Health and Hope - GHiC

07/09/2025

Is Stevia Bad for You?
https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/is-stevia-bad-for-you
What is stevia?
Derived from the South American Stevia rebaudiana plant, this sugar substitute is also known as rebaudioside A, reb-A, or rebian. The plant contains steviol glycosides, which are used as sweeteners. Stevia brand names include PureVia, Truvia, and SweetLeaf Sweetener. Stevia can be found in drinks, desserts, gum, baked goods, candy, yogurt, and packets for use in beverages, and can also be used when baking at home.

Is stevia safe?
Stevia is considered a “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This doesn’t apply to stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts, which don’t have FDA approval for use in food.

There is even some evidence suggesting that stevia may be beneficial beyond what you’d expect from cutting back on sugar. In a 2017 study in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium showed that stevia stimulates a protein that is essential for taste perception and is involved in the release of insulin after a meal. The hormone insulin is produced by your pancreas to regulate blood sugar. (Here are 21 great foods for people with diabetes.)

The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association agree that stevia can be beneficial for people with diabetes if they use it in moderation and do not compensate by eating extra calories at a later time. The European Food Safe Authority and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives established an acceptable daily intake range of no more than 12 mg daily, which is the equivalent of 40 packets for a 150-pound person, Kaufman say.

Stevia is a good substitute for regular-caloric sucrose as it has zero calories. “Those who are choosing to substitute sugar with stevia may benefit from this alternative; however, weight loss is not guaranteed,” Kaufman says

07/08/2025

50 Easy Ways to Sleep Better
By Kristine Solomon
https://www.thehealthy.com/sleep/easy-ways-to-sleep-better/
1. Know your chronotype
According to renowned sleep doctor Michael Breus, PhD, people fall into four sleep styles known as chronotypes. You can be a bear, lion, dolphin, or wolf.
Bears follow the sun, waking when it rises and sleeping when it sets. It’s common for bears to wake around 7 a.m. and sleep at 11 p.m.
Lions wake early and are productive in the mornings, but may struggle to accomplish their goals at night. They sleep earlier than other chronotypes, usually going to bed around 10 p.m. at the latest.
Dolphins are light sleepers and may be considered insomniacs. They don’t typically follow a regular sleep schedule.
Wolves are most productive in the afternoons and at nights. They usually go to bed around midnight and wake around 7:30 a.m.
Understanding your chronotype can help you optimize your sleep schedule, improving your overall health and quality of life. Find out what you are by taking the chronotype quiz at https://sleepdoctor.com/sleep-quizzes/chronotype-quiz

Set an alarm at night, too
Get your heart pumping daily. “The single best way to improve the quality of your sleep is to do 20 minutes of cardio per day,” says Dr. Breus.
Use blackout curtains
Commit yourself to one wakeup time
Don’t eat right before bed
Don’t sleep in on the weekend
Put away your electronics at bedtime
Read a book or magazine. The key to reading before bed to sleep better is making sure your reading material is printed on paper, not emanating from a digital screen. According to a 2020 study conducted by Penguin Random House, people who read books before bed enjoy an extra 25 minutes of sleep each night.

Read for more!

06/09/2025

Great Strategies To Relieve Stress and Improve Your Well-Being
https://www.health.com/how-to-relieve-stress-8777654

It's important to know how to handle stress effectively, especially since it can impact your overall health and well-being.
Some ways to deal with stress include becoming more physically active, spending time in nature, building resilience, and engaging in mindfulness.
If you are chronically stressed and not having much success reducing stress levels on your own, you may want to talk with a healthcare provider or a mental health professional.

1. Practice Mindfulness
2. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques
3. Improve Time Management Skills
4. Build Emotional Resilience
5. Consider Volunteering
6. Reduce Screen Time
7. Use Aromatherapy
8. Practice Breathing Exercises
9. Spend Time in Nature
10. Increase Physical Activity
11. Build Social Connections
12. Express Gratitude
13. Try Journaling

06/03/2025

The Asthma Triggers You Should Know About
https://www.health.com/asthma-triggers-8637358

With asthma, your lungs tend to be more sensitive to various environmental triggers, such as cold air, strong odors, and outdoor pollutants. These irritants can increase your risk of developing an asthma flare-up—or a period where your symptoms worsen. Fortunately, knowing your triggers can help you avoid them.

