So you've made it through your self-care week, and you're ready to start fasting again. However, Shah recommends you shouldn't jump right into it as soon as your period startsrather, starting around day two or three of your period is best.

During the first couple of days where your flow is heaviest, it's common to still feel tired, as you're just recovering from your hormonal crash and you're losing a fair amount of blood.Once your hormone levels start to rise, you're going to feel noticeably more energeticthat's when you can kick up the fasting and HIIT workouts, Shah says.

For some reason, there's this pervasive notion that we should amp up the self-care on our period. While it might still feel good, it's really the week before when our bodies could use the self-love.

"I think the rumor comes from the fact that people equate the period as all the same," Shah tells me. When in reality, you might feel sluggish the first couple of days on your period (your body is still experiencing that hormonal crash from the week before), but during the latter half of your cycle, your body is stress-resilient and your hormones are at pretty adequate levelsgreat levels, even.

"If your hormones are balanced, you eat well, you sleep well, and you take care of your stress, by day two or three you should be feeling pretty good," Shah adds.

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What This M.D. Wants You To Know About Intermittent Fasting & Your Period - mindbodygreen.com

The Christmas party season is in full swing and it would be very easy to get carried away with yourself but Coca-Cola are offering rewards for those who offer to do the driving this festive season.

To encourage people across Ireland to stay sober and drive safely, Coca-Cola are giving two soft drinks on the house throughout the month of December to the designated driver of the group.

This is the 15th year that the company are running the campaign and it aims to promote safe driving practices while also rewarding the designated drivers.

Designated drivers can avail two free drinks from the range, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Deep RiverRock or Appletiser from participating pubs and restaurants nationwide.

All you have to do is screenshot the map of participating outlets above and show it to the venue to avail of your two free drinks.

The campaign is running until December 31st so you can get your fill of drinks if you are staying sober throughout the party season.

Here is a full list of all the participating venues in Cork:

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Coca-Cola are offering two free drinks to designated drivers this festive season - Cork Beo

Coach and author Sharkie Zartman remembers coaching at a youth volleyball tournament and observing a match between two very good teams of 10-year-olds when the parents started behaving badly.

It was just a battle, going back and forth, she says. After it was over, the parents were still yelling at the coaches, officials and other parents. Meanwhile, the kids from both teams went outside to play some kind of circle game, and they were all laughing and having fun. I was thinking, Oh, my gosh, who are the grownups, and who are the kids?

As numerous memes on social media suggest, badly behaving sports parents are not uncommon. In an effort to foster healthier sports parenting, Zartman teamed up with Robert Weil, DPM, a sports podiatrist based in Aurora, to write #HeySportsParents: An Essential Guide for any Parent with a Child in Sports.

Its important for parents to stay calm and be supportive while helping their kids navigate the perks and pitfalls of youth sports, the authors say.

Zartman says many parents look at sports with a competitive mindset, while their kids just want to enjoy themselves. Kids play sports because theyre fun, and they want to be with their friends, she says. But what do most parents focus on? Winning, getting the trophies or dreaming of scholarships.

Some parents try to live through their children, says Jenny Conviser, PsyD, founder and CEO of the outpatient behavioral health practice Ascend Consultation in Health Care and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine.

Some parents rely on their childrens experiences and successes to feel more successful themselves, Conviser says. If you just prioritize your kids success as an athlete, you may overlook other important things like sleep, family or friend time and this is a big one the related financial stress [of sports] on the family.

Many parents live vicariously through their kids, says therapist Andrew Joy, LCPC, founder of The Mental Difference, a sports psychology practice in the Chicago area. He describes a common scenario: Dad didnt make it out of high school sports, and now he pushes and pushes his kid until the kid doesnt want to play anymore. [But] youve got to let your kid do his or her thing.

The pressure of living up to a parents expectation can mount, especially after a bad game. Parents might need to take a step back at such a moment, Joy says.

