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I Did Pushups Every Day For A Month––And The Results Were Incredible

I’m a firm believer in the phrase ‘anything boys can do, girls can do better.’ But while that definitely holds true at my job and even on the subway (looking at you, man-spreaders), it goes right out the window the moment I step foot into my regular workout class.

Pullups? Chin-to-the-ground pushups? Not so much. I stick to my corner of the studio and pray my boot-camp instructor doesn’t meander over to see me pitifully flail.

It’s not that I can’t do a single full pushup. But 20? Must be nice.

While I have full faith in my lower-body strength (I can squat more than my body weight), my upper-body strength just isn’t there. I can’t even do a cartwheel. Nor can I make it across the monkey bars.

The 30-Day Pushup Challenge

Unsatisfied with my meager upper-body abilities, I decided to prove to myself that I could bang out pushups like the boys. Not that there’s anything wrong with pushup modifications—but I was ready for the challenge!

The game plan: Every day for 30 days, I’d perform as many full-body, perfect-form pushups as I could. I hoped the number of reps I could do would gradually increase as the days passed.

While I knew that I’d inevitably grow stronger by the end of the month, I had no clue what amazing truth my body was about to reveal.

Day 1: I Am The Most NONATHLETIC Human On Earth

The first day of my pushup experiment happened to land on a particularly hectic day at work. With no time at the gym, I had to make do with performing my first set of pushups at the office—in tight jeans and kitten heels, nonetheless.

Oh, and I awkwardly asked a coworker I didn’t know well to snap a picture of me for this piece.

As if the circumstances weren’t dismal enough, I was only able to squeeze out seven measly pushups. One more and I would have fallen to the floor, perspiration coating my brow and pits.

Day 2: Well, This Isn’t Much Better

My second day of pushups was slightly more successful—10 pushups! I attributed the improvement to the fact that I actually did these pushups in workout clothes at the gym, and therefore wasn’t fearful of flashing my boss while doing them.

Still, the pushups weren’t easy. (Truthfully, I think I’ve had an aversion to them since we were forced to complete them for the Presidential Fitness Test back in grade school, which, c’mon, was absolutely cruel.)

Related: 5 Key Exercises That Will Help Women Build Upper-Body Strength

Given my first two performances, I was seriously doubting how successful my experiment—and the article I’d write about it—would really be.

Day 3-6: Am I Even Improving?

By the sixth day of my experiment, my optimism had fallen even further.

I’d been able to boost my total number of pushups up to 13, but that number seemed… underwhelming. I felt like there was no conceivable way I could consistently up my reps for 30 days.

Day 7-12: Slowly But Surely Increasing In Strength 

Despite the tough beginning of my 30-day pushup experiment, something miraculous started to happen the seventh, eighth and ninth day: I was growing stronger—and visibly muscular, too.

On day 12, I was able to execute 22 solid pushups with my face lowering to just an inch or so above the ground in each descent. I was pretty sure I’d never been able to do that many pushups in a single shot before.

Suddenly I felt re-inspired and rejuvenated for my next attempt.

Day 13-20: Okay, This Hurts!

My chest, biceps and triceps were a tiny bit sore throughout the first two weeks of my pushup challenge. But that slight, annoying twinge quickly turned painful around the halfway mark. After churning out 25 pushups on day 13, I was legitimately sore.

Even worse? Over the course of the next few days, I totally burned out. By day 20, I could only perform a pitiful 10 pushups.

Day 21: I. Can’t. Do. This.

After 20 consecutive days of pushups, a feat I had never attempted before, my body and my ego were hurting—bad.

As exhilarating as it was to hit that 25th pushup a week earlier, my current fatigue made hitting that number every day for the rest of the month seem impossible. My chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps burned. Even simple tasks, like shampooing my hair, took a gargantuan effort. So, I decided to take a day off.

Day 22-29: Onward And Upward

The next day, I still felt tired, sore, and utterly exhausted. But as I got dressed for work that morning, something caught my eye in the mirror that I’d never seen before in my life: my deltoid. (FYI: The deltoid is that roundish muscle located at the uppermost part of the arm and top of the shoulder.)

It was a part of my body I had never seen such definition in before, and there could be only one cause for its newfound pop: the pushups.

Fired up by the sight of my newly-visible muscle, on day 22 I performed 25 pushups with a vengeance. I decided to taper the number of pushups I’d perform every other day for the rest of the challenge so my muscles could get some rest.

With the end in sight, I felt a new surge of motivation. Thanks to that momentum (and probably the extra rest, too), I charged through a whopping 45 pushups on day 29.

I was really proud of myself for being able to perform 45 pushups without dropping down to my knees, but it definitely came with some pain.

As I got further and further into my 30-day experiment, I began to notice a few strangely uncomfortable side effects while doing my pushups, including a rush of blood to my head and hands, and a subtle sense of nausea.

Day 30: The Final Day (No Pressure Or Anything…) 

On my final day, I made it to my 45th pushup despite the throbbing of my entire upper body. I could feel the blood surging towards my fattening fingertips. But, like in the final leg of a race, when the finish line is in sight, something magical happened.

Despite my aching body, I squeezed out an additional 15 (yes, 15!) pushups—with a few pauses to regain my sanity, of course. After 30 days of physical and mental challenge, I was utterly shocked: I’d somehow just performed a whopping 60 pushups.

The Final Results: Success!

My 30-day pushup experiment proved to me that if you commit to literally anything for an entire month, you will see incredible (and surprising) changes.

Not only was I able to perform 60 pushups (with a few minor breaks here and there, sure) in a single sitting, but my physical appearance had transformed, too. My upper body looked stronger.

That said, my muscles definitely suffered some serious wear and tear towards the end of this challenge. To make sure I give my muscles enough rest to continue growing and gaining strength, I’ll probably incorporate pushups into my workouts a couple times per week from now on. I can’t wait to see how I progress!

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

Julia Sullivan

The Truth About Taking Shots Of Apple Cider Vinegar

Log onto Instagram and you’ll see everyone from beauty bloggers to nutrition experts using apple cider vinegar. Whether they’re putting it on their face, adding it to their salad dressing, or drinking it straight, the stuff is literally everywhere. But just how safe is it to slam shots of ACV? We asked the experts for the definitive answer.

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits

Super-pungent ACV has become so popular because of the slew of health benefits it offers. For one, it’s been shown to help support healthy blood sugar levels. One European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, for example, found that those who consumed ACV before eating white bread experienced 31 percent smaller spikes in blood sugar than those who ate bread but no vinegar.

Research also suggests ACV can help support insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes or insulin resistance, says Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., founder of Ancient Nutrition and member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council. (Basically, this means the body is better able to use insulin to transport sugar from the bloodstream to the cells.)

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How? Acetic acid, one of vinegar’s main components, decreases the activity of an enzyme that breaks complex sugars into simple sugars, says Axe. It’s also been shown to increase levels of glucose-6-phosphate, a compound that helps convert glucose (the simple sugar in our blood) to glycogen (a form of sugar stored in our muscles and liver to be used as energy). Both effects contribute to vinegar’s potential blood sugar benefits.

Related: I Drank Apple Cider Vinegar Every Morning For 2 Weeks—Here’s What Happened

Not to mention, acetic acid has also been shown to offer heart health benefits. In fact, one Japanese study found that acetic acid promoted healthy blood pressure levels. Meanwhile, early animal research suggests ACV may have some cholesterol-related benefits—but more to come there.

It may also offer some immune perks. “Some research also shows that apple cider vinegar can increase levels of proteins and cells involved in immune function, which could be beneficial for boosting immunity,” Axe adds.

The Downside Of Drinking ACV

Despite all of ACV’s benefits, it has one very notable drawback: It’s incredibly acidic. Apple cider vinegar has a pH of between two and three—just slightly lower than that of lemon juice.

ACV’s acidity isn’t an issue when you’re using it in salad dressing or other recipes. However, it can be if you’re drinking it straight—and swathing your teeth in it—regularly.

“Apple cider vinegar has a strong effect on the teeth because of its acid content,” says holistic dentist Tom Valmadre, D.D.S.. “Exposure can increase risk of decay, sensitivity, and erosion.” Not to mention, it can burn the heck out of your throat and damage its lining over time.

For those reasons, Valmadre recommends his patients avoid drinking straight ACV. He also warns against swishing the vinegar around in your mouth.

The Best Way To Consume ACV

That doesn’t mean you can’t make ACV a regular part of your health and wellness routine! Just keep a few rules in mind…

  1. Always dilute ACV in water (eight ounces of water for every one to two tablespoons of vinegar) before drinking
  2. Always drink ACV-containing beverages through a straw to minimize contact with your teeth
  3. Wait at least 30 minutes after consuming ACV before brushing your teeth (they’re more susceptible to acid-induced damage in this window)

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

Isadora Baum

The Supplement Regimen Every Guy Could Use In His Life

It’s still up for debate whether men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but one thing’s for sure: They have different health and nutrition needs.

A balanced diet and regular workout sessions are key to staying strong, fit, and healthy throughout the years. However, the right supplement regimen can help guys stay in their prime, too. Here are four must-haves The Vitamin Shoppe dietitian Tom recommends for men of all ages:

Watch the video to check out why:

My Morning Routine: Tom’s Men’s Health Must-Haves

Related: 5 Things You Can Do To Boost Your Testosterone

Want to give Tom’s favorites a try? Check out plnt brand Whole-Food Men’s Multivitamin, The Vitamin Shoppe brand Ubiquinol CoQ10, plnt brand Organic Black Maca Powder, and True Athlete ZMA With Theanine.

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

6 Supplement Combos That Are Like A 1-2 Punch To Seasonal Discomfort

If you’re hoping to stay healthy through holiday parties, gift shopping, and time off with your family, you’ve got to show your immune system some serious love. Whether you just want to strengthen your defenses or already feel under the weather, these immune-boosting supplement combos are just what you need.

1. Elderberry & Echinacea

Both elderberry (otherwise known as Sambucus) and echinacea are prized for their ability to support a strong immune system. Echinacea is believed to stimulate the immune system and boost our number of white blood cells. Elderberry, meanwhile, contains tons of antioxidants called flavonoids—along with vitamin A, B vitamins, and vitamin C.

One study in Nutrients, for example, found that elderberry helps ward off the immune impairment that often comes with traveling. Meanwhile, a study published in Phytomedicine found echinacea to be helpful for those dealing with seasonal respiratory issues.

