Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 65«..1020..64656667..7080..»

Home » Diets that Work » Page 65

Not to cast aspersions on the people I love, but I started to notice something not so flattering about the older folks in my family: They all gotirritable and lost their memory as they aged. They also all took statins, daily drugs to lower their cholesterol, and enjoyed a life of eating cheese, lots and lots of cheese. Even when they were active, fit, and walked or swam or played golf every day, their mental acuity and attitude declined so fast that I had to look for a reason. Why would a day on the golf course turn sour just because of a lost ball? Something was at work here. I started to dig.

There is one exception, my mother-in-law, an avid golfer until 95, a cheerful lady, and sharp as a tack all through her life. And she took nothing, not even a baby aspirin a day. I admit to all you doctors reading this that what follows here is a study of just a few people, but still, it caused me to start to research statins and mental or personality changes, and I didn't like what I found.

About 30 percent of Americans over the age of 40 take a statin,such as Lipitor, Mevacor, Crestor and Zocor, according to the CDC, which reports thatstatins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, because they work to lower LDL cholesterol. Millions of patients have avoided heart disease, stroke, and cholesterol-related blockages, which undoubtedly save lives. But at what cost to our minds and mental health? According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 70 percent of patients continued to take a statin after "adverse" side effects. Wouldn't it be easier and better for all to simply try a dietary change?

Statins have been studied for decades now, and with over 30 percent of Americans taking these so-called miracle drugs to lower blood cholesterol, it begs the question: Are people on statins irritable and losing their memory due to age and infirmity? Or is a widely-disseminated drug treating a condition, high cholesterol, that could otherwise be treated by dietary changes? And is it causing harm to the brain in ways we don't recognize as tied to the drug? Here is my personal "case study of my family:"

My dad started to getshort-tempered inhis mid-70s, which was also about the same time his health began to fail him. He had heart problems and balance problems, and if he got up too fast from the dinner table he was prone to fall down, which led to hip problemswhich led to walking problems and then some executive function issues, and at one point when I saw his toiletry kit, on a weekend in the Hamptons, he showed me the 13 pills he took every day. I asked, "Whatare allthese for? and he explained his doctors insisted he needed every single one. I said, "Daddy you are like a chemical soup, and these are all interacting with each other." He shrugged.

I didn't know then what I know now: Thatheart patients who change theirdiet,giveup meat, cheese, dairy, and all animal fat, and eat a whole food plant-based approach without oil, have reversed their heart disease. Watching Forks Over Knives, the documentary about how diet can reverse disease and help people get off their meds, might have convinced him. Or maybe not. Not everyone has the ability or propensity to change. As the years went on his temperament changed and he was no longer the cheerful "Hail Fellow Well Met"guy I always thought of as my beloved and popular Dad.

I chalked all of this up to the fact that he was a lion in winter, no longer able to roar as loudly or laugh asfully, ormove asquickly on the tennis court or even hold himself steady enough toskipper our little day sailor, an Oday we had always loved sailing together.I had always remembered him as able-bodied and game for anything: skiing, sailing, jogging, tennis, swimming, and golf, increasingly golf during his last decades. He never thought to change his diet, which was a typical American male way of eating. He loved cheese and crackers, and his favorite lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich with mayo.

Meanwhile, he took statins, and I started to wonder whether his mental changes had anything to do with the meds. I started to do some research and became convinced that statins, which 30 percent of Americans take every day, are not such perfect pills. Yes, they lower your cholesterol, but they also have been found to change your mood, personality and cause irritability and mental decline, according to studies I found during a simple search.

My mom's mind began to slip away when she hit her early 80s and I chalked it up to the usual memory-stealing age-related decline that many people seem to have to deal with as they age. She was slender, a walker, a swimmer and fit as could be. But no matter that she moved with elegance and a steady gait,her mind wasn't working as well as it should. As she walked homefrom her ladies club she couldn't tell you what she had eaten for lunch. She took statins and drugs to avoid her heart from racing or fluttering. She also got anxious as her memory slipped away, but I assumed that her anxiety was a natural side effect of losing one's memory. Could it be related to the statins? I began to search for answers.

Anecdotally I tried to think of who I knew who was over 60 andnot on a statin. I realized the most cheerful older person in my life was also the one who took no medications or pills whatsoever.Yes, there was oneolder person in my life who was always cheerful, always sharp, always on it: My beloved mother-in-law.Gigi had a sharp mind, remembered details of our last conversation or past events that would astound me, and she was always upbeat and ready with a compliment or affirmative observation, even if her life could have been stressful. She never let on.She would follow up with questions weeks after I had told her asmall fact about her grandchildren, who she adored: How was Julian's interview? How is Josie liking her new apartment? She played golf with a skip in her step and loved nothing more than to go out on the course with my son, just the two of them, a mismatched pair as he towered above her (she barely scraped 5 feet in her jaunty golf beret, while he had a good foot on her, and then some, even slouching). The conversations theyenjoyed spanned the personal, about relationshipsand the professional, as she would regale him with storiesabout his grandfather's TV producing career. She never forgot a thing, neverbecameirritable, and always looked on the bright side of every situation. Food taking too long? We had more time to visit over lunch. She ate a mostly plant-based diet of vegetable soups, salads, and fish. At 95 she played golf every day and walked the course most of her life, enjoying easy raport with the caddies. Most notably she never took a pill in her life.

This "kitchen science" world according to Lucy is not actually relevant except to make me wonder: Is there a cause and effect? Were people who took statins messing up their brains? All for the sake of eating cheese, meat, dairy, and animal fat, which are known to drive up blood cholesterol? I looked up the connectionbetween statins and irritability, memory loss, personality changes, and found study after study, article after article, connecting the two.

It's almost too easy to find headlines on studies like:

That study got my attention, as did call outs like:

"Psychiatric adverse effects, altering mood, personality, and behavior, sometimes arise in patients receiving statins.

And:

"Statin psychiatriceffects can include irritability/aggression, anxiety or depressed mood, violent ideation, sleep problems including nightmares, and possibly suicide attempt and completion." Come to think of it as my dad got sicker he also got more depressed. This also makes sense but which came first? The statin or the mood swing?

