But before you hit the stores, whether it’s online or at Whole Foods or Sprouts, we want to help you sort the best from the rest. We realize that with this Tsunami of plant-based products, it can be tough to not feel overwhelmed. That’s why we are bringing you our favorites of the week, so you can decide what to try and buy and what to skip.

For a helpful list of products by category, we have created the Beet Meter, where we rate each product by taste and health, using a set of criteria that was created by an RD, who came up with fair and objective attributes that tell you what is the best, healthiest and tastiest plant-based chicken, non-dairy cream cheese, vegan cheese and more. And not to be dogmatic about it, we welcome your ratings as well, so you can share your favorite plant-based products and let others know what to buy when they are adding more meatless and dairy-free alternatives to their shopping carts.

Here are the latest plant-based products to add to your grocery list or cart, from Lucy Danziger, Stephanie McClain, Hailey Welch, Caitlin Mucerino, Max Rabb, and Louisa Richards – aka the editors of The Beet –– since we are living the plant-based life and want to make it easier for you to do it too! Have a great, healthy plant-based week, from our kitchen to yours!

What’s your current favorite plant-based product? Let us know on our Facebook page.

Lucy’s Favorite Plant-Based Product of the Week

Dr. Steven Gundry MD‘s Honey Nut or Polyphenol Macadamia bars

When you worry that your gut microbiome is out of whack, and your energy is flagging and you don’t want to eat a bunch of garbage (like the salt and vinegar potato chips that I hear calling my name from the kitchen cabinet) the last thing you want to do is eat something highly processed with preservatives and added sugar, salt or unnecessary oils. But how to choose a snack that won’t send blood sugar soaring and your gut microbiome into a state of chaos by punching up the bad bacteria that tips the balance in the wrong direction? That’s where Dr. Steven Gundry comes in.

Author of The Plant-Paradox, and most recently The Energy Paradox: What to do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has got Up and Gone and creator of the Lectin-free diet (aka the Plant Paradox Diet), Dr. Gundry understands that not all “healthy” food is created equal – which is why he has launched his own line of snack bars that provide exactly the nutrients your body needs to fuel up without the junk that causes it to power down, energy-wise.

Our gut health is tied to inflammation in the body, our risk of heart disease, and even our moods. When we eat more plant-based food, the billions of microbes in the gut respond and help our bodies metabolize that fiber and healthy nutrients, lowering the inflammation and even our bad LDL cholesterol. (When we eat foods that aggravate our gut, whether it’s sugar, meat, or in some of our cases, lectins found in certain fruits and vegetables and nightshades) the inflammation goes up and can actually make us bloated, gain weight and feel low-energy, which is why he calls it the Plant Paradox. For more on these types of “anti-nutrients” you may want to learn about whether to be concerned with lectins, oxalates, and tannins.

So that’s a long way of saying why we should care about these bars. But the reason to love or enjoy Dr. Gundry’s snack bars is that they taste clean and satisfying, just sweet enough to hit the spot, without that cloying added sugar to burn your throat and leave you listless in a short amount of time.

The Honey Nut Bar has is made with real Manuka honey (so vegans will want to skip), macadamias, pecans, almonds, tocopherols, and contains 5 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of sugar (from the honey. The Polyphenol Macadamia  is made with unsweetened dark chocolate, polyphenol-rich olive oil, macadamias, cocoa powder, hemp seeds and contains 7 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber and 0 grams added sugar.

Try the bars, and if you’re curious, try more of his products. I may not be one of his “super fans” (I know people who are and swear by his approach to avoiding lectin foods), but since I happen to love tomatoes and eggplants and many lectin-containing fruit and vegetables, including nightshades, which he warns against. But I can enjoy his bars for a mid-morning snack and you will too. Guarantee it.  You can purchase Dr. Gundry’s Bars here. 

Stephanie’s Favorite Plant-Based Product of the Week

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Gigantic! Smashing Pumpkin Sortasweet Plant-Based Candy Bar

It’s no secret that I’m a loyal fan of Gigantic!’s plant-based candy bars. Not only are they vegan and strike the perfect balance of sweet and savory, but they also come in the ideal portion that leaves you wanting just a crumb more.

This fall, Gigantic!’s offerings are only getting better with the recently-debuted Smashing Pumpkin flavor. I was lucky enough to try these ahead of time and let me tell you – this flavor encapsulates the joy of being a child on Halloween. The taste is something I can only describe as the smell of the inside of a trick-or-treating pillowcase stuffed full of candy after a successful neighborhood haul. Smashing Pumpkin captures the nostalgia of Halloweens past with a forward-looking ingredient list that’s totally plant-based and contains no animal products.

Check out this new flavor in time for fall or, if pumpkin isn’t your thing, the Banana Pecan, Almond Horchata, Salted Peanut, or Hazelnut Café are all equally as incredible.

You can purchase Gigantic! plant-based candy bars on the brand’s website.

Louisa’s Favorite Plant-Based Product of the Week

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Bol Salad Jar

The bol salads come in reusable jars with a biodegradable wooden fork inside and all you need to do is empty out the dressing and shake it up. It’s convenience food made healthy. I tried the Japanese Rainbow Slaw Salad at our local coffee shop in the UK and it hit the spot for a filling nutrient-dense lunch. The Asian-inspired recipe contains brightly colored veg, black rice, and turtle beans for a good balance of macros and is dressed with delicious soy, white miso, and ginger sauce. With 12 grams of [rotein and only 280 calories, I think this is a great choice for lunch.

Bol Foods are available online here https://bolfoods.com/

Caitlin’s Favorite Plant-Based Product of the Week

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Sweet Loren’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have tried my fair share of plant-based, gluten-free cookies and nothing is as good as Sweet Loren’s. My non-vegan sister actually introduced me to this brand and it’s now become the only cookie brand my family buys at the grocery store.

Sweet Loren’s cookies are made with cleaner ingredients and I personally love that I can enjoy a sweet treat without worrying about what’s in them. The chocolate chip flavor tastes just like a homemade cookie but healthier. These are the softest gluten-free cookies I have ever tried and they have the perfect hint of sweetness from the chocolate chunks you get in every bite. If you love a soft, chewy cookie, bake it for 11-13 minutes.

Besides chocolate chip, Sweet Loren’s also has 3 other flavors including Fudgy Brownie, Sugar and Oatmeal Cranberry. All flavors are gluten-free, plant-based, Non-GMO certified as well as peanut and tree nut-free. If you are a fan of raw cookie dough, Sweet Loren’s has a range of raw cookie doughs that you can eat without having to pre-heat the oven.

To buy Sweet Loren’s cookies, click here. 

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Hailey’s Favorite Plant-Based Product of the Week

Every weekend I make a trip to my local farmer’s market to stock up on fresh produce for the week and last weekend I stumbled across a vendor called The Complete Burger which sold vegan and gluten-free veggie burgers made with local organic Shiitake mushrooms, organic red quinoa, lentils, black beans, red onions, organic garlic, gluten-free oat flour, organic ground flaxseed, olive oil, spices.

These burgers are hands-down my favorite vegan veggie burger I’ve ever tasted. The patty is hearty, wide, and durable unlike most frozen patties that are small in size, thin, and oftentimes bind with breadcrumbs to stay in one piece. However, this product is as natural and organic as it gets, and aside from the appearance and texture, the taste is perfectly savory, earthy, and everything you want from a fresh veggie burger.

I make my burgers in the toaster oven if I’m short on time but I like them best cooked on the grill with slight chard marks for extra crispiness. Then, I top it with the classics, sauteed onions, sliced tomatoes, and avocados, and I make a homemade vegan spicy aioli sauce to top off the masterpiece. If you’re looking for a healthy, delicious, veggie burger made without any preservatives with a homemade flair, then try this patty for yourself and you won’t go back to your go-to store-bought patty, because I can’t. I don’t want a veggie burger any other way from now on. Not to mention, each box comes with six patties, perfect if you’re serving guests, family, or want tasty meals throughout the week.

To purchase your vegan vegetable burgers, visit the Complete Burger website.

Max’s Favorite Plant-Based Product of the Week

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HungryRoot Superfood Almond Butter

HungryRoot’s supercharged almond butter is the perfect small breakfast or a quick snack for any day of the week. After getting my first pouch of this nutritionally charged almond butter, I was hooked. The almond butter recipe contains chia seeds, Gogi berries, and hemp seeds to maximize the nutritional value of this delicious food. Packed with extra fiber, omega-3s, and antioxidants, the Superfood Almond Butter is one of the best additions to breakfast I can think of.

The Superfood Almond Butter makes for a perfect addition to morning smoothies. The flavor mixes extremely well with any of your typical fruit smoothie options, and it will give your morning that boost of vitamins and nutrition that everyone needs. If you aren’t a smoothie person, don’t worry. HungryRoot’s almond butter product is perfect as a solo spread for toast or to eat with an apple or banana. It can also work perfectly as a topping to an oatmeal bowl. No matter which way you choose to use it, you and your body won’t be disappointed.

Check it out on HungryRoot’s website here.

The post The Best Plant-Based Products to Buy This Week, From The Editors appeared first on The Beet.