That’s why certified professional herbalist Melanie St. Ours, founder of Psyche & Soma herbal medicine practice and author of The Simple Guide to Natural Health, recommends taking echinacea and elderberry together at the first sign of immune trouble.

As soon as you start to feel under the weather, take one tablespoon of liquid elderberry extract or syrup three times a day and half a teaspoon of liquid echinacea extract every two hours. Or, look for tea that contains both herbs and drink a mugful every couple of hours.

2. Elderberry & Oil of Oregano

Elderberry also pairs well with another herbal all-star: oil of oregano. The oil of this Mediterranean herb contains a number of health-boosting phytochemicals, including antioxidants and a compound called thymol.

Oil of oregano’s powerful antioxidants and other compounds make it particularly helpful for keeping your immune system strong all winter long, says Alexandra Catalano, holistic nutritionist and creator of the popular lifestyle brand Eat Cute.

Consider this combo your go-to for staying healthy in the face of holiday travel and sick coworkers. Since oil of oregano has a very strong taste, Catalano recommends mixing three to five drops of oil of oregano extract into a tablespoon of sweetened elderberry syrup.

3. Echinacea Goldenseal & Oil of Oregano

Okay, technically this immune-boosting duo is a trio. Echinacea Goldenseal is a combo in itself! It combines the powers of echinacea and goldenseal (the root of an herb long used by Native Americans). These two herbs work together to boost the body’s natural defenses when under attack and support respiratory health.

Echinacea and goldenseal work beautifully with oil of oregano, which Catalano calls ‘an atomic bomb’ to cold season immune invaders.

Related: When A Cold Is Not Just A Cold

“I like to drink Echinacea Goldenseal tea with a few drops of oil of oregano, a tablespoon of Manuka honey, and fresh orange and lemon,” she says. If you don’t like the taste of oil of oregano, Catalano recommends mixing three to five drops of the oil into half a tablespoon of liquid Echinacea Goldenseal extract.

4. Vitamin D & Zinc

Vitamin D and zinc both play major roles in immune health. Getting enough of them throughout the colder months is key for keeping your system strong.

Vitamin D, which is technically a hormone and not a vitamin, helps your cells function optimally by boosting the immune function of certain cells and suppressing harmful cytokines produced by other cells. Zinc boosts immunity by supporting the function of macrophages, white blood cell warriors that fight illnesses. Consider the duo a potent power-up to your body’s front lines.

“Vitamin D essentially plays the long game, keeping the right cells strong and ready to fight,” says Arielle Levitan, M.D., author of The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear the Confusion About Vitamins and Your Health. Extra zinc, on the other hand, can be especially helpful when your immune system is already in the trenches.

Levitan recommends most people take vitamin D year round. Dosage varies based on individual health conditions and climate, but typically lands somewhere between 800 and 1,200 IUs per day. When your immune system needs extra support, add 15 milligrams of zinc to the mix.

5. Manuka Honey & Camu Camu

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll have no problem getting behind this immune-loving combo. Manuka honey, a variety of honey native to New Zealand, is known for being high in antioxidants and a health-boosting compound called methylglyoxal. Meanwhile, Camu Camu, the fruit of an Amazonian shrub, contains almost 60 times more vitamin C than an orange.

“I love mixing these two ingredients to make a vitamin-packed throat coat that boosts my immune system,” Catalano says. “I mix a teaspoon of Camu Camu powder and a tablespoon of Manuka honey into hot water with lemon and ginger whenever I feel under the weather.”

6. Lactobacillus Reuteri & AHCC

If you’re looking for an all-around immune boost, probiotics and mushrooms can help.

You already know that probiotics (a.k.a. friendly bacteria) are crucial to your immune function. But certain strains can be especially helpful in bolstering your body’s defenses. “Lactobacillus reuteri, or L. reuteri, enhances the gut barrier, which is critical for maintaining good immune function and protecting against the less-friendly bacteria and viruses we are exposed to,” says Suzanne Dixon, M.P.H., M.S., R.D.N., registered dietitian with The Mesothelioma Center. L. reuteri also supports the function of T cells. These immune cells identify bodily invaders (think viruses and bacteria) and tell the immune system to respond. Plus, they also support the function of dendritic cells, which act as messengers within our immune system.

Mushrooms, which have recently gained popularity in the health and wellness world, are perhaps best known for their immune-enhancing effects. Dixon personally loves AHCC (active hexose correlated compound), a fermented mushroom extract that’s been clinically studied for its immune benefits.

Dixon likes to use these two supplements together because they support the two major components of the immune system: the innate immune system (general defenses like skin and chemicals in our blood that immediately react to all invaders) and the adaptive immune system (slower but invader-specific defense mechanisms). While mushrooms support innate immunity, L. reuteri supports adaptive immunity.

By combining the two, you bolster your immune system in a holistic way. They’re especially helpful if you’re traveling during cold and flu season or starting to feel rundown, Dixon says.

AHCC supplements typically contain somewhere around 1,000 milligrams of the extract. If you can’t find L. reuteri on its own, look for a probiotic formula that contains the strain (like Ora Organic’s Trust Your Gut Vegan Probiotic & Prebiotic).

Pin this infographic for quick immune salvation:

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

Jill Schildhouse

What’s The Real Deal With GMOs?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are complicated and controversial. With bounds of conflicting research, unclear industry lingo, and mixed marketing messages out there, it’s hard enough for most of us to understand what GMOs truly are—let alone whether they’re ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for us.

The GMO debate won’t be put to rest anytime soon. But in the meantime, you can certainly decide whether or not you want to eat them. Here’s the lowdown on what GMOs actually are, along with the arguments on both sides of the battle.

What Are Genetically Modified Foods?

Though genetically modified foods as we know them today are a recent innovation, the concept isn’t. “Crossbreeding has been used for centuries to make crops stronger,” explains dietitian Wesley Delbridge, R.D., a spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. Farmers have long cross-pollinated plants or purposely planted two crops close together to modify species over time.

In recent decades, though, scientists have learned how to hijack the process and alter plants’ and animals’ DNA in a lab, explains dietitian Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.N., owner of Keri Gans Nutrition. These modern, somewhat sci-fi-esque GMOs were first approved for commercial use and planted into U.S. soil in 1996.

Whether cross-bred the old-school way or modified in a lab, GMOs aim “to benefit the consumer in some way,” says Delbridge. Scientists use genetic material from other species to make crops more nutrition-packed, pesticide resistant, or less vulnerable to weather. Think apples with an anti-browning gene or potatoes with an anti-bruising gene.

The GMOs In Your Grocery Store

“Currently, 10 genetically modified crops are available commercially: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash, and sugar beets,” says dietitian Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N., owner of Genki Nutrition and spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Related: Your Two-Week Guide To Cutting Out Highly-Processed Foods

Many of these crops (most notably corn, soybeans, and sugar beets) are then used to make processed foods like cereal, chips, soda, salad dressing, and soups. And since these processed foods are everywhere, that means GMOs are, too. In fact, between 70 to 75 percent supermarkets carry GMO foods. “There are many more GMO foods on the market than people may realize,” says Delbridge.

GMO Rules And Regulations

Before they can hit shelves, GMO foods pass through a number of safety checks administered by the USDA, EPA, and FDA. First, the USDA reviews and confirms that a particular GMO is safe to grow. Next, the EPA reviews its potential environmental impact. From there, the FDA can review the GMO and declare it safe to eat. However, since the FDA considers most GMO foods to be ‘substantially equivalent’ to their non-GMO counterparts (per a 1992 policy), it approves most without review.

Many experts question whether the U.S. government adequately evaluates GMOs, and regulations across the globe vary. (The European Union, for example, has a much stricter evaluation process.) People in other parts of the world are so skeptical about GMOs that just five countries produce the vast majority of the GM crops out there: the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and India.

What’s Next In GMO?

Though most won’t be on grocery store shelves anytime soon, hundreds of hard-to-believe GMO foods are currently in testing. A few out-there examples: pigs that don’t smell, wine grapes that resist fungus, bird flu-resistant chickens, and hornless dairy cows.

The Big Question: Are GMOs Safe?

With so many questions about GMO foods buzzing around, many of us wonder whether they’re really okay to eat. In fact, according to a new International Food Information Council Foundation survey, 47 percent of Americans at least somewhat avoid GMO foods.

The Anti-GMO Argument

“Critics say GMOs negatively impact the environment, promote herbicide use, and are less nutritious,” explains Valdez. Some even suggest they can mutate and have unexpected, harmful consequences.

A major part of the GMO conversation is how they impact farmers’ use of herbicides. Opponents argue that when foods are engineered to withstand herbicides and repellents, farmers then use more of these toxic substances. Issue is, this then increases the amount of chemical residue on our food—and the amount of the chemicals we ultimately consume. One particular herbicide of concern is glyphosate, which is widely used on GMO crops (about 80 percent of GMOs are engineered to tolerate it). In 2015, the World Health Organization classified the chemical as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Another concern relates to GMOs’ potential impact on the environment around them. For example, research in the early 2000s suggested the pollen from a type of GMO corn harmed the local monarch butterfly population. (It’s now known as the Bt Corn Controversey.)

Beyond that, one of the biggest fears about GMOs is simply the element of the unknown. Some experts argue that GMOs haven’t been around long enough for us to understand their negative side effects. Therefore, they say, we can’t claim them to be safe. “It can take decades for the cumulative effects of something to be revealed,” explains Valdez. “Assessing the long-term effects of GMOs in the human body would take extensive research.” Studies would have to compare thousands of people who do and don’t eat GMOs over the course of decades. They’d also have to account for variables like exercise, sleep, and other health issues.

Meanwhile, On The Pro-GMO Side…

“Supporters of GMOs say the risks are non-existent,” says Valdez. They also argue that GMOs are more nutritious, have longer shelf lives, and can help reduce world hunger. Furthermore, they suggest GMOs are actually good for the environment and reduce waste.

Right now, scarce evidence scientifically proves GMOs are harmful—a fact major scientific organizations like the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization acknowledge.

What’s more, a recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine analysis purports that GMOs are safe to eat, do no harm to the environment, and even benefit farmers. According to Delbridge, farming GMO crops has been shown to increase yield, which means less land needs to be cleared and farmed to produce the same amount of crop, which theoretically lowers a farming operation’s carbon footprint.

Plus, contrary to the pesticide woes of GMO opposers, one meta-analysis published in the journal Plos ONE found that GMOs actually reduce pesticide use by 37 percent.

