Category Archives: Hormones

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat a McDonald’s Hamburger

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 Dr. Mercola

When talking about fast food giants, nothing can be bigger – and more infamous – than McDonald’s. Those two “golden arches” sign are so abundant and so well-known all over the world, that some toddlers can even recognize it even before they are able to speak full sentences.

In 2014, over 36,258 McDonald’s restaurants operate worldwide,1 serving over 69 million people every day. From its humble beginnings in the 1940s, the brand has now grown to be a multi-billion dollar company with an estimated value of over $85 billion.

And the fast food’s most popular menu item? The burgers.

According to The Fiscal Times, McDonald’s sells 75 burgers every second.2That amounts to over 2.36 billion burgers per year – roughly the equivalent of eating a million cows.3

For many people, nothing seems wrong with eating a McDonald’s hamburger. After all, it looks and tastes the same as other burger patties, and the added convenience makes it a much sought-after meal for busy people, those who are on-the-go, or those who simply do not have time to cook food at home.

But considering just how much burger patties are sold per day, haven’t you ever wondered just how McDonald’s hamburgers are made and, more importantly, what they’re made of?

Even more disturbing are the reports of McDonald’s burgers that do not decompose or rot for weeks, months, or even years after they’ve been cooked.

McDonald’s Hamburger Shows No Signs of Decomposition – Even After a Decade

There have been multiple stories going viral about McDonald’s hamburgers that show no signs of rotting or molding. One example is that of David Whipple, a man from Utah, who came forward in 2013, claiming that he had a McDonald’s hamburger that dates back to 1999 – but is yet to show any sign of decomposition.4

Whipple initially bought the burger to keep for two weeks and show to his friends, but then forgot about it. Two years later, he found it in his coat pocket, with the original receipt, with no signs of rotting or mold. He decided to keep it to see how long it will disintegrate. According to ABC News website:5

“‘The patty feels like concrete,’ Whipple said of the burger he has held onto for 14 years, first on purpose, then by accident, and then for a good laugh. Whipple… was living in Logan, Utah, and trying to lose weight when he first purchased the hamburger to prove to his friends that fast food was not real food.

‘It was nothing real scientific,’ Whipple said. ‘We were talking about enzymes and we knew what a good food like a banana would do but weren’t sure what a hamburger would do.’

Two weeks later, Whipple got his answer. The burger’s pickles and onion toppings had begun to shrink but the bun and hamburger ‘looked exactly the same,’ he said.

Whipple was invited to guest on the TV show The Doctors to talk about his experience. He said he uses the burger to encourage his grandkids to eat healthy and avoid fast food.

I’ve featured stories about these “everlasting McDonald’s burgers” on my site many years ago, like that of Manhattan artist Sally Davies’ “The Happy Meal Project,” where she photographed a McDonald’s Happy Meal every day for six months. (You can view the full photostream6 on her website.)

Karen Hanrahan, a wellness educator and nutrition consultant, also claimed to have kept a McDonald’s hamburger since 1996. It still looks as fresh as a newly bought one.

A Closer Look at a McDonald’s Hamburger Ingredients

According to McDonald’s website,7 the only ingredient in its hamburger is 100 percent pure USDA-Inspected beef, prepared with grill seasoning (salt and black pepper) and without fillers and extenders.

The fast food chain also refutes speculations that an “unknown” preservative is among their McDonald’s hamburger ingredients, and says that their burgers and buns do not decompose simply because they “become very dry in the cooking and toasting process.” According to a Business Insider article:8

“…the patty loses water in the form of steam during the cooking process. The bun, of course, is made out of bread. Toasting it reduces the amount of moisture. This means that after preparation, the hamburger is fairly dry. When left out open in the room, there is further water loss as the humidity within most buildings is around 40%. So in the absence of moisture or high humidity, the hamburger simply dries out, rather than rot.”

Indeed, part of the embalmed-like feature of the meat patty can be because of its high-sodium content. Salt is a natural preservative that has been used throughout history.

But you have to admit that something that does not decompose, or even show signs of decomposing after days, months, or years seems very, very suspicious. After all, the hallmark of live food is that it wilts and decomposes – something that, apparently, does not occur in these burgers.

In 2014, McDonald’s attempted to clear its name by releasing a video,9 which starred former MythBusters co-host Grant Imahara and filmed in a Cargill facility in Fresno, California, that shows just how McDonald’s hamburger patties are made.10 It aims to debunk the myth that McDonald’s uses fillers, additives, and preservatives in their meat – showing instead large beef chunks on a conveyor belt going through a machine that forms them into patties.

They also asserted that they do not use pink slime in their meat. Pink slime is a sludge-like ingredient made of ground-up beef “trimmings” – various beef scraps and cow connective tissues – and ammonium hydroxide, which gives the mixture its pink hue. McDonald’s has admitted to using pink slime in their hamburgers before, but had discontinued it in 2011.

McDonald’s Plans to Make the ‘Big Switch’ to Antibiotic-Free Chicken

In March 2015, McDonald’s announced that they are going to be buying only chicken raised without antibiotics important to human medicine – a change that would take place in over the next two years. They also claimed that they would begin using milk from cows that have not been treated with the artificial growth hormone rBST.

While this is positive news, I believe that McDonald’s only made the decision to help improve their slumping US sales. Many restaurants like Panera Bread, Chipotle, and Shake Shack have already switched to antibiotic-free poultry and meat, causing their former customers to flock to these competitors.

This change means that not only will suppliers be scrambling to meet the demand, but other fastfood chains will also be considering a similar move.

