Our path is our way

If I hear "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" one more time, I'll scream. I get it.

But here's the thing: knowing when to eat that all-important meal is really tricky. Is it bad if I don't eat breakfast until I get to work, because the idea of eating right when I wake up makes me queasy?

If I sleep in on Saturday, have I somehow missed out on the optimal breakfast time? And if I'm a morning workout person, when the hell do I eat? (I don't really want to have eggs and bacon before I hit the treadmill.)

I have so many questions.

So...does it actually matter what time you eat breakfast?

Yup. “When you eat is just as important as what you are eating,” says Philadelphia-based registered dietitian Theresa Shank. She recommends eating within two hours of when you wake up.

“Eating within this window sets the pace for a healthy appetite and stabilized blood sugars throughout the day,” explains Shank. When your blood sugar gets out of whack, it often triggers hanger, cravings, and over-eating-a.k.a avoid at all costs.

And breakfast does actually jump-start your metabolism. “Once we’re awake, our bodies need to speed up and break out of a fasted state,” she adds.

TL;DR: You should eat breakfast within two hours of waking up-no matter if you rise at 6 a.m. or noon.
The two-hour breakfast window is mostly true for everyone. However, if you have a health condition like diabetes, having stable blood sugar levels is even more important. In that case, you’ll want to make the window between waking and breakfasting shorter-aim for eating within an hour of waking up to keep glucose levels in balance, says Maya Feller, R.D., of Maya Feller Nutrition in Brooklyn, New York.

What if I’m going to the gym?

The question of whether to eat before you go comes down to how your body reacts to exercising after eating. “If you plan to workout in the morning, you need to identify if you perform better fed or fasted,” says Feller.

For instance, if eating a simple pre-workout piece of toast leaves you clenching your stomach midway through Spin, then it's probs best to wait until you're done. If finishing your weight workout on an empty stomach makes you dizzy and distracted, then you’re going to need a bite before you go. (Some simple carbs from half a banana can help power you through without feeling super-full.)

This can take some experimentation-but don't get too stressed about it. In general, it's a good idea to eat within one to two hours pre- or post-workout, says Shank.

But I HATE eating in the morning...

You should still eat something. (Sorry!) Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. And skipping a meal in general can cause brain fog, lower blood sugar levels, and a slower metabolism.

No one’s asking you to sit down to eggs, bacon, pancakes, and a pot of coffee every day. Just a little something is important. Drink a glass of water when you wake up to hydrate, says Shank, then grab something easy to take with you (like a Greek yogurt cup, hard-boiled egg, or a piece of fruit). Eating something small will help your body adjust to the idea of eating in the a.m., Shank says-helping make daily breakfast a regular routine.
Now go slay the day. You’re ready.

Pulse News

High blood pressure is a frightening disease because it has few symptoms yet puts people at great risk of heart disease or stroke.

High blood pressure is quite manageable with diet and lifestyle changes.

Sugar and Salt are some other things that should be avoided.

Sorry, but these two tasty food enhancers are major factors in hypertension.

In general, a healthy person should not consume more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. When it comes to sugar, the main concern is avoiding “added” sugar. Our bodies need sugar to function properly, but most of it should come from sources like whole fruit rather than candy or even juice.

Also to be avoided are high sodium foods. Canned vegetables, especially beans, are high in sodium because it is used to extend shelf life.

Beans that you buy dry and then soak and cook are actually a very healthy meal choice due to their protein, fiber, and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Adding beans to your meal can help keep your blood sugar steady, too. If you must eat canned beans, you can remove up to 41% of the sodium content by rinsing them in a colander before preparing.

Packaged and processed meats are also to be avoided. Packaged meats including hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and lunch meat also rely on sodium to preserve the product for a long time.

So not only are you getting food loaded with salt and preservatives, you are sacrificing the health benefits of eating fresh food.

Red meat is considered more dangerous to health than white meat, but even packaged chicken and turkey have too much sodium.

Instead, buy your meat straight from a butcher to get a fresh product that hasn’t been soaked in a giant vat of saltwater.

