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Fed up starting a diet in January and finishing it in February?! Make this year different by being armed with all you need to know about the latest weightloss trends.

Are the most popular diets always the best? How do you sort fad from fab? We asked Clinical Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer, who gives us the lowdown. Shes picked the five diets likely to be the biggest this year, and explains how to pick the very best diet in 2020 for you (and what you need to watch out for)

What it looks like: Eggs and bacon for breakfast. Chicken and salad for lunch and steamed fish with mixed vegetables for dinner.

How it works: Its super-low carbs, with high fat, pushing the body into ketosis; where the body is forced into breaking down fat for fuel. Whilst theres certainly merit in keeping a diet low in carbs overall, which reduces the release of the fat-storing hormone insulin, following the Keto for a prolonged period can lead to acidosis or at the very least mood swings, constipation and energy lows.

However, its certainly very effective for weight loss and you can choose the rate at which you want to lose weight by closely monitoring the total number of calories youre eating on a daily basis. For example, if you want to lose a kilo per week (a sensible approach), an average-sized woman would need to eat around 1,500 calories daily. Around 65% of those calories would come from fat.

Pros and cons: Weight loss can be achieved quickly, and with around 30% of calories coming from protein, the body wont lose muscle mass, which frequently happens on weight loss plans. However, youre likely to have quite a few nutrient deficiencies especially calcium as the diet contains no dairy or other calcium-rich foods such as soya milk. If youre following a diet like this you might want to consider a high potency daily multivitamin and mineral such as Alive! Ultra Wholefood Plus.

Verdict: Probably not a diet for the long-term but can be effective for weight loss in the short term, with the potential of reducing the growing obesity crisis in the UK.

What it looks like: Spinach, mushroom and tomato omelette to start the day. Wild salmon salad for lunch and organic roasted chicken with mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli and peas for dinner. Its not going to be cheap!

How it works: Its basically a throw-back to caveman times! So, its based on meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. However, out go dairy, sugar, grains, legumes and beans. The good news is that since its based on healthy eating principles, with foods that are not processed or pumped full of hormones, its certainly not in fad territory.

Pros and cons: Your diet will be very clean with no refined foods allowed. It naturally follows that youll be getting a great range of nutrients. However, the Paleo Diet could lead to deficiencies in the mineral iodine, since dairy is one of the main sources. We know from our National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS)2 data that 17% of women of child-bearing age are iodine-deficient. Iodine is key for growth and brain development during pregnancy.

Verdict: Its not a fad but it carries a high price tag!

What it looks like: Homemade beans on wholegrain toast for breakfast. Chunky vegetable soup with barley and tofu for lunch and vegetarian goulash with wholegrain brown rice for dinner. Youll not be hungry on this one!

How it works: The vegan diet contains no foods from animal sources at all, therefore it will naturally contain lots of nutrient-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, beans and legumes. Another positive of the diet is that since our food chain is far from perfect with tonnes of animal products being pumped full of chemicals and antibiotics, youll be escaping their onslaught!

Pros and cons: The vegan diet is generally nutrient-dense with good levels of lots of key trace minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. However, vegans can sometimes miss out on vital vitamins, especially vitamin B12. Interestingly, tempeh is taking over from tofu in terms of popularity as a vegan protein source. Tempeh contains probiotics, which naturally encourage the bodys production of vitamin B12, so this could help to plug some of the gaps. However, taking a daily multivitamin is recommended.

Verdict: Veganism is certainly increasing in popularity, but many people have had to revert to eating some animal protein due to varying health issues, often associated with low protein intake.

What it looks like: Egg white omelette with spinach and mushrooms for breakfast. Chicken salad with avocado for lunch and roasted cod with veggies for dinner.

How it works: Its based on being In the Zone where your body better manages the insulin response and has more control of inflammatory issues. The diet requires a balance of 1/3 protein and 2/3 carbohydrates with just a small amount of monounsaturated fats from avocado, olive oil and nut butter.

Pros and cons: The great news about this diet is that it includes plenty of colourful foods every day and is much more likely to give the body the nutrients it needs; richly coloured fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals, plus antioxidants although starchy veg and highly sugary fruits such as bananas should be avoided.

However, its lacking in essential polyunsaturated omega-3 fats found in oily fish, nut and seeds. These fats are needed for hormone balance, glowing skin, healthy eyes, heart and brain. However, any diet that reduces inflammation can certainly promote longevity.

