Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss - Avoid Extreme Diets at All Costs

Just because something is hard to do and is more involved, does not mean it is necessarily more fruitful. For example, a 10-kilometer run will burn significantly more calories than running for half the distance. But why run 10 kilometers when you could do two 5-kilometer runs instead? It is much better to fit two 5km runs in your weekly schedule than it is to aim for a herculean effort on Sundays with a 10k jog. Not to mention there are long-term issues with long distance running, but that is beside the point.

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Are You Considering A Few Day Diet Plan To Perhaps Fit Into That New Dress Or Pair Of Jeans?

Are you thinking about going on a few day diet? The common few day diet is an extremely low calorie diet that declares you will lose anywhere between 2 and 12 pounds (depending on who is truly telling the truth) in simply just a few days. Of all, I'm going to begin my few day diet review with the excellent points. The diet plan is very low in calories. Some versions of the diet consist of a grapefruit at every meal which indicates the diet plan has just under a thousand calories. Others include it at simply one meal which takes the diet to hovering around 810 calories. Undoubtedly, these calorie levels are not sustainable, so please, however, remember this is just a few day diet.

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Tips on Changing Your Barber

As a guy, the moral aftertaste that comes with changing your barber within the same shop can be too strong to ignore. How you decide to handle the situation therefore matters a great deal.

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What Are the Conditions Treated by Spine Surgeons?

Spine is an important part of the body's structure. There are 33 bones individual bones in the spine and they are stacked on top of each other. The primary function of spine is to provide support to the body and allowing us to do different physical movements such as standing, bending, sitting etc. Apart from this, strength and stability is also provided by them. There are some diseases and conditions which are suffered by the body and only treated with the help of best spine surgeons.

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Simple Ways To Prevent Your Liver From Wrecking

The liver is a large meaty organ that sits in the abdomen of vertebrates. Its primary function includes the excretion of hormones and drugs, enzyme activation, metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates and much more. To keep it healthy is a key to live a disease free life. As a liver disease can be as far as worse that call for the transplant and damage other organs as well. However, there are some easy ways you can opt to prevent the condition. So, what are we waiting for? It's always better safe than sorry, so, let's dig into these preventive tips that you should keep in mind to prevent any wreck to your liver.

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Health Care in America Needs an Update

Health insurance in America needs a major update. We have people with no health insurance who expect their needs to be covered by others. And there are a large number of people who can only afford major medical plans with high deductibles. These two issues will cause major trouble for our citizens in the future.

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The One Simple Thing You're Not Doing to Solve Your Back Pain

I was recently looking at photos from my best friend's bachelorette party in New Orleans and came across a picture of my best friend and her sister posing at our crawfish boil (yum). But it wasn't their gorgeous faces or the insane amount of food in the photo that caught my eye—it was myself in the background.

When the photo was taken, I must have been checking my email or responding to a text. My neck and shoulders were hunched forward, and my face was hovering inches over my phone. My back looked oddly rounded, and even though I'm terrible at estimating how tall people are, even I could tell that the way I was standing made me look several inches shorter than my real height of 5'6".

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Honestly, my posture was painful to look at—and it's painful to experience too. A few hours into every workday, I find myself dealing with pain in my back, neck, and shoulders—and when I try to straighten up, it's like my muscles don't want to cooperate.

"Good posture is one of the most important controllable factors in optimizing spine health and preventing possible conditions from forming," says Robert Koser, D.C., of the Laser Spine Institute. "Besides improving your overall self-image and confidence, proper posture also helps develop stronger core muscles and prevents muscle fatigue."

Seeing that photo was a wake-up call. I don't want to look slouchy forever—or experience the pain that goes along with said slouching—so I talked with the experts to figure out how to straighten up and get my posture in line (pun intended!) once and for all:

Bad posture: Pretty much everyone's got it.

I may have been horrified when I saw that photo of myself, but I'm hardly the only one struggling with posture issues. Because we spend the majority of our day sitting and staring at our computer or phone (the average American spends a whopping 10 hours per day staring at a screen), bad posture is pretty much a universal experience.

"Sedentary behaviors such as prolonged sitting without standing breaks or constantly looking down at a cell phone screen can be very detrimental," Koser says.

"Short term, you'll develop muscle tightness, which can lead to a restricted range of motion in your joints," says Ellen Bunn, PT, DPT. "Then, you may become susceptible to a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. For example, if your shoulders start to round forward, when you go to reach overhead, you may develop shoulder impingement. If your back is not supported with a strong core, when you move, you may injure your back. And your neck may get tight, resulting in musculoskeletal strain or even injuries to the intervertebral discs."

"The way you hold your neck determines how much pressure is placed on your spine, and for every inch you lean your head forward, 10 pounds of added pressure is placed on your spine," Koser says. "Over time, poor posture may cause chronic shortening of certain muscle groups and may even contribute to certain aches and pains down the road—poor posture may even cause the early onset of osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease."

So, the bad news is, most of us have bad posture—and that can have seriously negative effects on our health. But the good news? With a bit of conscious effort, you can change this (and look and feel better as a result).

So how do you fix back pain through posture?

Here are some tips for getting your posture "back" in line (sorry, had to); straightening your spine; and kicking your back, neck, or shoulder pain to the curb:

Be aware.

"The first step is possibly the hardest but also the most important—and that's becoming very aware of your posture," Bunn says. "Having a way to remind yourself of good posture frequently throughout the day is perhaps the best way to get started… you could set some reminders on your computer or wear a Fitbit that vibrates when you've been sedentary too long. These external reminders are great ways to bring our awareness back to our posture."

If you really struggle with posture awareness, you could also invest in a posture wearable like Lumo Lift, which vibrates every time you slouch and reminds you to sit or stand up straight.

Work on your core.

If you needed another excuse to get your plank on, here you go—working on your core muscles can help you improve your posture.

"Strong abdominal and back muscles, also referred to as core muscles, act as a built-in brace for your spine. Exercises such as squats, crunches, and chest lifts may help bolster core strength," Koser says. "Low-impact exercises such as yoga, Pilates, and tai chi can help you practice holding muscles in particular positions, which can develop better core endurance."

Get the right setup.

In an ideal world, none of us would have to sit at desks all day. But the fact is, a lot of us do (myself included!). So if we want to improve our posture, we've got to work with what we've got and maximize our office spaces to be as posture-friendly as possible.

"An ergonomic assessment will enable you to determine if your work setup is good for your body," Bunn says. "If you're sitting at a chair or desk that is too high or too low for you, attaining good posture may be difficult no matter what you do."

You also need to be aware of where you set up your computer. "For most individuals, adjusting your computer monitor 20-30 inches out in front of you and just below eye level while sitting up straight and having your knees close to a 90-degree angle is an ideal setup," Koser says.

Once you've got the right chair, desk, and computer setup, add a little cushioning to keep your posture on point. "If you are sitting for many hours during the day, try using supportive spinal cushions to maintain good posture," Koser says.

Stretch it out.

One of the best ways to alleviate the pain from bad posture and get yourself straightened up and back on track? Stretching.

"The most important things to stretch are your hips, back, and neck. When we sit for prolonged periods of time, our hips often become very tight, and we lose hip extension range of motion," Bunn says. "Additionally, we can start to get tight in the front of the chest, and we lose strength in our back extensors and core. A flexibility program of stretching hip flexors and chest openers in combination with a good back/core strengthening program is the best way to maintain good posture."

So which specific stretches can help?

"Upward-facing dog is a great stretch because it's a position in which both your back and hips are in extension," Bunn says. "When seated, your hip flexor muscles tend to get very tight. Bow pose is also really effective because, in addition to getting back and hip extension, you are also getting a shoulder stretch and engaging your neck extensors. Finally, performing a 'chin tuck' in which you draw your head back can help prevent forward head posture."

For more posture-improving stretches, check out the Physera app—search for "Posture with Yoga."

Get professional help.

If you make strides to improve your posture and aren't seeing results, it may be time to talk to your doctor.

"If weeks or months of conservative treatment—including chiropractic care, physical therapy, postural exercises, and medications or injections—don't provide the relief you need for a good quality of life, it may be time to consult with a medical professional about more interventional care options," Koser says.

