Veggie Blog

Say “yoga” and many people picture a cross-legged figure on a mountaintop, or someone twisted into an impossible pose. The reality is much more ordinary. Most people who practice yoga today do so in a class or at home, and they do it to feel better. Here is what yoga involves, who does it and what science says.

What is yoga?

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, yoga is an ancient and complex practice rooted in Indian philosophy. Although classical yoga includes other elements, yoga as practiced in the United States typically emphasizes physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). You do not have to be flexible to start. Styles range from slow and gentle to athletic, which we describe in yoga postures: an introduction to asanas and styles and in what is yoga?.

How common is it?

Very. A national survey found that the share of U.S. adults who practiced yoga rose from 5.0 percent in 2002 to 15.8 percent in 2022. In 2012 survey data, 94 percent of adults who practiced yoga did so for wellness-related reasons, and 17.5 percent did it to treat a specific health condition. Some did both.

What does research say about the benefits?

The honest answer is: some benefits, small to moderate, and not for everything. Research suggests that yoga may help improve general wellness by relieving stress and improving mental and emotional health, sleep and balance. For low-back pain, a 2022 review of 21 studies found yoga slightly better than no exercise, although the small difference may not matter to patients. For depression, yoga can be a helpful addition to treatment, not a replacement. In a 2019 study of 227 people, those in a yoga group were 37 percent more likely to have quit smoking by the end of the 8-week program, but 6 months later there was no difference between the groups. Yoga should not be seen as a cure for any disease.

Can yoga help you lose weight?

There is some evidence that it can help. The NCCIH reports that a 2022 review of 22 studies with 1,178 participants who had overweight or obesity showed reductions in body weight, BMI, body fat and waist size, and that a 2013 review of 17 yoga-based weight-control programs found that most led to gradual, moderate weight loss. The programs with the best results had longer and more frequent sessions, at least 75 to 90 minutes and at least 3 times a week, and ran for 3 months or more. So yoga can be one part of a weight plan, together with food choices and other activity.

Is yoga safe?

It is generally considered safe for healthy people when performed properly, under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Injuries can occur, as in any physical activity. The most common are sprains and strains, and the knee or lower leg is the part of the body most often injured; serious injuries are rare. If you are new to yoga, avoid extreme practices such as headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing, and be aware that hot yoga has special risks related to overheating and dehydration. Learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with increased risks. Pregnant women, older adults and people with health conditions should talk to their health care provider and the instructor first.

How should you start?

Pick a beginner class or a good video for beginners, tell the teacher about any injuries and go at your own pace. Our guide to basic yoga postures and their variations covers simple poses, and how to start yoga safely explains what to know if you have diabetes. Read the NCCIH overview of yoga’s effectiveness and safety for the full details.

Low-carb eating can be expensive when it leans on fresh meat, specialty products and recipes with long ingredient lists. It does not have to be. A few habits will lower the cost of a week of meals without changing what you eat. Here are the ones that work best.

Why does planning save money?

Recipes in diet books often call for pricey ingredients because they are meant to look impressive. You can follow a low-carb plan with simple meals such as eggs and vegetables, a roast chicken with salad, or a stir-fry made from what is in the freezer. Plan the week’s menu, write a shopping list and go after you have eaten, because shopping when you are hungry usually adds to the bill. If you are following a specific plan, our posts on planning for Atkins and Atkins diet basics explain what to include.

Is buying in bulk and freezing safe?

Yes, when you do it properly. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service says that food kept constantly at 0 °F stays safe, and that recommended storage times are for quality only. Uncooked ground meat keeps its best quality for 3 to 4 months and cooked meat for 2 to 3 months. Divide large packs into meal-sized portions in freezer bags, label them with the date, and thaw them in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter. Freeze leftovers within 3 to 4 days. See the USDA guidance on freezing food.

Which protein foods are the best value?

Look beyond steak. Cuts that are often cheaper, such as chicken thighs, and cuts that cook well in a slow cooker, can give you protein for less. Eggs are a bargain: USDA data show that 100 grams of hard-boiled egg has about 12.6 grams of protein and about 1 gram of carbohydrate, and roasted chicken thigh meat has about 24.8 grams of protein and no carbohydrate. Tofu is another option. Keep an eye on legumes, which are inexpensive but contain carbohydrate: boiled lentils have about 19.5 grams per 100 grams and canned kidney beans about 21.5 grams, so they may only fit in small amounts, depending on the stage of your plan.

