New Life Wellness & Weight Loss

Christmas is notoriously a time to indulge, but don’t let this be the green light to overindulge! You can still enjoy all the festivities of the season and get through the Christmas period without too much impact on your health and waistline. Try my top 7 tips for a healthier Christmas.

1. Don’t Sit Down All Day

We know every Christmas special under the sun will be showing on the TV, but you don’t need to plonk yourself on the sofa all day! Encourage the whole family to get out for a walk at some point – ideally, after dinner to aid digestion. The more activity, the better, so take along any new outdoor gifts, like bikes, scooters, footballs or Frisbees, or play old-fashioned games.

2. Go Easy on the Booze

If you are firmly ensconced at home over the festive period, those alcohol units can really mount up. Mulled wine on Christmas eve, Bucks Fizz with breakfast, wine with dinner, Baileys, brandy… the list goes on! So, do try to keep tabs on how much you are drinking, and intersperse alcoholic drinks with soft ones, like a couple of glasses of water.

3. Don’t Give Yourself a Christmas Stuffing!

Recent research suggests that we consume around 3,000 calories in our Christmas dinner, which is more than the entire recommended daily intake for a grown man!

This huge feast not only contributes to weight gain but also to indigestion and heartburn – not to mention lethargy for the rest of the day, reducing the chances of you burning much of it off. Instead of gorging yourself on Christmas dinner, eat a normal-sized meal and then take a 20-minute break to see if you are still hungry (it takes this long for the brain to register that the stomach is full). The chances are, you’ll realize you’ve had enough.

4. Don’t Stress

‘Tis the season to be jolly’ but jolly is the last thing many of us feel with overspending, cooking, cleaning, endless ‘to do’ lists and visitors we could do without. Try to keep a sense of humor and proportion. Is it really the end of the world if the carrots are overcooked or if the mantelpiece is a bit dusty? Do you really care about Auntie Mary’s disapproval of just about everything? Remember, Christmas is just one day out of 365 and it isn’t worth stressing over.

5. Do Something for Others

It’s hard to avoid the consumerism that has overtaken Christmas in the western world, but it doesn’t all have to be about giving or receiving gifts. Try to do something for others this festive season, whether it’s baking some extra mince pies for an elderly neighbor, inviting an acquaintance who doesn’t have family around them to your home or helping out with a local Christmas fete or carol service.

6. Think Before You Eat

Christmas is a time of plenty, and with nuts, chocolates, mince pies and cheese straws wherever you look, it would be rather Scrooge-like to suggest that you don’t eat any treats over the festive period! But rather than mindlessly popping whatever is in front of you in your mouth, spend a moment thinking about whether you really want it, or are just eating it because it’s there.

7. Engage Your Brain

Instead of switching off in front of the TV, keep your mind active by playing games like Trivial Pursuit or Charades. This is also a great way of getting everyone together. If you aren’t a ‘game’ person, engage your mind by setting up any new gadgets, such as Playstations, iPads, mobile phones or laptops.

And most importantly, have a happy, healthy festive season!

There are many health benefits to hemp extract, and hemp extract has been used for many years as a natural and holistic treatment for inflammation, pain relief, depression and more. Scientific evidence is accumulating giving hemp extract oil more backing and added popularity when it comes to natural treatments. Below are some of the health benefits of hemp extract, backed by science.    1. Hemp extract may relieve chronic pain. 2. Hemp extract oil reduces anxiety and depression.  3. Hemp extract relieves cancer symptoms and may reduce tumor-growth cells. 4. Hemp extract oil is proven to reduce seizures in epilepsy. 5. Hemp extract has displayed anti-psychotic properties. 6. Hemp extract could help lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. 7. Hemp extract may improve skin health.

Winter is upon us and the opportunity to bask in the sun for our Vitamin D is just about gone for the season. Did you know that over one billion people around the globe suffer from vitamin D deficiency. A 2011 study reports that 41.6% of American adults have low vitamin D levels. Actually, age, race, weight and dietary habits are the major players when it comes to vitamin D deficiency.

