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Healthy Fasting, But How? A Plant-Based Diet is Good For The Body!

Goodbye annoying kilos? Ideally, fasting should be healthy and varied: A vegan diet is very suitable for this.

What exactly does it mean to “eat vegan” anyway?

In a vegan diet, no animal products such as meat, cow’s milk and eggs are consumed. Contrary to popular belief, not eating animal products does not lead to malnutrition as long as you eat a wholesome diet. A wholesome diet means getting all the nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), vitamins, and minerals you need.

The main components of a vegan diet include grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and of course fruits and vegetables. Sound boring? But it doesn’t have to be. A vegan diet offers diverse and creative dishes – which are also easy and quick to prepare!

Benefits of a vegan diet

In brief: A healthy and balanced vegan diet can support weight loss in the case of overweight, reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and promote digestion.

1. High in fiber

Many plant-based foods are very low in fat (legumes and grains) and low in calories and can support weight loss. They also contain a high proportion of fiber, which is why plant foods have a very filling effect and at the same time promote digestion. These include, for example, whole grain oatmeal, dried apricots and salsify. Foods such as cheese and meat contain little fiber and can lead to constipation if consumed in excess.

2. Low cholesterol

Plant-based foods have a low cholesterol content. Knew? In fact, oatmeal and walnuts, for example, even lower cholesterol. According to scientific studies, a low-cholesterol diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as a heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, everyday mixed foods such as eggs, butter and cheese contain a lot of cholesterol.

3. Lower risk of cancer

The risk of cancer can also be reduced with a vegan diet. The plant-based diet reduces the risk of colon and lung cancer, as well as stomach and prostate cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), red meat (like beef and pork) and processed meat (like cured meats and ham) are classified as carcinogenic to humans. Processed meat and tobacco smoking are even on the same cancer risk level.

Disadvantages of a vegan diet

Since the consumption of meat and dairy products is instilled in many people and is therefore firmly anchored in our cultural values, the switch to a plant-based diet is difficult at first. This takes some getting used to and some research.

In a purely vegan diet, vitamin B12 must be added to the diet, since plant foods primarily contain no B12.

If you only eat vegan for a limited period of time (approx. 1 month), there is no risk of a B12 deficiency.

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health

Diet Study: Ginger Water Helps You Lose Weight

Researchers at Columbia University in New York have shown in a new study that ginger water helps you lose weight. The reason is the active ingredients in the ginger root.

Losing weight with ginger through capsaicin and gingerol

According to a study by Columbia University in New York, the reason for the positive effect are certain “sharpening agents” in the ginger root, which stimulate the metabolism. These contain the active ingredients capsaicin and gingerol, which trigger a heat stimulus when consumed. The human body reacts to this with increased blood flow and sweating to cool down the overheated body. The physical reaction in turn activates the metabolism and thus consumes additional calories.

Spicy food helps you lose weight

The fact that spicy food generally helps with weight loss has already been shown by test persons who felt less cravings for salty, fatty and sweet foods by seasoning their main meals with chili. The participants also felt less hungry with ginger tea or similar hot drinks.

How to make ginger water yourself

Ginger not only tastes good in warm but also in cold drinks. To make ginger water, you first peel the bulb and cut it into thin slices, which you put in a liter of water. The water should then simmer for around 20 minutes and then cool down. You can “spice up” the drink with a little lemon juice. Alternatively, so-called “ginger shots” can also be used.

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Food

Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself: These Five Foods Accelerate Fat Burning

It sounds too good to be true: losing weight without dieting can work. We show you which foods stimulate fat burning.

Lots of vitamins and minerals: grapefruit as a true super fruit

It is a real vitamin bomb: the grapefruit. The healthy fruit tastes bitter, but contains a particularly large amount of vitamin C, which promotes the development of connective tissue. The grapefruit owes its color to the dye lycopene, which also makes tomatoes red, for example.

The B vitamins contained in grapefruit, which are particularly important for the development of amino acids, i.e. protein building blocks, also boost the metabolism. The dietary fiber pectin leads to a feeling of satiety and also has a positive effect on blood sugar and cholesterol levels. However, most of the pectin is found in the skin and core of the fruit.

Furthermore, grapefruits also contain many minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphate. Minerals are important for the body, but some of them have to be ingested through food.

