FDA REQUIRES RESPONSES TO INSPECTION REQUESTS WITHIN 24 HOURS, ACCORDING TO NEW INSPECTION REFUSAL GUIDANCE
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a draft guidance that outlines their interpretation of the term “refusal of inspection.”  According to the guidance, FDA requires food facilities receiving notice of FDA inspection to confirm acceptance of the inspection within 24 hours. Failure to confirm within 24 hours may be deemed refusal of inspection, resulting in refusal of that facility’s future food shipments to the US.  Further, any attempts to limit or condition the inspection in any way likewise may be deemed a refusal of inspection, with the same harsh consequences.
What are the Consequences of Being Deemed a Refusal?
Facilities that refuse inspection are placed under Import Alert 99-32, and their food articles face refusal of admission at the port of U.S. entry.  In addition, their FDA registration may be suspended.
How Can I Prevent Being Deemed a Refusal?
The recent guidance amplifies the importance of understanding FDA’s expectations for the inspection process and having a reliable U.S. Agent as a guide.  Before the inspection begins, the Agency may interpret actions such as not agreeing to an inspection start date or rescheduling an inspection without reasonable explanation as attempts to circumvent the inspection.  Upon receiving a notice of inspection, a facility should work with their U.S. Agent to respond to FDA promptly and cooperatively.
During the inspection, a facility should maintain this cooperation with the FDA inspector.  Any attempts to interfere with or delay the inspection, such as limiting the inspector’s observations to certain areas of the plant or omitting requested documents, may constitute refusal.  Facilities should ensure that they accommodate the inspector’s requests and refrain from any actions that might limit a full observation of daily operations.
Our Facility Is Under Import Alert for Inspection Refusal.  What Can We Do?
To seek removal from the Import Alert 99-32 Red List, a facility must petition for inspection by FDA.  The guidance states that for some facilities, scheduling an inspection after an initial refusal may take at least one year.  Given this, full cooperation with FDA inspection is imperative to avoid loss of profits from an avoidable Import Alert.
Proper guidance from a third party experienced in FDA regulations can prove invaluable to a facility facing inspection.  Registrar Corp’s trained Regulatory Specialists are knowledgeable in FDA inspections and can conduct a Mock FDA Inspection of your facility.  Our experts can help identify potential food safety issues to fix before an inspection and educate facility staff on FDA expectations. For more information, call us at +1-757-224-0177 or chat with a Regulatory Advisor 24 hours a day at www.registrarcorp.com/livehelp.
Registrar Corp can act as your U.S. Agent to help you promptly schedule inspection with FDA, as well as provide your facility a host of additional benefits, including biennial registration, detention assistance, and compliance monitoring.
WHY FOOD FACILITIES SHOULD GET OFF FDA IMPORT ALERT BEFORE MARCH 2018
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires most U.S. importers of food and beverages to develop and implement Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs). Covered importers must document their foreign suppliers’ FDA compliance, including whether or not each supplier is subject to a FDA Import Alert.
Under FSVP, importers must only import from suppliers whom they have evaluated and approved. FDA requires verification activities outlined in a FSVP to be decided by the level of supplier risk determined from this evaluation.  An Import Alert increases the probability that the importer must conduct more comprehensive verification activities to ensure the safety of a supplier’s products, such as onsite audits or sampling.  In some cases, the importer may be unable to approve a supplier because they are under Import Alert.  For these reasons, suppliers not on alert receive a competitive advantage in the market.
The next FSVP deadline is March 19, 2018, which applies to U.S. importers whose suppliers have fewer than 500 full-time equivalent employees. Before the deadline, food facilities outside of the United States should ensure that they are not subject to an Import Alert that may cause their U.S. Importers to not approve them.
What is an Import Alert?
Products on Import Alert face detention without physical examination (DWPE) at the port of entry. FDA issues Import Alerts when patterns of non-compliance from a specific business or country give the Agency reasonable belief that future shipments may violate regulations.
For example, FDA sampled 16 shipments of dried peppers from ten different shippers in Mexico in 1988.  FDA found excessive mold in 14 of those samples.  This led to the publication of Import Alert #24-11, which subjects all shipments of dried peppers from Mexico to DWPE unless the shipper’s product is exempt.  This is just one instance of over 240 active FDA Import Alerts.
How do I know if my products are on Import Alert?
FDA does not directly notify a facility that it is under Import Alert.  Instead, the Agency maintains a public database of Import Alerts with records of which products from which facilities are subject to DWPE. However, determining if products are on Import Alert may require time-consuming searches through numerous alerts for any facilities a given business might have a stake in.  Registrar Corp’s FDA Compliance Monitor is a simple alternative that allows businesses to track all of their facilities at once and receive a detailed report of any alerts their products may be under.
My Products are on Import Alert.  How do I get them removed?
A business may petition FDA for exclusion from an Import Alert by demonstrating evidence of compliance that overcomes the apparent violation detailed in the Alert. A common misconception is that a facility is excluded from Import Alert after five consecutive non-violative shipments are released by FDA.  This is only a small component of a larger process involving other, potentially extensive requirements.
The specific requirements for a petition vary, and are outlined in the guidance issued with an individual Import Alert.  These may include documentation of revised food safety plans, revised labeling or formulations, changes implemented in the manufacturing process, or documentation of compliance with a government agency regulating food in the facility’s home country.
Many businesses can be intimidated by the extensive requirements of an Import Alert petition.  These businesses may remain under Import Alert, facing DWPE and difficulties satisfying the requirements of an importer’s FSVP, even if they are not in violation of the specified regulations at the time.  Despite a solution to the problem, some businesses might have no idea how to begin a petition.
Registrar Corp’s Regulatory Specialists are experienced in developing Import Alert petitions and can help you draft and compile the necessary documentation for Import Alert exclusion.  Additionally, importers and suppliers can try Registrar Corp’s FDA Compliance Monitor free for 60 days to see which of their facilities may be on alert.

MORE BEST THINGS click here..................

MORE BEST THINGS click here..................

