Search Weight Loss Topics:


Page 217«..1020..216217218219..230240..»


May 21

How to Fast: A Guide for the Hungry Man – GQ Magazine

At first, fasting sounded less like a health plan and more like a prison protest. But we kept hearing that it works, so we scrutinized two rival approaches

Of all the fad diets to come down the pike, the one we never saw coming was the simplest: Just don't eat food. The idea of intermittent fasting (i.e., regimented periods of eating and not eating) has gone mainstream. Fans say it works by training your body to burn its fat reserves. It's also said to decrease the risk of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. And, of course, caloric abstinence is the most cost-effective diet in history. The main downside is the grueling first two weeks, when you'll probably quit.

If you somehow stick with it, you'll join a lineage of fasters dating back to Aristotle and Plato, who proved that even humanity's deepest philosophers sweat their beach bodies. Fasting may actually put us closer to our natural state; some experts think humans aren't designed for three squares a day and that we mistakenly regard mild hunger as an emergency. Which is why, although our loinclothed ancestors only ate when they brought down a mastodon, we invented Doritos Locos Tacos.

True, fasting comes with side effects. You have a decent chance of dizziness and acting like a dick. But science can definitively state: Not eating food makes you lighter. People ask, What is this magic diet? and there's really no magic at all, says professor Krista Varady, the planet's leading expert on alternate-day fasting. We're just tricking the body into eating less. I tricked my own body by (briefly) joining each of the main schools of fastingthe hard one and the harder one. To see which is right for you, read on.

Willpower Required Low to moderate

Who's Done It Hugh Jackman followed the 16:8 Diet for the X-Men movies, because America is not ready for what a 40-something Wolverine really looks like.

How It Works For eight hours a day, you eat however you normally do. For the other 16, fast. You can drink water, black coffee, and herbal tea. That's it. You're giving your body time to digest.

How It Feels Doable. If you time it right, this essentially means skipping breakfast and after-dinner snacks, which many of us do, anyway. When I tried it myself, my hunger never reached panic mode: Once lunchtime rolled around, I found myself opting for a reasonable sandwich instead of a chili-cheese dog. I did, however, miss my nightcap.

Upside You'll be conveniently unconscious for much of your fasting time. And you don't have to do it every day: The popular how-to book The 8-Hour Diet says you'll see benefits if you eat 16:8-style as few as three days a week.

Biggest Catch A militant budgeting of time. Your 16-hour window can move around from day to day, but it must be rigidly kept. So if you raid the fridge after midnight, wave good-bye to breakfast. If you feast at lunch, prepare to spend a lot of dinner dates consuming only Perrier.

Do This One If You're fasting for the first time. Varady says this type of time-restricted feeding, a phrase that makes it sound like you're in a gerbil cage, is the easiest-to-maintain method she's tested, and she's tested a lot of them. After all, a celebratory meal is mere hours away.

Willpower Required Advanced to Shaolin monk

Who's Done It Jimmy Kimmel did it well enough that he can no longer make fat jokes about himself. Miranda Kerr and Jennifer Aniston reportedly like it, too, and neither of them has seen an ounce of body fat since 1996.

How It Works For five days a week, eat normally. For the other two, fast by limiting yourself to 600 calories a day. (And yes, booze counts.) A typical breakfast: a slice of ham and two scrambled eggs. Dinner is a protein-packed chicken salad.

How It Feels I won't lie: By 4 p.m., I was running purely on black coffee, which meant I was both over-caffeinated and irritable. Plus, 600 caloriesnearly a quarter of my daily recommended intakefeels like a handful of peanuts, which speaks to the insanity of our usual portion sizes. No wonder Varady says so many of her study subjects bail out in the first 14 days.

Upside You can pick any two fasting days your heart desires and split them up any way you like. The point is to establish a schedule that's strict enough to work but manageable enough to stick to.

Biggest Catch You have to make it through those first couple of weeks so your body can reset, Varady says. Once you do, your gut will start releasing hormones that signal fullness. Ideally, you'll begin feeling satiated and eating less on your normal days. But that's when side effects could set in, making you feel hungover without even the benefit of the fun part.

Do This One If You're serious about this shit. It's designed to drop weight fastbut it'll hurt.