More Confusion: GMO Labeling

Scientific and theoretical arguments on each side of the GMO debate not confusing enough? Recent laws and regulations about the labeling of GMO foods have made the topic even more menacing.

In 2014, Vermont became the first state to pass legislation requiring that GMO-containing food products identify such on their labels. Then, in 2016, President Obama signed a bill requiring all GMO-containing food products say so on the label by 2020.

“Laws surrounding GMOs and their labeling imply a greater danger,” says Valdez. “Seeing ‘genetically modified’ on a label makes people envision scary scientists, robots, and Frankenfoods—things that scare them,” adds Gans.

Since then, the USDA has proposed new guidelines for the labeling of GMO foods so that they can bear less-familiar terms, like ‘bioengineered’ or ‘BE,’ which don’t incite the fear that the term ‘GMO’ now does.

Meanwhile, many companies have started labeling their foods as ‘non-GMO’ in an effort to proclaim their safety.

The Bottom Line

For now, most scientific organizations consider GMOs to be safe, and many of the common criticisms lack solid scientific support.

While we wait for more long-term research on GMOs, whether or not you choose to eat them is a purely personal decision. If their short history makes you uneasy, look for products that sport that ‘non-GMO’ label. Surely, we’ll continue to learn and debate as the years go on.

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.

Should You Swap Your Sports Drink For Pickle Juice?

As polarizing as the salty-sour crunch of pickles may be, there’s no denying these fermented veggies pack some noteworthy health benefits. For instance, they’re filled with probiotics and can help decrease blood sugar spikes after eating.

Another potential benefit that’s got people talking: muscle recovery. A growing number of athletes and gymgoers swear by drinking pickle juice to prevent and alleviate cramping. We spoke with the experts to find out if this trend is legit.

How Pickle Juice Got Popular

In 2016, The Washington Post reported that high school and college football players across the country had taken to chugging pickle juice before practices and games to ward off dehydration and muscle cramps. Despite a lack of research backing pickle juice’s pre-workout benefits, coaches and players alike swore it helped.

Related: 7 Things You Should Never Do Before A Workout

Soon thereafter, all sorts of fitness enthusiasts started jumping on the trend, trading their usual brightly-colored sports drinks for giant deli-style jars.

The Potential Benefits Behind The Brine

In theory, it makes sense for hard-training athletes to drink pickle juice. Many believe that pickle juice’s electrolyte and water content make it a good post-exercise recovery beverage, says Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook author.

The brine contains tons of sodium, which is touted for its ability to rehydrate the body by signaling the kidneys to retain fluids. It also contains potassium, another electrolyte, which is crucial for heart, nerve, and muscle function, along with fluid balance. So it’s no wonder athletes report that drinking pickle juice helps shorten or alleviate muscle cramps (which are often dehydration-related) when they pop up.

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But it may not only be just the electrolytes at play there. “There may also be a neurological component,” explains sports dietitian Marni Sumbal, R.D., C.S.S.D., author of Essential Sports Nutrition. “The sourness of the juice may signal your brain to direct its focus on that tart flavor and, by confusing the central nervous system, help the cramp relax.”

What The Experts Say

Ultimately, pickle juice isn’t a worthy replacement for your usual electrolyte drink mix. “Pickle juice has a good amount of sodium, but falls short on the potassium,” says Amidor. According to a 2009 study of nine healthy men published in the Journal of Athletic Training, drinking a pickle juice-carbohydrate combo drink did not substantially affect electrolyte levels in the body.

Separately, a 2014 study confirmed that men who drank roughly five and a half ounces of pickle juice and about 13 ounces of water before running in the heat did not see performance benefits. However, the study authors noted that further research should look into using larger quantities of pickle juice and water.

In better news, one 2010 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that participants who drank pickle juice after being given electrically-induced muscle cramps experienced relief quicker than those who didn’t drink pickle juice.

The Bottom Line

Though some of pickle juice’s believed benefits lack scientific support, its powers against muscle cramps seem legit. “This beverage would be most appropriate for athletes who are most prone to cramping due to sodium loss,” says Sumbal. The best candidates: endurance athletes and athletes who wear lots of clothing or heavy equipment, like football players.

How much pickle juice should these athletes sip on? It’s not quite clear. The Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise study mentioned earlier, though, suggests one milliliter per pound of bodyweight helps. That’s roughly two ounces for a 130 pound women or two and a half ounces for a 170 pound man.

Related: Use This Flow Chart To Find Your Perfect Pre-Workout

If you’re a marathoner or triathlete (or just sweat a ton), consider sipping on pickle juice before or after exercising. Just remember that the sour stuff is no replacement for good ol’ H2O!

(Note: If you have frequent heartburn or high blood pressure, Amidor recommends staying away from the pickle juice trend.)

Mike Simone

The Top 5 Weight Loss Mistakes Women Make

The decades-long journey that led me to become the fitness, nutrition, and weight-loss expert (and healthy, happy human being) I am today was just that: a journey.

For years, I searched for the next quick-fix diet or miracle workout. I tried just about every hokey weight-loss trick in the book. But it wasn’t until I made balanced, sustainable lifestyle changes that I lost the weight, got strong, and started feeling like the woman I was meant to be.

Still, plenty of the women I work with today are tempted by the same mistakes and fads that tempted me. These are the five weight-loss mistakes I see most often.

Mistake #1: Juicing

With new brands continuing to pop up on grocery store shelves across the country, juicing is clearly still hot. But although juicing has been advertised as a weight-loss tool, I assure you, it’s not.

Sure, if you shun solid foods and drink all of your calories, you likely will lose some weight. However, you’ll likely incredibly cranky and low on energy—and that weight loss won’t last.

When you juice fruits and veggies, you take out all of the tummy-filling fiber that helps keep you full and satisfied. Plus, you concentrate all of the sugar! Even just eight ounces of OJ contains more than 20 grams of sugar. If you’re guzzling fruit-based juices all day, you could take in more than 100 grams of sugar.

Not to mention, juice doesn’t contain protein. On a juice cleanse, you’ll fall far short on protein and potentially lose muscle mass as a result. (More on that later.)

Related: 9 Ways To Up Your Protein Intake

If you haven’t been eating enough solid fruits and veggies, juice can be a delicious way to get in some vitamins and minerals. However, they should be a carefully limited addition to your healthy eating plan, not your entire eating plan.

Mistake #2: Expecting Weight Loss To Be Linear

Many women I work with have a ‘good’ first week and calculate how quickly they’ll reach their goals based on that.

Thing is, weight loss is a delicate dance of many different factors. At first, extra motivation and water weight contribute to fast success. As time goes on, though, motivation to stick to the plan 100 percent can slip and weight loss often slows.

By looking ahead and projecting their expected progress, women set themselves up for disappointment. Their thinking becomes, well, since I’m not reaching my goals, I’ll just throw in the towel and have the cookies, and they sabotage their progress.

Remember: While anyone can go will power crazy or follow a strict eating plan for a short period of time, long-term success requires changing the core of your behaviors. Learning to understand what hunger truly feels like, eat more mindfully, and prep and pack lunch for work takes time, patience, and dedication!

My advice: Make a commitment not to project or plan your future progress. Focusing on the current moment helps you appreciate the progress you’ve already made and become more aware of the behaviors that need more work.

Mistake #3: Not Sleeping Enough

Aside from eating well and exercising, one of the greatest things you can do for your weight loss is to go to bed.

Sleep governs many of the hormones that govern hunger and cravings (like ghrelin and leptin), as well as insulin, which regulates our blood sugar. In fact, research shows that when you don’t sleep enough, you have higher levels of those hunger hormones and decreased sensitivity to insulin the next day. Plus, you’ll likely eat more to try to boost your low energy.

On another note, your body recovers from exercise while you sleep. So if shaping up is a part of your weight-loss plan, you have to make sleep a priority.

Set aside seven to eight hours a day (no exceptions!) to get some shut-eye. Turn off electronics and dim the lights and hour or two before getting into bed, and try a natural supplement like melatonin or magnesium if you have trouble drifting off.

Mistake #4: Too Many BLTs

‘BLTs’ are what I call the unaccounted for Bites, Licks and Tastes you take throughout the day but don’t think much about.

It seems harmless to have a few licks of your child’s ice cream cone or a couple sips of your boyfriend’s beer, but mindless munching can really add up. Here’s how I prove it to my clients: For one week, I ask them to carry around a small plastic bag filled with little slips of paper. Each time they’re tempted to take a BLT, they write down the food and estimated calories. At the end of the week, they add up the calories. Most have at least several hundred written down!

Not only does this make people more aware of how often they reach for extra food, but it also drives home how many extra calories they consume in doing so.

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Try this exercise for yourself and add up the approximate calories on your slips of paper at the end of the week. Are you surprised by how much those little bites, licks, and tastes add up to? How do those extra calories fit into your larger plan? Could they be standing in the way of your success?

Something else to consider: Had these BLT foods not magically appeared in front of you, would you have chosen to eat them? Probably not. So why are you so tempted by them? Well, perhaps you’re not satisfied with the meals you are choosing to eat. By making sure you truly enjoy the foods in your meal plan and feel nourished, you eliminate the appeal of those BLTs.

Mistake #5: Forgoing Strength Training

So many women are still guilty of only doing cardio exercise—and it’s true self-sabotage! Why? If you’re watching what you eat and doing lots of cardio, but aren’t strength training, chances are you’re losing muscle.

When it comes to weight loss (and general health), muscle is precious. Because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, building muscle boosts your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you can consume while still losing or maintaining your weight. Lose muscle, though, and you’ll have to eat fewer and fewer calories. Not ideal if you want to get lean for good!

Not to mention, muscle makes doing daily tasks easier, transforms your physique, and does wonders for confidence.

Related: 6 Ways Building Muscle Benefits Your Health And Well-Being

Though some women still fear that strength training will make them ‘bulky,’ remember: Women just don’t have the hormones necessary to radically increase muscle size that men have. End of story.

We naturally lose muscle as we get older, making strength training even more important for our weight and our health as we age. The same goes for women who have had children, since pregnancy often accelerates muscle loss.

Ultimately, I believe that building and maintaining muscle is the most important thing you can do to shed fat and keep it off. Start slowly with two to three sessions of bodyweight exercises per week and add resistance as you get stronger.

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

 

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

A Decade-By-Decade Guide To Men’s Supplements

Just as our nutritional needs change as we age, so do the supplements we should prioritize. Guys, whether you’re post-grad, mid-career, or a retiree, here are the essentials to consider adding to your daily regimen.