But although going antibiotic-free on their poultry is a step in the right direction, I don’t think we should be celebrating any time soon, because McDonald’s is yet to make any changes to its meat – which is actually loaded with a whole different host of problems…

McDonald’s Beef Comes from Factory Farms

Even if it is true that McDonald’s burgers do not contain preservatives or additives (which I seriously doubt), this does not excuse the fact that McDonald’s meat actually comes from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Not only are cows and other livestock in these factory farms made to live in unsanitary and inhumane conditions, but they are also given antibiotics and growth hormones to make them grow faster and more resistant to disease. In fact, nearly 25 million pounds of antibiotics are administered to livestock in the US every year.

These antibiotics, along with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are transferred to you every time you eat CAFO meat – and sometimes even through the animal manure used as crop fertilizer. Two million Americans become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria every year, causing at least 23,000 deaths.11

What’s worse, antibiotic-resistant disease is not the only danger brought on by CAFOs. Excessive exposure to antibiotics and regularly eating antibiotic-laced CAFO meats also harms your gastrointestinal health, predisposing you to virtually anydisease.

But it’s not just the hamburger meat that’s really problematic…

Here’s Why McDonald’s Bun Stays Mold-Free for Years

McDonald’s patty’s long life may be because of its sodium content, but what about the bun? Bread typically stays fresh for several days, but have you ever heard of one that stays mold-free for years? Yet that’s exactly what happened with the McDonald’s bun.

I believe that this is because McDonald’s bun is lightyears away from freshly baked bread you make at home – in fact, it is a “bread-like” concoction that bears no actual resemblance to natural bread (except for its appearance, obviously). Just take a look at the ingredients used in McDonald’s buns:

“Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less: Salt, Wheat Gluten, Leavening (Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate), May Contain One or More Dough Conditioners (Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Mono and Diglycerides, Monocalcium Phosphate, Enzymes, Calcium Peroxide), Calcium Propionate (Preservative).”

These ingredients should clearly offer clues as to why the burgers stay blemish-free and “fresh” for years. But what’s more alarming is that they can also open your eyes to the potential health ramifications you may experience if you eat a McDonald’s hamburger. For example, calcium sulfate, also known as plaster of Paris, can possibly cause digestive problems. Meanwhile, ammonium sulfate is known to cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea due to gastrointestinal irritation.

Watch Out for These McDonald’s Menu Items, Too

Just like its hamburgers, McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets also came under fire after it was found that only 50 percent of the nuggets is actually chicken. The other 50 percent is a mixture of corn derivatives, leavening agents, sugars, and completely synthetic ingredients that no sane person would ever think of cooking with.

Its seasonal offering, the McRib pork sandwich, was also closely scrutinized. Apparently, one of its ingredients is azodicarbonamide, a chemical used to bleach the flour bread… but is also used in making gym shoes and yoga mats. And underneath the “tasty, tangy barbecue sauce,” the researchers found that the pork was nothing more than restructured meat product – made from all the cheap innards and cast-offs of a pig. Not so appetizing anymore, is it?

Even their fries, particularly those sold in the US, was also found to contain toxic ingredients. While French fries in the UK only are simply potatoes fried in sunflower or rapeseed oil, the fries that Americans get contain TBHQ; antifoaming agents, color stabilizers, and preservatives. They also contain beef flavor that’s made with wheat and milk derivatives. This is why they carry an allergy warning for those with wheat and dairy sensitivities.

What Happens When You Eat an All-McDonald’s Diet?

You’ve probably heard of “SuperSize Me,” a documentary where filmmaker Morgan Spurlock documented the consequences of eating a strictly McDonald’s diet. After just four weeks of eating nothing but fast food, Spurlock’s health had badly deteriorated to the point that his physician warned him to stop the experiment or he’ll be putting his life in grave danger.

Just recently, Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College, London, wanted to learn what happens to your gut if you ate only McDonald’s for 10 straight days. His son, Tom, agreed to do the experiment and sent stool samples to different labs throughout the 10-day period.

The results were astounding. After just 10 days of eating fast food, his stool samples revealed that his gut microbes were “devastated” – about 40 percent of his bacteria species, amounting to over 1,400 different types, were lost. This severe loss of microbial diversity is a risk factor to obesity and diabetes.

Your gut is your second brain, and it is actually where 80 percent of your immune system lies. There are nearly 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms, good and bad, that compose your body’s microflora. These organisms play a crucial role in your mental and physical health, and if you upset this delicate balance, you become predisposed to a wide range of health problems.

Processed Foods Are a Bane to Your Health

As I’ve often stressed in my articles, processed foods and fast foods can absolutely wreak havoc on your health. Yes, they may be cheaper and more convenient, but they are excessively high in sugars, grains, and factory farmed meats – a recipe for chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

I advise you to stop glorifying processed foods and fast foods because of their taste and convenience. Instead, keep in mind ALL of the cons that they bring to your health, such as:

  • Loads your body with extra calories that do nothing for your body
  • Expose you to a toxic concoction of foreign chemicals and artificial flavors
  • Are a waste of money – in fact, they may even lead to increased healthcare bills for you and your loved ones
  • Can severely harm your children, whose bodies are still developing and are in greater need of nutrients

I also recommend your diet to be composed of at least 90 percent non-processed, organic whole foods. Not only will you enjoy the health benefits, but you’ll also be at peace as you know exactly what you’re putting in your body.

Eat Healthy, Homemade Foods and Watch Your Health Soar

I honestly believe that if you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail. Indeed, the secret to following a wholesome diet is learning to prepare your grocery list so you can plan your meals. Make it an essential part of your lifestyle. This would ideally involve scouting local farmers markets or food co-ops to buy in-season produce. Find a trustworthy source of grass-fed meats, raw dairy, and free-range chicken and eggs.