This piece originally appeared in the June 2017 issue with the title "Why Is Everybody Suddenly Fasting? (And How Can I Fast Better Than Them?)"

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE

Originally posted here:
How to Fast: A Guide for the Hungry Man - GQ Magazine


May 19

The Most Popular Diets In America Prove That We’re Pretty Extreme with Our Eating – Shape Magazine

Remember when Atkins was all the rage? Then it was replaced with the South Beach Diet, and later Weight Watchers ("I LOVE Bread")? Fad diets come and gobut the latest two most popular ones beg an important question about American eating habits: why do our attempts at healthy eating involve such extremes when #balance might just be the best thing for your health and fitness routine?

ICYMI, paleo dietingis pretty popular. And though it might feel so 2014, the caveman craze is far from over. In fact, a recent Grubhub studyfound that paleo orders increased by 370 percent in 2016, making it the most popular dietary-specific choice for the year. (And Grubhub isn't the only company to find that paleo is currently king in the dieting world.) To no one's surprise,raw diet orders came in second place, witha 92-percent increase last year. Apparently, when it comes to ordering healthy food, the country is split between ordering high-fat, meat-heavy dishes, and 100-percent produce-fueled food. Call me a traditionalist, but both of these seem a bit extreme.

How is it possible that the top two diets in America are basically total opposites?

The appeal behind paleo and raw dieting boils down to two things, according to Susan Pierce Thompson, Ph.D., adjunct associate professor of cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, eating psychology specialist, and author of Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin, and Free.One, the fact that both have scientific narratives ("People are really attracted to knowing the 'why' underneath what they're doing," says Thompson), regardless of whether there's truth in these narratives or not.

And people really do feel better when they're on these diets. About 60 percent of the typical American diet comes from ultra-processed foods, says Thompson. Both the paleo diet and raw diets ditch this ultra-processed food and replace it with whole foodswhich just happens to be the basic recipe for healthy eating success. "If you just stop eating processed foods and starteating more vegetables, you'll have that feel-good benefit regardless of the diet you're on," says Thompson. But because people switch to raw dieting or paleo and dramatically increase their vegetable and whole food consumption and cut the processed crap, the narrative of both diets gets passed along with raving reviews.

Problem is, "diets" are hard to stick with, and lots of experts suggest the80/20 rulefor healthy eating longevity. So why are people picking paleo and rawarguably the two most extreme diets on the spectrumin order to put their healthy eating knowledge to use?

"The extreme approach works really well for some people," says Thompson. You likely fall into one of two personality groups: the abstainers or the moderators. The former works better with clear boundaries and "off-limits" items, while the latter finds that the occasional indulgence actually strengthens their resolve and heightens pleasure, according to Gretchen Reuben, the author behind the concept. "An abstainer will actually do better with an extreme kind of diet," says Thompson. "A moderator will do better if they avoid a strict diet."

There's one time when abstinenceand extreme dietingdoes work better for both types of people, and that's when addiction comes into play."If you have someone whose brain is addicted to sugar and flour, for example, then choosing to abstain from them completely is actually the moderate choice," says Thompson. (See: 5 Signs You're Addicted to Junk Food)

So if you find that you're happiest and healthiest outlining your diet per the paleo, raw, or some other plan, there's no shame; going all-out with your healthy eating might be best for you. But if restriction ends in binges or makes you completely miserable? Moderation might be your happy medium. As long as you're eating whole foods, lots of veggies, and cutting out ultra-processed Franken-foods, your body will handle the rest just fine, says Thompson: "There's no one-size-fits-all solution."

Follow this link:
The Most Popular Diets In America Prove That We're Pretty Extreme with Our Eating - Shape Magazine


May 19

Why Zoe Saldana doesn’t believe in diets – ABC News

Zoe Saldana has given up on dieting.

"I try not to deprive my body of anything because the moment I have just salads and protein for a few days, I crave carbs. But when I eat everything in balance, I think less about food and more about everything else. Its about eating to live, not living to eat," the 38-year-old actress told the June issue of Shape.

The "Guardians of the Galaxy" star focuses instead on eating clean.

"Its not that I like to eat superlight, just superclean. I like food that is fresh," she said. "I dont go for things that come in a can -- and Im losing trust in things that come in plastic."

