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5 Secrets to Steal From These Popular Diets

Losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight both require a healthy eating plan and regular exercise. But everywhere you turn, the latest and greatest fad diet is staring you in the face. Which diet is best?

There’s no one-diet-fits-all when it comes to eating plans, weight loss and metabolism, but there are certain tips you can steal from the top diet plans.

From Atkins to plant-based, Eva Mina, MD, of Medical City Alliance in Fort Worth, Texas, talks about her favorite fad diet takeaways.

Why Everyone Should Eat a Plant-Based Diet ?

Good news for lettuce lovers: The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reports that vegetarian and vegan diets rich with fruits and vegetables can be appropriate for people of every age, including infants, pregnant women, children, adolescents and the elderly. What's more, those eating plant-based diets consume fewer sweets, salty snacks and saturated fats overall.

While there isn’t one true definition of the plant-based diet, the main focus is on fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains. Some people choose to eat small amounts of meat, fish or dairy, while others may cut them out entirely. People also often avoid added sugars and processed foods in favor of whole, natural foods. The diet has been shown to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, and may even lengthen your life. "A whole-foods, plant-based diet is the diet behind the longest-living populations on Earth," says family practitioner Joe Llenos, MD of West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho. "It's a diet for everyone."

Here’s how a plant-based diet can benefit all ages, along with some tips on getting started. Remember: Anytime you make major changes to your eating habits—especially if you have allergies, intolerances or conditions like celiac disease—you should speak to your healthcare provider first. And your new lifestyle should be properly planned out, too.

How plant-based diets affect every age
The advantages of plant-based eating start early. Introducing toddlers and children to veggies and fruits broadens their palates, provides necessary nutrients like iron and protein and helps prevent chronic diseases. “They are actually finding that the vegetarian kids have a lower risk of being overweight and being diagnosed with diabetes or obesity,” says Dr. Llenos. Part of the reason? Kids who consume meat tend to eat foods like ham and bacon, which are high in fat, not to mention may be carcinogenic. In large doses, they can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Those benefits of plant-based diets continue through adolescence and adulthood, straight on into our 70s and 80s. Llenos says they might even help the elderly stave off dementia: "There's a lot of good evidence that fruits and vegetables, particularly berries and colorful fruits, help prevent or slow down cognitive decline." Loss of muscle mass, another issue common in seniors, may also improve. "Plant-based proteins like beans and vegetables alkalinize the body and preserve muscle mass,” says Llenos.

How to adopt a plant-based diet
If you’re accustomed to eating meat or aren't sure how to start a plant-based diet, begin with menu planning. “The average family has about eight to nine menus that they repeat regularly,” says Llenos, so try thinking about them in a slightly different way. Here are five tips to help:

1. Get the whole family on board.
Adopting an eating plan with your children and spouse together is the first step. Plan menus with your partner and have kids pitch in with cooking.

2. Think of three vegetable meals you enjoy.
Planning out your weekly menus and grocery lists is key in adopting a plant-based eating regimen. Think of three meals you already enjoy that are veggie based. “At some point you’ve probably enjoyed red beans and rice, vegetable stir fry and vegetable soups," says Llenos. Make sure to incorporate those.

3. Think of three recipes that can be made vegetarian.
You can still enjoy some of your favorite dishes, sans the meat. “If you’re the type that loves chili, then use all of the same ingredients but replace the meat with more beans," says Llenos. "You can eat bean burritos instead of beef burritos and veggie burgers instead of the usual burger."

4. Take advantage of online resources.
Recipe websites and blogs can help you come up with creative vegetarian menu ideas. Llenos recommends the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s library of menus.

5. Having problems? Focus on breakfast.
If you’re having trouble making the transition, focus on breakfast foods like cereal, oatmeal and fresh fruit. “My favorite breakfast would be Muesli: oats, mixed nuts, dried fruits and berries,” says Llenos. "I soak them overnight in sugar free almond or soy milk, and in the morning I eat it with a side of fruit "

The bottom line? A plant-based diet has many health benefits, but it’s best to make a gradual transition if you’re used to eating meat. Here are some other ways to get started.

Science-Backed Ways to Live to 100

While most of us might want to live to 100 and beyond, it’s very rare to do so—but some people have figured out how. They live in places called Blue Zones, where people live to 100 nearly 10 times more often than people in the United States. These Blue Zones are spread throughout the world, but share some surprising similarities.

Move naturally
People in Blue Zones find ways to move more throughout their day-to-day lives. They may not actively seek out exercise, but they’re active nonetheless. You, too, can almost always find ways to move a bit more throughout the day, whether it’s taking the dog for a longer walk, parking a little farther away from the store or getting off the bus or subway one stop early on your way to work.

Even if you’re getting extra movement throughout the day, don’t neglect the benefits of exercise. Getting the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise can reduce your risk of death by 31 percent. Even getting less than the recommended minimum can lower the mortality risk by 20 percent. A 2016 study of more than 80,000 people published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that swimming, racquet sports like tennis and racquetball, aerobics and cycling are associated a lower risk of death by any cause.

Eat wisely
The Blue Zones way of eating has three principles: A plant-based diet, moderate alcohol consumption and eating until you’re about 80 percent full. A 2008 study of more than 3,000 people, published in BMJ, found that those who say they ate quickly and until they were completely full were three times more likely to be overweight. Even moderate obesity can knock three years off your life, while severe obesity can reduce lifespan by as much as ten years, according to a University of Oxford study.