Here are 5 subtle signs to watch for:

Consistent Tiredness

Vitamin D deficiency is often ignored as a potential reason for consistent fatigue. A series of studies have shown that a low vitamin D level is likely to cause debilitating fatigue. A case in point was a woman who constantly complained about chronic morning fatigue and headaches. It turned out she suffered from a severely low vitamin D in the blood (below 5.9 ng/ml), as the normal level should stand at 20ng/ml. After taking vitamin D supplements, her symptoms dissipated. Another study involving female nurses showed a strong relationship between vitamin D deficiency and self-reported fatigue. Around 86% of participants had low vitamin levels.

Susceptibility to Infections

Vitamin D reinforces bacteria-fighting mechanisms and keeps your immune system strong. Therefore, if you fall sick quite often, especially with winter ailments, like cold or flu, you may be deficient in this vitamin. Studies reveal a correlation between low vitamin D levels and respiratory tract infections, including bronchitis, colds and pneumonia. Other research shows that taking high-dose vitamin D supplements every day minimizes the risk of respiratory tract infections. A study found that patients with chronic lung disorder, who were extremely deficient in vitamin D, showed an improvement after consuming a high dose vitamin D supplement for a whole year.

Hair Loss

Hair loss, especially in women, is linked to vitamin D deficiency. Yet, other issues, such as alopecia areata, can result in severe hair loss from the head and other body areas. This disease is related to rickets due to the lack of vitamin D level in the blood. Bear in mind that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of alopecia areata and is associated with more severe hair loss in people who already struggle with it. Hair loss was treated in a young boy with a defect in the vitamin D receptor thanks to the application of the synthetic form of the vitamin.

Muscle Ache

Muscle pain may occur in children and adults alike due to low vitamin D levels. A study reported that 71% of people grappling with chronic pain were found deficient. In fact, vitamin D receptors can be found in pain-sensing nerve cells (called nociceptors). A rat experiment discovered that vitamin D deficiency triggered discomfort and aches, arising from the stimulation of nociceptors in muscles. Several studies revealed that high-dose vitamin D supplements relieve aches in deficient people. Another study, which involved 120 children suffering from vitamin D deficiency and having growing pains, showed that a single dose of the vitamin alleviated the pain by 57%.

Depression

Feeling depressed may be an underlying symptom of vitamin D deficiency. Researchers found a strong relationship between low levels of vitamin D and depression, chiefly in older adults. Besides, 65% of observational studies linked depression to low blood levels. Yet, scientific experiments failed to find a correlation, either due to low doses of vitamin D in controlled studies, or because studies did not last enough to notice the effect of vitamin D supplements on the mood, researchers argue.

Other controlled studies reveal that taking vitamin D supplements soothes depression in people who are deficient, including seasonal depression that takes place during frigid months.

Cold and flu season is here, but that doesn’t mean you have to stock up on tissues and wait for symptoms to make you miserable. To keep fever, sneezing, runny nose, and other gnarly symptoms at bay, just do your daily 30-minute walk and chow down on these five foods to give your immune system a hefty boost.

1. Use the Power of Healthful Protein. 

One of protein’s many jobs is pumping up your ability to make disease-busting antibodies. Just steer clear of fatty red meats and full-fat dairy foods (they promote heart-hazardous inflammation). Pick up healthy-fat, high-protein foods, such as nonfat dairy, skinless white-meat chicken, ground turkey breast, tofu, fish, nuts, and beans.

2. Load Up on Colorful Eats. 

Oranges, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, kiwifruit . . . all are loaded with vitamin C and flavonoids, which help your body churn out protective immune cells.

3. Sip Hot Tea.

People who drink 5 cups (about 3 mugs) of black tea daily produce 10 times more virus-fighting interferon than coffee drinkers.

4. Eat 100% Whole-Grain Cereals. 

Oatmeal, shredded wheat, and other whole-grain cereals deliver three nutrients proved to enhance immunity: selenium, zinc, and beta glucan.

