Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected billions of people around the world, enforcing a strict quarantine and other precautionary measures.

If you have been following this issue closely, you would know that the immune system is the most important factor that protects our bodies from this deadly virus.

Therefore, it is extremely important to keep healthy habits even during the quarantine for immune system optimization.

In this article, we will cover one factor –superfoods– that may optimize the activity of your immune system and reduce the risk of infections.

Note that I said “optimize” and not “boost” because the latter is not backed up by science, and any attempt to boost the immune system can be more devastating than its deficiency.

What is a superfood?

Scientifically speaking, a superfood is not an official classification since most people use it as a marketing strategy to describe a food that’s loaded in nutrients.

However, “superfoods” are supposed to provide the most health benefits for people.  It’s important to keep in mind that there is no magical food that’s going to heal all your diseases and make you healthy.

Each superfood has its particular nutritional values, which may be helpful for people with known deficiencies.

The benefits of superfoods

Listing all the benefits of superfoods is no easy task. This is because each food is structurally unique, which reflects the type of benefits it offers.

For instance, berries have been shown to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease, chronic inflammatory illnesses, and some types of cancer; this effect is attributed to the potent antioxidants found in this fruit.

Another example would be kefir, which carries several benefits, including improved digestion, reduced inflammation, and increased basal metabolic rate (BMR).

As you can see, each superfood has its own benefits, which is why we shouldn’t count on one food element to cover all the deficiencies.

A smart move would be to combine many foods to attain the maximum value.

Here is a list of the most common superfoods:

• Salmon
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Beans
• Walnuts
• Oatmeal

Note that the list is by no means comprehensive since there is no unified definition of a superfood.

Conclusion

Despite how beneficial some foods are, one should be careful when being the subject of an advertisement.

You see, most marketers are in this business for a quick profit, and therefore, they would tell you anything to sell their product.

This means that you’ll see a lot of false claims and misleading information to persuade you into buying that alleged “superfood”, where in reality, you could get more nutritional value from the store next to your home.

This is to say that you should do your research before buying any product, especially if the claims are too good to be true.

If you have any questions about superfoods, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

Overview

There is a common misconception that strength training (a.k.a resistance training) and muscle building is exclusive for athletes and young adults who want to show off their abs.

However, strength training is crucial for everyone, especially the older age groups, in which muscle atrophy starts to occur.  In fact muscle trophy is so prevalent in older adults it has a special name…sarcopenia!

There are several benefits to doing strength training, which affect all organ systems, including the heart, liver, and digestive system.

In this article, we will discuss the major benefits of resistance training and how it can drastically improve your health.

Top 5 benefits of strength training 

1 – Builds up lean muscle mass

During a strength training session, your muscle fibers will undergo microscopic tears, which activates the repair process, using growth hormones.

These hormones consist of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) that repair the torn fibers. However, and since your body is super smart, it will not only regenerate the damaged tissue, but it will also make the muscles bigger to handle future strains.

Subsequently, you will end up with a bigger muscle mass that helps you lift more weight, creating a virtuous cycle.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR WOMEN:  Resistance training will not make you look like the Hulk!  You don’t have the hormones required to grow large muscles.  You will become shapely, sexy, and healthy!

2- Burns fat while you sleep

The special thing about strength training is that you’ll be burning fat even after you stop working out. In fact, some estimates state that the fat-burning process lasts for days.

Most of the muscle repair occurs during sleep, which needs a considerable source of energy, and the only place to get that is the stored fatty acids in your adipose tissue (yep, that’s your fat!).

Therefore, you will be burning fat during your sleep!

3 – Increases BMR

Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is a metabolic parameter that’s used by physicians and nutritionists to measure the number of calories your body needs to keep your organs functioning.

This number is versatile and depends on several factors, including age, gender, body type, lean muscle mass, and the degree of physical activity you’re getting.

Fortunately, strength training significantly increases BMR, leading to more energy expenditure, which allows you to eat more calories without gaining weight.

4 – Increases bone mineral density

There is a consensus in the medical community about the importance of resistance training in bone health.

