How To Avoid The Flu

What steps, if any, can people take to avoid catching the flu, aside from getting vaccinated?

Anne Norris, a professor who studies infectious diseases at Penn Medicine, says there’s still a lot of mystery about how the flu is transmitted, mostly because it’s not ethical to expose lab participants to an illness that kills thousands of Americans every year.

But outbreak reports have taught researchers more about how the flu spreads, like the case of a grounded airplane in the 1970s.

The plane’s ventilation system wasn’t functioning, and one person on board had the flu. For three hours, everyone on board breathed in the same air.

“Almost three quarters of the occupants of the plane acquired influenza from one fellow passenger,” she says.

Scenarios like that have taught scientists that the flu can be transmitted through the air we breathe.

So is there anything else we can do, on top of getting the vaccine, that will further our chances of not getting sick?  

Wash your hands frequently, and if you’re not sick, stay away from those who are. Eat a healthy diet all year round, not just during flu season. Sleep also seems to play a big role.

“I always joke around and say you should just kind of do the things that your mom or dad taught you to do when you were younger,” says Peter Bidey, an assistant professor of family medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

That means wash your hands frequently, and if you’re not sick, stay away from those who are. Eat a healthy diet all year round, not just during flu season. He says that means a lot of leafy greens, citrus fruits, and extra servings of vegetables.  

What about drinking lots of ginger tea or using other traditional remedies?

“I would never be one to say that a traditional remedy is a bad thing,” says Bidey, as long as it’s not harmful to one’s health. But studies on such remedies don’t persuade doctors to recommend them outright.

Sleep also seems to play a big role, Norris says.

“We do know that after vaccination, people that have a reduced amount of sleep or chronic insomnia are less responsive to the vaccine,” she says.

As for taking a ton of Vitamin C, if you feel cold symptoms coming on, Norris says, it probably won’t do much to help.

                                                            

Eating Nuts Won't Lead To Weight Gain Despite Being Full Of Fat—Here's Why

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we eat 30 grams (an ounce) of nuts each day—a small handful. But many of us know nuts are high in calories and fat.

So should we be eating nuts or will they make us gain weight?

In short, the answer is yes, we should eat them, and no, they won’t make us gain weight if eaten in moderate amounts. The fats in nuts are mostly the “good” fats. And aside from that, our bodies don’t actually absorb all the fat found in nuts. But we do absorb the nutrients they provide.

Dietary fat: friend or foe?

Nuts do contain fat, and the amount of fat varies between nut types. For example, a 30 gram serving of raw cashews or pistachios contains around 15 grams of fat, whereas the same amount of raw macadamias contains around 22 grams of fat.

There are different kinds of fats in our diet and some are better for us than others. Nuts contain mainly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats are known as “good fats.” They can help lower cholesterol when we eat them in place of saturated fats.

The type of fats present varies between nuts. For example, walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, whereas other types of nuts such as hazelnuts and macadamias have more monounsaturated fat.

What the evidence says

Even if the type of fat in nuts is good for us, they are still high in fat and calories. But this doesn’t mean we should be avoiding them to manage our weight.

Studies that looked at people’s eating habits and body weight over a long period have found people who regularly eat nuts tend to gain less weight over time than people who don’t.

We see a similar pattern in clinical studies that asked people to include nuts in their diets and then looked at the effects on body weight.

A review of more than 30 studies examined the effects of eating nuts on body weight. It did not find people who ate nuts had increased their body weight, body mass index (BMI), or waist circumference, compared to a control group of people who did not eat nuts.

In fact, one study found that when people ate a pattern of food aimed at weight loss, the group of people who ate nuts lost more body fat than those who didn’t eat nuts

There are several possible explanations for why eating nuts doesn’t seem to lead to weight gain
We don’t absorb all of the fat in nuts: The fat in nuts is stored in the nut’s cell walls, which don’t easily break down during digestion. As a result, when we eat nuts, we don’t absorb all of the fat. Some of the fat instead is passed out in our faeces. The amount of calories we absorb from eating nuts might be between 5 and 30 percent less that what we had previously thought.

