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5 Exercises That Completely Melt Back Fat

July 18, 2018 by Power of Positivity

Are you worried about back fat and bra overhang? If you are, you would be surprised to hear that you’re not the only one! While there are many exercises that burn fat overall, certain exercises that target back fat are probably what you need to lose bra overhang. Many people think that back fat is easy to ignore because, unlike other types of fat, it can easily be covered up with clothes. But it’s really not that easy! Back fat causes a lot of uncomfortable sweating, a feeling of heaviness and sometimes even pain in your lower back and shoulders. So, it’s far from just a cosmetic problem, because it can even be detrimental to your health.

But how does one lose weight from one’s back? Well, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Unfortunately, we can’t just tell our body where we want to lose weight. With the back, it’s all about strengthening and exercising the right muscle groups so that the food you eat doesn’t turn into calories but into muscle instead. And when that happens, you’ll see the fat start to melt away! Here are five exercises you can focus on that will help your back muscles strengthen and will put you well on the way of getting rid of that back fat and bra overhang once and for all.

Here Are 5 Exercises for Back Fat That’ll Make Bra Overhang A Thing of The Past

“The fat on the back and underarms can be a terrible problem for many people. But, you can feel more confident in your own skin with just a little extra effort.” – Jason Rosell

1. Pull-ups

Perhaps the most obvious one and, unfortunately, the hardest one, as it requires so much upper-body strength. The key to becoming good at pull-ups is exercise, exercise and more exercise. Even if you start off being able to pull yourself up from the bar only a minimal amount, don’t give up. Find ways to make pull-ups easier and move slowly and gradually to the full-on, palms-away pull-ups that you’re seeing everyone else do. Some gyms have an assisted pull-up machine and you can always ask for advice on how to use one. Even if it looks big and scary, it will make pull-ups seem much more achievable than you probably thought they were!

2. Push-ups

Another very popular one, and one that takes a long time to master, push-ups are normally lauded as a great chest exercise, but they strengthen muscles in your back too. A lot of people don’t know how to do a good push-up. Make sure your hands are wider than shoulder width apart – putting them at shoulder width is probably the worst thing you can do. To make sure the focus falls on your back, focus on the downward movement. Hold yourself down at the bottom for about three seconds. If you integrate this simple exercise in your routine, you’ll be surprised at the difference it makes for your back fat.

3. The reverse fly

This is one of the best anti-back fat exercises you can do at home as it doesn’t require that much equipment at all – just two dumbbells. If you don’t have these, two bottles full of water will also do. What you do is you spread out your arms at shoulder level and you squeeze your shoulder blades together a few times. Then you lower your hands back down and repeat. This exercise is great not just for burning back fat, but also for generally managing your core strength. Keep your head in line with your spine, just to make sure that the exercise is as efficient as possible.

4. The upright row

This exercise is a great replacement for a rowing machine if you don’t have access to one. Using two dumbbells – or objects of a similar weight – make a rowing movement from your thighs towards your chin. Make sure your elbows extend as much as possible and feel your back flex from the movement. Keep the dumbbells as close to your body as you can, because that makes the exercise all the more effective. Remember that the main movement needs to come from your elbows, because that’s controlled by a muscle all the way in the middle of the back. By working that muscle, you’re gaining the necessary muscle tone to get rid of that back fat and bra overhang as soon as you can.

5. Plank with an arm raise

If you’ve ever been to a gym class, you’ll have heard of the dreaded plank. However, this isn’t just any plank exercise – this one makes sure that the muscles in your back get a workout as well. By raising one of your arms during the plank, you’re helping your body find its center and develop its upper strength. As we mentioned before, getting rid of back fat is all about developing muscle. What better way to do that than by using the plank exercise?

Final thoughts

Positive thinking is key when it comes to dealing with back fat. When you stay positive, you will be inspired to keep trying new things to help you reach your weight loss goals. Exercise and proper diet will get you a long way down the road to being a healthier, happier you!