Verdict: Most criticism of this diet has been about its sustainability and the difficulties in maintaining it with a busy lifestyle.

What it looks like: Eggs, smoked salmon and avocado for the first meal. Chicken, broccoli and quinoa for dinner.

How it works: The usual routine is to skip breakfast and eat one meal around 1pm and another around 8 pm. The body is then fasting for 16 hours. This diet will produce weight loss because the body burns fat when its in the post-absorptive phase of digestion.

This means its not been fed for a while and insulin levels are low, allowing fat burning to happen. Problems can arise because there are only two windows of opportunity for eating well-balanced, nutrient-rich foods with a good proportion of macronutrients.

Pros and cons: There are many health benefits to this diet, especially relating to heart disease and inflammatory issues. However, it may be low in antioxidants, which can affect the immune system, because theres less opportunity for food intake overall.

Verdict: This needs to be strictly followed to stand any chance of the body getting what it needs.

Here is the original post:
A leading clinical nutritionists verdict on the most popular and best diets of 2020 - woman&home

WERE frequently told that the key to weight loss is simple just eat less and move more.

Yet with obesity rates as they are, its clear that for many people, its really not that simple at all.

There is, of course, another option for those who are seriously obese or overweight and conservative methods alone havent worked and thats weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric or metabolic surgery.

This type of surgery is available for people who meet certain medical and weight criterialy, at a substantial cost.

But why is surgery sometimes deemed necessary, and what does it involve?

Here, metabolic surgery pioneer Professor Francesco Rubino, lead of The London Bridge Hospital Metabolic and Bariatric Centre, part of HCA Healthcare UK (hcahealthcare.co.uk), and chair of bariatric and metabolic surgery at Kings College London, shares his views...

Severe obesity is a disease, not a lifestyle choice. Research shows that when we lose weight by diet, our body reacts by activating mechanisms that defend against that. In fact, hunger-stimulating hormones typically increase after diet-induced weight loss and our body also tends to reduce the amount of energy it utilises, making it difficult to maintain weight loss in the long-term, says Rubino.

These effects are not under control of our willpower and are ingrained in our biology. This explains why people who try diets almost invariably regain weight at some point. This isnt necessarily a lack of self-discipline, or a persons fault, as most people think, but the result of the way our biology works, defending a set, narrow range for body weight.

In people with severe obesity, this set point is too high but the mechanisms that normally defend against weight loss are still working and powerful, thus frustrating voluntary efforts to lose weight by eating less and exercising more.

There are different variations of weight loss surgery. The two most common are gastric bypass surgery, which divides the stomach into two smaller pouches and re-routes the small intestine, and sleeve gastrectomy surgery, a procedure that removes part of the stomach and shapes it as a tube or sleeve.

They were originally designed to reduce the size of the stomach but they actually change the physiologic mechanisms that regulate appetite, satiety and sugar metabolism, Rubino explains. There isnt a single procedure that fits everyones needs.

Different procedures have different actions, which may result in different potential to improve metabolic conditions associated with obesity, beyond weight loss, he adds.

Hence, the choice of procedure needs to be thoroughly discussed with a specialist and must be tailored to the individual patients need.

In the 1950s, when bariatric surgery was first introduced, understanding of the functions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract was quite rudimental it was considered a mere digestive organ. So it made logical sense to think that by physically limiting the size of the stomach, or bypassing large portions of the intestine, one would be able to reduce the amount of food you can eat or the calories the body can absorb.

Research over the last two decades, however, has shown this isnt true, Rubino explains.

The GI tract is a complex, sophisticated endocrine and metabolic organ, something akin to a computer some call it the second brain that receives input from the food we eat and sends signals to other organs to regulate body weight as well as sugar metabolism.

Signals from the gut can inform the brain about calorie intake and accordingly regulate hunger and satiety. Other signals reach the liver and pancreas, where they can influence the production or action of insulin.

This explains why gastrointestinal bariatric/metabolic surgery is so effective in inducing and maintaining weight loss, and also why it can dramatically improve other metabolic diseases, especially type 2 diabetes. Research has clearly shown bariatric surgery reduces or abolishes the very mechanisms that normally resist weight loss. In fact, the changes in hunger and satiety hormones that follow bariatric surgery are exactly opposite to those elicited by dietary interventions.

Some argue that diet and exercise, rather than expensive surgery, should be used to treat diabetes or severe obesity. This idea is both ill-conceived and ill-informed.