5. Spice Up Your Chicken Soup. 

If you catch something anyway, chicken soup shortens its duration by 50%. One theory about why (there are many): Cooked chicken releases cysteine, an amino acid that’s chemically similar to acetylcysteine, a bronchitis drug. Up the soup’s knockout punch to cold and flu bugs by tossing in infection-fighting garlic and hot red pepper, which contains capsaicin, a powerful decongestant.

Cold and flu season is here, but that doesn’t mean you have to stock up on tissues and wait for symptoms to make you miserable. To keep fever, sneezing, runny nose, and other gnarly symptoms at bay, just do your daily 30-minute walk and chow down on these five foods to give your immune system a hefty boost.

1. Use the Power of Healthful Protein. 

One of protein’s many jobs is pumping up your ability to make disease-busting antibodies. Just steer clear of fatty red meats and full-fat dairy foods (they promote heart-hazardous inflammation). Pick up healthy-fat, high-protein foods, such as nonfat dairy, skinless white-meat chicken, ground turkey breast, tofu, fish, nuts, and beans.

2. Load Up on Colorful Eats. 

Oranges, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, kiwifruit . . . all are loaded with vitamin C and flavonoids, which help your body churn out protective immune cells.

3. Sip Hot Tea.

People who drink 5 cups (about 3 mugs) of black tea daily produce 10 times more virus-fighting interferon than coffee drinkers.

4. Eat 100% Whole-Grain Cereals. 

Oatmeal, shredded wheat, and other whole-grain cereals deliver three nutrients proved to enhance immunity: selenium, zinc, and beta glucan.

5. Spice Up Your Chicken Soup. 

If you catch something anyway, chicken soup shortens its duration by 50%. One theory about why (there are many): Cooked chicken releases cysteine, an amino acid that’s chemically similar to acetylcysteine, a bronchitis drug. Up the soup’s knockout punch to cold and flu bugs by tossing in infection-fighting garlic and hot red pepper, which contains capsaicin, a powerful decongestant.

Side Effects of Alcohol May Not Be Evenly Distributed Across All Ages

In a recent study, which analyzed the effect of alcohol consumption on different age groups, researchers have come to the conclusion that over-50- year-olds encounter less harmful side effects.

Binge drinking is associated with several health complications, including liver disease, heart failure, coronary artery disease, cancer (including breast cancer in women) as well as nervous system damage. On the other hand, moderate drinking may confer several health advantages.

A number of studies show that light to moderate alcohol consumption may prevent all-cause mortality, along with death linked to cardiovascular disease. While these findings are well known to researchers, the jury is still out on the impact of alcohol consumption. However, a new study, carried out by Timothy Naimi, of the Boston medical center in Massachusetts, and published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, came to further fuel the already fierce controversy.

A Brand New Approach

Authors of this research confirm that the methodology used in the previous studies might be inaccurate. They claim that the conducted studies are observational and involve subjects over the age of 50. This excludes people who might have died because of alcohol use before the age of 50, they explain. According to them, people enrolled in these studies are merely survivors of alcohol who might have been healthier or have had better drinking habits. Thereby, their selection is biased.

Investigators further add that 40% of alcohol- related fatalities occur before the age of 50. This implies that most research addressing the potential risks of alcohol disregards these deaths and could overlook the real dangers. In an attempt to reassess the impact of alcohol consumption, the authors relied on data from Alcohol-Related Disease Application, maintained by the CDC. This gathers health impacts of alcohol consumption nationwide, including deaths and years of potential life lost.

Alcohol and Age

Based on data analysis, researchers found that alcohol-related risk was affected by age. Overall, 35.8% of alcohol-attributable deaths were witnessed in people within the 20-49 age range. Whereas deaths prevented by alcohol consumption in this age category accounted for 4.5%.

As for people above the age of 65, alcohol-related fatalities constituted 35%. Yet, investigators found that a whopping 80% of deaths were prevented by alcohol use in this age group.

This striking disparity between different age groups was also present in the number of potential years lost to alcohol consumption. Indeed, scientists discovered that 58.4% of the total number of years lost to alcohol was witnessed in people aged between 20 and 49. However, this age group constituted 14.5% of the years of life saved by drinking.

