Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 443«..1020..442443444445..450460..»

Home » Page 443

According to the CDC, over 40% of Americans are obese and nearly three-quarters are overweight. Estimates suggest that an overweight person will pay nearly $1,500 more in medical costs while remaining more susceptible to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other serious health complaints.

In other words, every extra pound of fat that you carry impacts your health, wallet, and life expectancy.

Its a scary statistic, and its one that Dr. James Kojian and his team of clinicians are keen to remedy.

As a leading weight-loss specialist, Dr. Kojian has already helped thousands of Americans to shed pounds and improve their health, and every day he moves a little closer to his goal of fixing Americas obesity epidemic, one patient at a time.

Dr. Kojians Weight-Loss Work

These are just a few of Dr. Kojians patients, all of whom acquired his services through the DrToHelp.com website. Dr. Kojian has earned himself a reputation as a caring and professional doctor who gets the job done, as these and countless other patient testimonials prove.

The doctor works alongside a highly experienced team of healthcare experts (including Dr. Peek, Dr. Pearlson, Jennifer Durst, Alecia Iglesias, Melissa Cox, and Catie Collins) and prescribes weight-loss drugs online.

If youre a new customer, you just need to complete a form, answer some basic health questions, and book a Free Consultation. A doctor will then determine if you are a good fit or not, taking your size, age, pre-existing health conditions, and several other factors into consideration.

Once you have a prescription, you can order refills with just a few clicks and ask the doctor anything thats on your mind.

The Benefits of Weight-Loss

Dr. Kojian prescribes a safe and effective weight-loss drug known as Phentermine. It is approved by the FDA and is considered very safe and well-tolerated.

Phentermine causes fast but safe weight loss, helping patients to shed several pounds a week. In fact, the majority of Dr. Kojians patients have lost an average of 40 to 50 lbs. of unhealthy weight and have done so in a way that minimizes side effects and discomfort.

Phentermine was approved by the FDA way back in 1959 and is considered to be one of the safest weight loss drugs on the market, making it a popular choice for Dr. Kojian. It works primarily by suppressing the appetite, thus helping patients to reduce their calorie intake, eliminate binge eating, and beat those cravings.

On paper, weight-loss is a simple and straightforward process and essentially boils down to calories in vs calories out, but in reality, it goes much deeper than that.

Eating the wrong foods means youll still be hungry even after youve met your calorie requirements. And if you use food as a crutch, as is the case for many people who struggle with their weight, its hard to reduce your calories.

Phentermine negates these issues, allowing patients to meet their daily targets without feeling like theyre losing their minds. It has been a godsend, and while its usually recommended for a limited period only, thats often more than enough to start the ball rolling.

Studies show that phentermine users lose an average of 5-10% of their body weight in just 12 weeks. This means that a 300 -person can expect to drop up to 30 pounds, and thats without taking exercise into the equation.

Its an incredibly effective drug, and one that Dr. Kojian has used to help thousands of patients.

Summary: Dr. Kojians Work

By losing so much weight so quickly, Dr. Kojians patients have significantly improved their health and well-being while decreasing the risk of chronic disease.

Dr. Kojians work extends far beyond a simple prescription. He helps his customers by providing weight-loss advice, exercise tips, and encouragement, attacking the problem from every possible angle and increasing the patients chance of success.

Its why Dr. Kojian has been so successful over the years and why hes one of the internets favorite doctors.

Read the rest here:
How Dr. Kojian Is Helping Millions of Americans to Lose Weight Healthily - LatestLY

Read More..

Starvation ketoacidosis happens when a person has undergone an extended period of fasting. During starvation ketoacidosis, fatty acids replace glucose as the primary source of fuel for the body.

Starvation ketoacidosis is rare, but certain people may have a higher risk of developing it than others. Individuals at higher risk include those with eating disorders.

Starvation ketoacidosis can be serious if a person does not seek treatment, and it could even result in death.

This article discusses starvation ketoacidosis in more detail, including its symptoms and how to treat and prevent it.

Ketoacidosis is a metabolic state associated with high levels of ketones in the blood. Ketones build up when the body breaks down fatty acids to use for energy in place of carbohydrate.

Starvation ketoacidosis occurs when the body has not received enough glucose as its primary energy source for a prolonged period.

There are various reasons why a person may have fasted for a long time, including:

Mild ketosis meaning that the body uses fat as an energy source can occur after a 1214 hour fast.

Ketoacidosis happens when a buildup of ketones causes the blood to become acidic. In starvation ketoacidosis, once the body has run out of fat, it starts to break down muscle, which releases amino acids and lactate into a persons blood. The liver then breaks these down into sugars to use for fuel.

The transition from ketosis to ketoacidosis can occur after 23 days of fasting. After a couple more days, the breakdown of muscle may begin.

Learn more about the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis here.

According to a 2020 article, there are three types of ketoacidosis:

Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when a persons body starts to run out of insulin, which can be life threatening.

Diabetic ketoacidosis can happen in people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but it is more likely to affect those with type 1 diabetes.

Learn about diabetic ketoacidosis here.

According to a 2020 review, alcoholic ketoacidosis mostly affects people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol and find that the resulting symptoms such as vomiting, anxiety, and abdominal pain make them unable to eat solid food for 13 days.

Alcoholic ketoacidosis happens when a persons body cannot make use of glucose from their diet.

The alcohol in their blood keeps their blood sugar low and hampers the production of glucose by the liver.

The signs and symptoms of starvation ketoacidosis can include:

A 2020 case report presented information about people with psychiatric issues and starvation ketoacidosis. The authors conclude that making an accurate diagnosis may be more challenging in people with psychiatric disorders, as these individuals may not be able to provide an accurate history of their health or eating habits. As a result, there may be a delay in treatment.

Possible causes of starvation ketoacidosis include:

Most people who have easy access to food have a low risk of developing starvation ketoacidosis.

However, intermittent fasting, particularly in combination with an extreme diet such as the ketogenic diet, can put a person at higher risk of developing ketoacidosis. People interested in following specialized diets, such as the keto diet, should talk with their doctor before starting the diet.

A 2020 article lists the following risk factors for starvation ketoacidosis:

Starvation ketoacidosis does not occur frequently in healthy individuals, as it happens due to a lack of glucose from the diet after long periods of starvation.

Therefore, when starvation ketoacidosis occurs, a persons doctor may look for other causes of weight loss, which can delay diagnosis and treatment.