So we put together this guide to help you be a savvy shopper and avoid “green halo” marketing traps. Here are some of the foods you may have thought were healthy that you should actually eat sparingly.

Are All Vegan Foods Healthy?

Food companies and retailers have become skilled at using buzz words such as “low-fat,” “natural,” and more recently “plant-based” or “vegan” to encourage people to buy their products under the guise of being healthy. However, if you look closely at the list of ingredients on the back, you may find that these products are heavily processed and contain excess amounts of sugar, fat, salt, flavorings, fillers, or artificial coloring.

To avoid succumbing to the perception of vegan = healthy, you need to first read and then be able to understand food labels, rather than being enticed by clever packaging.

How to Know if a Vegan Food is Healthy

Healthy food is as near to its natural state as possible. Vegetables, fruit, grains, and legumes, in their whole state (without the outer husks removed or being processed), are the best types of food to eat. Whole foods provide your body with the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber it needs to function properly and manage your weight.

The best foods to eat – vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains – are in such a natural form they don’t even need a food label. So eat whole foods as the majority of your diet, but if you choose to add processed foods, be sure to read the label and look out for the following.

Are Processed Foods Bad for You?

When reading a food label, look for a shorter list of ingredients that you recognize as food rather than long names of additives, preservatives, and fillers. Processed food falls into a wide spectrum — from minimally processed can of lentils to ultra-processed plant-based burger and pre-made microwave meals.

Frozen vegetables, pre-washed salads, canned beans, and jars of passata are all foods that are minimally processed and convenient to include in a whole food plant-based diet.

Avoid ultra-processed foods that bear little resemblance to anything that grows in the ground — these foods may be marketed as healthy even though they’re heavily processed. (Look out for fillers, flavorings, colorings, added sugars, and a lack of natural ingredients.)

Reduce Added Sugars

Dietary guidelines recommend that we limit added sugar in our diet to no more than ten percent of total calories, which equates to about 50 grams per day on a 2,000 daily calorie diet. Added sugars are listed on food labels, and you can also look for ingredients ending in “ose” – the last letters in the names of most sugars – such as sucrose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, and also other types of sugars such as corn syrup, invert sugar, and molasses.

Macronutrient Ratios are Important

Look at the macronutrients of foods to help you stay within the recommended guidelines. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 advises that adults consume 45 to 65 percent of their calories as carbohydrates, less than ten percent of total daily calories as saturated fat, and no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (which is about a teaspoon of salt). Adults also need 25 to 31 grams of daily fiber a day, and the best way to get this is through whole foods such as vegetables, grains, and legumes. Paying attention to these amounts on food packaging can help manage weight, diabetes risk, and blood pressure.

10 Vegan “Health Foods” to Avoid

The following foods are marketed as being healthy by many manufacturers and are shelved in the health foods section of supermarkets or health food stores. But many of these foods contain added sugars or other ingredients that are not part of a whole foods plant-based diet.

1. Energy bars

If you’ve just done a half-marathon, been hiking all day, or maxed out your hour-plus gym workout then an energy bar may be what you need to refuel. However, most people who are sedentary or minimally active don’t need all the carbs and calories that come in these packaged energy bars.

Chances are it would take hours to burn off the “energy” in these wrappers, and if you’re sitting at your desk, you’re not going to expend that amount of calories. They call them energy bars for a reason: they are energy-dense containing added sugars, fats, and calories. Some have as many as 360 Calories, 15 grams of fat, and 50 grams of carbohydrates per bar.

2. Premade fruit smoothies

As tempting as delicious fruit smoothies can be, they’re not the best choice for managing weight and regulating energy. Some smoothies contain added sugars or filler juices such as grape juice, so look out for these on labels. Even if your smoothie is made simply from fruit with no added ingredients, it can still contain around 35 grams of natural sugar – which can spike your blood glucose and lead to weight gain if you make a habit of having a smoothie every morning. The same goes for that acai bowl, which can have more calories than lunch.

It’s useful to remember that when we eat whole fruit, our digestive system needs to break down the cell walls of natural fiber to release the sugars and beneficial nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. When consuming a fruit smoothie or juice that’s been frothed and blended, all that hard work your body would normally do has been done by the machine, so the sugar gets released more quickly and will store as fat if you don’t burn off that energy. Some smoothies contain over 500 calories, so if you drink one, think of it as a meal.

3. Sweetened plant-based milk

Most plant milk is ultra-processed and over half of the available products on the market contain added sugar, according to a 2021 study. Avoid sweetened or flavored plant milks,  which tend to have higher amounts of added sugar.

Plant milk can be the basis of transitioning from dairy to a healthy plant-based diet and there are many alternatives available that contain no added sugars or less added sugars so look at the label. It’s useful to remember that four grams of sugar equal one teaspoon — so if you wouldn’t put two teaspoons of sugar on your oatmeal in the morning, why pour it on instead?

4. Fruit yogurt

Plant-based fruit yogurts can contain about 16 grams of sugar in one small container. Not all of the sugars in a fruit yogurt are added — some come from fruit or juice. But if you’re trying to manage your weight or lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, it’s too much sugar to consume in a so-called healthy snack. Instead, try unflavored and unsweetened yogurt such as coconut or almond, and top it with some fresh berries or apple slices and cinnamon.

5. Sweeteners

Although agave nectar, coconut sugar, and brown rice syrup are natural, they are still sugar. That means you still need to be aware of how much you’re using. Agave nectar has a low glycemic index (GI) so retailers often market it as healthy, but it has a high fructose content which research indicates is detrimental to weight and the risk of diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Coconut sugar is another naturally high fructose sugar and rice syrup has a very high GI of 98, while vegan honey contains sugar or other natural sweeteners. While these natural sweeteners are empty calories, other sweeteners such as molasses and maple syrup contain some nutrients such as iron and antioxidants but you still need to use them in moderate amounts. Some people may prefer to use stevia as a sweetener if they are trying to manage their weight or diabetes.

6. Vegan butter or margarine

Your favorite plant-based margarine and butter spread may include saturated fat and oils that are not good for you. These alternative spreads are processed foods made from oils high in omega-6 fatty acids (which we eat too much of in a western diet) and contain flavorings, colorings, and preservatives. Look for tropical oils such as palm oil, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil that are high in saturated fat high up on the label. Even if it says “made with olive oil,” chances are the first ingredients are something less healthy for you.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t use a little of these for sandwiches or on toast now and then, but just be aware of how often you use processed products such as these, that have little nutrient content (some may be fortified with vitamins) apart from fat.

7. Flavored rice cakes

Somehow rice cakes got a reputation as a healthy diet food and everyone decided to snack on them. But in fact, even plain rice cakes are a high glycemic index food, meaning they spike your blood sugar. The ones that are sweetened are even worse and full of salt and artificial ingredients, so this “health food” is anything but. Choose whole-grain varieties and top them with a natural protein such as almond butter or hummus to slow down the release of energy and keep you full longer. This will also help you avoid weight gain.

8. Dried fruit

Dried fruit is synonymous with “healthy” but those apricots you love are a much more concentrated form of sugar than the whole fruit, so watch out for how much you consume.

A single ounce of raisins – or about 16 raisins – contains 17 grams of sugar, a quarter cup of dried mango, or about 9 pieces, contains more than 26 grams of sugar, and a cup of dried mixed fruit that you may use in baking contains 106 grams of sugar. Instead of adding dried fruit to your trail mix, try some fresh blueberries instead.

9. Sports drinks

Sports drinks can contain over eight teaspoons of sugar and studies say they are contributing to childhood obesity as youngsters drink more than they burn off at recess. Unless you’ve engaged in vigorous activity for more than an hour, there’s little need for these sports drinks to replace the fuel in your body.

10. Breakfast cereal

We all know that most breakfast cereal is full of sugar but the ones that market themselves as healthy or full of natural ingredients are trying to separate themselves from the rest. Even granola packaged to look wholesome or that states on the package it is “heart-healthy” could be fooling you until you read the label. Check to see the added sugar, total carbs, fat, and fiber per serving. The higher the fiber the better, of course. A healthier option is to top whole-grain oats (the kind of Oatmeal you make from scratch, not the packets full of brown sugar) with fresh berries and nuts and serve with unsweetened plant mil.

Bottom Line: Stick to a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet When Possible.

Look for high levels of salt, sugar, and fat, which may derail your efforts to lose weight or eat a healthy diet. Eat mainly whole foods, and if purchasing packaged foods look for brands that are minimally processed and have a shorter list of ingredients.

For more great research-backed content, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. 

The post 10 Foods That Sound Healthy But Are Better to Avoid appeared first on The Beet.

Duckweed gets its name from the fact that it grows in ponds and still water, and can overproduce to an abundance, making it a sustainable form of plant-based “clean” protein and nutrients. But does it taste like a pond? Here’s the lowdown on duckweed’s health benefits and what we think after a week of trying duckweed ourselves.

What is Duckweed?

Duckweed is the common name for the aquatic plant Wolffia globosa, a tiny (less than 1/64 of an inch) pond plant that grows on the surface of the water and is known the world over as a source of protein for both animals and humans. Duckweed is the only plant source for humans that contains complete protein (all nine essential amino acids) as well as iron, vitamin B12, plus other key nutrients.