Hot spices reduce cravings

Hot spices are also very healthy. The healing effect of the ginger root, for example, has been known in Asian medicine for centuries, according to NDR, and not only helps as a tea for colds. A study from New York proves that the root in water also helps with weight loss.
In food, hot spices such as ginger or chili lead to less cravings for salty, fatty and sweet foods.

The hot substance capsaicin in the chili pepper has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, as do the substances gingerol and shogaol contained in ginger. According to the Lucerne Health Center, the spiciness contained in chili increases

The vitamins and minerals contained in ginger in addition to the pungent substances, including vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron, are located directly under the peel.

Coffee: Germans’ favorite drink as a calorie burner

Coffee is the favorite drink of the Germans. Whether at work, at home or in a restaurant, on average everyone drinks 162 liters a year. The substances contained should even help with weight loss.

The caffeine in the beans stimulates the so-called thermogenes and, similar to the hot substances in ginger and chili, also boosts fat burning. According to the information platform, coffee should even relieve sore muscles after exercise. But be careful: Too much coffee can also have negative effects and harm the body.

Almonds as a power fruit

It has been known for a long time that nuts are said to help you lose weight. But in addition to walnuts, sweet almonds in particular are particularly good fat burners. Almonds are often counted among the nuts, but they are a plant species of the rose family. The core of the stone fruit is the almond, which botanists therefore count as a fruit.

The fruits contain many vitamins E and B, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc as well as valuable vegetable proteins and roughage. These ingredients and unsaturated fatty acids fill you up without the body absorbing many carbohydrates.

Buttermilk: Slimming through bacteria

The low-fat milk product, which is a by-product of butter production, gets its typically bitter taste from the addition of lactic acid bacteria. Buttermilk has less than 1% fat and is rich in minerals and vitamins.

With around 232 milligrams, just 500 milliliters cover more than 20 percent of the daily calcium requirement recommended by the German Society for Nutrition. This stimulates the breakdown of body fat and thus helps with weight loss. According to the Association for Independent Health Advice, calcium suppresses the production of the hormones calcitriol and parathormone in sufficient quantities, which means that the body stores less fat and fat loss increases.

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Detox Diet: How to Naturally Detoxify Your Body

Fasting once or twice a year can promote the health of the body. We will show you what options there are for a detox diet.

1. Base fasting: regulation of the acid-base balance

With base fasting, the focus is on restoring the acid-base balance. The intake of many acid-forming foods (meat, cheese, white flour, alcohol) can lead to over-acidification of the body.

An alkaline diet – including foods such as potatoes, spinach, bananas or rocket – gives the body the opportunity to deacidify and thus rid itself of toxins.

A period of one to two weeks is recommended for base fasting.

2. Juice detox cure: activation of the natural cleaning powers

A juice detox cure is intended to support the body’s natural cleansing powers and rekindle new energy. Only fruit and vegetables are consumed in liquid form, such as juice or smoothie. All kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables are suitable for this. Due to the thick consistency of smoothies, giving up solid food is a little easier.

Smoothies are often said to have a satiating effect. You can mix suitable smoothies yourself, but many companies also offer pre-made juices for detox diets.

A juice detox cure does not require any complicated preparation and can therefore be easily integrated into everyday working life. It should be noted that a juice detox should not last longer than three days.

3. Therapeutic fasting: Extension of the juice detox cure

Therapeutic fasting is structured in a similar way to a juice detox cure. The difference is that you can also consume clear vegetable broth in addition to the juices.

In addition, a 12-day program is put into your hands. Therapeutic fasting consists of three relief days, six fasting days and three build-up days.

Drinking a lot is the be-all and end-all of every fast

In order to stress the body as little as possible during a detox cure, it is important to drink enough liquid – also in addition to juices and smoothies. Still water and tea are particularly suitable for this. Sugary drinks should be avoided.

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Fitness Myth: “Diets Make You Slim” – is it True or Not?

When people want to lose weight, many go on a diet. And there are quite a few of them. But do the diets actually live up to their promises? Do we actually get slim with the help of a diet?

What does a diet actually do to the body?

When dieting, food intake is drastically restricted. This has consequences: How does our body react due to evolution? Unfazed by the currently popular ideal of beauty, he interprets a falling calorie intake as an emergency: red alert. He initiates three emergency measures. First: He throttles his metabolism. Energy consumption is on the back burner. Secondly: From now on, even the smallest food intake is exhausted to the last, so as not to waste any of the calories that have become scarce. Third: The desire to eat increases. Sure: We should kindly take care of compensating for the loss. One reason diet junkies are all about food.

