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5 Ways Stress Can Impact Your Health

From headaches to tight shoulders to refrigerator raids, we’ve all experienced the very-real effects of stress. But its ripple effect doesn’t end with eating an extra cookie or two. In fact, stress can spell major trouble for our overall health.

What Stress Is Normal?

Throughout our evolution, some stress has been necessary—like when we were being chased by lions, for example. In those stressful moments, our bodies flooded our bloodstream with various stress hormones. The hormones increased our energy and pain threshold, and helped us fight—or flee—as fast as possible. Some of the most notable of these chemicals: cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and norepinephrine.

Today this stress response can help us nail a new weight-room PR or run our fastest 5k. In controlled doses, it’s totally normal (and healthy!).

However, what’s not so healthy—although common these days—is to experience a constant trickle of stress for days, weeks, and months on end, explains Rob Danoff, D.O., director of the Family Practice Medicine program at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia.

Many of us feel mentally or emotionally stressed (whether because of work, traffic, whatever) at some point almost every day. Over time, this chronic stress affects us more than we realize, and takes a significant toll on our health. “Many effects are actually very surprising, and you might even call ‘silent,’” Danoff says.

The Health Effects Of Chronic Stress

Below are five of the most unexpected effects of chronic stress—and how to stop them at the source.

1. Constant Illness

Small, acute doses of the stress hormone cortisol can protect your body by signaling the immune system to leap into action. When you lift heavy in the gym, for example, cortisol spikes, letting your immune system know to rush and repair your muscles. However, chronic stress can do the exact opposite, thwarting the body’s normal immune response and leading to increased inflammation, Danoff says.

Related: 7 Supplements That Support Mental Well-Being

In one Carnegie Mellon University study, when researchers exposed people to cold-causing viruses, they found that those experiencing prolonged stress were the most likely to get sick. The researchers believe similar mechanisms could increase risk of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders, too.

Strengthen your immune system: In particularly stressful times, prioritize your health. Though it can be tempting to load up on less-than-healthy foods and skip workouts, doing so can compromise your immunity even further, says Minnesota-based exercise physiologist Mike T. Nelson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S. Plus, healthy eating and movement can actually help reduce emotional stress.

2. Jaw Pain

Stress can wreak havoc on your smile. One major reason: teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. In its early stages, bruxism—which typically occurs during the early stages of sleep—can cause you to wake up with a headache, earache, or sore facial muscles, Danoff says.

Over time, it can loosen teeth, aggravate the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), damage existing dental work, and wear down your teeth’s protective enamel, according to the American Dental Association.

Protect your teeth: Since you can’t really control what you do when you’re asleep, dental guards are a common first line of defense for teeth-grinders. However, it can also be helpful to implement a pre-bedtime routine that helps you de-stress and loosen up, Danoff says. Try doing a short meditation (you can use an app like Headspace), yoga flow, or gentle stretching routine.

3. Insulin Resistance

What do stress and insulin have to do with each other? A lot.

Both cortisol and epinephrine tell your liver to produce glucose. This way, if you need to fight or flee, your body has enough blood sugar at the ready to give you energy, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). From there, your body releases insulin to usher that blood sugar into the cells that need it.

When this process repeats over and over, cells become resistant to insulin, and our risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases.

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The fact that we often reach for sugary foods when stressed is no coincidence, either. In fact, it’s nature’s way of further jacking up our energy levels, explains Danoff. However, when we don’t need that sugar to escape a lion, this just exacerbates the process.

Keep your blood sugar in check: Fasting blood sugar, a marker for insulin health, is a standard part of annual physicals. If you haven’t gotten your annual check-up, schedule one. If fasting blood sugar comes back high, talk to your doctor about what lifestyle modifications can help lower your type 2 diabetes risk. One important change: stress management, which is nearly as effective as medication in helping people control their blood sugar.

4. Fertility Issues

In both men and women, too-high cortisol levels can interfere with reproductive hormones. In women, specifically, this can even lead to secondary amenorrhea, in which you stop menstruating, Danoff says. In men, sperm and semen concentration, quality, and ability to fertilize an egg decline, according to research from Columbia University.

Care for your reproductive health: Going without a period for three months or having irregular periods for six months both qualify as secondary amenorrhea. “Your gynecologist has seen this all before, so any kind of period irregularity should be brought up,” Danoff says. Reproductive health issues can be hugely stressful, but simply talking to someone and coming up with a game plan can do a lot to eliminate anxiety and get things back on track.

Related: 4 Types Of Foods That Fight Inflammation

Unfortunately, declining sperm quality isn’t as obvious. However, if you and your partner are having difficulty conceiving, consider meeting with a gynecologist, endocrinologist, and/or urologist. Increasing fertility could be as simple as getting more exercise, eating a more anti-inflammatory diet, or cutting down on alcohol.

5. Fitness Plateaus

Though we may refer to it as ‘good stress,’ your body still considers exercise to be stress. “Results happen when your body recovers from that stress,” Nelson explains.

When physiological stress levels are high—whether because of work, family drama, or poor sleep—your body doesn’t get the break from cortisol it needs to recover from exercise. The result: You don’t adapt—or grow stronger, faster, or fitter, he says.

Keep your workouts progressing: To gauge your recovery from stress, monitor your heart-rate variability (HRV). This metric measures the changes in time between each heartbeat, explains Nelson.

Why does that matter? HRV is intricately linked with nervous system function. In fact, a 2018 meta-analysis published in Psychiatry Investigation identified decreased HRV as a consistent marker of increased stress.

To track your HRV, download an app like ithlete. It tests your HRV through your pulse each morning and advises you on how hard you should work out that day based on your current physiological stress levels.

Manage Stress

Because you can’t control traffic jams and toddler temper tantrums, we know that managing stress is often easier said than done. However, eating a healthy, unprocessed diet, maintaining a balanced exercise routine, prioritizing sleep, and having a mindfulness practice (like meditation) all go a long way. Plus, a number of supplements—like l-theanine (an amino acid known for its soothing properties) and magnesium (the mineral that helps the body relax)—can also give your mind and body the zen support they need.

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K. Aleisha Fetters, C.S.C.S.

4 Signs You Have Low Testosterone

Testosterone. The male sex hormone guys have to thank for their deep voices, facial and body hair, and muscular strength, also plays a role in a number of unseen (yet vital) aspects of men’s health. Here’s how to tell if you’ve got low T—and what to do about it.

Why Testosterone Matters

In addition to giving men their classically ‘male’ features, testosterone also supports red blood cell production (and thus the transportation of fresh oxygen throughout the body) as well as sperm production. It also supports men’s mood, libido, and cognitive function.

About Low Testosterone

When testosterone levels run low, men often find themselves feeling, well, less like ‘men.’

Unfortunately, though, low T (also referred to as hypogonadism) becomes increasingly common as men age. Starting around age 40, most guys’ testosterone decreases by about one to two percent per year. By the time they’re 80, most men have low levels.

Low T isn’t just an issue for older men, though. In fact, more than 30 percent of guys under 60 (roughly six million American men) have low testosterone, says Lawrence Jenkins, M.D., a urologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Even men as young as 25 can experience low testosterone levels.”

Reasons For Low Testosterone

Regular ol’ aging aside, one common reason for wonky testosterone levels is being overweight.

According to John La Puma, M.D., founder of nutrition-focused medical group Chef Clinic and author of REFUEL, weight actually has a bigger impact on testosterone levels than aging. “As weight goes up, testosterone levels go down,” he says. In fact, low T is more common in overweight men and men with diabetes, according to the American Urological Association.

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Other causes include inflammatory diseases, narcotic pain med use, developmental issues during puberty, and damage due to cancer, according to The Mayo Clinic.

Signs You Have Low Testosterone

Guys dealing with low testosterone often experience a number of hard-to-ignore symptoms. Here are the details on four of the most common.

1. You’re Always Tired

Though experts don’t quite know why, low testosterone often causes fatigue, says La Puma.

One possible explanation: Testosterone is crucial for men’s ability to create proteins needed to build muscle and maintain healthy insulin sensitivity. “Both make men feel better,” La Puma says. After all, both help men power through the day—and impact their long-term metabolic health.

 2. You Feel Depressed

Depression, which often goes hand in hand with fatigue, is another common symptom of low T.

Though the reason behind the link between depression and low T is still unclear, one leading theory suggests that testosterone impacts neurotransmitters (chemicals that transfer nerve impulses to other parts of the body) in the brain. Perhaps the most notable of these neurotransmitters: serotonin, the ‘feel good’ chemical, which helps regulate mood, memory, and sexual desire, says La Puma.

3. You Have No Sex Drive

That said, if you have low testosterone levels, you may not feel aroused as easily or as often as you once did.

Related: 4 Supplements That Strengthen Your Libido

What’s more, you may also have trouble getting or staying erect. Testosterone plays a key role in every pathway (from your brain and spinal cord to your muscle, heart, and blood cells) involved in achieving an erection.

4. You’re Losing Muscle

Along with growth hormone, testosterone is a crucial contributor to the muscle-building process.

Testosterone boosts production of other muscle- and strength-supporting hormones, increases the number of neurotransmitters around exercise-damaged muscle tissue, and encourages muscle protein synthesis (the process of repairing and building muscle tissue). These factors are especially important after strength training.

When T levels run low, your body may have a hard time building new muscle—or even maintaining the muscle you already have.

Think You Have Low Testosterone?

If any of these four symptoms sound familiar—or you’re just curious about your T levels—visit your doctor. From there, a simple blood test will reveal your testosterone levels.

Normal T falls between 300 to 1,000 ng/dL, and anything below 300 ng/dL is considered low, according to the American Urological Association (AUA).

How To Boost Testosterone

If you do, in fact, have low testosterone, there are a number of ways you can get your levels back on track.

If you meet the clinical definition of testosterone deficiency, your doctor may recommend prescription hormone therapy. However, if you want to avoid hormone therapy’s potential side effects—like skin issues and possible heart risks—you can take a more au-naturale route, says Jenkins.

Related: 5 Things You Can Do To Boost Your Testosterone

In fact, lifestyle has a huge influence on testosterone. To encourage healthy T, your number-one task is to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Take a look at your diet and exercise habits (or lack thereof). If you have a few pounds to shed, get to it. In addition to regular cardio exercise, prioritize doing at least two full-body strength training sessions per week.

