Low-Sodium Foods: Best Choices & What to Avoid

When people talk about sodium, they usually mean table salt — technically, sodium chloride. Around the world, people use salt to add flavor and verve to savory dishes. We eat salt because the body requires it to send nerve impulses from the brain to the body, enable muscle contraction, and act as an electrolyte, regulating your blood pressure and blood volume.

However, most people get too much salt. Your physician or dietitian may have told you to lower your sodium intake to bring your blood pressure under control, or you may want to limit salt intake to counteract health problems. The body requires less than 500 milligrams of dietary sodium daily for good health, yet most Americans consume 3,400 milligrams per day! Many foods have strong, vibrant flavor without needing additional salt to enhance their taste, and here we share the best options.

What Is Sodium & Why Do We Need It?

Sodium is a mineral we need to survive. Along with potassium, magnesium, and chloride, sodium is an electrolyte, a substance in our blood that sparks a small electric charge to help our body to function normally.

The kidneys regulate sodium levels in your body. When sodium levels rise too high, your body retains water, you gain weight, and your skin may look puffy. Water retention due to elevated sodium increases the amount of fluid in your blood, which means you have a higher blood volume. This, in turn, raises your blood pressure — the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries — which strains the heart.

The Best Low-Sodium Foods

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), low-sodium foods are those with less than 140 milligrams per serving. Moderate-sodium foods have between 140 and 400 milligrams per serving, and high-sodium foods contain more than 400 milligrams per serving.

The best low-sodium foods are natural, whole foods: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains. A medium banana or a handful of walnuts has only 1 milligram of sodium, a cup of dried lentils contains 4 milligrams, and half an avocado has 10 milligrams.

At Global Healing Center, we recommend you follow a plant-based diet for optimal health, avoiding meat and animal products. According to research by the National Institutes of Health, people who eat vegetarian diets have lower mortality rates.^[1] Vegetarian and vegan diets are typically full of nutrient-dense foods and high in fiber, and, as a result, are associated with lower rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disorders.^[1]

There are lower-sodium options within all the food groups. With packaged foods, always check the label as different brands have different sodium levels for the same foods. Here are your best low-sodium choices.

Fruits & Vegetables

• Fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added canned vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and kale
• Fresh, frozen, or dried fruit, such as apples, oranges, grapes, pineapples, and bananas

Protein

• Beans, peas, and legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils — dried, frozen, or low-sodium canned
• Unsalted nuts
• Seeds (no salt added) including chia, pumpkin, or sunflower
• If you eat dairy, choose low-sodium, unpasteurized cheeses.
• If you eat meat such as beef or chicken, select fresh cuts prepared without salt or sauces.
• If you eat fish, only buy fresh cuts of fish and shellfish, avoid canned

Fats

• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Coconut oil
• Non-GMO vegetable oils like sunflower, peanut, avocado

Grains

• Whole grains such as quinoa, barley, and oats
• Wild or brown rice
• On whole-grain pasta, bread, or tortillas (check the food labels)

Condiments, Snacks, and Sweets

• Use oil and vinegar, lemon/lime juice, or low-sodium dressing on your salad
• Use all-natural herbs and spices such as garlic, turmeric, rosemary, and ginger (check labels on herb mixes that may add sodium)
• Look for low-sodium versions of ketchup, mustard, salsa, and other condiments
• Low-sodium desserts include fruit sorbet and plain dark chocolate
• Yogurt and ice cream may be low-sodium foods; opt for non-dairy options

Benefits of Low Sodium Foods

As you can see, many naturally low-sodium foods are vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds — the same healthful foods we generally recommend for best health. These choices are not only low in sodium, but also excellent sources of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and health-protecting antioxidants. In contrast, junk foods often contain high levels of sodium, as well as fats and sugars.

By following a low-sodium diet, you will improve your health in several ways. A lower sodium diet will help regulate your blood pressure and fluid levels, support better muscle and nerve function, and maintain kidney health.

Cutting extra salt out of your diet can help your body heal itself. Reducing sodium reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Research shows that when people reduce their salt intake, blood pressure drops within a few weeks, especially for people with hypertension.^[2]

High Sodium Foods to Avoid

Most of our dietary sodium does not come from the shaker but hides in our food — especially processed and packaged foods. There are many high-sodium foods, but if you can cut back in a few key categories and avoid specific “bad guys," it will reduce your overall sodium intake.^[3]

Some high-sodium foods — like soy sauce and olives — taste salty, but not all high-sodium foods do. Any processed food likely has added sodium (as well as sugar, but that's another article). Some frozen meals contain a full day's allowance of sodium in a single serving. While some varieties of sauerkraut are a great source of probiotics, some types of sauerkraut and other marinated vegetables are very high in sodium. Another reason to always check the nutritional facts label!

If you're trying to reduce your dietary sodium, steer clear of these items:^[4]

• Most canned soup, meat, vegetables, and beans that do not specify "low sodium"
• Frozen entrees (TV dinners)
• Tomato juice
• Baked goods such as muffins, pastries, donuts, croissants
• Soy, teriyaki, barbecue, spaghetti sauces or sauce packets
• Packaged meal items such as scalloped potatoes, rice mixes, noodle mixes, stuffing
• Boxed breakfast items like pancake mix or instant hot cereals
• Most bread and rolls
• Fried foods
• Most cheese
• Cookies or cakes with trans fats
• Processed meat
• Prepared sandwiches, burritos, tacos, pizza
• Savory snacks such as chips, crackers, pretzels, and movie popcorn
• Chicken (often injected with salt brine)

Upper Daily Sodium Intake for Men and Women

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adult men and women consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, which is approximately one teaspoon of salt. AHA says that an even better limit for sodium is 1,500 milligrams daily.^[5] Note, this is a safe upper limit, not a recommended daily value (DV). If you have a specific health condition, your healthcare provider may suggest that you lower your sodium even further.

Tips for Cutting Sodium in Your Diet

Your first step? Remove the salt shaker from your table and replace it with a sodium-free herb mix. Next, try these changes to your routines.

Shopping

• Go straight to the produce section, fill your cart with as many vegetables and fruits as you can eat. In particular, load up on foods high in potassium like spinach, potatoes, bananas, citrus fruits, and dried beans. Decreasing sodium combined with increasing potassium has been found to help control hypertension.^[5]
• Steer your cart away from convenience foods and the bakery aisle.
• Look for items with the words "no salt added" or "reduced (or low) sodium."
• Check each foods Nutrition Facts label to figure out the amount of sodium in a serving. Commercial products are required to bear these labels, although grocery-prepared foods might not. Choose foods with less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Read the list of ingredients. Skip those that contain salt, brine, monosodium glutamate, and soy sauce.
• Get familiar with the sodium counts of your favorite foods. If they're on the high side, eat smaller portions.

Eating Out

• Minimize the number of times you go out for dinner, cook at home instead. Avoid fast food entirely.
• When you dine at restaurants, order baked, grilled, or steamed entrees without sauces. Skip soups and anything that's breaded or fried.
• Bring a small container of your own low-sodium salad dressing.
• Many restaurant chains post nutrition information on their menu, so check before ordering or ask your server.

Cooking & Low-Sodium Recipes

• Preparing meals at home gives you more control over your diet's sodium content. Dine in more than you dine out.
• Center meals around low-sodium ingredients.
• Remove salt (including sodium-containing spice blends such as garlic salt) from your favorite recipes. Salt can be cut from any recipe unless it contains yeast.
• Season food with purchased or home-made no-sodium herb and spice blends. (Avoid "seasoning packets" such as those for tacos.)
• Prepare some of the delicious recipes on the Global Healing Center website — but omit any salt from them. Buddha bowl, anyone?

Points to Remember

It's important to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet if you have high blood pressure or heart conditions. Lowering your sodium intake helps reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Some people may want to limit sodium intake for preventative reasons, as well.

