Whole Grains – Debunking the Leaky Gut Myth and Adopting a High Fiber Diet

We live in a world filled with fad diets, weight-loss bibles, and no-carb miracle regimes. That’s probably why people are eliminating all types of grains from their daily food intake, not knowing that whole grains (unlike refined grains) contain fiber and essential nutrients (such as vitamin B, copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium) that are essential for good gut health.

Whole Grains v. Unrefined Grains

First, let's establish some key distinctions between whole grains and refined grains.Whole grains are an unrefined grain, which means that their bran and germ haven't been removed by milling. The most common types of whole grains include popcorn, oatmeal, millet, brown rice, quinoa, whole rye, and barley, all of which are practical additions to one's diet. These food items contain dietary fibers that stimulate fructans and positive bacteria (called galactooligosaccharides (GOS)) and create short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that keep your colon’s health in check and boost your overall immune system. Whole grain fibers make you stay full for a longer period of time, increase your stool-weight and frequency, and help retain the GOS in your gut, freeing your digestive system of any such distress. 

Refined grains, on the other hand, have had both their bran and germ stripped during the milling process in order to give them a finer texture and extended shelf life; this refining process not only strips the grain of its bran and germ but also removes many nutrients, including fiber. Refined grains are digested quickly and can cause spikes in blood sugar, which often leads to rebound hunger, leaving you feeling hungry almost all the time. The most common types of refined grains include white bread, white pasta, or white rice, which are all less-nutritious choices and provide short-lived energy.

Whole Grains: Debunking some Myths

According to the American Heart Association, whole grains can improve cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even colorectal cancer. Despite this overwhelming positive research, proponents, authors, and bloggers of low-carb diets have labelled whole grains as a source of “antinutrients” that supposedly promote inflammation and prevent effective digestion. They state that whole grains contain two key molecules, namely lectins and phytates, that lead to conditions like “leaky gut” which, in turn, lead to chronic diseases. In fact, some folks take this argument so far as to recommend refined grain products (like white bread and white rice) over their whole grain counterparts. This contradicts US dietary guidelines, which recommend increasing whole grain consumption and making at least half of your grain consumption from fiber-filled whole grains. So, who’s right? 

While there is truth to the idea that lectins and phytates can have adverse effects, there are some major caveats. First of all, most lectins are safe to eat and while there are some foods (such as kidney beans) that may cause severe stomach pain and vomiting due to their high lectin concentrations, this can be completely avoided if cooked properly. Secondly, a multitude of research and data on lectins does not support the negative health effects that critics continue to claim. In fact, the 2014 research review in the journal of Cereal Sciences concludes that “the current scientific evidence is strong and consistent to suggest that whole grains have beneficial effects in individuals with no genetic predisposition for celiac disease, despite the dietary lectin content. Despite numerous speculative assumptions that wheat germ lectins cause intestinal damage and disease, there is at present neither evidence that this is the case nor reason to recommend the healthy population to abstain from whole grain food products.”

Closing Remarks

There is robust evidence that shows that whole grain consumption is good for your health. In some studies, participants on diets rich in whole grains have shown better results in insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol compared with those who ate diets higher in refined grains. So there is no doubt that, until new research deems otherwise, whole grain foods should be incorporated into our diets, especially considering the fact that the presence of lectins and phytates in whole grains are not a problem in a balanced diet when foods are properly prepared.

Top 5 Free Fitness Apps to Keep you in Shape

Do you want to get in shape without spending on gym memberships? Is it getting difficult to stick to your resolution to stay fit this year? Don’t sweat it. Just continue reading!

The first few days of a new workout routine are always the hardest, but remember that It’s never too late to start an exercising routine. Fortunately, iOS and android devices have an ample of options for you to get and remain fit, and that too for free. From a large pool of fitness apps, we have chosen top 5 one’s for you.

1) Johnson & Johnson Official 7 – Minute Workout

This app has the highest score when it comes to safety levels. It includes fitness guidelines and combines both aerobics and strength training exercises. Since its safe, this app is great for beginners, who can now get a full body workout! Johnsons & Johnsons is making your every minute count by giving only 7 minutes of your day to your body. With 72 main exercises and 22 more customizable options, your body can now be in shape without having to spend an entire day or a lot of money at the gym.