Scoring quality shut-eye can also make a big difference in T levels. In fact, according to one study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, just one week of poor sleep can negatively impacted T levels in otherwise healthy young men. (Unsurprisingly, guys also reported a lower sense of wellbeing.) Aim to sleep seven to nine hours every night and help your body shut down by following a relaxing bedtime routine, like taking a warm shower, reading a book, or doing light stretches.

Finally, the right supplement regimen can also promote healthy T. Talk to your doctor about whether a multivitamin and supplements like vitamin D, ashwagandha, and zinc (all of which have been shown to support testosterone) can help.

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Lauren Bedosky

These Keto Pumpkin Spice Donuts Are Anything But Basic

Whether it’s pumpkin spice latte season or not, there’s something comforting and warm about the combination of pumpkin and sweet cinnamon sugar.

These Keto Pumpkin Spiced Donuts are a cozy, delicious treat anytime of year—but they’re not your average donuts! Made with keto-friendly ingredients—like almond flour, erythritol, and coconut oil—they keep carbs and sugar low. Not to mention, they use Isopure Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate to boost protein content, so they’re infinitely more satisfying than your typical store-bought donut.

And, don’t worry, they also happen to be surprisingly easy to make—so heat up that oven and get to it.

Keto Pumpkin Spiced Donuts

*makes 6 donuts

Ingredients

For the donuts:

  • 1 ½ cups super-fine almond flour
  • 1 scoop Isopure Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate
  • 1/3 cup granulated erythritol
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • ¼ cup pureed pumpkin
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ Tbsp pumpkin spice
  • Pinch of salt

For the spiced sugar topping:

  • 3 Tbsp granulated erythritol
  • 1-2 tsp pumpkin spice

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
  3. Add all of the wet ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until a thick batter forms.
  5. Coat a donut pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the batter.
  6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the donuts are golden brown.
  7. Let the donuts cool for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish.
  8. While the donuts cool, mix together the topping ingredients in a shallow dish.
  9. Once the donuts have cooled, coat the top of each with coconut baking spray and press them into the topping mixture.
  10. Store sealed in the fridge, or enjoy!

Nutrition info for one donut: 220 calories • 17.5 g fat • 6 g carbohydrates • 3 g fiber • 3 g net carbs • 12 g protein

The Editors of What's Good

Review: I Tried LoveBug’s ‘Here’s The Skinny’ Probiotic For A Better Belly

After about three years of battling some major stomach pain and frequent emergency trips to the bathroom, I got sick of feeling sick. Recently, I made the decision to seek out a routine that would help me better my overall digestive health. I started by taking a look into the food I was eating, but also wanted to see if pairing a better diet with a probiotic would help. That’s why I was so excited to receive a sample of LoveBug’s Here’s The Skinny Probiotic to try.

About LoveBug’s Here’s The Skinny Probiotic

The 10-day sample can be taken orally once a day—or twice a day with food for more intense support. I opted for the first option.

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The formula is free of gluten, soy, sugar, yeast, and artificial colors and flavors, so it fit right into my plan to watch my diet more carefully. LoveBug even notes that some of the ingredients can help us maintain a healthy metabolism and weight, which is an added bonus (and explains the name “Here’s the Skinny”). I was excited to try something that I had never had before!

Trying The Product

I took the probiotic each morning about 30 minutes before breakfast. It was super-easy to swallow and I was pleased to find that it had no strange texture or after-taste like some other pills I’ve taken before.

On the first day of the 10-day trial, I did experience mild bloating and felt the same tummy troubles I was working to get rid of. However, by day two, my bloating disappeared and the sick feeling I often experienced was starting to fade. It only took a few days for me to start feeling more at ease after breakfast—a time usually plagued by my most major stomach pains.

Related: 4 Possible Reasons Why Your Stomach Is Killing You All The Time

By day 10, I can proudly say that I was spending less time running to the bathroom than usual!

Final Thoughts

I will continue to take LoveBug’s Here’s the Skinny Probiotic as part of my regular routine. While I still suffer from stomach issues every now and again, I have seen improvement after pairing this product with a better, more conscientious diet.

This Wellness Tester received free products in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Touretzky

What Is ‘Dirty Keto’?

With over nine million tags on Instagram, #keto has singlehandedly put butter back in our good graces. But does the diet really mean free reign to eat bacon and cheese whenever you want? Not really. Here’s everything you need to know about what’s come to be known as ‘dirty keto’—and why it’s not the best way to go high-fat.

The Keto Basics

Put simply, going keto means eating 60 to 70 percent of your daily calories from fat, 15 to 30 percent from protein, and just 5 to 10 percent from carbs.

By limiting protein and all-but eliminating carbs, you shift your body from its usual sugar-burning mode into ketosis. “Ketosis is the state in which the body no longer uses glucose from carbs as its main energy source,” explains Wesley Delbridge, R.D.N., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Instead, it breaks fats down into compounds called ketones, which can be used for energy.

The result: For many, weight loss, steady energy, reduced cravings, and more.

The Trouble With Keeping Keto Clean

In a perfect world, a keto diet still emphasizes clean, whole foods, with fats coming from nutrient-rich sources, like walnuts, avocados, and olive oil. Every meal still includes non-starchy veggies and quality grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, and nuts and seeds provide protein. This way, your high-fat diet still provides the array of micronutrients—like vitamins and minerals—your body needs to function optimally.

Thing is, sticking to the keto’s strict (and extreme) fat, protein, and carb requirements takes quite a bit of effort—and doing it in a nutritious way often requires a lot of researching food items, meal planning, and meal prepping, says Delbridge.

Related: How To Do Keto On A Plant-Based Diet

So, unsurprisingly, many a keto eater takes the easy way out, eating a diet centered around foods like bacon, cheese, butter, and packaged foods that fit the macro bill.

Dirty Keto

As the conversation about keto has developed, this technically-keto but not-healthy way of eating has come to be known as ‘dirty keto.’ All about convenience and ease, a dirty keto diet doesn’t prioritize the quality or source of your nutrients, says Jessica Crandall Snyder, R.D.N., dietitian at VitalRD.

“Dirty keto says you can go to the local fast food chain and get a hamburger with cheese and just take the bun off,” says Delbridge. It doesn’t concern itself with whether a food is processed or lacks nutrition—just hitting the right amount of fat, carbs, and protein.

“Dirty keto is just justification to eat whatever you want on the keto diet,” says Crandall Snyder.

The Effects Of Dirty Keto

While it may be possible to stay in ketosis—and even lose weight—while eating ‘dirty,’ your body will eventually feel the effects of eating junk, says Crandall Snyder. Loading up on nutrient-deficient foods can mess with your hunger levels and make you more likely to binge at some point.

Related: Want To Try Keto? Here’s What A Healthy Day Of Eating Fat Looks Like

And then there are the long-term impacts. Too much processed meat, for one, may lead to an increased risk of cancer, according to the World Health Organization. Plus, replacing heart-healthy fats with processed oils and overdoing it on saturated fats may ultimately affect your cholesterol and heart disease risk.

The Bottom Line

As convenient and indulgent as dirty keto may seem, your diet still bears the responsibility of providing your body with the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs.

If you’re going to give keto a try, focus on getting your fats from healthy, plant-based sources, like avocado and olive oil, and loading up on as many different vegetables as possible. Avoid processed meats and other keto-friendly but not-so-nutritious foods, like cream cheese.

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Emily Shiffer

Which Pump-Boosting Amino Acid Is Better: L-Arginine Or L-Citrulline?

When it comes to fitness-boosting amino acids, BCAAs seem to get all of the attention. However, two other amino acids deserve some spotlight, too: l-arginine and l-citrulline. Here’s what you need to know about their unique benefits—and which to incorporate into your workout routine.

The Arginine And Citrulline Basics

Arginine and citrulline are both amino acids, the molecules that make up proteins. So, unsurprisingly, you’ll find both amino acids in a number of different foods.

While many protein-rich foods, like fish and nuts, contain arginine, citrulline is found in fruits and vegetables. (The food that contains the highest concentration of citrulline is watermelon.)

Though arginine and citrulline are different amino acids, there’s a reason we often talk about them together. In the body, they constantly convert back and forth from one into the other.

When we consume arginine, an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS for short) breaks it down into a gas called nitric oxide (NO for short) and citrulline. That citrulline then heads to the kidneys, which recycle it back into arginine so the cycle can continue.

When we consume citrulline, it travels straight to the kidneys to transform into arginine and start the same cycle.

The Performance-Enhancing Effects

That nitric oxide gas both arginine and citrulline eventually produce holds the ticket to their health and fitness benefits. Why? Because it increases blood flow throughout the body.

“Greater NO creates wider blood vessels,” explains Marie Spano M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., C.S.S.D., sports nutritionist for the Atlanta Hawks, Braves, and Falcons. “This allows for more blood—and more oxygen and nutrient—delivery to muscles.” It also helps the body remove ammonia, a waste product created when we break down protein. Together, these factors help muscles function at their best and delay fatigue.

Related: I Tried 10 Different Pump Supps In One Month—Here Are My Favorites

What does that mean for your workouts? Improved endurance, performance, and recovery, says Antonio Castillo M.S., R.D.N., L.D.N., sports dietitian for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Science backs this up: According to a 2016 study of 22 male cyclists published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, athletes who supplemented with 2.4 grams of citrulline for seven days saw an improvement in trial-time performance and reported less soreness after exercise. Meanwhile, 2017 study of 56 male soccer players published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that athletes who supplemented with two grams of arginine for 45 days saw significant improvements in their VO2 max (a measure of how efficiently the body uses oxygen).

Related: 5 Amino Acids Gym Lovers Should Know About

The NO-producing amino acids offer similar benefits for strength-training athletes, too. One 2010 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study, for example, found that lifters who supplemented with eight grams of citrulline saw more than a 50 percent greater increase in barbell bench press repetitions than those who took a placebo. They also reported 40 percent less muscle soreness 24 and 48 hours after exercise.

Plus, bonus! Outside of the gym, research suggests nitric oxide also plays an important role in the bedroom. Case in point: One 2017 study published in Andrology found that a significant portion of men with erectile dysfunction had low arginine and citrulline levels.