In fact, theres definitive evidence that where surgery is indicated by current guidelines, lifestyle interventions alone are no longer sufficient to achieve adequate disease control, says Rubino. On the other hand, in people with mere overweight or mild, uncomplicated obesity (BMI under 35 without other metabolic disease), surgery isnt indicated and isnt a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, which can still be effective in preventing progression towards more severe obesity.

Hence, suggesting lifestyle interventions and not surgery should be the way to treat severe obesity is at odds with both scientific evidence and logic.

Suggesting use of only lifestyle interventions in people with severe obesity (a full-blown disease) is tantamount to suggesting one should use lifestyle changes instead of surgery or chemotherapy to treat cancer.

Theres a range of criteria for having weight loss surgery. These may include having a BMI of over 40, or having a BMI of 35-40 if youve already developed health complications that may improve with weight loss. Patients will need to be committed to long-term healthy changes after the surgery too.

Recent clinical trials have shown that in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, metabolic surgery is more effective than any other available therapy, says Rubino.

Currently, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and international guidelines recommend metabolic surgery be considered to treat type 2 diabetes patients and those with a BMI of 30 or over. However, only 0.2% or less of eligible patients have access to such surgery.

A number of factors can deem people unsuitable for surgery too, including: People who dont suffer from severe obesity or its complications. Bariatric surgery is generally safe but this doesnt mean its an appropriate or proportionate approach to deal with less severe overweight levels, where lifestyle changes have been shown to prevent progression toward severe obesity or diabetes in many patients, says Rubino.

Also, people who are candidates for surgery but would be unsafe to operate on. Though bariatric surgery is less life-threatening than obesity or diabetes, its still major surgery and requires general anaesthesia, he adds.

And people with conditions that can undermine compliance with nutritional supplementation.

Bariatric surgery can alter the absorption of certain vitamins and micronutrients, so patients need to rigorously take nutrient supplements, lifelong.

Read more:
When is surgery the best solution to obesity? - Echo Live

DASH stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension and was developed in the early 1990s when the National Institutes of Health was researching ways to lower blood pressure.

Since then, studies have found that the DASH diet can help lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease in people over time.

Here's what you need to know about the DASH diet.

The DASH diet focuses on nutrient-rich foods that are low in sodium, like many fruits and vegetables.

"For too long we focused just on cutting down on sodium," said Lisa Sasson, a registered dietitian and clinical professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University. "We now know that including more of the other minerals that are in plant-based foods is very helpful and beneficial."

The NIH offers a helpful guide for following the DASH eating plan, with recommended serving sizes based on your daily calories and examples of the best foods to eat. It mainly recommends:

So if you're following a diet of 2,000 daily calories, a day on DASH might look like this:

Specifically, you'll want to eat foods that are high in potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber. Some examples of DASH-approved foods are oatmeal, leafy greens, potatoes, apples, bananas, oranges, fish, and mixed nuts.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined 412 participants with pre-hypertension or stage-one hypertension. The study found that the participants who followed the DASH diet and reduced their sodium intake to 1,150 milligrams per day for 30 days straight saw a greater reduction in their systolic blood pressure than participants who ate a standard American diet.

Moreover, the higher a person's systolic blood pressure was at the start of the study, the greater the improvement they saw from following a low-sodium DASH diet. For example, people whose original systolic blood pressure was greater than 150 mm Hg saw a decrease of as much as 15.54 mm Hg, whereas people whose original systolic blood pressure was less than 130 mm Hg saw a drop of as much as 2.07 mm Hg.

A 2014 review in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Disease found that the DASH diet was also associated with lower diastolic blood pressure as well as systolic blood pressure.

And while these two studies didn't examine the diet's effect on blood pressure in the long term, a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that a 16-week structured DASH diet was associated with lower systolic blood pressure for the next eight months.

Moreover, a2018 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition of 1,409 participants over 24 to 28 years found that living by a DASH diet might also improve a person's cardiovascular health, as it was associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol and lower pulse wave velocity, a measure of a person's arterial health. Cardiovascular health was even better for people who paired the DASH diet with regular exercise, the study found.

However, the benefits of this diet may extend beyond hypertension and heart health.

"Although the original research was about the benefits of the DASH diet on hypertension, it would be a diet I recommend for everyone," Sasson said.

