How To Lose Weight The Lazy Way

You have been stuck with your food and exercise plan for a while--and feel confident with it. Then, bam! There is an office birthday party or bumper-to-bumper traffic and your dinner plans or gym time is derailed. The best way to combat unexpected temptations is to have a solid backup strategy that can work in all situations.

Here are tips from five leading health experts, you can use anywhere, anytime, to stay the course to good health.

"If it is to survive a stressful day or to ' just say no ' to the candy jar in the Office is calling out, magnesium helps you avoid pitfalls and stay at the health plan," says nutritionist Ashley Koff:, co-author of MOM power: A Simple Plan to live fully.

Why? Magnesium may lower levels of stress and anxiety. And when we are calmer, we tend to make less abrupt and more considered decision. Get your magnesium supplement, or for a dinner treat, that a 1-ounce serving of almonds: about 23.

"Most people tell you to schedule your training that you would make an unbreakable meeting with your boss or largest customer. Although it is good advice, if you are not a master of illusion, you will not perceive them with similar importance and will skip the workout when time is tight, says personal trainer Adam Rosante, founder of the people's Bootcamp.

Days when your regular plan falls apart, suggests Rosante pick five whole body moves and do them back to back as hard as you can in 30 seconds with no rest. If you don't know how to do these, talk to a trainer first to make sure you know how to do them safely.

High knees running in place, move your arms as if you're joggingSquat jump: squats, jump up with your hands up over your head, and land softly back into a squat.Lunges with a back row: lunge-step with your right foot and back with the left, bending until your right knee is above your right ankle. Start with your arms down, then row the elbows back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. If you are near the weights, you can hold an 8-pound one in each hand.Standing wood chop: stand with your left foot slightly forward. Hold a medicine ball, raise both arms over his head and leans to the left. Move your arms across your body and down toward your right ankle, keeping your knees gently bent. Keep your body upright and head straight forward.

While you will have exercised for only 2.5 minutes, according to research that these rapid, high-intensity bursts of exercise comes with health benefits ranging from calorie-burn to muscle building. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat as many times as you can handle, or time permitting.

The challenge of tracking what people eat

By Rita Rubin
WebMD Health News

12 December, 2013, Washington, DC)--anyone who has ever been in a weight loss program know the value of keeping a food diary--a written document with each mouthful or sip that enters the mouth.

The problem is, what people say they eat are often not the whole truth. Sometimes they deliberately omit an embarrassing pig-out, a whole sleeve of cookies or a whole carton of Rocky Road. Other times they underestimate simply a portion.

Even bad food diaries can help people lose weight--but perhaps not as fast as a careful record-keeper can--but such magazines may operate nutrition scientists crazy. The need for more reliable record of what, when and how much people eat have spurred the development of a variety of new gadgets. They include a microphone that you wear around your neck that is swallows, and "HAPIfork," which warns dieters as they shovel food into his mouth too quickly.

"If you want to study nutrition, you have to know what people are eating," said Dale Schoeller, PhD, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin, an audience at the recent American Society for Nutrition meeting in Washington, DC.

In a perfect world, Schoeller said, scientists could link subjects up to a GPS device to track their movements, monitor what they eat and how much, listen to their digestive tract and upload all the information into his computer. While that might work for dairy cattle--Schoeller showed a picture of "well-connected" Holly in Holstein, whose owner is designed to produce the most milk with a minimum of food--people would likely rebel that tracked closely in their daily lives.

But researchers have been aware for decades that food diaries are fraught with problems, given that people don't lose so much weight that their records indicate they should, "he said.

"People don't always tell the bad, or what they perceive to be poor," like that half-gallon of ice cream they ate after a tough day at work, Schoeller said. Plus, "average patient numbers a portion is what I put on my plate." But tiles have become bigger over the years, he says, from 12 inches to 14 inches wide, resulting in a 40% greater surface area.

In the United States, the higher the body mass index (BMI), the more people are underestimating how much they ate, "he said. And for the most part, the longer people keep food diaries, he says, the more likely they are to trim the fat, so to speak, from their posts.

So what is a scientist or a dieter to do?

Schoeller has tried asking people to provide before and after photos of their dinner plates, bowls and glasses. Food photos are almost as popular as selfies in social media these days.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Obesity's Death Toll May Be Much Higher Than Thought

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Study shows 18 percent rate of related deaths in U.S. adults aged 40 and up, compared to earlier estimates of 5 percent

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have vastly underestimated the number of deaths caused by obesity in the United States, a new report reveals.

Obesity accounts for 18 percent of deaths among black and white Americans between the ages of 40 and 85, according to a study published online Aug. 15 in the American Journal of Public Health. Previous estimates had placed obesity-related deaths at only 5 percent of all U.S. mortalities.

"This was more than a tripling of the previous estimate," said study author Ryan Masters, who conducted the research as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation scholar at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City. "Obesity has dramatically worse health consequences than some recent reports have led us to believe."

Earlier estimates erred by overlooking generational differences in the way the obesity epidemic has affected Americans, Masters said.

Because younger generations have been exposed longer to risk factors for obesity, they are at even greater risk of becoming overweight or obese and suffering all the health problems that accompany the extra pounds, the researchers warned.

"A 5-year-old growing up today is living in an environment where obesity is much more the norm than was the case for a 5-year-old a generation or two ago. Drink sizes are bigger, clothes are bigger and greater numbers of a child's peers are obese," study co-author Bruce Link, a professor of epidemiology and sociomedical sciences at Columbia, said in a statement. "And once someone is obese, it is very difficult to undo. So, it stands to reason that we won't see the worst of the epidemic until the current generation of children grows old."

The researchers investigated this possibility by breaking the population down into "cohorts," or generations, and studying the effect of obesity on deaths for those age groups.

Using these generational groups, they analyzed 19 years' worth of annual U.S. National Health Interview Surveys from 1986 through 2004 and compared those findings to individual mortality records from the National Death Index. They focused on ages 40 to 85 to exclude deaths caused by accidents, homicides and congenital conditions, the leading causes of mortality for younger people.

"Successive cohorts are living in this new environment and are at greater risk of obesity at earlier times in their lives," Masters said. "Each specific cohort looks like a wave that's grown bigger than the cohort that has come before it."

For example, Masters and his colleagues noted obesity's increasing effect on mortality in white men who died between the ages of 65 and 70 in the years 1986 to 2006.

Obesity accounted for about 3.5 percent of deaths for those born between 1915 and 1919, but it accounted for about 5 percent of deaths for those born 10 years later. Obesity killed off around 7 percent of those born another 10 years later.

As Years Spent Obese Rise, So Do Heart Risks

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Study strengthens link between excess pounds and cardiovascular troubles

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- There's more bad news for overweight Americans: A 30-year study finds the risk for heart disease rises the longer someone is obese.

"Each year of obesity was associated with about a 2 to 4 percent higher risk of subclinical coronary heart disease," said study lead author Jared Reis, an epidemiologist with the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

"Subclinical" heart disease means damage to arteries that shows up in markers such as calcium buildup on arterial walls, but has not yet developed into symptomatic illness.

"Those with longest duration of both overall obesity and abdominal obesity tended to have the highest risk" for subclinical disease, Reis said.

The report was published in the July 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the new study, Reis' team used scans to track calcium buildup in the heart arteries in almost 3,300 adults 18 to 30 years old. When the study began in the mid-1980s, none of the participants were obese.

During the course of the study, however, more than 40 percent became obese and 41 percent developed abdominal obesity (excess belly fat). Those who became obese tended to stay obese for years, the researchers noted.

The investigators found that 27.5 percent of these long-term obese participants showed signs of heart disease, and the problem got worse the longer the individual had been obese.

More than 38 percent of those with more than 20 years spent obese had calcified arteries compared with only about a quarter of those who never put on that level of excess weight, the findings showed.

Among those with overall obesity, 6.5 percent had more dangerous "extensive" arterial calcification, as did 9 percent of those with obesity centered around the belly area. In contrast, only about 5 percent of those who were not obese had this extensive calcification, the researchers found.

Reis said the findings could have dire implications as Americans age.

