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Tag: health benefits

By Margaret R. McLean

Yogurt’s Health Benefits in the Hot Summer Season

As the sweltering heat of the summer continues to hit cities, it becomes essential to take extra care of our health and well-being. One way to beat the heat and promote good health is by incorporating yogurt into our daily diet. Yogurt is a nutritious and refreshing food that offers numerous benefits, especially during the hot summer months. In this article, we will explore the various health benefits of yogurt in the heavy heat season.

Yogurt’ Health Benefits: Yogurt is a great source of hydration during the scorching summer days. With its high water content, yogurt helps keep the body cool and replenishes lost fluids. Consuming yogurt regularly can aid in preventing dehydration, which is crucial in maintaining optimal bodily functions.

Also read- The Role of Vitamin K in Preventing Diabetes

Yogurt is rich in beneficial bacteria called probiotics, which promote a healthy digestive system. During the hot season, digestive issues such as indigestion, bloating, and diarrhea can be common. The live cultures present in yogurt help maintain a balanced gut flora, improving digestion and alleviating these problems.

The immune system can sometimes be compromised in hot weather due to excessive sweating and exposure to germs. Yogurt contains probiotics and other nutrients that strengthen the immune system, making it more resilient to illnesses. Regular consumption of yogurt can help fight off infections and keep the body protected.

Yogurt is packed with essential nutrients, including calcium, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are crucial for maintaining overall health and vitality. Additionally, yogurt’s high protein content helps promote satiety and control appetite, making it an excellent addition to a weight management diet.

Also read- Red Wine Health Benefits, Red Wine for Healthy Heart

The intense summer sun can damage the skin and cause sunburn. Yogurt can be used topically as

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By Margaret R. McLean

Fermented foods could improve your gut health

Fermented foods could improve your gut health

We often hear about “bad” microorganisms, ones that cause food spoilage, disease and other harm. But there are actually many more “good” microbes out there that are beneficial and can even improve our health.

The microorganisms used to make fermented foods is a great example.

A study found that eating a diet rich in fermented foods increases the diversity of gut microbes, which improves health, fortifies immune responses and lowers inflammation. The researchers found the results particularly exciting, as it’s one of the first examples showing how a simple diet change can dramatically affect a person’s intestinal microflora.

In the study, 36 healthy adults ate a diet that included either fermented or high-fiber foods for 10 weeks. Those who consumed fermented foods exhibited an increase in microbial diversity. Larger servings resulted in an even stronger effect.

The researchers also reported lower levels of several types of inflammatory proteins in blood samples of those eating fermented foods. This included one type associated with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and chronic stress.

“People have been eating fermented foods for hundreds of years,” says health-coaching?_ga=2.19557823.669552544.1636475875-474961514.1630600818″Pamela Voelkers, dietitian and integrative health coach from Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee, Wis. “Fermentation uses controlled microbial growth as a way to increase shelf life and give a unique and delicious taste, texture and appearance to the fermented food.”

During the fermentation process, microorganisms like yeast and bacteria break down components in the food, such as sugars, into other products like organic acids, gases or alcohol.

The American Heart Association lists a number of health benefits associated with fermented foods. These include lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and inflammation, as well as improved weight management, mood, brain activity and bone health.

There are thousands of different kinds of fermented foods. Some of

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By Margaret R. McLean

Raw Pet Food: Unleashing the Benefits of a Natural Diet

According to NielsenIQ Label Insight Trending Attributes, between December 2020 and January 2022, search terms associated with “raw” ranked at 43 and “high protein” at 54. In past years, these terms never cracked the top 100.

And the raw food segment keeps growing.

Raw dog food could include organ meats, bones (whole or ground), muscle, eggs, and pet-safe fruits (such as berries and apples), and vegetables (like spinach, celery and broccoli). Pet owners are choosing raw or minimally processed pet food because it is said to have dental, skin, and digestive health benefits.

It also represents another way that pet owners are eager to find new ways to care for their pets and “humanize” the foods they eat.

However, there is another view.

The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes the unregulated feeding of raw foods and discourages “the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens, because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans.”

MetLife Pet Insurance cites both pros and cons:

Pros

  • Weight management
  • Health benefits
  • Shinier coat

Cons

  • Risk of bones
  • Bacteria
  • Unbalanced diet
  • Time and money

One company that entered the raw frozen and freeze-dried pet food market is Morasch Meats, a USDA processor of beef, poultry, pork, and seafood for humans established in 1956. 

How did they get into raw dog food?

A dog sled team came to the Portland, OR, company in the late 1990s and asked if the Moraschs could create a high-protein food for their dogs. This got the wheels turning on the idea of raw food for dogs.

In 2004, Northwest Naturals was created, a private-label pet food that is under guidelines of a USDA facility — the same USDA guidelines

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