Calcium, why supplementing with it may be a mistake; Snacking or intermitting eating for weight loss?; Which fermented foods should you eat for brain support?
The downside to taking a calcium supplement, which is better for weight loss, which fermented foods are best for your brain.
Calcium Supplementation May Not Be A Good Idea for Your Health
If you take isolated calcium without its co-factors, such as magnesium, vitamin D3, and manganese, you may have too much calcium, resulting in atherosclerosis. Vitamin K (MK-7) can help put calcium back into solution so it can be removed from the arteries and vessels.
Instead of supplementing with isolated calcium, as many do for bone health, purchase a product that contains its co-factors. Bone Up by Jarrow includes calcium and other nutrients such as vitamin K, magnesium, and boron. Jarrow was sold in 2020 to New Mountain Capital, so I am not sure if the quality of the product has or will change. Either way, their Supplement Facts label is an excellent example of a product to replace an isolated calcium supplement. Otherwise, check your multi-vitamin/mineral supplement label and with diet that may suffice.
I have seen many older women take an isolated calcium supplement of 1000 to 1500 mg in addition to dietary sources. This may be an unwise choice for many people.
Which is Better for Weight Loss?
Consuming a meal and then waiting three hours before you eat again will help with weight loss versus adding in a snack within that time period. The first three hours after you eat a meal, insulin is dominant, but after the three-hour mark, glucagon is dominant, and glucagon is what will assist with burning stored fat.
Snacking will keep you in an insulin-dominant state.
HOWEVER, and this is a big however, you should not go long periods of time without eating if you are eating the standard American processed diet. Instead, work on swapping the refined foods for whole nutrient-dense foods, then add extended time periods between meals. (modifying the diet first will assist with blood sugar balance).
If you crave high-fat, high-sugar type foods and cannot stop eating them, a new study by Thanarajah et al. (2023) indicates that is because consuming these foods has modulated the brain's reward center. The more you consume these processed and refined foods, the greater the want will be over time. Hence these foods can become addictive because of the brain impact.
To sustain you between meals and to help reduce junk food cravings, consume a balanced meal of protein, healthy fat, and whole-food carbs. Many lean heavily on processed carbs and consume meals low in protein and healthy fats. This is why it can be so difficult to go long time periods without food.
The healthy fats (i.e., avocado, nuts and seeds, EVOO) and quality proteins (i.e., beef, poultry, seafood, beans, legumes, nuts/seeds) will keep you full and satisfied for more extended time periods than a meal with a high processed carb content such as a bowl of pasta and a side of garlic bread.
Instead of a slice of pizza, a bowl of pasta, a burger, and fries (which will leave you craving more carbs in under three hours) consume a large salad with added protein such as grilled chicken, nutritional yeast, raw nuts, and seeds and an olive oil and vinegar dressing, or if you still want your bread, make it an open-faced sandwich with one slice or try cauliflower wraps with a side of hummus, veggies, and fermented pickles.
And speaking of fermented foods…
Source
https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00051-7?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1550413123000517%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
Fermented Foods and Your Brain
All fermented foods may positively impact brain health via the gut-brain pathway. Researchers in Ireland are in the process of determining which fermented foods have the most significant impact.
Preliminary research indicates that out of 200 fermented foods examined, almost ALL of them exert some improvement in gut-brain health.
So enjoy your fermented foods, from kombucha to kefir, kimchee, and Bubbies pickles, and know that you are supporting your cognitive and mood health.
Source
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230413154458.htm