Ever heard someone jokingly say, “I’m addicted to sugar”? This isn’t just a saying — and it’s definitely not a joke.

If you feel powerless against the appeal of sugary soft drinks, sweetened “fruit” juices and teas, or artificially sweetened beverages, it could be your body is experiencing a biological addiction to sugar or artificial sweetener on a cellular level.

It’s a fact: both artificial and natural sugars are scientifically proven to be equally or even more addictive than cocaine. When laboratory rats were given the choice between saccharin (an artificial, calorie-free sugar substitute) and cocaine, 94% of them chose saccharin. The rats continued to choose the sweetener over cocaine, even when the artificial saccharin was replaced by sucralose, a natural sugar. [Read more about the dangers of artificial sweeteners.]

The reason the rats chose sugar over cocaine is simple: a high-sugar diet (HSD) has been shown to activate the same neurobiological pathways that scientists normally only associate with the use of hard drugs. This creates dopaminergic, cholinergic and opioid-like effects that mimic the impact of psychostimulants (meth, cocaine, Adderall) and opiates like Oxycontin or heroin. Another study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrated that sugar consumption creates the same behavioral patterns of binging, craving, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms that drug users experience in the throes of addiction. 

Why does this matter? This may shock you, but high sugar diets have been shown to act as a kind of “gateway drug,” contributing to the development of other substance-use disorders and addiction to hard drugs and alcohol, given the dopamine-reward dysregulation that chronic sugar consumption creates. What’s more, a high-sugar diet has also been linked to the development of mental health disorders including depression, anxiety and impulsive behavior, thanks to the way that sugar artificially induces the “dopamine dump” of reward and pleasure. 

Making matters worse, unlike salt, the body doesn’t have a “safety mechanism” that signals to our brains that we’ve eaten too much sugar and should therefore stop. 

What all of this means is that every time we ingest sugar, we unknowingly board the “sugar roller coaster” — resulting in huge spikes of insulin (blood sugar), dopamine (happiness hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone). This leads to fat storage, chronically elevated stress levels, brain damage and perhaps worst of all, intense cravings for even more sugar. 

Over time, chronic sugar consumption increases our risk for serious negative health consequences and disease. In addition to the perils of addiction, the deleterious effects of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup include systemic inflammation, obesity, diabetes, altered memory, learning disorders, aggression, tooth decay, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic liver disease, brain and cognition issues, as well as excess fat around the waist (aka belly fat). 

Let’s dig into some of the not-so-sweet truths about these critical health issues. 

Brain Health

Most people don’t know how harmful sugar can be for brain development and long-term brain health in people of all ages — especially children. 

Recent neuroimaging (brain scan) studies have revealed that sweet beverages like fruit juice or tea  can cause neurological changes in the brain similar to that of cocaine and other street drugs. The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) demonstrated that people who drink one or more sugary beverages per day are more likely to develop preclinical signs of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, including smaller overall brain volumes and smaller hippocampal volumes — an area of the brain that’s crucial for memory. The study also found that people who consumed 1-2 sweet beverages per day were effectively accelerating the aging process of their brains by 6 years while those who consumed more than 2 sugary drinks per day experienced the equivalent of 11 years of accelerated brain aging.  

Obesity

Did you know that sugar-sweetened soft drinks represent the largest single “food” source of calories in the average American’s diet? It’s sad but true: more than 30% of the carbohydrates consumed by Americans come from caloric sweeteners. 

It’s no coincidence that obesity has developed into a global crisis in direct proportion to the rising popularity of sugar-sweetened beverages over the past 20 years — carrying serious comorbidities like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and more than 11 types of cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund has identified obesity as one of the primary contributing factors to at least 11 cancers, including liver, breast, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, gallbladder, kidney, esophageal, adenocarcinoma and colorectal cancers.

What about “sugar-free” or “diet” drinks?

Contrary to their deceptive marketing, these lower calorie artificially sweetened options actually promote weight gain and can sabotage your efforts to lose weight. When you drink an artificially sweetened beverage, your body responds by releasing insulin to metabolize the “sugar” it detects in your bloodstream. High insulin levels trigger the release of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which creates a craving for more refined carbohydrates and sugars. These artificially sweetened beverages add empty calories that don’t satisfy your hunger the way real food does — which can lead to overeating, weight gain, obesity, and disease. In fact, a Harvard study found that your likelihood of becoming obese increases 1.6x for every sweetened beverage you drink each day. 

Teeth and Bone Health 

When I first met Little Mo, a four-year-old Moroccan boy with clubfeet living in the Atlas Mountains, I noticed that he was missing all his teeth. I later discovered that his diet consisted mostly of highly processed “foods” and artificially sweetened sodas, which had been heavily subsidized by the Moroccan government and made widely available to even the most remote regions. Little Mo wasn’t the only one who was suffering; almost every child in his village was suffering from dental infections, rotten teeth and cavities due to the artificial sweeteners and processed foods they were consuming daily. Learn more about my journey with Little Mo in my new book, The Little Mo effect: A surgeon’s compassion for a charismatic Moroccan boy transforms many lives – including her own. 

If you want to see a live reenactment of the effect that soda has on your teeth and bones, check out this video demonstrating Coca Cola vs. a corroded car battery (spoiler alert … the soda wins!).

Think of your body and skeleton as the car battery in this video. Like most soft drinks, Coca-Cola contains carbonic and phosphoric acids to create fizz and flavor. When these ingredients combine in your body, they lower your blood pH to an acidic level that isn’t safe or sustainable for your health. The body tries to correct this pH imbalance by using calcium naturally stored in your bones because calcium acts to neutralize the pH of your bloodstream. Over time, this process results in calcium depletion in bones, which leads to serious bone health conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis. 

The most critical time for bone building is during the late teens and early 20s. Sadly, 40% to 60% of peak bone mass develops during the adolescent years — a time when many adolescents are indulging in artificially sweetened carbonated beverages. 

Ingredients … or Toxic Waste?

If the destructive effects of high fructose corn syrup and carbonic acid doesn’t surprise you, these toxic ingredients commonly found in most sodas probably will:

• Benzene: Corporations like Nestle prioritize profits over consumer health and are driven by economic incentives to produce these addictive products at the lowest possible cost.  For example, manufacturers often combine benzoic acid with Vitamin C to extend the shelf life of sodas.  Unfortunately for consumers, these two compounds combine to make Benzene. You’ve probably heard of Benzene before: Benzene is a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. Benzene also causes leukemia and lymphoma. The cancer-causing effects of Benzene were first reported in the 1920’s. Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Fanta and Sprite all contain benzene. Most sodas made by Safeway were found to be the worst offenders. When confronted with this issue, companies chose to reduce the amount of benzoic acid to meet national regulation/supposedly “safe” levels. I’d like to know how companies controlled the number of sodas consumed by one individual in a day to stay within “safe” levels — what about the 32 oz “Supersize” soda? The bottom line is clear: there is no amount of Benzene that is safe for human consumption. 
• Artificial Dyes and Flavoring: To add insult to injury, manufacturers add caramel coloring to give soda that distinctive brown shade, also known as Caramel E150d, which contains methylimidazole. In 2007, scientists discovered that this chemical causes lung and other cancers in mice. Yet the FDA concluded that there was “no short-term or immediate risk” and did not implement any changes in their regulatory requirements for sodas. 