She and her husband, Italian artist Marco Perego, like to prepare their own meals, choosing to eat more vegetables and less meat.

"My husband and I have been learning to cook with Asian spices, like turmeric, and ginger, and were having a blast," she said.

Diagnosed with Hashimotos thyroiditis in 2012, Saldana is motivated to eat clean in order to stay healthy.

"I know Ive become a very boring person to take to dinner, but Id rather be that way than deal with health issues," said the actress, who is gluten- and dairy-free, just like the rest of the family. "When you have an autoimmune condition, you have to stay away from foods that cause inflammation."

The busy mom of three boys -- twins Cy and Bowie, 2, and Zen, who she welcomed in February -- doesn't always have time to exercise either.

"I cant work out regularly, so I compensate by eating a lot healthier than I might otherwise," she said. "Once you have relatively healthy eating habits, your workout can become playing with your kids, strolling around the neighborhood, playing airplane, or just changing diapers."

After the birth of her twins, Saldana opened about the physical challenges of getting back into shape. Not only did the actress gain 70 pounds, but Saldana explained on Facebook that "everything from my thyroid to my platelets crashed" after giving birth.

View post:
Why Zoe Saldana doesn't believe in diets - ABC News


May 19

Mann: Diets don’t work, instead think smart strategies for weight loss – Brainerd Dispatch

Traci Mann is the keynote speaker at the free Crow Wing Energized Health and Wellness Summit Friday in Baxter. The summit is set from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church, 6284 Fairview Road in Baxter. There are still seats available for the fourth annual health and wellness summit, which also provides a free continental breakfast and lunch.

Mann is a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota. She has a doctorate in psychology from Stanford University and was a professor at UCLA before moving to Minnesota. Mann founded the Health and Eating Lab. Her biography notes her research has been used by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NASA.

In her book "Secrets from the Eating Lab," Mann looks at a number of questions.

Is it my fault if my diet didn't work?

If I don't diet won't I gain a lot of weight?

Do I have less willpower than everyone else?

What is a reasonable goal weight?

Can I be healthy if I don't lose weight?

What are smart regulation strategies?

"Because diets don't work. And you don't need them to work, because you can be happy and healthy without dieting. Instead, we offer 12 smart regulation strategies that help you reach and maintain your leanest livable weightthe weight at the low end of your set range," Mann states on her website for the book. "These scientifically tested strategies work because they don't fight biology or rely on willpower. They don't require agonizing self-denial or a single-minded focus on your weight, so you can make these simple changes and then get on with the important things in life."

In addition to Mann's presentation, participants at the summit will hear from local success stories from those who took part in Crow Wing Energized lifestyle change classes. There will also be an opportunity to experience two of the nine breakout sessions:

Promoting health and movement in the workplace,

How Adverse Childhood Experiences can affect you over your Lifespan,

Follow the Money: Big tobacco at the local retail level,

It's a Matter of Balance,

Community Gardens: 'Healthy choices Inspire,'

Leaving a Legacy,

Eat Right when money's tight,

Gratitude ... How it can change your life,

Opportunities to be active in our communities.

With additional spaces still available for the health summit, Crow Wing Energized reported those who are already registered should feel free to invite others to attend with them, and those who haven't yet registered, still have the opportunity to do so. Go to http://www.crowwingenergized.org for more information on the summit or to register. Participants may find they can attend all or part of the session. On Friday, registration and continental breakfast begins at 7 a.m. with a welcome and history behind Crow Wing Energized at 8 a.m. and the keynote speaker slated to begin at 8:15 a.m. Breakout sessions begin shortly after 10 a.m. A noon lunch will include success stories of lifestyle changes followed by a wrap-up and question and answer period before the summit ends. Go to bit.ly/2qunrq5 for more details on the breakout sessions.

Link:
Mann: Diets don't work, instead think smart strategies for weight loss - Brainerd Dispatch


May 19

Fatty bones? That’s nothing a little exercise can’t handle – New Atlas

We already knew that fat could accumulate pretty much anywhere on our bodies, but we kind of thought our bones, at least, were a fat-free zone. Sadly, it turns out that's not at all the case. But just like all our other pudge, bone fat can also be blasted by exercise, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina.

