If you are trying to secure some Ozempic for yourself, you better make sure you aren’t buying fake GLP-1 drugs. High prices and market shortages make certain websites very appealing to consumers, but counterfeit drugs can pose serious health risks. How can you know what’s in these fake drugs? Should you want to start using Ozempic, make sure to verify the legitimacy of any only pharmacy you use. 

GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, increase insulin sensitivity and stimulate insulin secretion. These drugs also reduce blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Because they can make you feel full, they have become a popular drug to promote weight loss, especially amongst overweight or obese people. Unfortunately, GLP-1 drugs can be very expensive without insurance. One carton of Ozempic, for example, can cost about $1,000 at U.S. pharmacies. 

All of these factors create opportunities for people to sell fake prescription drugs, ultimately taking advantage of consumers. One report found that social media websites were popular spaces for promoting fake drugs. Of the 3,968 fake listings removed in 2023, almost 60% were found on Facebook. Some experts believe that these fake sites target Facebook because the users tend to be a little older and less likely to spot a scam. 

Why Are Fake Drug Websites So Dangerous?

Registered dietitians have given remarks about the recent emergence of fake GLP-1 drugs. They say that the biggest danger with buying from fake drug websites is that you don’t know what you are getting. You take a big risk when you take an unregulated drug because it could contain anything. What’s the best case scenario? You get an inert placebo. On the other side of the coin, you could put something incredibly dangerous in your body. 

One of the major risks with taking these fake drugs is that they could be laced with heavy metals and other harmful toxins. Hundreds of ER visits every year are due to severe allergic reactions or lead poisoning, which people acquired from unknown sources. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also indicates that because most GLP-1 drugs are injected, the risk of infection is high, considering the sterility of needles can’t be confirmed. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, notes that you cannot confirm the efficacy of fake medications. That could be very dangerous for people who use these meds to control blood sugar. 

How To Know If You Are Buying Fake Medications

The language on the sites selling fake medications is typically the same copy on real online pharmacies. Fake sites use deceptive tactics to not only appear genuine, but also to fool consumers. In fact, some sites will copy the branding and logos of reputable pharmaceutical companies. The discounted price is a big factor that tends to entice consumers who don’t want to pay the full price tag. It’s like looking for an item on a website and then looking somewhere else for the knock-off version. If you want to determine the legitimacy of the medication, consider the following: 

• Beware of suspiciously low prices: Super discounts could mean that the product is expired or counterfeit.
• Use reputable online pharmacies: Make sure that the contact information is verified and that the payment methods are secure. Additionally, look for accreditation from authorities. 
• Look for accreditation: Verified seals or certifications can indicate credible websites. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy provides a database of credible pharmacies. 
• Verify the credentials: Before you make the purchase, make sure that the pharmacy has an active license in the state where it dispenses the medications. If it looks suspicious or you don’t have a good feeling about it, abort the mission. 
• Check the authenticity of the medication: Make sure to research the appearance of the medication, how it’s packaged, and the manufacturer before you order or use it. Compare what you are looking at with the real medication. Novo Nordisk, for example, may offer real and fake photos to help you discern the real meds from the fake ones.

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Among developed countries, the United States has the highest obesity rates in the world. The percentage of obese adult males in the US is a whopping 36.47%. This is due to various factors including dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, access to health care and more.

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Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some factors, including genetics, can make you more prone to heart disease. No matter your situation, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of heart-related issues. You can control most risk factors, or at least modify them, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Cardiologists explain that lifestyle choices have a huge impact on your overall heart health. In fact, lifestyle choices play a larger role than genetics do. The AHA estimates that 80% of cardiovascular disease, which includes stroke and heart disease, can be prevented. Other heart experts and researchers agree that most heart disease cases are preventable. If you take care of your heart in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, you may not have to see a cardiologist for most of your life. What can you do to keep your heart healthy? Continue reading to learn about some helpful tips. 

Look At Your Diet

What you put in your body can dictate your overall health, especially your heart health. There are various diets that place emphasis on consuming healthy fats, fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from fresh ingredients. The AHA often recommends the DASH diet to help control heart health, but you may prefer the Mediterranean diet instead. Your main goal, no matter which diet you choose or don’t choose, is to consume lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Olive oil, avocados, seeds, and nuts are great sources of healthy fats! Limit your sugar intake and cut back on red meat, opting for wild caught fish when you can. Lastly, try to avoid processed foods because they don’t do anything for your heart. 

