New Years resolutions are behind us and swimsuit season is just around the corner in the borderland. With February being both Heart Month and Chocolate Month, just where does that leave your diet?

Hopefully at the top of your to-do-list. Eating healthier is not something you can do just once a week, like the laundry. Changing eating habits is a bit like trimming the budget. It can be painful because everywhere you look there are reminders of ways to spend, be it money or calories.

Whether the diet changes you seek are for weight loss, living longer, feeling better or cutting your risk of a heart attack, here are some ways to get started and keep going.

Make a plan. If you have a goal like eating more veggies, map out how to get there. Maybe that means batch cooking your veggies on the weekend for healthy lunches, or using a shareable grocery-shopping app like Cozi to make sure you have healthy foods on your list.

Go all-in. Ill be the first to say that diets dont work. (And by diets, I mean a drastic, unsustainable diet change.) Sure, they work temporarily just like saying youll never do the Starbucks drive-through again to save money. But before you know it, forgoing the pleasure of that latte doesnt seem to be worth the $3.99 youll be saving. However, sometimes going all-in for a habit change is just the jump-start you need: 5 p.m. workouts followed by protein smoothies for a week instead of happy hour with fried appetizers could be what you need to feel and see the benefits of changing habits.

Small changes make a big difference. Being more active can help with your health goals. Debi Hicks, RD, LD, food service director at The Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus, says Dont forget that small increments of activity are helpful, too such as taking the stairs, parking farther away and even taking your pooch for a 10-minute walk. Hicks also recommends a FitBit or Apple Watch for extra fitness motivation.

Get the tools. Some people thrive on new gadgets. If youre one of them, buying a yoga mat, some cool running shoes, a NutriBullet or a Spiralizer will help you visualize and follow through on healthy habits you want to start.

Use the technology. There are many apps to help you toward a healthier you many of them free. Keeping a food and activity diary is the first recommendation I give to new clients. MyFitnessPal and MyPlate apps track food and activity.

If you love Instagram, try See What You Eat, an app that encourages you to stay on track by taking pics of everything you eat.

Rise Up + Recover is an app that helps you track what you eat and your mood, where you are and who you are with. This is a top pick for people who lean toward disordered eating.

The key to eating healthier and making it stick is finding the right balance between eating for health and eating for enjoyment. Use these recipes to jumpstart your healthy eating for 2017.

Bridget Swinney is an El Paso registered dietitian and blogger at http://www.eatrightmama.com. She has a virtual consulting practice and is the author of three books.

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Eating healthy: How you can make it happen - El Paso Inc.

Filling the gaps in our daily nutrition with tablets and powders isnt a new concept. The large demand for nutritional supplementation has made the industry an attractive one, leading to a congested and difficult marketplace for consumers to navigate.

While federal regulations do exist that dictate the type of claims that can be made on a supplement label, supplement manufacturers are not required to submit their products to a pre-market approval process at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like pharmaceutical manufacturers are required to do.

As the supplement industry has grown, supplement quality has been derailed and customer confusion has risen.

In 2007, the FDA issued the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) regulatory program that dictate federal guidelines for the preparation, purity, and accuracy of labeling nutritional supplements. While these regulations are presented as minimum expectations, supplement companies are mostly left to police themselves.

Fortunately for consumers, there are companies that choose to hold themselves to high standards and fully comply with the regulations issued by the FDA.

Heres how you can be absolutely certain that you are choosing a supplement company that is making high quality, safe, and efficacious products:

Look for third-party testing. Nutritional supplement brands can, and should, retain outside, independent companies to audit their manufacturing processes and test their products to ensure the FDAs cGMPs are being complied with, thus ensuring that the companys products contain the ingredients listed on the label in the amounts listed and dont contain any harmful ingredients.

NSF International has created an advanced certification program for supplements geared toward elite athletes. NSF Internationals Certified for Sport program tests products for more than 200 substances that are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (LINK). A supplement product that bears the Certified for Sport seal ensures that that the product contains exactly what the label claims it does, in the amounts listed, and nothing else.

Realize There is No Cure-All. Its illegal for a supplement company to claim that any of its products prevent, cure, or treat any medical condition. Supplements are intended to complement the diet and to support overall health and well-being. Any express or implied claims that a product will prevent, cure, or treat a medical condition is a red flag that the manufacturer isnt in compliance with the FDAs labeling regulations for nutritional supplements.Furthermore, if a supplements product label has a lot of buzz words that dont mean anything, such as white hot heat or blazing intensity the company is probably trying to distract you from a lack of evidence behind their product.

