By Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA for Hers

Tne quick online search or scroll through social media and you’ll find an endless amount of weight loss advice.

But it’s hard to know what’s backed by science and what’s a waste of your time—or worse, what’s downright dangerous.

Below, Hers separates the fad from fact and busts some common weight loss myths.

Myth 1: Losing Weight Is All About Willpower

Willpower is a hopefully small part of weight loss, but it’s not the only thing at play.

If your weight loss efforts don’t work or you regain some of the weight you’ve lost, it doesn’t mean you lack the willpower to stick to a plan.

There are so many factors that go into weight loss and many of them are out of your control. They include:

• Your environment
• Your genetics
• Your stress levels
• Health conditions
• Medications
• Sleep length and quality

These factors can influence your hunger hormones, how your body stores fat, and the foods you crave.

Don’t let this get you down, though. You can still make changes in your life and reach your goals. You might just need to cut yourself a little slack along the way and reach out for support when needed.

Myth 2: Weight Loss Is Linear

When you’re making healthy lifestyle changes, it’s easy to think you’ll start losing weight and continue to lose weight week after week until you reach your goal.

One unfortunate truth about weight loss is that the journey is rarely a straight line, and there may be some bumps along the road.

While your aim may be to lose one to two pounds a week, you might hit a weight loss plateau—when you stop losing—or you gain a bit of weight. This is normal.

Try not to obsess over the number on the scale and instead focus on sticking to your healthy habits and enjoying the health benefits that come with weight loss—like more energy and a better mood.

Myth 3: You Need to Cut out Carbs and Fats to Lose Weight

Are carbs bad for weight loss? What about fats? Nope, not at all. This might be one of the most pervasive fat loss myths out there.

You’ve no doubt seen the fad diets promoting low-carb or low-fat eating plans. But you don’t need to cut out carbs, fats, or any of your favorite foods, for that matter (you do have to cut back on portions or calories however).

These food groups have been demonized when it comes to weight loss, but you shouldn’t cut them out of your diet completely. In fact, you need some carbs and fats to function and they provide essential nutrients.

Go for complex carbohydrates like:

• Sweet potato
• Brown rice
• Oats
• Whole-wheat bread

Go for healthy fats like:

• Avocados
• Olive oil
• Nuts
• Seeds

Myth 4: Skipping Meals Is Necessary to Lose Weight

You know that reducing your calorie intake can help you lose weight, so skipping meals is one way to do this, right? Well, yes and no.

Can you lose weight by not eating for certain parts of the day? Technically, yes. But for many people, it’s not a sustainable approach.

Skipping meals can spike your hunger levels, which might lead to overeating at your next meal. Plus, when you skip meals, your energy levels and mood might take a hit, too. We’ve all had that hangry—hungry and angry—feeling when we’ve gone too long without food.

So, should you skip breakfast to lose weight? Not necessarily. Doing so may dampen your weight loss efforts, and there’s even research that suggests that skipping breakfast is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.

Your best bet is to fuel your body with regular nutritious meals.

Myth 5: You Need to Join a Gym to Lose Weight

Exercise is great for weight loss, but you don’t need to join a gym to do it.

You can:

• Go running or cycling outside
• Go for hike
• Go for a walk on your lunch break
• Play fetch with your pet or catch with your kid
• Join a dance or yoga class
• Play tennis, badminton, or golf with friends
• Do strength training exercises at home

Beyond joining a gym, there are weight loss myths about which exercise is best. The truth is you don’t have to stick to one type of physical activity in order to drop weight.

Is cardio the best way to lose weight? It’s one way, but it’s not the only way. In fact, incorporating resistance training can help build and maintain muscle mass, which burns more calories at rest, so there are weight loss benefits to all kinds of exercise. Incorporating more movement into your day—whatever that looks like for you—can help you move toward a healthy weight.

Myth 6: Diet and Exercise Are the Only Things That Matter for Weight Loss

Diet and exercise come up a lot in weight loss discussions, and for good reason—both are core pillars of sustainable weight management. But they’re not the only factors at play.

When you’re trying to lose weight, think about sleep and hydration too.

Getting enough sleep can give you the energy and motivation to stick to your healthy lifestyle habits and it’ll also help keep your hunger hormones in check.

Drinking more water can help you feel fuller, and staying hydrated may promote lipolysis, the breakdown of fat for energy in your body.

Plus, prioritizing shut-eye and hydration are important for your overall health and wellness.

Myth 7: You Can’t Lose Weight If You Eat Late at Night

Is it bad to eat late at night? It’s not ideal, but there’s no need to panic if you do. One late-night meal or midnight snack isn’t going to derail your weight loss or cause weight gain.

Regularly eating late at night is linked to obesity, though. You might go for unhealthier food choices or not sleep as well when you eat late.

On the flip side, fasting overnight can help with weight loss and weight maintenance. But it’s a common misconception that any food after 8 p.m. or so is a bad idea.

If you’re eating late at night, go for a light and healthy snack, like a piece of fruit or some Greek yogurt. And if you’re always hungry at night, take stock of what you’ve been eating throughout the day to make sure you’re fueling yourself with enough protein, which can help promote satiety.

Myth 8: Supplements Can Help You Lose Weight

Does turmeric help you lose weight? What about green tea or magnesium? There are so many weight loss supplements out there that it’s common to have questions and wonder whether you should be taking them.

Unfortunately, supplements aren’t the magic pill they’re often sold as. They’re not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and there’s no guarantee they’re safe or effective.

The one standout exception here is protein supplements—the vast majority of people on a weight loss journey aren’t getting enough of this vital macronutrient. Protein supplementation with a bar or meal replacement shake is one way to help ensure you’re getting at least 100g of protein per day, which can help prevent muscle loss while you’re losing weight.

If you’re considering supplements, there are a few others with some evidence-based benefits. Check out this guide to weight loss supplements for women.

Myth 9: Laxatives Can Speed up Weight Loss

Do laxatives make you lose weight? If TikTok is anything to go by, then you might be thinking yes. No shame. But laxatives are not a safe or effective weight loss method. Plus, they’re not exactly a fun one either.

Laxatives can relieve constipation, so you feel lighter. But if you’re not constipated, laxatives can cause diarrhea, causing you to lose a lot of water.

This may cause weight loss in the short term, by the scale’s measure. But losing water weight isn’t the same as losing fat, and diarrhea can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Myth 10: Coffee Can Make You Gain Weight

You don’t need to give up your morning cup of joe if you’re trying to lose weight. In fact, it may play a positive role in your weight loss.

A 2012 study found that about two to four cups of coffee helped people with overweight or obesity eat less at their next meal and throughout the day.

There’s even research showing that drinking up to three cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (death from any cause).

Just be aware of what you’re putting in your coffee. Cream, sugar, or flavored syrups may contribute to weight gain.

And make sure you’re not drinking coffee too close to bedtime, as sleep disruption could also mess with your weight loss efforts.

Weight Loss Myths: The Bottom Line

There are so many myths about weight loss, it’d be easy to keep going—and going. But these are the common ones you might have heard from well-meaning family members or seen on social media.

Remember, weight loss isn’t all about willpower. Genetics, health conditions, medications, and more can make weight loss more difficult. Don’t be hard on yourself if it takes time or you need an extra helping hand along the way.

Weight loss medication, such as GLP-1s and oral medications, can be useful for some to suppress your appetite and curb cravings. But there are a lot of myths around those, too.

This story was produced by Hers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

The post Separating fact from fiction: Debunking common weight loss myths appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Kim Sheffield-Chang

As winter’s last shadows recede and the first hints of spring emerge, a time-honored tradition begins to take shape across American homes: spring cleaning. While it may involve scrubbing corners, organizing closets, and clearing the accumulation of winter’s dust and clutter from your home, Blueprint, a therapist-enablement technology platform, explains how research has revealed that your physical environment is deeply connected to your mental state, and that this annual ritual is doing more than just making your home sparkle. What if spring cleaning is actually a powerful tool for emotional renewal, psychological reset, and creating space for personal growth? 

The psychology of decluttering

A clean space isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating mental clarity. Modern psychological research reveals a connection between our physical environment and mental well-being. A comprehensive study by the National Stress Institute found that 87% of Americans experience reduced stress levels in organized living spaces.

This isn’t mere coincidence—it’s a deeply ingrained psychological response. To better understand the underlying science, Vivian Chung Easton, a mental health clinician at Blueprint, explains that cleaning triggers a cascade of positive neurochemical reactions. The phenomenon behind this is fascinating. Dopamine—the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitter—increases by 47% during and after cleaning activities. It’s like a natural mood boost, triggered by the simple act of putting things in order. Additionally, levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, are reduced during and after cleaning, and organized spaces are found to correlate with a 55% reduction in anxiety symptoms. The science is clear: Tidying up can physically make you feel better. 

Letting go: more than just cleaning

Research demonstrates that decluttering is more than a physical act—it’s a form of emotional processing. By methodically evaluating and releasing physical items, individuals engage in a form of psychological catharsis. For instance, you tend to keep things that have sentimental value. So while that item may not have a role in your life anymore, it evokes an emotion that you want to remember, so you treasure those items. Let’s talk about what that means. Think about that shoebox full of old mementos or a sweatshirt from a relationship long ended. Keeping it might mean holding onto past pain. Letting it go could symbolize your readiness to move forward. Every item you own carries a story, an emotional weight. That stack of unread books, the kitchen gadget purchased during an optimistic New Year’s resolution, baby clothes—each represents more than its physical form. They are repositories of memories, expectations, and sometimes, unresolved emotions. 