Minimize Stress

Everyone experiences stress, which can be tough on the heart. Stress can also lead to overeating and inactivity, two things that can increase blood pressure and cholesterol. It is tough to avoid stress, but there are things you can do to manage it. Consider taking five to 10 minutes out of every day to meditate, do yoga, stretch, or breathe deeply and you may notice a huge difference. A relaxing bath a couple times a week may also help you unload your stress. 

Aim For A Good Night’s Sleep

While certain people can function great with varying amounts of sleep, the last thing you want to do is neglect sleep. Sleep experts recommend that adults get between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Dipping below six hours on a regular basis may hurt your heart, according to a few studies. In fact, poor sleep habits have been linked to high blood pressure and a harder time losing weight. Sleep is the body’s way of recharging the heart because heart rate goes down during sleep. You are not under a lot of stress while sleeping, so get some sleep to improve your heart and overall health.

Keep Your Blood Pressure In Check

Annual physicals are intended to inform you of your health. Your healthcare provider can check for heart disease symptoms and help you stay on top of your blood pressure. Knowing your blood pressure is crucial because there are no specific indicators of high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is out of control, your risk of heart disease is much higher. Should you find out that your blood pressure is high, there are steps you can take to naturally lower your blood pressure before you resort to medication. 

Exercise Most Days Of The Week

The AHA encourages everyone to get at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense exercise weekly. If that number is not feasible, try to work out harder for shorter amounts of time, for example, high-intensity interval workouts. The AHA also states that 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, or a combination of vigorous and moderate workouts is also acceptable. Physical activity is the fountain of youth, people! Try your best to squeeze in a workout, even if that means some push-ups at home, a neighborhood walk or jog, 20 minutes on the exercise bike, or yoga class here and there. Elevate your heart rate!

Assess Your Weight

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of heart disease. A 2021 report found that obesity directly contributes to heart disease risk factors, including type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Obesity can also lead to the development of heart disease and death from heart disease. Although body mass index (BMI) often indicates obesity, it is not always the best measure. BMI is simply an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes. If you are overweight or obese with heart problems, consider losing weight to promote better overall health. Exercise daily and make dietary changes (detailed earlier in this article). Consider a nutritional consultation to find the best plan for you.

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In today’s day and age, there is no shortage of tips and tricks on how to lose weight quickly. Some of the information is beneficial and effective, while other tips are useless and leave you frustrated. Most people who want to lose weight want to see it disappear from the stomach area. While the main reason for losing belly fat may be due to vanity, there is a lot of evidence that trimming down your midsection benefits your overall health.

It is very difficult to target belly fat specifically when dieting. When you take a multi-faceted approach to weight loss, you ultimately work to shrink your waistline. The most important part of losing weight around the midsection is that you reduce dangerous layers of visceral fat. This type of fat, which you can’t see, exists within the abdominal cavity and it increases the risk of several health conditions. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 40% of the world’s population is overweight. Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of metabolic conditions, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer. Continue reading if you want to learn about tips that can help you lose belly fat. 

Eat Mindfully

The concept of eating mindfully means that you pay attention to food on purpose, moment by moment. It’s an approach to eating that helps you focus on the awareness of the food you eat and how you experience it. This eating style is a helpful way to achieve a healthy weight. Slow down when you eat so that you don’t inhale your food too quickly. When you eat, make sure that there are no distractions because the goal is to focus on your meal. 

Reduce Stress

When you experience stress over a longer period of time, it’s not only dangerous to your health, but it’s also linked to fat gain. Chronic stress can increase the risk of heart disease, mental disorders, autoimmune disorders, and diabetes. Stress manifests in the body in several ways, some of which you may not always notice. Increasing levels of cortisol, changes in appetite, interfering with digestion, and increasing blood sugar levels are a few examples. Carve out more time for relaxation activities if you feel an overwhelming amount of stress in your life, because it may be keeping that fat around your belly. 

Think Eating Plan, Not Diet

The idea that a quick fix diet is the answer to your belly fat problems is a false promise. Sure, you may see the weight fall off in two weeks, but then you return to your old eating habits and the fat comes back. Instead, you should decide on a healthy eating plan that you can sustain over time. You may benefit from a low-carb approach that involves learning smarter food choices. Low-carb eating helps to shift your focus away from problem foods that are rich in calories, carbs, and sodium. Instead, you eat more nutrient-dense foods!

Limit Your Alcohol

According to research, people who drink regularly have more belly fat than people who drink socially or casually. While there are low-calorie alcoholic beverages, drinking excessively tends to increase your caloric intake. Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions, meaning that you are more inclined to eat unhealthy foods after a few drinks. If you have more than two drinks a day, try cutting back on your consumption to trim down your midsection.

