Ebola virus. They found two drugs predicted by the company’s AI technology powered by supercomputers, which may significantly reduce Ebola infectivity.
Nanotechnology
With the dawn of the nanomedicine age, nanoparticles and nanodevices are predicted to operate as precise drug delivery systems, cancer treatment tools or tiny surgeons.
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute have been experimenting with exceptionally micro-sized robots that literally swim through your bodily fluids and could be used to deliver drugs or other medical relief in a highly targeted manner.
These scallop-like microbots are designed to swim through non-Newtonian fluids, like your bloodstream, around your lymphatic system, or across the slippery goo on the surface of your eyeballs and provide necessary evaluation and drug delivery almost anywhere in the body.
3-D Printing
There are already at least 12 ways in which 3D-printing can be utilized in healthcare ranging from printing tissues with blood vessels to bones and synthetic skin. 3D-printing in every corner of the world already. “Not Impossible Labs” based in Venice, California took 3D printers to Sudan where war had left many people with amputated limbs. Mick Ebeling, The organization’s founder, taught the locals how to operate the machinery, create patient-specific limbs, and fit these new, very inexpensive prosthetics helping make their lives a little bit better.
With the help of 3-D printing, there is potential to revolutionize the medical supply chain by changing the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, inorganic devices, prostheses or implanted inorganic materials.
3-D printing has also had potential in tissue engineering by helping regenerate damaged or diseased human tissues. “Bioinks” can be made from extracellular matrix components like collagen and hydroxyapatite, live cells or cell-supporting hydrogels.
Conclusion
Anyone of these advancements would represent a significant improvement in the medical industry. We now have the proximate ability to make smart life-changing decisions by collect wide-ranging and accurate biological information, structuring the resulting data, analyzing it with AI systems capable of generating novel hypotheses, generating a 3-D print of biological tissues and controlling these products remotely.
It is up to us to make the future brighter by making it smarter.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2017/12/14/how-five-technologies-are-shaping-the-future-of-health-care/3/#310ebbde441f
https://content.iospress.com/journals/technology-and-health-care/Preprint/Preprint
http://medicalfuturist.com/ten-ways-technology-changing-healthcare/
http://www.healthcarebusinesstech.com/medical-technology/
Monday, May 21, 2018
Hair and Health
Your hair can be considered a good indicator of your health. Losing about 100 hairs a day is normal as it will quickly grow back to replace the fallen ones.Excessive hair loss can happen in many ways depending on its cause. It can show up on just your scalp or your whole body, be temporary or permanent, and happen suddenly or gradually.
The most common signs of hair loss include:
- Gradual thinning on the top of the head- most common form of hair loss, appearing in both men and women. With the symptoms in men starting with the receding of the hairline from the forehead with a letter M shape and in women with the broadening of the part in their hair.
- Bald spots- usually affecting the scalp it appears in smooth, circular bald spots that may sometimes also appear on the beard or on the eyebrows.
- Sudden loosening of hair- can be caused by either a physical or emotional shock. It results in the hair loosening and handfuls of hair coming out when combing or washing your hair or even at a gentle tug.
- Full-body hair loss- certain medical conditions and treatments like chemotherapy can result in this kind of hair loss, in most cases it growing back.
- Scaly patches spreading over the scalp- accompanied by other symptoms like broken hair, redness, swelling, and occasional oozing, it is a clear indicator of ringworm.
Causes
Normal shedding of the entails losing around 100 hairs a day. This does not cause much visible thinning as new hairs take its place. Excessive hair fall occurs when this natural process is disrupted and the normal hair follicle is replaced by scar tissues.
The exact reasons for this are still debated but there are some generally accepted reasons
- Family history or genetics
- Hormonal changes
- Medical conditions
- Medicines
Family history
The hereditary condition called male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness is one of the most common causes of hair loss. Occurring in predictable patterns — a receding hairline and bald spots in men and thinning hair in women.
Hereditary factors also determine the age at which baldness starts its manifestation and can range from age groups of early puberty to the late forties.
Hormonal changes
The hormonal conditions that can affect hair fall are,
- Temporary hair loss caused due to childbirth, pregnancy, the onset of menopause and the hormonal imbalances that accompany them. These changes can also onset the thyroid gland and that in turn can also cause hair fall.
- Hair loss caused by the body’s immune system attacking the hair follicles resulting in smooth bald patches on the skin.