If a person experiences unexplained weight loss, they should tell their doctor about:

According to a 2020 article, a doctor will first need to stabilize the person before performing necessary tests, including blood tests, to check for electrolyte abnormalities and vitamin deficiencies. If a person receives a diagnosis of starvation ketoacidosis, the doctor will treat them accordingly.

Starvation ketoacidosis occurs when the body becomes deprived of necessary food and energy for a prolonged period. Although eating may seem to be the obvious therapy, it can be dangerous for a person who has lived a long time with malnutrition.

When a doctor treats a person for starvation ketoacidosis, they will need to monitor their electrolytes closely. During the process of introducing food, doctors will need to check and replace a persons potassium, phosphate, and magnesium.

One case study involved a person living with anorexia who had developed starvation ketoacidosis. Doctors treated this person with a dextrose solution for 15 hours, during which time the ketoacidosis improved.

With proper treatment, including the treatment of underlying health conditions such as anorexia, a person should make a full recovery.

When starvation ketoacidosis occurs, a persons body will often start to waste away. In other words, they will begin to look thinner or drawn out, and their bones will appear more pronounced.

Another complication is that a person may experience lethargy and a severe loss of strength because the body has begun to break down muscle.

Without treatment, ketoacidosis can be fatal.

People who are living with an underlying health condition or undergoing radiation therapy or surgery should work with their doctor to make sure that they can eat enough food to prevent ketoacidosis.

Help is also available for people living with eating disorders. Although treatment can be challenging, it can lead to recovery, offering the person a full and active life.

Eating disorders can severely affect the quality of life of people living with these conditions and those close to them. Early intervention and treatment greatly improve the likelihood of recovery.

Anyone who suspects that they or a loved one has an eating disorder can contact the National Eating Disorder Association for advice and support via:

These services are only open during specific hours. Someone in crisis can text NEDA to 741741 at any time to get support from a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line.

Alternatively, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) run a Disaster Distress Helpline that people can contact on 800-985-5990 for 24-7 support.

Many other resources are available, including:

Learn more about different types of eating disorder here.

Starvation ketoacidosis is an uncommon form of ketoacidosis. It occurs when a person does not consume enough food on a regular basis or cannot absorb nutrients correctly.

A doctor can check for starvation ketoacidosis with blood tests and will need to monitor the person as they start eating again.

Most healthy people with an adequate supply of food are not at risk. However, people living with eating disorders and those who have undergone certain medical procedures may have a higher risk of developing starvation ketoacidosis.

A full recovery is usually possible with treatment.

Original post:
Starvation ketoacidosis: Signs, causes, treatment, and more - Medical News Today

Read More..

If you have a prolapsed uterus, it means your uterus has slipped out of place and is pushing into your vagina. This happens when pelvic muscles and connective tissue become too weak to support your pelvic organs.

You may not have any symptoms with a mild prolapse. But as the uterus slips, it can push into the vagina. In severe cases, the uterus can bulge out of the vaginal opening.

A prolapsed uterus can cause a variety of symptoms affecting the vagina, lower abdomen, and lower back, such as:

Pelvic floor exercises can ease symptoms and sometimes reverse a mild case, but severe cases may call for additional treatment.

Discover the right way to do pelvic exercises for a prolapsed uterus and which exercises to avoid.

Research shows that pelvic floor muscle exercises can reduce organ prolapse and ease symptoms. Pelvic floor exercises, also called Kegel exercises, are known to help strengthen muscles and provide support for pelvic organs.

Its harder to find your pelvic floor muscles than, say, your biceps, because they dont show.

Start by choosing your position:

Do your pelvic floor exercises 3 times a day. Increase your hold time by 1 second a day until you reach 10 seconds.

As your comfort level grows, youll find that Kegels can become second nature and you can do them when standing or walking. This exercise will help with muscle strength and endurance.

You can also do a quick version to improve pelvic muscle reaction time, which will help if you have pain or leakage when you sneeze, cough, or laugh:

If you have trouble remembering to do Kegels, there are Kegel trainers and apps that can send you reminders and keep you motivated.

Heavy exertion can aggravate uterine prolapse. Your doctor can recommend exercises based on the severity of your prolapse. Discuss your overall exercise routine before doing activities that involve:

Because you have a prolapsed uterus, your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist. Pelvic floor therapy can be tailored to your needs and the therapist can monitor your progress.

Biofeedback can be incorporated into your routine to make sure the correct muscles are contracting as you exercise. This will help you get the most out of your efforts.

There are a few self-care measures that may improve symptoms or prevent them from getting worse. These include:

Uterine prolapse doesnt always require medical intervention. But if it does, the treatment you choose depends on factors such as:

A vaginal pessary is a rubber or silicone ring-shaped device used to support pelvic organs. They come in many shapes and sizes, so your doctor can help you find a good fit.

Youll also learn how to insert it and remove it safely, as well as how to keep it clean. These devices can be used as short- or long-term treatment.

Surgical options include:

The uterus can slip when pelvic muscles and connective tissue weaken and can no longer provide adequate support. There are several reasons this might happen, including:

Over time, the severity of the prolapse can get worse.

You cant control everything that can contribute to a prolapsed uterus. But research shows that pelvic floor muscle training can help reduce prolapse symptoms. It can also help prevent further prolapse in people who already have prolapse. Making a habit out of Kegels is a good idea.

Other ways to help lower the chances of pelvic organ prolapse are:

If you have a mild prolapse, you might not have any symptoms. But see your healthcare professional if you have:

Its important to get a diagnosis because uterine prolapse symptoms are similar to those of bladder, rectum, and vaginal vault prolapse. It could also be that several organs are slipping out of place.

Your doctor will likely begin with pelvic and rectal exams. Imaging tests may be needed to help make the diagnosis, which will guide the next steps.

A prolapsed uterus has moved out of place and is pushing into the vagina. This can cause symptoms such as painful sex, general discomfort, and a feeling of heaviness in the vagina.

In some cases, its possible to ease symptoms or reverse a mild uterine prolapse by doing pelvic muscle exercises, along with other self-care measures. Prolapsed uterus doesnt always require other treatment. But in severe cases, use of a vaginal pessary can provide the necessary support. There are a few surgical options as well.

Pelvic muscle exercises may also help prevent organ prolapse, so consider making Kegels part of your daily routine. If you have symptoms of uterine prolapse, see a healthcare professional to find out for sure.

Originally posted here:
Prolapsed Uterus Exercise: What to Do and Not Do - Healthline

Read More..

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Heres our process.

I tried to fit into someone elses standard of beauty for too long. Now Im creating my own.

