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Apr 10

HealthyWage Is A Program That Lets You Bet On Your Fitness Goals – Delish

If you frequent your nearby gym on a normal basis and are looking for a fun, innovative way to stay moving while at home, there are a lot of ways to find an incentive. So many brands and even some personal trainers are offering free, digital workouts via Zoom or Instagram Live. Still, if you benefit from a little extra push when it comes to completing your workouts, you should look into HealthyWage.

Essentially, HealthyWage is a program that gives you the opportunity to win money throughout your fitness journey. You submit a HealthyWager about yourself, which includes how much weight you want to lose, how many months you hope to do it in, and how much money you want to bet per month. There's a handy calculator on the site that you can use to see how much money you can potentially win.

If you're successful in reaching your goal, you'll be sent money via PayPal or check. There is a verification process to make sure you did lose the weight before they send you your prize which includes having a rep from HealthyWage watch you weigh in or uploading a video to a secured portal online. Also, before starting your fitness experience you do have to pay to get into the program. The largest prize you can win is dependent on how much money you dish out first.

HealthyWage requires you to lose a minimum of 10% of your starting weight.

The program uses a unique algorithm to determine how much money you get at the end of your journey. Things like weight, BMI, the amount you bet, the amount of time it took, and the time of year are all aspects that are included in the final calculation. You can also refer friends to increase your prize amount by $40 per person.

Yes, you can. HealthyWage encourages people to do team challenges as a way to motivate each other and keep one another accountable. Currently, you can sign up for the $10,000 team challenge with a team of five people (you can also get matched up with a team, if you want). This challenge goes from April 27 to July 20, and the team with the greatest percent weight loss can win $10,000.

If this program seems like something up your alley, you can read more about the ins and outs of HealthyWage here. If it's not really your thing, remember there's no pressure to be productive or get in the best shape of your life while in quarantine. You do you!

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HealthyWage Is A Program That Lets You Bet On Your Fitness Goals - Delish


Apr 10

Steelers WR James Washington working on farm this offseason, has lost weight – Larry Brown Sports

James Washington has found a home on the range this NFL offseason.

The Pittsburgh Steelers receiver opened up this week about buying his own farm in Markel, Tex. and how the manual labor has helped him lose weight.

As far as lifting, the other day I was trimming trees around here and I dont know if I ever felt my lats burn as much as they did when I was trimming trees and moving big old logs and stuff, said Washington, per Teresa Varley of the team site. For sure nature is giving me the best workouts. They may not think I am working on football, but I think some of it translates. I am still running. I am out in the country, so I go on bike rides too. I am getting conditioning, working on the legs at the same time. I ride seven or eight miles. You may have one or two cars pass you, but you may see more cattle than people.

Washington, who grew up on his familys farm in Texas and majored in agribusiness with a focus on farm and ranch management in college, also said that he recently weighed in at 205 pounds after being listed at 213 last season.

I am lighter than last year. I am feeling pretty light, he continued. I feel like it will help with the quick twitch. Especially that second gear when the ball is in the air. In general, just being lighter is good. At the same time, I have been working on strength. I havent lost any muscle. I am just getting everything back together and just trying to stay healthy, especially at a time like this when you have to stay healthy.

Washington, 24, is coming off a 2019 season where he caught 44 passes for 735 yards and three touchdowns. With Ben Roethlisberger returning from injury next season and JuJu Smith-Schuster entering the final year of his contract, Washington could have even more to prove in 2020.

As for Washingtons workout program of choice this offseason, we do know of one former Steelers player who would definitely approve.

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Steelers WR James Washington working on farm this offseason, has lost weight - Larry Brown Sports


Apr 10

Kate Hudson wasnt impressed with her weight after holidays – Gruntstuff

Kate Hudson is kicking off the brand new yr feeling motivated to lose a few of her vacation weight.

Its Jan. 2, 2020, bought on the size. I wasnt impressed, the 40-year-old actress admitted on her Instagram Tales Thursday. However thats OK as a result of I understand how to do that, you understand what I imply?

Hudson is an envoy for WW, previously often called Weight Watchers, and he or she promised to share with her followers what I just do to remain on monitor.

The How you can Lose a Man in 10 Days weighed herself on digicam, and revealed her post-holiday weight is 136 kilos.

The actress, who stands at 5-feet-6-inches tall, stated her present weight is not supreme and that she want to drop all the way down to 125 kilos.

Nonetheless, she acknowledged that a lot of her weight could also be attributable to water retention and her muscular body, so she reminded her followers that weight in muscle is a cheerful quantity!

In December 2018, Hudson introduced she was becoming a member of WWs program as a result of she wished to get again in form after giving start to daughter Rani Rose.

The actress advised fellow ambassador Oprah Winfrey, My why is admittedly my youngsters and my household and my longevity and desirous to be right here so long as I probably can. Its actually concerning the holistic strategy to wellness.

She continued, This isnt a group for individuals who simply need to lose weight, though main a wholesome life-style lends itself to such, it is a group about supporting one another by a lifelong journey of wellness.

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Kate Hudson wasnt impressed with her weight after holidays - Gruntstuff


Apr 10

What is Heart Disease? And Other Heart Disease Questions – HealthCentral.com

On this page:BasicsTypesCausesDiagnosisTreatmentLiving With

Nearly half of all American adults have some form of cardiovascular diseasean umbrella term that covers everything from high blood pressure to stroke. If youve been told youre among them, you may be confused or even a little scared. Thats normal, and everyone featured on HealthCentral with a chronic condition felt just like you do now. But weand theyare here for you. On this page alone, youll discover not only the realities and challenges of heart disease, but also the best treatments, helpful lifestyle changes, and critical information you need to help you not just managebut thrive. Were sure youve got a lot of questions. Were here to answer them.

