All About Drinking Water: How Much To Drink & What Water Types

Most of us know that we don’t drink nearly as much water as we’re supposed to each day, but how much is enough? We’ve all heard of the generic eight glasses of water a day, but some experts say we need even more. Why do we need so much? Well, for starters, the body is made up of approximately 60 percent water. That’s more than half of your body weight, so you need a lot of water to sustain this amount.

Water also has some incredible health benefits that you may not have been aware of. For example, can drinking water make you smarter or feel more energized? Some research says it can. But not just any water will do. Tap water is supposedly filled with dangerous toxins, and some studies have even found that bottled water contains harmful ingredients. Here’s everything you need to know about drinking water, including how much and what types.

Health Benefits of Drinking Water

One of the primary reasons why we need to drink water continually is because we’re constantly losing water from our bodies, mainly in the form of urine and sweat. The amount of water you need to drink depends on your internal and external factors. Your number might be different from someone else you know. If you start to feel sluggish throughout the day or have problems concentrating, then you might want to increase the amount you’re drinking. Research shows that water can help boost your mood and concentration.

One study (https://ift.tt/2alA5Pc) found that women lost approximately 1.36 percent of their fluids after exercise. As a result, they experienced impairment in their mood and concentration as well as frequent headaches. Other studies (https://ift.tt/2GnHrjh) show that mild dehydration of approximately 1 to 3 percent of your body weight due to heat or exercise can also impact other areas of your brain function. Keep in mind that 1 percent of your body weight might not seem like a lot, but it’s enough to affect your brain and physical body performance. Therefore, you might want to get more than your standard eight glasses of water a day if you exercise or when it’s hot out.

Drinking lots of water throughout the day can also help you curb your appetite and lose weight. It might even be able to increase your metabolism. One study (https://ift.tt/1TfdW3m) found that drinking 17 ounces of water can temporarily boost your metabolism by as much as 30 percent! Researchers concluded that by drinking 68 ounces of water in one day, you could also increase your energy expenditure by 96 calories per day. That’s about the number of calories it takes to run one mile! If you’re drinking water in hopes of losing weight, then make sure it’s cold so that your body has to work harder to heat the water back up to your body temperature. This process requires you to burn more calories.

Drinking water is a great weight loss tool. You can drink it in between meals to help you feel full and prevent eating unwanted calories. Research shows that if you drink water 30 minutes before you eat, it can reduce the number of calories you consume at your next meal, especially in older or overweight adults (https://ift.tt/2g27dwn). Another study (https://ift.tt/2eioMvk) found that people who drank 500 ml of water right before they ate a meal lost 44 percent more weight while following a diet over a 12-week people compared to those who did not drink water. If you follow a healthy diet and don’t go overboard on calories, then drinking water could potentially be a game changer for your weight loss goals.

Additionally, water helps improve the digestive process as well as the overall health of your gut. Research shows that water is nourishing to your digestive system. It makes nutrients and minerals more accessible to your body so that they are absorbed easier. Water is also necessary to digest soluble fiber, which is a type of fiber that is needed to help the bowel form soft stools that pass quickly. The longer fecal matter sits in your digestive tract, the more water your bowels draw from it, which makes it harder to move. But by drinking water, you make your stool and the toxins associated with it more comfortable to pass. You’ll also help naturally detox your body to lose more weight, improve your skin and hair health, reduce inflammation, and help you think clearly.

Water has been shown to help you prevent the following conditions:

1. Constipation

Constipation may occur as a result of a poor diet or lack of physical activity. It’s characterized by having three or fewer bowel movements a week. Drinking more water helps decrease constipation, especially in elderly patients or those who are physically inactive (https://ift.tt/2heVPi1). Interestingly, the water used in several studies to treat constipation was carbonated (https://ift.tt/2uUzIUM). Carbonated water has carbon dioxide dissolved in it that has been treated under gas pressure. It’s similar to drinking water with bubbles in it. When it comes to constipation, don’t limit your water supply to carbonated. Drinking more water, in general, should be your primary concern!

2. Kidney stones

If you’ve ever had a kidney stone before, then you know how painful they can be. Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in your kidneys. They are made of a buildup of dissolved minerals from the lining of the kidneys. While most stones are small (only the size of a pebble), others can grow to be as big as a golf ball and consist of a sharp material like a crystal. Most kidney stones need to be passed by urinating them out, and they are usually very painful. Research shows (https://ift.tt/2h1uuhF) that by drinking lots of water, you can decrease your risk of developing kidneys stones in the first place. And since you need to urinate them out, water can also help get rid of them if you do have one.

3. Cancer

Can drinking water help you prevent cancer? Some studies say yes and others are inconclusive. One study (https://ift.tt/1uZMV7j) found that drinking lots of water reduced the risk of bladder cancer in men by increasing the frequency of voiding and diluting urinary metabolites. Another study (https://ift.tt/2Gnzafi) found an inverse relationship between water consumption and colon cancer. In other words, the more water you drink, the lower your risk.

4. Skin problems

Drinking water might be able to help keep your skin look younger. It could also reduce your risk of acne. One study (https://ift.tt/2pWNO5K) found that higher water intake positively impacts normal skin physiology. The best part is that it doesn’t just affect one area of your body. If you drink more water, the skin all over your body will benefit from it.

Best Types Of Water To Drink

When it comes to how much water you should drink, the answer is simple: drink when you’re thirsty and stop when you’re full. Some experts suggest that you need to sip on water throughout the day until you get in at least eight glasses, even if you aren’t thirsty. This number increases if you’re exercising or if it’s hot out. When it comes to what type of water to drink, you have a few different options. Here’s a list of the best types of water to drink.

1. Spring water

Some people say that spring water is the best type of water you can drink. That’s because it is derived from the Earth, and what’s better than drinking water straight from Mother Nature? By definition, according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), spring water is water that is derived from an underground source where it flows naturally to the Earth’s surface. But don’t be fooled. Even spring water is not without its impurities. Many companies will market their spring water as 100 percent natural or pure, but since the water hasn’t been purified in any way, is it really pure? Additionally, spring water isn’t always bottled at the source. Instead, it’s pumped into trucks and transported to a bottling factory. If what you’re looking for is water that has been purified of harmful chemicals, then you want purified water.

2. Purified water

Purified water is similar to filtered water but its benefits go a step further. Just like filtered water, purified water is put through a process that strips it of harmful ingredients. First, it’s run through carbon filters to remove substances like chlorine. It might also go through a micron filter as well. Then it goes through additional steps such as distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis to make it a cleaner source than spring water.

3. Alkaline water

Alkaline water is water that has an alkaline pH to help prevent chronic diseases, regulate the body’s pH levels, slow down the aging process, and naturally detox the body. Your pH levels are measured on a scale of 0 to 14. A reader of 1 would indicate very acidic while something with a pH of 12 or 13 is alkaline. Research shows that when your body is full of toxins due to poor eating, an inactive lifestyle or chronic stress, your pH levels may be too acidic. To combat this, many people drink alkaline water to help restore their blood pH levels and get rid of toxins. Alkaline water has a few key benefits. First, it has been filtered from impurities, and then minerals are added to it, including calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. The idea behind using alkaline water is that no disease can thrive in an alkaline environment. On average, your blood pH levels should be 7.365. So if they are high, then drinking alkaline water can help bring your numbers back to normal.

4. Tap water

Tap water is the easiest way to get your eight glasses of water in because it comes right out of the kitchen sink. But tap water can contain numerous harmful chemicals, such as chlorine, fluoride, trihalomethanes (THMs), hormones, pesticides, arsenic, mercury, lead, radium, nitrates, pharmaceutical drugs, and perchlorates (rockey fuel). The bad news about tap water is that it’s also the water you bathe in, brush your teeth in, and wash your clothes in. So if the tap water in your area is full of chemicals, there is really no way to escape it unless you install a filtration system in your home.