UPCOMING CHANGES TO FDA ELECTRONIC MEDICAL DEVICE REPORTING (EMDR) IN 2018
Medical device manufacturers and importers are required to report “adverse events” to FDA when their device has caused or contributed to death or serious injury.  An “adverse event” is when a device has a malfunction that could cause death or serious injury.  Importers report this information to the manufacturer.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will update certain codes used for Adverse Event Reporting through the Electronic Medical Device Reporting (eMDR) system on April 6, 2018.
The Agency will replace the codes for FDA Device Problem, Manufacturer Evaluation Method, Manufacturer Evaluation Result, and Manufacturer Evaluation Conclusion with similar codes established by the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF).
IMDRF has released public references to help map FDA codes to the new codes during the interim before the update.  For example, the current FDA Device Problem Code 2682 refers to an “issue associated with the interaction between the patient’s physiology or anatomy and the device that affects patient and/or device.” This code corresponds to and will be replaced by IMDRF code A0101, a “problem associated with the interaction between the patient’s physiology or anatomy and the device that affects the patient and/or the device.”
Despite this mapping, reporting parties will not be able to rely on FDA codes after the update.  Some IMDRF codes do not have a current FDA equivalent, and FDA has further stated that the submission of retired FDA codes following the update will be rejected by the eMDR system.   As such, reporting parties should familiarize themselves with the IMDRF codes for a smooth transition into these changes.
If you are a reporting party in need of assistance, Registrar Corp can guide you through the eSubmitter software and facilitate your Adverse Event Report submission to eMDR.  Registrar Corp offers Adverse Event Reporting assistance at no fee to clients of our U.S. Agent Service.  Call us at +1-757-224-0177.
FDA RELEASES FY 2017 INSPECTIONAL OBSERVATIONS; REGISTRAR CORP REPORTS ON COMMON FOOD SAFETY VIOLATIONS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released its inspectional observation data for fiscal year (FY) 2017.  The data presents an overview of violations cited by FDA during routine food facility inspections from October 2016 through September 2017.  FDA consulting firm Registrar Corp compiled the most commonly cited food safety violations:
Lack of Effective Pest Exclusion/Screening – The facility does not take effective measures to protect food against contamination from pests or exclude pests from food production areas.
Sanitation Monitoring – The facility does not monitor sanitation conditions and practices frequently enough to conform to current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs).  Some factors that should be monitored include the safety of water coming into contact with food and food contact surfaces, the condition and cleanliness of food contact surfaces, and the measures used to prevent cross-contamination from unsanitary objects.
Plant Cleanliness – The facility fails to maintain cleanliness of the premises, or the facility is not constructed in a way that allows for proper sanitation or maintenance of floors, walls, and ceilings.
HACCP Plan Implementation – A facility manufacturing seafood or juice fails to implement procedures in its HACCP plan. These may include monitoring critical control points of food hazards, verifying the adequacy of the plan’s hazard control, or maintaining records as required by 21 CFR Part 123
Reasonable Precautions – The facility does not take precautions to prevent production procedures from contaminating food.  Reasonable precautions may include monitoring food processing time and temperature or monitoring manufacturing operations, such as freezing or heat processing.
The violations listed above are nearly identical to the most common violations cited in FY 2016 and FY 2015.  Food facilities should use this pattern to anticipate what areas in their daily operations may require further review before a FDA inspection.
It is worth mentioning that the 2017 list is the first to include violations related to FDA’s Preventive Controls Rules and Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Rule, both of which had compliance deadlines in 2017.  Most food facilities are now required to have implemented HARPC food safety plans, and many importers are required to have FSVPs. Despite the first FSVP compliance deadline passing as recently as May 2017, failure to develop an FSVP was cited 108 times.  With the next FSVP deadline landing in March 2018, it is probable that FSMA violations may make their way to the top next year.
Inspection violations can result in Warning Letters, placement on Import Alert, suspension of facility registration, and other enforcement actions.  With proper preparation and guidance, these food safety issues can be corrected before FDA visits a facility.  Registrar Corp’s Food Safety Specialists can conduct a mock FDA inspection of your facility to identify potential food safety violations.  Our expert, onsite assistance can guide your facility with knowledge and tools to have a successful FDA inspection. 

FDA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TRICLOSAN IN HEALTH CARE ANTISEPTICS
On December 20, 2017, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule that will prohibit the inclusion of commonly used ingredient triclosan and 23 other active ingredients in antiseptics for health care environments.  Following the rule’s compliance deadline of December 20, 2018, health care antiseptics containing any of the covered ingredients will not be permitted to enter interstate commerce without FDA approval of a new drug application (NDA).  You will find a list of the covered ingredients below.
The scope of this rule only applies to antiseptic products (i.e. washes, scrubs, rubs, and skin preparations) used by health care professionals in health care settings.  Antiseptic products intended for use by consumers are covered by two separate rules, one of which had a compliance deadline in September 2017
Why are these ingredients prohibited?
The covered ingredients were initially part of a 1994 tentative final monograph for OTC antiseptic drug products.  A 2015 proposed rule called for additional data to support the safety and effectiveness of these ingredients for use in health care antiseptic products.  FDA did not receive any additional data, and the available scientific evidence surrounding the ingredients was insufficient to support a determination that they are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE).
FDA is delaying final rulemaking for at least one year on benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, chloroxylenol, alcohol (also known as ethanol or ethyl alcohol), isopropyl alcohol, and povidone-iodine.  The Agency has stated that a determination for these ingredients will be dependent upon whether ongoing studies are eventually completed, and if so, when they are completed.
Not sure how this rule applies to your health care antiseptics?  Registrar Corp’s Regulatory Specialists can conduct a full review of your antiseptic product’s ingredients and labeling.  We review your product’s active ingredients to ensure that they conform to the requirements specified in the applicable FDA monographs for antimicrobial drug products. We also inspect your labeling to ensure that its content and formatting conform to numerous FDA drug regulations.  In addition to an extensive report of suggested revisions, you will receive a print-ready label incorporating these changes.  For assistance, call us at +1-757-224-0177 or chat with a Regulatory Advisor 24/7 at www.registrarcorp.com/livehelp.
Ingredients Deemed Not Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective under the Health Care Antiseptic Final Rule:orhexidine gluconate
Mercufenol chloride
Cloflucarban
Methylbenzethonium chloride
Fluorosalan
Phenol
Hexachlorophene
Secondary amyltricresols
Hexylresorcinol
Sodium oxychlorosene
Iodophors (Iodine-containing ingredients)
• Iodine complex (ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate)
• Iodine complex (phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol)
• Iodine tincture USP
• Iodine topical solution USP
• Nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanoliodine
• Poloxamer—iodine complex
• Undecoylium chloride iodine complex
Tribromsalan
Triclocarban
Triclosan
Triple dye
Combination of calomel, oxyquinoline benzoate, triethanolamine, and phenol derivative
Combination of mercufenol chloride and secondary amyltricresols in 50 percent alcohol
FDA ANNOUNCES NEW ENFORCEMENT APPROACH TO DRUGS LABELED AS HOMEOPATHIC
Once small and specialized, homeopathic drugs now comprise a nearly $3 billion industry.  Following an increase in reported health concerns stemming from these products and a flurry of unsubstantiated health claims surrounding the industry, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking new measures to curb the widespread distribution of potentially harmful drugs labeled as homeopathic.
What are Homeopathic Drugs?
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine based on the principle of remedying health conditions using diluted solutions of substances that produce similar symptoms in a healthy patient.
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act defines articles recognized in the official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States as drugs.  FDA states that homeopathic drugs “are subject to the same requirements related to approval, adulteration and misbranding as any other drug product.”
Despite this, the uniqueness of homeopathic drugs delayed them from the 1972 over-the-counter (OTC) drug review, which determined the safety and effectiveness of most OTC drugs on the U.S. market.  Even now, FDA has not conducted a formal review of homeopathic drugs.  Since 1988, a FDA Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) establishes provisions under which these products may be marketed without the prior FDA approval required of other drug products.
Why is FDA Cracking Down on Homeopathic Drugs?
Numerous homeopathic drugs contain potentially harmful ingredients.  As recently as September 2017, a homeopathic drug facility received a Warning Letter, citing failure to establish adequate in-process controls for products containing multiple potentially toxic ingredients.  One such ingredient was Nux vomica, a plant bearing constituents commonly used for rat poison.
Throughout 2017, FDA issued at least four additional letters to homeopathic drug manufacturers who failed to adequately test and control potentially toxic substances in their products.  FDA charged the drugs in question as adulterated.
New Enforcement Approaches to Homeopathic Drugs
In addition to FDA, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued measures to mitigate the prevalence of unsubstantiated health claims made by homeopathic drug manufacturers. A 2016 FTC Enforcement Policy Statement requires homeopathic drug labeling to communicate that “there is no scientific evidence that the product works.”  The label must also indicate that “the product’s claims are based only on theories of homeopathy from the 1700s that are not accepted by most modern medical experts.”
A December 2017 FDA draft guidance explains that the Agency intends to prioritize enforcement on products that are known to cause harm to patients, including those with reported health issues and those deemed adulterated under section 501 of the FD&C Act.
FDA states it will also focus increased attention on homeopathic drugs with less overt health concerns.  According to the guidance, unapproved drugs intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions may cause a patient to delay or discontinue treatment already generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE). Homeopathic drugs designed for vulnerable populations (e.g. infants and the elderly) may pose significant health risks even in small concentrations, in spite of treatments that have already been determined GRASE.  For this reason, these drug categories may see increased regulatory enforcement.
In the previously referenced Warning Letters, FDA maintains that “nothing in the FD&C Act exempts homeopathic drugs from any of the requirements related to adulteration, labeling, misbranding, or approval.”  The letters and newly issued guidance suggest that FDA intends to expand efforts to hold homeopathic drug manufacturers accountable to the regulations derived from the FD&C Act.
Registrar Corp is a consulting firm that assists drug companies with U.S. FDA regulations.  Our Regulatory Specialists can assist with FDA registration and drug listing, labeling requirements, and other drug regulations.  For assistance or questions call +1-757-224-0177.