Researchers found that lifting weight increases bone mineral density by upregulating the activity of osteoblasts.

These bony cells are responsible for the deposition of minerals like calcium and phosphate to strengthen the bones.

So, forget about all those bone supplements…hit the weights instead.

5 – Reduces the risk of multiple debilitating diseases

Strength training reduces the risk of several maladies, such as coronary artery disease, blood hypertension, and some cognitive disorders.

This is mediated by a decrease in the number of risk factors (e.g. obesity, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle).

One particular ailment that benefits from weight lifting is type 2 diabetes.  Weight training results in increased insulin sensitivity of liver and muscle tissues.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we managed to convince you of the benefits you can expect from lifting weights.

If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comment section below, and we’d be happy to answer.

Overview

Over the past few years, several diets gained massive popularity, only to lose it after a few months. However, intermittent fasting has been steadily on the rise for more than two decades.

While the principle of this article may seem simple, several research papers support its benefits on our health.

If you’re not familiar with intermittent fasting, you can think of it as having two time windows;

during the first period, you can eat all the food you want (within reason…this isn’t the time to spend 12 hours at a buffet), but you must refrain from any meals when the second time window comes.

Many attribute the popularity of intermittent fasting to the fact that you don’t have to restrict the foods you consume or cut out any type of macronutrients.

In other words, you eat whatever you want when it’s allowed.

In this article, we will discuss the major benefits of intermittent fasting and review the scientific research that supports them.

Top 5 benefits of intermittent fasting

Narrowing down our list to include 5 benefits is no easy task; however, we tried to cover the most important ones.

1 – Weight loss

As you’ve probably guessed, the most important benefit of intermittent fasting is weight loss.

This is the result of several factors, including caloric deficit, improved hormonal regulation, and decreased insulin resistance.

Moreover, your basal metabolic (BMR) will go up, which helps you burn more fat at rest.

2 – Decreased insulin resistance

Researchers found that intermittent fasting can reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar levels. This effect is beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as for those at high risk.

Unfortunately, we still do not fully understand the underlying physiology that leads to this result, but many ongoing studies are trying to solve this mystery.

3 – Reduction in oxidative stress

Inside our cells, during everyday living, our bodies produce reactive oxygen species (i.e. free radicals) that destroy bacteria and other foreign pathogens (think of them as exhaust from our car engine).

These substances are important for our survival; however, they cannot differentiate between self-tissue and foreign tissue.

For this reason, the body has come up with a smart system that neutralizes these free radicals, using antioxidants to balance out the free radicals.

When the balance between free radicals and antioxidants is disrupted, we’ll be dealing with oxidative stress, which is a devastating metabolic state that’s been identified as the cornerstone of a wide range of diseases.

In a 2007 study, scientists found that intermittent fasting can significantly reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. This effect is partially why this diet decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

4- Improved cardiovascular health

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the number one killer worldwide, with a death toll of over 17.9 million people.

CAD is caused by the irreversible clogging of the coronary artery –major heart vessel–, which deprives the cardiac muscle of oxygen and nutrients, leading to ischemia and tissue death.

Scientists have able to identify some of the major risk factors for CAD. These include:

• Age
• Obesity
• High LDL
• Low HDL
• Blood hypertension
• Diabetes
• Smoking

Fortunately, intermittent fasting acts of several of these risk factors, which dramatically reduces the risk of CAD.

5 – Decreased risk of some cancers

Cancer is a debilitating disease that takes the lives of millions of people every year.

This ailment is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of tumor cells, which end up destroying the surrounding tissue and causing death.

Intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer and the growth of tumor cells in laboratory animals.

While these results are not revolutionary, they are still promising findings that warrant conducting more clinical studies.

Conclusion

Intermittent fasting is a fantastic diet to lose weight in a healthy way. However, you should be careful about the type of food you consume, as you still want it to be free of artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated fats, and refined sugar.

Hopefully, you are more familiar with the benefits of intermittent fasting after reading this article, but if you still have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below.