Companies often use phrases that imply theres science behind their product such as clinically proven but many of these claims are not backed by actual research. Be cautious of products claiming ancient formulas, cutting-edge science, miracle cures, or guarantees. A reputable and honest company will have contact information you can use to request further information for the research behind their claims. Lastly, if a product sounds too good to be true "Lose 10 pounds in one day" that's probably because it is.

Take a Lead from Sports. Be aware of ingredients banned in sports by agencies like the World Anti-Doping Agency and the United States Anti-Doping Agency. While these ingredients arent always prohibited for general consumption, these organizations see a problem with the ingredients, which should be a red flag to you as a regular consumer. Do your research to see if you should ban these ingredients from your nutritional game plan.

Watch out for warnings. Be wary of supplements with a long list of warnings or contraindications listed on the product label. Any serious adverse effects reported to a supplement company must be reported to the FDA by the supplement company.

Be an Educated Consumer. Registered dietitians are trained to evaluate the need for, effectiveness of, and safety of nutritional supplements. Always consult your health-care practitioner before starting a supplement regimen. The National Institutes of Health and the United States Anti-Doping Agency offer resources to help educate you on supplement before you use them.Always be sure to do your homework on your supplement company before taking their products.

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Safely Navigating the Supplement World - USA Hockey

PHOENIX, AZ(Marketwired February 22, 2017) When it comes to weight loss, some of the most important factors include genetics, general health, daily behavior and physical activities. Based on research, dieting is the most important component that affects weight gain or weight loss. By improving eating behavior, for instance, one can dramatically affect their weight. This is why emotional eating, binge eating and other common dietary abnormalities can have long-term effects of body weight. Effective weight loss generally involves losing more calories than you gain. Because one pound of weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories, one needs to reduce caloric intake by 500-1000 calories per day in order to lose 1-2 pounds per week. However, this type of extreme dieting is often starvation-based and therefore risky.

The starvation approach to dieting is nothing new. For example, the original hCG diet from the 1950s, also called the Simeons method, was practically a starvation diet that limited daily consumption to 500 calories. It led to many harmful side effects ranging from weakness to muscle loss. According to the Obesity Medicine Association, the hCG-based Simeons method and diet for weight loss is unsafe and not recommended.

There are healthy alternatives to dieting, however, and doctor-supervised dieting is always the safest approach. hCG can be applied more safely with a flexible diet program that necessitates between 800 to 1250 calories daily without reducing the rate of rapid weight loss. The Simeons method for hCG dieting is not only outdated but also unnecessary and unrecommended. High-calorie programs offering safe weight loss are the ideal option for patients considering the hCG diet treatment. Doctor-supervision and diet customization based on nutritional needs is highly recommended.

At Diet Doc, patients can get a thorough understanding of the weight loss needs and develop an individualized diet based on their nutritional needs or even their genetics. All Diet Doc programs, provide a doctor-supervised, customized diet plan.Instead of encouraging patients to adopt harmful dietary practices with no prior medical knowledge, Diet Doc consults with patients to provide a detailed weight loss plan based on their nutritional needs and medical history. Losing weight with Diet Doc is safe, simple and affordable. Nutrition plans, exercise guidance, motivational support, and dietary supplements are all part of the package. More than 90% of Diet Doc patients lose 20 or more pounds every month.

Patients can get started immediately, with materials shipped directly to their home or office. They can also maintain weight loss in the long-term through weekly consultations, customized diet plans, motivational coaches and a powerful prescription program. With Diet Doc, the doctor is only a short phone call away and a fully dedicated team of qualified professionals is available 6 days per week to answer questions, address concerns and support patients.

Getting started with Diet Doc is very simple and affordable. New patients can easily visit https://www.dietdoc.com to quickly complete a health questionnaire and schedule an immediate, free online consultation.

About the Company:

Diet Doc Weight Loss is the nations leader in medical, weight loss offering a full line of prescription medication, doctor, nurse and nutritional coaching support. For over a decade, Diet Doc has produced a sophisticated, doctor designed weight loss program that addresses each individual specific health need to promote fast, safe and long term weight loss.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DietDocMedical

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DietDocMedicalWeightLoss/

LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/diet-doc-weight-loss?trk=biz-brand-tree-co-logo

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Diet Doc Provides Customized And Healthy Weight Loss Alternatives To Starvation-Based hCG Diet - Military Technologies

Dog's get stressed too!

It's been clear for some time that cannabis is a hugely beneficial medicinal plant, and now that medical marijuana has been legalized in 28 states, more people can safely use this plant-based medicine without fear of prosecution. Given this new widespread appeal many people wonder if their pets can benefit from cannabis too, and the answer is yes they can, but they need a different form of cannabis than the kind you can pick up at the dispensary.