One study even found that fluoridated water may cause brain damage (https://ift.tt/2AgBNQd). The study was conducted by researchers at Icahn School of Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health in 2006. Researchers found that fluoride was one of 11 industrial chemicals that have neurotoxicant properties. Other poison on the list included lead and arsenic, both of which are also found in tap water. These neurotoxins are especially dangerous to infants and fetuses. According to one of the authors of the study, neurotoxins cause brain drain, which could possibly reduce the intelligence in generations to come.

5. Bottled water

After reading about all the garbage found in tap water, it would be nice to think that bottled water is free from all harmful ingredients. But even bottled water isn’t without its impurities. Recent research shows that bottled water contains plastic. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that it is launching a review of the risks of plastic in bottled water after one study found that more than 90 percent of samples from the world’s most popular bottled water brands contained tiny pieces of plastic (https://ift.tt/2GJZtQi). Only 17 of the 259 bottles that were tested proved to be free of plastic. The average amount of plastic in each bottle of water contained around 325 pieces of microplastic including polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, and polypropylene. The worst offender was a bottle of Nestlé Pure Life, which contained more than 10,000 pieces of microplastic. Other leading offenders included Aqua with 4,713 pieces of plastic, Bisleri with 5,230 plastic pieces, and Gerolsteiner with 5,160 pieces of plastic in one bottle.

So where does that leave you? If purification is on your mind, then it might be in your best interest to invest in a home filtration system that cleans all sources of water in your home. You could also switch up your sources of water to avoid ingesting too much of any one kind. The important thing is to drink up and don’t let yourself get thirsty because that’s how your body tells you that your levels are low.

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Hash Brown Waffles

Little more than piles of shredded potatoes, what separates superlative hash browns from the merely adequate hash browns all comes down to texture. Shatteringly crisp on the outside yet tender, even borderline creamy on the inside, it’s a fine balance that’s difficult to strike. Using a waffle iron instead of a standard frying pan maximizes […]

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What Is The Military Diet & Can It Work For You?

Take one look at a military serviceman or woman, and it’s not hard to see that they are in great shape, which leaves many people wondering what they eat. The military diet claims it can help you lose ten pounds in one week, but does it really work? Moreover, it is safe to lose that much weight in one week?

Although the diet wasn’t actually created by the United States military as commonly thought, many people use it to get in soldier shape. The good news is that the diet is 100 percent free and doesn’t require you to buy expensive books or supplements. Should you try it? Read on to find out more about the military diet, and its prospective health benefits.

What Is The Military Diet?

The military diet is also known as the three-day diet because it is split up into two parts over the course of the week. You follow the military diet for three days, and then you take a break the remaining four days (but you still need to eat healthily). It claims you can lose up to ten pounds during that week, and even up to 30 pounds if you follow it for a month. If you want to optimize your weight loss, you can follow the military diet for four days of the week and take three days off. It works by having you eat a very low-calorie diet for the days that you follow the plan. It supposedly kick-starts your metabolism so that you burn more fat.

 

For the first three days of the week, you must follow a very low-calorie diet of about 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day. These calories are split up between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No snacks are allowed on the plan. For the remaining four days of the week, you are encouraged to keep your calorie count low and eat healthily, but you aren’t required to be as strict as you wound during the first three days. You can also stay on the diet for as long as you need until you reach your goal weight.

Here is an example of a three-day meal plan on the military diet:

Day one: 1,400 calories

Breakfast:

• Half of a grapefruit
• One slice of toast with two tablespoons of no-sugar-added peanut butter
• A cup of tea or coffee is optional

Lunch:

• Another slice of toast topped with one half of a cup of tuna packed in water (not oil to keep your calories down; you can also use fresh, wild-caught tuna)
• One small apple
• Again, a cup of coffee or tea is optional

Dinner:

• Three ounces of meat such as chicken or turkey
• One cup of green beans (can be fresh or canned)
• A half of a banana
• One cup of plain vanilla ice cream for dessert

Day two: 1,200 calories

Breakfast:

• One slice of plain toast
• One hard-boiled egg
• A half of a grapefruit
• One cup of coffee or tea is optional

Lunch:

• One cup of low-fat cottage cheese
• Another hard boiled egg
• Five saltine crackers
• Again, a cup of coffee or tea is optional

Dinner:

• Two plain hot dogs without the bun
• A half of a cup of steamed broccoli
• A half of a cup of steamed carrots
• One half of a banana
• One cup of plain vanilla ice cream for dessert

Day three: 1,100 calories

Breakfast:

• Five saltine crackers
• One ounce of low-fat cheese (this can be one slice of cheese or one ounce of blocked cheddar cheese)
• One small apple
• One cup of coffee or tea is optional

Lunch:

• One plain slice of toast
• One egg prepared however you like (hard boiled, scrambled, poached, etc.)
• One cup of coffee or tea is optional

Dinner:

• One cup of tuna
• One half of a banana
• One cup of vanilla ice cream for dessert

Although you’re not dieting as extremely during the remainder of the week, the last four days are no walk in the park, either. You’re encouraged to keep your calories around 1,500 per day. You can do this by eating the same way as you do on the first three days, but add low-calorie snacks in between meals. Also, you don’t need to restrict your food groups as much during the other four days, but you’ll want to keep your calorie count low as this is the primary goal of the diet.

If you have a dietary restriction, you can swap out foods with equal calorie counts for any of the above-mentioned foods. For example, you can swap out peanut butter for almond butter if you have a peanut allergy. If you’re vegetarian, you can swap out almonds for the tuna. Just make sure the calories are the same. You’ll also want to make sure you’re drinking lots of water on the military diet. Adding lemon to your water is a good way to further detox and get some vitamin C, which has antioxidant properties and can help you eliminate toxins in the body. Water will also aid in digestion and help you lose weight quicker. Plus, it keeps you full, which is helpful on a diet that is so low in calories.

Pros And Cons Of The Military Diet

The military diet will help you lose weight just because it restricts your calories. Simply put, you will lose weight if more fat leaves your tissue then enters it. For most people, this is why they diet in the first place. But is it safe? Some health experts aren’t so sure. Here are some pros and cons of the military diet.

Pros

1. Weight loss

If your primary desire is to lose weight and you don’t have many other health goals, then you may find success with the military diet. The average adult men and women need around 2,000 to 2,6000 calories a day to maintain their current weight, so anything below this number will likely cause weight loss. The only downside to this mentality is that the military diet is so strict, you might be tempted to cheat, which means the diet won’t work. It’s also hard to maintain this way of eating for too long. For example, you may be able to follow the military diet for several weeks and lose a significant amount of weight, but then you’ll regain that weight (and then some) when you start eating a reasonable amount of calories again.

 

2. Fasting cycles

Fasting is one of the best ways to lose weight. The military diet includes some of these principles in its cycle by asking you to switch up your calorie intake each day. Research shows that intermittent fasting is one of the best ways to lose weight. It’s also more sustainable because it allows you to take days off. But it should be noted that the military diet is not the same thing as intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting usually works by liming your calories to a six or eight hour period during the day or fasting for a total of 16 hours a day. On the other hand, the military diet has you eating tiny amounts of food throughout the day with little room for error. It works by depleting all your stored glycogen in the body so that you’ll lose weight. Many people find that carb cycling is an easier way to lose weight than sticking to a very low-calorie diet.