As I read all this I think... Whoah. The conclusion of that first study states: "Though statins are widely tolerated, they may be among the growing list of prescription agents that, in some participants, may increase the risk of serious psychiatric events and/or behavioral changes. In the cases cited here, these adverse experiences posed risks to the safety of self and otherssometimes, tragically, adversely affecting marriages and careers, or culminating in death. The possibility of such ADRs, even if rare, should be recognized by physicians who prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs, such that if personality or behavior changes arise, the drug can be included in considerations of etiology and treatment."

"The possibility ... should be recognized by physicians..." Physicians? The ones playing golf with the pharmaceutical executives and salespeople? And by the way: How would they even know? Presumably, these docs aren't sitting with their dad when he has a tantrum in a restaurant because the waiter is taking too long or the ambient noise is too loud. Once in a doctors' office, patientsare unlikely tosnap or forget where they are. I was never asked to report to my mom's heart doctor that she forgot to meet her kids for dinner, couldn't find the restaurant or got lost on parent's visiting day at my son's school.

Yes, that happened... But no one asked me, the loving family member, whether my dad was intolerable to be around when he should have been thrilled to have his family with him. Or whether my mother had to stop going out by herself because she didn't know her way home.

Was it the statins? Or would she have been demented anyway? We will never know. We had her take memory boosting drugs (Aricept and Namenda)to treat her mental loss, but those seemed like putting a bandaid on an open gaping wound, or closing the barn door once the horse had gotten out. Even her doctor, a specialist in dementia who was well-known and super admiring of my mother's resilience in the face of fading short-term memory loss, admitted neither of these drugs appeared to do anything. It was simply what you did: You added more medicine on top of medicine and never questioned whether her heart pills were the culprit or a change in diet might have staved off the onset of her disease. And so she kept eating her beloved ice cream, her favorite cheeses and her breaded fried chicken breast with mashed potatoes since at that stage in life (mid-to-late-80s) and as her world got smaller, it seemed mean to take away these small pleasures.

My dad ate cheese every night before dinner, and sometimes also for lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches or ham and cheese, accompanied by a creamy tomato soup). No one ever questioned that eggs were for breakfast, often with bacon,and sometimes bacon on a sandwich for lunch, and steak or chicken or lamb or fish for dinner.Usually with a cheese plate with cocktails before dinner (never hummus or eggplant or beet spread) and usually dessert included ice cream or cookies or both. It's a miracle we were not all obese with the amount of we all ate, three times a day. But despite appearing fit, trim, and being extremely active,we all have elevated cholesterol and also low blood pressure, somethingboth my parents handed down to me.

Taking meds is somethingI don't want to repeat.Why" I "feel" drugs more acutely on my system. I took the pill in college and it made me feel blue. I took a painkiller for knee surgery and it made me have weird dreams. I decided at about the age of 30: No more drugs. And I edited a magazine for wellbeing for 13 years and saw the amount of money big pharma spends to "sell" Americans on drugs, like heartburn medicine after we eat too much or statins for a life of loving cholesterol-elevating foods. Why not just change how we eat?

A doctor once told me, "Both your parents are on statins, blood thinners, and other heart meds? You will be too." (She meant well. I switched doctors.) We were expected to simply accept the fact like it's our hard-wired DNA: Everyone in my family is addicted to cheese, along with dairy, and meat and we all have high cholesterol and take statins. No thank you. Until 18 months ago when I went meat and dairy-free, no one had ever thought to change their diet. High cholesterol? Blood pressure falling too low? Just add drugs.

Here's another quick search I found. Another reason to not take statins, at least for me:

"As use of a drug becomes widespread, the full spectrum of its effects becomes clearer. Although a link has been suggested between low or lowered cholesterol and irritability/aggression, less is known about possible links between irritability and statins," the study states. Super. Let's read further:

"Six patients referred or self-referred with irritability and short temper on statin cholesterol-lowering drugs... In each case the personality disruption, once evident, was sustained until statin use was discontinued; and resolved promptly with drug cessation.

The study told a story of going off the drugs to see what would happen. Once the patients got off the drugs, the irritability subsided. When they were put back on the statins, the short-tempered problems occurred. And this study found pretty major issues, including; "Manifestations of severe irritability included homicidal impulses, threats to others, road rage, generation of fear in family members, and damage to property."Is a love of cheese worth that?

That's the title of another study that found when we have a problem we go to the doctor who gives us a pill. We are a nation of pill poppers:"Nearly 30% of adults 40years and older in the United States are on a statin," this study tells us. And of course we usually take more than one pill. Most pills are not study in conjunction with other pills, and no one really can tell you what more than 4 drugs all do when combined together in the body, day after day. As for statins, the study declares: "Their widespread use heightens the importance of careful consideration of their varied effects on the body. Although randomized controlled trials have not confirmed cognitive impairing effects with statins, continuing evidence suggests statins have the ability to cause reversible cognitive impairment in some patients." I witnessed it.

The study continues. "Paradoxically, statins have also been shown to decrease the risk of dementia, Alzheimers disease, and improve cognitive impairment in some cases." Presumably, according to no one but me, this is because those diseases are linked to high cholesterol in the body. Lower the cholesterol, lower the diseases. But there's a better way. Lower the cheese and dairy and meat and poultry consumption. How about doing that?

So here is where I net out: Rather than eat cheese, or meat, poultry or eggs or any type of animal fat, and dairy, which contain saturated fat, which is well-known to raise your LDL cholesterol in the blood, also known as "bad" cholesterol, I chose to get off the cheese, meat, dairy, and animal products all at once, 18 months ago. In three weeks I went to my new plant-based doctor, who checked my blood cholesterol.

In just three weeks my LDL and total cholesterolhad dropped 30 percent. (My HDL is always robust since I workout 6 days a week.) I told my brother this. He and I are both fit people with the same genetic heritage. He talked to his doctor about it. The quote from his cardiologist and repeated (albeit second hand to me through my brother) was basically this:

So that makes me one in 100 who did it the natural way: by switching to a plant-centric diet.I know there are things I have to give up. Jarlsberg and Brie, for starters. grilled cheese sandwiches and scrambled eggs. I have found delicious vegan cheese made from cashew nut milk and JUST Eggs made from mung bean. I try to eat as plant-based as possible and manage to do it about 95 percent of the time. (I will admit to occasionally having a bite of fish.) But I figureit's a fair trade for keeping my brains intact and upbeat a little while longer. I'll make that bargain any day.

Read the original:
Why I Won't Take Statins. They Appear to Mess With Your Head. - The Beet

Andrea Martins out of office messages went through a subtle makeover after the pandemic outbreak.