Scientists Explain How Vitamin D Can Prevent Heart Disease

July 18, 2018 by Power of Positivity

Everyone knows that Vitamin D is the “sunshine vitamin.” You experience a lack of it if you live somewhere with no access to sunlight all year long. It’s a popular vitamin these days, and many people are constantly looking for the best way to get more vitamin D in their lives. You may have heard that it saves you from depression, migraines, chronic pain, and even damage to your vision – but do you know just how helpful is vitamin D for heart disease?

Despite knowing how useful vitamin D can be for so many things in our lives, research still shows that over 40% of Americans suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Incidentally, heart disease is one of the most dangerous killers in modern America. So how does monitoring your vitamin D intake actually help your heart?

Vitamin D and Heart Disease

A new study has found out that the “sunshine vitamin” actually has a very big effect on the endothelium, a.k.a. one of the main conductors of the vascular system. By keeping a healthy endothelium, you can ward off many diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and many others. Incidentally, all of these can directly or indirectly lead to heart disease, too, which is how you can ensure you’re staying healthy if you have enough vitamin D.

The scientists from The International Journal of Nanomedicine have found out through a pioneering method of nanotechnology that one of vitamin D’s sub-level variations, vitamin D3 (very commonly found in oily fish) not only decreases the level of stress on the cardiovascular system but it also helps ensure healthy blood flow and battling blood clots, which again can lead to heart and brain disease very quickly.

More importantly, though, the scientists performed tests on people who had already suffered a heart attack – and the results were nothing short of astounding.

They found out that Vitamin D3 not only fed the endothelium, but it also restored any damage to it that was caused by heart disease. So, taking Vitamin D doesn’t only turn into a preventative measure. It helps ensure recovery if you have been through a heart disease.

So, according to science, you can protect yourself from a heart attack with enough vitamin D for heart disease. Or you can even look to restore your health after you’ve had one. But what are some great sources of vitamin D? Take a look at some natural sources of the useful substance that can literally help heal your broken heart.

Here Are 5 Foods That Contain Vitamin D to Prevent Heart Disease

“Vitamin D has a huge contribution in protecting the heart by lowering blood pressure, increasing insulin sensitivity, decreasing inflammation, as well as other fundamental processes that underlie heart disease.” – Dr. Thomas Chaney

1. Shiitake mushrooms

Those straw-like Japanese mushrooms may seem weird to you, but they actually have a very big concentration of vitamin D and are available in most shops. Toss them in a stir fry or in any other dish where you’d normally use mushrooms and you can be sure you’ve got your vitamin dose for the day.

2. Fish

As already mentioned, fish, especially oily fish, is a great source of Vitamin D3. The best fishy choices for adding more vitamin D to your diet are salmon and halibut. But if you don’t like cleaning freshly caught fish, canned tuna is also very rich in the vitamin and can bring the same results. Keep it on hand for salads, sandwiches, and tuna melts and get your daily dose of Vitamin D for heart disease without thinking too much about it!

3. Milk alternatives

That might sound a bit counter-intuitive, but actually a lot of dairy-free milk – like almond milk or oat milk – are fortified with vitamin D, which can sometimes make them a lot healthier than their dairy counterparts! Make sure to do some experimenting to see which one you like best. Once you find the dairy-free milk you enjoy, it won’t be very hard at all to make the switch towards a healthier life.

4. Eggs

Because it is a wonderful natural source of vitamin D, consuming eggs in moderation can be good for your heart. Don’t overdo it though. The positive results only come if you can make sure your intake is well regulated! You don’t want to make your cholesterol too high, after all.

5. Sunshine

Even children know that you get vitamin D from the sun. Of course, prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays isn’t healthy for anybody but try and make sure you get at least a bit of sunlight every day, whether while going to work or just sitting on the balcony. It’s not only good for your heart but it also helps with depression.