Consequence: yo-yo effect

So that we don’t misunderstand each other. With a one-sided diet, you always lose weight. But the main goal of my participants in the “Moves” course is different: lose weight and then hold it, hold it, hold it. Why can’t the body stabilize the new weight on a long-term diet? Quite simply: losing weight is undesirable by nature. Our body can get by with less energy over a longer period of time and thus lose a significant amount of weight. But this loss is usually at the expense of fat-burning muscle mass. The rest is water and a little bit of fat. The body tries to quickly replenish the lost energy after the diet and maintains its optimized utilization strategy for food long after the prescribed lean diet – with wise foresight so that there are sufficient reserves in the stomach, legs and hips in the event of the next drastic famine. The internal regulation is also set in such a way that at least the starting weight is reached again. This model has the beautiful name “Jo-Jo-Effect” and means “diet makes you fat”.

boost metabolism

“Eat regularly throughout the day, and if you can manage it, eat the right thing.” At the latest with this tip, most people who want to lose weight rebel. You’re struggling with a lean diet and now you have to hear that your metabolism would be really happy if it got a little more. Especially people who tend to be overweight often do not eat as much as they are told. On the contrary: they often eat less for days than would correspond to their energy requirements. The strategy: Small or big sins at the weekend or at celebrations should be compensated for by meager menus. But are these “sins” really compensated by eating less? Obviously not, otherwise most of the population would be slim.

store fat? Not necessary!

Incidentally, a “naturally slim person” with an increased metabolism often tends to such a meal frequency fully automatically. Over time, the body learns that with regular intake, excess calories can simply be excreted and do not have to be stored in the fat cells. Four to five smaller meals every three hours show the organism that it is regularly receiving energy in the form of food. So there’s no compelling reason to stock up on fat. Eating five meals a day is one of the biggest metabolic boosters in body reshaping. However, regular strength training is required. If the exercise and sport part is rather low, a three-time meal intake is recommended.

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Fast Food Can Trigger Dementia: Researchers Warn of Brain Atrophy Through Diet

Is there a link between eating fast food and dementia? Yes, say researchers from Australia. Accordingly, brain function can be significantly impaired by an unhealthy diet.

People would “eat their brains out” with fast food

The scientists at the Australian National University put forward the thesis that people who eat unhealthy food and do not exercise enough “the brain

The researchers presented the worrying results in the journal Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. The Australian scientists evaluated around 200 international studies. They found that a person’s diet increases their likelihood of developing cognitive dysfunction.

Impaired brain function due to type 2 diabetes

Impaired brain function can result from type 2 diabetes, which is also triggered by fast food. However, there is also a direct connection between the performance of the brain and the diet – so the brain is damaged even without diabetes. ‘We found a clear link between brain deterioration and unhealthy lifestyle choices,’ the scientists explain.

Unhealthy Diet: Damage is irreversible

According to the researchers, anyone who had an unhealthy diet and exercised little up to their middle age can no longer reverse this damage – it is therefore irreversible. That’s why the Australians want to encourage people to think more about a healthy lifestyle and implement it as early as possible. This can protect you from dementia.

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Expert Refutes Diet Myth: That’s Why Thin People Just Don’t Gain Weight

Why can slim people eat whatever they want and still not gain weight? Expert Holger Klemm, head trainer at the fitness club, knows the answer. He reveals what this has to do with good insulation on the one hand and the sheer waste of energy on the other.

Lose weight successfully: Energy utilization is crucial

I explain the secret of these “turbo burners” as follows: The answer to the riddle lies in the so-called thermogenesis – also called energy utilization. Let’s compare two people, one slim and one overweight.

Secret of thin people: large heat losses

Lean people have poor energy utilization. This means that up to 40 percent of the energy consumed when eating is released into the environment as heat via the body. So people with little subcutaneous fat lose a lot of heat. They are ruthless “energy wasters”.

Heating costs are the biggest chunk in the calorie balance. This means that it has to be refilled as quickly as possible so that the core temperature of the body does not drop. If you compare it figuratively with a house, with today’s energy costs it would fall victim to the wrecking ball, at best it would be re-insulated and insulated.

With this type of metabolism, almost half of the calories consumed are lost to the atmosphere. These turbo combustors can usually keep their weight for life because they can hardly store any energy and have trouble not getting thinner. Unlike many overweight people.

