Many people think that they respond well to stressful situations mentally, but they may be experiencing physical signs of stress that they’re overlooking. Some people might suffer from indigestion or constipation, muscle tension, headaches or sore eyes which can all be physical symptoms of stress.

Stress also impacts our appetite, the foods we are motivated to eat and how we store fat.

This is because of the hormones that we release in response to stress. Cortisol is the main hormone that is associated with long term stress.

Cortisol is our “fight or flight” hormone which means that when it is being released, our body is getting us ready to fight something or to run away. This was a great survival mechanism when the only things we needed to be stressed about were enemies or predators but these days, we’re mostly stressed about spreadsheets and e-mails which actually require us to sit still and be rational.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/does-stress-affect-appetite-and-weight/

There’s good news for all the people who are interested in pursuing this diet as a new study has revealed that consuming oil in a well-balanced ketogenic diet is beneficial for one’s skin.

“This study leads to a broader understanding of possible effects of ketogenic diets with a very high-fat content on skin inflammation and underlines the importance of the composition of fatty acids in the diet,” said co-lead investigator, Barbara Kofler, PhD, Research Program for Receptor Biochemistry and Tumor Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.

“We have found that a well-balanced ketogenic diet, limited primarily to long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) like olive oil, soybean oil, fish, nuts, avocado, and meats, does not exacerbate skin inflammation,” added Kofler.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/keto-diet-can-do-wonders-to-your-skin-study/

While a number of factors can contribute to belly fat — including stress and poor sleep — carbs may play a role, depending on your diet. “Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, broken down and utilized as glucose by our cells,” Gabby Geerts, a registered dietitian at Green Chef said. “If you consume more carbs than necessary, your body will convert glucose to glycogen, a storage form of energy. If you consume so many carbs that even your glycogen stores are at maximum capacity, the body will then convert this to fat.”

Insulin, the hormone that helps transport glucose to the body’s cells, also becomes less effective if you eat too many carbs. This means if you continually eat a high-carb diet, you’ll need more insulin to manage that workload, a condition known as insulin resistance. “As insulin efficiency continues to decline, more energy will be stored as fat,” Gabby explained. Continue reading…

While dietary changes can’t always completely replace medications, they can improve overall health and make good sense as a viable alternative to medication in some cases, or as a complement to conventional care in other cases.

So here are some good reasons to try a low-carb or ketogenic diet for mental health: Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/why-low-carb-diet-is-best-for-mental-health/

In a brand-new animal study published in Cell Reports, researchers found that by restricting circulating blood glucose (aka blood sugar) levels in mice with lung cancer, they were able to prevent the growth of squamous cell carcinoma tumors.

To reach this conclusion, the researchers lowered circulating blood glucose in mice by feeding them a ketogenic diet and by giving them a diabetes drug that prevents blood glucose from being reabsorbed by the kidneys. Both of these interventions by themselves inhibited the further growth of these tumors (but did not shrink the tumors), suggesting this type of cancer might be quite vulnerable to glucose restriction.

This study builds on an exciting body of research on using the keto diet to help fight certain types of cancer. But how exactly are keto, blood sugar, and cancer all related? The connection has everything to do with how cells behave, explains L.J. Amaral, R.D., who is board-certified in oncology nutrition

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/keto-diet-helps-stop-the-growth-of-certain-cancers-study/

The large European study found that people who have more than two sodas a day — with or without sugar — had a higher risk of dying over about 16 years than people who sipped the fizzy beverages less than once a month.

“We found that higher soft drink intake was associated with a greater risk of death from any cause regardless of whether sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks were consumed,” said study senior author Neil Murphy. He’s a scientist with the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.

“Our results for sugar-sweetened soft drinks provide further support to limit consumption and to replace them with healthier beverages, preferably water,” Murphy said.

How might sodas raise your risk of dying? Continue reading…

What’s the difference between “cage-free,” “free-range,” and “pasture-raised” eggs?

Whenever you buy eggs from the grocery store, you may have wondered why they have different labels, such as “cage-free,” “free-range,” and “pasture-raised.” You may have also noticed that they differ in price. Eggs vary in their nutrition profile as well. But one thing’s for sure – the more expensive the egg is, the healthier it is.

Out of the three, pasture-raised eggs are the best. Aside from raising your own chickens, buying eggs labeled as “pasture-raised” ensures that you are getting the healthiest eggs possible. Pasture-raised eggs contain twice the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, triple the amount of vitamin D, four times the amount of vitamin E, and seven times the amount of beta-carotene compared with conventionally raised eggs. Continue reading…

For some, walking may seem too simple to be an effective form of exercise. But if you play your cards right, this familiar movement can be a lean, mean, weight-loss-generating machine. While a casual 10-minute stroll won’t do it, you don’t need to spend hours on your feet, either.

“You should aim for about three to five sessions of cardio a week that are around a half hour,” Courtney Meadows, an NASM-certified personal trainer and fitness coach, said. “For beginners, even walking 10 minutes a day is a great place to start. Increasing your walking time by just five minutes will get you there.” Continue reading…

A low-carb diet typically means limiting carbs to roughly 25 percent of your calories, Annie Reed, a registered dietitian in Greenville, said — though that number can range from 15 to 35 percent, depending on a number of factors. (This is why experts recommend working with a dietitian to establish a plan.) “The remainder of calories are made up of fat and protein — 40 percent and 35 percent, respectively,” she said. So if you’re eating 1,500 calories per day, 600 of those should come from fat. One gram of fat is equal to nine calories, which means you’d eat roughly 67 grams in one 24-hour period.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/how-much-fat-should-you-eat-on-a-low-carb-diet/

The large European study found that people who have more than two sodas a day — with or without sugar — had a higher risk of dying over about 16 years than people who sipped the fizzy beverages less than once a month.

“We found that higher soft drink intake was associated with a greater risk of death from any cause regardless of whether sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks were consumed,” said study senior author Neil Murphy. He’s a scientist with the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.

“Our results for sugar-sweetened soft drinks provide further support to limit consumption and to replace them with healthier beverages, preferably water,” Murphy said.

How might sodas raise your risk of dying? Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/soda-drinking-tied-to-higher-risk-of-early-death/