But this doesn’t mean you should just toss things out. It’s not about erasing memories, but about choosing which ones continue to shape your present. When you systematically declutter, you’re doing more than organizing: You’re processing memories, releasing attachments, and creating psychological and emotional space for growth. The results of groundbreaking longitudinal research by Christina Leclerc and Elizabeth Kensinger offers a strategic approach. Their studies show a 76% success rate in emotional processing through systematic item evaluation, with participants reporting increased psychological flexibility.

The key is intentionality—asking yourself not just “do I need this?” but “what emotional weight does this carry?”

The effects of considering each item goes beyond emotional processing: 62% of individuals reported significant emotional relief after deliberately discarding items with complex emotional associations. In short, this isn’t about ruthless elimination but about mindful selection. Choosing which memories and attachments continue to serve your present self can better make space for future growth.

Practical strategies for emotional (and actual) decluttering

Transforming spring cleaning from a mundane chore into a meaningful psychological intervention requires intentionality. Below, Easton shares some evidence-based strategies.  

• Systematic evaluation: When looking for a place to start decluttering, it can feel overwhelming to look at a pile of your things and instantly know what stays and what goes. It’s helpful to break down the task of decluttering into smaller, more manageable components – the first of which is establishing categories to place your items. Create these categories—keep, maybe, donate, discard—with emotional awareness so you can begin sorting through your things. Beyond categories, you don’t have to evaluate all your items at once, you can take things step-by-step and perhaps take on a closet one day, and a junk drawer the next. 
• Asking yourself the right questions: Approach each item as a conscious choice. Ask yourself “does this support my current and future self?” rather than “do I need this?” If you can easily think of the ways that an item supports you, then it’s a keep. However, if you’re struggling with that, it can go in the “maybe” category, which you can revisit with the same questions later. When evaluating things for donation, ask yourself whether the item may bring greater value to someone else’s life than your own. When donating, you’re giving the item another chance at helping those around us. 
• Mindful processing: Allow yourself to feel the emotions that surface. Acknowledge memories without becoming trapped by them. Recognize that letting go isn’t erasure but evolution. If you truly want to declutter, one thing you can do is keep the items that you consider sentimental, and revisit them in a few months to see if they still hold that value. Chances are that the things that had sentimental value at the time will have faded. However, the items that have true, deep meaning will continue to have value, and you should continue to keep them. 
• Create a ritual for closure: As you sort and evaluate your items, there may be some things that you want to let go of, but are unsure how. It can be helpful to take a moment to appreciate and mourn the loss of an item. For example, you can spend some time recalling the fond memories you associate with the item, and maybe take a picture of it with your new memories. Closure can be an important part of letting things go, so take your time. 

Beyond clean: long-term mental health benefits 

As we inch toward spring, it can be helpful to see your cleaning as more than a seasonal chore. It can be an opportunity for emotional maintenance, a chance to create external order that reflects—and can help create—internal peace.The most encouraging finding? The emotional benefits of a regular ritual of cleaning and organizing aren’t fleeting. Longitudinal studies tracking participants six months post-decluttering revealed sustained psychological improvements for 53% of individuals. What’s more, orderly environments correlated with a 39% increase in overall life satisfaction.

Spring cleaning isn’t just about tidiness: It’s real, lasting change sparked by something as simple as reorganizing your space. It’s an opportunity for emotional maintenance, a ritualistic process of letting go and making space to support your internal growth, resilience, and emotional well-being. 

So as you’re sorting through any clutter this spring, take time to consider each item you touch. Honor the memories, but also recognize your capacity for change. Your physical space is a reflection of your inner world—and by consciously curating that space, you’re actively participating in your own psychological renewal. The boxes are waiting. The memories are ready to be processed. Your emotional reset button is within reach.

This story was produced by Blueprint and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

The post How spring cleaning also declutters emotional and mental health appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Mallory Carra

While deployed in Kosovo in May 2024, U.S. Army Reserve physical therapy assistant Elvia Azuara saw many stray cats running around one of the bases—including a sweet little black and white female kitty, known mostly as Fent.

Azuara noticed her one day during lunch and she fed fries to Fent. Soon, this became a regular bonding activity for them. “I guess she knew my routine,” Azuara said in an interview with Stacker. “Whenever I was there, she would just pop up out of nowhere and she would wait for her fries.”

But four months later, in October, Azuara got word that her deployment was ending—and she was devastated to leave the kitty, especially as winter approached. And that’s where Paws of War’s “War Torn Pups & Cats” program stepped in.

Ollie profiled the work of the U.S. nonprofit, which reunites military personnel with the animals they bonded with while serving overseas. Founded by Robert Misseri in 2014, Paws of War has helped rescue over 5,000 dogs and cats for nearly 1,000 veterans. The organization filled an increasing need for officers in the Air Force, Marines, Army, Coast Guard, and Army Reserves who served overseas, bonded with a dog or a cat, and didn’t want to leave them behind in an uncertain situation.

The organization serves a dual purpose by reuniting service members grappling with the aftermath of war with animals needing care. And for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, their furry companions not only bring joy but also help them heal.

“We have troops all over the world and the sacrifices that those people make is pretty great,” said Paws of War volunteer Gary Baumann, who volunteers with the “War Torn Pups & Cats” program. “We feel like asking them to leave these animals behind is a sacrifice they shouldn’t have to make,” he told Stacker.

High costs but high rewards

Azuara heard about the program from service members who had previously been deployed at the base. After she bonded with Fent, she submitted her application to bring the kitty home to the U.S.

“I was a little skeptical at the beginning, to be honest, because I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know why would they do it for free,'” she said, “but I don’t lose anything by just checking it out.”

The “War Torn Pups & Cats” program costs nothing for service members—donors primarily fund it. In 2023, Paws of War raised over $4 million from contributions and grants.

After a soldier like Azuara applies, Paws of War volunteers and staff members all around the world team up to work on the logistics, exploring how possible it is to bring the pet to the United States. Dogs and cats need to see a qualified veterinarian for documentation and rabies vaccines before traveling internationally, but sometimes that vet is located hours away. The care can also vary in cost, depending on local currency and pricing.

“Recently we had a dog in Africa and we’ve done a few from bases there,” Baumann said. “It literally takes a donkey cart, a boat, couple cars and then, usually a motorcycle, something that can go through a little bit of brush to get these the dogs or cats to the city where we can get them to a vet and start processing them.”

The most expensive part of the process is transporting animals to the U.S. It often involves flying them in a plane as cargo, which can cost around $4,000 or more. The pet also must enter the country at a government-authorized airport.

For instance, cats from other countries can enter the U.S. through several airports, but the CDC only allows dogs from high-risk rabies countries to enter through six, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Los Angeles International Airport.

Helping heroes

Paws of War accepts direct donations on its website to help support its programs, which include providing PTSD service dogs and a mobile veterinary clinic in Long Island, New York.

For the “War Torn” program, the expense is worth it for the organization, its soldiers, and the animals. Dogs and cats are believed to be capable of more complex emotions than most people realize and their reunions with the officers they bonded with may mean just as much to them as it does to the human.

For Azuara, the bond was as strong as ever. Three weeks after she put in her application, the program contacted her in November 2024 with good news: Fent was ready to travel to the U.S. and live with her.

The cat flew from Kosovo and entered the U.S. through JFK airport, eventually making it to Azuara’s home in Austin, Texas. Their reunion at the airport meant a lot to Azuara, who worried the kitty might forget her or not get along with her two dogs. But Fent—who Azuara renamed Frenzy—adjusted to her new home right away. Frenzy doesn’t get to eat fries anymore, but enjoys her proper cat food.

Now, Azuara is training to join the Travis County EMS. Having Frenzy, a major part of her overseas experience, in Texas has helped her readjust to the U.S.

“She’s definitely one of my huge grounding tools, when I was over there,” Azuara said. “When the situations were really stressful, she was something that would brighten up my day. And when I came back it’s really hard to transition and acclimate back into civilian life, but having her, it was kind of like having a little piece of where I was and a little reminder that, hey, it’s going to be okay.”

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.

This story originally appeared on Ollie and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

The post Paws of War reunites military personnel with rescued animals appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Article Highlights:

• Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, thrived with over 100 Black-owned businesses in the early 1900s.
• The Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 destroyed Greenwood, killing up to 300 people and erasing wealth.
• Modern Black business districts face challenges but strive to rebuild wealth through entrepreneurship and support networks.

By Jazmin Goodwin

“Beautiful, bustling, and Black”—that was how author, attorney, and activist Hannibal B. Johnson described Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District in his book “Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District.”

In the early 1900s, the Greenwood District flourished with over 100 Black-owned businesses, from restaurants and grocery stores to hotels and hospitals. Brick office buildings lined the streets with Black doctors, lawyers, and dentists ready to serve their communities. Visitors to the area included agricultural scientist George Washington Carver, famed contralto Marian Anderson, and blues singer and pianist Dinah Washington. The district’s success represented more than just commerce; it embodied Black Americans’ resilience and ingenuity in creating economic opportunities despite the crushing restrictions of Jim Crow laws.

Greenwood’s prosperity came to a violent end in 1921 when a white mob destroyed the district in what is now known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. In just two days, their ensuing violence left 35 city blocks decimated, over 800 people injured, potentially 100 to 300 people killed (though exact figures can never be determined), and generations of accumulated wealth erased.

Unfortunately, the tragedy at Greenwood wasn’t an isolated event. The years leading up to 1921 were marked by race-related violence. As Johnson noted in his book, the United States saw 61 recorded lynchings of Black Americans in 1920; the year prior, more than 25 major race riots erupted throughout the nation in what was dubbed the Red Summer.