Aim to keep your levels at less than 1,500 milligrams/day. You can do this by eliminating table salt and choosing lower-sodium options from all the food groups. Foods with 140 milligrams per serving or less are considered low in sodium.

Plant-based foods are naturally low in sodium and should form the backbone of your low-sodium diet. When you buy packaged foods, read the label: make sure it says "low sodium," or "no added salt" and be aware of the sodium content per serving.

Knowing the top foods to avoid can keep your low-sodium diet on track: These include bread and rolls, cheese, processed meats such as bacon, and canned soups and frozen entrees. Steer clear of fast-food. Cook at home as often as possible to control the amount of sodium in each meal. You'll soon find that salt isn't necessary for a great meal when you add herbs, spices, and the savory flavor and texture of plant foods to your recipes.

The post Low-Sodium Foods: Best Choices & What to Avoid appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

source https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/low-sodium-foods/

Low Glycemic Diet: Help Prevent Diabetes & Heart Disease

When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, not all carbs are created equal. The low-glycemic diet is based on a simple premise: avoid "bad" carbohydrate foods, which are those with a high number on the glycemic index (GI) scale while enjoying good carbs, fats, and proteins.^[1] High-GI foods are typically sugary, processed, or low-fiber carbohydrates that your body digests quickly, sending your blood sugar levels skyrocketing.

You may have heard the glycemic index mentioned in popular diet books and plans, and for good reason; understanding the glycemic index and following a low-glycemic diet plan promotes weight loss, increases energy levels, lowers cholesterol, and offers better management of metabolic conditions including type 2 diabetes.

Quick Tips to Start a Low Glycemic Diet:

The diet was designed for people needing to lower their blood sugar levels, but also works well for anyone wanting to lose weight or get healthier. If you think your health could benefit from a low-glycemic eating plan, here are a few tips to get you started:

• Familiarize yourself with the glycemic index (GI). Get an app for your phone or use an online reference.^[1]
• Limit high-GI carbohydrates and eat more low-GI carbs.
• Eat natural, unprocessed foods like whole grains, fruits, and cruciferous vegetables.
• Swap out white-flour bread, crackers, and pasta for whole-grain, lower GI, varieties, and white potatoes for sweet potatoes.
• Embrace legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas. Not only are they full of vital nutrients, but they're also low-GI.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and avoid sugary, high-GI drinks like sodas and juices.
• Although the diet offers no set rules on protein or fats, it's important to make wise decisions.
• A low-glycemic diet is suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

What Is the Low-Glycemic Diet?

The low-glycemic diet operates on a simple premise: construct an eating plan filled with foods that rank lower on the glycemic index, which I will describe below. The glycemic index helps you understand good carbs versus bad carbs as graded by the GI index. When you eat carbohydrates, whether in the form of bread, pasta, or your favorite vegetable, your body eventually breaks them down into glucose, the simple sugar that provides energy to your cells.^[2]

However, different foods release different amounts of glucose into the bloodstream — and at differing rates. Some foods, known as high glycemic foods, can lead to blood sugar spikes, and then blood sugar crashes. Low-glycemic carbohydrates, on the other hand, digest more slowly, offering a more steadily-paced release of glucose into the body. This offers many health benefits which we will detail below.

Following a low-glycemic diet isn't about calorie counting or even carbohydrate counting, but rather about paying close attention to the GI values of all the foods you consume. Your low-glycemic diet will contain mostly low- and medium-glycemic foods with high-glycemic foods in moderation.

What Is the Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index measures how a particular food will affect your blood sugar level after eating it. The scale ranges from 0 to 100.

• Low GI foods are below 55
• Medium GI foods are in the 56-69 range
• High GI foods have a score of 70 or higher

Foods with high GI values will make blood glucose (blood sugar) levels spike — and then quickly fall. When blood glucose spikes, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin in response, which, in turn, causes fat cells to absorb the glucose molecules. Low-GI foods do not cause a spike in blood sugar, and the goal of this diet is to keep blood sugar at a steady level.

However, some high-GI foods, like watermelon, may still be perfectly acceptable on a low-GI diet if you consider their glycemic load, which looks at the total calorie count and grams of carbs per serving. Let's break that down further.

What Is Glycemic Load?

Low-glycemic diet plans may also reference glycemic load (GL). In fact, research suggests that the GL index may more accurately represent the impact food has on blood sugar levels. Glycemic load takes into account a food's GI value plus the carbohydrate grams in a single serving.^[3] While certain foods rank high on the glycemic index, when you account for portion size, they are not likely to cause blood sugar spikes, and hence they rank low in glycemic load. For example, most fruits are full of sugary fructose, but because the total amount of carbohydrates in a serving is relatively low, they have low glycemic loads.

Even if you do not know the GL score for any food, you can calculate it as long as you know the total carbs in a serving.

To calculate the glycemic load for any food, multiply the GI score of that food by the grams of carbohydrate per serving and then divide by 100.

• Low GL Foods are 0-10
• Medium GL Foods are 11-20
• High GL Foods are 21-30

To get a full list of foods, you can search the official website for the international glycemic index database.^[1] The database lists foods in various states — raw, cooked, with added margarine, and so on. Below is a list of some low-GI foods^[4]:

Food	Glycemic Index (Glucose = 100)	Total Serving Size (Grams)	Carbs Per Serving (Grams)	Glycemic Load Per Serving
Potato, Cooked	83	150	27	26
Brown Rice, Cooked	48	150	42	20
Quinoa, Cooked	53	150	25	13
Banana, Raw	47	120	24	11
Sweet Potato, Cooked	61	150	18	11
Oatmeal, Cooked	49	250	21	11
Prune, Pitted	29	60	33	10
Kidney Beans	36	150	25	9
Couscous, Cooked	65	150	14	9
Wheat Tortilla	30	50	26	8
Black Beans	30	150	23	7
Plain Popcorn, Cooked	55	20	10	6
Apple, Raw	40	120	16	6
Orange, Raw	40	120	11	4
Pear, Raw	41	120	8	3
Carrots, Raw	33	80	5	2
Peanuts	13	50	7	1
Hummus	6	30	5	1
Strawberries, Raw	40	120	3	1

What Can You Eat?

One of the best things about the low glycemic diet is that there are hundreds of delicious and nutritious foods that you can eat, and it is easy to swap out high-GI foods with low-GI options.

Here are a few examples of recommended foods to include in a low-glycemic diet plan.

Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables, which include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, typically have both low GI and GL scores. Other veggies, such as lettuce, are packed with essential nutrients — and they won't make your blood glucose yo-yo up and down.

Legumes

Legumes, which include lentils, peas, and beans, typically have low GI values. Although they are higher in starch or complex carbohydrates, legumes tend not to spike your blood sugar. Some healthy choices include black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, and garbanzo beans.

Bread & Grains

A low-GI diet doesn't have to preclude bread or bread-like foods. Look for truly whole-grain bread, not just the highly processed, genetically modified "wheat bread" that is barely different from white bread. Whole-grain steel-cut oatmeal is another low-GI option.

Fruit

Fruits, at first glance, may seem like no-nos because they are naturally sweet. However, as mentioned above, most fruits have a low glycemic load due to their high fiber content and lower amounts of total carbs per serving. If you need to keep your blood sugar down for health reasons, opt for high-fiber options like apples and bananas. Melons tend to rate higher on the glycemic index, though not on the glycemic load scale.

Other Low GI Options

Other foods you can add to this diet include whole grain pasta, oatmeal, muesli, and sweet potatoes. Foods with healthy fats and proteins will also help you create a nutritious, balanced diet.

While you technically can eat meat on a low glycemic diet, you will see far more health benefits by following a plant-based diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. In general, people who avoid animal products have reduced risk of heart disease, chronic illness, and diabetes, and have lower overall body weight.

Foods to Avoid

Processed foods — especially those with high amounts of refined white sugar — not only have high-glycemic index and load values, but they are also more likely to leave you hungry after eating. Here is a list of foods you should avoid when following a low-glycemic diet.