Finally, appoint a person in your family to cook the meals. This should be someone who is willing to invest time in the kitchen.

Top 10 Toxic Skin Care Ingredients (Avoid Putting on Your Skin at All Costs)

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Annmarie Gianni

You’ve probably heard about all the hidden chemicals and health risks surrounding so many of the beauty and skin care products on the market, but what exactly are they and will you ever be able to put on your lotion or eye cream again in peace — without wondering if you’re poisoning your body?

The answer is yes!

The key to healthy beauty care is to understand what’s really underneath the lid. While that may seem like a lot of work, you just have to know what to keep your eyes open for. And once you know what to look for, you can add yourself among the rapidly growing group of empowered consumers who are asking questions and being justifiably snobby about their product choices.

To help you in this mission to makeover your personal stock of cosmetics, we’ve put together a list of 10 ingredients you should avoid in anything you buy. By steering clear of these nasties, you can rest assured that whatever you’re putting on your skin isn’t harming it.

1. Parabens

Parabens are unquestionably the most commonly used preservatives in the cosmetics industry. They’re in just about any cream you might use, as they prevent mold, fungus and parasites from sprouting and growing in your products. The problem is that they can be absorbed through the skin, and have often been found in breast cancer tumors! All signs point to skin care products being the cause.

Because of this, there is a growing concern that excessive use of parabens may give rise to breast cancer in women and testicular cancer in men. Although there haven’t been any conclusive studies proving this, it should be enough to make you concerned. In fact, it’s why there are so many “paraben-free” items popping up in the supermarket and pharmacies around the country.

Parabens can appear in different forms, so here’s what you want to look out for:

  • benzylparaben
  • butyiparaben
  • propylparaben
  • methylparaben
  • ethylparaben
  • isobutylparaben

2. Phthalates

This hard to pronounce class of substances is found in just about everything, even you. A study done by the US Centers for Disease Control found a trace of it in every single person they analyzed. This is problematic because phthalates – which are used in cosmetics and also in many plastic objects – have been found to act as a hormone disruptor linked to reproductive defects, insulin resistance and developmental problems in children.

Here’s the tricky part: phthalates usually aren’t listed on the label of your favored products, so you have to do a bit of sleuthing to determine their presence. Want a hint? They’re often found in anything that misleadingly lists “fragrance” as an ingredient. Stick to products that are scented with essential oils instead.

3. Benzoyl Peroxide

Over the last decade, the popularity of pimple-zapping products has skyrocketed. Benzoyl peroxide is responsible for this, but you should be wary about using it. That’s because it’s been linked with the promotion of tumor growth. Horrifying, don’t you think?

Beyond that, it produces toxic effects in the body simply through inhalation, and is a known skin, eye and respiratory irritant. As if that isn’t bad enough, it’s extremely toxic if you swallow it. Awful!

4. Triclosan

Technically a pesticide – at least according to the Environmental Protection Agency – triclosan is a popular ingredient in just about any product claiming antibacterial properties. It works very well at killing bacteria, and that’s actually the problem: not all bacteria are bad for you, and furthermore, some experts speculate widespread of this chemical could give rise to “superbugs” – harmful bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

That’s not all; triclosan has been shown to work as both a hormone and thyroid disruptor. On top of that, it’s terrible for the environment. So put your inner germaphobe at ease and know that water and natural hand soap will more than handle your daily hand-washing needs.

5. Resorcinol

Why is it that resorcinol – a popular ingredient in bleaches – is restricted in federal government buildings, but is used freely in so many hair color products? That probably doesn’t sound right to you, and that’s because it isn’t. Not at all!

Resorcinol is a known skin irritant that has been shown in studies to disrupt healthy thyroid function in animals. It’s also a common cause of dye allergy that so many women find themselves bothered by. You don’t want this in your hair, or anywhere for that matter!

6. Hydroquinone

As a skin lightener that reduces dark blemishes caused by everything from medical reactions to bruising, hydroquinone sounds too good to be true. You guessed it… that’s because it is.

Hydroquinone reduces the melanin in your skin to get rid of those unsightly marks, but in doing so, it hurts your skin in many ways. First of all, it’s permanently altering your pigment while also weakening the elastin and collagen in your problem area – the very things that are key to keeping your skin firm and youthful! Some people get unsightly blotches after using hydroquinone, and far more get contact dermatitis or have allergic reactions after regular use. Considering how easily it irritates your skin, it’s a wonder that it’s used at all. Finally, like so many ingredients on this list, there is some suspicion that it’s a carcinogen. The results aren’t worth the harm it causes.

7. Petroleum

Here’s a sneaky one. Petroleum pops up in so many cosmetics products, it’s ridiculous. And in case you’re wondering, yes, it’s the very same substance from which your motor oil is made.

It hides behind many names that you should familiarize yourself with. They are:

  • Petrolatum
  • Xylene
  • Toluene
  • Mineral oil
  • Liquid paraffin

As an industry standard, there’s a lot of information out there touting the safety of petroleum by-products, so you might be wondering why you should avoid it. It’s because it contains 1,4-Dioxane, which has been listed by the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable carcinogen. Cancer from your moisturizer? No thank you.

8. Methylisothiazolinone

Just the name alone is intimidating. Thankfully known as MIT for short, methylisothiazolinone is an increasingly common antibacterial preservative in everything from baby shampoo to moisturizer. Unfortunately, studies have shown that it contains neurotoxic properties that should be of great concern to all consumers.

