This article was originally published onCannabis & Tech Today, and appears here with permission.

Do you know that incorporating hemp seed into your diet comes with loads of health benefits?

This superfood is loaded with ahigh concentration of beneficial minerals and vitamins.

If you are looking to add hemp seeds to your diet, you should know how to use them and why theyre beneficial.

Here, you will learn about their health benefits and how to incorporate them effectively into your day-to-day diet.

Hemp plants are a special type ofCannabis sativagrown primarily for industrial use.

This plant produces hemp seeds.

Further, hemp plants are versatile, resilient, and grow extremely fast.

These plants can be processed and refined to produce a wide range of useful products, including paints, clothing, biofuel, biodegradable plastics, among others.

It will interest you to know that hemp seeds THC content is minimal.

Therefore, they are not psychoactive and do not get you high when you consume them.

One significant hemp strain that you should know is the Sour Diesel hemp flower.

It is a hybrid of Super Skunk and Chemdawg 91.

The strain has a unique aroma, flavor, and effect.

It has been used to develop other hemp strains.

Its well balanced andSour Diesel hempis a powerful antioxidant.

You might not reap this products full health benefit if you dont consume it the right way.

In other words, you must eat the right amount of these seeds for significant results.

Adding theseedsto your diet is straightforward.

You can add them to your salad or take them raw and even add the product to muffins, homemade bars, and other baked foods.

Hemp seeds come with a nutty flavor that is similar to that of pine nuts and sunflower seeds.

To gain the full health advantages of hemp seed, you must not exceed the products recommended daily intake.

Bear in mind that your daily intake might change if you intend to use the seed as a food supplement or treat a particular health condition.

Generally, the minimum recommended daily consumption of shelled hemp seeds is 42g.

If you plan to use hemp seed as a medication or food supplement, do not hesitate to contact your nutritionist or health care professional for advice.

Hemp seeds andCBD hemp oilare now available online from a variety of retailers.

With hemp seeds, you can enjoy the health benefits of cannabis without feeling the high.

Virtually all parts of the hemp plant are nutritious.

Apart from that, they containCBD, which can help alleviate the symptoms of several ailments.

Here are some of the health advantages of incorporating hemp seed in your daily diet:

Hemp seedcontains beneficial ingredients that help to keep your skin smooth and glowing.

The product contains Vitamin E and omega fatty acid that nourishes the skin, improving your skin texture.

Furthermore, it may also reduce the damaging effects of some environmental pollutants like Ultra Violet rays, dirt, among others, ensuring that your skin feels and looks attractive.

Hemp seed can also be used to treat skin disorders.

It contains the right proportion of Omega 3, responsible for alleviating skin conditions like eczema.

It works by moistening the affected region, reducing inflammation, and removing skin patches.

Furthermore, these seeds can alleviate psoriasis by minimizing water loss from the skin.

Hemp seed also reduces dark circles, pigmentation, fine lines, and the appearance of wrinkles by maintaining the skins oil level.

Hemp seeds are also useful for weight management as it contains abundant fiber that can help boost the digestion rate.

These seeds contain soluble and insoluble fibers.

The presence of both fibers in the seed helps to minimize belly fat.

The soluble fibers enhance the activities of gut microbes that can digest soluble nutrients. Also, insoluble fibers minimize toxin deposits in the body and improve gut health.

Stress can influence both the mental and physical well-being of the body, affecting an individuals overall condition adversely.

Some of the problems associated with chronic stress are premature aging, insomnia, loss of appetite, overheating, and an increased chance of developing health issues.

This superfood contains a large proportion of micronutrients that helps combat the symptoms of stress disorder in people.

It reduces stress by supplying the body with essential nutrients that will enable you to stay healthy.

Some of these nutrients include calcium, zinc, arginine, calcium, magnesium, glutamine, etc.

Hemp seeds also contain magnesium, a nutrient that improves thequality of sleep.

Therefore, you can alleviate insomnia and other stress-induced sleep disorders with the proper intake of this product.

The presence of omega fatty acid in Hemp seed gives it the ability to improve the health condition.

This superfood can maximize good cholesterol and reduce triglycerides in the body to enhance an individuals health.

Furthermore, it reduces the chances of developing conditions that restrict blood flow to the heart and boost artery pressure by balancing platelet aggregation.

Hemp seed is a dominant source for omega acid because it comprises bothomega-6 and omega-3, the most significant fatty acid.

It can also stimulate the production of docosahexaenoic omega acid (DHA) and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) in the body, which could minimize the chances of developing health conditions.

Hemp seed can be used in the treatment of inflammation and alleviate the pain associated with it.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is one of the constituents of Hemp seed that can reduce the severity of joints, tissue, and muscle inflammations; and alleviate pain in people suffering from intense pain.