Whether it manifests as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic stress or obesity, the lethal ingredients in soda and sugary drinks pose a serious threat to children and adults worldwide. From canned orange juice to sweet tea or Diet Coke, it’s undeniable that sugary beverages fail to provide any healthy nutritional value — instead, they fill our bodies with empty calories, carcinogenic chemicals and send us on a blood sugar roller coaster that never ends well for the consumer. The only people who benefit from our global addiction to sugary beverages are the multi-billion-dollar corporations who manufacture these toxic products and use deceptive marketing to sell them to our children. 

Given what we know about adolescent brain development, there is no doubt in my mind that sugary drinks, artificial flavorings and synthetic dyes should only be introduced after the brain has fully developed or preferably not at all.

Since brain development peaks during teenage years, I propose a minimum age of 21 to purchase and consume carbonated sweetened or diet drinks. Like cigarettes, alcohol and guns, soft drinks cause serious short- and long-term damage to the body, which dramatically increases the cost of health care. The decision to consume such deleterious products should only be made once the brain has fully developed. By the way – this is one more reason why we should rethink gun ownership in underdeveloped brains, especially if they drink a lot of sodas!

For the rest of us, it’s time to acknowledge the dangers of sugar in our lives and act accordingly. The not so sweet truth is that sugar’s harm far outweighs its momentary pleasures.

Concerned about insulin resistance and diabetes? Learn 4 ways to naturally balance your blood sugar.

The post Think you’re addicted to soda and artificial sweeteners? You probably are appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a refreshing iced tea, and what could be better than an easy thirst quencher that doubles as a traditional health remedy? Whether you’re looking to ease your hot flashes, boost your immune system, tame inflammation or calm your nerves and get more sleep, we’ve got the perfect iced herbal tea recipe for you.

5 tasty and healthy iced tea recipes

Hibiscus Iced Tea

Hibiscus tea is HEALTHY tea! Naturally rich in antioxidant compounds including beta-carotene, Vitamin C and anthocyanin, hibiscus is a healer for so many ills, including inflammation (it’s a natural anti-inflammatory), cholesterol and blood pressure issues. Hibiscus supports liver function, helping the body better metabolize estrogens and ease hormonal symptoms like hot flashes.

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 8 cups of water
• ¼ cup honey 
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Turn off heat, stir in hibiscus flowers and cover. Allow tea to steep for 15-20 minutes. Remove lid and strain out hibiscus. Stir in honey and lime juice. Serve over ice.

Love sun tea? Hibiscus brews up quickly in direct sunlight, creating a deep rose colored tea that is a true summer’s delight. After brewing remove flowers and stir in honey and lime juice or experiment with adding other herbs like basil and lemongrass for added zest. Studies have shown that drinking hibiscus tea on a daily basis can help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.

Lemon Balm Iced Tea

A member of the mint family, lemon balm is a traditional healing herb whose use can be traced all the way back to the Middle Ages! Lemon Balm can help calm the nerves and promote relaxation, and ease indigestion. As the name implies, the herb has a pleasant lemony taste that makes it an excellent choice for iced tea.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of fresh lemon balm leaves or 3 tbsp dried leaves
• 4 cups of water
• Lemon slices (optional)
• 2 tbsp honey (or sweeten to taste)

Steep lemon balm leaves in boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain the tea and stir in honey before allowing tea to cool. Pour over ice to serve, adding fresh lemon slices if desired.

Mint and Ginger Iced Tea

Got indigestion? Mint is a favorite go-to herbal remedy for helping to soothe bloating and gas. Ginger is also known for its digestive benefits, stemming from its anti-inflammatory properties that can help to ease pain and discomfort. Our recipe is adapted from this trusty Martha Stewart favorite.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and smashed with a meat mallet
• 4 bags mint tea
• 8 cups boiling water
• 2 tablespoons honey

Bring water to a boil and add mint tea and ginger. Allow mixture to steep for 8 minutes. Strain out ginger and remove tea bags. Stir in honey and allow tea to cool. Serve over ice.

Chamomile and Lavender Iced Tea

Chamomile and lavender are both calming herbs that can help to reduce anxiety and promote restful sleep. Chamomile may also be helpful for relief of seasonal allergies, including hay fever. Combined, lavender and chamomile offer sweet and soothing summertime refreshment. Drink in the evening to give you a good head start towards a restful night’s sleep. Recipe adapted from Sunset Magazine.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp dried culinary lavender
• 2 tbsp dried chamomile (or 4 chamomile tea bags)

Add herbs to a 1/2 gallon jug of water. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined colander into pitcher. Serve over ice.

Rose hip Iced Tea

Rose hips are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, including Vitamin C, catechins, quercetin, and ellagic acid. These compounds help lower inflammation and oxidative stress — giving heart, skin and immune system health a boost!

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 4 tablespoons dried rosehips
• 2 tbsp honey or 1 cup of pomegranate juice

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add rose hips to boiling water, cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain to remove rose hips. Stir in honey or pomegranate juice. Serve over ice or pour into a jug and refrigerate until chilled.

What’s your favorite summertime iced tea?

The post 5 herbal iced teas that double as traditional health remedies appeared first on Women's Health Network.

What do you think of when you think of processed foods? 

Fast food, chips, sodas and candy probably come to mind. But did you know that ultra-processed ingredients are often hidden in products that are marketed as health foods — like organic gluten- free chicken nuggets, low-fat cream cheese, yogurt, salad dressing or plant-based coffee creamer? 

Ultra-processed foods are constantly creeping onto grocery store shelves and this isn’t by chance. It’s by the intentional design of “Big Food,” the multinational food and beverage industry that wields huge, concentrated market power. What we eat is increasingly driven by a small handful of large corporations. And these foods are impacting our health in ways we are only just beginning to understand.

This article explores the four main ultra-processed products created by Big Food and how these ingredients are adversely affecting our health – from triggering inflammation and food addiction to weight gain, disease risk and hormonal imbalance. 

This is information that Big Food hopes you would never find out, and could be the key to you taking back control so you can make food and dietary choices that result in greater health and wellness.

4 ultra-processed food ingredients that are harming your health

Processed food is defined as food that has been changed in any way from its natural state. Some processing is beneficial and necessary. Minimal processing such as washing and chopping keeps our food affordable and more convenient. Think bagged spinach, chopped vegetables and shelled nuts. 

Additional processing such as canning, heating or cooling keeps our food safer and fresher longer. Think of pasteurized milk, canned tomatoes and tuna. And freezing fruit and veggies locks in nutrients and allows us availability to a greater variety of healthy foods out of season. 