Good insulation for fat people

Fat people are well insulated, which allows the body to store calories in depots in the body, even when eating less. If the supply becomes scarce, the body reduces the blood flow to the external areas. Cold hands and feet are typical signs and a permanent freezing. So he has enough energy left over to better isolate the vital rest, namely the body.

Calorie reduction often gives unwanted impetus

So it’s no wonder that skinny people with poor energy utilization can eat so often and so much. You simply don’t gain weight because the calories are burned off immediately. Attention: If you tend to be obese and simply reduce the number of calories you take in, you are teaching your body to store fat.

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Zero Sugar Diet: This is How The Sugar-Free Diet Works

Intermittent fasting, low-carb & Co. – alternative forms of nutrition are all the rage. This also includes a new, old form of nutrition: the sugar-free diet. With this, it is not enough to do without for a short time, but you should change your diet in the long term. Read here how exactly the zero-sugar diet works.

Living sugar-free – that’s how it works

To understand how a sugar-free diet can succeed, it is necessary to define the type of sugar involved. In the case of the sugar-free diet, it is not about the strict omission of carbohydrates, nor about the complete renunciation of table sugar. Rather, it targets the so-called “free sugar”. The World Health Organization understands the type of sugar to be all types of sugar that are added to food and drinks. This also includes the sugar found in fruit juices, honey and syrup.

The question that most people ask themselves when it comes to a sugar-free diet is what is still allowed to be eaten. If you start with the sugar-free diet, it is enough to do without the usual household sugar. So on the so-called sucrose, which is present in large quantities in sugar beets, sugar palms and sugar cane. This includes omitting the sugar in coffee and adding additional sugar to various dishes.

They rely on mostly unprocessed foods. As a result, you eat fewer calories over the long term and thereby lose weight. The hardest part is identifying where that sugar is. You often don’t suspect it at first glance. The following foods are taboo in this diet:
Sweetened drinks (soft drinks,..) and food (fruit yoghurt, jam…)
fruit juices, smoothies and fruit juice concentrates
Industrially heavily processed foods (fast food, white bread, sauces…)
Sweets (chocolate, gummy bears, cake, ice cream,..)
Dried fruit (mango, figs, dates,..)
Dishes from restaurants or snack bars

Even if that sounds like a lot of renunciation at first glance, there is not too little that you can still enjoy. Especially if you cook a lot yourself, the problem almost solves itself. Some foods that one is allowed to eat and drink are as follows:
Mineral water, unsweetened coffee or tea, calorie-free light drinks
vegetables and fresh fruit
fish, meat and eggs
Natural dairy products (cheese, natural yoghurt…)
Whole grain products (bread, pasta, rice…)
Legumes (peas, beans and lentils…)
Nuts, seeds and kernels (walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds…)
Oils and fats (oil, butter…)
Sugar free sweets

Most people don’t even know how much sugar they’re consuming without realizing it. This also leads to withdrawal symptoms when giving up, because sugar is addictive. These can last one to two weeks. After that you should have overcome the following symptoms:
mood swings
headache
cravings
fatigue
exhaustion

Once the body has gotten used to the abstinence, people actually only benefit from the effects of the zero-sugar diet. On the one hand, you lose weight and become fitter in general. The otherwise tempting craving for sweets does not occur and the blood sugar level levels off constantly. On the other hand, this has the consequence that the risk of diabetes also decreases. The risk of other diseases also decreases. These include cardiovascular diseases, cancer and osteoarthritis.

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Apples, Cabbage and Fish: How Healthy is The Nordic Diet?

In contrast to the Mediterranean diet, the Nordic diet relies on foods that grow in the north. But is this diet really healthier?

What is the Nordic Diet?

The Nordic diet “is not a classic diet, but a long-term diet for northern Europeans,” says Antje Gahl from the German Society for Nutrition (DGE). It is adapted to the Nordic conditions and the food available and traditionally used there. “These are apples, pears, berries, root vegetables, cabbage, whole grains, rye bread and cereal flakes,” says Margret Morlo from the Association for Nutrition and Dietetics (VFED). Fish, milk and milk products, potatoes and vegetable fats typical of the region are also included.

There are many important vitamins in local berries, cabbage and root vegetables. Regional and seasonal fruits and vegetables have a lot of flavor. Because they don’t have to be brought in from afar, not as many ingredients are lost. Animal products such as meat or eggs are rarely part of the Nordic diet. Products made from whole grain cereals or rye bread are regarded as healthy fillers. They contain a lot of good carbohydrates and minerals. Fats from high-quality rapeseed oil and spreads made from it should be consumed in moderation but daily.