A 2013 study of more than 73,000 Seventh-Day Adventists—who live on average 10 years longer than other North Americans and are concentrated in Blue Zone Loma Linda, California—suggests that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death by any cause by about 12 percent compared to non-vegetarians. Being vegan or adding fish to a vegetarian diet reduces that even more.

Moderate alcohol intake is commonly thought to bring longevity benefits. A 2014 study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition says that a “Mediterranean” way of drinking—moderate wine consumption, usually with food—increases longevity and reduces the risk of heart disease, the US’s number one disease killer. However, a 2016 systematic review and meta analysis of 87 studies called into question the benefits of moderate alcohol, saying that the studies suffered from design flaws and moderate alcohol is no more beneficial than abstaining or occasional drinking.

Sense of community
If you want to live longer, you can’t do it in isolation, according to the people in Blue Zones. A strong sense of community is essential. Most of the Blue Zones interviewees belonged to some faith-based community, and a 2016 study of nearly 75,000 women published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that attending religious service at least once per week can cut mortality risk by a third.

You help yourself if you help others, according to a December 2016 study published in Evolution and Human Behavior. The study looked at more than 500 people between the ages of 70 and 103, and found that grandparents who helped take care of their grandchildren were more than one-third less likely to die than others. The effect extended out to non-grandparents and to older adults who helped others in their communities.

It’s also important to surround yourself with like-minded people living healthy lifestyles. Analyses of the long-running Framingham Heart Study have found that behaviors such as happiness, obesity, loneliness and even divorce are contagious. If you’re around fit, healthy, happy people, you may have a better chance of staying fit, healthy and happy yourself.

Find your purpose (but don’t stress over it)
The longest-lived people take time to unwind, according to Blue Zones. Chronic stress can shorten your lifespan, and managing it is one of the keys to a long and healthy life. Exercising, getting enough sleep and having social support can all help reduce stress, as can relaxation and mindfulness techniques like meditation, yoga or tai chi.

Finally, people in Blue Zones wake up each day with a purpose. A 2015 study published in Developmental Psychology looked at nearly 1,500 older people and found that those with a high sense of purpose had lower levels of disability, did better on cognitive tests, had better self-reported health scores and fewer symptoms of depression. Not sure where to start? Do something for someone else. Generosity can help beat stress and can cut your risk of disease.

6 Foods for Better Heart Health


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The American Heart Association says, “A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons to fight cardiovascular disease.” That means fiber, whole grains, vegetables and fish are in, and saturated and trans fats, sugar and white grains are out. Some of longest-lived people in the world—who live in places known as Blue Zones—eat plant-based diets, supplemented with regular fish, and avoid dairy and sugar.

Could a Toxic Friendship Actually Shorten Your Life?

Ending unhealthy friendships can dramatically improve your health.
Could a Toxic Friendship Actually Shorten Your Life?
By Rose Hayes
Good friends boost your confidence, listen when you need to vent and act as human shields when life throws you curveballs. The stress buffer that friends provide reduces your risk of depression, heart disease and dying young, according to longevity researchers.

“Friends strengthen your health when they give into your life, and you give into theirs,” says Melissa Hague, MD, an OBGYN from Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. “Your outlook on life is different when you have strong connections with others—you feel a kind of anchoring to your community or, at the very least, to another person.”

But not all friendships are good for you. A number of studies have revealed that unhealthy friendships may have just as much—if not more—of an impact on your well-being as uplifting ones. Toxic friendships that create ongoing stress may lead to higher blood pressure, decreased immunity, worse anxiety and depression symptoms, along with a higher risk of heart disease.

We asked Dr. Hague, who also counsels women on relationships and communication in her sexual wellness clinic, to weigh in on how to recognize an unhealthy friendship and what to say when it’s time to cut ties.

Be intentional when choosing friends
With around half of marriages ending in divorce, fewer Millennials signing up for family life and more people living far away from relatives, friendships are the longest-lasting, most meaningful relationships for many. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with people who share your health habits and have a strong sense of purpose.

“When you’re a child, you tend to be friends with the person sitting next to you in school,” says Hague. “But as an adult, you can be more intentional about your friendships. You get to decide: I want to head in this direction, so I need to surround myself with people going the same way. When you don’t, you eventually start to feel manipulated or pulled away from your priorities.”

To determine which friends are helping you grow, write out your life goals, recommends Hague. Next to each goal, write down the friends who are helping you achieve it. If the same names keep showing up, they’re most likely positive friendships. If there are people who don’t appear on the page at all, that is a sign of a toxic friend. You may need to evaluate whether the connection is worth keeping, she suggests.

“Sometimes you’ll put more work into a friendship than you benefit from it—maybe that person has been through a difficult life event, and it's fine to pour into their life temporarily. But if you thought that you were in a mutually beneficial relationship, and you make that list and find out that's not the case, it can be eye-opening,” says Hague.

Types of toxic friends
One well-known psychology researcher has identified over 21 types of “bad friends,” but these types may be especially harmful to your health:

The friend who triggers a relapse: This can be someone who encourages you to binge eat, smoke, drink to excess, etc. “You are who you're with,” says Hague. “If you tend to be around people who smoke, you’ll probably wind up smoking. On the other hand, if you have a friend that calls every time she works out, eventually, you’ll want to go with her. Surround yourself with people who have a healthy outlook on life and positive habits—it will make a difference in how you treat yourself.”

The overly needy friend: This person is demanding of your time, money and attention. Even though they take so much from you, they don’t return the favor. You might pick up on this pattern, and try to loosen ties. But they make you feel guilty about needing space—either through emotional outbursts, threats of self-injury or suicide, or simply by making you feel sorry for them.

