Fat Loss Factor and Diet Tips: What to Eat After a Run

Fat Loss Factor and Diet Tips: What to Eat After a Run: Importance of the Post-Run Snack Whether you're training for a race or just running for fitness and fun, it's important that you...

Can Turning into a Pescatarian be Beneficial to Your Health?

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When following a pescatarian diet, make sure you have no more than 12 ounces of low mercury fish every week.

A pescatarian diet focuses on eating fish, along with a variety of vegetables. It is essentially a vegan diet, plus seafood. The diet excludes all meat products, including poultry and red meat. Turning pescatarian from a vegetarian is always beneficial, as a vegan diet lacks vitamin B12, which one can get from fish. However, are there any other advantages of becoming a pescatarian? Plenty! Here are all the benefits of turning into a pescatarian.

Low in Saturated Fats

With meat cut off from the diet, you don't have to worry about sources of unhealthy fats that carry cardiovascular risks with them. To put it simply, this type of diet is very low in saturated fats, as it does not contain pork, beef, lamb, and poultry foods. All these meat products contain too much of saturated fats, which can be detrimental to health, particularly to the heart. Saturated fats increase the triglyceride levels in the blood, a potential risk factor for artery-clogging. So, following a diet that is essentially low in saturated fats can certainly help one stay healthy.

Heart-friendly

One of the most important benefits of this diet is that it provides ample amounts of omega-3s, healthy fats that slash LDL (bad) cholesterol and help maintain good cholesterol, in turn reducing the risk of heart diseases. That is why regular consumption of fish is considered to be good for the heart.

Provides an Anti-inflammatory Effect

Omega-3s act as a natural anti-inflammatory agent, which works to alleviate inflammation in the entire body. In fact, omega-3s could be a natural substitute for over-the-counter NSAIDs like ibuprofen. So, the pescatarian diet that essentially provides an anti-inflammatory effect can also help treat and even prevent joint inflammation associated with chronic ailments like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Assists in Weight Loss

A pescatarian diet that is high in omega-3s can also assist in an endeavor to lose weight. As we know, insulin spikes cause an increase in fat storage. Omega-3s lowers insulin levels, crucial for burning those fat reserves. So, getting adequate omega-3s allows the body to easily access fat stores for energy. Thus, more fat is used everyday, which works to lose extra pounds.

Healthy Source of Proteins

Although red meat such as beef are good sources of protein, protein intake from sea-food and plant-based sources is a better choice from a health standpoint. Red meat consumption has been linked to an increased risk of mortality from cancer and other diseases. So, replacing red meat with healthy sources of protein such as seafood and plant-based food would obviously be a sensible decision.

Improves Insulin Resistance

This diet also benefits in regulating blood sugar levels. High intake of omega-3s has shown to make the cells more sensitive to actions of insulin. This effect of reducing insulin resistance can help achieve better control over blood sugar levels, which is particularly beneficial for diabetic patients.

Disadvantages

As fish is the primary constituent of a pescatarian diet, following it regularly may increase health risks associated with excessive mercury exposure. Mercury, a highly toxic organic compound, is present in fish due to pollution of water bodies. This compound can negatively affect the brain and the nervous system, and cause symptoms like infertility, high blood pressure, memory loss, vision problems, and tremors.

The risk of mercury poisoning always exists when eating fish that contain high amounts of mercury. As such, avoid eating swordfish, shark, king mackerel, tuna, and tilefish. Instead, go for salmon, sardines, scallops, trout, shrimp, and tilapia, as they contain the lowest levels of mercury.

On the whole, following a pescatarian diet is healthy, provided you have fish in moderation. Keep in mind that vegetables are also an integral part of this diet. So just don't stick to eating fish, and include a variety of vegetables and fruits into your diet.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.
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What to Eat When on a Rastafarian Diet

Did You Know?
Although the Rastafarian diet has not been formulated for weight loss, it can certainly assist in losing extra pounds and maintaining weight.

The Rastafarian diet has been designed for the followers of Rastafari ideology, a spiritual movement that started in Jamaica and Ethiopia in the 1930s. The spiritual ideology is considered to be a way of life that denounces materialistic comforts and sensual pleasures. The Rastafarian diet too revolves around foods that help promote spiritual upliftment. Foods that hinder spiritual progress are forbidden in this form of diet. The diet revolves around eating pure, and clean non-meat sources of food.