Final thoughts

Just the power of positive thinking won’t be enough to save you from heart disease. As this research has shown, Vitamin D, and especially D3, have a lot of good reasons to be lauded as the most useful vitamins you can take. Make sure to get tested for vitamin D deficiency and if you do have it, act quick, because you don’t want to put it off for too long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Fq94ZAgjY

References:
https://www.mylivinghealth.com/8-ways-to-keep-your-heart-healthy-through-nutrition-part-1/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320802.php
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35959556
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180130140242.htm
https://www.verywellfit.com/food-sources-of-vitamin-d-2507743

How Your Gut Affects Your Mental Health

July 17, 2018 by Power of Positivity

As far as we’ve come in studying the human brain, we’re still in the early phases. New information about this fantastically complex organ seems to surface more every day. Need some proof? Read on to learn how a healthy gut increases your mental health.

Bacteria communicate with one another in a similar way to nerve cells in the brain, scientists have discovered. – The Daily Mail

Our gut (i.e., bowels) consist of two segments, the large intestine and the small intestine. Within these two segments are over 100 trillion bacteria, collectively called the microbiome or gut flora. Scientists are now discovering that gut flora may affect immune, digestive, and brain function!

The gut’s activity is so intricate that scientists dub the system “our second brain.” This second brain is in the infantile research stage, but an accumulating amount of data is demonstrating the intricate relationship between our “real brain” and our “second brain.”

Here, we discuss how gut bacteria communicate – with each other and our gray matter. Furthermore, we’ll discuss how our gut flora may affect our mental health. Lastly, we’ll provide some suggestions on how to optimize the levels of bacteria within the gut – making us healthier in the process!

The gut-brain axis and your mental health

Our gut can communicate to our brain through the vagus nerve – a “cranial nerve extending from the brainstem to the abdomen via the heart, esophagus and lung.” Approximately 90 percent of all nerve fibers that constitute the vagus nerve communicate information from the gut to the brain.

The molecules produced by gut bacteria have been found to enter the bloodstream. Scientists have discovered these molecules contain both hormones and neuroactive compounds, which helps explain why the bacteria may possess mood-altering qualities.

Microbes also interact with the immune system, which serves as a communication intermediary for some gut-brain interactions. These connections are vital for the health of the immune system.

Bacteria types

In simple terms, our gut flora consists of “good” and “bad” bacteria. Our good bacteria interact with the brain hormonally, helping to suppress the stress response by switching off the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. In contrast, bad bacteria – caused by Candida (yeast) or parasites – can counteract activities of good bacteria if an imbalance exists.

A serious imbalance of bad-to-good bacteria is a condition known as dysbiosis, which may be linked to various mental health disorders, including anxiety, autism, chronic stress, and depression. Scientists are evaluating the possible link between dysbiosis and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

Anthony L. Komaroff, the former Editor in Chief of the Harvard Health Letter, summarizes this mind-gut connection:

“A person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That’s because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected – so intimately that they should be viewed as one system.”

Healthy gut, better mental health

If this information seems a bit fantastical or overwhelming, don’t worry. Many individuals with the medical and scientific communities are still trying to make sense out of this almost irreducibly complex relationship. Given the discoveries mentioned before, it is important that we actively monitor and, if necessary, improve our gut (and hence, brain) health.

Here are five important takeaways from this information:

(1) The gut and brain and intricately connected through a complex communication network.

(2) The gut’s balance of good and bad bacteria more likely than not has a beneficial or adverse effect on our mood.

(3) We want the “good” kind of bacteria to outnumber the bad, as this balance supports the immune system and improves neurological function.

(4) We must be cautious of dysbiosis – an unhealthy condition wherein harmful bacteria may produce adverse brain conditions – including anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and even neurodegenerative disorders.

(5) We can maintain and restore a healthy gut flora balance through diet and supplementation.

More on diet and supplementation

Food plays a central role in maintaining a healthy balance of gut flora. In this closing section, we’ll explain how what we choose to eat is crucial to a healthy gut-brain connection.

The answer to any disturbance within the gut-brain connection may come down to just two things: prebiotics and probiotics. Let’s quickly discuss the importance of these two substances.

