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Can the Whole30 diet help you lose weight? All you need to know  |  Photo Credit: Getty Images

New Delhi: The diet you follow has a very significant impact on your weight loss. According to research, the weight loss process comprisesonly 30 per cent exercise, and 70 per cent diet. Given how important it is to eat right, there are various diets for weight loss that have made their way to us in the past few years. While some people believe going back to the way our ancestors ate can help us lose weight and be healthy, others believe we need to change with time, and adopt the newest diet trends. One of the many diets that have gained popularity in helping in weight lossis the Whole30 diet. The Whole30 diet is an interesting diet, and here is all you need to know about it.

The Whole30 diet is a fad diet for 30 days. It works on the principle of setting short-term, achievable goals, which can help you become healthier. On the Whole30 diet, there are certain strict rules about what you can eat, and what is off the table.

While the above-listed foods and ingredients are completely restricted on the whole30 diet, there are certain healthy foods that should be consumed on the Whole30 diet. These include -

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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Can the Whole30 diet help you lose weight? All you need to know - Times Now

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TIPPING the scales at 16 stone, Sarah Jones knew something in her life desperately needed to change and sprung into action.

She could only fit into size 18-20 clothes and her weight gain was making her asthma dramatically worsen.

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However, Sarah, 52, who is from Henley-in-Arden, Warks, was given a much-needed wake-up call at a former colleague's birthday party - when her confidence dived around her slim pals.

Determined to do something about her ever-growing size, Sarah decided to join her mum at a local Slimming World group.

Sarah has since shed an impressive five stone and has finally regained her confidence.

She said: "I was determined to lose five stone.

"The unfailing encouragement and support from other members became the lifeline that helped me all the way to my target.

"Now I'm back down to a size 12, I feel glamorous again."

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Sarah had first piled on the pounds after giving birth to her children Courtney and Alex.

"During my years working as a cabin crew member in my 20s, I was a size 12-14," she explained.

"But, after giving birth to my daughter Courtney, I decided not to return to the airline.

"When my son Alex came along three years later, I really struggled to lose the baby weight.

"I thought simply restricting my portions would work.

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"I was getting so hungry each evening though that I started going to bed at the same time as the children to try to stop myself from snacking.

"But it was no way to live, so I soon gave up completely and my weight began to rise again."

However, Sarah's turning point came one evening in 2013 after getting all glammed up for a party with colleagues she had not seen in 20 years.

I hid at the back of the group every time a camera came out

And her confidence plummeted when she was finally reunited with her slim friends - and instantly felt self-conscious when the camera came out.

She said: "I'd spent ages on my hair and make-up and was wearing a black, stretchy size 18-20 dress I'd bought especially.

"It was the only one in the shop that had fitted without looking "too bad" or so I'd thought at the time.

"Now, as I caught sight of my still-slim friends, I felt really self-conscious. I hid at the back of the group every time a camera came out."

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And as Sarah and her friends reminisced about the "good old days", she couldn't help but wonder if her pals were looking at her thinking: "She's really let herself go."

At the time Sarah was the biggest she'd ever been and her asthma was getting worse as her weight increased.

She added: "And, on a recent holiday to Spain, I'd struggled so badly to get up a hill that I thought I'd be going down it again in an ambulance."

Sarah decided she desperately needed to make a change so decided to join her mum at a local SlimmingWorld group in Claverdon, Warks in January 2014.

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Sarah's diet before and after

BEFORE

Breakfast: Toast, cereal or McDonalds breakfast

Lunch: Supermarket meal deal with sandwich, crisps and full-fat cola

Dinner: Takeaway curry

Snacks: Doritos

AFTER

Breakfast: Porridge with blueberries, raspberries and banana

Lunch: Slimming World turkey burgers, salad and Slimming World wedges

Dinner: Slimming world curry

Snacks: Satsumas

Speaking about her first session, she said: "As I stood on the scales for the first time, my tummy was in knots. And when 16st 3lbs appeared, I couldn't believe it.

"Stepping off, I knew what my target was going to be. I was determined to lose five stone.

"Tuesday night at the group would be my night - a time to focus on me."

Sarah has credited the "unfailing encouragement and support from other members" for helping her to reach her target weight.

And she admits she never felt like she was depriving herself with the Slimming World recipes.

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"I found Slimming World great to follow because the recipes are so nice and I didn't feel like there were things I couldn't have," Sarah added.

"I would encourage anyone to give it a go.

"My asthma is so much better since my weight loss, I now don't even use an inhaler."

Sarah enjoyedSlimming World so much that, in 2015, she became a consultant herself and now runs groups in Claverdon and Henley-in-Arden.

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She added: "Now that I'm back to a size 12 and just over 11st, getting dressed up for parties no longer means going with the only outfit that I think is "OK".

