Healthy Support

Food-tracking apps pros, cons – Chicago Sun-Times

Food-tracking apps have ballooned in popularity.

One of the most popular features of nutrition-focused digital apps is the ability to record the food you eat and quickly view nutritional information. Dietary guidance and sharing of recipes can be just a few taps away. Physical activity and sleep also can be tracked to help with health and weight-loss goals.

Some things to know about food-tracking apps:

Pros

Food apps are convenient, affordable and increasingly easy to use.

“The top two strengths of these apps include accountability and awareness of eating habits,” says Caroline Susie, a Dallas registered dietitian.

Since behavioral change can be hard to implement and maintain, Susie says one useful tool to support dietary changes is having help to hold you accountable for your dietary choices.

Tracking your food also can bring a whole new level of awareness and mindfulness to how you eat.

“Using apps for

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Healthy Support

Eating Most of Your Meals Before 1pm Lowers Blood Sugar

  • Prediabetes affects millions of adults in the US.
  • A new study indicated that early time-restricted fasting may help reduce blood sugar fluctuations in those with prediabetes and obesity.
  • The findings potentially indicate a future treatment option for those with prediabetes.
  • More research on the impacts of fasting on blood sugar and prediabetes is required.

Researchers say they may have a way to help people with prediabetes avoid slipping into a case of full diabetes.

In the US, 96 million adults — equivalent to over one-third of the population — have prediabetes.

Prediabetes is when an individual has higher than normal blood sugar levels. However, they’re not high enough to be diagnosed as full or “overt” diabetes.

Various approaches can help reduce blood sugar and potentially prevent an individual from developing overt diabetes. These include maintaining a moderate weight and engaging in regular exercise.

New research from NYU Langone Health

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Healthy Support

Eating disorder prevention starts at home. How to promote healthy habits for teens.

Medical care providers have been conditioned to identify individuals who are above average weight. Like broken records, we tell our patients, “Eat fewer calories. Exercise more.”

Obesity has serious complications, including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, which can lead to shorter life spans. And it is increasingly affecting teens and adolescents, which is setting up young people to live a majority of their lives with chronic health conditions that, in the past, didn’t develop until later in life.

But there’s an unintended consequence of focusing so intently on reducing the risk of obesity that we often overlook: eating disorders.

Eating disorders can arise when people are pushed to lose weight but not given the proper tools and support to do so safely. Eating disorders are among the deadliest psychiatric illnesses, second only to opioid addiction. While obesity may contribute to death later on, an eating disorder can kill right

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Healthy Information

People don’t exercise, eat healthy because they feel ‘too tired,’ poll says

Fatigue and low motivation are both leading factors as to why people say they don’t lead healthier lifestyles according to a new survey.

A 2023 online poll of 2,086 adults from the United Kingdom by YouGov on behalf of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) was published Wednesday. That poll asked people what it was that prevented them from eating healthier and being more physically active.

“Lacking motivation” (38%) and “feeling too tired” (35%) were given as the top reasons why adults in the UK were not making changes to their eating and exercise habits, the poll says.

Adding to this, poll results nearly half (48%) of “younger people” (aged 25 to 34) answered “feeling too tired” as their reason while less than a quarter (23%) of those over the age of 55 said the same.

More women (40%) than men (29%) said that “feeling too tired”

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Healthy Body

A positive body image can boost mental health

Wellness, Living, Mental Health,

Esther Muchene

In a society bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards, embracing and loving our bodies becomes an empowering journey towards holistic well-being. True wellness encompasses physical, mental and emotional health, and it begins with cultivating a positive relationship with our bodies.

Studies have shown that body acceptance plays a significant role in overall well-being. Research published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology showed that individuals who practice self-acceptance and have positive body image experience higher levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction and happiness. By embracing our bodies, we foster a healthier mindset that positively impacts our mental and emotional health.

Negative body image can have detrimental effects on mental health, according to research published in the Journal of Health Psychology. The study showed that poor body image is associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety and unhealthy eating habits. On the other hand, a positive

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Healthy Body

A positive body image will boost mental health

 A happy young woman. (Courtesy)

In a society bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards, embracing and loving our bodies becomes an empowering journey towards holistic well-being. True wellness encompasses physical, mental and emotional health, and it begins with cultivating a positive relationship with our bodies.

Studies have shown that body acceptance plays a significant role in overall well-being. Research published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology showed that individuals who practice self-acceptance and have positive body image experience higher levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction and happiness. By embracing our bodies, we foster a healthier mindset that positively impacts our mental and emotional health.

Negative body image can have detrimental effects on mental health, according to research published in the Journal of Health Psychology. The study showed that poor body image is associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety and unhealthy eating habits. On the other hand, a positive body image

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Healthy Body

Physical activities like a daily, 20-minute walk may help reduce disparities in heart health

Statement Highlights:

  • Addressing low levels of physical activity among people in some targeted groups has the potential to improve equity in cardiovascular health.

  • Physical activity levels are lower among some population groups known to have higher cardiovascular disease risk, including adults who are older, female, Black, have depression, have disabilities, have lower socioeconomic status or live in rural areas.

  • It’s important to improve resources and opportunities to decrease barriers to physical activity. Physical activity initiatives should engage the community and individuals and be culturally appropriate.

  • Knowledge and resource gaps to building successful, sustainable physical activity programs for many under-resourced groups need to be addressed.

Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT / 5 a.m. ET Wednesday, May 24, 2023

(NewMediaWire) – May 24, 2023 – DALLAS Hearts are kept strong with regular physical activity, and daily activity such as a daily, 20-minute, brisk walk is key; however, some

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Healthy Body

Your Healthy Family: Basic fitness

Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of UCHealth and does not reflect the same of KOAA.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, aimed at raising awareness about the many health benefits of physical activity. The Office on Disease Prevention and Health Promotion celebrates National Physical Fitness and Sports Month to also encourage people to get active using the Move Your Way® resources [health.gov] and interactive Move Your Way Activity Planner [health.gov]. It’s also a great time to support youth sports participation using the National Youth Sports Strategy [health.gov]. Don’t forget to check out these Healthy People 2030 physical activity evidence-based resources [health.gov] you can implement in your community. Lastly, share our list of MyHealthfinder tips [health.gov] to help people live healthier lives through increased physical activity.

I spoke with Kevin Roberts, who is a licensed athletic trainer and the manager of

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