A lot of times, the car ride home can be prettystressfulfor kids, Joy says. They just had a bad game, and their parents arepushingthem for information. The kid is already upset. Sometimes, its better for parents to be silent and be comfortable with the silence.

Parents who bribe their kids with money or gifts if they score well can set their children up for disappointment. A child who is just regarded well for scores or accomplishments may not feel positively about the rest of themselves and may wake up and feel that they are only as good as their next scores, Conviser says.

Its not just sports psychologists and therapists who see the effects of competitive behavior in parents. Marc Breslow, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine at Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, sees children who sustain injuries from the intense competition.

The sports environment has changed, with an emphasis on year-round training on a single sport. Kids are now doing sports year-round, Breslow says. Because of this, kids are exposed to overuse injuries and burnout.

In fact, a study published in 2018 in Pediatrics found that children with a high specialization in a sport were 81% more likely to experience an overuse injury than athletes who played a wide variety of sports.

Parents who are so focused on their childs success may miss the signs of an abusive coach. Spotting and stopping abuse is especially important in the wake of sexual abuse of athletes within USA Gymnastics and allegations within USA Swimming.

Zartman mentions a friend whose daughter played water polo at one of the top clubs in the area, with a verbally abusive coach who called the girl names and put her down. Zartman says she asked her friend, Why do you want your daughter to think that men should treat her this way?

The mother had kept her daughter at the club because he was a top coach at an elite program. Eventually, though, the girl switched to a different club, where she excelled. She felt good about herself and was enjoying the sport again, Zartman says.

Parents and their children should not tolerate an abusive or unhealthy training environment simply because the team is good. No potential success should take priority over your childs health and happiness, says Conviser, who was a Division 1 college gymnastics coach before she became a sports psychologist.

That kind of environment has a long-lasting impact on kids, Conviser adds. A kid who is mistreated is broken down, not built up.

Follow these tips for a healthier approach to sports for parents and their children.

Jeanette Hurt is the award-winning writer and author of 12 books, with two more books on the way in 2020.

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Healthy Sports Parenting Starts with These Tips - Chicago Health

However, there are ways to slow down the ageing process. We all know we need to eat right and exercise, but according to Braidy, the key to healthy ageing is maintaining nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels.

NAD is a powerful coenzyme found in every cell in the body. Its important for many processes in your body, including energy production, metabolic regulation and cell viability (AKA, ageing). NAD can also support bone and muscle health, lower your risk of heart disease, prevent liver damage and boost brainpower.

But as you age, NAD levels decline and your ability to absorb NAD from food also decreases.

NAD depletion can lead to a decline in metabolic function and poor cell viability, leading to structural degeneration, functional decline, cognitive deficits and age-related diseases, Braidy explains.

The good news is a new supplement used to safely boost NAD levels has been added to the list of possible anti-ageing drugs. The TGA-approved product, a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside (NR), is one of the latest developments in healthy ageing, according to Braidy.

By introducing supplements that contain NR and making healthy lifestyle changes, the benefits will be made at a cellular level, he explains.

However, if you arent interested in supplements, there are other ways you can increase NAD production.

Boosting NAD levels can be achieved through day-to-day lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, intermittent fasting, [and by following] the ketogenic diet, he says.

Including foods in your diet that are rich in vitamin B3, like salmon, tuna and avocado, can also help increase NAD levels.

Important information: The information provided on this website is of a general nature and information purposes only. It does not take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. It is not personalised health advice and must not be relied upon as such. Before making any decisions about your health or changes to medication, diet and exercise routines you should determine whether the information is appropriate in terms of your particular circumstances and seek advice from a medical professional.

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The secret to healthy ageing - Starts at 60

Nutriccos countertop Smart Dispenser. Photo: Courtesy.

A new cloud-based countertop smart device developed in Israel will dispense personalized nutrition supplements based on data it receives from a diet tracking app.

After analyzing the data tracked in the app, Nutricco provides supplement recommendations, which are then automatically delivered to the customers home as part of a monthly subscription.