The devastation and its lasting impact

Today, the country continues to grapple with the aftermath of such vehement destruction. Evanston, Illinois, and Asheville, North Carolina, are among the few cities carrying out reparations projects despite opposition from the 6% and 13% of respondents who argued such programs would be too expensive or too difficult to administer, respectively, according to a poll of 1,000 people by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston TV station WCVB.

Though Greenwood residents reconstructed with astonishing speed after the massacre, their efforts were continually stymied—not just by violence but by policies that deprived these areas of further opportunities. “The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre temporarily stilled the economic engines that revved on Black Wall Street. That said, the community quickly rebounded and rebuilt, peaking economically in the 1940s,” Johnson told Stacker in an email. “In the 1960s and subsequent decades, structural factors like integration and urban renewal precipitated a second decline.”

The 2024 ruling denying reparations to the last survivors of the massacre serves as a sobering reminder that the consequences of this destruction continue to reverberate through time, contributing to today’s racial wealth gap.

The legacy of Black business districts across America

Though perhaps the most widely known, Tulsa’s story was not unique.

“Wherever you had large Black populations concentrated because of segregation, you had these enterprising African Americans who sprouted up to provide every need possible,” Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott, author of “Banking on Freedom: Black Women in U.S. Finance Before the New Deal” and associate professor of history and Africana studies at Tulane University, told Stacker.

Across America, Black entrepreneurs established thriving business districts that faced similar threats from racial violence and discriminatory policies.

From Richmond’s Jackson Ward—known as “the cradle of Black capitalism”—to Detroit’s Paradise Valley, Chicago’s Bronzeville, and Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn, across America, Black entrepreneurs established communities with flourishing enterprises that stood as beacons of economic promise and prosperity.

Stacker used Census data and other sources to explore the untold history of lesser-known Black Wall Streets across the U.S. and how present-day Black business districts strive to rebuild wealth and opportunity in the current economic landscape.

You may also like: AI art is facing a copyright problem. Here’s what it means for creators.

The winding path to economic freedom

The roots of Black entrepreneurship run deep in American soil. The entrepreneurial spirit of Black Americans can be traced as early as the 17th century, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Even while enslaved, Black Americans would barter and trade their surplus production with other people who were enslaved—though most profits went to their enslavers. Some with managerial duties even sold their skills and services to others. Once freed, Black Americans continued this tradition of engaging in businesses that used the skills valued by white enslavers, including catering and personal services such as tailoring and hair care.

In the decades following the Civil War, Black Americans faced a paradox: newly freed but systematically excluded from mainstream economic opportunities.

“These were enterprising, ambitious people who were trying to get their part, their piece of the American dream, who were just as enthralled with American free enterprise as their white counterparts,” Garrett-Scott said. “Through their enterprise, they were able to carve out a space within the limitations—the limited options that they were given.”

Overcoming systemic barriers

This exclusion, though devastating, sparked a wave of Black entrepreneurship across the country. According to the Negro Year Book of 1914-1915, Black business ownership grew from virtually zero in 1863 to over 40,000 enterprises by 1913, while Black homeownership rose from near zero to over 500,000 properties in the same period. This growth occurred despite the implementation of restrictive “Black codes” that required white sponsors for Black business licenses and Jim Crow laws that systematically segregated commerce.

These communities developed sophisticated financial networks, with Black-owned banks providing crucial capital to entrepreneurs routinely denied loans by white-owned institutions. “What made these Black business districts thrive wasn’t just Black people supporting Black businesses; it was also Black-owned financial networks, Black banks, and Black insurance companies that provided the capital when white institutions refused,” said Garrett-Scott.

One of the most significant developments was the creation of Black financial institutions. Exemplifying this trend was the Grand Fountain United Order of True Reformers, founded by Rev. William Washington Browne in 1881 in Richmond, Virginia’s Jackson Ward. Beyond providing insurance and banking services, the True Reformers operated department stores, published a newspaper, maintained a home for older people, and invested in real estate across 10 Virginia cities, Washington state, Baltimore, and other locations.

Backlash and lasting impact

However, alongside these success stories came the backlash. Beyond Tulsa, Black Americans who engaged in economic activity fell victim to racial violence and intentional economic disruption. The East St. Louis Massacre of 1917, caused by white workers targeting their Black peers hired by the Aluminum Ore Company or the Elaine Massacre of Black sharecroppers seeking to unionize in 1919, marked systematic attempts to suppress Black economic independence.

“Violence plays a role in both creating Black Wall Streets and their decline,” Garrett-Scott emphasized. “There are different, varying levels and kinds of violence.” Beyond direct racial violence, Black businesses faced what Garrett-Scott calls “bureaucratic violence”—systematic exclusion from professional organizations, denial of licenses and permits, and restricted access to capital.

Discriminatory policies compounded the damage. Redlining prevented Black businesses from accessing loans and insurance, while urban renewal projects of the 1950s and 1960s often targeted Black business districts for demolition, displacing established enterprises and fragmenting communities.

“Urban renewal—ostensibly intended to eliminate urban blight—devastated Black Wall Street by displacing individuals and enterprises and gobbling up land,” said Johnson. “Wealth disparities are in large part attributable to the ability to transfer property intergenerationally. Urban renewal adversely affected that dynamic for Black folks.”

The ongoing wealth gap

The dismantling of these Black business districts has had lasting effects on economic progress for Black Americans spanning generations. According to the American Civil Liberties Union’s 2023 Visualizing the Racial Wealth Gap report, the gap in wealth between Black and white families has only grown since the 1970s. In 2018, the median white family of three earned $33,000 more than a Black family of the same size. Black homeownership rates have also stagnated, lagging behind Hispanic homeownership rates and never reaching the 50% mark in the last 10 years.

“We haven’t matched the level of economic destruction that came through those forms of violence and policy violence with the requisite level of economic investment into those communities. Each new generation can fall farther and far farther behind,” Anthony Barr, director of research and impact at the National Bankers Association, told Stacker. Barr’s research specializes in the racial wealth gap, financial wellness, and digitization.

Where Black Americans found success across the US

Different cities developed distinct patterns of Black business growth. Due to segregation, Richmond’s Jackson Ward transformed from a mixed neighborhood that hosted German, Italian, and Jewish immigrants to a Black business hub.

During this time, “the Deuce,” known as 2nd Street, became a cultural and economic powerhouse and the home of Hippodrome Theater, attracting performers like Nat King Cole and Cab Calloway. The district was also home to St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, founded in 1903 by the first Black American woman to charter a bank in the U.S., Maggie Lena Walker, and the Southern Aid and Insurance Company, the country’s first Black life insurance company.

Durham, North Carolina, presented a unique case. Unlike older Southern cities, Durham’s rapid growth as a tobacco town created unexpected opportunities. “My hunch is that the growth was so rapid that anybody could come here to get a job,” Perry Pike of the Historic Preservation Society of Durham told the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “They couldn’t afford to discriminate in the way that other southern cities did.” Durham was also believed to be more progressive than other communities.

“White allyship helped facilitate Black business success in Durham, both in terms of relative racial progressivism and capital investment,” said Johnson.

Education and economic growth

This relative openness enabled the rise of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company—the nation’s largest Black-owned insurer at the time—and Mechanics and Farmers Bank. Andre Vann, a North Carolina Central University historian, also noted Durham fostered unusually progressive Black-white business relationships, with white capitalists often working through Black-owned banks to invest in Black communities.

Washington D.C.’s evolution tells yet another story. The city’s Shaw neighborhood, particularly along U Street, emerged as a crucial hub after Black businessmen were forced out of downtown. By 1910, Shaw hosted over 200 Black-owned businesses, with the True Reformers’ five-story building on 12th and U streets symbolizing the community’s ambitions. The neighborhood’s growth was closely tied to Howard University, reinforcing the power of education in economic mobility. The area’s growth paralleled the expansion of Howard University, creating a symbiotic relationship between education and enterprise that became a model for other cities.

Barr notes modern Black business hubs can learn from these historical examples. “It’s not just about creating new wealth; it’s about supporting jobs, which is about supporting families,” he said. “It’s about increasing tax revenue, which is about being able to have more money available for public services and quality schools and infrastructure maintenance.”

Stacker

Collective economics: Building Black business districts today

Today’s landscape shows both progress and persistent challenges. Census data reveals that while Black Americans represented about 12% of the population, they owned just 2.4% of American small businesses in 2020. However, data suggests that Black-owned businesses thrive in Southern states. Hinesville, Georgia, leads with 18.2% of companies being Black-owned despite its population only being slightly above 35,000. On the other hand, Atlanta, a larger city with more than 500,000 residents, maintains a strong presence, with 13,766 Black-owned businesses representing 11.3% of all enterprises.

Cities like Memphis, Tennessee, also have a notable presence of Black businesses. The city, which hosts more than 600,000 residents, has a Black population comprising 48.8% of residents, and Black-owned companies comprise 9.3% of all enterprises.

The resurgence of modern Black business districts in these cities is driven by strong entrepreneurial ecosystems supporting emerging and established businesses. From local policies to entrepreneur networks, dedicated efforts are shaping sustainable ecosystems that empower Black entrepreneurs and fuel long-term success.

Building sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems

Today, this philosophy is embodied in the work of Atlanta’s Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, founder of The Village Market and author of “No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life.” Hallmon launched The Village Market as a deliberate economic engine for Black-owned businesses. Since 2016, the model has served more than 1,440 businesses in 38 states and four countries, including the Bahamas. It has resulted in $8.8 million in direct sales to Black-owned enterprises and $800,000 in grants.