The term heart disease encompasses a huge amount of cardiovascular territory. Thats because its not a single disease but one that refers to all sorts of heart-related health conditions, many of them chronic, that impact how well your heart functions.

Some of the more common forms of heart disease include:

Heart disease accounts for more deaths each year than any other health concern. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 650,000 people die of heart disease annually. Thats about one death every 37 secondsa shocking number, to be sure. And heart disease does not discriminate: Whether you are a man or a woman of any race or ethnicity, cardiovascular disease is your number-one health threat.

The good news? You can do a lot to prevent heart disease. And, if you already have some form of this condition, there are medications, lifestyle-management tips, and other strategies to help protect you and your ticker.

Before diving into what can go wrong, lets take a step-by-step look at the heart, what it does, and how it works:

How does your ticker make all this happen? For starters, the heart is made up of four chambers:

Those chambers work in tandem, employing a system of valves that open and close as your heart beats in order to bring blood in and pump blood out. Remember, the heart is a muscle, and when its healthy, its quite strong. As a pump, it provides sufficient pressure so that your entire blood supply cycles through your body every 60 seconds.

More heart smarts:

A healthy adults heart will beat anywhere from 60 to 100 times per minute while lounging around. If youre quite fitan athlete, for exampleyour heart works more efficiently, and your resting heart rate may be closer to 40 beats per minute.

Like the rest of the body, the heart requires blood in order to thrive. In fact, it needs a bigger supply of blood than any other muscle in the body, so it relies on its own network of coronary arteries to provide that blood.

Electricity powers the beating of your heart and sets its pace. Thats a critical function. You need your heart to beat properly in order to supply your body with sufficient blood and oxygen. Your heart contracts with each beat, and the timing of those beats must remain precise so that those contractions stay in sync.

These electrical signals originate in your hearts right atrium and are controlled by your central autonomic nervous system, telling your heart how fast or slow it should beat. When you exercise, your nervous system signals your heart to speed up in order to pump more blood. Other factorsnot all of them healthy, like smoking and over-indulging in alcoholcan also affect your heart rate.

Your heart functions in incredibly complex waysthis is just a thumbnail sketch. Needless to say, there are also a great number of ways in which things can go wrong that can lead to heart disease.

How does your body tell you that somethings troubling your heart? It depends on the type of trouble. While some diseases that affect the heart share similar symptoms, others vary greatly. And some types of heart disease have no symptoms at all.

Lets review some of the major types of heart disease and how to recognize them:

Having high blood pressure (HBD), aka hypertensionwhich has no symptomsups your odds of developing numerous other types of heart disease, including CAD. It is the result of plaque buildups in your arteries that reduce the amount of blood that reaches your heart, leaving you at higher risk for heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. HBP hardens and thickens your arteries, reducing blood flow. If you have a systolic pressure of 130 or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 80 or higher, its critical to reduce it.

The hearts two major arteries branch off from the aorta, the artery that sends blood to the rest of the body. These two arteries, in turn, branch off into smaller and smaller arteries that supply the heart with blood. CAD, the most common type of heart disease, develops when your arteries cant provide enough oxygen-rich blood to your heart. The heart receives its own supply of blood from the coronary arteries.

Often, CAD is caused by plaque buildups that restrict or block the flow of blood through your blood vessels. CAD often develops over many years, even decades, and it does not always make itself known until it has progressed significantly and youre closing in on a heart attack. At that stage, the affected blood vessel is about 70% blocked. Even people who have plaque blockages in the 40% to 50% range may have no symptoms. But when they do occur, they're typically:

A less common, but related, condition called coronary microvascular disease (MVD) or small vessel disease occurs when the walls of the small arteries in the heart are damaged. It is often diagnosed after a doctor finds little or no narrowing in the main arteries of your heart, despite your having symptoms that suggest heart disease, such as angina. MVD is more common in women and in people who have diabetes or HBP. The condition can be difficult to detect. Other symptoms of MVD include pain in your left arm, neck, jaw, abdomen, or back; pronounced fatigue; and shortness of breath.

A heart attack occurs when the plaque in your blood vessel ruptures, causing a clot to form as the body attempts to repair the damage. This blockage cuts off blood flow to the heart, starving the muscle of needed oxygen and other nutrients.

For men, this often happens suddenly; womens symptoms tend to be more gradual. While chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack for both men and women, their symptoms can be different. For example, women are more likely to have shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea. Men normally experience the classic symptom of crushing chest pain. Men are also more likely than women to have sudden heart attacks; women, on the other hand, have higher odds of developing symptoms over a period of hours, days, or even weeks.

Either way, common symptoms of heart attack include:

Angina, a radiating chest pain and pressure that can feel as if an elephant is sitting on your chest

Shortness of breath

Nausea

Indigestion

Heartburn

Abdominal pain

Fatigue

Lightheadedness and dizziness

Cold sweats

This progressive disease occurs when your tickers ability to pump blood starts to decline. CAD, heart attack, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure are among the common causes of heart failureso it doesnt happen overnight. As your heart can no longer pump as well as it used to, the blood that would normally cycle through it can get backed up. Your kidneys also filter less blood, leading to fluid retention and swelling in your extremities.

Several different symptoms can get worse as heart failure progresses. Some of the most common:

As its name implies, heart valve disease involves the system of four valves that helps regulate the flow of blood through the heart. For example, one of your valves might narrow to the point that a reduced amount of blood can pass through it. This is called valvular stenosis.