When you think about it, it makes sense that bones have fat; that's what makes bone marrow such a delicacy on some menus. But the way in which the bone marrow fat forms and its role in the body have both been a bit unclear to scientists, says UNC. So a study led by Maya Styner, a physician and assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, set out to investigate.

NEW ATLAS NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Upgrade to a Plus subscription today, and read the site without ads.

It's just US$19 a year.

"There's been intense interest in marrow fat because it's highly associated with states of low bone density, but scientists still haven't understood its physiologic purpose," said Styner. "We know that exercise has a profound effect on fat elsewhere in the body, and we wanted to use exercise as a tool to understand the fat in the marrow."

Styner and her team raised two different groups of mice by giving them different diets starting a month after they were born. One group was fed a high-fat diet which turned them into obese mice, while the other received a normal diet that kept them lean. Then, at four months of age, half the mice from each group got a running wheel in their cage. While that might not seem like the most exciting gift to you and I, it turns out that mice really like to run, so it suited them just fine.

The researchers then took a look at the bone marrow fat from all the rodents. They found that in the mice that exercised, the amount of fat and the size of fat cells in their marrow had reduced significantly. In fact the reduction was so significant that fat-wise, the marrow of the obese mice was pretty much identical to those of the lean mice even the wheel-running lean mice. The researchers also found the mice who exercised had thicker bones and that this thickening was most pronounced in the obese mice.

"Obesity appears to increase a fat depot in the bone, and this depot behaves very much like abdominal and other fat depots," said Styner. "Exercise is able to reduce the size of this fat depot and burn it for fuel and at the same time build stronger, larger bones."

While the researchers were able to draw parallels between exercise and thicker, leaner bones, at this point they're not entirely sure about the relationship between marrow fat reduction and bone health.

One theory is that when fat cells get burned inside the marrow, the energy released could be used by the body to beef up bone composition. Another theory involves cells known as mesenchymal stem cells, which lead to the creation of both fat and bone cells. It could be that exercise tips their production quotas to more bone and less fat. Interestingly, if this second theory turns out to be valid, mesenchymal stem cells also produce bone and fat in human, so the results could translate well.

"If we want to take this technique to the human level, we could study marrow fat in humans in a much more reliable fashion now," said Styner. "And our work shows this is possible."

Details of the study have been published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

Source: University of North Carolina

View post:
Fatty bones? That's nothing a little exercise can't handle - New Atlas


May 18

Diet not working? Maybe it’s not your type – Harvard Health (blog)

Posted May 12, 2017, 6:45 am

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

Have you heard of the blood type diet? I thought it had been debunked long ago but patients keep asking about it, so I figured I should learn more.

In 1996 Peter DAdamo, a naturopathic physician, published a book in which he described how people could be healthier, live longer, and achieve their ideal weight by eating according to their blood type. Ones choice of condiments, spices, and even exercise should depend on ones blood type. Soon, the book was a best seller and people everywhere were finding out their blood type, revising their grocery lists, and changing how they ate, exercised, and thought about their health.

Here are some of the recommendations according to the Eat Right for Your Type diet:

As mentioned, the recommendations for the blood type diets extend well beyond food choices. For example, people with type O blood are advised to choose high-intensity aerobic exercise and take supplements for their sensitive stomachs, while those with type A blood should choose low-intensity activities and include meditation as part of their routine.

High-quality studies about the blood type diet had not been published in peer-reviewed medical literature. Even now, a search in the medical literature for the authors name reveals no research pertaining to this diet. Studies published in 2013 and 2014 about the blood type diets are worth noting. The 2013 study analyzed the worlds medical literature and found no studies demonstrating benefit from a blood type diet. The 2014 study found that while people following any of the blood type diets had some improvement in certain cardiometabolic risk factors (such as cholesterol or blood pressure), those improvements were unrelated to blood type.

The theory behind this diet is that blood type is closely tied to our ability to digest certain types of foods, so that the proper diet will improve digestion, help maintain ideal body weight, increase energy levels, and prevent disease, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Type O was said to be the original ancestral blood type of the earliest humans who were hunter-gatherers, with diets that were high in animal protein. Group A was said to evolve when humans began to farm and had more vegetarian diets. Group B blood types were said to arise among nomadic tribes who consumed a lot of dairy products. And since Group AB blood was supposed to have evolved from the intermingling of people with types A and B blood, type AB recommendations were intermediate between those for people with types A and B blood.