Is One Better Than The Other?

Though research has found both arginine and citrulline to boost levels of nitric oxide in the body, most recent research—like this The Journal of Nutrition study—shows that citrulline actually delivers the most benefit.

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“Citrulline expands blood vessels to a greater extent than arginine,” says Spano. Why? The body use arginine for a variety of functions, so it doesn’t use all of the arginine it absorbs to produce NO.

Plus, unlike citrulline, higher doses of arginine have been linked to gastrointestinal problems, says Castillo. Because it tends to be poorly absorbed, arginine can even lead to diarrhea when consumed in large amounts.

How To Pump Up Your Workouts With Citrulline

To pump up your performance—and how your muscles look in the mirror—consider adding extra citrulline to your pre-workout supplement routine. (There’s probably some in your go-to pre-workout formula already.)

Spano recommends starting with one gram of citrulline malate and working your way up to five or six grams if you don’t notice much effect at first. This form of citrulline may also help enhance the body’s ability to use oxygen to create ATP, the chemical it uses to produce energy.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Mike Simone

Sink Your Teeth Into This Peanut Butter Keto Cheesecake

Ah, dessert. Though indulging your sweet tooth may seem like a thing of the past when you’re on a keto diet, it is, in fact, possible to enjoy sweet, chocolately goodness while still burning fat.

By swapping keto-crushing ingredients like regular flour and sugar for KNOW Better Double Chocolate Cookies (made with almond flour and coconut flour) and erythritol (a granulated sugar alcohol that’s sweet but calorie-free), this Peanut Butter Keto Cheesecake keeps carbs low and flavor high.

Every bite is a rich, decadent combo of chocolate glaze, creamy peanut butter filling, and chocolate cookie crust.

Peanut Butter Keto Cheesecake

*makes 16 small slices

Ingredients:

Cookie Crust:

Filling:

Chocolate Glaze:

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and generously coat a nine-inch springform pan or pie dish with non-stick baking spray.
  2. Crumble the KNOW Better cookies in a small bowl and press into the bottom of the pan to form an even layer of crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
  3. In the meantime, add all of the filling ingredients except the heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until combined and set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Then, fold the whipping cream into the rest of the filling ingredients until combined.
  5. While the crust cools, make your chocolate glaze. Add the sugar-free chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small bowl, and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Once heated, stir until a consistent sauce forms. Then, add the sauce to a plastic bag, twisting the middle of the bag to push the sauce into one corner.
  6. Once the crush has cooled, add the filling. Then, cut off the corner of the chocolate glaze bag and drizzle the sauce across the top of the cheesecake.
  7. Refrigerate for about four to six hours to firm.

Nutrition info for one slice: 270 calories • 22 g fat • 8.25 g carbohydrates • 3 g fiber • 5.25 g net carbs • 8 g protein

Lauren Del Turco

7 Game-Changing Health Products To Try In 2019

New year, new products! With 2019 resolutions and intentions in full swing, The Vitamin Shoppe shelves are lined with everything you need to have your best year yet—from collagen gummies to cereal-flavored protein.

7 Game-Changing Products That Just Hit Stores

1. Garden of Life mykind Organics Elderberry Immune Gummies

Made with organic fruit, Garden of Life’s Elderberry Gummies are a delicious way to boost your immune system. Every serving offers 355 milligrams of black elderberry extract and juice concentrate, 50 milligrams of echinacea extract, 40 milligrams of vitamin C, and two milligrams of zinc.

2. BodyTech Cinnamon Cereal Whey Isolate

With more protein and BCAAs per serving than whey concentrate, whey protein isolate is low in lactose and easy to digest. Thanks to innovative technology, BodyTech’s Cinnamon Cereal Whey Isolate (also comes in Fruity Cereal) has a better, richer flavor than your average protein powder. Every scoop provides 25 grams of protein for just a gram of sugar and two grams of carbs.

3. The Vitamin Shoppe brand Hair, Skin, & Nails Gummies

These delicious, strawberry bites are The Vitamin Shoppe brand’s first-ever beauty gummies! Every serving offers 15 milligramsof  vitamin C, seven milligrams of vitamin E, and 2,500 micrograms of biotin.

4. Detour Chocolate Candy Crunch Lean Muscle Bites

These mini protein bars are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Every bag of Detour’s new Chocolate Candy Crunch Lean Muscle Bites is loaded with individually-wrapped bites, each of which contains real M&Ms! Each bar offers five grams of protein and two grams of fiber for just three grams of sugar. Oh, and did we mention they’re only available at The Vitamin Shoppe right now?

5. Quest Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Bar

Your favorite protein bar brand is back with its latest creation, and this bar is the first in the Quest family to feature hazelnuts. You can expect the usual macros you love.

6. Neocell Gummy Glow

Trendy collagen is popping up in all sorts of supplements—and now you can even enjoy it in gummy form. Every serving offers 2,000 milligrams of clinically-tested NeoCell hydrolyzed collagen and 32 micrograms of biotin.

7. Divine Health Fermented Green Supremefood

Made with 10 organic fermented vegetables and four organic fermented grasses, every scoop of Divine Health’s Fermented Green Supremefood packs as much antioxidants as six servings of veggies. It also provides digestive enzymes and probiotics for healthy digestion.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

The Editors of What's Good

I Did Planks Every Day For A Month—Here’s What Happened

When I tell people that I have two herniated discs in my lower back at 29 years old, I proudly note that it’s one of the most common injuries in professional athletes. “I just went too hard, I guess,” I smirk.

However, my orthopedist knows I sit on a throne of lies. In fact, I didn’t injure my back during a set of gloriously heavy squats or any impressive feat of athleticism; I just started noticing pain when I bent over to pick something up or rolled over in bed. Why? Apparently because I have a very weak core.

While I can pile on plate after plate during my usual leg workouts and love a good spin or HIIT class, I can’t stand Russian twists, sit-ups, or my sworn enemy: bicycle crunches. So I never work my abs. Ever. (And it’s really backfired on me.)

Despite my general dislike for most abs moves, though, I never 100 percent hated planks. Actually, they were one of the exercises I did during my short stint in physical therapy that seemed to help alleviate my back pain.

Since back pain has continued to be an ever-present annoyance since I fell off the physical therapy bandwagon, I decided to plank every day for a month to see if there really was hope for my core strength.

Week 1: How’s It Feel To Be Below-Average?

Excited as I was for my planking time to (hopefully) improve, I wasn’t even sure how long I’d be able to plank for that first day. My answer: 32 seconds. Twelve seconds longer than I had even planked in physical therapy, that seemed pretty good.

Until I Google searched ‘average plank time for women,’ that is. I was a full minute below the average! I’d never been so below-average at something athletic in my life. Even pushups!

I tried to blame my pitiful plank performance on my injury, but knowing my weak core strength pretty much caused that injury left me feeling terrible.

Related: The 5 Most Effective Abs Moves

Although my plank time crept up to 44 seconds by the end of that first week, I was still frustrated with my performance. Every time I got into that plank position, time seemed to move at half-speed—and no amount of fidgeting or staring at the stopwatch on my phone passed the dreaded seconds any faster.

However, since I didn’t really feel sore, I knew I had more to give that next week.

Week 2: Okay, Now This Hurts

Fuming about my below-average planking ability and motivated by my lack of soreness, I was ready to put some oomph into week two.

While I didn’t necessarily feel stronger or have drastically better form throughout my second week of planking, my anger about being below-average really revved up my willpower. With my face red and the veins in my neck bulging, I slowly built my plank time up to a solid 60 seconds.

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Still, my abdomen didn’t look or feel any firmer, and I could still see my stomach dipping toward the floor in the photos I snapped. However, I finally noticed the satisfying soreness my first week of planking lacked. I was on the right track!

Week 3: The Glute-Squeeze That Rocked My World

Have you ever realized you’ve been doing something wrong your entire life, and that just one tiny tweak could change everything? That happened to me during a workout class in my third week of planking.

After a few rounds of rowing intervals, we moved to the floor and moved through not one, but six (!), different plank variations. The instructor told us to squeeze our glutes as tight as we could, and to try and shift some weight out of our arms and shoulders.

So, I squeezed my butt and shifted my weight—and I had a total a-ha moment. Planking was instantly easier! If I hadn’t been slathered in sweat at the end of class, I would have hugged that instructor. With his advice, I was able to up my plank hold times to 70, 80, and then 90 seconds by the end of the third week.

Though I still hadn’t noticed any major physical changes, I felt stronger and more stable for the first time. And despite the soreness that rocked my midsection, the jarring lower-back pain I’d get when bending to pick something up or shifting in bed started to dissipate.

Week 4: Just Breathe

Despite my continuous gains, I was still woefully average (at least according to Google) at the start of my fourth week. And worse, by mid-week, I’d hit a plateau. I couldn’t get past 90 seconds of planking without flopping onto the ground, core on fire and self-esteem completely deflated.

I began to wonder if I was just psyching myself out. My constant fidgeting and phone-watching proved that though my body could keep going, my mind was absolutely losing it.

If I could just find a way to help pass the time—or feel calmer—I knew I could make it past that annoying 90-second threshold. After all, the people we often think of as pro plankers are pretty disciplined folks—Marines, police officers, yogis.

I decided to focus on quieting my mind the next time I planked, and let me tell you: It worked! Though I didn’t exactly meditate my way through my planks, I did start listening to my favorite news podcast. I got so peeved by all of the political talk that I completely forgot how on-fire my core was!

No, I wasn’t suddenly able to plank for 10 minutes straight, but I was able to hold the position for 122 seconds that final day. That’s more than two minutes!

How 30 Days of Planking Transformed My Core

While I didn’t have rock-hard abs by the end of my month-long planking experiment, I never really expected to. After all, I’m a firm believer that abs are defined in the kitchen—and I really love pizza, wine, and mozzarella sticks.

However, I was really surprised by my progress. Thought I’d always considered myself a pretty athletic person, this challenge reinforced the fact that if I neglected certain parts of my body, I would pay the price. I still felt disappointed in myself for neglecting my core for so long, but I was proud of myself for finally making a concerted, daily effort to rebuild strength.

And, while my lower-back pain is still there, it’s definitely less prominent—and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I might not continue to plank for as long as possible for every day moving forward, but I will certainly incorporate more core work into my usual exercise routine.