She said it's a diet that's easy to follow, since it isn't very specific and there aren't many restrictions, aside from cutting out excessive sweets the NIH recommends five servings of sweets a week at most.

"The diet is very safe and sustainable for anybody who's looking to eat healthier," Sasson said. "It's exactly how we would advise all people to eat."

While the main focus of this diet is not weight loss, Sasson said many people do end up losing some weight on the diet, since many of them are eating healthier, less processed foods, and cutting back on snacking. A 2016 study found that the DASH diet was more effective for weight loss than other low-energy diets, especially for participants who were overweight or obese.

According to Sasson, the DASH diet is also a good way to educate people on what healthy meals look like, especially when so many of us eat on the go and opt for processed foods.

"We should look at it as one of the healthiest ways to eat," she said.

More here:
The DASH diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat - INSIDER

Adeles transformation is the talk-of-the-town these days and it involves weight loss without exercising. Rolling in the Deep singer, who looks like a Sarah Paulson doppelganger now followed a strict diet plan with no exercise. The question is, is this a healthy way to lose fat? The answer might surprise you.

English-singer songwriter Adele is in the news for her weight loss transformation. The 31-year-old superstar who has morphed into a Sarah Paulson look-alike looks beautiful but I think Adeles weight loss program is not a long-term approach.

Why is Adeles weightloss plan unhealthy if it works? Well, to answer the question Id like to pose a counter-question. Gene altering chemicals like SARMS and other steroids also work but do you think it is healthy? My guess is, most of you will not agree with this notion.

From what we know, Adeles transformation is 90 percent dieting and involves little to no exercise. Now, unless theres some medical condition restricting her, the absence of any sort of exercise makes no sense.

A good workout routine is not just a tool to look good but rather a complete lifestyle. It aims at keeping your mind and body healthy as we age. The inspiration behind Adeles weight loss program is pure fat-loss and the lack of a good workout routine is depriving the British star of so many health benefits.

Here are some of the major health benefits that are lacking in Adeles routine. According to MedlinePlus here some of the advantages:

It helps in losing fat.

Reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Maintains blood sugar and insulin levels.

It improves mental health and mood.

Increases your concentration level.

Helps people with insomnia.

It also improves your sexual health

These are just a few of many good things that may or not be a part of Adeles routine. A program like hers might work well for short-term but its not a healthy longterm option.

See the original post:
Adele's Weight loss Transformation | Is it Healthy? - Dankanator

The end of one year and the beginning of the next is for many, a time to look back and reflect on all that transpired over the past year.

Good, bad or indifferent, its a time when many people feel compelled to make changes for the upcoming year.

Enter the New Years Resolution. Whether you actually call it a resolution or simply make a promise to yourself, set specific goals or just plain decide to do things differently, change is the aim of the game.

Health, weight loss, finances, relationships, quitting smoking statistically January is the month when most people commit to getting started. January is also the same month most will throw in the towel.

A study done by the University of Scranton revealed that a mere eight percent of those who made resolutions in 2018 actually followed through with their plan and achieved their goals, while a whopping 80 per cent did not. As it turns out, the make or break window of time is extremely short.

Strava, a fitness social network, tracked data for over 31.5 million users and reported they were actually able to pinpoint the date people called it quits. Strava discovered that Jan. 12 a mere 12 days after making their resolutions is the day people gave up.

And with the other data showing 55 per cent of those failed resolutions were health related, its safe to say theres a lot of folks out there tackling the same resolutions again this year.

Change is never easy but it doesnt have to be impossible. With that in mind, here are five simple steps that will help keep you on track to achieving your health and weight loss goals in 2020.

Know your why. With weight loss, there is typically a short-term and a long-term why. Wanting to fit into a dress for a class reunion, or feeling confident in your bathing suit for that cruise at spring break are examples of short term.

A long-term why is something that usually comes from a place of emotion. Something deep down inside that really resonates with you in a big way to support your new healthier lifestyle and will tug at your heartstrings and bring you back on track when life happens to try and knock you off course.

Stay away from diets. The results you experience will likely be short-lived as statistics say that less than one per cent of people can maintain a diet for life. Opt instead for a program that focuses on health, nutrition and lifestyle to help you get results that stick.

Set weekly goals and be realistic in your expectations. Consider setting goals to implement healthier lifestyle choices and building on those each week rather than choosing a number of pounds. Putting the pieces in place to fill nutritional gaps and stabilized blood sugar will allow the body to naturally release fat and lose weight. That extra weight did not suddenly appear overnight so be patient and kind to yourself.