2017 IN REVIEW – U.S. FDA FOOD AND BEVERAGE REGULATIONS
2017 brought a host of changes for food manufacturers and importers.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had a year of announcements, proposals, and deadlines for the food and beverage industry.  Perhaps most notable were the passing of two compliance dates for rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and a proposed extension of the compliance date for FDA’s new food label rules.  Take a look below at some of the regulatory highlights that occurred this year.
FDA Removed 28% of Food Facility Registrations from its Database
Between January 2016 and February 2017, FDA removed 57,720 food facility registrations from its database.  The drop in registrations was likely caused by facilities not properly registering before the December 2016 deadline and U.S. Agents of foreign facilities not confirming acceptance of this role with FDA.
Australia Received Systems Recognition with U.S. FDA
In April, FDA recognized the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as having a comparable Food Safety System to the United States.  Australia follows New Zealand and Canada as the third country to receive this recognition.  U.S. Importers may receive exemptions from certain requirements in their Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVPs) if their suppliers are in “good compliance standing” with a recognized country’s regulating authority.
As of this writing, the three recognized countries have not published lists of firms in good compliance standing.  As a result, suppliers in these countries are unable to benefit from the competitive advantage that more relaxed FSVP requirements for importers would grant them.
The FSVP Compliance Deadline for Most US Importers Passed
The first compliance deadline for the FSVP Rule passed on May 30, 2017.  Among other requirements, covered importers must monitor and document their foreign suppliers’ FDA compliance, evaluate the level of health risk their suppliers pose, and conduct appropriate verification activities relative to this evaluation.  In August, FDA began inspecting covered importers for their compliance with FSVP requirements.  The next FSVP compliance date is March 19, 2018.
Compliance Dates Passed under the Preventive Controls Rules
Larger animal food and smaller human food businesses were required to develop and implement written Food Safety Plans by September 18, 2017.  These plans, overseen by a “Preventive Controls Qualified Individual” (PCQI), involve an analysis of reasonably known or foreseeable hazards and preventive controls for these hazards.  Smaller animal food businesses were required to begin implementing Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) by this deadline.
FDA Proposed Extension of Label Rule Compliance Dates
In September, FDA proposed an extension of the compliance deadline for new food labeling rules to January 1, 2020 for food manufacturers grossing $10 million or more in annual sales.  Smaller businesses would be provided an additional year.  Despite the proposed extension, we urge facilities to take steps toward compliance now. FDA issued this proposal after manufacturers expressed concerns over being able to comply with the initial deadline of July 2018.
FDA Proposed to Revoke Authorized Health Claim for Soy Protein
FDA issued a proposal to revoke an authorized health claim linking soy protein to a decreased risk of coronary heart disease.  Since the claim’s authorization in 1999, the “totality of scientific evidence” surrounding the relationship has yielded inconsistent findings.  This caused FDA to determine that it did not present the significant scientific agreement required of an authorized health claim.
FDA Issued Draft Guidance for Refusal of Inspection
In December, FDA issued a guidance outlining the Agency’s interpretation of the term “refusal of inspection.”  FDA states that, among other actions, failure to respond to an inspection request within 24 hours may constitute a refusal.  Food facilities that refuse inspection are placed under Import Alert, and their products are refused at the port of U.S. entry.
Registrar Corp remains committed to keeping the food industry informed on pressing regulatory matters and will continue to issue critical information in 2018.  The numerous requirements that came into effect this year and those approaching in 2018 may be overwhelming.  Registrar Corp can offer assistance. 

U.S. FDA FOOD, BEVERAGE, AND SUPPLEMENT LABELING REQUIREMENTS

In May 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized significant changes to food, beverage, and supplement labeling, including updates to daily values, serving sizes, the Nutrition Facts chart, and more. Most food labelers must comply by no later than January 1, 2020.

Start early to avoid a surplus of non-compliant inventory. Have Registrar Corp update your labeling to be compliant with FDA’s new regulations.

Labeling errors are one of the leading causes of detentions by FDA. Registrar Corp’s Regulatory Specialists can review and edit your food, beverage, and supplement labeling for compliance with U.S. FDA regulations. Registrar Corp provides:

A detailed report (typically 60-80 pages) prepared by our team of Regulatory Specialists who scrutinize every element of your food labeling.

A print-ready graphic file of your revised food label which incorporates our recommended changes.

A generous revision policy providing additional changes for your revised food label within 45 days at no extra cost.