3. No exercise required

The military diet doesn’t require you to workout because your caloric intake is already so low, so this could be a pro for some people who don’t like to exercise or just don’t have time. Some people are so strapped for time that diet is the only thing they can control when it comes to a weight loss program. Because of this, you might be able to lose weight and find that the diet works for you despite not exercising. On the other hand, exercise has many benefits, such as improved mood, lower stress levels, better skin, more energy, brain and digestive health, and more. If you skip out on the working out, you’ll miss out on the high that accompanies a good sweat.

The military diet isn’t very exercise-friendly, either. This means that if you’re working out consistently, your body needs a certain amount of calorie to sustain it. You could get injured in the gym or run out of energy if you try to exercise on low calories. So if you’re not a fan of exercise but still want to lose weight, then the military diet could be a temporary tool to help you until you find a permanent solution.

4. Doesn’t cut out entire food groups

One of the best things about the military diet is that it doesn’t cut out entire food groups, unlike some other diets. It has you eating lean protein, such as eggs and tuna, fruits and vegetables, such as apples, bananas, carrots, and broccoli, dairy such as cheese, legumes such as peanuts, and grains in the form of toast. While the foods on this list aren’t the best food choices you could make from your food groups, at least it’s a start. You could easily swap out your favorite fruits and vegetables for the ones mentioned as long as the calories matchup. For example, try pineapple in place of a banana. Or eat kale instead of green beans. Make sure your toast is made of sprouted wheat for added fiber and swap out the saltine crackers for a cracker made entirely of nuts and seeds.

Cons

1. Too low in calories

The military diet basically puts you into starvation mode, which could work against you if you’re trying to lose weight. It might not affect you if you try it for only a few weeks, but eating this way long term could prompt your body to slow down its metabolism and hold onto the fat you have for energy because it knows that you won’t feed it anymore. Your body could perceive this lack of calories as a threat to survival, and it will do whatever it can to preserve what little energy you have for the most essential functions. As a result, you might experience digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, impaired cognitive function, low libido, and problems recovering from tissue damage. Your work performance could suffer, and your relationships might even, too.

2. Includes lots of processed foods

Most nutritionists wouldn’t be OK with you eating hot dogs, processed bread, ice cream and saltine crackers as part of your meal plan. The military diet allows a lot of processed foods on its meal plan, which are highly inflammatory and work against your body when it comes to removing toxins and promoting weight loss. The truth is that there are much better food choices out there that you could make and you wouldn’t have to limit your calories so much. For example, a diet that allows you to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want along with lean protein, omega-rich fish, and healthy fats in nuts and seeds is a great way to help you feel better. Although the processed foods suggested by the military diet are low in calories, they are also low in nutrition. This means that your body needs to get these nutrients in other places, and when you limit your calories so intensely, you’re simply not getting what you need. As a result, you may feel lethargic or weak if you follow the diet for too long.

 

3. Not sustainable

It’s tough to follow such a low-calorie diet for so long. Additionally, the military diet doesn’t teach you good eating habits. In fact, it shows you that it’s OK to eat processed foods with low calories over fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, nuts and fish with a higher calorie count. Eventually, you might hit a plateau or get so hungry that you binge on junk food just because you are so starved for calories. Instead of eating low calories, learn how to eat an anti-inflammatory diet that’s high in plant-based foods, so you feel your best and lose weight the natural way without the risk of it coming back.

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Food of the Week: Flaxseeds

Sometime between 4000 and 2000 BC, flax cultivation became a common practice in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and in regions of the Middle East, and there is some evidence that flax cultivation may have started even thousands of years ...

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Recipe of the Week: Dijon Flaxseed Dressing

This quick and easy dressing uses Flaxseed oil and ground Flaxseeds. ...

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Best sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

No type of fat has been getting more recent publicity than omega-3s, and you're very likely to have seen TV ads or heard radio infomercials about this unique type of fat. However, much of the omega-3 publicity you've heard has probably been focused ...

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From the kitchen: Tips for Preparing Flaxseeds

Sometime between 4000 and 2000 BC, flax cultivation became a common practice in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and in regions of the Middle East, and there is some evidence that flax cultivation may have started even thousands of years ...

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I have heard conflicting views from manufacturers and scientists regarding how long it takes flax seed oil to go rancid and not be safe for use. Can you clarify this issue for me?

All oils, under certain circumstances, will "go rancid" at some point in time. Whether it's flax seed oil or any other kind of oil, with respect to determining its shelf life and the development of rancidity, you need to pay attention to its ...

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What are your recommendations about flaxseed oil?

First of all, it's important to think about flaxseed oil as falling outside of the category of "cooking oils." It's never a good idea to treat flaxseed oil as a cooking oil - it's composition is simply too delicate and easily oxidized to risk ...

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How to Use the Power of the World's Healthiest Foods to Stay Healthy

"The World's Healthiest Foods--Your Source of Abundant Health and Energy" More than two thousand years ago, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates advised us how important foods are for our health. Today, medical science continues to ...

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What is the Special Nutritional Power found in Fruits and Vegetables?

Introduction Plant foods have long been known to promote health and wellness. Cultures whose diet primarily features plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes have been found to have increased longevity and reduced ...

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What Foods are Good for Energy?

Introduction You may think you expend energy only when doing exercise, or when awake and moving around, but you are using energy all the time, even when you are asleep or lying still and relaxing. Energy is the basis of life. For example, your ...

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How Can I Eat to Optimize My Genetic Potential for Good Health?

The latest research, building on the results of the Human Genome Project, is showing that virtually all the chronic degenerative diseases - the cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, digestive disorders, loss of mental function, and ...

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Vanilla and Raspberry Vegan Cheesecake

This raw cheesecake is much lighter and fresher-tasting than a dairy cheesecake and the cashew topping is such a good medium for color and decoration. Even though it looks stunning as a whole cake, we sometimes make individual ones in a silicone muffin tray. It makes a fantastic light dessert, or, with a bit of […]

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Cold Cucumber–Chile Noodles

I tend to add megaflavor to everything I cook, but in this dish I embrace the minimalist trend and really like the simplicity of green onions with spice, sesame, salt, and refreshing crunchy cucumber. It was inspired by something I ate a couple of years ago at Xi’an Famous Foods in Brooklyn. A friend claimed […]

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14 Diet Pills For Women Analyzed and Reviewed – Do They Really Work?

Most weight loss pills seem too good to be true, don’t they? They make promises that claim you’ll drop inches from your waist without making any changes to your current diet and exercise plan. And as the old saying goes, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Additionally, many diet pills are sourced from sketchy ingredients that come with lots of adverse side effects, so it’s hard to pick one that’s safe.

But some women swear that their diet pills helped them achieve their weight loss goals without any problems. And since women are the ones who are often targeted by marketing campaigns to lose weight, they deserve to know which products are safe to consume and which contain potentially harmful ingredients. Here are 14 diet pills for women analyzed and reviewed by health experts to help you decide if you should consider adding one to your diet.

1. Skinny Fiber

One of the best ways to curb your appetite and help you feel full for longer is to eat foods with lots of fiber. Skinny Fiber features several different types of fiber, which makes it one of the best diet pills for women. It contains natural ingredients along with a proprietary enzyme blend to help support digestive health. If you want to lose weight, your gut is the best place to focus on. Taking a diet pill that promotes gut health is smart because it helps get rid of toxins, moves fecal matter through your digestive system, and helps you feel lighter so that you’ll be more likely to follow through on your exercise program. No one wants to exercise when they feel weighed down by slow digestion.

Digestive enzymes also help you break down the foods you eat and turn them into nutrients that can be absorbed into your bloodstream easier, so you’ll feel more energized. Along with weight loss, you should notice improved digestion with less intestinal gas and bloating while taking this product. This product is ideal for women who don’t always get in their fruits and vegetables and need a little more help with digestion.

