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7 tips that will help cut calories from your favorite cocktails

7 tips that will help cut calories from your favorite cocktails

Everyone knows that alcohol is the first thing you should give up if you’re trying to shed some weight — and with summer coming up, we’re all looking for fast fixes. Alcohol possesses the unfortunate combination of being high in calories while also inhibiting or reducing your body’s ability to burn fat. In other words, your body is forced to store excess alcohol calories as fat, which makes sugary drinks one of the worst offenders ever. But not all alcoholic drinks are created equal. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you want to imbibe, but also want to minimize the damage done. 1. Let’s begin with booze. Every bottle is different, but as a general rule of thumb, it’s better to stick with standard types of alcohol — vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey or scotch. All of these options have zero carbs and have fewer calories that cream-based liqueurs, like…

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8 examples of the Mandela effect in food that will blow your mind

8 examples of the Mandela effect in food that will blow your mind

There’s an unexplained phenomenon out there that you’ve probably experienced before, without even knowing it had a name. The Mandela Effect is a popular conspiracy theory, and it has been known to seriously play tricks on your brain. The Mandela Effect is the term used to describe the phenomenon when thousands of people, often strangers, share a very specific memory of something that never existed or happened differently. The very name was inspired by the collective misremembering of the death of Nelson Mandela. Mandela died in 2013, but people all over the world incorrectly  remember the human rights activist dying in prison in the 1980s. It’s not simply a case of mistaken memory, because a large number of people share in the same false memory. So what is going on here? There are a lot of different explanations for why the Mandela Effect happens. Psychologists believe it’s a result of confabulation, or…

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9 Food Myths That Just Won’t Die

Image credit: Thinkstock

Some food myths just won’t quit. They usually persist because people cling to old science or wives tales out of confusion or simply out of habit. Some myths stick around because they can be easier than the truth. Eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep and exercise is usually the best course for fighting disease and maintaining overall health. But drinking alcohol to fall asleep and  then energy drinks to stay awake or lose weight is seen as easier and sexier… but it won’t give you the healthy results you seek. Here are 9 myths you should purge from your brain right now. Myth: The fewer carbs in your diet, the healthier you are Healthy truth: It’s true that most Americans eat more refined carbs and sugar than we should. These should definitely be avoided. But some carbohydrates are essential to a healthy diet, since they provide energy for your whole body. It’s best to get your cards from minimally processed…

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The most common health-related Google search terms of 2017

The most common health-related Google search terms of 2017

With even the slightest sniffle, most of us head online to pose a quick question to Dr. Google. “How long does the flu last?” “Why am I so tired?” “What is lupus?” Google spokesperson Evan Barbour Grippi provided CNN with a list of the most commonly searched health questions in the United States since January 2017. So what is it that Americans are asking? The top question for 2017 was “What causes hiccups?” A quick Google search would reveal that hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. Causes include everything from smoking or alcohol, chewing gum, eating too fast, or guzzling soda. Next up was the age-old question asked by husbands and wives everywhere, “How to stop snoring”. The first answers Google gives range from losing weight to changing your pillows. “What is lupus”, was another popular search in 2017. The condition causes the immune system to attack organs and tissues. Perhaps singer and actor…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes

Quinoa salad with cranberries and pecans

Quinoa salad with cranberries and pecans

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has come a long way. It was banished to the back of the health food store for decades only to be featured up front on national supermarket aisles the past few years. It’s high protein content and versatile texture have made quinoa a popular everyday grain. At the dinner table, it’s often substituted in place of former starchy favorites like pasta or white rice. But quinoa isn’t a new fad. Sure, it has recently picked up popularity in the United States and Europe, but it has been cultivated and eaten in the Andes for more than 5,000 years. It was known as “the mother grain” and “the gold of the Incas”, a testament to the importance of this grain to the Andean cultures. Today, it’s considered a superfood. It’s a complete protein source that’s also high in iron, magnesium and fiber, while also being extremely versatile and easy to cook with. Some estimates state…

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If you’re addicted to carbs, it might not be your fault