Refined Grains

Processed white bread, highly processed breakfast cereals, and instant oatmeal are all high on the GI and are best avoided. Instead, opt for whole grain options as well as barley, quinoa, buckwheat, and other lower GI grains. As a rule of thumb, the more refined the grain, the higher the GI ranking.

Added Sugar

Eating a lot of refined white sugar is the ultimate no-no with a GI diet. You should also avoid high-fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, and agave. Sugar may sneak into your foods under many names, including dextrose, barley malt, cane juice crystals, beet sugar, crystalline fructose, coconut sugar, and others. Many processed foods have large amounts of added sugar, which leads to blood glucose instability as well as inflammation and other health issues. Instead, opt to satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit, or with natural low-calorie sweeteners like Stevia leaf or monk fruit.

What About Gluten-Free?

It's important to note that gluten-free doesn't mean low GI. Be sure to check labels to see what the glycemic load of your favorite gluten-free foods will be. Packaged gluten-free foods are often highly processed, which can result in GI and GL scores that are higher than you might have anticipated. Make sure to read labels carefully.^[5]

Example Low Glycemic Diet Meal Plan

Below is an example of a plant-based daily meal plan for the low-glycemic diet:

Day One:

• Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with fruit
• Lunch: A stoneground whole grain tortilla with black beans, avocado, salsa
• Dinner: Indian green lentil salad with spiced carrots

Day Two:

• Breakfast: Buckwheat pancakes with berries
• Lunch: Winter squash soup with quinoa
• Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry over brown rice

Day Three:

• Breakfast: Fresh fruit
• Lunch: Vegan mock tuna served in lettuce wraps
• Dinner: Sweet and savory Buddha bowl

There are many ways to mix and match low glycemic foods to create meals to suit any palate. Rely on the glycemic index and glycemic load index to help you find preferred foods that you will enjoy.

Health Benefits of a Low-Glycemic Diet

Numerous studies suggest that following a low-glycemic diet — or one that avoids higher GI foods, especially processed snacks with high amounts of refined sugar — can help lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, and help prevent heart disease.^[6]

There are several health benefits to a low glycemic diet including weight loss, blood glucose control, and keeping cardiovascular disease and cancer at bay.

Maintains Normal Blood Sugar Levels

The slow and steady release of glucose into the bloodstream that comes with following this diet can help prevent type 2 diabetes — or, if you already have the condition, keeping it under control. Reviewing multiple studies, scientists found that eating a low glycemic diet significantly lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.^[7] By eating foods with low GI scores, patients better managed their blood glucose over time and decrease their risk for diabetic-related health issues.^[8]

Aids Weight Loss

Low-glycemic foods have also been shown to help maintain a healthy weight and body-mass index (BMI). Their slow and steady release of glucose helps manage appetite — and, again, avoids blood sugar spikes that can lead to long-term health problems. Studies suggest that, combined with high levels of protein, eating low glycemic foods can help people not only lose the pounds—but keep them off for the long term.^[9] For more ideas, check out our weight loss tips article.

Improves Heart Health

A diet rich in low-glycemic foods also benefits the cardiovascular system. Studies suggest it can help lower cholesterol, manage hypertension, and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. In contrast, studies suggest that eating a diet full of high-GI and high-GL foods increase your risk of heart disease, particularly in women.^[10] Stick to low-glycemic foods for your best heart health!

Low Glycemic vs. Low Carb

It may seem that people use "low-glycemic" and "low-carb" interchangeably, but the two are not the same. Lower carbohydrate does not necessarily mean lower GI: much depends on the serving size and how the food is processed in the body. Some foods that have a low number of carbohydrate grams on the nutrition label still rank high on the GI scale, which means the carbs are quickly absorbed, leading to the blood glucose spikes that low-glycemic dieters strive to avoid. In contrast, legumes are fairly high in carbs but have a low GI ranking. Make sure to look beyond the label at the GI index to make sure your food fits within your diet plan.^[11]

Can You Be Vegan or Vegetarian on the Low-GI Diet?

Yes. A low-glycemic diet is ideal for healthy vegetarians and vegans. You can reduce the carbohydrate-containing foods you consume that rank high on the glycemic index and glycemic load index while still enjoying a delicious and varied plant-based diet. Leafy and cruciferous vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and seeds are all acceptable on this diet plan. You can eat fruits, as well. Even fruits that rank high on the GI such as watermelon or cantaloupe have low glycemic loads, making them an excellent choice for an occasional dessert or a healthy snack full of vegetarians.

Side Effects & Safety

Some individuals report side effects from eating a low carbohydrate diet, and although the low-glycemic diet is not specifically low-carb, it may become so if you rely too heavily on proteins and fats. The side effects of eating low-carb (sometimes called the low-carb flu) include fatigue, headaches, constipation, and even nutritional deficiencies. If you are experiencing any of these concerns, talk to a healthcare professional to come up with a dietary plan that will make sure that you are getting all of your nutritional needs met.^[12]

Is Low-Glycemic Right for You?

A low-glycemic diet can help anyone trying to manage blood sugar for health reasons — whether you are actively managing diabetes or trying to ward it off because it runs in the family. You can try the low-GI diet if you want to lose weight, since lowering sugar intake almost always results in some weight loss, especially if combined with exercise and eating a high-fiber diet. A low-glycemic diet can also help you lower your cholesterol levels and maintain overall better health, especially when you avoid meat and dairy.

Points to Remember

Adopting a low-glycemic diet allows you to go beyond calorie or carb counting. A low-GI diet can help you to regulate blood glucose levels which, in turn, helps you to control your appetite. A diet rich in low-glycemic foods can help get your blood sugar under control, whether you are managing diabetes or trying to prevent it and stay at a healthy weight. A low-glycemic diet not only may help you lose weight but may also lower your risk of heart disease and metabolic disorders.

The post Low Glycemic Diet: Help Prevent Diabetes & Heart Disease appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

source https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/low-glycemic-diet/

Brain Fog: How to Naturally Get Rid of Brain Fatigue

If you struggle with poor focus, mental fatigue, or confusion, brain fog may be the culprit. Though not a medically recognized condition, brain fog is a common complaint. Brain fog often happens in older people but can affect people of any age. Generally speaking, brain fog is a dysfunction in your ability to focus, learn, and remember.

If you have brain fog, natural remedies can clear the mist, so to speak. When you engage in lifestyle changes — diet, exercise, sleep, and nutritional supplements — you can improve your mental clarity and energy.

What Is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is a general term for mild to moderate difficulty with focus, concentration, memory, and other cognitive functions. Brain fog can present in different ways, many of which are subjective and self-reported.^[1] You may experience mental fatigue, have difficulty finding the right words to express yourself, or feel slow, spaced-out, or forgetful. You might get easily distracted from daily tasks, have difficulty following conversations, or have poor concentration, mental clarity, and memory. Because brain fog is not a medical disorder, you may recognize it when you realize that you have a "cluster" of these symptoms.

Brain Fog Symptoms

If you have brain fog, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms.

• Mental fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Being easily distracted
• Poor memory
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling "spaced out"
• Disorientation
• Irritability

The Top 7 Causes of Brain Fog

Hormonal changes, side effects from medications, and normal aging all contribute to the symptoms of brain fog. Here are the top seven causes.

1. Stress

Mental stress causes your body to produce excessive levels of the hormone cortisol. Stress also suppresses your immune system and stimulates your adrenal system, which regulates your body's production of hormones. Together, these issues impair working memory, concentration, motivation, and other physiological changes that lead to brain fog.^[2]

2. Poor Dietary Choices

What you put in your body affects how efficiently your brain works. A diet full of high-fat or sugary foods can impair memory and other brain activities.^[3] Many low-fat processed foods advertised as "good for you" are not: they contain chemical preservatives, MSG, and excess sodium, and are generally bad for your brain.

