27 Health and Nutrition Tips That Are
Actually Evidence-Based
There is a lot of confusion when it comes to
health and nutrition.
People, even qualified experts, often seem to have the exact
opposite opinions.
However, despite all the disagreements, there are a few things
that are well supported by research.
Here are 27 health and nutrition tips that are actually based on
good science.
Sugary drinks are the most fattening things you can put into
your body.
This is because liquid sugar calories don't get registered by
the brain in the same way as calories from solid foods (1).
For this reason, when you drink soda, you end up eating more total
calories (2, 3).
Sugary drinks are strongly
associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and all sorts of health
problems (4, 5, 6, 7).
Keep in mind that fruit juices are almost as bad
as soda in this regard. They contain just as much sugar, and the small amounts
of antioxidants do NOT negate the harmful effects of the sugar (8).
Despite being high in fat, nuts are incredibly
nutritious and healthy.
They are loaded with magnesium, vitamin E, fiber and various
other nutrients (9).
Studies show that nuts can help you lose weight, and may help fight
type 2 diabetes and heart disease (10, 11, 12).
Additionally, about 10-15% of the calories in nuts aren't even
absorbed into the body, and some evidence suggests that they can boost
metabolism (13).
In one study, almonds were shown to
increase weight loss by 62% compared to complex carbohydrates (14).
All the processed junk foods in the diet are
the biggest reason the world is fatter and sicker than ever before.
These foods have been engineered to be "hyper-rewarding,"
so they trick our brains into eating more than we need, even leading to addiction in some people (15).
They are also low in fiber, protein and micronutrients (empty
calories), but high in unhealthy ingredients like added sugar and refined
grains.
Coffee has been unfairly demonized. The truth is that it's
actually very healthy.
Coffee is high in antioxidants, and studies show that coffee
drinkers live longer, and have a reduced
risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and numerous other
diseases (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21).
Pretty much everyone agrees that fish is healthy.
This is particularly true of fatty fish, like salmon, which is
loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and various other nutrients (22).
Studies show that people who eat the most fish have a lower risk
of all sorts of diseases, including heart disease, dementia and depression (23, 24, 25).
The importance of getting enough quality sleep can not be
overstated.
It may be just as important as diet and exercise, if not more.
Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, throw your appetite
hormones out of whack and reduce your physical and mental performance (26, 27, 28, 29).
What's more, it is one of the strongest individual
risk factors for future weight gain and obesity. One
study showed that short sleep was linked to 89% increased risk of obesity in
children, and 55% in adults (30).
The bacteria in your gut, collectively called the gut
microbiota, are sometimes referred to as the "forgotten organ."
These gut bugs are incredibly important for all sorts
of health-related aspects. A disruption in the gut bacteria is linked to some
of the world's most serious chronic diseases, including obesity (
31,
32).
A good way to improve gut health, is to eat probiotic
foods (like
live yogurt and
sauerkraut), take
probiotic supplements, and eat
plenty of fiber. Fiber functions as fuel for the gut bacteria (
33,
34).
One important factor, is that it can help boost the
amount of calories you burn.
According to 2 studies, it can boost metabolism by
24-30% over a period of 1-1.5 hours. This can amount to 96 additional calories
burned if you drink 2 liters (67 oz) of water
per day (35,
36).
The best time to drink water is half an hour before
meals. One study showed that half a liter of water, 30 minutes before each
meal, increased weight loss by 44% (
37).
Meat can be a nutritious
and healthy part of the diet. It is very
high in protein, and contains
various important nutrients.
The
problems occur
when meat is overcooked and burnt. This can lead to the formation of harmful
compounds that raise the risk of cancer (
38).
So, eat your meat, just don't overcook or burn it.
When we're exposed to bright lights in the evening,
this disrupts production of the sleep hormone melatonin (
39,
40).
An interesting "hack" is to use a pair of
amber-tinted glasses that
block blue light from
entering your eyes in the evening.
This allows melatonin to be produced as if it were
completely dark, helping you sleep better (
41,
42).
Back in the day, most people got their vitamin D from
the sun.
The problem is that most people don't get much sun
these days. They either live where there is no sun, or they stay inside most of
the day or use sunscreen when they go out.
According to data from 2005-2006, about 41.6% of the US
population is deficient in this critical vitamin (
43).
If adequate sun exposure is not an option for you, then
supplementing with
vitamin D has been shown to
have numerous benefits for health.
This includes improved bone health, increased strength,
reduced symptoms of depression and a lower risk of cancer, to name a few.
Vitamin D may also help you live longer (
44,
45,
46,
47,
48,
49,
50).
Vegetables and
fruits are the
"default" health foods, and for good reason.
They are loaded with prebiotic fiber, vitamins,
minerals and all sorts of
antioxidants, some of which have
potent biological effects.
Studies show that people who eat the most vegetables
and fruits live longer, and have a lower risk of heart disease, type 2
diabetes, obesity and all sorts of diseases (
51,
52).