The gossip: This friend keeps tabs on everyone, possibly even you. “This person seeks you out only to say negative things about other people,” explains Hague. “They rarely mention anything about themself, or what's positive in their life. They might never ask you how you’re doing, either.” If they do ask about your life, watch out for interrogation-style questions about your job or relationship—they may spread the word behind your back.

The flake: Whether they’re changing the subject when you need to talk, canceling plans last minute or disappearing when rough times hit, this person is always absent when you need them most.

The abusive friend: This “friend” brings you down with verbal insults or emotional manipulation. They might:

Blame you for things that aren’t your fault
Shame you in front of others
Dismiss or put down your opinions
Constantly point out your flaws
Make you feel like you couldn’t survive without them
Make you believe they won’t survive without you
If a close friend or intimate partner is verbally, physically or emotionally abusive, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for help.

How to break up with a bad friend    
“Often, in friendships, you feel a mutual obligation to keep going even though you both know the friendship’s unhealthy or it’s not benefiting either of you,” says Hague. “But sometimes, you need to take a break—the way you would with a boyfriend—and you might find that the other person is relieved to part ways, too.”

Rather than completely cutting off a friend without explanation, or “breaking up” via text, Dr. Hague recommends clear, face-to-face communication. But before you meet, take some time for personal reflection; think about how you would want to hear that you’re not in a beneficial relationship any more, she says.

“Say, 'Here are five things about you that I appreciate or reasons why I respect you. But right now, I need to take a break from our friendship. And here's why…I'm not saying we’ll never talk again, but at this point in my life, I need to dedicate my time and attention to other pursuits.”

You may pick up with each other again in a year or six months, but taking a break can often break a toxic cycle, says Hague.

Can’t Find Meat? Try These 6 Meals Instead

Across the country, shoppers are often finding empty refrigerated cases at their grocery store due to a nationwide meat shortage. Even if you can locate poultry, pork or beef, many stores are limiting the amount that can be purchased.

If you find yourself short on meat, don't fret. This could be a good time to consider adding more plant-based protein into your diet.

There are many benefits of going meatless. For starters, plant proteins like soy, legumes and nuts can often be cheaper than meat. Plus, eating excessive amounts of animal protein, especially red meat, is linked to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Plus, meatless meals are often quick, easy and just as delicious.

We worked with Anne Brock, RDN, LD specializing in weight loss and diabetic education at West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho to build a list of easy, plant-based recipes that anyone make.

11 Easy Ways to Eat Less Meat
A vegetarian diet may help you stay slim, improve your cholesterol levels and decrease your risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, too. In fact, National Geographic Fellow and author Dan Buettner determined five communities with the highest life expectancy, and called them Blue Zones. Buettner found that the people living within these communities were eating meat—usually pork—only five times per month, and loading their plates with plant-based foods instead.

If you’re thinking about adopting a plant-based diet, here’s what you need to know to ensure you’re getting the proper nutrients.

The Hobby That Leads to a Longer Life

A hobby is more than a way to pass the time. It may be a way to get more of it.

Know which hobby has probably added years to the longest-lived people in the world? It's gardening. Okinawans—whose men typically live to age 78, women to age 86—have a long tradition of working with soil.

Flex your green thumb
The benefits of gardening reach body and soul, according to Dan Buettner and his book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest. "It's a source of daily physical activity that exercises the body with a wide range of motion and helps reduce stress," he writes. So, as the ground thaws and the seed catalogues start arriving, make a pact to plan—and plant—a plot this year.

Grow for years
It's not a coincidence: There are lots of other wonderful side benefits to gardening besides the body and mind boost. Here are the other garden goodies Buettner notes in his book:

A veggie-packed life. Okinawan centenarians eat a plant-based diet, often incorporating vegetables that they grow.
A bit of sun. Vitamin D, produced by the body when it's exposed to sunlight, promotes stronger bones and better health.
A dash of spice. Mugwort, ginger, and turmeric are staples of an Okinawan garden, and all have proven medicinal qualities.
Take the first steps to growing younger and healthier with the RealAge Test.

The One Doctor Everyone Needs

Discover the unexpected benefits of having a trusted family doctor.

If you’re healthy overall, or if you already visit specialists for different medical conditions, you might not have a primary care provider (PCP). But while skipping primary care might seem like it saves time and makes life easier, it can actually lead to stress, confusion and complications over time.

We spoke with Jenny Shih, DO, a board-certified family medicine physician associated with St. Mary Mercy Livonia in Livonia, Michigan, to learn about the many benefits of having a PCP.

What’s a primary care provider?
A PCP may be a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant who acts as your go-to person for general health needs. You can call on your PCP for help with most non-emergency medical issues.

“As primary care physicians, we’re privileged to be able to serve many roles,” says Dr. Shih. “In the same day, we see such a variety of health issues, that we might act as your cardiologist, your dermatologist, your gynecologist, your psychologist, and the list goes on.”

At the same time, your PCP may act as your own personal health coach. “We’re your nutritionist when we counsel you about your diabetic diet. We’re your personal trainer when we demonstrate proper exercises to strengthen your back,” says Shih.

By understanding the overall picture of your health, and by getting to know you on a personal level, your PCP is in a unique position to offer tailored healthy living advice. He or she can explain how to:

Fit exercise or physical therapy into your busy schedule.
Stick with your treatments and medications.
Follow a healthy diet.
Keep track of important numbers like your blood pressure or blood sugar.
Your PCP can also make a referral, or help you contact a specialist if you have a need that falls outside of their scope of practice. For example, if you confide in your doctor about feeling unsafe at home due to domestic violence, he or she can help you find the appropriate resources and a safe haven.

