Written by Timothy Huzar on November 19, 2020 Fact checked by Hilary Guite, FFPH, MRCGP

New research from a large study demonstrates that low cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength have a significant association with worse mental health.

Researchers have reported a clear link between low physical fitness and the risk of experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or both.

The study, which included more than 150,000 participants, found that cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength independently contribute to a greater risk of worse mental health.

However, the researchers saw the most significant association when they looked at cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength in combination.

The research, which appears in the journal BMC Medicine, may help inform clinical guidance on mental health and physical fitness.

Problems with mental health, just like physical health issues, can have a significant negative effect on a persons life. Two of the more common mental health conditions are anxiety and depression.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18.1% of adults in the United States have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year. In addition, the National Institute of Mental Health note that 7.1% of U.S. adults have had a major depressive episode.

There is growing evidence that being physically active may help prevent or treat mental health conditions. However, many questions still need answering.

For example, what measures should researchers use to quantify physical activity? In what ways can it prevent mental health issues or improve a persons mental health? And is it possible to demonstrate a causal link between physical activity and better mental health?

It is important to have detailed evidence of the relationship between physical activity and mental health, as well as the mechanisms that might underlie it. With this information, clinicians can offer more targeted guidance to people with mental health conditions.

To begin to answer some of these questions, a team of researchers analyzed an existing large dataset that allowed them to build on their understanding of the association between physical fitness and mental health.

In the present study, the researchers drew on data from the U.K. Biobank a data repository comprising information from more than 500,000 volunteers aged 4069 years from England, Wales, and Scotland.

Between August 2009 and December 2010, a subset of the U.K. Biobank participants amounting to 152,978 participants underwent tests to measure their fitness.

Investigators assessed the participants cardiorespiratory fitness by monitoring their heart rate before, during, and after a 6-minute submaximal exercise test on a stationary bicycle.

They also measured the volunteers grip strength, which the researchers of the present study used as a proxy for muscle strength.

Alongside these physical fitness tests, the participants completed two standard clinical questionnaires relating to anxiety and depression to give the researchers an overview of their mental health.

After 7 years, the researchers assessed each persons anxiety and depression again using the same two clinical questionnaires.

In their analysis, the researchers accounted for potential confounding factors, such as age, natal sex, previous mental health issues, smoking status, income level, physical activity, educational experience, parental depression, and diet.

The researchers found a significant correlation between the participants initial physical fitness and their mental health 7 years later.

Participants who were classified as having low combined cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength had 98% higher odds of experiencing depression and 60% higher odds of experiencing anxiety.

The researchers also looked at the separate correlations between mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness, and mental health and muscle strength. They found that each measure of fitness was individually associated with a change in risk but less significantly so than the combination of measures.

According to Aaron Kandola, the lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate in the Division of Psychiatry at University College London, United Kingdom:

Here, we have provided further evidence of a relationship between physical and mental health and that structured exercise aimed at improving different types of fitness is not only good for your physical health, but may also have mental health benefits.

Aaron Kandola

The study is a robust prospective study with a long follow-up period of 7 years and objective measures of both the risk factor (cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength) and the outcome (depression, anxiety, or both).

Although it demonstrates a correlation between physical fitness and better mental health outcomes, this does not necessarily mean that there is a causal relationship between the two. For example, it could be that people with better mental health are more likely to stay physically active.

However, the researchers deployed various statistical techniques that they say suggest that there is likely to be a causal relationship between physical fitness and better mental health.

In addition to adjusting for potential confounding factors that are associated with both low levels of fitness and depression and anxiety such as smoking the authors also conducted a number of sensitivity analyses.

They checked for reverse causation (when the outcome is actually the cause) by excluding people who were depressed or anxious at the start of the study. They also changed the cut-off values that determined whether people had depression. Neither of these analyses changed their findings.

What remains is the need to demonstrate the mechanisms that might account for this relationship.