Celebrate all wins, especially the small ones. Small things done consistently over time will get you huge results.

Be all in at one per cent. Im sure youll agree that you can do something for your health one percent better tomorrow than you did today. And when you do this everyday, just think where youll be next year? Not making weight loss resolutions again that's for sure.

And remember, the scale is not the only way to measure success. Maybe you didnt lose any weight this week but youve noticed your clothes are fitting better. Perhaps youre sleeping better and now have so much more energy. Or the bloating and discomfort is finally gone and youre feeling better than you have in years. Or maybe those sugar cravings are finally gone. These non-scale victories are just as important because they show improvements to overall health.

So, regardless how far you went (or didnt) with your weight loss and health goals last year, 2020 is a New Year, and todays a new day. If youre not living with optimal health and feeling your best, then I invite you to follow the steps and set your sights on health this year. Set a 2020 vision and get clear on where you want to take your health this year. Know your why. Begin today making small changes, and better choices consistently. Be all in, one per cent at a time. And imagine where youll be this time next year.

A happy, healthy and blessed New Year to all.

More:
Five ways to weight-loss success | Life - The Daily Courier

In my last article I talked about the missing piece of the weight loss puzzle the skills of behaviour change. Now, maybe missing is the wrong word, lets just say in my experience as a coach and gym owner its often undervalued and overlooked.

With changes to our health, our fitness, or our waistline, there are really two questions: Can I do it? And Do I want to? It comes down to ability and motivation, so a person could hire a coach or do some research and improve their skills and abilities with regards to exercise and nutrition, but without understanding and appreciating that change management is also a skill, the odds of achieving the goal plummet.

So, lets start with the components of behaviour change and how we can apply it to the desire to transform our health and fitness. The technical term for behaviour change is self-regulation and Dr. Roy Baumeister, a Social Psychologist at the University of Florida, one of the foremost experts on behaviour change (and the researcher responsible for the concept of willpower as a muscle) lists the ingredients of self-regulation as:

In order to change we need a clearly defined standard, something to align with. Standards can be cultural, political, philosophical or even spiritual. Belching by the campfire is perfectly fine (even a little competitive with my family), but not so acceptable during a classroom lecture, or a sermon in church.

This is measurement. Tracking and measuring the thing were looking to change. With exercise, lets say youve decided to walk or run, it could be time, distance, or speed, (the distance over time) If you want to change something you need an initial measure and some feedback to make sure that actions you take are having the desired effect.

Better known as willpower, this is the strength we exhibit in resisting actual temptation and sticking to our plans for change. Its the power to pass-up something that we want, but that we understand might not be in our best interests. It may, or may not be like a muscle, but there are definitely strategies to boost it when we need it.

This is the need to take action. Its the internal (or external) driver for taking whatever actions we take. When it comes to food, hunger is our motivation to eat, its unfortunate that it isnt always the primary reason This is where we can really apply our strategies and techniques to stay on task.

The idea of ingredients in a recipe is a really good one!

As I mentioned in the last article, were all different in our reasons for wanting to change our nutrition, our exercise, or both.

Whatever the reason is, its uniquely yours, and like a recipe each of these components needs to be considered, in varying degrees, when you decide that its time for a change. Any change! Turning back to the cooking analogy, if you understand salt, spice, fat and heat you can cook pretty much anything.

It might be aesthetics, reducing bodyfat, or increasing muscle mass

It might be performance, running longer or faster,

Or maybe its function, reducing pain from injury or disease.

Whatever the reason is, its uniquely yours, and like a recipe each of these components needs to be considered, in varying degrees, when you decide that its time for a change. Any change! Turning back to the cooking analogy, if you understand salt, spice, fat and heat you can cook pretty much anything.

Lets look at weight loss, or more specifically improvements to body-composition and how the first ingredient of behaviour change, standards, can apply. Were going to look at setting a goal (which is part of the idea of a standard) and ensuring that we make that goal, salient (especially meaningful) by applying personal standards to it. Theres a lot more to setting goals that work, and Ill address that in the future, but for now, lets see how we can take a little self-awareness and work it into our plan for change.