Don’t Neglect Your Sleep

Sleep affects your mood, immune function, productivity, and more. How does it relate to the fat around your belly, though? Sleep can affect ghrelin and leptin, both of which are appetite-stimulating hormones. When you don’t get enough sleep, or you don’t sleep well, you impact those hunger hormones. The biochemical response to sleep deprivation is that you want to eat more, and the foods you want to eat are typically unhealthy. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep per night to help regulate those hunger hormones. 

HIIT Workouts

If you want to lose belly fat, you have to focus on your diet, but you also need to incorporate fitness into your weight loss regimen. If you want to make the most of your workouts, high-intensity interval (HIIT) workouts give you the most bang for your workout buck. They combine cardiovascular exercise and strength training movements. Studies show that HIIT workouts help you burn fat in a short period of time. In fact, a systematic review found that HIIT workouts led to 28% greater reductions in total fat mass compared to moderate-intensity training.

Curb Your Late Night Eating

If you mindlessly snack while binging a TV show late at night, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. It’s best to implement a cutoff time for eating, especially at night. Aim to eat dinner no later than 7 p.m. and don’t eat until the next morning. Think of this as a way of intermittent fasting, trying to eat the majority of your food during an eight-hour period in the daytime. Registered dietitians say that people who struggle to lose weight often overeat at night, so if you fall into this category then you know what you have to work on. 

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For the average American adult, weight gain is a natural part of life. A pound here and three pounds there may not have the biggest impact, but measurable weight gain is another story. That’s the type of weight gain that sounds the alarm. To put it in simpler terms: you struggle to inch a pair of pants above your thighs and you can no longer button them. This is exactly the type of weight gain that has occurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic, most American adults have gained an average of about 12-15 pounds. One survey from the United Kingdom found that more than 50% of test subjects struggled to maintain their weight during lockdown. Additionally, doctors in the United Kingdom and the United States saw an uptick in patients who expressed concern about weight gain. 

Why Did The Pandemic Cause Weight Gain?

First thing’s first, the pandemic flipped everyone’s life upside down. Routines went out the window as a result of mass closures and people remained at home, only going out for essential goods. Many of the things that motivated people to stay healthy (wearing a special outfit to an event, getting dressed for work, attending a wedding or reunion, or staying in shape for dates) vanished, so there was no incentive for people to remain at a healthy weight. On top of all this, worrying about job security, feeding families, no more socializing, and not living life like people used to caused high stress levels. Many of the therapies that counteract stress (yoga, sound baths, gyms, or faith-based centers) closed down. 

The Relationship Between The Mind And Weight Gain

The mind and body have a complicated relationship. When you feel an overwhelming amount of stress, you experience excess cortisol and adrenaline production, and the body pours glucose into the bloodstream for increased energy as a result. The reason it does this is because adrenaline and cortisol initiate the body’s fight or flight response. When you don’t need to fight or flight, however, these glucose spikes lead to increased cravings, hunger, and ultimately weight gain. For instance, people are binging shows or movies as a result of staying at home, but they’re also unconsciously binging food during that screen time. Additionally, working from home gives people unlimited access to their kitchen. All of this creates the perfect recipe for weight gain.

Getting Back On Track

You may not be able to change the ways of the world, but you can take control of other things in your life. It’s difficult to accept the things that you cannot change, but it is necessary to keep your mind and body healthy. Most mental health professionals recommend people to do things that help break the high stress/weight gain cycle. You’ll find tips to reform your pandemic nutrition below. 

Set A Hydration Goal Every Day

The body needs water to live, but water also promotes healthy digestion, toxin elimination, increased energy, and stress reduction. You see, stress causes the body to confuse thirst for hunger, so you end up snacking a lot instead of drinking water. Set a hydration goal every day and try your best to hit that target. It is ideal to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water!

Mind Over Weight

You have more control than you realize during the pandemic. While testing and vaccines are not in your control, you do control how you eat, how you move, and what you do to keep yourself calm. If you get on a scale and are unhappy with the number, simply forget about what you did for the last six months and begin anew. Learn from your pandemic mistakes and move forward. Start your day with a walk around the neighborhood and a smoothie. If you want to eat better, there are plenty of healthy meal service plans. If you want to workout without leaving the house, many online videos can whip you into shape. 

Eat Fruit Instead Of Sweets

Most people don’t satisfy their recommended daily intake of fruit, so replace your ice cream, candy, and other desserts with various fruits. The body has an easier time processing the natural sugars in fruit than the processed and artificial sugars in other sweets. You can cut up watermelon, mango, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, or cantaloupe, and you can even freeze blueberries and grapes for healthier desserts. 