In studies with rats, a mere 10 minutes of exposure to MIT was enough to cause brain cell damage. Further studies concluded that low concentrations of MIT during neural development increased the risk of seizures and visual abnormalities. Furthermore, the Environmental Working Group has classified it as a skin sensitizer and irritant.

The argument often made by skin care companies is that MIT is used in very small concentrations, usually in products that are meant to be rinsed off, thus reducing your exposure to the chemical. Considering the seriousness of its side effects, it’s probably best that you limit your exposure to it completely, wouldn’t you agree?

9. Oxybenzone

Oxybenzone is an active ingredient in quite a few of the sunscreen products on the shelves of your favorite store. Unfortunately, this chemical has been linked to skin irritation and allergies, hormone disruption and low birth weights in baby girls.

What’s scary is that a study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that oxybenzone is present in the urine of 97% of Americans. How much of it have we been exposed to, and how is it affecting us in ways that we don’t quite understand yet? With figures like these, chances are it’s already in your system, so you want to limit your future exposure to it as much as possible.

10. Artificial Dyes and Synthetic Colors

Whether you’re donning a shocking hot pink lipstick, a classic rouge to make those cheekbones pop, or rebellious black nail polish, if your favorite cosmetics are conventional, chances are they are just as dangerous as they are fabulous.

Many of the products you have are likely made with synthetic colors that are made from coal tar. Though pretty, these harsh artificial colors have been shown in studies to be carcinogenic and are likely to cause skin sensitivity and irritation due to the heavy metals they deposit on your skin when you use them. You don’t want that, so if you have any products that were made with synthetic colors, toss them in the bin don’t buy anymore! Thankfully, it’s pretty simple to determine if that color in your favorite lipstick is real or not: just check the ingredients, and if you see anything listed beginning with FD&C or D&C, you know it isn’t what you really want.

So the next time one of those perfumed lab-coats at the mall pulls you aside to offer you a sample of Company X’s new Luxuriously Lovely Lip Enhancer, tell her thanks but no thanks, and proceed either online or to your nearest organic grocery for superior alternatives. You’ll be amazed at how much is out there!

Be Healthy!

Are you covering your face with toxins?

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 DR. TREVOR CATES

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5 ingredients in skincare products to avoid at all costs

Would you slather gasoline or diesel on your face? How about liquid plastic, formaldehyde, or lead? Of course not!

So, I encourage you to take a closer look at what you’re putting on your skin. Many skincare products contain petroleum by-products, phthalates (a plasticizing agent), formaldehyde releasing chemicals and other toxins.

You won’t see these ingredients listed in your skincare products because they’re hidden. So, today I’m sharing what to look for, so you can stay away from some of the most toxic ingredients.

What you put on your skin penetrates your skin and ends up in your blood stream. They don’t just sit on the surface but are seeping through or going into the air around which you breathe.

Keep this in mind: The FDA has banned 11 ingredients while the EU has banned over 1000. The FDA says safety for personal care products is the responsibility of the manufacturer. That’s not reassuring… So, it’s really up to you, the consumer, to be proactive.

Here are 5 ingredients to look for in your skincare products:

#1 Ingredient to avoid: FRAGRANCE

This is a big one because we like to smell good and manufacturers know that. The problem is that most skincare products contain synthetic fragrance, which is where many harmful ingredients are hidden. Fragrance contains a number of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs are a class of chemicals that, in studies, are associated conditions such as as thyroid problems, infertility, early menopause, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer (such as prostate, testicular and breast cancer). One of the chemicals of particular concern is diethyl phthalate (DEP). It is used to make smells last longer, but they’re known EDCs. And, they’re in most of us…

#2 Ingredient to avoid: Formaldehyde Releasers.

Look on the label for: quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, Bronopol, or imidazolidinyl urea. When you rub skincare products containing these chemicals onto your skin they can go into the air around which you breathe or perhaps through your skin. Formaldehyde is known to cause DNA damage and cancer. It is most dangerous when inhaled, and in liquid form can be absorbed through the skin. In addition to being carcinogenic, formaldehyde and its releasers can cause “allergic” reactions including skin irritations and asthma.

We’re exposed to formaldehyde through pressed-wood furniture (most furniture in people’s homes), building materials, permanent-press fabrics, paper product coatings, glues and adhesives, cigarette smoke, and vehicle exhaust. We are already surrounded, and we know they’re carcinogenic, so why add more when we don’t have to?  In skincare products, formaldehyde releasers are used as preservatives, but the good news is there are natural alternatives!

#3 Ingredient: Mineral oil (untreated and mildly treated)

Mineral oil is derived from crude oil and is in a variety of skincare and cosmetics. In addition to being a non-renewable source and not environmentally friendly, there are concerns about its safety. Untreated and mildly treated mineral oils have been classified as a known human carcinogen.  They accumulate in our bodies in our fat, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and lungs. And, that accumulation appears to be from skincare products.

So, until we’re 100% sure the mineral oil we’re using is 100% pure, I would steer clear. There are much healthier, eco-friendly and effective alternatives derived from nature!

#4 Ingredient: Parabens

Parabens are known xenoestrogens, which means they have estrogenic activity in the body. Parabens have been found in breast tumors, yet many skincare companies deny this means anything for your health.

Here is what you’ll find on labels: propylparaben, benzylparaben, methylparaben, or butylparaben.

#5 Ingredient: DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamide) and TEA (triethanolamine)

Studies have shown a link between exposure to high doses of these chemicals and liver cancers and precancerous changes in skin and thyroid. Canada and the European Union classify DEA as harmful and toxic.

These ingredients can also react with other chemicals in cosmetics to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.

DEA, MEA and TEA are used to make skincare products creamy (such as moisturizers and sunscreens) and foamy (cleansers and soaps) and help increase the pH of the formula. But, these are unnecessary because there are safe natural alternatives!

