Health & Fitness

Here are 6 amazing Vitamin C benefits for skin and health, from reducing stress to decreasing the severity of common cold. We've also listed the symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency.

Vitamin C, also referred to as 'ascorbic acid', is an important nutrient required by the body. This water-soluble nutrient acts a powerful antioxidant needed for the development and maintenance of arteriole, scar tissues and cartilage.

Certain fruits and vegetable packed with Vitamin C can help us fulfill our daily requirements. These include Kiwi fruit, broccoli, guava, yellow bell peppers, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard and turnip greens, tomatoes, strawberries and papaya. Delhi-based Nutritionist and Diet Consultant, Nidhi Sawhney explains, "The human body doesn't have the capacity to generate Vitamin C. Therefore, it needs to be received through food and other supplements. It's also important to cook the food at low temperatures and for short time to preserve the Vitamin C content in foods as it is a heat-sensitive nutrient."

What is a Vitamin C deficiency?

Symptoms of a deficiency of Vitamin C includes fatigue, mood changes, weight loss, joint and muscle aches, bruising, dental conditions and dry hair and skin. Over time, a lack of vitamin C in the body means that new collagen cannot be formed. This also causes various tissues in an individual's body to break down and it also affects the repair of cells. Severe deficiency of Vitamin C can lead to a disease called Scurvy.

Benefits of Vitamin C

1. Common Cold

Vitamin C decreases the severity of cold and flu attacks. It lessens the nauseating effects of common cold, including inflammation and a runny nose. It not only controls the allergy that causes cold but also, shortens the duration of cold. It is a known fact that Vitamin C tends to boost your immunity.

2. Hypertension

Incidences of abnormally high blood pressure can be lowered by the regular intake of Vitamin C.

3. Stress

Vitamin C helps a lot in dealing with typical indicators of physical and emotional stress. It also, decreases the level of stress hormones.

4. Fat Metabolism

Stomach fat, or abdominal fat, is fatty tissue around or inside the abdominal cavity. For proper fat metabolism, regular intake of Vitamin C is essential. Vitamin C helps in boosting your metabolism and thus, keeps your weight in check.

5. Collagen Production

Collagen is a substance that is naturally produced by the body. However, the production of this substance diminishes as people grow older. Vitamin C plays an integral part in the production of collagen which therefore decreases wrinkles and also the symptoms and signs of aging.

6. Better Skin

The formation of elastin, a compound which thickens, protects and heals the skin cells, depends on Vitamin C levels in your body. Elastin keeps your skin healthy and glowing.

According to Nutritionist Nidhi Sawhney, "There are many health benefits of Vitamin C. From combating stroke to healing wounds, Vitamin C also helps in the absorption of iron by the body. This is why it's suggested to pair foods full of Vitamin C with iron-rich foods."

By Kris Gunnars

There are many ways to lose a lot of weight fast.

However, most of them will make you hungry and unsatisfied.

If you don’t have iron willpower, then hunger will cause you to give up on these plans quickly.

The plan outlined here will:

Reduce your appetite significantly.
Make you lose weight quickly, without hunger.
Improve your metabolic health at the same time.

Here is a simple 3-step plan to lose weight fast.

1. Cut Back on Sugars and Starches

The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs).

These are the foods that stimulate secretion of insulin the most. If you didn’t know already, insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body.

When insulin goes down, fat has an easier time getting out of the fat stores and the body starts burning fats instead of carbs.

Another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight.

It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.

The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie restricted and hungry.

Cut the carbs, lower your insulin and you will start to eat less calories automatically and without hunger.

Put simply, lowering your insulin puts fat loss on “autopilot.”

2. Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables

Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20-50 grams per day.

Protein Sources:

Meat – Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, bacon, etc.
Fish and Seafood – Salmon, trout, shrimps, lobsters, etc.
Eggs – Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.

The importance of eating plenty of protein can not be overstated.

This has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day.

High protein diets can also reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day… just by adding protein to your diet.

When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients. Period.

Low-Carb Vegetables:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Spinach
Kale
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
Cucumber
Celery
Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20-50 net carbs per day.

A diet based on meat and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. There is no physiological need for grains in the diet.
Fat Sources:
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Butter
- Tallow
Eat 2-3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal.

Don’t be afraid of eating fat, trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan.

The best cooking fat to use is coconut oil. It is rich in fats called Medium Chain Triglycerides. These fats are more fulfilling than others and can boost metabolism slightly.

There is no reason to fear these natural fats, new studies show that saturated fat doesn’t raise your heart disease risk at all.

To see how you can assemble your meals, check out this low carb meal plan and this list of low carb recipes.
3. Lift Weights 3 Times Per Week
You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended.

The best option is to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Do a warm up, lift weights, then stretch.