100 BEST THINGS......
2017 IN REVIEW – U.S. FDA MEDICAL DEVICE AND DRUG REGULATIONS
The medical device and drug industries saw numerous regulatory developments in 2017.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) introduced new requirements, fees, deadline extensions, and exemptions.  Below, Registrar Corp provides an overview of regulatory highlights this year.
FDA Removed Medical Device and Drug Establishments that Did Not Register for 2017
Medical device and drug establishments that failed to properly renew their registrations for 2017 were removed from FDA’s active registration database. The Agency will likely do the same in 2018.  Marketing medical devices and drugs without a valid registration is a prohibited act that may be met with seizure and injunction.
FDA Extended the UDI Compliance Date for Class I Devices to 2020
FDA issued a letter in June announcing its intention to extend the universal device identifier (UDI) compliance dates for class I and unclassified devices.  The letter proposes to push the UDI labeling compliance date for these devices to September 24, 2020.
FDA Exempted Certain Class II Devices from 510k
In July, FDA exempted certain class II medical devices from premarket notification (510k) requirements. The exempt devices “are sufficiently well understood and do not present risks that require premarket notification review to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness.” 
The Compliance Date Passed for the Consumer Antiseptic Wash Final Rule
As of September, over-the-counter (OTC) consumer antiseptic washes containing any of nineteen certain ingredients are not permitted to enter interstate commerce without approval of a new drug application (NDA).  FDA made this determination after discovering there was insufficient evidence to support the ingredients’ safety and effectiveness for their intended use.
FDA Published FY 2018 User Fees for Medical Devices and Generic Drugs
The Medical Device User Fee Amendments (MDUFA) and Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA) were reauthorized for fiscal year (FY) 2018.  The amendments introduced differences in rates from FY 2017, as well as new types of fees for certain facilities and submissions.
FDA Introduced a New Verification Requirement for U.S. Agents of Medical Device Establishments
The U.S. Agent of medical device establishments located outside of the United States is now required to confirm this role with FDA.  Agents must accept their designation through the FDA Unified Registration and Listing System (FURLS).  If the Agent does not respond to a verification email within ten days, the establishment will need to designate a new Agent.
FDA Introduced Annual Certification Requirement for Unchanged Drug Listings
The 2017 registration renewal period introduced a requirement for drug establishments to submit a “blanket no-change” certification for drug listings that did not receive any changes to data or labeling during the year.  Certifications must be submitted in structured product labeling (SPL) format.
FDA Published Final Guidance for UDI Direct Marking Requirements
In November, FDA issued a final guidance to clarify a device labeler’s responsibilities for UDI direct marking requirements.  Class II devices must comply with direct marking requirements by September 24, 2018.  During a December webinar, FDA stated that they do not intend to enforce these requirements for class I and unclassified devices until September 24, 2022.
FDA Issued a Final Rule on the Safety and Effectiveness of Triclosan in Health Care Antiseptics
FDA finalized a rule prohibiting the use of Triclosan and 23 other active ingredients in OTC antiseptics for health care environments.  After December 20, 2018, health care antiseptics containing these ingredients will not be permitted to enter interstate commerce without FDA approval of an NDA.
As we cross into 2018, Registrar Corp will continue to keep the medical device and drug industries informed about important FDA regulations.  For assistance with FDA requirements in either industry, call us at +1-757-224-0177

22 Ways to Lose 2 Inches of Belly Fat in 2 Weeks
A slimmer waist, healthier body, and reduced risk of chronic disease start today with these belly fat-fighting tips.
Let’s face it: that marshmallowy middle you’re sporting didn’t get there overnight. Stressful days at the office, indulging in one-too-many cheat meals, or finding excuses to skip a day, week, or month’s worth of workouts are all making it easy to pack on the pounds and making it difficult to get them off.

Watching that extra junk around your trunk turn your body into a full-blown Buddha belly puts you at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and early death. Luckily, losing the weight doesn’t have to take forever; with these 22 belly fat-fighting tips, you can shave two inches off your waistline in as little as two weeks. Think your age will stand in the way of your weight loss? The 20 Ways to Lose Your Belly When You’re Older will help folks of any age get on track to their best body ever.

1.Start Your Day Early

Don’t let extra hours lounging in bed stand between you and a flatter belly. While getting enough sleep can help boost your metabolic rate, sleeping in may undo any benefit you’d enjoy from catching a few extra winks. One study reveals that late sleepers who snoozed past 10:45 in the morning ate nearly 250 more calories over the course of the day, despite eating half as many fruits and vegetables as their early bird counterparts. Even worse, they chowed down on more salty, sugary, and trans fat-laden fast food than those who woke up earlier. If you happen to head out of the house early, you’re in for an additional metabolic boost; researchers at Northwestern University have found that people exposed to just a short period of early morning sunlight had lower BMIs than their late-waking counterparts.

2.Bring on the Berries

Instead of satisfying your sweet tooth with some refined sugar, turn to berries and enjoy a slimmer waistline in no time. Berries are loaded with antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation throughout the body, and research from the University of Michigan reveals that rats given a berry-rich diet shaved off a significant proportion of their belly fat when compared to a control group. Berries like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are also loaded with resveratrol, an antioxidant pigment that has been linked to reductions in belly fat and a reduced risk of dementia, to boot.

3.Skip the Hydrogenated Oils

Those trans fats on your menu are hiding out in plain sight and sabotaging your lean belly plans every time you eat them. If a food product says it contains partially hydrogenated oils, you’re eating trans fat, which can increase your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and obesity with every bite. In fact, research conducted at Wake Forest University reveals that monkeys whose diets contained eight percent trans fat upped their body fat by 7.2 percent over a six-year study, while those who ate monounsaturated fat gained just a fraction of that amount. Instead of letting harmful trans fat take up space on your menu, fill up with the 20 Healthy Fats to Make You Thin.

4.Switch to Sprouted Bread

While it’s often assumed that bread is off-limits when you’re trying to lose belly fat, the right bread may actually expedite the process. Switching to sprouted bread can help out carb-lovers eager to get their fix without going up a belt size, thanks to the inulin content of sprouted grains. The results of a study published in Nutrition & Metabolism reveal that found that pre-diabetic study subjects whose diets were supplemented with inulin shaved off more belly fat and total weight than those whose meal plans didn’t pack this healthy prebiotic fiber.

5.Lift

Do you even lift, bro? If you’re serious about getting rid of that belly fat fast, resistance training might just be the key. A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that adding weight training to adult male test subjects’ workouts significantly reduced their risk of abdominal obesity over a multi-year study period, although doing the same amount of cardio had no such effect. Research from the University of Maryland even found that just 16 weeks of weight training boosted study participants’ metabolic rates by a whopping 7.7 percent, making it easier to ditch those extra inches around your middle.

6.Say So Long to Sweeteners
While many people turn to artificial sweeteners in a misguided attempt to whittle their waistlines, those fake sugars are likely to have the opposite effect. According to researchers at Yale, artificial sweeteners are actually linked with an increased risk of abdominal obesity and weight gain, possibly because they can trigger cravings for the real stuff and spike insulin levels in a similar fashion to real sugar.
7.Make Fiber Your Friend
The secret to a slimmer stomach in no time? A whole lot of fiber in your diet. Although many people are loath to add carbs to their diet when they’re trying to lose weight, adding the right, fiber-rich ones can have inches off your belly in a hurry. In fact, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that every 10-gram daily increase in soluble fiber was associated with a 3.7 percent decrease in dangerous visceral fat over five years. Those who were active got even leaner, shaving off twice that much fat in the same amount of time. To start ditching that extra belly fat today, add the 30 Best Foods For Fiber to your menu!
8.Swap Out Ketchup For Salsa

Sure, ketchup is tasty, but it’s also a serious saboteur when it comes your weight loss efforts. Ketchup is loaded with sugar — up to four grams per tablespoon — and bears little nutritional resemblance to the fruit from which it’s derived. Luckily, swapping out your ketchup for salsa can help you shave off that belly fat fast. Fresh tomatoes, like those used in salsa, are loaded with lycopene, which a study conducted at China Medical University in Taiwan links to reductions in both overall fat and waist circumference. If you like your salsa spicy, all the better; the capsaicin in hot peppers, like jalapeños and chipotles, can boost your metabolism, too.

9.Score Some Rays

While few would suggest you start hitting up the tanning beds for better health, getting some natural sunlight can help you get rid of those extra inches on your waist in a hurry.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that vitamin D-deficient overweight women between 50 and 75 who upped their intake of the so-called sunshine vitamin shed more weight and body fat than those who didn’t. To practice safe sun, make sure you’re limiting yourself to 15 sunscreen-free minutes per day.

