Intermittent fasting may help you live longer and improve overall health &#8211; Daily Mail

By Valerie Edwards For Dailymail.com

Restricting eating times to just 6-8 hours every day could help you live longer and fight obesity, diabetes and cancer, according to study on Intermittent fasting

While many fad diets, like keto, have been proven unsustainable or even, in some cases, harmful, intermittent fasting has by and large held up to scientific testing
Intermittent fasting consists of either daily time-restricted feeding of 6-8 hours or 5:2 fasting, where people eat one moderate-sized meal two days each week
Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist Dr Mark Mattson says in new study that benefits of fasting regimen includes improvements in ‘glucose regulation’
Intermittent fasting also improves blood pressure and heart rate, study shows
Mattson also writes that ‘intermittent fasting could be part of a healthy lifestyle’

Published: 04:35 GMT, 27 December 2019 | Updated: 04:48 GMT, 27 December 2019

A new study has revealed that intermittent fasting may help you live longer and improve your overall health.

While many fad diets, such as keto, have been proven unsustainable or even, in some cases, harmful, intermittent fasting has by and large held up to scientific testing.

Intermittent fasting diets, fall generally into two categories: daily time-restricted feeding, which narrows eating times to 6-8 hours per day, and the so-called 5:2 intermittent fasting, in which people limit themselves to one moderate-sized meal two days each week.

According to a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the benefits of intermittent fasting includes improvements in ‘glucose regulation, blood pressure, and heart rate’.

In the study, Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist Dr Mark Mattson writes that intermittent fasting may be able to help many health conditions like obesity, diabetes, mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancers.

A new study has revealed that intermittent fasting may help you live longer and improve your overall health. While many fad diets, like keto, have been proven unsustainable or even, in some cases, harmful, intermittent fasting has by and large held up to scientific testing

For example, the American Heart Association estimates that 47 million people in the US have metabolic syndrome, a network of symptoms that often precedes diabetes.

About a third of US adults at least three of five risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome: high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, low levels of ‘good,’ HDL cholesterol and abdominal obesity.

About 85 per cent of people who have this network of symptoms also have type 2 diabetes.

Those with both conditions are at far greater risk of developing heart disease or suffering strokes as well.

But intermittent fasting could reduce risks of diabetes. Fasting can also increase stress resistance and suppress inflammation, according to the paper.

Mattson, who has studied the health impact of intermittent fasting for 25 years, and adopted it himself about 20 years ago, writes that ‘intermittent fasting could be part of a healthy lifestyle’.

According to Mattson, preliminary studies suggest that intermittent fasting could benefit brain health too.

Mattson referred to a clinical trial at the University of Toronto in April that found that 220 healthy, non-obese adults who maintained a calorie restricted diet for two years ‘showed signs of improved memory in a battery of cognitive tests’.

In the study, Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist Dr Mark Mattson writes that intermittent fasting may be able to help many health conditions like obesity, diabetes, mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancers

Noting that far more research needs to be done ‘to prove any effects of intermittent fasting on learning and memory’, Mattson says if that proof is found, the fasting – or a pharmaceutical equivalent that mimics it – ‘may offer interventions that can stave off neurodegeneration and dementia’.

‘We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise,’ he said.

Mattson says the new study is intended to help clarify the science and clinical applications of intermittent fasting in ways that may help physicians guide patients who want to try it.

He says that with some guidance and patience, most people can incorporate the fasting regimens into their lives.

‘Patients should be advised that feeling hungry and irritable is common initially and usually passes after two weeks to a month as the body and brain become accustomed to the new habit,’ Mattson says.

Health

Sept. 26 update: No new cases found in Nova Scotia for fourth day in row – The Telegram

Published

30 mins ago

September 26, 2020

Nova Scotia continues to have only one active case of COVID-19, as provincial authorities announced on Saturday morning that no new cases were identified in the latest round of testing.

That brings the streak of no new cases to four consecutive days.

Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 1,131 Nova Scotia tests on Friday, the provincial news release said.

To date, the province has 91,459 negative test results, 1,087 positive COVID-19 cases and 65 deaths. One person, an essential worker in the Western zone, is hospitalized in ICU.

To date, Nova Scotia has 90,719 negative COVID-19 TEST results,1,087 positives, 1,021 resolved cases and 65 deaths.

