Beautiful Amazing World

Eating seaweed salad may boost the efficacy of vaccinations and help treat cold sores, herpes, Epstein-Barr virus, and shingles. Billions of pounds of seaweed are harvested each year, the consumption of which “has been linked to a lower incidence of chronic diseases,” both physical and mental. For example, women who eat more seaweed during pregnancy appear to be less depressed and experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms. There’s a problem with these cross-sectional, correlational studies, however, in that they can’t prove cause and effect. Maybe seaweed consumption is just an indicator that people generally are following “traditional Japanese dietary customs,” which have lots of different aspects that could protect against disease. To know for certain whether seaweed can modulate immune function, you have to put it to the test. As I discuss in my video How to Boost Your Immune System with Wakame Seaweed , typically, researchers start out with in vitro studies, meaning in a tes...

MyWW Meal Prep | Hash Waffle, Bacon Pineapple BBQ Chicken, Protein Muffins

BuffBunny Collection Taste of Summer Launch | Try On Review | Felicia Keathley

Each of these delicious Summer Mocktail recipes gives you a refreshing, fruity drink to enjoy while you relax in the sunshine by the pool. The best part is they can be made in minutes with this easy-to-follow recipe book that features five refreshing recipes that are made with real fruit for flavorful  and healthy beverages that bring feel-good summer vibes. Click here to get your free printable recipe book featuring all five mocktail drinks > 5 Holiday Mocktails You Have to Try Read More The post Printable Recipe Book: 5 Refreshing Summer Mocktails appeared first on The Leaf .

Meal Plan and Grocery Haul

What’s the best time to exercise? When you can fit it in—even if that’s right before bed. You may have heard that exercising at night can make it harder to fall asleep, but that claim doesn’t add up: According to the National Sleep Foundation, a study of 1,000 people found that there were no significant differences in sleep quality between people who exercised within four hours of going to sleep versus those who had worked out earlier in the day. No matter what time of day you exercise, you’ll likely sleep better: In the National Sleep Foundation study, 83 percent of “vigorous exercisers” got “very good” or “fairly good” quality of sleep, compared to just 56 percent of non-exercisers. And working out before bed could actually improve your sleep quality further: In a review of 23 different studies, published in Sports Medicine , people who exercised within four hours of bedtime had more hours of deep sleep than those who didn’t do those workouts, says RunnersWorld.com. Getting qualit...

“Sex is important to health,” according to the Harvard Health Letter. “Frequent sexual intercourse is associated with reduced heart attack risk.” But, as I discuss in my video Do Men Who Have More Sex Live Longer? , that seems to be the perfect case of reverse causation. They’re implying that more sex leads to healthier arteries, but isn’t the opposite more likely—that is, healthier arteries lead to more sex? Blood flow in the penis is so reflective of blood flow elsewhere that penile Doppler ultrasound can predict cardiovascular disease. However, low frequency of sexual activity may predict cardiovascular disease in men independently of erectile dysfunction. This suggests that sex may be more than “just fun” and may also be therapeutic, or at least so says an editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine and colleagues in discussing whether or not “frequent sexual activity can be prescribed” to improve general health. In men, they suggest it’s because more sex means more testosteron...

Life may not be a bowl of cherries, but a bowl of cherries may do wonderful things for your life. We’re here to tell you why this summer fruit is the cherry on top of your healthy diet. When it comes to these sweet little red gems, you’ll be shocked that something so delicious can be so good for you. Our health and wellness experts have done some research on the benefits of cherries and how they can help you reach your weight loss goals. Superfood Saturday: Why You Should Eat More Cherries Read More Here are five reasons to add cherries to your SmartCarb shopping list: 1. Cherries put out the fire. Cherries can help you keep the pounds at bay during your weight loss journey by reducing a damaging process in your body called inflammation. Research shows that obesity can cause inflammation. It’s a chemical reaction triggered by your immune system that, in response to an injury, can help it heal. The problem is that when it becomes chronic, inflammation can cause significant d...

As a child, perhaps you found nothing more satisfying than the sweet treat of an ice-cold popsicle. The trouble is, traditional popsicles are packed with sugar and offer no nutritional value whatsoever. But what if there was a way that you could have a popsicle that not only satisfied your craving for something sweet, but also packed in some serious protein power? That’s the case with these three delicious recipes for protein popsicles, each of which has protein-rich ingredients that up their nutritional goodness. That means that with any of these recipes, you can let go of the guilt associated with indulging and simply just enjoy your treat to the fullest. 12 Mouthwatering Pudding Recipes to Savor Read More Check out the recipes for these three delicious protein popsicles that won’t derail your healthy diet: 1. Raspberry Lime Protein Popsicles > With just four simple steps, these yummy popsicles are easy to make while still being full of flavor. The unique flavor combina...

What I Ate Today and Prenatal Workout

Fathers Day Weekend Vlog! Lake Day | Felicia Keathley

Planning on a staycation this year because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? Join the crowd in not joining the crowd. Not going to the beach, the lake, the mountain or the water park puts a lot of pressure on your backyard to be the place you want to be, especially for fun summertime activities. Now is the time to plan for a summer picnic… and to have a plan to keep it healthy and diet-friendly! Here are five fun ways to enjoy backyard summer picnic food and still lose weight: 1. Load some veggies on that grill. Even veggie haters find grilled vegetables to be irresistible. That’s probably because this particular cooking method brings out their inherent sweetness. Slice up some onions, zucchini, eggplant, carrots and even cabbage “steaks,” then grill them up as a healthy side. To keep your meal diet-friendly, load up half of your plate with veggies. Trending now: the carrot “hot dog.” Cook whole carrots on the grill and serve them on a whole wheat frankfurter bun with all t...

  What effect do chia seeds have on weight loss, blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation? We’ve been eating chia seeds for more than 5,000 years. Historically, they are one of the main crops grown in the Western hemisphere. They are exceptionally high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, though, like flaxseeds, it’s better to grind them up. As you can see at 0:26 in my video Which Are Better: Chia Seeds or Flaxseeds? , eating two tablespoons of whole chia seeds every day for ten weeks led to no change in omega-3 levels, but consuming the same amount of ground chia seeds did lead to a significant increase in blood levels of both short-chain and long-chain omega 3s. “Ingestion of…milled chia seed compared to whole chia seed or placebo… appeared to have no influence on inflammation or disease risk factors,” though. As well, there was no change in body fat, blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, or any of the other markers of inflammat...

Pies are among America’s favorite desserts and a classic indulgence in the summer season. There’s nothing quite like a nice slice of pie to finish off a delicious BBQ dinner. Unfortunately, these summertime favorites and epic Labor Day desserts are traditionally packed with fat and sugar that can easily derail your healthy intentions and weight loss journey. But don’t get discouraged! While store-bought pies and traditional summer dessert recipes will have you loaded up on white flour, butter and sugar, our recipe developers at Nutrisystem and The Leaf Weight Loss Blog have created some diet-friendly options. Our healthy recipes will provide you with your fill of pie while keeping your healthy eating plans on track. These 10 summer pies use simple swaps and healthy ingredients to lighten up some of your favorite summer desserts. Here are 10 summer fruit pies for a seasonal and satisfying sweet treat: 1. Fresh Peach Pie > Nothing screams “summer” like a big slice of peach pie....