I have an unhealthy obsession with mirrors. It started when I was a teenager taking dance classes at first one, then two, then three different studios. Ballet, tap, jazz, modern, acrobatics I did it all.

In the beginning, it was fun. I did it for the love of the art form and for the friends I made.

But somewhere around the age of 14, I began to take it more seriously and see it as a possible career a future where I could combine my love for the performing arts with my love for writing. By 18, I decided I wanted to major in dance and English so I could write and choreograph musicals.

But I had a secret. I wasnt healthy. I was purging to keep my weight down ahead of every major performance, audition, or anytime the scale crept up higher than my liking.

Its no secret that the dance world has historically elevated a standard of beauty and fitness thats unattainable for many and for Black girls, especially.

My quest to pursue a professional dance career meant forcing myself to meet an expectation that wasnt designed with me in mind.

It was the first time I felt what so many Black women have felt when trying to navigate the fitness world, where the message is that the ideal body isnt a Black body.

Rejection compounded the pressure I felt as a dancer. After auditioning for several university dance programs, the top programs said no, and those I was accepted into, I didnt want to attend (though now as an adult I truly question my reasons for turning down Howard).

Rejection and unattainable standards are a potent combination.

I binged when I craved sweets and junk food, or anytime, really, because I also liked to eat. I enjoy food it doesnt matter if its baked salmon seasoned with dill and a side of sauted kale with garlic, or a large chicken finger plate from Zaxbys. Mealtime is a time that makes me and my stomach happy.

And afterward, I purged when I felt like I needed to control the outcome.

When I finally started college, I auditioned for the dance program at my university twice. I was rejected twice. At 19, I accepted the fact that dance was something I could not make a living doing, no matter how much I loved it.

I settled for dancing with an on-campus extracurricular company and switched my academic focus to journalism and creative writing.

By releasing the pressure I put on myself to excel at dance, I was able to release some of my unhealthy habits, too. Soon after I started undergraduate school, I stopped my cycle of binging and purging.

The freshman 15 was my friend. I went to the gym when I felt like it, going through cycles of working out heavily to not wanting to work out at all. More than a decade later, these are still my habits, for better or worse.

My relationship with my health, fitness, and overall wellness is complicated and messy. Right now, Im in a period of not working out. I havent been on my yoga mat since October when I confirmed I was pregnant with my second child.

I look at the mat and know I should pull it out and go through a flow, especially since I continued to practice yoga until 36 weeks when I was pregnant with my son but I dont.

Ive had gym memberships that Ive actually used. Id go three times a week, spend an hour doing cardio and another hour to 90 minutes doing strength training.

Ive had memberships to various yoga studios that I would visit at least twice a week. Recently, when I was in a workout phase, I followed along to live Baptiste yoga podcast classes (because, free) and got my fitness in that way either with an electric heater running in my bedroom, or outside in the heat and humidity at the height of Florida summers.

Still, I am motivated by the mirror, my vanity, staring at my reflection and praying I see what I like in my body. But Im not trying to be skinny. I dont want to be.

Im a Black woman. Ive got boobs and booty the latter Id like to be a little thicker along with some hips and thighs. Im not mad about it. Im not trying to get rid of it.

I want to keep my stomach as flat as possible but even there I give myself some grace. This body of mine has produced life and will do so again soon.

It has taken a long time for me to get to this place of acceptance. To look at the number on the scale and be kind of OK with it. To see myself in clothes and be like, Damn, you fine girl.

Still, when I look at the number in my body mass index (BMI) chart on my health app, it constantly says Im overweight even at my smallest. I dismiss it laughingly as racist.

In the world of fitness, wellness, and beauty, the ideal is lithe and white adjectives that will never describe me or many other Black women.

Yet, we have to navigate our way through the fitness, wellness, and beauty industries knowing that even though we arent the standard or even the target audience were still beautiful and deserving of safe spaces where we can work out, relax, meditate, and vibrate a little higher.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest prevalence of obesity. While rates of obesity tend to decline with an increase in income, the CDC found that for Black women, theres no difference in obesity prevalence no matter how much or little we make (1).

Its common knowledge among Black women that we often put ourselves last to make sure our family, friends, and even coworkers around us are taken care of.

This overextension compounds our stress, which is a factor in weight gain. And, if were taking care of everyone else, we usually end up being too tired to take care of ourselves, even though we know we should.

This is why groups like Black Girls Run exist. The organization was founded in 2009 in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the Black community, especially among Black women.

Its groups like these that make the fitness space more inclusive and accessible. They intrinsically understand the unique fitness and wellness challenges of their audience, reach out to us, and love on us anyway.

Such compassion is also seen in a group like Black Girls Hike or the work of yoga influencers Jessamyn Stanley and Britteny Floyd-Mayo from Trap Yoga Bae.

Were living in a time when the quarantine 15 is a real byproduct of the stressors of living life in a global pandemic, and stress is more compounded for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) for a myriad of reasons from racism to health disparities to income inequality (2, 3).

In a time when women have lost the most in terms of position and footing in the workforce and overall economy, fitness may not be top of mind for many of us Black women right now (4).

But when it is when it becomes a priority for you, and for me, again there are spaces curated just for us. Whenever were ready to say yes to us, there are people out there working to help us become our fittest and healthiest selves.

As for me, one day (likely after baby number two makes her arrival in the world) I will find a way to return to my mat and take care of myself physically.

Until then, I remain encouraged because I know Black girls run, Black girls walk, Black girls hike, Black girls bike, Black girls swim, Black girls skate, Black girls dance, Black girls practice yoga, and so much more.

Our health matters. Its integral to our lives, and fitness is for us.

Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning news producer and award winning author. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Florida State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication: Mass Media Studies and Honors English Creative Writing. Nikeshas debut novel, Four Women, was awarded the 2018 Florida Authors and Publishers Association Presidents Award in the category of Adult Contemporary/Literary Fiction. Four Women was also recognized by the National Association of Black Journalists as an Outstanding Literary Work. Nikesha is a full-time writer and writing coach and has freelanced for several publications including VOX, Very Smart Brothas, and Shadow and Act. Nikesha lives in Jacksonville, Florida, but you can always find her online at contact@newwrites.com, Facebook.com/NikeshaElise, or @Nikesha_Elise on Twitter and Instagram.

Read more from the original source:
A Black Woman's Journey to Redefine What Fit Looks Like - Healthline

Read More..

Did you know that more than 1.5 billion adults are overweight? Because obesity is one of the leading causes of death, this statistic represents a global health crisis.

Beyond obesity, many people set goals and resolutions to lose weight and enjoy a slimmer body. Losing weight can make you feel better both mentally and physically.