Before she started working from home, she shared a signature out of office message with departure and return dates and contact in case of emergency. When she took time off this past summer to visit Kure Beach with her husband and two children, she crafted a new automatic response:

Im taking time away from work to rest, recharge and enjoy my family.

Martin, director of strategic communications for Duke Family Medicine & Community Health, is among many Duke colleagues who are fashioning more personal automatic email messages during the pandemic.

It feels like the vague, professional out of office message isnt necessary anymore, she said. I want my colleagues to know Im taking time off because Im feeling stretched thin juggling work and home responsibilities and need time to recharge. The Benefits of Taking Time Off

Taking time off even to just unwind at home can be as beneficial as traveling to a vacation destination.

Don Shortslef, senior practitioner for Dukes Learning & Organization Development, said that in addition to work information dates and contact information for a colleague who can help in the absence showing your personality builds connections.

Sharing why you are out of the office and being light-hearted humanizes you, Shortslef said. Someone might see youre at a beach they also love going to. That opens up an avenue of discussion and relationship building that wouldnt have existed otherwise.

As you take time off in the coming months, take inspiration from a few colleagues automatic responses.

Gary BennettVice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Bishop-MacDermott Family Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Global Health, and Medicine

Gary Bennett had an adventurous summer vacation.

Lets face it I wont be traveling far this year, he wrote in his out of office email message in July.

Instead, after securing the computer and my mobile devices, Bennett shared that he would be climbing stairs in his home, walking to the living room and napping to sounds of a sprinkler.

Bennetts personality-packed away messages have been a staple of his time off routine for the past two to three years.

In the old days, writing my out of office messages was a dreaded act because I thought they were totally useless, Bennett said. The instant you see an out of office message, you generally delete them. So, I started experimenting and writing them with more detail.

Bennetts automatic responses typically start with a humorous greeting such as If Im lucky, Ill even break ground on that all carbohydrate diet book (Spaghetti Slim) Ive been planning. He then provides an interesting detail about the health and well-being benefits of taking time off.

The out of office email announcing his past summer vacation included a link to 2018 research showing that each vacation is associated with a 25 percent reduction in the risk of metabolic syndrome, conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Bennett also noted 2019 research that found how the heart rate decreases as vacation gets closer. Thats why Ive been so chill lately, he jokingly added.

Some of Bennetts out of office messages get passed on to others.

That excites me because I want people to take time away from work to relax and recuperate, he said. Time off puts us at our best when we come back to work.

Heather LoweDirector of Communications and Employee Experience, Duke University Health System

Heather Lowes out of office message is short but carries big meaning because she is passionate about self-care:

Im currently taking a day to relax and recharge, she wrote in a recent automatic response.

Lowe always ends a message by sharing that she looks forward to responding when she returns to work to make it clear that she will not reply to email while out of the office.

I see the message as an opportunity to take a stand that we should take care of ourselves, she said. When we push ourselves too hard without a break, thats when we get stressed and burn out.

Lowe spends days off walking her beagle Truly on local trails, gardening or, when not in a pandemic, traveling to countries. She has visited six of seven continents and plans to travel to Antarctica next year.

In order to do our best work, we have to be whole people, Lowe said. When we spend time with friends and family, get outside, read books and travel, were better for it, and our work lives benefit too. Id love to change the culture that we should always be available. We cant do our best work if were not caring for ourselves.

Rebecca VidraSenior Lecturer of Environmental Science and Policy and Director of the Duke Environmental Leadership Program

Some days, Rebecca Vidra is balancing work while helping her three children, ages 5, 14 and 16, navigate kindergarten and high school from home.

I will probably answer your email promptly, she wrote in an automatic response in September. But it may get lost in the wilds of my inbox, or I may answer it while monitoring my 5 year old's attempts to convince her iPad to cooperate

Vidra shares work-life activities at home that may cause a delayed response, but she also lets colleagues and students know she is available on Zoom or by phone to talk.

Theres an understanding that were all balancing a lot right now, but you dont know what that necessarily looks like for each person, Vidra said. Your kids are at home? Do you have a sick parent? I want to be honest without complaining about it. Im still available. It may just take a call now when it used to take an email.

Wed love to know your fun and unique out of office messages. Share them by commenting in the Facebook post below:

Got something you would like for us to cover? Send ideas, shout-outs and photographsthroughour story idea formor writeworking@duke.edu.

Visit link:
Out of Office Messages in Remote Work Times - Duke Today

Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the final stages of liver disease. It is a serious condition, causing scarring and permanent damage to the liver. Life expectancy depends on the stage and type.

The liver is the second largest organ in the human body and one of the most important for human health. Cirrhosis puts both a persons liver and life at risk.

Despite its severity, the condition is not rare. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are 4.9 million people in the United States living with cirrhosis.

The National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases state at least 1 in 400 adults in the U.S. has cirrhosis. This number could be even higher, as many people do not receive a diagnosis until they develop advanced symptoms.

Keep reading to explore the life expectancy for cirrhosis by its stage, including diagnosis information and coping tips.

Cirrhosis is a serious condition that causes scarring and permanent damage to the liver. Over time, the disease keeps the organ from working properly and eventually causes failure. Cirrhosis puts people at greater risk for:

There are two stages in cirrhosis: compensated and decompensated.

Compensated cirrhosis: People with compensated cirrhosis do not show symptoms, while life expectancy is around 912 years. A person can remain asymptomatic for years, although 57% of those with the condition will develop symptoms every year.

Decompensated cirrhosis: People with decompensated cirrhosis already experience symptoms and complications. Their life expectancy is greatly reduced than those with compensated cirrhosis, while experts recommend referral for a possible liver transplant in these cases.

Physicians use diagnostic tests and scoring to determine a persons stage of cirrhosis, which will help project their life expectancy. The Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) system awards points based on whether an individual has:

With the CTP system, a persons score increases according to the number and severity of their symptoms. Based on these scores, the system assigns people into different classes:

Healthcare professionals will project the life expectancy of people with cirrhosis using CTP scores in the following chart:

Physicians use the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) to estimate the life expectancy for people with cirrhosis, setting priorities for liver transplants. Experts base MELD scores by measuring an individuals:

The higher an individuals MELD score, the greater their risk of mortality, as shown by the chart below:

Following an effective treatment plan, which could slow or stop damage to the liver and manage complications, is the primary way that people with cirrhosis can increase their life expectancy.