Duckweed has been consumed for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia where it is known as “vegetable meatball” due to its high-protein content (over 45 percent of its dry matter).

Now an Israeli company, Hinoman has developed this tiny super green into a frozen product, for the consumer marketplace and has the sole rights to the Mankai strain. Along with the health benefits, Mankai duckweed has a minimal ecological footprint, produced with a hydroponic system that doubles the plant’s mass every 72 hours using minimal water and light.

Duckweed can be grown and harvested year-round making it a sustainable protein source. By contrast, protein from animal sources requires vast amounts of natural resources to produce and accounts for more greenhouse gases than all the transportation systems combined.

The Health Benefits of Duckweed

There are some serious health benefits of duckweed, including the fact that studies have confirmed that duckweed is not just a nuisance pond plant that clogs up drains, but a nutritious source of protein and other nutrients. Here’s how duckweed can benefit your health and make a valuable addition to a mostly plant-based diet.

1. Vitamin B12

Plant-based sources of vitamin B12 are rare to find, but researchers demonstrated that Mankai is one such source in a 2020 study in Nutrients. Another study found that Mankai duckweed raised blood B12 levels more than soft cheese.

However, in order for plant-based food to be deemed to provide sufficient vitamin B12, it has to demonstrate that it can correct a deficiency, and more studies are needed to prove this.

Therefore, including Mankai in your daily diet can provide some of this essential nutrient, but if you are eating a strict plant-based diet still need to take a B12 supplement.

2. Protein

Some plant foods, such as quinoa are a ‘complete protein’ containing all the amino acids our bodies need to make protein. When you look at protein it’s not just the grams that matter, but the amino profile. Add Mankai to the list of plant foods that are equal to animal protein as a complete protein.

Studies suggest that Mankai contains all nine essential amino acids —the ones we need to get from food—in a ratio equivalent to that of eggs. Additionally, another study found it has similar protein to soft cheese and green peas. One serving (three frozen cubes) of Mankai contains ten percent (five grams) of the daily value for protein.

When you add other protein-rich ingredients to your smoothie along with the Mankai cubes —nut milk, hemp hearts, or seeds, you could get a good amount of your daily protein requirements by breakfast.

3. Heart and Liver Health

We know that the Mediterranean diet is good for health but a recent study found that the addition of more plants and the elimination of animal protein makes the “Green Mediterranean” diet even healthier.

The 2020 randomized controlled trial published in Heart found that a ‘green’ version of the Mediterranean diet that included Mankai duckweed, green tea, and walnuts (and involved consuming significantly less animal protein) decreased waist size and cholesterol — both risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Additionally, another study found that the Green Mediterranean diet doubled fat loss in the liver and halved non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to other healthy diets.

4. Blood Sugar Regulation

Duckweed – which is high in fiber – can help regulate blood sugar, which helps balance energy levels and lowers insulin response, which in turn helps us maintain a healthy weight. A study published in Diabetes Care showed that a duckweed shake had better effects on insulin and blood sugar than a yogurt-based shake.

When obese participants consumed a duckweed shake instead of their evening meal, they felt fuller and had a lower blood sugar response by the morning than when they consumed a balanced protein and carbohydrate yogurt shake.

5. Nutrient Content

Duckweed has an array of beneficial nutrients that are essential to health. For example in a study on iron levels and anemia, duckweed helped to maintain iron levels in the body and helped reverse anemia in lab animals.

The Mankai brand of duckweed that is available to consumers has the following nutrition profile compared to some other common superfoods:

• Equivalent to the iron in six cups of spinach
• The same amount of folic acid as 12 asparagus or one cup of beets
• Equivalent to the vitamin A in one cup of red pepper
• The same amount of zinc as in one cup of cooked quinoa
• 10 times the omega-3 per gram as spirulina

6. Antioxidants and Gut Health

We know that a plant-based diet gives us an array of beneficial antioxidants to help fight free radicals and disease, and duckweed is an excellent source of these powerful plant compounds.

As part of the Green Mediterranean Diet study, researchers revealed that Mankai duckweed contains approximately 200 antioxidant compounds that may help to boost good gut bacteria. The scientists believe that the two-way relationship between the polyphenol compounds in Mankai and the gut bacteria may contribute to beneficial effects on weight and health.

I Tried Mankai Duckweed

Trying duckweed in my morning smoothie for a week, I found that I wasn’t as hungry as usual and didn’t need to eat a meal until mid-afternoon. Meanwhile, my concentration and energy were both great.

Mankai is marketed as having a neutral taste. In my opinion, there is a grassy, earthy taste, slightly stronger than the flavor of other greens, but milder than wheatgrass. In a smoothie, I usually include some frozen spinach cubes and find this flavor milder than Mankai, which can take some getting used to, but I don’t think it’s too overpowering, and I was more accustomed to it by the end of the week.

Bottom Line: Mankai Duckweed boosts protein, B12, and other nutrients.

After trying it for a week, and researching its numerous health benefits, I think it can be a healthy addition to a plant-based diet, providing some of the nutrients that are trickier to consume with plants alone. Try it for yourself at eatmankai.com (but take note that the brand is no longer selling duckweed to the U.S. market) and see how you get accustomed to the flavor and reap the rewards for your health.

For more expert advice, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. 

The post Add Duckweed to Your Smoothies for Complete Plant-Based Protein appeared first on The Beet.

James went on to become a leading authority on gourmet raw meals, teaching how to eat this way in both Britain and America. Now James explains that he takes a more balanced approach to food that has not only kept his skin clear but helped him to lose weight and get fitter and lose the “Dad bod.” He shared his story and expert tips with The Beet.

Raw food and juices cleared my acne in seven days

James’ first job aged 16 was at Burger King, and while he enjoyed the perks of the job like free food, he developed a bad case of acne. By his twenties, he hadn’t grown out of it (as despite trying everything – Accutane, skin creams, antibiotics –and nothing would clear it) but his skin became itchy, dry, and red.

Acne affected his confidence and social life, he explains, ”I was very self-conscious of it at that age, and would just not go out,” adding that he also avoided talking to anyone about it.

If bad nutrition had caused acne, perhaps good nutrition could help fix it, he thought. After saving up his salary from a grocery store job, he managed to afford a 2-week retreat in Thailand that involved detoxing with raw food, fiber-filled juices, and coffee enemas. After seven days, he was amazed to find that his acne cleared up (it improved within three to four days) and James realized the power of food. He went on to repeat this three more times and started taking raw food classes, which started his journey to becoming The Raw Chef.

How can raw food heal acne?

James believes that a key reason raw food cleared up his acne is due to the connection between the liver and the skin, ”everybody’s different but I would say if there is commonality it’s to do with the liver”

Even now, he uses herbals such as milk thistle, maca, and Reishi mushrooms to support his liver and skin health.

Plant foods support the liver because they contain the vitamins, minerals, and other plant compounds that your liver needs to process toxins safely and effectively. Additionally, plant foods contain fiber, which nourishes beneficial bacteria in the gut and keeps your digestive system moving. When your body excretes waste it helps reduce toxins from the food we eat.

An extra benefit of eating raw food is that it maintains vitamins, antioxidants, and enzymes intact that usually get destroyed by cooking.

Tips and pitfalls when starting a raw food diet

The main pitfall that James sees when people start a raw food diet is that they believe they have to be 100 percent raw from day one, which may suit people who are excited by a complete kitchen overhaul – and go out and purchase a dehydrator, a blender, a sprouter, and new ingredients – but many people benefit from doing it more gradually.

”If you don’t know how to make raw food, it is a new skill, it’s not just like ‘I’m going to cook but without heat.’ It’s a completely new thing and you’ve got to give yourself time to learn”, he says.

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Add in rather than take away

James tells people that rather than just take everything out of your diet all at once, add raw ingredients, meals, and spreads into your repertoire. “Learn how to make fermented sour cream, for example, or to make one dish.”

At first, he ate a steady diet of kale salads as they were satisfying and easy to make, ”if you can shop for and learn to make three dishes without a recipe, all from memory, that’s a really good start,” he explains. However, if you’re having trouble digesting an ingredient such as raw kale (which makes some people feel bloated), lightly steam it. “Listen to your body and do what you need to do,” he advises. ”I got arrested by the raw food police when I gave an option to steam kale in a recipe. Everyone attacked me for not being a proper raw food chef” he says, ”but I like to inject a bit of real life into what I do.” Now he publishes a recipe of the week to help people add more ideas to their repertoire.

How a whole foods diet and exercise helped me get in shape

After 15 years of following a raw food diet, James realized his body needed something else and he started eating different kinds of foods, not all of them good. “By 2018 I’d cultivated early signs of a ”Dad bod.” He had heard the phrase ”eat like an adult” on a podcast, referring to not avoiding food groups and eating a balanced diet, and he started a website,  eatlikeanadult.com, to help people cook whole foods in a healthy way.

At the same time, James decided to get back in shape and embarked on a four-month body transformation with a personal trainer, eating a wide variety of whole foods (not strictly plant-based) and working out with weights three times a week. He shares his before and after pics on his website.

