Good morning. In today’s edition:

• Benefits of Cutting Sugar

• Weight Loss Challenge

• Exposure to Household Chemicals Can Lower Odds of Getting Pregnant. Phthalates Are Found in Such Common Products as Shampoo, Makeup, Vinyl Flooring, Toys and Medical Devices. People Are Exposed Primarily by Ingesting Food and Liquid That Has Come in Contact With Products Containing the Chemicals

• AI Can Already Diagnose Depression Better Than a Doctor and Tell You Which Treatment is Best

…and lots more. Have a great day!

FOOD & NUTRITION

Benefits of Cutting Sugar

1. Your Face and Belly Will Change: If you stop eating sugar for two weeks, your face and belly might look different. Without sugar, your body burns fat, making these areas less puffy.

2. Your Eyes and Kidneys Get Healthier: Less sugar means your eyes and kidneys work better. This can help prevent eye problems and kidney issues.

3. Your Brain and Nerves Feel Better: Cutting out sugar can make your brain work better, improving your memory and mood. It's also good for your nerves.

4. Better Sleep and More Energy: Without sugar, you might not have to get up at night as much. Plus, your energy will be more steady during the day because your body uses fat for energy instead of sugar.

5. You Might Lose Weight: You can lose weight, especially water weight and fat. This can make you feel better and healthier.

6. Your Skin Looks Nicer: Your skin might clear up, with less acne and redness.

7. Overall Health Improves: Less sugar means less pain and stiffness in your body. Your blood pressure might get better, and you might not need as much medicine.

Cutting sugar from your diet can do a lot of good things for your body, from changing how you look to making you feel better inside. If you're thinking about trying it, it could really help your health!

Source: Dr. Eric Berg DC

WEIGHT LOSS

Weight Loss Challenge

A mother and daughter made a big decision. They wanted to lose weight and get healthy. They took on a 100-day challenge to change their lives. Their story got shared on Facebook by someone named George Zai and quickly became a hit online. Over 36 million people watched their journey!

Every day, after working long hours, the mother, who is a nurse, would still find the time to exercise with her daughter. They used a website called Give It 100 to share short videos of their workouts. This helped them stay on track. The mother lost 50 pounds, and her daughter went from 185 to 125 pounds.

They had tough times, like when the mother hurt her knee, but they didn't give up. They remind us that it's okay to have setbacks. What matters is keeping going.

Their secret? Supporting each other and setting daily goals. They faced fears, like feeling nervous at the gym, but learned to focus on themselves and their health.

Their story teaches us that having a buddy can make a big difference. It's not just about the weight you lose but how you feel. They encourage others to start small and keep pushing, no matter what.

This mother-daughter team shows us that with support, hard work, and a bit of courage, anyone can reach their goals. Their journey inspires us to take that first step towards a healthier life.

Source: Good Morning America

HEALTH

Exposure to Household Chemicals Can Lower Odds of Getting Pregnant. Phthalates Are Found in Such Common Products as Shampoo, Makeup, Vinyl Flooring, Toys and Medical Devices. People Are Exposed Primarily by Ingesting Food and Liquid That Has Come in Contact With Products Containing the Chemicals

Did you know that some everyday things in your home could make it harder to have a baby? Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have found this out in their latest study. They say that chemicals called phthalates, which are in many common products, could affect getting pregnant.

These phthalates are in stuff we use all the time, like shampoo, makeup, and even toys. We usually get exposed to these chemicals through food and drinks that have touched these products. Experts are saying that these chemicals are pretty common.

The study was led by researcher Carrie Nobles. She and her team looked at over 1,200 women who were trying to get pregnant. They found that women who were around more of these chemicals had a harder time getting pregnant. These chemicals can also affect key hormones needed for pregnancy and can lead to stress and swelling in the body.

This research is really important because it tells us how things we use every day can affect our health. In some countries, like in Europe, these chemicals are banned, but they are still used in the United States. This study could help make changes to these rules.

For now, trying to use products without phthalates might help. This study helps us understand more about these chemicals and could lead to safer rules about them in the future. This means healthier lives for everyone and better chances for families wanting to have children.

Source: umass.edu

AI Can Already Diagnose Depression Better Than a Doctor and Tell You Which Treatment is Best

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a big deal in health care, especially for treating depression. It's even getting better at figuring out who has depression and what treatments work best.

Depression is common. Around 20% of people will have it at some point. It's tough to diagnose because everyone shows it differently. Doctors use interviews and questionnaires, but they don’t always get it right.

This is where AI can help. It learns and makes decisions like a human brain. AI is already showing that it might be better at recommending talk therapy, while doctors often prescribe medication. AI doesn’t have the same biases as people, so it treats everyone the same.

AI is also really good with brain scans. It can look at them and predict depression with over 80% accuracy. This could be a big help to doctors in the future.

Another cool thing? Your smartwatch might be able to help detect depression. It collects data like your heart rate and sleep, which can show signs of depression. Smartwatches aren’t perfect, but they're a promising tool.

AI can also look at health records to guess how well someone might respond to antidepressant medication.

In short, AI is making big steps in understanding and helping with depression. It's not ready to take over for doctors, but it's a helpful tool that's getting better all the time.

Source: theconversation.com

✢ A Note From Hem Hero

The information in this health newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; always consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health. The publishers are not responsible for any actions taken by the reader based on the information provided.