Your PCP can help you access emergency care faster
“If a person comes to see me at the clinic with an urgent or emergent condition, I’ll call the emergency room, speak with the physician and help transfer the person to the ER so they may be stabilized, evaluated and treated immediately,” says Shih.

If you have medical needs after hours, most PCP offices have healthcare providers on-call who may:

Answer pressing questions about medications or new symptoms
Advise you on whether you should visit an urgent care center, head to the ER or wait until the office opens in the morning
Access your patient files and speak to an ER doctor on your behalf
“It may not be your own PCP, but it will be a trusted partner who will listen to your concern and tell you what you need to do,” says Shih.

If you’re admitted to a hospital, some PCPs can still participate in your care. Depending on your reason for being admitted and your PCP’s affiliation with the hospital, their role might involve:

Receiving updates about your condition from the hospital staff via phone
Acting as a “consulting” doctor, or one who discusses your care with the hospital staff and makes recommendations
Joining your medical team and prescribing treatments
Taking on the role of your “attending,” or the lead doctor in charge of your care
When making your emergency care plan, ask your PCP which hospitals they’re affiliated with and what sort of role they’d assume if you were hospitalized. You may want to designate your go-to hospital as one where they have prescribing privileges—assuming the hospital is also in-network with your health insurance plan.

You could indicate the hospital name on a medical alert bracelet, a laminated card in your wallet or include it in your advanced directive, a legal document about your medical wishes.

Your PCP can keep your care organized
Another important way your PCP helps to limit stress and complications is to keep your care organized. As your “healthcare home base,” he or she may communicate with specialists to make sure each member of your team is on the same page. Doing so can help prevent:

Medication errors: Keeping track of your medication list and communicating with your other doctors lets your PCP recognize and fix drug interactions.
Unnecessary testing: Since your PCP has probably known you the longest, he or she can notify other healthcare providers if you’ve already had a test that they’ve prescribed.
Miscommunications between facilities: If you’re being transferred between medical facilities, your PCP can notify your new doctors about your background and any recent changes to your care plan.
“Your PCP is in a unique position to provide a whole-person approach,” says Shih. “Through regular visits and continuity of care, he or she can keep up-to-date on your current medical conditions, your allergies, which medications you’re taking now, which meds you’ve tried in the past, what your blood work or X-rays have shown, even what your specialists have recommended.”

Why not just go to an urgent care center?
“You can go to your PCP for any condition you could go to the urgent care facility for,” answers Shih. “But with a PCP, you get to develop an ongoing relationship. While you could go to an urgent care center for a sore throat or a UTI, I would urge you to have the same issues assessed and treated by your PCP.” If it’s after office hours, an initial call to your PCP’s office is a good place to start—your healthcare provider will let you know if a trip to an urgent care center is the best course of action.

By understanding the full context of any new issues, your PCP can make smart, individualized decisions about your care. “Your PCP is responsible for multiple facets of your care over your lifetime. They ultimately put all of these different pieces together to guide you to better health,” says Shih.

To find a PCP in your area, use Sharecare’s Find a Doctor tool.

How Intermittent Fasting Can Add Years to Your Life

termittent fasting—or restricting eating and drinking for varying periods of time—has been a practice for generations in many regions of the world. The practice has its roots in religion, but the health benefits reach beyond any spiritual origins. In recent years, however, the practice has gained popularity among those looking to lose a few pounds, boost heart health and live longer.

Get the skinny on fasting
Intermittent fasting dictates less of what you eat and more of when you eat. Eating a healthy diet, loaded with produce, lean protein and 100 percent whole grains, is always important.

Some intermittent fasting plans involve restricting calories to about 500 a day for a couple of “on” days each week. Other plans restrict all eating for a 24-hour period once or twice a week. Others still limit the eating window to eight hours a day, meaning a person would fast for about 16 hours a day.

The reason behind the potential success of intermittent fasting is unclear, and more research is needed to determine the root of the practice’s benefits. One theory points to the benefits of mild stress that fasting puts on the body. As with stress caused by vigorous exercise, fasting-induced stress may force the body to adapt to changes, thus making it grow stronger. Given time to recover (during the periods of eating between fasts) may help your body resist diseases.

Gain years and more
Weight loss: One of the benefits of intermittent fasting is weight loss and weight management. This is important for people living with excess pounds. A healthy weight is important to living a healthy life, and can decrease the risk of conditions like high cholesterol and diabetes.

How does intermittent fasting lower the number on the scale? Studies suggest cutting your caloric intake by between 20 and 40 percent can promote weight loss. One study of overweight adults found that restricting calories on alternate days reduced body weight by 8 percent over an eight-week period.

To boost fasting-related weight loss, try tracking your food and beverage intake. Using a notebook or phone application, like Sharecare, available for Android and iOS, keep record of the size and quality of your meals.

Heart health: Obesity, a condition plaguing one in every three adults in the United States, is a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

The connection between a healthy heart and intermittent fasting is still unclear, but at least one study suggests those who followed a fasting regimen had a healthier heart than those who didn’t. Fasting appears to reduce LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, inflammation and insulin resistance, all of which can contribute to heart disease. Another theory? Shedding extra pounds can reduce your risk of heart disease and heart disease-related risks. If fasting boosts weight loss, it could up your heart health, too.

Live longer: Many animal studies suggest caloric restrictions can lengthen your life and improve health later in life. How it works isn’t clear, but fasting seems to fight the effects of aging at the cellular level—reducing damage to DNA, boosting stem-cell production and even protecting brain cells.