I've been incorporating these tips for a few weeks, and I've gotta say—I can see and feel a huge difference. This weekend, I'm leaving for my bachelorette party—and this time around when I look at the photos, my slouchiness is going to be the last thing I notice.

Deanna deBara is a freelance writer and accidental marathon runner living in Portland, OR. Keep up with her running adventures on Instagram @deannadebara.

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Hair Care Tips to Follow

Hair can be a difficult thing to care for especially if you have always had trouble with your own hair. There are certain routines that should be implemented depending on the type of hair you have.

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Never Kiss A Parrot

Beware pets that can become health pests! Because if you give him an unwanted peck, he might give you Psittacosis. Whazzat? That's another way of spelling 'fatal attraction'... And while you're about it, you might as well also watch out for (Ouch!) pussy's claws, (Scratch, scratch!) leaping fleas, and (Eeeagh!) hairy-scary caterpillars...

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Top 3 Tips for Beard Hygiene

Beards can get messy. This article will show you the best ways to keep your beard clean and fresh.

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When All Else Failed, Filene’s Basement Brought My Mom and Me Together

How Much Salt Should You Really Be Eating?

Next to sugar, salt might be one of the most vilified ingredients in our diets. Practically every resource says we should be eating less of the stuff because it can lead to major health problems. But does that actually mean that the best thing to do is give up salt completely?

The answer might surprise you. While most people need to cut back on salt and sodium (and yes, the two are different!), our bodies still need the stuff to function. What’s more, getting rid of the salt shaker on your kitchen table probably isn’t the most effective way to get your intake in check.

Here’s the real deal on salt, including when it’s good and when it’s bad. Plus, answers to your other salty questions—like whether salt makes you thirsty and whether that pricey pink Himalayan stuff is really a health food.

Salt and sodium aren’t exactly the same thing.

The two are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually a little different. Sodium is a mineral, and small amounts are found naturally in foods like milk, beets, and celery. It’s also added—in much larger quantities—to packaged foods, both for flavor and as a preservative. In fact, around 75 percent of the sodium we get comes from packaged or processed foods, according to the American Heart Association.

Table salt, on the other hand, is a combo of the minerals sodium and chloride. Salt consists of 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride, with a teaspoon of the stuff packing around 2,300 mg (that’s a day’s worth) of sodium.

Your body needs sodium. But it’s easy to get too much—and lots of us do.

Even though it gets a bad rap, sodium is essential for our health. “It’s an electrolyte that helps transmit nerve impulses and maintains fluid balance. It also affects muscle’s ability to contract and relax,” explains Becky Kerkenbush, MS, RD-AP, media representative of the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In other words? If you were to cut salt out of your diet completely, you’d be in bad shape.

The problem comes from getting too much. (Which can be easy to do, because hey, salt makes food taste good!) The body only needs 500 mg of sodium per day—but the average American gets around 3,400 mg. And going overboard can lead to health issues. Excess salt causes your body to hold onto extra water, which increases your blood volume. That puts more pressure on your blood vessels and forces your heart to work harder. Eventually, this sets the stage for high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Some people need to pay closer attention to their salt intake than others.

Limiting your sodium intake to a measly 500 mg daily would be tough—not to mention leave your food pretty bland. Fortunately, almost no one needs to keep their intake quite that low.

The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults consume fewer than 2,300 mg sodium daily. But some people need to eat less. If you have high blood pressure (or are at risk for it) or diabetes, you should keep your sodium intake below 1,500 mg daily.

Other serious health problems—like heart failure, kidney disease, heart disease, or lymphedema are also cause for curbing your sodium consumption, Kerkenbush says. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you determine how much sodium is safe to have.

Cutting back on packaged foods is the best way to keep salt consumption in check.

Sure, limiting your use of the salt shaker or finding salt-free ways to flavor home-cooked food both help. But remember, packaged foods account for a whopping 75 percent of our sodium intake. So you’ll automatically trim a ton of excess sodium from your diet just by limiting your consumption of the processed stuff. It’s worth paying attention to the sodium content for these foods, in particular, which the CDC says account for around 40 percent of our sodium consumption:

• Bread and rolls
• Cold cuts
• Pizza
• Fresh or processed poultry
• Soup
• Sandwiches
• Cheese
• Pasta dishes
• Mixed meat dishes (like meatloaf)
• Snack foods (like pretzels, chips, or popcorn)

There are some people who might need extra salt—sometimes.

Sodium is excreted through sweat. So if you work out to the point where you’re really drenched, you might need a little more than usual. But that’s the exception, not the rule. “Most recreational exercisers get plenty of salt in their diet, so sticking with the 2,300 mg recommendation is sufficient,” says Allison Childress, Ph.D., RDN, director of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University. You don’t need a chug a sports drink after a 30-minute jog or a 40-minute bike ride.

If you’re an elite athlete or you’re exercising for long periods of time (say, an hour or more), or you’re working out in extremely hot weather, some extra sodium might be warranted, Childress says. How much depends on factors like the length and intensity of your workout, but a sports dietitian can help you find your sweet spot.

Eating lots of salt doesn’t actually increase thirst.

Most of us assume that eating lots of salt will make you thirstier. But the opposite seems to be true, according to recent findings. When German researchers had subjects eat a low-, medium-, or high-salt diet, they found that those who were given more salt tended to drink less. In fact, eating more salt seemed to trigger the body to hang on to more water.

Experts are still figuring out how this fits into the context of our overall health. In the meantime, the best thing to do is to just listen to your body, Childress says. If you find that you’re parched after a salty meal, drink up. But if not, you don’t have to force yourself to guzzle extra liquid.

Are some types of salt better than others?

How does plain old table salt stack up against Kosher salt, sea salt, or trendy options like pink Himalayan salt? From a health perspective, there’s not much difference. “They contain similar amounts of sodium by weight,” Kerkenbush says. And while it’s true that some sea salts may contain more trace minerals than table salt, the amounts are pretty negligible.

That’s not to say fancier salts aren’t worth using. When sprinkled on top of a finished dish, flaky sea salt adds a crunchy texture that table salt can’t replicate, for instance. And some people simply prefer the flavor of certain salts to others.

The bottom line? Cook with the salt that you like best. Like with different types of sweeteners, your body can’t tell much difference between one type of salt and another. So go ahead and use your favorite—in moderation.

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7 Everyday Habits That Are Making You Look Older

Don't smoke. Don't skip the sunscreen. Don't skimp on beauty sleep. These are the rules we've been taught to follow if we want to hold onto happy, youthful skin—but we could be sabotaging ourselves without even realizing it.

Expensive moisturizers, masks, creams, and serums aren't necessarily a great investment if we drop the ball when it comes to other areas of our lives—and we aren't talking about pulling the occasional all-nighter. Here are a few ways your everyday routine could be making you look older.

1. Sleeping on a Cotton Pillowcase

Do you ever notice how you wake up with creases on your face after a good night's sleep? "Many people sleep on their face, which can cause sleep lines or wrinkles," says dermatologist Marie Jhin, M.D. of Premier Dermatology. "I love silk pillowcases—they can help with this."

And they're not even as crazy-pricey as you might think, given that they're made out of silk. A high-quality, 100-percent pure silk pillowcase from Alaska Bear will set you back $23, which ain't a bad investment. And bonus: It's also better for your hair.

2. Enjoying Happy Hour a Little Too Much

A $6 Moscow Mule is hard to resist, especially after working a grueling eight-to-nine all week. Drinking booze in moderation has its benefits, including an increase in your HDL cholesterol levels (that's the good kind), as well as lowering your risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. But indulging in more than one or two glasses a day can undo all those amazing benefits.

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Pouring it up too much reduces the amount of collagen (a protein that keeps your skin looking supple) and causes redness brought on by dilated blood vessels. "Consuming too much alcohol is definitely something that can have an effect on the skin because of how dehydrating it is," says Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, founder of Once Upon a Pumpkin. "The alcohol is pulling moisture out of the skin, and this dehydration works to speed up the process of wrinkle definition and inflammation to the skin."