Knowing some of the weight loss benefits can help you stay positive and keep up your motivation when your diet gets rough. Keep reading to learn some of the top 5 benefits of reaching a healthy weight!

When you lose weight it should be for yourself, not to please anyone else. But, enjoying a greater sense of confidence and better social connections is one of the greatest benefits of bodyweight loss.

Weight loss can increase your sex life by raising testosterone levels, making it easier to get into the mood and enjoy intimacy. You might also find that your new sense of confidence will make you feel more comfortable in the nude!

Youll have more energy and vitality too. Youll be able to spend more time moving around and doing things you enjoy with your friends!Avoiding pool days with your friends because you dont like how bikinis fit will become a problem of the past.

The fewer medications you have to take, the better youll feel. Losing a few extra pounds lowers the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and heart disease.

With a stronger heart and a healthier diet, you might be able to take less of your current doses and even eliminate some pills altogether.

This is one of the benefits of medical weight loss. By working with a specialist who creates a personalizedweight loss plan, they can tell you when its safe to ditch your medications.

The extra weight you carry puts pressure on your joints, making you feel heavier and tired. Weight loss will make it less tiring to move your body around so youll have moreenergy to enjoy.

In addition, youll find that youre sleeping better. Snoring and sleep apnea are caused by extra weight around the neck. They can ease with a weight loss of even 5%!

More hours of sleep will give you a spring in your step and make you more active during the day.

All bodies of all sizes are beautiful. However, if youre on a weight loss journey its because you want to improve your body in some way. Youll be able to enjoy not just a more shapely figure, but better hair, skin, and nails too!

Healthier foods have more nutrients that can improve your complexion and make your hair less limp and more luxurious. Regular exercise can also improve these characteristics.

As strange as it may seem, the less you eat the more youll enjoy it! Studies show that people who eat more are less sensitive to taste, which means that as you lose weight youll be able to enjoy the things that you eat.

Theres no reason not to enjoy a treat while you lose weight, and its even better when you can more fully enjoy an indulgence that youve earned.

Now that you know some of the benefits of weight loss and attaining a slimmer body, hopefully, you wont hesitate to reach out to a specialist to create a weight loss plan that works for you.

If youre interested in more health and lifestyle advice, check out the rest of our blog for more tips!

Trevor Anderson wrote this article on behalf of FreeUp. FreeUp is the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the US. FreeUp only accepts the top 1% of freelance applicants. Click here to get access to the top freelancers in the world.

Stamford Advocate and Hearst partners may earn revenue when readers click affiliate links in this article.

Originally posted here:
Slimmer Body: 5 Key Benefits of Losing Weight - The Advocate

Read More..

Many have a goal to lose weight, but can't achieve it alone; they simply need guidance. The same mindset is what leads to some fantastic transformations in just days thanks to Ideal You Health Center in Grand Rapids.

While other weight-loss programs count calories, use dietary supplements, or special shakes, Ideal You creates a special diet specific to your body to optimize your metabolism and burn fat. During the weight loss phase of the 40-day program, most people will burn between 2,000 and 5,000 calories a day of their own fat, so their body feels like it has eaten thousands of calories before eating a single bite of food. Once the body is trained to burn fat instead of sugar or carbohydrates, the weight loss results come faster than normal. Some patients lose over a pound per day.

Ideal You Health Center is located at 4551 Cascade Road Southeast in Grand Rapids. Learn more by visiting idealyou.us or give them a call at (844) 278-4443.

Also, if you book a free consultation you'll get $200 in free groceries when you sign up for the Ideal You program.

View post:
Ideal You can help you lose weight before the summer - Fox17

Read More..