This product has an antioxidant property, which makes it useful in treating muscle cramps and discomfort.

Apart from their nutritional benefits, you can use hemp seeds to combat and alleviate several health conditions that cause discomfort and pain in the body.

You can take the seeds raw, press to make oil, or grind them into a fine meal.

You should endeavor to visit your doctor or nutritionist for the recommended daily intake if you intend to use it to supplement or treat a health condition.

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Q: I have a bit of squamous cell skin cancer on my face. Im hoping that black salve will knock it out without my having to have surgery or radiation. My wife says I have to ask you first. So?

Hank F., Livingston, N.J.

A: Smart woman, your wife. Black salve is dangerous. While sellers claim it kills skin cancer cells and leaves healthy cells untouched, it actually erodes your skin, causing permanent scarring and disfigurement, often triggers serious infection and leaves cancer cells deep in the skin untouched. The Food and Drug Administration recently issued an alert saying that it should not be used to treat any condition, especially skin cancer.

What is this menace? It is a salve, cream or paste containing sanguinarine, Sanguinaria canadensis, or bloodroot, alone or in combination with zinc chloride. In some instances, the corrosive ingredients are listed on the ingredients label as inactive. The FDA says the ointment is sold as black salve, drawing salve, red salve, Cansema, bloodroot, Indian Herb, Hawk Dok Natural Salve, Black Drawing Ointment and other names.

Squamous cell cancer is the second most common form of skin cancer in the U.S., accounting for 15% of cases. Fortunately, its usually easily treated. The key is not to delay especially by messing around with dangerous, unproved remedies.

While were on the subject, there are many bogus cancer cures available online, and the use of all of them simply postpones effective treatment. The FDA says signs that a so-called cancer treatment is useless at best and dangerous at worst are claims that the product:

Treats all forms of cancer

Shrinks malignant tumors

Selectively kills cancer cells and tumors, leaving healthy cells intact

Is more effective than chemotherapy

There are complementary treatments (meditation, acupuncture, yoga, diet, exercise) that cancer specialists know help improve outcomes of treatment with proven medical therapies. So ask your doc about those, but avoid alternatives to proven care or youll risk making the outcome of your diagnosis far worse than it need be.

Q: I am supposed to beef up my red blood cell count Im anemic. But I am a pescatarian. What foods will help if I dont eat meat or dairy?

Joyce H., Chelsea, Vt.

A: While anemia can have a wide range of causes, including bone marrow disease, cancer, Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, peptic ulcer, celiac disease, kidney disorders and inherited conditions such as sickle cell anemia, nutrition-related anemia is the most common form. Fortunately, it can be eased by making diet changes and, if needed, taking iron supplements.

It often goes undiagnosed because the fatigue it causes can be attributed to everything from stress to sleep apnea. Then, if it gets too severe, it can lead to rapid heart rate, dizziness, shortness of breath and, when related to a lack of vitamin B12, dementia-like symptoms.

Make sure your doctor continues to monitor your symptoms and bloodwork to see if you need supplements, but your food choices can help a lot even if you dont eat red meat.

Eating fish means you are able to access a great natural source of iron. Tuna, haddock and sardines are iron-rich. Around 3 ounces of sardines contain 1.7 grams of iron.

Vegetables such as beans, lentils and cooked dark, leafy greens deliver an important additional amount of iron, but you may need to eat vitamin-C-rich foods with them to promote better iron absorption. So double up those vegetables with berries (strawberries), citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes and broccoli.

Certain whole grains are also loaded: Teff, quinoa, barley and whole wheat tortillas should be part of your weekly menus. Iron-fortified oatmeal is also a good source.

And to protect yourself from anemia related to a B12 deficiency, you should take half a multivitamin twice a day, or include nutritional yeast, fortified plant-based milks from oats, almonds, cashews, soy or hemp, and tempeh, algae/seaweed, and mushrooms in your diet.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of The Dr. Oz Show, and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen at youdocsdaily(at sign)sharecare.com.

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The risks of alternative cancer treatment; Diet-caused anemia - The Union Leader

Looking for an effective weight loss diet? Try the low-calorie, high-protein Atkins diet  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: The Atkins diet is popular among people who enjoy eating different types of food. The basic idea behind the Atkins diet is to impose restrictions on the intake of certain kinds of carbohydrates to aid the process and maintenance of weight loss.

It also helps in improving one's eating habits. This diet promotes the intake of healthy fats that can help improve levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol in the blood. Furthermore, it encourages protein intake, which would mean the consumption of fewer calories as protein induces a feeling of being full. The Atkins diet has four phases to it.