10.Nosh on Some Nuts

Sometimes, to whip your body into shape, you have to get a little nutty. While nuts are high in fat, it’s that very fat that makes them such powerful weapons in the war against a ballooning belly. In fact, research from Reina Sofia University Hospital reveals that study participants who consumed a diet rich in monounsaturated fats, like those in nuts, over a 28-day period gained less belly fat than their saturated fat-consuming counterparts while improving their insulin sensitivity.

11.Think Fast

Instead of subjecting yourself to another endless workout, crank up the intensity and you’ll see results faster than you ever thought possible. The results of a study conducted at McMaster University in Ontario reveal that adult male study subjects who exercised intensely for a single minute had equivalent respiratory and metabolic changes to those who worked out at a slower pace for close to an hour, so if you want to burn through that belly fat, say so long to slow and steady.

12.Flavor Your Food With Garlic

A little garlic in your meals could mean a lot less weight around your middle. The results of a Korean study found that mice given a high-fat diet supplemented with garlic lost significantly more weight and abdominal fat than those who just ate fatty foods. Even better, they also improved their liver health, making it easier to stay healthy and burn off that excess fat in the long term. For more flavorful ways to make your food more enjoyable, turn to the 20 Spicy Recipes That Fire Up Your Metabolism and watch those pounds melt away.

13.Brush Up

Keeping a toothbrush handy can do more than polish up that smile (and counter the effects of all that belly-slimming garlic); brushing your teeth throughout the day can also help you ditch that belly fat fast. A study conducted a sample of over 14,000 participants found that brushing after every meal was linked to lower weight. That minty toothpaste flavor not only clashes with virtually every food, brushing may also trigger a Pavlovian response that tells your brain the kitchen’s closed.

14.Fill Up on Fish

If you’ve got weight to lose and you want it gone fast, try swapping out your usual proteins in favor of fish. Not only is fish lower in calories than an equivalent amount of beef or chicken, a study published in Obesity reveals study subjects who added omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish, to their diets shed more weight and had an easier time keeping it off than those who skipped them.

15.Don’t Give Up on Grains

You don’t have to go low-carb to ditch those extra pounds around your waist in a short period of time. In fact, opting for more whole grains might just get you there faster. Researchers at Tufts University have linked eating three or more daily servings of whole grains to as much as a 10 percent reduction in visceral body fat, the kind that ups your risk for chronic diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

16.Add Some Acid

Don’t buy your tickets to Bonnaroo just yet; the kind of acid that will help you slim down is the stuff right inside your cabinet. A 12-week study published in Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry reveals that obese study subjects who made vinegar part of their diet dropped more belly fat than a control group, and other research suggests that acidic foods, like vinegar, can increase the human carbohydrate metabolism by as much as 40 percent.

17.Snack on Some Veggies

Your parents weren’t kidding about how important veggies are for a healthy body. What they probably didn’t tell you, however, was that snacking on veggies is also one of the easiest ways to shed unwanted belly fat, too. According to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, opting for non-starchy veggies, like cauliflower, broccoli, and cucumber, as snacks helped overweight kids shed 17 percent of their visceral fat while improving their insulin sensitivity over a five-year period. Think snacking on veggies will leave you hungry? The 20 Most Filling Fruits and Veggies will have your belly satisfied in no time.
18.Crank Up the Calcium
Say cheese! Adding some extra calcium to your diet could be the key to getting that flat stomach you’ve been dreaming about. Over just 12 months, researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville found that obese female study subjects who upped their calcium intake shed 11 pounds of body fat without other major dietary modifications. To keep your calcium choices healthy, try mixing it up between dairy sources, calcium-rich leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.
19.Snack on Some Tart Cherries
That sour cherry is pretty sweet when it comes to your health. The results of a study conducted at the University of Michigan found that rats given high-fat foods along with tart cherries ditched nine percent more body fat than those in a control group over just 12 weeks. Cherries are also a good source of antioxidant pigment resveratrol, which has been linked to reductions in belly fat, dementia risk, and lower rates of macular degeneration among the elderly.
20.Hit the Track
You don’t have to be the next Usain Bolt in the making to enjoy some serious belly-slimming results from hitting the track from time to time. Even a moderate-rate jog a few times a week can blast through that belly fat; in fact, a study conducted at Duke University Medical Center found that, over the course of an eight-month study, overweight adult study subjects who jogged 12 miles a week lost the most belly fat and burned 67 percent more calories than participants who did an equivalent amount of resistance exercise, or a combination of cardio and resistance work.
21.Sleep It Off
Want to lose that belly fat? In your dreams! Seriously, though: a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to get rid of that extra fat around your waist for good. Among the 60,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study, those who snoozed for fewer than five hours a night were at the greatest risk of becoming obese and gaining 30 or more pounds over the course of the 16-year study period when compared to those who slept for seven or more hours.
22.Close Up Shop

Stop treating your kitchen like an all-night diner and you’ll stop seeing those unwanted pounds piling onto your frame, too. The results of a study published in Cell Metabolism found that mice who only had access to food during an eight-hour period stayed slim over the course of the study, while those who ate the same number of calories over a 16-hour period gained significantly more weight, particularly around their middle. When you’re finished with dinner at night, shut the fridge and don’t look back until morning — your belly will thank you. When you do head back to the kitchen in the A.M., make sure the 40 Things Healthy Cooks Always Have in Their Kitchen are there waiting for you.

NEW YEAR BOOM click here............

NEW YEAR BOOM click here............

Good Food vs. Bad Food

I am sure you have heard it before: X food is good or X food is bad. Maybe you even think about food in terms of “good” and “bad” yourself. In this post, I want to give good reasons for why this way of thinking is not only mentally unhealthy, but how it can actually hinder your efforts of eating better.

Why do people think in terms of “good” and “bad”?

We long for simplicity

Let’s face it, life is complicated. People are longing for anything that seems simple and easy. We want a quick fix, a fast answer, an easy solution to our problems. We do not want to settle for: “It is complicated” or “It depends on many factors.” Dividing foods into two categories: good and bad, makes things easy. Eat the good, don’t eat the bad.

The world is inherently complicated

Fact is, nature does not care about what people want. Our bodies and therefore nutrition are simply incredibly complicated.

Why food is not simply good or bad

Amount matters

Sodium is essential to life and without it, we would all die. Most people understand, however, that too much sodium is not healthy. The same is true for pretty much any food, even “healthy ones”.

For example, parsnips have plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also contain psoralens, which are potent carcinogens and mutagens. While eating parsnips in moderation is not a problem, eating too much could be harmful. Even drinking too much water can kill you!

Everybody is different

It is easily overlooked that we do not only look different from each other, but are genetically and biochemically different as well. Food allergies and intolerances are good examples.

Lifestyle can also make a difference. An athlete has different needs than a couch potato. This makes one food “good” and “bad”, depending on the person who is eating it. Another example is a bowl of whole grains, which may be healthy for one person, but may instead advance atherosclerosis in a person with insulin resistance or diabetes.

Food is not just about health

The terms “good” and “bad” most often strictly refer to health. But food is and should be more than just fuel. For most people, food has the potential to increase the quality of life and therefore happiness! When you eat food only for the health benefits, you might be missing out on overall happiness. And isn’t that what it is all about? What is the the point of living a long life when you are unhappy doing it?

Of course, if you strictly focus on pleasure and happen to enjoy the wrong kinds of foods, it can eventually make you very unhappy when you suffer the consequences. It is all about balancing and trying to maximize both pleasure and health. Besides, how “bad” is a food really, when it makes you so happy to eat it once in a while?