When one of your hearts valves stop working properly, a variety of symptoms, many of them similar to those of heart failure, can occur, including:

An abnormal heartbeat, called an arrhythmia, can trigger a variety of symptoms, some benign, some dangerous, depending on which kind of arrhythmia you have. Tachycardia, for example, accelerates your heartbeat to a too-fast rhythm, while bradycardia slows it down. Both can sometimes be dangerous and lead to higher risk of stroke and other complications, but not always. If you experience either type of arrhythmia, be sure to consult with your doctor.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of sustained arrhythmia, with anywhere between 2.7 and 6.1 million Americans currently sharing a diagnosis of it. (As the U.S. population ages, that number is expected to increase, reports the CDC.) A-fib, as its often called, causes your heart to beat erraticallyit can feel like it is skipping beatsrather than rhythmically. In some cases, abnormal heartbeats are not a cause of concern, but other times they can lead to stroke, heart failure, or even cardiac arrest, a quickly fatal event in which the heart stops beating. Its important to get to the root of A-fib, so you know whether or not your symptoms require treatment.

In general, abnormal heartbeats also lead to many symptoms shared by other forms of heart disease, including:

A stroke occurs when your hearts blood supply gets cut off, denying it the oxygen it needs to keep working. This can cause brain tissue to begin to die within a few minutes. Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for one out of every 20 deaths that occur in this country annually, and its the leading cause of serious long-term disability, according to the CDC.

A stroke can greatly affect the brain. You may have trouble understanding what others are saying, you may slur your speech, and you may experience confusion.

Other symptoms include:

There are two major types of stroke plus a third, less-severe kind:

Lets go back to the good news: About four out of five cases of heart disease can be prevented. Thats because its most often caused by lifestyle factors, such as smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, and by other health conditions that can arise, including diabetes and high blood pressure (HBP), that can arise from these choices. While its never too late to make positive, healthy changes, the sooner you begin, the better.

Before getting into the risk factors that you can work to reduce, lets cover the few that you cant do anything about.

Age

This ones pretty simple. The older you get, the likelier you are to develop heart disease. In fact, more than 80% people who die from heart disease are older than 65, because the heart tends to grow weaker as you move into your golden years.

Gender

While heart disease may be the number cause of death for both men and women, it tends to develop later in women. Why? Experts believe that hormones such as estrogen, which women have in much greater abundance than men, may provide some protection against heart disease. However, those hormones decline during menopause. By age 65, a womans odds of heart disease match those of a man of similar age.

Genetics and Family History

Its true: Heart disease tends to run in the family. Did your dad develop heart disease before the age of 55 or your mom before she turned 65? If so, your own risk is higher than normal because one or both of your parents may have passed along a genetic ingredient in the recipe for heart disease.

Early Menopause

According to a 2019 study in The Lancet Public Health, going through The Change before age 40 increases risk of heart diseases like CAD, heart failure, arrhythmia, and heart valve disease among the approximately 10% of women who experience early menopause. It remains unclear why, though a decline in estrogen may be a factor.

These four factors make up only part of the complex swirl of possible causes of heart disease. You cant change your genes or age, but dont despair. Instead, use that knowledge as motivation to address the risks you can change. These include:

High Blood Pressure (HBP)

Having hypertension, a.k.a. high blood pressure, is a red flag for other forms of heart disease, increasing your risk for CAD, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. HBP results from plaque buildups in your arteries, thickening them and reducing blood flow.

High Cholesterol

Unhealthy cholesterol levels contribute to blockages in your blood vessels that can eventually lead to heart attack. Your body produces cholesterol naturallywe all need it to make important hormones and absorb Vitamin Dbut its easy to get more than you need by eating foods that are high in saturated and trans fats (like red meat, eggs, and dairy). There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or good cholesterol). LDL contributes to plaque buildups in your arteries. HDL protects against heart disease by transporting excess LDL to the liver to be processed as waste.

Obesity

Being obese forces your heart to work harder because your body requires more of the oxygen and nutrients that your blood supplies. This leads to high blood pressure. Excess weight also increases risk for heart disease, or makes them worse if you already have them, including high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Obesity has been linked to heart failure and CAD.

Diabetes

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes both limit your bodys ability to maintain a healthy level of glucose, a form of sugar that your body produces and uses for energy. Uncontrolled blood glucose damages your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart, eventually leading to heart disease. In fact, as many as three out of four people with diabetes die from some form of heart disease.

Physical Inactivity

The couch potato life not only directly puts you at higher risk of heart disease, it opens the door to other risk factors like HBP, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

Smoking or Vaping

Lighting up does more than damage your lungs. It accelerates your heartbeat while narrowing your blood vessels and contributes to the formation of blood clots that can lead to heart attack or stroke. Less is known about the risks of vaping, but many of the chemicals involved have been linked to heart disease.

Stress

Pressure and tension can elevate your heart rate and blood pressureand too much eventually damages your blood vessels. Stress also can lead some people to abuse alcohol and eat too much, as well as smoke. (And, remember, any amount of smoking or vaping is too much.)

Drinking Alcohol

Too much alcohol also can harm your heart. Excessive drinking ups your blood pressure and heart rate as well as your triglycerides, a type of fat linked to heart disease, because they may contribute to hardening and thickening of your arteries.

Sleep Apnea

This sleep disorder causes breathing trouble as you sleep, reducing the amount of oxygen to your blood and raising your blood pressure. Together, these can weaken your heart and put you at heightened risk chronic HBP, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, and heart failure.

Before we get into how your doctor will determine whether you have heart disease, lets make one thing very clear: Diagnosis is your doctors job. If you have heart attack symptoms, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, dont waste time searching the internet to figure out the problem. Call 911 immediately. How fast you act just might save your life.

