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The Bitter Truth About Alcohol: A Deep Dive Into Its Harmful Effects

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  Alcohol, while socially acceptable and even glamorized, is a poisonous chemical that affects nearly every organ and system in our body. Alcohol affects our brain from the moment we take a sip. It hinders communication between brain cells, resulting in impaired judgment, poor coordination, delayed reflexes, and confused thinking. That's why even modest amounts can cause people to behave in unexpected ways. Larger doses cause slurred speech, memory blackouts, loss of control, and, in some cases, unconsciousness. Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates our body by boosting urine output, which explains why hangovers are so severe. The pounding headache, nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light, and weakness are all symptoms of toxic overload and dehydration. Globally, alcohol is one of the primary causes of early death and disability, particularly among youth. Every year, it causes millions of fatalities from liver failure, heart disease, accidents, suicides, and...
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Fructose: What We Need to Know for a Healthier Life

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  Have you ever considered how the sugar in our fruits could hurt us if ingested in excess? We've certainly heard that fruits are healthful, which they are, but there's more to fructose, the fruit sugar, than meets the eye. Let's break it down so we can see how it impacts our bodies and what we can do about it. What Exactly Is Fructose? Fructose is a form of sugar found naturally in fruits. This is why it's commonly referred to as "fruit sugar." It's found not only in fruits, but also in table sugar (sucrose), honey, sweet drinks, and even high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in packaged meals. So, while a mango or banana includes natural fructose, our cola, ketchup, or sweetened yogurt may contain added fructose, frequently in much higher proportions than our bodies can tolerate. The food business relies heavily on fructose because: It is sweeter than glucose, therefore we require less of it. It is inexpensive to produce, particularly in the form o...
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Understanding Metabolic Syndrome

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  Imagine a silent alarm going off in our body—a red flag signaling risk for heart disease, diabetes, and more. That’s what metabolic syndrome is. And in this blog, we’re going to learn exactly what it is, why it matters, and how powerful changes in our daily life can stop it in its tracks. We're dealing with metabolic syndrome when at least three of these warning signs appear together: Excess fat around your waist (level of belly fat), High blood pressure, High fasting blood sugar, High triglycerides, Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol By simply having three of these, our risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease skyrockets. Even one of them is enough to signal trouble ahead. What’s Happening Inside our Body a) Insulin Resistance: Insulin is the key that allows our cells to absorb glucose. However, when insulin resistance sets in, our cells ignore the key, sugar remains in our blood, and our pancreas responds by manufacturing more insulin. This vicious cyc...
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What Doctors Won’t Tell Us About Nutrition: A Simple and Honest Look at Food and Health

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  We've been given a lot of food advice throughout our lives, most of which we've never questioned. We've been told that meat provides protein, and eggs are a complete health food. But what if the majority of this information was incorrect or incomplete? In this article, I'll address some of the misunderstandings that are providing us incorrect information about our plant-based diet. The Conventional Medical Paradigm Let's start with a shocking fact: most medical practitioners have little nutrition training. In medical colleges, only a few hours—sometimes a single lecture—are dedicated to what should be a key component of illness prevention. Most modern medicine focuses on treating symptoms rather than determining the causes of sickness. We are given prescriptions, scheduled for procedures, or urged to monitor our conditions—but no one actually helps us prevent or reverse them through lifestyle and food. This leaves a space that we must fill by taking ow...
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Foundations: How We Feel Hunger and Fullness 🧠

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  Our Brain’s Hunger Center: The Hypothalamus We rely heavily on a small but powerful brain region called the hypothalamus, which acts like a central appetite control panel. Within it, the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) contains two groups of neurons: One group tells us to eat more when energy is low, when hungry. Another tells us to stop eating when we’re full. Apart from taste, our insular cortex processes sensations of texture, mouthfeel, and even the pleasure of chewing. This is why crunching on celery feels more satisfying than sipping a smoothie—our brain uses that feedback to decide when to eat and when to stop eating. Key Hormones: Orchestrating Hunger and Satiety Ghrelin: The Hunger Hormone - Produced in the stomach, ghrelin rises when we haven’t eaten—giving that tell-tale “I need food” feeling. It’s tied to regular eating times, if we always eat lunch at noon, ghrelin shows up like clockwork. MSH & AgRP Neurons: Within the hypothalamus is the...
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Steatotic liver disease - Causes & Treatment

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  Steatotic liver disease refers to disorders characterized by abnormal lipid accumulation in the liver (liver or hepatic steatosis). Steatotic liver disease includes what was previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but is now referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Steatotic liver disease also includes alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), MetALD, a new categorization for the overlap between MASLD and ALD, as well as unusual causes of liver steatosis. Steatotic liver disease affects around 30% of the global population and is mostly caused by obesity, type 2 diabetes, and alcohol consumption; however, only a small fraction of those with steatotic liver disease develop cirrhosis. The presence and advancement of liver fibrosis caused by hepatic inflammation is the most reliable predictor of liver death across the whole range of steatotic liver disorders. A combination of recent advances in widely available biomarkers ...
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Exercise, Heat, Cold & Other Stressors for Longevity

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In this blog article, I'll talk about the science of aging and how to live longer. I will discuss the influence of genes, nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle aspects in aging. I'll also offer advice on how to slow down the aging process and live a healthy lifestyle. First and foremost, we need to understand what aging is. Aging is the natural process of growing old. It is distinguished by a steady deterioration in physical and mental function. Genetics, lifestyle, and the environment all contribute to aging. How Can We Slow Down Aging Eating a nutritious diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It is also critical to restrict processed foods, sugary beverages, and harmful fats. Regular exercise promotes cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and bone density. It may also assist to lower the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Not smoking: Smoking is a leading cause of preventable mortality. It causes damage t...
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