Nonetheless, the findings are still important. As well as providing further evidence for the beneficial effects of physical activity on mental health, the study is also one of the first to use objective measures of physical fitness to do so.

For the researchers, this could mean that quantitative physical fitness measures and, in particular, measures of both cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength rather than self-reports of physical activity could potentially serve as indicators of mental health risk for clinicians.

Encouragingly, the researchers note that a person can meaningfully improve their physical fitness in as little as 3 weeks. Based on their figures, this may reduce the persons risk of developing a common mental health condition by up to 32.5%.

For Kandola, the findings are particularly pertinent given the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Reports that people are not as active as they used to be are worrying, and even more so now that global lockdowns have closed gyms and limited how much time people are spending out of the house, says Kandola. Physical activity is an important part of our lives and can play a key role in preventing mental health disorders.

More:
Large study finds clear association between fitness and mental health - Medical News Today

In the two years after his football career ended, Sean went from his playing weight of 330 pounds to 384 pounds at his heaviest, due to a "toxic relationship" with food. "I never went to the pool, I never took my shirt off," he says. "I didn't even take any pictures."

But it wasn't until an on-going serious acid reflux issue got him thinking seriously about his own health that Sean decided he had to make some changes. Speaking with fitness YouTuber Robert Glover, a.k.a. Brix Fitness, Sean explains how at the beginning of his weight loss journey, the first thing he did was adjust his mindset.

"I've tried to lose weight before, and my mind wasn't right, it was everywhere," he says. "You've kind of got to manipulate yourself."

One of the "mind hacks" he used to keep himself motivated during the early stages of his weight loss was to channel his desire to prove people wrong into his workouts: he describes imagining every person who ever doubted him as "sitting there on the couch" watching him exercise in his living room, which he converted into a home gym during quarantine.

Another simple tip Sean recommends that made a huge difference for him is just planning ahead and getting organized, so that you can focus without distractions: "I got my music playlist right, I got what I needed to eat, clothes, the workout, the videos I wanted to watch, my water, my post-workout meal."

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

In order to make these changes to his lifestyle sustainable, Sean tried not to be too restrictive in his diet, and to find healthier alternatives to his favorite foods. "I figured out how to eat healthy and not give up on taste," he says. "I went hard at first, but now I make my own pizza with turkey pepperoni, I still have tasty low-sugar desserts that I love."

Since December 2019, Sean has lost 125 pounds. He currently weighs 265 pounds, and is continuing to pursue his goals of getting fitter. "That's what worked for me," he says, "it might not work for everybody."

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Continue reading here:
This Guy Shared the 'Mind Hacks' That Helped Him Lose 125 Pounds in 9 Months - menshealth.com

MMA fighters are tough. In order to build muscle mass, they train hard and utilise resistance training and cardio sessions that could break an average person. British MMA star Michael 'Venom' Page (or MVP for short) is known for training hard and he is also fully aware that apart from 'just' hitting the gym, he also needs to be confident in a variety of different martial arts, including jiu jitsu, wrestling and kickboxing.

Sure, Venom doesn't need any tips on how to lose weight but to maintain his muscular but lean physique. MVP doesn't only spend an hour in the gym, he also maximises muscle activation by doing supersets.

You can read all about it here, but please don't try this workout unless you're in reasonably good shape already. This is not a Couch-to-5K type opportunity.

You can't avoid resistance training if you want to build muscle mass

(Image credit: Michael Page)

To perform a superset, you will have jump from one exercise to another exercise without resting in between the exercises. Supersets are a great way to make already hard exercises even harder. No rest for the wicked.

An average weight lifting session is roughly an hour long and it contains a lot of supersets. "In MMA, its more about explosive power, so we do more explosive weight training." - explains Michael - "Everythings very dynamic and done as quickly as possible. So, even when we do bench press its all about being explosive on the way up and slow on the way back down. Then as soon as youve done eight reps you jump on the floor and do five clap push ups and we do this for five sets".

Same applies to leg exercises. This means that after finishing a set of power cleans or split squats, MVP does some tuck jumps straight after.