But, the more highly processed foods are, the less nutritional value they offer. Alarmingly, new research reveals that 73% of our food supply is “ultra-processed,” meaning the majority of our food supply contains many added ingredients including chemicals and preservatives, or are made from substances extracted from foods such as fats, starches, sugars and hydrogenated fats. Not only are these foods less nutritious, they are increasingly linked to making us fat and sick.

What “Big Food” Doesn’t Want You To Know About …

Refined Grains

Grains such as wheat, rice and corn are some of the most commonly consumed foods in the world. While whole grains are linked to numerous health benefits, many of the products in our standard American diet are made from refined grains. 

Refining grain involves removing the outer layer of fiber which consequently strips the grain of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The only thing left is a rapidly digestible starch and a small amount of protein. 

As a result of being stripped, refined grains have a high glycemic index, meaning they lead to a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. About an hour after eating, these blood sugar levels plummet, promoting hunger and stimulating the part of the brain associated with rewards and pleasure. The addiction part of our brain is triggered and we begin a vicious cycle of craving and overeating.

This rapid rise and fall in blood sugar results in inflammation and high levels of triglycerides, which impact our hormones. One such hormone scientists are paying more attention to is leptin.

Leptin is produced in the body’s fat cells and plays several roles. Its key function is to tell the brain when to stop eating and burn calories at a normal rate. This is why it’s known as the “satiety hormone.” 

When the body has too much leptin, it can become leptin resistant. No matter how much leptin is produced, the brain doesn’t get the signal to stop eating. In fact, it can instead think that the body is starving. So the brain sets forces into motion to encourage the body to eat more and conserve energy. 

For people with leptin resistance, willpower to “eat less and exercise more” becomes a losing battle. We can’t fight the evolutionary processes that kept us alive for most of human history. More fat accumulates, more leptin is created and the cycle of overeating continues. 

Added Fats

Fat is a necessary macronutrient. Fat provides energy, supports cell function, and is needed to absorb nutrients and produce hormones.

But added and processed fats lead to trouble. 

We all know by now to avoid hydrogenated oils and trans fat. These processed fats are known to raise cholesterol levels and are linked to heart disease. The FDA has even taken steps to remove artificial trans fats from foods. 

While that’s great news, we still have to watch out for the fats we consume to make sure we are providing our bodies the good fats we need.

Our bodies need a ratio of 1:1 Omega-3 and Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats in order to rebuild our cells and produce hormones properly. 

However, processed vegetable and seed oils, including cottonseed oil, palm oil and soybean oil, have very high concentrations of Omega-6 to Omega-3s. Omega-6 fatty acids synthesize prostaglandins, lipid compounds which have hormone-like effects. High levels of Omega-6 may contribute to inflammation if not balanced out with Omega-3s, which we generally get far less of in our typical modern diets. Omega-3s are primarily found in fish and in some plants such as seaweed, flax, chia, walnuts and soybeans.

Added sugars

Sugar impacts our bodies in numerous ways by: 

• turning off appetite control systems
• overloading the liver which converts carbohydrates to fat leading to a greater accumulation of fat in the liver called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affecting 10-20% of Americans
• raising blood pressure 
• contributing to cognitive decline 
• causing a greater risk for depression 
• contributing to many types of cancer
• promoting skin aging: Diets high in refined carbs and sugar produce advanced glycation end products, known as AGEs, which are compounds formed by reactions between sugar and protein that damage collagen and elastin

And It’s Not Just Sugar

There are currently over 60 names for sugar that can show up in the ingredients label. Look for words like 

• corn syrup solids 
• crystal dextrose 
• evaporated cane juice 
• fructose sweetener 
• agave nectar 
• beet sugar 
• ethyl maltol
• fruit juice concentrates 
• rice syrup 
• galactose
• malt syrup 
• maple syrup 
• molasses
• concentrated fruit juice 
• hexitol
• inversol 
• isomalt
• maltodextrin 
• malted barley 

USDA Recommended Intake of Sugar

Although there is no daily recommended intake for sugar, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugar to 10% of daily intake. For most American women eating a 2,000 calorie diet, this would mean 50g of sugar a day. 

The American Heart Association, however, recommends only half of that, about 24g a day. 

And, interestingly, the Scientific Advisory Committee which proposed the recommendations for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended limiting added sugar to 4-6% of daily caloric intake. This would mean a mere 4.5-9g of added sugar a day! 

Compare these recommendations to the fact that the average American consumes 71 grams of sugar each day!

Added chemicals and preservatives

Shockingly, there are approximately 10,000 chemicals that can be used directly or allowed to be present in food. Even more shocking perhaps is the fact that the FDA has not thoroughly reviewed them all for safety. 

Researchers are just beginning to understand the impact some of these chemicals and preservatives are having on our gut health. 

Anything we eat directly impacts our gut microbiome. We can eat foods that enrich it, resulting in eubiosis, or we can eat foods that negatively impact it, causing dysbiosis. Consumption of processed foods disrupts the balance of our gut microbiome and can lead to inflammatory bowel disease, celiac and a host of metabolic disorders. 

Processed meat

One really big culprit when it comes to harming our overall health is processed meat including bacon, sausage and lunch meats. High heat, salt, smoking and chemical preservatives like nitrates and nitrites react with our body in dangerous ways.

Several studies have linked highly processed meats to cancer and cardiovascular heart disease. One study found eating just 5 oz of processed meat each week increased the risk of cardiovascular disease or morbidity by nearly 50%. That’s just a few slices of lunch meat or bacon each week! 

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has deemed processed meats as carcinogenic, meaning they are potentially cancer causing foods. Processed meats are linked to breast, prostate, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. 

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found processed meat consumption to increase the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. 

Artificial Sweeteners

Another major culprit is artificial sweetener. Many of us know we want to avoid artificial sweeteners like  aspartame or sucralose, but there are new substitutes on the rise. New “zero sugar” foods contain sweeteners like allulose, stevia or monk fruit, which are allowed to be called natural products despite being highly processed. These may impact the gut microbiome, cause inflammation and affect our taste sensors.

How did we get here?

It wasn’t so long ago that processed foods were the exception. Think back to the way our great-grandmothers cooked from scratch with simple ingredients. Since then, there has been a dramatic shift in what foods we eat and how they are prepared. Let’s take a look at some of the ways our food sources have changed over the past several decades…

The 60s 

• High fructose corn syrup is created which lowers the cost of food production
• The age of advertising drives up the consumption of sugars
• Gatorade is invented for the University of Florida football team

The 70s

• Americans are spending more time watching TV and are starting to get heavier
• The first Starbucks opens
• The rise of the drive-thru: fast food becomes a multi-billion dollar industry

The 80s 

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans are released
• Industry responds with light- and low- calorie food products
• Most American households have a microwave and processed meals are on the rise

The 90s 

• Energy bars and fortified drinks are introduced
• Fat deemed harmful. High demand for low-fat foods
• Low-fat processed foods are marketed as a result

The 2000s

• Artificial sweeteners are a booming business
• Organic becomes big business
• Obesity rates sharply rise, especially among youth

It’s no secret that adult obesity has been on the rise over the past 30 years. In fact, from 1990 to 2016 obesity rates almost doubled. Research has recognized a correlation between the increased intake of added sugars and this rise in obesity. Recent research has shown the cumulative effect of increased sugar consumption over time has led to the rise in adult obesity. See figure below.