Treating the cause of the cirrhosis is also crucial. Even though not all occurrences are due to alcohol abuse, people with this condition can benefit from avoiding alcohol completely, as experts recommend. Antiviral drugs can prevent additional liver damage due to viral hepatitis.

People with cirrhosis need to regularly see their medical team to review how their condition is progressing. This also allows for early intervention and treatment of any complications that may arise. Medications and procedures to treat cirrhosis symptoms include:

According to the VA, although cirrhosis is progressive, some people with the condition can move from decompensated, or symptomatic, back to the asymptomatic stage. This is a challenging process, although one of the critical steps is avoiding alcohol of any kind.

To prevent progressing from the asymptomatic to the symptomatic stage, people can make the following lifestyle changes:

Of people who develop cirrhosis, 2060% also develop malnutrition, additional complications, longer hospital stays, and a reduced life expectancy.

This means eating a healthful diet is crucial for those with this condition. Cirrhosis itself can affect diet and metabolism, so people should try:

Cirrhosis is a severe condition, causing scarring and permanent damage to the liver. It can be fatal.

For people with cirrhosis, there is a close link between life expectancy and the number of symptoms and complications they experience.

Physicians use CTP and MELD scores for guidance in referrals for liver transplants.

Although this condition greatly reduces life expectancy, there several ways, such as certain dietary changes and avoiding alcohol, that may help.

Excerpt from:
Cirrhosis of the liver life expectancy: Stages, prognosis, and more - Medical News Today

Mila Clarke Buckley lived with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis for four years before learning in August 2020 that she actually had another type of diabetes: latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). She wants people to know that a diabetes-friendly diet doesnt have to be boring or leave one feeling hangry (a state of irritability that can result from a dip in blood glucose).

Thats why she shares such delectable images with her 37,000 Instagram followers and visitors to her Hangry Woman blog. Her recipe posts for grilled fish tacos and Jamaican jerk chicken wings are accompanied by mouthwatering photos.

Type 2 diabetes results when the body cannot properly process insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) to rise too high. LADA, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that is similar to type 1 diabetes, in which the bodys immune system attacks and destroys the cells that make insulin which is why it's also known as type 1.5 diabetes. LADA tends to happen later in life and much more gradually than type 1 diabetes.

People with any form of diabetes can experience blood sugar dips that produce that hangry feeling, also known as hypoglycemia. But rather than coming off as irritable, Buckley, a Houston resident, has a gregarious persona to match her blogs mission, which she says is to help people with diabetes feel less alone in their management but to also show them that you can live a happy, healthy life with diabetes and enjoy your favorite foods.

She says her new diagnosis wont change that mission. I lived with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis for four years that includes the feeling of shame, stigma, and being judged for what other people deemed my fault, and lack of access to the tools that would help me manage diabetes best. Although my [diagnosis] changed, it doesn't take away any of those experiences, and it doesn't mean that I experience them less. To me, it means having the opportunity to bridge the gap a bit more, and help all people with diabetes understand each other.

Buckley includes recipes for those who follow a ketogenic or keto diet, but before you try them, check with your doctor to make sure the regimen is right for you. If you take oral diabetes medication, the diet may increase your risk of hypoglycemia, and this high-fat, low-carb diet can pose other health risks to some. Plus, more studies are needed before keto can be recommended for everyone with type 2 diabetes.

Buckley's personal favorite blog post is titled, Diabetes Is Not a Joke, and it takes aim at the stigma that can be attached to the disease because of its link to diet. People often think diabetes deserves to be a punch line, but it's more serious than the jokes it often sets off, she says.

RELATED: What People With Type 2 Diabetes Must Know About the Keto Diet

Read the original here:
6 Black Influencers to Follow for Healthy-Eating Inspiration - Everyday Health

Former WWE wrestler Ryback Reeves posted a gym selfie, with his t-shirtyanked up to show off aneight packas herevealed tohis 1.4 million Twitter followers: "7 weeks Vegan and bodyweight is 292 lbs." Ryback has always beenactive on social media and was never shy about his interest in veganism. He tweeted: "I just keep seeing improvements and energy increasing even more. Conditioning is at a very high-level cardio wise and doesnt have any intentions of eating animal or dairy products. Lab work completed yesterday so will see where we are at."

In an interview with the news outletGive Me Sport, Ryback said, I always ate a lot of vegetables, my main thing was that I never really looked at how I could replace or cut down on animal protein. He goes on to say, All I had to do was switch out my meats, I was already halfway vegan without knowing it I look better and Im stronger than Ive been.

Ryback recently captioned a picture of himself eating a plant-based meal with, Amazing dinner tonight with Jazmyne. Im learning so much about the Vegan community and they are truly unbelievable people with such compassion and loving hearts. So blessed to have been given the gift of full health back and am releasing the last bit of hate I have held onto.

It seems like every day another major athlete has been speaking out aboutditching meat and dairy and gainingphysical benefits from their new-found love of a plant-based approach. Cam Newton, David Beckham, Novak Djokovic, and Venus Williams have all recently touted how much they love their plant-based lifestyles. Another professional athlete, wrestler Austin Aries,recently spokeabout how he gets his protein on a plant-based diet.

Weekend warriors considering making the switchto plant-based proteincan find new meatless alternatives and great plant-based products hitting the shelves daily. Even without those substitutes, it'seasy to hit your fitness goals on a diet high in legumes, nuts, grains and vegetables.

For more on how to get your protein on a plant-based diet, check out Top 10 Sources of Plant-Based Protein and How to Get Your Protein From Plant-Based Meals.

See original here:
WWE Wrestler Ryback Reeves Announces His Switch to a Vegan Diet - The Beet

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that offers weekly shipments of recipes and groceries that allow you to make easy and appealing meals at home.

The service is a great way to reduce the burden of meal planning and grocery shopping. It is a good option if you enjoy cooking and do not want your meals premade but do not have much time for meal prep.

It is reasonably priced and may be a good fit for many households. However, it may not be the best fit for those with special dietary needs.

This article reviews how HelloFresh works and how it stacks up against other meal kit delivery services.

Each week, HelloFresh ships you a box of ingredients along with recipes that help you cook your own meals.

These boxes contain all the preportioned ingredients you will need to cook your meal, including sauces, seasonings, and garnishes.