The idea is not to promote supplements, but to encourage users to have a complete diet, Nutriccos CEO and co-founder Leonid Pirogovsky told The Algemeiner. We are providing the tools for smart decision making.

Nutricco, founded in 2018 and based in Raanana, has three components: a diet and health tracking application, a countertop Smart Dispenser and a monthly supplement subscription. That subscription includes expert health analysis, taking into consideration factors such as diet, climate, and lifestyle, as well as monthly supplements. The technology was a finalist at this years FoodTechIL competition in Tel Aviv.

December 19, 2019 4:18 pm

Based on your lifestyle profile, we recommend how to create a nutritional balance, Pirogovsky said.

While Nutricco does not seek to promote nutritional supplements over a healthy diet, there are many who consume them in an uninformed or unhealthy way.

About 160 million people take supplements daily, Pirogovsky noted, and many dont know exactly what they are taking or why.

The market today is controlled by supplement consumption, he said, which can not only be dangerous, but a waste of money.

The app first provides recommendations for a healthy diet, and if thats not sufficient, we offer solutions to close those nutritional gaps, Pirogovsky said. If you dont eat fish, for example, we might recommend that you take omega-3 supplements.

But, the app also provides government health department recommendations to avoid replacing essential diet components with pills.

Chavi Kramer, a dietician and nutrition expert in Tel Aviv, acknowledged she was not against recommending diet supplements, depending on the reason.

While Kramer would not recommend nutritional supplements to everyone, she said the personalized smart model of Nutricco certainly had potential, especially for those with dietary restrictions.

I dont believe that people should be going straight to supplements as a default, and ideally we should be obtaining these nutrients from food, Kramer told The Algemeiner.

The members of the team behind the concept have backgrounds with some of Israels largest pharmaceutical companies, such as Teva, and noticed that while many diet-tracking apps were available, a personalized end-to-end solution was missing on the market.

It is time for people to be able to manage their health and nutrition the same personal way they manage their bank account or any other aspect of their life, with innovative technology, Pirogovsky told The Algemeiner.

In our day and age, said Kramer, people are using apps for literally everything including music, socializing, supermarket shopping and banking so it makes sense that food and health have entered this realm as well. She added that digital health tools were empowering individuals to make their own decisions and enabling everyone to have access to certain information that was out of reach previously.

There are competitive products on the market, but Nutriccos patented Smart Dispenser is unique in its ability to hold up to eight supplements and in their original packaging, and provide a personalized experience for more than one person simultaneously.

Our machine is designed for the user, said Pirogovsky.

Still, Kramer explained that users needed to be cautious in selecting the right tools as some of these may be based on incorrect information, and the constant access to nutrition information and diet tracking could result in obsessive behavior.

Nutricco will launch its three-component platform in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas alongside the Israeli Export Institute, where it will announce the high-profile supplement providers it has partnered with to provide the last step in their end-to-end model.

With an initial launch in the US, the price of the Smart Dispenser will be $399, and the subscription for personalized analysis and supplements will cost $50 per month.

Down the road, Pirogovsky hopes Smart Dispensers will not only be in homes all over the world, but in public spaces like offices and gyms.

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Israeli Company Looks to Digitize Diet Tracking and Vitamin Intake With Smart Dispenser - Algemeiner

Before you start the anti-inflammatory diet, you should understand exactly what it is. Inflammation is a necessary mechanism of our immune systems, which evolved at a time when it would need to respond to acuteinsults such as infections. But today, our immune systemsare responding to our diets and lifestyles, and this has unintended consequences, including tissue damage, says Max Lugavere, New York Times best-selling author of Genius Foods. An anti-inflammatory diet attempts to steer the body from a chronically inflamed state to one with healthy levels of inflammation. While things like regular exercise, proper sleep and stress management can also play a role, experts say diet can be a crucial aspect in keeping our bodies free of dangerous levels of chronic inflammation. Here are 26 things to know about the anti-inflammatory diet and some tips on how you can incorporate elements of it into your lifestyle:

Related: What Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet and What Foods Can You Eat On It?