More research is needed to determine the effect of fasting and calorie restrictions on the human lifespan, but studies suggest fasting reduces risks of heart disease in overweight individuals—the leading cause of death among US men and women.

Start your journey for a longer, healthier life by taking the RealAge Test, which measures the age of your body—based on family history and lifestyle factors. If your RealAge is lower than your biological age, you’re on the right track. If it’s higher, there are ways to get healthy again.

Consult your healthcare provider
Before you change your eating habits, it’s always a good idea to consult your healthcare provider. Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone, so ask your doctor if it’s the right eating plan for you.

Want to Live to 100? Introduce Yourself

Social butterflies hold the secret of how to live longer—you can, too, with these longevity tips.
Want to Live to 100? Introduce Yourself
If you want to live to be 100, be the person at the party who walks up to total strangers and says hello.

Yep, research shows that having an outgoing personality may be one of the hallmark traits of people who live to a ripe old age.

What runs in the family
Researchers recently examined the personalities of grown offspring of centenarians, with the assumption that the offspring have a good shot of living to 100, too. And what did the researchers find? Personality may play a role in longevity. The offspring were not only more outgoing but also had a knack for forming close friendships and for dealing with stress effectively. Makes sense when you consider other research has shown that these particular personality traits are associated with greater happiness, vitality and longevity in older populations.

Are genes everything?
Don't come from a long line of centenarians? Don't worry. You can still learn how to live longer. What you don't inherit, you can adopt (with the exception of genes)—meaning you can embrace healthy lifestyle choices and develop healthy personality traits. Here are some longevity tips to help get you started:

Fall in love. With your life, that is.
Nurture the circle. Increase the quality and length of your life with strong social ties.
Take the first steps to growing younger and healthier with the RealAge Test.

Want to Lose Weight? Eat Less of This

A plant-based diet can improve heart health and add years to your life.
Want to Lose Weight? Eat Less of This
By Taylor Lupo
There are many misconceptions surrounding the health benefits of a plant-based diet, but studies suggest adopting one has numerous health benefits. A plant-based diet limits or even excludes animal products, and a healthy plant-based diet limits oils and processed foods. Replacing typically high-fat animal products, like beef and cheese, with plant-based nutrients can reduce the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease and may even help you live longer. 

Fear not, you don’t have to swear off meat entirely. In fact, according to Blue Zones’ Power 9 principles, a centenarian—someone in a Blue Zone who lives to be at least 100 years old—eats meat, primarily pork, about five times per month. Indulging in the occasional burger is OK, but the real health benefits come when a diet is based mostly on fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, seeds and 100 percent whole grains.

Reap the health benefits of a plant-based diet

Longevity: One study that followed people for 28 years found that each daily serving of red meat increased the risk of death by 13 percent. Another study suggests that if men reduced red meat consumption to less than half a serving (1.5 ounces) per day, 1 in 10 premature deaths could be prevented.
You can reduce your risk of an early death by swapping red meat for other proteins, like nuts and legumes.

Start your quest for a longer, healthier life by taking the RealAge Test, which measures your age, based on your lifestyle and family history. If your RealAge is younger than your biological age, you’re on track to live a healthy life. If it’s older, we’ll give you personalized help to improve your health.
 

Heart disease: The health of your heart is determined by a variety of factors: lifestyle, family history, age and more. Two major risk factors—high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure—are affected by red meat consumption. Studies suggest that the health benefits of plant-based diets can include lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
A 3-ounce serving of 85 percent-lean ground beef has 25 percent of the daily limit for saturated fat. A 1/2 cup of pinto beans, however, contains only 1 gram of total fat. Pinto beans also contain fewer calories and more fiber, two agents that promote weight loss.
 

Weight loss: A plant-based diet may promote weight loss and reduce a person’s risk of obesity, a review of 87 studies suggests. Another analysis suggests vegans and vegetarians consume less fat than those who eat meat and animal products. Others still suggest a positive correlation between obesity and the consumption of meat, and conversely, a lower body mass index (BMI) associated with a vegetarian diet.
Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer and more. Lowering your BMI reduces the risk of many of these diseases.

Optimize plant-based eating
Remember: Not all meatless meals are healthy, so eating a plant-based diet for heart health takes some preparation. The recommended daily values of key food groups include 2 cups of fruit, 2-1/2 cups of vegetables and 3-1/2 ounces of protein but getting the nutrients your body needs from a plant-based diet takes some figuring.

If you’re vegan and avoid dairy, you can get your protein and calcium in other ways. Adapting to a plant-based diet and eating the recommended value of various nutrients may take some time, but here are a few swaps to get you started:

Protein: Ditch the beef, and load up on beans and other legumes.
Calcium: Swap a glass of whole milk for a serving or two of kale. Although milk contains more calcium per serving, kale is still an excellent source.
Iron: Plant-based iron, found in lentils and leafy greens, isn’t absorbed easily. Eat fruits high in vitamin C—like citrus fruits and strawberries—to help your body absorb iron more efficiently.

When hitting your head can be serious

It happens to all of us — standing up too quickly below an open cabinet or falling off a bike or scooter — but some accidental head injuries can be more serious than others.

An estimated 3 million people in the United States are diagnosed with a concussion every year. With so many people being affected, it’s important to know how even a minor injury to your head can affect your daily life.

What is a mild traumatic brain injury?
A mild traumatic brain injury, also called a concussion, occurs when the head is moved quickly and abruptly, either due to a sudden force (like a blow to the head) or deceleration (an abrupt stop of movement from whiplash or a fall). There may be brief loss of consciousness — less than 20 minutes — or a period of confusion.