You can choose a meal plan and allow HelloFresh to choose which meals you receive, or you can choose every meal yourself. HelloFresh offers a 20-meal menu to choose from each week.

You can also skip a week at any time.

HelloFresh offers six different meal plan options:

Within each of these categories, there is a little bit more room for customization. You can specify if you need to avoid beef, pork, or seafood.

Additionally, you can choose exactly which meals you would like to receive from the 20 meals available each week.

For example, if you are on the Calorie Smart meal plan but see a Family Friendly dish that you would like to try, you can easily swap out a meal to include that dish in your shipment.

HelloFresh also discloses allergens, including gluten, but does not currently offer dedicated gluten-free or allergen-free menus.

According to its website, HelloFresh focuses on sourcing high quality ingredients. The company includes fresh produce with most recipes, and some of it is organic.

It also sources hormone-free chicken and pork and sustainable, ocean-friendly seafood, according to its website.

Whats more, HelloFresh has a goal of promoting positive experiences in the kitchen. Any adult of any skill level can cook the recipes it provides using relatively simple methods and common kitchen items.

HelloFresh features appealing and interesting flavors across a variety of regional cuisines. Some examples of the recipes on its weekly menu include:

With the exception of vegetarian, pescatarian, and reduced calorie diets, HelloFresh does not cater to specialized diets.

It offers a variety of meals that may align with your personal dietary needs, but it leaves it up to you to decide whether each meal is a fit.

However, HelloFresh may not be ideal if you are strictly following a vegan, paleo, or keto diet. That is because many of its available options will not meet the requirements of these diets.

Additionally, if you are gluten-free or following an allergen-free diet, you may prefer a meal kit delivery service that caters specifically to these dietary needs.

While weight loss is no guarantee when using HelloFresh, one of the meal plans it offers is the Calorie Smart option.

Each of these meals clocks in around 650 calories per serving, and according to the HelloFresh website, they are dietitian-approved.

If you are eating at a calorie deficit, then you are likely to lose weight.

The calorie-controlled meals on HelloFreshs Calorie Smart plan may help you achieve this goal. However, weight loss is not a guarantee, even if you are receiving Calorie Smart meals (1).

HelloFresh costs about $811 per person, per meal. You can get the lowest price per serving by ordering the largest plan size: five recipes per week for four people.

Shipping is a standard $7.99 per box.

However, HelloFresh regularly offers new users free shipping and a discount on their first shipment or several shipments.

HelloFreshs most popular plan size is three recipes per week for two people. This works out to $8.99 per serving or about $55 per week, plus the cost of shipping.

This table compares and contrasts HelloFresh with some other popular meal kit delivery services.

Note that this table only includes meal kit delivery services, not services that deliver preprepared meals.

Several potential competitors will ship completely cooked and assembled meals to your door, including BistroMD, Fresh n Lean, and Freshly.

HelloFresh is a moderately priced meal kit that offers appealing meals with a focus on fresh ingredients, simple cooking methods, and bold flavors.

It is a solid option if you value the convenience of a meal kit and enjoy cooking but are still on a budget.

HelloFresh is more affordable than its competitors Sun Basket and Green Chef, but offers a more limited selection of meal plans that may not work for those with stricter dietary needs or preferences.

However, HelloFresh could be ideal for your household if you are not following a specialized diet and want more easy and flavorful meal options.

Get started with HelloFresh here.

Continue reading here:
HelloFresh Review: Pros, Cons, and How It Works - Healthline

Adelson, who said he was looking at an open grave due to obesity, said he has lost over 70 pounds in the past year, reducing his risk of serious illness if he contracts the novel coronavirus.

Being overweight is one of the complicating conditions for death with COVID-19 but obesitys even worse, said Robert Adelson, 68, an attorney who is the principal at Boston-based law firm Adelson & Associates. Im overweight, but Im not obese.

In the age of remote work and school, it can be easy for some adults and children to fall out of a daily routine, which can lead to meal skipping and mindless snacking, said Kylie Sakaida, a clinical dietitian at Massachusetts General Hospital. The pandemic has provided some people extra time to focus on their diet, she said, but for others, eating habits have been put on the back burner.

At the same time, Sakaida said, Covid-19 has provided an evidence-based incentive to lose weight.

Weve seen that obesity and related medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, are all risk factors for severe disease and death from the coronavirus, she said.

Sakaida said stress and boredom eating has skyrocketed amid the pandemic.

Prolonged periods at home, fewer social interactions, and continuous coverage of COVID-19 in the media might spark stress, she said, and lead to a greater dependence on comfort food.

Fewer and quicker trips to the grocery store also might lead to people to eat fewer fresh foods and more processed foods, Sakaida said.

To practice healthy eating habits during the pandemic, Sakaida recommends planning meals and snacks throughout the day. Setting phone reminders for mealtimes can also reduce mindlessly snacking. Because eating and working simultaneously might lead to overeating, she said it is vital to take a break from work and be present during mealtime. Keeping a clear, transparent water bottle close to the workspace can be a visual cue to drink more water and stay hydrated.

There are multiple factors that have contributed to peoples eating habits, Sakaida said. It would all be interesting to look back to see how this has affected people.

Adelson has been commuting to his office in Boston during the coronavirus pandemic, but the amount of work decreased in April, which he said made it difficult for him to resist snacking. Once work picked up, it was easier to not mindlessly eat.

When asked if he has advice for people who are working remotely with unlimited access to the kitchen, he said it is mind over matter.

If you adopt a set of attitudes, you can conquer the proximity to the fridge, he said.

Weighing 248 pounds and standing 5 feet 5 inches tall in October 2019, Adelson changed his eating habits after he was scheduled to have gastric bypass surgery. He had tried dieting before, he said, but typically ended up gaining more weight. It was not until he created a self-directed program, Robs Eat What You Love Diet Program, that he saw results and lost 76 pounds in eight months.

I really felt in September 2019 that Id be dead within five years, he said. At that point, I said, you know, do you want to just eat yourself to death?

Adelson said he suffered from sleep apnea and leg pain and predicted he would be confined to a wheelchair and his bed within a few years if something did not change.

Adelson eliminated eating after 7 p.m. and limited himself to three meals a day, among other techniques, losing the weight without medication, surgery, or exercise. In June, he started riding his bike two to three times per week, which he said has helped maintain his weight loss.