"With the increased prevalence of obesity over the last 30 years, younger individuals are becoming more obese at a younger age than in previous generations," he noted. "This longer duration of obesity may have important implications on the future burden of subclinical heart disease and potentially rates of clinical heart disease in the United States."

Another heart expert agreed.

"Obesity rates in adults and children have increased markedly in the United States over the last 25 years," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "This is particularly concerning as obesity is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, premature cardiovascular disease, and mortality."

Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center, said he also worries about rising obesity rates among the young.

"I have long feared that in an age of increasingly prevalent type 2 diabetes among children, the day may dawn when angina is an adolescent rite of passage alongside acne," Katz said.

This new study compounds that worry, he said. "It demonstrates just what common sense would suggest: That the longer the exposure to the adverse effects of obesity, the greater the harm to the coronary arteries."

According to Katz, "this study is yet another reason -- as if we needed one -- to devote all possible effort to the prevention, control and reversal of rampant obesity in childhood."

Cash incentives spur poor to buy healthier foods

San Diego-area participants got matching funds to buy produce from farmers ' markets

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, November 22, 2013 HealthDay News)-a recent program encouraged healthy eating by offering additional purchasing power to the poor people who receive government assistance to buy food. The only catch: they had to buy healthier types of food in markets.

It is not clear whether thousands of San Diego-area participants in federally funded programs actually became healthier because they bought foods that produce, meat and bread.

But in the big picture, "increased access to healthy foods," said San Diego County public health officer Dr. Wilma Wooten, co-author of a new report on the results. "And it helps the market vendors and farmers."

Wooten said local public health officials launched the program with money from two federal grants--one from an anti-obesity Trust Fund in the Obama administration's stimulus package and the other from the affordable care Act Fund to combat chronic diseases.

The study was published in the Nov. 14 issue of preventing chronic disease, published by the u.s. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity is common in the United States among people of all income levels, but poor displays at particular risk. A study published a year ago showed that 5-year-old children living in the poorest neighborhoods were 28 percent more likely to be obese--a step above just being overweight--compared with children from the richest areas.

Research also suggests that the poor often live in "food deserts" where healthier foods that produce is hard to find and expensive when compared to fast food.

The new project, called farmers market fresh fund incentive program, ran from mid-2010 to 2011. It allowed people who get government food assistance food stamps to buy tokens for healthier foods--including produce, meat, bread and eggs--in local markets. They would receive tokens worth purchased amount plus a matching amount at no extra charge up to $ 10 per month.

In other words, students get $ 20 worth of tokens for healthier foods per month if they bought $ 10 worth.

Nearly 7,300 people enrolled in the program, said far more than the 3,000 that officials had expected, Wooten. Most (82 percent) had never been to a farmer's market before.

Among the people enrolled, attended 252 in investigations when you use the program and one year later. The percentage of those who said their diet was "healthy" or "very good" increased from 4 per cent to 63 per cent. In addition, 93 percent said the program was "important" or "very important" in their decision to shop at a farmers ' market.

The cost of managing the program were not available, but the extra food costs about $ 330,000, an average of $ 93 per student.

Is Your Diet Aging You? Principles of an Anti-Aging Diet

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Simple strategies to keep you young, inside and out.

Yes, what you put on your plate might be affecting what you see in the mirror. But how?

“Poor-quality foods, like trans fats, cause inflammation -- and aging is basically a chronic inflammatory state," says Timothy Harlan, MD. He is assistant professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine. "Can you look older because you’re eating crap? Absolutely."

Continue reading below...

For example, eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates (like pasta, bread, and baked goods) can lead to damage in your skin's collagen, which is what keeps your skin springy and resists wrinkles, says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD. She is a nutrition policy consultant for the California Center for Public Health Advocacy

What’s more, these inflammatory things called AGEs – advanced glycation end-products – put your overall health on the line. They are tied to diseases like heart disease and diabetes, she says.

Other foods. like fruits and vegetables, are good for your skin. Here's what you might want to cut back on and what you should eat more of.

1. Potato chips and French fries. Anything that’s deep-fried in oil can add to inflammation throughout your body. Especially avoid trans fats, which can raise LDL "bad" cholesterol and lower HDL "good" cholesterol. Check food labels on baked goods and crackers, and avoid “partially hydrogenated oils” and “vegetable shortening.”

2. Doughnuts and sugary pastries. They’re packed with sugar, which is linked to inflammation. And they produce those wrinkle-generating AGEs Giancoli talks about.

3. Hot dogs, bacon, and pepperoni. Processed meats are usually high in saturated fats and have nitrates in them. Both of those can lead to inflammation.

4. Fatty meats. The key with meat is to keep it lean. Tenderloin cuts tend to be leaner. Look for ground beef that is at least 95% lean. Ground turkey breast or chicken breast are other lean options.

5. Alcohol. Moderate drinking may be good for your heart, but heavy drinking can rev up the aging process. "Moderate" is one drink per day for women (such as a 5-ounce glass of wine or 12-ounce glass of beer) and two for men.

Go for a Mediterranean-style diet, says Harlan. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein can help fight inflammation and keep you looking your best, he says.

Eat whole foods that are closest to their natural state as possible, says Giancoli. For example, instead of apple sauce, try a fresh whole apple

Here’s a list of five foods that are examples of the kinds of foods to eat more of:

1. Romaine lettuce. It's high in vitamins A and C, which curb inflammation. Also try broccoli, spinach, arugula, watercress, escarole, and endive.

2. Tomatoes. They're rich in a nutrient called lycopene. So are watermelon, grapefruit, guavas, asparagus, and red cabbage.

Get a 21-Day Tummy! How to Shrink and Soothe Your Stomach

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Best-selling author Liz Vaccariello describes the new 21-Day Tummy plan that remedies digestive issues and shrinks the tummy. With this book you'll lose weight, end heartburn, and ease digestion for life. Here's an excerpt.

Steve Vaccariello

Sorry, Mom. I know it’s not proper to confess an embarrassing problem to millions of readers. But a few years ago, I began to notice that my digestion was becoming less regular. I had almost constant pain and bloating and had gained nearly ten pounds. A physical revealed nothing amiss, and technically, I was at a healthy weight. But my clothes didn’t fit, and the discomfort was constant and distracting.

As I started talking about my digestive challenges, other people confided their own struggles. Then I read the stats: From burps and groans to discomfort and moans, millions of Americans have tummy issues. So I did what any health journalist would: I researched the issue, and I asked my staff of editors at Reader’s Digest to help.

We made a discovery that would change my body and my life. The foods that make your belly feel better are the same ones that make it flatter. It is a diet dream: an eating regimen that trims my tummy and solves GI problems like heartburn and reflux, gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

While dietitians, doctors, and GI sufferers have long suspected a connection between your gut and the rest of your body, science is only now beginning to catch up. We uncovered reams of pioneering studies, many of which upended my notions of what’s good for weight loss and health.

The Weight-Gut Connection
There are two factors that deliver a one-two punch when it comes to weight gain and digestive woes—an imbalance of gut flora (the bacteria in our GI tract) and inflammation.

1) An unhealthy mix of gut bacteria can lead to constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and IBS. Scientists have also identified strong links between an imbalance of digestive tract bacteria and weight gain. The bacteria in the guts of overweight people are different from the bacteria in the guts of thin people, and those differences may determine one’s weight. Gut bacteria can also contribute to inflammation, the other big player here.

2) Inflammation—the immune system’s normal response to injury—can upset your stomach and pack on pounds if it becomes chronic. Seventy percent of our immune function takes place in the gut, which explains why your stomach churns when your immune system reacts to stress. Inflammation can also lead to weight gain. Your body naturally produces chemicals to stop inflammation, but these substances interfere with leptin, a hormone that tells your brain to stop eating because the belly is full. When inflammation becomes chronic (often due to stress), your brain no longer gets the message. Though you’ve consumed enough to fuel your body, you still feel hungry, so you overeat and gain weight.

To convert this science into an eating plan, I teamed up with Kate Scarlata, a registered dietitian who specializes in digestive disorders. Kate created an eating plan that works to balance gut bacteria and cool inflammation at the same time. The 21-Day Tummy diet loads up on foods that soothe your stomach (I call them Belly Buddies) and eliminates those that aggravate it (I call them Belly Bullies). The diet relieves the most common digestive complaints while also trimming your tummy.