What happens to your brain?
“When a brain injury occurs, the soft tissue of the brain collides against the hard surface of the skull,” says Dr. Jerome Stenehjem, a physical medicine doctor affiliated with Sharp Memorial Hospital. “Nerve fibers may be stretched or torn, which can affect brain function, even in mild cases.”

Some symptoms occur immediately, but others — especially in more mild injuries — may become noticeable as you return to your daily routine.

Common symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury include:
Nausea
Headache
Fatigue
Poor or double vision
Changes in smell or appetite
Poor hearing or ringing in the ears
Forgetfulness
Thinking more slowly
Distractibility or poor concentration
Irritability or moodiness
Sensitivity to light or noise
Most people experience some of these symptoms occasionally. However, if multiple symptoms occur after a head trauma and seem to get worse, then seek medical attention. Thankfully, most people notice an improvement in their symptoms within days or weeks and return to feeling normal within one to three months; however, for some, recovery takes longer.

If you experience a mild brain injury, consider these suggestions until your symptoms have resolved:

DO
Rest and pace yourself
Return to your daily routine gradually
Do one thing at a time
Schedule important work earlier in the day, away from distractions and interruptions
Use caution in assuming responsibilities at home, school or work without supervision
Avoid strenuous exercise
Avoid alcoholic beverages
Take only the medicine prescribed by your doctor
DO NOT
Participate in contact sports or other activities where another head trauma may occur
Make major business or life decisions
Drive a car if you are unsure of your ability to drive
Push yourself beyond what you can do comfortably and safely
Follow up on lingering symptoms
"If your symptoms last for many months or cause problems in work, school, family or social responsibilities, you should notify your doctor," says Dr. Stenehjem. "Your doctor may recommend you see a health professional who specializes in evaluation and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury."

Sharp Allison deRose Rehabilitation Center at Sharp Memorial Hospital provides comprehensive services for people experiencing a mild to severe traumatic brain injury. Call 858-939-3866 to learn more.

Developments making a difference in cardiac care

It’s been over 50 years since the first U.S. heart transplant was performed — by Dr. Norman Shumway at Stanford University. That first patient survived just 15 days.

Today, heart transplant recipients live for decades with their new hearts, thanks to advances in transplant science, antirejection drugs and post-transplant rehabilitation. Better therapies for patients’ non-cardiac medical conditions have also contributed to improvements in outcomes.

Sharp Memorial Hospital was the first in San Diego to transplant a human heart successfully, on Oct. 11, 1985. Today, Sharp Memorial is recognized as a global leader in heart transplantation for its innovation and success. Sharp doctors have performed more than 475 heart transplants in the last 37 years, and Sharp Memorial has one of the country’s highest long-term survival rates.

Dr. Brian Jaski, a cardiologist affiliated with Sharp Memorial and Sharp Community Medical Group, is a heart failure specialist who has been with the heart transplant team since its inception. Here, he answers questions about some of the recent developments in cardiac care.

What innovations have made a difference in cardiac care?
One of the biggest innovations in care for advanced heart failure has been the very reliable left ventricle assist device (LVAD). This is an implantable heart pump that helps weakened hearts push blood throughout the body.

Patients who receive LVADs return home to recover other organ function and strength while awaiting transplant, or they receive LVADs as an alternative to heart transplant. Some patients can remain on LVADs for decades, and LVADs are a life-extending option for patients who are not good candidates for a transplant.

Sharp has been a leader in this area of cardiac care. Sharp Memorial Hospital is often involved in national clinical trials for new LVAD technology because of the hospital’s expertise in the devices.

How can care providers detect a patient’s risk of heart transplant rejection?
The traditional way to test whether a body might reject a heart transplant is through examining samples of heart tissue taken from invasive biopsies. However, the new donor-derived cell-free DNA (ddcf-DNA) blood test offers a faster, more effective method to test whether a patient may have a heart transplant rejection.

This blood test can detect the breakdown of cells released from the donor’s heart and can catch signs of a heart transplant rejection several weeks earlier than a heart tissue biopsy. In the past, patients would need up to 12 biopsies within the first two years of a transplant. This new blood test reduces the number of biopsies in the first year by half.

What roles does gene therapy play in treating heart failure?
Gene therapy supplements or corrects an insufficient or altered gene protein product that is contributing to a patient malady. There are already several types of gene therapy treatments for diseases that have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Sharp and other medical centers are exploring an investigational gene therapy that could improve a heart failure patient’s heart function enough to avoid or delay progression to a need for an LVAD or heart transplant. Via this treatment, the patient would receive a one-time infusion of gene therapy into the blood vessels that feed the heart. Data in animals with heart failure has shown this gene therapy to improve heart function and survival.

Heart Failure
Providing you with expert treatment and the tools to self-manage your heart failure.

An estimated 5.7 million Americans have congestive heart failure, a major chronic condition often marking the end stage of heart disease. Sharp provides a full range of customized care for patients with heart failure.

Find a heart doctor
Our heart failure services.
Sharp provides the following services for patients with heart failure:

Arrhythmia treatment
-Arrhythmia surgery
-Diagnostic arrhythmia evaluations and treatment
-Pacemaker and defibrillator implantation
Cardiovascular rehabilitation
Drug-eluting coronary stent and bioresorbable stent placement
Heart transplant
High-risk coronary bypass
Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD)
Peripheral ultrafiltration
Prevention and education
Valve repair and replacement
Supporting you through education and research.
At Sharp, our priority is to take care of you and your well-being. That's why we've created a wide selection of heart classes and monthly support groups so you and your family can come together with other patients to hear from our experts and share tips and strategies.