A special kind of cannabis for dogs, developed by vets from the hemp plant, allows your dog to experience the relief that cannabis can deliver, but because this is a low THC form of cannabis, your dog won't be exposed to any of the potential risks inherent with the regular strains. What's more, this type of cannabis is legal throughout the country!

Recreational cannabis is high in THC which is the substance that gives marijuana its psychotropic effects, and low in CBD, the beneficial medicinal substance. Hemp is just the opposite. It's high in CBD and low in THC.

Hemp Plant

Hemp Helps Reduce Anxiety

Dogs can experience anxiety under a variety of circumstances, such as being left alone during the working day, being shut away from the rest of the family (their pack), or being exposed to new people or something they've developed a phobia toward. And when they're anxious, not only are they distressed, they can also be destructive and aggressive, which invariably worsens the situation.

For some dogs with anxiety, a gentle dose of the pet-safe form of cannabis will be enough to calm them down and alleviate the stress that they feel. Other dogs with more pronounced anxiety issues may need to follow a program of gradual desensitization exercises. Cannabis for dogs can be helpful here too, because desensitization is much more effective if the dog is calm and relaxed during the process.

Hemp Boosts Immune System Health

A strong immune system is vital for your dog. A healthy immune system fights off infection and responds quickly to dangerous changes in the body that ultimately lead to cancer. Hemp is rich in antioxidantsfree radical neutralizers that prevent the cell damage which leads to disease. Adding cannabis to your dog's daily routine can also help to alleviate allergies and enable your pet to stop taking the drugs which keep them under control.

And It Even Reduces Joint Pain

As dogs age, they become increasingly susceptible to stiffness and joint pain which significantly impacts their quality of life. One way to help alleviate this pain is to feed your dog a raw food diet. A raw food diet eliminates carbohydrates; a significant factor in the inflammation which worsens joint pain. This diet is very simple to transition to, simply feed your dog fresh meat and bones.

A canine cannabis supplement is complimentary addition to this feeding regime. Cannabis for dogs further reduces inflammation and supports healthy joints, allowing your dog to regain mobility and his zest for life.

Before giving your dog any new supplement you should satisfy yourself of its safety and quality. Any supplement vendor should have a certificate of analysis (COA) available so that you can verify the product's exact constituents and its purity. If you have any concerns about giving your dog a hemp supplement, you should seek guidance from your vet.

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Magnetic - Magnetic Magazine (blog)

EurekAlert (press release)

Fasting diet 'regenerates diabetic pancreas' BBC News The pancreas can be triggered to regenerate itself through a type of fasting diet, say US researchers. Restoring the function of the organ - which helps control blood sugar levels - reversed symptoms of diabetes in animal experiments. The study ... Fasting-mimicking diet may reverse diabetesEurekAlert (press release) Fasting-Mimicking Diet: Can You Make it a Habit?ScienceBlog.com (blog) Diet that mimics fasting could reverse diabetes, study findsYahoo News Next Big Future -Hindustan Times -NDTV all 35 news articles »

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Fasting diet 'regenerates diabetic pancreas' - BBC News

BEIJING China is still coming to terms with President Trump, but his daughter Ivanka has never been more popular here.

Chinese companies have been scrambling to add her name to their products since her father won the U.S. presidential election in November. Theres even a new Chinese cosmetic-surgery firm offering the chance to look a little more like her.

An incredible 258 trademark applications were lodged under variations of Ivanka, Ivanka Trump and similar-sounding Chinese characters between Nov. 10 and the end of last year, records at the China Trademark Office show.

None appear to have a direct business link with the U.S. presidents daughter.

The trademark applications cover a dizzying array of products, including diet pills, anti-wrinkle cream, spa services, massage machines, cosmetic surgery, underwear and sanitary napkins.

Then there are applications for womens blouses, jewelry, swimwear and towels, as well for a whole range of products that seem to bear little relation to the business executive and former model: milk powder, canned food, honey, candy, coffee, wine and beer; mirrors, mattresses and sofas; medical equipment; and even agricultural technology.

Ivanka, of course, has her own line of fashion items and has registered nine trademarks in China, with 26 applications pending and three rejected. Her applications include items such as skin care and cleansing products, leather goods, purses, suitcases, umbrellas, dresses and other clothes, and computer software.

Ivankas pending applications were all submitted in May and June last year by Chinese attorneys Chang Tsi & Partners.

But many other companies want to take advantage of her fame.

Li Jun, the founder of Foshan Bainuo Sanitary Productshas applied for the trademark for the Chinese characters for a range of womens sanitary napkins, underwear and incontinence pads, using the usual transliteration of Ivankas name in Chinese, yiwanka (pronounced ee-wan-ka).