If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.

By lifting weights, you will burn a few calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight.

Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat.

If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some easier cardio workouts like running, jogging, swimming or walking will suffice.
Optional – Do a “Carb Re-feed” Once Per Week
You can take one day “off” per week where you eat more carbs. Many people prefer Saturday.

It is important to try to stick to healthier carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits, etc.

But only this one higher carb day, if you start doing it more often than once per week then you’re not going to see much success on this plan.

If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, then do it on this day.

Be aware that cheat meals or carb refeeds are NOT necessary, but they can up-regulate some fat burning hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones.

You will gain some weight during your re-feed day, but most of it will be water weight and you will lose it again in the next 1-2 days.
What About Calories and Portion Control?
It is NOT necessary to count calories as long as you keep the carbs very low and stick to protein, fat and low-carb vegetables.

However, if you really want to, then use this calculator.

Enter your details, then pick the number from either the “Lose Weight” or the “Lose Weight Fast” section – depending on how fast you want to lose.

There are many great tools you can use to track the amount of calories you are eating. Here is a list of 5 calorie counters that are free and easy to use.

The main goal is to keep carbs under 20-50 grams per day and get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.
10 Weight Loss Tips to Make Things Easier (and Faster)

Here are 10 more tips to lose weight even faster:
1. Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.
2. Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight.
3. Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months.
4. Choose weight loss-friendly foods (see list). Certain foods are very useful for losing fat. Here is a list of the 20 most weight loss-friendly foods on earth.
5. Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly area. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help.
6. Drink coffee or tea. If you’re a coffee or a tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine in them can boost your metabolism by 3-11%.
7. Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating.
8. Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones.
9. Use smaller plates. Studies show that people automatically eat less when they use smaller plates. Strange, but it works.
10. Get a good night’s sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important.

BY:- WENDY ROSE GOULD

Today we're sending out lots of virtual hugs and heart-eyed emojis to five skin-care companies doing really big things. From Norabloom—an all organic brand that's recently opened up a social-selling platform—to Maya Chia—a brand that owns the rights to a patented super critical process of extracting chia seed oil—we're here to give you the scoop in the event you're in the market for a new product. And really, when aren't we?

1. PLANT Apothecary

Based in Williamsburg-Brooklyn and founded by husband-wife super duo Holly McWhorter and Bjarke Ballisager, PLANT Apothecary is a small skin-care brand that's hyper-focused on utilizing environmentally sustainable ingredients and packaging. They also pride themselves on being socially responsible, working with the nonprofit BKLYN UNLTD to provide working opportunities to mentally and physically disabled adults.

"We like to think we're making an impact not only by way of our social and environmental responsibility missions, but also by way of our packaging," says Holly. "It's intentionally very direct and simple. It tells you exactly what the product will do for you, with no effort to seduce people by way of frills or flowery botanical imagery."

She says that while that kind of packaging is fine for products that feature them, PLANT strives to be a brand that's "all about the actual product and its very real benefits." The packaging also helps drive home the point that their products are for everyone—all races, all sexes.

2. True Botanicals

As a survivor of thyroid cancer and melanoma, it's no wonder that True Botanicals' founder, Hillary Peterson, places so much importance on safety regulations. In fact, the brand is the first skin-care company to be MADE SAFE certified. MADE SAFE requires a team of scientists to exhaustively analyze each product to ensure it doesn't contain ingredients known—or suspected—by the global scientific community to cause harm to humans.

"Given the misinformation and hype in the beauty business, meeting their rigorous standards means a lot to us," Peterson explains. "When people say that MADE SAFE is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive product safety evaluation available today, it's for good reason. Their work is as thorough as it gets."

Peterson says that True Botanicals also aims to educate consumers about the importance of safe, high quality ingredients.

3. Osmia Organics

The word "osmia" was chosen by the brand's founder and CEO Sarah Villafranco, who defines the word as "sense of smell." It shouldn't surprise you, then, to learn that everything the brand creates is made with scent and aromatherapy in mind. It also aims to remind users to "sense" their lives.

"Our intention is to make beautiful, effective skin care with the healthiest, highest quality ingredients available from nature, and to make those products a treasured part of your daily routine," says Villafranco, "We want to change the course of evolution for people, animals, and the planet we share, and we'd love to bring more awareness to the effects certain chemicals and choices are having on us all."

Interestingly, Villafranco worked as an ER doctor for 10 years, and in that time was able to observe the ways in which people work toward (or against) their health and happiness.

"I combined that perspective with my scientific background to create a line that I hope will inspire people to make healthy, wonderful choices," she says. "I work with a killer team of strong women who share my passion. We are trying to elucidate the real power of choosing natural skin-care, and how it can truly impact your health and that of the planet."