“The key for all of us is intentionality—whether through funding, mentorship, visibility, or policy changes, we must build ecosystems that not only provide opportunities but also advocate for long-term structural change in how Black businesses are supported and sustained. By working together, we can shift the narrative from survival to sustained success,” Hallmon told Stacker in an email.

Mandy Bowman, founder and CEO of Official Black Wall Street, represents another example of the power of buying and supporting Black entrepreneurs. Bowman created Official Black Wall Street to connect Black businesses with consumers nationwide. Inspired by the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Bowman launched her platform to ensure Black businesses received sustained visibility and consumer support.

The power of social and economic networks

Ryan Wilson is the founder and CEO of The Gathering Spot, a private membership network designed to foster collaboration among Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives. He underscores the importance of community spaces providing social and financial capital to help businesses thrive. “We have to have places where you’re able to connect with the entire ecosystem. So, yes, business owners, but also the accountants, the lawyers, the people that can support your products,” Wilson told Stacker.

Wilson emphasizes that business is ultimately built on relationships, and access to the right networks is often as crucial as access to funding. “At the end of the day, social capital is going to be required in order to facilitate financial capital and then ultimately close the wealth gap. People have to know one another before they do business with one another,” Wilson said.

“Buying Black” has long been a powerful concept and driver of social capital in the fight for economic independence and wealth-building within Black communities. Johnson describes this tradition as “supporting Black-owned enterprises, entrepreneurs, and professionals; investing in our own community; and ownership—equity.” Historically, Black business districts like Greenwood in Tulsa, Sweet Auburn in Atlanta, and Jackson Ward in Richmond were thriving because of “collective economics,” or “economic cooperation” to support Black-owned businesses, ensuring that wealth circulated within Black communities.

And just as in centuries past with Black business districts, educational institutions like historically Black colleges and universities continue to be an economic mobilizer for Black entrepreneurship.

In Atlanta, the Center for Black Entrepreneurship aims to help bridge the wealth gap for Black communities through its programming and funding opportunities that serve Atlanta University Center students—which include Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Clark Atlanta University—and Black business owners. The center, bolstered by $10 million in funding from Bank of America, also provides a research program to find solutions for the unique challenges Black entrepreneurs face.

Challenges in accessing capital

Access to capital remains a significant barrier for Black entrepreneurs. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Small Business Credit Survey, Black-owned firms are twice as likely to be denied business loans as white-owned firms. The Census Bureau’s 2022 Annual Business Survey also found that Black-owned firms were less likely to receive the full financing they sought than white-owned firms. Specifically, fewer than 2 in 5 (38.4%) Black-owned firms received all the funding they applied for, while 3 in 5 (62.3%) white-owned firms experienced the same outcome.

The venture capital landscape reflects similar disparities. In 2023, Black-founded startups in the U.S. received approximately $661 million in venture capital funding, representing just 0.48% of the total $136 billion allocated that year and 1.4% of total U.S. venture funding, TechCrunch reported. This marks a substantial decline from 2021, when Black founders secured nearly $5 billion, according to Crunchbase. The downturn of financing is more pronounced in certain regions. For instance, in Atlanta, Crunchbase reported investments in Black-owned startups dropped from $467 million in 2021 to just $23 million in 2023. However, some VC firms, such as the Atlanta-based Collab Capital, provide access to capital and strategic guidance to Black entrepreneurs and founders.

Broader economic disparities compound the financial challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 3 in 5 (64%) Black adults rate their personal financial situation as only fair or poor, and more than half experience at least one economic worry daily or almost daily. Despite these obstacles, entrepreneurship remains a key aspiration within Black communities; the same survey revealed that 22% of Black adults consider owning a business essential to their personal definition of financial success.

The Black Wall Street mindset and the future

These disparities underscore Black entrepreneurs’ systemic and historical barriers to securing necessary funding for their businesses and achieving financial success.

While the challenges remain significant, today’s Black entrepreneurs are building on their predecessors’ legacy of resilience and innovation, working to close the racial wealth gap one business at a time.

“Black Wall Street clubs have sprung up all across the country,” Johnson said. “They reflect what I call ‘the Black Wall Street mindset,’ the mental framework built on the historical example of the Black trailblazers from Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District who displayed extraordinary vision, determination, and resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Leveraging this powerful past, the Black Wall Street mindset says, essentially: ‘They did. I can. I will.'”

Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Paris Close.

The post The legacy of Black business districts across America appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Kimberly Zerkel

The Academy Awards have long been a platform for Hollywood’s elite to showcase not only their artistic achievements but also their most breathtaking fashion choices. In recent years, a growing movement toward sustainability has taken center stage, with celebrities embracing eco-friendly designs, vintage couture, and lab-grown diamonds. VRAI, a fine jewelry brand specializing in lab-grown diamonds, examines this shift, which highlights a collective commitment to environmentally responsible fashion on one of the most-watched red carpets in the world.

1. Emma Watson’s Planet-Friendly Gown and Lab-Grown Diamond Necklace (2018 and 2023)

A longtime advocate for sustainable fashion, Emma Watson attended the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in a vintage Ralph Lauren gown. In 2023, she continued her commitment to sustainable fashion by completing her Oscars after-party look with VRAI’s Mixed Bezel Tennis Necklace featuring lab-grown diamonds. Her choices reinforced that high fashion can be both glamorous and values-driven.

2. Billy Porter’s Lab-Grown Diamond Necklace (2020)

In a groundbreaking move at the 2020 Oscars, Billy Porter adorned himself with a stunning Lark & Berry necklace featuring lab-grown diamonds. This choice not only made a bold fashion statement but also underscored the beauty of lab-grown diamonds in high-end jewelry. The same year, 10-year-old actress Julia Butters wore a lab-grown bow necklace, while Kelly Osbourne wore a wrap ring with lab-created diamonds to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party.

3. Joaquin Phoenix’s Repeated Stella McCartney Suit (2020)

Joaquin Phoenix made headlines in 2020 for his choice to wear the same Stella McCartney tuxedo throughout the entire awards season, including the Academy Awards. His decision was a bold statement against the wastefulness of red carpet fashion. By choosing sustainable fashion designer McCartney, he doubled down on his stance for the environment.

4. Margot Robbie’s Vintage Chanel Dress (2020)

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2020, Margot Robbie donned a vintage Chanel dress from the 1994 collection. Her selection of a classic piece not only exuded timeless elegance but also promoted the sustainable practice of wearing archival fashion.

5. Olivia Colman Thoughtful Stella McCartney Gown (2020)

Stella McCartney has become one of the most sought-after designers for celebrities embracing sustainable fashion at the Oscars. Known for her cruelty-free and eco-conscious designs, her influence has been steadily rising. Olivia Colman dazzled in a Stella McCartney gown made from sustainable velvet at the 2020 Oscars.

6. Billie Eilish’s Sustainable Gucci Dress (2022)

Music and fashion icon Billie Eilish arrived at the 2022 Oscars wearing a voluminous, ruffled Gucci gown made from deadstock fabric. An advocate for sustainable fashion and practices, her choice highlighted the growing trend of eco-conscious style on the red carpet. 

The same year, actor and model Jamie Dornan arrived at the 2022 Academy Awards in a classic tuxedo made all the more elegant with a lapel pin featuring lab-grown diamonds.

7. Cate Blanchett’s Archival Louis Vuitton Ensemble (2023)

Cate Blanchett has been a longtime champion of sustainable fashion, and her 2023 Oscars look was no exception. She wore an archival Louis Vuitton top with a black maxi skirt made from silk, reinforcing her commitment to reducing fashion waste.

8. More Sustainable and Archival Looks in 2023

This same year that nominee Cate Blanchett stunned in vintage, other stars followed suit.Naomi Scottattended the Vanity Fair Oscar party in a custom Chloé dress crafted from lower-impact wool, while Kendall Jennerarrived in archival Jean Paul Gaultier. Rooney Mara walked the red carpet wearing vintage Alexander McQueen, while Chloe East wore a Monique Lhuillier gown made from Tencel. Sabrina Dhowre Elba shined alongside husband Idris Elba in a green Stella McCartney gown made from sustainable materials.

9. An Array of Stars in Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry in 2024

Amber Midthunderstunned at the 2024 Academy Awards, pairing her ultra-feminine look with a dazzling ring featuring an array of lab-grown diamonds. Her choice of fine jewelry with lab-created diamonds was echoed by several stars, including Best Actress winner Emma Stone at Louis Vuitton’s Academy Awards Dinner, Rupi Kaurat the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party, and Jessica Williamsand Stephanie Hsu at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

The Future of Sustainable Red Carpet Fashion

As we look ahead to future Oscar ceremonies, sustainable fashion is no longer a passing trend—it’s an essential evolution. With more celebrities embracing vintage and repurposed ensembles, as well as lab-grown diamond designs, the red carpet is becoming a platform for environmental responsibility and thoughtful style. The Oscars continue to prove that glamour and sustainability can go hand in hand, setting a precedent for the fashion industry at large.

This story was produced by VRAI and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Feature Image: Daniele Venturelli // Getty Images

The post Sustainable fashion trends at the Oscars appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Dan Ketchum

Language is constantly evolving, but when you get to be of a—let’s say parental—age, it sure feels like it starts evolving a lot faster than it used to. Add in the instantaneous speed and informational overload of online culture, and it becomes a whole lot to keep up with. It might even start to feel like you need a translator to be able to engage with your kid. And that’s exactly why Spokeo created a guide to current online and offline slang.

