Weight Loss Max

Good news for the more than 8 million Americans who’ve suffered a heart attack and have been put on a strict American Heart Association low-fat diet.

You can go Mediterranean.

A new study presented at the American College of Cardiology conference on Sunday found that a Mediterranean-style diet high in olive oil and other “healthy” fats is just as good as the classic, but bland, American Heart Association low-fat diet.

People on either diet had one-third the risk of suffering another heart attack, a stroke, death or other heart problem compared with heart patients eating in the usual way.

“Both diets are prudent choices for people at high risk of heart disease,” said Dr. Katherine Tuttle of Providence Medical Research Center and Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. She led the study and presented the results at the conference.

Both the Heart Association and the Mediterranean diet are low in saturated fat, less than 7 percent of total calories, and low in cholesterol, less than 200 milligrams a day. “The typical American’s diet contains twice those levels or more,” Tuttle said.

In the study, those on the American Heart diet were told to keep total fat intake to less than 30 percent of calories. The Mediterranean dieters were allowed to go up to 40 percent, with the extra coming from healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and foods like olive oil, avocados and especially fish, which was recommended 3 to 5 times a week.

“A comparison group got the usual advice in the hospital — that was it,” Tuttle said.

All were prescribed standard heart care drugs like aspirin, beta blockers and statins to lower cholesterol. Deaths, second heart attacks, strokes and heart-related hospitalizations were tracked.

After four years, 83 percent of those on the low-fat or Mediterranean diets had survived without such problems; only 53 percent of the others did. Cholesterol levels improved in both diet groups but not the comparison group.

Dr. Steven Nissen, a Cleveland Clinic heart specialist and president of the College of Cardiology who had no role in the study, said the study gave an important choice to people who want to reduce their risk.

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Scientists in the Netherlands are developing a new generation of foods that can help prevent obesity by making people eat less, a research institute said on Thursday.

The Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN), funded by the Dutch government and food groups like CSM Anglo-Dutch Unilever, is also developing food ingredients which can stop an obese person from developing diabetes.

“We are working on certain food ingredients, which provoke more satiety than others do on the long run, so that our partners can use them in food manufacturing,” said Professor Robert-Jan Brummer, program director at TIFN.

“These products should trigger satiety and stop us eating more and more. They should also meet our dietary requirements, have a very good taste and be enjoyable to eat,” he told Reuters.

Brummer declined to give details, saying it was a commercial secret, but added these nutrients could eventually be used in any kind of food from drinks to spreads and bread.

Several other research centers in the world are working to develop nutrients that could prevent obesity but Brummer said that none of them, including his own, had achieved big breakthroughs so far.

“My feeling is that we will see a breakthrough in the next five years or so,” he added.

Obesity is on the rise in many countries, including the United States, where 60 percent of the population is overweight or obese, Britain and elsewhere in Europe.

It is clearly a matter of people eating more calories than they burn off, but experts argue over whether diet or exercise is more important.

The Dutch public health agency concluded in a research report last ear that poor diet was as deleterious to health as smoking. It said 25 percent of deaths and serious illness caused by overweight and obesity would be avoided if adults shed 3 kg.

Brummer said his institute was developing food ingredients that can raise insulin sensitivity and prevent an obese person from developing diabetes, as well as looking for novel dietary ingredients, which can lower high blood pressure.

The TIFN has invented ingredients that can keep bread crust crispy for longer and a technology that lowers the total fat content in foods without compromising the taste.

Brummer said his institute was one of the first in the world to prove that folic acid vitamins can improve brain function and hearing in elderly people.

The European food industry, faced with increasing demand for healthier foods and competition from lower cost regions, is investing more in R&D to meet the challenge.

“Twenty years ago, the industry was only interested to sell as much as possible. That has changed, the industry now feels responsibility to respond to the health situation,” Brummer said.

“On the other hand, such innovative products have higher margins than those of selling a tomato or a bottle of milk.”

Originally posted here

A compound in blueberries may be good for preventing bowel cancer, US scientists believe.
The key ingredient, pterostilbene, is a natural antioxidant and mops up highly reactive molecules called free radicals that can trigger cancer growth.

Similar antioxidants have already been identified in grapes and red wine, the American Chemical Society heard.

Other work, also in mice, suggests pterostilbene may be good for lowering blood cholesterol too.

Berry good

The researchers, from Rutgers University and the US Department of Agriculture, suggest the compound could be put into a pill.