A typical MMA weightlifting session for MVP is as follows (not for the faint hearted!):

Do three sets of ten.

Front squats are similar to back squats, difference being that as opposed to holding the barbell on your shoulders, you rest it on the top of your chest.

This exercise is normally performed with a smaller weight than back squats, and if you haven't tried this variation, do a set or two with smaller weights so you can get a feel for how to balance the weight. Even better, get a training buddy to spot you.

Do a set of eight power cleans and then a set of eight tuck jumps without rest. Repeat three times.

To do a power clean, start off in the classic deadlift starter pose, the loaded barbell resting in front of you, back straight, As you straighten up, as opposed to stopping when your body is upright, you hurl the barbell up onto the top of your chest. Once there, you can drop it back down and star the movement again.

Once you're done with the eight reps, do eight tuck jumps straight away. Make sure you really get your feet off the ground so they are all tucked in under you in the highest position.

Do a set of eight bench presses and then a set of five clap jumps without rest. Repeat three times.

Doing a bench press is pretty self explanatory, but in case you need a reminder, read our article on it.

Once you're done with your eight reps, on the floor you go to do five reps of clap push ups. Clap push ups are more explosive than regular push ups because you have to push yourself up enough to be able to lift off the ground and clap.

Do three sets of ten.

Another back squat variant. This works only one leg at a time, so work with less weight on a regular back squat.

To perform a Bulgarian split squat, rest one of your legs behind you on a box, so it is elevated. Barbell on your shoulders, core activated as you perform the squat. Once you did your ten reps with one leg, do ten reps with the other leg too.

Do a set of ten lunges and then a set of ten tuck jumps without rest. Repeat three times.

Best way to do weighted lunges is to use kettlebells. Hold the kettlebells in both hands, arms next to the body on the sides as you do the exercise. If you have space, you can walk forward, or you can do lunges on the spot too. The set of ten means you do ten per leg in each set.

Without a rest, go into doing ten tuck jumps.

MVP's explosive style requires excellent muscular strength

(Image credit: Michael Page)

"Theres so much to learn in MMA" - says Michael - "I can spend an hour and a half training in jujitsu, before an hour and a half wrestling. Then Ill take a break and come back and do some ground and pound training. Then youll do fitness training, take another break, come back and have another wrestling class. It really does depend on the fight camp and the opponent."

On Wednesdays and Fridays, he mostly does sparring. "If my coach wants me to spend more time sparring then we spar on more than two days". In previous camps MVP did sparring training literally every day, too. "Its the same with the fitness training. Ive done fitness training every day before as well as doing hours of technical MMA training. Its a lot of work and its very hard to break down into a day. Theres so many different aspects to learn".

As for actual fitness training, MVP does a lot of weightlifting early in the day, followed by cardio work on a torture chamber of machines. You'll find him on the running machine, the exercise bike, the vertical climber or the rowing machine.

Today's best Gym & Fitness deals

Lime Green High Density Yoga...

Gym Sweat Towel - Orange...

Clever Yoga Non Slip Towel

Reflex Creapure Creatine...

Reflex Nutrition Creapure Creatine

SKLZ Core Wheels Dynamic...

SKLZ Core Wheels Ab Roller

Fitbit - Aria Air Digital...

Grenade Carb Killa Protein...

Grenade Carb Killa High Protein and Low Carb Bar

Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike...

Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic...

Exerpeutic Folding Upright Exercise Bike

XTERRA Fitness TR150 Folding...

Xterra Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill

Read more:
Ultimate MMA workout: Michael 'Venom' Page reveals strength and power building workout of champions - T3

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared November as Diabetes Awareness Month in Michigan.

Whitmer's proclamation, which dedicates this month to Michiganders with diabetes, prediabetes and people taking care of loved ones managing these conditions, seeks to highlight the importance of preventing and managing diabetes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and how the virus has severely impacted those with underlying medical conditions, means it is even more important for people to be able to manage their diabetes well, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state's chief medical executive and chief deputy for health.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and Michigan.In 2018,2,824 Michigandersdied due to complications from diabetes.There are approximately 870,000 Michigan adults that have been diagnosed with diabetes. More than 2.7 million adults across the state are estimated to have prediabetes.