4. Norabloom Botanicals

Holly Green is a modern day renaissance woman: She's an entrepreneur, an esthetician with 18 years of experience, a makeup artist, a baker, a homemaker, and the founder of Norabloom Botanicals. On top of that, she's giving others the opportunity to start their own small business through hers via a social-selling platform. Only instead of big-name brands, we're talking smaller scale, and with a specific emphasis on holistic, chemical-free products.

Green says the social-selling opportunity is perfect for "women who want to connect to their entrepreneurial spirit and expand their knowledge of holistic beauty," and that her and the Norabloom team work closely with spokeswomen to help them succeed.

The Norabloom line, which is thoughtfully packaged but not over the top, includes 16 unique products composed of botanicals and organic ingredients. The products were inspired by Green's own experience working with clients as an esthetician.

5. Maya Chia

Like many of the small skin-care businesses featured in this list, Maya Chia also places an emphasis on high quality ingredients and real results. What sets the brand apart, though, is that they own the rights to a patented supercritical process to extract chia seed oil.

"In certain cases, as is the case with chia seeds, the way you extract the oil from the plant makes all the difference for the longevity and efficacy of the oil," explains founder Susanne Norwitz, who says the brand worked with leading scientists to develop and patent the process. "Supercritical extraction is a gentle, oxygen-free, solvent-free process, which results in oil with a total absence of chemical residues and impurities, and one that most closely mirrors the chemical profile of the plant."

This process also provides up to a two-year shelf life, which is a big deal for natural products.

Chia is the primary ingredient across the entire line. It's been proven to increase skin hydration, reduce water loss, and increase the skin's barrier function.

By DOMINIQUE ASTORINO

Harley Pasternak has shaped some of Hollywood's strongest, healthiest bodies. From getting the already-fit Halle Berry in even better shape for Cat woman to training Amy Schumer for her role inTrain wreck to keeping Ariana Grande, Jessica Simpson, and Kim Kardashian camera-ready, he knows a thing or two about helping women shape up.

So of course, when we sat down with him, we were dying to know all of his best fitness and weight-loss advice (and how he helps his star clients lose weight!). His top three tips for weight loss are simple, quantifiable, and easy to implement — starting now! It comes down to movement, sleep, and nutrition. Numbers to remember: 10K, 7, and 5.

1. Move at Least 10K Steps a Day

"That is a minimum," said Harley. "For a lot of people, this is a real, simple thing to start with. I don't [tell clients] you need to start eating tofu, become gluten intolerant, whatever — just start moving. Be a little more active."

He mentioned that one good choice leads to another, and starting with simple movement goals can build into something even bigger. It works, too. We interviewed a woman who lost 10 dress sizes by starting with a goal of 10,000 steps per day on her Fitbit.

"All of the sudden, you start being conscious of other behaviours. You grab that scone in the morning and you realise, wait, 'I just got off the subway two stops earlier so I could walk a little bit; I'm gonna undo that and then some by making this food choice. Let me be a little more conscious about it. I'm gonna have half the scone, or instead of the scone I'm gonna have the apple.' It all starts with steps."

2. Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep

"Sleep has such a profound impact on weight lost, amongst the most!" he told us.

There's science to back it up, too. Less sleep, more pounds. "We know hormonally when you don't get enough sleep [there's an influx of] ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol: one will make us eat more, one will stop us from burning body fat as efficiently, one will make us more vulnerable to store body fat."

As if that weren't bad enough, fatigue will also create more roadblocks on your weight-loss journey. Harley told us, "You'll be less likely to be active the next day if you're tired, and you'll mentally not be on par to make smart food decisions." Ready to lose weight? Start getting some zzz's.

3. Eat Protein and Fibre 5 Times a Day

Harley recommends you get a large intake of protein and fibre, spread out over three meals and two snacks, every day, as well as healthy fats! "Protein, fibre, and healthy fats: that's the Holy Trinity of satiety." He noted that these nutrients are the things that make us feel full and spur our metabolism.

To make sure you're meeting your daily needs, Harley recommends food logging. "I have a lot of clients take photos of what they eat, and at the end of the day they look at this visual log — you're eating it, taking a picture of it, logging it, writing it down, looking at what you did later." This is also to promote mindfulness and accountability.

We also got a little insight as to what it's like to be one of Harley's star clients. "All my clients have to email me at night before they go to bed with a screenshot of their Fitbit app, [which shows] what they ate, how many steps they got, and how their sleep was the night before." Seems simple enough, right?

Selfie elbow is a condition in which you experience inflammation in the tendons that run along your arm from your hand to your elbow.

By:- Hayley Tsukayama

"Text claw." "iPad hand." And now, a new catchy, tech-driven condition is making the headlines: "Selfie elbow."