According to a historical analysis of the sugar industry and coronary heart disease research published in the JAMA Internal Medicine by University of California professor Cristin Kearns, the sugar industry has been influencing science and federal policies since the 50s. Downplaying the risks of sugar led to the low-fat craze of the 90s which led to even more processed foods. 

Remember SnackWell cookies and Wow! fat free potato chips with that additive olestra that caused diarrhea and leaking bowels? They’ve since been discontinued but serve as a powerful reminder that Big Food does not have our health and wellbeing in mind. 

Understanding the power of the food industry and the way they have shaped our environment is the important first step in learning how to take back control of our health and what we eat. 

How do we loosen the grip of Big Food and make healthier choices?

Become a Savvy Consumer

Food manufacturers use deceptive labeling to help sell their products. Marketers want you to think you are making healthy choices using the following claims, but buyer beware! Learn the following signs that hidden ultra-processed ingredients are present so you can make better choices. Ingredients and label claims to watch out for include:

• Multi-grain: Sounds healthy but might just be a mix of highly refined grains
• Made with whole grains: Sounds like a good choice, but may actually be refined grains with only a pinch of whole grains
• No Trans Fat: Sounds like there’s no trans fat, right? Wrong. These products could include up to 0.5g of trans fat. Check for words in the ingredients like hydrogenated oils or shortening. 
• Sugar Free: A “sugar free” label actually means the product has less than 0.5g of sugar per serving. So a few servings of these “sugar free” products can quickly add up to a lot of sugar! Plus, they might include those troublesome sugar alcohols like mannitol, xylitol or sorbitol. 
• All Natural: Sounds good but officially there is no formal definition of the term “natural.” It just means that nothing artificial was added in production and the food was minimally processed. It could still be genetically modified or produced with pesticides. It definitely does not indicate that the food is a healthier choice.

Buy whole foods 

Shop the perimeter to find foods that are either not processed or have been minimally processed. Think of the produce section, the meat section and the refrigerated and frozen sections. 

But buyer beware! It’s easy to be fooled even here. An item like half and half which you would expect to have only cream and milk as ingredients might also contain disodium phosphate, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, whey protein concentrate or carrageenan which a controversial additive used as an emulsifier that has been linked to gut inflammation, Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. 

Read the ingredient label and look for foods with minimal ingredients that you recognize as whole foods.  

Make some simple swaps

Don’t be fooled by marketing! Remember, you have the “power of the purse” and collectively we can tip the scales of the food industry with our choices.

• Rather than purchasing lunch meat, broil or grill some chicken or steak, slice it up and have it on hand throughout the week. Use it to make a sandwich, add some protein to your salad or for an easy snack.

• Instead of using conventional bottled salad dressing which usually has unhealthy oils high in Omega-6, added sugar, chemicals and preservatives, make your own from scratch using extra virgin olive oil, spices, vinegar and lemon. 

• Supplement your  diet with Omega-3 rich sources like ground flax seeds, fish oil and grass fed animal products. 

• Read the labels to avoid sneaky added sugars. 

• Instead of yogurts with added sugar or artificial sugar, try adding frozen fruit to plain strained Greek yogurt. As the fruit thaws, you’ll find a consistency similar to “fruit on the bottom” yogurt. 

Simple changes result in big benefits for your health

An encouraging research study was recently conducted highlighting the positive effects of reducing highly processed foods in our diet. 

The study took 20 patients and gave them a highly processed diet for 14 days. They then gave them an unprocessed diet for 14 days. Both diets were matched in calories, sugar, fat, sodium, fiber and macronutrients. Participants were told they could consume as much or as little food as they wanted. 

The results showed that the participants ate 500 more calories on the highly processed food diet and gained weight. Conversely when placed on the unprocessed foods diet the participants lost weight, had a reduction in cholesterol and a balance of hunger-related hormones. They experienced a drop in their levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and an increase in PYY, an appetite suppressing hormone. 

Although the study was small and scientists were unclear as to exactly why the unprocessed versus ultra-processed foods caused such different effects, the results are encouraging. 

14-Day Processed Food Detox: Give it a Try!

Give yourself a 14-day processed foods detox! Start by ridding your environment of processed foods and replacing them with healthy whole food choices so you can set yourself up for success. 

• Go through your pantry and toss anything processed including chips, cookies, crackers, cereal and most snacks. Check the labels on things like pasta sauce, soups and rice. Keep canned beans, whole grain rice, vegetables, nuts, potatoes and garlic. 
• Do the same for your fridge. Be sure to check labels of yogurts, salad dressings, shredded cheese, coffee creamers and condiments. Keep the whole foods like milk, eggs, cheese, whole meats and all those good fruits and veggies. 
• Don’t forget the freezer! Toss the chicken fingers, pizzas, frozen meals. Keep the frozen veggies and fruits. 

Shop the perimeter of your grocery store and stock up on whole foods to replace what you’ve tossed. 

It’s not going to be easy to give up the processed foods we’ve all become attached to but it’s so much easier when they aren’t within reach! 

Sources:

Gupta S, Hawk T, Aggarwal A, Drewnowski A. Characterizing Ultra-Processed Foods by Energy Density, Nutrient Density, and Cost. Front Nutr. 2019 May 28;6:70. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2019.00070. PMID: 31231655; PMCID: PMC6558394.

Processed Foods calories and nutrients: America’s Alarming Diet.” American Institute for Cancer Research. June 13, 2017. 

Gruzdeva O, Borodkina D, Uchasova E, Dyleva Y, Barbarash O. Leptin resistance: underlying mechanisms and diagnosis. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2019 Jan 25;12:191-198. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S182406. PMID: 30774404; PMCID: PMC6354688.

The post Think you know the dangers of processed foods? Prepare for a surprise appeared first on Women's Health Network.

By WHN Editorial Team

They taste like a treat, but are gummy vitamins better for you than traditional vitamins? As you make decisions about the best supplements to fit your health needs, you deserve to know the not-so-sweet truth about gummy vitamins.

Gummy vitamins are packed with fillers — and not much else

Gummy vitamins are typically made from gelatin, corn starch and sugar, and lots of fillers and chemical additives. It’s in the nature of the beast – to make the gummy soft and chewable, it needs chemical additives and preservatives. These are often toxic. Beyond this mess, there’s simply not a lot of room left to add much else, so chances are you’re not really getting therapeutically significant amounts of nutrients when you take a gummy vitamin. The nutrients just won’t fit, especially if you are looking for a multi-nutrient daily support formula or special multi-nutrient support for hormonal issues or thyroid support, etc.