The New York Times

WASHINGTON If America is dominated by car culture and the call of the open road, there is a big reason for that: Over the past 65 years, the United States has spent nearly $10 trillion in public funds on highways and roads and just one-quarter of that on subways, buses and passenger rail. But President Joe Bidens $2 trillion infrastructure plan, unveiled this week, represents one of the most ambitious efforts yet to challenge the centrality of the automobile in American life, by proposing to tilt federal spending far more toward public transportation and coax more people out of their cars. Experts say that transformation is necessary to tackle climate change but could prove extremely difficult in practice. As part of his plan, Biden wants to spend $85 billion over eight years to help cities modernize and expand their mass transit systems, in effect doubling federal spending on public transportation each year. There is also $80 billion to upgrade and extend intercity rail networks such as Amtrak. That would be one of the largest investments in passenger trains in decades. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times And while Bidens plan offers $115 billion for roads, the emphasis would be on fixing aging highways and bridges rather than expanding the road network. That, too, is a shift in priorities: In recent years, states have spent roughly half their highway money building new roads or widening existing ones which, studies have found, often just encourages more driving and does little to alleviate congestion. Theres no question that the share of funding going toward transit and rail in Bidens proposal is vastly larger than in any similar legislation weve seen in our lifetime, said Yonah Freemark, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute. Its a dramatic shift. When Congress writes new multibillion-dollar transportation bills every few years, typically about four-fifths of the money goes to highways and roads, a pattern that has held since the early 1980s. To many, that disparity makes sense. After all, roughly 80% of trips Americans take are by car or light truck, with just 3% by mass transit. But some experts say this gets the causality backward: Decades of government investment in roads and highways starting with the creation of the interstate highway system in 1956 have transformed most cities and suburbs into sprawling, car-centered environments where it can be dangerous to walk or bike. In addition to that, other reliable transit options are scarce. Were almost forcing everyone to drive, said Catherine Ross, an expert on transportation planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The choices that individuals make are deeply shaped by the infrastructure that we have built. Transportation now accounts for one-third of Americas planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, with most of that from hundreds of millions of gasoline-burning cars and SUVs. And while Biden is proposing $174 billion to promote cleaner electric vehicles, experts have said that helping Americans drive less will be crucial to meeting the administrations climate goals. Far too many Americans lack access to affordable public transit, and those who do have access are often met with delays and disruptions, Biden said Wednesday. We have the power to change that. But Biden, a longtime Amtrak rider and proponent, will face hurdles in trying to make the United States more train- and bus-friendly. His plan still needs to get through Congress, where lawmakers in rural and suburban districts often prefer money for roads. Nationwide, new transit projects have been plagued by soaring costs. The coronavirus pandemic has also led many Americans to avoid subways and buses in favor of private vehicles, and it remains unclear when or whether transit ridership will bounce back. The Biden administration may also have limited ability to sway the actions of state and local governments, which still account for the vast majority of transportation spending. Many key urban planning decisions such as whether to build dense housing near light-rail stations are made locally, and they can determine whether transit systems thrive or struggle. States are the emperors of transportation, said Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America, a transit advocacy group. But so much of the culture of our current program is based on what has come out of the Department of Transportation, so its an important statement if the Biden administration is saying its time to pivot. Analysts cautioned that the White House still has not revealed key details of the plan. Its effectiveness may hinge on how the proposal gets integrated with transportation bills currently being worked on in Congress, which could adjust the balance of funding between highways and transit or impose conditions on how states can use federal funding. Still, some transit agencies say a large infusion of federal money could be transformative. Many urban transit systems are more than a half-century old and struggle to secure enough funding to address their growing backlog of needed repairs. That typically leaves little money left over to consider major new expansions. In Philadelphia, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority needs federal aid to move forward on a $2 billion plan to extend rail service to King of Prussia, a fast-growing job center, as well as a $1.8 billion plan to modernize the citys aging trolleys, said Andrew Busch, a spokesperson for the agency. In the Bay Area, federal funding would be necessary to extend the Bay Area Rapid Transit light-rail system to San Jose, California, and create a regional network of carpooling lanes, said Randy Rentschler, director of legislation and public affairs at the regions Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Biden has also proposed spending $80 billion to upgrade and expand intercity rail service such as Amtrak. Right now the busiest Amtrak route is the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston, which Amtrak says needs $38 billion for upgrades and repairs. Other cities have infrequent and often inconvenient connections. For instance, to travel from Cincinnati to Chicago by rail, there is just one train per day. The trip takes nine hours, and the train departs at 1:41 a.m. Amtrak has suggested that, with $25 billion, it could greatly expand its network by 2035, adding 30 routes to cities currently unserved by intercity rail, like Las Vegas and Nashville, Tennessee, and improve service along 20 routes to cities like Houston and Cincinnati. Amtrak claimed that annual ridership would increase from 32 million today to 52 million, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by displacing car and air travel. Yet attempts to expand U.S. transit and rail systems may run into pitfalls. Building infrastructure in the United States has become notoriously expensive and difficult compared with other countries. In California, a plan for high-speed rail between Los Angeles and San Francisco that received federal funding from the Obama administration has struggled with repeated delays and cost overruns, and it remains unclear whether even a partial segment will be finished before 2030. The Biden proposal mentions this cost problem but is vague on ideas for how to fix it. Another challenge will be ensuring that funding goes to the most effective projects. When a lot of money is raining down from the top, states and localities will do whatever they can to get that money, said Paul Lewis, vice president for policy and finance at the Eno Center for Transportation, a nonpartisan research center in Washington. Sometimes that money may go to projects that arent the best projects. Lewis noted that improving the nations transportation system is not always a question of laying down new cement and steel. Often, the most effective changes may be operational, such as charging people more to drive during rush hour to alleviate congestion, lowering speed limits to improve traffic safety or increasing the frequency of bus routes to make them more useful to riders. Some experts have also questioned whether the Biden administration will try to rein in local governments preference for major highway expansion projects that, critics say, continue to deepen the nations reliance on automobiles. The administration has signaled a more skeptical stance toward highways. On Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration took the unusual step of pausing a planned expansion of Interstate 45 near Houston, amid concerns over increased air pollution and the displacement of Black and Hispanic communities. Separately, the Biden administrations infrastructure proposal includes $20 billion to improve road safety, including for pedestrians, as well as another $20 billion to reconnect neighborhoods that were harmed by past highway projects. But it remains to be seen how these programs will work. For instance, without strict conditions from the federal government, some states could simply take federal money intended for road repair and safety and then use their own state funds for further highway expansion. If this money isnt accompanied by real policy changes, said Kevin DeGood, director of infrastructure policy at the Center for American Progress, then states will just keep doing what theyve always done, which isnt equitable or green. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. 2021 The New York Times Company

View post:
Fitness expert reveals common reason why people don't shed pounds: 'If you're not losing weight...' - Yahoo News

Read More..

By Jocelyn KaiserApr. 1, 2021 , 10:10 AM

When New York City medical oncologist Vicky Makker meets a patient with endometrial cancer that has spread or recurred, she knows the outlook isnt good. Even after radiation and drug treatments, most women with advanced disease die within 5 years.

But this spring, Makker is helping launch two clinical trials she hopes will change the picture. The drug patients will receive, called a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, has already failed in multiple cancer trials. But the new studies are taking an unconventional tack to resurrect the drug: putting patients on a ketogenic diet, a low-carbohydrate regimen that typically involves loads of meat, cheese, eggs, and vegetables. The researchers hope the diet will render tumors more vulnerable to the drug, which blocks a growth-promoting pathway in cells. Its very outside of the mainstream thinking, says Makker, a researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The trials are the brainchild of cell metabolism researcher Lewis Cantley of Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM). Decades ago, he discovered the PI3K signaling pathway, which the drugs aim to target. More recently, his lab showed in mice that a ketogenic diet can counter tumors resistance to those drugs.

Cantley isnt the first to suggest that a particular diet, such as fasting or selectively reducing certain nutrients, can make cancer treatments work better. For at least a century, doctors and self-styled nutrition experts have touted the idea in bestselling books and, more recently, on popular websites. Theres a big industry there, but its not based on a real understanding of whats going on in a tumor cell, says cancer biologist Karen Vousden of the Francis Crick Institute in London. Still, some early clinical trials showed hints of an effect. Now, studies from high-profile labs are spawning a new wave of trials with more rigorous underpinnings.

Scientists including Vousden, who cofounded a company with Cantley to test diet-drug combinations in cancer trials, are unraveling the molecular pathways by which slashing calories or removing a dietary component can bolster the effects of drugs. In mice with cancer, the effects are oftentimes on the same order of magnitude as those from the drugs that we give patients. Thats a powerful thing to think about, says physician-scientist Matthew Vander Heiden of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. And the idea appeals to patients, he adds. Diet is something that people feel like they can control.

Still, compelling resultsin patients will be needed to overcome some oncologists view of special diets as fringy alternative medicine. The doubts often focus on a pioneer in the field, biochemist Valter Longo of the University of Southern California and the Italian Foundation for Cancer Researchs Institute of Molecular Oncology, who has built a huge popular following with his fasting research. Critics worry the media attention encourages cancer patients to diet without adequate evidence. Longo agrees patients should not improvise and says fasting needs more clinical testing.