Nuts increase the amount of calories we burn: Not only do we not absorb all the calories in nuts, but eating nuts may also increase the amount of energy and fat we burn. It’s thought this may partially be explained by the protein and unsaturated fats in nuts, although we don’t yet know exactly how this occurs. Increases in the number of calories burned can help us maintain or lose weight.

Nuts help us feel full for longer: As well as fat, nuts are rich in protein and fibre. So, nuts help to keep us feeling full after we eat them, meaning we’re likely to eat less at later meals. Recent studies have also suggested providing people with nuts helps improve the overall quality of the types of foods they eat. This may be because nuts replace “junk foods” as snacks.

People who eat nuts have healthier lifestyles in general: We can’t rule out the idea that eating nuts is just a sign of a healthier lifestyle. However, randomized controlled trials, which can control for lifestyle factors like eating habits, still find no negative effect on body weight when people eat nuts. This means the favorable effects of nuts are not just the result of nut eaters having healthier lifestyles—the nuts themselves play a role.

Overall, the evidence suggests nuts are a healthy snack that can provide us with many of the nutrients our bodies need. We can confidently include the recommended 30 grams of nuts a day in a healthy diet, without worrying about the effect they will have on our waistlines.

Elizabeth Neale is a Career Development Fellow at the University of Wollongong; Sze-Yen Tan is a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition Science at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University; Yasmine Probst is a Senior lecturer at the School of Medicine, University of Wollongong.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Trying To Lose Weight But Just Not Seeing Results? Here's What You Should Do Next

When you're following a healthy diet and making it a point to move more, it can be crushing not to see your efforts reflected on the scale. The reasons for it can vary — even lack of sleep and abundant stress can stall weight loss, for example — but that doesn't mean it's hopeless. Practice self-care, show yourself some grace, and try making these expert-approved tweaks to your diet and exercise routine to start shedding stubborn pounds.

Take Inventory of Your Diet

Even if you've consciously made it a point to eat healthier — for example, by swapping a burger for salad at lunch — you could still be underestimating your calorie consumption, Scarlett Full, MS, RD, nutrition scientist at Growing Naturals, told POPSUGAR. "[Putting a] half-cup of shredded cheese and quarter-cup of ranch dressing on a salad might make it as dense as the burger and fries."

Another thing that often goes uncounted are the tiny indulgences you give yourself throughout the day, such as a couple squares of chocolate from the work cafeteria or a glass or two of wine at the end of the day. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying these indulgences, but women may be unaware that those are the extra calories sabotaging their weight-loss efforts," Scarlett explained. To get a better sense of how many calories you're eating on any given day, she recommended food journaling for a few weeks, which can help make you more aware of exactly what you're putting in your mouth and where you need to make adjustments.

Once you have a good sense of your caloric intake, take it a step further and practice intuitive eating. "Learn to trust your body on when to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat, whether it's tofu and veggies or chocolate cake," Scarlett said. "Preliminary research indicates that intuitive eaters have less anxiety about food, enjoy food more, and even have lower body mass indexes."

Mix Up Your Workouts

"Many people get trapped into the same workout routine all the time — most commonly some sort of cardio activity," Scarlett said. "While this exercise might have initially helped you lose weight, as you get fitter, the same exercise is no longer as effective," since your muscles adapt.

Even if that weren't the case, it's not enough to do cardio alone. Resistance training is also essential for weight loss, according to Matt Kite, CSCS, USAW, director of education for D1 Training. "If fat loss is the goal, muscle building or at least muscle tissue maintenance is going to be key, as lean muscle mass aids metabolism," Matt told POPSUGAR.

To help bolster your efforts in the gym, make sure you're getting enough protein, too. Matt recommended a minimum of 0.4 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for someone looking to maintain or lose weight and 0.9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for someone looking to add muscle. "Anything in between is a good range for supporting lean muscle," he said.