2. LeanBean

LeanBean is one of the best weight loss pills for women because it contains natural ingredients with proven benefits. For example, green tea extract is a powerful weight loss booster. It has fat burning properties that help boost your metabolism and keep you feeling energized. Green tea is also a powerful cancer fighter, and it can help you ward off diseases. Turmeric is one of the best anti-inflammatory herbs you can take. And since inflammation has been linked to obesity and weight gain, you should focus on reducing chronic inflammation (especially in the gut) if you want to lose weight.

Additionally, turmeric has been shown to be just as effective as Prozac at alleviating depression, so it will keep your spirits high, too. Finally, glucomannan is an appetite suppressant to help you consume fewer calories to meet your weight loss goals. The company claims that by taking this product, you’ll get toned and lean arms, a peachy butt, and a flat and firm tummy.

3. Shred Her

This diet supplement contains vitamins B6 and pantothenic acid, which are great for boosting energy metabolism. It also includes a stimulating fat incinerating mix that contains green tea extract, green coffee bean extract, and caffeine anhydrous, so you’ll be getting plenty of caffeine. Lastly, it features taurine, raspberry ketones, guarana seed extract, bitter orange, and rosemary leaf extract to regulate appetite, stimulant the fat-burning process, and create a thermogenic effect in the body.

One thing you want to be cautious of when taking an herbal blend is to make sure you’re not also taking any prescription medicines with it. Shred Her doesn’t list the amount of its herbal ingredients in its fat incinerating mix, so you don’t really know how much of a particular ingredient you’re getting. The best thing to do is check with your doctor before taking a diet pill that contains herbal supplements if you’re already on medication to rule out any contradictions.

4. Xtreme Slim

Xtreme Slim is created by Prime Labs and features an unusually high amount of calcium, which has been shown to be effective on weight and fat loss in obese women, but it’s not typically the first ingredient listed in a weight loss pill. It’s an interesting take on a diet pill, to say the least, but it just might work, especially if you’re skeptical about a tablet that includes lots of hard to pronounce herbal extracts. This one has some of those, too. But they come in the form of acai berry, green tea extract, coffee bean extract, raspberry ketones, and mango extract, which are all pretty standard no-frill supplements. Still, if you were to pair this diet pill with a healthy workout and diet plan, you will probably see results. This would be a good diet pill to take if you’re just starting out or if you’re on a medication that might not allow you to mix too many herbals with your prescription.

5. NutriSuppz Garcinia Cambogia For Her

This weight loss supplement claims it can help you burn belly fat, lose weight, and suppress your appetite with one key ingredient: 1400 mg of garcinia cambogia. If you’re not familiar with it,

garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit. It contains an active ingredient known as hydroxycitric acid or HCA that has been shown to help you lose weight, according to some research. Because it’s a fruit extract, many people think it’s safer to take or comes with fewer side effects. One of the best things going for this product is that it features garcinia cambogia as the primary ingredient and doesn’t put it in a blend with other extracts that may cause adverse interactions.

In addition to helping you lose weight, garcinia cambogia has been shown to help suppress your appetite, stabilize blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Although no herbals supplements are regulated by the FDA because they are considered a food product, this supplement is produced in an FDA registered facility and gets the GMP (good manufacturing practice) stamp- both of which say good things about the company.

6. Atrafen

Atrafen is one of the more popular weight loss supplements for women currently on the market. It doesn’t contain a lot of ingredients, but the ones it does provide seems to be a winning combination. It features raspberry ketones, African mango extract, acai fruit extract, green tea extract, resveratrol, caffeine, apple cider vinegar, kelp, and grapefruit powder. One of the most exciting aspects of this product is that it contains a high amount of antioxidants, which are great for neutralizing free radicals and eliminating toxins from the body.

Apple cider vinegar also has antibacterial properties, and it has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels, enhance weight loss, reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, give you better-looking skin, and relieve digestive symptoms. The product claims it can help you increase your energy levels, improve your focus during the day, burn fat, and suppress your appetite. Because all of its ingredients are clumped together in a blend, it’s hard to tell how much caffeine you’re getting, so be aware of that if you’re sensitive to high amounts.

7. Skinny Gal

Despite the blatantly obvious marketing ploy to get women to buy this product, Skinny Gal contains most of the well-known herbal extracts that help promote weight loss, including African mango, raspberry ketone, garcinia cambogia and green coffee bean extract. Raspberry ketones are found in a lot of weight loss supplements, and it’s because some research shows that they can help reduce obesity. They also help protect the liver and provide antioxidant support.

White kidney bean is not something you’d expect to see in a weight loss product, but it has been shown to block carbs, which is a great selling point for a weight loss pill. Several studies have backed this claim, including one study that discovered that people who took white kidney bean extract had a significant reduction in body fat (about four pounds), while another study found that the kidney beans helped promote weight loss when taken with a meal that contains a high amount of carbohydrates.

8. Evlution Trans4orm

Evlution Trans4orm is a universal weight loss product, but it can be especially helpful for women because it blends weight loss herbals with amino acids and B vitamins to support lean muscle mass and support energy production. Most other supplements don’t contain this blend. Its herbal blend features green tea extract, coleus extract, Huperzia serrata, and Yohimbe extract. Black pepper is added to help boost absorption of the active ingredients in the herbs.

If you’re not familiar with some of the ingredients, here’s a quick breakdown. Coleus extract is derived from an Indian plant. It has two reputable studies to back its weight loss claims. One reliable source claims that the herbal extract does not promote weight loss as much as it prevents weight gain, but hey, that’s better than nothing, right? Huperzia Serrata is a Chinese herb that has powerful effects on the brain, which may help you buckle down and focus on your workout. Finally, Yohimbe extract comes from a West African tree that is used to boost testosterone and low libido. It has also been shown to help promote weight loss and improve athletic ability.

9. BeLive Fusion Burn

Fusion Burn is advertised as a daytime weight loss supplement disguised as a pre-workout pill, which isn’t much different from other supplements. The company also has a nighttime fat-burning blend that you’re supposed to take at night before bed. Fusion Burn features all the right ingredients when it comes to promoting weight loss, including green tea extract, raspberry ketones, apple cider vinegar, and garcinia cambogia. Plus, it contains amino acids to help you build lean muscle, which further helps you burn calories throughout the day.

It also contains a particular kind of fatty acid called CLA or conjugated linolenic acid that has been shown to help you burn fat by blocking a substance that enables you to store fat. It works by speeding up your metabolism to help you burn fat while also burning up the stored fat you already have. Fusion Burn also contains chromium, which is a mineral that may help you lose weight and increase lean body mass, especially when paired with a resistance-training exercise program.

10. Sheer Strength Appetite Suppression For Women

Sheer Strength only features a couple of ingredients, but they are all geared toward helping reduce your hunger. These include chromium, hoodia gordonni extract, Caralluma Fimbriata, l-methionine, and Rhodiola Rosea extract, which aren’t exactly known for helping you burn fat, but they should help reduce your calories throughout the day. Hoodia gordonni extract is derived from a cactus-like plant and is best known for sending signals to the brain that the stomach is full, which helps you eat less. Caralluma Fimbriata is another herb that has been shown to help people eat less.

This product would be a good one for women who need some additional help with their diet or eating less in general. It will work even better if you pair it with an exercise program so that you get the added benefit of burning more calories, too. As with any herbal supplement, make sure you run this one by your doctor if you’re currently taking any medication.

11. HERdiet Pink Pill

As if there were any confusion about whether or not this was a woman’s supplement, the company made sure to encapsulate its ingredients in a pink coating. This brand features the fat-burning herbal yohimbine as well as theobromine, which is a stimulant and diuretic that helps get your heart pumping. Theobromine has also been shown to enhance brain performance, improve airflow in the lungs, remove toxins from the body, and act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

But the pink pill also has a lot of synthetic ingredients, which aren’t processed in the body as well as natural ingredients tend to be. Still, the company claims that the product can help you increase energy levels, burn fat, and reduce your appetite. One factor to be aware of is that its ingredients are clumped together into a blend, so you don’t know for sure how much of each ingredient you’re taking.

