Rice water for weight loss?
Another ridiculous health approach that actually might be worth looking into? Plus some amusing health news with a wide-range of perspectives.
Hello, everyone!
Dr. Alice Burron here with today’s roundup of health headlines, aiming to de-mystify some of the strange and mysterious trends floating around the internet. In a world where health news moves so quickly, it’s hard to keep up.
Maybe you’re seeing culture essays on Substack about health and wellness, TikToks about strange new health trends, or your friends are bringing up new health hacks like GLP-1’s. How do you know what to trust?
When I publish these weekly news roundups, I keep this system in mind: Sort your health news with a simple mental filter, keeping in mind that not all information is good information, and it’s important to think critically. Is the content encouraging you to buy and try? Is it trying to empower, scare, make you feel something, or educate you? Or is it simply someone’s opinion?
Use a sharp eye when you read these pieces and any other health and wellness media that comes across your Instagram feed. Be curious, and don’t react immediately—take time to digest the information. As always, I love to hear your thoughts, so the comments are open for a health chat!
A CLOSER LOOK
I’ve covered several of these topics recently here at Health Shift. Here’s a closer look at them.
🛏️ The FDA’s war against sleep. This is a great read about one of the Core 4. This link is an abbreviated version, but if you have the time to read the whole piece, it’s a great dive into the importance and appreciation of healthy sleep as a foundation of our health.
🫐 Balanced, stable blood sugar can be a game changer in how we feel. This isn’t new, exactly, but always worth remembering. (Bonus points for Beth Bollinger’s Substack, too, which is full of blood sugar-friendly recipes great for adding to your arsenal!)
🍁 This 90 year old woman looks to her future and asks, what’s too old?
THE LATEST NEWS IN HEALTH…
The latest health information articles contain many opinions but can also provide education and information.
🍚 Is rice water the next big weight loss trend? Rice water has been reported to have all kinds of benefits, even in skincare, but this is a new one making the rounds, claiming that the nutritional value of rice water is not only high, it can help you drop weight.
My take? It will likely make you feel full and probably won’t hurt you. In light of CREECS, which I wrote about earlier in another article, it seems like a low-cost, low-risk, low-to-moderate effectiveness, low effort, low commitment option.
In fact, I actually might personally try this one — I do drink chicken or bone broth (or ice water) during seasons when I’m hungry for no reason, so I need to retrain my appetite. Rice water might offer a nice variety! (What’s the underlying theme here? WATER!) Let me know if you’ve tried this.
🌾 Speaking of rice, are you familiar with resistant starch?
“A type of carbohydrate that escapes digestion in the small intestine and instead ferments in the large intestine. This fermentation process yields beneficial short-chain fatty acids which supports gut health. Unlike regular starches that quickly convert to glucose (our body’s go to energy source), resistant starch acts more like fibre, offering numerous health benefits without causing significant spikes in blood sugar levels.”
🪞 Being sold ‘wellness’ is like a club for the elite. What is wellness, exactly — how do you define it for yourself? This is a personal essay from the Goop era. Personally, I define ‘wellness’ outside the context of consumer-driven marketing, but this is a great reminder that there are plenty of products we don’t need in order to live healthy lives or pursue well-being.
THINK LIKE A HEALTH HERO
Empowering and educating topics.
🍃 Five things you can do right now to feel better. Release a little stress, do a little reset. (Not to sound like clickbait, but… #5 will surprise you.)
🎒 Rucking is just walking with weight in your backpack. Could it be your best (free) tool for exercise, weight lifting, and endurance? Possibly. This article aims to help you find out. I’ve rucked my whole life. I think this is a best-kept secret to achieve overall fitness. It’s nothing short of walking with a backpack on. Hike, anyone?
🍬 Let’s talk about “the white death” — sugar. Demonized for centuries, this is a closer look at sugar’s role in our lives. Speaking of, an interesting book on the topic of sugar is The Taste of Sweet: Our Complicated Love Affair with Our Favorite Treats by Joanne Chen, which is just in case you want to consume sweets with your eyes and not your mouth. ;)
What are your thoughts? What health issues have been on your mind or in your news feeds lately?
Have a great Thursday and a fun Labor Day weekend! See you next week.
— Dr. Alice
A little more about Dr. Alice Burron and The Health Navigator Group:
You can find more about The Health Navigator Group at our website: www.thehealthnavigator.org
On Instagram: @the.health.navigator
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Or via her personal Instagram: @dr_burron
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