Next: How 21-Day Tummy works »

Harley Pasternak’s Famous Red Berry Smoothie Recipe

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Harley Pasternak’s Famous Red Berry Smoothie Recipe

This recipe blends raspberries, blueberries, orange, and flaxseeds for a filling, fiber-rich shake.

See more of Harley Pasternak’s delicious smoothie recipes.

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 orange, peeled
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds (or whole flaxseeds, depending on your blender) ?

In a blender or food processor, combine the raspberries, blueberries, orange, protein powder, and flaxseeds.

Blend until of desired consistency.

Nutrition Information per serving: 271 calories, 27 g protein, 43 g carbs, 5 g fat, 11 g fiber

Soothe and Shrink Your Belly: Our 21-Day Tummy Diet Plan

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The Reader's Digest book 21-Day Tummy contains the exclusive meal plan, recipes, and workout that helped test panelists lose weight and ease digestive issues. Here's how the plan works.

Andrew Purcell

With our new 21-Day Tummy plan, you will be eating more anti-inflammatory foods, especially those rich in magnesium, and fewer carb-dense foods and FODMAPs (rapidly fermentable carbohydrates that can aggravate your gut). This plan helped my fellow testers and me shrink our stomachs (by up to 4 1/2 inches in one case!) and ease our tummy troubles. At least two people stopped taking prescription drugs for heartburn entirely, and GI symptoms disappeared completely for several testers.

Bonus: Try 6 recipes from the plan here! »

PHASE 1: FLATTEN (DAYS 1 TO 5)
Calm your sensitive system as you shed fat quickly. To jump-start your weight loss, the first phase is designed to supply the fewest calories, replacing one meal per day with the Belly Soother Smoothie. Very low in FODMAP foods and grain-free, this phase features foods that are the absolute easiest to digest healthfully. While you will immediately feel leaner and cleaner, this is not a “detox” diet of liquid meals or bland foods. You’ll eat real food—and get real results. Our testers lost an average of 5 1/2 pounds after this phase!

Andrew Purcell

PHASE 2: SOOTHE AND SHRINK (DAYS 6 TO 15)
Maximize belly-fat loss by boosting anti-inflammatory foods that are high in magnesium and monounsaturated fatty acids. You’ll continue to enjoy one Belly Soother Smoothie per day, but your other meals will be larger, to keep your metabolism humming. Here, we introduce fiber-rich and carb-light grains—quinoa and oat bran—and pair them with magnesium-rich fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds, plus MUFA-rich oils and other foods, to create filling stir-fries and protein-packed dinners that will keep you fueled up and feeling good.

Andrew Purcell

PHASE 3: BALANCE (DAYS 16 TO 21)
Stoke your body with meals that combine belly-friendly fiber, lean protein, and healthy fats so you never feel hungry. We’ll stay largely carb-light, but now you’re ready to reintroduce sweets to your diet, with a delicious dessert every other day. Meals feature an ideal balance of 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat, which research indicates is the best mix for decreasing inflammation and improving digestion. It’s the combination we recommend you stick with for life.

">Learn more about the plan here. You can also order 21-Day Tummy wherever books are sold.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Health Shocker: Why Water Is Making You Fat

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You might not be surprised to see water at the top of the list of ingredients in soups. After all, soup does require a lot of water. It’s more surprising to find it so prominent in prepared foods such as packaged sauces, condiments, frozen meals, and more. And when water is first on the list of ingredients, that’s a clue that there’s a long list of other stuff to give that water some taste and texture. Many salad dressings contain more water than anything else, for example, and since oil and water don’t mix, it’s typically additives (which you may want to avoid) that hold everything together.

“Often when a food like a condiment lists the first ingredient as water, it is your clue that it may not be as wholesome and may be loaded with additives like MSG, polysorbate, and artificial colors,” explain Nutrition Twins Lyssie Lakatos, RD, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, authors of , The Secret to Skinny. “Additionally, it contains very little nutrients and often is our clue that we’d be better off selecting another product or making the food from scratch ourselves.” The two continue, “Gelatin, soft drinks, juices, salad dressings, mayo all can contain water first.” Harmful chemicals like sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate, preservatives that, when combined with vitamin C —ascorbic acid— form a known carcinogen called benzene may also be present. Other yucky sidekicks that may accompany water when it’s the primo ingredient? “Artificial colors like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, which contain benzidene, also a known carcinogen,” add the authors. And remember, these types of foods commonly contain a lot of added sugar and fat that can wreak havoc on your taste buds — and waist line.

Interested in more great fitness and weight loss tips from the twins and other experts? Join the #ACEprochat on Twitter for a discussion hosted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Image credit: © Stockbyte/Thinkstock

Switch to healthier eating can cost you more

After a wholesome diet goes about 1.50 more a day than junk food, study finds

By Brenda Goodman

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, 6 december, 2013 HealthDay News)-really does it cost more to stick to a healthy diet? The answer is Yes, but not as much as many people think, according to a new study.

Review research combined results of 27 studies from 10 different countries compared the cost of healthy and unhealthy diets.

The Verdict? A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish costs about one person about $ 1.50 more per day--or $ 550 per year--compared with a diet high in processed grains and meats, fats, sugar and convenience foods.

Big ran protein prices. The researchers found that healthy proteins--think part of skins and Boneless Skinless chicken breasts--29 cents more expensive per serving compared to less healthy sources, like a fried chicken nugget.

The study was published online december 5 in the journal BMJ open.

"For many low-income families, this can be a real obstacle to healthy eating habits," said study author Mayuree Rao. She is a junior research fellow in the Department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston.

A family of four who is after the USDA's thrifty eating plan, for example, has a weekly food budget of approximately $ 128. An additional $ 1.50 per for each person in the family a day adds up to $ 42 for the week, or about 30 percent of the family's total food tab.

Rao said that there would not be much of a difference for many middle-class families, though.

She said that "$ 1.50 is if the price of a cup of coffee and really just a drop in the bucket when you consider the billions of dollars spent each year on diet-related chronic diseases".

Researchers who were not involved in the review had good things to say about its conclusions.

"I think that an average difference in cost $ 1.50 per person per day is very significant," said Adam Drewnowski, Director of nutritional sciences program at the University of Washington, in Seattle. He has compared the cost of healthy versus unhealthy diets.

Drewnowski said that at an additional $ 550 per year for 200 million people would exceed the entire annual budget for food aid in the United States.

Dr. Hilary Seligman, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said healthy food can be expensive for the families in a way that goes beyond its cost at checkout. Therefore, she said, the strict cost comparison in this review, probably underestimate the true burden to a person's budget.

She points out, for example, that people in poor neighborhoods that lack large grocery stores may not be able to afford the gas to drive to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. They can work several jobs and don't have time to prep food from scratch.

More Evidence Ties Obesity to Disability in Older Women

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Studies found higher risks for heart disease, mobility problems and early death

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Women who are obese as they near retirement age have a higher risk of early death and may find their remaining years blighted by disability, researchers say.

Obese women are three to six times more likely to suffer a disability late in life that will make it difficult for them to get around, with the risk rising with their level of obesity, according to a new study published online Nov. 11 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

A second study in the same journal issue found that being overweight or obese raises your risk of heart attack and heart disease even if you are otherwise healthy.

The number of women aged 85 years and older in the United States is increasing, according to study background information, with 11.6 million women expected to reach 85 by 2050.

Obesity rates also continue to increase, and nearly one-third of U.S. women 75 years and older are obese. This extra weight not only reduces life span, but also can severely harm an older woman's quality of life.

"For dying and losing the ability to walk, the risks were alarmingly high -- over threefold to upwards of over sixfold," said study co-author Eileen Rillamas-Sun, a staff scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle. "I believe that remaining mobile is very important to most older people, especially since it is useful for retaining one's independence."

The new findings aren't that surprising, but they're important, one expert noted.

Together, the two studies "verify something that we knew, but give us some more ammunition to craft more programs and pay more attention to women's body weight and obesity overall," said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

"The obesity epidemic isn't just our kids, and if you are thinking forward we are having this enormous growth as the baby boomers age through society," he said. "We're going to have to spend a lot of time encouraging women to achieve a sensible body weight."