This latest condition is seeing a boost in recognition thanks to the plight of "Today" show host Hoda Kotb, who recently told Elle magazine that her doctor believes her elbow pain stems from her love of selfies - or more specifically, the uncomfortable grip she was putting her hand in each time she snapped a picture.

It sounds ridiculous, sure, but these types of injuries are hardly new, said Mary Ann Wilmarth, a doctor of physical therapy and spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association. These conditions could be seen as variations on good old-fashioned repetitive strain injuries.

Selfie elbow, she said, is similar to "tennis elbow" or "golfer's elbow," which are names for conditions in which you experience inflammation in the tendons that run along your arm from your hand to your elbow. Inflammation from taking selfies, Wilmarth said, happens because you're extending your arm but also trying to keep a firm grip on your phone as you do - something that the body just isn't designed to do often.

Medical professionals have warned us for years about how using tech badly can hurt our bodies. Simply put, computers and smartphones can put us in unnatural positions and for long periods of time. That can lead to serious problems - particularly if those hunched over screens and keyboards don't exercise or stretch their bodies to counteract those effects. (I speak from experience rather than judgment: I had to visit a physical therapist a few years ago when my hand started going numb at the ripe old age of 29 because of the way I sat while typing.)

As for taking a selfie, it's not just your selfie-taking hand that you should worry about - many hand and arm problems, Wilmarth said, can originate from tightness in the neck and shoulders as well.

Tightness in the arms can be exacerbated by the fact that our arms rarely get much rest, as much as we hold our phones. People tend not to think about things like holding their phones or taking selfies to be any strain at all, so they don't work to stretch or strengthen their arm and shoulder muscles. It's also pretty easy to ignore those little twinges, or to think of all those little movements as being harmless.

Luckily, it's pretty easy to treat these sort of injuries with rest, ice, and regular shoulder and wrist rolls. In fact, there are a number of stretches and exercises you can do to prevent your muscles from tiring due to typing and other tech activities. Wilmarth suggested that something as simple as extending your arm in front of you and bending your wrist gently and slowly up and down - with an extended palm and with a loose fist - could stretch the muscles that need attention.

But a selfie stick might not help your selfie elbow condition if you're still extending your arm out to use the stick, Wilmarth said. Holding it with both hands, she said, might help matters, but it's really best to just lay off taking quite so many selfies in the first place.

The crux of this, really, is to recognize that when a part of your body hurts, you should stop doing whatever it is that's making it hurt. If your thumb starts shaking or hurting when you put it in a certain position, give it a rest from that position for a while. If your elbow hurts when you're taking a selfie, switch arms, adjust your position or maybe just let that selfie slide.

A study found that replacing saturated fats like butter, lard, and fat in red meat with unsaturated fats from plant

based foods -- such as olive oil could offer a healthy advantage.

By:- AFP Relanews

The research involving more than 120,000 people was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.
"There has been widespread confusion in the biomedical community and the general public in the last couple of years about the health effects of specific types of fat in the diet," said lead author Dong Wang, a doctoral candidate at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"This study documents important benefits of unsaturated fats, especially when they replace saturated and trans fats."

Among the key findings of the study were that people who ate more saturated and trans fats had higher mortality rates than those who consumed the same number of calories from carbohydrates.

It also found that replacing saturated fats like butter, lard, and fat in red meat with unsaturated fats from plant-based foods -- such as olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil -- could offer "substantial health benefits and should continue to be a key message in dietary recommendations."

The findings were based on questionnaires answered by health professionals every two to four years about their diet, lifestyle, and health for up to 32 years.

Trans fats, including partially hydrogenated oil products like margarine, had the most severe impact on health.

The study found that every two percent higher intake of trans fat was associated with a 16 percent higher chance of dying early.

Every five percent higher increase in consumption of saturated fats was linked to an eight percent greater risk of dying.

But eating large amounts of unsaturated fats "was associated with between 11 percent and 19 percent lower overall mortality compared with the same number of calories from carbohydrates," said the study.

These included polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 and omega-6 found in fish oils as well and soy and canola oils.

"People who replaced saturated fats with unsaturated fats -- especially polyunsaturated fats -- had significantly lower risk of death overall during the study period, as well as lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and respiratory disease, compared with those who maintained high intakes of saturated fats," said the study.

While some outside experts noted that the study was observational in nature and relied on surveys, which can introduce bias, the overall result is in line with many other large studies on diet and health.

According to Ian Johnson, emeritus fellow at Britain's Institute of Food Research, the "findings are consistent with current public health recommendations in the UK and elsewhere, and particularly with the concept of a beneficial Mediterranean-style diet, rich in unsaturated fats from plants, fish and olive oil."

Johnson, who was not involved in the study, added: "There is nothing in these results consistent with the notion that 'butter is back."