However, cardiac arrest is just one of many potentially serious heart concerns. Diagnosing heart disease involves a range of screening tests and, sometimes, tracking devices, too. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, your health history, and any risk factors you may have. He or she will also give you a physical exam in order to listen to your heart, check its rhythm and the timing of your pulse, and look for signs of swelling and accompanying weight gain due to fluid buildup in the hands, feet, legs, or abdomena possible indication of heart failure or heart valve disease.

You may undergo a variety of blood tests to measure your:

In addition to the above measurements, you could be given non-invasive diagnostic tests or tools to montior your heart rhythms. They include:

You may be given more invasive diagnostic tests, too, to screen for heart disease. They include:

There is no cure for heart disease. That said, theres a lot you can do to live well despite having it. Treating heart disease can include lifestyle changes, medication, and sometimes surgery, but this conditionor conditions, ratheris never one size fits all. Your individual plan will be based on numerous factors, such as your age, overall health, and other chronic conditions (such as diabetes or kidney disease) you might have.

You know the drill: Eat better, exercise, lose weight, and quit smoking. We knoweasier said than done, but so worth it. Thats because the everyday choices you make today can halt the progression of heart disease tomorrowleading to a healthier and likely longer life.

Lets walk through the basic lifestyle choices you can implement to help make happen:

Lower your cholesterol. Cut back and avoid plaque buildup by swapping red meats for lean poultry and fish, consuming fibrous veggies and whole grains, and limiting (or even avoiding altogether) the saturated and trans fats found in fried and processed foods. Additional ways to get your cholesterol in check? Lose a few pounds, exercise more, and if that still isnt enough, talk to your doctor about medication.

Lower your blood pressure. The same lifestyle changes that help bring down unhealthy cholesterol levels can also help manage your blood pressure, often in tandem with one of the various blood-pressure lowering medications available.

Do everything you can do to quit smoking. We knowits really hard. But we also know that smoking causes lung cancer and seriously hurts your heart. Plus, a nicotine or vaping habit damages your arteries, ups your risk of dangerous blood clots, raises your heart rate, and contributes to HBP and high cholesterol. So make quitting smoking your top priority. Going cold turkey works for some, while others have to slowly wean themselves from lighting up with the help of nicotine patches and other aids, including medications and support groups. Your doctor can walk you through your options, so have that conversation as soon as possible. Visit the American Heart Association to learn more about how to quit.

Get moving. Physical activity of just about any kind beats the couch potato life. Thats because exercise strengthens your heart muscle so that it can do its job more efficiently. It helps lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, and, if you have diabetes, blood sugar levels, too. An added benefit? Breaking a sweat leads to a slimmer, fitter you. Exactly how much exercise you can do depends on your current state of health. Talk to your doctor, who might advise you to start slow and gradually build up endurance. If a walk around the block is your limit, thats OKlace up your shoes and get going. Tomorrow, youll likely go even further. If youre recovering from a serious heart issue, cardiac rehabilitation programs can get you started safely.

Eat less, and eat better. Changing how you stock your fridge and pantry is often connected to lowering your cholesterol levelsso follow the same advice: Try lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains, and skip overly processed junk food and fried fare. If you need guidance, consider enlisting a registered dietitian/nutritionist to outline a healthy eating plan for youand provide strategies to stick with your plan to reach your goals.

Lose weight. It cant be overstated: Being overweight or obese is hard on your heart. Your body mass index (BMI) measures body fat based on your weight in relation to your height. A BMI of 25 to 29 is considered overweight. You are considered obese if your BMI is 30 or higher. While use of BMI has been questioned by researchers as of late, partly because even the super-fit and muscle-bound may technically have unhealthy BMI numbers, some doctors still use it as a guide. More and more, however, physicians are concerned when excess body fat is concentrated around your waist, likely because a lot of belly fat can cause chronic inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease. The result? Your blood pressure and cholesterol go up and stay upand you want neither to happen.

If your heart health is at risk, and you find losing weight slowly and safely to be an impossible task, consider securing the services of a registered dietician, or ask your doctor if gastric bypass surgery is right for you.

Manage your diabetes. Diabetes and heart disease are a deadly combination. People with diabetes have as much as four times the risk of dying from heart disease than someone without this condition. This is in part due to the effect diabetes has on your blood vessels, and also because many other health conditions often accompany diabetes, including HBP, high cholesterol levels, and obesity. Controlling your diabetes through medication and lifestyle changes benefits your heart.

Consider medications for heart disease, if you need them. Many drugs treat coronary artery disease, or CAD. (Remember, CAD occurs when your arteries become clogged with plaque, restricting the flow of blood.) Here are the more commonly prescribed types of medication for CAD and other heart ailments:

Heart failure as well as heart valve disease are both treated with some of the same medications, such as diuretics, which help rid your body of excess fluids. In heart failure, for example, fluid can build up in your lungs and make it difficult to breathe. You may also be prescribed digitalis, a type of drug that strengthens the contractions of your heart and lowers your heart rate. Beta blockers and anti-clotting medications are also among the drugs that may be used to treat both conditions.

A wide range of surgical options also exists when heart disease requires more aggressive treatment, including:

Youve received your diagnosis of heart disease, and your doctor has presented you with a treatment plan. Whats next? How much of your old life will you be able to get back? Living with heart disease has challengessome physical, some emotional, some big, some small. Your goal: to take care of all of you and live your best life.

If youre not doing well emotionally, you might struggle with all of the other aspects of your treatment, from eating right and exercising to taking your medications. Often, depression is to blame. In fact, about one in five heart disease patients develops serious depression, while many others have milder cases. Research is mixed on why this is, although some scientists believe inflammation is involved. Fortunately, counseling and medication can help. Talk to your doctor if you feel down, unmotivated, or discouraged for more than a week.