"I love nothing more than putting on a slinky dress and some sky-high heels.

"I'm as slim as I was back in my cabin-crew days and, at 52, I feel glamorous again."

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Former air hostess says 5st weight loss cured her asthma as she reveals incredible transformation - The Sun

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The question of how to lose belly fat is one that resounds around the internet. It's actually a slightly meaningless questioning, because targeting 'belly fat' is laregly impossible outside of surgical procedures it's more of a matter of knowing how to lose weight in general some of which will be around your belly. If you want to burn belly fat and get fit, this is our 'six-pack' ho ho of tips, cheats and strategies. Although there's no magic bullet, there are ways to burn visceral fat or belly fat that are tried, trusted and true.

Important note here, everyone: Belly fat these days is often referred to as visceral fat because that sounds scarier. If you really need to shed visceral fat because it's endangering your life, that is an area where you should probably be seeking medical advice. This is about slimming down a bit.

Our lose belly fat tips aren't necessarily quick, and this is not about telling you how to get six pack abs although we have a few articles on that topic. No, this is just a six pack of tips to getting a healthier life and feeling comfortable with the girth of your mid-riff. We're not looking to fat shame anyone here or totally bro out, we're just offering advice.

We've got some great tips, a few cheeky shortcuts and key strategies to lose belly fat quickly, healthily and sustainably. As we just said, there are no quick fixes here; we want you to develop habits that ensure you'll stay trim for good.Weve also got the lowdown on the best exercises to lose belly fat, and all the gear youll need to get started although, of course, the most important 'gear' is the bit between your ears.

There's no hard-and-fast rule for slim-down success: the best way to lose belly fat is the way that works around your lifestyle. If you follow an unsustainable plan, you won't last: it's as simple as that. In this article we lay out six principles that are applicable to everyone, whether you're a total beginner starting your weight-loss journey or a seasoned pro who fell off the wagon over Christmas.

These guiding lights will keep you on the straight and narrow, whether you've got time to hit the gym every day or a shift worker looking to manage your schedule. Dont try to take on more than you can reasonably fit into one day. And, despite the name of this feature, don't fixate on 'belly fat'. It's important to reduce visceral fat, which does tend to lurk around the belly area, but that is best achieved by trying to slim down and tune up overall.

Here are six strategies to help you start losing weight.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The short answer to the question of how to lose belly fat is to burn more calories than you consume on a regular basis. In the fitness world, this is known as achieving a "calorie deficit".

If this sounds like a waking nightmare, there's a trick to it: what you need to do is ensure youre eating the correct kind of food to make sure you feel full and sated, even when consuming fewer calories than you're burning off. Certain foods are "empty calories" while others release energy slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.

But before that, you'll need to find a good way to track your calories burned and calories taken in. The free MyFitnessPal app is one of the best ways to record your calorie intake, but to track your calories burned, you'll need a dedicated fitness tracker. If you already own a smartwatch, most will offer calorie tracking as standard, but for those yet to make the plunge, the Fitbit Versa Lite is the best activity tracker you can buy right now. Check out the deal below.

Oh, and staying hydrated is crucial, as well

Fitbit Versa 2 | was 199.99 | now 159 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa 2 is getting regular price cuts for the new year and is currently 40 off at Amazon and various other fine online retailers. The Versa 2 features advanced cardio tracking as well as the usual steps and sleep stuff, and has Alexa built in. It's also unusually stylish for a Fitbit.View Deal

Fitbit Versa Lite | was 149.99 | now 124.95 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa Lite is the best affordable fitness tracker or smartwatch you can buy.It tracks deep and light sleep, steps, distance and calories, but that is barely scraping the surface of its capabilities. Via Fitbit's excellently presented app and sprawling ecosystem, you can use it as the basis of a complete fitness and diet programme. You can also enter your meals to log calories consumed, so you can have all your dietary data in one place.View Deal

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S'Well Marble Drinking Water Bottle | now 25.00 at John LewisIn this case beauty is more than skin deep. This bottle is vacuum sealed, which means it should be able to keep liquids warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. Its stainless steel, has a capacity of 500ml and requires handwashing, and its definitely one for one-upping your co-workers boring flasks and supermarket specials.View Deal

BEEFit Biltong, 10 x 30g bags | now 16.99 on AmazonLooking for a calorie-dense but highly nutritional snack? Swap your bag of crisps or chocolate bar for biltong, a cured meat snack now in handy 30g bags, to keep yourself fuller for longer. It's packed full of protein to help build muscle after a workout, and comes in either BBQ or chilli flavour.View Deal

Intermittent fasting is becoming more and more popular. It involves significantly cutting calories or abstaining from food altogether for a portion of the day or week, and then cramming all your calories into a much shorter time window.