2) Freeletics Bodyweight

If you live in a small apartment and have very limited space for keeping any workout machine, then this app is just what you were looking for. Using its special filter, you can find exercises that you can do easily in a 2×2-yard space. This app contains more than 900 workouts that you can customize to make a 10 – 30 minutes routine for yourself.

3) Female Fitness Women Workout

This app is especially designed for busy women who are juggling work and raising their kids. It is a great option to create a custom workout that suits your goal time and targets your problem areas. Female Fitness Women Workout contains more than 80 workouts that are carefully designed just for women. It gives you an opportunity to achieve your perfect weight within your home with just 7 minute daily workouts. 

4) Nike Training Club

From Nike you can expect nothing less than a great app. This app is perfect for you if you need to tone a problem area of your body. It also contains several other workouts that can help you improve your performance in sports. You can set your workout time according to your preference, ranging from 15 to 45 minutes. If you are looking to increase your muscle strength without a personal trainer, then this app is for you.

5) 30 Days Fitness Challenge

Get ready to tone your body from head to toe. This app works on timelines that give you a guided workout for 30 days with 20 minute daily workout plans. It pushes your body to its full limit and potential with its challenging workout routines. The sole purpose of this app is to reduce weight, build strength, and achieve your goal size.

AI and Wearable Devices taking Healthcare to the Next Level

Similar to any other tech advancement, wearable health devices are everywhere now. Every other person has some kind of wearable to monitor their health or to remain fit. These wearables are non-invasive ways to collect high quality patient data. When artificial intelligence is added into this equation, it opens a whole new world of smart analysis and e actionable insights that can help save lives in real time.

Wearable health devices started as a fun tech trend but, as of late, have real world implications and have evolved into cost effective and efficient methods for tracking patient health without keeping them in the hospital. Recently in England, the National Health Service pilot program is deploying new discharge practices by providing patients with their own wireless, wi-fi enabled armbands that remotely monitor their vital signs, such as oxygen levels, respiratory rate, blood pressure, pulse and body temperature. It is no surprise that this new protocol has been enabled by artificial intelligence, has decreased hospital readmissions and emergency visits, and has helped patients follow their treatment plans more efficiently from their homes.

AI in the Play

Evidently, AI plays an important part in making all this a reality. Without being able to analyze this fragmented data, there is no use in collecting it. Before these armbands, the hospital staff had to collect patient vitals in-person every week post-discharge. So these wearables have not only saved patients their roundtrips but have also introduced an intelligent way of looking out for bothersome data, allowing patients and doctors to become proactive versus reactive. In short, ArtificiaI Intelligence, coupled with these wearable devices, create low-error health predictions at a significantly cheaper cost.

Decentralized Healthcare

AI can help in making the dream of decentralized healthcare a reality. According to WHO estimates, 60% of our lifestyle choices affect our health and quality of life. These lifestyle choices include regularly taking medicines, reducing stress, exercising more and adopting a healthier lifestyle. With AI monitoring individuals’ health, patients and individuals are now able to get tailored recommendations and reminders to exercise more, to make dietary changes, or to visit the doctor.

The Next Big Thing: 3 Major Trends in Digital Healthcare Technology Right Now

Every day, amazing new technological advancements help medical providers diagnose patients faster and more accurately, provide treatment options digitally, and monitor things like patients’ sleep, steps, weight, and heart rate. Technological progress isn’t slowing down anytime soon; this year, $8.1billion was invested in the industry—up 42% from the previous year.

So with all this investment, what will be the next big innovation in digital health technology? Well, it looks like there are three major trends in the field: Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, and the greater ability to share data between healthcare providers and patients.

The 3 Biggest Trends in Digital Healthcare Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere we look, from our kitchen (“Alexa, play my ‘dinner’ playlist”) to website chatbots. Every day, scientists are finding ways to use AI helps medical providers provide patients with better, faster, and more accurate care.

For instance, AI algorithms for health are being used to analyze radiology images. Currently, radiologists are overworked and overwhelmed. Because of the high number of patients, they can only spend mere seconds looking at images, which results in a high rate of misdiagnoses. AI can help by streamlining the analysis process, reducing the number of clicks radiologists need to perform a task, or by learning user preferences or habits to make diagnosis faster and more accurate. Automation helps relieve or prevent radiologist fatigue and improve diagnostic ability, so many companies are working on improving AI technology in the healthcare field.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) has been helping doctors use scans and images to diagnose patients and prepare for medical procedures. But new technology aims to help doctors during surgery to provide better, more accurate care.