Heart disease can feel scary. But those worries can overwhelm you and interfere with enjoying your life. If you struggle with anxiety, try to shift your focus to whats happening today rather than looking with worry at the future. Talk about your concerns with friends and family and ask them for support. And consider joining a support group to connect with others who face the same struggles that you do. Join the American Heart Association's Support Network.

Regular exercise and other physical activity help your heart. A minimum of 150 minutes of exercise will not only improve your heart function. It also may enable you stop taking some of your heart medications. But first, ask your doctor what exercises are right for you.

If youre recovering from a heart attack or surgery, it may be a few weeks before you can return to your job, but youll likely be able to pick up right where you left off. Of course, it depends on the jobif your current one puts too much strain on your heartphysical and, perhaps mental, in the form of stress--you may have to dial back your workload. The Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law, offers workplace protections for people with heart disease.

You may have to wait up to six weeks before you resume your sex lifeand only your doctor can tell you when you can safely return to romance. How long abstinence lasts will depend on your symptoms, like lingering chest pain or other complications. To get the all-clear, you may have to undergo an exercise stress test to measure your hearts capacity to handle any under-the-sheets action.

Before you climb behind the steering wheel, check your states regulations for driving after a serious illness. Also, if you have symptoms like chest pain, dont drive until they clear up.

You can kickstart your new life with cardiac rehabilitation. This is a medically supervised program that typically lasts for three months. Working with doctors, nurses, exercise specialists, dietitians and mental health counselors, you will receive exercise training, lessons in healthy eating, methods to reduce stress, and other education designed to help you reduce your risk of worsening heart health.

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What is Heart Disease? And Other Heart Disease Questions - HealthCentral.com


Apr 10

Noom: The Clever Diet App that Breaks Bad Habits | The – The Resident

Sitting around at home all day, with easy access to the biscuit tin, isnt exactly conducive to hitting those health and fitness goals, but fortunately theres a clever wellness programme that can help, even during these turbulent times

What if there was a little health and wellness expert inside your phone helping you navigate these choppy waters to hit your goals?

And not just an expert that helped you keep you away from the treats cupboard so that you can strut out of these crazy lockdown times in your skinny jeans but one that helped you see things differently?

One that helped you break bad habits (3pm tea and biscuit break, anyone?) and change negative behaviours so that you feel happier, healthier and more positive?

Well there is. That little expert is called Noom.

Noom isnt just another diet plan, its a health and wellness programme that uses habit-changing psychology and small goals to help you live a healthier lifestyle and lose weight for good.

Noom is an ever-evolving app that continues to add to the user experience, from remembering past meals for easier food-logging to sending you little motivational high fives.

The Noom app is easy to use and always by your side, using cutting-edge technology to accurately monitor your progress and provide expert advice and analysis to keep you on track.

But what really differentiates it from other products on the market is the programmes focus on behaviour modification for sustainable results.

And weight loss is just the start. The Noom programme is the first step to preventing or improving other chronic and pre-chronic health conditions like diabetes and hypertension.

Noom combines the power of technology with the empathy of real human weight loss experts to deliver successful behaviour change and sustainable weight-loss results.

Over 80% of Noom users have made progress on other weight-loss plans only to gain it all back, but this psychology-based programme teaches you how to identify and change the habits that have been holding you back.

Youll get weekly, individual one-on-one goal setting and support from your Goal Specialist, who is trained in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

Once you have passed your 14 day trial, youll have 24/7 access to your Group to share your daily struggles and successes, as well as daily access to your Group Coach to work through any issues and get kudos for your accomplishments.

The program is modelled after the CDCs diabetes prevention programme (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the USs leading national public health institute), and Noom has had a number of articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals demonstrating the programmes effectiveness.

Each Noom user receives coaching from professionals trained in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), meaning Noom delves deeper to help you understand your personal barriers, goals and areas of opportunity for change.

During the first week of the programme, your Goal Specialist helps you identify your Ultimate Why.

More often than not, a users Ultimate Why it is not just to lose weight, but a much more personal motivation, like being healthy for the kids or feeling more confident.

Each week the Goal Specialist works with your to create a personalised action plan based on your Ultimate Why, current progress and individual life circumstances.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) might sound scary, but its really not. CBT is essentially a goal-oriented talking therapy and is widely used in therapy to help people manage mental and physical health problems by changing the way we think and behave.

Its most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for health problems including insomnia, IBS, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Trigger > Thought > Action > Consequence

Nooms coaching model is based on CBT, addressing patterns of thinking and/or behaviour to help you identify the behaviour chain (Trigger > Thought > Action > Consequence) behind your unhealthy habits.

By better understanding your behaviour chain youll gain a better understanding of where you struggle and where you can make positive changes.

Brooke: I knew Noom was going to be different from the very beginning. When Noom asked me what my weight loss goals were, I said, you know, 35 pounds. Then, Noom asked me well, why do you want to lose 35 pounds? I was a bit surprised to be asked the question, but I answered, I want to be more healthy. Then Noom asked me, why did I want to be more healthy? I had to think about it again. Eventually, we got to what Noom calls my Ultimate Why that I wanted to be at my optimal weight because I wanted to make really smart decisions about family planning. If I want to have a second baby, I dont want for my weight to be a deterrent if I want to get pregnant again.

Annie: I wasnt really expecting just how much more positive I would feel about my life in general. So, having sort of that success with weight loss and the scale, made me realise that there are a lot of areas in my life that I could do better in. Because I felt really great about the success I was having on the scale.

Emily: The biggest win for me with Noom Id have to say is how I feel. My energy level has gone up. Even when the weight loss is slow and stubborn which its bound to be in any programme you get a lot of inspiration from your group. You get a lot of inspiration from your coaches. Its there for you all the time. Anytime you wanna pick up your phone or go on your computer, and login, and look for some inspiration its right there.