The best-known intermittent fasting plan is the 5:2 diet, where you eat as you normally would (although hopefully a bit healthier) for five days a week, then scoff no more than 600 calories two days a week.There are also variants of this diet where you consume almost no calories, two days per week. This is much more doable than it sounds, so long as you are in good general health, but it's not exactly fun.

However, for trainees who are serious but not that serious, there's the 16:8 diet. With this diet you have only 8 hours a day to fit all your meals in, but can only drink water (and maybe some black coffee, if you're feeling naughty) within a 16 hour fasting period outside of those 8 hours. Most choose to eat from 10am to 6pm, but as long as you stay within an eight hour window, you can start and finish at any time of the day. This isHugh Jackman's strategy, so if you have ever wanted to be in Wolverine shape

Why try fasting, though? Well, during the fasting period the body will run out of sugar to run on, and so will start eating up the bodys fat stores. The big negative is the adjustment period: if you're used to a big breakfast or an early dinner, a 16-hour fast feels tough at first, especially if you're exercising. You're going to get seriously cranky.

Soylent Nutrition Shake, Cacao (Chocolate), 12 Pack | now 35.00 on AmazonMarketed as a 'complete meal in a bottle' soylent is a perfect on-the-go quick feed for breakfast or lunch. With 20g of plant protein - to keep you going and slow-burning carbs to help you stay full, Soylent is vegan, gluten free, nut free, dairy free and low GI. At under 3 a shake, it's an ideal replacement to your usual hurried, bland supermarket meal deal.View Deal

Weight training is a great way to tip your muscle-fat ratio the right way

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dead set on having chips? An air fryer can deliver a lot of the delicious taste with less of the not-quite-so-delicious oil

(Image credit: Future)

If you eat fried food all the time, switching to an air fryer will definitely cause you to lose weight unless buying one causes you to start eating loads of chocolate because you've reduced your fat intake. No, it doesn't taste as delicious as proper fried food of course not but it turns out meals with a good fried/roasted taste, but with up to 80% lower fat content.

If you don't eat fried food all the time but like to treat yourself now and then, switching to an air fryer could still help with you to lose weight. Even with a solid balanced diet and a good workout ethic, there will come a time when your willpower will falter and you'll want to fall back on your old favourites, like fried chicken, fish, chips and all the other foods you love normally dripping with grease. If you schedule in cheat days and do this in a controlled way, it's good to know you're cooking these foods in a way that still helps you hit your goals.

Enter the air fryer. The best air fryers are revolutionary pieces of kit that use hot air combined with a teaspoon of oil (as opposed to the gallons of oil found in the deep-fat variety) to cook your crispy favourites. If kitchen space and budget is no object, you can cook a whole chicken in the Philips Airfryer XXL, but if you're after something a little more economical, Ninjas AF100UK Air Fryer is lightweight, compact and versatile, perfect for portion control. Check it out below.

Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer | was 119.00 | now 89.00 at AmazonFry food guilt-free using comparatively very little oil and a blast of hot air. If you're a junk food addict, it's one of the best ways to arrange your cheat days so that you're still having guilt-free food while fitting your macros, calorie count or diet of choice. The Ninja model is lightweight, compact and versatile, also capable of roasting, dehydrating and reheating food in addition to the air fry function.View Deal

This is just one way to have your (fried) cake and eat it too. Swapping high-calorie pints of ice cream to the low-calorie versions like Halo Top or Oppo, or switching out cholesterol-laden butter for a healthier olive spread, are other easy ways you can make relatively simple lifestyle choices and still keep weight off.

There are two main types of exercise: cardio training and weights, otherwise known as resistance training.Although cardio burns a lot of calories while you do it, weight training builds muscle which burns more than fat as you go about your day. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you'll burn even when not working out.

Resistance training may seem scary if you're doing it for the first time, especially in the gym when the area's dominated by serious lifters, but you dont have to start adding big plates to the bar right now. There's plenty of ways to get started at home with smaller weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells and even medicine balls.

Were not going to list every single lifting exercise, so why not pick the body part you want to start toning up and check out some of our muscle-building how-tos. One you've done that, grab one of the best dumbbell sets on the market. They're not just for arms: you can use a dumbbell to work your core, shoulders, and even your legs with combination movements. Once you're comfortable in your own home, you can move on to more advanced equipment at the gym.

BodyPower 20 kg Cast Iron Spinlock Dumbbell set | was 59.99 | now 39.99 from Fitness SuperstoreYou just can't beat a good old pair of cast iron weights, and a testament to this is the fact they can be found under the beds of dads and granddads up and down the country. Get your own and they will last a lifetime and for all of their noisy, palm-chafing downsides, there is a kind of nostalgic loveliness to the spin collar set-up.View Deal

All of this aside, dont neglect cardio, as regular cardio workouts are important for fitness and stamina.