3. Multitasking

Doing the absolute most 24/7 might impress your boss, but it's likely wreaking havoc on your health. When you multitask, your body experiences higher amounts of stress than when you apply your focus to one task at a time.

"Chronic stress may affect the skin in adverse ways, especially in aging," says William Kwan, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and ethnic skin care expert in San Francisco. "Stress can lead to an increase in inflammation in the skin. This inflammation releases mediators, which can destroy collagen and connective tissue, possibly affecting epidermal maturation."

4. Overusing Your Central Air and Heating System

Freezing one minute, hot like a sauna the next? Back-and-forth temperatures are annoying AF, but overusing your central air and heating system dries out your skin because all the moisture is sucked out of the air in your home or apartment, making fine lines and wrinkles even more noticeable. "Dry skin leads to inflammation," says Dina D. Strachan, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and director of Aglow Dermatology in New York City. "We lose collagen and elastin in our skin with age. Inflammation accelerates this process."

If you absolutely need to crank up the AC or heating system, give your skin a dose of TLC with a super-hydrating night cream, like the Lavender Age Corrective Night Concentrate from Eminence Organics. Drink plenty of H2O and consider getting a humidifier and placing it in your bedroom, living room, and wherever else you spend the most time as well.

5. Cutting Out Fats From Your Diet

Not all fats are created equal. Unlike trans fats, for instance, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are "healthy" fats—and they're great for your skin, says Deepa Verma, M.D.

"Fats have been demonized," Verma says. "But we actually need them—they're building blocks for hormones and are responsible for cell membrane integrity, and getting enough good fats can result in healthy, glowing skin."

So what are some sources of the right kind of healthy fats that will make our skin glow? "Avocados are associated with anti-aging due to the compound xanthophyll, and they also have vitamin E, which provides skin with increased collagen synthesis and elasticity," Verma says. "Sunflower seeds are another good one—they have vitamin E, and are a rich source of selenium and copper, which help maintain youthful and radiant skin. They're also packed with omega-6 and linoleic acid, which help with skin cell regeneration."

And don't forget to get your omega-3s too. "Omega-3 can be derived from fish, but there are plant sources as well, such as chia, flax, and ahiflower," Verma says. Certain omega-3s can block the release of UV-induced enzymes that degrade collagen, which cause lines and sagging skin—basically, sources of omega-3 can help prevent and repair sun damage.

6. Spraying Perfume on Your Neck

We grew up watching our mothers and grandmothers spritz perfume on their "pulse" points—neck, wrists, and décolletage. They're full of wisdom about life's lessons, but the skin on your neck is delicate, so applying perfume to that area is a no-no.

The alcohol in fragrances is super drying—and can be especially problematic if you spray it on right before stepping out into the sunlight, which puts you at a higher risk of developing a skin condition called Poikiloderma of Civatte, which is basically skin discoloration due to prolonged periods of sun exposure.

"Perfume can contribute to this skin condition, as some of the ingredients react to UV exposure, creating a toxic molecule to the skin," explains Ava Shamban, M.D., a dermatologist in Santa Monica and founder of SKINxFIVE. Instead, try spritzing a brush and running it over your forearm, clothes (avoid silk and other delicate fabrics), and hair. Shamban also suggests using sunscreen and clothing (i.e., lightweight scarves) to shield the sensitive skin on your neck and décolletage against damaging UVA and UVB rays.

7. Sipping Your Drink Through a Straw

Straws fight off teeth stains and minimize cavities, but the downside? The "repetitive motion" of pursing your lips can cause wrinkles to form around the mouth, Shamban says. Our solution? Skip the straw and try one of these teeth-whitening tricks instead.

Princess Gabbara is a multimedia journalist and storyteller. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @PrincessGabbara.

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Are You One of the Lucky People Who Can Eat Carbs?

This article was written by Viome, the most comprehensive gut microbiome test on the market.

Poor carbs—they get such a bad rap. Diets like Atkins and keto have turned foods like bread and pasta into guilty pleasures, forcing us to replace them with sad substitutes like cauliflower and zoodles. But what if you don’t have to give up your beloved carbs to feel good?

It might all come down to your microbiome—yep, those tiny organisms living in your digestive tract. As the only test on the market that can see exactly what’s going on in your gut, Viome can find out if you have the microbes needed to digest carbohydrates well.

What does my gut have to do with it?

One of the reasons carbs get a lot of flack is because they jack up your blood sugar, causing your body to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose, which comes from carbohydrates, in your blood. Insulin delivers glucose, our bodies' main energy source, as fuel to our cells.

But if you eat carbs (especially simple ones like sugar) too often, you become less sensitive to insulin and your pancreas has to make more and more of it to get the same effect. Over time this can lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and thyroid problems.

But an interesting study shows not everyone reacts to the same meals in the same way. Researchers looked at the blood-sugar levels of 800 people over the course of a week and found they responded to foods in dramatically different ways. For instance, one person’s blood sugar spiked after eating bananas but not cookies (lucky!), whereas someone else experienced the exact opposite (sorry, dude).

Now here’s where things get really interesting: The scientists also looked at the participants’ microbiomes and found there was a strong correlation between their gut bacteria and their blood-sugar spikes. They then took those findings—plus other lifestyle and health factors—and created an algorithm that can pretty successfully predict how people will react to meals. Not only that, but they were also able to use the algorithm to create personalized diets that can help control blood sugar—and some of those plans included booze and chocolate!

TL;DR: Everyone reacts to carbs differently—and the bacteria in your gut might be a major reason why.

So how do you know if your gut can handle carbs?

Consider trying Viome. It’s a gut-health test that will tell you whether you have the microbes to metabolize carbohydrates and give you recommendations on the best foods for your microbiome—plus provide you with appropriate serving sizes. Many of Viome’s customers are shocked—and thrilled!—when they find out they have the right little guys to break down their favorite pizza or pasta.

Viome is the only company using a fancy thing called metatranscriptomic sequencing technology, which means it can see not only what microbes are active but also what they are producing and what food sources they’re using. After Viome finds out what’s going on in your gut, its expertly trained AI machine crunches the numbers and gives you precise, individualized results.

Viome’s goal is to put the power back into the hands of the people by giving you the information you need to supply your body with the nutrients unique to you and your gut microbiome.

For a super-limited time, Greatist readers can get $100 off a Viome kit when they use code GREATIST12 at checkout.*

GET $100 OFF VIOME

This is part of Greatist's series with Viome and was reviewed by the Viome experts listed below. Stay tuned to find out what else Viome can show you about your gut and learn more about Viome here.

*Greatist receives an affiliate fee on purchases made. Offer valid through July 31, 2018, 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Wait, So Spinach Could Be Bad for You?

This article was written by Viome, the most comprehensive gut microbiome test on the market.

You probably feel pretty good about yourself every time you load up your smoothies, salads, and grain bowls with spinach. (Us too.) After all, it’s a superfood, so it’s gotta be healthy. But the thing about spinach—and many other “healthy” plant-based foods—is they contain a little thing called oxalates, which can cause kidney stones or keep you from absorbing certain nutrients.

What even are oxalates?

Oxalates are naturally occurring salts produced by the body and most plants. Though we don’t know for sure, many think they’re what give plants their bitter taste, probably to protect them from predators like, well, us. Amounts vary, but they’re found in pretty much every plant-based food, from rhubarb and beets to nuts and dark, leafy greens like spinach. Your body can also convert vitamin C into oxalates, which means fruits like berries and kiwis, which contain both oxalates and vitamin C, can be double trouble.

Here’s the thing: Oxalates in and of themselves aren’t bad. For most people, oxalates from food join up with minerals like calcium and iron and exit your body when you go to the bathroom—or they get broken down by bacteria in the gut (more on that later).

When oxalates become a problem

If you’d actually heard the word oxalate before today, it was probably in the context of kidney stones. That’s because calcium oxalate stones are the most common type—and they’re just what they sound like: calcium + our good friend oxalate. The two should be able to hang out in the kidneys together, but when there’s too much oxalate or too little liquid in your urine, they combine to create crystals, which can stick together to become kidney stones (ouch!).