Can you save on vegetables?

Buy whole heads of lettuce rather than bagged salad, since you pay for the washing and chopping with bagged salad. Romaine has only about 3 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams. Frozen vegetables are convenient and cheap, and the USDA notes that the freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients. Cauliflower, broccoli and spinach are good choices. A salad spinner keeps leaves crisp, so that less is thrown away.

Are low-carb products worth buying?

Usually not. Low-carb bars, breads and snacks tend to cost more than ordinary foods, and the label can hide extra carbohydrate. They also often use sweeteners, and the World Health Organization advises against relying on non-sugar sweeteners for weight control. Spend your money on real food instead. If you want to try a swap, cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles are simple and cheap. Check the nutrition facts panel, and look up foods in the USDA FoodData Central database when you are not sure.

What else helps?

Use sales: if chicken thighs are cheaper than breasts this week, swap them in, as long as the recipe stays within your plan. Cook once and eat twice, for example by roasting a large tray of vegetables and chicken. Keep a food list in your phone so that you can check an unfamiliar sale item. And remember that diets for weight loss work best when you can keep them up for a long time; a plan that you can afford is one you can follow. Our post on common mistakes Atkins dieters make lists the pitfalls to avoid.

Many people think that building muscle means giving up your life to the gym and spending hours every day with heavy weights. It does not have to be that way. Full-body workouts, in which you train all your major muscle groups in one session, make it easier to fit strength training into a busy schedule, and they work well for beginners and for people who have trouble sticking to a long routine.

What is a full-body workout?

Instead of dividing the week into “chest day,” “leg day” and so on, you work the legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, arms and core in each session, usually with one or two exercises per area. Because every muscle group is trained several times a week, you can progress without spending hours at the gym. Government guidelines say that adults should do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week, working all the major muscle groups, and the National Institute on Aging advises avoiding working the same muscle group on two days in a row, to allow time for recovery.

Why choose full-body training?

It saves time. Two or three sessions a week of about an hour each add up to a small part of your week, and what matters is the quality of each session, not the number of hours.

It is flexible. If you miss a day, you have not missed an entire muscle group, because you will work it again in the next session.

It builds fitness too. Moving from one exercise to the next with short rests keeps your heart rate up, so you get a cardio benefit as well. You should still add some aerobic activity, because adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.

How do you structure a session?

Choose a handful of basic exercises that use many muscles at once. A simple template might include a squat or lunge for the legs, a hinge such as a deadlift or hip bridge for the back of the body, a push such as a push-up or bench press, a pull such as a row or lat pulldown, a shoulder press and a plank or similar core exercise. You can use machines, free weights, resistance bands or your own body weight. The National Institute on Aging says that one set of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise is effective, and two or three sets may be more effective.

Here are some rules that make it work.

Rest between sessions. Train every second or third day, so that muscles have time to recover. On your off days you can do cardio or go for a walk.

Make the effort count. The exercises should feel moderately hard to hard, to the point at which another repetition would be difficult. This does not mean you need to lift the heaviest weight you can. Good form comes first, and you should add weight gradually.

Warm up first. Start with a few minutes of light movement, and do your first set of each exercise with a lighter weight. Do not hold your breath: breathe out as you push or lift and breathe in as you lower. Avoid locking your joints.

Keep sessions focused. Around an hour is plenty. Longer sessions tend to get sloppy, and tired muscles are more likely to be injured.

Get help to start. If you have never lifted weights, or you have a health condition, ask a qualified trainer or your doctor to show you how to begin. Our posts on fitness for men, health and fitness and lifetime fitness can help you plan the rest of your week.

With a simple full-body routine and a little patience, you can build strength without making the gym your whole life.

Stories about poor health are everywhere, and so are the companies promising that a vitamin or supplement will fix it. The old version of this post gave sensible advice in a confused way: eat well, exercise, ask a professional and check with your doctor before you buy anything. That core message is right, so I have kept it and rewritten the rest with guidance from the National Institutes of Health.

Where should you start?

With the food on your plate. The old post said that diet is the place to start because it can make the biggest improvement to your health. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) agrees in spirit: it says supplements can help you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients if you do not eat a nutritious variety of foods, but they cannot take the place of the variety of foods that are important to a healthy eating routine. Salads, vegetables, fruit and whole grains do far more than a pill can. Our post on getting the right amount of vitamins shows how food covers most needs.

Do supplements always help?