I love cardiovascular exercise. Its good for your brain and your body, from both a health and an aesthetics perspective. Now, improving your body composition can be a challenge given the power of the relationship with the foods we eat, but if youre sedentary, improving your health can be as easy as regularly going for a long, brisk walk. Providing your physically capable, this is a great place to start, but some people just dont like it. (Yet)

One of my friends, and a long term client, really didnt like walking for exercise, but she loved dogs. She regularly volunteered at the local SPCA where she would walk the dogs waiting for adoption. We had talked about how to incorporate specific behaviours that would help with weight maintenance, longevity and mood, and getting outside and walking definitely met those criteria. Theres a greenway walking trail near our local SPCA and so she was able to get outdoors in nature, be of service to her four-legged friends, and get some extra cardio.

With a little analysis and strategy she was able to take that healthy vital behaviour of a brisk nature walk and transform it from a low-motivational chore into an activity that she really wanted to do. Now that weve got a bit of base to work from, each week Ill take one of those ingredients of self-regulation, explore it in a little more detail, and then give an example of how it can be applied to your plans for change.

Sean Hawthorne is the owner and operator of OneLife Health and Wellness, Kelownas first and longest running private, personal training facility. While working in Dubai, UAE as a Contracts and Project Manager, Sean decided to leave his successful career in Civil Engineering Technology and pursue his passion for health, fitness and helping others achieve their goals. He returned to Canada in 2001, taking formal education in Exercise Science and starting his career in the field of health and fitness. Working in collaboration with their clients, Sean and his team of health and fitness professionals strive to continually improve their skills and to help everyone reach their goals.

Contact Sean:

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Read more from the original source:
HAWTHORNE: The missing piece of the weight loss puzzle? - Keremeos Review

Dry January is growing year-on-year as more people decide to be mindful of their drinking, giving their body a break both physically and mentally. According to recent reports, 4,2 million people were estimated to partake in Dry January last year, and a recent survey revealed that the rate of drinkers saying theyd forgo alcohol had risen by almost 35 per cent. Which begs the question, what are the the main changes and benefits of doing Dry January?

As excess long-term drinking leads to liver inflammation and fatty deposits, regular bingers need to take at least a couple of months off drinking to get their liver health back on track.

"However you are doing Dry January, take care which beverages you switch to instead of plumping for calorie-rich soft drinks, aim for regular tea, herbal teas or water to see maximum benefits.

DONT MISS

Nutritionist Emily Rollason revealed the five health benefits of giving up alcohol which include:

Better sleep

Sleep is one of the most important factors for better overall health and well-being. Regular good sleep which is around 8 hours uninterrupted a night, not only gives you energy, but affects everything from reducing the chance of heart disease and lowering stress levels.

"Sleep is an active period in which a lot of important processing and restoration strengthening occurs, says Emily, a nutritionist at Holland & Barrett.

Regular drinking affects the quality of your sleep, which makes you feel tired and sluggish. Whilst many people may think that a late-night tipple will help you nod off, drinking before bed can make for a much more unrested night as it has a sedative effect, reducing activity in the cortex of the brain, similar to sleep, but not quite the same.

Alcohol may increase deep sleep in the first half of a sleep cycle, but disrupting your sleep pattern throughout the night and inhibiting Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the stage of sleep linked to a more restful night, leaving you feeling less refreshed in the morning.

Additionally, alcohol causes your whole body to relax, including the muscles of your throat, making you more prone to snoring.

"Make sure youre getting enough sleep as it plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Good sleep will help protect your physical health, mental health and quality of life.

Improved skin

When party season rears its head, you may notice your skin suffering, with alcohol playing a large factor in this. Alcohol is a toxin with little nutrient content, impacting on the quality, ageing and overall appearance of your skin.

"Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning it may dehydrate you, so you lose water from the body quite rapidly, both leaving your skin dry and dull and making it harder for you to rehydrate afterwards, potentially leaving you with flaky skin and making your fine lines more visible thanks to the lack of fluid.

Sticking to non-alcoholic drinks or choosing cocktails with a high ratio of low-sugar mixer, can hydrate your skin better and calms the symptoms alcohol normally introduces, continues Emily.

On the topic of sugar, calorific cocktails and wines usually have a high sugar rate, which we all know can lead to spot breakouts, so look for low-sugar alternatives Id suggest a non-alcoholic cocktail such as Kolibri, which contains just 2g of 100 per cent natural agave sugar (14kcal) per 100ml.