- Infections caused by ringworm where the hair and skin of scalp are invaded leading to scaly patches and hair loss, which once treated grows back.
- Scaring of alopecia caused by diseases like lichen planus, certain variants of lupus and sarcoidosis can result in the permanent loss of hair in the scared areas.
- Trichotillomania also called hair-pulling disorder which causes people to have an irresistible to pull out their hair.
Medication
Certain medications concerning cancer arthritis, depression, heart problems, high blood pressure and birth control. Intake of too much vitamin A is also known to cause hair fall as well.
Other causes
- Radiation therapy
- A trigger event-this type of temporary hair loss occurs after a few months after an emotional or physical shock
- Lifestyle choices- excessive hair styling, hairstyles that pull on their hair tight, such as pigtails or cornrows, can cause inflammation of hair follicles that leads to hair loss. If scarring occurs, if scarring occurs, there is a risk that the hair loss is permanent.
Risk Factors
Apart from the above-mentioned causes, there are certain factors that can risk hair fall, namely
- Family history
- Age
- Lack of nutrition
- Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes
- Stress
Preventive measures
The most common cause of thinning hair for both men and women is a hereditary condition in which sex hormones cause hair to fall out in a particular pattern.
While male or female pattern baldness is permanent, there are certain measures you can take to slow it down and treat it.
While male or female pattern baldness is permanent, there are certain measures you can take to slow it down and treat it.
Find the cause
Hormonal fluctuations can lead to impermanent hair loss. Women who are pregnant, have discontinued birth control, or are going through menopause may experience temporary hair thinning.
Certain medical conditions can cause hair loss.
Treating these conditions can help slow or halt hair loss. If you are concerned you may have one of the following conditions, talk to your doctor about starting a treatment program so your hair will start growing back in.
Treating these conditions can help slow or halt hair loss. If you are concerned you may have one of the following conditions, talk to your doctor about starting a treatment program so your hair will start growing back in.
Certain medications lead to hair loss. If you're on a medication that lists hair loss as a side effect, you can discuss other options with your doctor.
Hair loss can result from physical or mental shock as well as stress.
Any type of shock to nervous the system is going to have a physical effect, and hair loss is a common occurrence when these conditions are at play If you're chronically stressed, dealing the causes of your stress is an important way to keep yourself in good physical condition.
Any type of shock to nervous the system is going to have a physical effect, and hair loss is a common occurrence when these conditions are at play If you're chronically stressed, dealing the causes of your stress is an important way to keep yourself in good physical condition.
Avoid tight hairstyles
Tight braids, weaves, and other pulled-back hairstyles can cause hair to pull out more easily. Wearing your hair down or pulled back loosely.
Get nutrition for hair
Massaging your scalp can stimulate hair growth by increasing circulation around your hair follicles. Place the pads of your fingers on your scalp and rub your scalp in a circular motion. Start near your forehead and make your way along the sides and back of your head, concentrating on areas that are thinning.
Get unstressed
Taking measures to decrease your stress level might help to slow it down. If you lead a high-stress life, trying the following measures to calm down on a daily basis can help:
Get more sleep. Lack of sleep causes your body to produce the stress hormone cortisol.
Exercise frequently.
Exercise frequently.
Try meditating or yoga.
Get more sleep. Lack of sleep causes your body to produce the stress hormone cortisol.
Exercise frequently
Try meditating or yoga.
Eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet
Make sure you are getting plenty of protein and omega-3s in your diet so your body can create new hair. Hormone-related hair loss can sometimes be treated with a cream like minoxidil, which is available as an over-the-counter cream or foam.
Protein
It's one of the building blocks of your hair, and if you aren't getting enough, hair loss can occur. Thinning hair is common among vegetarians and vegans who aren't taking in enough protein. Adding the following foods to your diet can help:
Fish, chicken, beef, and pork
Fish, chicken, beef, and pork
Black beans, chickpeas, and other legumes
Tofu
Dairy products
Omega 3
The body needs omega-3 fatty acids to create new hair. Getting plenty of omega-3s is essential for hair growth, so stepping up your intake of the following foods can help a lot:
Salmon
Sardines
Walnuts
Avocados
Sources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hair-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20372926
https://www.rewardme.in/beauty/hair/article/fight-hair-fall-with-these-simple-steps
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