Eating
enough protein is
incredibly important, and many experts believe that the recommended daily
intake is too low.
Protein is particularly important for weight loss, and
works via several different mechanisms (
53).
A high protein intake can boost metabolism
significantly, while making you feel so full that you automatically eat fewer
calories. It can also cut
cravings and reduce the
desire for late-night snacking (
54,
55,
56,
57).
Eating plenty of protein has also been shown to lower
blood sugar and blood pressure levels (
58,
59).
Doing aerobic exercise (or cardio) is one of the best
things you can do for your mental and physical health.
It is particularly effective at reducing belly fat, the
harmful type of fat that builds up around your organs. Reduced belly fat should
lead to major improvements in metabolic health (
60,
61,
62).
If you're a tobacco smoker, or abuse drugs, then diet
and exercise are the least of your worries. Tackle those problems first.
If you choose to include
alcohol in your life, then
do so in moderation only, and consider avoiding it completely if you have
alcoholic tendencies.
It is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats
and powerful antioxidants that can fight inflammation (
63,
64,
65).
Extra virgin olive oil leads to many beneficial effects
on heart health, and people who consume olive oil have a much lower risk of
dying from heart attacks and strokes (
66,
67).
Added sugar is the single
worst ingredient in the modern diet.
Small amounts are fine, but when people eat large amounts,
it can wreak havoc on metabolic health (
68).
A high intake of added sugar is linked to numerous
diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many forms of
cancer (
69,
70,
71,
72,
73).
Not all
carbs are created equal.
Refined carbs have been highly processed, and have had
all the fiber removed from them. They are low in nutrients (empty calories),
and can be extremely harmful.
Studies show that refined carbohydrates are linked to
overeating and numerous metabolic diseases (
74,
75,
76,
77,
78).
It is true that saturated fat raises cholesterol, but
it also raises HDL (the "good") cholesterol and changes the LDL from
small to large, which is linked to a
lower risk of
heart disease (
79,
80,
81,
82).
New studies that included hundreds of thousands of
people have shown that there is
no linkbetween saturated
fat consumption and heart disease (
83,
84).
Lifting weights is one of the best things you can do to
strengthen your body and improve your body composition.
It also leads to massive improvements in metabolic
health, including improved insulin sensitivity (
85,
86).
The best approach is to go to a gym and lift weights,
but doing body weight exercises can be just as effective.
Artificial
trans fats are harmful,
man-made fats that are strongly linked to inflammation and heart disease (
87,
88,
89,
90).
It is best to avoid them like the plague.
For example,
ginger and
turmeric both have potent
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, leading to various health benefits (
91,
92,
93,
94).
You should make an effort to include as many different
herbs and spices as you can. Many of them can have powerful beneficial effects
on your health.
Social relationships are incredibly important. Not only
for your mental wellbeing, but your physical health as well.
Studies show that people who are close with friends and
family are healthier and live much longer than those who are not (
95,
96,
97).
The only way to know exactly what you are eating, is to
weigh your foods and use a nutrition tracker like
MyFitnesspal or
Cron-o-meter.
This is important to know
how many calories you are
eating. It is also essential to make sure that you're getting in enough
protein, fiber and micronutrients.
Studies show that people who track their food intake in
one way or another tend to be more successful at losing weight and sticking to
a healthy diet (
98).
Basically, anything that increases your awareness of
what you are eating is likely to help you succeed.
I personally track everything I
eat for a few days in a row, every few months. Then I know exactly where to
make adjustments in order to get closer to my goals.
Not all body fat is equal.
It is mostly the fat in your abdominal cavity, the
belly fat, that causes problems. This fat builds up around the organs, and is
strongly linked to metabolic disease (
99,
100).
For this reason, your waist size may be a much stronger
marker for your health than the number on the scale.
Cutting carbs, eating more protein, and eating plenty
of fiber are all excellent ways to get rid of belly fat (
101,
102,
103,
104).
Diets are notoriously ineffective, and rarely work well
in the long term.
In fact, "dieting" is one of the strongest
predictors for future weight gain (
105).
Instead of going on a diet, try adopting a healthier
lifestyle. Focus on nourishing your body, instead of depriving it.
Weight loss should follow as a natural side
effect of better food choices and improved metabolic health.
Whole eggs are so nutritious that they're often
referred to as "nature's multivitamin."
It is
a myth that eggs are bad
for you because of the cholesterol. Studies show that they have no effect on
blood cholesterol in the majority of people (
106).
Additionally, a massive review study that included
263,938 individuals found that egg consumption had no association with the risk
of heart disease (
107).
What we're left with is one of the
most nutritious foods on
the planet, and the yolk is where almost all of the nutrients are found.
Telling people to throw away the yolk is among the
worst pieces of advice in the history of nutrition.
Heather’s additions:
Meditate 5-10 minutes a day, epsom salt
baths, regular massage, yoga, dance to your favorite music, hang out with happy
people, practice gratitude everyday, breathe and have fun!!!