For peak mental performance, your diet should contain a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, as well as the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need. A deficiency of any essential nutrient may cause brain fog. Make sure you drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration, which causes headaches and reduces mental focus.

3. Allergies & Food Intolerances

Food allergies — particularly with wheat gluten or dairy — may worsen brain fog. As one scientist puts it, "gluten sensitivity can be primarily, and at times, exclusively, a neurological disease." Scientists have shown a clear link between the gut and the brain. Celiac disease, a condition caused when someone sensitive to gluten continues consuming it, causes inflammation in the digestive system that, in turn, influences balance, concentration, and memory.^[4] Likewise, consuming dairy when you have lactose intolerance or an allergy impacts the central nervous system and can cause brain fog.

4. Medications

Many commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications may reduce your mental clarity. Benzodiazepines (a class of drugs prescribed to treat anxiety), opiate pain medications, and prescription and non-prescription sleep aids may exacerbate brain fog. Some medications can interact with each other, or even with over-the-counter products and nutritional supplements, amplifying their effects and affecting mental clarity.

5. Health Conditions

Certain medical conditions may impair cognition. For example, Type 2 diabetes not only affects mental focus due to changes in blood glucose levels, but it also may come with emotional challenges like depression.^[5] Similarly, low thyroid function and Hashimoto's disease cause brain fog symptoms including fatigue and memory lapse. Depression, anemia, high blood pressure, and autoimmune disorders like lupus or multiple sclerosis are other health conditions linked to brain fog. Although not a medical condition, addiction to nicotine caused by smoking or other tobacco products may also contribute to brain fog, especially during withdrawals.

6. Inadequate Sleep

In a 2013 study, the top two causes people attributed their brain fog to were physical fatigue and sleep deprivation.^[6] A review of decades of research on the topic found that poor sleep quality is often associated with cognitive decline in middle-aged adults, so make sure to get your beauty rest.^[7] According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night.^[8] Sleeping is extremely important; not only does it boost your energy levels and mental clarity, but also ensures the proper functioning of all your body systems.

7. Age-Related Hormonal Changes

Your body undergoes hormonal changes at certain points in life. Women going through menopause, the time of life when periods cease, might experience brain fog or related symptoms. The most common age-related brain fog symptoms include trouble focusing, fatigue, and difficulty falling asleep.^[9] Besides the hormonal changes associated with menopause, both men and women experience an age-related mental decline that can manifest as brain fog.

How to Naturally Get Rid of Brain Fog

You can find relief from brain fog with healthy habits that support your body and brain.

Essential Oils

Inhaling even a molecule of an aromatic essential oil sends a message directly to your brain, which makes it an easy way to reduce brain fog symptoms. Frankincense, for example, helped improve memory and other cognitive functions in rats who have a disorder similar to Alzheimer's disease.^[10] Lavender, peppermint, and chamomile essential oils can relax and calm the mind and body, helping you get restorative sleep. One study found that vetiver oil had properties that stimulated alert wakefulness, which "might be beneficial for learning and memory processes."^[11]

Add a drop of lavender essential oil in your hands and rub them together, then cup your hands over your nose and take five deep breaths.

Sleep More

An estimated 35 percent of American adults get less than seven to nine hours of sleep per night, the recommended amount. This lack of sleep leaves people fatigued and less productive and focused.^[12] According to the CDC, "Getting enough sleep is not a luxury — it is something people need for good health."^[13] Practice healthy sleep hygiene habits like maintaining a consistent and relaxing bedtime routine, limiting daytime naps to 30 minutes, and holding off on eating rich, fatty foods or consuming caffeine close to bedtime.^[14] For more ideas, check out our natural sleep remedies article.

Eat Healthy Fats

Choose "healthy fats" that come from nuts, seeds, and vegetables — olive oil, avocado oil, and walnut oil. These contain omega-3 fatty acids, which play a critical role in brain health. Dietary fats play a role in the blood-brain barrier (which selectively keeps chemicals from penetrating the brain) and in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels.^[15] Avoid animal-based saturated fats from red meat and high-fat dairy; one study found that people eating the highest amounts of these bad fats experienced the worst memory and cognition problems over time.^[16] The exception to this rule is coconut oil, a saturated fat that — in contrast to animal-based options — actually lowers bad cholesterol in your blood.^[17]

Eat Antioxidant-Rich Fruits & Vegetables

Antioxidants positively impact memory and other cognitive functions.^[18] An antioxidant counteracts the harmful effects of free radicals, which otherwise will go around cells causing damage. By counteracting those, antioxidants are the superheroes of your body. They're readily available in dark green leafy vegetables, brightly colored fruits and berries, and herbs and spices like turmeric and cayenne pepper. There's even good news for chocolate lovers — cocoa contains antioxidants called flavanols that improve circulation and may preserve cognitive abilities.^[19] Balance out your diet with healthy carbohydrates and proteins for optimal brain health.

Exercise

In addition to protecting you from weight gain, exercise stimulates your body to release hormones that improve brain health, particularly in the areas of mood and energy. A beneficial exercise routine doesn't take long to establish. When people spent just four weeks on a fitness program that combined aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching, they experienced improved memory, attention, and mental processing speed.^[20] Move your body in healthy ways. Simply spending time outdoors boosts cognitive development in kids and helps adults as well.^[21]

Brain Fog Supplements

While it's always best to get your nutrition from your food, sometimes you need an extra boost of one nutrient or another. Several nutritional supplements support brain health, including these six.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

One study found that over a period of 18 months, omega-3 fatty acids slowed mental decline in healthy elderly adults, improving brain fog symptoms like working memory and information retrieval.^[22] Because these fats occur naturally in fish and other seafood, fish oil supplements are popular; however, fish oil supplements may have high levels of mercury and other contaminants, and the harvesting methods for these fish are often environmentally unsustainable. We recommend getting your omega-3 fatty acids from plant-based foods or supplements, such as flaxseed oil or algae oil.

Magnesium

Scientists have connected magnesium deficiency with a number of brain disorders. Magnesium plays a role in general brain health for everyone, including helping your neurons (nerve cells) "fire" — transmitting messages to the body and creating thoughts. Taking magnesium may protect cognitive function and memory, reducing brain fog.^[23]

Maca Root

The natural fatty acids found in maca root (Lepidium meyenii) can help preserve overall brain health. Mice fed a diet that including maca root experienced heightened memory and other cognitive abilities.^[24] Specifically, the study found that maca root boosted the activity of cellular mitochondria, the organelle inside each cell that provides energy. Past studies had also found maca encouraged a balanced mood and even increased vigor and energy levels.^[24]

Vitamin B-12

Muddled thinking and forgetfulness may indicate you have low B-12 levels, an essential vitamin. Some studies even show that vitamin B-12 supplements can slow age-related brain decline, especially in people who are deficient. Since vitamin B-12 occurs mainly in animal-based foods, those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, or those who do not eat very much meat, may require a B-12 supplement.^[25]

Bacopa

An herb used in many Ayurvedic remedies and one of the top herbs for mental health, studies have found Bacopa monnieri counteracts brain fog symptoms like short attention span, poor focus, and short-term memory.^[26] Also called water hyssop or Brahmi (not to be confused with gotu kola which is also sometimes called Brahmi), bacopa appears to normalize cortisol in the body, which reduces stress, and may help your brain fog.^[27] Bacopa also reduces stress which makes it an adaptogen — a substance that helps the body adapt to stress.

Mucuna pruriens

Mucuna pruriens, also called velvet bean, contains a high concentration of antioxidants. These antioxidants work with L-dopa, a brain chemical, to produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Among other things, dopamine regulates processes associated with brain fog, including mental flexibility, memory, and motivation.^[28]

Points to Remember

Brain fog is not a recognized medical condition, but it is a common issue for many people and includes symptoms like mental fatigue, poor memory, and lack of focus. A variety of issues may cause brain fog, but the top six causes are stress, poor diet, medications, health conditions, inadequate sleep, and age-related hormonal changes.