On the other hand, over 65 year olds accounted for 15% of the global years of life lost to alcohol, but 50% of the years of life prevented by alcohol.

Authors of the study concluded that younger people are more prone to alcohol-related deaths. While older people are likely to experience the health benefits of moderate drinking. In brief, moderate drinking may benefit people of a certain age, but remember, heavy drinking is harmful to all

To protect your stomach from cramping, bloating and constipation, here are four important tips to follow:

Exercise Regularly

The lack of physical activity can lead to a sluggish digestion process. As a matter of fact, regular physical exercise stimulates the natural contraction of intestinal muscles, which helps transfer food to the digestive system hustle-free.

Being a couch potato will not help your digestion, on the contrary, it will cause several digestive problems. As tempting as it seems to lie down on the sofa after a heavy dinner, try to avoid it as much as you can. Instead, go for a night walk with your dog or move around the house for a while- your digestive system will thank you for it!

Try Ginger and Fennel

Ginger has been widely used as an indigestion remedy. Indeed, it can appease upset stomach and help relieve digestive cramps, nausea and bloating. However, a ginger beer or a slice of ginger cake will not serve the purpose. You need to consume fresh ginger root to reap the benefits.

Ginger tea may also help you just have to peel a piece of root ginger, preferably with the side of a teaspoon, slice and steep it in hot water with a slice of lemon for five minutes.

Similarly, Fennel seeds have been used in Chinese, Indian and western medicines, and are believed to soothe digestive issues. They contain substances that can appease the smooth muscle in the digestive tract, and hence, reduce cramping and bloating. Drink fennel seeds as a tea or chew them after a generous meal.

Include Bitter and Sour Foods in Your Diet

Your digestive system serves for the breakdown of food and its absorption into the main bloodstream. To fulfil this function properly, your body needs digestive enzymes.

Bitter and sour foods trigger the production of stomach juices in a natural way. So, try eating a bitter leaf salad or rocket, kale, and spinach, with a few drops of lemon juice, before a copious meal. Alternatively, you can drink a 2:1 ration of water, and lemon juice, or half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, around 30 minutes prior to your big meal. This can stimulate digestion fluids and keep digestive problems at bay.

Stay Hydrated

It is common knowledge that drinking plenty of water throughout the day is vital for your global health, and your digestive system is not an exception. If you don’t drink sufficiently, your body will extract water from your solid discharge (stool), making it difficult to relieve oneself. Say hi to constipation! Water also stimulates the production of the digestive juices that help break down food into nutrients. The absence of these stomach fluids can trigger several digestive issues, like gas, bloating and nausea. Ideally, drink at least 2 liters of water every day, in addition to tea, coffee, juice and high-water fruits and veggies.

5 Foods That Curb Sugar Cravings

Today’s food landscape is rife with quick, cheap access to sugar whenever we are craving it — and even when we aren’t. Grocery and convenience stores are stocked with cookies, candy, sugary beverages and other sweet snacks strategically placed at the checkout prompting unhealthy impulse buys.

Vending machines dispense sugary sodas and pastries to beat your 3 p.m. slump, and every office seems to offer donuts for breakfast. In a sugar-saturated world, it can seem impossible to curb those nagging cravings for sweets — because they’re everywhere!

Even after a satisfying meal, sugar cravings can hit you hard. One explanation of this feeling is hedonic hunger — or eating for pleasure rather than for satisfaction. Researchers are still trying to figure out why this happens, but before we take the first bite, the sight of a sugary or fatty food causes the brain’s reward circuit to get excited.

Once the sweet treat hits your taste buds, signals are fired off to the brain to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes an intense feeling of pleasure. Overeating sugary foods not only floods the brain with dopamine, but also creates a pattern of sugar cravings. In a short amount of time, the brain starts to crave more sugar and fat to reach the same threshold of pleasure it once got from small amounts of these pleasure-inducing foods.

Whether you reach for sugar after every meal, first thing in the morning or as a bedtime snack try substituting these foods instead:

BERRIES

Unlike fruit juices and dried fruit that are high in sugar and low in fiber, whole, fresh fruit like raspberries provides a great source of fiber that allows for the slow-release of the natural sugars. With only 5 grams of sugar per cup, raspberries are also a low-sugar fruit, along with blackberries and strawberries.