How to Join

Head to the Noom website, complete a brief survey and youll be presented with a personalised package. After a 14-day trial youll be introduced to your Goal Specialist and billed for the programme, which starts from 12.42 per month if you sign up for 12 months, 25 per month if you sign up for four months, or 49 for a single month.

To find out more see noom.com

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Noom: The Clever Diet App that Breaks Bad Habits | The - The Resident


Apr 10

Protein Is Key to a Healthy Immune System and These 3 Types of People Need the Most – LIVESTRONG.COM

When you think about the foods that help keep your immune system healthy, vitamin C and zinc may first come to mind. While those are surely health-boosters in their own right, protein is a key ingredient for keeping the immune system in tip-top shape.

Protein and a healthy immune system go hand in hand, and some people may need more of the nutrient than others.

Image Credit: Alexander Spatari/Moment/GettyImages

"Proteins are the building blocks for all sorts of cells and tissues in the human body, and the immune system is completely included in that," Cynthia Li, MD, integrative and functional medicine doctor and author of Brave New Medicine, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Another way to think about it? "Protein helps to form the cells that operate the immune system," says Isabel Smith, RD, CDN, a New York City-based registered dietitian.

Myb protein, specifically which can be found in both animals and plants plays a critical part in keeping our immune system humming along and preventing the development of immune and inflammatory diseases, according to a January 2017 study published in the journal Immunity.

When we don't consume enough protein, a lot of important health functions can go downhill, per a November 2012 review article in the Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy. Many of the jobs of the immune system including preventing sickness and speeding recovery can be compromised when we get too little of the nutrient.

The recommended dietary intake (RDI) of protein is approximately 46 grams a day for the average woman and 56 grams for the average man, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

These recommendations are based on a formula: 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or 0.36 grams per pound), so you can calculate your personal RDI based on your specific weight.

Learn how to fill your plate with healthy, nutrient-dense foods by logging your meals on the MyPlate app. Download now to fine-tune your diet today!

Research shows that Americans are meeting, if not exceeding, the general guidelines for protein intake. Indeed, a review published December 2019 in Advances in Nutrition found that adults are eating an average of 1.1 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.

If you're in a catabolic (breakdown) or anabolic (building) stage, you probably want to get more protein to support healthy immune function.

Image Credit: GrapeImages/E+/GettyImages

Still, ideal protein intake varies from person to person, and some groups of people need more than the average RDI.

1. Those Who Are Losing Weight

If you're working to lose weight, for example, you may actually want to consume more protein than if you were maintaining your weight.

While cutting calories is one reliable way to shed pounds, the same December 2019 study mentioned above revealed that these calories should not come from protein.

In fact, the study reported that those who are actively cutting calories to lose weight should be consuming more around 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (1 kilogram is about 2.2 pounds, for reference).

To put that into perspective, that's about 89 grams of protein for a 150-pound person and 106 grams for a 180-pound person.

One reason this may be? Protein can be helpful for weight loss; it helps you feel full, increases satiety hormones and requires more energy to metabolize, per an April 2015 paper published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

2. People Who Are Actively Building Muscle

Similarly, people who are strength-training to build muscle mass may want to increase their protein intake.

A broad sports nutrition review published June 2017 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that those actively working to build muscle should, at minimum, eat about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day (or 109 grams for a 150-pound person; 131 grams for a 180-pound person).

Our protein needs shift as we age, and older adults should be especially conscience of getting enough.

According to a position paper published by an international study group in August 2013 in The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, healthy adults aged 65 and older should consume 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily (that's 69 to 81 grams for a 150-pound person, and 81 to 98 grams for a 180-pound person, for reference).

And those who are ill should aim for even more 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram daily (or up to 102 and 123 grams, respectively).

Those with kidney disease should not increase their protein intake without speaking to a doctor.

The reason, the authors explain, is in part because more protein is needed to offset inflammatory conditions associated with chronic and acute diseases that commonly occur with aging. Higher protein intake supports good health and promotes recovery from illness.

A bean-packed soup made with bone broth is a double win for your immune system.

Image Credit: bhofack2/iStock/GettyImages

There are many delicious, protein-packed foods available to help you meet your nutrition goals and maintain a healthy immune system.

"It's always ideal to get protein from whole foods as opposed to processed foods," Dr. Li says, adding that she'd rather the majority of her patients rely on foods like fatty fish and legumes for protein rather than, say, a protein shake.

Part of her reasoning, she says, is that whole foods are often "naturally packaged with nutrients" that work well together and that our bodies utilize well.

She recommends a variety of foods to keep protein levels in check, including:

That said, Dr. Li acknowledges that some people's digestive systems have difficulty processing certain foods (looking at you, beans), who may benefit from more concentrated, processed forms of protein, like whey.

She's also a big fan of bone broth, which she notes is different than meat stock. "It's a broth that's made by cooking bones over a long period of time, with a little bit of vinegar for acid," she explains. "In theory, you're drawing out amino acids, which can be healing for the system."

Smith agrees that both plant- and animal-based proteins can be beneficial for the immune system. "It's just about getting enough," she says, noting that she herself likes to include a mixture of both in her diet. Some favorites? Tofu, edamame, grains, beans, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy.

Read more stories to help you navigate the novel coronavirus pandemic:

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Protein Is Key to a Healthy Immune System and These 3 Types of People Need the Most - LIVESTRONG.COM


Apr 10

How to live longer – the weight loss diet that could lower your risk of early death – Express

The key to living longer could be to eat a healthy, balanced diet - including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day - as well as regular exercise. But you could boost your life expectancy by adopting a low-fat weight loss diet, it's been claimed.