The foods allowed include eggs, sardines, salmon, coconut oil, avocado oil, chicken, pork, bacon, spinach, asparagus, kale, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, dark chocolate,green tea and coffee. Limited amounts of alcohol are also allowed.

The food to be avoided are candy, soft drinks, canola oil, soybean oil, wheat, rice, potatoes, bananas, grapes, apples, turnips, carrots, lentils, chickpeas and beans.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a healthy and easy to follow a diet to start your weight loss plan, the Atkins diet would be an effective choice to go with.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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Looking for an effective weight loss diet? Try the low-calorie, high-protein Atkins diet - Times Now

Maintaining a healthy diet full of fiber will go a long way to keep your colon healthy, according to Dr. Esther Cha, a colorectal surgeon at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne. She suggests patients eat25 grams of fiber a day by adding a variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals and breakfast bars to the menu. She also urges people to drink plenty of water to maintain good bowel health.

She suggests people begin getting colonoscopies around the age of 45. 50 used to be the suggested age, but she says doctors are seeing colon polyps and cancers in younger patients, perhaps because of changes in diet andlifestyle coupled withgenetics. Anyone with a family history of colon cancer should consider getting a colonoscopy at a younger age. Dr. Cha says problems found early are more easily treated.

She adds that changes in surgical procedures, such asminimally invasive and robotic operations are making procedures easier for patients.Incisions are smaller, there is less reliance on narcotics for pain management andrecovery time is faster. She adds that changes in post surgical care and protocols have also improved the time it takes for bowel function to return and for a patient to return to normal activity.

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Keep Your Colon Healthy with a Diet Full of Fiber - RADIO.COM

JYP Entertainment's resident psychiatrist gets candid about the pressure on female idols to diet and its detrimental effects.

On a special episode of You Can Talk To My Sister, a confessional type reality talk show under SBS Plus, a psychiatrist from JYP Entertainment got candid about the stresses that female idols face when they are told by the company to diet. The episode was broadcasted on December 10, 2020 and featured a woman who had decided to undergo gastrointestinal surgery to lose weight. She had gained the weight in the first place, from her first pregnancy, after which she could not get back to her original figure. After she shared her story of humiliation, feeling inadequate and unwanted from having gained so much weight and the lengths to which she was willing to go to lose the weight, the shows host arranged a video call with JYP Entertainments resident psychiatrist Yoo Eun Jung.

Dr Yoo revealed that whenever she speaks to idols under the company, they share their troubles and stresses regarding dieting and maintaining an ideal weight. She continued by saying that, There is so much pressure to be slim that many female idols go on extreme diets. Even IU and Jang Nara had bulimia. If you are stressed out, your stress hormones can go up and it can affect your body. It will turn your body into one that has difficulty losing weight." With this, she emphasized how stressing over losing weight can have adverse effects and in turn make it harder to lose weight.

JYP Entertainment is notorious for putting a particular focus on idols appearances. Previously, during SIXTEEN, Jihyo revealed the problems and humiliation she faced for not fitting the Korean beauty standard when it came to weight. In a past V-Live, Momo from TWICE also revealed that the one strict condition for her to be able to perform in her debut showcase was that she would have to lose 15 pounds in one week. For that week, Momo did not eat anything solid, spit all the time to remove water from her body and spent all her time in the gym. All she ate for that time was one single ice cube a day and when she went to sleep every night, she would fear for her life. Despite all that, she did not lose the assigned amount of weight in the stipulated time frame. Eventually, she was given more time and she could lose the weight. However, the question still remains at what cost?

IU has also admitted to suffering from eating disorders in the past. During an interview in 2014, she confessed that she would stress eat and sleep all the time but instead of feeling energetic and happy, she would be lethargic and plagued with anxiety. IU has since been receiving treatment to prevent relapsing into a similar situation.

It is clear to see, therefore, that idols have immense pressures of dieting which affect their mental health and overall happiness. As such, critics and haters should think a hundred times before commenting on someones appearance because we never know what they might be going through. This problem of body image within idols still persists and it is something that will take decades to change. However, no step is too small. As long as fans continue to show unwavering support towards idols, regardless of whether they're their favourites or otherwise, female celebrities will face considerably less pressure to conform to the beauty standards that society puts on them. With everyone doing their part, maybe the world will be a slightly better place eventually.

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While probiotics and prebiotics are just a small slice of our incredibly complex gastrointestinal system, they are very important for our health. Here's what you need to know about prebiotics and probiotics and how they benefit our body.

Trillions of little bacteria, along with viruses, fungi, and yeast, line every corner of our body and make up a miniature ecosystem, known as our microbiome. In our gastrointestinal system alone, there are around 1,000 species of bacteria, all of which can affect our health.

