Could Facebook Use Damage Your Health?

The more people use Facebook, like posts, share their own links and are exposed to the carefully crafted profiles of their friends, the worse they will feel, a study suggests.

Previous investigations into the use of social media have suggested that retreating online and away from face-to-face social relationships can lead to sedentary behavior and internet addiction.

However, a more in-depth study by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found that almost every form of interaction with Facebook can lead to diminished well-being.

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Holly Shakya and Nicholas Christakis said the three Facebook behaviors they measured—liking, posting, and clicking links—all led to negative self-comparisons and made people feel worse about themselves.

The pair expected liking other people’s content to be the largest driver of decreased happiness but said overall the sheer quantity of time people spent interacting with the social media app led to the negative effects.

The results were particularly concerning for mental health. “Most measures of Facebook use in one year predicted a decrease in mental health in a later year,” Shakya and Christakis wrote.

“We found consistently that both liking others’ content and clicking links significantly predicted a subsequent reduction in self-reported physical health, mental health, and life satisfaction,” they added.

The study, published by Oxford University Press, collected three sets of data from 5,208 U.S. adults over two years and measured how their mental health, reported physical health, and body-mass index changed over time relative to their use of Facebook.

It also collected information on the subjects’ real-world social interaction. While the numbers showed the use of the social network led to a lessened sense of well-being, how exactly that happened was unclear. “ We cannot definitively say how [it] occurs,” Shakya and Christakis wrote.

The researchers concluded: “What seems quite clear ... is that online social interactions are no substitute for the real thing.”

SOURCES: MSN

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List of Best Weight Loss Foods

Do you know what to eat to lose weight? You might be relieved to know that you don't have to spend a lot of money or go to fancy boutique grocery stores to fill your fridge when you're trying to slim down. In fact, most products on the best weight loss foods list are common items that you can find in any supermarket.  Smart dieters eat these cheap and easy foods and slim down faster.

The best healthy foods for weight loss are naturally low in fat and calories, full of nutrients and easy to prepare. You can find foods like this in every section of the grocery store and sometimes even in convenience marts. These foods won't break your budget, but they can break the cycle of overeating and help you to lose weight.

2

 Radishes

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Radishes are crunchy, packed with fiber and super low in calories. In fact, each large radish provides only 1 calorie, putting it at the top of the best weight loss foods list. The bright red veggie is also simple to store in the refrigerator and easy to pack when you need a snack on the go. 

Not sure what to do with radishes? If you don't like to eat radishes alone, chop them up and add them to your salad to give it a spicy pop of flavor. Or how about a delicious Radish and Olive Salad recipe? You can even cook radishes and eat them as a healthy side dish.

3

 Cheese Minis

One of the hardest things about being on a diet is giving up the creamy rich foods that you love. Many dieters miss cheese the most. But you don't have to give up cheese entirely when you are trying to slim down. You just have to eat less of it.

That's why Jarlsberg Minis are great. These cute little snacks are so easy to carry with you and because each mini round is individually packaged it's easy to control portion size. Each serving contains just 70 calories. Wanna reduce your calories even more? The new Jarlsberg Lite Minis are just 50 calories, 2.5 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.

4

 Grapefruit

Twenty20

Remember the grapefruit diet? Well, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that program, but I would recommend adding grapefruit to your list of weight loss foods. A half grapefruit (which is a fairly generous serving) provides only 52 calories and is packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C, and B6.

If you don't like grapefruit alone, add it to a fruit salad. Other fruits can be a little bit higher in calories. If you add this tangy citrus fruit to a salad with bananas and berries, you get more food for fewer calories. 

5

 Iceberg Lettuce

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Iceberg lettuce is so not cool. But it really is one of the best weight loss foods. Why? Iceberg lettuce has only 7 calories per cup. So you can bulk up your food and feel like you're eating more without adding calories. You can literally double the size of your salad, bust out your tacos and add an inch to the height of your sandwich for less than 10 calories.

Iceberg lettuce also adds crunch and color to your meals and this cheap, easy-to-find veggie is packed with water - so it's hydrating too!

6

 Beef Jerky

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If you're a regular dieter with a regular life, you've probably ended up in a convenience store once or twice wandering the aisles, desperately looking for something healthy to eat. This is a tricky predicament because there aren't always diet-friendly options in those stores - except for beef jerky.

This "junk food" is actually pretty good for your diet. It's not the very best weight loss food because many brands are very high in sodium. But the better brands are generally low in calories and high in protein. A natural style beef jerky, for example, has only 70 calories and 13 grams of protein per serving.

7

 Asian Yogurt

Tarte

I'm sure you've seen smart dieters gobble down Greek yogurt at meal time. And there's nothing wrong the high-protein, creamy treat. But Asian yogurt is another great option if you're trying to get protein from dairy.

A single serving of Tarte Asian Yogurtis 6 ounces, slightly larger than the popular cups of Greek yogurt. Each cup provides 12 grams of protein and only 110 calories - less than Greek yogurt. The sugar count is usually lower too. Asian yogurt has 13 grams of sugar, lower than the sugar content of many other yogurts.

8

 Slaw Mix

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No matter what kind of food you like to eat, slaw mix should always be on your grocery list when you're shopping for the best weight loss foods. Why? It's the easiest way to add bulk, fiber, healthy nutrition, and crunchy flavor to any meal. Top your burgers with it, add it to tacos or build an entire salad around the easy-to-use mix.

There are several kinds of slaw mix to pick from, but I like the broccoli slaw blends that include carrots. You can also find slaw blends that include only cabbage. Check the produce section of your market to see what is available near you.