That’s not to say you should try to deploy this slang too much if you’re over a certain age, but a little fluency definitely helps if you want to be part of the conversation—especially if you’re a parent.

Gen Z Slang 

Some slang is a whole lot more online, and some of it is a whole lot more cutting-edge, but before diving into the deep end of current teenage slang phrases, let’s start with some of the more general slang you might hear from Gen Z nowadays. 

This is the part where we’re supposed to make a cute joke using Gen Z slang, but we’ll spare you and get to it. Here goes:

• Bae: from “baby,” significant other
• Basic: vanilla or boring, garden variety
• Bet: a form of “yes,” or a confirmation
• Cap: A lie, e.g. “no cap,” meaning “no lie”
• CEO: technically, this still means “Chief Executive Officer,” but in a teenage slang phrase like “[person] is the CEO of [thing],” it means that person is the boss or the master of something
• Cheugy: dated or uncool, especially in regard to millennial culture. e.g. “This article is cheugy”
• Cringe: weird or off-putting behavior, often refers to trying too hard
• Cook: the verb “to cook” means that someone is preparing something good. See also: “let them cook,” which translates to “hold on, let’s see what they’re going to do”
• Dead: a state of being used to exaggerate or emphasize a reaction, usually to something funny. e.g. “I’m dead”, simply “dead,” or some variation of 💀. See also: “I’m weak”
• Delulu: shortened form of “delusional”
• Drag: to make fun of or roast someone
• Drip: swagger, especially of the fashionable sort
• Extra: over-the-top
• Fam: short for “family,” used in the same way as the archaic “dude” or “bro”
• Fire: very cool or on-point (think “hot,” like … fire). See also: lit
• Fit: short for “outfit”
• Flex: to show off. e.g., “That new car is a flex”
• Function: usually “the function” or the “func,” a gathering or party
• Glow up: basically, a makeover—including an image makeover—that makes something a lot more attractive or cool
• Gucci: implies that something is good, cool, or going well
• Hits: a verb. When something “hits,” it lands well with or affects someone. Alternatively, if something “hits different,” it affects them in a way outside the norm or expectation
• Low-key: a modifier that downplays something. e.g., “low-key, I like it.” See also: high-key, low-key’s antonym
• Rizz: short for charisma
• Salty: bitter or angry, especially implying jealousy
• Slay: a verb or adjective meaning to be stylish or exhibit lots of swagger. Also used as an imperative in the same vein as “go off,” e.g., “Slay, queen!” or “Go off, king!”
• Serve: the act of looking good, e.g., “she’s serving”
• Shade: negative talk. See also: to “throw shade” or talk negatively about someone
• Ship: from “relationship,” the act of willing people (often fictional characters) into romance
• Shook: to be shaken up or shocked by something
• Simp: to crush on someone to an embarrassing or degrading level. One can simp as a verb, or they can be a simp as a noun
• Sleep on: to ignore or underrate something. The passive “slept on” means something has been ignored or underrated
• Snatched: looks good or is fashionable
• Stan: as a verb, to stan something means that you support or stand for something. e.g., “We stan Spokeo People Search.” As a noun, one can also be a stan for something
• Sus: from “suspicious,” meaning shady or sketchy
• Tea: a noun meaning gossip or news, the latest. e.g., “Spill the tea on your date”
• Thirsty: desperate for attention, or horny
• Yassify: to make something over. Online, this is used ironically in reference to pictures that have way too many obvious filters applied; it can also mean that someone’s face looks filtered IRL
• Yeet: to throw something
• Yikes: see cringe

Chronically Online Slang 

A lot of contemporary slang is a result of, to use a teenage slang phrase, being chronically online—which means very closely engaged (maybe even obsessively so) with internet culture.  Especially in 2024, it’s a two-way street; real-world slang finds its way onto the internet, and online slang just as quickly finds its way into IRL speech. 

In this era of culture wars, you’ll hear a lot of ironic and unironic use of canceled and woke. The act of being or getting canceled gained popularity during the “Me Too” movement; when bad actors were outed by victims of sexual assault or misogyny, they were “canceled,” which essentially means to de-platform or stop supporting someone, especially a public figure. Someone can get canceled, for instance, for making a racist or sexist comment. As a teenage slang phrase, it’s often used ironically to support something inconsequential, like “I got canceled because I don’t like pizza crust.” 

Similarly, while woke was originally slang for being politically or culturally aware, it has been appropriated by far-right movements to degenerate progressive culture, especially cultures of inclusion and diversity. In response to the right’s adoption of the phrase, many people now use it ironically (e.g. “I don’t like paper straws, saving the planet is too woke”).  

Also in the terminally online category, to ratio someone means to gain more support with an opposing stance (it refers to Twitter culture, when a response to a tweet gets more likes—usually opposing or making fun of it—than the original tweet). Next, you have e-girl or e-boy, which is a person who builds a flirtatious presence on the internet. The millennial pause references the short delay before a (usually older) person starts recording themselves in a selfie video. Fittingly so, brain rot means that someone is a little too online, or a little too into something to the point of mindlessness.

Gen Alpha Slang 

The lines are a little blurry and the language is still developing quickly, but if you’re a parent of a child born from roughly 2010 to 2024, your kid is considered part of Generation Alpha (Gen Z is generally considered 1996 to 2010-ish). Broadly speaking, Gen Alpha slang leans even more heavily into absurdism, which may or may not be a coping mechanism for life in the 2020s.   

So far, these (pre-)teenage slang phrases have come to define the Gen Alpha parlance—expect the list to grow quickly as they age into the most marketable and marketed-to age group. Sorry, Gen Z, it happens to everyone eventually.

• Aura: an updated version of “vibe,” but often more personal. Someone or something having an “aura” might mean they have charisma, but they can also have a negative aura
• Fanum tax: stealing food from a friend, named after the food streamer, Fanum
• Gyatt: an exclamation, the shortened version of “God damn!” as in “gyatt damn!” Usually used to compliment one’s butt
• Looksmaxxing: to put an extreme focus on maximizing one’s looks, such as through exercise, diet, or wardrobe makeovers. Maxxing can also be used as a suffix, meaning to maximize something 
• Mog: related to looksmaxxing, to look dominatingly more physically attractive
• Ohio: a synonym for cringe or cringey
• Rizzler: someone who has rizz
• Sigma: a play on Gen Z’s Alpha, which refers to an “Alpha” male or dominant figure. A Sigma is more of a loner
• Skibidi: a nonsense word from the surreal YouTube short series, “Skibidi Toilet.” It’s inspired by the nonsense sounds of the show’s theme song and can be used pretty much however the speaker wants, often as a malleable adjective, interjection, or exclamation

TSAA (The Section About Acronyms)

Because so many Gen Z and Gen Alpha teenage slang phrases come from online culture, a ton of them are abbreviations, like you might see in a text, DM (direct message), chat, or tweet. So many, in fact, that they warrant their own category (so you don’t have to go Googling “ngl meaning”).   

While these citations are in uppercase because that’s the AP style rule for acronyms, remember that most young people use lowercase for these.

• AF: As F**k. To emphasize something, e.g. “Spokeo’s cool AF”
• LFG: Let’s F**king Go!
• GOAT: Greatest of All Time, usually as “The Goat”
• IRL: In Real Life. As in, the offline, non-virtual, real-world space
• IYKYK: If You Know, You Know
• L: stands for a Loss, e.g. “to take the L”
• NGL: Not Gonna Lie
• ONG: “On God,” as in, “I swear.” Not a typo for OMG.
• TBH: To Be Honest
• TFW: That Feeling When, e.g., “TFW you get a good hit on Spokeo People Search”
• W: as in “a W,” also a “dub,” meaning a win
• YOLO: You Only Live Once, mostly used ironically 

Potential Red Flags

On a more serious note, especially as a parent, some slang can indicate that your child isn’t in the best place, emotionally or mental-health wise, or might be getting into spaces that are a bit too adult for their age. 

As a parent, you don’t want to find yourself asking “what does KYS mean?” or Googling “asl meaning slang” unprepared for a potentially deep conversation, so keep these in your back pocket. 

• 53X: sex
• ASL: an abbreviation for “age, sex, location,” usually used when trading info for romantic or sexual purposes. Alternatively, this is sometimes used as a short-hand way to say “As Hell,” e.g. “That video was cool asl.” For this one, context is key
• Body count: the number of people someone has slept with
• CU46: an abbreviation for “see you for sex”
• KMS or KYS: “kill myself” or “kill yourself.” Often used darkly ironically, but can also indicate bullying or being bullied, or legitimate depression. It never hurts to check
• LMIRL: “let’s meet in real life”
• Plug: a drug dealer or drug hookup
• WTTP: an abbreviation for “want to trade photos?”

While it’s true that a whole lot of teenage slang phrases in 2024 are deployed in a funny or darkly ironic way, here’s another, more meaningful truth: it never hurts to check in.

This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Feature Image: Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

The post Navigating Gen Z, Gen Alpha slang: A guide for the chronically offline appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Kirsten Nunez

When starting a weight loss journey, one of the first things you might think about is how to build a balanced, nutritious diet to set yourself up for success. Along the way, you might find yourself asking, “Are eggs good for weight loss?” It’s a fair question, given that eggs are packed with protein and essential nutrients, but they’ve also faced their share of controversy when it comes to health and diet.

Key Takeaways

• Eggs can be good for weight loss because they’re low in calories and high in protein, which can reduce hunger, build muscle, and support healthy metabolism.
• To best support weight loss efforts, consider poached or hard-boiled eggs and pair them with high-fiber foods, like fruits or vegetables.