There are several natural strategies for reducing brain fog. Start by eating a healthy diet including many antioxidant-rich organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds and avoid fried, processed, and animal-based foods. Exercise more, get more sleep, and try essential oils like peppermint. Herbal supplements like bacopa and Mucuna pruriens may also help you clear the fog, lending greater clarity to your thoughts.

How do you clear brain fog from your mind? Share your tips in the comments!

The post Brain Fog: How to Naturally Get Rid of Brain Fatigue appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

source https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/brain-fog/

Dehydrated Kale Chips: Two Tasty Recipes

When you eat a plant-based diet, you may miss crunchy, salty snacks, which can be hard to come by with this style of eating. Kale chips may be just the snack to satisfy your cravings. And, not only are they vegan, but they’re also raw, easy to make, and packed full of health-boosting antioxidants. They are delicious and super nutritious — even if you do not stick to a plant-based diet.

Below are two recipes that you can try. I use a dehydrator for totally raw kale chips, which take a few hours to finish. You can use the oven to speed things up (though they won’t be raw).

Cashew Crispy Kale Chips

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 4 to 8 hours
• Servings: 4

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Dehydrator Sheets

Ingredients

• 4 bunches fresh organic kale (curly leaf kale works best)
• ½ cup raw organic cashews (not soaked)
• ¼ cup distilled water
• ¼ medium organic red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ripe red jalapeno pepper (remove seed and membrane)
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions

1. First, wash the kale. You can soak the kale in your sink to remove any chemical residue, adding a little organic veggie wash or a couple of drops of Castile soap. Rinse, and shake the excess water off.
2. On a cutting board, slice the leafy portions of the kale off the central stem, keeping the leaf portions in big chunks — otherwise, you will end up with tiny crumbs instead of kale chips!
3. Grind the cashews in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy.
4. Place kale in large bowl, pour the cashew sauce over it and massage with your hands. This will soften the kale and spread the sauce evenly around the leaves.
5. Divide the kale pieces evenly over the dehydrator sheets and dehydrate until crisp. This takes 4 to 8 hours, more if the weather is humid.
6. After they’re done, let them cool before storing in an airtight container.

The chips on the bottom tray will finish first, so you can remove them when they're done, and move the other trays down.

Note: If you choose to use the oven, spread kale chips out on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and then turn the kale, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes. If baked, they aren’t considered a raw snack.

Herbalicious Kale Chips

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 2 to 4 hours
• Servings: 4

Equipment

• Dehydrator Tray

Ingredients

• 4 bunches fresh organic kale (curly leaf kale works best)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon Bragg’s organic sprinkle herbs & seasoning

Directions

1. Cut the kale off the stem as in the previous recipe. Put the kale pieces in a bowl.
2. Add the olive oil, Bragg's seasoning, nutritional yeast, and salt, massaging with your fingers so the oil and herbs cover the kale.
3. Put the pieces of kale on the dehydrator trays and turn on the dehydrator. These take around 2 to 4 hours.
4. After they're done, transfer into an airtight glass jar or a zippered bag.

This recipe dehydrates a little bit faster than the first one because it has less moisture than the cashew sauce. Also, the Bragg's and nutritional yeast have a taste that's similar to Parmesan cheese, but different. It’s delicious!

Note: If you choose to use the oven, spread kale chips out on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and then turn the kale, cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes. If baked, they aren’t considered a raw snack.

What spices and seasonings do you add to your kale chips? Leave a comment below and share your tips with us!

The post Dehydrated Kale Chips: Two Tasty Recipes appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

source https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dehydrated-kale-chip-recipes/

9 Natural Remedies for Headaches for Quick Relief

Did you know that headaches are the most common form of pain?^[1] Relatively minor and temporary conditions — such as dehydration, stress, the flu, a cold, an ear or tooth infection, or staring at a computer screen for too long — cause most headaches. Others may be caused by underlying medical issues, whether a blow to the head or — rarely — something more serious.

Fortunately, you can ease most headache pain naturally. While over-the-counter medications may alleviate the pain of both chronic and occasional headaches, natural remedies provide relief without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

The Different Types of Headaches

No two headaches are alike. Head pain can come on suddenly or develop gradually; go away within an hour or last for several days; feel sharp, dull, or throbbing. If you have a migraine, you may see flashes of light, become hypersensitive to noise, or feel nauseous.

Doctors have described two main types of headaches: primary and secondary. Primary headaches result from physical issues. Some examples include altered blood flow to the brain, neck, and head, hormone or nerve activity in your brain, tension in head and neck muscles, or some combination of these factors.

Primary headaches include:

• Migraines (with or without aura)
• Cluster headaches
• Tension headaches

Secondary headaches, on the other hand, are caused by a disease or condition that pushes, pulls, or presses on pain-sensitive nerve endings in the brain. These conditions may cause secondary headaches:

• Dehydration
• High blood pressure
• Sinus infection or allergies
• Eye infection or eye strain
• Cavities
• Fever and congestion
• Stress
• Other conditions

Knowing the causes of your head pain will help you decide which remedy will work best.

Natural Remedies for Headaches

Over-the-counter pain medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen tend to be the standard recommendation for alleviating your pounding headaches. But, many natural remedies can eliminate headaches, reduce their intensity, or reduce how often you get them. Consider the following strategies and see what works best for you.

1. Drink More Water

If you suspect that dehydration may be causing your headache, drink up! Consuming about two to three cups of water may help, but it may take 30 minutes to three hours. Research hasn't found that drinking more water can prevent headaches, however. Generally, though, it's important for your overall health to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water throughout the day.^[2]

2. Use Essential Oils

Essential oils provide many therapeutic benefits, and both lavender and peppermint essential oils can help relieve headaches. Studies have found peppermint oil to be as effective as acetaminophen (paracetamol) and aspirin for tension headaches.^[3]

Apply a couple of drops of undiluted peppermint oil to your temples, making sure to avoid your eye area. If your skin is sensitive, you can dilute it in a carrier like almond or coconut oil. Using lavender essential oil for aromatherapy helps relieve stress and headaches, simply rub some between your hands and inhale. Some evidence suggests that lavender is an effective and safe way to reduce the severity of migraine headaches.^[4]

3. Sleep More

If you have a headache, take a nap. But if you get them regularly, you might want to think about how much sleep you get each night: migraine, tension, and cluster headaches are associated with sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders like insomnia. Conversely, while you need to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night, sleeping too much can actually increase headache occurrence.^[5] If you struggle with insomnia, natural solutions to better sleep, such as keeping electronics out of your bedroom and setting your bedroom thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees, can help.

4. Apply Heat or Cold

Placing a cold compress on your neck may reduce the pain of a migraine, while heat may be better for tension headaches. However, either may reduce pain and help relieve your headaches, so try both and see which works best for you.

5. Turn Off the Lights

Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, co-occurs with migraines so frequently that doctors consider it diagnostic of them.^[6] Blue light, which emanates from cell phones and computer screens, can cause stress headaches as well, so turn off your devices and step away for a while. A solution for photophobia-induced headaches is to go into a dark or dimly lit room for 20 to 30 minutes.^[7] While sitting quietly in the dark, it's a great time to quiet your mind and meditate.

6. Meditate & Practice Yoga

Meditation offers a simple way to relax, still your mind, and breathe deeply — all of which reduce headache pain. Whether you are a beginner or you meditate regularly, this quiet practice can calm your nerves, steady the blood flow to the brain, and eliminate tension. Mindfulness meditation reduces the intensity of primary headaches,^[8] and yoga can reduce the frequency that people get migraine headaches.^[9] Consider learning about the best meditation practices and try different yoga classes to see what style you prefer.

7. Try Acupuncture

Studies found that getting at least six acupuncture treatments reduces the frequency of migraine headaches as effectively as pain medication. A review of multiple studies found that 41 percent of people getting acupuncture had half as many migraine headaches in the months following treatment.^[10] Acupuncture also proved more effective than sham acupuncture, a "control" technique used to test for the placebo effect.

