Health

These high-fiber drinks are also loaded with protein and key nutrients.

Dos and don’ts for avoiding heartburn this holiday season.

Weight loss and diet supplements can work in many ways—by enhancing fat burning, suppressing appetite, increasing metabolic function, and increasing digestive efficacy.

One critical supplement for weight loss is CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is clinically proven to reduce body fat, particularly in the abdominal area, by improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin. The mineral chromium aids appetite control by combating sugar cravings. Digestive enzymes such as bromelain and papain can help the body digest foods fully, getting the optimum nutrition from food consumed.

Several herbs also show promise in weight management. Extracts of green tea contain epigallo-catechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine, which may speed up metabolism, while studies suggest cayenne reduces appetite and increases metabolism of dietary fats. Extracts of crape-myrtle, such as glucosol, work by blocking the sugar rise associated with eating high-GI foods, thus preventing body-fat storage.
Vitamins also have clinical efficacy in supporting weight loss. One recent study showed that increased supplementation of calcium and vitamin D had significant effects on weight loss.

Essential nutrients for women include a multivitamin, calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid.

Whether young, middle aged, or mature, women care deeply about their health and the health of their families and loved ones. Women make the majority of shopping decisions for their families.

Men constitute a growing sector of the natural products lifestyle; and with researchers now estimating that men do 40 percent of all grocery shopping, they are also becoming an increasingly influential shopping demographic.

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. In functional foods, whole food formulations typically contain fruits, nuts and grains.

In honor of GMO Awareness Month (and GMO Awareness Day, October 10, 2010), the Non GMO Project kicks off a national campaign to raise shopper awareness.

The human mind functions both as intellect and consciousness. Primarily, people associate the mind with the mental faculty of thinking, or processing information, problem solving, and the like. The mind also encompasses memory, emotion, perception, and imagination.

From a health perspective, the focus is on the brain and brain health. For infants and children, proper brain development is key. Good, balanced nutrition and healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, or omega-3s—whether from foods such as fatty fish and flaxseed or from supplements like fish oil—support brain development and may help with disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) as well as alleviate depression at any age.

As people age, concerns about problems with memory and cognitive function increase. Up to 5 percent of the world’s population is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Experts recommend the following healthy lifestyle choices to help keep thinking focused and memory sharp. Avoid chemicals in food, water, and products you use at home; eat fresh fruits and vegetables; drink lots of filtered water and green tea; eat choline-rich eggs; exercise regularly; meditate. Recommended supplements include fish oil, alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine; phosphatidyl serine (PS); curcumin (from turmeric); and B vitamins. Experts also recommend doing mind exercises such as learning a new hobby, language, or musical instrument, or doing challenging puzzles.

Depression is a disorder reflecting a sad or irritable mood beyond usual sadness or grief. Depression affects not only mood, but also can change bodily functions such as eating, sleeping, and libido, and it can raise risks for developing other health problems. An estimated 19 million Americans suffer from major or chronic depression. Healthy lifestyle choices can alleviate depression; recommended supplements include folate (vitamin B9), 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan), SAM-e (S-Adenosinemethionine), tryptophan, selenium, inositol, fish oil, and vitamin C.

The mind-body connection is another popular concept related to individual health, whereby the mind is believed to influence individuals’ health, helping make a person healthier or sicker, depending on conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions. Studies have shown regular meditation can change the brains physical structure. Other examples might include the placebo effect and studies that show hospital patients recover more quickly when their windows open onto nature as opposed to a city.