As it turns out, eggs can be a fantastic food for any weight loss eating plan, Ro reports, as long as they’re part of a balanced diet and paired with other nutrient-rich foods. (After all, too much of anything isn’t a good thing.) Read on to learn why eggs are good for weight loss and how they can support your slim-down efforts, along with the best way to prepare them to meet your goals.

Why Are Eggs Good for Weight Loss?

The nutritional content of eggs can make them a stellar choice for losing weight. Not only can they affect your eating habits in a way that can promote healthy weight, but they can benefit your body composition, too. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of why (and how) eggs can be so good for weight loss.

Eggs Can Reduce Hunger

When it comes to weight loss, regulating your appetite is key—and eggs can lend a hand. The reason? Eggs are rich in lean protein, an essential macronutrient that reduces ghrelin, the hormone responsible for hunger. It also increases cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, two hormones that increase the feeling of satiety or fullness. (And yes, that’s the same GLP-1 that certain medications, such as Wegovy, mimic to produce weight loss.) 

But that’s not all: Protein takes longer to digest, says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, Ro Dietitian Advisor and cookbook author. This means it moves slowly through the digestive tract, making you feel fuller for a longer period of time. The macronutrient also stabilizes blood sugar, which can further contribute to the sensation of fullness, Pincus adds. Together, these health benefits may decrease hunger and help you eat fewer calories overall, making it easier to achieve long-term weight loss and management.

Wegovy Important Safety Information: Read more about serious warnings and safety info.

Eggs Can Help Build Muscle Mass

Another reason why eggs are good for weight loss? Their high protein content can support muscle growth. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll likely burn, especially when combined with regular exercise. Here’s why: Muscle tissue has a higher resting metabolic rate than fat tissue, which means it burns more calories even when your body is at rest (i.e. when it’s just running the vital functions to keep you alive). 

A high protein intake can also help maintain existing muscle tissue, thereby optimizing fat (vs. muscle) weight loss. This can contribute to your weight loss efforts, whether you’re taking a GLP-1 medication, increasing physical activity, following a low-calorie diet, or all of the above.

GLP-1 Important Safety Information: Read more about serious warnings and safety info.

Eggs Are Low in Calories

Successful weight loss relies on a calorie deficit, i.e. eating fewer calories than you burn. At the same time, it’s crucial to eat a healthy diet and consume nutrient-dense foods that support overall health, even as you eat fewer calories.

Eggs check both boxes, as they’re low in calories and high in essential nutrients. Case in point: There are just about 74 calories in one large egg, 148 calories in two eggs, and 222 calories in three eggs, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA. Eggs also offer plenty of protein (which, again, can keep you satisfied), along with essential nutrients such as folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and selenium. Thus, by eating eggs while trying to lose weight, you should be able to stay fuller for longer, helping reduce your overall caloric intake.

Eggs Can Support Healthy Metabolism

By definition, your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns or uses calories for energy. And while nothing truly “boosts” metabolism other than physical activity, according to Pincus, eating eggs can benefit your metabolism in subtle or indirect ways.

When you eat high-protein foods like eggs, there’s a very small increase in the calories used to digest the food, as more calories are needed to process protein vs. other nutrients, such as carbohydrates, Pincus explains. Plus, as mentioned, the high protein content of eggs can help build and preserve muscle mass. This can increase the number of calories you burn at rest (i.e. your metabolism), helping support a healthier weight. 

Eggs Can Be Affordable and Accessible

Despite the recent rise in prices due to factors like the avian flu, eggs can still be considered a relatively cost-effective and accessible choice for those looking to lose weight. As of December 2024, the average price of a dozen large, grade-A eggs was $4.15, according to federal data. Sure, this amount was up 14% from $3.65 in November. But it still pales in comparison to the hefty price tag attached to many other popular weight loss methods. 

Take, for example, the costs of certain weight loss medications: The list price of Zepbound (tirzepatide) is $1,086.37 per month, while that of Wegovy (semaglutide) is $1,349.09 per month. Certainly, comparing the cost of GLP-1s to that of eggs might seem like comparing apples to oranges. But even when stacked against other weight loss-friendly foods (e.g. salmon, fresh berries, lean cuts of meat, just to name a few), eggs tend to stand out as an affordable and convenient option for weight loss. When something is both budget-friendly and easy to access, you’re more likely to incorporate it into your routine consistently—and when it comes to weight loss, consistency can be key to seeing results.

How to Eat Eggs for Weight Loss

As you can see by the aforementioned effects, eggs can be considered one of the best protein foods for weight loss. But as with all foods, it matters howyou eat them. According to Pincus, certain preparation methods can add unwanted calories and fat.

When preparing eggs for weight loss, boiling or poaching is the way to go, as these cooking methods do not add extra calories or fat, Pincus says. In contrast, fried or scrambled eggs will provide additional calories, as these options tend to be cooked in butter or oil. What’s more, “the additional fat may exacerbate side effects for those on GLP-1 medications,” Pincus adds. In case you’re unfamiliar, the most common side effects involve the digestive system and may include nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.

If you can’t live without, say, omelets, consider using a small amount of nutrient-rich oil, like olive oil, which has heart-healthy fatty acids. Also, be sure to pack in the vegetables—and on that note ….

To maximize weight loss while eating eggs, pair them with fruits or vegetables, Pincus recommends. Both options are high in fiber, another key nutrient for weight loss. Like protein, fiber also increases satiety by reducing ghrelin, increasing GLP-1, and stabilizing blood sugar levels. (BTW, only 6% of Americans get enough fiber, meaning a lotof us don’t; so it’s worth eating it whenever you can.) Plus, fruits and vegetables tend to be low in calories and high in essential nutrients, making them a staple in any weight loss meal plan.

If you have a larger appetite and are still hungry after eating eggs alone, try pairing them with a small portion of oatmeal or another whole grain, such as quinoa, Pincus says. Whole grains are another source of fiber, so they can keep you full and energized while aiding healthy eating.

When Is the Best Time to Eat Eggs for Weight Loss? 

There’s no best time to eat eggs for weight loss, according to Pincus. In other words, you can consume eggs anytime and still reap their slim-down rewards.

However, depending on your lifestyle and needs, the timing of your egg consumption can provide certain benefits. For example, eating an egg-filled breakfast in the morning may be ideal if you anticipate eating a late lunch. That’s because the filling nature of eggs can keep you satisfied between meals.

Additionally, if you’re struggling to achieve a calorie deficit for the day, eating eggs for dinner can help you get your fill of food while staying on track. That’s because eggs are low in calories, so adding them to your plate can keep you full while ensuring you stay within your calorie deficit after eating other foods during the day. This is especially advantageous when enjoyed in place of higher-calorie dinners (think: pasta or pizza), per Pincus, as these foods may put you outof a calorie deficit.

Bottom Line

Eggs can be good for weight loss, whether or not you’re taking GLP-1 medications to lose weight. Here’s why:

• Eggs are high in protein, which lowers hunger hormones and increases satiety hormones. This reduces your overall appetite, helping you eat fewer calories throughout the day.
• As a low-calorie food, eggs can add high-quality protein to your diet without excess calories. This can make it easier to stay in a calorie deficit, especially when paired with regular physical activity.
• The protein in eggs can help build and maintain muscle mass. Compared to fat, muscle burns more calories, so having more muscle can increase your overall metabolism.

All that said, it’s important to remember that eating eggs alone won’t help you achieve your weight loss goals. They’re just one component of a balanced weight loss plan, which should also include a nutritious diet and regular physical activity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many eggs should I eat a day for weight loss?

The ideal number depends on your goals for caloric intake and nutrition. In general, aim to eat no more than two whole eggs every day, or one per day if you have elevated cholesterol levels or heart disease, Pincus recommends. “My pro tip is to include one whole egg and two egg whites or liquid egg whites to provide the protein without extra fat and calories,” she says.

Do eggs burn belly fat?

As Pincus notes, there’s no food that burns body fat. Instead, foods high in protein can contribute to the growth of muscle, which can increase your overall caloric burn at rest. The protein in eggs can also aid muscle preservation as you lose fat via physical activity, eating fewer calories, and/or taking certain medications, such as Ozempic. But otherwise, eating eggs will not directly reduce belly fat.

Are eggs a healthy breakfast for weight loss?

Thanks to their high protein content, eggs are generally accepted as a healthy breakfast for weight loss. This protein can keep you satiated and reduce hunger, ultimately decreasing the number of calories you eat in the form of snacks and lunch.

This story was produced by Ro and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Feature Image: New Africa // Shutterstock

The post Are eggs actually good for weight loss? appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Steven Neman

From the cozy embrace of a well-designed living room to the structured efficiency of a high-performance office, furniture is far more than mere decor—it shapes our emotions, productivity, and social interactions in ways both subtle and profound. Every element, from form to function, plays a role in influencing human behavior, and those who master these principles—designers, architects, and homeowners alike—can create spaces that elevate well-being, efficiency, and connection, House of Leon explains.

The Emotional Power of Furniture Design

Furniture isn’t just seen—it’s felt. A study published in “Psychological Science” found that people are naturally drawn to rounded furniture over sharp-angled pieces, associating curves with warmth and comfort. This insight is at the heart of successful interior design, where plush, organic shapes encourage relaxation and social bonding, while minimalist, structured forms instill a sense of order and calm.

Texture and color also play critical roles. Rich textiles like velvet and boucle evoke a sense of luxury and intimacy, while warm hues like terracotta and deep blues can create a grounding, restorative atmosphere. The psychology of furniture is an invisible force, shaping our moods and interactions the moment we enter a space.