12. Alli

Alli made a name for itself as the first FDA approved weight loss pill, which gave a lot of women peace of mind that they were taking something that was safe. However, as with any pharmaceutical drug, Alli does not come without its side effects. The pill helps you lose weight by preventing the digestive system from breaking down fat in the gut, which means you consume fewer fat calories. One meta-analysis of 11 studies found that Alli helped women increase weight loss by six pounds when compared to a placebo. Other studies showed that it helped reduce blood pressure and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37 percent.

Interestingly, one study found that eating a low carb diet without drugs has been shown to help you lose as much weight as someone who takes Alli and follows a low-fat diet at the same time. So your best bet for weight loss might be to go low-carb and ditch the weight loss pills altogether.

13. Meratrim

Meratrim is a relatively new weight loss pill on the market. It consists of a combination of two plant extracts that change the way your body metabolizes fat cells. The company claims that it makes it harder for fat cells to replicate. It also decreases the amount of fat that is derived from the bloodstream and promotes the burning of stored fat to enhance weight loss. Only one study has been done on the product so far, and it showed that people who took Meratrim for eight weeks and reduced their calories to 2,000 a day lose a total of 11 pounds and 4.7 inches off their waistline compared to people who used a placebo. Participants also reported increasing their quality of life due to the weight loss.

14. Hydroxycut

If you’re more likely to trust a product that has been around for a long time, then you might like Hydroxycut. The company has been making weight loss produces for over a decade. The most straightforward product in its lineup contains a blend of herbs and caffeine that are designed to help you lose weight, such as Alchemilla Vulgaris, Olea europaea, Cuminum cyminum, and Vaccinium myrtillus.

Hydroxycut has changed its ingredients over the years to reflect the latest trends. It doesn’t contain a lot of ingredients, but the ones it uses appear to be effective. Hydroxycut used to contain the popular weight loss ingredient ephedrine before it was banned due to accidental deaths. According to one study, participants who used Hydroxycut lost an average of 21 pounds over three months.

The post 14 Diet Pills For Women Analyzed and Reviewed – Do They Really Work? appeared first on Bembu.

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Food of the Week: Onions

As mentioned earlier in the Description section, onions are a remarkable food in terms of their worldwide geography, and this feature of onions is quickly visible in their history. Most researchers point to Central Asia as the original birthplace of ...

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Recipe of the Week: 7-Minute Healthy Sauteed Onions

The traditional way of sauteeing onions until brown (caramelizing) can destroy many of their health benefits. I discovered that Healthy Sauteeing not only helps bring out their sweet flavor but helps to preserve more of their nutrients. ...

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Best sources of Biotin

Biotin is a B-complex vitamin that has been identified as a necessary nutrient for a century, but has only begun to be understood in the past two decades. It has also been previously referred to as coenzyme R, vitamin H, and vitamin B7, with the ...

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From the kitchen: Tips for Preparing Onions

As mentioned earlier in the Description section, onions are a remarkable food in terms of their worldwide geography, and this feature of onions is quickly visible in their history. Most researchers point to Central Asia as the original birthplace of ...

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Can you tell us more about the phytonutrients found in onions?

The flavonoids in onion tend to be more concentrated in the outer layers of the flesh. To maximize your health benefits, peel off as little of the fleshy, edible portion as possible when removing the onion's outermost paper layer. Even a small ...

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What do you think about salad spinners?

One obstacle to eating fresh, raw vegetables is the time it takes to clean and chop them. Using a salad spinner can help you throw together a fresh, nutritious salad, even when you are in a hurry. Start by making a trip to a kitchen shop, to ...

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Food Processor Method of Preparing Asian-Style Broccoli

Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches water and heat, covered. You will need a food processor with at least an 8 cup capacity. Use the s-blade. Slice red onion thinly and set aside. Do not food process the onion. Chop or press garlic. ...

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Food Sensitivities

INTRODUCTION "One man's food is another man's poison" is a familiar and centuries old saying which simply states that different people can have very different reactions to exactly the same food. For example, few of us would think twice about ...

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9 Homemade Sauerkraut Recipes

In Western culture, fermented foods often don’t play enough of a role in everyday fare. Fermented foods contribute to gut health, supplying more probiotic action that what you might find in a capsule. They can also strengthen your immune system, according to this article by expert Rebecca Wood. “Fermentation increases the flavor, medicinal value and […]

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Food of the Week: Cabbage

As you might imagine from the complicated set of descriptions above, it has been equally complicated for plant researchers to trace the exact history of cabbage and its development. Because of the linguistic overlap between "choy" and "cabbage" and ...

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Recipe of the Week: 5-Minute Healthy Sauteed Red Cabbage

If you are used to eating green cabbage, I encourage you to try the special flavor and nutrients found in red cabbage as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating. It tastes great and you will also benefit from its rich concentration of health promoting ...

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From the kitchen: Tips for Preparing Cabbage

As you might imagine from the complicated set of descriptions above, it has been equally complicated for plant researchers to trace the exact history of cabbage and its development. Because of the linguistic overlap between "choy" and "cabbage" and ...

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How do our vegetable recommendations at WHFoods compare with common public health recommendations?

At WHFoods, we place greater emphasis on vegetables than most common public health recommendations. In fact, we are not aware of any widely publicized vegetable recommendations that focus as much on vegetables as much as we do. You will find public ...

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How do cooking temperatures affect vegetable nutrients?

In virtually all cuisines throughout the world, you will find enjoyment of both raw and cooked vegetables. Sometimes the balance between raw and cooked vegetables varies with climate. For example, you can often find greater consumption of raw ...

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Eating Healthy with Cruciferous Vegetables

Many people are familiar with the term "cruciferous vegetables" and can even identify a vegetable like broccoli as belonging to this group. But because research on cruciferous vegetables has skyrocketed over the past three to seven years, many ...

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What is meant by the term "goitrogen" and what is the connection between goitrogens, food, and health?

"Goitrogen" is a medical term that is used to describe any substance that interferes with function of the thyroid gland. The word itself comes from "goiter," which means enlargement of the thyroid. If its ability to produce thyroid hormones becomes ...

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22 Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is more than a spice you add to your favorite dish if you want to give it a bit of a kick. It contains incredible medicinal properties that can be used for everything from weight loss to blood clot prevention and improved circulation. While it might seem hard to digest, cayenne pepper is also useful for your gut. It has been shown to reduce intestinal gas, stomach upset, diarrhea, and even cramping. Got a toothache? How about pain caused by shingles? Did you drink too much last night? Cayenne pepper can help with these, too.

The shrub gets its long list of benefits from its impressive nutritional profile, and a little bit goes a long way. One teaspoon of cayenne contains 17 calories, 1 gram of fat, 3 grams of carbs, and 1 gram each of sugar and protein. It also includes about 44 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A, 8 percent of vitamin E, and 7 percent or less of vitamins C, B6, and K, as well as magnesium and potassium. Here are 22 benefits of cayenne pepper we bet you didn’t know about.

1. Improves digestion

It might seem like the heat from eating cayenne pepper could do some damage to your gut, but the opposite is true. Cayenne pepper helps stimulate your salivary glands, which is where the digestive process begins. It also encourages enzyme production to help the digestive system break down foods. By stimulating gastric juices, cayenne pepper encourages the body to metabolize foods and toxins. Research shows (http://ift.tt/2mUFe5P) that cayenne may also be able to protect the stomach against infections by stimulating specific nerves in the stomach that protect it against injury (http://ift.tt/2dHDUiu). If you have an upset stomach or intestinal gas, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to your next meal. It can also be used to ease, soothe or prevent stomach ulcers (http://ift.tt/2dHDUiu).