If you have asthma, it’s also a good idea to develop an asthma action plan with your healthcare provider to ensure you can keep your symptoms at bay wherever you are.

06/03/2025

5 Food Groups That Are Easy to Digest
https://www.health.com/easy-to-digest-foods-what-to-eat-and-what-to-avoid-7566398
When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful. Foods that are well cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best.

When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful. Foods that are well-cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best, ultimately liberalizing your diet and keeping your symptoms under control.l..

When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful. Foods that are well-cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best ultimately liberalizes your diet and keeps your symptoms under control.

06/02/2025

How Is ADHD Diagnosed?
https://www.health.com/adhd-diagnosis-7111894

ADHD is a disorder that can affect your thinking, behaviors, and ability to function.
There are three main types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined ADHD.
Yours or your child's healthcare provider can use diagnostic measures and criteria to help you understand what type of ADHD you or your child have.
Your or your child's healthcare provider can use diagnostic measures and criteria to help you understand what type of ADHD you or your child has. Educational evaluations can help you learn more about your or your child's symptoms.

During your appointment, a healthcare provider will take a thorough medical history, perform a physical exam, and conduct various behavioral and educational evaluations to learn more about your or your child's symptoms.

It's important to note that people who begin to experience symptoms as adults, particularly adult women, often have a delayed diagnosis. This is because research on ADHD was historically done on young boys. Newer studies have found that symptoms in women and adults can present differently, which can sometimes make it challenging to recognize ADHD symptoms and make an accurate and early diagnosis.

06/02/2025

Tomato Recall Gets Highest Risk Warning Over Salmonella Fears
https://www.health.com/tomato-recall-2025-salmonella-risk-level-11746461

A little out of sequence- but important!
The FDA has set a recent tomato recall at the highest risk level.
The tomatoes, from Williams Farms Repack LLC, may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Why the FDA Set the Highest Risk Level
On May 28, the FDA gave the tomato recall a Class I risk level, meaning there is a "reasonable probability" that "eating the tomatoes will cause serious adverse health consequences or death."
The recalled tomatoes were sent to distributors in the following states:
Georgia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Salmonella infection commonly causes watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.4
However, some groups—young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems—may experience severe, potentially fatal infections.2
Symptoms of severe Salmonella infection include:
Diarrhea or vomiting lasting more than two days
-Bloody p**p (including diarrhea) or p*e
-A fever higher than 102°F
-Signs of dehydration, such as very dark p*e and feeling dizzy or lightheaded
-Long-term complications, including infections that spread to other parts of the body
What You Should Do
If you have the recalled tomatoes or are unsure where your tomatoes originated, discard them and monitor for signs of Salmonella infection.

05/28/2025

Just How Bad Is It to Microwave or Freeze Plastic?
https://www.health.com/just-how-bad-is-microwaving-plastic-11738582

A new lawsuit claims that Ziploc's "microwave safe" label is misleading because microwaving can increase microplastic exposure.
Microplastics are tiny bits of degraded plastic that may harm human health.
Research has found that microwaving plastic containers can lead to more microplastics exposure than keeping plastic at room temperature.

Should You Stop Using Plastic in the Kitchen?
It’s near-impossible to avoid all plastics. But Pelch told Health there are some easy swaps you can—and should—make in the kitchen.

First and foremost, choose dishes that aren’t made of plastic when you need to heat or freeze food. Although you should double-check your dish’s labeling to be sure, glass and ceramic vessels are often safe for both the microwave and freezer, while stainless steel can generally be used in the freezer alone. (If you’re using a glass container with a plastic lid, remove the lid before you microwave your meal, Marsit added.)

To go further, Pelch recommends replacing other plastic items in your kitchen, such as cutting boards and blender pitchers. Also, be aware that nonstick cookware is typically coated with PFAS chemicals, which can flake off with repeated use. “They’re kind of a double whammy,” Pelch said. “Now they’re microplastics, and they’re PFAS.”

In a world where much of our food comes packaged in some type of plastic, it’s probably not feasible to go totally plastic-free. But within your own kitchen, Marsit says, it’s a good goal to “at least minimize the amount of plastic contact that food has.”

05/26/2025