Food choices are personal and should not be judgmental

James believes in a non-judgmental stance about personal dietary choices and food, and he says he does not believe in demonizing certain foods or diets. He sees people going from one extreme diet to another, blaming themselves when their approach isn’t working – when really they should be listening to their bodies and do what’s right for them. ”We’re all so different, that often a prescribed diet can take us away from creating what would truly benefit us: A personalized diet based on whole foods and home cooking” he says.

People who’ve tried Russell’s raw food courses have experienced life-changing health benefits such as increased energy, and they credit the change to helping them take up running and having the stamina to play with their grandchildren. Raw food has helped some people experience less brain fog, and find relief from constipation, or achieve clear skin. In Russell’s experience, eating raw food feels “light, nourishing, and cleansing.”

”As long as you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, these are [raw food] skills that will last you for life” he says. James continues to teach Raw Chef online cooking classes, free courses, and offer recipes.

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Bottom Line: For a natural approach to treating acne, try a raw food diet.

Diet is rarely offered as a treatment for acne, even though 50 million Americans suffer from acne each year, and nearly 85 percent of teenagers are affected by acne at some point, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Acne can result in permanent scarring, poor self-image, depression, and anxiety. Doctors treat acne with topical treatments, antibiotics, and hormonal therapies.

The AAD doesn’t recommend any specific dietary changes but says there is emerging evidence that high glycemic index diets and dairy may play a part. There is very little research on the influence of diet on acne compared to the amount invested in research into drug treatment. However, some drugs to treat acne have been linked to depression and suicide.

Natural approaches such as dietary changes are worth trying for someone who is suffering the physical and psychological effects of acne.

The post Raw Food Cured His Acne, but Eating Whole Food Got Him In Shape appeared first on The Beet.

Is Coconut Oil Good for You?

Studies have touted coconut oil’s ability to turn back the progress of Alzheimer’s, prevent obesity, and boost weight loss, as well as cure bacterial infections. But what is the truth in all this hype? And are there serious risks in consuming more than a small amount? We looked at the research into coconut’s supposed health benefits and found that there is more than one answer to the question: Is coconut oil actually as healthy as it is cracked up to be?

Coconut oil got its first big break on the world’s health stage when a 2016 article published in The New York Times reported that 72 percent of Americans believed coconut oil to be healthy, while only 37 percent of nutrition experts agreed. Why the discrepancy? Who was right? For one thing, the experts noted, coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fat, which is well-known to contribute to heart disease. But what about all those other supposed benefits such as MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides)? Or research into the health of eating the meat of the coconut itself?

As a qualified nutritionist, at the start of researching this article, my expert opinion on whether coconut oil is good for you would be this: Not in large amounts, no, but as an occasional cooking oil it’s fine. Additionally, I thought it may have benefits for keto dieters.

After reviewing the latest evidence, I’ve realized that some of the facts that people base their love of coconut oil on are flawed. Furthermore, there are limited quality studies and some unanswered questions. Another caveat is it depends on your health priorities and goals. Keep reading to get the lowdown on coconut oil.

The Health Benefits (and Drawbacks) of Coconut Oil

A deep dive into the research reveals the beneficial effects of coconut oil for Alzheimer’s disease or as an antimicrobial agent against infections have not been studied to a great enough degree to recommend it as a treatment for either condition. One thing to smile about? The practice of oil pulling with coconut oil to rinse out and cleanse bacteria from your mouth, gums, and the tiny spaces between your teeth can improve your dental hygiene.

But those are sideshows compared to the main event: The serious question as to the health profile of coconut oil focuses on its potential effects on your heart health since coconut oil is largely made up of saturated fat. The American Heart Association advises that we limit eat our sat fat intake to no more than six percent of our daily calories — or about 11 to 13 grams a day on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Red meat, full-fat dairy, and other animal products contain saturated fat, so if you’re eating a whole food plant-based diet for heart health, just by avoiding these animal fat foods, you have a head start in protecting your heart – and overall health.

However, tropical oils that are solid at room temperature, such as coconut and also palm oil, contain high levels of saturated fat. Coconut oil contains 90 percent saturated fat while palm oil is about 50 percent saturated fat. Health experts tell us to avoid saturated fat to protect our hearts and prevent us from developing diseases associated with obesity.

Does Coconut Oil Contain Saturated Fat?

A tablespoon of coconut oil contains 11.5 grams of total fat and 9.57 grams of saturated fat, so if you use this to stir fry your favorite veggies and tofu you’ve used up your allowance for sat fat for the day. If you put three coconut oil cheese slices in your vegan sandwich, you’ve reached your limit. Or you might have snacked on an energy bar after the gym and not realized it contained 6 to 7 grams of saturated fat. If you ate all three of these foods in a day you would have doubled your recommended daily intake of saturated fat. And if you do that often enough, you will increase your risk of heart disease.

Because so many plant-based products contain coconut oil, such as non-dairy ice cream, coffee creamers, yogurt, and other foods that tout that they are “low carbs,” it’s easy for your coconut oil intake to creep up without your knowing it, and the result can be a rise in LDL (so-called bad) cholesterol, leading to artery blockages, high blood pressure, and ultimately heart disease. It can also contribute to weight gain.

Anyone concerned with heart disease needs to be mindful of how much coconut oil they inadvertently consume – as well as palm oil, which retailers add to many vegan products including plant-based butter spreads.

Simply eating a plant-based diet is not enough to be heart-healthy; you need to avoid ingredients that can raise your risk of heart disease as readily as animal products.

Coconut Oil and Heart Health

Most of the recent research that reviews the results of coconut oil studies says that we should avoid it. A 2020 systematic review of 16 clinical trials concluded that coconut oil causes higher LDL cholesterol than using non-tropical plant oils. A prior review of 21 research papers had already found that replacing coconut oil with unsaturated fats can reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

And another 2020 Cochrane Library review of 15 studies found that cutting down on saturated fat led to a 21 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Not specifically about coconut oil, the study concluded: “that reducing saturated fat intake for at least two years causes a potentially important reduction in combined cardiovascular events.”

So it seems that recent studies overwhelmingly suggest that we should be avoiding sat fat. So why do some sources say coconut oil is good for us? Where does that opinion originate?

Is Coconut Oil the Same as MCT Oil?

There is a basic misconception that coconut oil is MCT oil, which has been enjoying popularity among keto dieters who believe it promotes fat burning. But medium-chain triglycerides (aka MCT oils) are not the same as commercially bought coconut oil.

Most of the claims about coconut oil’s health benefits are actually based on medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. One example of the confusing research:  A 2018 clinical trial suggests that coconut oil is no worse than olive oil, with both not causing an increase in LDL cholesterol, compared to butter which did. The authors suggested that it’s too simplistic to classify fats as either unsaturated or saturated since fats can be different ‘chain lengths’ and this affects their health properties.

The main argument that coconut oil is a healthy fat says the medium-chain fatty acids that it contains are absorbed quicker in the body and easily converted by the liver for energy (rather than a longer route through the digestive system). Based on this theory, people who follow a keto diet use specially formulated coconut oil, and other sources of MCTs to help them achieve ketosis quickly and accelerate fat loss.

However, research indicates that lauric acid (the main fatty acid in coconut oil) acts more like a long-chain fatty acid, being digested as normal rather than going straight to the liver, so it doesn’t have the same benefits as MCTs. Furthermore, the MCT oil that scientists use in studies is a much more concentrated form than coconut oil and people would not have the same beneficial effects by eating a normal serving of coconut oil as they would be consuming a studied dosage of MCT oil.

Additionally, much of the evidence of the benefits of coconut oil comes from populations who consume coconut flesh (the white meat inside the hard exterior) or as milk or cream, as well as having a healthy traditional diet devoid of processed foods. This is very different from the relatively new phenomenon of extracted coconut oil that shows up in processed foods such as vegan cheese, ‘health’ bars, and fake meats.

However, just to further the confusion, some studies have indicated that coconut oil raises beneficial HDL cholesterol, but whether this is enough to outweigh its deleterious effects on LDL and heart disease was at best inconclusive.

Coconut Oil Alternatives

So considering the evidence and expert opinions, it’s safe to say that we should not be eating too much coconut oil. There are many other plant oils that you can use instead, and these contain healthier polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils. Research suggests that replacing animal fats with vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, and safflower) is a good strategy to improve heart health.

What is the Healthiest Oil for Cooking?

Experts advise us to choose oils that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat rather than saturated fat. For example, the American Heart Association lists oils such as canola, corn, and olive oil as cooking oils that are better for health. However, many vegetable oils are less stable for cooking because of their unsaturated ‘carbon bonds’ which can lead to oxidation and create free radicals. It’s therefore important to only heat oils to their smoke point, avoid re-using oils, and discard any oil that smells rancid. Additionally, only buy smaller amounts of oil and store it in a dark place to stop it from going rancid.

According to a 2018 study by the Modern Olives Laboratory Services Australia that looked at what happens to oils when they are heated, extra virgin olive oil is the most stable oil to cook with closely followed by coconut oil. The study showed that the smoke point didn’t predict the oil’s performance when heated and that the best oils produced the fewest polar compounds which are harmful to health.