Each of these theories has been challenged. For example, there is evidence that type A was actually the first blood group to evolve in humans, not type O. In addition, there is no proven connection between blood type and digestion. So, in addition to a lack of evidence that the diet works, serious questions remain about why it should work in the first place.

Its a fair question, especially since some improvements were seen in people who adopted certain blood type diets (see link above). Eating based on your blood type requires you to know your blood type and then follow a restrictive diet. Personal preferences might be a problem: a vegetarian with type O blood may struggle to stay on the assigned diet, and people who love red meat may be disappointed to learn they have type A blood. Recommended supplements are not cheap; neither are the recommended organic foods. And if you have certain health conditions, such as high cholesterol or diabetes, a nutritionist can make better evidence-based recommendations for you than those determined by your blood type.

Advocates of blood type diets may say that while the ideal study has not yet been performed, the absence of evidence doesnt prove theyre ineffective. And theres also no proof that these diets are harmful. So, my guess is that interest in the blood type diets will not disappear any time soon. But theres a reason that bookstores have rows and rows of books on diet, each claiming to be highly effective if not the best. We simply dont know which diet is best for each individual person. And even if we did, sticking to any single diet is often challenging.

Stand by its likely youll soon be hearing about yet another best diet. And my guess is that it wont have anything to do with your blood type.

Read more from the original source:
Diet not working? Maybe it's not your type - Harvard Health (blog)


May 18

Why Zoe Saldana Doesn’t Believe In ‘Cheat Days’ or Diets – Shape Magazine

Zoe Saldana will be dominating Cineplexes this summer as Gamora inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; recently started her own production company with her sisters, Mariel and Cisely; and is the mother of three boys under 3a recipe for feeling forever frazzled. Yet Zoe's demeanor is chill and collected. Credit the mindset of a woman who knows her goals and has energy to spare. Her fuel? Clean eating, her family, and a determination to embrace the beauty of every single day.

Despite living witha bevy of boys (twins Bowie and Cy are 2, and little Zen was welcomed to the family in February), Zoe Saldana is a girls girl. She coos adorably when talking about her twins affection for their new baby brother (Theyre perfectgentle, considering, caring, and nurturing ), and on her YouTube show, Rose Roundtable, she takes girl bonding to new heights. Sampleconversation topic: If it wasnt for love,where would Shakespeare be? But make no mistake: Shes got grit, and shes not afraid to use it, especially if its for the good of her health, family, or community. A diagnosis of Hashimotos thyroiditis in 2012 along with rising rates of childhood obesity in the Latino community have made her an outspoken advocate for clean eating. Once you know better, you cant not care, she says. Not that this stops her from downing pink vino with her sisters or enjoying cookies (grab the magazine for her favorite healthy recipe). A big proponent of the 80-20 approach to things (adhere to structure most, but not all, of the time), Zoe just strikes a balance. (Related:Why Finding ~Balance~ Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Health & Fitness Routine)

"Between travel, meetings, and shoots, schedules are rough for me. I try to work out three times a week, but I dont believe in getting on one machine for 30 minutes. If I do a lot of cardio, it usually just means Ill be dragging my feet for the rest of the day. And when Im shooting, I really dont like to be strict with my workout, since Im already putting in 16-hour days. So I do 20-minute intervals either at the gym or at home, where I run in place for 30 seconds, then do squats, then carry a heavy medicine ball a few times in a row until I get my heart rate up."

"I cant work out regularly, so I compensate by eating a lot healthier than I might otherwise. Once you have relatively healthy eating habits, your workout can become playing with your kids, strolling around the neighborhood, playing airplane, or just changing diapers."

"I dont believe in cheat days because I dont believe in diets. I try not to deprive my body of anything, because the moment I have just salads and protein for a few days, I crave carbs. But whenI eat everything in balance, I think less about food and more about everything else. Its about eating to live, not living to eat."