People living with diabetes should work with their physician to manage their condition, which includes a healthy diet, exercise, and taking any medications as directed. We encourage people across Michigan living with diabetes to create a diabetes preparedness plan, including having extra medication and supplies on hand," said Khaldun.

According to MDHHS people of color, people living in poverty and people with a disability are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, largely due to less access to health care and other programs and services. Specifically, non-Hispanic Black adults have 1.4 times the prevalence of diabetes when compared with non-Hispanic White adults Adults with a disability have two times the prevalence of diabetes when compared to those without a disability.

In addition to being at increased risk for illnesses such as COVID-19 and the flu, uncontrolled diabetes also puts people at risk for serious complications like cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney disease and dialysis and nerve damage and amputation.

Read more:
November proclaimed Diabetes Awareness Month in Michigan - The Oakland Press

Avoid eating processed food to prevent being overweight

Weight loss: Here's a shocking piece of news. As many as four billion people are likely to be overweight by 2050. 1.5 billion of these people are likely to be obese, if the current global dietary trends towards processed foods continues. Experts from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) warned of health and environmental crisis of "mind-blowing magnitude" and said that the global food demand would increase by 50% by 2050. It was predicted that 16% of the population will be obese, as compared to 9% currently among 29% of the population who are overweight.

"The increasing waste of food and the rising consumption of animal protein mean that the environmental impact of our agricultural system will spiral out of control," said Benjamin Bodirsky, lead author of the study published in Nature Scientific Reports.

Also read:Obesity And Overweight: Yoga Expert Explains Ways To Fight Obesity

RELATED STORIES

Weight loss diet: Practicing portion control and eat homemade food as much as you can, if you want to lose weight, and/or maintain your current weight. Read here to know what nutritionist Rachel Paul eats in a day to maintain her weight.

Post-Diwali detox tips: Detox isn't about surviving on low-fat salads and celery juices. In fact, it is about restoring good health and losing weight in a sustainable manner. Here's how you can do it.

Time and again, nutritionists and health experts have advised to follow a healthy lifestyle as an effective way to prevent getting obese or overweight. Here are some tips that can help:

1. Eat homemade food for most, if not all of your meals. Home-cooked food is devoid of additional flavours, trans fat and other adulterants that are usually found in processed, packaged, junk and fast food.

2. Avoid following fad diets or diets that are restrictive in nature. They may help you lose weight in the short-term, but can cause nutritional deficiencies in the long-term.

3. Make sure your diet is well-balanced and diverse, and includes all food groups: carbs, protein, fats and fibre. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains on a daily basis.

4. Eat according to your locality and culture, and eat seasonal foods. This is an effective way to facilitate diversity in your diet, as recommended by celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar.

Also read:Weight Loss Diet: This Is What A Nutritionist Eats In A Day To Maintain Her Weight

5. Eat small and frequent meals and practice portion control. Delhi-based Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal says that it can help in preventing unnecessary cravings and keep you satiated and energised throughout the day.

6. Avoid refined sugar in all forms. Enjoy festivities, celebrations and holidays but do not overeat. Stick to healthier sugar alternatives like honey, dates, coconut sugar and jaggery on regular days.

Avoid eating sugary foods and desserts to maintain a healthy weight Photo Credit: iStock

7. Exercise regularly and be physically active. Avoid long hours of sitting. For every 30 minutes of sitting, stand straight on both your feet for 3 minutes. Do moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes every day or minimum five days a week.

8. Make sure you sleep well at night. Not sleeping well at night or being sleep deprived can be problematic for you in several ways. It can interfere with your weight loss goals, increase your cravings and make you feel tired and fatigued all day.