In summary, coconut oil is higher in saturated fat so may not be a good choice to cook with for people who are trying to reduce the amounts they eat or are at risk of heart disease. However, as coconut oil produces less harmful compounds when heated it may be a good choice to occasionally cook with for some people.

Some oils are best used for salad dressings and in cold dishes as they don’t stand up to heating well, but others can equally be used for stir-fries and light sauteeing. If you’re looking for a coconut oil alternative, consider trying any of the below.

• Olive oil: As a key part of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil has numerous health benefits due to its polyphenol compounds which are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Research suggests that polyphenols are beneficial for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Refined olive oil has a higher smoke point and is best for cooking, but keep your more expensive cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on salads.

• Avocado oil: Avocado oil is a mainly monounsaturated oil with similar anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to olive oil. As well as being delicious to use as a cold-pressed oil to drizzle on salads, studies confirm that it performs well at high temperatures and is suitable for cooking.
• Hemp oil: Hemp oil is a valuable source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and makes a delicious nutty addition to salads, grilled vegetables, or smoothies.
• Flaxseed oil: Another excellent source of omega-3 on a plant-based diet is flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil is one for including in smoothies or cold dishes.
• Walnut oil: Walnut oil is a rich source of omega 3 and makes a change from olive oil for salad dressings.

Bottom Line: Consume Coconut Oil in Moderation.

Vasanti Malik a research scientist at the Harvard Chan School characterized coconut oil as “neither a superfood nor a poison.” She advised that its role falls somewhere in between and that we should consume it in small amounts or as an occasional alternative to other vegetable oils while still adhering to the recommended guidelines for saturated fat intake. I tend to agree.

For more foods that may be hijacking your diet, check out these plant-based and vegan foods you may want to avoid, according to RDs.

The post Is Coconut Oil Really Good for You? Here’s What the Research Says appeared first on The Beet.

You’ve possibly come across the term “anti-nutrients” from someone in your circle questioning the health benefits of a plant-based diet, asserting that anyone eating vegan or plant-based winds up missing out on all sorts of minerals and vitamins, leading to deficiencies and health issues due to the fact that they get a majority of their protein from legumes such as beans.

Is there any truth in this? Yes, some truth. Anti-nutrients can hinder the absorption of some minerals, but the benefits of eating plant-based foods that contain oxalates, tannins, and lectins vastly outweigh this caveat. Furthermore, preparation and cooking methods can reduce anti-nutrients to lower levels, so there’s less risk of becoming deficient in minerals.

Compared to the standard American diet full of saturated fat in red meat and dairy, diets that are mostly plant-based can provide more essential nutrients, balancing anti-nutrient effects.

Let’s look at some facts and dispel some myths, and make it clear that eating plant-based foods with all their powerful vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, healthy fiber, and immune-boosting micronutrients far outweigh not eating them.

What Are ‘Anti-Nutrients?’

Plants produce compounds that protect them from infections and being eaten by animals or insects. When humans eat these plants, scientists refer to these compounds as anti-nutrients because they can also have some adverse effects on humans.

Anti-nutrients are in many foods in a plant-based diet, such as legumes, grains, some vegetables, tea, wine, leafy greens, and nuts.

Are Oxalates, Lectins, and Phytates Bad?

In general, healthy people need not worry about so-called anti-nutrients if they eat a balanced plant-based diet. However, people with certain health conditions should be aware of their intake.

A 2020 review by Dr. Deanna Minich, a scientist, and expert in nutrition and functional medicine, evaluated anti-nutrients and their threat to health. She concluded that the benefits of consuming a colorful, plant-based diet far exceed the impacts on mineral absorption by phytates, lectins, and oxalates.

According to Dr. Minich, antinutrient compounds seem to exert their effects in higher quantities or in isolation, and this isn’t how people eat. When someone eats a balanced plant-based diet, they consume thousands of other beneficial compounds that protect them from the adverse effects of anti-nutrients.

Additionally, what scientists have referred to as ‘anti-nutrients’ may be therapeutic agents beneficial to health, but more research is needed to know for sure.

What Do Anti-Nutrients Do?

While healthy individuals need not worry about so-called anti-nutrients, people who have certain health conditions should be aware of them in foods.

Harvard Health advises people at high risk for diseases related to mineral deficiencies, such as osteoporosis with calcium deficiency or anemia with iron deficiency, to monitor their food choices for anti-nutrient content.

Furthermore, someone with thyroid disease may wish to monitor goitrogens because of their ability to inhibit iodine uptake. Finally, people with breast cancer or a family history of it should speak to their doctor about consuming phytoestrogens research is still conflicting.

Still, there are ways of preparing and cooking foods to reduce the anti-nutrient content.

So that people know which foods contain so-called anti-nutrients, we’ve devised the following list, including their potential health effects and tips for how to reduce them. First, however, someone must note that most of these foods are healthy additions to a plant-based diet and not be scared of eating them freely!

Different Kinds of Anti-Nutrients

What Foods Contains Lectins?

Food that contain lectins include: Peanuts, beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, wheat, beans, cereals.

Potential health effects: Altered gut function, inflammation, reduced absorption of calcium, iron, phosphorous, and zinc. However, according to Dr. Minich, human studies are lacking, and laboratory studies do not simulate real-world scenarios where people consume lectins in smaller amounts. Furthermore, there is some evidence that lectins may effectively treat cancer, although more research is needed.

How to reduce lectins: Soaking, boiling, fermenting

What Foods Contains Oxalates?

Food that contain oxalates include: Spinach, Swiss chard, amaranth, sweet potatoes, beets, and rhubarb contain the highest amounts, but grains, nuts, and tea contain much less. However, a balanced diet typically contains only small amounts of oxalates.

Potential health effects: Soluble oxalates can reduce the absorption of essential minerals or contribute to kidney stone formation.

How to reduce oxalates: steaming, boiling, soaking, pairing with high calcium foods

What Foods Contains Phytates?

Food that contain phytates include: Legumes, cereals, rice, amaranth, quinoa, millet, nuts, seeds.

Potential health effects: Reduced iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium absorption, may be beneficial anti-inflammatory effects too, but more research is needed.

How to reduce phytates: Soaking, boiling, germination, fermentation. However, iron and zinc leach into the water when soaking, which causes a loss of these minerals

What Foods Contain Glucosinolates or Goitrogens?

Foods that contain glucosinolates or goitrogens include: Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip greens, millet and cassava.

Potential health effects: Inhibits uptake of iodine and may cause goiter or hypothyroidism.

How to reduce glucosinolates or goitrogens: Steaming or boiling; however, this may also reduce beneficial compounds such as glucoraphanin, which metabolizes into the anti-cancer compound sulforaphane.

What Foods Contain Phytoestrogens?

Foods that contain phytoestrogens include: Soy and soy products, flaxseeds, cereals.

Potential health effects: Controversial evidence – possible endocrine disruptors causing an increased risk of hormonal cancers, but also benefits for menopausal hot flashes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.

How to reduce phytoestrogens: cooking, fermenting

What Foods Contain Tannins?

Foods that contain tannins include: tea, cider, wine, cereals grains, berries, apples, stone fruits, nuts, beans.

Potential health effects: Some studies indicate that tannins reduce iron absorption and body stores, but their anti-nutritional effect is debatable. However, tannins include proanthocyanidins and catechins, which have many benefits to health associated with antioxidants.

How to reduce: Peeling, cooking, or consuming vitamin C-rich foods

Bottom Line: You shouldn’t worry too much about anti-nutrients.

A plant-based diet is beneficial for health and provides the body with abundant vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. In addition, so-called anti-nutrients may have positive effects, and their adverse effects are reduced by preparation and cooking methods or eating them with other foods. Beans, grains, nuts, and seeds are also valuable protein sources for vegans, so healthy people should not avoid these foods.

The post Should You Avoid Oxalates, Lectins and Tannins? An Expert Answers appeared first on The Beet.

A study that followed 300,000 people over nine years has found that people who eat more fruit and vegetables are less stressed than those who don’t eat these healthy whole foods. The mood-boosting benefits of fruit and vegetables are just one more benefit of a plant-based diet, which has already been proven to help reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers (especially those cancers related to obesity), and other lifestyle conditions like high blood pressure.

Mental Health and Diet

More Americans than ever are experiencing mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression according to Mental Health America. The reporting of these conditions has “skyrocketed since 2019,” with 93 percent reporting more anxiety and 62 percent reporting more depression since the pandemic began. While this is a multi-faceted problem, anything that an individual can do to improve their mental health is worth considering; one thing everyone has control over is what they eat.

A Gallop survey found that U.S. and Canadian workers are among the most stressed in the world, ranking highest for daily stress levels of all groups surveyed: 57 percent of U.S. and Canadian workers (the two are lumped together in this survey) reported feeling stress on a daily basis, up eight percentage points from the prior year.

Unfortunately, when stressed, we often try to soothe ourselves by stress eating, and reaching for the exact foods that will make our mental health situation worse, such as processed junk food and sugary snacks. Reaching for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables has been proven to help mitigate those anxious or depressed feelings, according to past studies.