During surgery, surgeons and their medical team need constant access to a large amount of data, including diagnostic images and vital signs. Currently, most operating rooms have 2D screens scattered around the room, and surgeons have to look away from the patient and the surgery to check them. For delicate surgical procedures, this can be dangerous.

AU can help make increase the success rate of surgeries. AU headsets are being designed that will allow doctors to see digital images, patient data, and other important things without having to look away from the patient. This will help reduce life-threatening errors and save money by reducing outdated displays.

Data Sharing

Big Data is talked about frequently in the health field currently, because in the past decade many developments have been made to provide patients and medical providers with greater and more accurate data about things like patients’ steps, sleep, weight, heart rate, and more. This trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon, as wearables and mHealth apps continue to become more advanced and widespread.
In particular, many leading health insurance companies are looking to or already have adopted methods to track and use patients’ quantitative data to create data-driven, incentive-based health policies that simultaneously will reduce costs and provide better care to patients.

Playpal - The Next Big Health Revolution 

Playpal is on the cutting edge of this data-driven healthcare technology. The Playpal platform uses extrinsic incentives and gamified challenges to give healthcare providers and insurance companies better access to patient data while providing more accurate care and diagnoses. Exciting technological advancements like AI, AU, and data-driven digital healthcare continue to improve patient care, streamline processes, and cut costs, making healthcare more effective and efficient.

Digital Health Solutions for Chronic Disease Management

Chronic diseases are on the rise and account for 75% of U.S. health-care spending and 70% of U.S. deaths. Furthermore, the number of Americans suffering from chronic diseases is expected to increase from 47.7% in 2018 to 49.2% in 2030. This, coupled with the projected decrease in nursing specialists (Sigma estimates 400,000 professionals will be needed by 2020), indicates that we will soon be confronted with a mass health management problem. Technology, however, may hold the solution to effectively administering the increasing onset of chronic diseases. In this article, we explore these technological solutions.

Digital health-care apps

Heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease are the three chronic diseases that have the most significant financial impact on the health-care industry. Research on these three chronic diseases reveals that less money would be spent if patients regularly took their medications and were routinely monitored for their vitals and symptoms. This lack of effective monitoring is accreting the burden on limited health-care resources. Nevertheless, recent achievements have been attained with the advent of digital health-care apps, which can monitor a patient’s health vitals and provide helpful alerts when it is time to take medication. 

Such digital health solutions are gaining traction in chronic disease management (CDM), specifically in diseases like: 
Diabetes: In collaboration with the American Medical Association, Intermountain Healthcare is running a test pilot of an online program for Omada Health patients at risk for diabetes.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A health application called COPD Co-Pilot has been developed by Temple University’s Temple Lung Center to help measure how serious symptoms are compared with a patient’s baseline data.

High blood pressure: Rush University Medical Center is working with Proteus Digital Health to augment users’ compliance with blood-pressure medication using a system called Proteus Discover.

Heart disease: The Mayo Clinic published a study in the Journal of Clinical Investigations wherein researchers successfully tested a health app that provided information about healthy lifestyles and the ability for cardiac rehab patients to report their dietary and exercise habits.

Four-Step Process 

Despite these developments in the digital health-care industry, health tech apps on their own may be inadequate in delivering a comprehensive solution to the problems faced in CDM. The Harvard Business Review believes that in order for CDM apps to succeed and create user retention, they must employ a four-step process called the “adopt-diffuse-use-improve” cycle, in which:
App developers make a compelling argument for clients to adopt a new digital health product
The developers work to diffuse the app and convince users to give it a try
The app achieves a sustained level of usage, preferably integrated within the natural flow of the user’s daily activities. The app should constantly be improved upon.

Playpal is one such example of a digital health solution that has recently emerged on the mHealth market. The Playpal Platform is a digital health marketplace that unifies global health IoT devices, apps, and stakeholders to create interoperability in the health market and make health-management seamless. Playpal’s engine follows the principles of the “adopt-diffuse-use-improve” process by presenting tailored insights to individuals to better manage and preempt their health outcomes. 
As the number of chronic disease cases increases, technological solutions are more important than ever; holistic Platforms like Playpal are making strides in the health tech industry by providing significant levels of support to the thousands of people with chronic diseases.