2. Prevent cancer tumors

Studies show that the active ingredient in cayenne pepper known as capsaicin may have anti-cancer properties. One study (http://ift.tt/2G9QW6f) found that capsaicin may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent new ones from forming. Specifically, the study found that cayenne pepper may be especially beneficial in helping prevent lung cancer in people who smoke or have smoked in the past. This is because the vast amounts of capsaicin found in cayenne can stop the formation of tumors in the lungs due to tobacco use. Another study indicated that similar results were noted in research that involved liver tumors and prostate cancer (http://ift.tt/2FukA5j). While some people find that taking capsaicin in supplement form helps, you can also get the same benefits by adding it to dishes.

3. Improves psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition characterized by itching patches of red skin. It occurs when your skin cells replicate very fast, and dead skin cells cannot be cleared from the surface quickly enough before new ones are formed. This causes a buildup of scaly patches of red, swollen skin. Research shows that 0.025 percent capsaicin from cayenne pepper cream can be used topically to treat psoriasis. One study (http://ift.tt/2gZQKw1) found that subjects with psoriasis who used cayenne pepper for six weeks had a significant decrease in the redness and scaling associated with their condition. Another study from the same source indicated that when the capsaicin cream was used four times a day for six weeks, it significantly decreased thickness, redness, itching, and scaling of the subject’s psoriasis patches.

4. Reduces migraines

It might sound strange, but cayenne pepper can help relieve your migraine pain by causing you to feel pain in different parts of your body, which diverts your attention away from your migraine. Before you write this method off as something you’d never try, consider that some research indicates you can reduce your pain levels by merely using brain power anyway. For example, if you perceive your pain as not as bad as it really it, it may help reduce your actual levels. Additionally, you’ll minimize substance P or the nerve pain chemical from the nerve fibers in the area where the pain is detected. In other words, you tricked your brain to feel less pain (http://ift.tt/2FvsIlT). Talk about using your brain.

5. Prevents blood clots

Cayenne pepper can be used to prevent blood clots, which helps support your heart health. Blood clots are blockages that occur in your blood vessels and arteries. They limit blood flow throughout your circulatory system and make it harder for your heart to pump. Additionally, limited blood flow throughout the body may also increase your risk of stroke. Blood carries oxygen and other vital nutrients throughout your body, so you don’t want to mess with this system. Cayenne pepper prevents blood clots by encouraging fibrinolytic activity. Capsaicin is also good at clearing away lipid deposits that narrow your arteries and dilating them so that blood is free to flow through without any blockages.

6. Removes toxins

If you’ve ever looked at some of the ingredients listed in a detox beverage, you may have noticed that it contains cayenne. This is because cayenne contains antioxidant properties that clear toxins out of the body. Removing toxins helps improve your skin health. It also improves the efficiency of your digestive tract, blood flow, and metabolism. For a yummy detox drink, try combining two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, two tablespoons maple syrup, and a pinch of cayenne pepper to a glass of water. Some people as many as eight glasses a day to clear out their system and reboot their metabolism. You can also use this as a one-time drink concoction if you just want a quick pick-me-up. Avoid the maple syrup if you’re watching your sugar intake.

7. Lowers blood pressure

Your blood pressure may go up if you’re stressed, inactive, or if you eat a poor diet. It’s a widespread condition. In fact, approximately 40 percent (http://ift.tt/1OogoSx) of people over the age of 25 have it. Adding cayenne to your daily diet is one thing you can do to lower your levels. One study (http://ift.tt/2mUNR0w) found that mice with high blood pressure who ate capsaicin daily reduced their blood pressure levels. Another study (http://ift.tt/2n0GFBo) found that capsaicin helped relax blood vessels in subjects, which lead to lower blood pressure. Although these trials were animal studies, they show promising results that if you eat a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods, it may help reduce your blood pressure, which has many benefits for your heart.

8. Reduces hunger

Several studies have found that eating cayenne peppers can help reduce your hunger, make you feel full for longer, and help you eat less. Although the mechanisms are not exactly understood, it appears that cayenne minimizes the release of the hunger hormone ghrelin (http://ift.tt/2n0Tsnt) that prompts you to eat. One study (12) found that cayenne pepper helped decrease appetite in Japanese women and total energy intake in Caucasian men. Additionally, the researchers related cayenne pepper to an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity in the Caucasian male group. Another study (http://ift.tt/2gR3hzJ) found that people who took capsaicin supplements ate 10 percent less on average than a control group while those who drank a beverage that contained capsaicin reduced their energy intake by 16 percent.

9. Boosts metabolism

In addition to helping you eat less, cayenne pepper may also boost your metabolism. It does so by increasing the amount of heat your body produces, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day, according to one study (http://ift.tt/2mUEEFi). This heat-induced process is known as thermogenesis, and it quite literally heats up your metabolism. One study (http://ift.tt/2n0YyjP) found that people who ate a breakfast that contained capsaicin and medium chain triglyceride oil (which helps you absorb the capsaicin) burned 51 percent more calories while eating that meal. This was compared to people who did not eat either MCT or capsaicin for their breakfast. Other studies show that the metabolism-boosting effects of capsaicin are small, but hey, any little bit helps, right?

10. Heals ulcers

Ulcers are irritating, but luckily, cayenne pepper is an anti-irritant that helps eases the pain. This is because it inhibits acid secretion, and stimulates mucus and alkali secretions, particularly gastric mucosal blood flow, to help prevent and heal ulcers. One study (http://ift.tt/2dHDUiu) found that capsaicin helps stimulate neurons in the stomach. It also signals for protection against agents that cause injury. If you want to enhance your protection against ulcers further, then ease up on the NSAIDS. Ironically, you can use cayenne pepper to help relieve your pain instead. Try adding some to your favorite stir-fry dish for a tasty kick.

11. Boosts the immune system

With its high vitamin C and beta-carotene content, cayenne pepper contains antioxidants that can be used to help boost your immune system and ward off the common cold or flu. It also helps break down mucus, which can assist with congestion when you have a cold to provide nasal relief. Eliminating mucus from the body means that you get the germs out quicker, so your symptoms will disappear sooner. Also, cayenne pepper increases your body temperature, which can help you sweat and fire up your immune response. Try some capsaicin in supplement form if adding it to food doesn’t sound good to you while you’re stick.

12. Supports eye health

If you’ve ever been told to eat lots of carrots to boost your eye health, it’s because of the high vitamin A content. Cayenne pepper contains a lot of vitamin C, too, so if carrots aren’t your thing, you can try the spicy stuff instead. Vitamin A is also needed to keep your brain and skin healthy. It works as an antioxidant in the body to reduce toxins and inflammation that cause chronic disease, such as macular degeneration. Vitamin A can also help foster cell growth. So not only does it help reduce damage to existing cells, but it also encourages new, healthy cells to form. Two teaspoons of cayenne pepper a day provides you with your full recommended intake of vitamin A for the day.

13. Contains anti-fungal properties

Capsaicin isn’t the only compound in cayenne pepper that’s good for your health. CAY-1 is another company that has benefits. Specifically, research shows that its effective against 16 different fungal strains (http://ift.tt/2FvkMku). The best part is that unlike many medications, cayenne is non-toxic, so it’s safe for animals. Fungal infections can show up on your skin, such as in in the case of ringworm. Yeast infections, jock itch, and athlete’s foot are all common types of fungal infections. To double your protection against fungal diseases, you can apply a topical cream or add the spice to your food.