Probiotics are the live bacteria that are good for our health, especially our gut health. Besides being found naturally, probiotics are delivered in certain foods and supplements. Here are some good sources of probiotics: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, dark chocolate (yay!), miso soup, pickles, tempeh, kimchi, microalgae, and poi.

Prebiotics are nondigested substances that promote the growth of probiotics and are critical to maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. Good sources of prebiotics include onions, raw garlic, raw asparagus, under-ripe bananas, jicama, leeks, dandelion greens, and Acacia gum.

Make prebiotics and probiotics a part of your diet. Cheers to your newfound gut health!

References:
Borreli, L. (2016, March 29). Food For Thought: Gut Bacteria May Influence How The Mind Works, Affecting Mood And Behavior. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://www.medicaldaily.com/food-thought-gut-bacteria-mood-behavior-379915
Dr. Axe. (2017). 7 Reasons to Get Prebiotics in Your Diet – Plus Best Sources. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://draxe.com/prebiotics/
Ellis, J. (2016, February 23). Can Bacteria Talk to Your Brain? Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.labroots.com/trending/infographics/2515/bacteria-talk-brain
Viccariello, L. (2017). How Bacteria Talk to Your Brain. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://www.rd.com/health/conditions/how-bacteria-talk-to-your-brain/

5 Changes I Made This Month That Helped Improve My Self Esteem

July 17, 2018 by Power of Positivity

It can be hard to live with someone or be in a romantic relationship with someone who suffers from poor self esteem. While you may see a great person with many admirable traits, they have a low concept of themselves. This is the same mode of living you want to avoid by loving yourself more. Why is this important? Read on to find out.

Why Your Self Esteem Matters

Learning to build self esteem is important. People with higher self esteem tend to handle stressful situations better. They are more confident in their abilities to cope with stress. Studies have shown that, even though some people are born with a predisposition to have high self worth, they aren’t necessarily happier or more successful. However, the flip side is that people with reduced self esteem may be more vulnerable to developing the symptoms of depression. Every problem that you face right now will eventually pass. You can just take advantage of these five things I did last month to improve my self perceptions because they really work.

1. Choose with care the statements you make about yourself.

Try to avoid using words that contribute to low self esteem. Words like “forever.” For the past few years, I have worked to build self esteem. But, I’ve also been saying things like: “I will be single forever” and “I will never find a relationship.” The words that you use shape your thoughts and emotions. Your mind tends to create your reality to fit the statements you make, whether positive or negative. Making poor evaluations of yourself can limit your experiences.

2. Attract more positive energies into your life by setting achievable goals.

In the past, you might have suffered from low self esteem because you held poor values about yourself and your worth. However, you have worked on that and you are going to keep building self esteem. This means that you may have to adjust your daily habits. Most importantly, learn to accept your mistakes. Treat your failures with love and understanding. View each day as a new opportunity to achieve your goals.

3. When you face a problem, focus on what’s in your power to change.

People with high self esteem accept their limitations and play to their strengths. They do things based on what is under their control. They don’t belittle themselves for what they can’t change or what they can’t control. People with high self esteem see each problem as something that can be solved, even if that means finding help. They are happy, and they celebrate their successes, both little and big. They read happiness quotes that inspire them.

4. Schedule breaks from work for what you love.

The next time there’s a problem at work and it takes all day to solve it, you need to promise yourself a reward (and keep your promise). “Once I finish this report, I will stop at the yogurt store and have a yummy smoothie.” Or, plan ahead. “Tomorrow, I’m going to get to work a little early and prepare for the meeting with my boss.”

5. Control your reactions to others who try to bring you down.

Dr. Phil once said that we either teach people to treat us with dignity and respect or we don’t. So treat yourself with love and respect; stay focused on daily success and building self esteem. Don’t let negative people steal your energy, put you down, make false statements about you, or hurt you. If you can, correct people who do bad things to you. Choose when to put yourself in difficult situations and how long you will stay in them, even at work. While we explained that people with low self esteem are at risk for depression, this doesn’t mean they must experience it or give into anxiety. In every situation, you can control your reactions.