 

Unfortunately, this is just a start! There are many more ingredients in skincare products that are toxic and harmful to your health. Some research has revealed the toxicity of certain skincare ingredients, but more needs to be done.

I’m fed up with harmful skincare products because I’ve researched skincare ingredients and know that we do not need these toxic chemicals! There are natural preservatives, thickeners and fragrances that are safe and effective.

7 Nutrition Myths We Grew Up With in the 90s

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COREY PEMBERTON

 

7-Nutrition-Myths-We-Grew-Up-With-In-The-90s

 

Are you hanging on to any nutrition myths?
Buying into nutrition myths is harmful enough, but things get really dicey when people start repeating them.
Hear something enough times, and popular opinions turn into “facts.” It becomes off limits to question them – at least for the average person trying to get healthy.
But more scientific studies are published every day questioning nutrition guidelines we grew up with a few decades ago. Cold, hard evidence is trumping what’s popular.
Most mainstream nutrition groups haven’t updated their advice to match the latest science. But you don’t have to listen to them anymore.
________________________________________
Here are seven common nutrition myths we grew up with in the 1990s:
1. Eating Fat Makes You Fat
This one is simple and easy to remember, two good reasons why this caught on during the anti-fat frenzy in the 1980s and 1990s.
But it just isn’t true.
Researchers found that a high-fat, low-carb diet was actually more effective for weight loss than a low-fat, calorie-restricted one . This nutrition myth ignores the fact that not all fats are created equal. Some fats will make you fat and unhealthy. But others aren’t unhealthy at all. They’re actually essential for your health. Healthy fats play a role when it comes to fighting inflammation, improving your cholesterol levels, stabilizing your heart, and many other key aspects of health. Following a Paleo diet—which emphasizes fats from animal products, avocados, coconuts, and other sources—gives your body the fuel it needs to stay full, energized, and healthy.

2. Low-Fat Foods Are Healthier
The “fat is evil” idea from the 80s and 90s is so dangerous because it ended up creating a bunch of other nutrition myths (like high-carb diets are better, saturated fat will give you a heart attack, and reduced-fat processed foods are healthy). Because so many people bought in to the idea that fats were bad, they were desperate for low-fat options whenever they went grocery shopping or out to eat. It didn’t take long for the food industry to take advantage. Companies started filling grocery store shelves with low-fat versions of cookies, crackers, and other food to cater to changing consumer tastes.
But the low-fat, processed foods were still junk foods. When food companies took the fat out, they ended up with products that tasted like cardboard. They added salt, sugar, and all kinds of other chemicals and preservatives to hide the bad taste. People ate less fat. But they were eating a heck of a lot more of the stuff shown to cause obesity, diabetes, and all kinds of other serious health issues so common today.
The verdict is in: “low fat” doesn’t mean healthy. It’s usually even worse for you than full-fat food options.

3. A Calorie Is a Calorie
While the amount of calories you take in and expend definitely matters, not all calories are created equal.
You could lose weight by eating Twinkies every day. But you’d rob yourself of key micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You might lose weight now, but you’d set yourself up for long-term health consequences.
Studies have shown that this style of weight loss—calorie counting and restriction—hardly ever works in the long term. It’s actually a recipe for yo-yo dieting and constantly changing weight.
The quality of your calories is hugely important. High quality calories actually go through different pathways than low quality calories, and they have a significant effect on fat loss and regulating your appetite.

4. Eat Small, Frequent Meals to Lose Weight
Supporters of this myth argue that eating often “stokes the fire of your metabolism” and makes it easier for the pounds to come off…
But it just isn’t true.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that meal frequency doesn’t affect the speed of your metabolism
The truth: as long as you’re getting enough quality calories, it doesn’t matter how many meals you eat a day.
Eat when you’re hungry until you feel full. And don’t eat when you aren’t. Nice and simple.

5. Eating High-Cholesterol Foods Will Raise Your Cholesterol
Put down the red meat! Put down the egg yolks!
Are you crazy? Those things will jack up your cholesterol. You don’t want to end up with heart disease.
This was common advice in the 90s. Companies that sold egg whites and substitute meat products made a killing from it, but it didn’t do a thing for anyone’s health. The idea was that eating high-cholesterol foods would cause the cholesterol levels in your body to soar. And if you did this often, you’d put yourself at risk of a serious (potentially fatal) heart problem.
This just isn’t true.
Why not?
Because around 75 percent of your cholesterol is made inside your liver . Cholesterol helps your body make hormones, vitamin D, digest food, and all kinds of other key functions. It’s so important your body makes it all the time. Despite what the nutrition myth says, scientific studies have shown that eating high-cholesterol foods has very little impact on cholesterol levels for almost everyone . Finally, it might not even matter even if high-cholesterol foods did increase your cholesterol levels. More studies have seriously disputed the idea that high cholesterol is a solid marker for heart problems .