No More Evening Eating

You should always have a cutoff time when it comes to eating at night. Eating too close to bedtime can interfere with digestion, so nutritionists recommend leaving 10-12 hours between your last meal of the day and breakfast. This fasting period can help control blood sugar levels and it cuts out the late night caloric intake. 

Find Ways To Reduce Stress

Exercise is beneficial for stress reduction, but some people need additional techniques to manage stress. From gardening and yoga to breathing exercises and reading, you can do a lot of things at home to reduce your stress levels. Many healthy experts encourage people to get out in nature for a walk, hike, or picnic because nature has a calming effect on the body and mind. 

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With all the stress we dump on ourselves, in addition to sedentary lifestyles and the regular wear and tear of everyday life, our bodies become achy, tight, and sore. The average person deals with it, avoiding proper recovery methods that work to increase mobility and decrease tension. Yoga is one of the most readily available techniques to increase flexibility and give the body a break from being overworked. How many people take advantage of yoga, though?

When you think about yoga, the image that sticks in your mind is a beautiful, physically fit woman in tight clothing performing tree pose or downward dog. Advertisements, yoga tutorials, and more have made it abundantly clear that yoga is for fit women with perfect bodies, but buying into that nonsense is why most plus-size women avoid yoga classes. The beauty of yoga is that anyone, no matter the gender, shape, age, or size, can participate because there are modifications for each pose. Not every pose is about contorting your body into a pretzel.

Sure, it can be intimidating to enter a yoga class filled with these fit yoga goddesses in skin-tight athletic attire, but yoga is an individual experience, despite the group setting. Only do what you are comfortable doing, and don’t push the body into pain just to keep up with the others in the class. Statistically, more people are likely to injure themselves when they attempt yoga poses that they aren’t ready to perform. Doing a yoga pose incorrectly is one of the easiest ways to cause more damage to the body.

If you are a plus size woman who is hesitant about trying a yoga class, don’t be. Mainstream representation of “the ideal yoga body” is not a correct one because anyone can do yoga. Nonetheless, if you are shy about your curves, many online videos or classes exist. Follow along with these classes, or start with the five poses below. Don’t be afraid to reduce stress, tension, and pain in the body.

Standing Forward Bend

This is a great warm-up pose that helps to stretch out the hamstrings and lower back. Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart. Slowly bend forward, hinging at the hips, keeping your back as straight as possible. If you can reach the floor, fantastic! If you can’t reach the floor, do not worry because you can use a yoga block or chair to support yourself. Always remember to keep the back straight for maximum the hamstring stretch.

Pigeon Pose

Tight hips can lead to sharp pains at different areas in the body, and they are a common concern for many people who enter yoga classes. Pigeon pose is a great remedy for this, but it can be challenging on the front knee. Begin on the hands and knees, and slowly bend your right foot and bring it forward through your hands. Lean the outside of your leg on the ground and extend the left leg backward, toes facing down. If you are a beginner, place a chair in front of you, lean forward, and rest in this position for a few breaths. You can put a pillow under your right knee if it isn’t touching the floor. Repeat with the other leg.

Tree Pose

Increase your balance by practicing tree pose. Because tree pose can be difficult to do for beginners, and hard for people with knee pain, modify the position by standing straight up with your back against the wall, feet hip-distance apart. Bend your right knee slightly and bring your heel to touch the inside of your ankle, the ball of your right foot still on the mat. Your foot is almost like a kickstand in this position. Take a few breaths and then repeat with the other foot. Standing in this position gets you used to it, and you’ll be placing your entire foot on your inner calf and standing freely before you know it.

Camel Pose

Need to eliminate some back pain? Stretch out your chest and back by practicing camel pose. Start with your knees on the ground, about hip-distance apart, with your back straight. Slowly bend backward and grab your right ankle with your right hand before grabbing your left ankle with your left hand. Lift your chest towards the sky, arching your back and supporting yourself with your hands on your ankles. Take few breaths in this pose before returning to the starting position.

Reclined Big Toe

Start this pose by laying flat on your back. Bend your right knee toward your chest, leaving the left leg extended. Grab a towel or stretching band and strap it around the center of your right foot, holding onto either end of the band or towel. Slowly straighten your right leg towards the ceiling, keeping the bottom of your foot facing up. Pull on the towel or band to stretch your calf and hamstring. Remain in this position for a few breaths before returning to the starting position and repeating with the other leg.

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