To get your hypertension under control, or simply to live a healthier life, train your taste buds to find satiety in the natural sugars contained in whole fruit.

Bananas are an especially good choice because of their potassium content – potassium helps to regulate blood pressure. When you really need a splurge, opt for one small piece of dark chocolate to keep the added sugars down.

As for soft drinks, just one soda per day can push you over your daily recommended limit of added sugars, yet because you drink rather than eat them, they don’t make you feel full or satisfied.

It is better to get your caffeine from lightly sweetened tea or coffee. If it’s simply refreshment you crave, try some sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice or a sprig of mint.

Under pastries, cookies, cakes, donuts, and other baked goodies can certainly be a hard habit to break, but they are simply loaded with sugar and fat.

However, you may still be able to enjoy pastries in moderation.

There is very little health value in alcohol in general, but it can be especially bad for people with high blood pressure. First, alcohol may be high in sugar itself or mixed with sugary beverages.

Second, drinking too much causes dehydration and is linked to weight gain, both of which are risk factors for hypertension. And finally, drinking more than three alcoholic beverages in a sitting will spike your blood pressure on the spot.

The bad news is that reducing the amount of sugar and salt in your diet will require some extra effort.

Preparing meals fresh at home is the best way to control your intake, but you can still use some packaged products as long as you get good at reading labels.

It will take some time to retrain your taste buds, but after awhile, you will start to gain an appreciation of the nuanced flavours in foods that aren’t dominated by sugar and salt.

That’s the good news – not only will your hypertension be kept in  check, you will likely soon find that you don’t even miss foods with unhealthy levels of sugar and salt.

Healthy Living

Our path is our way

When you’re ready to grow your hair out, you want it to be longer, like yesterday.
So when you hear influencers freaking out about how coconut oil can help hair grow faster, it seems worth a try. After all, coconut oil can basically do...anything?
PSA: Coconut oil does squat for hair growth.

Sorry to break it to you, but there's "no evidence" that coconut oil (or any other oil) will actually help your hair grow longer, says Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Yes, coconut oil has moisturizing and antimicrobial (bacteria and  fungus-fighting) properties that make it beneficial for skin and hair, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a New York City–based board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. But neither of those properties directly translate into faster hair growth.

If you’re struggling with thinning hair, Rogaine can help by encouraging healthy follicle growth, Zeichner says. Other derms have also previously recommended taking a hair growth supplement (such as Nutrafol or Viviscal).

Are there any benefits to using coconut oil in your hair?

Actually, yes. Coconut oil has tons of fatty acids, making it a great  natural conditioner, says Zeichner. And coconut oil can help reduce levels of yeast on your scalp that can lead to dandruff, he adds. (Although if you have a serious case of scalp flake, Zeichner says you'll find better results with a dandruff shampoo.)

Coconut oil also has anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease local inflammation (which can mess with your hair’s ability to grow), says Goldenberg. It's also packed with lauric acid, which helps to strengthen and moisturize your hair, Goldenberg adds.
All of these properties can help hair become stronger and less prone to damage-which can promote healthier growth. But that's not quite the same as directly causing hair growth, obvz.

How to use coconut oil for hair

If you want to try it, make a DIY conditioning hair mask using plain yogurt, coconut oil, and honey.

Let it sit in clean, wet hair, then rinse thoroughly after 10 minutes. You'll find hair that's extra-soft and smooth. You can also just apply some straight to your hair and let it sit overnight as you sleep for an intensely-hydrating experience.

One thing to keep in mind: Goldenberg says that people who use coconut oil on their scalps can develop acne or folliculitis (inflamed hair follicles) because the oil can clog the pores on your scalp. So if you already ar eprone to scalp zits, this isn't the hair treatment for you.

The bottom line: Coconut oil can certainly help promote a healthier scalp and hair (you know, hydrated, less dandruff-prone, that kind of thing), which can ultimately lead to hair growth. But it's not a guarantee.