Believe in yourself. You have the power to solve more problems than you might realize. I texted my HVAC guy on Father’s Day when my cooling system’s condensation leaked all over the laundry room. He didn’t respond all day. Frustrated, I got out the wet vacuum, sucked out the debris from the drain pipe, flushed it out with bleach water, and waited for the system to resume normal function. He never came, and I saved myself $100. I solved the problem by believing I could follow the steps he’d shown me the year before to address the same problem.

15 Habits Everyone Should Have Before They Turn 30

July 17, 2018 by Power of Positivity

What habits should one develop to achieve a successful, happy life?

A habit is defined as “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” Psychologists define habit formation as “the process by which new behaviors become automatic.”

Every habit that we possess is, literally, a neural pathway that has been inscribed into our brain. We etch these pathways through repetition until we cultivate and form a new habit.

In this article, we discuss fifteen healthy habits worth forming. You’ll notice that each habit falls into one of five categories: diet, etiquette, finances, health, and general.

Here are 15 habits everyone should try to develop:

“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” – Warren Buffett

1. Cut down on your sugar intake

There are numerous reasons to cut back on sugar: it has no nutritional value, accelerates fat storage, increases the risk of heart disease, causes tooth decay and cavities; raises blood pressure, and more.

A better option? Get into the habit of storing fruit and healthy snacks (more on the latter below.)

2. Keep a supply of healthy snacks available

Seriously, get a bunch of plastic baggies and fill them with the healthy stuff. Here’s just a short list: almonds, dried fruit, homemade trail mix, low-sugar granola bars, rice cakes, apple slices with peanut butter, carrot sticks – the list is almost endless.

3. Drink better water drinking habits

There is no other substance more critical to our body than water. Period.

Every cell in our body uses water to regulate body temperature, moisten tissues, lubricate joints, protect organs, ease digestion, flush waste produces, dissolve essential minerals and nutrients, and carry oxygen throughout the body.

The easier way to make drinking water a habit is to buy a large water bottle, keep it filled, and take it with you wherever you go.

4. Put the phone away when someone’s talking

We understand that people use their phones for almost everything nowadays, including business purposes. But did you know that accumulating research shows an overdependence on technology can change your behavior? There are technology addiction therapists for crying out loud!

Anyways, be courteous and stash the phone occasionally.

5. Practice active listening

Active listening is rare, which is precisely why you should make it a habit. To actively listen is to fully concentrate, understand, respond, and remember what’s being said without preparing your response beforehand.

6. Develop random acts of kindness habits

Random acts of kindness are beautiful things. Try to make it a point to do something nice for someone every day. This act of kindness could be a smile, a “Thank You” card, or an email that makes someone’s day.

7. Adopt a simplicity mindset

Practicing simplicity is more than just consuming less – it is a state of mind. We, as Madonna famously sang, “live in a material world.” Consumerism is at the heart of most economies, but we needn’t participate in it.

To be “financially minimalistic” is to keep your values in mind (e.g., social welfare, ethics, spiritual), to spend your money with intent, and to not be guided by impulse.

8. Forget about “Keeping up with the Joneses”

Don’t buy into the misconception that you must have the latest, trendiest stuff. Too many buy into the notion that having the most updated phones, gadgets, and clothing will make them happy. They won’t – collecting these possessions will only leave you with an empty wallet.

Fashion, automobiles, health and wellness products; nearly everything sold today is replaced with “the latest and greatest” – at a premium.

9. Keep your loose change somewhere

No kidding. Buy a dang Piggy Bank if you have to. Will it look ultra-cool carrying 20 dollars worth of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies to exchange for cash? Who cares?

If you want to one-up your efforts, stash that 20 bucks into your savings.

10. Don’t underestimate exercise – even in small doses

Simply put, you don’t need to work out seven days per week.

We wrote an article a while back about the Tabata Interval Training Method – a 4-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen designed by Dr. Izumi Tabata.

The results of Tabata’s research are extraordinary: short periods of HIIT outperform sixty minutes of moderate exercise in every important measurement (e.g., fat burning, recovery time, muscle generation.)