Rillamas-Sun's study examined the health records of nearly 37,000 older women participating in the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term study sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The researchers found that about 12 percent of healthy-weight women had become disabled by age 85, requiring a walker or some other assistance for getting around.

By comparison, between 25 percent and 34 percent of obese women were disabled, with incidence rising with the patient's body mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat that takes height and weight into account.

Overall, a waist circumference greater than 35 inches was associated with a higher risk of early death, along with new diseases developing during the study period and mobility disability, the researchers said.

Be aware that reach health goals

Magic pills, liquid diets, obsessively exercising ... sounds familiar? Many people who want to lose weight are often tempted by the latest fad. The problem is, the weight lost with these "quick fixes" can be expensive and often do not last. Instead, get results with something you already have — your mind!

OK, that may sound a little new-agey. But the truth is that mindfulness can be the key to your weight loss success. Being mindful means simply to give your full attention to your surroundings, thoughts, behaviors and experiences.

"When you bring awareness to your internal and external environments--and to do so without judgment--you also have the opportunity to become more aware of your choices," says Jan Chozen bays, MD, author of conscious eating.

Here are six tactics you can start today.

Before each meal, pause and ask yourself: how hungry I am? Then, rate your hunger with a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is ravenously hungry and 10 is completely full. To be really honest. When you take a moment to listen to your body, you may find that you only on a 6.

"Even if we are not very hungry, our tendency is to go on automatic, we pull into a drive-through and order # 4 combo meal because that's what we always get," says Megrette Fletcher, a nutritionist and eat what you love, love what you eat with Diabetes.

The truth is, you may just need a snack to feel satisfied. Experts say that you don't want to eat until you're stuffed. About three quarters full, which is between 7 and 8.

Drift surfing is a technology that keeps you from succumbing to spontaneous and unhealthy urges or cravings. As all thoughts, urges not to last forever. They come and go like a wave. Tend to be less than 30 minutes.

When you ask the surf, you learn how to "surf your request." This means that you note the desire. You accept it for what it is. But you don't respond to it.

However, notice how your body feels when the urge strikes. Then pay attention to how its intensity changes with every breath you take.

Recognize cravings makes it weaker. And if you stay in this conscious state, you can ride it till your cravings are gone.

Ever notice how the first bite or two always seem to taste better? That's because after the first forkful taste buds (which you have thousands) stop firing.

"If you check in and and really notice how level entertainment is changing, you might realize that you've had enough far sooner than you would if you're shoveling down your food," says Jean l. Kristeller, PhD, developer of Mindfulness based eating awareness (MB-eating) training program.

Exercise cannot stave off Holiday weight gain

Study suggests moderation, nothing can replace high-calorie foods and beverages

By Brenda Goodman

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, 27 november, 2013 HealthDay News)-Hoping to counter all those Thanksgiving calories with the extra exercise?

A recent study suggests the strategy can't keep off the holiday pounds.

Researchers followed 48 men and 100 women for the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's celebrations. They ranged between 18 and 65 years.

Half reported to be serious and ordinary exercisers. On average, they said, they worked up a sweat nearly five hours each week, nearly twice as much moderate physical activity is recommended by the American Heart Association. The other half copped to being couch potatoes.

The researchers weighed and measured each person to calculate their body mass index (BMI) before and after the holidays. They are also a measure of the proportion of body fat and took their blood pressure.

From mid November to early January, people in the study had an average of one and a half pounds. Men were slightly more, around two pounds each, while the women got a little less about a pound apiece.

A kilo or two might not sound so bad, but studies have shown that on average, people get about two pounds each year. It's called weight creep. And studies have shown that when most people put it, they never take off.

After 10 years of small annual increases are an additional 20 pounds of fat. That means the holiday weight gain may be a more important factor in the obesity epidemic than many realize, says researcher Jamie Cooper, Assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

People who were obese at the start of the study had the largest increases in weight. They also had significant increase in their percentage of body fat. In fact, starting weight the best predictor of how much weight and fat a person can get.

Exercise had a significant impact on holiday weight gain. Scientists are not entirely sure why.

On the other hand, told Cooper that it could be that the study did not have enough participants to detect small differences in weight change between exercisers and non-exercisers.

But she said the results could also mean that people just eat more calories than they burn off, even with all that physical activity.

"If you think about walking in a run, if you are running in 30 minutes and to run three miles in that time, you burn about 300 calories. Well, a pumpkin pie without anything on it is about 300 calories, "Cooper said. "So, it's really easy to eat all these calories that you burn during exercise and then some."

Exercise also increases the appetite, which can lead to even more overeating.

Cooper said that there really is no substitute for moderation during the holidays, a time when food is much more likely to be loaded with hidden fats and sugars and calories.

The 2-Day Diabetes Diet: What to Eat to Lose Weight

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In the new Reader's Digest book, The 2-Day Diabetes Diet, dieting just two days a week blasts fat and balances blood sugar.

Travis Rathbone
Dinner: Spinach-Stuffed Meat Loaf

For folks with diabetes, weight loss is a natural form of “medication.” Reams of research prove that losing even just a few pounds is an effective way to control blood sugar or reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.

But in an ironic twist, losing weight may be more difficult if you have type 2 diabetes. And the reason isn’t just a lack of willpower. Too often, diet plans don’t work for people with diabetes because the metabolism changes associated with blood sugar problems may increase appetite, slow down fat burning, and encourage fat storage.

Now breakthrough research has revealed a better way for people to lose weight and reduce insulin resistance. The secret is a concept called intermittent fasting.

British researchers created this revolutionary new diet, which strictly limits caloric intake for two days of the week but permits larger portions for the remainder. Women who followed the plan lost almost twice as much fat as those who restricted calories every day. Within three months, participants reduced insulin resistance by 25 percent more on nonfast days and inflammation by 8 percent more than people who dieted continuously.

Why Does this Particular Diabetes Diet Plan Work?

It counteracts the effects of “diabesity,” where blood sugar problems and excess body fat meet. Just a small amount of excess weight and a genetic tendency for metabolism problems can trigger a cascade of health issues, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, immune system problems, and hormonal imbalances.

Why it’s better to diet part-time.

This constellation of health problems is caused by a modern lifestyle that is out of sync with our genetic inheritance. Researchers theorize that because humans evolved during alternating periods of feast and famine, many of us inherited various “thrifty genes” that cause us to conserve energy (hoard fat stores) when calories are scarce and swiftly store energy (plump up fat cells even more) when food is plentiful. Thousands of years ago, humans with robust sets of thrifty genes were much likelier to survive and pass them on to future generations.

But now our thrifty bodies are confronted with an abundance of food and no famine. As a result, it’s incredibly difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Once we gain a little bit, the first hints of diabesity set in, making the upward progression of the scale hard to stop.

This excess fat also causes chronic inflammation. Fat tissue contains an abundance of immune molecules called cytokines, which respond to the excess fat as if it were an infection. This activates a process that seems to dull the body’s sensitivity to these key hormones: insulin, which cues cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream; the “stress hormone” cortisol; and leptin and ghrelin, which regulate hunger and appetite.

Researchers believe that intermittent fasting helps to reduce or quell inflammation and normalize the function of key hormones. By reversing this metabolic imbalance, intermittent fasting seems to control or prevent diabetes better than other ways of eating.

Next: You don’t have to count carbs, calories, fat grams, or anything else.

To learn more about the breakthrough science behind the 2-Day Diabetes Diet and to buy the book, visit 2daydiabetes.com.

Fat-Cell 'Switch' May Determine Whether Body Stores Energy or Burns It

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Scientists say finding has potential to lead to new obesity treatments

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they've found a "toggle switch" that controls whether fat cells in the body burn up or store their energy.

The switch is the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a protein that binds with vitamin D. Along with many already identified functions, it also determines whether fat cells become the brown, energy-burning type or the white, energy-storing type, according to the researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

"When we first made this discovery, we were curious about whether the amount of vitamin D that people were taking might be decreasing how much brown fat they had," study senior author Dr. Brian Feldman, an assistant professor of pediatric endocrinology, said in a university news release.

"But so far our data show that this activity of the receptor is independent of vitamin D, so people's ingestion or reserves of vitamin D are unlikely to be affecting this process," he said.