How “good vs bad” can be bad for you

Deciding what’s good and what’s bad

Of course, every decision we make is based on something. Sometimes, we place food in a category because we heard or read something about it. The thought process can go like this: X contains a lot of fiber, fiber is good, X is good.

Our ideas also strongly depend on past experiences. When our parents said: “Drink your milk, it is good for you”, it made an impression on us. Nowadays, our perception of food is also shaped by the media. There are literally hundreds of sentences published each day, mentioning how and why a food is either good or bad for us. It is hard to not be influenced, especially so on a subconscious level.

Information can be wrong or misinterpreted

The problem is that good information can be misinterpreted and other information is flat out wrong. If you decide that one food is bad and stop eating it, you might unnecessarily restrict your diet and lose potential happiness. On the other hand, if you decide a food is good you might eat it without really enjoying it, when you could be eating something equally healthy that you like better.

Even worse: you eat something thinking that it is healthy (everyone talks about the health benefits), when in reality it is not good for you.

Manufacturers know about the psychology of consumers and use it to their advantage. The recent shift to more wholesome food has resulted in product descriptions and ingredient lists that contain the word “natural”, “organic” and “pure”. Don’t be fooled. Natural does not equal healthy! Also, your body does not care if something was created in a lab or by nature if it is the same substance.

Feeling safe when eating “good” food

Another problem with this kind of black and white thinking is that it is easy to feel “safe” with certain foods. Too safe. Once a food has been deemed good, you might think it is ok to eat it as often and as much of it as you want. As mentioned before, this is often not the case, even with “healthy” foods.

The same kind of thinking often hinders people from losing weight. Many people are trying to find the one macronutrient or even the one food that is responsible for their weight. Some end up blaming carbohydrates, others choose to blame fat. The former then often overeat on “safe” fat and the latter overeat on “safe” low-fat foods. Both behaviors ultimately lead to weight gain.

Feeling guilty

Another obvious problem with the concept of “good” and “bad is that it leads to bad feelings. A lot of people have blacklisted so many foods that it is practically impossible to never get exposed to or eat any of it. And when a “bad food” is consumed, the person often experiences incredible guilt and a sense of failure. After all, if a food is simply “bad”, it is always “bad” and should never be consumed.

A better way of thinking about food

After all that talk about how not to think about food, the question emerges: how should we think about food? Here is an idea:

Every food plays a role

I like to think that every food plays a role in our diet. For each food there are healthy and unhealthy roles. This means the same food can be “bad” or “good” depending on the role it plays.

Roles differ by size and purpose

The difference between a healthy and unhealthy role can lie in the size of the role. A little sprinkling of cheese can be perfectly healthy. But when cheese plays a larger role in a dish — think fondue or cheesy casseroles — the role of cheese is not a healthy one in that particular dish. But of course, even an unhealthy dish can still play a healthy role in a diet overall — if the role is relatively small.

Even if the amount and frequency of a certain food is the same, the role can still differ by purpose. If you eat one cupcake because you love the taste and it makes you happy and satisfied, the cupcake plays a healthy role. On the other hand, if the role of the cupcake is to numb your feelings or to simply fuel an addiction, the cupcake plays an unhealthy role.

The role most foods should play

Optimally, most foods that you eat should play a role of nourishing your body and protecting you from disease. Of course, it is a major bonus when it also makes you happy, because it is delicious and satisfying.

Other roles food can play

It is also perfectly acceptable when a food’s sole role is to enhance the flavor of a dish. A sprinkling of cheese is the perfect example. Cheese, like most other foods, is not inherently bad. It is also fine to sometimes indulge in something that simply tastes good.

Some foods play a role of indirectly promoting health. When a sprinkle of cheese helps you to eat your broccoli, which you would not eat otherwise, the cheese plays a healthy role.

Sometimes the role of food goes even deeper than just health and flavor. Food is linked to traditions, can bring back memories, and can strengthen human relationships. A birthday cake, for example, has special meaning to a lot of people. To eat it once a year is perfectly healthy.

Understanding what truly matters

While it is very unlikely that eating something like cake once a year will have an impact on your health, having the wrong mindset — even just once — does have a negative impact on your mental health and happiness.

In sum

Labeling food as good or bad does not really make things easier. It often leads to unhappiness and sometimes even poor health. If you truly want to lead a healthy life, start by improving your relationship with food and with yourself. The rest will follow naturally…

THIS IS BEST click here............

7 Quick Weight Loss Tips To Speed Up Metabolism

these weight loss tips might help you lose those extra pounds. These seven quick weight loss tips will likewise assist you in, if you are currently in outstanding physical condition, to form your body to an even higher degree.

Any weight reduction tips to help accelerate metabolism do just that. They assist you. You still should have your basic fitness and nutrition technique in line with the goals you wish to achieve.

You have to be focused on each component of your strategy. If you prepare for making use of these quick weight decline tips, however, do not work out and just see television while consuming a bag of chips every night, they will refrain from doing a thing for you.

Are you all set to include these fast weight decrease tips to your way of life?

To obtain rid of any quantity of excess weight, you must accelerate metabolism. Your metabolism is a biochemical treatment that takes place in your body.

Your metabolism assists to break down nutrients in your blood stream. This supports you to add more lean muscle, leading to a higher expense of energy, suggesting you'll get rid of more fat.

If you are active, you have billions of cells in your body that can make usage of up an enormous amount of energy. The quick weight reduction tips noted below will assist you to do this. Nevertheless, if you aren't active, they will not burn up much at all, suggesting you'll tend to consist of fat to your body rapidly.

The good news is, making use of the fast weight-loss tips in a blend with your healthy and active way of life you can accelerate your metabolism quite significantly.

Quick weight decrease tips: #1. Take in particular foods. Some food ingredients, like spices, can assist to accelerate your metabolism by developing a thermodynamic burn that has been exposed to last some hours after you take in.

Quick weight decrease tips: #2. The bulk of your calories ought to be formerly in the day. Your meals require to consist of less total calories as the day goes on.

Quick weight-loss tips: #3. Make sure you take in enough. When trying to minimize weight is they do not take in enough, of the biggest mistakes individuals make.

If you do not take the proper amount of calories, you will make your body think that is in survival mode. That means that your body will conserve energy, and store as much as possible. Making any food to fat.

On the other hand, if you take in too lots of calories, the excess will be kept as fat. You need to exercise to burn more calories than you take in. When it comes to calorie intake, small amounts are the secret.

Quick weight-loss tips: #4. Increase your everyday activities. Everyday activities will stop fat storage and drop any excess that you may bring you ought to improve your daily activities.

This needs to consist of weightlifting and cardiovascular training. The more calories you burn, the much faster you will lower weight.

Another thing; objective to work out very first thing in the morning. A research study has exposed that you can significantly increase your weight-loss capability if you work out after a fasted state. Suggesting just after you wake up.

Quick weight loss tips: #5. Weightlifting before cardiovascular work. The only exception, naturally, is to carry out 5 - 10 minutes of cardio before your weight-lifting to heat up your muscles.

Considering that you require the energy in your muscles for weight-lifting, this is necessary. By the time your weightlifting session is total, you will have utilized up all your preferred energy sources.

This shows that you will be burning fat cells throughout your cardio session.

If you do this in reverse, here's exactly what happens.