HIIT training involves short bursts of intense exercises and short periods of rest.

11. Develop better sleep habits

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends around seven to nine hours of sleep for healthy adults. That said, sleep quality is just as important.

Sleep hygiene – habits that help ensure a good night’s sleep – is critical. Lay off the caffeine, limiting daytime napping, and having an established bedtime routine are three crucial elements of sleep quality.

12. Make your mental health a priority

We often get so wrapped up in physical exercise that we forget our ole’ noggin. The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled stress warns how is a problem that has spread across the globe.

Stress management is undoubtedly the single best habit to form, and you can employ many strategies. Mindfulness, yoga, meditation, exercise, and deep breathing are just a few ideas.

13. Stay away from drama and gossip

In an ideal world, drama, gossip, and other unnecessary theatrics wouldn’t exist. Nothing can be gained from making too much out of things or participating in gossip sessions.

Mind your business and let others mind theirs.

14. Make your workplace comfortable

If you have to put in the time for “the man,” you might as well be comfortable doing it. Take a look at your desk; can you add something to give it a more “at home” feel? Maybe you love quotes or other motivational stuff. Make them visible.

Trust us; you will enjoy your time at work just a little bit more.

15. Stay in touch with your family

Living far from relatives can take its toll on you and the people you love. Do yourself and them a favor: keep in touch. “Friend” them, text ‘em…or, here’s a novel idea, call them!

Make it a habit of letting the family know you love and think about them as often as possible.

7 ‘Fake’ Foods To Never Eat

July 17, 2018 by Power of Positivity

The “food industrial complex” may be amongst the most corrupt markets in the world – and, for the most, part, they get away with pumping fake foods into the supermarkets.

Here’s a harsh reality: most people have no idea what they’re eating. Need proof? In a poll taken by the Organic Consumers Association, 75 percent of Americans didn’t know they were eating genetically engineered foods.

Just 29 percent of people say they “trust the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)” according to the same study.

The fast food industry? Ethics aren’t much better there, either. Companies from Red Lobster – busted for selling, well, fake lobster; to upscale steak restaurants feeding customers “100%, grass-fed” beef from cows saturated with drugs and hormones seems to be the norm in the food industry.

In this article, we discuss seven foods known not only to be incredibly unhealthy; but foods marketed to the public – in many cases – as the exact opposite.

7 ‘Fake’ Foods To Never Eat

Paradoxically, Americans are becoming both more obese and nutrient deficient at the same time. Obese children eating processed foods are nutrient depleted and increasingly get scurvy and rickets, diseases we thought we left behind in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. – Mark Hyman, M.D.

1. Diet Soda

We all know the dangerous consequences of drinking sugary soda. Kids drink of choice? Mountain Dew: 77 grams of sugar (12 teaspoons in a 20-ounce serving.)

Along came Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, and loads of other sugar-free sodas. But something had something must’ve been substituted to give the product its flavor, right? Actually, a few things were added: aspartame, acesulfame K. neotame, sucralose; “artificial sweeteners” for short.

The problem is that most independent, scientific research ties “fake sugar” to several health-related issues. Depression, digestive problems, joint pain, metabolic disruptions, and neurological diseases are all cited as potential issues from consuming the stuff.

2. Canned Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes are a delicious staple for many dishes. They are also incredibly healthy and loaded with beneficial antioxidants and nutrients.

Canned tomatoes? Not so much. Besides being heavily processed, canned tomatoes contain unhealthy levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) – a synthetic estrogen linked to reproductive problems; to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

The high levels of BPA found in canned tomatoes come from manufacturers preferred method of packaging: tin cans. More specifically, the resin linings of tin cans.

A healthier choice: tomatoes in glass bottles, or of the organic variety.

3. Microwaved Popcorn

Back in the day, workers making popcorn developed a strange disease that was called “popcorn lung.” The culprit? A food chemical by the name of Diacetyl.