6. Meal Timing Matters
You’ve probably heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
And you’ve also probably heard how you shouldn’t eat after six, seven, or eight p.m.—especially if you want to lose weight.
Conventional thinking is that eating first thing in the morning gives you energy and primes your metabolism to burn quickly throughout the day. But plenty of people (including myself) have started skipping breakfast once they switched to Paleo, whether it’s part of an intermittent fast or just because they aren’t hungry when they wake up.
If anything, skipping breakfast if you aren’t hungry can make you more focused because your body isn’t bogged down digesting food. So the reality is straightforward: eat in the morning if you’re hungry, and don’t if you aren’t.
The other side of this myth—the idea that you shouldn’t eat after a certain time in the evening—doesn’t hold water either. Supposedly, calories consumed close to your bedtime are more likely to end up as extra body fat because your metabolism slows down while you sleep.
This isn’t true, either . Creating an artificial limit for yourself where you have to stop eating (even if you’re hungry) doesn’t help you lose weight. It just sets you up to be cranky, tired, and more likely to binge when you finally do eat.
Let your instincts be the guide. Eat when you’re hungry, and don’t force yourself to eat when you aren’t just because you’re “supposed” to.
7. A High-Carb, Low-Fat Diet Is the Healthiest Way to Eat
The idea that a high-carb, low-fat diet is the recipe for health is probably the most widespread nutrition myth around. It’s also probably the most dangerous.
In the 90s it was the food pyramid. Now, it’s MyPlate (which is slightlybetter, but still pretty awful). But there’s a common theme: grains and carb-heavy foods play a key role. But fats are something to avoid.
Yet scientific evidence has destroyed these guidelines. Studies have found that a low-carb, high-fat eating pattern—the exact opposite pattern of what the mainstream groups usually recommend—is far more effective when it comes to weight loss, as well as fighting type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome .
People who continue buying this myth put themselves on a path towards obesity, diabetes, and a host of other serious health problems.
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Back to the Basics
Nutrition myths come and go, but the foundations of a solid diet are constant.
Focus on produce, animal products, safe starches, and nuts. Avoid grains, refined sugars, and processed foods.
That’s all there is to worry about. Tune out all the other noise, and watch your energy shoot up, health problems disappear, and the pounds melt off.
Have you ever bought into any of these nutrition myths? How did you break free of them? Leave a comment below and share your experience!

45 Reasons to Exercise and Eat Right That Aren’t Weight Loss

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Adapted from CHARLOTTE ANDERSEN
When you tally all the reasons to eat well and exercise, we’re not even sure weight loss should make the top 10. Face it: The number on the scale is not a reliable indicator of overall health. Even worse, according to one study, people who diet or exercise just to lose weight quit a lot sooner than people who make healthy changes for other reasons. The researchers found that the most successful motivation for sticking to a healthy lifestyle was “feeling better about themselves” for women and “better health” for men.

Here are 45 science-backed reasons to start living a healthier life today that have zilch to do with your weight.

The Best Reasons to Break a Sweat

1. It works as an antidepressant.
One study found that depression sufferers who did aerobic exercise showed just as much improvement in their symptoms as people on medication. In fact, after four months, 60 to 70 percent of the subjects couldn’t even be classified as having depression. Even better, a follow-up to the study found that the effects from the exercise lasted longer than those from the medication.
2. It reduces PMS.
In one study, teen girls—was there ever a moodier bunch?—performed 60-minute cardio sessions three times a week for eight weeks. Afterward they reported their symptoms from PMS, especially depression and anger, were markedly better, so much so that the researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed as a cure for PMS.

3. It reduces stress and anxiety.
Pop quiz: When you’re super stressed out and worried about ________ (work/relationship status/the end of Serial/life in general) what is the fastest way to chill out? A) Mainline a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. B) Go for a serious sweat fest. or C) Call your mom. Sorry, Mom, but science says that working out is one of the fastest ways to clear cortisol, the stress hormone, out of your system and calm a frantic mind.

4. It boosts creativity.
The next time writer’s block hits or you need new ideas for your departmental meeting, try taking a quick stroll around the block. A recent study found that walking improved both convergent and divergent thinking, the two types associated with enhanced creativity.

5. It wipes out allergies.
Sneezing, watery eyes, and snot-cicles (’tis the season!) can really take the fun out of a workout, but there’s a good reason to lace up your gym shoes even with an allergy attack. Researchers in Thailand reported that running for 30 minutes can reduce sneezing, itching, congestion, and runny nose by up to 90 percent.

6. It strengthens your heart.
It may feel like your heart is thumping itself out of your chest during those hill sprints, but your ticker will thank you later. As shown in an extensive report from the American Heart Association, exercise strengthens your heart muscle as well as reduces your risk of heart disease and other related conditions. So the next time you’re sweating through spin class, just imagine it’s a Valentine you’re sending to your body.

7. It helps you resist temptation.
They don’t call it a “runner’s high” for nothing! Whether you’re addicted to sugar, cigarettes, or even heroin, exercise could play an important role in resisting your substance of choice. In one study, scientists found that the endorphin rush released during exercise acts on the same neural pathways as addictive substances. The result? Mice in this study opted for the treadmill over the high from an amphetamine-laced solution, suggesting that humans could do the same.

8. It reduces risk of metabolic syndrome…
Exercise can almost totally obliterate metabolic syndrome and even reverse the damage. Not all exercise works equally well, however, as one study proves intensity is key. So rather than stay at one steady pace, try intervals that will take your heart rate up and down.

9. … And lessens the risk of oodles of other diseases too.
Many types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease—we’d be here all day if we listed all the illnesses that exercising lowers your risk for. Exercise is such a health preventative superstar that Jordan Metzel, M.D., recently declared it to be “a miracle drug that prevents almost every illness, is 100 percent effective, and has very few side effects.” Even better, we don’t have to wait for FDA approval for this magical panacea!
10. It protects your eyes.
We hate to break this to you, but you’re staring at a screen right now. Welcome to the eye-strain club! But recent research found that one of the best ways to protect your eyes and stave off age-related vision loss is regular cardiovascular exercise. In one study, active mice kept twice as many retinal neurons as the sedentary fur balls. But it isn’t just a benefit for the four-legged; a separate study found a similar correlation in humans.