The foods that are included in this diet are considered to be sacred by the Rastafarian people, and often tagged as Ital food. The word 'Ital' comes from the English word 'vital'. Followers of this diet firmly believe that these vital foods boost the livity, or the life energy, the life force that is said to reside within us.

Foods to Eat

Natural Foods
The Rastafarian diet focuses more on eating earth-grown foods. Vegetables and fruits that are cultivated without the use of any synthetic chemicals form an integral part of this diet. Foods that are processed and involve the use of artificial preservatives and sweeteners are against the ethics of the Rastafarian diet.

Coconuts as well as its extracts are an integral part of the Rastafarian or Ital cuisine. No wonder, quite a few Rastafarian recipes contain coconut and coconut milk as their primary ingredient. Other foods that can be eaten when leading a Rastafarian way of life are legumes, whole grains, and beans.

Fish
Although meat products are not allowed in the Rastafarian diet, one can include fish in it. However, it excludes shellfish from the diet, as they regard it as an impure food. Crayfish and shrimp primarily eat dead stuff and prey on other fish, which is not pure. In fact, large fish prey on smaller ones for survival. So, when it comes to including fish in the Rastafarian diet , the size of the fish matters. Therefore, fish with a length more than 12 inches are prohibited. However, strict followers of this diet mostly prefer to completely drop fish from the diet.

Herbal Tea
The diet encourages the use of herbal tea, because they contain natural ingredients with minimal processing (if any). Anything that is herbal and does not contain unnatural ingredients can be included in this diet.

Foods to Avoid 

Meat
Being labeled as a vegetarian diet, meat products have no place in a Rastafarian diet. Rastafarians are against eating meat, as it is believed to lower the livity, or the life energy. They believe that handling meat is like touching a dead body; hence, they abstain from eating flesh.

However, those who aren't very rigid in following the diet may prefer to include meat that comes from clean sources. So, meat from cows, goats, and sheep can be included, as they graze on pastures. However, as pigs scavenge on rotten stuff, pork is excluded from the diet. Birds, camel, horse, and even rabbit meat is also forbidden for the same reason.

Dairy and Eggs
People following this diet are also advised to desist from eating animal-based products, such as dairy (milk, butter, cheese) and eggs.

Salt
Adding salt in any dish is also prohibited. That is why canned foods that are laced with high amounts of salt are forbidden in this diet. The rejection is due to the fact that salt contains additives like iodine, and undergoes a lot of processing. However, some followers prefer to use pure sea salt.

Alcohol
Leading a Rastafarian lifestyle means staying away from alcohol and cigarettes. Drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes only gives sensual pleasures, and moreover, is spiritually detrimental. Hence, alcohol consumption or smoking is against their beliefs. Followers of the Rastafarian diet also abstain from drinking caffeinated beverages, as they are processed and chemically altered to enhance their taste. That is why, coffee, sodas, and carbonated drinks are opposed by their followers.

The Rastafarian diet also gives importance to the type of material used in making cookware and other utensils. Followers of this diet are not allowed to use utensils other than clay or wood. Using metal utensils for cooking purposes is considered as a violation of the diet. On the whole, eating foods that are as close to their natural state, forms the basis of a Rastafarian diet. It is essentially a vegan diet that does not contain any salt or processed condiments.

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What to Eat After a Run

Importance of the Post-Run Snack

Whether you're training for a race or just running for fitness and fun, it's important that you always remember to eat properly and at the right times in order to avoid injury and burnout and to feel at your best on each running day. Even if you are only running a few miles per week, eating soon after your run is important. The reason post-run snacks are so important is that, when you exercise, your body uses the available carbohydrate energy to keep you going. Serious runners even try to train their bodies to continue burning stored energy after the ready carbohydrate supply has run out. After a run, your body will need to recover from the exertion, and recovery requires energy, too. Replacing the carbohydrates you used during the run will help you recover faster and feel better during your next run.

Carbs and Protein

A common misconception about post-run eating is that only carbohydrate replacement is necessary. Many people invest in carbohydrate gels and other sports nutrition products meant to give a carbo boost. These things have their place, but after a run you should be aiming for a good mix of carbohydrates and protein. Protein is crucial for muscle development and long-term energy storage, so consuming some protein after a run can mean the difference between simply recovering and improving. If you run many miles at a time, you may need to replace your energy stores in the middle of the run. That's when carbohydrate gels can come in handy. One rule of thumb states that if you are running for 90 minutes or longer, you should eat something once per hour, even if you don't feel hungry.