Electric Muscle Stimulation can help your muscles recover faster

(Image credit: PowerDot)

It may seem gimmicky when you unwrap your new six-pack vibrating belt, complete with a picture of Ronaldo on the box, but don't roll your eyes just yet. While you can't just sit there eating crisps and expect to get ripped, Electric Muscle Stimulators can help as part of a controlled dietary and exercise plan.

EMS can cause the muscles to contract, essentially tensing and untensing rapidly. During downtime post-workout, you can continue to encourage muscle growth with EMS, while the right bit of kit can also encourage faster recovery, allowing you to get back in the gym all the quicker. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, EMS stimulates the muscle in the same way as a massage, prepping it for the next go-round.

It's not a bona fide shortcut to a six-pack, but it can speed up the muscle-building process with regular use.

(Image credit: Sixpad)

Our top choice is always SIXPAD as used by Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who takes great pride in his body. Perhaps a little too much pride, the unkind or jealous might say. Amazon also sells all manner of abs belts by brands we have never heard of, for about 20. Needless to say we dont recommend these.

PowerDot 2.0 - Smart Electric Muscle Stimulator | now 185 at AmazonAlternatively, the PowerDot 2.0 is a smartphone-controlled muscle stimulating monster.This neat muscle stimulator works from your phone, allowing you to control intensity, stimulation and goal. Reduce your recovery time and increase muscular performance, as the PowerDot working to support your gym schedule. This model has two stimulators, but you can scale up to four for 325View Deal

Planks are a tough abs workout and a great end-of-workout finisher

(Image credit: Taco Fleur from Pixabay)

As well doing both muscle-building and cardio exercises, if you want to lose belly fat its also important to switch up the pace of your workout.

Every time you workout, you should exercise using both steady state (working hard but not at max capacity, such as during brisk jog) and high intensity (going flat out, like sprinting) to torch your abdominal fat.

Steady state or aerobic exercises include cycling, running or uphill hiking.Its a crucial part of losing belly fat because it burns through your fat stores. However, it also uses your sugar stores for energy first, so you need to do steady-state for long enough to use up all that sugar before it eats into your fat reserves.

High intensity workouts use mainly sugar for fuel, so they don't hit the fat right away, but it does help in building muscle, which will help you torch fat even on days you're not exercising. Explosive weight lifting, sprinting and HIIT-friendly exercises like mountain climbers are all great high-intensity exercises.

A good fitness tracker will help you to gauge the intensity of your workout by monitoring your heart rate. For overall fitness trackers, check out the Fitbit Versa Lite above, but for a dedicated running watch, you can't beat the Garmin Forerunner 645, the best on the market right now.

Find out more about heart rate zone training

Garmin Forerunner 645 | now 276.93 at AmazonGarmin dominates the running/fitness watch category so totally, it's almost embarrassing for the competition. The most recent addition to their premium line, the Garmin 645, incorporates GPS and wrist heart-rate tracking, which is good for monitoring your resting and all-day rates. The 645 crunches a lot of data to suggest recovery times, make a decent stab at estimating your VO2 Max, tell you how optimal your training load and lots, lots more.View Deal

FitBit Aria 2 smart bathroom scale | was 119.95 | now 105.00 on AmazonThis clever scaletells you your weight, BMI and body fat percentage which is all a lot of people want. It then reports this to your Fitbit account, so you can monitor your weight trends and use it alongside your Fitbit wearable's daily calorie-burn estimates. Add MyFitnessPal or Fitbit's own dietary features and you can then sync your meal-plans, daily calories consumed and weight goals, if you want.View Deal

The most important thing to bear in mind is this: losing weight takes time. You'll have setbacks and slip-ups, but if you stay committed to your goal, you'll be fitter and healthier in 2020, building up great habits for many years ahead.

Need some help to get started? Check out all the latest deals on the kit you'll need to get fit in 2020.To start with, you'll need a killer playlist and a good set of workout headphones to listen to it on:

Beats By Dre Powerbeats Pro | now 219 on AmazonPowerbeats Pro are a 'game changer' for Beats; the quality of them is over and above anything the brand has produced before. Designed for workouts and running, the clever design of these true wireless buds means they stay still in your ears during even the most arduous physical jerks. Battery life is way better than most true wireless buds at 8-9 hours and they recharge incredibly fast.View Deal

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How to lose belly fat: burn visceral fat, feel fitter and reveal your abs in 2020 - T3

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Article courtesy of: T. Hertoghe, MD, author of Testosterone, the Therapy for Real Gentlemen

The potent effects of testosterone therapy and its abuse by sports players has put use of this therapy under controversy for decades. In 2020, the discussion on whether or not to treat men who have testosterone-deficiency symptoms and levels with testosterone is possibly over, belonging to the past. The scientific data gathered and published in support of testosterone-deficient men, generally older than 30 years, using testosterone therapy are abundant and relevant. There is also ample information on how to monitor testosterone treatment and problems that may potentially ensue.