If you're addicted to carbs, it might not be your faultPixabay

It turns out that those pasta and garlic bread binges might not be your fault. Yep. Not that it helps your waistline, but you might feel a tiny bit relieved. In a recent study, scientists discovered that some of us have a genuine weakness for carbohydrates, which makes us crave them even more. Our tastebuds are to blame. Some folks are more sensitive to the taste of starchy carbs, causing them to eat more of them — and likely gain weight as a result of this sensitivity, reported Newsweek. Scientists were surprised by these findings, since carbohydrates weren’t previously thought to have a taste. “It’s typically sugar, with its hedrnically pleasing sweet taste, that is the most sought after carbohydrate,” professor and lead researcher Russell Keast said in a statement. However, this new research shows that non-sweet carbs might actually have a detectable taste to some, Keast says. In fact, the research team…

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What common cravings can say about your health

What common cravings can say about your healthy

Cravings can serve as a window to what’s going on in your body. Before you indulge, stop and consider what it is that’s actually going on inside. Sometimes our cravings serve a purpose. They can tell us we’re lacking in a certain vitamin or mineral. But they can also tell us we’re eating too much of something and our bodies are just trying to get their fix, like an addiction. So how can we tell which cravings we should give into? Alissa Ramsey MS, RD told Marie Claire what each craving could actually mean. Pasta Who doesn’t love a big bowl of comfort food? But a craving for pasta could mean that you’re not eating enough protein or fat. Without these essential compounds, blood sugar levels fluctuate causing you to crave even more carbs. Simple carbs like pasta are treated in the same way as sugar once they are digested, said Ramsey, so you’ll keep craving…

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Seasonal

How to make your pumpkin last longer

How to make your pumpkin last longer

From funny faces to scary skulls, there’s no limit to what you can carve into a pumpkin. Displaying your work is one of the Hallmark’s of Halloween. But that excited fall feeling quickly fades when your masterpiece becomes a mushy mess on the front porch. Of course you know your jack-o-lantern won’t last forever, but there are a few steps you can take to help keep your hard work intact for longer: Always buy your pumpkins from a local farm. Because it’s grown on-site, you can be sure your pumpkin has been spared the damage often done by careless shippers. Pick a good one. A long-lasting jack-lantern starts with a firm pumpkin. Avoid choosing a pumpkin that already has soft spots. Clean it well. Exterior: Before you start carving, load a spray bottle with one teaspoon of bleach and one quart of water. Spray and wipe the exterior surfaces first to remove any excess dirt and bacteria that could enter your pumpkin. Interior: Once…

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20 Ways to Beat Stomach Bloating

12 ways to beat stomach bloating

When you’re battling a bad case of bloating, it can be hard to stay focused. Everyone has been there. Your pants feel tight, your abdomen tightens and you might even feel some stomach pains or unusual growling. About 10 percent of people say they experience the symptoms of bloating regularly. Bloating is usually tied to what you eat. While beans and broccoli are a great part of a long-term weight-loss goal, they can actually be part of the problem in the moment. Eating large meals, rich and fatty foods and eating too fast also all add to the risk of bloating. If you’re one in ten Americans who experience this discomfort, there are a few simple changes you can make that may help. Sip on Water Everyone knows you need to get enough water to stay hydrated, but water helps you from becoming constipated? Water helps keeps things moving and may also help keep you…

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Guts bring glory: microbiomes of elite athletes may mean an edge

From gut to glory, bacteria microbe aids in athletes performancesPexels

Elite athletes often work their entires lives to excel in their sport, but new research shows they may also get a slight edge from their digestive tracts. Scientists have tapped into the microbiome of elite runners and rowers to identify certain bacteria that may be responsible for a boost in their athletic performance. “When we first started thinking about this, I was asked whether we could use genomics to predict the next Michael Jordan,” says Jonathan Scheiman, Ph.D., fellow in the laboratory of George Church, Ph.D. at Harvard Medical School. “But my response was that a better question is: Can you extract Jordan’s biology and give it to others to help make the next Michael Jordan?” To identify which bacteria support athletic performance, researchers collected daily samples of 20 athletes training for world-reknown Boston marathon in 2015. The microbiomes were then examined for changes between performance and recovery. In studying the…

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