14. Contains antibacterial properties

Like fungal infections, bacterial infections can be a pain. Food poisoning (http://ift.tt/2G9zNJY) is a great example. It occurs when you eat something that has been contaminated with bacteria. Research shows that cayenne pepper can be used in place of traditional preservatives such as the harmful synthetic kinds to keep your food fresh and healthy. You can also use the antibacterial properties of cayenne to keep your body free from harmful bacteria that cause colds, digestive problems, and skin infections. Try adding some to a meat-based dish that you plan on making in large amounts so that you can safely store the leftovers in your refrigerator for up to one week without fear of it going bad.

15. Promotes longevity

Can cayenne pepper extend your life? Some research suggests that it can. One study (http://ift.tt/2j20Af5) that used data from nearly half a million subjects found that people who ate foods containing cayenne pepper had a 14 percent chance of living a longer life than people who don’t eat the spice. Further research (http://ift.tt/2G9Kdtd) shows that this might be due to cayenne’s ability to reduce the number of deaths from heart problems, cancer, and respiratory problems. You don’t have to eat a lot to reap the benefits, either. Results from the study showed that eating it a few days out of the week was better than eating it only once a week.

16. Inflammation reducer

The next time you feel pained from an inflammatory injury or condition, don’t reach for any over-the-counter medicine. One study (http://ift.tt/2hwFKET) found that cayenne pepper was just as effective as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac at reducing inflammation. Plus, it doesn’t come with the adverse side effects that often accompany a synthetic drug. Authors of the study found that cayenne pepper could be used as an alternative analgesic or anti-inflammatory agent to reduce inflammatory pain. Try using some the next time an old sciatic injury flares up or when the pain from rheumatoid arthritis is too much to bear.

17. Reduces toothache pain

Toothache pain is the worst. Just ask anyone who has ever had dental work done. Because of its ability to reduce substance P in nerve fibers, cayenne can be used topically to control tooth pain. While using cayenne alone won’t make your cavity go away, it can certainly help get you through a painful time until the dentist can see you. Try applying an over-the-counter capsaicin cream to your tooth or make your own at home by mixing the inside of a capsaicin capsule with some coconut oil and applying it directly to the pained tooth.

18. Repair damaged skin

Because of its high vitamin E content, cayenne pepper can be used as part of your beauty regimen. Along with vitamin C, vitamin E helps restore collagen levels, which is a protein needed to give skin its elasticity. Vitamins C and E are also antioxidants, and they have been shown to reverse skin damage caused by excessive UV rays. So if you’ve been in the sun for too long or are worried about modifying those sun spots you acquired from your 20’s, then cayenne can help. Add some to your diet and apply a topical cream to problem areas to reduce wrinkles. Watch out for your eyes though. Cayenne is one spice you don’t want to accidentally get into sensitive areas!

19. Reduces allergies

Allergies occur as a result of an allergic reaction to a particular pollutant. In most cases, people get allergies when the seasons change due to a high pollen content. Because cayenne contains potent anti-inflammatory properties, you can use it to calm down these reactions. It’s also a great food to eat when you need relief from food allergies as it detoxes the system and reduces inflammation while stimulating processes that get the food irritants out of your gut. Leaky gut syndrome occurs when food particles pass through the intestinal barrier and cause inflammation. Cayenne can help calm down this inflammation and return your digestive health to normal (you’ll also want to eliminate the food culprit from your diet, too).

20. Stimulates orgasms

Because of its ability to increase circulation, you can use cayenne to heat things up in the bedroom. Men who have problems getting erections can use cayenne to stimulate blood flow to their penis while women who have problems achieving an orgasm can benefit from the same increase in blood flow. Do not apply cayenne topically to sensitive areas. In this case, it’s best to add cayenne to your diet or take it as a supplement.

21. Reduces anxiety

Can a spicy food make you feel calmer? Some research says it can. According to researchers at Colgan Institute (http://ift.tt/2G8Oqxb), cayenne stimulate the production of endorphins in your brain to block pain signals and make you feel good. This can help relieve anxiety and depression.

22. Increases the taste of healthy foods

This one might seem silly, but anyone who struggles with healthy eating will appreciate it. Cayenne can help make your vegetables taste better, which means you’ll be more likely to eat them. Not excited about that chicken and vegetable stir fry you have waiting at home for you for dinner tonight? Add a pinch of cayenne to the dish and give it a pop. You’ll forget all about that fast food you wanted instead!

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Arsenic in Rice? What You Need to Know

Within the last few years, there have been analyses that show that all rice varieties contain at least some minuscule level of arsenic. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element. It’s found in soil, water, plants, and animals. Going beyond a certain threshold, arsenic is a toxin and exposure to it should be minimized.  There was […]

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How to Burn Off 9 Nutrient-Dense Foods That Are High Calorie

A healthy lifestyle is fueled by nutrient-dense foods that give your body the energy it needs. But some of the most nutrient-dense foods come with high-calorie counts. Keep your calorie count in check by moderating your serving size. And for those days when you really need to fuel up? Dial up the activity level to […]

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17 Ways to Lose Back Fat

 

Of all the stubborn places on the body to collect fat, back fat seems to be the worst. It completely alters the way your shirts fit, which throws off your entire outfit, and don’t even get us started on how it makes your bra feel like a torture trap. Although it’s impossible to spot treat your back fat, you can make changes that allow you to lose overall body weight and tone up the area. These include making good eating and sleeping choices, drinking more water, and keeping your workouts fresh. Throw in some planks, some weighted exercises, and some cardio, and you’ll be feeling confident again in your tank top in no time. Here are 17 tips for helping you learn how to lose back fat.

1. Get More Sleep

Getting more sleep is our first tip for losing back fat. That’s because studies show that people who don’t sleep enough have lower levels of leptin, which is the hormone that controls your hunger. Losing sleep leads you to eat more. Research shows that when you’re sleep deprived, you not only tend to crave more food, but you also tend to want the wrong kinds of food, such as sugary sweets, refined carbohydrates, and comfort foods. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule also helps you feel more energized throughout the day, so you’re able to make better decisions and get to the gym on time. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. It also helps to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

2. Stay Hydrated

 

Drinking lots of water throughout the day helps you flush toxins out of the body, which ultimately helps you lose weight. Water is especially essential for the functioning of your digestive system. It’s needed to help move waste through your intestines. Drinking water also keeps your skin looking great and helps curb hunger. If you want an added health boost, try adding a slice of lemon to your water. Lemon has natural blood purifying properties. It’s also high in vitamin C and antioxidants to neutralize free radicals and help flush fat from the body. Aim for eight large glasses of water each day. You may want to drink more if you consume caffeine to prevent becoming dehydrated.

3. Start with Cardio

According to the USDA, you need to perform an hour of cardio exercise five times a week to help you stay healthy and lose weight. While cardio alone won’t help you lose back fat, it’s an excellent place to start. Cardio gets your heart pumping and enables you to warm up for weight-bearing exercises. Try switching up your cardio exercises to keep things fresh. You don’t want to burn out on one single exercise. Try walking, jogging, biking or swimming. You can even do a kickboxing or HIIT class with some friends to work different muscles and keep your workouts enjoyable. After a 20 or 30-minute cardio session, hit the weights and work out your back muscles to get rid of that bulge!

4. Do Some Push-ups

 

Although most people associate push-ups with your chest muscles, they are a great way to tone up your back, too. Plus, like some of the other tips on this list, you can do them virtually anywhere. Push-ups strengthen the muscles that support your spine, which can help with back pain. They also help give you a long, lean physique. To do them, start by laying on your stomach with your hands just outside of your shoulders and your feet shoulder-width apart. Press your palms into the floor and lift your chest and knees off the ground. Keep your back straight and your middle section tight. Slowly bring yourself back down to about an inch off the ground and lift yourself back up. Try for a set of ten. If you’re feeling weak, you can bring your knees to the ground until you develop the strength to work on your toes.