Buy These 10 Items In Bulk And Help Keep Tons Of Plastic Trash Out Of The Oceans

Did you know that buying in bulk can help save money and the planet? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, around 45 percent of waste in landfills can be attributed to food packaging and containers. When you buy an item in bulk, there is no packaging. Buying in bulk always allows you to get just as much as you need, whether it means buying an ounce or a pound of peppercorns. No food waste!

Browsing the bulk section of your grocery store will open your eyes to all of the different types of food products available. There is probably something in at least a few of the bulk bins you haven’t tried. This way of shopping also gives you the opportunity to explore healthier options instead of buying prepackaged food that contains all sorts of ingredients you can’t pronounce. You will discover a lot of uncharted territory in these bins!

Wondering what items you should grab next time you’re perusing the bulk section? Grab your bulk bags and mason jars and get shopping!

1. Noodles

From linguine to rigatoni, you can pretty much find any shape, size, dimension of noodle in bulk sections. Personally, the dinosaur shaped noodles are a favorite, (found at my local Whole Foods). You can even find gluten free as well!

2. Rice

Brown or white. Long or short grain. Just like noodles, you can find just about any type of rice in bulk sections, (if your store has a pretty good selection).

3. Beans

Beans, beans, the magical fruit… (well you know the rest). Be prepared for a plethora of different kinds! If you see a type of bean that you have never tried before, give it a shot! This is the perfect place to try new foods, seeing as though you can purchase as little or as much as you want!

4. Granola/Dried Fruits/Baked goods

Bulk sections are loaded with a special section just for treats! From all different kinds of granola to dried banana chips, there is always a healthy snack option, (as well as chocolate covered pretzels, tea cookies, etc.). Your taste buds will certainly be singing with all of the new flavors going on!

5. Flour/Oats
It is so much easier to buy oats and flour from the bulk section. Usually, there is at least one gluten-free option, as well as a few different kinds of oats. You don’t have to deal with buying too much of anything and having to deal with the silly packaging. Also depending on the store,  you will find that these items are way cheaper in the bulk section than if you buy them prepackaged.

6. Pet Food/Pet Treats

If you are lucky, you can find a bulk store that sells your furry friend’s food in bulk. It is not uncommon to find that these places will also sell treats in bulk as well! If you can find these options, it is certainly something to take advantage of!

7. Nuts/Seeds

Just like granola and dried fruit, there are a plethora of options when it comes to finding nuts and seeds in bulk. These are great to have on hand to put in salads or soups and even just to have as a snack when you are on the go!

8. Spices/Herbs

Herbs and spices are definitely cheaper when bought it bulk. Again, it totally depends on the store, but from personal experience, it has been this way. You can buy just as much as you need and without packaging. No plastic packaging waste and no food waste. What is better than that?

9. Soap/Bath Salts/Lotions

Of course, these are not food items, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find them in bulk! Natural markets, natural food chain stores, (i.e. Whole Foods), and farmers markets often have these toiletries available to purchase without packaging. If you are one of the lucky people to have a Lush Cosmetics store near you, definitely check out all of the super awesome cosmetics that you can buy in bulk without packaging, (or with very limited packaging).

10. Nut Butters

This is definitely one for the mason jar! Some bulk stores have machines where you can self-serve your own nut butter into your container. Talk about super cool! Nut butters can include peanut butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, almond butter, etc. If you do not see this option at the bulk store near you, try buying the nuts in bulk and making your own.

It might seem like a lot of work to get into bulk buying, but just consider the fact that because you took the time to shop in the bulk section with your own containers, you have helped the planet! If something isn’t done about waste consumption, by 2050, it is estimated there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. Marine animals are at risk and with your help, we can change the world for animals, even just by simply buying in bulk without packaging.

When you have completed your bulk shopping, check out these tips for storing food without plastic, and #CrushPlastic for good!