Also read:Tips To Sleep Well: 5 Diet And Lifestyle Tips That Can Promote Deep Sleep

9. Stay hydrated and drink lots of water and other hydrating drinks like lemon water or coconut water. Being hydrated is important to maintain electrolyte balance in the body. It also helps in preventing constipation and other digestion-related issues, and can also prevent headache and fatigue.

Promoted

10. Take less stress. Stress can lead to hormonal imbalance which can wreak havoc on your health. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho recommends practicing yoga and meditation. He also says that you must avoid giving a reaction to every stressful situation that you come across.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

View original post here:
Over 4 Billion People May Be Overweight By 2050: Study; Follow These 10 Tips For Weight Loss That Won't Fail - Doctor NDTV

Kimmy was dramatically overweight at 3st 4lbs (Picture: Caters News)

Kimmy the 16-year-old beagle was once a stray who ate out of rubbish bins.

When she was adopted by Caitlin Brink, 27, from South Carolina, Kimmy quickly got used to her more luxurious lifestyle and became more than a little lazy.

The dog piled on the pounds, eventually weighing in at a whopping 3st 4lbs.

Kimmy was so tubby she couldnt jump on the sofa, scratch her belly, or even lick herself.

She had a huge appetite and had no shame in barking at people until they gave her treats.

Caitlin initially thought the excess fat was cute, but as Kimmy kept having to be carried on her daily walks, she realised it was time to make a change.

Caitlin said: I will admit I was ignorant to how harmful the excess weight was to her at the time.

I thought she was such a cute little chunk.

Initially, I spoilt her with treats and more treats until I started to actually note how she wasnt really living a quality life.

Thats when I realised obesity isnt cute.

Caitlin started taking Kimmy out for longer walks, but this made little difference.

Caitlin said: We used to live on the third floor of our apartment complex and she couldnt even make it two floors before needing a break.

During a walk, she could manage ten feet of following her nose and then struggling to pant in the first patch of shade she could waddle to.

She couldnt be a dog and it was devastating to see.

I then realised exercise wasnt the most important part of her transformation. I had to look to her diet and caloric intake.

First, Kimmys portions were limited, but it took over a year for her to drop 7lbs.

When Caitlin discovere the raw diet, everything changed.

She said: I discovered a raw diet and have never looked back.

We saw results within the first week.

Feeding raw is not for every dog, but Kimmy thrives.

It was a lot of hard work in the beginning as we had to measuring out her meals and make sure it had all the right supplements and nutrients to be balanced.

We even bought her her own chest freezer to keep her meals fresh and so we could stock up on meat and organs.

Meals consist of 80% protein, 5% liver, 5% other secreting organ and 10% bone balanced over three days.

Fruits and vegetables, eggs and the occasional non-raw treats are added as needed and supplements to ensure she received all her needed nutrients.

Kimmy now weighs a healthy 1st 2lbs and is absolutely thriving.

Her coat became shinier, better breath, her teeth health improved as the bone meals helped naturally scrape off years of tarter build up, Caitlin said.

Baby chimp laughs for first time after being rejected by mum

Greedy dormouse ate so many seeds in bird feeder it was too chubby to get out

Bald opossum has impressive knitwear collection thanks to donations

Her energy levels were like none seen before and finding the diet that best suited her gave me a new dog.

The raw diet has ultimately saved her life.

She has maintained a healthy weight and has a lot of energy to continue to follow her nose and get into all sorts of trouble.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

MORE : Dog found 300 miles away reunited with family after eight years

MORE : Taiwanese airline launches a speed dating flight to nowhere

MORE : Drinking coffee from disposable cups could be seriously bad for you as you swallow microplastics

Go here to read the rest:
Obese beagle goes on raw diet and loses two stone - Metro.co.uk

60 Minutes revisits a group of men and women over 90 who are helping scientists discover how to live a longer, healthier life. A follow-up report airs this Sunday.

If there are secrets to living a longer and healthier life, Dr. Claudia Kawas is searching for them.