Protein Bars
After the run, treat yourself to something a little more balanced than carbohydrate gel. To repeat, it's important to get both carbs and protein. Sooner is better when it comes to post-run snacks, and ideally you should eat something within 15 minutes after your run. If you're on the go, something like a protein bar or other easy snack is a good choice. Protein bars have a large amount of protein and also have a good deal of carbohydrate. Often, these bars also contain important electrolytes and other nutrients that you may have expended during a particularly tough run. Remember to drink lots of water with the bar to aid digestion!

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Protein bars aren't for everyone, and snacks specifically designed for athletes can often be prohibitively expensive. There are plenty of other good options, however, and in many cases more natural snacks with fewer ingredients can be better for you in the long run. Many runners swear by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, for example. This is a great choice because the bread and jelly work as carbohydrate replacements, and peanut butter is full of protein. Apple slices and peanut butter is also a favorite. These can take some time to prepare, so if you're going off on a long run, make sure to fix yourself a snack ahead of time to make sure you have something ready when you get back.

Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk can be great for after a run. Milk is high in protein, and the added sugar works to replace those lost carbs. If you choose chocolate milk, make sure not to skimp on the amount of water that you drink after a run. Although milk is somewhat hydrating, sugar is dehydrating, so it's still important to get plenty of pure H2O. Also, look for chocolate milk that's sweetened with natural sugar or another sweetener, rather than with corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup. This is especially important for those monitoring their caloric intake, because corn syrup may not make you feel full.

Eat What You Like

When it comes to post-run refueling, the sky is the limit. The suggestions here are good choices for a speedy recovery and improved endurance, but any balanced snack can give you the nutrition you need. As always, avoid junk foods and try to stick to healthy, natural options. The post-run snack should be something that you look forward to at the end of a training session, and this little reward will help you improve no matter what your running goals.
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Understanding the Sadistic Personality Disorder

The word sadism or sadistic is derived from the French aristocrat, Marquis de Sade. He was a French philosopher and writer, who wrote a lot of erotica. He included a lot of violence in his writing and believed in unrestrained sexual freedom. He tortured many men and women, was subsequently arrested, and eventually declared insane.

Just seeing a person, for that matter even an animal, in pain makes us feel bad. That's because of the sensitivity all humans have. But there is a personality disorder that affects one's behavior in such a way, that he starts deriving happiness from seeing others suffer. He may display violent and abusive behavior. This disorder is known as the sadistic personality disorder.

It was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R), but was removed in the later editions. The main reason for excluding it was its potential misuse. It also overlapped a little with existing disorders. Plus, this disorder is not very common and is mostly seen in males. But sexual sadism disorder is included in the current version, DSM-5, of the American Psychiatric Association. It is characterized by sexual arousal by inflicting pain on others.

Sadistic people appear brutal, are unpredictable, and often seen to go to any length to achieve what they want.

Causes

● The disorder is uncommon, and hence specific causes cannot be determined. Unresolved childhood issues, or severe abuse as a child could be a major factor, but there can be biological causes as well.

● Deep-seated feelings of insecurity can be another reason. If a person who is very close to a child is constantly abusing or torturing him, it may have a huge impact on his psych. The child may either become a sadist or a masochist (gets pleasure on receiving pain).

● However, it is also seen that children with a good upbringing and those who come from good families may also develop this disorder.


Symptoms

● The most prominent feature is their cruel and ruthless behavior. They derive pleasure by inflicting pain on those who they think are weaker or inferior.

● Seeing someone writhing in pain seems to amuse them. They will go to any extent to cause agony to people or even animals.

● They blatantly lie, deceive people, and commit crimes to make others suffer. They behave this way even with their loved ones.

● Violence, weapons, murders, and torture methods seem to fascinate them.

● They love to dominate people and impose restrictions on others. They tend to humiliate others.

● They have a strong urge to control people. They will purposely shout at their subordinates, or family members to intimidate them.

● They derive joy out of the psychological or physical pain of other people.

● Sexual sadists indulge in ruthless sexual acts and torture their partner for pleasure. They may even cheat or have multiple partners.


What do sadists believe?
● They always want to be in power. They may become violent and aggressive if things do not go their way.

● Be it at home or work, they like to establish strict rules, and ensure that everyone follows them.

● The need to dominate others comes from their intolerance and hatred towards those they consider weak.