"If my husband and I had different professions, where we didnt need to shop in supermarkets and could live more naturally, we could eat more sustainably. I grew up partially in the Dominican Republic, and I remember what eating was like when my grandma would pick herbs from her garden and wed get seafood that had been caught that morning. Life was very simple and much healthier. Its not that I like to eat superlight, just superclean. I like food that is fresh. I dont go for things that come in canand Im losing trust in things that come in plastic. And were starting to move in the direction of becoming a vegetarian family; society has a very violent, dysfunctional, and wrong relationship with how we cultivate and produce meat. So if I have to pay more to eat better, then Ill just balance my checkbook better. For example, Id rather get the dark chocolate with goji berries than the milk chocolate packed with saturated fat.

I know what its like to live on a tight budget, but my mom was one of those parents who gave us great food despite our budget. Thats where I get who I am from, and Id like to be a voice of inspiration for my Latino community, as underage diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise.

"I know Ive become a very boring person to take to dinner, but Id rather be that way than deal with health issues. When you have an autoimmune condition, you have to stay away from foods that cause inflammation. (Zoes family is gluten- and dairy-free.)

"My husband [Marco Perego] and I love to cook. Im going through a phase where Im making a lot of beans and quinoa. And I love ceviche and stews. But my favorite type of food is Asian. No matter how north or south in the Pacific, I love the spices, the vegetables, and the ways they cook them. Lately my husband and I have been learning to cook with Asian spices, like turmeric, and ginger, and were having a blast."

"If we could design ourselves, wed all be perfect. But we cant, so why be unhappy about it? Ive never wanted different hair or my body any other shape. And Ive never thought of a person as ugly unless they opened their mouth and their heart was full of venom."

For more from Zoe, pick up theJune issue of Shape on newsstands May 23.

See more here:
Why Zoe Saldana Doesn't Believe In 'Cheat Days' or Diets - Shape Magazine


May 18

New clues to healthy bones for those with PKU – Medical Xpress

May 17, 2017 by Adityarup

Certain kinds of foods prescribed to manage the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could contribute to skeletal fragility seen in many PKU patients, according to a new study by University of WisconsinMadison researchers.

Led by Waisman Center and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences investigator Denise Ney and her graduate student Bridget Stroup, the study represents the first human clinical trial to compare how different PKU-specific diets affect the bone health of people living with the disease. Skeletal fragility affects 40-to-50 percent of adults with PKU and 33 percent of children with the disease.

Individuals with PKU must adhere to a lifelong diet of medical foods that contain protein but are low in the amino acid phenylalanine. Their bodies are unable to metabolize phenylalanine, so it accumulates at high levels in their blood, leading to intellectual disabilities, seizures and other serious health problems.

However, almost all naturally occurring proteins contain phenylalanine, so in order to get enough protein, people with PKU have traditionally eaten medical foods containing synthetic protein substitutes made from amino acids. Still, they often struggle to maintain adequate bone health.

Just over a decade ago, Ney helped develop foods for PKU patients made from a protein called glycomacropeptide (GMP), a natural byproduct found in the whey extracted during cheese production. In one study, Ney showed that mice fed GMP-based diets had larger and stronger bones than mice on amino acid-based diets.

"It was a vital clue that there could be a link between amino acid medical foods and the skeletal fragility seen in many PKU patients," says Ney.

For the current study, published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Ney and her research team assigned eight individuals with PKU to a diet of amino acid-based medical foods. Then, these same patients switched to a GMP-based diet.

The researchers found that, compared to when on the GMP diet, PKU patients had higher amounts of calcium and magnesium in their urine while on the amino acid-based diet, which indicated that their bones were leaching elements critical for bone health.

"The amino acid medical foods have high acid loads, which can change the overall acid-base balance within the body," says Stroup. Bones are able to buffer high acid loads in the body, but over time this leads to a breakdown and release of minerals. GMP medical foods, on the other hand, do not have high acid loads.

Although the researchers did not directly measure bone breakdown and density in this study, other studies have found that reducing the acid content of diets leads to lower urine-calcium excretion and increased bone density. The findings, Ney says, could help patients with other kinds of metabolic disorders, like maple syrup urine disease. And though the sample size of the study was relatively small, it is typical of rare diseases. Ney hopes to secure additional funding for further study.