8. Use Pressure Points

In acupressure, practitioners push on specific body pressure points for different conditions. You can even perform acupressure on headache pressure points on your own. Try using your right thumb and index finger to press on the loose skin between these same fingers on your left hand. This pressure point is called LI-4 or Hegu.

9. Get a Massage

Since many headaches come from tension in the upper back, neck, jaw, and shoulders, a massage can do wonders. Massage has many therapeutic benefits with few risks. It improves blood circulation while reducing blood pressure, soothing pain, reducing stress and anxiety, and just making you feel good. Add in some lavender or rosemary massage oil for the added bonus of aromatherapy with your massage.

Foods That Help with Headaches

Although some foods are known to cause headaches, others may help prevent or ease a headache. Try the following foods, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients, next time you have a headache.

Kale & Leafy Greens

Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, chard, and collard greens are foods high in folate. Low intakes of this B vitamin may increase the risk of headaches. Kale is a superfood, one of the most nutrient-rich foods that exist. Kale has healthy omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and magnesium, all of which help you sleep soundly.

Almonds

People who suffer from migraines may have lower levels of magnesium in their blood serum compared to people who don't get them.^[11] Magnesium affects the release of neurotransmitters in the body, and the constriction of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), which can affect headaches.^[12] Almonds have naturally high levels of magnesium — one ounce of almonds provides 80 milligrams.^[12]

Coffee & Tea

Did you realize that you can find headache relief from a cup of Joe? Caffeine is commonly used in over-the-counter pain relievers, but you can get this same effect from coffee. Between 100 and 130 milligrams of caffeine — the amount in about 8 ounces of coffee — may help ease both a migraine and tension headaches.^[13]

You can get the same amount of caffeine from black or green tea. Drinking a hot mug of a relaxing tea, like chamomile or ginger, may also help calm your nerves and reduce head pain.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an amazing creation. Not only does it contain a probiotic "mother" that revs up your immune system, ACV gives your digestive system a boost which can help with headaches. ACV also helps normalize blood sugar, which can help because blood sugar spikes may cause head pain.

Supplements for Headaches

The body processes the nutrients in food in a better manner than from supplements. But sometimes, you may lack certain vitamins and minerals because of your diet, and in those cases, you can take nutritional supplements to fill the gaps. These supplements may help with your headaches.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, as well as promote an overall balanced mood.^[14] While fatty fish like salmon, herring, sardines, and tuna are good sources of omega 3s, I recommend avoiding fish sources, instead try looking to flax seed, algae oil, and other plant-based sources of omega-3s.

Vitamin B-12

Some studies have found elevated levels of homocysteine, an amino acid produced by the body, in people who migraines.^[15] Some studies have found that supplementing with vitamin B-12 may normalize homocysteine levels in the body, and as a result, may help with headaches, though the studies are inconclusive.^[16] Foods high in vitamin B-12 include primarily animal sources, so if you eat a plant-based diet, you may need to take a B-12 supplement.

Magnesium

As mentioned earlier, insufficient magnesium causes blood vessels to constrict, and when that happens in the brain, it can lead to head pain. Studies have found that taking a magnesium supplement can influence blood flow, easing headache tension.^[17] A large proportion of people do not get enough magnesium in their diet, so adding the supplement to your daily regime may help.

Riboflavin

Also called vitamin B2, riboflavin in high doses may reduce headache frequency. Scientists had people take 400 milligrams every day for 6 months and observed that cut the number of headaches people experienced from four to two per month.^[18] Taking this vitamin also reduced the amount of migraine medication the patients needed to take.

Coenzyme Q-10

Our bodies naturally produce an antioxidant known as CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q, but taking more can serve as a natural remedy for headache.^[19] In the body, CoQ10 provides energy to cells, but some people with various health ailments may be deficient in this substance.^[20] It may help with headaches by reducing blood pressure in the body.

Feverfew

This herbal supplement may help prevent migraines, but the evidence is inconclusive. The most recent rigorous trial found that taking feverfew caused, on average, 0.6 fewer migraines a month. The study found no major safety concerns with taking feverfew supplements.^[21]

Butterbur

Butterbur, a flower in the sunflower family, may help prevent headaches according to the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society.^[22] However, unprocessed butterbur plant contains toxic chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), so only use supplements labeled and certified as PA-free.

What Causes Headaches?

Now that you know natural ways to eliminate headaches, you may also want to know what causes them, so you can avoid them where possible, especially triggers in your environment. Common causes of headaches include:

• Skipped meals
• Stress
• Inadequate or uncomfortable sleep
• Neck muscle pain
• Bright lights
• Cigarette smoke or alcohol
• Strong odors, like perfume
• Certain foods
• A medical condition

Foods That Cause Headaches

Some people experience headaches after eating certain foods. Common food triggers include:

• Aspartame
• Caffeine (or caffeine withdrawal)
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)
• Nitrates and nitrites
• Aged cheese
• Chocolate
• Fermented, pickled, or marinated foods
• Alcohol, particularly red wine
• Gluten

If you suspect something in your diet may be causing your headaches, keep a food journal. Writing down what you eat and when you eat it can help you identify food triggers, so you can eliminate them from your diet.

Irregular eating schedules can also lead to headaches, whether you miss a meal because you are too busy to eat or because you are fasting. When you are fasting or cleansing, headaches typically go away once caffeine and other toxins are fully eliminated from your bloodstream and your body adjusts.

Genes & Headaches

It's not uncommon for migraines to run in families and some research suggests that migraines are genetic. The authors of a 2013 study of more than 100,000 people published in the journal Nature Genetics identified 12 genetic regions, including five new ones, associated with people's susceptibility to migraines.^[23]

Stress & Headaches

Headaches are more likely to occur when you feel stressed. Stress can cause both tension headaches and migraines, and can worsen headaches caused by other issues. Find ways to reduce and handle stress — such as taking breaks throughout the day, exercising, and meditating.

Sleep & Headaches

Too little and too much sleep, as well as sudden changes in your sleeping pattern, may trigger tension headaches and migraines. Both less than six hours and more than eight and a half hours of sleep appear to increase the severity of headaches. Those who suffer from headaches are two to eight times more likely than the average person to have a sleep disorder,^[5] so talk to your healthcare provider if you are concerned.

Exercise & Headaches

Common activities associated with exercise headaches include lifting weights and cardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, rowing, and playing tennis. Avoid exercising outdoors in hot, humid weather or at high altitudes, as both can increase the likelihood of an exercise headache.

Sex & Headaches

For some people, having sex can trigger a headache. Sex headaches may be a dull ache or severe pain, and typically happens immediately before or during orgasm. They occur more frequently in men than women. On the other hand, studies show that sex can actually relieve headaches in some people, at least temporarily, as blood flows away from the head region during orgasm.^[24] Sex headaches should not cause alarm unless they linger long afterwards.

Points to Remember

Some simple healthy practices can help alleviate and prevent headaches, whether migraines, tension headaches, or other types of headaches. If you have a headache, natural remedies include drinking water, going into a dark room, and using stress-reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation, and aromatherapy using essential oils. The caffeine within a cup of coffee may also help.

One of the best natural remedies for tension headaches involves relaxing your body and mind, which calms your muscles, reduces your body tension, lowers your blood pressure, and calm your nerves. Get enough sleep — but not too much — and eat foods that help headaches, like kale and almonds. Some supplements reduce the frequency you get headaches, including magnesium, B-12, feverfew, and butterbur.

It can also be beneficial to avoid triggers. Everyone has different triggers, though, so consider keeping a journal to help you identify yours.

The post 9 Natural Remedies for Headaches for Quick Relief appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

source https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/natural-remedies-for-headaches/

What Is the Paleo Diet: The Beginner’s Guide

What if you had to spend all day chasing after your dinner or foraging for it in the forest? Proponents of the Paleolithic Diet say you'd be a lot more healthy. Also called the Paleo diet, followers of this eating plan believe that our digestive systems are best adapted to that ancient era when humans ate natural, non-packaged foods, like meats, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.