Boosting Productivity Through Workplace Design

Nowhere is the impact of furniture more measurable than in the workplace. The rise of ergonomic chairs and adjustable desks isn’t just about comfort—it’s about sustaining focus and reducing fatigue. Studies have shown that thoughtfully designed workspaces improve efficiency and well-being, leading to fewer sick days and higher job satisfaction.

However, layout is just as crucial as the furniture itself. While open-office designs were once celebrated for promoting collaboration, research from Harvard Business School found they can actually reduce face-to-face interaction, as employees seek refuge from noise and distractions. 

A hybrid approach—incorporating quiet zones, collaboration areas, and flexible workstations—fosters creativity while respecting personal work styles. Companies like Google and Airbnb have pioneered such designs, transforming office spaces into dynamic hubs of innovation.

Designing Public Spaces to Influence Behavior

Beyond homes and offices, public spaces are meticulously designed to shape how people engage with their surroundings. Airports, for example, use seating arrangements to manage crowd flow, while cafes leverage communal tables to foster conversation. Parks strategically place benches to encourage both solitude and interaction, subtly guiding social behavior through spatial design.

Even retail environments harness furniture psychology to influence purchasing decisions. Luxury boutiques use plush seating to slow shoppers down, creating a more immersive browsing experience, while grocery stores utilize strategically placed rest areas to encourage longer visits and increased spending.

Future Trends: The Rise of Adaptive Design

As hybrid work models and multi-use spaces become the norm, the future of furniture design is about flexibility. Modular furniture that adapts to shifting needs, biophilic elements that bring nature indoors, and smart desks that adjust to individual preferences are no longer futuristic concepts—they’re today’s design frontier.

Companies investing in these innovations are not just designing furniture; they’re designing experiences. By prioritizing human psychology, they’re crafting environments that don’t just look good, but feel good too.

Conclusion: The Invisible Hand of Design

Furniture is an unspoken language, silently shaping how we live, work, and interact. By understanding its psychological impact, we can create spaces that inspire, energize, and connect—turning everyday environments into places of possibility. Whether designing a home, an office, or a public venue, the key is intentionality: Every chair, table, and sofa is an opportunity to enhance the human experience.

This story was produced by House of Leon and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Feature Image: mixphotos // Shutterstock

The post The psychology of design: How furniture shapes human behavior appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Kelsey Costa

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world as a day to honor love and connection.

Beyond flowers and heartfelt gestures, food plays a big part in how people enjoy this day together.

From chocolate treats to fancy meals, different parts of the world celebrate Valentine’s Day in their own unique ways.

This story dives into food trends found in MyFitnessPal food log data, showing how people from different cultures celebrate love with food.

How the Data Was Collected 

The Business Intelligence team at MyFitnessPal looked at food entries from January 2020 to today. 

They focused on countries where February 14 is widely celebrated and compared food logs to regular daily entries. This helped identify the foods that see the biggest spikes during Valentine’s celebrations. 

Based on this data, here are the countries with noteworthy Valentine’s Day food trends.

What People Ate by Country

MyFitnessPal

United States: Sweet Treats and Luxurious Dishes

Unsurprisingly, U.S. Valentine’s Day food logs showed a focus on indulgence. 

Chocolate-covered strawberries stole the spotlight. These beloved treats saw an astounding 4,612% spike on February 14, making them a key feature of American Valentine’s celebrations.

Peanut butter hearts and brownie batter donuts followed, each seeing an increase of 2,400% in food logs.

But it wasn’t just sweets that saw a rise in consumption on Valentine’s Day.

Luxurious meals also ranked highly, particularly lobster tail dishes, which saw a surge of over 1,000% on February 14 compared to any other day. 

This pricey shellfish is often considered a delicacy, which shows that Americans will indulge their loved ones on special occasions like Valentine’s Day.

In the U.S., heart-shaped treats are still a classic symbol of love, with items like chocolate hearts and conversation hearts also climbing the ranks.

MyFitnessPal

Canada: A Heart-Shaped Celebration

Canada’s Valentine’s Day trends mirror those of its southern neighbor. Chocolate-covered strawberries led entries with a 3,418% increase on the day of love according to the data.

Additionally, many Canadians celebrated February 14 with heart-shaped sweets—a timeless symbol of love and romance. 

These treats are among the most logged Valentine’s Day indulgences in the country:

• Chocolate hearts (+3,250%)
• Cinnamon heart candies (+1,500%)
• Heart-shaped sugar cookies (+1,200%)

Lobster tails were also heavily featured. Logs for this shellfish increased over 1,000%, signifying Canadians’ shared appreciation for an upscale Valentine’s dinner.

MyFitnessPal

United Kingdom: Luxurious Flavors and Inspired Indulgences

Across the pond, the U.K. also embraces the Valentine’s Day staple of chocolate-covered strawberries, with a 3,133% increase in logs.

But Brits also showed their love for savory indulgences, with potato Dauphinoise logging 2,675% more on Valentine’s Day.

Like potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes, potato Dauphinoise is a rich, comforting side dish made with sliced potatoes, cheese, and cream.

This side is likely paired with Beef Wellington, which emerged as the top main dish, experiencing a 1,940% increase in food logs. Known for its rich, high-quality cut of beef, this dish is often reserved for special occasions. 

Clearly, people in the U.K. also enjoy dining in luxury on Valentine’s Day.

Other notable trends according to the data included profiterole stacks, a tower of French pastries filled with cream and covered in chocolate sauce, and the tarte au citron, a tangy lemon tart.

These popular French and Italian desserts showcase the influence of other European cultures on Valentine’s Day celebrations in the U.K.

MyFitnessPal

Ireland: Sweet and Health-Conscious Indulgences

In Ireland, Valentine’s Day indulgences took an interesting turn, blending classic romantic favorites with modern, health-conscious treats.

According to the data, a sweet carrot side dish stole the show, with a massive 2,550% increase in popularity on February 14.

Still, chocolate remained a top contender. Chocolate-covered treats surged 2,200%, including chocolate-covered strawberries, which saw an 1,800% increase in food logs.

Spicy hearts and chocolate truffles were also among the nation’s favorite romantic treats.

Surprisingly, protein-packed snacks had notable rises in popularity on Valentine’s Day, too.

Salted caramel protein yogurt, high-protein chocolate pudding with a topping, and a peach-orange high-protein yogurt drink rose sharply. This shows a shift toward healthier indulgences.

MyFitnessPal

Australia: Modern Twist on a Traditional Favorite

Australia’s food logging trends around Valentine’s Day were not as pronounced as in some other countries, but a couple of treats stood out as celebratory. 

The top indulgent food was hot cross buns, which are spiced sweet buns that originated in the U.K.

But this standout food had an Australian twist. These hot cross buns were filled with the caramelized flavor of Biscoff spread.

This modern take on traditional hot cross buns saw a big jump in popularity, with a 1133% spike in logs on February 14.

So, while Biscoff-filled hot cross buns are typically an Easter treat in Australia, they appear to have become a Valentine’s Day favorite as well.

Also, like in other countries, chocolate-covered strawberries were a popular Valentine’s treat in Australia. Consumption on this day surged by 967%, adding a fresh touch to their romantic celebrations.

MyFitnessPal

South Africa: Indulgent Marshmallow Treats

In South Africa, marshmallow treats seem to be integral to Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Marshmallow pies took the spotlight with a 1,586% surge according to the data, making them the top logged indulgence of the day.

Other favorites that logged a 1,000% or more increase included mallow-filled chocolate hearts and Sweetie or Cutie Pies. These “pies” are iconic desserts made of wafer, marshmallow, and chocolate.

South Africans also embraced classic Valentine’s Day treats. These include chocolate-covered strawberries (+1,500%) and red velvet cupcakes (+824%).

MyFitnessPal

Italy: Rich Chocolates and Deep Fried Delights

In Italy, the mugcake dominated Valentine’s Day celebrations. Food logs for this single-serving dessert showed an astounding 4,200% increase on this day.

Carnival-inspired deep-fried treats were another highlight, combining festive traditions with romantic celebrations.

These crispy confections were among the most popular indulgences:

• Fried chiacchiere (fried pastry strips) (+1,467%)
• Castagnole (fried dough balls) (+1,279%)
• Frappe di Carnevale (fried pastry ribbons) (+1,200%)

Classic Italian favorites also held their place. On Valentine’s Day, sanguinaccio (sweet blood chocolate pudding) was up 1,350% and Baci Perugina Fondentissimo (dark chocolate kisses) rose 1,200%.

Chocolate appears to remain a symbol of love in Italy, along with fried pastries and rich desserts.