11. It adds years to your life…
People who exercise live longer. Yeah, we said it. Research has shown that you can add up to seven years to your life by exercising a minimum of 150 minutes a week (that’s just three days of working out for 50 minutes), regardless of what you weigh.

12. … And life to your years.
Even better, those extra years will be happy ones: A recent study found that people who exercise reported feeling happier, more excited, and had more enthusiasm for life than their couch-potato peers.

13. It makes you respect your body.
Using our bodies not only strengthens them but builds our gratitude for all the cool stuff they can do, and research supports this. After all, being an athlete has nothing to do the mirror—it’s about how your body can move.

14. It strengthens bones.
According to one landmark study, the best way to build bone density and reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis into old age is to do weight-bearing exercises like running or dancing. The researchers found that adults who exercised moderately or strenuously had better bone density than those who exercised little or not at all. Keep it up though: Adults who quit exercising later in life lost bone mass even if they’d exercised regularly earlier in their youth.
15. It saves money.
One Fortune 500 company estimates that for each dollar spent on preventive health, including exercise, it saves $2.71 in future health costs. That’s a wise practice to for you to adopt as the CEO of your health too.

16. It helps your fertility.
Harvard researchers found that men who exercised had a higher concentration of sperm in their semen and that the sperm was of better-than-average quality. A meta-analysis looking at nearly 27,000 women found that those who worked out had lower rates overall of infertility, higher rates of implantation, and lower rates of miscarriage. One caveat: Women who exercised too strenuously or too much impaired their fertility, so it’s all about balance. Researchers advise hitting the gym three times a week for an hour each time.

17. It makes you a sex god or goddess.
Good news for both ladies and gents: Sweating in the gym can improve your sweating in the bedroom. But in this case women really score (ahem), as certain exercises have been linked to “coregasms,” or getting an orgasm from doing abs work. (Strong abs and strong orgasms? It’s win-win.) But even if hanging leg raises don’t send you into ecstasy, you still benefit from increased strength in your pelvic floor. And a separate study found that men who work out have a lower incidence of impotency and erectile dysfunction while experiencing more powerful orgasms. Plus these guys reported having sex more often.

18. It improves self-esteem.
It doesn’t take magic to know that working out makes you look better on the outside. But scientific research adds that it also makes us feel better about ourselves on the inside. In an analysis of research on the subject, exercisers report higher self-esteem and lower incidence of negative thoughts about their bodies. Plus it boosts confidence at work and other in areas of life too.
19. It helps you sleep like a baby (or puppy).
In a meta-analysis that looked at dozens of sleep studies, researchers found that people who exercised regularly had less incidence of insomnia and a higher quality of sleep. In addition, for people who did suffer from insomnia, adding consistent daily exercise significantly reduced their sleepless nights.

20. It doesn’t just make you look younger, it makes you be younger.
Research has found that exercisers truly are younger, on a cellular level, than their same-aged peers. Telomeres, the cap on the ends of DNA, start out long at birth and get progressively shorter with age. Up until recently it was thought there wasn’t much we could do to change that, but a new study showed that endurance athletes have longer telomeres than their peers, while a second study found that moderate exercise can lengthen your telomeres by up to 10 percent. So now you can feel free to lie about your age with impunity!

21. It pumps you up.
Hey there, He-Man (or She-Ra)! You don’t need a scientist to tell you that working out builds muscle and coordination.

22. It blasts bad fat and boosts good fat. (Yes, there is good fat!)
We know busting a sweat can reduce fat in general, but belly fat is particularly susceptible to exercise, and a study from last year found that high-intensity interval training blasted belly fat the fastest.
23. It makes you a good example for your loved ones.
Your exercise encourages others to do the same. We regularly mirror others around us in our gestures and behaviors. So consider that every time you’re heading to the gym, you’re setting an example, encouraging others to do the same.

24. It makes you smarter.
So much for the dumb bodybuilder stereotype—building muscles also helps you build brain cells. A meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on the brain found that fitness improves memory, boosts cognition, helps you learn faster, increases brain volume, and even makes you a better reader. In addition, recent studies have found that working out helps prevent the cognitive decline as we age and diseases like Alzheimer’s.

25. It manages chronic pain.
When you’re living with chronic pain, getting out of bed is hard enough, much less heading out to pump some iron or go for a run. Yet research shows that a moderate exercise program gives both short-term and long-term improvements for people who have chronic pain, even if the underlying condition remains. In short, exercise may not fix all your problems, but it will help you deal with them better.

The Best Reasons to Start Eating Healthier

1. It fattens your wallet.
People often lament that healthy food is pricier than processed junk food.  But before you ditch that apple for an apple fritter, researchers say that when you include the cost savings from preventing health problems—a savings of $2.71 for every dollar spent—you still come out way ahead.
2. It makes you happier.
An apple a day keeps the blues away, say researchers from New Zealand. Their study found that on the days young adults ate more fruits and vegetables, they reported feeling calmer, happier, and more energetic than they normally did. And the scientists say it wasn’t just happy people eating more honeydew. The data showed these positive feelings were a direct result of hitting the salad bar.

3. It protects your bones.
Eating a healthy diet full of calcium from dairy products, vitamin D from produce, and folic acid from leafy greens supports your skeleton, preventing osteoporosis and fractures in later life.

4. It revs up your fertility.
This one’s for the dads-to-be: A recent study found that eating swimmers (as in fish) boosts your swimmers (as in sperm). For women, the effect of a good diet is even more potent, as a separate study found that access to a wide variety of healthful foods was the number one predictor of high fertility rates in women who aren’t using birth control.