When the body is injured or ill, the lymphatic (immune) system springs into action, bringing the immune systems army of white blood cells to the area of concern via increased blood flow, explains Dr. Josh Axe, founder ofAncient Nutrition. He notes that inflammation in a healthy body is the normal and effective response that facilitates healing, like when a cut becomes red, painful or swollen.

According to Dr. Axe, when the immune system overreaches and begins attacking healthy body tissues, were met with an autoimmune disorder and inflammation in otherwise healthy areas of the body. Inflammatory effects also are linked to arthritis andfibromyalgia symptoms, as well as celiac and irritable bowel disease (IBD), he explains, adding that, asthma creates inflamed airways; inflammation related to diabetes affects insulin resistance; and so on.

Related: 7 Simple Tips to Supercharge Your Immune System

Dr. Sears is president of the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation,andauthor of the Zone Diet book series (which now includes his newest release, The Resolution Zone).

As a report from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases stated: While todays modern diet may provide beneficial protection from micro- and macronutrient deficiencies, our over abundance of calories and the macronutrients that compose our diet may all lead to increasedinflammation, reduced control of infection, increased rates of cancer, and increased risk for allergic and auto-inflammatory disease.

Drying your hands is as important as washing them. Wet hands transmit bacteria more easily, so especially during cold and flu season, take the time to dry them thoroughly.

Dr. AndrewWeil, author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Healthand the creator of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet, tells Parade.com that he based his program on the Mediterranean diet, due to the evidence-backed general health benefits on it. I tweaked that by adding Asian influences to it because Ive spent a lot of time in Asia and Ive drawn on Asian cuisine. So adding such things as ginger and turmeric and green tea and Asian mushrooms, for example, he explains.

Related: Sunday With Dr. Andrew Weil

You can have occasional servings of lean meat, eggs, and small dairyas well as small amounts of chocolate and wine! Check out Dr. Weils Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid for the recommended servings of each.

The most important tip is to avoid refined, processed, and manufactured foods, explains Dr. Weil. Thats whats doing us in. Thats whats causing most problems, so the more you can eliminate that from your diet, the better.

Weil adds that you will be doing your body a massive favor if you eat foods that are as close to the way nature produces them as possible.

Weil would recommend that everyone prioritizes eating in a low inflammatory mannerI think it gives you your best shot at overall health and longevity, since the most serious diseases that do people in as they get older are rooted in chronic inappropriate inflammation. So I think by following that, thats really your best overall health strategy, he explains. But per the expert, people with inflammatory disorders like arthritis, autoimmune diseases, etc. may especially benefit from it.

Coffeeand tea are generally considered anti-inflammatoryits with what we adulterate these beverages that can swing these beverages into inflammatory territory, says MonicaAuslanderMoreno, MS, RD, LD/N, nutrition consultant forRSP Nutrition.

The journal Oncogene published the results of a study that evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds. It found that aspirin (Bayer, etc.) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) are least potent, while curcumin is among the most potent anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative agents in the world, says Dr. Axe.

She says that fruits and vegetables containbeneficialpolyphenolssuch as anthocyanin,which have powerful antioxidant effects and that diets high in fruits and vegetables provide vitaminsC and E, which may provide protective antioxidanteffects.

Studies show that diets with better ratios of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids may provide protective cardiovascularbenefits, says Crean. She cites that good sources of dietaryomega-3 fatty acids include: fattyfish such as salmon, mackereland herringaim for 2 servings a weekand advocates for limiting dietary sources of omega-6 fatty acids like soybean oil, sunflower oil and corn oil.

A crucial component of warding off inflammation, per Dr. Weil, is to keep your sugar intake low. Also pay attention to the fructose content of various sweeteners because the body cant handle fructose well and it disrupts metabolism, he says.