Your 20s

When you’re young and balancing having the time of your life and, well, establishing your life, nutritional upkeep is key.

If You’re Only Going To Take One Supplement, Make It A Multivitamin

This probably comes as no surprise—but if there’s one supplement worth taking, it’s a multivitamin.

Even if you eat a ‘perfect’ diet, many factors—like stress, lack of sleep, and the way food is stored and transported make getting all the nutrients you need from your diet tough, says  Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N., owner of Genki Nutrition, spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A multi can help you fill in any gaps.

The big thing to note here: Just choose a multi you’ll actually take! “Some guys are more likely to take two or three small pills than one giant pill,” says Mike Roussell, Ph.D., co-founder of Neuro Coffee.

For An Immune System Of Steel, Vitamin D

Your go-go-go lifestyle requires an immune system that’s in tip-top shape. If you feel like your body’s defenses can’t quite keep up, a lack of vitamin D could be to blame.

Research (like this review published in PLoS One) suggests vitamin D may affect the body’s response to infection, and that supplementation can bolster the immune system.

Another bonus? “Because vitamin D plays a role in testosterone production, correcting deficiency reliably improves testosterone levels in men,” says Anthony Balduzzi M.D., founder of The Fit Father Project.

If you live north of Atlanta, you likely experience a notable drop in vitamin D during the winter months. Because of our indoor lifestyles these days, though, even those who live near the equator are at risk for deficiency, says Valdez. In fact, research suggests up to 40 percent of the U.S. population is deficient.

Balduzzi recommends starting with 1,000 IUs of vitamin D per day.

Note: Since our ability to produce vitamin D also decreases as we age, this is a supplement for your 20s and beyond.

Build Muscle With Protein Powder

“Protein is vital for the entire body,” says Valdez. “Not only does it provide the building blocks of muscle, hair, and skin, but it’s also essential for making enzymes, hormones, and antibodies for your immune system.”

Protein’s role in muscle growth is what makes it a primary concern for guys in their 20s, says Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com, and member of The Vitamin Shoppe Wellness Council. In combo with regular exercise, protein has been shown to support lean muscle mass. One review suggests that men who eat more protein while weight training develop larger, stronger muscles than those who don’t.

Research shows that we begin to lose up to three to five percent of our muscle mass per decade starting around age 30, so building as much of it as possible before then is crucial.

Two of the most popular protein powders out there: whey and casein. These complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) we can’t produce on our own. One essential amino acid, leucine, is particularly crucial for building muscle.

The government’s recommended daily value for protein is a low 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (just 72 grams a day for a 200-pound person), but many experts suggest eating more. In fact, to maintain or build muscle, the International Society of Sports and Medicine recommends eating 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. (That’s 127 to 181 grams for a 200-pound person.)

Though it’s not a complete protein, you may also want to think about adding collagen protein to your routine. “Collagen protein is considered the most abundant protein in the body and can be found throughout the skin, muscles, tendons and joints,” says Axe. Collagen production begins to decline as early as our 20s and can eventually contribute to skin, joint, and even sexual function issues.

Your 30s

While most guys in their 30s may not be thinking about things like heart health just yet, these years are prime time for getting your ducks in a row.

For Head to Toe Health, Take Omega-3 Fatty Acids

“Omega-3 fatty acids—specifically EPA and DHA—have far-reaching effects on nearly every aspect of health, from brain function to heart health and beyond,” says Axe. In fact, these fatty acids have been shown to have an impact on everything from depression to hypertension to joint pain to ulcerative colitis to chronic diseases like heart disease. So yeah, you could say they’re important.

The issue is, the typical Western diet is low in omega-3 fatty acids and high in omega-6 fatty acids, and this imbalance contributes to inflammation,” Axe says. Research suggests very few Americans actually eat the recommended 250 to 500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA per day.

That’s where a supplement comes in. Sears recommends starting with 250 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day in your 30s and increasing up to between 600 and 750 grams by the time you hit your 60s.

Boost Your Gut Health And Immune System With Probiotics

Mounting evidence suggests that maintaining and protecting your gut health can impact everything from digestive health to immunity to mental health to allergies. Research even suggests they play a role in maintaining a healthy bodyweight.

If you’re noticing changes on the scale and declines in muscle mass (which often set in sometimes in your 30s), these healthy bacteria may be able to help. Popping a gut-friendly probiotic may help your body absorb the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep your metabolism (and other systems) running smoothly, Axe adds.

Since there’s no universal daily recommendation for probiotic intake yet, consult with your doctor about the right supplement for you.

Energy Lagging? Try CoQ10

If you want to preemptively fight signs of aging and boost your energy levels, consider CoQ10. As you age, your body’s production of coenzyme Q10—a compound that plays a vital role in energy production—slows. Not to mention, cholesterol medications diminish production, says Ian Stern C.N.N., D.C., founder of Stern Chiropractic and Holistic Center in New York.

Thing is, high amounts of the enzyme are found only in rarely consumed foods (like chicken heart), says Valdez. You also won’t find it in most multis.

“CoQ10 supplementation also boosts antioxidants,” says Valdez. Those free radical-fighting compounds may slow the signs of aging and help promote overall health.

Stern recommends 100 to 200 milligrams per day.

Your 40s

By the time your 40s roll around, chances are hormone balance and early signs of aging become top-of-mind.

To Boost Brain Power And Improve Sleep, Try Magnesium

“Men, especially men 40 and older, should supplement with magnesium,” agrees Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., author of The Magnesium Miracle. (Highly active guys should consider adding it even earlier, since the physical stress of exercise depletes magnesium.)

The mineral magnesium has become a go-to supplement because it’s involved in over 300 reactions in our body. And for men having trouble with focus and stress during the day and sleep at night (which tend to worsen as we age), it’s a must. Research suggests that magnesium relaxes the nervous system, reduces stress, and supports quality sleep.

That’s why Balduzzi says it’s the one supplement he considers foundational for the hard-charging men of the 21st century. He suggests supplementing with 400 to 420 milligrams per day.

Prioritize Prostate Health With Boron

The trace mineral boron is found in foods such as raisins, prunes, almonds, and chickpeas. While it also supports healthy brain function and bone health, its claim to fame with men is prostate health. Studies suggest a link between higher dietary boron intake and lower risk of prostate cancer, explains Axe.

Axe recommends taking three milligrams of boron per day to look out for your prostate.

Consider Calcium For Bone Strength

When you think calcium, chances are you think about bones. Since most people reach peak bone mass in their 30s, maintaining bone strength in the following decades is crucial, says Valdez.

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, about half of Americans don’t get enough calcium through diet. If you don’t regularly consume calcium-rich foods like dairy or dark leafy greens, adding a calcium supplement to your routine can help you easily meet your needs, says Roussell.

Up until your 70s, you need at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily, says Axe. From there, you’ll need at least 1,200 milligrams. Valdez recommends looking for calcium citrate, which is easy for the body to absorb and use.

Your 50s And Beyond

As middle age becomes real, you’ll want to ramp up your efforts to keep those sex hormones healthy.

Show Your Prostate Extra Love With Saw Palmetto Extract

Men in their late 40s and 50s may experience a rather unfortunate effect of aging: prostate issues. According to Stern, prostate problems are some of the most common health struggles older men face. They can cause urinary difficulties—such as increased frequency and trouble emptying the bladder—and even sexual problems.”

Long used in traditional medicines, the extract of the palmetto plant appears to improve urinary and reproductive issues, says Valdez.

Supplements often pack anywhere from 150 to 400 milligrams of saw palmetto extract.

For Time Spent Between The Sheets, Try Maca Root

Research suggests anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of men have experienced a lagging libido. Maca root, an herb known as an ‘adaptogen,’ is thought to help restore communication between the brain and adrenal glands by balancing the hypothalamic-pituitary-endocrine axis, which regulates brain and hormone function.

Ready to get your mojo back? One BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine review, for example, found that the adaptogenic root improved sexual desire in both women and men after six weeks.

Plus, like other adaptogens, maca may boost physical and mental energy, reduce stress, calm nerves, and balance mood, helping the body to fight another serious libido killer—stress.

Since decreased sex drive could be a symptom of something more serious, talk with your doctor if you’re feeling off. Once you’ve got the green light, Axe recommends starting with 1,000 milligrams of maca root powder a day.

Try Zinc For Healthy Testosterone

While testosterone begins to naturally decrease around 30, the decline becomes a concern for most men in middle age. In fact, research has shown that 20 percent of men 60 and older have below-normal testosterone levels.

Related: 5 Things You Can Do To Boost Your Testosterone

While many factors contribute to declining T levels, zinc deficiency may be a notable nutritional culprit. For example, one Biological Trace Element Research study found that middle-aged men with lower T levels tended to have lower zinc levels than men with healthy T levels.

How does zinc promote healthy testosterone levels? The mineral blocks aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen.

“I always suggest a zinc or ZMA—a combo of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6—for supporting healthy testosterone levels in older men,” says Stern. Look for a supplement that contains eight to 11 milligrams of zinc.

Pin this infographic for quick reference:

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

Gabrielle Kassel

Should You Pair Keto With Intermittent Fasting?

Perhaps the two hottest diet trends on the face of the planet right now are keto and intermittent fasting. But should you be doing the two of them together? In a word, yes. Here’s your guide to combining the powers of a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting.

First, A Keto Refresher

As you probably know by now, the ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, very high-fat diet that switches your body into a state called ‘ketosis.’ In this state you use fat (in a form called ketones) for fuel instead of the usual glucose from carbs.

To enter into ketosis, you typically need to eat about 75 to 80 percent of your daily calories from fat. From there, you’ll eat about 20 percent of your calories from protein, and just about five from carbs. Though it’s long been used for conditions like epilepsy, the ketogenic diet has recently gained popularity for its ability to support weight loss. Researchers are also now exploring its potential benefits for those with metabolic conditions like diabetes and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, too.

When they enter ketosis and use fat (body fat, included) for energy, many people experience reduced appetite and cravings. They’re also able to comfortably go for longer periods of time without eating. That’s where intermittent fasting comes in.

Intermittent Fasting Basics

Fasting, which involves going extended periods of time without food, dates back thousands of years, to the times of Socrates and Plato. In fact, a number of religions across the globe incorporate the ritual of fasting, and believe it offers both spiritual and health benefits.

These days, various forms of fasting have gone mainstream—perhaps the most well-known of which is intermittent fasting (IMF). In intermittent fasting, you cycle between periods of fasting and eating.