Visit https://811.novascotia.ca to determine if you should call 811 for further assessment if in the past 48 hours you have had, or you are experiencing fever (i.e. chills/sweats) or cough (new or worsening).

Also take the 811 survey if you have two or more of the following symptoms (new or worsening):

sore throat
runny nose/ nasal congestion
headache
shortness of breath

Health

COVID-19: Quebec reports nearly 700 new cases as infections continue to surge amid beginning of second wave – Global News

Published

2 hours ago

September 26, 2020

Health authorities reported 698 new confirmed COVD-19 cases on Saturday as the number of infections continues to surge in Quebec.

Seven more deaths were also reported, which occurred between Sept. 19 and 24. This brings the total COVID-19 death toll to 5,821 in the province.

Hospitalizations have gone up by 18 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 217 — 45 of which are in intensive care (up two from Friday).

According to public health’s latest data, 33,148 tests were conducted on Sept. 24. Quebec has so far administered 2,233,455 tests since the beginning of the health crisis.

Quebec has seen 71,005 positive novel coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Quebec asks citizens to stop social gatherings to ‘break’ second coronavirus wave

On Friday Quebec health officials asked all citizens to limit their social gatherings for 28 days as the number of novel coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to increase amid the second wave of the pandemic.

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“We’re asking you for a month of effort to break the second wave,” said Health Minister Christian Dubé.

The plea comes as the province surpassed the grim milestone of 70,000 cases of COVID-19 on Sept. 25.

The government also raised the alert level to orange for the entire Greater Montreal area, including the north and south shores. The designation calls for moderate alert and tighter restrictions for 82 municipalities.

Dubé said the evolving situation in Montreal, which has been the epicentre of the virus’s outbreak in Canada, remains worrying as the second wave of the virus begins.

Quebec has not yet placed any regions in the red zone, the highest alert level which calls for stricter controls, but Dubé stressed everyone — regardless of where they live — must do their part to limit the spread of the virus and cap community transmission.

This means cancelling social outings such as dinners, parties and barbecues, he said, in order to avoid another surge in cases and a possible second lockdown. The government is not planning on closing bars or restaurants for now.

Dubé said the government is not planning on closing bars or restaurants for now, partly to avoid driving people to hold more private events.

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–With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise

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Coronavirus: Health minister urges Quebecers to cancel plans for gatherings

Coronavirus: Health minister urges Quebecers to cancel plans for gatherings

Health

Toronto Public Health orders 3 King Street West businesses to close to slow COVID-19 spread – CBC.ca

Published

3 hours ago

September 26, 2020

Toronto Public Health has ordered three establishments on King Street West to close to protect the public from COVID-19.

In a news release on Saturday, the public health unit said the establishments are:

MARBL, 455 King St. W.
King Taps, 100 King St. W.
Casa Mezcal, 291 King St. W.

Dr. Eileen de Villa, the city’s medical officer of health, issued the orders to the three businesses on Friday night under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) said a fourth establishment will also be forced to close once it is served with the order. It was not named in the release.

“These closure orders were undertaken based on Toronto Public Health investigations, including contact tracing data, which has shown that each establishment has not taken the necessary steps to sufficiently protect both the public and employees from the spread of COVID-19,” the news release said.

The public health unit said it found that many people were connected to more than one of the three businesses. In some cases, people infected with COVID-19 worked at more than one of the locations.

One business in particular served food buffet style, which is prohibited under provincial regulations to slow the spread of COVID-19. Another business has been uncooperative with investigations and impeded the investigation.

“Staff have also been found to be working while ill or pressured to work while ill,” the news release said.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said in the release that enforcement officials identified the specific businesses and the city is taking action to slow the virus in the city.

“I hope this enforcement will ensure we are protecting employees and customers. Thankfully the vast majority of residents and businesses in our city are doing the right thing and following public health advice. We need that cooperation to continue so we can defeat this virus,” Tory said.

Coun. Joe Cressy, who represents Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York and is chair of the Toronto Board of Health, said the city is trying to prevent new cases and enforcement is needed now.

“New data shows that unsafe social activity at a select number of bars and nightclubs is contributing to the rise in COVID-19 cases in our city. That’s why our Medical Officer of Health is taking swift action to shut down four high-risk establishments until further notice,” Cressy said.

“Right now, we need to stop the spread of COVID and keep people safe, while also making it possible for kids to go to school, people to go to work and public services to operate safely.”