Gummy vitamins are held to lower standards

The FDA regulates gummy vitamins as food, not as supplements, which means that gummy vitamins are regulated with lower standards for what can and can’t be added compared to traditional vitamin supplements. When tested, gummies have a bad reputation for nutrient levels not matching what the label says.

How bad is this problem? According to a 2023 JAMA study, a test of 25 different brands of gummy vitamins containing the sleep hormone melatonin found that 22 gummy vitamin brands (88%) were inaccurately labeled. Incredibly, only three brands of melatonin gummies contained within 10% of the amount indicated on the label. Amounts of the sleep hormone in the other 22 samples ranged from 74% to 374% of what what the label listed. One brand of gummies labeled as containing both melatonin and CBD (cannabidiol) turned up as containing no melatonin at all when tested. 

It’s difficult to know how potent your vitamin is

Gummies have limited shelf stability compared to traditional vitamins and will start losing potency in less time. To counteract this, some manufacturers pack gummies with more nutrients than the label says to allow for their strength to wear off. As a result, this makes it even more difficult to determine exactly how much nutritional value you’re getting in your gummy when you take it. Too much? Too little? Just enough? It’s almost impossible to tell. The new melatonin study highlights these inconsistencies.

Gummy vitamins are no treat for your teeth

Gummy vitamins make taking your supplement as easy as popping a piece of candy — which is bad news for your teeth. Chewing on the vitamins can coat your teeth with sticky sugars that, over time, contribute to cavities and gum inflammation. And it’s not just the sugar. Citric acid in gummy vitamins poses a risk for wearing down tooth enamel.

It’s easy to take too many

If you’re struggling with sugar cravings, and it’s time to take your vitamins, you may find yourself eating a few too many. Not only are you potentially taking in too much of a certain nutrient (which can carry its own health risks), but you’re also getting a lot of sugar. Sugar-sweetened gummy vitamins typically have anywhere from 2 to 8 grams of sugar per serving. This might not sound like a lot, but when you take too many vitamins in one sitting, you can quickly exceed your sugar gram/carb intake goals for the day.

Sugar alcohols trigger digestive issues

Some gummy vitamins labeled “sugar free” are sweetened with erythritol, xylitol or other 0 carb sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are notorious for causing digestive distress, including bloating and diarrhea.

How can you make taking your vitamins easier?

Are you considering gummies because you just don’t like swallowing pills? A couple of tips we like to share: 1.  grind your supplement (in a small blender or with a mortar and pestle) or 2. if it is in capsule form, simply open the cap, and then mix it in with a smoothie or glass of juice or flavored seltzer water. The women we help have let us know these simple “vitamin hacks” can be real game changers for getting the nutrients they need.

We’ve been making natural supplements for women for 21 years, and over that time, have constantly followed the latest research to guide best practices. Here’s our bottom line: Whenever a woman takes a vitamin supplement, it should be good for her! To learn more about how to choose the best supplements for your health needs, please read our feature article: 7 cardinal sins of multivitamins.

The post What’s wrong with gummy vitamins? appeared first on Women's Health Network.

The basic idea of a multivitamin is simple – it should be good for you!

But what if we told you that lurking in many of the multis that line grocery and health food store shelves are ingredients and processes that do the exact opposite? 

It’s tragic but true: many multivitamins don’t provide any real benefits, or worse, actually work against your health goals. 

Check the label for these seven “sins” that may be hiding in your multivitamin. 

1. “Once-a-day” formulas fit the pill, not the person 

When many people begin taking a multivitamin, they often start with that readily available multi that we’ll call “once-a-day.” For very little money, the all-in-one supplement promises to meet all of someone’s daily vitamin and mineral needs. 

This whole concept is flawed, mainly because the multi prioritizes cheap ingredients that are completely subpar. For example, many of the key vitamins and minerals in a “once-a-day” are included only in carbonate and oxide forms, which are inexpensive and easy to pack into a pill, but which offer only minimal absorption — as low as 4%! But the whole “dose” is listed on the label, whether you actually absorb it or not. Without absorbability, the vitamins and minerals will simply pass through your system instead of being used. Is it any wonder that many healthcare providers call once-a-day multis “bedpan pills”?

We’re not picking on any particular “once-a-day.” Lots of cheap multivitamins offer almost no bioavailability. The danger, of course, is that you think you are replenishing your body’s nutritional stores when in reality you’re  allowing deficiencies to persist.

Additives in cheap supplements that bind ingredients and give pills uniform shape and color are also problematic. Harmful additives that can be found in poor quality multis include hydrogenated palm oil, a trans-fat highly correlated to heart disease, and toxic artificial colorings including FDC Blue #2, Yellow #6 and Red #40, which have been found to disrupt mitochondrial function (the power house of a cell).

2. Food-based vitamins — not enough of what you want and too much of what you don’t want

Now let’s look at the other end of the multivitamin spectrum. Are pricey food-based vitamins better? The short answer: Not as much as you might hope.

The big problem with vitamins sourced from foods is that they tend to have lower potency – the nutrients are more concentrated than in food, but not potent enough to provide a benefit.  It can make you feel good that all B vitamins in the multi are sourced from kale and other leafy greens. Sounds natural, right? And natural has to be good, right? But the reality is what you’re getting — even if the label can claim 100% RDA —  won’t be enough to make a difference.

To prove the point, let’s look at the ingredients label of a mega popular food-based multivitamin. It provides 400 mcg of folic acid, which we know is a low amount compared to the dose that’s required to provide a real benefit. The multi contains iron, but lacks magnesium — is this a tradeoff to save room? And the Vitamin K is sourced from cabbage, which only provides the K1 form, so you don’t get any Vitamin K as K2, which is the form essential for heart and bone health. The bottom line is that food-based vitamins just aren’t capable of providing complete nutrition. 

Other problems with food-based vitamins come from how they are produced. Concentrating whole plant foods also concentrates anti-nutrients, such as phytates and oxalates found in the fibrous parts of plant foods. Phytates and oxalates can block absorption of nutrients, counteracting the benefits of taking a multivitamin. Not only that, but in non-organic preparations, it is frightening to think about the potential effect of concentrating pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables — and then having these residues end up in your supplement.

3. Gummy vitamins prioritize convenience over quality

Gummy vitamins make taking your supplement as easy as popping a piece of candy, which in many ways is all gummy vitamins are – candy. 

Gummy vitamins are commonly made from gelatin, corn starch and sugar. Most also contain lots of fillers and chemicals. It’s in the nature of the beast – to make the gummy soft and chewable it needs chemical additives and preservatives. These are often toxic. Beyond this mess, there’s not a lot of room to add much else, so chances are you’re not really getting therapeutically significant amounts of anything when you take a gummy vitamin. 

Here’s what else is often lost in the fine print on gummies: The FDA regulates gummy vitamins as food, not as supplements, which means that gummy vitamins are regulated with lower standards for what can and can’t be added. When tested, gummy vitamins have a bad reputation for having less than what the label says.