To eat less, Adelson said he prioritizes tasting over eating foods, a practice he describes as cutting his food into small pieces, pacing himself during meals, and savoring the flavor. Adelson also limits his consumption of bread and replaces snacks with spearmint chewing gum, according to an article he self-published in August.

Bunny Gorfinkle, a Florida resident and Adelsons aunt, said she and her family were concerned about Adelsons health for years and thinks Adelson seeing his overweight father at the end of his life forced him to adopt different eating habits.

Robert had determination, Gorfinkle said. He had a reason to think, I dont want to look like my dad and be in a wheelchair.

Julia Kahn, Adelsons wife, said it is important to model healthy eating habits to support loved ones who are trying to lose weight.

I like to relax when I eat, Kahn said. Hes learned to chew his food and taste his food rather than quickly shove it in his mouth.

Every day feels wonderful for Adelson, he said, because he feels like he has added decades to his life. He said he loves the renewed sense of energy, his appearance, and fitting into clothes he hasnt worn for 30 years. Adelson said he occasionally has bad days where he overeats but treats each day separately, allowing himself to bounce back. The thought of dying early due to obesity, he said, no longer crosses his mind.

Kami Rieck can be reached at newtonreport@globe.com.

See the original post here:
What stress eating? Dieting despite the pandemic, this Newton man has lost 70 pounds - The Boston Globe

If you're hoping to lose weight and you've tried every fad diet in the book with no success, you may be wondering if hypnotherapy holds the key. But does it involve swinging a pocket watch in front of your face and clucking like a chicken? According to the experts hypnotherapy isnt a weight loss panacea, but if carried out correctly, it can be a useful tool to cultivate healthier eating habits.

We spoke to Dr Caroline Houlihan-Burne, clinical hypnotherapist at London Digestive Health; Uxshely Carcamo, psychotherapist and nutritionist at The Food Therapy Clinic; and hypnotherapist Simon Egerton, to separate hypnotherapy fact from fiction:

Hypnotherapy is precisely what it sounds like: therapy undertaken in a state of hypnosis. Most people assume hypnosis is a state of unconsciousness, but that couldnt be further from the truth. It merely refers to the trace-like state we all experience from time to time for example, when you zone out on a bus, get lost in a really good book, or become so absorbed by a task (say, painting) that you lose track of time. Its best described as a state of deep focus and relaxation.

The only difference between hypnosis and an everyday trace-like state? In hypnosis, you deliberately access this state in a similar way you might when following a guided meditation for therapeutic purposes such as stress relief, healing from trauma, or in the cause of hypnotherapy for weight loss, unlearning unhealthy behaviours.

Unlike stage hypnosis, hypnotherapy works with the individual as a powerful imaginative guide to behavioural change.

Unlike stage hypnosis which appears to manipulate hypnotherapy works with the individual as a powerful imaginative guide to behavioural change, says Egerton. It is, essentially, a deep relaxation that enables the unconscious to take on board agreed positive thought patterns.

In a typical session, the therapist will ascertain the clients outcomes and agree together strategies, ideas and motivations to achieve these, he continues. This is what will be reinforced within the session. There is no controlling element and the subject remains aware throughout. So it is particularly well suited to sessions online.

Hypnotherapy can be a very effective tool for weight loss, says Carcamo, but success depends on a range of factors. Firstly, its important that the messaging used within the hypnotherapy is appropriate and suitable for the client, she says. For example, many hypnotherapists will just convey in the hypnotherapy that the client should try to "eat less and exercise more", without addressing the underlying causes for the clients overeating.

Each individual is different, so theres no one-size-fits-all approach to hypnotherapy for weight loss. Different people have varying issues with eating, which may be related to types of food eaten for example, sweets, chocolate, cheese, crisps etcetera or behaviour such as snacking, portion size, or comfort eating,' says Dr Houlihan-Burne. Its really important to address the particular issues for an individual because the more personalised the hypnosis is, the greater the effect.

Additionally, using hypnotherapy in conjunction with other tools and disciplines including psychotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and nutrition advice tends to be much more effective than just using hypnotherapy in isolation, says Carcamo. Consistency is also key. Research suggests that hypnotherapy and other relaxation techniques are much more effective for weight loss when they are used regularly, she adds. Consistency is an important factor in its effectiveness and in building new habits and thinking patterns.

In a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, people who engaged in a combination of CBT and hypnosis lost significantly more weight than those who solely utilised CBT more than 9kg on average, while the latter lost around half than amount. They also maintained their weight loss over the course of an 18-month follow-up period, while the sole CBT group tended to regain some weight.

Hypnotherapy helps to break down eating habits that have become deeply ingrained in the unconscious mind, says Dr Houlihan-Burne. It works by tapping into your subconscious thoughts and behaviours. Habits are not fixed, and if there is a true desire to change, suggestions made in a relaxed hypnotic state can help to establish new healthier ways of eating, she says.

During your first session, the therapist should explain how hypnotherapy works, address any queries and allay any concerns, Dr Houlihan-Burne continues. I would then take some time discussing the individuals eating behaviour, lifestyle, and what they would like to achieve, before agreeing on realistic goals, she explains.

Suggestions made in a relaxed hypnotic state can help to establish new healthier ways of eating.

Then, theyll invite you to find a comfortable position and close your eyes. Your therapist will speak in a soothing tone, using specific language to put you at ease. Once her clients are in a relaxed state, says Carcamo, she incorporates tailored messaging that might include visualisations and metaphorical stories.

A hypnotherapy session can last anywhere from five minutes to an hour depending on the client and their needs, she says. The process will end with the client being invited to re-open their eyes and return to an alert-state. Youll usually be given a recording of the session to listen back to at home, which should help with reinforcement.

For many people, taking time out to have a professional assess their eating behaviour in terms of diet, activity levels, stress and general lifestyle helps unearth the root causes behind their unhealthy habits, says Dr Houlihan-Burne. Making small initial changes increases a sense of taking control, improving motivation and confidence to continue making lifelong changes to lifestyle and eating habits, she says.

When used appropriately and with the right messaging, hypnotherapy can help people manage stress, anxiety and low mood more effectively, says Carcamo, which are often factors that drive individuals to overeat.

As well as helping to build new habits and patterns of behaviour around food, hypnotherapy can also be a catalyst to boost confidence and self-esteem. Often when a client feels bad about themselves and their body, they turn to food to cope with how they are feeling, she says.