Here are a few common approaches:

  • Time-restricted eating, in which you only eat within a certain window of time—usually eight hours or less—each day.
  • Alternate-day fasting, in which you reduce total calorie intake to about 500 calories or less on a few nonconsecutive days per week.
  • Whole-day fasting, in which you completely fast one or two days a week.

Intermittent fasting forces your body to use up all of its available energy (glucose stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver) and start utilizing stored body fat instead.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, cycling between periods of normal caloric intake with periods of no intake supports weight loss better than prolonged, constant dieting, because it doesn’t decrease your overall calories needs.

So, Why Combine Keto And Intermittent Fasting?

Because of keto and intermittent fasting’s weight-loss benefits, you can see why they make an appealing pair. I often recommend intermittent fasting to people already following a keto diet who are looking to amplify their results.

Here are some of the weight loss-related perks the pairing offers:

  • Improved glucose regulation (which decreases insulin production and fat storage)
  • Increased ketone production (more fat fuel!)
  • Increased leptin (the satiety-signaling hormone) production and decreased leptin resistance
  • Reduced hunger levels
  • Better craving control
  • Improved ability to read hunger and fullness signals

Though weight loss may be what’s made keto and intermittent fasting famous recently, it’s far from their only benefit. In fact, the combo can have a number of other powerful effects on health, such as:

Plus, in animal studies, calorie restriction has also been shown to promote longevity and increase lifespan—though research has yet to explore this benefit in humans.

Ultimately, the combo of a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting offer potential benefits for anyone struggling with their weight, metabolic health, or inflammation-related conditions. (Talk to your doctor if you have a history of eating disorders, kidney, gallbladder or liver disease, or diabetes, though.)

Getting Started With Keto And Intermittent Fasting

Interested in trying keto and intermittent fasting for yourself? Since both strategies require making significant changes to your daily routine, keep the following guidelines in mind:

  • Make sure to fill your diet with healthy, whole, high-healthy-fat foods. Since you’ll ultimately be eating less often (and likely less overall), it’s crucial that your meals contain as many nutrients as possible. Keep your fat intake high to ensure you get enough calories, and don’t skimp on fiber– and nutrient-rich non-starchy veggies!
  • To avoid feeling overwhelmed, start with either keto or intermittent fasting first. Once you feel comfortable with that (after, say, three to six weeks), you can start to experiment with adding the other.
  • If you’re new to fasting, aim to fast for about 13 hours a day and include the overnight hours in your fast. If you get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night, you’ll knock out more than half your fast while you sleep. As you get comfortable, you can gradually increase your daily fasting window up to about 16 hours per day.

What A Day Of Keto And Intermittent Fasting Might Look Like

A day of keto and intermittent fasting truly starts at night: You might eat a keto-approved dinner (something like a grass-fed burger with avocado and salad) around six o’clock, and then abstain from eating until anywhere between seven in the morning and noon the next day.

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

While you’ll avoid all solid foods during your fast, you can still drink water, black coffee, and tea. When you do eat, keep your meals very high in fat, moderate in protein, and very low in carbs.

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Though snacking is allowed, you may not need more than two meals a day, along with coffee or tea between meals, as your appetite decreases. If you’re active or dealing with adrenal issues and need to snack, though, I like hard-boiled eggs, half an avocado with raw veggies, nuts, or a keto smoothie.

Mistakes To Avoid

When it comes to keto, it’s important to remember that eating high-fat and eliminating carbs is not supposed to be a permanent change. Though there’s not much research about the impact of staying in ketosis long-term, some suggest it could increase risk for kidney stones, osteoporosis, high cholesterol and liver issues. That’s why I typically recommend that dieters stay in ketosis for three to six months, and reintroduce carbs on certain days from there.

And when it comes to fasting, remember that you don’t have to fast every single day to experience the benefits. In fact, forcing yourself to fast every day could leave you burnt out, fatigued, or irritable. Focus first on sticking to eating keto and try to incorporate fasting about three days per week from there. A little flexibility will make a keto lifestyle and intermittent fasting more sustainable long-term.

Lastly, remember to always listen to your body. If you feel sluggish, weak or fatigued at any point, don’t ignore your body’s signals. Try increasing your calorie and carb intake a bit and consider cutting back on how many days a week you fast.

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 To Eat To Boost Your Metabolism

If you truly want to win big in the fat-loss game, you’ve got to boost your metabolism. Burn more calories each and every day—whether you’re crushing it in the gym or chilling on your tush—and fat loss is pretty much guaranteed. But how does your diet tie in? We asked the experts to break down what to eat to rev your inner calorie-burning engine.

Metabolism 101

Metabolism, put most simply, is the process by which our bodies convert what we eat into the energy we need to survive and function, explains dietitian Jim White, R.D., owner Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios. Our basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories our body needs to maintain basic functions (like keeping our organs running). It accounts for the bulk of our total metabolism. From there, exercise, digestion, and any movement we do outside of the gym also contribute to our total calories burned. (This total is called ‘total daily energy expenditure.’)

Related: 11 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Metabolism

If you want to significantly increase your total daily energy expenditure, you’ve got to increase your BMR. Sure, burning more calories during your workouts and getting more steps in helps, but boosting your BMR has a much bigger impact on the bottom line. And one major way to do that: protein.

Protein: A Metabolism Unicorn

Before we get into metabolism-boosting superfoods, there’s one food you should focus on if you want to burn more calories: protein. Not only do you burn extra calories just digesting the nutrient, but it can also help you increase your basal metabolic rate over time.

The Thermic Effect Of Protein

The calories you burn digesting your food—called the thermic effect of food (TEF)—account for about 10 percent of the total calories you burn in a given day. (That’s twice as much as the average workout.)

Thing is, different macronutrients have different thermic effects, White explains. Your body uses up to five percent of the calories in fat you eat, and up to 15 percent of the calories in carbs you eat just to digest them. But protein? Your body uses a whopping 20 to 35 percent of its calories during digestion! “For example, if you consume 200 calories of protein, your body will use between 40 and 70 of them just to digest it,” White says.

One 2015 Journal of Science & Medicine in Sport study of active women found that they experienced 30 percent greater TEF  after eating a high-protein meal (45 percent calories from protein) than after eating a low-protein meal (15 percent calories from protein). Burn more calories every time you eat? Yes, please.

Protein And Basal Metabolic Rate

Even more significant than protein’s immediate effect on calorie-burning, though, is its ability to help increase basal metabolic rate over time.

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“The key to boosting metabolism is to build muscle,” says Toronto-based dietitian and nutrition counselor Abby Langer, R.D. In fact, lean body mass is the number one determinant of metabolic rate. While every pound of fat burns two calories per day at rest, every pound of muscle burns roughly six. The more muscle you have, the more calories you automatically burn every single day.

Plus, not only does having more muscle boost your baseline calorie burn, but it also enables you to work out harder and longer, so you burn more calories during exercise, too.

Related: How To Get Past A Muscle-Building Plateau

Since your muscles are literally made of protein, you have to get ample protein from your diet (and strength train) if you want them to grow.

How Much Protein To Eat

“Without a sufficient supply of amino acids from dietary protein, the body begins to break down muscle and metabolic rate decreases,” White says.

Related: 9 Easy Ways To Up Your Protein Intake

For optimal muscle gain, one 2018 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition study recommends eating 0.4 to 0.55 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight at least four times per day. If you weigh 180 pounds, that means putting back 132 to 180 grams of total protein per day.

What About Metabolism-Boosting Superfoods?

When it comes to boosting your metabolism through food, protein definitely takes the cake. Still, researchers and dieters alike are constantly hunting for other metabolism magic bullets.

In the lab, many of these metabolism-friendly foods (think green tea, ACV, and hot peppers) yield significant results, says Langer. Thing is, that doesn’t necessarily mean they work wonders in the real world.

Take green tea, which stimulates metabolism through an antioxidant called ECGC and its caffeine content, for example. According to one review published in Advances in Nutrition, you would have to drink roughly nine eight-ounce cups of green tea per day to increase your total daily energy expenditure by just four percent. (That’s about 80 extra calories if you normally burn 2,000.)

Of course, green tea is still worthy of your mug; its antioxidants fight free radical damage and have been linked to a lower risk of multiple forms of cancer. Just don’t expect it to make the fat melt off your body.

Spicy foods share a similar story. “Capsaicin [a compound found in chili peppers] speeds up the rate at which the body turns calories into heat to use for fuel, called thermogenesis,” White says. “However, the effect is slight.”

One study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who consumed an oil containing capsinoid extract (capsaicin is a capsinoid) daily for 12 weeks didn’t see any bump in resting metabolic rate. However, their levels of abdominal fat decreased by 1.11 percent.

While concentrated amounts of capsinoids may offer some fat-loss benefit, eating mouthfuls of chili peppers will likely just leave you with a burnt mouth.

The Bottom Line

If you want to add a spicy kick to your foods or sip jumbo mugs of tea, go for it! It certainly won’t hurt your metabolism-revving efforts. Just remember to focus primarily on incorporating high-protein foods—like poultry, fish, eggs, and beans—into all snacks and meals.

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

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

6 Nutritional Deficiencies That Can Cause Hair Loss

Like birthdays and taxes, one of the few constants in life is hair loss. However, not all hair loss is caused by aging. In fact, some hair loss can be triggered by our eating habits. Here, we walk you through six nutritional deficiencies that can negatively impact your locks.

Hair Loss: What’s Normal And What’s Not

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the average person loses up to 100 strands of hair every day. And that’s totally normal! How much hair we lose—and the pattern in which we lose it—though, varies from person to person.

Our genes, as well as certain health conditions (such as hormonal imbalances and immune disorders), can strongly influence hair loss. For instance, approximately 6.8 million Americans suffer from or will suffer from alopecia, a genetic autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles. It’s marked by either patchy or complete hair loss, which can occur in unpredictable, repeating cycles.

Some prescription medications (like blood thinners and certain anti-depressants) can also contribute to hair loss. And though not permanent, extreme hair shedding (called telogen effluvium) can occur because of stressors like childbirth, surgery, or sudden weight loss. Similar to alopecia, this hair loss happens suddenly, but it tends to be temporary.

Nutrition And Hair Loss

In other cases, diet can play a notable role in how much hair ends up in your shower drain. Below are six nutritional issues that may be sabotaging your ability to grow a thick, healthy mane.