His labs in Los Angeles and Milan are full of hungry mice. Longo began his career studying caloric restriction, which can extend the life spans of diverse species and has been shown to reduce the incidence of cancer in rodents and monkeys. Because few people can stay on low-calorie diets in the long term, Longo shifted his focus to fasting, a treatment offered for various ailments as far back as ancient Greece. In two key papers in 2008 and 2012, his team reported that reducing nutrients in the medium used to grow cells in a dish protected normal cells from the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs such as cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin, yet made cancer cells more likely to die. In mice with cancer, fastingdrinking only water for 2 or 3 dayshelped the drugs curb tumor growth and boosted the animals survival.

Longos explanation is that fasting, which lowers levels of glucose in the blood, causes healthy cells to hunker down in a protective mode. But cancer cells need to keep growing, which puts them at risk of starvation. Fasting also reduces the bodys production of hormones, such as insulin, that can drive tumor growth. Both effects may make the cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy.

(GRAPHIC) V. ALTOUNIAN/SCIENCE; (DATA) E. LIEN AND M. VANDER HEIDEN, NATURE REVIEWS CANCER, 19, 651, (2019)

Hoping to make fasting easier on cancer patients, Longos team showed that merely limiting calories for a few days has similar effects on blood hormones and other biomarkers. A company Longo started in 2009, L-Nutra, supplies that fasting-mimicking diet for clinical trials: packets of crackers, soups, teas, and nut bars. The company also sells the meal kits online to the public, touting them as a way to combat aging. After facing criticism for profiting off a product that hasnt been fully validated, Longo began to donate profits from his shares in the company to charity in 2017.

Animal studies supporting the benefits of fasting-mimicking diets in cancer are now plentiful. Last year, Longos team reported that restricting calories enhanced the effects of hormone therapies in mice with breast cancer. Another team reported a synergistic effect with immunotherapies, again in mice. There are probably 100 papers on this, almost all positive, Longo says.

In small, preliminary clinical trials, Longos team and others showed that the fasting-mimicking diet may protect against some side effects of chemotherapy. Carolina Sandoval of Pasadena, California, age 40, participated in one of Longos intermittent fasting trials for 2 months last fall during four cycles of chemotherapy to fight breast cancer. It was really hard, she says, especially when the chemo affected her taste buds. I couldnt bear the taste of some of the food, and she lost weight, she says.

But Sandoval also says she thinks the diet spared her from some of the nausea and fatigue of chemotherapy and allowed her to avoid taking days off from her job teaching high school online. She hopes the fasting put my good cells to sleep, and the chemotherapy was able to attack more of my cancer cells, she says. I would do it again.

However, the first trial aiming to rigorously test whether a fasting-mimicking diet can make chemotherapy work better faltered, partly because participants found the diet unappetizing. The study, launched in 2014 and led by oncologist Judith Kroep of Leiden University Medical Center, monitored 131 Dutch women with early stage breast cancer who were slated to receive chemotherapy before surgery. They were randomly assigned to follow either Longos fasting-mimicking diet or a regular diet for 4 days leading up to each round of chemo. But many women disliked the taste and lack of choices in the diet, and just 20% completed all eight cycles. In part because of the dropout rate, Kroeps team couldnt go on to compare biomarkers predicting overall survival in the two groups.

Yet the trial did yield hints that chemotherapy was more potent and less toxic to healthy cells in women who completed at least two cycles of the fasting-mimicking diet. Scans showed their tumors were more likely to shrink, and immune cells in their blood had less DNA damage from chemotherapy, Kroep, Longo, and colleagues reported last year inNature Communications. Longo calls that remarkable evidence that the diet worked. But without definitive evidence that dieters were more likely to survive longer, other researchers found the trial inconclusive.

And when Kroep and a patient from the trial were featured on a Dutch TV program in late 2019, an uproar ensued from physicians and dietitians worried women with cancer would fast on their own. Medical groups and Kroeps own institute released cautionary statements. I agree that confirmation is needed before we can advise patients to fast, also because it is not always easy, says Kroep, who is planning a new trial with changes to make the diet more appealing.

Longo hopes for a bigger test. His team has applied to the U.S. National Cancer Institute for a $12 million grant to run a 460-patient clinical trial at 11 hospitals of a fasting-mimicking diet and chemotherapy for breast cancer. The agency includes whether fasting works on a list of provocative questions in cancer. If it happens, its going to be very exciting, Longo says.

Patients who balkat cutting calories may have an easier time with the popular low-carb ketogenic diet that, like fasting, lowers glucose and hormone levels in blood. Generally speaking, the ketogenic diet and fasting are two roads to a similar metabolic state, says Princeton University biochemist Joshua Rabinowitz. A ketogenic diet also forces the liver to turn excess fat into molecules called ketone bodies that glucose-craving cancer cells struggle to burn for energy, some scientists suggest. The approach has been used to treat epilepsy since the 1920s, when researchers discovered the seizure-reducing effects of the ketogenic diet on brain metabolism.

Karen Vousden (top), Lewis Cantley, and Valter Longo (bottom) are all testingtailored diets to improve cancer treatments.

Animal studies going back a decade suggest a ketogenic diet can enhance the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Case reports and some small clinical trials hint that the diet may extend the lives of cancer patientsparticularly those with the brain cancer glioblastoma, which tends to use large amounts of glucose.

Cantley turned to a ketogenic diet because of a major disappointment: Drugs based on his discovery of the PI3K pathway that drives growth in many tumors largely flopped in trials in the 2010s. Except for blood and breast cancer studies that led to drug approvals, the trials were a disaster, Cantley says. Billions of dollars went into efforts that failed.

He thinks he knows why. The drugs cause a side effecta rise in blood sugarthat doctors often treat with insulin. But insulin stimulates the PI3K pathway in tumors and cancels out the cancer drugs effects. In a study published in 2018, Cantleys team fed a ketogenic diet designed to lower the bodys natural insulin production to cancer-afflicted mice receiving a PI3K drug. The researchers found that the diet allowed the drug to keep working and curbed tumor growth.

The two trials Makker is co-leading will soon test whether that hypothesis holds up in people with endometrial and some other cancers bearing a mutation in one of two genes that rev up the PI3K pathway. In one trial, participants will shop for and prepare meals according to instructions. In the other, the company Faeth Therapeutics that Cantley co-founded will ship meals to patients to help them stay on track.

Memorial Sloan Kettering and WCM are already running a feasibility test, supplying 4 weeks of packaged meals to about 30 women with endometrial cancer awaiting surgery. They like the food, which is really great to see, Makker says. And blood tests showed a drop in insulin and other changes that mirrored the mouse model, says WCM endocrinologist Marcus Goncalves, a co-investigator for the study and the two new trials.