Another problem with oxalates is that when they latch onto minerals, they can keep you from reaping the benefits of those nutrients. For instance, even though spinach is high in calcium, its oxalates prevent some of the calcium from being absorbed (though it's worth noting that if you were to drink a glass of milk with your spinach, you'd still get all the calcium from the milk).

The good news is some oxalates are broken down by bacteria in the gut. The bad? Not everyone has the right bacteria for the job. Perhaps the most well-researched one is Oxalobacter formigenes. Though some members of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species may play a role as well, O. formigenes is known to metabolize oxalate, and studies suggest it can help reduce the risk of kidney stones. But as with most bacteria, antibiotics can kill off these good guys, potentially leaving your gut defenseless.

Viome, the most comprehensive gut microbiome test on the market, analyzed tens of thousands of people and discovered that about 30 percent of them lacked the microbes necessary to metabolize oxalates properly. In other words, “healthy” foods like spinach may not actually be healthy for them.

So… I should stop eating spinach?

Not necessarily. Many foods that contain oxalates are good for you and packed with nutrients. But it’s true some people are more sensitive to oxalates. For example, if you have a digestive issue like inflammatory bowel disease or have had gastric bypass surgery, oxalates are more likely to build up in your kidneys. Viome has also found that a low-oxalate diet may help people with digestive issues.

The fact is everyone is different. If you really want to know what your body can handle, consider Viome. Viome is the only gut microbiome test able to analyze your gut at the molecular level to see if your microbes actually metabolize the foods you’re eating. This is because Viome uses metatranscriptomic sequencing technology—a technical way of saying it has the power to see not only your microbes but also what they are metabolizing, producing, and using.

After Viome finds out what’s going on in your gut, its expertly trained AI machine crunches the numbers and gives you precise, individualized results. In other words, you’ll find out whether spinach is actually healthy for you.

Viome’s mission is to put your health back into your own hands by providing personalized dietary recommendations that empower you and restore your body to its innate purpose.

For a super-limited time, Greatist readers can get $100 off a Viome kit when they use code GREATIST12 at checkout.*

GET $100 OFF VIOME*

This is part of Greatist's series with Viome and was reviewed by the Viome experts listed below. Stay tuned to find out what else Viome can show you about your gut and learn more about Viome here.

*Greatist receives an affiliate fee on purchases made. Offer valid through July 31, 2018, 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Some People Shouldn't Be Eating High-Protein. Are You One of Them?

This article was written by Viome, the most comprehensive gut microbiome test on the market.

First it was fat-free. Then it was low-carb. And now? High-protein. You can’t walk down a grocery-store aisle without seeing high-protein pasta, ice cream, bread, cookies, and even beer.

It’s no secret protein is important—it helps build muscle, makes you feel full, and basically keeps you alive. But it turns out not everyone should be going HAM on it (pun intended). As with most things, it all comes down to your gut health.

What does my gut have to do with it?

Before you start devouring protein powder by the bucketful, you might want to make sure your gut is up to the task. Why? Because high-protein animal foods like beef or eggs contain the C-words: choline and carnitine. Choline is a super-important nutrient that ensures cells, the brain, and the nervous system function properly, whereas carnitine helps the body produce energy.

So… what’s the problem? Well, once these guys hit the gut, certain bacteria break them down into something called trimethylamine (TMA). TMA then makes its way to the liver where it gets turned into TMAO—and that’s where things get tricky. More research is needed, but some studies have linked TMAO to a higher risk of heart and kidney disease—and possibly even type 2 diabetes.

One small study looked at 18 people—eight of which were vegetarians/vegans—and gave them daily choline supplements for two months. In both groups, TMAO levels were 10 times higher, and the participants’ blood became stickier, making it more susceptible to clotting. In other words, choline seemed to increase TMAO, which, in turn, increased the risk of blood clots.

Yikes! So should I go full-on veg head?

Before you freak out about that omelet you had this morning, know that the verdict’s still out on the exact role TMAO plays in cardiovascular disease. And not everyone agrees that choline- and carnitine-rich foods are the culprit. For example, one meta-analysis showed that eating eggs (at least one per day) actually did not increase one’s risk of heart disease.

Some researchers think it might come down to what kind of bacteria you have in your gut. You’ve probably already heard a lot about gut health and how having a diverse microbiome (i.e., digestive tract) can help with everything from digestion issues to depression to sleep. But in this case, bacteria might be part of the problem.

One study fed both meat eaters and vegans/vegetarians an 8-ounce steak and a cartine supplement then looked at their TMAO levels. Researchers found that carnivores had high amounts of TMAO, whereas their veggie counterparts didn’t. Then they had the meat eaters take antibiotics to alter their gut bacteria, and when they fed them steak again, they found way less TMAO in their blood. This suggests bacteria is a major factor in how much TMAO your body produces—and that the fewer animal products you eat, the less likely you are to have that bacteria.

So before you go Paleo or jump on the carnivore diet, you may want to check your microbiome. This is where Viome comes in. Viome is the only gut test on the market that can actually analyze the activity of your microbes. By looking at how much TMA-producing bacteria you have—and what it's doing—it can let you know how much protein your body can handle and whether you need to cut back on red meat and eggs for a while.

What else does Viome uncover? It gives you precise and personalized recommendations on all the foods you should be enjoying and all the ones you should be minimizing, plus your ideal macronutrient breakdown.

Viome's mission is to put the power back in people's hands by giving your body the resources it needs to thrive.

For a super-limited time, Greatist readers can get $100 off a Viome kit when they use code GREATIST12 at checkout.*

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This is part of Greatist's series with Viome and was reviewed by the Viome experts listed below. Stay tuned to find out what else Viome can show you about your gut and learn more about Viome here.

*Greatist receives an affiliate fee on purchases made. Offer valid through July 31, 2018, 11:59 p.m. PT.

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The Best Way to Identify a Narcissist (and How to Handle Them)

Narcissists are everywhere you look (or at least, it can certainly feel that way). Whether they pop up during an armchair analysis of certain politicians, water-cooler talk about your unbearable boss, or speculation about why your partner or parent treats you so poorly, the pathologically self-absorbed tend to take up a lot of our attention—which is just how they like it.

What is a narcissist?

"Every one of us has a certain level of narcissism, little traits here and there," says Fran Walfish, Psy.D., a Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist and author of The Self-Aware Parent. "We like to look in the mirror; comb our hair; dress a certain way; and be acknowledged, seen, and valued."

EDITOR'S PICK

Walfish says there's a spectrum of narcissistic behavior, with traits such as vanity on one end, and on the other, the clinical diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. The DSM-5 describes a person with NPD as showing a "pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy" in a number of different contexts.

"A person has to be missing that component in their personality where they reflect and are able to imagine the impact of their own behavior on other people," Walfish explains.

If someone in your life possesses narcissistic traits but shows some signs of empathy, you're in luck, because they may be able to see how their selfishness affects you and change for the good. A person with NPD won't.

"In order for there to be change, initially there needs to be insight that there's something wrong," says Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. "But they don't think anything is wrong. They project onto the world and say, 'This is the world's fault,' and they don't take responsibility."

Keep that fact in mind and you can learn to cope with their behavior toward you—or extract yourself altogether.

You can undo your narcissist upbringing.

Realizing that you were raised by a narcissistic parent can put a lot of your choices in life into perspective.

"It's a really difficult way to grow up," Durvasula says. "What ends up happening is that the child learns that their value comes from being in service to their parents or from some superficial quality they have: getting good grades, being attractive, being a good athlete."

You may make it all the way to adulthood before coming to terms with the fact that you've shaped your identity to please a narcissist mother or father who is never going to respond with the unconditional love you need. And when you do finally begin to act upon what makes you happy and stop trying to please your narcissistic parent, they may not take kindly to it. But the important thing is to manage your expectations and seek approval and support elsewhere.

A parent who lacks empathy also fails to model this fundamental trait for their child.

"The way we learn to be empathic is by being empathized with," Walfish says. This creates problems later on in the child's relationships with others. "The kind of consistent or inconsistent responses the baby got—that is the way the child will expect responses from lovers in adulthood."

What to do when your spouse or partner is a narcissist:

In Walfish's clinical experience, having a narcissist parent greatly increases the likelihood that you'll wind up in a romantic relationship with a narcissist.