Lead author Dr Bandaru Reddy said that, in the meantime, their work showed the need to include more berries in the diet, “especially blueberries.”

Rats given a cancer-causing agent but then fed pterostilbene had far fewer pre-cancers in their bowels than other rats.

The blueberry compound also reduced inflammation and the rate of cell division in the bowel, which are both considered to be cancer risk factors.

Although experts do not know the exact causes of colon cancer, the disease has been linked to a high intake of saturated fats and calories.

Dr Reddy and colleagues believe pterostilbene may be able to reverse this process, possibly by lowering fat levels like cholesterol.

Experts already recommend eating plenty of fruit and vegetables - at least five portions a day - to guard against cancer and other diseases.

Pterostilbene is also found in cranberries, sparkleberries, lingonberries and grapes.

Ed Yong of Cancer Research UK said: “While pterostilbene could lower the risk of bowel cancers in rats, it is unclear if it will produce the same benefits in humans.

“More research will help to determine whether this chemical could have a role in the fight against cancer.”

“For the moment, the best advice is to eat a healthy, balanced diet rather than rely on specific ’superfoods,’” he added.

People who use garlic supplements to lower cholesterol may endure stinky breath for nothing, according to a new study by Stanford University researchers.

Garlic has long been thought to possess cholesterol-lowering properties, and many Americans take garlic supplements in hopes of improving their health.

They’re wasting their money, says Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and a senior author of the study.

‘It works in a test tube, on cells. In rats, it works. In humans, nothing,’ Gardner said. ‘We are very disappointed with the results, but it was an excellently done study.’

Some previous studies in people have shown that garlic can slightly reduce cholesterol levels, but the majority of them were sponsored by supplement makers. Other studies were conducted using poor methodology, making their conclusions suspect, Gardner said.

The Stanford researchers say their study is the first independent, long-term study to examine whether both raw garlic and garlic supplements can reduce cholesterol in people with moderately high cholesterol levels. The study is published in today’s issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Too much cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease, and patients are encouraged to lower their levels through diet, exercise and medication. The 192 participants in the study had levels high enough to merit lowering them with diet or exercise, but not enough to require cholesterol-lowering prescription medication.

The researchers gave the subjects either raw garlic, garlic supplements or a placebo six days a week for six months. Stanford staff added raw garlic to sandwiches, making more than 30,000 for the study. The participants ate the equivalent of a clove of garlic each day, a bit more than a standard garlic supplement pill.

Everyone was monitored to make sure they didn’t gain or lose weight, which can affect cholesterol levels, and Gardner said the subjects didn’t significantly change their exercise or diet habits. In monthly checks, researchers found that the participants’ levels of LDL cholesterol, or ‘bad cholesterol,’ remained nearly constant throughout the study.

Garlic may have other disease-fighting properties that should be studied further, but lowering cholesterol isn’t one of them, Gardner said.

Still, there were some study participants who simply didn’t believe the results, he said. ‘They were such zealots. They were going to keep taking it,’ he said. ‘Garlic has such a strong following.’

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For millions of Americans, losing weight is a constant struggle, but local nutrition expert claims it may have less to do with what you’re eating, and more to do with what you’re thinking.

Shortly after the birth of her second child, Ange Eaton weighed nearly 230 pounds. “I was overweight,” said Eaton.

She tried to lose the weight by dieting.

“We’ve all been on a ‘diet’ where you have a set amount of food you’re supposed to eat and then you waver a little bit, you cheat a little bit, and suddenly, I blew my diet. I failed,” said Eaton.

“The weight loss effort dies an untimely death,” said Gary Avignon, a psychotherapist in Austin. He says it’s one of several “psychological traps” that can “sabotage weight control.” Those “traps” are the focus of his new book, Psyche your Weight.

Psychological Trap #1: You think that you want weight loss

“Most people focus on weight and weight loss like it’s the highest good, but what people really want is to achieve a desired weight, which certainly involves weight loss, but they also want to sustain it for life with a relative degree of ease — while they live and participate in the real world,” said Avignon.

Psychological Trap #2: You think that weight control is simple and should be easy

“In the subconscious mind, most people who are overweight, they think it should be simple and easy because they’ve been told it should be simple and easy, ‘Just have some will power, just push yourself away from the table, this is not that complicated, just buck it up. You can do this,’”

Psychological Trap #3: You have unrealistic weight loss expectations

“All you have to do is stand in the checkout line in the grocery store and look at the magazines and you see — 14 pounds in two weeks and you see nine pounds every 11 days, lose five pounds by tomorrow. You have to take 3,500 calories less than you need to lose one pound of fat, so losing 5 pounds in a week is not possible week in and week out,” said Avignon. “When we don’t meet these realistic expectations, then we feel like we’re not doing something right, the diet’s not working, and what happens when we feel like the diet’s not working and we’re a failure — we quit,” said Avignon.