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Julia Sullivan

5 Ways Beetroot Powder Can Boost Your Health and Fitness

Whether you regularly put beets on your plate, or only opt for the occasional beet and goat cheese arugula salad, there’s no denying the recent popularity of this root vegetable. Not only are beets packed with nutrients, but they also offer health and fitness benefits other foods do not. Here’s what you need to know about beets—and how beetroot powder could give your body the boost it needs.

What’s So Special About Beets?

Beets, beetroot juice, and beetroot powders have been popping up in smoothie recipes, pre-workouts, and more in recent years—and for good reason.

For very few calories, beets contain a variety of vitamins, minerals (especially potassium), and antioxidants.

But the real secret to beets’ powers: nitrates. Found in a handful of plant foods, these compounds are converted into nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels, says Angie Asche, M.S., R.D., sports dietitian and owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition. “This allows for increased blood flow throughout the body.”

Benefits Of Beetroot Powder

Thing is, you’d have to eat a lot of beets (like somewhere between two and eight) to produce enough nitric oxide to reap real blood flow benefits. That’s where beetroot powder, which is made from dehydrated beets and thus contains higher levels of nitrates, comes in. (Concentrated beetroot juice also offers the same advantage.) Here are five health and fitness perks of the ruby red powder.

1. Strengthens Your Heart Health

When it comes to heart health, beets’ biggest benefit is improved blood pressure. “Dietary nitrates from beets dilate blood vessels, allowing for increased blood flow and therefore putting less stress on the heart to pump oxygen and nutrients throughout the body,” says Kelly Jones M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., nutrition consultant to professional athletes, sports organizations, and fitness clubs.

Keep in mind, though, that eating beets once or twice won’t permanently lower blood pressure; you’ve got to consume beets’ nitrates regularly—and incorporating beetroot powder into your routine is an easy way to do so.

2. Increases Exercise Endurance

While they help keep your heart from working too hard, beets’ nitrates can also help your muscles work harder.

One 2017 study published in the journal Nutrients, for example, found that beet supplementation may improve time-to-exhaustion during exercise. Translation: It may help you work out for longer.

According to Asche, this benefit may stem from nitric oxide’s ability to increase blood flow, which then increases the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles. Since oxygen is a crucial component in powering forms of ‘aerobic’ or ‘cardiovascular’ exercise—like long runs or bike rides—more oxygen means better performance.

3. Power Through High-Intensity Workouts

Not only do beets’ nitrates help enhance cardio exercise, but they also boost higher-intensity training—like sprints or heavy lifting—that rely on chemicals other than oxygen. Case in point: One 2018 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition study found that beetroot reduced fatigue during high-intensity exercise.

Related: What Happened When I Swapped My Usual Pre-Workout For Beets

Though research has yet to uncover exactly how beets have this effect, Jones suggests it may relate to beets’ ability to reduce the breakdown of creatine phosphate—a crucial chemical for this type of exercise—during training.

4. Reduces Recovery Time

Along with supporting exercise, the nitric oxide produced by beets’ nitrates can also help speed up recovery. Not only does boosted blood flow mean increased oxygen transport during exercise, but also increased transport of oxygen and other nutrients muscles need to recover after exercise. As a result, your hard-worked tissues get the materials they need to repair.

Research backs this up: One study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, for example, found that supplementing with beets after intense exercise modulated soreness in active guys.

5. Boosts Brain Health

Outside of the gym, beetroot powder may also provide cognitive health benefits, especially for older adults.

According to one 2011 study published in the journal Nitric Oxide, nitrates may help improve delivery of blood to areas of the brain associated with executive function. (This includes memory, focus, and emotion regulation.)

The theory is that by dilating blood vessels and improving blood flow, nitric oxide also improves oxygen and nutrient delivery to the brain, says Jones.

This effect may also benefits the brains of younger populations, but research has more investigating to do.

How To Use Beetroot Powder

Ready to add some ruby red powder to your smoothies or pre-workout shake? If you want to use beetroot to power your workout performance, Asche recommends mixing up and drinking one serving of beetroot powder about 30 minutes before exercising.

If you’re new to using beets or beet supplements before exercise, though, don’t just start chugging away. “Beetroot juice and powder have very distinct flavors and can cause stomach upset in some people,” says Asche. If you plan on using beetroot powder to power a competition—like a running or obstacle race—test it a few times during practice workouts first.

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When it comes to overall health benefits, especially heart health, you’ll need to up your intake even more. “Half a liter of beetroot juice (about two cups) per day has been shown beneficial,” says Jones. (That’s the equivalent of eight beets!) To reap similar benefits from beetroot powder, take anywhere between one to four servings per day, depending on the brand.

In addition to eating beets or supplementing with beetroot juice or powder regularly, Jones recommends incorporating a variety of other nitrate-containing vegetables into your diet. Leafy greens, celery, cucumber, celeriac, Chinese cabbage, leeks, fennel, and parsley, all contain naturally-occurring nitrates.

Pin the following infographic for quick reference:

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Mike Simone

Is Kava The Next Natural Stress-Fighting Superstar?

The stress-fighting herbs valerian root and ashwagandha have been getting rave reviews for the past few years, but according to wellness gurus and naturopaths alike, there’s another under-the-radar herbal superstar ready to take you straight to relaxation station: kava. We’ve got everything you need to know here.

What Is Kava?

To start, kava (also known as ‘kava kava’) is hardly new. Made from the roots and stems of the Piper methysticum plant (a member of the pepper family), kava has been used medicinally by islanders in the South Pacific for thousands of years. In fact, “warring tribes would ceremoniously drink a beverage made of kava and water, sit down, and work out their difference,” says naturopathic medicine practitioner Steven Ehrlich, N.M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Solutions Acupuncture and Naturopathic Medicine.

In recent decades, though, the ingredient has started popping up in DIY elixirs, capsules, and tinctures.

Kava’s All-Star Compounds

Kava’s claim to fame is its purported ability to ease anxiety and promote a sense of calm—and that power comes from a specific type of compound it contains.

“Kava contains kavalactones, which have been shown to interact with your GABA-A receptors,” explains nutritional consultant Caleb Backe. GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, prevents our neurons from over-firing or being over-stimulated—which is essential for brain function and mood regulation. Through their interaction with these GABA-A receptors, kava’s kavalactones have an overall calming and relaxing effect.

The Benefits of Kava

In addition to supporting relaxation, kava is also known for promoting restful sleep. Here’s some more information about the herb’s two main benefits—and how they help boost general mental well-being.

1. Eases Anxiety

According to more than two decades of research, kava has significant benefits for those dealing with feelings of anxiety.

The first long-term study on the subject, published in Pharmacopsychiatry in 1997, found that people with anxiety who took a concentrated kava extract for 25 weeks experienced decreased symptoms. The researchers also highlighted that kava helped without causing dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal issues.

Since then, a number of smaller studies (like this one, this one, and this one) have also found kava extracts to be helpful for feelings of anxiety.

Related: 12 Natural Ways To Kick Stress To The Curb

In 2013, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (the most definitive type of study in the book) published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology sealed the deal, finding kava to be effective for soothing anxiety.

2. Promotes Restful Sleep

Because of its calming effects, kava has also been studied for its ability to improve occasional sleeplessness.

Though some research has focused specifically on its sleep benefits for people dealing with anxiety, other evidence suggests it can help even if you’re anxiety-free.

In fact, one 2015 review on natural sleep aids published in Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found ample evidence that kava helps improve sleep.

Kava Precautions

Though kava offers notable short-term benefits, long-term use may not be safe. Back in 2002, The U.S Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory to consumers about a link between long-term kava consumption and liver toxicity. For that reason, some countries in Europe have rolled out stricter regulations on the supplement.

Related: 7 Supplements That Support Mental Well-Being

However, it’s worth noting that the FDA does state that kava-related liver damage appears to be rare. According to the National Institutes of Health, “The frequency of clinically apparent liver injury due to kava is less than 1:1,000,000 daily doses.”

The Best Way To Take Kava

That said, this herb can be an incredibly helpful temporary part of your wellness routine if you’re dealing with a particularly stressful or sleepless period. You just have to understand and respect its power.

“Taking kava is not like taking magnesium, which has a subtle and gradual effect, to support stress,” says Ehrlich. “It has a direct pharmacologic effect.”

Since everyone reacts differently to different herbs, and kava may also interact with certain drugs for depression, anxiety, or liver function, talk to your healthcare provider about whether it’s a good fit for your needs, says dietitian Stacy K. Leung, R.D.N.

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Once you’ve got the green light, start off with half the recommended dosage of kava root extract (typically 100 milligrams) per day, says Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N., owner of Genki Nutrition and spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. If you don’t experience any side effects—which can include headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, low mood, or stomach upset—then go ahead and consume the full 100 milligram dosage, says Leung.

Valdez recommends taking kava for up to three to four weeks (and no more) at a time.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Gabrielle Kassel

11 Ways To Fuel With Fat When You’re On-The-Go

If you’re keto, you know the struggle of finding yourself out and about without a single fat-fueler food option to be found. Luckily, there are a ton of keto-friendly snacks, drinks, and other on-the-go goodies on the shelves at The Vitamin Shoppe. Here are 11 of our favorites.

1. Quest Protein Cookies

Flavors: Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Snickerdoodle

Cookies may seem downright impossible on a keto diet. However, you can in fact enjoy a soft, chewy treat without totally blowing your macros. With 17 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein, and just about three grams of net carbs, Quest’s Protein Cookies are great way to satisfy your sweet tooth keto-style. They’re made with a milk protein blend and sweetened with erythritol and stevia.

2. Finaflex Keto Hydrate

Flavors: Keto Punch, Keto Orange

This sugar-free, caffeine-free performance and recovery drink is just what high-fat eaters need to stay hydrated. Made with BHB salts (a.k.a. exogenous ketones) for energy and four vital electrolytes (sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium) for balance, Keto Hydrate is great before, during, or after exercise—or anytime you need a lift!