More here:
Dry January benefits: What really happens when you give up alcohol for a month - Express

DASH stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension and was developed in the early 1990s when the National Institutes of Health was researching ways to lower blood pressure.

Since then, studies have found that the DASH diet can help lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease in people over time.

Heres what you need to know about the DASH diet.

The DASH diet focuses on nutrient-rich foods that are low in sodium, like many fruits and vegetables.

For too long we focused just on cutting down on sodium, said Lisa Sasson, a registered dietitian and clinical professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University. We now know that including more of the other minerals that are in plant-based foods is very helpful and beneficial.

The NIH offers a helpful guide for following the DASH eating plan, with recommended serving sizes based on your daily calories and examples of the best foods to eat. It mainly recommends:

So if youre following a diet of 2,000 daily calories, a day on DASH might look like this:

Specifically, youll want to eat foods that are high in potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fibre. Some examples of DASH-approved foods are oatmeal, leafy greens, potatoes, apples, bananas, oranges, fish, and mixed nuts.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined 412 participants with pre-hypertension or stage-one hypertension. The study found that the participants who followed the DASH diet and reduced their sodium intake to 1,150 milligrams per day for 30 days straight saw a greater reduction in their systolic blood pressure than participants who ate a standard American diet.

Moreover, the higher a persons systolic blood pressure was at the start of the study, the greater the improvement they saw from following a low-sodium DASH diet. For example, people whose original systolic blood pressure was greater than 150 mm Hg saw a decrease of as much as 15.54 mm Hg, whereas people whose original systolic blood pressure was less than 130 mm Hg saw a drop of as much as 2.07 mm Hg.

A 2014 review in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Disease found that the DASH diet was also associated with lower diastolic blood pressure as well as systolic blood pressure.

And while these two studies didnt examine the diets effect on blood pressure in the long term, a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that a 16-week structured DASH diet was associated with lower systolic blood pressure for the next eight months.

Moreover, a 2018 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition of 1,409 participants over 24 to 28 years found that living by a DASH diet might also improve a persons cardiovascular health, as it was associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol and lower pulse wave velocity, a measure of a persons arterial health. Cardiovascular health was even better for people who paired the DASH diet with regular exercise, the study found.

However, the benefits of this diet may extend beyond hypertension and heart health.

Although the original research was about the benefits of the DASH diet on hypertension, it would be a diet I recommend for everyone, Sasson said.

She said its a diet thats easy to follow, since it isnt very specific and there arent many restrictions, aside from cutting out excessive sweets the NIH recommends five servings of sweets a week at most.

The diet is very safe and sustainable for anybody whos looking to eat healthier, Sasson said. Its exactly how we would advise all people to eat.

While the main focus of this diet is not weight loss, Sasson said many people do end up losing some weight on the diet, since many of them are eating healthier, less processed foods, and cutting back on snacking. A 2016 study found that the DASH diet was more effective for weight loss than other low-energy diets, especially for participants who were overweight or obese.

According to Sasson, the DASH diet is also a good way to educate people on what healthy meals look like, especially when so many of us eat on the go and opt for processed foods.

We should look at it as one of the healthiest ways to eat, she said.

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Studies have shown the DASH diet can lower blood pressure, and dietitians say it's one of the healthiest ways to eat - Business Insider Australia

A family suing a New Jersey nursing home says their loved one died as a result of negligence at the facility.

And among their allegations is a claim that a staff member at Cumberland Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center performed a "simulated lap dance on the 84-year-old man.

Fred Pittman was a long-term care patient at the facility, located in Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, from late January through mid-February 2018. He died on March 2 of that year.

During his time at Cumberland Manor, staffers failed to prevent and treat injuries, manage pain, comply with physician orders and provide adequate food and hydration, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in state Superior Court.

An official with Cumberland Manor said the allegations were already investigated.

The complaints of this particular family have been investigated by regulators and found to be unsubstantiated, said administrator Steve Brodt. We will defend any litigation as appropriate and will have no further comments.

Pittman suffered from malnutrition, dehydration, sepsis, bedsores and weight loss, his family alleges.

His medical condition degraded quite rapidly within that building, according to the familys attorney, David R. Cohen, of Cohen Kolodny Abuse Analytics Law LCC.

Pittman was transferred from the facility to a hospital for treatment.

The plaintiffs have sought copies of medical charts, nursing records, nurse aides records and incident reports relating to Pittmans stay at Cumberland Manor.