There are no negative side-effects involved in hypnotherapy for weight loss. Providing, that is, you listen back to the recordings at an appropriate moment. Plugging into your session while you operate a forklift truck is a no-no. Hypnotherapy is something that someone should only do when they are in a safe space where they feel comfortable, says Carcamo. For example, individuals should not listen to hypnotherapy recordings while driving or engaging in other activities, as they will not be as focused on what they are doing.

You should also choose your hypnotherapist wisely. I would advise seeing a hypnotherapist who is also a nutritionist when dealing with weight loss, says Carcamo. Inappropriate or uninformed messaging could encourage eating disorders and eventually lead to binge eating causing more harm than good. Its important to work with someone that has a sound grounding in nutrition and ideally, eating psychology too, she says.

The only other "risk" if you could call it that occurs when an individual is looking for a "magic wand" effect where they can continue eating what they like but still lose weight, says Dr Houlihan-Burne. In a state of hypnosis, the unconscious mind will only take on board suggestions made that are agreeable to the individual. If someone doesnt want to change their eating behaviour, their mind rejects the suggestions, and they continue behaving as they were before. Hypnotherapy requires a level of commitment to work.

Hypnotherapy varies from person to person. Some people are more susceptible to hypnosis than others, and therefore more likely to see benefits quickly. People who possess personality traits such as selflessness and openness tend to be the most responsive, according to a study by Zhejiang University College of Medicine. Ironically, then, those who are cynical about its efficacy are less likely to benefit.

People automatically find it easier to think, feel and behave towards food and eating in a way that is more acceptable to them.

After the session, people automatically find it easier to think, feel and behave towards food and eating in a way that is more acceptable to them, says Dr Houlihan-Burne. Depending on the individual, they may find they have less desire to eat unhealthy foods, feel more satisfied after meals, have less desire to snack and automatically veer towards more healthy choices.

Like any form of therapy, the length of time required varies from person to person. Where some people might feel one session is enough to bring about changes, others could benefit from eight, 12, or 14 sessions.

Some people just have one, however more usual is two to three sessions, says Dr Houlihan-Burne. Often, once the initial unwanted habits resolve, other unhelpful ones may become more prominent and need addressing.

Hypnotherapy is no magic bullet but when applied with care, it can help you forge a healthier relationship with food.

Hypnotherapy is often used as a support for weight loss, both for staying the course and, crucially, helping to keep at bay the "inner saboteur" that so often lurks within us, says Egerton. It can be invaluable in promoting new and positive thought patterns; greater self worth, improved self image and an orientation towards self-care and emotional wellbeing.

Last updated: 12-11-20

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

See original here:
Hypnotherapy weight loss: does it work? - Netdoctor

As any regular caf goer could attest, the popularity of gluten-free diets has been skyrocketing for many years. Research conducted in 22 countries around the world found that in 2018, 24% of respondents regularly avoided gluten. Asking that same question 20 years earlier would have netted a very different response.

This global trend has been linked to the controversial diagnosis of Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity (NCCS), a condition in which sufferers experience digestive problems in response to gluten consumption. As you might expect, the link between gluten and digestive problems remains contested. Understanding how gluten affects the gut is a crucial part of assessing whether this dietary movement is merely a fad or based in solid science.

There are a wide range of symptoms that are attributed to NCCS, ranging from eczema to joint pain through to depression; however, one of the more common sets of symptoms resemble those of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In a report recently published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, a team of Australian researchers put the relationship between gluten and IBS under the spotlight.

The team ran an experiment with around 40 participants who self-reported as experiencing IBS-like symptoms as a result of NCCS. Before beginning the controlled diets they had their blood taken and were then moved onto a zero gluten, low FODMAP (another type of nutrient that has been implicated in IBS) diet.

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-, di-,mono-saccharides and polyols. They are short chain carbohydrates that are found in a wide range of foods, from fruits to grains and legumes. This group of nutrients is known to be poorly digested, however once again, their role in IBS is contested.

The participants diets were altered systematically. For a week at a time, the participants ate either a low gluten, no gluten, or high gluten diet. The participants were unaware of which diet they were on at any given time. Each participant tried each of the diets in a randomized order, and in between diets they reverted back to the no gluten, low FODMAP diet. At the end of each new diet, the patients had their blood tested for signs of digestive problems.

In order to test whether gluten does cause digestive problems, the first step is to agree on a way of measuring them. Commonly, this is done through assessing the symptoms that a patient presents with, but this approach can lead to a lack of precision when assessing the impact of different diets.

Another way to assess how gluten affects the gut is through inflammation, which can be measured with biological markers in the bloodstream. There are a range of candidates for this type of assessment. In order to make sense of the results of the Australian teams study, it is worth looking at what the biomarkers actually do. This involves a little bit of a deep dive into biochemistry, but bear with me.

The first biomarker is called I-FAPB-2, which is a protein that is expressed exclusively in the intestines. When the intestines are functioning normally, this protein transfers fatty acids across the cell membranes. If the cells that do this work get damaged and broken down, then these proteins can be found in the blood.

The second is called syndecan-1, which is another transmembrane protein, but it is expressed in many different cell types and tissues. It plays a role in cell proliferation, cell migration, and cell matrix interactions. In the context of the digestive system, these cell-matrix interactions are thought to be its key role. It is thought to help keep the layer of cells at the very edge of the intestines together. Like in the case of I-FAPB-2, when this layer is damaged, these proteins can be found in the blood.

The last two can be grouped together: LPS and sCD14. LPS is found in high concentrations in bacterial cell walls, and sCD14 is a human immune receptor designed for recognizing LPS. The theory here is that if the bacterial population in the gut is out of equilibrium or the intestines are damaged, then bacteria can be transported out of the gut into the blood stream. If this occurs, then the concentrations of both LPS and sCD14 will increase.

The key take-home message from this study is stunning in its simplicity. Gluten intake made absolutely no difference to the levels of any of the biomarkers. Whether a person was on the high gluten, low gluten, or no gluten diet, it had no impact on these markers of intestinal damage.

All of this would seem to act as a strong argument against the suggestion that gluten causes digestive problems. Of course, arguments could be made about whether these biomarkers are an appropriate proxy for measuring these issues. However, it is known that elevated levels of these biomarkers are present in other digestive diseases, like Crones disease. At the very least, these results show that gluten is unlikely to directly damage the intestines of healthy individuals.