Testosterone therapy can safely and efficiently help prevent and reduce the severity of many age-related disorders

Medical research has now shown that it is safe to treat with testosterone therapy all types of testosterone-deficient patients, even those with active (untreated) prostate cancer, a topic we will talk about in another article. Testosterone therapy has also been found to make the mind stronger, reducing the incidence and impacts of anxiety and depressive disorders. It also helps mental functioning, boosting memory and even serving as one of the tools to slow down and oppose the development of Alzheimers disease. More than 80% of the studies published on the topic in peer-reviewed medical journals have shown that testosterone therapy improves heart conditions. Moreover, testosterone therapy has been reported to help prevent, oppose, and even reverse the development of obesity, type II diabetes, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, stroke, cachexia, etc. By preventing and alleviating age-related disorders testosterone therapy may make men also live longer.

Recent evidence that testosterone deficiency may shorten life and supplementation of it may extend life

Paucity of studies on the effects of testosterone deficiency and therapy on longevity two decades ago

Two decades ago, there were almost no studies showing that testosterone deficiency could increase the risk of premature death and that testosterone therapy could potentially extend the life span. Now, we have the studies. In medicine, researchers seldom write down in a publication that the therapy they used could improve longevity in their patients. It sounds too positive, not serious enough to publish in medical journals. Most investigators prefer using the less positive terminology of reducing mortality, which produces a more scientific impression. However, increasing longevity and reducing mortality are basically the same.

I found 35 studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals that show that higher blood levels of testosterone (within the reference range) are associated with a significantly increased longevity. Low testosterone levels that may increase mortality are usually low-normal within the reference range (in the lower two-thirds, lower half, lower third, lower quartile, or lower quintile of the reference range), and below the lower reference limit for testosterone is below the lower reference limit for testosterone in a laboratory test or a. The association of increasingly greater longevity at progressively higher testosterone levels suggests that the lack of testosterone causes or contributes to premature death. Furthermore, 9 studies have shown that testosterone therapy significantly increases longevity (or, if you prefer lowers mortality). In other words, older men who take testosterone may live longer.

There are a few studies showing no effects of testosterone therapy, and almost no study showing the opposite. The balance is visibly in favor of providing testosterone therapy to men with mild to severe testosterone deficiencies to keep them alive longer.

To access the relevant data on testosterone deficiency, testosterone therapy, and their association with longevity visit the International Hormone Society website, in the Evidence-based hormone therapies section.

To get more references and practical information on testosterone therapy, read my 600-page book for physicians, Testosterone, the Therapy for Real Gentlemen.

To get practical and in-depth training in testosterone therapy, attend the hormone therapy workshop in Orlando, May 15-16, 2020. Check out the Evidence-based hormone therapy workshop here,which will be available at the A4M 28th Annual Spring Congress being held in Orlando, Florida on May 14-16, 2020.

See the rest here:
Can Men Live Longer By Taking Testosterone Therapy? - Anti Aging News

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High levels of the sex hormone testosterone may trigger different health problems in men and women, a new study reveals.

In women, testosterone may increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, while in men it lowers that risk. But high levels of testosterone increase the risk for breast and endometrial cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, the researchers reported.

"Our findings provide unique insights into the disease impacts of testosterone. In particular, they emphasize the importance of considering men and women separately in studies, as we saw opposite effects for testosterone on diabetes," said lead researcher Katherine Ruth, of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

"Caution is needed in using our results to justify use of testosterone supplements until we can do similar studies of testosterone with other diseases, especially cardiovascular disease," Ruth explained in a University of Cambridge news release.

Dr Joel Zonszein, an emeritus professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, said there is a "sweet spot" of normal values for men and women. "Too much is not good, and too little is also bad," he explained.

"Testosterone supplementation is widely used in both men and women with normal values with no good evidence of benefit. Testosterone replacement in truly deficient individuals is something else," said Zonszein, who had no role in the study.

For the study, British researchers collected genetic data on more than 425 000 men and women listed in the UK Biobank. The investigators found more than 2 500 genetic variations associated with levels of testosterone and the protein that binds it sex hormone-binding globulin.

The researchers checked their results with analyses of other relevant studies and used a randomisation method to see if associations between testosterone and disease are causal.