You can slash your risk of an early death by eating a healthy, balanced diet, according to the NHS.

Regular exercise is also crucial to maintaining a healthy body weight, it added.

If youre a smoker, quitting smoking could cut your risk of dying early, while taking a daily multivitamin may boost your life expectancy.

Making small lifestyle changes could help you to live longer. One of the key aspects to your longevity is your weight.

READ MORE: How to live longer - add one spice to your cooking to extend your life

Weight-reducing diets, usually low in fat and low saturated fat, with or without exercise, may reduce premature all-cause mortality in adults who are obese, said the scientists.

By implication, our data supports public health measures to prevent weight gain and facilitate weight loss using these types of diet, they added.

Eating a healthy, reduced-calorie diet is the best way to reduce your risk of obesity, said the NHS.

But, it's also crucial that you include regular exercise into your daily routine.

Everyone should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

Meanwhile, Joining a local weight loss group, or taking up social exercise classes may help you to lose weight.

Eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits could also help you to live longer, according to Harvard Medical School.

A strong social network is also important to boost life expectancy, it added.

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How to live longer - the weight loss diet that could lower your risk of early death - Express


Apr 10

Womans 9st weight loss after eating 42 packets of crisps a week saw her balloon to 20st and at risk of heart – The Sun

REACHING into a multipack of crisps for a cheeky snack might be the norm for a lot of us at home right now.

But when Kaitlin Liney was on her 42nd packet of the week, and midnight takeaways were a regular meal, she knew her eating was out of control.

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A visit to her GP confirmed her worst fears, Kaitlin then aged 20, 20st 2lb and a size 24 was on the verge of a heart attack.

Shocked into action, she swapped crisps for healthier snacks and joined a gym, losing more than 9st.

She says: Its crazy to think about how many packets of crisps I used to get through I was definitely addicted.

I would feel permanently starving and food was my weakness especially cheese and onion Walkers crisps.

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One packet was never enough, especially if I was feeling emotional or stressed.Sweets, takeaways, chocolate and biscuits were also my downfall.

Now Im really regimented and I try not to eat alone, so I can stay in check.

Kaitlin, 22, who studies animal management at Riseholme College in Lincoln, was overweight as a child and weighed 18st at age 15.

I was so stressed out I ate to hide my emotions

She says: I was always known as the big child. Even in primary school I was bigger than the other kids.

But it was during GCSEs that my eating got out of control. I was so stressed out I ate to hide my emotions.

When Id binge a whole multipack of crisps it would give me momentary relief, but that soon wore off.

I adored chocolate digestives and big bars of Dairy Milk and Galaxy. But afterwards Id feel rubbish.

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I hid my insecurity about my weight with my outgoing personality but deep down I hated it.

It wasnt until Kaitlin went for a routine check-up with her GP in June 2018 that she realised she had to change.

She says: When I stepped on the scales, it said 20st 2lb. It was a huge shock.

I was told I was morbidly obese and at high risk of a heart attack, diabetes and more it was a huge wake-up call.

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Kaitlin confided in her mum, Rachel Liney, 45, a carer, and stepdad, Darren Liney, 55, an agricultural engineer.

She says: My mum was lovely but honest, too, and agreed I needed to sort my weight out.

Two weeks later, Kaitlin started Slimming World and joined a gym near her home in Lincoln.

She says: It was really daunting going to exercise. But my friend came with me, which helped.

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At first I just did light cardio. As I got fitter I joined some classes.

I really loved it. Id hoped to lose 2st in six months, but lost over five, taking me down to 15st.

Kaitlin also forced herself to give up the takeaways and multipacks of crisps.

She says: I swapped crisps for apples whenever I had a craving. Sometimes the cravings were so strong Id be having a fight with myself in my head.

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It took Kaitlin 18 months to lose 9st and she is a healthy 11st weight.

She says: When I saw Id reached my target weight, I screamed.

"I feel so much better about myself.

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Womans 9st weight loss after eating 42 packets of crisps a week saw her balloon to 20st and at risk of heart - The Sun


Apr 10

Do You Need Protein Supplements? What Nutritionists Have To Say – NDTV News

Protein source: To ensure adequate intake of protein, eat proteins in all 3 major meals

The very mention of protein supplements makes one feel as if it is meant for body builders and weight lifters. For improving your health and body composition, both high protein and low protein diets fail. A good health and body composition involves reducing weight and increasing lean body weight. In this article, we are going to talk about protein supplements, and whether one needs them or not. The protein requirement of the body stands roughly around 1 gm per kg of body weight.

A person who weighs 60 kg needs around 60 gm of protein in a day. Protein requirement varies at different stages in your life. "Young and adolescent children, pregnant and nursing women, ageing and/or stressed individuals actually need more than this stipulated 1 gm per kilo of body weight," celeb nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar writes in her book Don't Lose Your Mind Lose Your Weight.

Also read:Try These High Protein Breakfast Options Which Can Help You Lose Weight

She goes on to add that your protein requirement also increases with factors like regular exercise and frequent travelling.

Your protein requirement increases with regular exercisePhoto Credit: iStock

"The body wastes about 40% protein in just a few days of experimenting mental stress, surgery, prolonged sickness and starvation. During these times, not just protein but even the total number of calories consumed need to go up," Diwekar writes.

Getting adequate protein makes you feel strong, helps you sleep well and you also end up looking great. "If you are working out and travelling a lot, then I would recommend you go on a protein supplement," says Diwekar.

Delhi-based nutritionist Nmami Agarwal agrees and says that the amount of protein you need depends on your lifestyle, level of physical activity and underlying medical condition, if any. "The more strenuous workouts you do, the more repair and growth your muscle needs, and the higher your protein requirements will go," she tells DoctorNDTV.