In modern times, we eat more dairy, grain, and legumes than our early ancestors. We also consume more sugary, heavily processed, deep-fried, and fast food, which is not good for our health. Some of these dietary changes occurred as agriculture began in earnest, around 10,000 years ago. While that sounds like a long time ago, it's considered the "blink of an eye" in the long history of humankind. As a result, Paleo proponents say, our bodies and genetics haven't yet adjusted. Combine unhealthy food choices with a sedentary lifestyle and it's no wonder that we're seeing an epidemic of obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes in the modern world.

Quick Tips to Start a Paleo Diet

• Decide which type of Paleo diet you want: strict, basic, or primal.
• Remove forbidden foods from your kitchen. Start with grains, legumes, dairy, foods with added sugar, and processed foods.
• Decide what you'll eat at each meal for a week; make a grocery list and purchase needed items.
• For each meal, choose your protein and vegetables, then add healthy fats such as avocados, nut butter, or olive oil.
• If you're going to eat meat, make sure it's lean, organic, pasture-raised, or wild-harvested varieties that are sustainably harvested.
• Select a wide array of vegetables (except starchy vegetables — more on that later), fruits, nuts, and seeds.
• You can only eat desserts you make yourself; sweeten with agave, maple syrup, dates, or Stevia leaf.
• Enlist the support of trusted friends and family members.

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleolithic or Paleo diet is a return to a style of eating that resembles what early humans ate. During the Paleolithic Period — approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago — humans subsisted mainly on food that came from hunting or gathering: meat, fish, and insects, plus seasonal vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

The paleo diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that shuns all cultivated foods such as cereal, grains, legumes, potatoes, milk, and sugar. It was initially created by Loren Cordain, whose research into the health benefits of ancestral, stone-age diets for modern people has appeared in some of the world's top scientific journals.

As more and more people experiment with the diet, they have separated into different groups such as strict Paleo followers, basic Paleo followers and primal Paleo followers.

Strict Paleo: Avoids all cultivated foods including vegetables in the nightshade family such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as cocoa and all sweeteners.

Basic Paleo: Allows sweeteners such as maple syrup and raw honey, most nightshade plants (except for potatoes), and 70 percent dark chocolate or higher.

Primal Paleo: Adds a few more foods onto the basic Paleo diet plan such as white potatoes and white rice in moderation plus fermented dairy. Primal Paleo comes from Mark Sisson's book Primal Blueprint.

What Can You Eat on a Paleo Diet?

Strict, Basic, and Primal are the most well-known Paleo variations, but there are others. One version exists for people with autoimmune diseases, as well as an 80/20 Paleo where 80 percent of your diet is Paleo and 20 percent is not. Those who adhere to the strictest Paleo regimen eat these foods:

Lean Meats

Paleo proponents strongly advocate for organic, free-range, or pasture-raised animals, since that is how our Paleo cousins would have eaten. That means you can eat a variety of grass-fed, pasture-raised lean meats including beef, bison, lamb, chicken, turkey, and pork.

Game

The Paleo diet also allows for hunted game and many Paleo advocates like to hunt. Whether you hunt yourself or buy from a store, you can add venison, elk, quail, duck, rabbit, pheasant, or wild boar to a Paleo Diet.

Fish and Seafood

Paleo followers chose wild-caught fish and seafood over farmed varieties because they have more nutrients. Be sure, however, to choose sustainably-harvested fish and shellfish. The Monterey Bay Seafood Aquarium Seafood Watch program has developed printable guidebooks that show you which choices are best not only for the environment, but also for your health — since mercury contamination occurs in many fish.^[1]

Non-Starchy Vegetables

Our ancestors ate large quantities of leafy greens, especially when other foods were hard to find. Many of the vegetables our ancestors ate are similar to the high-fiber, green veggies we consume today, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and broccoli. These low-starch vegetables are also low on the glycemic index (GI) — an index that tells you how carbohydrate-based foods affect your blood sugar. Some other veggies that you can eat on a Paleo diet include asparagus, green beans, cabbage, and leeks.

Fruits

The Paleo Diet allows all types of fruit. Fruits are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. It's smart to eat a variety of fruits so you tap into the nutrients and health benefits that different fruits offer. Berries, for example are high in antioxidants, while bananas are high in potassium. While Paleo is a low-carb diet, the glycemic index can help you determine which fruits are best for your specific dietary needs. People looking to lose a lot of weight might avoid fruits altogether, but if you are looking for other health benefits, some high-GI fruits, like watermelon, do not cause spikes in your blood sugar because their glycemic load (GL) is low. Check out our article on the glycemic index and glycemic load to learn more.

Eggs

Eggs, preferably organic and free-range, are a big part of the Paleo diet. Eggs are full of protein, fat, and important nutrients like B vitamins and choline, an essential nutrient. You can hard-boil them and use them as snacks, make them for breakfast in a scramble, or have "breakfast for dinner."

Nuts & Seeds

Our Paleo ancestors ate raw nuts and seeds and that's how you should enjoy them, too. Healthy nuts such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are great sources of protein, minerals, and other nutrients. A recent study showed that walnuts have the most heart-healthy antioxidants of any tree nut. Seeds are another great source of nutrients for the Paleo diet. Try chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds on salads or added to a homemade trail mix.

Fats

You can cook with many oils and fats on the Paleo diet, especially those derived from fruits and nuts: olive, avocado, coconut, walnut, flaxseed, and macadamia. While technically you can use unhealthy animal fats for cooking like lard, bacon grease, or goose fat, you will experience exponentially better health if you avoid them. Look for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), preferably organic. This will ensure you get the highest polyphenol content; polyphenols are antioxidants that protect against cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases.^[2]

Drinks

Paleo followers drink mostly water, but you can also have fruit- or vegetable-infused water, detox water, and occasional fruit juice — as long as there's no added sugar. You can also drink coffee and tea and a glass or two of red wine or low-sugar hard cider at night, if desired. While the Paleo diet also allows certain alcoholic spirits, they are not healthy for you.

Foods to Avoid on a Paleo Diet

There are also foods you should avoid on the Paleo diet, though this varies depending on which version you follow.

Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners

On a Paleo Diet, you will avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, xylitol, and acesulfame K. But you also must avoid processed white sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar, and all foods with added sugars. Sugar can masquerade in products as high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, dextrose, fruit juice concentrates, invert sugar, and maltose, among other names.

Sugar-sweetened Drinks

Avoid soda, energy drinks, sweetened powdered drinks, and sports drinks. Although you can have an occasional glass of fruit juice with no added sugar, most Paleo proponents believe you should opt for the whole fruit instead.

Processed Meats

Avoid processed meats like ham, bacon, deli meats, sausage, and salamis. Most processed meat contains undesirable additives or comes from feed lot animals that consume grains. This makes the meat high in saturated fats and low in protein.

Grains

Grains — wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, brown rice — contain lectins, a type of plant protein, and phytic acid. Paleo advocates avoid grains because they may cause inflammation in the gut and prevent certain nutrients from being absorbed. Some Paleo advocates believe grains are acceptable to eat, but you can make that decision after doing your own research and choosing a particular version of the Paleo diet.

Legumes

You need to avoid legumes on a Paleo diet, including kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, soybeans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans and pretty much all beans and lentils. That also includes foods made with beans, such as hummus or falafel. Many people do not realize that peanuts are legumes also, and they should be avoided. Like grains, legumes contain lectins and phytic acid.

Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables — such as potatoes and corn (and potato and corn chips), tortillas, and popcorn — rank high on the glycemic index and therefore spike your blood sugar, which means you'll feel hungry again soon after eating them. They are also higher in calories. Avoid them on a Paleo diet.