4. Nothing ever changes 

Getting back to those “once-a-day” supplements, the most well known of these cheap multivitamins was formulated 40 years ago, and with a few small tweaks here and there, nothing about the formula has significantly changed since then. Don’t you think we know a lot more about vitamin supplementation in 2022 than we did in 1982? Of course we do – there have been thousands of scientific studies since then that impact formulation.  

One quick way to see if your multivitamin is current with the latest research is to check the label for folic acid. If it’s listed as methylated folate, what researchers now recognize as the most active and bioavailable form of folate, you have much greater odds that the makers of your multi are up to date. 

Also consider how much the diets of most Americans have changed since 1982! Today most people get plenty of calcium from their diets and don’t need as much supplementation. As bone health expert Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD said recently in announcing updates to her Better Bones Builder multi-nutrient supplement, “In today’s typical diet, calcium from both dairy and non-dairy sources is ample. Even orange juice can be fortified with calcium! The average person is just not as calcium deficient as once thought. Plus, taking unnecessarily high doses of calcium may contribute to certain negative health effects for women.”

Still, cheap multis love to pack in calcium with a “more is more” zeal, even if most people don’t need it. As we’ve learned more about the health risks around high calcium intake in recent years, it makes the lopsidedness of many multivitamins frankly irresponsible. 

5. Missing co-factors make vitamins hit or miss

When consumers browse a multivitamin label they may check for B vitamins, iron, calcium and other “marquee” nutrients without checking for “cofactor” vitamins and minerals that help the starring players work properly in the body. People don’t know, for example, that copper is needed to balance selenium. They may look for calcium and Vitamin D, but not Vitamin K2, because they don’t recognize its important role as a co-factor in the calcium absorption cycle. 

In all their slick marketing claims, you will rarely find mention of cofactors. If these cofactors aren’t present, there’s a good chance your multi is not going to work as well as you hoped. 

6. Gimmicks without scientific merit 

Fermented vitamins are the latest rage in high-end supplements. The key claims are that fermented supplements are easier to absorb and stimulate the immune system. The problem is that advocates of fermented vitamins are transferring the science for fermented foods onto these vitamin supplements – and there’s no just validity for doing this. It is true that fermented foods are generally easily absorbed (they are in effect pre-digested by bacteria) and are proven to enhance immune activity, but there’s no direct extension of those benefits to multivitamin supplements. The claims that these fermented multivitamin producers are making just aren’t substantiated. Great marketing, zero science!

7. Labels aren’t what they’re cracked up to be 

In a batch of multivitamins analyzed last year by ConsumerLab.com, 12 out of the 27 supplements tested were found to have quality problems, often having more or less of the vitamins and minerals than their labels claimed. Some also contained detectable levels of contaminants. This is so discouraging for consumers, and seems to support the common critique that “supplements aren’t regulated”.  

But supplements are regulated by the FDA. You just need to check vitamin labels for disclosure of manufacturing practices. You want to see “GMP,” which stands for the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices, which ensure quality standards. Other signifiers of quality production include “batch tested” and “lab tested.” 

We’ve been making multivitamins for 21 years and over that time, have constantly followed the latest research to guide best practices. Of course, GMP compliance costs more, and that’s reflected in the higher prices. But this is just another example of “you get what you pay for”. And if you’re trying to support your health with a multivitamin, why shop in the bargain bin?

The post 7 cardinal sins of multivitamins appeared first on Women's Health Network.

We all want to be healthy and we also want to enjoy the pleasures of life — like a glass of good wine. So, how do you strike a balance between drinking wine while still prioritizing your health? 

Here are some easy steps you can take to safely savor your next sip. 

Take your vitamins

Because alcohol is a diuretic, vitamins and other nutrients are flushed from your system whenever you drink. Ironically, many depleted nutrients are the same ones that help to mitigate negative effects of alcohol, from hangovers to liver damage. Taking a vitamin supplement is a simple and effective way to replenish key nutrient levels and hold them steady. 

B Vitamins 

Frequent alcohol consumption is linked with B complex vitamin deficiencies, which can contribute to memory and mood disorders, slow metabolism and low energy. Boosting your B vitamin intake also helps in the short term to ward off hangover symptoms. When supplementing B complex vitamins, look for a multivitamin supplement that provides B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), folic acid, B6 and B12 (also called cobalamin), which assists brain and nervous system function.

Vitamin C and Magnesium

As your body’s main detox organ, your liver is responsible for breaking down alcohol and eliminating it from the body. Both Vitamin C and magnesium support the liver in this important job, so you want to make sure you’re getting a steady supply. A high quality multivitamin can provide you with the Vitamin C and magnesium you need to replenish your levels. Food sources for magnesium include pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews and pecans. To give your Vitamin C levels an instant lift, drink a cup of plain seltzer with a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

Curcumin

Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric root prized for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin can help ward off headaches associated with hangovers. What’s more, research shows curcumin is effective in protecting the liver against damage induced by chronic alcohol intake.

Curcumin is easy to take in supplement form; in foods, it is a versatile spice used in everything from curries to chili. Add a pinch of black pepper whenever you add curcumin to foods to enhance absorption.  

Hydrate

Alcohol’s natural diuretic effects also explain why you feel so parched and dehydrated the morning after having a few drinks. The best preventative measure for this classic hangover symptom is to boost your water and fluid intake. When you know it’s an evening that you would like to unwind with a glass of wine, first drink a glass of mineral water or fruit juice (no sugar added) to help offset fluid loss and replace some of the vitamins and minerals and electrolytes being flushed out with it. Drink another glass of water before going to bed. 

Avoid liquor and stick with wine, preferably red

Some alcohols contain higher levels of congeners — chemical compounds that are especially likely to trigger hangover symptoms. Congeners are thought to develop during the liquor aging process. Whiskey, bourbon, scotch, brandy, cognac and other darker liquors are some of the worst offenders for congeners.

Wine — both red and white — contains lower levels of congeners. Any kind of alcohol can prompt a hangover, but limiting or avoiding congeners may help to minimize risk for hangover symptoms. 

Speaking of red and white wine, for added health benefits, stick with red wine. All varieties of reds contain antioxidant polyphenols, including the anti-aging powerhouse resveratrol.

Skip dessert

Love a relaxing glass of wine after dinner? Enjoy it, but consider skipping dessert on evenings when you drink.  Because your body cannot store alcohol, as soon as you consume it, your body prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol and ridding it from your system. Anything else you consume during this time, including a slice of chocolate cake, gets put on the back burner. This slower metabolism of food — especially when it’s a dessert that’s high in fat and sugar — can result in less fat being burned and more fat being stored. Over time this can result in weight gain. 

Do your best to strike a balance and think of that yummy glass of wine as enough of an after dinner treat.

Drink in moderation

There is no one set accepted medical definition of “moderate” drinking, but according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), “low-risk” alcohol use is generally defined as up to one drink daily for healthy adult women. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits).