1. You’ve Cut Calories

Slashing calories in the hopes of losing a few pounds? The weight may not be the only thing you end up shedding.

“Our bodies rely on a constant source of calories to meet our basic needs,” explains board-certified dermatologist Shari Hicks-Graham, M.D. “When we experience a sudden change in caloric intake, our body adjusts to support our life-sustaining organs.” The result: Less blood (and nutrient) flow to the scalp. This change may lead to a change in hair quality, or increased shedding.

If weight loss is your goal, consult with a registered dietitian before slashing calories left and right. They can help you create an eating plan that supports your goal without sabotaging your health in other ways.

2. You Don’t Eat Enough Protein

Known as the building blocks of the body, protein and the amino acids it’s made of are crucial for healthy and strong body tissues—hair included.

Related: 9 Easy Ways To Increase Your Protein Intake

Hair is made up of proteins, most notably keratin. Eating a wide variety of protein-rich foods—including eggs, meats, poultry, nuts, seeds, and seafood—provides the balance our hair needs, says board-certified dermatologist Lauren Eckert Ploch, M.D.

3. You’re Not Getting All Of Your Vitamins In

A variety of vitamins—especially vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E—have a hand in hair and scalp health.

Both antioxidants, vitamins C and E help prevent free radical damage in the hair follicles. Vitamin C also supports iron absorption (more on why that matters in a minute). According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult needs 22.4 IUs (15 milligrams) of vitamin E and 75 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C daily.

Plus, vitamin D deficiencies have been associated with hair loss, and are even implicated in the development of alopecia. “Therefore, we know it is essential for the health and maintenance of the hair follicle and hair growth,” says Ploch. The FDA recommends adults consume about 600 IUs of D daily.

4. You Have Low Iron Levels

Iron supports the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your bloodstream. Without ample amounts of the mineral, blood-flow becomes less oxygen-rich, which can slow hair growth and even increase shedding or thinning.

Since the body doesn’t produce iron on its own, we have to get it from our diet or supplements. Adult men need just about eight milligrams a day, while adult women need 18.

Related: 6 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Iron

“Vegetarians and vegans, and those with medical issues like heavy menstrual bleeding, a recent surgery, or gastrointestinal conditions may be at risk for iron deficiency,” explains Hicks-Graham. If any of these apply to you (and you’ve experienced hair issues), talk to your doctor about whether an iron supplement could help.

5. You Don’t Get Enough Biotin

“Although data directly linking increased biotin intake and hair growth is somewhat limited, biotin has been linked to keratin production,” says Hicks-Graham. That’s why this B vitamin is known for making hair stronger, adds Ploch.

Although rare, deficiency in biotin can cause hair thinning and hair loss. The average recommended daily intake of biotin for adults is 30 micrograms, and you’ll find the vitamin in all sorts of supplements formulated to support hair, skin, and nails.

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People with hereditary conditions that influence hair loss may especially benefit from biotin supplementation, says Ploch. (If you have a hair loss-related condition, talk to your doctor about adding a biotin supplement.)

6. You Have a Zinc Deficiency

Another essential nutrient for healthy hair: the mineral zinc, which supports normal cell function and helps the body synthesize proteins. In fact, zinc deficiency has been identified as a key nutritional component in telogen effluvium hair loss. (This is especially common in people with hypothyroidism.)

Adult women need eight milligrams of zinc per day, while adult men need 11. Though zinc deficiencies are uncommon, vegetarians, pregnant or lactating women, heavy drinkers, and people with digestive disorders all have increased risk.

When To See Your Doctor

If you’re concerned your hair loss may be abnormal, take a trip to the doctor (either your dermatologist or primary care practitioner).

Many of the health issues that cause hair loss—and the resulting hair loss itself—are treatable, but it’s important to be evaluated as quickly as possible, since changing patterns in hair loss and growth can take months.

“My approach to hair loss is to first do a detailed physical exam, and then order bloodwork,” says Ploch, who typically tests for iron deficiency and anemia, vitamin D deficiency, thyroid abnormalities, and autoimmune issues right off the bat. A registered dietitian can also help you identify connections between your current eating habits and hair health.

Pin this infographic for future reference:

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Yi-Jin Yu

Review: I Tried My Magic Mud Activated Charcoal Oral Rinse For A Brighter Smile

I frequently deal with some minor oral health issues—namely bleeding gums—so when The Vitamin Shoppe sent me a mint-flavored My Magic Mud Activated Charcoal Oral Rinse to review, I was eager to try it.

About My Magic Mud Activated Charcoal Oral Rinse

The product, which is used to promote oral hygiene, includes loads of good ingredients, like reverse osmosis water, aloe vera, peppermint, turmeric, vitamin C, activated coconut shell charcoal, and more.

To use it, you’re supposed to give the bottle a shake, take a swig, and swish the stuff for 30 to 60 seconds before spitting it out.

Trying The Rinse

I’d never used this oral rinse—or any product from My Magic Mud—before, so I didn’t have any expectations before trying it. However, I was hopeful that the rinse would help improve the health of my mouth, especially my gums.

One of the first things I noticed when I took my first swig was that it didn’t burn or sting at all. The flavor was great; so smooth and easy to keep in your mouth. I also felt like I had amazingly fresh breath after rinsing.

I ended up using it daily for more than three weeks.

As pleased as I was with the experience of using this rinse, I was even more excited about how effective it was. It helped to strengthen and protect my gums. Before using this product, my gums bled every time I brushed my teeth. After using this product consistently, though, my gums didn’t bleed anymore!

Final Thoughts

The My Magic Mud Activated Charcoal Oral Rinse really exceeded my expectations. I loved how easy it was to use and how fresh it made my mouth feel. I also appreciated the fact that it was more natural and less harsh than other mouthwashes out there.

I’m excited to continue using the rinse in my oral hygiene routine. In fact, I have already recommended this rinse to several people. I can’t rave about it enough.

I’m even going to try out the My Magic Mud Activated Charcoal Toothpaste, as well.

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

Deven Baker

The 4 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Going Plant-Based

With stars like Venus Williams and Jason Mraz singing its praises and research consistently confirming its health benefits, plant-based eating is definitely in the spotlight right now. One recent Massachusetts General Hospital study even associated high-plant-protein diets with a lower mortality rate than high-animal-protein diets.

Eating less meat and other animal products isn’t automatically healthier, though. Here, top nutrition experts explain the four biggest mistakes people make when going plant-based.

1. Getting Too Restrictive

Once you start cutting certain foods from your diet (or at least cutting back on them), it’s easy to get carried away.

“I often see people eliminating many foods, such as soy or gluten, needlessly,” says plant-based dietitian Sharon Palmer, R.D.N. “There is no reason to eliminate these unless you have a true allergy or sensitivity.”

If you think you do have a food sensitivity (symptoms range from brain fog and joint pain to digestive issues), check in with your doctor or a registered dietitian. They’ll likely suggest an elimination diet, in which you’ll eliminate common inflammatory foods from your diet for a set period of time. Then, you’ll monitor any reactions as you slowly introduce them.

Related: 4 Types Of Foods That Fight Inflammation

Otherwise, eliminating foods needlessly restricts your ability to take in a variety of nutrients and achieve proper, balanced nutrition. Plus, mixing up your eats also helps stave off boredom. “Embrace a variety of grains, beans, and fruits,” says Palmer. “Each offers different flavors and a different range of nutrients.”

2. Not Planning Ahead

According to a position statement by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a plant-based diet is nutritionally adequate and helps prevent disease—if it’s appropriately planned.

“A lack of planning your meals and snacks ahead of time can be the pitfall of any new diet,” says Jessica Alvarez, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. “When you suddenly find yourself hungry, there often aren’t a lot of quick, healthy food options at your disposal.”

Alvarez recommends choosing one day over the weekend to plan out your meals for the week. Then, create a grocery list based off your menu so you’ll have everything you need heading into the work week.

3. Falling Short On Protein

One major concern when following a plant-based diet is getting enough protein, since rich sources like chicken and meat have left center stage. Thing is, going plant-based doesn’t mean you can never touch another animal protein. Plant-based is just about eating fewer animal products and more plants, so you can still turn to animal proteins like meat and eggs from time to time.

Otherwise, know that “there’s plenty of protein in plant-based foods,” says Natalie Rizzo, M.S., R.D., of Nutrition à la Natalie. Incorporate foods like soy, tempeh, beans, lentils, and whole grains (particularly quinoa, faro, freekeh, or sorghum) into your diet daily and you’ll meet your needs.

Since whole foods like these pack vitamins and minerals in addition to protein, they should be your primary source of the macronutrient, says Rizzo.

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When you’re crunched for time or about to run out the door, though, a plant-based protein supplement can help you fuel up quick. Another time that shaker cup comes in handy: post-workout, when your body needs a solid dose of protein to kick-start protein synthesis and muscle repair.

4. Assuming Products Labeled ‘Vegan’ Are Healthy

As the plant-based eating trend grows, so does the number of vegan products lining supermarket shelves. Though these pre-made foods may be tempting, they’re not necessarily healthy.

“Sometimes vegan and vegetarian alternative foods are just as unhealthy as their animal-containing counterparts,” says Alvarez. Often, their calorie, sodium, fat, and added sugar content are identical. If you are going to put a pre-made plant-based food product in your shopping cart, make sure it’s made with minimal, easy-to-recognize ingredients first.

Related: What A Day Of Sugar-Free Eating Looks Like

Ideally, a healthy diet—plant-based or not—is rooted in homemade food and limits processed products as much as possible. When you’re in a pinch, try to reach for whole-food snacks like nuts (cashews or almonds are good picks), a piece of fruit and nut butter, or some vegetables and hummus, recommends Alvarez.

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Emily Abbate, C.P.T.

7 Keto Breakfasts For Fat-Fueled Mornings

When you think breakfast, you probably picture carbs (mmm, pancakes). If you’re following a high-fat, virtually carb-free keto diet, though, you’ve got to reevaluate your morning meal.

What A Healthy Keto Breakfast Looks Like

“When following the keto diet, you want to kick start your day with a low-carb, higher-fat breakfast that’s going to help you burn fat throughout the day,” says Maggie Michalczyk, M.S., R.D.N.

In addition to healthy fats, Michalczyk recommends incorporating foods that contain protein into your A.M. eats. “Protein is important at breakfast for many reasons, one being the fact that it takes your body longer to digest protein, which means you’ll feel satiated for longer,” she says. It’s also crucial for ensuring your body has the nutritional building blocks it needs for optimal function throughout the day.