Dairy

Most Paleo advocates say no to dairy completely. On the other hand, some Paleo followers say grass-fed butter and clarified butter, or ghee, are acceptable. Others say full-fat dairy products are fine — and studies have shown they contain conjugated linoleic acid, which may prevent weight gain.^[3] Some Paleo followers consume fermented dairy products such as kefir, yogurt, or sour cream because manufacturers have removed the lactose and casein, a kind of protein that some people are allergic to.

Bad Fats & Oils

Many vegetable oils are highly processed and high in heart-damaging omega-6 fatty acids and low in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Disallowed oils include hydrogenated and partly-hydrogenated oils, margarine, soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil.

Most Alcohol

Brewers make beer from grains — wheat, barley, and hops — so it's not allowed. It also has gluten, which some people are allergic or sensitive to. Spirits are also made from grains but they undergo distillation that removes most of the gluten. If you drink, be aware that many mixers contain sugar.

Example Paleo Diet Meal Plan

The following is an example of what a Paleo diet plan may look like.

DAY 1

• Breakfast: Dairy-free smoothie with chia seeds, unsweetened nut milk, banana, and blueberries
• Lunch: Grilled organic, pasture-raised chicken with greens and balsamic vinaigrette
• Dinner: Wild-caught salmon with asparagus

DAY 2

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil with sliced avocado
• Lunch: Niçoise salad with wild-caught salmon and vinaigrette
• Dinner: Frittata with vegetables

DAY 3

• Breakfast: Banana with almond butter, honey, and pecans
• Lunch: Stuffed portobello mushrooms
• Dinner: Baked organic quail with rosemary, green salad and roasted sweet potato

Paleo-friendly snacking options include hardboiled eggs, a handful of raw nuts, or a banana with almond butter.

Health Benefits of a Paleo Diet

When you chose to eat Paleo, you end up consuming many more whole foods and eliminating unhealthy processed foods. This removes many harmful additives, preservatives, and chemicals from your diet. You also reap the anti-inflammatory benefits of eating more plants and improve your gut microflora by consuming more fiber. Scientific studies have found a range of benefits, including the ones below.

Lose Weight

Studies have shown that followers of the Paleo diet lose weight, lower their Body Mass Index (BMI), and shrink their waistlines.^[4] The Paleo diet generally requires eating large amounts of protein. Protein has a greater thermic effect — the energy your body uses to digest food — than fats or carbohydrates. This means just by eating more protein, you'll increase the calories you burn each day.^[5] Protein also has a greater satiety value than fats or carbohydrates, meaning you feel full faster and stay full longer.^[6]

Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Paleo followers may lower their risk of heart disease. One study found that high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good" cholesterol," went up while triglycerides went down in people who followed the Paleo diet for 12 weeks.^[7] You'll see even better results if you minimize saturated fats.

Better Control Your Blood Sugar

Followers of the Paleo diet may end up with better-balanced blood sugar. Your carbs will come from fruits and vegetables, most of which have a low-glycemic index (GI).^[8] Since your body digests low-glycemic foods more slowly, they do not raise your blood sugar levels as much as higher GI foods do.^[9] Even people with type 2 diabetes who followed the Paleo diet ended up with more balanced blood sugar levels.^[10] It's important that everyone, not just those with diabetes, control blood sugar; otherwise you could become “prediabetic," a condition where your blood glucose levels are elevated but not quite high enough to be considered diabetes. According to the CDC, about one-third of American are “prediabetic" and thus are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Better Gut Health

The Paleo diet may diversify your gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that reside in the lining of your intestines. These tiny creatures contribute to everything from our immune response to our metabolic rate to our anxiety levels.^[11] Research has shown that modern hunter-gatherer tribes have greater diversity in their gut microflora than Western populations because they consume greater amounts of fiber. Fiber acts as a prebiotic, feeding the probiotic microbes.^[12] When Westerners adopt a hunter-gatherer type diet, they may also increase the diversity of microflora in their gut.^[13]

Can a Vegetarian or Vegan Eat Paleo?

It would be very hard for a vegetarian or a vegan to follow a strict Paleo diet. Vegetarians and vegans rely on legumes such as beans, as well as pseudo-grains like quinoa as their protein sources. One answer for vegetarians who want to follow a Paleo diet is to eat plenty of eggs. Some Paleo followers believe it's okay to consume legumes and pseudo-grains if you first soak them or sprout them before cooking, which helps remove the lectin and phytic acid. If you follow a basic or primal Paleo diet, you may be able to follow it as a vegetarian.

Cons of a Paleo Diet

Following a Paleo diet is not necessarily easy. Here are the top disadvantages of following a Paleo diet.

Caution: Eating Meat & Seafood

The Paleo diet encourages the consumption of meat. At Global Healing Center, we believe meat is not part of a healthy diet. Instead, we encourage an organic, plant-based diet. There is a strong, well-documented relationship between the consumption of animal products and many types of cancer, heart disease, and other ailments. In addition, raising animals for consumption harms the environment in numerous ways.

Paleo followers should also be careful with their fish consumption. Some fish species — especially predator species that are higher on the food chain such as tuna — can have high amounts of toxic metals such as mercury, which are especially harmful to developing fetuses and young children.^[14]

No Portion Control

One criticism of the Paleo diet is that it does not specify the portions of allowed food, so you may overeat high-calorie foods such as nuts, possibly making it harder to lose weight. Counting calories is one way to avoid this pitfall. However, others consider not counting calories as a benefit, since many people do not like "dieting" in the stricter sense, but prefer the freedom of this eating plan — which usually leads to weight loss.

High Cost

The Paleo diet is expensive to follow because it relies heavily on animal protein sources that are organic, grass-fed, and humanely raised. Shopping for sustainable sources of seafood can also be pricey. Vegetable and fruit prices may vary, but if you look for strictly organic fruits and vegetables, your grocery costs may be high.

Difficult to Stick To

A recent study of 35 women who followed the Paleo diet for two years revealed that the dieters found it difficult to avoid certain foods such as bread and alcohol, struggled to understand what they were allowed to eat and found it more expensive than eating out. On the plus side, the women following this diet lost an average of 14 pounds.^[15]

Too Few Carbs

Some experts say restricting carbohydrates may not work for people who exercise frequently. Athletes, for instance, need carbohydrates to sufficiently fuel intense workouts and to recover from them.^[16]

The Paleo Diet is Time-Consuming

Expect to spend more time than usual planning your meals and cooking. You will have to make most meals from scratch. To save time, you may find yourself eating the same things again and again. We are all creatures of habit, but this can get tedious.

What to Expect & Possible Side Effects

Practice patience if you decide to follow the Paleo diet. You will need more time for shopping and cooking and you may not feel good at first as your body adjusts to this new regimen. The Paleo diet is a form of detoxing, especially if you strictly eliminate sugar, dairy, and processed foods. You are also dramatically reducing your carbohydrate intake, and as a result, you're likely to get a headache, your brain may feel foggy, and you may not have much energy. We call this the healing crisis, but some call it the low-carb flu. Paleo experts say this goes away after about a week or two when you should start to feel better.

Adding Supplements to Your Paleo Diet

If you follow the strictest version of the Paleo Diet, which allows no dairy products, you will need to make sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D from other sources, which are important to bone health. Other recommended supplements are omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics to encourage healthy bacteria in your gut, and magnesium.

Points to Remember

The Paleo diet follows the lifestyle of ancient humans who spent much of their time hunting and gathering their food. This diet calls for consuming large amounts of protein, moderate amounts of healthy fats, and restricting carbohydrates to fruits and vegetables.

There are many variations of the diet including strict, basic, and primal Paleo; some call for no dairy, grain or legume consumption and others are more lenient. Research has shown there are weight loss benefits to following the diet and it may help people who struggle with diabetes get their blood sugar under control and reduce their risk of contracting heart disease.

Let us know if you try the Paleo diet, and how it works for you! We would love to hear how it went for you or if you have any questions about it. Leave a comment below!

The post What Is the Paleo Diet: The Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles.

source https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/paleo-diet/