There was only one biomarker that showed a significant increase as a result of any diet. When blood was taken at the end of the gluten free/low FODMAP diet, syndecan-1 levels were significantly lower than when patients were eating normally. Given that subsequent changes to gluten levels did not change syndecan levels, this suggests that lowering FODMAP intake lowers the amount of syndecan in the bloodstream.

A 2018 review of the studies into the link between FODMAPs and IBS found that there was insufficient evidence to recommend a FODMAP diet to IBS sufferers. This study examined nine earlier experiments that looked at the effect of altering FODMAP intake on the symptoms of IBS.

This same review found a large degree of variation between the different experiments, and commented that the three most rigorous studies showed the least variability in their results, but also the least improvement in symptoms.

This most recent data on the effect of FODMAPs on inflammation of the intestines certainly adds some weight to suggestions that these nutrients play a role in IBS. However, these results must be read in the context of earlier studies, and more work remains to be done.

Dietary science is inevitably a controversial field. The human digestive system is impossibly complex, poorly understood, and a great deal of money can be made selling particular diets as cure-alls to digestive ailments.

While the work reported in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research shows fairly conclusively shows that gluten does not cause damage to the intestines, the volunteers who participated in the study had digestive problems that they presumably thought were alleviated by removing gluten from their diets. Whether this effect is purely down to a placebo effect or there is some physiological process at play has not yet been resolved.

Understanding how gluten affects the gut is, however, a question that can be resolved and work like this, that looks systematically at the effects of nutrients like gluten and FODMAPs, is the only way that the questions in this space will ever be answered.

Reference: M Ajamian et. al. Effect of Gluten Ingestion and FODMAP Restriction on Intestinal Epithelial Integrity in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Self-Reported Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity, 2020, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201901275

Originally posted here:
Changing gluten intake found to have no impact on gut inflammation in healthy individuals - Advanced Science News

Yale researchers have linked the AgRP neurons in the hypothalamus with over-exercising compulsions in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Beatriz Horta 12:44 am, Nov 12, 2020

Staff Reporter

YaleNews

Yale scientists have found specific neurons in the brain can regulate the symptom of over-exercising in patients with anorexia nervosa.

School of Medicine research affiliate Maria Consolata Miletta, the first author of the study, said the researchers used a method called the activity-based anorexia model, in which mice on a low-calorie diet who have a running wheel in their cages will over-exercise. The scientists found that specific agouti-related peptide, or AgRP, neurons located in the hypothalamus will show greater activation and stimulate the reward systems in the brain when mice are over-exercising while fasting.

According to Tamas Horvath,the chair of the comparative medicine department, who was also an author in the study, this implied that these neurons cause people to undergo vigorous exercise in nutrient deficient conditions one of the main symptoms of anorexia nervosa.

The animals in which we activated these neurons, they were running better and had better stamina, Horvath said. They would actually run much better than control animals where we didnt do anything.

Horvath said that the AgRP neurons have been a research interest of his since he became a postdoctoral associate at Yale in 1990. He explained that many behaviors are altered when our bodies display hunger, which is due to the hormonal and neurological effects of a lack of energy. Located deep in the brain in the hypothalamus these neurons have been shown to be affected by the hormone ghrelin, which is released when a person is hungry.

In a previous study, Horvath and his colleagues found that AgRP neurons mediated the feeling of reward in compulsive behaviors from fasting mice. This finding led them to hypothesize that these neurons could also be activated in disorders with compulsive behaviors, including anorexia.

The paper is arguing that these neurons are fundamentally important to properly allocate available fuels that you are having in your body, stored at the time of low nutrient availability, Horvath said. Through that, theyre capable of supporting functions such as exercise.

According to Miletta, anorexia nervosa is the psychiatric disorder with the highest mortality rate, so a study like this could be imperative in changing the way scientists think about the disease and therapeutic approaches and potentially save lives. Current treatment involves the administering of antidepressants to control harmful behaviors such as over-exercising.

Horvath stated that their findings could change the way the field thinks about an anorexic patients ability to control their self-image and compulsive behaviors. Neurons located in deeper brain areas, such as the hypothalamus, are not necessarily under conscious control and may not be affected by treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

If you have a mindset of if I undergo behavior therapy, if I conceptualize and think about things, I am going to be able to be in charge, that may or may not work because these neurons are deep inside and you are not capable of controlling them, Horvath said.

Miletta also described the other finding of the study when food-restricted mice were later given a high-fat non-restricted diet, they had lower death rates compared to mice who later received a regular non-restricted diet. This indicates another potential treatment change for anorexic people, where those in recovery are given high fat diets in the refeeding phase the stage in anorexia treatment where doctors have patients start to slowly eat again. The researchers have speculated that this might improve their overall outcome and increase their chance of survival.

According to senior research scientist at the Yale School of Medicine Xiao-Bing Gao, one of the studys most important findings is the implication that anorexia, a psychiatric disorder, could have symptoms rooted in an area of the brain commonly associated with basic physiological functions such as body temperature regulation.

It seems reasonable to hypothesize that [anorexia nervosa] patients consciously make changes in ways how they view their images and make decisions on how they deal with the problems by altering their energy metabolism, Gao wrote in an email to the News. However, it is also possible that physiological processes investigated in this study and others may un-consciously or sub-consciously shape their decision-making as well.

Horvath showed some optimism regarding a possible drug to aid in the treatment of anorexia. Since the hypothalamus is located outside of the blood-brain barrier which prevents many chemical compounds from entering the brain scientists may be able to develop a drug that limits the activation of these neurons in patients with anorexia.

He stated that in the past that it has been difficult to convince funding agencies and other researchers that these primitive neurons could have an effect on the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. This was mostly because researchers did not believe that there could be such deeply-rooted causes to psychological behavior which is mostly controlled by the brains cortex.

According to Miletta, the team is working on determining what kinds of fatty diets would be the best option in decreasing anorexia death rates.

We also hope that our work [help fight] the stigma around anorexia which is usually considered a psychiatric disease but which might be considered a metabolic-psychiatric disorder, she wrote.

According to Director of the National Institute of Mental Health Thomas Insel, anorexia nervosa has a mortality rate of around 10 percent.

Beatriz Horta | beatriz.horta@yale.edu

Read more:
Yale study finds neurons that regulate over-exercising in anorexia - Yale Daily News

Page 65«..1020..64656667..7080..»

Home » Diets that Work » Page 65