The researchers said their discovery could lead to new ways to control obesity and related conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

The study was published online Aug. 1 in the journal Molecular Endocrinology.

It's unclear if VDR actually causes white-fat cells to turn into brown-fat cells, or if the protein determines white or brown before a cell actually develops into a fat cell. The latter explanation is probably the right one, the study authors said. But whichever is correct, it doesn't affect the potential for developing new obesity treatments.

The researchers have already started working on developing a therapy targeting VDR. The goal is to prevent VDR from blocking development of brown fat without affecting the protein's other functions, Feldman said.

Even if the obesity treatment they're trying to develop proves effective, it would be years before it could be made available to patients.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Skipping Breakfast May Not Lead to Weight Gain After All

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Small study found it did not make college students eat more later in the day, contrary to popular belief

By Denise Mann

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Skipping breakfast may not sabotage your waistline after all, a small, new study suggests.

For years, people have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that missing it would encourage them to eat more later and pack on the pounds as a result.

Now, a study of 24 normal-weight college students suggests that you may actually consume fewer calories if you skip breakfast. The findings are published in the July issue of the journal Physiology and Behavior.

But several nutritionists were quick to caution that there are other important reasons to eat breakfast every day, and that the new findings don't apply to everyone.

As part of the study, researchers either fed breakfast to or withheld breakfast from a group of students. Half of the participants ate breakfast regularly, while the other half did not. They then measured how many calories the participants consumed during the rest of the day. Lunch was served buffet-style, and they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted.

Students who ate breakfast regularly were hungrier on the days they skipped the meal, but they did not overcompensate by eating more at lunch or at any other time during the day. They actually consumed 408 fewer calories on the days they bypassed the morning meal.

"If you are a breakfast eater and we take it away, you will be hungrier, but you won't overeat at subsequent meals," said study author Dr. David Levitsky, a professor of nutritional sciences and psychology at Cornell University. "You can skip breakfast and not feel that you will become overweight."

School-aged children are advised to eat breakfast so they can concentrate in class; the new study did not look at how skipping breakfast affects the ability to learn and think.

Christine Santori, lead nutritionist at the Center for Weight Management at Syosset Hospital in Syosset, N.Y., said it's caloric quality that is important to overall health and weight control, not just caloric intake.

"I have found ... that those who skip breakfast and go into the rest of the day very hungry tend to make high-fat choices, with compromised fruit and vegetable intake," Santori said.

Skipping breakfast also can lead to feelings of low energy and fatigue, which may result in lower overall activity levels. "For overall health, well being and weight control, I recommend consuming a healthy breakfast daily," she said.

The new study also was conducted on normal-weight individuals and may not translate to overweight or obese people, Santori said. "Skipping meals as a behavior has been strongly linked to obesity," she said.

A recent study in the journal Circulation showed that men who skip breakfast may be more likely to have a heart attack than men who eat breakfast every morning. The study authors speculated that missing the morning meal leads to weight gain and other heart disease risk factors associated with obesity.

When Football Team Loses, Fans Reach for Junk Food

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But 'self-affirmation' can curb emotional eating, study suggests

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Here's something to chew on as the National Football League prepares to kick off a new season Thursday night: sports fans turn to junk food to console themselves when their team goes down to defeat, new research suggests.

In a series of studies, researchers found that both U.S. football and French soccer fans seem to consume extra fat and sugar in the wake of their favorite team's loss. Experts said depressed fans may be using comfort food as a way to deal with their emotions -- a tactic familiar to many people, sports lovers or not.

"Past research shows that when people are feeling down, they tend to consume comfort foods in order to feel better," said Yann Cornil, a Ph.D. candidate at the graduate business school INSEAD in Singapore.

In the case of sports, Cornil said, fans can take the team defeat as a "personal defeat" and threat to their self-esteem. On the other hand, fans of the winning team get a morale boost -- and may opt for healthier food.

Cornil and colleague Pierre Chandon found evidence of that in the first part of their study. Using data from Americans who took part in a nutrition study, they looked at how people's eating habits shifted when their city's National Football League team won or lost.

They found that on the Monday after a team loss, people ate 10 percent more calories and 16 percent more saturated fat, compared to their typical habits. In contrast, they ate slightly fewer calories and less saturated fat on the Monday after an NFL victory.

There were no such Monday fluctuations among people who lived in cities without an NFL team, the researchers reported in a recent online issue of the journal Psychological Science.

To dig deeper, Cornil and Chandon then recruited 78 French sports fans and asked them to write about a favorite team's victory or defeat. (Most of them chose a soccer team.) After their writing task was over, the men and women then worked on a word puzzle -- during which they could snack on their choice of chocolate, potato chips, grapes or cherry tomatoes.

In general, participants who'd written about a team defeat preferred junk food -- downing more saturated fat and sugar than those who'd written about a victory.

But is it a big deal if you prefer chips to grapes after your team loses? "It could be an issue if a person regularly engages in these behaviors," said Kelly Pritchett, an assistant professor of sports nutrition at the University of Georgia.

Pritchett said that although junk food may not be on par with drugs, people who eat fat and sugar to regulate their emotions may, over time, need more and more to be satisfied.

Många människor ignorera, Miss kalori räknas på snabbmat menyer: undersökning

Of 2,000 customers noticed 40% the information and 10% used it

By Kathleen Doheny

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, november 15, 2013 HealthDay News)-posting calorie content of menu items at restaurants is designed to make dinner guests stop and think, match up the total and make wiser choices.

In real life, which seems not to be the case, according to new research.

In a survey of 2000 Philadelphia fast food customers, said aged 18-64, get the information that is used, even if they noticed it, study author Brian Elbel, an assistant professor of public health and health policy at NYU School of Medicine.

Forty percent of the sample, saw it and about 10 percent [total] said they used it and reported to us that they bought fewer calories, "he said.

The study is published in the November issue of the journal obesity. Elbel is scheduled to present the findings Friday at the Obesity Society's annual meeting in Atlanta.

Elbel's team collected receipts from customers at McDonald's and Burger King restaurants and asked them a series of questions. These included how often they visited fast-food restaurants, if they noticed the calorie information, and if they used it. They did it before and after February 2010, when Philadelphia calorie-count label law took effect.

At the same time was a telephone survey of other Philadelphia residents asking them if they ate at fast-food restaurants and if they noticed the calorie labels.

The researchers also examined customers of both chains in Baltimore, a city that has not forced the calorie labels.

Elbel found no differences in the number of visits or calories purchased after the policy went into effect in Philadelphia. The amount of calories in the food purchased and the number of fast food restaurant visits did not change much at all in either the city over time.

Philadelphia residents reported eating almost six times a week at a fast-food chain before the law, and about seven times after. Baltimore Residents ate at a fast-food chain about seven times a week both before and after.

According to the American health law known as the affordable care Act, restaurant chains with 20 or more locations nationally to post calorie content in all the usual drinks and food their menu Board or on printed menus. Final regulations on the provision runs from the u.s. Food and Drug Administration, said Elbel.

This provision is intended to help stem the obesity epidemic. Currently, one-third of Americans are obese, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

Obesity is generally higher among minorities. In the survey, 70 percent of those interviewed black.

Elbel cannot completely explain the results. However, he said, "it's hard to counter that fast food is cheap and tastes pretty good."

He does not think it is time to abandon the idea calorie label. Rather, he sees it as a way to help people make wiser choices, like many other strategies.

An expert not involved in the study said the calorie-label program may need to go further.

"Providing calorie information is not enough," said Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University. "If we want people to use the information, we need to raise awareness of its availability, and most importantly, educate about its use."

This is especially important, she said, for those who do not have a high priority on good nutrition.

Lichtenstein proposed a study that examines the impact of an informative campaign on the use of calorie labels. Other research, she said, States that '' the people who are reporting with calorie labelling order fewer calories. "

Start healthier after buffet

First said three food items seen covers 66 percent of your total plate, researcher

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, November 21, 2013 HealthDay News)-to put healthier foods in the beginning of a buffet table can help diners pass more fattening foods, according to a new study.

The researchers found that when healthy foods is seen first, people are more likely to choose them and less likely to crave for higher-calorie foods that may be further down the buffet line.

