We have often been told to avoid processed food, but do we really know which is processed and which is not? Ever since Robert F Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement gained some fuel after his first confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services (HHS) nominee came on January 29, the focus of health has stressed a lot on prescribed drugs, chronic diseases, and one thing he is deeply passionate about, the ultra-processed foods.

Whether or not you agree with rest of the believes, it is a fact that ultra-processed food leads to serious health conditions. There have been studies that show its link with serious health conditions including cancer and dementia. They are also not the best thing to eat.

As per a study published in BMJ in 2024 by Melissa M Lane, et. al., a diet high in ultra-processed foods can raise your risk of developing health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and mental health disorders. Many of these ultra-processed foods that contain excess sugar, sodium, oil, and saturated trans fat could be low in beneficial nutrients. While it can make you feel food, but it will not add to your daily needs of nutrition.

What are ultra-processed foods?

The NOVA classification system is used to analyze the food processing levels. There are 4 levels, which includes:

1. Unprocessed and minimally processed foods

2. Processed culinary ingredients

3. Processed foods

4. Ultra-processed foods

The first category of foods are mostly in their natural state or are barely altered. These include carrots, apples, or milk.

The second category is where there has been some minimal processing like pressing, refining, grinding, or milling, like olive oil or flour.

Then comes processed food, which are altered from their usual state and contain sugar, oil, salt or other substances. The examples are canned tuna or cheeses.

The fourth category of ultra-processed foods have added ingredients like artificial colors and flavors, preservatives to increase shelf life and ingredients to preserve texture. Most of the packed food fall under this category.

What Foods To Avoid?

In the US, the ultra-processed food makes up to 70% of the country's food supply, while it could be tricky to avoid them, here are the categories where ultra-processed foods fall under:

• Frozen foods
• Sodas
• Hot dogs
• Deli meat
• Fast food
• Packaged cookies
• Cakes
• Salty snacks
• Plant based milks
• Jarred sauces

Many experts and dieticians agree that the current classification takes away a huge chunk out of the food supply, making it difficult for people to choose from. More research have shown that not everything in the category is bad for our health, plant based milks being one of them.

Though, if one has to choose what to consume, the best rule to swear by is to go for whole or minimally processed options. There are also alternatives to sugar beverages like sparkling water with fruit slices, and any more.

You have probably heard of green matcha, the bright green tea powder packed with antioxidants and health benefits. But have you come across its strikingly blue counterpart, known as blue matcha? This trendy ingredient — a vivid blue powder — has been popping up on social media in everything from smoothies to cocktails. While blue matcha doesn’t offer the exact same benefits as green matcha, this indigo-hued powder could lift your mood in other ways. So, is blue matcha a superdrink or just a passing health trend? Let’s break it down.

What is Blue Matcha?

Blue matcha comes from the flower of the butterfly pea plant. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Blue matcha is usually found in powdered form, but sometimes it’s sold as a tea to brew,” explains Romito. “It’s quite different from green matcha, but because it’s consumed in a similar way, that’s likely how it got the matcha name.” Blue matcha also offers a visual perk, making it a favorite in drinks and cocktails. “It’s a chameleon in a cup,” Romito says. “When its antioxidants mix with acidic ingredients like lemonade, it can shift from blue to purple or even pink.”

Health Benefits of Blue Matcha

While it’s fun to play with in drinks, blue matcha does have some potential health perks, Romito notes, according to the Cleveland Clinic:

It’s caffeine-free

Green matcha is loaded with caffeine, making it perfect for a morning boost. Blue matcha, however, has no caffeine. “This is ideal if you avoid caffeine or are sensitive to it,” Romito points out.

It’s rich in anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are the pigments that give foods like cherries, pomegranates, eggplants, and red cabbage their deep blue or purple color. While research is ongoing, these antioxidants may help with:

• Lowering blood pressure
• Reducing the risk of heart disease
• Protecting against neurological conditions
• Slowing cancer growth

“Blue matcha works like any other food with these antioxidants,” Romito emphasizes. “It doesn’t give you more benefits than eating blueberries or purple sweet potatoes. It’s best to include a variety of blue and purple foods in your diet.”

Blue Matcha: Potential Risks or Side Effects

Overall, blue matcha appears safe for most people. Regarding allergies, registered dietitian Natalie Romito, RD, LD, advises that anyone allergic to flowers should start with small amounts to see how their body reacts. She also cautions against overdoing it.

“Too much of anything isn’t good,” Romito says. “Stick to about one serving of blue matcha a day. If it causes nausea or digestive issues, your body might not tolerate it well. In that case, you can rely on other blue and purple foods to get the same antioxidants.”

Adding blue matcha to coffee, tea, cocktails, and other foods can make them more visually appealing. While it does have some health benefits, more research is needed to fully understand its potential.

“If you enjoy blue matcha, that’s great,” Romito concludes. “But don’t replace other blue and purple foods with it. Keep eating blueberries, beets, and grapes. Blue matcha can be a fun addition, but it shouldn’t replace the nutritional value of other foods.”

Tiktok fibremaxxing wellness trend: There is no shortage of wellness trends online that claim to transform your health, but a new one has taken over social media with a focus on gut health. It’s called “fibremaxxing,” and its premise is simple: eat more fibre to improve digestion, metabolism, immunity, and lower the risk of disease. On TikTok and Instagram, the trend often appears as colourful lentil bowls, chia puddings, and smoothies loaded with leafy greens and flaxseeds. But how much of this viral trend is actually backed by science?