Of course, there’s the ever-popular eggs and bacon, but your keto breakfast options don’t end there. Kale, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables, plus avocados, seafood, cheese, berries, nuts and seeds, and even some plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese can also make their way onto your plate.

Michalcyzk loves to wake up to egg muffins with kale and bacon, a Brussels sprouts hash with eggs, grass-fed steak with eggs and avocado, or smoked salmon and eggs.

Below are seven of the tastiest keto breakfasts out there—pancakes included!

1. Keto Chorizo Omelet

This omelet by Hey Keto Mama, made with eggs, spinach, onions, and spicy chorizo sausage, is rich in fats and protein to fill you up. For an extra punch of fat, top with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, and more chorizo or crumbled bacon. This rich recipe serves two, and comes in at just 2.5 grams of net carbs per serving.

2. Keto Chia Smoothie Bowl

Typically jam-packed with fruit and sugar, your average smoothie bowl isn’t a keto-friendly way to start the day. This chia smoothie bowl by Fat for Weight Loss, though, uses ingredients like coconut cream, avocado, chia seeds, and desiccated coconut for healthy fats, along with blueberries, erythritol, and a little vanilla for that smoothie bowl sweetness. At six grams of net carbs per serving, this sweet, creamy breakfast bowl is a great option when you’re craving something sweet. Top with whatever seeds your heart desires, coconut, and low-sugar fruit, like strawberries.

3. Three-Ingredient Cauliflower Hash Browns

Eggs and hash browns are the quintessential American breakfast—but carb-loaded potatoes are a definite no-go on the keto diet. Luckily, with a little creativity, you can whip up a delicious low-carb alternative using cauliflower. These hash browns from Keto Connect are made with just cauliflower, shredded cheese, and an egg (plus any seasonings you want), and contain just 3.2 grams of net carbs per serving. They’re the perfect bed for other breakfast ingredients, like eggs, bacon, and avocado, or ground beef, sour cream, and guacamole.

4. Fluffy Low-Carb Keto Blueberry Pancakes

These fluffy, colorful pancakes from The Big Man’s World satisfy any cravings for a decadent, comfort food breakfast without totally sabotaging ketosis. Made with almond flour and coconut flour instead of the conventional stuff, these pillowy cakes are much higher in fats, protein, and fiber than your average stack—and at 2.1 grams of net carbs per serving, much lower in carbs. Did we mention they’re also vegan and take just 10 minutes to whip up?

Related: 7 Protein Pancake Recipes That Justify Eating Pancakes Every Single Day

5. Vegan Keto Porridge

Oatmeal is the ultimate morning meal in the winter months—and anytime your soul needs something warm. Ruled.me’s breakfast porridge makes that experience possible on a keto diet. Instead of your usual oats, it’s made with flaxseed meal and coconut flour, and sweetened with erythritol, to keep sugar and carb counts low. (The texture feels something like cream of wheat.)

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The recipe also incorporates a serving of protein powder to make the meal more satiating and muscle-friendly. One serving packs 17.82 grams of protein but just 5.78 grams of net carbs. Top with berries, coconut flakes, and cinnamon for additional keto-friendly sweetness.

6. Southwestern Cauliflower Breakfast Pizza

Pizza for breakfast? You betchya! This recipe by All Day I Dream About Food slashes carbs by subbing in cauliflower for the standard wheat flour crust, and racks up plenty of fats and protein with toppings like cheese, sausage, eggs, and avocado. It’s as gooey and crispy as your favorite pizza pie, but costs you a slim 5.43 grams of net carbs a serving. Perfect for relaxing weekend mornings or keto-friendly brunch.

7. Keto Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole

This breakfast casserole by I Breathe I’m Hungry packs all of the delicious flavors of a Monte Cristo sandwich (a ham and cheese sandwich dipped in French toast batter, fried, and served with syrup) without the carbs. The recipe layers cream cheese keto pancakes, Canadian bacon, and cheese, and is served warm with sugar-free syrup. Sounds like ooey-gooey perfection, doesn’t it? One serving provides 32 grams of protein and just 4.5 grams of net carbs.

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Isadora Baum

5 Signs You’re Losing Muscle, Not Fat

A solid weight-loss plan supports the loss of fat, not muscle. After all, muscle mass is incredibly important for our overall health and body composition. Still, many of us end up sacrificing precious muscle on our quest to shed pounds. This guide highlights the tell-tale signs your weight loss is coming from the wrong place.

Why Muscle Matters

“Muscle is functional,” says Guillem Lomas, M.D., sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Health. “It helps us lift things, go up stairs, swim, run, the whole nine yards. And when you have more of it, you can lift heavier objects, run faster, and jump higher.”

Plus, unlike fat, muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate and the more calories you burn doing everything from sitting on the couch watching Netflix to walking down the street.

Related: 6 Ways Building Muscle Benefits Your Health And Well-Being

Not to mention, muscle helps us stay healthy and strong as we age. “The older we get, the less efficiently we use protein,” says Brian Sterling-Vete, Ph.D., author of The Isometric Bible. “So by maintaining as high a level of muscle mass as possible, you’ll be better prepared for any rough rides ahead.” Plus, having stronger muscles also decreases your risk for developing osteoporosis.

Is Your Weight Loss Coming From Muscle?

Now that you know just how important muscle is, you probably don’t want it to account for any poundage you lose, right?

Look out for the following signs that you’re shedding muscle instead of fat.

1. You’re Losing Weight At A Rapid Rate

Though many of us see changes in the scale quickly after majorly shifting our diet and/or workouts, the rate at which we lose weight tends to slow over time. However, if you continue to see a drastic decline week over week, look out.

“Unless you’re super-dehydrated, a large, rapid decrease in pounds after the first couple weeks of weight loss indicates that you are losing muscle mass,” says Lomas. Most experts agree that the average person can lose just about one pound of fat per week sustainably. If your calorie-cutting and exercise efforts are too extreme, your body may break down muscle tissue to fuel other organs and body functions.

2. You Can Barely Make It Up The Stairs

If extra workouts and fewer calories force your body to use muscle for fuel, everyday activities like taking the stairs or walking to the supermarket may suddenly feel difficult. In short: You’ll feel like a sloth.

Related: 9 Easy Ways To Up Your Protein Intake

You’re especially likely to lose muscle and feel all-around exhausted if in addition to slashing calories and working out more, you also aren’t eating enough protein or getting enough sleep.

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These factors are crucial for muscle and recovery health, and can allow for muscle loss—and feelings of fatigue—if not in balance.

3. You Feel Foggy

Not only does a struggle to scrounge up energy leave your body generally wiped out, but it also affects your brain power. After all, your brain requires roughly 20 percent of your daily recommended caloric intake to function.

If your body is in enough of a caloric deficit that it has to break down muscle tissue for energy, your brain feels the effects, too. “Your body is incredibly efficient, and it’s going to want to preserve the most important thing when there’s a caloric deficit—which is the brain,” says Lomas.

When your brain relies on scrap fuel from your muscles, its metabolic rate slows down and you may experience brain fog (think trouble focusing and processing information), Lomas explains.

4. Your Gains Are Suffering

We all have days that we just don’t quite nail our workouts—but if your fitness seems to be taking steps backwards, it may be because you don’t have as much muscle to power you as you used to.

When you work out, you create small tears in your muscle tissue. In order to grow stronger and lift more, those tissues have to repair themselves. If they don’t have the opportunity to recover, though, your progress eventually takes a hit. “If you’re going to the gym and notice you can’t lift as much weight as usual, it could be more than just an off day,” says Lomas. Plateaued—or even lost progress—in the gym could indicate that you’re losing muscle mass.

Related: How To Get Past A Muscle-Building Plateau

Check in on your one-rep max for big lifts like squats or pay close attention to how you feel in the final sets and reps of your usual exercises. Can’t meet your usual benchmarks or feel gassed halfway through your sets? Consider it a red flag.

5. You Dread The Gym

Whether your performance is suffering or not, look out for whether your general exhaustion has lead you to loathe the idea of working out. If you feel completely unmotivated for more than a couple of days, consider it your body’s cry for help (in the form of more nutrients and time to support healthy muscle recovery and growth).

“If you feel less energetic, you’re less likely to associate going to the gym with a positive experience,” says Lomas. “And then, chances are that you won’t go back.” Not what you want if you’re trying to shape up.

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

Emily Abbate, C.P.T.

You Can Blame Your Nasal Microbiome For Those Terrible Colds, Says Study

When you think about keeping yourself in optimal health during cold season, you probably picture loading up on vitamin C, getting plenty of sleep, and washing your hands thoroughly. Thing is, all those efforts could be wasted if you’re not taking special care of your nasal microbiome.

Wait…A Nasal Microbiome?

Yes, a nasal microbiome is a thing. It refers to the collection of bacteria living inside your nose. “It is important that we begin to understand the nose microbiome, because we have harmless and beneficial microorganisms in there, but may also have a number of microorganisms that may cause health issues,” says gut health expert Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Ph.D.

In fact, research recently published in Scientific Reports suggests that our nose microbiomes affect the type of colds we get and the severity of the symptoms we deal with.

The Research

In the Scientific Reports study, researchers tested people’s nasal microbiomes before and after giving them the cold virus.

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What they found: There are six different patterns of nasal microbiomes, which lead to different reactions to the cold virus. The most notable connection: People whose noses were rich in a type of bacteria called staphylococcusbacteria (or staph) had more severe nasal symptoms than those whose noses had less staph.

“The background microbiome, the background bacterial pattern in your nose, [influenced] the way you reacted to the virus and how sick you got,” says lead researcher Ronald B. Turner, M.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, in a press release.

Related: 5 Common Health Issues That Trace Back To The Gut

Turner notes that environmental characteristics—such as whether you’re exposed to pollution or whether you have allergies—may also influence cold severity. However, he suspects that an interaction among you, your environment, and the pathogen ultimately determines your condition.

The researchers then gave participants oral probiotics to see if the good-for-you bacteria could impact the makeup of the nasal microbiome and help relieve the cold symptoms. They saw no benefit. Though research on the use of probiotics to balance the nose microbiome has a way to go, Ghannoum suggests animal research on the use of probiotic nasal sprays shows potential.

The Takeaway

While this study doesn’t do much to help us fight terrible colds, it does help us understand why some people get worse colds than others. What’s more, these findings support ongoing research that shows how connected our microbiome is to all sorts of health issues.