"You're used to having your feelings hurt by that person because they are repeatedly wounding your feelings but are not aware of it," Walfish says.

EDITOR'S PICK

It would be great to be able to go through a checklist of narcissistic behavior on your first date (How do they treat waiters? How much do they listen to you speak about your day? How obsessed are they with getting praised on social media?) and run for the hills if signs point to narcissism. And in her book, Should I Stay or Should I Go? Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist, Durvasula has a more extensive quiz you might use to judge a partner's behavior.

But in reality, most people don't even realize they've got a narcissistic boyfriend or girlfriend until months or even years later. And that's because they can be quite charming during courtship.

"Narcissists love to love-bomb," Durvasula says. "It's the big courtship. It's the big gestures. It's going on vacation two and a half weeks into the relationship, overtexting, giving big gifts. A lot of people think they've fallen into a fairy tale, and you can see how they can miss signs of narcissism."

When a partner eventually turns their narcissistic behavior on you, it's time to make some difficult decisions. After all, there is no research or clinical evidence that someone with narcissistic personality disorder can be treated.

"Is there any flexibility in that person to self-reflect, take a painful look within, and make some adjustments?" Walfish asks. If they're willing to go to therapy, that can help answer that question. Someone with narcissistic personality disorder, on the other hand, will turn the blame for all problems right back on you.

"Throw your hands up in the air like you're really confused and just say, 'I'm puzzled. Why do you feel it's my problem when you are saying A-B-C or when you're doing A-B-C? Help me understand,'" she suggests. "If the person continues to rigidly hold the position that it's all you and not them, you've got a problem."

In her book and in her practice, Durvasula recognizes that sometimes, people won't decide that breaking things off is their best option.

"What the decision requires is a painful look in the mirror," she says. "What's keeping you in? And be very honest about it. Because I'm going to be very cynical: Sometimes people might say, 'I'm in this relationship because he's hot and rich.' As long as you know that and you realize that his idiotic, narcissistic behavior is the price of admission, you need to make your peace with that. But if you're waiting for him to turn into Prince Charming, you're screwed."

How to deal with a narcissistic boss:

Compared to being the child or spouse of a narcissist, maybe being the employee of one doesn't seem all that bad. But don't discount the level of emotional and professional damage a narcissistic boss may do to you.

"We know that the workplace is probably one of the stressors that's the most harmful to our health," Durvasula says. "This person may actually have more power than anyone else because they're running your professional life as well as your income—the things you need to live."

The first thing Durvasula suggests you do when you recognize this behavior in a supervisor is to take a long, hard look at your company and decide whether you've got any shot at advancing. Narcissists can be very charming to those with power over them, so you can't count on the higher-ups to ever recognize what you're dealing with.

In order to survive, don't be tempted to get even with them on social media or somewhere else where they can outmaneuver you. Instead, consider giving the narcissist what he or she most craves: "Compliment them. Tell them, 'Your presentation was awesome,'" Durvasula advises. "But don't go down the rabbit hole. Don't do their unethical bidding. If something doesn't feel right, don't do it."

Next, whether you want to leave your job or not, have your escape plan ready: Save emails and text screenshots in a hard copy or a non-work server. You want proof of the work you've done, the ideas that a boss may steal from you, empty promises made to you, and conflicts you have with them.

"One day, if your narcissistic boss decides to go really dark on you and shut you out of a server, you want all of that stuff accessible," Durvasula says. "It may very well be that you just worked there six, 12, 18 months and you have very little to show for it on paper. That's why it's important that you have some work to show your next employer."

Whether it's your boss or someone else close to you showing signs of narcissistic behavior, you should consider getting individual, confidential therapy. "Don't think that this is not taking a toll on your mental health," Durvasula says—because while narcissists rarely change, you can always help yourself.

Sabrina Rojas Weiss lives in Brooklyn, surrounded by her fellow freelance writers and competitive stroller-pushers. Follow her on Twitter @shalapitcher.

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Exercising While Trans: How I Learned to Stop Lifting and Love Myself

I used to work out to near-exhaustion. I'd make the circuit around free weights and machines, alternating between upper- and lower-body exercises until it hurt to move—and then I'd do it all again the next day. In idle moments around my apartment, I'd do bicep curls. I was always short, slim, and delicately built, but I compared myself to men twice my size who could lift me one-handed.

I pushed myself, going after every muscle group I could think of, adding bulk and definition to my waist and arms. This was an odd turn for someone who got their start as a tiny, asthmatic nerd who absolutely detested PE. But I was making real, visible progress—people in my life commented on my newfound shape, and the sense of control I felt was intoxicating and came with a manic sort of bravado that was easily confused with confidence.

But it was never enough. It didn't matter how much my muscles grew, that I was cramping, or that none of those workouts left me feeling invigorated or energized. I'm a trans woman, and before that, I was a trans girl who didn't know it. The doctors told my parents I was a boy, and my parents told me I was a boy, and for most of my life, I believed them. I was surrounded by masculine ideals that I never wanted and could never fulfill, and felt forced to hide my femininity. My exercise routine was a war I was trying to win, and the other side of that war was… myself, the girl I couldn't let myself be.

EDITOR'S PICK

Especially as a Hispanic trans girl, masculinity was a prison, with little room for slightly built, bookish types like me. In my community, to be a man was to be loud, handy, and combative, and I grew up feeling inadequate. But when I started lifting weights, it felt like a promise to myself that I'd become the "man" I was "supposed" to be. I wasn't driven by a desire to be able to lift heavier objects or attain a more handsome physique. I was trying to bury who I was beneath muscle and sweat.

Of course, no amount of exercise could make the "man" in the mirror less of a stranger. Some exercises made me feel worse because I couldn't admit to myself that every dumbbell side bend took away a little more of the curvature in my waist that I secretly loved, and every deltoid raise added bulk to my shoulders that I secretly hated.

My masculine workout clothes were some of the first clothes I remember feeling good in—masculine, strong, and in control—but that feeling was confusing and empty because it wasn't me wearing them in the mirror. Being praised for the results of my workouts felt alienating, even painful, the same as every other masculine activity I ever took up, but I was in denial.

And then I wasn't.

When I figured out my gender, the lightbulb moment was more of a stadium spotlight. Months of questioning, examining, and talking to friends who had walked this path culminated in a joyful, terrifying flash of recognition. Almost everything I'd failed to understand about myself became clear, and I could finally embrace who I was.

I put decades of detailed mental style notes to use and emerged into my new feminine fashion faster than anyone imagined: Part early 2000s pop star, part that one teacher you had a huge crush on (but would never confess to). I started growing my hair out. I started laser hair removal on my face. I made phone calls about hormone replacement therapy. And I took up a new workout regimen.

No amount of exercise could make the 'man' in the mirror less of a stranger.

Now, I still spend time doing squats, push-ups, and sit-ups to tone my body. As a trans woman, I have to wrangle an uncooperative body into compliance, and this workout routine is one of my tools for doing that. But now, I can look at my abs getting stronger each week, and I can finally feel the unbridled joy that always should have brought me. I can enjoy push-ups and squats without any shame about my curves. Finally, my exercise isn't trying to build a self-concept that was never really mine, but for me.

Lifting weights until my joints hurt was never going to make me strong enough to see that—and not being able to heft the 50-pound box of cat litter I buy every three months quite as adroitly as I used to is a price worth paying for a body that finally feels like it's mine. After more than two decades of feeling completely out-of-sorts, it's time for me to feel beautiful.

Alyssa Gonzalez writes about Hispanic, transgender, autistic, and atheist issues on her blog, The Perfumed Void. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with a menagerie of pets. Find her on Twitter @fishlyssa.

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Feeling Scattered? These 7 Visualizations Can Help You Focus

There are days (like, a lot of them) when focusing can feel basically impossible—and everything from not-enough-sleep to too-much-coffee can make your brain short-circuit even more, putting your productivity on lockdown until you can get a grip on your feels.

