Fast food can make you lose weight.

Welcome to the healthiest corner of the internet!

In this week's edition, I talk about a new research that will make you see fast food in a new light and is your sleep causing you to lose muscle?

Find out more in today's edition of Rahim's Remedies:

This is killing your muscle gains.

While diet and exercise often steal the spotlight, inadequate recovery may silently sabotage your efforts.

Recent research indicates that sleep deprivation could be the culprit behind muscle loss.

In a study, participants adhered to a fat-loss diet, with one group deliberately reducing their sleep by one hour per night during the week. Despite similar weight loss across both groups, those experiencing sleep restriction retained more fat and experienced predominantly muscle loss.

Even with the opportunity to catch up on sleep over the weekends, participants who didn't obtain sufficient sleep still exhibited muscle loss instead of fat reduction.

This isn't an isolated finding. Another study revealed that individuals sleeping only 5.5 hours per night (compared to 8.5 hours) witnessed nearly 80 percent of their weight loss originating from lean muscle rather than fat.

Although some muscle loss during dieting is anticipated, you can safeguard your hard-earned gains by prioritizing intense training, adequate protein intake, and sufficient sleep.

Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29438540/

Eat everything and still lose weight.

Okay, this is not an advertising post, but an educational post.

Researchers conducted a study comparing the effects of consuming 300 calories of almonds, 300 calories of French fries, or 300 calories of fries seasoned with a spice/herb mix.

Surprisingly, after 30 days, there was no significant difference in body fat, fasting glucose, insulin, HbA1c, or insulin resistance between the almond and French fries groups.

Although the almond group exhibited a lower post-meal glucose response, this is considered a normal fluctuation after a carbohydrate-rich meal, as long as glucose levels return to baseline.

While this doesn't imply that French fries are healthy or should be consumed regularly, it underscores the notion that, when total calorie intake is controlled, there is room for indulgence in foods that lack nutritional benefits.

It's crucial to recognize that 300 calories are 300 calories, regardless of the source.

While certain foods may influence hunger levels differently and potentially lead to overeating, this study didn't control for other factors such as diet, exercise, or additional healthy behaviors.

It solely introduced 300 calories of fries or almonds.

These findings emphasize the importance of adopting a flexible mindset toward nutrition. 

By not restricting oneself from enjoying favorite foods, individuals may find it easier to adhere to their dietary plans and achieve better results in the long term.

Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35179193/

That is all for this week. I have been writing to you for some time now. Are there some myths that you want me to address? Any questions that you feel are leaving you confused in the health industry? DM me, and let's take our conversation forward.

Until next time, this is Rahim Valani MD, MMedEd, MBA, LLM wishing you good health!