5. Go for Fiber

You can never go wrong when you choose to eat lots of whole, unrefined, plant-based foods overly highly refined ones. They’re full of protective plant properties, like antioxidants and fiber. Fiber is excellent for helping you feel full so that you don’t eat as much. It also improves the digestive process, which is where weight loss begins by cleaning out your system. Oatmeal is a great way to start your day as it contains soluble fiber. Add some flax seeds and blueberries for more filling fiber. Snack on guacamole and vegetable sticks throughout the day, enjoy some steamed broccoli with your dinner and experiment with different types of ancient grains that you’ve never tried. Here’s a tip you’ll thank us for: bake some chickpeas in olive oil with sea salt the next time you’re craving potato chips and enjoy as a guilt-free snack.

6. Bent-over Dumbbell Rows

 

All you need to perform this back fat-blasting exercise is a pair of dumbbells. It perfectly triggers problem areas on your back, but keep in mind that performing this exercise alone isn’t enough. However, when used in combination with a proper diet, this exercise is hard to beat! Start by planting your feet shoulder-width apart. Choose a pair of dumbbells with a weight that is comfortable to use without straining. With one in each hand, slightly bend your knees and bring your torso forward while keeping your back straight. Bring the weights down to your knees and pull them up, so your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your back muscles as you bring the weights up. Then slowly bring the weights back down. Perform three sets of ten reps.

7. Plan your Meals

The secret to making healthier eating habits work for you is to plan for them. If you wing it, you’re more likely to make bad decisions, such as stopping for a fast-food meal on your lunch break. But if you pack a fresh salad and bring it to work, you’ll be less likely to make a bad food choice. Meal prepping doesn’t have to be hard. You can purchase a family pack of chicken breasts at most grocery stores, top them with olive oil and your favorite spices, and cook them in the oven on Sundays. Then you have your protein for the week. Buy big bags of fresh lettuce for salads and frozen vegetables for an easy stir-fry at dinner. Keep plenty of fresh fruit on hand and stock up on raw nuts for a snack.

8. Eat the Rainbow

 

Remember when your health teacher in school told you to eat the rainbow? They were right. Getting your calories from a wide variety of different foods is an excellent way to make sure you’re getting lots of different vitamins and minerals. For example, orange fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins A and C while greens contain flavonoids, beta-carotene, and lutein. Try to make your plate as colorful as you can. Pair green, leafy vegetables with brightly colored red and yellow peppers. Or buy some purple carrots instead of the orange kind. Pack a bag of different colored fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries, and add them to coconut kefir yogurt as a snack while at work. Get creative by adding mango chunks to a smoothie in place of banana and purple cabbage to your green salads.

9. Work your Lats

Your lat muscles are located in your middle back. They are attached to your vertebral column. Keeping these muscles lean and strong will help you get rid of that pesky back fat. One of the most popular weighted machines at the gym for targeting these muscles is the lat pulldown machine. To use it, sit down on the machine with a wide bar attached and lock your legs in place. Reach up, grab the bar and pull it down toward your chest while keeping your back straight. The idea is to target your back muscles and not your legs when you pull down on the bar. Slowly return the bar to the starting position. Aim for three sets of ten reps each.

10. Replace your Daily Coffee with Green Tea

 

 

Research shows that green tea boosts metabolism and burns fat in overweight subjects, making it a great beverage of choice for people who want to get rid of their problem areas. It works exceptionally well when you drink it and adopt a healthy exercise routine, too. If you’re a caffeine drinker, you may want to swap out your daily cup of joe for green tea. Add lemon for an added health boost. Not only does it help your green tea taste better, but it also aids in the fat-burning mechanisms of the tea. You can drink your green tea hot or cold- the temperature makes no difference, which is an excellent way to enjoy it all year long. Brew your tea as you usually would and add ice for a summer fat-blasting treat.

11. Try a Detox

Can a detox help you lose back fat? You bet. Actually, it can help you lose fat all over your body. We don’t really get to choose where we lose fat, but taking measures that reduce overall fat is your best bet for getting rid of problem areas. Detoxing doesn’t have to be as bad as it sounds. You can do a sugar detox that allows you to eat as you usually would minus any food that contains sugar, except fruit. Or you could commit to eating a whole-food, plant-based diet for one month that includes lots of fruits, vegetables and unrefined grains, and nothing more. You can even start slow by ditching the alcohol first, then the sugar, and finally the meat.

12. Shoulder Press

 

 

The shoulder press is an excellent exercise because it works lots of different muscles, including your triceps and back. To avoid injury, be sure to pick a set of dumbbells that are comfortable for you. You can perform shoulder presses standing up or sitting down, but sitting down and leaning against something supportive is a good way to make sure you’re targeting the right areas. Start with your feet planted on the ground shoulder width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, bend your arms at a 90-degree angle, so your wrists line up with your ears, and push the weights up over your head. Return them to the starting position and repeat up to ten times for a total of three sets.

13. Try Yoga

Yoga is excellent for reducing stress, which is a common characteristic of inflammation. And inflammation contributes to your body weight. Additionally, stress causes you to overeat, so nipping it in the bud before it can get to you is crucial. Not only will you be leaner, but you’ll also be calmer and more productive at work. If you’re new to yoga, try checking out a beginners class at a local studio. You can also catch some great yoga videos online for free to see if you like it. Pilates is another great way to reduce stress and work on building long, lean muscles. Look for a certified instructor to prevent injury. You’ll also get in a deep stretch and learn how to work on your breathing.

14. Try Planking

 

Planks are one of the best full body workouts out there. They tone your abs, back, shoulders, and arms by using your body weight as resistance. The best part is that you can do it just about anywhere. Start your day out with some planks first thing in the morning or aim for a few sets of planks immediately after a cardio session while your heart rate is up to help you burn more fat. Hold each plank for 30 seconds and gradually lengthen this time as you get stronger. Some people can hold planks for minutes at a time. To get in position, start by performing a push-up and hold yourself up with your arms straight and your palms flat on the floor. You can also plank on your forearms. The trick is to keep your body straight so your butt doesn’t drop.

15. Superman Lifts

Superman lifts are an exercise that works both your upper and lower back. They also give you a great stretch if you have a tight back. Start by laying on your belly with your arms and legs straight out. Look down at the floor to make sure that your head and neck are properly aligned with your spine. Tighten your middle section and lift your legs and arms off the ground at the same time. Exhale as you lift and hold for a count of ten seconds. Slowly bring your arms and legs back down to the ground and repeat ten times. You can also do this exercise on a stability ball while keeping your keep planted on the ground and lifting your upper body up.

16. Circuit Training

 

Circuit training is a form of exercise that combines both cardio and weight resistance movements. It’s great for blasting fat and toning up. You can also get a full body workout in 20 to 30 minutes. It works by alternating between short bursts of cardio exercise with resistance training. The idea behind the workout is that you keep your heart rate up during the entire session, which accelerates fat-burning. If you want to target your back, then incorporate some upper body workouts into the session. For example, you can do one minute of jogging in place, followed by a minute of push-ups, then a minute of jumping rope, and a minute of press ups, and so on.

17. Pull-ups

Like push-ups, pull-ups work by using your body weight as resistance. You might see some people at the gym adding weights to their pull-ups, but you don’t need to do this to get a sculpted back. You can even install a pull-up bar in your house so you can do them right at home. To start, reach above your head and grasp a straight bar. Pull yourself up until your chin touches the bar then slowly lower yourself down. Avoid throwing yourself at the bar with added momentum and make sure you engage your back as your primary lifting force.

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