In women, a high level of testosterone was tied to a 37% increased risk for type 2 diabetes and a 51% increased risk for polycystic ovary syndrome.

In men, however, a high testosterone level was linked to a 14% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the findings showed.

"The findings in men that higher testosterone has a protective effect and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes is news to me," Zonszein said. "This needs to be shown by other studies and its mechanism needs to be elucidated."

Dr Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said that testosterone may not be as protective in women because it converts to estradiol, which is related to the risk for breast cancer.

"High levels of testosterone in women have also been shown to increase visceral fat, which is linked to the components of metabolic syndrome," Sood said.

That men with high testosterone are at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes is likely related to having more lean muscle mass, which improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the likelihood of type 2 diabetes, she said.

But Sood isn't a fan of men using testosterone supplements to ward off diabetes.

"Testosterone therapy comes with potential risks, including a high red blood cell count and higher rates of high-grade prostate cancer if a man is already predisposed to develop prostate cancer," she said.

Obese men or those with type 2 diabetes would benefit more from lifestyle changes to improve testosterone levels, namely, weight loss, healthy diet and exercise.

"This approach is preferred in that population over testosterone replacement whenever possible," Sood said.

The report was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Image credit: iStock

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How high testosterone levels have different health outcomes for men and women - Health24

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The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories.

Whats happening

In the late 1950s, an American biologist named Gregory Pincus began researching how hormones might influence the female reproductive cycle and thus prevent pregnancy. In 1960, the first oral contraceptive was approved by the FDA.

Pincuss work led to one of the most important medical breakthroughs in modern history. Over the past 50 years, various forms of hormonal birth control have become so common theyre known simply as the pill. But Pincus didnt focus only on women. He also hoped to create a similar treatment for males. After minimal research, however, he abandoned the pursuit.

To this day, no male birth control product has made it to market. But over the past year, there has been promising early progress on new treatments including a pill, a gel thats rubbed onto the skin and an injection that acts as a nonsurgical vasectomy that could finally bring the first male contraceptive to the public. If that happens, research suggests a male pill could drastically reduce unplanned pregnancies, especially in developing countries.

Why theres debate

There are a number of factors that have prevented the creation of male birth control, some of them medical and others societal.

Part of the challenge comes down to simple biology. To interrupt fertility in a female body, a contraceptive needs to prevent a single egg from being fertilized, which can only occur in a limited time window. Males, on the other hand, create 1,500 sperm a second and are fertile at all times. Hormonal treatments in development are designed to limit sperm production by lowering testosterone levels. But the effects need to be calibrated just right. Testosterone levels need to be low enough to create infertility but they cant go so low as to cause side effects like decreased libido.

Beyond medical reasons, the development of male birth control has been hampered by a lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry and rules about which side effects are permissible in drugs. A large clinical study in 2016 was halted after men in the trial reported serious side effects, including mood swings, altered libido and acne issues commonly associated with female birth control. Cultural factors, such as the notion that women are responsible for contraception, and fear that birth control would make men less masculine are also frequently cited as inhibiting research.

Whats next

Recent clinical trials of male contraceptives have shown promising results, but experts say it could be another 10 years or more before any of the drugs are made available to the public.

The female reproductive system is easier to disrupt with hormones

Female birth control is about preventing the fertilization of one ovum, primed for procreation once per month. Thats it. Male birth control requires wrangling millions of sperm produced constantly and en masse. Joshua A. Krisch, Fatherly

The burden of contraception falls on women

A big part of the answer is that, as a society, we consider the work of pregnancy prevention to be womens work. Katrina Kimport, Gizmodo

Pharmaceutical companies dont see male birth control as profitable

The thought is that industry pulled away from male contraceptive development due to concerns that the market was already saturated with female methods. Moving into the male market, where the risk profile is uncertain, was too risky. Dr. Jill Long, Inverse

Women face greater risks from pregnancies

The need for female contraceptives has been greater historically because pregnancy and childbirth can be dangerous, even life-threatening. Men face no similar danger, so medical regulators have had a much lower tolerance for risks caused by male contraceptives compared to female contraceptives. Julia Belluz, Vox

Finding the right balance of hormones is tricky

There's a challenge with hormonal birth control: suppressing testosterone in men to super-low levels while avoiding the side effects of low hormone levels, such as changes in sexual function. Michael Nedelman and Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN

Side effects are seen as less acceptable in male contraceptives

While certain symptoms are considered acceptable in female contraceptives, because they are weighed against the risks of pregnancy, they are often viewed as deal breakers for male contraceptives, because the comparison group is healthy young men. Lisa Campo-Engelstein, BBC

Men may not want to take it

Its not clear whether men would take a birth control pill: Some surveys show that men are reluctant, while others suggest the opposite. The most pervasive feeling might be apathy a sense of complacency because women are running the contraceptive show. Arielle Pardes, Wired

Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com.

Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Jane Doe/Agency

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Why isn't there a male birth control pill? - Yahoo Sports

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MELBOURNE The fairness of transgender athletes competing in women's sports will be under the microscope in Australia on Sunday when New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard continues her bid to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Hubbard, who competed in men's weightlifting competitions before transitioning seven years ago, will lift in the women's 87-plus kg division in the Australian Open in Canberra on Sunday.

She kept her Olympic hopes alive by winning last month's World Cup in Rome where she lifted 270kg, edging Ukraine's Anastasiia Lysenko by 4kg.

The Australian Open offers another chance for 42-year-old Hubbard to shore up ranking points in qualifying, which requires lifters to compete in at least six events in an 18-month period before the Games.

Hubbard is eligible to compete in women's events, according to the International Weightlifting Federation's guidelines for the inclusion of transgender athletes. She is also eligible to lift at Tokyo if she qualifies.

The International Olympic Committee's guidelines, issued in 2015, allow any transgender athlete to compete as a woman provided their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per liter for at least 12 months before their first competition.

Some scientists have criticized the guidelines, saying they do little to mitigate the biological advantages of those who have gone through puberty as males, including bone and muscle density.

Sports like weightlifting, which place a premium on strength, are at the center of the debate.

Hubbard's participation in women's events has dismayed rival lifters and their coaches.

Her gold medal wins at the Pacific Games in Samoa last year, where she topped the podium ahead of Samoa's Commonwealth Games champion Feagaiga Stowers, triggered outrage in the island nation. [nL4N24V1GQ]

Australia's weightlifting federation sought to block Hubbard from competing at their home Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018 but organizers rejected their bid.

Australian former track athlete Tamsyn Manou, who won three Commonwealth golds competing as Tamsyn Lewis from 1998-2006, said on Thursday that women needed to "take a stand" over the inclusion of transgender athletes in their sports.

"There's been a lot of people who are scared to come out and say anything because of political correctness," Manou told local radio station 2GB.

Qualifying for Tokyo would be a triumph for the media-shy Hubbard, who thought her weightlifting career was over after suffering a serious arm injury at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Coming back from surgery, she has had unwavering support from Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand for her Tokyo bid.

"Nothing has changed for us," Simon Kent, OWNZ's head of high performance told Reuters. "We are still following the same parameters we have since the get-go. We follow the IOC protocols and as Laurel said, she meets (them)."

(Additional reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Link:
Transgender Weightlifter Hubbard Continues Tokyo Bid in Australia - The New York Times

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A Canadian father of two is leading the way in parenting after he threw his trans son a party to celebrate the start of his testosterone treatment.

Dave Scott went viral as his innocent emoji-laden tweets about party preparations captured the hearts of everyone on social media.

So this month my 16yo son started testosterone, he wrote. Today hes throwing a 1 yr T-Versary.

My kitchen is full of teens playing beer pong and having mock-tails, and weve got the chocolate fountain going. Its a happy place. & Im worn out with running errands all day.

The story continued as the proud dad tweeted throughout the evening, cheerfully watching from the sidelines as the teens enjoyed homemade tacos and committed the curious food crime of onions in a chocolate fondue.

He included a message for other trans people watching: Lots of love to everybody out there. Remember, you guys are valid no matter how you transition or what your journey entails. And sometimes you cant transition, so stay safe everybody.

The party ended with cupcake decorating in trans flag colours of course and Scott finally got to take a picture with his son. Were touched by the love shared here, in Twitterverse, he wrote. Love is Love, Trans Rights are Human Rights.

Three cheers to Dave Scott for showing the world how easy it is to love and accept trans kids (although we think you couldve skipped the chocolate onion part).

Excerpt from:
Dad throws trans son a party to celebrate his transition and its the light we need in this dark, dark world - PinkNews

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Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a commonly encountered problem that affects nearly 30 million American men. Although ED statistics increase with age, it doesnt have to really be a part of the aging process.

The World Health Organization recognizes sexual health as an integral state of physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. But, as they age, men can sometimes find it hard to keep it up. Age-related erectile dysfunction can be due to several underlying health conditions including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Experts consider ED as the primary sign of a stroke or a heart attack too. ED could also be attributed to the lowering of testosterone with age, oxidation and age-related atrophies of nerve endings.

Here are some ways to slow down the process of ED:

1. Stay nourished

Needless to say, the key to delaying the aging process is a well-balanced diet. Consuming fresh and unprocessed foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes can supply all the nutrients and antioxidants that help counteract the aging process. When nitrates in the above-mentioned foods are converted to Nitrous oxide, it works along with other antioxidants to help stave off age-related damages to the blood vessels.