Jessica MacDonald, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and telebehavioral health specialist at Soho CBT + Mindfulness Center in New York, says, "Frequently, our focus is interrupted by ruminating thoughts, fears, or worries," (Think: "If I don't meet this deadline, I'm so fired.") Getting caught up in this thought spiral takes our attention away from accomplishing the very things that would make us feel better, and instead leaves us, well... spiraling.

One way to do damage control, MacDonald says, is through the use of focus-focused visualizations, which can help you hit the brakes on the worrying that's keeping you from getting down to business.

We've rounded up seven expert-recommended visualizations to take for a spin the next time your brain is in "peace-out" mode:

1. Turn Off the TVs

Visualize your mind as a room full of televisions, each on a different channel. Some are extremely loud, some are whisper-quiet, but all of them together are distracting and chaotic. Your job is to find the TV that's playing your favorite show and turn off the rest so that you can sit down and watch it, undistracted.

"When I need to focus, I picture each of my thoughts as one of these TVs, and I turn them off, one by one, until my show is the only one that's playing," says Sal Raichbach, Psy.D., chief of clinical compliance for Ambrosia Treatment Center. "Every time I hit the power button, it gets a little easier to concentrate—and eventually, I'm focusing only on what I want to be."

EDITOR'S PICK

2. Zoom In

Imagine a distant mountain landscape, focusing your attention on the snowy peak. Slowly zoom in on it—allow your attention to become increasingly directed at the mountaintop. Next, imagine a hiker, bear, tree, anything you'd like, atop the mountain. Get up close to it. Notice the details, colors, and textures. "The more you focus on the details in this microscopic way, the more you train the brain into focused calmness," says California-based clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D.

Of course, the mountain can be traded in for a lush island, forest, or other natural space—what matters is that you "start big" and then slowly become more focused on the finer details of the scene. The next time you feel scattered, you can apply this same technique to the project that you're working on: Start with the big picture, then continue to zoom in until your attention is on the micro-detail you need to focus on next.

3. Hit the Beach

Imagine yourself on a serene beach with a basket in your hand. Let the ocean air and sounds soothe you. Feel the warm sand under your feet. Notice the pebbles and shells strewn across the sand—these are your thoughts. Begin to walk along the beach, carefully collecting the pebbles and shells, Manly says. Inspect each of them thoughtfully before placing them in the basket.

When you're done, set the basket down and sit in the sand next to it. Draw the pebble or shell from the basket that represents the task you need to focus on. As you study its color, shape, size, texture—even smell—picture yourself holding onto it as you get back to work. If you become unfocused again, keep studying the shell in your hand until you feel grounded.

4. Count Down

Picture a large blackboard. On the board, imagine drawing a large white circle with chalk. In the circle, write the letter "x." Then pick up your eraser and carefully erase the "x," making sure not to erase the circle. On the other side of the board, write "deeper," while repeating "deeper and deeper" to yourself. Next, write the number "10" in the circle and then erase it without erasing the circle. Head back to the other side of the board and trace the letters of "deeper," saying to yourself, "deeper and deeper." Continue this process by counting down from 10 to 0.

"This particular visualization requires someone to engage in a singular, repetitive process," says New York-based psychologist Kim Lehnert, Ph.D. Not only does this promote relaxation, it also interrupts the rollercoaster of thoughts that have been messing with your productivity.

5. Light a Candle

Picture yourself in a darkened room. You notice a soft flickering of light and see a candle sitting next to you. Focus on the light as it flickers and sways. Imagine that as the wax in the candle begins to melt, so do your worries and stresses—and as the candle softens, so does your body, MacDonald says. Feel yourself becoming more relaxed as you watch the candle's flame. When you're ready, take that singular focus you have on the flame and transition it over to the task you need to accomplish. After several deep breaths, open your eyes and pick up where you left off.

6. Sit By a Stream

Picture yourself sitting on the bank of a river on a warm, sunny day. There's a gentle breeze. Next to you is a large tree. You notice that the breeze has blown some of the leaves from the tree into the water. Watch one of the leaves as it dances in the current and slowly drifts down the river until out of sight.

Next, bring your attention to any thoughts, worries, feelings, or concerns you might have that are distracting you. Without judgment, pick one of these thoughts and imagine yourself placing it on one of the leaves, and watch it float away in the current until out of sight. Continue to do this with the rest of the thoughts that are distracting you, one at a time, MacDonald says, until the only thought left is the one you need to focus on. When you're ready, bring your attention away from the riverbank and back to the task at hand.

7. Be Kind, Rewind

Visualize yourself working toward your goal. Now see yourself getting distracted. As you start doing something else, press the "pause" button in your mind and see yourself stopping the activity. Ask yourself, "Is this action getting me to my goal?" The answer: "No." Next, define what you need to do to get back on track, then hit the "rewind" button and take yourself back to where you were before you got distracted. Watch yourself getting back on track and successfully reaching your goal.

As you catch yourself getting distracted IRL, simply hit "rewind" to wipe the slate clean and pick up where you left off. When you see yourself achieving your goal on the inside, it creates the sense of possibility and achievement possible for you to achieve it on the outside, says California-based performance psychologist Ben Bernstein, Ph.D.

Krissy Brady is so out of shape, it's like she has the innards of an 80-year-old—so naturally, she became a women's health + wellness writer. (No, but seriously.) Her latest shenanigans can be found at writtenbykrissy.com.

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The Best (and Worst) Foods for Headaches

So you’ve just discovered that boxed wine and cheap whiskey don’t necessarily mix well, and you’ve got the vicious headache to prove it. Headaches aren’t always party-aftermath related, but they are always a bummer, and they’re also unfortunately very common. It’s estimated that about half of adults worldwide have had a headache in the last year, and 30 percent of those believed they had suffered a migraine.

Not only is it annoying AF, but it can also be potentially dangerous. One study suggests that headache disorders (including migraines) are the third highest cause of disability worldwide due to their significant impact on quality of life and the financial cost of being unable to work. While sometimes the cause is environmental or physiological, research shows that diet may play a notable role. Here are the top foods to avoid (or load up on) to ease the pain.

Worst Foods for Headaches

Alcohol

I know. I know. Thanks, Captain Obvious. But it’s too common not to put on the list. Headaches from alcohol tend to creep up either immediately (as soon as 30 minutes to 3 hours after a drink for migraine sufferers) or in the form of the dreaded hangover the next day. In fact, people who get migraines may experience a headache after only a single small drink.

Interestingly, research suggests that migraine sufferers tend to drink less alcohol than their headache-free counterparts, likely because of the risk of an attack. What remains less clear is if it’s the alcohol or some other component of a drink that triggers it. Tyramine, phenylethylamine, histamine, sulfites, and flavonoid phenols are commonly found in our favorite drinks and have all been suspected as a potential cause of migraines. In fact, it’s not uncommon for studies to suggest an increase in migraine episodes following a glass of sulfite- and histamine-filled red wine.

Want to cut back on the chance of an attack? For one, drink moderately (that'd be one drink per day for women and two for men). No weekend benders for you! And two, choose a light colored drink like gin or vodka over red wine or dark liquors, which tend to have lower amounts of headache-inducing histamine and sulfites.

Excessive (and Then the Absence of) Coffee

Ah yes, take away the morning Joe and get ready for a real pounder. One Norwegian study found that individuals with the highest intake of caffeine (more than 540 mg per day) were 10 percent more likely to get headaches and migraines. Other population-based studies have concurred, citing a greater prevalence of headaches with excessive levels of consumption.

To avoid the nasty effect, experts recommend limiting your intake to no more than 400-500 mg/ day (about 4 cups of coffee, which is still pretty generous!), and more importantly, being consistent in your intake. In other words, don’t go on a coffee binge on Saturday morning, only to go cold turkey in the days to follow. Our tip for cutting back? Go half-caf until you can slowly wean yourself off the liquid energy.

Chocolate

Ugh, I know. You didn’t want to see this one on the list. But at least it’s still debatable. One study compared chocolate with a placebo and found that the chocolate triggered a migraine in 42 percent of subjects. Having said that, another study compared chocolate with carob and found no difference in headache complaints. The likely culprit? It looks as if the phenylethylamine and tyramine amino acids found in chocolate may be responsible. Research has found greater amounts of phenylethylamine and tyramine in people who suffer from chronic migraines. It seems possible that chocolate might be a trigger for some, but not others, so definitely try to pay attention to the outcome after your next treat.