3. F Bomb Macadamia Nut Butters

Flavors: Salted Chocolate, Coconut, Pecan, Sea Salt

Nut butter lovers who go keto may be surprised to see how the carbs in some of their favorite spreads add up. Naturally very low in carbs, macadamia nuts are the keto nut—and transform into a crazy creamy nut butter. F Bomb’s single-serving packets of flavored macadamia nut butter provide a decadent dose of fat (22 grams) for just a gram of net carbs.

4. BHU Fit Protein Bars

Flavors: Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut, Apple Chunk Cinnamon Nutmeg, Double Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel Pecan, Peanut Butter White Chocolate, Fudge Brownie Batter, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Tart Cherry Pistachio, Vanilla Almond Cashew

With a variety of primal, paleo, and vegan protein bars (using whey protein, egg white protein, or plant protein), BHU Fit’s protein bars are made with a handful of recognizable ingredients, like shredded coconut, almond chunks, coconut oil, and dark chocolate. Sweetened with monk fruit and loaded with plant-based fats, each bar provides a balance of fat and protein, along with plenty of fiber and just a gram of sugar.

5. VPX Meltdown

Flavors: Grape Blade Lemonade, Citrus Twist, Peach Mango

The creators of BANG Energy Drinks have gone keto with their Meltdown drink. Every sugar-free can provides a whopping 7,500 milligrams of exogenous ketones, 225 milligrams of caffeine, a solid dose of electrolytes, and energy-revving theacrine and yohimbe bark extract.

6. Fat Snax Cookies

Flavors: Chocolate Chip, Lemony Lemon, Peanut Butter

Fat Snax’s small, snackable cookies satisfy a sweets craving in a flash—for just 90 calories a cookie. Almond flour, coconut flour, butter, sea salt, erythritol, and stevia form the base of these chewy bites, which contain eight grams of fat and two grams of net carbs a pop.

7. Know Brainer Creamer

Flavors: Mocha, French Vanilla, Original

Known as ‘The Thinker’s Creamer,’ Know Brainer is made from a blend of MCT oil, grass-fed clarified butter, and coconut milk powder to power a fat-burning mind and metabolism. The single-serving packets make keto coffee possible when you’re on the run; just knead the packet, squeeze into your go-to cup of Joe, swirl, and enjoy.

Related: 5 Keto Dessert Recipes You Need In Your Life

If you’re really in a pinch (or just that hardcore), you can also slurp down a packet straight. Each contains 200 calories, 21 grams of fat, and zero carbs.

8. Ancient Nutrition Keto Protein Singles

Flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla

If you’ve constantly got your shaker cup in-hand, single-serving packets of keto-friendly protein powder make fueling up easy, wherever you are. Ancient Nutrition’s Keto Protein provides quality protein from chicken bone broth, and quality fats from coconut MCTs.

Plus, the blend also incorporates antioxidants and adaptogenic herbs to take wellness and performance to the next level. Each packet provides 11 grams of fat and 15 grams of protein for just 170 calories and a gram of carbs.

9. KNOW Better Cookies

Flavors: Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Cinnamon, Lemon

KNOW Foods’ soft and chewy cookies are all about keeping it clean. These grain- and gluten-free treats are made with simple ingredients like almonds, egg whites, coconut oil, cocoa butter, flax, and coconut flour—and are sweetened with low-glycemic allulose. For their 16 grams of fat and seven grams of protein, they clock about three to six grams of net carbs.

10. F Bomb 100% Pure Oils

Flavors: Pure MCT, Coconut, House Blend (Coconut, Macadamia, Brazil)

If you’re in the business of shooting back MCT oil straight, F Bomb’s oil packets make chugging the fatty fuel easy. (They’re also easy to add to coffee, salads, soups—you get the picture.) With 30 grams of fat per packet, they’ll fire you right up.

11. Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bars

Flavors: Vanilla Shortbread, Fudge Brownie, Lemon Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip

Biohacker Dave Asprey is all about clean, smart fuel—and his Bulletproof protein bars are no exception. Made with grass-fed collagen protein, MCT oil, and quality ingredients like cashews and cocoa butter, the decadent-flavored bars keep you fueled and focused. They’re sweetened with stevia but slightly higher in carbs, at about nine grams of net carbs a piece.

Bulletproof products are only available in stores, so head to your local The Vitamin Shoppe to try them out!

The Editors of What's Good

Get Your Chopsticks Ready: Keto Ramen Exists!

Think being keto means you can never slurp down another noodle? Not so!

While, yes, classic wheat pasta—and even super-trendy chickpea pasta—will have to go, there is a type of noodle you can enjoy without overloading on carbs. In fact, they’re practically carb-free.

Meet shirataki noodles: Made from the starch of a yam-like Japanese plants called konjac, these noodles contain just about 10 calories and two grams of carbs (both of which are fiber) per serving.

With a somewhat sticky, rice noodle-like texture, they’re a great way to turn your favorite Asian-inspired dishes low-carb. So if you’re keto and craving a bowl of noodles, grab yourself a bag of shirataki noodles and whip up this keto-friendly ramen!

Keto Ramen

*makes one serving

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 scoops (18 g) Ketologie Roast Chicken Bone Broth Powder
  • 1 package (8 oz) Angel Hair Shirataki Noodles, strained and rinsed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • pinch of garlic salt
  • pinch of ginger
  • pinch of pepper
  • chopped green onions, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Add all ingredients except the noodles to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
  2. Once combined, add broth to a medium pot and bring to a boil.
  3. While the broth heats up, rinse and strain the noodles.
  4. Once the broth is boiling, add the noodles and continue boiling for one to two minutes.
  5. Simmer the ramen for about five minutes, then remove from the heat.
  6. Top with chopped green onion, if desired, and serve.

Nutrition info for full recipe: 100 calories • 1 g fat • 6 g carbohydrates • 4 g fiber • 16 g protein • 0 g sugar 

The Editors of What's Good

6 Tips For Keeping It Healthy On Keto, Straight From Nutritionists

Everyone seems to be ditching bananas and whole grains in favor of avocados and coconut oil these days. If you’re interested in going keto, though, it’s important you do it right. We rounded up some of The Vitamin Shoppe nutritionists’ best advice for going high-fat in a healthy way.

1. Stay Hydrated

When you first go keto, your body burns through the glycogen (a form of carbohydrates) stored in your muscles and liver before shifting into fat-burning mode. Because glycogen stores water, your body releases lots of H2O as it depletes its stores.

That’s why The Vitamin Shoppe nutritionist Jaclyn Jacobsen recommends prioritizing hydration on the high-fat diet. “Drink your body weight in ounces of water,” she says. “Water is essential for every function in your body and much is lost while on keto.”

If you weigh 150 pounds, for example, aim to drink 150 ounces of water (18 cups) every single day.

2. Add Electrolytes

Another effect of your body losing water: It loses electrolytes. These minerals—which include sodium, potassium, and magnesium—play roles in hundreds of body functions and are crucial for energy, immunity, focus, mood, and more, says Jacobsen.

When electrolytes levels drop too low, people often experience the fatigue and brain fog described as the ‘keto flu.’ For that reason, people on keto typically need to ramp up their electrolyte intake. However, considering the fruit and vegetable restrictions involved in the diet, this can be difficult to do through food alone, says The Vitamin Shoppe nutritionist Rebekah Blakely, R.D.N.

That’s where an electrolyte supplement comes in. Look for a product that contains a blend of sodium, potassium, and magnesium—like BodyTech Electrolyte Fizz, which adds fizz and flavor to all that water you need to drink. Jacobsen recommends a serving or two daily.

From there, you’ll also need to make a considerable effort to consume more sodium. The hormone insulin, which moves glucose from our bloodstream to cells throughout our body, helps our body retain sodium. Since keto eliminates sugar, insulin levels drop and we flush out more sodium in our urine and need to consume more, explains Blakely. Though most people should try to keep sodium intake below 2,300 milligrams a day, many experts recommend those on the keto diet consume up to 4, 000 milligrams per day—maybe even more if you work out a lot. To get there, Blakely recommends sprinkling pink Himalayan salt on your meals and drinking bone broth daily. (If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before ramping up sodium intake.)

3. Support Your Digestion

“People don’t often think about how going keto might affect their digestive tract,” says Blakely. Since most of us are not used to eating high amounts of fat, suddenly eating tons of it may cause some stomach upset at first. Plus, since keto tends to be lower in fiber, people may eventually experience some constipation.

To help keep your gut microbiome healthy and digestion smooth, consider taking digestive enzymes with meals, a daily probiotic, and some type of fiber supplement, recommends Blakely.

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Though a general digestive enzyme supplement will help, consider taking a supplement specifically formulated for the keto diet, like Real Essence Labs Real-Zymes Keto. For the probiotic, Jacobsen recommends ProBioCare 20 Billion Probiotic, which contains a blend of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium strains. For additional fiber, consider a formula like Ancient Nutrition Keto Fiber, which combines fiber, collagen, MCTs, and popular superfoods.

4. Remember Your Greens

Since keto restricts most fruits—and even many vegetables—it can easily become pretty devoid of micronutrients (like vitamins and minerals).

Maximize the nutrient-density of your keto diet by eating plenty of dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale, arugula, and chard. Not only are leafy greens low in carbs (and calories), but they’re also packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. The Vitamin Shoppe nutritionist Roseanne Schnell, C.D.N., recommends incorporating these greens—and other low-carb veggies, like broccoli—into every single meal. The micronutrients and fiber they provide help your body detoxify and balance electrolytes.

Related: What A Healthy Day Of Eating Fat Looks Like

You may also want to consider adding a greens powder to your regimen—especially if you don’t eat plenty of keto-friendly vegetables every day. Just be wary of how many carbs it contains, says Blakely. Ora Organic Easy Being Greens Organic Alkaline Greens Powder contains a blend of over 20 grasses, greens, herbs, and superfoods.

5. Focus On Plant-Based Fats

Though it’s tempting to eat lots of bacon, butter, and cheese while on keto, many of our nutritionists recommend getting the bulk of your fats from plant-based sources.

In some people, dairy causes digestive and skin issues, and promotes inflammation, Jacobsen explains. Plus, the chemicals and nitrites in processed meats have been linked to health issues like cancer, according to the World Health Organization.

Instead of relying primarily on animal products, base your diet on healthy, plant-based fats, such as avocados, coconut, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, and nuts and seeds, says Blakely. From there, sprinkle in organic, grass-fed meats and poultry, grass-fed butter, and free-range eggs.