The suit also accuses facility operators of abusing Pittman, "by (among multiple other actions] allowing a staff member to sit on decedents lap (and/or knee) and performing a simulated lap-dance, and/or acted in such a fashion to otherwise embarrass and humiliate decedent.

That claim was investigated by the state, Cohen confirmed.

The state did not substantiate the complaint, he said. The family is very firm in their belief that it did in fact happen. Its depraved if it did happen.

Cohen said that nursing homes like Cumberland Manor receive substantial sums of taxpayer dollars to care for residents.

"Their whole job is to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves, he said. "Theyre supposed to keep people safe and keep people fed and hydrated. And they get paid a ton of money to do that.

The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages from the privately-owned facility.

Cumberland Manor was owned by Cumberland County for more than 60 years, but was sold to a private operator in 2012. Its currently owned by Cumberland Operations LLC.

Cohen said when families file lawsuits like these, their primary goal is to save others from similar situations and make nursing homes accountable.

"Its important for people to understand that people in nursing homes have rights and New Jersey has a wonderful set of laws that enable people like Mr. Pittman and his estate to pursue their rights.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Nursing home worker simulated lap dance on 84-year-old, family says in wrongful death suit - syracuse.com

He was the corporate hotshot who spent his working life dining in restaurants, going on nights out and playing golf with clients.

But behind the mask of a glamorous career was a Lostock Hall man suffering from anxiety and a long-term physical health condition.

With his luxurious lifestyle endangering his health, Graham Smith decided to switch careers in 2018 and fulfilled a long-term dream of setting up his own business that July. Now he has relaunched Real Food Co, which provides nutritious prepared meals, at Smart Fit Arena in Campbell Street, Preston.

The 36-year-old, who welcomed customers to his company's new home earlier this month, said: "On the outside my life looked great. I was eating at nice restaurants, attending sporting events and going on nights out.

"But in reality, it was hard work. I was away from family a lot, eating unhealthily and drinking heavily three or four times a week. I ended up being three stone overweight by the beginning of last year."

After dropping out of university, the dad-of-two spent six years working in finance in various sales and marketing jobs, including head of partnerships for a bank. He managed sales functions with a turnover of more than 100m and his most recent corporate role saw him trekking the globe and playing golf most weeks.

But Graham realised he needed to change his life when he was diagnosed with Crohns Disease two years ago. The condition causes inflammation of the digestive system and the main symptoms are fatigue, weight loss, diarrhoea, and stomach aches.

"I also really suffered from stress and anxiety for around 18 months so I decided I needed to completely change and step out of the corporate world," he said.

And when he began educating himself about sustainable weight loss and making his own healthy meals, he rediscovered a passion for food and cooking and even made it to the final audition of BBC One TV show MasterChef a few years ago.

Gaining new motivation, he also applied for Channel 4's TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins, in which an ex-British Special Forces soldier pits contestants against harsh environments across the globe. This gruelling two-week long training course has been designed to replicate Special Air Service selection.

"I didn't get on the show but I passed the fitness test and if I hadn't gone through that change of personal fitness, my mental health would have deteriorated further.

But despite discovering a new love, he says his business was a happy accident and began with a friend asking him to cook nutritious meals for them.

"He liked them and it all spiralled up from there. He posted on Instagram about them and people began making inquiries. I've done no advertising," Graham said.

Today, he makes hundreds of meals a week and aims to reach 1,000 to 1,500.

"I find it relaxing and satisfying, even if I'm making 400 meals a week, working until 1am and my kitchen turns into a bomb site," he said.

And on top of a new passion, Graham has gained a new sense of control over his life, adding: "You have to take responsibility for yourself, whether you're unhappy, stressed or overweight. It's so easy to just accept your situation and continue in it. No-one's ever going to make the changes for you."

It's a new attitude that has impressed his wife Jenny Hollowood-Smith.

She said: "Admitting when you are struggling doesnt come easy to any of us and it took some time for Graham to speak up and admit this to me. Battling anxiety and the side effects of Crohn's has made Graham evaluate his life and has changed his perspective. I am really proud of how he has managed to turn the negatives into positives and is doing something he absolutely loves!

"Its also a bonus that I dont have to do any cooking too. I love having a modern day husband!"

Originally posted here:
Lostock Hall dad triumphed over anxiety and Crohn's Disease to relaunch food and weight loss business - Lancashire Post

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