The latest evidence backs up the impact of food choices on our mental health. An extensive study examined the association between fruit and vegetable intake and mental health disorders. The data from nearly 300,000 Canadians over the age of 12 showed that increased fruit and vegetable intake was associated with less depression and other symptoms of psychological stress.

If certain foods help us to manage stress, it makes sense that we add them to our diets. However, many people don’t make the link between what they eat and their emotional health and their dietary choices, or even understand how food choices affect their mental health.

The American Psychological Association conducted a Harris Poll that found that 84 percent of 2076 adults surveyed experienced emotions associated with prolonged stress. Participants cited the covid-19 pandemic, political unrest, and social divisiveness as contributing reasons.

Whether work-related stress, financial difficulties, or relationships, the unfortunate fact is that we live with ever-increasing numbers of stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide as a society.

How Food Impacts Mental Health

The connection between diet and mental health has been studied in the past but research from Canada shows a direct correlation between “greater [Fruit and Vegetable Intake, or] FVI was significantly associated with lower odds of depression” while the inverse was true: Those with  “perceived poor mental health status and previous diagnosis of a mood disorder and anxiety disorder” had the lowest intake of fruit and vegetables. The study was repeated over five waves of time and each time the researchers found the same results, confirming that the impact of our food choices on mental health is enormous.

The brain and gut are connected by a two-way system called the gut-brain axis which allows the brain to communicate with the gut and vice versa. The gut is sometimes referred to as ‘the second brain’ because it has millions of neurons (nerve cells) making up what’s called the enteric nervous system (ENS).

The gut-brain axis determines whether we are feeling stressed or relaxed. Through a complex system involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the vagus nerve, our bodies activate one of two systems, the sympathetic response or parasympathetic response.

The sympathetic nervous system activates our stress response, or “fight or flight” response to stressors, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system tells our bodies to “rest and digest.” Most of us have our fight or flight response switched on for long periods of time, creating havoc in our bodies, including the release of the stress hormone cortisol which tells the body to store fat for fuel to help us fight or evade the saber tooth tiger. Too often we’re in a constant state of hyper-stress, even when we’re simply working at our desks or stuck in traffic.

The Gut and Depression

Considering the gut-brain axis, it makes sense that what we put into our mouth ends up influencing our stress response. Eating healthy fruits and vegetables full of antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients signals to the body and brain that all is well, and that our cells are being replenished and nourished. An integral piece of this puzzle is the type of bacteria in our gut, also known as the microbiome since what we eat dictates the health and diversity of the trillions of microbes that inhabit the gut, and helps to determine not only our disease risk but mental health as well.

According to a review study, the microbiota-gut-brain axis is responsible for psychiatric, neurological, and neurodegenerative diseases. The authors indicate that the link between our gut, its bacteria, and the brain might influence our risk of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and addiction.

Foods for Stress

Once we understand the link between food and mood, we next need to consider what we should eat for our well-being. Often, when someone is stressed, they make poor food choices, either due to time constraints or comfort eating, which compounds the problem.

Switching to a plant-based diet could be the way forward, according to a new study that shows that people who eat more fruit and vegetables are less stressed.

The 2021 study published in Clinical Nutrition assessed dietary habits and stress levels among 8,689 Australian adults as part of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study. The researchers found that participants with the highest intake of fruit and vegetables (at least 473 grams per day) had 10 percent less perceived stress than those with the lowest intake (243 grams a day or less).

Fruit and Vegetables for Mental Health

Fruit and vegetables contain an arsenal of beneficial nutrients to fight ill health, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. But just how much should we eat a day?

A standard serving in grams (g) is around 75g, so the most beneficial amount according to this study would equate to six or more servings per day.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people eat 2 to 4 cups a day of vegetables and 1½  to 2 cups of fruit per day, depending on someone’s age and sex. However, research suggests increasing your fruit and vegetable intake to 8 servings a day can help reduce the risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease by up to 30 percent.

So the research indicates that to be your healthiest, physically and mentally, eat at least 6, and preferably 8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. The ratio of how much fruit to vegetables favors eating more vegetables than fruit to avoid spiking your blood sugar, as this can also impact mood, concentration, and fatigue, and when blood sugar falls it can zap your energy and ability to focus.

Eat These Foods for Better Mental Health

A high-fiber plant-based diet helps feed the good bacteria in the gut, which is another reason for eating more fruit and vegetables. Additionally, fermented foods can improve the diversity of the bacteria in your gut and create a healthier microbiome, so eat more of the following:

• natural (plant-based) yogurt
• sauerkraut
• kimchi
• natto
• tempeh
• kombucha
• kefir

Healthy Fats and Brain Health

Little known fact: The human brain is nearly 60 percent fat, and it needs essential fatty acids from foods to function correctly. Research indicates that omega-3’s have positive effects on mental health, and people eating a mostly plant-based diet need to get these beneficial omega-3 fatty acids from sources other than fish, such as algae, flaxseeds, hemp, and walnuts. Taking spirulina and chlorella can help provide the omega-3s your brain needs.

Additionally, for brain health, add healthy polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocado.

Foods That Reduce Stress

It’s essential to keep cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, in check, since chronically raised cortisol levels due to stress can dampen the immune response and impact physical and mental health. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) advises that dark chocolate, bananas, and garlic can all help lower cortisol levels. The AIS also recommends avoiding caffeine, processed foods, and sugary drinks, such as soda, which can all impact stress and mood.

Green Tea for Stress

The AIS recommends drinking tea to reduce stress. This is because tea contains an amino acid, l-theanine, that can help you to relax. Matcha green tea is a particularly rich source of l-theanine, but other teas also contain it. In addition, herbal teas such as lemon balm, chamomile, and lavender may be effective for stress, although research is limited.

Bottom Line: For better mental health, eat more fruits and vegetables.

A healthy plant-based diet that includes a variety of fruit and vegetables along with essential fatty acids such as omega-3 can help avoid the adverse effects of stress. Additionally, including fermented foods and green tea and avoiding caffeine and added sugar can support your gut and help to balance your cortisol levels.

For more great content like this, check out The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles.

The post Eat These Foods to Boost Your Mental Health appeared first on The Beet.

Because UTIs, like any runaway bacterial infection, can also lead to sepsis, a dangerous condition where the bacteria enters the bloodstream and travels to other parts of the body, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and seek medical attention.

When an infection starts in the urinary tract, it often goes undetected until it bursts into the bloodstream or surrounding tissue, and since bacteria can double every eight hours, it’s sound to seek medical treatment early and also eat certain foods known to help prevent, treat and reduce the symptoms of UTIs.

Do Only Women Have UTIs?

Most often a health issue for women, UTIs can affect the well-being of patients, causing painful trips to the bathroom, swelling and bloating of the lower abdomen, and an unyielding itchy sensation, or even blood in the urine. If you’re a regular UTI sufferer who is frustrated with your current treatment options, making a few small changes to your diet may help to provide relief while avoiding the potential side effects of medications.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common outpatient infections in the US affecting 50 to 60 percent of women at some point in their life. While common among young women aged 14 to 26, UTIs are most prevalent among older people, and the risk increases with age.

According to a new study published in The Journal of Urology which looked at focus groups of women with recurrent UTIs, women are frustrated with the medical profession for not addressing their concerns — being unhappy with the limited management options for the painful condition and apprehensive about the adverse effects of antibiotic treatment. The study concluded that doctors need to provide more options for the prevention of, and management of, UTIs to better empower their patients who get them.

UTIs and Antibiotics

While antibiotics treat UTIs effectively, some women find that they cause side effects and can actually lead to other infections such as yeast infections. Antibiotics work by killing the bacteria that’s causing the UTI, but they also wipe out other beneficial bacteria in the body. Research suggests antibiotics are major disruptors of the gut microbiome – leaving it with less beneficial or diverse bacteria. The immune system is largely governed by the microbiome, so if gut bacteria gets disrupted you may be at more risk of other types of infections. Common side effects of antibiotics are nausea, diarrhea, and yeast infection.

Antibiotics don’t always work since some bacteria that cause UTIs are resistant to them. As doctors prescribe more antibiotics and farmers administer more antibiotics to farm animals, humans are facing a growing crisis of antibiotic resistance. Eventually, antibiotics become less effective against UTIs. By one estimate, between 1 in 3 and 1 in 5 UTIs don’t respond to antibiotics.

However, it’s important to note that in the case of a serious UTI such as Clinton’s, antibiotics are vital to restoring health and getting them quickly is vital, so call your doctor if you have a UTI. Always discuss your choices of treatments with their doctor and should not stop taking any prescribed medication without their doctor’s advice as this could lead to complications.

One of the ways to prevent or manage a UTI if they end up getting one is through diet. There are numerous studies that show certain plant-based foods can actually lessen the risk of getting a urinary tract infection in the first place or avoid it reoccurring. Here’s what to avoid and what plant-based foods to add into your diet to do just that.

Foods to Eat for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Researchers have looked at natural remedies for UTIs, such as plant foods, to provide relief. Here are the top foods studied that may help your condition.