It would be good for people to reduce the percentage of animal foods in the diet. I think that North Americans eat much too much meat, beef especially, and too many animal foods. So replacing some of that with plant proteins is a good strategy, he explains.

Aim for a wide variety of vegetables, incorporate them into as many meals as possible, and include as many different colors as you can get, says Dr. Weil.

Weil says grains are absolutely OK, as long as you are eating the right kinds. I think grains are good food if theyre not processed, but theres a big difference between whole grains or cracked grains and polarized grains/flour, he says. If I ask most people to name a whole grain food, theyll say whole wheat bread. And thats not a whole grain foods. Its made from flour. So limit the processed ones and opt for rice, wild rice, quinoa, barley, millet and buckwheat instead.

Related: 12 Nutritious Quinoa Salads for Simple Meals

There are many foods that are allowed on the diet plan and Dr. Weil encourages you to get creative. For instance, he often eats smoked fish and whole grain toast, or even a salad for breakfast. You can have fish frequently, especially salmon and black cod and other fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. I like good soy foodstempeh, tofu, edamame. And those are examples of good quality vegetable protein foods. There are many vegetable preparations. Pasta is fine as long as its cooked al dente and not in huge quantities with not creamy, buttery sauces. And a lot of the ethnic foods like Asian, Middle Eastern, and Japanese are filled with healthy spices and great ingredients, he says.

Weil says as a rule of thumb, its a good idea to avoid foods prepared by other people, fast food, and stuff from the middle of the supermarketthe highly-processed stuff. He adds that if ingredients can barely fit on the label, you dont want to eat it; if they are too many things there, you dont know what they are, its a pass. Think about if youre going to make this at home, what ingredients you would use? And if there are too many other things beyond that, dont use them.

There are some good prepared foods out there, he explains, noting that he buys Gyoza potstickers from Trader JoesI often cook them with broccoli and thats a quick, easy mealas well as American Flatbread pizzas from Whole Foods.

per Jim Frith, author of End the Yo-Yo; the EAMAYW System and advanced sports nutrition specialist, are: darkly pigmented berries, stone fruits, cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits, beets, green tea, probiotics, kelp, avocado, nuts, free-range eggs and olive oil.

per Global Master Chef Karl Guggenmos, senior culinary advisor at Healthy Meals Supreme, include: refined carbohydrates, processed meats, sugary drinks, refined added sugars, excessive alcohol consumption and processed conventional snack items.

Its really an eating plan for life and its not in any way meant to reduce the pleasure of eating, says Weil. I think above all, eating should be pleasurable and it is possible to have good food that meets the requirements of the anti-inflammatory diet, he adds.

Curious about the pegan diet? Weve got the scoop.

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Anti-Inflammatory DietFacts About Anti-Inflammatory Foods and What to Avoid - Parade

Since childhood, I've known that I didn't have the stick-thin body type you see in magazines. It never used to bother me until other people decided that it bothered them. At 12, I was body shamed by two drunk middle-aged women at an amusement park, as I stood next to my identical twin sister. In the fifth grade, my class was weighed at the beginning and end of the year; I grew four inches taller and gained a decent amount of weight, which led to some harsh whispers. Now, at 27, I'm still getting used to my body, but I no longer let the opinions of other people dictate how I feel about myself.

About a year ago, I upped my dosage of an anti-anxiety medication to help counter increasingly persistent symptoms of anxiety and OCD. With the higher dose came some weight gain, and it was shocking to say the least. None of my clothes fit the way they were supposed to. I couldn't wear my favorite jeans and dresses anymore. Stretch marks seemed to pop up overnight around my stomach. And at first, I panicked. I skipped birthday parties and other outings to avoid having a meltdown every time I got dressed. I stopped trying to look cute because I didn't feel like myself anymore. I allowed my weight to determine my value.