We also know how vital it is to be at the forefront of new research and treatments, which is why we're actively involved in clinical trials that will lead to better treatments and therapies for heart failure.

And through our convenient Find a Doctor tool, we make choosing the right cardiovascular disease specialist, interventional cardiologist and cardiovascular surgeon easy.

Omicron: What do we know about the 'stealth variant'?

All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientists first identified the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron in India and South Africa in late December 2021. Since then, it has spread to several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel.

The subvariant virus has also spread rapidly in Denmark, increasing from 20% of all COVID-19 cases in the country in week 52 of 2021 to 45% in the second week of 2022.

Despite its rapid spread in the country, initial analyses show no difference in hospitalizations between the BA.2 subvariant and the original form of Omicron, also known as BA.1.

Studies, however, are still ongoing to understand the infectiousness of BA.2, alongside how effective vaccines are against it.

While BA.2 is not currently a “variant of concern,” public health officials in the U.K. have taken enough interest in its spread to designate it as a “variant under investigation.”

To understand more about the emerging subvariant, Medical News Today spoke with six experts in public health, immunology, and infectious diseases.

Rapid spread
“Omicron has three main [subvariants] — BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 — according to the World Health Organization (WHO),” Dr. Donald C. Vinh, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University, Canada, told MNT.

“Up until now, the overwhelmingly large majority of all Omicron cases has been BA.1. However, in some places, the BA.2 has emerged and has spread faster than BA.1,” he went on to note.

“This sister variant, which is still Omicron, is interesting because it seems to be displacing Omicron in certain parts of the world,“ Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told MNT. “There is speculation that it may be more transmissible than its sibling.”

How the fast spread of the BA.2 subvariant may affect public health is still under investigation.

“The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant has been interesting to scientists because of its comparatively (i) higher number of mutations, which […] allow it to partially evade people’s immune response; (ii) higher transmissibility and pathogenicity, i.e., its greater ability to infect and cause disease; and (iii) lower virulence, i.e., its lower ability to cause severe disease,” Dr. Richard Reithinger, Ph.D., vice president of global health at RTI International, explained.

“The big question for newly identified variants and subvariants such as Omicron BA.2 is how these above three characteristics vary from the original SARS-CoV-2 virus [variant] or the Omicron variant and why.”

– Dr. Richard Reithinger, Ph.D.

“If some countries are now reporting a surge in the proportion of BA.2 subvariant infections, is it because the additional mutations make it more transmissible or allow it to evade the immune response more easily than the other Omicron subvariants? Will BA.2 result in the same clinical pathology as the Omicron parent variant (B.1.1.529) and subvariants (BA.1 and BA.3)? Also, how do current therapeutic options and vaccines fare against BA.2?”

According to Dr. Reithinger, these are some of the questions that public health experts must take into consideration while keeping this subvariant under observation.

What we know so far
While researchers are still gathering data on how BA.2 may affect the population at large, laboratory studies have already verified many of its molecular properties.

“BA.2 is missing the spike 69-70 mutations, so it does not cause S gene target failure, making it harder to identify on PCR tests,” Dr. Anna Ssentongo, assistant professor of public health at the Penn State College of Medicine, told MNT.

“Because of this, BA.2 was nicknamed the ‘stealth variant,’” she explained.

Dr. Ssentongo added that BA.2 has more than 20 mutations in its spike protein, which is a target of many COVID-19 vaccines because the virus uses it to enter healthy cells. Although this difference may make BA.2 more resistant to vaccines, further research is necessary to confirm any effects.

“Similar to its parental lineage (Omicron), it is expected to be highly transmissible and result in less severe disease than the Delta or Beta variants, especially if one is fully vaccinated and — even better — boosted,” added Dr. Reithinger. “However, ultimately, this would have to be confirmed by ongoing laboratory and clinical studies, which are expected to provide results in the next couple of weeks.”

Dr. Vinh agreed that before drawing any conclusions on how the subvariant may affect public health, further research is necessary:

“It is important to mention that there are very limited data on clinical differences between BA.2 and BA.1. Specifically, we have no firm data to know if BA.2 is more contagious, results in more severe disease, or can evade immunity better than BA.1. Nonetheless, early data from Denmark and the U.K. suggest that BA.2 may be more contagious than BA.1.”

Omicron infection: What are the symptoms?

As infections of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — continue to spread around the world, there have been reports that symptoms, in some respects, are different from those of Delta variant infections. Do symptoms really differ? What should you look out for?

What do we know about the symptoms of an infection with the Omicron variant? Image credit: Pierre Crom/Getty Images.
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, which became known as OmicronTrusted Source.

The variant has caused concern among health authorities because it appears to be highly transmissibleTrusted Source and likelier to reinfect.

There have also been some worries that Omicron can bypass the protection conferred by COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer maintains that three doses of its mRNA vaccine are able to neutralize Omicron in laboratory experiments and that two doses may still prevent serious illness following infection with this variant.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

For these reasons, countries worldwide have been taking various measures and precautions to reduce the spread of Omicron among their populations.

Nevertheless, within a world in constant motion, it may be impossible to stop it from spreading altogether. Some cause for optimism may be that various reports suggest that infections with this variant tend to cause milder symptoms than those with previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Delta.

But how can someone tell if they have the Omicron infection? Are the symptoms the same as those of infections with previous variants?

What symptoms does Omicron cause?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the possible symptomsTrusted Source of a SARS-CoV-2 infection without specifying a variant. These are:

fever or chills
cough
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
fatigue
muscle or body aches
headache
new loss of taste or smell
sore throat
congestion or runny nose
nausea or vomiting
diarrhea
However, the CDC notes this list is not exhaustive, and people might experience different symptoms or combinations of symptoms. Furthermore, anecdotal reports on social media and other platforms claim that more specific combinations of symptoms characterize Omicron infections.