6. Get Creative

With such specific macronutrient requirements and so many foods off-limits, enjoying a variety of meals on keto requires some creativity. That’s why Schnell encourages her clients to transform their favorite comfort snacks and meals using low-carb vegetables.

Related: 8 Nutritionists Share Their Favorite Low-Carb Snacks

A few of her go-to keto-friendly swaps:

  • Instead of on crackers, spread tuna, chicken, or egg salad on cucumber slices
  • Swap rice out for cauliflower rice, and regular pizza crust out for cauliflower crust
  • Spiralize zucchini noodles instead of making pasta
  • Use Portobello mushrooms as burger buns

Schnell also likes to bake proteins (like ground beef or turkey) in hollowed out zucchini, eggplant, or Portobello mushrooms.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

The Editors of What's Good

Keto For Women: What To Keep In Mind

The high-fat ketogenic diet is nothing short of a nutritional phenomenon. However, because it leads to such major metabolic changes, many dieters and experts question how it might affect men and women differently. Here’s why women may need to take extra care when going keto.

Men On Keto vs. Women On Keto

Researchers and doctors have been studying and using the ketogenic diet since the 1920s—most notably for treating epilepsy. However, much of the body of research on keto was done on men (or animals).

Recent work has begun to look at keto and women. However, many of the studies only involve women who are obese or struggling with metabolic syndrome.

Not to mention, very little research has focused on keto’s long-term effects—in either men or women. (By that I mean following a keto diet for more than a few months, or even a year.)

Though we’ve seen keto help reverse obesity and type 2 diabetes in both men and women in the short-term, long-term ketosis may impact reproductive hormones, digestive and heart health, and liver function—especially in people with predispositions for heart and liver issues.

In women, specifically, long-term ketosis could potentially impact menstrual cycles, libido, and fertility.

Why’s that? Generally, women’s endocrine (a.k.a. hormonal) systems are more sensitive to changes in diet and exercise than men’s.

Related: 4 Ways You Could Be Messing With Your Hormones Without Even Realizing It

You see, hormone function is controlled by the complex interaction of the hypothalamus (part of the brain), pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. This system is known as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, or ‘HPA axis.’

Women’s HPA axes are very sensitive to calorie restriction and exhaustion. Thus, disturbances can alter the production of key reproductive hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, which have many roles in women’s health. When this happens, women may experience issues with menstruation, low mood, thyroid and adrenal health, and even fertility.

Since the keto diet essentially tricks the body into thinking it’s starving, some evidence suggests ketosis (along with fasting and low-calorie diets) can disrupt a woman’s HPA axis. Plus, sudden weight loss—which often comes along with the keto diet—may also impact estrogen production.

Are You A Good Fit For Keto?

Though a certain percentage of genetically ‘sensitive’ women may experience these hormonal issues on keto, not every woman will. Hormonal imbalances often pop up initially, but clear up as women become ‘fat-adapted’ (better able to use fat for energy).

I find controlled ketosis has many benefits for women with excess body fat to lose, a history of metabolic syndrome, hormonal issues tied to insulin resistance (such as PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome), and generally healthy women who want to address issues like sugar cravings, fatigue, and brain-fog.

However, since we still have much to learn about keto’s long term effects, many experts—myself included—recommend adults follow a ketogenic diet for two to six months. (A doctor may recommend and oversee longer use in special cases.)

I do not recommend keto for women who are already underweight, have ever had an eating disorder, have a thyroid disorder, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Advice For Women Interested In Keto

If you’re a good fit for trying keto, keep the following tips in mind to have a healthy experience.

1. Focus On Eating An Alkaline Ketogenic Diet

Eating a keto diet rich in nutrient-dense, unprocessed, alkaline foods can help curb many low-carb diet symptoms women often encounter. (Thank fatigue, moodiness, and insomnia.)

Alkaline foods may help with fluid balance, weight loss, detoxification, and bone health—and can also decrease inflammation.

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Fill up on non-starchy vegetables, raw produce like greens, lean protein, and lots of healthy keto fats like avocado, olive oil, and nuts and seeds. Avoid excess meat and animal protein, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine, which are all highly acidic. Also, drink plenty of water, herbal teas, or bone broth to stay well-hydrated.

2. Make One Big Change At A Time

Though it may be tempting to combine keto with other health- and fitness-boosting protocols like intermittent fasting or HIIT workouts, be sure to take things slow. Making too many diet and lifestyle changes at once can overwhelm your endocrine and nervous systems. As a result, you may experience cravings and sluggishness.

Related: Want To Try Keto? Here’s What A Healthy Day Of Eating Fat Looks Like

Give your body a few months to adapt to one major change before making others. Track your progress in a journal so you can note any struggles or symptoms, identify patterns, and adjust course as needed.

3. Expect Some Side Effects At First

When first starting the keto diet, don’t be surprised if you deal with some temporary side effects. Together, these symptoms—which often include constipation, sugar cravings, menstruation issues, fatigue, and irritability in women—have been nicknamed ‘the keto flu.’

These symptoms should resolve themselves within a few weeks. However, if they linger or affect your quality of life, consider adding more calories or carbs to your diet. When in doubt, check in with a healthcare professional.

4. Limit Stimulants And Alcohol

For both women and men, the goals of a keto diet should be to balance blood sugar levels, improve mental clarity, increase energy levels, and support a healthy body weight.

Consuming too many stimulants, such as coffee and other caffeinated drinks, smoking, and drinking alcohol can mess with your mood, hormones, sleep, and hunger levels. They can also affect your body’s ability to stay in ketosis.

5. Prioritize Rest, Relaxation, And Sleep

Though you should certainly stay active while on keto, don’t push yourself too hard. Instead, I recommend taking daily walks outside and focusing on gentler forms of exercise, like yoga and pilates.

Though we all have different fitness levels and can handle different amounts of exercise on keto, women generally seem to be more impacted by over-training and not resting enough. That’s why it’s extra important that women decrease their workout intensity while on keto if they start feeling lethargic, sore, or burnt out.

It’s also crucial to get plenty of sleep (aim for eight hours a night) and manage stress. Both chronic stress and sleep deprivation can negatively affect thyroid and adrenal health.

The Bottom Line

While keto and other low-carb diets have much to offer women looking to shed excess weight, gain energy, and improve their metabolic health, you must listen to your body.

Though the first month of keto is a major adjustment often accompanied by wonky symptoms, if issues like missing periods, trouble sleeping, low libido, muscle soreness, headaches, cravings, and/or mood changes pop up after that, you likely need to eat more calories, more carbs, or both. In these cases, check in with a dietitian or functional medicine expert and consider eating a less-extreme low-carb diet that allows for 75 to 100 grams of carbs per day.

Dr. Josh Axe, D.N.M., D.C., C.N.S., is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, author, and member of The Vitamin Shoppe’s Wellness Council. Dr. Axe operates one of the world’s largest natural health websites, sharing healthy recipes, herbal remedies, nutrition and fitness advice, and information on essential oils and natural supplements. Dr. Axe founded one of the largest functional medicine clinics in the world, in Nashville, TN, and has served as a physician for many professional athletes.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Dr. Joshua Axe, D.N.M., D.C., C.N.S.

What Are The ‘Right’ Keto Macros?

Everyone—and we really mean everyone—is trying keto right now. But despite the diet’s wild popularity, there’s still some debate about how to do it right. Here, we break down the macro mix, which isn’t as cut and dry as you might think.

The Goal Of Keto

The basis of the ketogenic diet is to shift your body into ketosis, a state in which it uses fat for energy instead of carbs and sugar. The resulting benefits include weight loss, increased energy, and reduced cravings.

To get there, though, you have to deprive your body of its primary fuel source, glucose (which it breaks carbs and sugar down into). That means virtually all carbs are off the table. You also have to limit protein, which your body can turn into glucose when desperate.

To make up for the lost calories, you need to eat fat (and lots of it!), which your body uses to produce an alternative form of fuel called ketones.

Why Macros Matter

Sounds like tricky business, right?

While your average low-carb diet may allow for up to 20 percent of your daily calories to come from carbs (that’s about 120 grams), keto requires keeping carbs much, much lower, explains Monica Auslander Moreno, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition.

Related: What Is Keto Breath—And Can You Do Anything About It?

Eating even just a hair too much carbs or protein can throw you out of ketosis, so going keto requires paying incredibly close attention to how much of each macronutrient (a.k.a. carbohydrates, fats, and protein) you eat.

The Average Keto Macros

For most people, getting into ketosis requires eating 60 to 70 percent of their daily calories from fat, 15 to 30 percent from protein, and 5 to 10 percent from carbs, says Auslander Moreno.

For someone eating 2,000 calories per day, that’s 1,200 to 1,500 calories from fat, 300 to 600 calories from protein, and just 100 to 200 calories from carbs.

Another way to look at it: 133 to 166 grams of fat, 75 to 150 grams of protein, and 25 to 50 grams of carbs. (Fat contains nine calories per gram, while carbs and protein contain four.)

Often, dieters have to follow these macros for a week or two before their bodies transition into ketosis.

The Total Carb-Net Carb Debate

Sounds straightforward enough, right? Not so fast. You see, there are two ways to look at carbs—and some keto enthusiasts debate which measurement matters most.

First, you’ve got ‘total carbohydrates,’ which refers to the total grams of all carbohydrates consumed—including fiber, says Auslander Moreno.

Then you’ve got ‘net carbs,’ which refers to total grams of carbohydrates minus grams of fiber.

Most keto eaters insist that tracking total carbohydrates is the way to go, while others believe you can just track net carbs and essentially ignore fiber.

Though fiber is technically a carb, “it’s ‘indigestible,’ which means it doesn’t theoretically contribute to ‘energy intake,’” says Auslander Moreno. “The ‘net carb’ theory says that since fiber is indigestible, you can subtract the grams of fiber you consume each day from the amount of carbs you consume each day,” she explains. “But to imply that fiber grams negate carb grams is wrong.”

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Thing is, the fiber you consume is anything but ignorable. Not only does fiber nourish the microbiome and help keep your digestive system moving and grooving, but it also promotes satiety, balances blood sugar, and supports healthy cholesterol levels.