Her work carries on a legacy of PKU research at the Waisman Center and at UWMadison. Harry Waisman, after whom the center is named, championed mandatory newborn screening for PKU and dedicated his life to developing treatments for the disorder. Waisman was among the first to show that PKU can be managed by strictly adhering to a low-phenylalanine diet.

Today, Ney is working on a larger clinical trial to study the metabolism of calcium and other minerals in PKU patients consuming amino acid or GMP medical foods. "We will be looking at bone health, but also other physiological aspects, such as the gut microbiota," says Ney.

Explore further: New study deems dairy 'excellent' source of protein for children

Researchers at the University of Illinois are using pigs as a model to study the best way of evaluating protein quality in foods eaten by children, a method that was proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ...

While most celebrity or fad diets have not been scientifically proven to be effective, the alkaline diet can still positively impact your body, especially if you have kidney problems, according to a Baylor College of Medicine ...

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad cholesterol" that doctors consider a sign of potential heart disease, is merely a marker of a diet lacking all of the essential amino acids, says University of Illinois comparative ...

(HealthDay)For patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), isocaloric diets high in animal protein (AP) or plant protein (PP) are associated with similar improvements in metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors, according ...

Saturated fat is a prime suspect in the onset of osteoarthritis after QUT scientists found it changed the composition of cartilage, particularly in the weight-bearing joints of the hip and knee.

Use of the generic versions of directly-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs that are available in India to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is not only cost effective but actually saves lifetime costs for treating infected ...

Certain kinds of foods prescribed to manage the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could contribute to skeletal fragility seen in many PKU patients, according to a new study by University of WisconsinMadison ...

(HealthDay)Getting hospital patients with mild pancreatitis to start eating sooner may speed their recovery, a new study says.

A team of investigators led by Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS, of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has identified key inflammatory cells involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Current treatment for the disorder involves changes ...

An international study led by Monash University has discovered the molecular mechanism by which the potentially deadly superbug 'Golden Staph' evades antibiotic treatment, providing the first important clues on how to counter ...

Vaccinating pregnant mothers year-round against flu in the resource-challenged region of subtropical Nepal reduced infant flu virus infection rates by an average of 30 percent, increased birth weights by 15 percent and resulted ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

See the original post here:
New clues to healthy bones for those with PKU - Medical Xpress


May 18

Opinion: Alternate-day fasting vs. a classic weight loss diet – Montreal Gazette

On TV, you can drop 30 pounds in a few weeks. In real life and clinical trials, 5-10 pounds over the course of a year is more realistic and actually quite impressive, Christopher Labos writes. Trent Penny / THE CANADIAN PRESS

The other day, over dinner, I got into a debate with some friends about intermittent fasting. Its a new diet strategy where you eat restrictively on some days but then eat freely, almost indulgently, on others. Although many forms of intermittent fasting exist, the most common form Ive seen is whats called alternate day fasting.

With alternate day fasting, you can eat very little on one day (usually one 500 calorie meal at lunch time, or about one-quarterof what a regular diet includes) and then essentially eat to your hearts content on the next day before repeating the two-day cycle.

The idea has an obvious appeal. Dieting is hard because eventually, people find the restrictive nature of most diets impossible to stick with and revert to their old ways. But alternate day fasting seems easier because most people can summon enough will power for one day if they know they can be libertines tomorrow.

The obvious question becomes, does intermittent fasting work? Will it help you lose weight? And perhaps most important, does it outperform a standard diet where you just eat a little bit less every day?

That question was answered recently in a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers took 100 obese adults and divided them into threegroups. The first group was told to continue their regular habits. The second intermittent fasting group ate a single 500-calorie meal on fasting days while on feasting days they could eat up to 25per cent more than they usually did. The third group was told to follow a conventional diet where they simply ate less every day.

The results were a surprise to the researchers. There was no difference between intermittent fasting and conventional diets. Both groups did equally well. Or if you are a nihilist, both groups did equally badly. At sixmonths, both groups had lost just under sevenpounds. By one year, the number had slipped back to about sixpounds.

These numbers probably dont seem that impressive. On TV, you can drop 30 pounds in a few weeks. In real life and clinical trials, 5-10 pounds over the course of a year is more realistic and actually quite impressive.