Prebiotics and probiotics are both important to the health of our gut microbiome, which helps digest certain nutrients and protect you from infection.

On the other hand, imbalances in gut bacteria known as gut dysbiosis can increase your risk of diseases like diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and cancer. Gut dysbiosis can occur due to:

"If you have any kind of chronic health problem, symptoms could be slightly reduced if we could add to your gut health and shift your gut microbiome to a more health-promoting microbiome," says Terry Wahls, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

To do so, it's important to understand the difference between prebiotics and probiotics, and how to get both into a healthy diet.

Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers that the human body cannot digest, but can become food for the good bacteria in your gut. These fibers aid in the healthy growth of gut bacteria, and can be found in the food we eat such as raw vegetables, beans, and bananas especially when they aren't ripe.

There can be many benefits to consuming prebiotics, like:

Increasing calcium absorption. Ingesting prebiotics may increase calcium absorption in the lower intestines. Calcium is important for bone health and building bone density, especially for those at risk for osteoporosis, says Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, a doctor of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic.

Processing food quickly. The fiber found in prebiotics is important for normal bowel movements. A 2013 review found fiber's bulk and water retaining abilities can decrease the time it takes to digest in the digestive tract.

Controlling blood sugar levels. Numerous studies have found fiber from prebiotics can reduce your glucose absorption rate, which can prevent spikes in blood sugar, prevent weight gain, and decrease the risk of diabetes.

A large 2010 study in Caucasians, Japanese Americans, and Native Hawaiians between the ages of 45 and 75 found high intakes of fiber significantly reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Most people should eat between 25 to 38 grams of fiber per day. Foods high in prebiotic fibers include:

You can also take prebiotic supplements such as psyllium or methylcellulose, but Wahls says it's important to eat more vegetables and other fibrous foods first. That's because supplements won't provide important vitamins and minerals found in fiber-rich food.

"Everyone's needs are going to be unique, depending on your microbes living in your gut," says Wahl. "For example if you have more blue stools, perhaps because of inflammatory bowel disease, that's going to be a lower fiber intake. But if you're constipated, you'll have a much higher fiber need."

A doctor might recommend a low-fiber diet or one with less prebiotics due to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or if you've recently had bowel surgery or a bowel-related problem.

Probiotics contain living strains of beneficial gut bacteria and yeasts. They maintain a healthy balance in your gut by boosting the number of good bacteria in the body and fighting off bad bacteria.

There are many kinds of probiotics, and each benefits the body in different ways. The most common species are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, both of which break down food and fight harmful bacteria.

The health benefits of probiotics include:

Strengthening digestive health. Probiotics may benefit people with digestive issues, such as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers.

A large 2019 review assessed children aged 18 and under who took antibiotics. It found those who took probiotics alongside antibiotics were less likely to experience diarrhea.

Meanwhile, a 2014 review of probiotics and irritable bowel disease (IBD), found probiotics can aid in the remission of ulcerative colitis a form of IBD and pouchitis an inflammation after IBD surgery. But, there is little evidence that probiotics can aid in treating Crohn's Disease.

Improving mental health. Research has found that the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system communicate, most commonly referred to as the "brain-gut axis." A 2016 review found supplementing probiotics for four weeks was efficient in improving psychiatric disorder-related behaviors like anxiety and depression.

Similarly, a 2017 review found positive results when treating depressive symptoms with probiotics, but the probiotic strains and dosing varied, and further research is needed. It's always smart to talk to your doctor about improving mental health before attempting to treat it on your own.

You can get probiotics by eating fermented foods such as:

While some people may prefer a supplement, according to Cresci, it's better to consume probiotics through food.

"The yogurt has your probiotic in it, but then you have these beneficial metabolites that you'll also be consuming at the same time," says Cresci.

The number of probiotics you should consume daily varies greatly. Since there is such a diversity in probiotics, the amount is not set, and often it can depend on daily changes in your gut condition and your body's needs.

According to Cresci, people who should not take probiotics without a doctor's approval include:

That's because these individuals should not be introducing new microbes into their diet, says Cresci. But everyone should consult with their doctor or a dietitian before beginning new supplements or considering different strains of probiotics.

What we eat is incredibly important, both for our body and for our body's microbiome. Prebiotics and probiotics are both important for keeping our gut balanced and healthy. The difference between the two is prebiotics feed live bacteria in the gut whereas probiotics are the live bacteria in the gut.

"We want to be good stewards to our microbiome," says Wahls. "And that's having enough vegetables, having enough fermented foods so we're getting enough prebiotics and probiotics and then when necessary taking supplements to further support restoration."

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Prebiotics vs. probiotics: Differences and health benefits - Insider - INSIDER