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West Virginia is taking drastic steps to shed its status as the third-heaviest state in the nation. More than 1,200 of the state’s heaviest public employees have lost 14,000 pounds under one program. And obese Medicaid recipients will soon get to join Weight Watchers for free.

Nearly a third of adult West Virginians are obese, according to a report issued last year by the Trust for America’s Health. That makes the state the third-heaviest behind Mississippi and Alabama.

West Virginia’s Public Employee Insurance Agency decided to target the estimated 60,000 heaviest government workers and teachers after the agency was faced with rising costs related to obesity-related health problems and increased demand for lifestyle programs.

Read the full story here

Ageing is inevitable, but ageing gracefully is an art that anyone can master with a little help from the right foods.

Banana Bananas are high in potassium, which keeps high blood pressure in check and reduces the risk of heart disease. And, in conjunction with sodium help maintain the fluid and electrolyte balance in body cells, thus maintaining healthy nerve and muscle function. They also contain tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin to aid peaceful sleep.

Pineapple Pineapple’s main benefits come from bromelain, an effective anti-inflammatory, making it exceptionally good for joint problems. Rich in vitamin C, pineapple supports the immune system and defends against free radicals, which can cause premature ageing. An excellent source of manganese, important for antioxidant defences and energy production.

Strawberry An excellent source of vitamin C, which is essential for the manufacture of collagen - a protein that helps to maintain the structure of the skin. Vitamin C also plays an important role in healing wounds and can ward off gingivitis, the gum disease that affects three out of four adults. Also contain ellagic acid, a phytochemical with powerful anti-carcinogenic properties.

Rhubarb Full of fibre, rhubarb acts as a natural laxative, keeping the digestive system in good working order and helping to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Rhubarb is also high in calcium for the bones, and potassium to keep blood pressure in check and protect the heart. It is also extremely high in water, which helps to keep the body well hydrated.

See the complete list here

The dieting world is full of myths, hearsay and soundbites. We all have heard them a thousand times, but does that make them true? Is it really a good idea to ban sugar completely from your diet? Is it really a good idea not to touch fat and alcohol ever again? This seems to me like an invitation to failure. Too few people can swear off certain foods forever and stick to the oath. The rest of us need a little treat now and then. And there’s nothing wrong with getting a treat once in while, provided that treats don’t happen every day.

The basic idea of any diet is to eat food that contains fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. This way, the body is forced to use the accumulated fat in order to make up for the energy it doesn’t get from food. But a diet also has to be tasty and nutritionally sound. Simply banning certain types of foods and ingredients is not a solution because anybody following such a diet will have to acknowledge sooner or later that he or she wants those foods and ingredients badly and a relapse into the old eating habits becomes inevitable.

People should also learn not to put their faith into meal replacements, such as Mypoplex, Slimfast or Eat-Smart. These combinations of low-fat and high-protein substances cannot substitute a proper diet. They should never be used for more than 4 four weeks in a row. Calories are important to the body and nobody can go on for long without them. Cutting calories out of the long-term nutrition is a huge mistake because the internal organs and muscles need them to function. Using meal replacements for a week or two, as a shock treatment, is fine. Relying on them for two months is asking for trouble. And the same goes for single-food diets, such as the cabbage soup diet, because they are based on the same idea.

Another widespread myth is the idea that the best approach to weight loss is a low-carb, high-protein diet. This is one of the myths that emerged from the Hollywood slimming industry. Nearly all movie stars and singers are on some such diet. However, this approach is not exactly good for you because a diet low in carbohydrates and calories forces the body to use existing carbs located in the liver and the muscles. In time, this diet leads to weight loss mainly from water stored in the body, instead of fat, and also strains the internal organs.

And people should not be so afraid of potatoes, bread and pasta, the leading sources of carbohydrates. Carbs are actually good for you because they quell the feeling of hunger without bringing in too many calories. So you can safely eat moderate amounts of potatoes and bread as long as you don’t use butter or sauces, which are laden with fat. Naturally, you also have to pay attention to how these foods are prepared. French fries are not a low-fat food. Still, a high-carb, low-fat diet is far better than banning potatoes and bread from your daily meals and it’s also easier to stick to.