● They believe they can validate their own importance by bringing others down or making others feel small.


Treatment

● Treatment is very extensive and may take years. Group therapy, family therapy, and counseling may be effective. Involvement of friends and family is very important.

● Most sadists don't really feel the need to get professional help, and this in turn makes it hard to help them.


It is important to understand that psychopaths and sadists do show some similar traits, but there is a major difference between the two. Most psychopaths don't realize that their actions or words are hurting someone, whereas sadists are aware of the pain they are inflicting.

Those with a sadistic personality disorder should be given professional help. Staying away from them out of fright, or staying in their good books to be safe from their anger, is not the real solution. Their disorder needs to be treated.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of an expert on the subject.

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Can You Die of Laughter?

Did You Know?
Nitric oxide, better known as laughing gas is known to give a temporary feeling of euphoria. However, inhaling it in excess amounts can cause unconsciousness and even death.

Laugh your way to good health. This is one piece of advice that often works in improving overall well-being. A good hearty laugh can work wonders in relieving stress. There is no better feeling than being with someone who makes you laugh. However, it appears that laughing too hard continuously may not be as good as it seems.

The British Medical Journal in its recent report highlights the ill-effects of excessive laughing in people suffering from various medical conditions. The research was carried out by University of Birmingham's R. E. Ferner and Oxford University's J. K. Aronson.

• A normal laugh where there is no excessive sound is indeed good for the cardiovascular system. However, excessive laughter causes the blood pressure to increase substantially, putting too much pressure on the heart. A defective heart due to medical conditions like coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure (CHF) may not be able to handle such excessive pressure.
• Intense laughter also increases the heart rate considerably, which patients with heart conditions are unlikely to tolerate for long. To put it simply, a faulty heart might not be able to sustain the increased heart rate associated with hard laughter.
• Excessive laughter can also be fatal to people affected with cerebral aneurysm. Laughing out vigorously can considerably increase intracranial pressure (ICP refers to pressure inside the skull). This can cause the aneurysm to burst, which may lead to stroke. Even people with other neurological disorders are advised to avoid uncontrollable laughter to keep complications at bay.

Laughter-induced Asthma

• People suffering from asthma should also stay away from laughing too hard. In one study, patients noticed that their symptoms (chest pain and coughing) worsened due to excessive laughing. However, it was observed that laughter-induced asthma wasn't a case of medical emergency.
• Also, the patients reported that when they can manage their asthma well, symptoms do not flare up when laughing for a longer duration. This means that exacerbation of symptoms due to laughter indicates that asthma is not being managed properly. Nevertheless, intense laughter may trigger asthma attacks. Hence, patients ought to take a cautionary approach when it comes to laughing loudly.
• Laughing too hard also puts excessive strain on the chest muscles. Hence, people affected with respiratory conditions such as collapsed lung are often advised to avoid laughing loudly.

Laughter-induced Syncope

• It is observed that intense laughter increases the breathing rate and when this continues for a longer duration, say for 10 to 15 minutes, it can be risky even to healthy individuals.
• People have experienced shortness of breath during fits of laughter. There also have been reports of people losing their consciousness temporarily (for around 3 to 5 minutes); some have blacked out for a few seconds due to unrestrained laughter. Experts warn that excessive laughter tends to cause hyperventilation, which carries health risk but is unlikely to result in death.

A fit of hysterical laughter can also cause hernia to bulge out. Jaw trauma such as a dislocated jaw can also be one of the side effects of laughing too much. Excessive laughter is also responsible for triggering cataplexy, a condition that is marked by sudden temporary loss of muscle function.

Dr. Martin Samuels, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical, opines that extreme strong feelings related to sorrow or happiness stimulate an area of the brain corresponding to fight or flight response. During a fight or flight response, chemicals like adrenaline are released into the body. Too much of adrenaline can be detrimental to health, particularly the heart. So handling emotions (good or bad) in a better way is necessary to manage overall health.

Death from Laughter

• There also have been confirmed reports of people laughing their way to death. In one instance, in 1989, Ole Bentzen, a Danish audiologist while watching a heist-comedy film A Fish Called Wanda went into uncontrollable fits of laughter. He began laughing so intensely that his heart started beating very fast and the heart rate was found to be fluctuating between 250 to 500 heartbeats per minute. This eventually caused cardiac arrest.
• In another instance, in 1975, Alex Mitchell from England had uncontrollable fits of laughter while watching a television episode of Goodies, a popular British comedy series telecasted during the 1970s. He laughed hard non-stop for 25 minutes, which left him breathless due to severe heart failure. Later, it was found that Alex was a patient of long QT syndrome, a rare congenital heart disorder. This heart ailment may also have contributed to his death.