5. It conquers cramps.
Ladies: Pick your PMS poison, and there’s a nutritional remedy for it. And no, it’s not based on old wives’ tales. Modern science backs up these claims: The fiber in fruits and veggies fights bloat, magnesium-rich foods (like dark chocolate!) prevent cramps, iron in red meat helps with fatigue, calcium in dairy products is calming, and the zinc in green plants helps can smooth out mood swings.

6. It gives you an iron-clad immune system.
Research has found that getting your ten-a-day of veggies and fruits can boost your immune system and save you five (or more) sick days. One study found that people who ate more produce got sick less often, regardless of whatever other foods they ate. And you might want to season those veggies with garlic: People who ate the clove daily got 64 percent fewer colds and recovered faster than those with less stinky breath.

7. It fixes your DNA.
Have you ever bemoaned your family history of heart attacks? Well, complain no more. A recent study in the brand-new field of epigentics found that eating a healthy diet can “turn on” good DNA and “turn off” some bad DNA, leading to long-term and even generational benefits. So while you probably can’t get a nutritional nose job, you can eat your way to less heart disease—and spare your children from inheriting the risk too.

8. It can help cure irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Sufferers experience debilitating pain, bloating, tenacious constipation, and embarrassing (sometimes public) displays of diarrhea. But new research has found a link between the bacteria living in a person’s gut and their chance of having IBS, saying that eating probiotics helped the majority of sufferers find some respite. And don’t just look to yogurt to get your fix. Remember the three Ks: kefir, kimchi, and kombucha.
9. It makes your (future) children smarter…
A pediatric study shows pregnant women who eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, DHA specifically, go on to have kids with higher IQs at age four than do moms who avoid seafood. And another study demonstrated that children who supplemented with DHA or ate a lot of fish also showed cognitive improvements.

10. … And it makes you smarter too.
Fish oil isn’t only for kids! Eating more fish can boost your cognitive capacity. But it is not just about toeing the (fishing) line; a diet rich in healthy fats, protein, and antioxidants from produce increases cognition and prevents memory loss later in life too, says a neuroscience study.

11. It’s the ultimate workout booster.
Just like exercise can help you eat better, eating better can help you crush it in the gym. Exercise, by definition, breaks you down. It’s tough on your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system. It’s how your body heals all that damage that makes you stronger, and healthy foods support that growth and recovery process. Good carbohydrates boost your endurance, protein builds and maintains muscle, and vitamins and minerals keep everything working together as it should.

12. It chills you out.
People credit turkey’s tryptophan for a comfy food coma post-Thanksgiving (which isn’t strictly true: Blame the carb-overload for that). But tryptophan can help you chill out. Researchers found that men deprived of tryptophan experienced an immediate rise in anxiety, and some even had panic attacks. But once they were given tryptophan again, they calmed down like babies in a bubble bath. And no need to dig out your turkey baster—tryptophan is found in lots of healthy foods like dark chocolate, oats, dried fruit, seeds, eggs, fish, and dairy.
13. It delivers clearer skin.
Scientists say you may be able to eat your way to a clearer complexion. Sugary foods, dairy, and processed grains have all been linked to outbreaks of acne and rosacea.

14. It amps up your sex drive.
While many foods (think wine, chocolate, and oysters) have been hailed as aphrodisiacs, in scientific study, the effects have been mostly chalked up to the placebo effect. But new data suggests we look in the spice aisle. Researchers found that eating healthy spices like saffron and ginger measurably improved sexual desire and performance in both genders.

15. It prevents insomnia.
With about 50 percent of adults experiencing at least one bout of sleeplessness lasting longer than three weeks, insomnia is one of the major complaints people have about their health. Fortunately good nutrition can help you catch your zzzs. One study found that magnesium, found in foods like dark chocolate and whole oats, helped people fall asleep faster with less incidents of nighttime waking. In another study, people who ate fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir slept longer and had higher quality sleep.

16. It soothes sore muscles.
According to several studies, what you eat can greatly affect how quickly and how well your muscles recover after a workout. According to research, the biggest factor was getting enough protein, as that nutrient is responsible for building and repairing skeletal muscle.

17. It gives you energy.
The next time you’re feeling exhausted, skip the “energy” drinks and head for the blender and whip up a shake with a balance of carbohydrates for quick energy and complex protein to increase performance and help with recovery. A study of athletes found that those who drank the protein shake showed a significant improvement in performance on an athletic test than did those who relied on straight carbs alone.
18. It reduces cravings for bad food.
Researchers found that starting the day with a protein-rich meal for breakfast helped reduce cravings for junk food later on in the day. Rather than feel deprived of their favorite treats, subjects reported, well, not thinking about treats much at all. The researchers think that eating a healthy, protein-packed breakfast increased levels of dopamine in the brain. Since 91 percent of us report having intense food cravings, according to a Tufts study, we’ll be seeing you at the breakfast bar.

19. It makes you a faster runner.
In one study, runners who ate beets experienced a significant increase in their endurance and speed. But stick to whole beets rather than beet juices or extracts, as the effect was most pronounced from eating the food. Another study found that people who ate a Mediterranean style diet (heavy on fish, olive oil, and nuts, and light on gelato) increased their running endurance, upped their tolerance for exercise, and showed improvements in their cardiovascular health.

20. It will make you win at life.
In possibly the cutest study, Stanford researches had children face down delicious marshmallows in the ultimate battle of willpower. The results, chronicled in the book The Marshmallow Test, showed that tots who had strong enough willpower to resist the junk food ended up having higher SAT scores and great professional success as adults. But it doesn’t take a test to see there is a link between living your best life and treating your body well. Taking care of your health will not only give you all the benefits we’ve listed, and many more, but the confidence and self-knowledge in all aspects of your life—so bon appetit!