That’s why Moreno—like many nutrition experts—recommends tracking total carbs when trying to get into ketosis. That means sticking to 25 to 50 grams of total carbs a day, fiber and all.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid eating fiber, though! Most experts recommend adults get at least 25 to 35 grams of fiber every day—keto or not.

Finding YOUR Ideal Keto Macros

Though the general keto macro framework above is a good starting point, it isn’t necessarily the end-all-be-all.

In a perfect world, you’d test your urine’s ketone levels daily and experiment with your macros to determine the highest threshold of carb intake you can get away with without shifting out of ketosis. How many carbs you can handle without shifting out of fat-burning mode depends on a few factors, like your body’s natural metabolism, how long you’ve been on keto, and how active you are.

Ketone levels between 1.5 and three mmol/L (referred to as ‘deep ketosis’), are recommended for maximum weight loss, explains Joshua Axe, D.N.M., D.C., C.N.S. However, you’ll still reap many of keto’s benefits with levels between 0.5 and 1.5 mmol/L (considered light nutritional ketosis).

When You Can Eat More Carbs On Keto

In any of the following apply to you, you may be able to up your carb intake without sabotaging your fat-burning.

1. If You’ve Been Keto-ing For A While

“When someone first starts a keto diet, they need to be especially strict in keeping carb intake low,” says Axe. He recommends sticking as close to five percent of your daily calories as possible in those first weeks and months.

“However, once the body gets use to burning fat for energy, you can often increase your intake up to 10 percent, and then maybe up to even 15 percent,” he says.

2. If You’re Training Hard

Certain types of exercise, like intense lifting, rely on sugar stored in your body (called glycogen) for fuel. When you severely limit your carb intake, though, your body turns to a process called gluconeogenesis (in which it breaks down protein to produce glucose) to fuel exercise.

However, this last-resort energy production method isn’t very efficient, says Jessica Crandall Snyder, R.D.N., dietitian at VitalRD. Not only will your performance likely take a hit, but you may also lose muscle mass over time. (Where do you think your body gets the protein for gluconeogenesis?)

Given that, keto dieters may want to consume some carbs before and after this type of training. While it may temporarily affect your ketosis to some degree, it’s worthwhile if training hard and maintaining muscle are top priority for you. Just keep those carbs low the rest of the day to support fat-burning.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the keto macro formula that works best for you depends on your lifestyle and where you are in your keto journey. Working with a dietitian can ensure you make any necessary adjustments and meet your nutritional needs.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Emily Shiffer

6 Tips For Sticking To A Weight-Loss Resolution

It’s that time of year: After a long holiday season of parties, cookies of all shapes and sizes, and one too many glasses of eggnog, many of us are ready to kick off the New Year and reclaim our healthy lifestyles (and our physiques).

Reports suggest the average person gains up to seven pounds during the holiday season. In my 17 years in the weight-loss industry, I’ve seen many weight-loss resolutions fail. Here are my six top tips for kick-starting your New Year in a healthy, sustainable, non-painful way.

1. Do Your Homework

Taking the time to do a little research and prep work prior to getting started on any New Year’s resolution will seriously impact your results. That’s why I recommend spending January 1st researching.

Sure, the current it diet might be everywhere—but what do you think is the right approach for you? Get clear on your goal and make sure it can sustainably fit into your lifestyle. Then, consider what you’ll need to do to prepare and get started. Do you need to do a serious fridge clean-out or make a trip to the supermarket to get the right food in the house?

I think you can learn a lot from immersing yourself in forums, exploring Instagram hashtags, and following the right influencers and experts. Doing this helps you get a feel for other people’s experiences with losing weight or getting fit, and provides inspiration and expert input that can motivate and help you along the way.

Once you have a clear picture of your goals and necessary next steps, spend some time planning out meals and printing out workouts. If you need a little guidance, find a clean grocery list online, highlight the foods you enjoy eating, and plan a few simple meals from there.

2. Focus On Habits

Often it’s not our lack of knowledge, but our habits, that get in the way of us making healthier choices. After all, we all know a veggie-packed salad is a more nutritious meal than a cheeseburger and fries.

So, when you’re thinking about your goals and what you’ll need to do to get there, be honest with yourself about the habits that might sabotage your long-term progress. For example, do rushed mornings leave you without time to have a healthy breakfast (and lead you to grab a bagel later)? Addressing your snooze button habit will set you up for a healthier morning. Commit to getting up just 15 minutes earlier every day for a week to make breakfast. By the end of that week, your new morning schedule will start to stick—and it won’t be so hard to make that healthy breakfast happen!

To get into this mindset, I encourage you to think about three small behaviors that could be standing between you and your goals. Write them down and brainstorm small fixes for each. Once you’ve overhauled and mastered a few new habits and routines, you can layer in more.

3. Hydrate Like Crazy

If you’re coming off two months of eating lots of sugar, drinking alcohol more often than usual, and not getting your usual steps in, you’re probably going to feel tired, crabby, and maybe even flu-like in the first few days of cleaning up your act.

Related: 8 Fun Ways To Hydrate More When You Hate Water

Hydrating as much as possible is incredibly important during this time. Drinking plenty of water those first few days—and beyond—will move the toxins out of your body and diminish cravings, helping you feel better faster. Aim for 100 ounces of water a day!

4. Find Your Support System

Having a sense of community around you makes any goal feel more attainable. Make gym dates with friends, invite family over for a healthy potluck—whatever unites like-minded goal-getters and makes the process fun.

Though social media may not always have positive impacts on our well-being, it can be an incredibly helpful tool on a weight-loss journey.

Feel free to message other social media users who share your goals, or people you follow who inspire you. Find out if any friends or family members are working on their health in fitness in the New Year and create a group chat to encourage daily support. Share tips, recipes, and successes along the way—and seek the help you need when you feel your feet dragging. Just limit these circles to people who make you feel great about yourself and who you know will truly support you.

5. Measure More Than Your Weight

If your New Year’s resolution is to make major changes to your physique and body composition, there are plenty of measurements and other data you can use to track your progress.

That first week, take all of your basic measurements and consider investing in a scale that measures more than just your weight. Many scales today can estimate body fat percentage, bone density, and even hydration.

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Should changes in your weight stall—as they often do—these other measures can continue to reveal your progress. For example, if your weight hasn’t changed but your measurements have, you may be losing body fat while building muscle. And that’s a major win!

Think of your journey as a real-life science project. The more you investigate, research, and consider a number of insights, the more likely you are to succeed.

6. Take It One Week At A Time

Ready to feel and look better, many New Year’s resolutioners try to change their entire lives overnight. But completely cutting out alcohol, or vowing to work out twice a day, often leads to burnout and disappointment.

By focusing only on our end goal, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and tempted to throw in the towel. Visualizing months and months of hard work casts a shadow of negativity on what can be an enjoyable process.

I’m a firm believer in focusing on the present moment and what you need to do to succeed right now. When I sit with my clients, we think only about the next week. What challenges might arise this week, and how can we prepare for them? What meals can we plan and prep? Focus on small, weekly goals that center around one or two smart changes. Doing so yields results, motivates you, and sets you up for success week by week.

For example, if you haven’t been eating well or exercising, it’s a lot easier to focus on eating healthier meals for one week than to think about all the meals and workouts it’ll take to lose those 20 pounds. Focus on the steps right in front of you, not the top of the mountain.

And when negative, overwhelming thoughts and feeling do arise (it’s natural!), stop and think about three things you are grateful for that day. This simple act shifts your mood back to the here and now, and helps you concentrate on the tasks at hand.


Liz Josefsberg is a weight loss and wellness expert with over 15 years in the industry. A mom, author, fitness enthusiast, and weight loss success story herself (65 pounds lost!), Liz consults all over the world and is a member of The Vitamin Shoppe’s Wellness Council. She loves testing every diet, exercise regimen, device, and piece of gear she can get her hands on. 

 

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Liz Josefsberg, C.P.T., N.E.S.

Kris Gethin’s Guide To Making Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

By January 15th, more than 90 percent of New Year’s resolutions have already been abandoned. But that doesn’t have to be your fate.

With my video trainers, books, articles, gyms, supplements, and seminars, I’ve helped millions of people worldwide make life-changing transformations. Even if your goal for the New Year is physique-based, I believe that implementing and sustaining better habits is a cornerstone of success.

With consistency, a solid work ethic, and the following four tips, you’re sure to be in that 10 percent of New Year’s success stories.

1. Start With Goal-Setting 

Many people set New Year’s resolutions without having a detailed goal in mind, which dooms them to fail from the very beginning. Having a comprehensive plan in place helps you work towards your end goal more smoothly, so I always recommend putting the necessary time into this process before you even get started.

Spend some time in a quiet, relaxing place where you can think clearly, and put some serious thought into your goal. Beyond identifying your desired end goal, consider why that end goal is important to you. Then, write everything down. The act of physically writing down your goals is psychologically binding. Plus, it allows you to post them on your fridge as a constant reminder!

It may also be helpful to write down any potential issues or barriers you anticipate encountering on the way to your goal, and how you plan to overcome them. Being aware of any adversity you may face will help you feel prepared for the journey ahead, which is critical to your success.

2. Make A Vision Board 

Too often, people neglect their goals—or forget them altogether—because life gets busy. Having a visual representation of your goal, though, keeps it top-of-mind. Looking at a vision board every day forces you to visualize your goal. This provides an extremely powerful boost in motivation to reach that desired outcome.

Include a collage of images that inspire you. (They may include an athlete you look up to or a reward you’re going to give yourself when you complete your goal). You can also include brief descriptions of your goals and the deadlines you set to accomplish them by. Last year, my vision board included words and images focused on taking a vacation, completing an IRONMAN, purchasing a home, and completing a book. With its help, I accomplished all of those goals.

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Spend at least five minutes every day looking at it and envisioning yourself progressing towards your goal. This practice becomes even more beneficial when you face challenges, or when emotions try to get the best of you. Having a picture of the physique you’re working towards, for example, reminds you of your journey when you struggle to find motivation. I keep my own vision boards leaning against a wall in my office, right behind my computer. This way, I look at them constantly.

3. Break Long-Term Goals Into Smaller Milestones

When first set, your end goal will always seem like a significant, almost insurmountable destination. In fact, it may seem like such an undertaking that you give up before you can even see progress.