If those trials show the ketogenic diet helps curb tumor growth for a year or two longer than the PI3K inhibitor otherwise would, the diet could become the standard of care, Cantley says. That will be what physicians will tell patients to do.

A ketogenic diet may enhance other cancer treatments, too. Immunologist Laurence Zitvogel of the Gustave Roussy Institute in France recently studied mice with skin, kidney, or lung cancers receiving a drug known as a checkpoint inhibitor that helps the immune systems T cells kill tumors. In animals on a ketogenic diet, the ketone bodies they produced boosted the T cells power, her team reported in January. Rabinowitz and collaborators have begun enrollment for a 40-person trial to see whether the diet can enhance the impact on pancreatic cancer of a chemotherapy cocktail.

But researchers warn that a ketogenic diet could backfire and fuel the growth of fat-loving cancers such as those of the breast and prostate and others with certain mutations. Cantley found the diet spurred tumor growth in mice with leukemia. In a recent study, researchers found that, contrary to prevailing thought, glioblastoma tumors can get around the dearth of glucose by feeding on ketone bodies. To safely harness a ketogenic diet as treatment, you need to really understand how and where it works, Vander Heiden says.

Other researchers areexploring an even more precise dietary limitation: cutting out specific amino acids, best known as the building blocks of proteins but also key to many other metabolic processes. Vousden unexpectedly veered into that line of research while studying a cancer-preventing gene calledp53. The protein it encodes can trigger cells that have DNA damage to self-destruct, stopping them from turning cancerous. The gene is mutated in many tumors, allowing unrestrained growth.

But in 2005, a U.S. lab reported a surprising finding: The intact p53 protein helps healthy cells survive when glucose is scarce, suggestingp53-mutated cancer cells are especially vulnerable to glucose limitation. Vousden wondered whether the protein also helps cells survive a shortage of other, less explored nutrients, such as amino acidsand whether the mutatedp53in cancer would make the cells less resilient.

To find out, her postdoc Oliver Maddocks methodically removed various amino acids from cancer cells culture medium. Many types of cancer cells grew more slowly when deprived of two related amino acids, serine and glycine, and deletingp53ramped up that effect. The scientists then tested the effects of a serine- and glycine-free diet in mice. To some colleagues, doing so seemed kind of a pointless experiment, Maddocks says, because the molecules are nonessential amino acids, meaning the body can make them even if they are absent from the diet.

But the experiment wasnt pointless. Several tumor types, it turned out, could not efficiently make serine on their own. Maddocks and Vousden reported in 2013 and 2017 that the special diet slowed cancer growth and extended the lives of mice implanted with colon cancer cells lackingp53as well as in mice engineered to develop lymphoma or colon tumors. Cells need serine or glycine to make a compound that sops up DNA-damaging free radicals, and the deprivation made tumor cells more sensitive to that oxidative stress. Radiation and some chemotherapies kill cells by generating free radicals, so the results suggested the diet could prime tumors for those treatments.

[In mice],effects are oftentimes on the same order of magnitude as those from the drugs that we give patients. Thats a powerful thing to think about.

Similar findings have emerged for other amino acids. Limiting the essential amino acid methionine appears to amplify the effects of radiation and chemotherapy in mice with colon cancer and sarcomas. And removing asparagine, an amino acid abundant in asparagus, from mouse diets curbed the spread of metastatic breast cancer, suggesting the diet could enhance drug treatments.

As with serine, depriving mice of one of those amino acids apparently disrupts metabolic cycles by which cancer cells respond to oxidative stress, synthesize DNA, and turn genes off and on. The idea isnt totally new. Cancer drugs known as antifolates developed in the 1940s also broadly affect pathways that are sensitive to the levels of nutrients in our diet, says cancer biologist David Sabatini of MITs Whitehead Institute.

Removing a specific amino acid from a persons diet wont be easy. Patients will have to eliminate all protein-rich foods, including grains, meat, and beans, and drink a specially formulated shake lacking the relevant amino acid. But that approach is not unprecedented: People born with the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria, for whom the amino acid phenylalanine is a neurotoxin, stay healthy by getting amino acids from a phenylalanine-free drink.

The company Vousden and Cantley founded, Faeth (Welsh for nutrition), is gearing up to test amino aciddepleted diets in two clinical trials this year. Faeth, also cofounded by Maddocks, will combine chemotherapy with a shake lacking specific amino acids, delivered to participants homes alongside other meal components, such as salads. The researchers got support from private investors after failing to win research grants for their idea, says Maddocks, now at the University of Glasgow. Its quite out of the box.

Looming over allthose trials is the question of whether patients will be able to stick to the diets. Many people struggle with the high fat content of a strict ketogenic diet, for example. Its like eating butter all the time, Vander Heiden says. Some very sick patients may be too underweight to follow any diet that restricts their caloric intake. And people getting treatments such as PI3K inhibitors or hormone therapy for months or years may have to keep up a special diet for just as longa daunting prospect.

If a diet turns out to work long term, the cost of delivering meals to patients could add up. But Maddocks notes that meals should still be cheaper than many cancer drugs.

A simpler alternative to diet changes might be drugs that have some of the same effectsfor instance, an enzyme that blocks cells from synthesizing a specific amino acid. In Zitvogels mouse study, adding ketone bodies to the animals chow worked as well as a ketogenic diet at boosting immunotherapies; she now plans to compare the two in a clinical trial.

Another concern is that tumors may harbor some cells that resist the effects of special diets. Longo argues thats unlikely with a fasting-mimicking diet because it takes away so many things from the cancer that some of them are bound to be important. But work led by Vousden and Maddocks showed that some tumors with a mutation in a gene calledKRAScan get around a serine-free diet by ramping up their own serine synthesis. And a serine-free diet would have little effect on breast cancer cells that spread to the pancreas, which is naturally awash in that nutrient, Vander Heidens group reported. Every tissue has its own metabolic flavor, says bioengineer Christian Metallo of the University of California, San Diego.

Maddocks expects the cancer-diet field will take years to move from piecemeal forays to a clear understanding of each diets pros and cons. Establishing that a specific diet works well enough to become part of routine clinical care also will take time. But Zitvogel says fighting cancer with diet is no longer a fringe idea. The field is at the start of a new era where people will really take diet seriously into account, she says. The time is ripe.

View post:
Special diets might boost the power of drugs to vanquish cancers - Science Magazine

Read More..