60 Minutes first met Dr. Kawas, a neurologist and professor at the University of California Irvine, in 2014 when Lesley Stahl interviewed her for a story titled "90+."

Dr. Kawas and her team run a major study of aging California residents who began providing information about their diet, exercise, vitamins, and activities in 1981.

"I really believe that when we learn things from the 90-year-olds, they're going to be helping the 60 and 70-year-olds, not just how to become 90-year-olds, but how to do it with style and as good a function as possible," Dr. Kawas told 60 Minutes in 2014.

The multi-million dollar study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, discovered several factors that were associated with longer life. The study found moderate alcohol consumption of up to two drinks a day led to a 10% to 15% reduced risk of death compared to non-drinkers. It also revealed a caffeine intake equivalent to one to three cups of coffee a day was better than more, or none.

Sid Shero was 92 when Stahl last interviewed him. Scans of Shero's brain revealed the presence of amyloid plaques, the physical markers of Alzheimer's disease, but the World War II veteran was cognitively unaffected and our 60 Minutes team even found him driving around in a convertible.

This summer, Shero turned 99, and Stahl interviewed him once again, along with the other living participants from the original story.

The follow-up report airs this Sunday on 60 Minutes.

2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

See more here:
Is there a secret to living well into your 90s? - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Today's Essential Corona Virus Reads:

Ridgefield Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer Greg Herzog believes that we have a Major Healthcare Crisis on our hands.

Everyone is talking about Healthcare, but its also about you doing your part too IN DEFENSE OF FITNESS and taking personal responsibility.

What we need right now is a National Campaign to get in shape and get healthy, Feel better about ourselves and survive.. Its no longer about vanity. Its not too late to change!

There has been no emphasis on diet, exercise, or health, it's just figure it out yourself.

Shame on the media and government in not emphasizing how important diet and exercise are. Covid19 has now made it an issue.

Why couldn't they have gotten behind a campaign Get healthy so the virus doesn't kill you challenge.

Dr. Fauci, The Surgeon General and The CDC do not mention the one thing people could do; lose weight and get in shape.

So many lives could have been saved if the medical community took this on as a campaign. You need to do something now. Its your chance to change your life.

We need to stop glamorizing gluttony. Diabetes is not a theory. It is a life and death issue today. Stop with the body positivity. This is fundamental as to who lives or dies; being overweight is not a good thing, out of shape even worse. With Covid19 you are twice as likely to have poor outcome if your Obese.

One study found that the risk of death for people with a BMI of 35-40 increases by 40 percent and with a BMI over 40 percent, the risk goes up by 90 percent compared to those not living with obesity.

Even being mildly obese increase the chance of landing in the ICU by 5x. Our food, diet and lack of fitness is killing too many of us. Poor diet and lack of fitness is the leading cause of mortality. According to a NYT article. Countries with the lowest rate of obesity have had the least Covid19 deaths, our world ranking is 42. We had 40K deaths from obesity in August alone.

Obesity is already killing us slowly, mix it with Covid19 and its lethal; it kills you fast.

Obesity is linked to Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer, Eyesight Problems, Memory Loss, Pain, Fatigue, Anxiety, Depression, Immunity Issues and Gastrointestinal conditions, not to mention Covid19. This is science, not just my opinion.

Why do we have so many preexisting conditions? Fat. Europe is not like this. We weren't always like this before. We have been conditioned to fail at a very young age with no emphasis on proper diet and exercise. Its only wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance. Nothing about exercise, diet, inflammation, health, or your immunity.

The good news is Its not too late.

Greg Herzog is a Celebrity Trainer and Owner of OSTEOPATHIC FITNESS in Downtown Ridgefield, Author of the Fifteen Minute Executive Stress Relief Program, published by Putnam. Voted as one of the Top 50 Trainers in U.S. Greg has over two decades experience in the field of Health and Fitness.