"Every food is taken in part to determine what other foods that a person chooses," said the researchers. "In this way, triggering the first food a person chooses what they do next."

The study was published recently in the journal PLoS One, researchers two breakfast buffets 124 persons. In the first buffet met participants healthy food, like fruits, low-fat yogurt and low-fat granola, first. In the other was high-calorie foods, such as cheesy eggs, fried potatoes and bacon, at the beginning of the line.

The study showed that when healthy food was offered first, 86 percent of the Diners picked fruit. But when the more fattening foods was seen first, only 54 percent took the fruit. Similarly, when high-calorie foods were at the front of the buffet line, 75 percent of the participants chose the cheesy eggs, compared with 29 percent of those on line healthy buffet.

"The first three foods that a person was found in the buffet made up 66% of their total plate, regardless of whether the items were high or low-calorie foods," said behavioral Economist Brian Wansink, Cornell University, in a press release.

The order for food in a buffet played a role in what the participants chose to add his plate, said the researchers, who called this a "trigger effect."

"There is an easy take-aways for us: always start healthier after the buffet," Wansink said. "Two-thirds of the plate will be good stuff. "

Your Gut Bacteria May Predict Your Obesity Risk

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Studies also found that high-fiber, low-fat diet can change bacteria makeup for the better

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Bacteria in people's digestive systems -- gut germs -- seem to affect whether they become overweight or obese, and new research sheds more light on why that might be.

The findings, from an international team of scientists, also suggest that a diet heavy in fiber could change the makeup of these germs, possibly making it easier for people to shed pounds.

"We know gut bacteria affect health and obesity, but we don't know exactly how," said Dusko Ehrlich, a co-author of the two new studies and coordinator of the International Human Microbiome Standards project.

The research finds that "people who put on the most weight lack certain bacterial species or have them at very low levels. This opens ways to develop bacterial therapies to fight weight gain," he said.

Experts believe the gut, where the body processes food, is crucial to weight gain and weight loss.

"It is now well known that bacteria in our gut play an important role in our health and well-being, possibly as important as our own immune response and proper nutrition," said Jeffrey Cirillo, a professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center's department of microbial pathogenesis and immunology. "This means that disruption of the bacteria in our gut by use of antibiotics or eating foods that help only particular bacteria grow can have effects upon our entire bodies."

A study released last March in the journal Science Translational Medicine suggested that gastric bypass surgery led to weight loss -- in mice -- because it changed the makeup of the bacteria in their intestines.

In one of the new studies, which are both published in the Aug. 29 issue of the journal Nature, researchers analyzed the gut bacteria of 169 obese Danish people and 123 Danish people who were not obese.

The gut germs in the obese people were less diverse than in the others, and had more abnormalities in terms of metabolism. Also, obese people with a less diverse supply of germs gained more weight.

It's not clear how the bacteria and obesity are related. But the research suggests that the metabolisms of the germs themselves are connected to the overall metabolism in the humans where they live, Cirillo said.

The finding could also have a practical application, the researchers said.

"The study lays ground for a simple test, which should tell people what their risk for developing obesity-linked diseases is," study co-author Ehrlich said. If they are, he said, diet changes may be necessary.

In a second study, researchers monitored gut bacteria as 49 overweight and obese people tried to lose weight with diets that were low-fat and low-calorie but high in protein plus fiber-rich foods like vegetables and fruits. The diet appeared to actually change the bacterial makeup in the guts of the participants.

"Although these are relatively early and small studies on the topic, they suggest that management of our own diets can improve the richness of the flora within our guts and decrease our chances of becoming obese," said Cirillo. "This does not mean that changes in diet will be effective for all people or that they can prevent obesity no matter how much someone eats, but that they can help the situation."

FDA Moves to Ban Trans Fats in Foods

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Nov. 7, 2013 -- The FDA announced Thursday that it is taking steps that will all but eliminate artery-clogging trans fats in processed foods.

The agency is proposing to label partially hydrogenated oils, the primary source of trans fats, as “not generally recognized as safe” for use in food.

Although many food makers have removed trans fats from their products in recent years, they are still found in some processed foods, such as margarine, microwave popcorn, and some desserts.

Eating lots of of trans fats has been linked to heart disease.

“While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public health concern,” FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, says in a statement.

Hamburg says eliminating trans fats could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.

With today's announcement, the FDA opened a 60-day comment period. During that time, the agency will collect additional information on trans fats.

Hamburg says the agency will make a final decision after the comment period ends.

If the FDA approves the change, food makers would have to prove that trans fats are safe in order to use them.

Trans fats have appeared as an ingredient on nutrition labels since 2006. Since that time, the amount Americans eat has gone down from 4.6 grams a day in 2003 to about 1 gram a day in 2012, the FDA says.

The independent Institute of Medicine says trans fats have no health benefits and shouldn’t be eaten in any amount.

The ban only applies to artificial trans fats, not those found naturally in small amounts in butter, some meats, and other foods.

Trans fats in foods ''have been top of mind for snack food makers for the past 5 or 10 years," says Beth Johnson, RD, a food policy consultant for the Snack Food Association. "We certainly want to work with the FDA to be sure the decisions are based on science and done in a thoughtful manner.''

In a statement, the association says 95% of food makers had reduced trans fats and that the majority have plans to get rid of them.

Marisa Moore, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, calls the FDA’s proposal a “major win.”

While the levels of trans fats have declined in recent years, she says they are still found in fried foods, doughnuts, snack cakes, and cookies.

The proposal to further reduce trans fats, she says, ''will make the healthy choice a little bit easier."

The Center for Science in the Public Interest issued a statement supporting the move. "Not only is artificial trans fat not safe, it's not remotely necessary,” says CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson. “Many companies, large and small, have switched to healthier oils over the past decade. I hope that those restaurants and food manufacturers that still use this harmful ingredient see the writing on the wall and promptly replace it."

Friday, December 13, 2013

Harley Pasternak’s Pina Colada Smoothie

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Harley Pasternak’s Pina Colada Smoothie

This healthy version of everyone’s favorite vacation drink uses fat releasing coconut milk as its base, making it light, healthy, and delicious.

See more of Harley Pasternak’s delicious smoothie recipes.

• 1 orange, peeled
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 scoop whey protein powder
• 1 banana
• 1 cup pineapple chunks ?

In a blender or food processor, combine orange, coconut milk, protein powder, banana, and pineapple.

Blend until of desired consistency.

Your Smartphone May Be Making You Fat

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Heavy use tied to sedentary lifestyle, less fitness in study of college students

By Barbara Bronson Gray

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- Smartphone users just might be the new couch potatoes.

Researchers studying college students found that cellphone use -- much like watching television -- may significantly decrease physical activity and fitness levels.

"Using a cellphone doesn't have the same kind of negative stigma that sitting on the couch and watching TV has, but it can be just as bad for you," said study co-author Jacob Barkley, an associate professor of exercise science at Kent State University in Ohio.

The study found that students spend an average of almost five hours on their cellphones and send hundreds of text messages every day, Barkley said.

Cellphones -- also called smartphones -- have become multifunction devices with capabilities similar to an Internet-connected computer. Virtually anywhere and always, users can not only make calls and send texts and emails, but they can interact with Twitter, search the Internet, watch videos and live events, and play video and other games.

All these activities are essentially sedentary, the researchers noted.

Despite the fact that cellphones are mobile devices, they slow people down, Barkley said. Texting on the way to the bus stop, people walk more slowly, trying to do two things at once. Going to the park for a run, they stop to look for messages, check movie times and make a date. Walking past a beautiful scene, they halt and take a photo, and then send it to their friends via Facebook.

"Before you know it you've fallen down into this little wormhole sitting on a park bench, playing on your phone," Barkley said.

Smartphones have enormous capacity to significantly change people's lifestyles and health habits, a public health expert agreed.

"We have to look at this similar to what happened in the industrial revolution and how it changed us," said Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives at North Shore-LIJ Health System, in Great Neck, N.Y. "A study like this raises the importance of how this technology affects how we move, eat and sleep. We have to look at the impact of technology on our health."

Copperman said heavy cellphone use can create mindless eating, much as television does. If you're using your cellphone during much of your time awake, you have to sometimes be eating while using the device, she said.