Also read:Is Vegetarian Diet Rich In Protein? Busting Myths Surrounding A Meat-Free Diet

A lot of us lead a moderately active lifestyle that can be maintained with a dietary supply of protein without having the need to consume supplements.

"It is absolutely possible to consume the required protein through natural foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, lentils, legumes, soy, and whole grains. But, if you are into athletic training or a sports person with active field hours- you might require an add on of protein supplement."

Eggs are an excellent source of proteinPhoto Credit: iStock

Having said that, protein supplements must be treated just as a supplement and not as a replacement for dietary protein. As mentioned above, both high and low protein diets fail. "You should not overload yourself with protein after a workout as the body cannot handle too much in one sitting," says Agarwal and add, "If you are struggling to get enough protein through diet, the addition of protein supplements might be helpful for a short duration, but it should be strictly taken under medical or nutritional guidance by an expert."

A healthy way to ensure adequate intake of protein is to eat proteins in all 3 major meals. "If you are into intense workouts, consider consuming your protein shake/ protein meal 15-30 minutes post-workout in addition to having protein with major meals," Agarwal recommends.

Also read:Weight Loss: What Exactly Is Protein? Our Nutritionist Explains

(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)

(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Do You Need Protein Supplements? What Nutritionists Have To Say - NDTV News


Apr 10

Why I am not celebrating Easter this year – The Gazette

Last week, the newspaper received its first obituary for a death related to COVID-19. The notice came through my email and I clicked to open the attached picture. I saw the face of a woman her eyes creased with a smile. She wore dangly earrings and a sparkling pink headband. She liked swimming, dogs and her family, the email said. I closed my computer and cried.

My sister-in-law has a probable case of the virus. Two other friends recently recovered from it. In every case, no one was able to be tested. Their doctors told them to assume they had it and quarantine. My friends in New York have already lost people they love. So many people I know, have family members quarantined. This will touch us all, its only a matter of time.

Facing the reality of our pandemic means facing the reality of death.

And I know that before our lives begin again, before hugs begin again, before I can meet you in a restaurant, or laugh with a stranger in a bar bathroom, or sing Goodbye Earl at karaoke, or go dancing or stay too late at Pub 217, we must exist in this extended Holy Saturday, one where we must sit in our isolated darkness and contemplate this loss.

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Americans dont like to talk about death. Death isnt a nice thing after all. Already, in the midst of a global pandemic, before the state has hit its projected peak, Iowas governor is talking about reopening parts of the economy. News stories advise us to use our time to learn a language, lose weight or start a hobby. As if this was just a small vacation and not an undefined internment. We are told to press onward, look forward, be grateful, pull ourselves up with our boot straps to see the sunny-side of a silver lining.

On Facebook, a friend writes that fear mongering from the media is ridiculous, look at all the people who survive! she points out, You will be fine! The day she writes that 2,000 people die from the disease in the US alone. They are not fine. Their families are not fine. A reader emails me to point out that more people die from heart disease than COVID-19. As if those deaths arent tragic and as if those deaths arent fought at every level of our health care system and society. A relative posts a meme about being ruled by Jesus and not being ruled by fear.

Last month, the president said he wanted to have the economy reopened by Easter. A claim he later walked back. Walked back is the phrase the media uses when the president says something so monumentally uninformed and dangerous that even he cant stand by it.

We want to skip to life, without sitting with death. We want resurrection without sitting with the grave.

This Sunday is Easter. The day the Christian tradition celebrates resurrection the triumph of God over the grave. So many will gather together to watch church on their computer screens to listen to hallelujahs and declare victory. Some will even risk exposure to gather together. In Ohio a woman claimed she was still going to church because she was covered in Jesus blood. I wonder how she thinks Jesus shed that blood in the first place.

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I grew up in the sweaty Evangelical churches of Texas. I knew about Good Friday and Easter Sunday. But it wasnt until I began going to Lutheran services that I learned about Holy Saturday.

Holy Saturday is a service of darkness and death. Some faith traditions cover their chancels in black. Others strip them bare. There is liturgy of mourning and loss. During Holy Saturday services the church sanctuaries are dark and congregants hold candles for light. In the Catholic tradition, Holy Saturday ought to be the most calm and quiet day of the year.

Holy Saturday is about grief. Its about looking death in the face. Holy Saturday is not about blithely moving forward and pretending the world hasnt fallen apart, its about sitting with the broken pieces.

It is only April, but already this year has been marked by fear and death. Anxiety over the election, a crisis in Iran, and now the pandemic and the collapse of our economy. We are losing jobs, losing our livelihoods, losing our savings, rescheduling weddings, not gathering for funerals. The world we once knew died in a matter of minutes and here we are, forced to sit and forced to grieve alone in the internment of our quarantine. As Americans we have seen this Good Friday death of our country and now we want to skip to the Easter. We dont contemplate dying and we rarely contemplate being dead. But that is what this moment of social distancing is requiring of us not cheery reflections that we will be fine, but a terrifying meditation on our grim reality.

I do not know what I believe about God and faith any more. But find power in the liturgy of being required to sit in our grief and giving it voice. And I know that before our lives begin again, before hugs begin again, before I can meet you in a restaurant, or laugh with a stranger in a bar bathroom, or sing Goodbye Earl at karaoke, or go dancing or stay too late at Pub 217, we must exist in this extended Holy Saturday, one where we must sit in our isolated darkness and contemplate this loss. Its a necessary coda and we dont know how long it will last. And no, not all of us will be OK.

lyz.lenz@thegazette.com; 319-368-8513

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Why I am not celebrating Easter this year - The Gazette



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