Using the simple strategy of breaking your bigger goal into smaller, short-term goals exponentially increases your chances of success. As you complete your short-term goals, you’ll feel a boost in confidence and renewed motivation to keep moving forward.

Related: The Hard-Gainer’s Guide To Building Muscle

An example: If your long-term goal is to lose 30 pounds of fat, set a weekly goal to lose one or two pounds. Replacing one overwhelming task with a series of smaller wins makes progress feel far more attainable. In about 15 weeks of consistently following an effective program, you’ll meet your long-term goal.

4. Create Accountability

Accountability is the glue of any successful transformation because it prevents excuses or obstacles from derailing your progress. In my experience, I’ve learned that without accountability, your chances of success are limited.

Luckily, there are many ways to generate accountability. You can publicly state your goal and the date you plan on achieving it (perhaps on a social media account), book and pay for a photo shoot in advance, or sign up for a sporting event that’ll require you to be fully prepared by a specific date.

Many people take another approach and enlist the help of a coach or mentor, whom they’ll check in with—and detail their progress to—regularly.


A natural pro bodybuilder, IRONMAN competitor, and ultra-marathoner, Kris Gethin is widely known across the health and fitness space as one of the leading experts and body transformation specialists in the world. As the CEO of Kaged Muscle supplements, former editor-in-chief of BodyBuilding.com, author of the best-selling book Body by Design, co-founder of Kris Gethin Gyms, and member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council, Gethin has helped educate and change the lives of millions of people.


Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Kris Gethin

How To Turn Your Holiday Leftovers Into Healthier Meals And Snacks

When the holidays—rife with office potlucks and family feasts—have come and gone, most of us are feeling overstuffed and ready to get back on the healthy eating bandwagon. But with fridges chock-full of holiday leftovers, that can seem like an impossible task. Luckily, with a little creativity, you can turn those leftover holiday foods into more nutritious eats. Here’s how to completely transform your cranberry sauce, turkey, and more.

Leftover Cranberry Sauce

We all love the sweet, tangy flavor of cranberry sauce, and it’s an easy ingredient to reinvent after the holidays are over.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Not only is this dressing, created by plant-based chef and culinary nutritionist Catherine Brown, delightful on salad, but it’s also great on leftover roasted veggies.

Whisk together the following ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp red wine or apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce
  • 1 Tbsp minced shallot or red onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard

As you whisk, slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in until fully incorporated. Thin with orange juice, water or more vinegar, if needed.

Cranberry Parfait

Another quick tip: Stir a little cranberry sauce into plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a tasty, high-protein breakfast or snack.

Leftover Turkey

Besides being tasty, turkey is rich in nutrients like vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, choline, selenium, and zinc. Plus, just three ounces supplies a whopping 26 grams of protein. But there are only so many turkey sandwiches one can make before their taste buds go dry….

Turmeric Turkey Pot Pie

Whether I’ve got leftover white meat, dark meat, or a combo of both, I love to use it in this updated turkey pot pie recipe:.

Add the following to a big bowl:

  • 3 cups chopped cooked or frozen veggies
  • 2 cups chopped turkey
  • 2 cans of low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
  • turmeric powder to taste (you can also use curry or smoked paprika)

Add your mixture to a sprayed casserole dish, top with crisscrossed strips of whole-wheat pastry dough, and bake at 375 degrees until pastry is golden brown. (About 45 minutes.)

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To make this dish ‘cleaner,’ make your own cream of mushroom soup or skip the pastry dough on top. The baked casserole is delicious over cauliflower mash or a whole grain. My kids request this one every year!

Leftover Soups And Sauces

Somehow, we all seem to end up with a fridge full of soup and sauce containers post-holidays—even long after the rest of our leftovers have been cleared.

 Split Pea Butternut Squash Soup

Soup is always a warm, welcoming first course at a holiday meal, and I purposely make enough to have leftovers. Once the holidays have come and gone, I like to re-purpose my Vegan Split Pea Butternut Squash Soup, which is rich in fiber and protein. While the soup makes for a healthy snack on its own, it also works well as a thick sauce over pasta, wild rice, or quinoa for a satisfying lunch or dinner.

Pasta Sauce, Reimagined

If you celebrate any holidays Italian-style, chances are you’ve got plenty of extra pasta sauce (or ‘gravy,’ if that’s how you roll) hanging around afterwards. Luckily, it’s easy to re-purpose pasta sauces—especially my go-to meaty Bolognese. One night, I might serve it atop chickpea pasta with roasted veggies. The next, I’ll stuff it into colorful bell peppers to roast and serve with a side salad. And if there’s any left for a third night, I might combine it with some chopped veggies in a casserole dish and top it with mashed potatoes to make a mock moussaka!

Leftover Veggies

Okay, the leftover veggies in your fridge probably don’t need much of a healthy makeover; they’re nutritious just as they are! However, if you want to give them some new life, you certainly can.

‘Vintage’ Hummus

Calling all hummus fans: Those leftover veggies are actually a great way to give your favorite dip an extra punch of nutrition.

In fact, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook, Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., loves using a variety of veggies to spice up plain ol’ hummus. Simply blend half a cup of chilled leftover vegetables with a cup of hummus and a squirt of lemon juice, and voila, you’ve got an extra colorful, flavorful hummus. Mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, and roasted beets all work well.

Related: 7 Healthy Alternatives To Ranch For People Who Like To Dip Things

Whether you use this leveled-up hummus as a dip at snack time or a spread on sandwiches or wraps, it’s a delightful way to punch up the plant-based goodness of meals while getting protein and fiber.

Leftover Pumpkin

If your pie shell runneth over and you’re stuck with lots of leftover canned pumpkin, fear not: Pumpkin is a rich source of vitamin A and fiber—and so easy to incorporate into other meals.

Pumpkin Chilis And Stews

Pumpkin is a perfect addition to any cozy winter meal. If you’re whipping up a batch of chili or stew (any kind will do), simply stir some canned pumpkin into the mix for extra nutrition, flavor, and color.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Dietitian Summer Yule, M.S., R.D.N., loves using canned pumpkin to boost her morning bowl of oatmeal.

To make her favorite Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, you’ll need:

  • 1 packet plain instant oatmeal, prepared with water
  • ¼ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
  • ¼-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1-2 Tbsp milk, as needed to thin the oatmeal
  • stevia, to taste

Simply stir all of the ingredients together and voila, you’ve got the ultimate holiday-flavored breakfast. (If you’re feeling a little more indulgent and want to mix a few spoonfuls of actual pumpkin pie filling into your oatmeal, I won’t tell!)

Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., C.D.N., is an award-winning author, spokesperson, speaker, consultant, and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC. She has been featured on TV, radio, and print, as well as in digital media, including Everyday Health, Better Homes & Gardens, Women’s Health, and U.S. News & World Report. She is a recipient of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Media Excellence Award and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label To Table.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N.

6 Healthier Cocktails Worth Celebrating This Holiday Season

Holiday season may be filled with high-calorie foods and spirits, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your health on a shelf. We asked nutritionists to share some of their favorite guilt-free cocktails for this festive time of year.

1. Light Merry Mule

“Cut some of the sugar and calories out of the traditional Moscow Mule by swapping in fresh grated ginger and sparkling water,” says Scarlett Full, R.D., Director of Nutrition & Research at Axiom Foods. “Then, add in some healthy, antioxidant-rich pomegranate seeds to kick it up a notch.”

Make it: Combine 2 ounces of vodka with 2 to 3 tablespoons of muddled fresh pomegranate seeds. Top off with juice from half a lime, 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, and 4 to 6 ounces of sparkling water. Mix and serve over ice in a copper mug.

2. Rosemary Ginger Gin Fizz

“Your holiday cocktail can have health benefits. Rosemary and ginger are thought to aid with digestion, plus the ginger also has antioxidant properties,” says Mikus.

Make it: Muddle 1 rosemary sprig and 1 lemon slice in the bottom of a highball glass. Add 1.5 ounces of gin, 2 ounces of ginger beer, 1 ounce of club soda, and stir.

3. Apple-Cranberry Sparkler

With this cocktail, “the tartness of apple cider balances the natural sweetness of agave,” says Lisa Mikus, R.D. and author of Everyday Diabetes Meals Cooking for One or Two. “Opt for unsweetened cranberry juice instead of cranberry juice cocktail, which has added sugars and more calories.”

Make it: Combine 1 ounce of 100% juice apple cider, 1 ounce of unsweetened cranberry juice, 1 teaspoon of agave syrup, and 4 ice cubes in a shaker. Pour into chilled champagne flutes and top with two ounces of sparkling wine. Garnish with a thinly-cut apple slice.

4. Skinny Blush Sangria

“Sangria is always a good idea—especially if it’s a lighter recipe and you can put it together in less than five minutes,” says Candy Calderon, holistic health and wellness coach. “It’s so delish and very low in sugar!”

Related: 4 Guilt-Free Sweet Treats Filled With Holiday Cheer

Make it: Combine 4 ounces of rose wine, 2 ounces of plain sparkling water, 1 ounce of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of chia seeds. Top everything off with raspberries and cherries to taste. Mix well and add ice as desired.

5. Pomegranate Lime Vodka Soda

“100% pomegranate juice from concentrate has a deep red color and is perfect for holiday drinks,” says Mikus. “The vibrant color comes from polyphenols, the antioxidants present in pomegranates.”

Make it: Combine 1.5 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of pomegranate juice, and the juice of two limes in a shaker with 4 ice cubes. Shake vigorously and strain into a festive glass. Add two ounces of club soda and stir. Top with pomegranate seeds.

6. Kombucha Mimosa

“Replacing regular fruit juice with kombucha is the key to a healthy holiday cocktail, as it is full of probiotics that will provide your gut with healthy bacteria,” says Calderon. “These bacteria can improve many aspects of health, including digestion, immune function, and even weight loss.”

Make it: Mix 4 ounces of champagne, Prosecco, or Cava and 2 ounces of kombucha tea. Add fruit if you’d like. Dab the rim of your glass with ginger for an extra kick.

Diggin’ What’s Good? For more essential health facts, tips, and inspiration, join our Facebook communities, Eating Healthy and Staying Fit, today!

Kristin Granero