Fortunately, this panic and self-loathing didn't last. After a few weeks of feeling miserable, I was fed up with the person I had become. This wasn't who I wanted to be. I didn't want to be the girl who sat at home instead of meeting up with friends because of a number on the scale. I didn't want to hate myself so much that I forgot how to live. I had wasted so much time obsessing over my body that I forgot what I had: family, friends, a roof over my head, and, equally important, a body that works, regardless of its size. Instead of relishing in what I had, I was allowing myself to drown in self-doubt. I decided then and there that instead of dieting to fit into my old clothes, I would buy new clothes I liked even better. Instead of trying to get back to the weight I was before, I would let my body be.

Today, I'm no longer that panicked and heartbroken girl. I no longer isolate myself because of my weight. At the end of the day, it's just a number, and one that will change throughout my life. There's nothing to gain from allowing something so fleeting to define your self-worth. So, instead of dieting and trying to shrink the parts of you that you hate, I hope you'll join me in celebrating your body. There's no one else on this earth that has it, or your generosity, or your sense of humor, or your heart.

It's so easy to judge yourself against magazine covers and filtered photos on Instagram, but every curve and roll and stretch mark tells a story of what you've gone through and how far you've come. Embrace those so-called flaws, because they make you uniquely you, and only serve to showcase your strength and resilience.

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Why I Refuse to Diet in a World Obsessed With Dieting - POPSUGAR

Top 5 Most Googled Diets in 2019 and How Most of Them Don't Work Instantly ( Photo by I E on Unsplash )

Holidays are coming right up. A lot of different avenues of gatherings and parties are continuously piling up on your schedule. Do you know what this also means? Lots and lots of food for you to digest. However, if you're that person that needs or wants to stay fit, you might have to give yourself a break and lose some of that holiday weight before the year 2019 ends.

Luckily, you are not the only one thinking about creating some healthy diets as Google recently released the'Top 5 Most Googled Diets of 2019.'

Which among them will work for you?

If you have never heard aboutGolo Diet, you might have to check it out yourself. However, this diet seemed to be the least effective diet of 2019, based onAmazon reviews. Golo diet was created by the Golo company itself that sells supplements and promotes a balanced diet and exercise for its users.

The main idea behind the Golo diet is its promotion to lessen glucose content and maintaining a healthy level of insulin in the body. The company claims that one secret to lowering body fat level is through their 'Release' supplement product-- which may or may not work for you.

According toHealthline, 1,200 Calories Diet is popular mostly for women ages over 50 since their diet has the same calorie content, to begin with. Initially, if you're looking forward to lowering your body weight this coming 2020, one way to do it is through lowering your calorie intake.

This is how 1200 Calories Diet works. However, Dr. Liz Weinandy from Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center warned people that "it is not recommended that a person goes under 1,200 calories a day since it is very hard to get enough nutrients like calcium, protein, and magnesium on a calorie level less than 1,200."

Just like the most common warning to all that are aiming to get fit, diet meals always depends on your body type. That is why application Noom emerges in the stream-- targetingmillennialsmost of the time.Noom appallows you to have a tracker on the nutrition intake your food has.

For example, foods are divided into colors red, yellow, and green. Red as having the most calorie-dense food and green represents veggies and fruits. What's awesome in this app is that you can eat whatever you want even if you're on a diet. However, Noom app may also warn you in between.

Self-educated herbalist Alfredo Darrington Bowman is commonly known asDr. Sebifeatures a diet that can be categorized as a 'vegan diet.' Meals with meats are prohibited in Dr. Sebi Diet, along with drinking alcohol. Aside from this, you must also strictly follow Dr. Sebi's food pattern for life to achieve a continuously healthy lifestyle, according to Dr. Sebi himself.

Having the spot of the most popular and Googled diet in 2019 is theIntermittent Fasting Diet.This diet is more like a food routine or eating pattern rather than a diet. To have your body fit, according to an intermittent fasting diet, you need to have scheduled eating and fasting time for your body.

One popular method of this is called the 16/8 method. This means that you have to allocate 8 hours for eating, then you fast for 16 hours in between.

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Top 5 Most Googled Diets in 2019 and How Most of Them Don't Work Instantly - Tech Times