Artificial Sweeteners

It might not be just the caffeine in your Diet Coke that’s giving you a headache. Research suggests that artificial sweeteners, particularly the super-popular aspartame, may increase the risk of migraine headaches and reduce the percentage of days subjects were headache-free. Apparently calorie-free doesn’t necessarily mean pain-free, so try cutting back on the bubbly stuff.

Citrus Fruit

A healthy food on the no-no list? Sadly, our favorite source of vitamin C may be a trigger for some. One study found that 11 percent of migraine sufferers self-reported an uptick in symptoms after eating citrus fruit. Another study, however, was not able to see a significant difference in headaches between those who did and did not consume citrus. If citrus is a problem for headache sufferers, the likely culprit is higher amounts of the amino acid tyramine found in the fruit. Other high-tyramine foods include pineapple, soy, kimchee, raw onions, fava beans, and sauerkraut.

Aged Cheese

Feeling the pressure after a fancy cheese plate? You may not be alone. The process of fermentation, which is key in the production of cheeses like blue, cheddar, Parmesan, and Camembert, increases the levels of tyramine and phenylethylamine amino acids in food. Not surprisingly, one study found that 18 percent of migraine sufferers complained that aged cheese was the root cause of their pain. Need to get your fix? Try ricotta, cream cheese, farmer cheese, cottage cheese, or American instead for a lower tyramine option.

Processed Meat

We hear the word “nitrates” all the time in the context of chronic disease, but it seems they might not be so kind to our noggin, either. Research suggests that the common food preservatives found in processed foods like hot dogs, sausage, and cold cuts may be linked to migraines in some populations. It seems that the presence of nitrate, nitrite, and nitric oxide reductase genes related to the composition of gut bacteria is responsible for determining who suffers and who doesn’t. Apparently we’ve got another reason to limit the street meat.

Best Foods for Headaches

Water

So it’s not technically a food, but there’s a reason water tastes so good when you’re not feeling your best. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of headaches in general, so it makes sense that getting your eight glasses a day may help. In one study looking at water intake and headache incidence, water was significantly associated with a reduction in headache intensity and duration.

Another study found that 47 percent of headaches were improved simply by drinking up, compared with 25 percent of sufferers in a control group who did not. We suggest carrying a full bottle of water around and listening to your body for those early signs of thirst before it gets to an extreme.

You can also help meet your hydration needs by fitting plenty of fruits and veggies with a high water content into your diet. Cucumbers, spinach, watermelon, and berries can all help quench your thirst and supply a range of important vitamins and minerals to keep headaches at bay, says Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, and author of Eat Dirt.

Low-Sodium Foods

While research on salt and headache incidence is in its infancy, one study analyzing the effect of a low-sodium diet found that the likelihood of having a headache was lower when consuming less salt. One easy way to cut back? Avoid those processed foods and meats, which are also rich in those potentially problematic nitrates.

Leafy Greens

Yep, another win for kale. Leafy greens, like kale, spinach, and chard, are loaded with the B vitamin folate, which may play a unique role in the risk of headaches. Early research on women suggests that a diet low in folate may increase the frequency of migraines compared to women with adequate levels in their diet. Not a salad fan? Try avocado, seeds, and legumes to get your folate fix (but also... just try to eat your greens).

In addition to being high in folate, leafy greens are an excellent source of magnesium. Some studies suggest that a low level of this essential mineral may be to blame for headache symptoms, making it even more important to get in your daily dose of greens, Axe says.

Almonds

Research suggests that migraine sufferers tend to have lower levels of serum magnesium, and almonds are one of the greatest (and tastiest) sources to meet your needs. While research specifically looking at the impact of magnesium-rich foods (like almonds) on headaches is scarce, studies suggest that supplementing with 600 mg of magnesium each day reduces the frequency of migraines. While you may need a supplement, we suggest trying a food-first approach, and if you’re not into almonds, try leafy greens, seafood, pulses, and other nuts and seeds.

Milk

Like magnesium, the other two major bone-building nutrients, calcium and vitamin D, seem to play a role in headache prevention. One study found that a combination of calcium and vitamin D supplements significantly reduced migraine attacks, while patients in another study saw significant improvements in just 4 to 6 weeks. Vitamin D does seem to play a bigger role than calcium, but you can get your fix of both from fortified products like dairy, soy milk, eggs, and orange juice.

Small Amounts of Coffee

What the what?! Coffee on the naughty and nice list!? Yep. It’s all about the dose. Consistently overdo it with the caffeine and then pull right back? You’re asking for a real doozy. But research suggests that very small amounts of caffeine may actually be beneficial. A systematic review of the literature found that consuming about 100 mg of caffeine a day (the amount in a small cup of coffee) along with pain medication may provide more headache relief than meds alone.

Hey, we can’t change the weather, control the pollution, or turn off some genetic predisposition, but we can control what we put in our mouths. If you’re suffering from consistent headaches or migraines, we recommend making a journal and tracking what you eat before a migraine attack to determine which of these foods are hurting (or helping) your pain.

Preventing headaches can also extend beyond what you’re putting on your plate. In addition to switching up your diet, remember to get plenty of regular physical activity, set a consistent sleep schedule, and minimize your stress levels, Axe says.

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The Actually Terrible Things That Happen at "Fat Camp"

When I was 13, I saved up my own money for a year and begged my parents to let me go to a weight-loss camp in the Poconos. I had been unhappy with my body since I was old enough to know that was possible and was determined to make a major change.

I did my research and picked the camp that billed itself as "different" and "more fun" than other fat camps—it had even been featured in a documentary on MTV! I was convinced that it was going to be a great experience. After all, from everything I'd seen online, camp was going to be full of equally motivated people who were excited about the opportunity to get a handle on their weight, surrounded by counselors and experts passionate about helping us on our journey.

Of course, this was not the case—and anyone thinking similarly about these camps for themselves or their children should keep in mind what I learned (and wish I'd known before shelling out a year's worth of my babysitting cash). Granted, not all camps are run the same way, but I've heard and read enough about other people's experiences to know that mine was hardly unusual. So if you are considering a weight loss camp, be aware that at least some of them are run this way…

Kids are rarely at a 'fat camp' because they want to be there.

My trip to camp was completely self-driven, but I was the glaring exception. Most of the kids were sent there against their will by their very ashamed, very wealthy parents. Almost every girl in my cabin had a story about something wretched that a family member had said to her about how her size was reflecting poorly on the family. The overwhelming sentiment was that kids at the camp need to be "fixed" rather than "helped" or "supported."

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It's much more like a boot camp than a summer camp.

Our daily schedules were obviously loaded with physical activities (aerobics every morning, followed by three or four other stations that varied by day), but more than that, the rules and rule enforcement were strict and degrading. We were not allowed to use our cellphones, our bags were searched upon arrival, and every package we received from home was opened in front of us and searched for contraband food—to the extent that when my mother sent me a bag of pads, they made me open it up and take one out to prove that they weren't really candy in disguise.

Campers were constantly treated as though they couldn't be trusted to make any fitness or health decisions themselves. Sneaking food or seeking comfort in a phone call or text home was framed as an intentional disrespect for and violation of camp rules—instead of being seen as a cry for help or a symptom of an underlying issue that deserved attention.

People of different weights do get treated differently.

The camp I attended had campers of all ages from seven (yes, seven!) to 17. On the first day, we were weighed and measured in order to track our progress throughout our time at camp. We were also told what amount of pounds lost would get us on "maintenance," which was a term for campers who were no longer required to try to lose weight. They were given, I'm not kidding, a special wristband that allowed them to go back for seconds and thirds of meals and snacks.

Almost every girl in my cabin had a story about something wretched that a family member had said to her about how her size was reflecting poorly on the family.

In this way, our weight was used both as a marker of shame and a ticket to acceptance. There was no concern for campers' confidence in their bodies, no discussion of how different bodies respond to different health strategies, and no personalized focus on individual needs or goals. Weighing less was simply good, and weighing more was bad.

The food is not good, and everyone is hungry all the time.