The key to drinking moderately is to truly savor and enjoy your drink. We’ve talked about the benefits of eating mindfully before. Apply these same habits to drinking mindfully: put away your phone and other distractions so you can fully focus on the taste, smell and feel of your drink. Mindful moderate drinking also means being fully conscious of how each sip of your drink affects your mood, behavior, thoughts and body. 

When you are more “tuned in” to how alcohol affects you, it can be easier to understand when it’s time to put the cork back in the bottle.

And with that, here’s a toast: Cheers to your good health and healthy drinking habits!

Read more: 6 ways to prevent hangovers.

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Smack in the middle of the summer harvest season, fresh heads of cabbage are overflowing at in gardens, farmers markets and grocery stores everywhere. What can do you when life hands you cabbage? Why, make probiotic-rich lacto-fermented sauerkraut, of course! 

Fermented foods like sauerkraut help to bring our body’s ecology into balance, enhancing beneficial gut flora, which brings with it so many health benefits — from better digestion to improved mood to enhanced immune function! Best of all, making your own fermented sauerkraut is economical, easy, and leaves you with a feeling of self-reliance.

My easy recipe for lacto-fermented sauerkraut

1.    Wash the cabbage and take off the tough outer leaves (one of which will be used later).

2.    Shred the cabbage with a mandolin or knife.

3.    Put the shredded cabbage in a large glass bowl. Thoroughly mix the crushed cabbage with your hands or a wooden spoon. Add 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt for each ½ head of large cabbage. (You can salt to taste. The salt helps the fermentation process, and controls undesirable bacteria). Juice should exude from the cabbage as it is crushed.

4.    Firmly pack the crushed cabbage and its juices in a wide mouth quart size Ball canning jar. Press it down tightly with a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure that all the air is out of the jar and the cabbage is packed in its juices.

5.    Add spring water as necessary to cover the cabbage. Then cut one of the outer cabbage leaves to fit inside the jar, providing a sort of seal. I put a shot glass on top of the leaf and screw on the cover, compressing the cabbage even further (others find this shot glass compression is not necessary to keep the cabbage covered with water).

6.    Cover your jar with a lid, screwed on loosely to allow air to escape.

7.    The length of the pickling session varies depending on temperature and amount of salt. I let it sit for four days and then taste. My last batch was great at five days.

8.    When you are satisfied with the taste, put a regular ball jar cover on the jar and refrigerate.

9.    Enjoy!

The secret to weight loss could be hiding in your gut! See why with Probiotics for successful weight loss — the connection is real.

The post How to make lacto-fermented sauerkraut appeared first on Women's Health Network.

By Dr. Sharon Stills, NMD

If you’re like many of the women I hear from, you’ve probably noticed that your health needs have changed since the pandemic began. 

Have your hormonal symptoms worsened over the past two years — or have new symptoms emerged? Is your sleep disrupted? Are your joints achy? Do you remain concerned about your immune health? 

Whenever you detect a change in how you’re feeling, it’s a good time to look at what you are you doing to support your health, including the supplements you take. 

Is your body telling you it needs added support in 2022? Here are some supplements that can really help.

A good multivitamin. When healthy eating habits fall off the rails (as they have for many of us during the pandemic!), it means that you are lacking that vital influx of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed to sustain your body’s basic processes. This includes everything from cellular energy production and immune function to hormone production and hormonal balance. Boosting your dietary intake of fruits and vegetables can restart the nutrient pipeline, but taking a quality women’s multivitamin helps to quickly bridge nutritional gaps and ensures a constant flow of the micronutrients that can be difficult to acquire from diet alone.

If the pandemic has left you feeling fatigued, it’s a sign that you should look for a quality multivitamin that is rich source for B vitamins. Most women feel a big boost in energy when they consistently get more B vitamins — especially vitamin B12. In addition to being key nutrients for energy production, B vitamins are very important for clear thinking and a stable mood.

Support for hormonal balance. Suboptimal nutrition and lots of stress are two potent triggers for hormonal imbalances, especially if you are already in the menopause transition. When your hormones shift into a state of dysfunction you can see and feel it through a number of troubling symptoms, including hot flashes, low libido, irritability, fatigue and weight gain. 

Your goal is to give your body what it needs to bring hormones back into balance. First, you can take our free quiz to check the severity of your hormonal symptoms, and then it’s time to take action. Many traditional remedies for hormonal symptoms use herbs, including black cohosh and red clover, to work gently in the body to restore balance and relieve symptoms. Our Herbal Equilibrium is a multi-herbal formula that helps to actively balance all three problem hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Adaptogenic stress support. As I always say, stress is a leading cause for 99.9999% of illnesses and so it’s really important that we manage our stress levels — because, let’s face it, these are stressful times we’re living through!  I encourage you to try various stress relief techniques. But what I really want to focus on is how to balance cortisol, the main hormone we produce when we’re stressed. Cortisol, when chronically over-produced during extended periods of stress, is a known factor for wreaking havoc in the body, contributing to everything from brain fog and trouble sleeping to weight gain and lowered immune function.

You need something powerful to counter all this and we have it in the form of Adaptisol, our stress support made with adaptogenic herbs and other compounds like cordyceps, astragalus and eleuthero. These help stress levels balance out and cortisol production regain homeostasis. Also, since we are still in a pandemic, Adaptisol’s adaptogenic formula also helps to balance your T-cells and reduce inflammation so your immune system is not triggered unnecessarily. 

Help for immune support. With the Delta variant surging, many of us have renewed concerns about the strength of our immunity. Our Super C Plus contains Vitamin C and curcumin, two powerful nutrients that are anti-viral and help to support immune function. Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin known to enhance neutrophils phagocytic capacity — phagocytes are kind of like little Pac Men in our immune system that eat up viruses. Curcumin helps suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1 and interleukin-6. Cytokines can cause a “cytokine storm” that increases the severity and complications of Covid-19, and curcumin can help to prevent this. It also suppresses tumor necrosis factor alpha, helping to inhibit viruses from taking hold in the body. 

For even greater immune support, take a probiotic. More than 75% of your body’s immune cells exist in the lining of your gut, living side by side with the bacteria of your gut’s microbiome. Your immune cells benefits from good gut flora, so it’s important to replenish the “good bugs” for healthy gut flora balance. To make it easy for women to get this 1-2 immune support, we paired Super C Plus and our Super Biotic in our Immune Support Combo. 

Can’t sleep? Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain that naturally makes you become less alert and more ready for sleep. But after 40, your body makes less of it. On top of that, whenever you spend your evenings scrolling through your phone or binge watching your new favorite show on your laptop or TV, the blue light emitted from these digital devices can disrupt melatonin even further because your brain is tricked into thinking it’s still daytime. 

Supplementing with melatonin works with your own circadian rhythm to give you better and more dependable sleep — and who doesn’t want that? If your sleep problems are being made worse by excess stress, try adding a soothing supplement like Serinisol to tamp down stress hormones that may be spiking at night and preventing you from falling asleep.