As with most public health hazards, word eventually got out to the public. Companies responded by eliminating diacetyl; only to replace it with other additives with the same effects as diacetyl: dry cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, phlegm production, fatigue, drowsiness, headache, aches, fever, and nausea.

The better option? Make your popcorn with real butter. No, it isn’t necessarily a “healthy” choice,” but it won’t produce symptoms similar to the black lung either.

4. “Fish” Sticks

Contrary to popular opinion, fish sticks contain little to no fish at all. Rather unsurprising, since the cost of real crab is proportionately much higher.

Instead, these are often a mix of fish, additives (extract, flavor, seasonings, etcetera.) Manufacturers choose the fish used for these sticks just for its texture and color. Texture and color that are meant to resemble the appearance of a real fish. Thus, they confuse consumers.

The result: a high-processed product with loads to additives and preservatives, including monosodium glutamate (MSG), starches, and “food gum” to create texture.

5. Spray cheese (aka, “Easy Cheese”)

Spray cheese, cheese-in-a-can, or whatever one may call it, is an extremely unhealthy, additive-laden product. Sold in a pressurized can, the product appealed to consumers who’d taken a liking to a tasty, convenient alternative to individually sliced or shredded cheese.

Whole cheese, though one may debate its health impact, is a relatively unadulterated product with few ingredients. Spray cheese, as mentioned, is loaded with additives; including substances from canola oil and lactic acid, to milk protein and whey protein concentrate.

6. Chicken Nuggets

Remember that whole ordeal with McDonald’s and their chicken nuggets? In short, the company used no less than 40(!) ingredients to create the product. Sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, modified food starch, corn starch, thiamine mononitrate, food-colored wheat flour…this doesn’t exactly resemble the “fresh white chicken” commercial, does it?

Well, the “chicken nuggets” contain at little as 40 percent meat. The rest? Artificial mixtures of chicken “parts.” Add in the high fat and calorie content, and the salt and sugar additives, and it’s no wonder why this food makes our list.

7. White bread

Oh yes, the famous Dr. Atkins “no-no” food. Unlike whole grain bread; rich with fiber and complex carbs, white bread is devoid of any real nutritional value.

White bread sold in most places is refined – a process which eliminates many of the nutrients. Rapid absorption of refined bread (or refined flour) spikes glucose levels within the body. Hence, the reason why diabetics and those with digestive issues often refrain from any consumption of white bread.

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Here Are 5 Exercises for Back Fat That’ll Make Bra Overhang A Thing of The Past

1. Pull-ups

2. Push-ups

3. The reverse fly

4. The upright row

5. Plank with an arm raise

Final thoughts

Vitamin D and Heart Disease

Here Are 5 Foods That Contain Vitamin D to Prevent Heart Disease

1. Shiitake mushrooms

2. Fish

3. Milk alternatives

4. Eggs

5. Sunshine

Final thoughts

The gut-brain axis and your mental health

Bacteria types

Healthy gut, better mental health

More on diet and supplementation

Why Your Self Esteem Matters

1. Choose with care the statements you make about yourself.

2. Attract more positive energies into your life by setting achievable goals.

3. When you face a problem, focus on what’s in your power to change.

4. Schedule breaks from work for what you love.

5. Control your reactions to others who try to bring you down.

Here are 15 habits everyone should try to develop:

1. Cut down on your sugar intake

2. Keep a supply of healthy snacks available

3. Drink better water drinking habits

4. Put the phone away when someone’s talking

5. Practice active listening

6. Develop random acts of kindness habits

7. Adopt a simplicity mindset

8. Forget about “Keeping up with the Joneses”

9. Keep your loose change somewhere

10. Don’t underestimate exercise – even in small doses

11. Develop better sleep habits

12. Make your mental health a priority

13. Stay away from drama and gossip

14. Make your workplace comfortable

15. Stay in touch with your family

7 ‘Fake’ Foods To Never Eat

1. Diet Soda

2. Canned Tomatoes

3. Microwaved Popcorn

4. “Fish” Sticks

5. Spray cheese (aka, “Easy Cheese”)

6. Chicken Nuggets

7. White bread

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