Also Read: Hong Thai Herb Inhaler Recalled: Thai FDA Flags Popular Brand Over Contamination — All You Need To Know

The idea of increasing both soluble and insoluble fibre isn’t new, yet fibremaxxing has made it trendy again—and this time, for good reason. Fibre is vital to everyday health, supporting everything from steady blood sugar to regular bowel movements. Here’s what experts say about this growing movement and why fibre truly matters.

What Is Fibremaxxing?

Fibremaxxing is a social media movement that encourages people to boost their fibre intake by adding more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to every meal. The goal is to improve digestion, promote fullness, and support long-term health. According to Dr. Urvi Shah, a board-certified hematologist-oncologist and physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the concept behind fibremaxxing is largely rooted in scientific evidence. Dr. Shah, who is leading multiple studies on high-fibre plant-based diets, notes that the approach aligns well with established nutrition research.

Is ‘Fibremaxxing’ Good Or Bad For Your Gut?

High-fibre diets are consistently linked to a wide range of health benefits, from lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer to aiding weight control and gut function. That’s why Dr. Shah believes fibremaxxing gets several aspects right.

She explains that including a wide variety of plant-based, high-fibre foods is essential because “different fibre types feed different microbes.” A diverse diet helps nurture a balanced microbiome. She adds that the trend’s emphasis on whole foods rather than processed or fibre-enriched items is a major plus. “Whole plants provide fibre, polyphenols, and micronutrients that work together to support the gut,” she says. Prebiotic-rich foods also help shape a healthier microbiota and increase the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which has “anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.”

Simply put, upping your fibre intake through natural, unprocessed foods, rather than supplements, can make a real difference to gut health.

What’s The Daily Recommended Amount of Fibre Intake?

Experts suggest that adults should consume between 25 and 30 grams of fibre each day. Men typically require more (around 38 grams), while women need about 25 grams. These numbers can vary depending on age, sex, and calorie intake, but a general guideline is 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories eaten, according to Harvard Health.

How To Add Fibre To Your Diet?

Plant-based foods are the easiest way to increase your fibre intake, this could mean starting your morning with oats or simply adding more vegetables to your meals. Dietitian Laura Tilt notes that several everyday foods are surprisingly high in fibre:

• Rolled porridge oats – 4.5g per 50g (half cup)
• Canned chickpeas – 7g per half can
• Seeded bread – 5g per two slices
• Canned lentils – 6g per half can
• Frozen peas – 4.5g per 80g (3 tbsp)
• Frozen raspberries – 5.5g per 80g (3 tbsp)
• Wholemeal pasta – 6.5g per 75g serving
• Dried apricots – 3g per 3–4 pieces
• Reduced salt/sugar baked beans – 7.5g per half can
• Mixed milled seeds (flax, pumpkin, chia) – 4.5g per 25g

Is Fibremaxxing Helpful?

There’s no doubt fibre plays an essential role in maintaining good health. But like any nutrient, too much of it can cause problems if not balanced properly. A sudden surge in fibre intake without enough water can lead to bloating, gas, constipation, dehydration, or even trigger IBS symptoms. Over-focusing on fibre might also cause you to overlook other nutrients your body needs. The key is moderation, fibre is beneficial, but it works best as part of a balanced, varied diet.

If you landed here, the reason is that you are also someone who cannot tolerate milk, but loves yogurt, and are probably wondering why is that?

The logic is that if you have lactose intolerance, you won't be able to digest any dairy product, but with yogurt, your life is easy. The answer lies in the components of the two various dairy products that come from the same source.

Why Can't You Digest Milk?

The reason is because you are lactose intolerant. This is a condition that makes it hard to digest the sugar in milk and milk products, called lactose. People with lactose intolerance could have diarrhea, gas and bloating after they consume milk. While this condition is usually harmless, it can cause discomfort.

This happens because the enzymes in the small intestine, called lactase is responsible for lactose intolerance. If someone has too low levels of lactase, the person can become lactose intolerant.

The small intestine and colon are parts of the digestive tract, which processes the foods you eat. The intestine pull out nutrients from the food and whatever is not absorbed by the intestines continues along the digestive tract and is expelled as stool during a bowel movement.

But Why Can You Digest Yogurt, If You Cannot Digest Milk?

The answer to this lies in the fermentation process that turns milk into curd and breaks down much of the lactose, which is the sugar, that is often difficult to digest. The probiotic bacteria used to make curd contain their own lactase, which helps in the breakdown of lactose, and this can further help with digestion even for those who do not produce enough lactase on their own.

Furthermore, during fermentation, the bacteria in curd, called the Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus convert lactose into lactic acid, which is easier for the body to process. This helps your body to digest curd easily over milk. Since the bacteria contains lactase, which the milk lacks, some people may find it easier to digest curd or yogurt over milk.

The bacterial cells also physically protect their lactase, and it can work to break down the lactose from the curd as it passes through the digestive system.

Why Is Curd Gut-Friendly?

The key to a healthy gut health is lactobacillus, a kind of probiotic, which helps in digestion, suppression of disease-causing bacteria and treats constipation. It also is beneficial in treating irritable bowel syndrome. It breaks down sugar into lactic acid.

A study by a Bhubaneswar-based professor Balamurugan Ramdas also revealed that Bengal or Odisha's popular breakfast Panta Bhaat, which includes fermented cooked rice, also releases the same bacteria, that fermented milk releases and so it contains short-chain fatty acids, which are responsible for improving gut health and boosting immunity.

Furthermore, curd is known to balance the gut flora, probiotics improve digestion, and the absorption of nutrition. They also help in the breakdown of food, reducing issues like bloating, gas, and constipation. The probiotics in curd can help restore the natural balance in your gut, which can soothe an upset stomach and alleviate discomfort from indigestion. A healthy gut is closely linked to a strong immune system, and the probiotics in curd help to boost gut health, which in turn can enhance immunity.