2. Trim down

Excess fat can reduce the levels of testosterone in the body and convert them into estrogens instead. It also releases certain toxic free-radicals that play a vital role in aging. Staying lean is thereby the only solution to prevent the above-mentioned mishaps

3. Keep Moving

Moderate-intensity exercises such as walking could help restore sexual performance in obese middle-aged men suffering from ED. Per the results of a Harvard study, 30 minutes of walking every day reduce ED risk by 41%.

4. Practice Kegel

The muscles around your penis might get weaker as you get older. Kegel exercises can help strengthen those muscles and help prevent ED. They are involved in keeping the blood trapped in the erection and during ejaculation. Practice them several times in a row and every day.

5. Take care of your vascular health

Health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol can all cause damage to the arteries in the heart, brain and those that lead towards the penis. It is important to pay attention to your vascular health and get treated or make lifestyle changes if advised.

lifestyle changes to reverse erectile dysfunction Photo: PhotoMIX-Company, Pixabay

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5 Effective Ways To Prevent Age-Related Erectile Dysfunction - International Business Times

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I have been intentionally losing weight for a couple of years. I have now lost about 60 pounds and am at a weight that I havent seen in about 25 years.

I have noticed some interesting things about losing weight.

The first thing that has surprised me is that everyone that notices I have lost weight has said the same thing. Youve lost weight! Are you alright?

Yes, I am very well, thank you. I suppose it is because I am over age 60 that everyone assumes that I may be ill. Who knows, maybe I dont look so good? Anyway, I am doing very well and feel great!

The second thing I have noticed is that people seem surprised when they ask me how I lost weight and I simply say, I have been eating less food.

They are waiting for me to recommend some amazing trendy diet, exotic supplement that melts fat away, or an expensive weight loss plan. Many seem surprised that I dont even go to a gym.

I have studied weight loss for a number of years and at one time we offered a very successful weight loss plan in our office. There are a number of ways to successfully lose weight. To choose a method it is important to first decide on your true goals.

Unfortunately, most people are seduced by the ads that promise to help you shed 30 pounds in your first month. In the back of their mind, what they really want is to be slimmer and stay slimmer. In many cases they want to turn back the clock to an earlier time in their life before they gained excess weight.

But another part of their brain is easily enticed by the slick ads that promise quick results easily. Only in rare cases does quick weight loss equate to lasting weight loss. Usually the weight you lose quickly amounts to stored water that you will quickly regain.

So many people in our culture are overweight or obese that it can almost be universally said that practically everyone would like to lose weight. I was in that category for years, but didnt do much about it. Only when I took a methodical, persistent approach did I accomplish significant weight loss.

I checked my Body Mass Index (BMI) this week. I was pleased to note that while only a couple of years ago I was moving from the overweight into the obese category, now I am solidly in the normal category. That is a good feeling.

There are a couple of things that are important to communicate in this column. The first one is that for most people, notwithstanding specific medical or genetic disorders, it is indeed possible to lose all the weight you need to lose without resorting to gimmicky weight loss schemes. If the methods you have tried in the past have not worked, try a different sensible approach.

Secondly, weight loss that matters is fat loss. Losing a fast 10 pounds of water weight does nothing but dehydrate you and falsely elevate your ego for a few weeks. The weight that matters is excess fat. If you are overweight, you are too fat.

The next thing that is important to talk about is that it is fat you cannot see is affecting your health. You may look in the mirror and see that bulge in the belly, those thighs that bug you or a double chin that you wish would go away, but that is not the fat that matters most to your health.

It is the fat that has accumulated in places like your heart, blood vessels, liver, pancreas and other organs that matters. You cant see that fat, so you dont know about it unless a doctor tells you about it after some testing or imaging.

The good news is that as the visible fat of your body begins to disappear, so does the unseen fat that has invaded your organs. That is a slow process that requires months to years to reverse but it can happen.

Research has proven that it is possible.

In fact, research has proven that it is possible to actually slow or even reverse a number of diseases and health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, by losing weight. That sentence really should say losing fat because it is the invisible internal fat loss that matters most and that happens only from true slow methodical fat loss.

So many people have just quit even trying to lose weight and resigned to being obese, thinking there is just no way to successfully lose the excess weight. If that is your thought, I urge you to reconsider. It is possible to regain a healthy weight with the right, sensible approach. Your health will benefit, you will feel and look better and you will save a lot of money in future healthcare expenses.

Dr. Mark Kestner is a licensed chiropractic physician in Murfreesboro. His office is at 1435 NW Broad St. Contact him at mkestner@DrKestner.com.

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The secret to losing weight is there's no secret - Murfreesboro Post

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