Foods that help with UTIs include:

Cranberry

Cranberry is well-studied for urinary tract infections and a 2020 review suggested that while cranberry is an effective treatment for UTIs, it depends on which cranberry product someone uses. Cranberry works because it contains polyphenols that prevent bacteria such as E. coli from adhering to the cells in the urinary tract and causing symptoms. But cranberry juice has another way of working: It can also interact with gut bacteria and prevent infectious bacteria from colonizing.

If you are prone to UTIs, start drinking cranberry juice or using cranberries in cooking. You can also purchase cranberry extract as tablets designed to treat UTIs.

Cinnamon and turmeric

Many natural spices contain antioxidants that work as antimicrobial compounds that appear to be beneficial for UTIs. In a lab study of 26 Indian spices both cinnamon and turmeric were the most effective at killing bacteria.

Adding cinnamon to your diet can be an effective natural remedy for UTIs the review confirmed. While you can’t always translate lab studies that use higher-strength extracts to the effects you might get using smaller doses of cinnamon in cooking, it’s worth using these spices to see if they have a beneficial effect.

Combine cinnamon and turmeric with grated root ginger (which has added anti-inflammatory benefits) and stir into warmed plant-based milk or make tea out of it. You can also use these spices when cooking Indian-inspired dishes such as curries and dahls.

Fermented foods

If you take antibiotics for a UTI, probiotics can help to repopulate your gut with good bacteria and increase the diversity of bacteria that your meds may have killed off in treating the UTI. Adding a probiotic supplement to your daily routine after the course of antibiotics is over can help reestablish the gut balance. The good news is you can also get a lot of these beneficial probiotics just by eating fermented foods such as kombucha or miso. Mix it up to get different strains of bacteria found in fermented foods and drinks.

Mix it up when choosing fermented foods:

• sauerkraut
• kombucha
• kefir
• tempeh
• miso
• kimchi
• natto
• fermented plant-based yogurts or nut cheeses

Plant Foods Help With UTIs

A recent review indicated that a vegetarian diet is protective against UTIs because plant foods contain beneficial phytochemicals and fiber that feeds good gut bacteria. In addition to cranberries, other berries to add to your daily diet are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and elderberries, since these all have similar benefits against E. coli.

Common fruits such as apples, oranges, and peaches contain D-mannose, which in its supplement form is possibly as effective as antibiotics for treating recurrent UTIs according to a 2020 review. Vitamin C can acidify urine and may reduce the risk of UTIs, so including plenty of vitamin C-rich foods such as peppers, kiwifruit, broccoli, and citrus fruits may be helpful.

Hibiscus Tea for UTIs

A laboratory study found that the extract of hibiscus was effective against bacteria that cause recurrent UTIs. Traditional cultures around the world use hibiscus tea for its antioxidant properties against UTIs and for bladder and kidney health. People can purchase hibiscus tea as dried flowers or tea bags.

Foods That Are Bad for UTIs

If you are prone to getting UTIs there are some foods to avoid, according to Johns Hopkins, which advises people to avoid alcohol and coffee, spicy foods, and to drink plenty of water. Replace your morning coffee with green tea, experts advise, since it is packed with antioxidants, or grab a cranberry juice or mix blueberries, strawberries, elderberries, or pomegranate juice into a smoothie to gain antioxidants.

Bottom Line: To help to avoid or manage UTIs, eat these foods.

And add plenty of fruits, vegetables, and especially colorful berries that contain powerful antioxidants that can protect against UTIs. This approach may help you avoid some of the unwanted side effects of antibiotics. Always discuss the treatment of UTIs with your doctor.

For more research-backed content, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. 

The post What to Eat to Prevent, Treat and Reduce Symptoms of UTIs appeared first on The Beet.

The study, published in the European Society of Cardiology journal ESC Heart Failure, assessed iron deficiency’s role in driving up heart disease. Iron deficiency can be defined in two ways: First, as an absolute iron deficiency, which looks at stored iron (ferritin), and secondly, as a functional iron deficiency, which includes both the iron circulating in your body ready for use as well as stored iron.

How Common Is Iron Deficiency?

Functional iron deficiency is an important measure because someone may have enough stored iron, but not enough circulating iron for the body to work properly. In the new study, functional iron deficiency was associated with a 24 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease, and 26 percent elevated risk of cardiovascular mortality, and a 12 percent increased risk of dying from any cause compared to someone with no functional iron deficiency.

“The study showed that iron deficiency was highly prevalent in this middle-aged population, with nearly two-thirds having functional iron deficiency,” said study author Dr. Benedikt Schrage of the University Heart and Vasculature Centre Hamburg, Germany in a press release. “These individuals were more likely to develop heart disease and were also more likely to die during the next 13 years.” Dr. Schrage was keen to point out that an observational study cannot conclude that iron deficiency causes heart disease “however, evidence is growing that there is a link and these findings provide the basis for further research to confirm the results” he said.

How Much Iron Do You Need?

You need iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body to the cells. Iron is essential for growth and development as well as neurological function, healthy muscles, and connective tissues, and for making some hormones.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) advise that the amount of iron someone needs depends on their age, gender, activity levels, and whether they consume a plant-based diet.

The following are the recommended dietary amounts of iron per day for adults:

• 8 milligrams (mg) for men
• 18 mg for women
• 27 mg in pregnancy
• 9 mg while breastfeeding

For anyone not eating meat – such as vegans, vegetarians, or those who follow a mostly plant-based diet – the NIH recommends a daily amount of iron 1.8 times higher than for individuals who do eat meat. This is because the heme iron in meat is more bioavailable in the body than non-heme plant-based sources such as leafy greens.

Is Too Much Iron Bad?

Too much iron, from supplementation, can cause symptoms such as constipation, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Extremely high doses of iron are toxic and can even be fatal. Accidental overdose of iron-containing supplements is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in young children. Additionally, some people have a genetic disorder called hemochromatosis that causes iron to build up in the body to harmful levels.

Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is not uncommon in the US, especially among children, pregnant women, and women of reproductive age. Iron deficiency anemia may not have any signs or symptoms at first but can become more severe if left untreated. Signs and symptoms include:

• tiredness and fatigue
• susceptibility to infections
• brittle nails or cracks at the side of the mouth
• swollen or sore tongue
• pallor
• decreased appetite
• irritability
• restless legs syndrome
• digestive upset
• shortness of breath
• dizziness
• pica (a craving for unusual foods)
• chest pain or irregular heartbeat

Blood tests for iron

Doctors can measure someone’s iron levels to find out if they have iron deficiency anemia and may assess their ferritin, hemoglobin, and other markers.

To find out if someone has functional iron deficiency, a blood test can measure transferrin saturation. Functional iron deficiency may not show up as anemia but could increase the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease (as the new study points out) or may lead to other symptoms without anemia.

What Causes Iron Deficiency?

Heavy menstrual bleeding can cause iron deficiency as well as bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract that may happen with disorders such as ulcers or surgical procedures. Frequent blood donors and people with cancer may also have lower levels of iron

Infection from Helicobacter pylori (the main cause of stomach ulcers) can cause iron depletion and reduce vitamin C levels. Someone who has H.Pylori symptoms, such as stomach pain or ulcers, should see their doctor who can prescribe medication to treat it.

Vegan Iron Sources

Even if you are avoiding eating red meat, there are plenty of sources of iron in a plant-based diet. Including the following foods in your daily diet can help avoid deficiency:

• lentils
• chickpeas
• beans
• seeds such as chia, linseed, pumpkin, and hemp
• dried apricots, figs, and raisins
• tofu
• cashew nuts
• quinoa
• kale
• fortified breakfast cereals

Eating foods with iron in combination with foods that contain vitamin C can help the body to absorb iron more effectively. To get more iron from the food that you eat, get creative: Add broccoli and peppers to a stir fry of tofu and kale or make oatmeal with quinoa flakes, chia seeds, and cashew nuts and top it with slices of kiwi fruit or strawberries, both high in C.

The Bottom Line: Get enough iron to prevent heart disease or premature death

A person’s diet and health can affect how much iron they have in their body, whether they are plant-based or they eat meat. Importantly, monitor how much iron you supplement, as it can be toxic and cause harmful side effects. A doctor can test your iron levels and assess if any symptoms are related to iron deficiency anemia.

For more research-backed content, visit The Beet’s News articles. 

The post How Much Iron Do You Need Each Day? Study Links Deficiency To Heart Disease appeared first on The Beet.

Sleep deprivation is linked to cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases and a lack of sleep increases your chances of accidents. Maybe this is not what you want to hear if you’re reading this on your phone at 3 a.m., but even if you’re chronically unable to fall asleep at a reasonable hour, or stay asleep for a long stretch, there’s a lot you can do – so read on.

Sleep deprivation causes ill health and accidents

We know that good nutrition and exercise are vital to health, and many of us are eating a more plant-based diet and getting to the gym like clockwork. However, no less than, one-third of Americans are chronically sleep-deprived, according to the CDC. This missing link could be the difference between a future of health or one defined by disease since conditions like depression, diabetes,  and heart disease are all linked to how much sleep we get.