Other Notable Countries (A-Z)

• Algeria: Chocolate crème brûlée (3800%)
• American Samoa: Iced apple cake (23,200%)
• Argentina: Red velvet cake (1167%)
• Austria: Fine hearts (1,833%), I love Milka pralines (1,400%), Macarons (1,300%), I love Milka pralines strawberry cream (1,200%)
• Bulgaria: Fine heart chocolate (3,450%), Herb-cooked ham (2,050%), Ferrero Rocher balls (1,667%), Scitec chocolate peanut (1,500%)
• Denmark: Fastelavn bun (pastry cream filled with cardamom) (2,350%), Praline nougat hearts (1,443%)
• Indonesia: Light cheesecake (1,250%)
• Malaysia: German cookies (1,050%), Luxury chocolate cake (1,050%)
• Netherlands: Hazelnut creme pralines (1,600%), Nonnevot (doughnut in the shape of a bow) (950%)
• New Zealand: Raffaello (coconut-almond truffle) (925%), Chocolate cross bun block (900%), Caramel squares (880%)
• Norway: Shrovetide bun (jam-filled bun with whipped cream) (6,867%), Semla (Swedish cream bun) (4,900%), Rum cake (1,657%), Whipped cream (1,191%), Menuett marzipan cake (1,150%)
• Pakistan: Chocolate-covered sweets (4,900%)
• Peru: Chardonnay wine (2,750%), Marshmallow (2,750%)
• Philippines: Toblerone (chocolate) (1,750%)
• Poland: Lindor truffle box or bag (4,900%), Wild boar (3,773%), Belgian chocolate sea shells (2,350%), Salted caramel cake (1,540%)
• Portugal: Malassadas (Portuguese doughnuts) (1,414%), I love Milka pralines (1,150%), Dark chocolate rings (1,150%)
• Spain: Cod (3,600%), White chocolate wafer bar (Bueno White) (3,100%), Carnival ears (fried pastries) (1,600%)
• Sweden: Golden jelly hearts (10,150%), Lindor irresistibly smooth milk (7,750%), Red jelly hearts (7,600%), Noblesse hearts (4,050%)
• Switzerland: Pisco sour (2,233%), Chocolate heart (1,950%), Lindor milk balls (1,150%)
• Thailand: Mint chocolate (2,550%)
• Turkey: Chocolate-covered strawberries (3,750%), Chocolate pretzels (1,250%), Chocolate chip mini-cookies (1,250%)

Food: A Universal Language of Love

Chocolate-covered strawberries and luxurious dinners may be popular worldwide, but Valentine’s Day food traditions are as diverse as the cultures that celebrate them. 

From Canada’s heart-shaped confections to Italy’s deep-fried desserts or the U.K.’s fine dining fare, every country brings its unique flavor to the table. 

These traditions reflect each culture’s unique identity, which is shaped by lifestyle preferences and ever-changing global food trends.

One thing is clear across cultures and countries: On Valentine’s Day, food is a universal language of love and connection, whether you prefer elegant indulgences or simple heartfelt expressions.

*Note: Brazil does not celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14; countries including India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, France, Chile, Belgium, Romania, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Morocco, Vietnam, and Hong Kong do not appear to eat differently on February 14; countries including Russia, China, Egypt, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, Ukraine, and Greece logged in their respective languages and were not translated for this article.

This story was produced by MyFitnessPal and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Feature Image: MyFitnessPal

The post What people eat around the world on Valentine’s Day appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Kirsten Nunez

If you’re interested in maintaining your hormonal levels, you might wonder if there are certain foods that kill testosterone. After all, testosterone naturally decreases with age, so it’s understandable to consider other ways to support it. In addition to maintaining a healthy body weight and regularly exercising (among other strategies), focusing on the food you do and do not eat can also help you maintain optimal testosterone levels.

Ro shares more about how diet can affect hormones and what foods kill or lower testosterone so you can pack your plate properly.  

Can Food and Diet Affect Testosterone Levels? 

First, a quick refresher: Testosterone is an androgen or male hormone present in women and men (although it’s naturally higher in the latter) that impacts fertility, sexual function, and the ability to build lean muscle mass. While testosterone levels naturally decrease as people age, other factors can lower the amount of T in the body as well. One such factor? Diet. 

Yup, food influences virtually every aspect of health, including mood, sleep, and testosterone levels. Here’s why: The body uses nutrients from food to control different organ systems, including the endocrine system, which is in charge of making and regulating hormones like testosterone. Food can support or work against this process, depending on the nutrients it provides.

Some foods, for example, increase inflammation, another process that affects hormonal levels. Specifically, inflammation negatively impacts Leydig cells, which are in charge of producing testosterone. What’s more, inflammation tends to be higher in those with obesity, which can be related to diet as well. And obesity has been shown to affect the amount of T in the body. 

7 Foods That Kill Testosterone

Sugar-sweetened drinks

There’s no harm in enjoying the occasional sugar-sweetened drink, especially within a generally balanced diet. But if testosterone is top of mind, consider limiting or skipping sugary beverages. Due to the high content of added sugar, these drinks can contribute to obesity and hypogonadism, a condition where the gonads (sex glands) don’t produce enough testosterone. Both of these potential effects have been linked to low testosterone. They also fuel inflammation, which, again, negatively impacts the cells that make the hormone.

Keep in mind that sugar has many names, so check the ingredients list when considering a beverage. Examples include high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, fructose, and raw sugar. Common sugar-sweetened drinks include soda, fruit juices, bottled iced teas, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee drinks.

Certain fats 

Next up on this list of foods that kill testosterone? Items that are high in certain fats. A 2017 study, for example, found that eating trans fats may lower testosterone levels in the body. Not only that, but consuming trans fats—which are found in processed foods—has been linked to systemic inflammation, which can negatively impact testosterone production. 

To support testosterone levels via diet, be mindful of foods that are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs, such as vegetable oils (e.g. corn, soybean, peanut, and canola oils). These fats are typically considered “good fats,” but in high amounts, they’re linked to lower testosterone levels. In a small study of men with hypogonadism, researchers found that a high PUFA intake is associated with lower testosterone production.

Alcohol

All foods and drinks have a place in a balanced diet, including alcohol. However, consuming too much can negatively impact testosterone levels.

That’s because alcohol promotes inflammation, making it difficult for testosterone-producing cells to function properly. Plus, excessive alcohol intake disrupts the activity of your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—a pathway that connects your brain and endocrine system, especially in times of stress—which can result in reduced testosterone over time.  

How much is too much, exactly? Excessive drinking is defined as 15 or more drinks per week for men (and eight or more drinks per week for women). It can also entail a binge drinking session of five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women. On the flip side, a moderate, healthier intake of alcohol is considered to be, at most, two drinks per day for men (and one drink per day for women). And if you don’t already drink alcohol, not starting will help protect your testosterone levels.

Flaxseed

Often touted as a healthy food, flaxseed is rich in beneficial fats and fiber. But it can be considered a food that kills testosterone, so if you’ve got low T on the mind, you might want to avoid this ingredient. The seeds are the highest food source of lignan, a type of plant compound. For starters, lignan may increase testosterone excretion from the body, resulting in lower levels. It could also increase levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, which results in decreased amounts of free or active testosterone.  

Refined carbohydrates

Another testosterone-lowering food is refined carbohydrates (think: white bread, pastries, and baked goods). More research is needed to understand the link, but it may be related to the inflammatory nature of these foods. A high intake of refined carbohydrates can also lead to obesity, further increasing the risk of low testosterone levels. Keep in mind not to alter your diet too drastically in terms of carbohydrate intake, either— moderation is best.

Licorice root

If you’re concerned about testosterone levels, consider avoiding teas or herbal supplements with licorice root. According to a scientific review, the root may have weak anti-androgen (i.e. anti-male sex hormone) effects. Otherwise, there’s not a ton of research on the link between licorice root and testosterone levels, so more studies are needed.

Mint 

Mint, like licorice root, might potentially lower testosterone—but most of the available research has been done on animals. For example, one study involving rats found that spearmint reduced testosterone in female rats with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition marked by high levels of the hormone.

In another study, both peppermint and spearmint tea decreased testosterone in male rats. However, more human research is needed before a solid link between mint and low testosterone levels can be confirmed.

Other factors that can lower testosterone 

In addition to the aforementioned foods that can kill testosterone, there are other factors that can negatively impact the amount of T in your body. These include:  

• Age. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, about 2% every year for men over 35. This happens because the function of the testicles and HPA axis both decline, leading to a drop in testosterone.
• Lack of exercise. Without enough physical activity, there’s a higher risk of obesity, a factor that can lower testosterone. In contrast, regular exercise promotes a healthy weight, manages inflammation, and reduces cellular reactions that can otherwise lower testosterone—all of which support healthy levels of the hormone.
• Stress. Mental and emotional stress increases cortisol, the stress hormone. The heightened levels of cortisol can suppress the release of testosterone, reducing overall levels in the body.
• Medication. Some medications can lower testosterone. Examples include metoclopramide (sometimes taken for gastroparesis or nausea), opioids, or psychoactive drugs, such as antidepressants.
• Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is marked by insulin resistance, which is associated with low testosterone levels. In fact, type 2 diabetes doubles the risk of low testosterone levels.
• Hypothyroidism. Also known as an underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism happens when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. This can lower stimulation of the Leydig cells, resulting in less testosterone. 

Keep in mind that dietary changes alone won’t resolve any testosterone issues or imbalances, so if you’re concerned about your testosterone levels, chat with a health care provider first. Likewise, if you’ve already been diagnosed with a medical condition that affects testosterone (or you’re taking medication that impacts your levels), continue following your health care provider’s advice for management and treatment. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why might someone want to lower testosterone levels?

High testosterone levels have been linked to various health issues, such as prostate cancer. In these scenarios, someone may consider anti-androgen medication and other lifestyle factors to reduce testosterone.

What causes low testosterone?

Many things can lower testosterone, including age, lack of exercise, mental and emotional stress, some medications, and type 2 diabetes. Food and overall diet can also contribute to decreased testosterone levels.

Does masturbating reduce testosterone?

No, masturbating likely does not lower testosterone levels. If anything, masturbation will temporarily increase testosterone.

What foods increase testosterone levels?

Knowing what foods lower testosterone is just one part of eating for hormonal health. It might also help to prioritize foods that boost testosterone, such as garlic, ginger, vegetables, and fruits. These foods are high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients, which can promote healthy testosterone levels.

This story was produced by Ro and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Feature Image: LightField Studios // Shutterstock

The post 7 foods that kill and lower testosterone appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .