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Vogue
40 minutes ago
- Vogue
This Veg Helps Regulate Hormonal Health
If the words fiber, florets, and sulforaphane don't already inspire thoughts of a hormonal superfood, well… they're about to. Because broccoli (which possesses all three) is one of the most underrated foods for better hormonal health. In fact, the unassuming (and if you're a child, maligned) green vegetable is so beneficial, I've scarcely gone a day without eating it for the past five years. Below, I've picked the brain of Hannah Alderson—registered nutritionist, hormone specialist, and author of Everything I Know About Hormones: Six Steps to Optimal Health & Happiness—to find out exactly how broccoli can help with everything from detoxing excess estrogen to supporting healthy liver function (the key, you'll discover, for almost everything hormonal), and helping better regulate hormone metabolism. Here are the three reasons why I incorporate it into my diet every single day. Broccoli helps get rid of excess estrogen Broccoli and broccoli sprouts are both part of the cruciferous vegetable family, meaning they contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol (or I3C). 'When digested, I3C converts into diindolylmethane (DIM), which helps support the liver's breakdown of estrogen into safer, more easily excreted metabolites,' Alderson explains. This metabolization of estrogen is incredibly important, as too much of the hormone can lead to heavy and painful periods, tender breasts during the luteal phase, bloating, PMS, mood swings, fatigue, and much more. The compound I3C helps to properly break it down, which makes it easier for the body to then get rid of it. There is a hierarchy of broccoli, though. Normal broccoli—chunky, with one stalk and lots of florets—has lots of benefits, including soluble and insoluble fiber, both highly beneficial for gut health and gut motility (digestion). Broccoli sprouts, on the other hand, contain much higher levels of sulforaphane, which is a powerful detoxifying compound that helps to support the liver. 'Think of sprouts as the concentrated version. They're great in small doses and can be a fantastic daily addition to salads or smoothies, or for anyone looking to give their detoxifying pathways a little extra love,' says Alderson. Available in most grocery stores, broccoli sprouts are also an easy grow-at-home job, too. Broccoli supports liver function The liver is the body's in-built filtration system, and good liver function is the key to better hormonal function, being able to fight infection, and to efficiently remove toxins. The compounds present in broccoli sprouts and broccoli help to maintain the healthy functioning of the liver. 'Raw or lightly steamed broccoli may also up-regulate an important liver enzyme known as CYP1A1,' Alderson tells me.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
If you have a high VO2 max score, you could live longer. I took a class to boost mine — and finally found a way to make cardio fun.
VO2 max is a buzzy measure of heart health and fitness. I tried a class that promised to boost my VO2 max through cardio and breathwork. I don't typically do cardio, and I realized taking classes could help me make it a habit. I have a strange question, but stay with me: Have you ever thought about how long you can run without breathing through your mouth? In a dark basement in central London I recently discovered that, for me, the answer is: Not for very long. Apparently, that means my VO2 max, or ability to send oxygenated blood to my muscles, and how well my muscles can use that oxygen during intense exercise, is quite low. Translation: I'm unfit. I do low-impact strength training like yoga and pilates most days, but no cardio. I've tried to get into running, but it never sticks, and I find cardio machines boring. I learned specifically how bad I am at cardio at V02:MAXED, a new class at London's GymBox. I knew one session wouldn't transform my health, but I was interested to try the first class I'd seen marketed around VO2 max. I wondered if exercising with a specific goal might motivate me to finally form a cardio habit, and if the class — and the nose strips we had to wear while working out — was just a fad. Once the preserve of high-level athletes, in recent years, VO2 max has become a buzzy measure of cardiovascular fitness among runners, fitness competition enthusiasts, and health optimization bros. People are obsessed with it because it's said to be a strong predictor of longevity. As I'm not an endurance athlete, my low score may not seem like a big deal, but having a high VO2 max is linked to a longer life, and a reduced risk of conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. I don't care that I can't run five kilometers in under 30 minutes, but I do care about staying active and healthy as I age. To increase your VO2 max, you have to do a mixture of shorter high-intensity and longer, easier workouts. VO2:Maxed is a 16-week course where clients train at a range of intensities. The class I did was the fourth in the series. Feeling nervous about entering a gym that uses the words "gnarly," "sadistic," and "savage" to describe some of its classes, I descended the staircase from the reception area to the dimly lit bodybuilder's playground below with trepidation. In the 50-minute class, we repeated three-minute sets on a stroke machine (ski or rower) and a cycle machine (bike or treadmill), with 45-second breaks in between. I used a ski machine and an assault bike. What made the class unique was the breathwork. Our instructor, Firas Iskandarani, a Hyrox and Crossfit coach, explained that we should aim to breathe through our noses for most of the class. He called this type of breathing "gear one," and breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth "gear two." We were told to note when we had to "switch gears." Iskandarani said this should happen after around 90-seconds to two-minutes, but I struggled to get to one minute. As a rough guide, the longer you can stay in gear one, the higher your VO2 max is likely to be, he said. The idea is that, over time, you will need to switch gears less quickly, which indicates your aerobic capacity has increased. About halfway through the class, we were given nasal strips to stick on the fleshy part of our noses, and encouraged to notice if it helped us stay in gear one for longer. It's thought that widening the nasal canal could help to increase endurance by allowing more air through the nose. But one 2020 meta-analysis published in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology found that wearing a nasal strip while exercising didn't improve VO2 Max or heart rate. Still, lots of runners and athletes swear by them, like the elite tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, who wears them during his matches. I felt that the nasal strip helped a little, but it kept peeling off as my nose got sweaty. Nasal breathing is not directly linked to improving VO2 max, but is thought to help the body use oxygen more efficiently. It also encourages you to stay in Zone 2, or at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, while you're exercising. Your muscles have more access to oxygen in Zone 2, making it an effective way to increase aerobic endurance. Once you enter Zone 3, 70% to 80% of your max heart rate, you're moving at an intensity that's too much for the available oxygen supply, which causes you to get out of breath. I found there was a lot to remember and focus on in this class: not only understanding the different gears, but trying to stay in gear one while checking the clock to see when I started mouth breathing. All of this mental arithmetic was required on top of the three-minute sets of cardio, which, I think is fair to say, is a long time. My mind kept wandering and I kept accidentally mouth breathing before I'd actually reached my threshold. It was also tricky to go at a slow enough pace to stay in gear one for even a minute. After about thirty seconds I started to lose my breath. I suppose that tells me I have some work to do in this area. That being said, I wasn't huffing and puffing or red in the face afterwards like I usually am after a 35-minute run. But my arms did get very tired from pulling the ropes on the ski machine and moving the handles on the assault bike back and forth. If I did this class again I would pace myself better so that I wouldn't get out of breath so quickly. But I think for a cardio beginner like me, it was a little too technical and advanced. Iskandarani said that part of the demand for the class came from Hyrox fans and CrossFitters, who are already pretty fit and looking to increase their endurance for competitions. But I found doing cardio in such a structured way and with a group of people much more fun and motivating than doing it alone. Going forward, I think I'll stick to cardio classes rather than running every once in a while, getting bored, and trying again when enough time has passed for me to forget how arduous I found it. By focusing on my breath, it became apparent that my cardiovascular fitness is lower than I'd like, and I'm only 28. I wondered how it would inevitably deteriorate over time, and if I'm struggling to get through a class like this now, it's only going to get harder when I'm in my 50s, let alone 80s. As for the VO2 max workout, I don't think it was the right cardio class for me, but it's motivated me to continue my search. Anyone for Zumba? Read the original article on Business Insider
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
5 Fast Facts: Plant Extracts Relieve Hand Osteoarthritis
If you have patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA) who want extra relief and don't mind trying a plant-based supplement, this combo looks promising. Researchers in Belgium found that a daily combination of plant extracts significantly reduced hand OA pain over time. 1. Patients had real pain relief. People with hand OA who took Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Boswellia serrata had noticeably better pain reduction over 3 months than those on placebo, about 8-9 points better on the pain scale. 2. Quality of life received a boost, too. Patients didn't just feel less pain; they also reported feeling better overall and rated their quality of life higher than the placebo group. 3. Safe and easy to stick with. Patients took the supplement consistently (over 90% adhered to it), and side effects were comparable to those of the placebo. 4. Well-done study — but with a few limits. This solid randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial focused on patient-reported outcomes rather than structural improvements or radiographic findings. 5. Another option for the toolbox. These extracts aren't a replacement for standard care, but they may be a safe adjunct for patients wanting complementary therapies for hand OA pain, especially those who prefer more 'natural' options. Bottom line: Current evidence indicates that plant extracts provide symptomatic relief for hand OA; however, they do not address the underlying joint pathology. Counsel patients on these limitations.