For more info go to https://www.osteopathicfitness.com

See the original post:
Post from your Patch editor: They're trading Thanksgiving dessert recipes in Patch&... - Patch.com

Let's face it, when life hits a few bumps in the road, so, too, do our diets and food habits. As the work from home lifestyle continues to be the new normal, everyone's getting used to spending an inordinate amount of time confined to their homes and home offices. There are shifts in work production, alterations of one's sleep and exercise habits, and drastic changes to what, when, and how food is consumed.

For most people, this can lead to a change in eating habits and schedules that are less healthy than they're typically accustomed to, making it challenging to stay focused on their health and fitness goals. Thankfully, there are plenty of excellent resources a mere smartphone app away designed to help you stay on track no matter how difficult it might seem.

Both Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store offer plenty of apps that promote healthy eating and diet habits. But wading through the choices can be both difficult and time-consuming, as even the best apps aren't always right for everyone.

To help sort through what's available, we turned to Samantha Cassetty, an MS, RD, and national nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City, for a bit of advice and her thoughts were especially insightful.

"There are many free and paid apps to help you learn how to eat more healthfully," Cassetty told Insider. "The most important thing is to find one that supports a variety of healthful foods in balanced amounts that are right for your needs."

Using a smartphone to track your diet isn't a new idea as some of the earliest apps on Apple's App Store were aimed at helping iPhone users eat healthier. After all, it's likely you carry a mobile device with you everywhere, making it ideal for providing insights and advice on what you should buy at the grocery store or order at a restaurant.

Some of the apps that are available even create extensive meal plans, provide diet and exercise routines, or offer consultations from dietitians and nutritionists. Others simply track what you eat in order to raise awareness of the calories you're taking in. Cassetty says there are benefits to both and that even basic food trackers are valuable.

"Free tools allow you to track your food intake, which is a form of self-monitoring that's been found helpful for reaching or maintaining a comfortable weight," she said. "They can also expose when you might be grazing or over-snacking, which happens when you're spending more time working at home with a stocked kitchen."

While Cassetty does find plenty of value in the use of smartphone apps to track dietary intake, she also urges caution, saying that "unless you're getting the tools and information you need to make lasting changes, it's unlikely you'll be able to maintain any weight you've lost."

She recommends working on developing an understanding of how to balance meals so they fill you up while tasting great at the same time. She also stresses the importance of developing healthier coping strategies rather than turning to food when we're bored, stressed, anxious, depressed, or even happy.

"Rather than focus on a goal weight, I think a better way to go is to focus on small steps you can take to create healthier habits," Cassetty said. "Examples include, limiting soda, upping your veggie intake at lunch and dinner, cooking an extra meal or two, drinking more water, and aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep each night."

Those are words of wisdom, no doubt, but Cassetty also expressed the importance of cutting ourselves some slack when things get especially stressful and difficult.

"I think it's important to be flexible and compassionate with yourself during these challenging times," she added. "You may not be able to eat as well as you'd like or maintain your healthy routines, and that's alright. As long as you're putting in some effort versus none at all it's a step in the right direction."

Updated on 11/17/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the sections on how to find the right weight loss app and why you shouldn't rely entirely on an app to change your diet, checked the availability and links of each recommended app, and updated the prices where necessary.

Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Read this article:
How to choose a diet and weight loss app that's right for you, according to a nutritionist - Business Insider - Business Insider

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world - but researchers from Otago have found increased consumption of dairy products could improve those grim statistics.

A multi-year study by a team from Otago University has found the nutrient-rich drink could help protect against bowel cancer.

Associate professor Brian Cox from Otago Medical School told Newshub milk, in particular, has a strong relationship with reduced risk.

Other dairy products like yoghurt showed similar benefits, provided there are at least three servings a week.

"It's not clear whether that's related to something else which is associated with the disease, or whether it's the primary reason for a reduced risk. So that still needs to be teased out," said Cox.

Natalie Reynolds was diagnosed with bowel cancer a week after her 26th birthday.

See the article here:
Adding more milk or yoghurt to your diet could help reduce the risk of bowel cancer - Newshub