Cellphone use can also affect sleep, study co-author Barkley noted. He said some students have been known to "sleep text" -- sending messages while they're sleeping and not remembering they did it when they wake up.

Copperman said she worries that while this study focused on college students who were about 20 years of age, many of today's elementary school students are just as tethered to smartphones. "This is probably affecting physical activity in younger kids now, too," she said.

Obese Applicants More Often Denied Entry to Graduate Schools: Study

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Applicants of any size fared equally in phone interviews, but bias crept in at face-to-face meetings

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- Add higher education to the list of things obese people might lose out on due to discrimination. A new study finds that being overweight may lower your odds of getting into graduate school.

"The success rate for people who had had no interview or a phone interview was pretty much equal," study author Jacob Burmeister, himself a Ph.D. candidate at Bowling Green State University, said in a university news release.

"But when in-person interviews were involved, there was quite a bit of difference, even when applicants started out on equal footing with their grades, test scores and letters of recommendation," he added.

Researchers looked at 97 applicants to psychology graduate programs at U.S. universities. The students in the study told the researchers about their application experiences and whether or not they received an offer of admission. The students included details such as whether they had been interviewed in person or over the telephone.

According to Burmeister's team, students who were relatively overweight or obese were less likely to be offered admission after an in-person interview.

This weight bias was stronger for female applicants, according to the study, which was published recently in the journal Obesity.

"When we looked at that we could see a clear relation between their weight and offers of admission for those applicants who had had an in-person interview," Burmeister said.

The researchers weren't surprised by their findings, according to Burmeister.

"We know that these kinds of biases are pretty common and even [perceived to be] somewhat acceptable compared to other biases, and there's not much legally forbidding it," he said.

"We might expect psychology faculty to be more aware of these types of biases. Thus, the level of bias found in this study could be a conservative estimate of the level of bias in the graduate admissions process in other fields," Burmeister added.

Gut Bugs May Hold Key to Weight Control, Mouse Study Suggests

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Findings hint that obese people might benefit from transfer of stomach bacteria of thinner people

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The bacteria living in your digestive system may be the last thing on your mind, but a new study in mice raises the prospect that obese people might get benefits through the transfer of a thinner person's gut germs.

The research is preliminary, and there are a variety of obstacles, including as-yet-unknown side effects in people, cost and the "ick" factor. "Fecal transplants" are now used to treat people with an intestinal disorder, and they're not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

Still, the findings from researchers at the University of Colorado reveal the potential promise of the approach.

In the future, there may be "a way to swap bacteria that's not gross," said Justin Sonnenburg, an assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "There may even someday be a pill you could take."

At issue are the germs that live within your body and help you digest food, among other things. The bacteria live in communities, and "there's a huge, increasing interest in understanding these communities at a fundamental level," Sonnenburg said. "That way, we can prevent diseases they're associated with."

The new study looked at what might happen if germs from a thinner person were transferred into an obese person.

They took fecal bacteria from four sets of adult, female, human twins in which one sister was obese (a step above simply being overweight), and then transplanted the germs into mice. They then fed the mice various diets, including some meant to represent the typical unhealthy American diet.

"[The results] show that mice that get microbes from obese individuals gain more weight than those that get microbes from lean individuals," said study co-author Rob Knight, an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. "In other words, the weight gain can be transmitted from humans to mice by transferring their microbes."

There's another twist: Mice like to eat each other's feces, so they naturally transferred fecal bacteria to each other. The mice with germs from the obese twins appeared to be affected by their counterparts with germs from thinner twins and actually gained less weight.

But the opposite wasn't the case. And, the researchers found, a typical high-fat, American-style diet seemed to eliminate the benefits for the obese-twin mice of eating the feces of their thinner twin counterparts.

What does this all mean? It's possible to disrupt weight gain by transferring gut bacteria and to use mice to understand more about the germs inside humans, Knight said. Results of animal studies, however, often don't translate to humans.

The study, which appears in the Sept. 6 issue of the journal Science, was funded in part by the food company Kraft, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

"Healthy obesity" is a myth, says report

Scientists weigh the results of eight studies, find excess pounds raise death risk over time

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, december 2, 2013 HealthDay News)-the idea that some people may be overweight or obese and still be healthy is a myth, according to a new Canadian study.

Even without high blood pressure, diabetes or other metabolic problems overweight and obese people have higher rates of death, heart attacks and strokes after 10 years compared with their thinner counterparts, the researchers found.

"These data suggest that increased body weight is not a benign condition, even in the absence of metabolic abnormalities, and argue against the concept of healthy obesity or benign obesity," says researcher Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, Associate Professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

Conditions healthy obesity and benign obesity has been used to describe people who are obese but did not have the aberrations that usually accompanies obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol, Retnakaran explained.

"We found that metabolically healthy obese individuals are at increased risk of death and cardiovascular events in the long term compared to metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals," he added.

It is possible that obese people are metabolically healthy have shown low levels of certain risk factors that worsen over time, researchers suggest in the report, published online dec 3 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center, welcomed the report. "Attention to the recent" obesity paradox "in the professional literature and popular culture alike, this is a very timely and important papers," said Katz. (Obesity paradox is that some people benefit from chronic obesity.)

Some obese people seem healthy because not all weight gain is harmful, Katz said. "It is partly due to genes, in part on the source of calories, partly at the task level, partly on hormone levels. Weight gain in the lower limbs among younger women tend to be metabolically harmless. weight gain as fat in the liver may be harmful at very low levels, "said Katz.

A number of things, however, work to increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and death over time, "he added.

"Above all the fat in the liver interfere with its function and insulin sensitivity," Katz said. This will start a domino effect, he explained. "Insensitivity to insulin causes the pancreas to compensate by increasing insulin production. Higher insulin levels affect other hormones in a cascade that causes inflammation. Fight-or-flight hormones are affected, raising blood pressure. Liver dysfunction also reduces blood cholesterol levels, "said Katz.

In General, they added things that people do to make themselves fitter and healthier tends to make them less fat, he said.

"Lifestyle practices promote weight control in the long run, generally contributes to better health as well. I am in favour of a focus on finding health over focus on losing weight, "noted Katz.

Q&A: Were You Born to Be Obese?

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AppId is over the quota

Aug. 1, 2013 -- For people who often feel hungry right after eating, a recent finding about genetics and obesity was, if not welcome news, at least thought-provoking.

People who have two copies of a modified form (or variant) of a certain gene are much more likely to feel hungry after eating a meal, says researcher Rachel Batterham, MD, PhD, of the University College London.

One in six people has two copies of the modified "fat mass and obesity associated" (FTO) gene. That could help explain some obesity. People with this gene have high levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases hunger.

Batterham and a U.S. expert in genetics and obesity talked about the finding and what it might mean.

Batterham is head of the University College London Centre for Obesity Research and head of Obesity and Bariatric Services at the UCL Hospital. Her study, published July 15 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, was funded by the Rosetrees Trust and others.

Lu Qi, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Q: Can you put this new discovery in perspective with other obesity and genetics findings, since many genes have been linked with body mass index and obesity?

The effect of FTO on obesity, so far, is that it's the most common “genetic contributor to overweight and obesity, and is estimated to affect 1 billion people worldwide," Batterham says.

This is one piece of the puzzle, she says, but possibly a key piece.

Qi agrees. But he cautions that scientists must test many more people to confirm Batterham’s results.

Q: At this point, how big of a role might genes play in obesity?

"From previous studies, it is estimated that 40% to 70% of a person's BMI is inherited," Batterham says, but it's complex and not as simple as just giving a percent.

Overall, the role of any single gene [in obesity] is not big, Qi says. However, if all the obesity-related genes are considered, “the effect would be sizable."

Q: Is it possible to be tested for the FTO variant?

Several companies already offer direct-to-customer testing for variants, including FTO, Batterham says. But she wants to study whether knowing that you have the FTO variant would help people make better lifestyle choices.

Q: If you have two copies of the FTO variant, what can you do to avoid obesity?

More research is needed, Batterham says, but she cited studies showing that aerobic exercise and a high-protein diet may help such people. Results of the research have been mixed, she says.