The only you'll be burning carbohydrate sources of energy throughout your cardiovascular exercise. No fat cells will be taken in for energy. Then, are you not going to have the energy in your muscles to obtain the most out of your weight-lifting.

You will not have the ability to increase your lean muscle, which is important if you choose to lose your excess weight.

Quick weight reduction tips: #6. Change your exercise regular regularly. For a lot of parts, you ought to change some component of your exercise every 2 - 3 weeks. This can be anything from the variety of partners or sets per workout. The job orders you carry out and the workouts themselves.

rgin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
If you do the very same thing week after week, month after month your body will begin to get used to exactly what you're doing to it and will eventually stop making modifications. You will likewise stop consisting of any more lean muscle.

The more muscle you have, the more calories, you will burn even when at rest.

Quick weight-loss tips: #7. Meal mixes. Routinely take in protein/carbohydrate meals formerly in the day. Take in protein/ fat mix meals (significance little to no carbs) in the late afternoon and night.

The only exception is if you frequently work out throughout the evening. Your exceptionally first meal after your workout ought to consist of protein and carbohydrates.

Never take in carbohydrates and fat together in the same meal.

With these seven quick weight decrease tips, you will accelerate metabolism and burn excess body fat at a much faster rate.

Try these fast weight-loss tips out for a while, and you'll see a difference after some weeks.

Bad Foods You Should Be Eating

There's a long list of foods you may think are off limits. And they range from the indulgent—wine, chocolate—to recently trending culprits, like fruit. You may even skip eating certain veggies if you think some are less healthy than others. Happily, you don't have to stop eating these seven delicious and healthy options that have gotten a bit of a bad reputation. They can be nutritious, decrease your risk of chronic diseases, save you time and money, and boost your overall satisfaction. Now those are foods we can get behind.

1. Bananas

Unfortunately, bananas have a bad reputation for being a carb-rich fruit. But that's actually one reason they're so great. Research shows that eating bananas can be just as good as drinking a sports drink in fueling exercise performance. Outside of exercise, they're a good source of potassium, one of the nutrients people tend to fall short on, which is essential to help regulate blood pressure. Plus, bananas (especially the greener ones) contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that may improve your gut microbiome and help keep you slim.

2. Canned Vegetables

Many people think fresh is best when it comes to vegetables. But if you believe canned or frozen are subpar, think again. They're actually just as nutritious as fresh, 2014 research in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine shows, but they're often a more affordable option and you can always have some on hand. Plus, you literally won't throw your money away like you do when you forget to use the fresh produce in your fridge. While eating in-season fresh vegetables is great, keeping some canned options on hand means your pantry is ready to go when you need a healthy dinner in a pinch. And, some canned veggies are actually higher in nutrients than their fresh counterparts. Canned tomatoes are higher in the antioxidant lycopene, compared to fresh, and canning corn also boosts its antioxidant activity. Make sure you choose no-salt-added or low-sodium options when possible, like Del Monte® No Salt Added Whole Kernel Corn.

3. Dark Chocolate

You probably know this from experience already, but eating chocolate can actually make you happier. A review of eight studies found that compounds in chocolate (including cocoa flavanols) boosted brain function. Participants also reported that they had happier moods following a chocolate fix—or it was, at the very least, able to turn a bad attitude around. What's more, people who eat chocolate regularly have a 29 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who abstain, additional research shows. You knew your heart loved it. The darker the chocolate, the more good-for-you flavanols it contains.

4. Coffee

Have you thought about cutting back because of the caffeine? A daily cup or two of coffee (or more) could actually help keep you sharp. In a study on more than 6,000 women published in the Journals of Gerontology, those who reported they consumed more than 261 mg of caffeine a day (that's a little bit more than a tall order from Starbucks) were 26 percent less likely to develop dementia or cognitive impairment compared to people drinking 64 mg of caffeine (less than a half-cup per day). Caffeine may offer neuroprotective properties that affect anxiety, memory and cognitive performance.

5. Wine

A daily drink can do you good. A large study published in 2017 on more than 300,000 adults reported that people who are light or moderate tipplers are as much as 22 percent less likely to die prematurely from any cause, including cancer or heart disease, compared to teetotalers. (Heavy consumption increases these risks, so always practice moderation. That's one drink per day for women and two for men.) Polyphenols as well as the alcohol itself may be responsible for the potential benefits seen with moderate drinking.

6. Pasta

You may shy away from the spaghetti Bolognese, but why? If you're worried about weight gain, know that researchers looked at the role pasta plays in the context of a Mediterranean diet on over 14,000 people and published their findings in 2016 in Nutrition & Diabetes. They found that those who ate more pasta were better able to stick to that style of eating, vital because a Mediterranean diet is associated with a reduced risk of conditions like heart disease and cognitive decline. Also important: pasta eaters had lower BMIs and smaller waistlines. Just be sure to stick to vegetable-based sauces, like marinara, rather than cream-heavy ones, like Alfredo. And serve your pasta alongside veggies and protein for a more balanced plate.

7. Fruit

In addition to bananas, people have been skeptical of eating berries, melons, apples or any fruit because of the sugar they contain. The good news for fruit lovers? People who eat fresh fruit every day have lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels, according to a 2016 study in The New England Journal of Medicine. In fact, eating fruit is associated with a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 25 percent lower risk for stroke compared to those who shy away from fruit. "Nature's candy" offers ticker-protective potassium, fiber, folate and antioxidants. Plus, the sugar in fruit is natural and packaged together with fiber to help slow the absorption of sugar into your blood (read: less spikes and dips in blood sugar). Now's the perfect time to whip up a smoothie at home.

Poison Party

I accidentally fed my friends putrid gumbo, but no one got sick. What gives?

There were warning signs. After stirring a quintuple batch of roux for a full hour, hacking apart dozens of alliums and a 5-pound kielbasa, and sluicing in 10 quarts of chicken stock, a strange scum appeared. It was gray, bubbly, and slightly fetid. But there was salad to toss, bread to cut, a table to set, toys to hide, and a husband to berate about mopping the floor. By the time I returned to the stove—ready to add the finishing touch, $100 worth of rock shrimp—the pot was a foamy, churning mass, reminiscent of an underwater sewage break. I paused for a moment, then did what any desperate hostess would do under the circumstances: I bailed ladleful after ladleful of stinky froth, pitched in the crustaceans, and clapped down the lid.

The going-away party for Hilary went off without a hitch. I greeted each guest with a steaming bowl of shrimp and sausage gumbo—the perfect antidote to a cold January night—and a glass of wine, then directed her to the dining room. We told stories about our friendship with Hilary, presented her with a scrapbook, and promised to visit her in Querétaro, a university city in central Mexico. I did notice, with an odd feeling of relief, that quite a few people had left their gumbo half-eaten or untouched. Except for Amita, Hilary's workmate. "Oh, this is sooo good," she'd said, refilling her bowl for the third time, as I quashed the impulse to wrest it from her hands. After the last person had left, I served myself and finally sat down. Completely putrid. I poured the evidence down the disposal and went to bed, trying very hard not to think the words food poisoning.