No fewer than 11 sleep experts – comprised of 10 MDs and a clinical psychologist – published the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) statement in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. They stressed that not only do we need better education in medical schools and public health settings about the importance of sleep as it impacts wellbeing but also interventions to avoid workplace accidents due to fatigue and lack of alertness.

A shocking 75 percent of high school students are sleep deprived

Concerningly, it’s not only adults who suffer sleep deprivation, but our kids do as well. The survey reported that 34 percent of school children and nearly 75 percent of high school students don’t get enough sleep according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine report. Improving Americans’ sleep is one of the goals of Healthy People 2030, which provides 10-year, measurable public health objectives, one of which focuses on helping people get enough sleep, treating sleep disorders, and decreasing drowsy driving.

Anxiety is no friend to sleep since it’s normal to lie in bed thinking about all the things that are causing you angst. Experts point to recent events such as the COVID pandemic, ongoing political unrest, global and international conflict, and financial uncertainty as having all made an impact on people’s sleep, also disrupting routines for high school and college students.

However, it’s possible to solve your sleeplessness with the help of diet and lifestyle changes according to research. First, calculate exactly how much sleep you need, then determine what you can do to help yourself get it.

The 5 health benefits of sleep

Adequate sleep is essential for our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute outline why we need sufficient sleep:

• Brain function: Whether you’re learning math or perfecting your golf swing, you need sleep for learning, problem-solving, creativity, and decision making.
• Physical health: the body’s healing and repair processes rely on sufficient sleep, for example, to repair our blood vessels and maintain our cardiovascular system
• Growth and development: Children need sleep to grow and develop properly and sleep triggers hormones that boost muscles mass and play a role in puberty and fertility
• Immune health: The body needs sleep for the immune system to function well and fight infections
• Insulin regulation: Sleep affects the hormones that control our blood sugar levels which affect energy and our risk of diabetes

How lack of sleep can negatively impact your health

According to research cited by the CDC, adults who got less than 7 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period were more likely to report 10 chronic health conditions compared to those who got enough sleep. Those health conditions are:

1. Heart attack
2. Coronary heart disease
3. Stroke
4. Asthma
5. COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
6. Cancer
7. Arthritis
8. Depression
9. Diabetes

Sleep impacts weight gain and sleep deprivation can contribute to obesity

Furthermore, the survey showed that people with shorter sleep duration were more likely to be obese, physically inactive, smokers, or drinkers of excessive alcohol.

The research has found that there appears to be a link between sleep deprivation and obesity: “Individuals who regularly slept less than 7  hours per night were more likely to have higher average body mass indexes and develop obesity than those who slept more,” the data review concluded. “Studies showed that experimental sleep restriction was associated with increased levels of ghrelin, salt retention, and inflammatory markers as well as decreased levels of leptin and insulin sensitivity.”

What isn’t clear is whether the effect is causal – does sleep deprivation cause chronic conditions, or are unhealthy people (who smoke, drink excessively, or are obese) suffer from more sleep deprivation? It is possible that people are unable to sleep because of their behaviors, excess weight, and painful conditions such as arthritis. However, other research such as the 2018 Sleep Heart Health Study showed that people with poor sleep or insomnia have a 29 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

When we’re tired, we’re more likely to make bad food choices or comfort eat which can lead to obesity or overweight. Not only does being overweight risk less sleep due to sleep apnea or snoring, but it also causes inflammation in the body and puts us at risk of chronic diseases.

How COVID has impacted our sleep routines

Lack of sleep has been particularly prevalent during the Covid pandemic. President of the AASM, Dr. Raman Malhotra told The Beet, “The significant stress and anxiety that has been associated with living in a pandemic has caused more difficulties with insomnia and disrupted sleep. It is also clear that patients who have been sick with COVID-19 can not only have disrupted sleep and tiredness during the infection, but some have these symptoms last long after the infection”

On the other hand, Dr. Malhotra noted that virtual learning and work during the pandemic may have been beneficial for sleep ”in some cases this virtual learning or working opportunity has allowed more time and flexibility for sleep, as some do not need to commute, and they can adjust their work hours around their sleep schedule”.

How much sleep do you need for optimal health?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. They further advise that teenagers need eight to ten hours and children need between 9-14 hours depending on their age.

To calculate your personal sleep needs, The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School recommends having a ‘sleep vacation’ during a two-week period when you have a flexible schedule. Don’t set an alarm to wake up, and pick a consistent bedtime. At first, you may sleep longer to pay off your ‘sleep debt’ – the amount of sleep deprivation that you’ve accumulated over time. Eventually, you will form a natural pattern of sleeping for the same amount of time each night – around seven to nine hours – and that’s the amount of sleep you need.

How to sleep when stressed and anxious

Having a good bedtime ritual can help someone drift into slumber more easily. If you are feeling stressed or anxious before bed you can try the following:

• avoid blue light from screens or use a filter; turn off LED lights before bedtime
• take a relaxing bath with mood-enhancing essential oils such as lavender and lemon
• try a meditation or mindfulness activity
• write down your thoughts or use a journal to get issues off your mind
• try soaking in Epsom salts or just use them in a warm foot soak
• listen to a sleep story on tape

Foods and drinks that help sleep

A healthy plant-based diet can help weight management, which is important for good sleep. Dr. Malhotra told The Beet ”a healthy diet and nutrition are important for sleep – as we know being overweight or obese can put you at risk for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea’.’

In addition to avoiding maintaining a healthy weight, avoid foods with caffeine in the hours before bedtime, adds Dr. Malhotra, and skip the big meal at night. ”Food or drink containing caffeine can cause difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep if taken too close to bedtime. Some people also complain of poor-quality sleep if they eat a heavy meal before bedtime.”

Adding specific foods to your diet can also help you to drift off, according to the latest research.

Eat more plant foods and a lighter dinner

Eating a more plant-based diet is beneficial for sleep according to a 2020 review study. The authors suggest that people who eat a plant-rich Mediterranean diet sleep longer, and the improvements in their weight and gut bacteria can reduce the increased cardiovascular risk that is associated with sleep deprivation.

Conversely, reaching for high-fat and high-sugar foods when you are tired leads to obesity and more risk of heart attacks.

Eat more tryptophan-rich foods

The amino acid tryptophan converts to serotonin (the ‘happy’ neurochemical) then melatonin (the sleep neurochemical), so serotonin is essential to both sleep and mood. However, to exert its effects, tryptophan needs to get into the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier. This process becomes less efficient as we get older. Additionally, other amino acids in food compete with tryptophan, which makes it even more tricky to ensure you’re getting enough.

Some people may need to eat more tryptophan-rich foods before bedtime to help them sleep. In one small study, subjects who were given two doses of tryptophan (in fortified cereals at breakfast and again at dinner) amounting to 60 milligrams of tryptophan a day experienced increased sleep time and efficiency.

“The consumption of cereals containing the higher dose in tryptophan increased sleep efficiency, actual sleep time, immobile time, and decreased total nocturnal activity, sleep fragmentation index, and sleep latency,” the study found. The most interesting aspect of this study was that it was done on older adults – aged 55 and above – who had been struggling with disruptions in their sleep cycle due to age.

A healthy plant-based diet is full of tryptophan-rich foods, such as:

• leafy greens
• sunflower seeds
• watercress
• soybeans
• pumpkin seeds
• mushrooms
• broccoli
• peas
• cereals

Additionally, our bodies need vitamin B6 to help convert tryptophan to melatonin, and many plant foods such as nuts, seeds, and legumes are good sources of this.

Drink tart cherry juice

Montmorency tart cherry juice can help increase the duration and quality of sleep according to studies. Tart cherries contain natural plant melatonin known as phyto-melatonin which can help restore disrupted circadian rhythms. A small clinical trial showed that tart cherry juice caused an 84-minute increase in sleep time measured by polysomnography.

Yet another study found that tart cherry could be used as a treatment for insomnia, which affects the elderly. The study, on a small number of subjects, found;  ‘Tart cherry juice has been reported to have a positive effect on insomnia in elderly people as measured by the Insomnia Severity Index. The biggest effect seen was on the ‘waking after sleep onset’ subscale.”

Eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods for better sleep

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a key role in the nervous system and can help someone to relax and sleep better. A plant-based diet includes plenty of good magnesium sources, such as:

• leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and collard greens
• nuts, seeds, and nut butters
• beans, pulses, and legumes
• whole grains
• wheat germ
• wheat and oat bran

Try herbal teas before sleep to help you drift off

While avoiding caffeine before bedtime, someone can try herbal tea instead. Good options are lemon balm, chamomile, and valerian. However, someone must check with their doctor if they have a health condition or are on medication before trying herbal remedies or teas.

Read this article next to find out more foods to help you stress less.

Bottom Line: Sleep is as important to our health and wellbeing as diet and exercise.

To be your all-around healthiest now and in the future, do whatever you can to get 7 or more hours a night. Try consuming foods and drinks that promote sleep and adopting a relaxing ritual before bedtime.

Want to sleep better and longer at night? Read more on the 5 key nutrients you should eat before bed.

The post Studies Show Sleep is a Biological Necessity But How Many Hours Do You Actually Need? appeared first on The Beet.