You CAN reverse pre-diabetes and prevent its progression to type 2 diabetes. More than one in three adults has pre-diabetes–and 90% of them are unaware.
You may not realize that health complications start to develop at the early stage of pre-diabetes, long before it progresses to type 2 diabetes, which is an independent risk factor for heart and kidney disease. That’s why it’s important to understand your risk factors for diabetes and take action now.
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Plant-based diets emphasize nutrient-dense, whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and minimize highly-processed foods, added sugars, sodium, artificial colors, food additives, and non-nutritive sweeteners. A predominantly plant-based diet may occasionally include small amounts of meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs, while a 100% whole-food, plant-based diet would not include any foods sourced from animals, including honey made by bees.
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Don’t you wish that you could boost your metabolism and finally lose weight, reverse diabetes, or just get better results from your workouts?
Read more to learn the five steps you can take to get a healthy and flexible metabolism that will allow you to achieve all of these goals!
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If you’ve ever tried to lose weight—and keep it off—then you know how hard it can be. And with more than two thirds of adults in the U.S. being overweight or obese, you’re not alone. In fact, most people who attempt weight loss are not able to lose and maintain a 10% loss of body weight for one year. And when people do lose weight, they’ll regain one third of the weight lost within the first year, and the rest within three to five years.
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Intermittent fasting has quickly become one of the hottest topics in the weight loss community. Research on intermittent fasting has produced promising short-term results, but more long-term human studies are needed to understand the potential health benefits and risks. Nevertheless, many people are jumping on this weight loss bandwagon. But, before you do, here’s what you should know about various intermittent fasting regimens so you can make an informed choice. Read more
Did you know that chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease can be improved by limiting or eliminating added sugars in your diet? I’m not suggesting a low-carbohydrate diet that eliminates nutrient-dense foods such as apples and oranges with naturally occurring sugars bound to fiber.
Instead, you should reduce your intake of added sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup added to processed foods. To help consumers, the FDA has ruled that by 2020 food manufacturers must use the newly-designed Nutrition Facts panel, which has been updated to include a separate line for added sugars as a subcategory of total sugars. It’s about time!
Consume coconut flesh and water but skip coconut oil and cream
More consumers today are cooking with coconut oil because of the buzz about its health benefits, but research does not support its use for heart health. Coconut oil is comprised of several types of fatty acids, including medium chain triglycerides (MCT), which are absorbed into the portal vein unlike other fats. About half of the fat in coconut oil is the saturated fat lauric acid, 70% of which is digested in the gastrointestinal tract and raises cholesterol levels.
Coconut oil is calorie-dense with 130 calories per tablespoon, and 92% saturated fat, which promotes atherosclerosis. Although coconut oil does not increase total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels as much as butter does, it does raise cholesterol levels more than unsaturated plant oils do. So, it’s better to eat poly- and mono-unsaturated fats found in whole plant foods, such as olives, walnuts and avocados.
Likewise, many people are swapping dairy cream with full-fat coconut milk, which is also high in saturated fat. Read what I had to say about canned coconut milk in this article published online in Eat This, Not That! Read more
Oats and fruit are good sources of fiber (Photo by Melissa Belanger on Unsplash)
Most people know that eating high-fiber foods promotes regular bowel movements. And you may have heard that dietary fiber can help reduce high cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, which presents the Dietary Reference Intakes, “The recommended intake for total fiber for adults 50 years and younger is set at 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women, while for men and women over 50 it is 30 and 21 grams per day, respectively, due to decreased food consumption.”
But there are many types of fiber with unique properties and health benefits, so eating more fiber is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You must understand how each type of fiber works in the body in order to choose the right foods to achieve your health goals.
KIND Nuts & Spices Bar with only 5g sugar (free sample courtesy of KIND Snacks)
“Is this healthy to eat?” This is one of the most common questions my clients ask as they show me a protein bar, nutrition shake or packaged snack food. Perhaps you, too, have been wondering how to level up your snacking game. Keep reading this tip-filled post to learn how to answer this question for yourself and snack like a pro!
More people are snacking than ever before. According to a 2014 Mintel research report on snacking trends, 94 percent of Americans snack at least once daily, while 50 percent of adults enjoy snacking two or three times daily. And 24 percent of Millenials eat up to four snacks daily to improve function, focus and energy.
The good news is that 33 percent of consumers want healthier snack options, and they care as much about the quality of ingredients as the taste. The bad news is that higher snacking frequency is associated with increased caloric intakes of up to 50 percent, leading to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Read more
Image courtesy of meepoohyaphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
February is American Heart Month—a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. Globally, CVD is the leading cause of death. Risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, poor nutrition, cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Fortunately, you can reduce your risk of heart disease by eating a whole food, plant-based diet. Examine the evidence: Read more