On the whole, experts say that contributory factors such as an underlying medical condition are likely to have played a role in causing deaths due to laughter. However, the fact remains that laughing too hard for long, although not fatal, can cause breathlessness.

Keep in mind that continuous fits of laughter can be risky but that doesn't mean you should avoid laughing altogether. A good hearty laugh on a daily basis is in fact considered an elixir of life but make sure that the laughter-inducing moments do not leave you out of breath.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.

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How does Men's Brain Differ from Women's Brain?

There are structural and neural processing differences between the brains of a man and a woman. The male brain has more gray matter (involved in processing), while the female brain has more white matter (involved in transmitting information).
Fact about men's and women's brain

Did You Know?
Studies have shown that daily meditation has a positive impact on brain function and tends to reduce age-related decline of gray and white matter in the brain.

It is not just physical attributes that separate a man from a woman. Their brains too are not identical. Their brains have unique characteristics. They differ in structure, function, and ways of processing information. Men and women use their brains differently, owing to the difference in the amount of gray and white matter. The difference in male and female brains is discussed below.

Size
The brain of a male is approximately 10% bigger than a female brain. The average brain volume of men is found to be around 1260 cm3, while women show an average brain volume of 1130 cm3. As far as weight is concerned, an average adult brain of men weighs around 1,345 g, while the weight of an average female brain is approximately 1,222 g. However, a larger brain does not necessarily indicate higher intelligence.

Gray Matter
Gray matter, the outer covering of the brain (also referred to as the cortex) is essentially involved in processing information. The gray matter in a male brain is 6.5 to 7 times as much as in a female brain. The gray matter that contains the nerve cell bodies, deals with processing visual inputs and other sensory perception skills such as hearing. The motor neurons present in gray matter also help in the movement of muscles.

White Matter
Female brains tend to have 9.5 to 10 times greater white matter than male brains. The white matter contains bundles of nerve fibers that carry information from one processing center to another. It essentially connects different gray matter regions within the brain. More white matter means greater brain connectivity.

Thinking
Due to the higher percentage of white matter, one study suggests that women might be using more of white matter to think, while men might be utilizing more gray matter for the same purpose. In short, men and women think in a different way.

Neural Processing

• The male brain favors localized processing, which means men are likely to be superior in activities that need more localized processing. To put it simply, men might be better at mathematical and analytical processing. No wonder, it is often said that men should be assigned the task of making and checking bills.
• The female brain favors integrating and assimilating information; the processing is distributed and involves gathering information from various regions of the brain. As a result, women tend to be better at language skills. They may be better at handling social events. Be it maintaining relationships or arranging social gatherings, women can use their superior language skills to their advantage.

 

Language Processing
Broca's and Wernicke's area, the language processing centers of the brain tend to be larger in women than in men. In these areas, the female brain shows greater neuron density than the male brain. Moreover, MRI scans also showed that women use both left and right hemispheres to process language, whereas men only use the left hemisphere.

Memory
Hippocampus is the region of the brain involved in memory formation and storage. Compared to males, this human memory center is found to be bigger in females. This could be one of the reasons why women tend to be better at remembering things. When it comes to social skills and memory, the female brain appears to be more competent than the male brain.

Head Injury
Frontal brain injuries can cause more damage in females than in males. This is because 84% of gray matter is present in a female's frontal lobes. Whereas a male frontal lobe houses only 45% of gray matter. On the other hand, 86% of white matter lies in the frontal lobe of female brains. A man's frontal lobe does not contain any white matter. So one can say that the gray matter area is more spread out in males than in females. This indicates that a head injury may lead to a greater decline of cognitive performance in women than in men.

Aggression
Amygdala is associated with processing of emotions like fear, anger, and pleasure. It makes us aware of impending danger and the processing of negative emotions in this region is often responsible for aggression. Male brains have a larger amygdala than female brains. This means men have an edge over women when it comes to being aggressive. That could be the reason why males tend to be better and more competent in physical battles than their female counterparts.

Despite the notable differences in male and female brains, studies have shown that this does not have a substantial impact on their cognitive processing. Both men and women have done exceedingly well in different tests involving cognitive assessment.

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