The CDC estimates that 48 million people get sick from foodborne viruses, bacteria, or parasites every year. I've been one of them. Here in the United States, my most frequent complaint has been post-restaurant stomachache, undoubtedly from norovirus, which is both extremely common— 58 percent of the 9 million cases from known pathogens are attributed to it—and quite mild—fewer than .00003 percent of them die. It's Latin America, where I've lived and often travel, that has been my undoing, digestively speaking. In Honduras after a bus ride, I paid for a stack of banana-leaf-wrapped tortillas first with lempiras and then with three straight days of toilet-perching. In Ecuador, after snacking on a bola verde (plantain and meat ball) from a restaurant display case, I had to sprint to my apartment—luckily nearby—to spend an hour vomiting and going cheek-to-tile with the bathroom floor.

Fully versed with the icky effects of enteric diseases, I've always—well, except under the duress of entertaining—given spoiled food a wide berth. After all, why would nature have bothered with the poison labels (nasty smell, gross appearance, foul taste) if ingesting it didn't make you sick? Ergo, my relentless crusade against senescent foodstuffs. Not a day goes by that I don't discover in the hinterlands of my refrigerator sour milk, yellowing broccoli, mushy lettuce, powder-covered lemons, slimy lunch meat, moldy cheese, or the venerable remains of takeout and home-cooked meals. Out! In this policy I have plenty of company: Americans chuck an estimated 16 percent of their food uneaten, either because it goes bad, they prepare too much, or they're spooked by expired use-by/open dates. A sensible precaution, except for one thing: In my experience, every gastrointestinal illness has been preceded by consuming something that seemed perfectly fresh.

Could it be that eating spoiled food doesn't actually make you sick? To find out, I dusted off my high-school biology and spent weeks devouring peer-reviewed studies by food microbiologists. Here's what I learned.

To spoil, something must be dead, which, unless you're a fan of mollusks on the half-shell or maggot-infested Sardinian casu marzu, is generally how we prefer our food. Once this unfortunate event has occurred, the plant or animal tissue is fair game for invasion by decomposers—the omnipresent yeasts, molds, and bacteria. We'll gloss over the first two, as they are almost always innocuous. (Some molds produce dangerous mycotoxins on crops and stored fruits and grains, but this is an agricultural hazard, not a household one.) When it comes to bacteria, however, things get complicated. The reason: There are two distinct types that invade edibles. Once you understand their different ecological niches, you'll never confuse them again.

Spoilage bacteria turn last week's roast chicken into a scene from Zombie Flesh Eaters. Like the undead, they're everywhere (air, soil, water, plants, and animals), so the invasion of your groceries is pretty much inevitable. Evolved to consume corpses and dead plants, which are customarily served cool, they're the dominant bacteria in your 35-40-degree fridge. (Conversely, temperatures above 85 degrees enervate them.) The stench is from the breakdown of amino acids into amines, which include the evocatively named cadaverine, putrescine, and spermidine. As repulsive as they are, only one, histamine, has been linked to negative health effects, and that's just for people who have allergies to it or who eat certain kinds of improperly stored fish. Spoilage bacteria are harmless.

Pathogenic bacteria make you wish you could exchange your Caribbean bungalow for a hospital room with an IV drip and a bedpan. The preferred habitat of salmonella, E. coli, and campylobacter—three moderately serious foodborne illnesses—is the nutrient-packed guts of warm-blooded animals, but these also do well at room temperature. The journey to your plate usually starts at the slaughterhouse or meat processing facility, where a minute amount of animal poop gets on your future burger. So long as the meat's under refrigeration, that's no big deal, since cold inhibits the proliferation of pathogens (most people can fight off low doses). But then—maybe at home, more likely at a food-service establishment—the ground beef sits out for several hours, allowing the bacteria to multiply. As a finishing touch, you order your patty medium rare, so the center doesn't get hot enough to kill its microscopic passengers. It smells good, looks good, tastes good. (Pathogenic bacteria provide no sensory clues as to their presence in food.) But hours to days later: stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, or worse.  

Need more persuasion before you tuck into the green-streaked, two-week-old steak buried in your meat compartment? Consider this: We're lethal—at least to the decomposers. If the 98.6-degree heat doesn't get them ( an adaptation by warm-blooded animals to elude the fungal infections endemic to the rest of the animal and plant kingdoms), a dousing in stomach acid—pH 1-2, also good for tanning leather and sterilizing pools—will. And should a few spoilage bacteria survive to venture further downstream, they face almost certain death by a squad of intestinal immune cells. Pathogens, by contrast, are as well-prepared for this treacherous terrain as a USAF special op. They strike without warning. In the stomach, they may become temporarily acid-tolerant. In the small intestine, some can bind to and disrupt immunological command centers. And then there's their clever strategy for meeting new hosts. Excreted poisons or the infection itself make you feel very, very sick, triggering a release of bodily effluvia. Greetings, family and friends!

Warning over 175 dangerous chemicals found in food packaging: Substances are linked to cancer, fertility and birth defects
Food Packaging Forum discovered 175 dangerous chemicals in packaging
Toxic substances linked to cancer, sperm production, genital malformations as well as disrupting hormone production in the body
Warned chemicals could end up in the food the packaging contains
Experts call for tighter regulation of food packaging to ban substances
Chemicals found in foil, cans and some containers and wrappers
But Food Standards Agency said all food packaging falls within EU rules
Said chemicals are of 'no concern if used within prescribed limits' 
Some food packaging contains hazardous chemicals linked to cancer and fertility, a new study has warned.

More than 170 dangerous chemicals are legally used in the production of food packaging, scientists have found.

They warned the toxic substances, which were found to cause cancer and inflict changes on genes, could end up in the food they contain.

But the Food Standards Agency moved to reassure consumers, explaining all food packaging falls within European standards and the presence of the chemicals are of no concern if they are used within the 'limits or restrictions' set for their use.

The study, published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants, discovered around 175 chemicals with varying affects.

They found the substances interfered with sperm production, caused genital malformations and disrupted hormone production in the body.

Doctor Jane Muncke, managing director of the Food Packaging Forum, which conducted the study, said: 'From a consumer perspective, it is certainly undesirable and also unexpected to find chemicals of concern being intentionally used in food contact materials.'

The list of chemicals found in the packaging, includes those that accumulate in the environment and the human body.


Phthalates, which are widely used as plasticisers, are one example of substances which can cause male fertility and cancer.

Benzophenones and organotin compounds, found in printing inks and the coatings of food wrappings, were also found.

Researchers found some foil, cans, pans and storage containers released substances into food at low levels, to be ingested be people on a daily basis.

Dr Muncke said the majority of the chemicals of concern identified in the study fulfill the criteria of 'Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC)', set  by REACH - the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals.

Under European rules, chemicals that come under this criteria have to be registered and authorised for use, but the guidelines do not cover food packaging.

Dr Muncke told the Daily Express: 'REACH currently covers consumer products such as toys, but food is different.

'We are saying why don't we bring it together so that we can have a regulation where chemicals used in food packaging would need similar notification before usage.'

She added: 'As a consequence, chemicals with highly toxic properties may legally be used in the production of food contact materials, but not in other consumer products such as computers, textiles and paints even though exposure through food contact materials may be far more relevant.'

The report states: 'Food contact materials (FCMs) are one possible source of food contaminationm because chemicals may migrate from the material into the food.

'More than 6,000 FCM substances appear on regulatory or non-regulatory lists, some of these substances have been linked to chronic diseases.'

A Food Standards Agency spokesman moved to reassure people, that food packaging is safe and meet European standards.

He said: 'Consumers should not be concerned by the presence of chemicals in food contact materials if they are used within any limits or restrictions set for their use.'