Better digestion and easier weight loss. As noted above, probiotics help support your immune function. However, there are so many other good reasons why you should add a probiotic as a star supplement for daily support as the pandemic drags on. Replenishing your good gut flora can help calm digestive issues and also help budge that stubborn pandemic weight gain. In one study, people taking a probiotic lost twice as much weight as people who didn’t. Probiotics also reduce your risk for vaginal and urinary tract infections. Look for a high quality probiotic with several strains of beneficial bacteria.

Supplements for mood support. A recent survey of women showed that over half reported feeling burnout as a result of the pandemic. If your mood has been low, consider boosting your intake of Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3s easily travel through the brain cell membrane to support mood-related molecules inside the brain. They also have anti-inflammatory actions that may help relieve depression. 

Omega-3s have many other benefits too, helping to support heart health, joint and bone health, and healthy immune function. Omega-3s may offer a special benefit during the pandemic. In a pilot study published in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, investigators turned up evidence that individuals with higher levels of Omega-3 in their blood may potentially be at a reduced risk of dying from Covid-19.  

Vitamin D does double duty. If you’ve been feeling down, consider getting your vitamin D levels checked. Research has consistently shown a link between Vitamin D deficiency and depression, including a 2013 meta-analysis that found that, statistically, people with low Vitamin D status were at much greater risk for depression. Most adults in the US have suboptimal or deficient levels of Vitamin D, especially now after the long winter months and before the sun is direct enough to start producing Vitamin D in the skin. 

Fortunately, you can easily do something about Vitamin D deficiency, starting with daily supplementation with a good Vitamin D supplement. Plus, Vitamin D comes with the big bonus of strengthening your immune function — that’s why the data shows healthy levels even reduce the risk of severe Covid in the first place.

I hope this gives you ideas to help you support your health in 2021. For more suggestions that target immune system health, read my related article: Best vitamins & nutrients to boost the immune system.

The post 8 supplements women need in 2022 appeared first on Women's Health Network.

Reviewed by Dr. Susan Brown, PhD

As you do your best to stay hydrated this summer, you might want to switch up your fluid intake by trying alkaline water, aka water with a pH above 8 that is believed to bring additional hydration benefits. Walk down the water aisle in the grocery store and you’ll see lots of pricey bottles of alkaline water. Save your money! You can make homemade alkaline water for pennies and it tastes great too.

Homemade Alkaline Water

Ingredients

1 quart water (filtered or spring water preferred)
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

Directions

Fill large glass pitcher or quart-sized glass mason jar with water. Cut lemon in half. Using a strainer to catch seeds, squeeze the juice from one half of the lemon and add to water. Cut other half of the lemon into slices, and add to water. Add sea salt. Stir until salt is dissolved. Depending on preferred drinking temperature, leave water at room temperature or refrigerate for 2-4 hours to allow lemon to infuse water.

Why are we using lemons? Lemons contain lots of citric acid and, although they taste acidic, actually have an alkalizing effect on the body. And that’s not all! Here are other benefits of drinking lemon-based alkaline water:

• Lemons are strongly antibacterial and antiviral (known for centuries as an antidote to a variety of poisons).

• Lemons are high in antioxidants such as Vitamin C and can boost immunity.

• Lemons both stimulate and detoxify the liver.

• Lemons contain “limonene” a terpene oil nutrient which is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent.

To keep this recipe fresh, add mint sprigs or even a 1/4 cup of fresh blueberry (muddle to release blueberry juice). Hydrating alkaline water has never been so easy, cheap or tasty!

Learn more: 9 surprising signs of dehydration

The post An easy recipe for homemade alkaline water appeared first on Women's Health Network.

There’s already strong evidence that good lung function prior to Covid-19 infection predicts a good outcome — and the reverse is true too. Why? Because lung function is so closely tied to our immune resilience.

The lungs perform multiple roles in our immune system. Perhaps most importantly, when we breathe in pollutants and infection-causing microbes, tiny hair-like projections that line the lungs, called cilia, trap and move these toxins up and out of the airways, helping to protect our health.

Normally this system works just about perfectly. However, living and breathing in our modern world brings with it constant exposure to everything from cigarette smoke to industrial air pollution to allergens. These toxins can damage cilia and other immune cells in the lungs, dampening their ability to function as intended.

And this is where food comes in. Your lungs need certain nutrients for repair and optimal function, and it’s up to you to give them the support they require.

So what should you eat? Here are seven research-backed foods that help make a difference in supporting healthy lungs.

Walnuts

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for lung health, and walnuts are a rich source for these healthy fats. Omega-3s help to quiet inflammation in the lungs and support respiratory health at the cellular level. Recent research points to Omega-3s’ role in improving lung function and protecting against lung and respiratory infections and even asthma.

Aim to add a handful of walnuts to your daily diet. Other sources of Omega-3s include salmon, sardines and flaxseed. Taking a high quality Omega-3 supplement can fill in dietary gaps and provide a steady supply of O-3s.

Tomatoes

According to researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, eating two or more tomatoes every day supports healthy lung function as we age. Adults in their study with the highest tomato consumption had slower declines in lung function over a 10-year span compared to those who ate less than one tomato — even among former smokers! Tomatoes’ benefits appear to come from their high level of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect and repair cells from free radical damage.

Ginger

Ginger is an ancient remedy for lung health revered for its ability to help break down excess mucus in the lungs — making it easier for cilia to do their job of expelling toxins. (Cilia need mucus to expel toxins — that’s what triggers an ordinary cough . But excess mucus can overwhelm them.) Ginger’s anti-inflammatory effects also help to improve circulation in the lungs. Try our ginger iced tea recipe for a refreshing summer drink.

Apples

Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including the powerful antioxidant quercetin to help protect against the damaging effects of environmental pollutants. Eating five or more apples per week may be the ideal amount for supporting healthy lung function, say British researchers. There’s also reason to follow that old adage of an apple a day — the famous Nurses’ Health Study found that women who ate one apple every day had a reduced risk for lung cancer.

Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in sulforaphane, a natural compound that flips the “on switch” for a gene that helps protect lung cells from damaging toxins. Studies also show that sulforaphane supports the ability of immune cells lining the lungs to fight off infections, especially in people with COPD.

Cayenne Pepper

Capsaicin, the pungent compound in chili peppers, is powerful medicine for your lungs, helping with everything from breaking up and moving congested mucus to possibly slowing the spread of lung cancer. Capsaicin also supports your immune system in its job of warding off respiratory infections. Why not give your summer salads a spicy health kick with a sprinkling of dried chili flakes or chopped fresh chili peppers?

Green tea

Green tea is packed with antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation in the lungs, including quercetin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). And here’s a big bonus — by drinking green tea, you are also increasing your water intake. Lungs are 80% water so you want to stay well hydrated to keep your lungs functioning at their best. Healthy lung tip: Add a squeeze of lemon to your green tea. Lemon is a natural expectorant to keep lungs clear.

I hope this list helps you breathe a little easier! There are so many ways you can support your lung health, and it can start just by choosing a few additional healthy foods.

Immune Support Combo – just $45.68

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