I first saw her giving a speech on television to support her fathers election, he said. I was captivated by her incomparable disposition and air, even the way she tucked her hair behind her ear. Her speech was full of elegance and charisma.

Ivanka was popular even before the election, admired for her fashion sense and what Chinese Netizens call her goddess good looks.

A video of her young daughter, Arabella, reciting a Chinese poem to celebrate Chinese New Year in 2016 went viral on the Internet here after the election, garnering nearly 9 million views in just a few days.

Ivanka won more fans when she and Arabella visited the Chinese Embassy in Washington to celebrate Chinese New Year this month.

[Ivanka Trump is surprise attendee at the Chinese Embassys New Years party]

I think her name will be very helpful for the publicity of our brand and products, because I believe she is a very positive role model for all women, Li said.

Other applications have been lodged for Ivanka, Ivanka Trump, and a few for the characters , which also spell yiwanka.

Another company in the southern city of Foshan had the foresight to register its name Foshan Yiwanka Medical Management just before the election. With just 15 employees, it offers cosmetic surgery around the eyes and nose, as well as liposuction and breast enlargement, said human resources manager Li Yunxing.

Young women in China like to change their looks to copy film stars eyes, noses and lips, he said. No doubt young women here want Ivankas big eyes, her pretty nose and lips and her flawless figure.

Her facial features, disposition and appearance are perfect, Li added, no matter whether they are judged by the beauty standards of the East or the West.

Taking advantage of or faking foreign brands is common in China, as is the practice of trademark squatting, whereby someone preemptively registers a spurious trademark claim in the hope they will later be paid to relinquish it.

Whether any of these trademark claims will be successful is another matter entirely.

Chinas enforcement of trademarks has been brought closer to global standards in recent years, and in January the Supreme Peoples Court issued guidelines specifically outlawing use of the names of public figures involved in politics, economy, culture and religion.

In December, the court also revoked the right of sportswear-maker Qiaodan Sports to use Michael Jordans last name written in Chinese characters, ruling that Jordan is well recognized here and should have the legal right to his name.

At Foshan Bainuo Sanitary Products, Li said he realized there was a possibility his trademark application would be rejected. But I have to try, he said. I cant let go of such a good name from this influential woman for our sanitary napkins.

President Trump has also waged several battles to trademark his own brand name in China, winning an appeal last year to claim the TRUMP name for construction services from a man named Dong Wei, who had held the trademark for a decade, apparently without using it.

Although trademark lawyers said there were sound legal reasons for Trump to have won the appeal, the victory did prompt speculation he may have received special favors from the Chinese government.

The Chang Tsi law firm declined to comment for this story, but if Ivankas company chooses to contest any trademark claims in China, the cases are sure to attract international interest and scrutiny.

Scott Palmer, a partner and leading trademark lawyer in the China office of Sheppard Mullin in Beijing, said he had seen no evidence whatsoever that the Chinese government had provided Trump any favors over his trademark. But, he added, the fact that Trump has long traded on the value of his name makes this uncharted waters for an American president.

How can you divorce yourself from your business interests, if your business is really your name? Palmer said.

Read more:

Trump is fighting for his trademark in China, home of Trump toilets and Trump condoms

Trump gets his trademark in China. But he wont be reaping the benefits.

Video of Trumps granddaughter speaking Mandarin is a hit in China

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From diet pills to underwear: Chinese firms scramble to grab Ivanka Trump trademark - Washington Post

Referring to heart disease, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD, asks, Why is there reticence to provide the public with guidelines that will spare them this disease or its progression? in an article published in The American Journal of Cardiology. The National Research Council position was that a dietary fat recommendation lower than 30 percent would be too frustrating for those attempting to achieve a significant reduction. Although it is uncertain to what extent people will adopt the advice, it is nevertheless scientifically and ethically imperative to inform the public what constitutes an optimal diet. We must tell the public the truth about what is best for their health, and let them decide their degree of compliance, he asserts.

My video belowexplains how Dr. Esselstyn challenged an expert panel to answer these questions from patients: Ill do anything, but I never want to have heart disease and Ive had a heart attack, and I never want another. Answers ranged from having them eat beans, beans, and more beans to time for the public to embrace a plant-based diet.

The recommended plant-based diet is not the same as vegetarianism. Vegetarians often consume all sorts of less-than-healthful foods, such as oils, margarine, dairy products, and eggs. Vegans do, too, for that matter. This new paradigm is exclusively plant-based nutrition, Dr. Esselstyn explains. In other words, it consists only of whole plant foods. Why exclusively? Because, as reported in the Cornell China Study, there does not appear to be a threshold beyond which further benefits do not accrue with increasing proportions of plant-based foods in the diet. It appears the more plant-based foods and the fewer animal-based foods, the better.