“The reason why we do not know much about the nose microbiome yet is that, compared to the microbiome in the gut, the microbial communities present on the surfaces of the nose are less studied,” says Ghannoum. “But that’s next for microbiome researchers.”

Here are five supplements nutritionists take during cold season to keep their immune systems strong.

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Gabrielle Kassel

How To Give Yourself A Breast Exam

This article was written by Lisa Turner and originally published in Amazing Wellness magazine.

The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the odds of successfully treating it. That’s why the American Cancer Society recommends average-risk women get yearly mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54.

Research suggests that women who get regular mammograms are:

  • more likely to catch breast cancer early
  • less likely to need surgery and chemotherapy
  • more likely to be cured

Besides regular mammograms and breast exams by your physician, though, it’s also important to check your breasts at home for any suspicious changes.

When To Do An At-Home Breast Exam

Hor­monal changes before and during your period can cause a temporary thickening of the breast tissue that makes it hard to feel for lumps and bumps. So, the best time to do a self breast exam is three to five days after your period ends.

It’s also best to do your breast exam right after your annual physi­cal. Since your doctor would likely have felt anything abnormal during your visit, you’ll know that what you’re feeling should be the normal, healthy state of your breasts.

Three Ways To Check Your Breasts

1. Lie down with a pillow under your right shoulder and your right hand under your head. Using your left hand, move in small circles all around your right breast and out to­ward (and under) your armpit. Vary the pressure you use in order to feel everything from the surface of your breast all the way down to your ribs. Then, switch sides and repeat the process on your left breast.

2. Stand with your arms at your sides in front of a mirror in a well-lit room. Look for any dimpling, bumps, redness, or changes in breast shape or symmetry. Repeat with your arms overhead, again with your hands pressing firmly on your hips and your chest muscles flexed, and once more bending forward.

3. In the shower, soap up your hands well. Raise your right arm over your head and check your right breast using the same technique as in the lying-down method. (Use flat fingers.) Switch arms, and repeat on your left breast.

Though cancer may be better detected during mammograms and doctor’s visits, it’s important that women are familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel so that they’re better able to identify any changes.

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Amazing Wellness

Best Of Natural Beauty Awards: See The Winners!

Wellness isn’t just an inside job—what we put on the outside of our bodies matters just as much. That’s why we created our first-ever Best of Natural Beauty Awards! We asked you to vote on the natural products you can’t live without—and the votes are in. Check out the winners:

Best Facial Moisturizer

Winner: Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Hydration Face Lotion

Made with coconut oil, coconut milk, and other skin-loving ingredients like shea butter, aloe, and green tea extract, the 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Hydration Face Lotion from Shea Moisture promises to soften and restore skin. It’s a luxurious but light daily staple for a nourished, hydrated complexion. Plus, it doesn’t leave even the slightest of greasy residues.

Best Facial Serum

Winner: The Vitamin Shoppe® brand Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Serum

This simple serum moisturizes, rejuvenates, and restores skin. And, at just $5.94 a bottle, it does so for much cheaper than its competitors. Two pumps after cleansing and before applying creams works hydration magic.

Best Shampoo

Winner: Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Shampoo

This clarifying, sulfate-free shampoo gently removes product buildup while moisturizing hair, leaving it soft and shiny. Made with natural ingredients like Jamaican black castor oil and apple cider vinegar, it’s gentle enough for daily use. It’s also suitable for processed, color-treated, or heat-styled hair.

Best Conditioner

Winner: Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

Damaged, dry, or over-processed hair will soak up this sulfate-free conditioner. Made with natural and certified organic ingredients like shea butter, sea kelp, and argan oil, it moisturizes, repairs, and restores.

Best Body wash

Winner: Dr. Bronner 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure Castile Soap

Dr. Bronner’s products are famous for using fair trade ingredients and organic oils—and no detergents! This soap features organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, and organic peppermint oil. Perfect for gentle cleansing.

Best Body Lotion

Winner: Nubian Heritage Raw Shea Butter Body Lotion

This luxurious lotion from Nubian Heritage stars unrefined shea butter for fast-absorbing, non-greasy moisture. It’s also infused with vitamins E and B5, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, and macadamia seed oil. Plus, frankincense, myrrh, cardamom, ginger and black pepper add an aromatic element that also supports nourished, supple skin.

Best Men’s Bar

Winner: Shea Moisture Three Butters Utility Soap Cleansing Bar

This men’s bar does it all! Made with shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter, and avocado, it’s ultra-moisturizing, and excellent for dry, chapped, irritated skin. Great for everyday cleansing and shaving, too.

Best Essential Oil

Winner: Aura Cacia Lavender Essential Oil

Known for its calming properties, lavender essential oil makes the perfect addition to a bedtime bubble bath or nightly massage oil or moisturizer. Aura Cacia’s lavender oil is 100 percent pure.

Best Collagen Supplement

Winner: Reserveage Nutrition Collagen Replenish Powder

Reserveage’s Collagen Replenish powder features three all-star skin ingredients: collagen peptides, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. Together, these nutrients support skin elasticity and firmness, while protecting it from oxidative stress and promoting hydration.

Related: I Drank Collagen for 30 Days—Here’s How It Turned Out

It mixes clear and is easy to add to water, juice, or any other beverage.

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

Melanie’s Immune Health Essentials

As the days get shorter and colder, our immune systems need a little extra TLC in order to stay strong. After all, we depend on them to get us through hectic holidays and offices infested with coughing coworkers.

Logging plenty of sleep, going extra hard on the hand-washing, and loading up on fruits and veggies are key. But there a number of natural supplements that can help nourish a superhero-strength immune system, too!

Here are three must-haves Health Enthusiast Melanie relies on all winter long:

Watch the video to check out why:

 

Related: 5 Supplements Nutritionists Take During Cold Season

Want to give Melanie’s favorites a try? Check out The Vitamin Shoppe brand Sambucus Black Elderberry Extract, Natural Factors Organic Oil of Oregano, and The Vitamin Shoppe brand Echinacea Goldenseal Complex.

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

7 Pulses That Are High In Protein

Rest assured, vegans, vegetarians, and anyone interested in eating more plants: Chicken and steak aren’t your only protein options! In fact, plenty of plants provide protein.

The go-to plant source for anyone looking to score some protein meat- (or egg-) free: legumes. Here are seven nutrition experts love.

But Wait—What’s A Pulse?

If you’ve ever wondered what the heck is the difference between a legume, a pulse, and a bean, you’re far from the only one. That confusion ends now.

“Legume is a broad category that includes any plant that grows in a pod,” says nutritionist Mike Roussell, Ph.D., co-founder of Neuro Coffee. Some of the most popular legumes out there include peas, peanuts, soybeans, and green beans.

“The edible dried seeds we eat that come from plants in the legume family, though, are called pulses,” Roussell adds. Lentils, chickpeas, beans, and split peas are all pulses. (Peanuts, fresh soybeans, fresh peas, and fresh beans are not considered pulses because they are not dried prior to preparation and consumption.)

Pulse Nutrition

In addition to being inexpensive, sustainable, and incredibly versatile, pulses offer a variety of nutritional benefits.

First of all, “all pulses are filled with fiber,” says Monica Auslander Moreno, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition. “Most folks know that fiber can contribute to a healthy bowel, but it also helps balance blood sugar and cholesterol levels.”

Plus, the fibers found in pulses are known as prebiotic fibers, meaning they nourish the probiotic microbiome communities in your gut, as well.

Related: Are Lectins The New Gluten?

Perhaps the most sought-after nutrient in pulses, however—especially for those who don’t eat meat, or want to eat less of it—is the protein. Below are the seven highest-protein pulses in the game; consider adding them to your soups, salads, and more.

1. Black Lentils

“Most folks aren’t acquainted with the humble black lentil; but they are a chewy, fine addition to any meal,” says Moreno. Black lentils are rich in zinc and folate, in addition to providing 12 grams of protein per half a cup.

Another perk of black lentils: “They aren’t as mushy as other lentils,” says Moreno. Try them plain with your favorite spices, in soups, or in these Crispy Black Lentil Falafel Bites.

2. Green Lentils

Providing nine grams of protein per half a cup, green lentils are also rich in iron, a nutrient many women and active individuals need more of. They also pack more potassium than a banana!

Related: 6 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Iron

“I recommend green lentils often, since many meat lovers prefer their texture over beans as a ground beef replacement,” says Jones. Next time you’re craving a burger but want to go meat-free, try making lentil patties (or these Lentil Walnut Tacos).

3. Split Peas

Probably the most forgotten-about of the pulses, split peas look somewhat like lentils in their raw, dried form. A double-whammy of satiating nutrition, half a cup contains eight grams of both fiber and protein, says Kelly Jones, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., L.D.N. Like green lentils, they’re also high in potassium.

Roussell recommends using split peas to make split pea soup, or simply adding half a cup to salads.

4. Navy Beans

Another often-overlooked pulse, navy beans provide just short of eight grams of protein per half a cup, in addition to magnesium.

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“Navy beans become quite a delicious soup when prepared with vegetable or bone broth, some salt, and onion,” says Moreno. They can also be a creative addition to your morning meal: Try mashing up half a cup to one cup of canned navy beans (or any pulse, for that matter) with a fork and heating them in a frying pan, recommends Roussell. It’s like a simplified version of refried beans—with less fat and calories—and pairs deliciously with scrambled eggs.

5. Chickpeas

Hello, hummus! A pulse many of us know well, chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) pack a little less than eight grams of protein per half a cup, along with minerals like magnesium and calcium, and vitamin B6.

Chickpeas are delicious in everything from dips to falafel to Indian-style curries. To make your own hummus, Moreno recommends blending shelled chickpeas with tahini, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of lemon and salt—it’s that simple!

6. Black Beans 

Rich in calcium and magnesium, as well as vitamin B6, black beans contain a little more than seven grams of protein—and eight grams of fiber—per half a cup.

Moreno’s favorite way to use black beans: BROWNIES! Instead of egg and oil, Moreno blends a can of strained, pureed black beans into dry brownie mix. “They bake just the same in the oven and come out fudgy and packed with protein,” she says.

7. Kidney Beans

Kidney beans provide just shy of seven grams of protein per half a cup, along with about five grams of fiber and some vitamin C, says Moreno.

“Shaped like kidneys, kidney beans are often cooked into Indian curries,” she says. (They’re also delicious in this Vegetarian Chipotle Three-Bean Chili or this One-Pot Turkey Taco Soup.)

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Lauren Del Turco