Fish and seafood are part of the Nordic diet

The Nordic diet also includes fish and seafood, which are high in good fats. Here, too, there are varieties from regional rivers and lakes – such as perch, trout, herring, salmon or mackerel. Low-fat milk and dairy products are also on the menu. Local potatoes provide many important dietary fibers. Fresh herbs and mushrooms from the forest add the right touch to meals. And plenty of water should not be missing: at least one and a half liters per day – also as unsweetened fruit or herbal teas. As always, snacks with a lot of sugar or alcohol should only be served in moderation.

How healthy is the Nordic diet? But is the Nordic diet really as healthy as the Mediterranean diet? “That’s not entirely clear yet,” explains Prof. Matthias Schulze. He is head of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology at the German Institute for Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE). Scientists around Schulze have evaluated the data of around 27,500 people. The influence of the Nordic diet was also examined. Using points, the researchers calculated whether there was a link between the degree to which the Nordic diet was adhered to and the incidence of diabetes, heart attack, stroke and cancer.

“It could not be determined that the Nordic diet had a positive effect on diabetes,” says Schulze. According to him, the results indicate that those who eat this way are less likely to suffer from a heart attack. The scientists did not see a connection between the Nordic diet or Mediterranean diet and cancer. However, the two diets could possibly reduce the risk of cancer. “To do this, however, further studies would have to focus more specifically on individual types of cancer,” says Schulze.

Lower risk of diabetes and heart attack

“According to our results, the positive health consequences for people who follow the rules of the Mediterranean diet are greater than if they rely on the Nordic diet,” says Schulze. The Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases not only in Mediterranean countries, but also in Germany.

That means: If you eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, fish, legumes, cereals and olive oil, but little meat, milk and dairy products, you live a healthy life. In general, the following applies to cooking and eating: “Use regional and seasonal products wherever possible,” says Morlo. Organic foods should preferably be consumed – according to Morlo, they are demonstrably healthier than conventional foods, and finished products should only rarely be used. One thing is also important for feeling good about your body and life: “Eat mindfully and with pleasure,” says Morlo.

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Does The Time of The Meal Matter? Experts Have Unequivocal Opinions

Eating in the evening makes you fat? This opinion is widespread. But is that really true? Here you get the answers.

Link between weight gain and late eating? Experts have been researching the question for a long time

In 1985-86, a study (Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals) was conducted that recorded the dietary habits of 1,802 women. It showed that no connection could be established between a late meal (after 5 p.m.) and weight gain, according to the DGE. Even in a larger study (NHANES-I) from 1982 to 1984, in which the eating habits of 7,000 men and women were observed, even after ten years of follow-up (follow-up study of NHANES-I), no connection could be found between eating in the evening and the body weight development can be determined.

In another study from 2002, researchers compared the eating habits of overweight and non-overweight women. The overweight women ate more meals a day than the normal-weight women. In addition, the overweight women ate more volume in the evening compared to the normal-weight women. However, this study only indicates that overweight women not only ate late, but generally ate more. But not that they are fat because of their late eating habits.

Another 2004 study analyzed 7-day consumption logs from a total of 900 women and men. This study also showed that people who eat more in the evening already had a higher energy intake during the day than subjects who ate most of it in the first half of the day. It also found that subjects who ate a larger, more nutritious breakfast ate less food during the day and evening.

Researchers cannot link obesity to late night eating

These studies show that eating out at night does not automatically make you fat. However, the time at which you eat food still plays a role. Because if you eat a lot and plenty of it early on, you will show less hunger during the day. It has been proven that people who eat a decent breakfast have a lower energy intake during the day and also in the evening. Despite these results, according to the scientists, more research is needed in this area in order to be able to speak of reliable knowledge. However, the daily calorie intake still determines whether you gain or lose weight. If this is too high, you gain weight – no matter when you eat.

The results of a small 1997 study on weight loss support eating late meals to preserve lean body mass, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. For this purpose, researchers observed ten women in a weight loss program. They found that eating a large breakfast leads to slightly greater weight loss than a large evening meal. However, a large dinner resulted in better preservation of lean body mass.

So the secret isn’t skipping dinner: it actually has benefits for the body. This makes the widespread assumption that it makes you fat a myth. On the other hand, it makes much more sense to eat a balanced breakfast. A balanced breakfast fills you up early in the day. Thus, this variant prevents food cravings during the day.

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