9

 Cauliflower

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If you need a tasty food that is cheap, easy to find and super versatile, then look no further than cauliflower. A serving of this crunchy vegetable provides only 25 calories 2.5 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.

Because cauliflower has increased in popularity, you'll find plenty of online recipes for new and interesting ways to use the vegetable.  It's still an easy veggie to eat raw, but you can also mash cauliflower the same way you would mash potatoes.  Some people even make pizza crust with cauliflower.

10

 Chick Peas

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Chick peas, also called garbanzo beans, are a must have item in every dieter's pantry. A half cup of the hearty bean provides about 130 calories, almost 6 grams of fiber and 7 grams of filling protein. 

If you love the nutty taste of chick peas, you can eat them alone, but I usually use them to make low-calorie hummus (without the tahini).  You can also add garbanzo beans to soups and salads or make chick pea poppers as a snack that both you and your kids will love.

11

 Chicken Broth

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Nothing adds calories to your meal faster than cooking oil. Even olive oil which has many healthy properties has 120 calories per tablespoon.  It would be nice if we could use no oil at all when we saute veggies or meat, but that doesn't always work very well.

In some recipes, you can cook with chicken stock instead of oil. You'll find small containers in the soup section of your supermarket and I keep at least one of these resealable one-cup boxes on hand at all times. With just a tablespoon or two, it's easy to cook onions, garlic, and other veggies and you'll add less than 5 calories to the meal.

12

 Cucumber

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What do you eat when you're trying to lose weight and you're craving a sandwich? Some dieters actually use cucumbers to replace bread. This savvy trick can save 200-300 calories when you're making a sandwich.

If you don't like the cucumber peel (some say it tastes bitter), you can peel your cucumber before you build the sandwich. Then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon so each half of the cucumber has a canoe shape. After that, fill the middle with a lean meat like turkey, add tomato and peppers and you've got a yummy lean sandwich without the high-calorie bread!

13

 Nut Butter ( in packets)

Justins

Many diet experts will tell you that peanut butter is one of the best foods for weight loss. It's true that almost all nut butters are filling and contain healthy fats. The problem with peanut butter is that it is loaded with calories and it's hard to eat just a single serving.

If you absolutely need to keep nut butter in your diet when you're trying to slim down, buy it in these handy single serving packs. Then throw it into your lunch box, your briefcase or your handbag with some celery sticks for a protein and fiber-packed portion-controlled snack.

14

 Old Fashioned Oatmeal

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Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast? If you do, that's great. But some oatmeal brands are better than others. If you buy those single serving packets that come in flavors like maple syrup or apple cinnamon, then you might want to think twice.  Those packets are often loaded with sugar.

Instead, look below those fancy packets in the grocery store and you'll usually find old fashioned rolled oats on the bottom shelves. Look for the cardboard canister - the same one your grandma used to buy. These oats are healthy, easy to store, cheap and each hearty serving provides 150 calories.

15

 Roast Beef

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You might think that dieters who eat roast beef are destined for failure. And you might be right.  But it is possible to eat beef and still lose weight. You just have to choose your meat carefully.

If you get a craving for red meat, you can buy a lean beef choice like a filet mignon. But steaks like that are often expensive. Instead, go to your deli counter and get thinly sliced roast beef.  You can satisfy that craving for red meat with a 2-ounce serving that only contains about 80 calories. You can even use the roast beef in a cucumber sandwich to eliminate calories from bread.

16

 Old School Popcorn

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Many smart dieters eat popcorn and lose weight successfully. But many pre-popped varieties provide more calories than you need. Even the brands that advertise that they are "guilt-free" can be higher in calories. Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Air Popped Popcorn contains 110 calories per serving. 

So why not buy old-school popcorn kernels and air pop it yourself? The do-it-yourself method will save money and calories to help you lose weight faster. A single serving of air-popped corn provides only 90 calories.

17

 Yasso Bars

Yasso

Dessert is absolutely off limits if you are trying to lose weight. Right? Wrong! There are quite a few frozen bars on the market that provide less than 200 calories per serving. But there are also some that also provide protein. One of these is made by Yasso. The Sea Salt Caramel bars are super creamy and delicious and each bar contains just 100 calories and 5 grams of protein.  Can't find Yasso bars in your local market, there are other brands that make portion controlled frozen treats. Just be sure to check the calorie count before you buy.

18

 Frozen Shrimp

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You're serious about weight loss, so you build each meal around a lean source of protein. But now you're sick of chicken breast and don't have the time to cook fresh fish. So what do you do? If you have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, your problem is solved!

A single serving of medium shrimp provides a whopping 17 grams of protein and only 77 calories.  Thaw the shrimp under cold water and toss them onto a salad, or skewer them between a few veggies and pop them on the grill for a hearty, diet-friendly meal.

19

 Eggs

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Eggs go in and out of favor in the health community, but they are always on my list of the best foods for weight loss. Eggs are perfectly portion controlled, they are versatile, you can eat them at every meal, and they are packed with nutrition.

A single hard-boiled egg contains only 72 calories and over 6 grams of protein. There is some fat in eggs, but it's easy to remove the yolk and eat the white if your fat consumption is too high on a given day. Sliced eggs are great in salads and whole eggs or egg whites are a great breakfast choice.

20

 Angel Food Cake

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So what's a dieter to do on a special occasion when cake is expected? There aren't many cakes that will fit into a reasonable eating plan for weight loss - except for angel food cake.

A single serving of angel food cake provides only 140 calories. So how does that compare to a slice of chocolate cake? A single serving of chocolate cake provides at least twice that many calories! 

If you eat angel food cake on your special occasion, top it with fresh berries and a small serving (2 tablespoons) of whipped cream to keep the total count under 200 calories.

Sources:- verywell

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