Not necessarily. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that strong evidence to back up claims made for dietary supplements is often lacking. It gives an example: a 2022 review of 27 ingredients commonly used in immune-health supplements found rigorous studies in people for only eight of them, and even those were not strong enough to allow definite conclusions. NCCIH also notes that “natural” does not always mean “safe.” The old post’s advice to research what companies offer so that you are not wasting your money is sound.

Which people are more likely to need one?

Some groups have specific needs. Folic acid, for instance, decreases the risk of certain birth defects, according to ODS, and calcium and vitamin D help keep bones strong. People who eat no animal foods may need vitamin B12, and a doctor or dietitian can tell you whether that applies to you. If you suspect you are low in something, a blood test is better than guessing. Our guide to vitamin deficiency explains who is at risk and how to test.

Why see a professional?

The old post said that different people have different needs and that a qualified professional can help you decide, and that is true. A doctor or a registered dietitian can look at your diet, your health conditions and your medicines. This matters because, as NCCIH explains, dietary supplements may interact with your medications or pose risks if you have certain medical problems or are going to have surgery. ODS adds that some supplements can increase the risk of bleeding or change your response to anesthesia. Tell every health care provider about everything you take, including vitamins, herbs and protein powders.

What should you watch out for in a product?

Be careful with products promoted mainly for weight loss, sexual enhancement or bodybuilding. NCCIH warns that some of them may contain prescription drugs that are not allowed in dietary supplements, or other ingredients not listed on the label, and that some of these ingredients may be unsafe. Also remember that the FDA does not determine whether supplements are effective before they are marketed. ODS explains that quality seals from organizations such as NSF International or ConsumerLab.com show a product was properly made and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants, but they do not guarantee that it is safe or effective. Our post on choosing and using supplements wisely goes into more detail.

What about exercise?

The old post made the point that supplements will do something but exercise will do a lot for your body, and that is true. Regular physical activity does more for heart health, mood and sleep than almost any pill. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week for adults, plus muscle-strengthening on at least two days. If you are planning a new exercise program and taking supplements, tell your doctor about both.

What is the practical summary?

Eat a varied diet, stay active, and see a professional before you buy anything that claims a big result. If you do decide to take a supplement, pick one with a clear label, avoid megadoses, and read about it on a reliable source such as ODS: Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. Our guide to how and when to take supplements explains timing and combinations.

Tips for make-up and skin care

Make-up and skin care are generally regarded as women’s territory. Men rarely get involved with make-up; many men do care for their skin, but make-up is really alien to most of them. Treating make-up and skin care as separate topics would not make sense, because make-up only works well if the skin underneath is healthy. So how do you handle make-up and skin care together? Here are some tips:

* Always keep skin care in mind, whether you are buying make-up products or applying them to your skin after you have bought them. What you are buying is a make-up and skin care product, not just a make-up product. Check the ingredients to see if it contains things that you might be allergic to. Also check whether it contains high concentrations of chemicals that can harm your skin.

* Make-up and skin care also involve testing products before using them. So try new make-up on a small patch of skin, e.g. behind the earlobe, and check how your skin reacts to it.

* Keep track of the expiry dates on your make-up products and never use them beyond the expiry date. In fact, some products (e.g. vitamin C based products) can spoil well before the expiry date if they are not stored properly.

* Cleanliness is an important part of any make-up and skin care routine. Sharpen your eye-liners often and keep all your make-up tools clean at all times. You might set a date each month for cleaning and checking your equipment. As part of cleanliness, your make-up and skin care routine should also include keeping your hair clean.

* Nail care is another important aspect of make-up and skin care. Use a good quality nail polish and always keep your nails clean. Once you have cleaned and polished your nails, rub a little cuticle oil into the edges of the nail.

* If you have deep-set eyes, use a pencil eye-liner instead of a liquid one. This helps prevent smudging in the inner corners of your eyelid.

* If you have a skin problem such as acne, avoid heavy or harsh chemical-based make-up. Consult your dermatologist if you are not sure which make-up products you can use while you have acne or another skin disorder. Never try to squeeze pimples or acne. Remember that make-up and skin care should not work against each other.

* Use a mild make-up remover instead of simply washing your make-up off.

* Another important make-up and skin care measure is this simple rule: never sleep with your make-up on.

* When applying a deodorant, make sure you keep the recommended distance between the nozzle and your skin (as mentioned on the deodorant pack).

So make-up and skin care should always go hand in hand. Do not try to treat make-up and skin care separately.