Drinking a certain quantity of water every day is a good idea because it keeps the body hydrated and fills the stomach. Water also keeps the intestines healthy by facilitating the movements of undigested food to the exit point. However, simply drinking water does not trigger weight loss. There is only one way to lose weight and that is to burn up the existing fat and water cannot do that. Nor should a diet be judged solely by how much weight is lost per week. Some people claim that a diet can be considered effective if the weekly loss of weight is above two pounds. Frankly, two pounds per week is a lot of weight to lose and you can be sure that not all of it is fat, but also the lean tissue that makes up the muscles.

Another myth claims that fat is absolutely bad for you. It’s not. Quite on the contrary, the body needs some fat in order to get the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K circulating through the cardiovascular system. Moreover, fat also brings into the body the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 that cannot be synthesized in the body. The word “essential” means that these fatty acids simply have to be present in your daily food since they play an important role in your health. The recommended dose of fat is 35 percent of your daily calories.

And last of all comes the idea that a diet or eating plan is enough in itself and does not have to be coupled with exercising. But exercising is the most effective way of burning up the extra calories stored as fat. Simply sitting at your desk all day long is not going to do the trick, regardless of what diet you’re on. Remember that a diet that has plenty of food (the right kind of food) and plenty of exercise is far better than sitting on the sofa and drinking cabbage soup every six hours. It works faster and is less stressful to your body.

Here is an interesting theory/idea originally published over at Life To Success:

One method of anti aging techniques that seems to be quite effective is that of reducing the number of calories that are consumed. This theory is one that is not fully understood, by any means, but it is something that should be carefully considered anyway. Why does calorie restriction help the body to lose weight? The evidence of it happening is clear, but why this happens most doctors are not too sure. Nevertheless, it is an excellent option for individuals looking for a way to defy aging signs throughout their body.

What Is Likely Happening:

Calorie restriction helps to delay disease as well as extended life. The thought behind this type of anti aging solution is that by reducing the number of calories you consume will also reduce the amount of insulin that your body makes. With this reduction in insulin, you will see the signs of aging lowering. That’s because insulin is also an accelerant of the aging process.

With reduced calories we see benefits because of the lower oxidative stresses from those calories as well. You’ve heard the benefits of antioxidants. By eating foods in a less way, there is less “bad” getting in with the potential of more good, antioxidants getting in. This too can help you to increase the wellness in your body.

For calorie restriction to work for you, though, you need to work with your dietician and learn what foods are must haves and which should be avoided. You aren’t necessarily going to cut out everything, but every calorie must count in this plan, instead of allowing empty calories into your diet. You also will need to avoid meal replacement solutions as these rarely offer the same benefits as good, wholesome nutrition. You can even find out which foods are considered super foods in that they provide high levels of nutrition with good levels of calories.

If you do choose a calorie restriction method of anti aging, go for it with the aid and advice of your doctor. You should look at what you are eating and not try to just cut back on how much you are eating. The goal here is not to starve yourself in any way. Instead, it is to replace the high calorie, bad foods in your diet, with foods that are considered highly healthy with lower calorie counts to them.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study suggests that nearly one-third of children undergoing surgery are overweight or obese, placing them at increased risk of experiencing complications associated with the surgery.

“We hope our study and others to follow will help spotlight the obese child as being a high-risk surgical candidate and therefore deserves extra vigilance,” Dr. Olubukola O. Nafiu from University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, told Reuters Health.

“Obviously, primary prevention of obesity will be the answer,” Nafiu said.

Nafiu and colleagues looked at all 6,017 children who had surgery at the U-M Hospital between 2000 and 2004 and found that 31.5 percent were overweight or obese, with 10 percent classified as obese and 4.5 percent classified as morbidly obese.

Based on age- and gender-specific definitions, 14.4 percent of children were overweight and 17.2 percent were obese, the results, published in the Journal of the National Medical Association, indicate.

“We were quite surprised to find that many obese children and those who were morbidly obese by adult standards were classified as ASA I,” indicating a healthy patient with no increased surgical risk, Nafiu said.

On the contrary, it’s been shown that certain surgical complications are more common in obese individuals compared to normal-weight individuals, Nafiu said.

For instance, obese children may have more breathing difficulties; a higher risk of post-surgery upper airway obstruction; and may require more anti-nausea medication. Obese adults are also known to be at increased risk for surgical complications.

Originally posted on Yahoo! Health News