Pulse Ghana

Our path is our way

Baking soda is having a moment-a weird thing to say about something that’s been a pantry essential for literally decades.
These days, the touted health benefits of baking soda go far beyond airy cakes and flaky biscuits (as if those weren’t enough), and the internet is filled with claims that the unassuming white powder can do everything from settling your stomach to whitening your teeth.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the information out there is bogus and totally not legit. You should never use baking soda as sunscreen (duh!). But, baking soda does pack a few cool health benefits when used correctly-which often means buying FDA-approved products with baking soda as an active ingredient-so two experts weighed in to help separate fact from fiction.

1. It can help take the 'burn' out of heartburn.
“Drinking a mixture of baking soda and water has been used as [a heartburn] home remedy for decades,” says Allison Dostal Webster, Ph.D., R.D., the associate director of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council .
Basically, your stomach acid, is, well, acidic (with a pH less than seven, says Webster), while baking soda is basic (with a pH higher than seven). When your stomach acid is going haywire (say, traveling up into your esophagus and giving you heartburn), baking soda can effectively "neutralize" that acid, Webster says. That neutral substance won’t cause discomfort if it travels back up into your esophagus.

That said, Webster warns that the home remedy carries risks. “There are many case reports of people over-consuming baking soda, which upsets our body’s acid-base balance and can lead to serious cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological effects," says Webster.
So if you get acid reflux on the reg, you shouldn't just keep chugging baking soda and water. Talk to your doctor and consider options like over-the-counter or prescription medications, Webster says.

2. It can nix 'keto breath' and reduce your risk of cavities.
“Baking soda has been studied for its benefits to oral hygiene,” says Webster. “Its antimicrobial properties can help fight bacteria that cause bad breath, and reduce risk for cavities. That’s why you can commonly find it in certain types of toothpastes.”

3. It’ll give you pearly whites.
Another tooth-related benefit of baking soda: A 2017 meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Dental Association states that several studies found teeth-whitening treatments containing baking soda were more effective than those without it.
If you don't want to shell out for a teeth-whitening kit (which, I don't blame you), you can try making a paste out of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, and brushing it on your teeth. Just don't use it every day, since both of those ingredients can be harsh when overused. Use it for three days, then use it again in six months to maintain results.

4. It can clean and exfoliate skin (but there's a catch).
Basically every natural beauty blog has some kind of post about using baking soda as a natural cleanser. And there's some truth to that, says Joshua Zeichner , M.D., the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital. “[Baking soda] can absorb oil and helps exfoliate dead cells from the surface of the skin, making it a useful ingredient in DIY scrubs and masks," he says.

However, he says that it can cause serious irritation if overused, especially if you have sensitive skin. "The only people I would recommend it for are those with extremely oily skin, and people who rarely develop skin irritation," he says.

If you don't want to use straight baking soda on your face (which is probs for the best), try a cleanser that is formulated with baking soda instead to minimize the risk of irritation (like Bioré's Baking Soda Pore Cleanser ). If you have sensitive skin, Zeichner says, skip the baking soda and use traditional exfoliators with ingredients like alpha- or beta-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid or salicylic acid.

5. It absorbs excess sweat.
“Because of its absorbent nature, baking soda may also be used as an ingredient in a homemade deodorant,” says Zeichner. If you want to get your hands dirty, you can mix some with water until it turns into a paste, and apply to your underarms. If that doesn't sound appealing, you can find baking soda as a main ingredient in lots of natural deodorants, too.

However, Zeichner says that just like it can irritate the skin on your face, it can also irritate the skin under your arms. And, it won’t combat odors as well as store-bought deodorants. So keep that in mind.

6. It may help zap zits.
“Baking soda’s ability to absorb oil explains reports of treating acne,” says Zeichner. Dabbing a bit onto spots may help dry them up in the short-term, he adds, but won’t really lead to lasting healing.

And, while some people report that baking soda has helped fade scars, it’s not exactly a magic bullet. “The only way I could imagine baking soda being useful in brightening dark spots or improving the appearance of scars is through its exfoliating properties,” says Zeichner. So, sure, you can give it a try, but any form of exfoliation will likely have a similar effect-with less risk of skin irritation.

Pulse Ghana