1319 results found for: Blood Sugar

Drinking Beetroot Juice Before Exercise Can Boost Heart

A new study has recently revealed that beetroot juice before exercise can boost heart function in COPD patients. A Wake Forest University study to investigate the effects of acute beetroot juice ingestion on the exercise capacity of COPD patients showed some promise, but a larger clinical trial would be needed to verify results. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, makes it difficult for patients to breathe and worsens over time. Patients often complain of shortness of breath with exertion, so tasks like climbing steps can leave them gasping for air. In turn, they tend to limit their activities, become more sedentary, and […]

On the Wave of the Next Food Trend: 10 African Superfoods

Foodies are always looking for the Next Big Thing. At one time that was Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Mideastern specialties such as hummus and falafel have now found their way to American menus. Here’s my prediction: in the near future we will all be enjoying foods from various countries on the African continent. A number of years ago, I discovered baobab, the fruit from an odd-looking tree native to Africa and Madagascar that contains high levels of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and iron. The tree itself is called ‘The Tree of Life ’because, besides providing nutritious fruit, it […]

Some “Healthy” Foods May Make Us Fat and Sick

Most of us have heard of gluten—a protein found in wheat that causes widespread inflammation in the body. Americans spend billions of dollars on gluten-free diets in an effort to protect their health. But what if we’ve been missing the root of the problem? In The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain,  renowned cardiologist Dr. Steven R. Gundry reveals that gluten is just one variety of a common, and highly toxic, plant-based protein called lectin. Lectins are found not only in grains like wheat but also in the “gluten-free” foods most of […]

The Sugar Industry’s Deceptive Practices

Readers of What’s Hot may recall an article published in 2016 which revealed the inclusion of publications provided by the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) in the composition of a 1967 review that blamed fat for the coronary heart disease epidemic. In an article that appeared on November 21, 2017 in PLOS, Christin E. Kearns and colleagues examined SRF-funded Project 259. As part of Project 259, researchers at the University of Birmingham evaluated the relationship between dietary carbohydrates and blood lipids in bacteria-free rats. The study found that there was a significant decrease in serum triglycerides in germ free rats that received a high sugar diet […]

The Medicinal Wonders of Yarrow

The ancient medicinal healing herb yarrow goes by many names including Achilee, Devil’s Nettle, Noble Yarrow, Nosebleed, Old Man’s Pepper, and Soldier’s Wound Wort among others. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has been most famously used as an herbal remedy used for wounds, cuts and abrasions. It’s genus name comes from the Greek character, Achilles, who was reported to carry it with his army to treat battle wounds. It grows naturally in sunny locations on thin, sandy soils. You may even see it growing along roadsides, in fields or on lawns. Yarrow is native to Eurasia but now grows all over the world in North […]

The Best Herbs To Fight Your Stress

By Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO Stress: a multi-factorial problem for so many as we move through a busy and sometimes chaotic life. Under stress, the body has to adapt by altering a variety of hormones and making adjustments in blood pressure and other regulations. Stress could be emotional or mental – imagine a work deadline, relationship problems, or balancing money or family priorities. Stress could also be physical – toxins in our environment, an unhealthy diet, chemical exposure from cleaning and body products, or air pollution. Some stress is good; for example, physical activity challenges the body and helps […]

The Salt Fix – Did the Experts Get It Wrong?

We’ve all heard the recommendation: eat no more than a teaspoon of salt a day for a healthy heart. But there’s one big problem with this: the vast majority of us don’t need to eat low-salt diets. In fact, for most of us, more salt would be better for our health, rather than less — not to mention, much tastier. Now, Dr. James DiNicolantonio’s new book, The Salt Fix: Why the Experts Got It All Wrong—and How Eating More Might Save Your Life, reveals the incredible, often baffling story of how salt became unfairly demonized—a never-before-told, century-spanning drama of competing […]

Breathe Deep: 5 Ayurvedic Practices To Try

More of today’s modern beauty concepts and products are incorporating Ayurveda—a 5,000-year-old Indian medicinal system that combines yoga, diet, meditation and herbal remedies. “The focus of modern beauty regimens has shifted away from chemical-based therapies to natural, herbal-based treatments and almost every such therapy can trace its roots to Ayurveda,” says Sushrut Badhe, Ayurveda expert and executive manager of KVM Research Laboratories. As we seek holistic approaches to skin and hair care, mindfulness practices and ancient traditions are also making their way into our beauty regimens to clear not only our skin but also our minds. Some of these practices […]