But intermittent fasting proved to be a disappointment in this trial. It did not outperform its conventional counterpart. In terms of weight loss, visceral fat, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin levels and inflammatory markers, there was no difference between intermittent fast and simply eating a little less on a daily basis. In fact the intermittent fasting group had slightly higher cholesterol levels at oneyear, although the difference was minimal.

Here, intermittent fasting underperformed because rather than being easier to stick with, it ended up being harder. More people abandoned the intermittent fast (38per cent vs. 29per cent) and ended up switching to conventional diets.

In the end, intermittent fasting is not better than a standard diet. It wont help you lose more weight and it wont make you any healthier. Though to be fair, its not much worse, either. And contrary to the hype, it actually seems to be harder to stick with long term, not easier.

Im sure some people will swear by intermittent fasting and say that it works for them. The point here though is not that one diet is better than other. Its that dietswork only if they get you to eat less. Eating less is really the only way you can lose weight (although regular exercise certainly wont hurt). How you do it isnt really as important as whether you do it. Fad diets fail because they are unsustainable and people abandon them. So when Im asked whats the best type of diet, the answer is clear. The best diet is the one you can stick with.

Christopher Labos is a Montreal doctor who writes about medicine and health issues.

Christopher.labos@mail.mcgill.ca

twitter.com/drlabos

Original post:
Opinion: Alternate-day fasting vs. a classic weight loss diet - Montreal Gazette


May 16

No magic pill: Diet and exercise equal successful weight loss – Sierra Vista Herald

One day, my kids wanted to play on the trampoline and I couldnt, remembers Megan Politi.

The Whetstone mother of four says that seemingly small event was the impetus for her to adopt lasting lifestyle changes.

For some, the pressure for a summer body overrides the desire for overall improved health. For Politi, the two were hand in hand.

At the start of her weight loss journey three years ago, Megan -- who describes her height as fun size weighed 175 pounds. She immediately set a goal of losing between 40 and 50 pounds.

Shane Early aka The Diet Doc of Sierra Vista helps his clients become better versions of themselves using science based techniques that ensure both weight loss and health and wellness. He says mindfulness is the first step to getting a handle on diet.

It can be as simple as tracking the foods and times we eat, he said. Oftentimes, we do things habitually and don't even realize were doing them.

He goes on to say overly restrictive diets can lead to phenomenon he calls super compensation.

You may lose eight pounds on that restrictive diet, but once you start eating again, youll gain back that eight and then some, he said.

While its nearly impossible to out exercise a bad diet, physical activity is a key component to lasting change. Early says many of the same principles for maintaining a good diet apply to a successful exercise program.

Consistency is key, but choose activities you enjoy. This is what makes the exercise and weight loss sustainable, he said, adding that running, weight lifting, swimming and even playing with grandchildren are all options.

Really, anything that gets you moving more than you otherwise would works.

Politi makes fitness a family affair. I love when my boys join me, she said. When shes not taking them to local parks, her children often accompany her to group fitness classes around town.

But that doesnt mean she hasnt fallen for the occasional get slim quick shortcut.

Oh, there was my slimming colon cleanse ordeal, laughs Politi. Worst mistake of my life! I dont think I even left the bathroom, much less the house for a whole day.

After that escapade, I was like no, were just going to have to do it the right way.

The Diet Doc has heard of the cleanses and more.

Oh! There are so many, he said of the gimmicks. Shakes, juicing and wraps seem to popular right now. Ive heard of coffee enemas, water pills, so many kinds of pills...

In the end, The Diet Doc says a successful weight loss journey includes consistent exercise, a sensible diet and forgiveness.

People tend to be hard on themselves when they mess up, he shares. I ask them if they would take to their best friends the same way they talk to themselves.

Politi agrees. Diet and exercise have helped her lose 30 pounds so far.

Negative self-talk doesnt work, she said. Everybody is going to try that quick fix or a crazy diet.

Eventually, you realize youre just going to have to work for it.

The rest is here:
No magic pill: Diet and exercise equal successful weight loss - Sierra Vista Herald



Page 217«..1020..216217218219..230240..»


matomo tracker