Behavioral therapy might help people who have the double FTO variant avoid temptation, she says.

Q: Could the new findings, as well as other findings, lead to a treatment?

Nutritionists: FDA Trans Fat Ban Good for America's Heart Health

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They urge greater use of healthier oils, like canola oil or other vegetable oils, in food-making process

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposal to ban trans fats from the food supply will trigger some scrambling by manufacturers and restaurant chains, but ultimately it will be a boon to the nation's health, dietitians say.

In fact, food manufacturers had been pivoting away from trans fats before the FDA announced its proposal Thursday, searching for useful substitutes.

"The lion's share of the added trans fats have been removed from our food supply. But this is a good step toward eliminating the remaining amount that continues to pose heart disease risk for many people," said Kim Larson, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

Even so, the FDA estimates that totally eliminating trans fats could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths due to heart disease each year.

Food makers first adopted partially hydrogenated vegetable oils -- the source of trans fats -- as a substitute for butter, due to health concerns over the saturated fats contained in butter, explained Cleveland Clinic dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick.

Using trans fats to make a cracker gives it flakiness and "adds a buttery taste without putting butter in it," Kirkpatrick said. Trans fats also can be used to add a creamy taste, she said, noting that non-dairy creamers are loaded with the artificial fats.

Other foods that contain trans fats include margarine, prepared desserts, canned cake frosting, microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas and boxed cookies, nutritionists noted.

But the food industry has progressed to the point where trans fats can be replaced with healthier options, with no effect on food's taste or texture, Kirkpatrick said.

"I think this is an opportunity to look at some of those healthier oils, like canola oil or other vegetable oils, and how they can be incorporated into foods that traditionally used trans fats," Kirkpatrick said. "I think we can do that without affecting taste."

Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils. These partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are solid at room temperature.

Trans fats became popular because of their versatility in food production. They make processed foods "shelf-stable," able to stay on supermarket shelves for months without going bad. Fast food restaurants loved trans fats because they could be used repeatedly in commercial deep fryers without having to be replaced, according to the American Heart Association.

But, trans fats gained a notorious reputation because they literally do everything wrong in the human body when it comes to cholesterol.

Trans fats simultaneously increase LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels, nutritionists explained.

They also cause inflammation, said Penny Kris-Etherton, a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition at Penn State University. "Inflammation is not only a root cause of heart disease, but other chronic diseases as well," she said.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Expert Q&A: Losing the Baby Weight

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AppId is over the quota
An interview with Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD.

Gaining weight is essential during pregnancy, but once the baby arrives, most moms can’t wait to lose the extra weight. But losing weight after giving birth is different from losing weight at other times, especially if you are breastfeeding your baby.

To get professional advice on how to lose baby weight the healthy way, WebMD turned to Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, an expert in pregnancy, lactation, and kids' nutrition, and author of Expect the Best. Here’s what she had to say.

It takes lots of calories and good nutrition to support the growth and development of a new life, so it is very important that you eat a healthy diet. But you also need to be careful not to gain too much or too little weight.

Most doctors base their recommendation of weight gain on the weight of the mom before pregnancy. Women with a normal BMI (body mass index) should gain anywhere between 25 and 35 pounds, and up to 45 for twins. Overweight women may be able to safely gain between 15 and 25 pounds, but should not use pregnancy as a time to diet or lose weight.

Check with your doctor to determine if it is safe for you to gain less or more than the recommended range. Pregnancy is a very personal journey, and what is most important is to take care of yourself, eat a healthy diet, and make sure you take your prenatal vitamins to ensure you get all the nutrients you need for you and the baby.

There will be more to lose after the baby is born, and studies show that if you don’t get it off within a year, the extra weight is more likely to become permanent. And if you are thinking about getting pregnant again, it is best to return to your healthy weight before conception.

That is a myth. Gaining too much weight will not necessarily cause the baby to be larger. Just because you are "eating for two" doesn’t mean you should eat twice as much. Gaining beyond 25-35 pounds for a single birth just makes it harder to lose after the baby is born.

Forget about dieting for at least six weeks postpartum and focus on eating a healthy diet. Most women are sleep-deprived, tired, and lack the energy to exercise, prepare healthy meals, and do what it takes to lose weight.

Losing the baby weight can take upwards of a year. Ideally, you should take the weight off gradually, aiming for 1-2 pounds per week.

Gut Bugs May Hold Key to Weight Control, Mouse Study Suggests

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Findings hint that obese people might benefit from transfer of stomach bacteria of thinner people

By Randy Dotinga

HealthDay Reporter

Still, the findings from researchers at the University of Colorado reveal the potential promise of the approach.

The new study looked at what might happen if germs from a thinner person were transferred into an obese person.

The Shift: Tory Johnson’s Weight Loss Journey

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AppId is over the quota
Good Morning America frequent contributor Tory Johnson opens up in her new book The Shift about the key changes she made for a happier, healthier life.

Courtesy of Tory Johnson

Being fat dominates so many areas of your life—far beyond the obvious of how you look.

I know because until recently I was always fat. OK, obese. I’m 42.

I began to suffer little indignities starting as a child in Miami Beach. I was always last to be picked for a team in phys ed because no one wanted the fat girl on their team. They still don’t.

As a teenager, my concern about the way I looked took over my social schedule. I turned down invitations to pool parties because there was no way I’d wear a bathing suit in front of other kids.

As an adult, my negative body image meant I routinely steered clear of dinner parties and professional events—traditional ways people meet and develop friendships. No way I’d be the only woman in pants while others strutted in tight dresses. I can’t help but think of all the potential connections I missed. All because of my weight.

I got married in a blue suit because I would have looked absurd in a white gown. No one asked why I wasn’t wearing a wedding dress. They knew.

But it wasn’t always about petty vanity. I stayed away from doctors and didn’t have a single medical checkup for more than a decade after I gave birth to twins. I cringed at the thought of getting the inevitable lecture about my weight. Had something been wrong with me physically, I wouldn’t have known. For years, I never had a regular period. This all stemmed from my inability—my refusal—to do anything about my weight.

The Chat changed everything.

Tory’s top 10 weight loss secrets »

It happened 18 months ago when a woman named Barbara Fedida told me my clothes didn’t do me justice and that she wanted to send me to a stylist.

Barbara is the highest-ranking woman executive at ABC News and I am an on-air contributor for Good Morning America.

She never used the words “fat, diet or obesity” but her message was clear: I needed to lose weight. Let’s face it: on TV looks matter.

In my own way, I took her words to mean “lose weight or lose your job,” even though she didn’t come close to making that threat and has assured me to this day that my role was never in jeopardy.

Barbara changed my life. I think she may have actually saved my life. I know she rescued me from continuing on an unhealthy path both mentally and physically and for that I will be forever grateful to her.

That’s why I dedicated The Shift, my new book about how I lost 62 pounds in one year, to Barbara. She told me what I needed to hear and I was ready to listen. In a nutshell, what I came to learn was that what I put in my head is much more powerful than what I put in my mouth.

I’m on a mission to share that message and more with others who have battled weight for years and are finally ready to make The Shift and do something about it once and for all. If I can do it, anyone can.

I’ve always thought that companies should treat employees as people, to view them far more than worker bees. To care about their families and their lives. To invest in their health. In this tough, fast-paced economy, that personal concern has fallen by the wayside in many respects. We’re too busy to care—and that’s a problem.

From the White House to the boardroom, there’s obvious concern about obesity and its links to rising health costs, shorter life spans, lost productivity and absenteeism. Yet simply urging everyone to exercise more, eat right and smoke and drink less isn’t cutting it because Americans are fatter than ever.

It’s time for employers and colleagues to talk frankly about health and weight to peers to figure out a solution—together.

Thanks to that difficult chat, I’ll never again neglect my health.

I appreciate that Barbara cared enough about me, my appearance and my health to engage me with dignity and respect, not shame and embarrassment. All of us can be that person to someone else—and hopefully the recipient of that message will be as open to shifting as I was.

More weight-loss advice from Tory »

Courtesy of Tory Johnson

Tory Johnson is the author of The Shift: How I Finally Lost Weight and Discovered a Happier Life. Connect with her at www.shiftwithtory.com or on Twitter @ToryJohnson.com.

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