Tip: Blend frozen berries into a smoothie or cream them in the food processor with half a frozen banana to create a thicker frozen texture similar to soft-serve ice cream.

ALMONDS

Packed with heart-healthy fats, almonds can help control blood sugar, keeping intense sugar cravings in check. The healthy fats in nuts keep you feeling satisfied even longer, making it less likely for you to have an energy dip between meals — when sugar cravings are often at their worst.

PLAIN GREEK YOGURT & KEFIR

Another cause of your sugar cravings could be an imbalanced gut microbiome, where the bacteria have adapted to thrive on sugar. To reset your gut’s natural balance of bacteria, choose low-sugar Greek yogurt and kefir that are packed with active probiotics. Greek yogurt is also rich in protein, keeping you fueled until your next meal.

CELERY STICKS WITH NUT BUTTER

The fiber from celery paired with protein and healthy fat from nut butters is a triple play for stable energy. Snacks rich in these three nutrients are the best way to keep you sustained between meals, as protein, fats and fiber are digested slowly to gradually release energy over time, making it less likely you’ll hit that afternoon energy crash.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Beyond being a great source of protein, fiber and fat, pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) are rich in magnesium. If you crave chocolate, maybe your body is asking for more magnesium, as cocoa is rich in this crucial mineral. Choose other high-magnesium foods such as leafy greens and seeds to boost your magnesium levels.

Keep these foods in mind the next time the sugar cravings hit.

Bad breath is a source of embarrassment for many people. Actually, it occurs when the bacteria in your mouth break down the food particles that lurk between your teeth, and along your gum lines and tongue. These release nasty compounds that are responsible for halitosis or bad breath. Below are five other reasons why your breath reeks.

You are Breathing Through Your Mouth

If you breathe through your mouth, saliva is likely to evaporate. This could make your mouth dry and unable to remove food particles. Unfortunately, a wide range of people breathe through their mouths while they sleep or exercise.

Several researchers probed into dental hygiene in athletes. For instance, a 2015 study conducted by German researchers revealed that the more people spend in a training session, the more likely they are to have cavities. Perhaps, the reduced flow of saliva during exercise is at fault, but this should not keep you from working out. Just make sure you drink plenty of water during your workout program.

You Have Not Eaten All Day

You should know that skipping regular meals could result in halitosis or bad breath. That is because saliva production lowers when you do not eat. Note that saliva does not only flush out food particles, but also breaks down food to help it slide through your throat more easily.

Besides, skipping meals is not a good way to lose weight fast. On the contrary, it could have counterproductive results. That is because your metabolism slows down when you skip meals and your body burns less calories. This could make you pack on more pounds.

You Smoke or Drink

Smoking does not only increase the odor-inducing compounds in your mouth and lungs, but can also dry your mouth, leading to halitosis. Indeed, smoking can lower production of saliva, considering a study conducted in 2004 by researchers from Hong Kong.

Likewise, alcohol can be responsible for your bad breath. A 2007 study carried out in Israel reveals that drinking alcohol is associated with higher rates of halitosis. Actually, participants were required to fast for 12 hours and were allowed to brush their teeth in the next morning. However, booze was found to dry the mouth, leading to bad breath. Plus, when the body metabolizes alcohol, it releases bad odors.

Certain Medications Dry Your Mouth

Certain medications, like antihistamines, diuretics, antipsychotics, and muscle relaxants, could dry your mouth. Indeed, these meds can reduce the production of saliva in your mouth, which causes several types of bacteria to reside there.

Of course, if you need to take a medication, you should not just stop. Yet, you can try to clean your tongue with a toothbrush or a tongue scraper. The American dental association confirms that your tongue contains several types of bacteria that cause bad breath and scrapping them off could solve this problem. So, do not forget to wash your tongue while brushing your teeth.

If you do not suffer from any of the above-mentioned problems, a good dental hygienist could help you find the root cause of this issue and recommend viable solutions.