The camp I went to served food five times a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. Seconds were not allowed unless you were on maintenance, and if you didn't like what was offered, you could ask for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (One time, I requested any jelly flavor other than apple, and the lady specifically handed me apple jelly and said, "You get what you're given.")

Once campers were finished with their meals, they would walk around asking people if they were going to eat the rest of their food. People on maintenance were offered all kinds of bribes to go back and get seconds to share with those without wristbands, and anyone who mentioned their hunger to a staff member was told to "go eat a salad." The salad bar was iceberg lettuce and a variety of artificially flavored fat-free dressings.

There was no effort to change the dialogue around meal time or eating choices, and no attempt to build healthy habits or treat this change with compassion. There was nothing happy or triumphant about eating good, healthy food—you just "get what you're given."

Gender differences become very apparent very quickly.

When I arrived for my three-week session, some campers had already been there for an entire month. At the end-of-week meeting for the whole camp, they inducted the first four boys into the "50 lbs. lost club." There were a select few girls who had lost 20 lbs., but if I remember correctly, there was no such distinction for them.

Male- and female-bodied people lose weight at different rates and in different ways. Though sex differences were addressed in other ways at camp—kids bunked separately according to their gender and did virtually all physical activity separately—there was never any discussion of how biological sex influenced weight loss and fitness. Losing more weight in more places was better, full stop.

Weight is often a symptom of larger issues.

We attended a group therapy session every week called "Be Your Best." I heard about abusive home situations, parents' boyfriends getting out of jail, sudden family deaths, and numerous other traumas that went far beyond being called mean names at school. For many of the kids at these camps, weight problems are exacerbated or even caused by underlying situations at home that are certainly not going to be remedied with two weeks' worth of restricted caloric intake and daily aerobics classes.

The day-to-day counselors are not trained or equipped to deal with the psychological states of the campers.

Perhaps one of the most jarring parts of my experience was how much everyone in a position of authority tried to act like we were all just at regular camp 95 percent of the time. The counselors were teenagers and early 20-somethings with little-to-no experience working with young people dealing with the fallout from weight issues. Many campers were depressed or had eating disorders, and there are few places more dangerous for a young person's mental health than a cabin full of hungry, embarrassed, and insecure 13-year-olds. But the counselors served mainly as rule enforcers without any real idea of how to serve as support systems.

Our weight was used both as a marker of shame and a ticket to acceptance.

Plus, the counselors were also getting weighed in on a weekly basis and those who gained weight were at actual risk of being terminated. So not only were they responsible for the well-being of a cabin full of weight-conscious kids going through a difficult, humiliating time, they were teens handling their own image issues at the same time!

Weight-loss camps cost a lot of money, and though they do certainly yield results, in many cases, the changes are temporary ones. The concept of introducing young people to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in a fun, safe environment is admirable, but the execution doesn't exactly live up to this ideal.

In my experience, weight-loss camp does little more than reinforce that the body is something to battle into submission and that fatness is a disease to be eradicated at all costs—rather than treat a person's weight as an element of their life that deserves to be treated with dignity and compassion.

Taylor Kay Phillips is a writer and comedian living in New York City. She recently tried both seltzer and everything bagels for the first time and is kind of dealing with that right now. Read more of her writing at taylorkayphillips.com and follow her on twitter at @taykayphillips.

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Postpartum Anxiety Is a Thing—Here’s What to Watch Out For

Bringing home a new baby is intense. The early days—especially for first-time parents—are full of never-ending questions that range from the weird-but-reasonable to the ultra-paranoid. One scroll through a new mom's Google history, and you'll run across queries like, "My newborn peed in his eyes while I was changing him. Should I be worried?" "Can a super-bumpy stroller ride cause brain damage?" and "Is my baby smiling because he loves me or because he has gas?" (Answer to that last one: Sorry to disappoint, but it's definitely gas).

Worries are a normal, totally expected part of parenting, especially early on. After all, babies are notoriously awful at clearly communicating their needs, so parents are left trying to puzzle it out—which can be overwhelming and stressful. Sometimes, however, the worries don't subside as the weeks pass. For some new parents, the anxious thoughts can get more intense, more frequent, and less rational.

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When my son was a newborn, my concerns went far beyond the pale. I was a nervous wreck, convinced I was doing him more harm than good. I refused to put him down because my gut told me he'd spit-up and choke—I just knew that if he were on his back too long, he'd developed a cranial abnormality. I wore him constantly because I knew in my bones that he would die if he wasn't with me. It was beyond intense: Every day, I waited for social services to take him away, and every night, I waited for him to die of SIDS.

I didn't realize that what I was feeling wasn't typical. If new parents find themselves in a fairly constant state of anxiety, unable to sleep because they're afraid their baby will stop breathing, leave the house because they're afraid they'll be in a car accident, or shower because they're afraid to leave the baby alone for 10 minutes—basically, if the worry goes beyond typical new-parent stuff—they might be experiencing postpartum anxiety (PPA).

PPA is super common—more common than postpartum depression, even.

Postpartum anxiety, also called perinatal anxiety, usually manifests during late pregnancy or shortly after delivery, and according to Florida-based psychologist Kelsey M. Latimer, Ph.D., it occurs in up to 15 percent of postpartum women. A study published in 2013 showed much higher numbers of women develop postpartum anxiety than previously thought, and many developed more symptoms as time passed.

"More women suffer from postpartum anxiety than from postpartum depression, but the focus has long been on postpartum depression," says California clinical psychologist, Carla Manly, Ph.D. "Postpartum anxiety does not receive the focused attention it deserves." PPA is usually lumped in with PPD, even though the two manifest with distinctly different symptoms (and you can have PPA without also having PPD).

"Feelings of being on edge, excessive worry, panic attacks, insomnia, and intrusive thoughts" characterize PPA, says Ashley Smith, Ph.D., a psychologist practicing in Kansas. "These feelings can occur even, or perhaps especially, when a baby is cared for," she says. What that means is that a mom with PPA could be doing everything right, but her crying baby will send her spiraling down an anxiety rabbit hole.

It can be especially intense when the mother knows in her rational mind that she is doing everything she should be doing, but the baby still fusses or cries or won't sleep (... which babies tend to do). Her anxiety can convince her she must be missing something or have horrible maternal instincts since the baby is still crying or unhappy or awake.

Hypervigilance is another common sign of PPA. Mothers who stay awake all night watching to make sure baby keeps breathing or who develop OCD-like compulsions are common. "Sometimes the symptoms go beyond thoughts or obsessions and can have compulsions that accompany the thoughts, such as cleaning items repeatedly for fear of germs," Latimer says.

Thankfully, PPA is treatable.

The gold standard is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps an individual notice negative thought patterns that emerge and learn to change them. A mom may find herself thinking that social services is going to take away her baby because he refuses to nap (this was one of my personal anxiety spirals). But if she's practicing CBT, she will rationalize the thought, realize she's feeling that way because of her anxiety, and tell herself that social services does not take babies away for being bad sleepers.

The goal of CBT is to change the thought patterns and reroute the way we perceive situations that historically cause us stress. If practiced regularly, CBT has a high success rate in helping women deal with PPA. It's also effective in treating depression and other types of anxiety disorders.

Any perinatal behavioral or personality changes should be reported to your medical doctor first: Take time to review any concerns you might be having during the baby's two-week well-checkup or the 4-6-week postpartum checkup. Once you've been cleared by your M.D., treatments might include CBT, exposure work, medications, or mindfulness meditation practice.

Moms who are experiencing postpartum anxiety also really benefit from a strong support network. Not only is group counseling or a support group a good idea, but having a partner or other loved one to help reinforce rational thinking in a kind and loving way, to talk her down when she is spinning out, is vital.

"It's important for family members to understand that no matter how outlandish her particular fears may sound, to her, they are very real," says Sara Regan, a licensed postpartum doula in California. "Gently encouraging her to leave the house or to put the baby down for short periods of time, authentically offering assistance, and remembering to not minimize her feelings all go a very long way."

Kristi Pahr is a freelance writer and mother who spends most of her time caring for people other than herself. She is frequently exhausted and compensates with an intense caffeine addiction. See what she's up to on Twitter.

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