The Zoe COVID Study — conducted by researchers from health science company ZOE and King’s College London in the United Kingdom — uses data from over 4,000,000 participants.

The study’s recent analysis aimed to determine whether there were any differences between the most common symptoms of infection with the Delta variant and the most common symptoms of infection with Omicron.

They compared symptoms reported via the Zoe COVID Study app by U.K. participants who tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2021, when Delta was dominant in the U.K., with those who tested positive in December 2021 when Omicron had become the dominant variant.

Preliminary analysis indicated that the most commonly reported symptoms reported in both months were largely the same: a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat.

The findings suggest no strong differences in the most commonly experienced symptoms likely caused by the two SARS-CoV-2 variants.

However, according to this self-reported data, the ZOE scientists also note that loss of smell and taste appear to be less common among people recently testing positive for COVID-19.

Does it affect the lungs?
Medical News Today spoke to Dr. David M. Cutler, family physician at Saint John’s Physician Partners in Santa Monica, CA, to find out more about doctors’ advice regarding symptoms of an Omicron infection.

Dr. Cutler reiterated that symptoms vary and may not stand out in any particular way, compared to signs of infection with previous variants.

“The variety of symptoms seen with Omicron is the same as with other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” he said. “It seems quite notable that people affected by the same variant may experience quite different symptoms. Some get nasal stuffiness, others headache, sometimes body aches, and others get a sore throat.”

However, he noted, “[s]erious lung infections appear to be less likely with Omicron than [with] prior variants.”

That may be because, unlike other variants, Omicron preferentially infects the upper respiratory tract. This may also be why it seems to cause milder symptoms, according to WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud.

“We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike the other ones, that could cause severe pneumonia,” he says, though cautions that more studies are necessary to confirm this.

How can you detect Omicron infections?
There have also been some anecdotal reports that lateral flow tests — also known as LFTs — may be less effective at detecting the presence of an Omicron infection.

Such tests, which people can do at home, are based on samples taken from a person’s nose, throat, or both and are meant to detect certain viral antigensTrusted Source, which indicate the presence of a viral infection.

According to Dr. Cutler, “[l]ateral flow tests are inherently inaccurate [because] [t]hey do not detect low levels of virus as well as PCR tests.”

RT-PCR tests, or PCR for short, are based on samples taken from both a person’s nose and throat. These samples, however, undergo laboratory testing, which can reveal whether SARS-CoV-2 specific genes are present. PCR tests are more sensitive and generally held as being more accurate.

Testing for genetic markers can also reveal, more specifically, the SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Some health agencies, such as the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA), have nevertheless declared that, when used correctly, LFTs should detect infections with any SARS-CoV-2 variant in most cases.

A laboratory evaluation of lateral flow devices currently in use in the U.K by the UKHSA also suggests that LFTs detect Omicron as effectively as previous variants.

How can you treat a mild Omicron infection?
What happens if you become infected with the Omicron variant, and symptoms are mild enough not to require hospitalized care? How can you treat a mild infection at home?

“There are no specific home non-prescription drug remedies for preventing or treating [COVID-19],” Dr. Cutler noted.

The best remedies are similar to those you might use to treat mild flu symptoms or a cold:

“Recommended treatment is directed at the symptoms: stay hydrated, rested, and well-nourished. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve headache, body aches, or fever. Avoid unproven remedies like hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, zinc, and vitamin D, which have no known value and can cause adverse effects.”

– Dr. David M. Cutler

Tips for prevention
As they say, though, prevention is better than cure, so taking measures to protect ourselves and our loved ones from becoming infected with Omicron or any other SARS-CoV-2 variant is the best approach.

“The best method to prevent infection with any SARS-CoV-2 variant is a multiple technique approach,” explained Dr. Cutler. “I like to call this a ‘Swiss cheese’ approach.”

“[J]ust like you need multiple layers of Swiss cheese so that you can’t see any ham through the cheese holes in a sandwich, you need multiple types of protection to prevent [COVID-19]. No one protective technique is 100% effective. Vaccines, masks, distancing, ventilation, and avoiding ill or unvaccinated people are all important and effective to prevent you from getting [an] infection. And isolating when you are infected is critical in preventing you from spreading [the virus] to others.”

– David M. Cutler

Will COVID-19 vaccines stand the test of Omicron?

In the short time since the emergence of Omicron, the latest SARS-CoV-2 variant, many questions have arisen. Is it more transmissible, how bad are the symptoms, and most importantly, will the vaccines protect against it? Until more data are available, there are no firm answers, but many are optimistic that vaccines offer at least some protection. Medical News Today investigated the current hypotheses.

Can COVID-19 vaccines stand up to the Omicron variant? Here is what we know so far. Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rapid development of vaccines gave hope that the COVID-19 pandemic might soon be under control. In many countries, as the vaccines were rolled out, the virus abated. Hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 reducedTrusted Source in countries with widespread vaccine coverage.

Then came the Omicron variantTrusted Source of SARS-CoV-2. This new variant of concern, whose scientific name is B.1.1.529, was first identified in South Africa, though it may have originated in Europe, according to data from the Netherlands.

Omicron is now spreading in several countries. A study, which was conducted in South Africa and released last week but has yet to be peer reviewed, suggests that Omicron can evade immune defenses, leading to reinfection in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

These findings add to concerns that the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in most countries may not be effective against the Omicron variant.