In a separate paper published in The American Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Esselstyn acknowledges that he is acutely aware of the castigation that accompanies recommending a plant-based dietnamely that the recommendation will be met with skepticism and hostility on the part of the general publicthough less so these days as millions jump on the plant-based wagon. But that hostility is peculiar, Dr. Esselstyn continues, because many cultures sustain themselves with such a diet, enjoying its taste, texture, and variety, as well as its health-promoting qualities. However, dietary preference is deeply personal, and one can easily be offended. Nevertheless, the public has a right to know the truth as understood by experts in nutritive biology about what constitutes the safest and healthiest diet. I couldnt have said it better. The public has a right to know the truth.

Some criticize this exclusively plant-based diet as extreme or draconian. Websters dictionary defines draconian as inhumanly cruel. A closer look reveals that extreme or inhumanly cruel describes not plant-based nutrition, but the consequences of our present Western diet, Dr. Esselstyn writes, adding that having a breastbone sawed in half for bypass surgery or a stroke that renders one an invalid unable to speak can be construed as extreme, and having a breast, prostate, colon, or rectum removed to treat cancer may seem inhumanly cruel. Thats extreme.

In health,

Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: If you havent yet, you can subscribe to my free videoshereand watch my live, year-in-review presentations2015:Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet, and my latest, 2016:How Not to Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers.

Related:

Why was Heart Disease Rare in the Meditteranean? How to Eliminate 90% of Heart Disease Risk Can Oatmeal Reverse Heart Disease?

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Optimal Diet: Just Give It to Me Straight, Doc - Care2.com

Low Salt Diet Improves Blood Pressure in CKD Renal and Urology News Limiting dietary sodium to 2000 mg a day clinically and significantly reduced 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure by 10.8 mmHg and excess fluid retention over 4 weeks, compared with usual diet. Whole-body extracellular volume and calf ...

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Low Salt Diet Improves Blood Pressure in CKD - Renal and Urology News

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The Environmental Working Group has just released its new Cancer Defense Diet, developed based onexisting research linking diet to cancer and designed to help people consume more cancer-fighting foods through a varied, plant-based diet.

The real strong evidence for reducing cancer risk in terms of diet is focused on broader dietary patterns, explains EWG Senior Scientist Curt Della Valle, Ph.D., director of the organizations Cancer Prevention Initiative, noting that the synergy of nutrients in a varied diet is more likely to have cancer-fighting benefits than a sole fad superfood.

Those might be part of a healthy diet, but thinking that any one nutrient or one food source is going to be the cure-all probably is not true, he says.

EWGs philosophy in creating the Cancer Defense Dietwas to makeinformation about cancer-fighting foods more easily accessible, thus encouraging people to abide by these guidelines.

Most people know thateating more fruits and vegetables is good for you, explains Della Valle, But most people, at least most people in the U.S., arent doing that.

He and his team believe that by presentingnot only the what, but also the why of adiet based oncancer-fighting foods, EWG is offering people the ability and the motivation take control of their own health.

The Cancer Defense Diet website includes anutrition calculator, whichallows people to check whether theyareconsuming cancer-fighting foods or likely carcinogens.

EWG also highlights food pairings that can enhance the bioavailability of nutrients and phytochemicals or even reduce risk factors in possibly carcinogenic foods. Della Valle notes, for example, thatthe nitrates in hot dogs are a big concern from a cancer perspective andare less likely to become carcinogenic when consumed with vitamin C or another antioxidant.

Its great to have more resources out there to help people transition to a plant-based diet, says MicheleSimon, JD, MPH, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Association, of the new diet. In addition to education, however, we need policy change to help ensure that people have access to healthy, plant-based foods.

Simon notes that while there is definitely a consumer shift toward a more plant-based way of eating, increasing the availability of plant-based foods and continuing to promotethem through policy change are also important factors infurthering these healthy living goals.

Related on Organic Authority12 Tips for Maintaining a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet in a House of Meat-Eaters Federal Report Finds Plant-Based Diet Is the Best for the Planet More than 400 Carcinogens Are Probably in Your Body Right Now, Says EWG Report

Emily Monaco is an American food and culture writer based in Paris. She loves uncovering the stories behind ingredients and exposing the face of our food system, so that consumers can make educated choices. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Vice Munchies, and Serious Eats.

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New Cancer Defense Diet Calculator Released by EWG - Organic Authority