Vanessa Hudgens was still a teenager when she rose to fame in the hit Disney franchise High School Musical. A lot has changed in the stars life since then. On Tuesday, the 32-year-old Princess Switch star shared a few vacay snaps from her spring break getaway in Florida with boyfriend (and baseball player) Cole Tucker, revealing her strong-is-sexy body in a figure-hugging monokini. In the images posted to her feed on Instagram stories, Vanessa rocked a bright red halter suit that accentuated her figure in all of its glory. Why see the world, when you got the beach, she captioned it. Sweet life. Read on to see Vanessas inspiring curves and to find out what she does to achieve them.

Instead of relying on the same technique daily, Vanessa has curated a weekly regiment of several popular workouts. My body builds muscle very quickly and I dont love the way it looks on my body. So I find the way that I achieve the body that I want for myself is to lengthen, to lean and to tone, she revealed during a recent interview with Parade.

She has found that a mixture of Pilates, Soul Cycle and hot yoga does her body good. And some days when I have the time, I love doing Pilates first and then going over to Soul Cycle. I love a double up! she exclaimed. I always feel so accomplished when I double up. Ive been going to this Pilates studio called WundaBar for years and its just a great deep muscle-training workout. Its not super high intensity but I always feel it the next day.

While some celebrities opt for one-on-one training sessions, Hudgens is a team player when it comes to workout. "I'm the type of person that needs to be in a class," Vanessa told PopSugar. "I need someone telling me what to do, and I love being in a group environment because I'm very competitive, so it pushes me to work harder than I would if I was by myself."

Hudgens is just one of many celebrities who visit The Dogpound, an exclusive strength and weight training workout studio. In a 2020 Instagram post, she shared a video of some of the hardcore exercises she does there, many of them relying on accessories such as a dip belt and also resistance bands. In other videos taken at the studio, she can be seen executing old school moves, using battle ropes, doing leg lifts, and lifting weights.

I would do seven days if I had time, she told Parade about her workouts, adding that she is a morning person when it comes to fitness. I love starting my day off that way because sometimes Ill have a less productive days and if Ive gotten a workout in, then I feel like Im accomplished no matter what.

If she is taking a class, she makes sure to register ahead of time. I normally sign up for a class the night before so I dont even have time to think about it and just wake up to having to go to workout. If I dont do it first thing in the morning it normally does not happen, she said.

Hudgens also revealed to Parade that she relies on intermittent fasting, not only because it helps her lose weight but keeps her skin glowing. She explains that she first researched it after a friend appeared to be anti-aging as a result of the timed dietary lifestyle. I looked into it and read up on the science behind it, what happens to your body while youre fasting, the autophagy, and realized its actually good for you on a cellular level. So I tried it out and within like the first week I lost seven pounds and then kept it off and Im now at my standard fit weight. And I dont have time right now to work out every day, as I normally would. So its a really great way to stay in shape, feel good, and still look great, she told Parade. Another benefit? She maintains that it allows her to not restrict what she eats as much.

She works out on an empty stomach, starting her day off with black coffee and a lot of water first thing in the morning. When the time comes to break the fast, then I do it. I kind of do an 18-hour fast and eat for 6. I try to get in all my nutritional needs so greens and fats and omegas. I dont eat meat; I do eat fish. But outside of that I am in a place where I am allowing myself to enjoy the foods that I love, she explains. Her guilty pleasure? Pizza and pasta.

When fasting she relies on two big meals with some snacks and little things in between, and says she is enjoying it, especially because she doesnt think about food as much as she did when she was snacking every three hours. With this, its like I eat in my six hour window and then I completely put eating out of my mind because I know that Im not going to eat anything else for the rest of the night. And also it actually cut back on my wine intake because usually you drink wine right before bed and with this, Im not doing any of that, she says.

She does admit there was definitely an adjustment period and that the first week was rough as well as in my workouts because she felt a bit more lethargic and tired. However, after the first week, it started to pick up and I started to feel better.

Because it is hard to follow a fast schedule when she is working long hours, she switches over to Keto. I try to space it out a little better with a Ketogenic diet and try to nix the carbs and go for high fats and proteins, she told Parade.

Some of her go-to meals? For breakfast, this crispy rice that has vegetables and avocado and eggs on it, she reveals. Its at a restaurant that I always go to, which Im not revealing because thats my secret local spot. And I just douse it with hot sauce because I could live off of hot sauce. And then for dinner its either pasta or pizza or sushi. Ill admit that Im not the biggest cook.

When it comes to fitness fashion, Hudgens is one of the reigning celebrity trendsetters. In 2019 she even collaborated with Avia on her own collection. "I've been working out consistently for the past 12 years, so over that time like I've figured out what [materials] work for what workouts and tried to incorporate that [knowledge] into the collection to help take the guesswork out of it," she told Shape at the time. She is a big fan of 7/8 leggings as they offer "that perfect, ankle-length fit"-for her petite frame.

More here:
Vanessa Hudgens Shares Exact Diet That Got Her This Red Swimsuit Look | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Read More..

In recent years, eating disorders have gained more awareness and schools are starting to take proactive measures to inform their students of both the risks and the treatment options available.

The University has several pamphlets and onlinestudent resourceswhich address eating disorders, includingtreatment brochures, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for disordered eating.

TheMindwisePDF posted on the University's website which gives students information about eating disorders refers to both disordered eating and eating disorders interchangeably, but while the two are undoubtedly connected, theyre not the same.

According to Temimah Zucker, LMSW, with theNational Eating Disorders Association, Normalized, non-disordered eating is when one mindfully consumes food when hungry and is able to stop when full. Additionally, they incorporate variety into their diet. Disordered eating and eating disorders both diverge from non-disordered eating and both involve irregular and unhealthy eating patterns and behaviors.

Disordered eating, however, does not meet the requirements for a specific eating disorder as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), though it often still reflects many of the symptoms of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

According toNational Eating Disorders Collaboration, disordered eating includes fasting or chronic restrained eating, skipping meals, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, restrictive dieting, unbalanced eating such as restricting a major food group, laxative misuse and use of diet pills. It also includes struggling with body image issues, anxiety surrounding food, fear of weight gain and obsessive thoughts about food or body image.

A lot of those symptoms can also indicate eating disorders, but the main differences according to Zucker are the frequency of the behavior and the level of obsession. However, its important to consult a doctor, therapist or specialist if you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, because diagnosing eating disorders takes practice, and every case is unique and requires a deeper understanding than a college opinion column can provide.

I know that a lot of people reading this will think Well, everyone does that! Who doesnt count calories, cut carbs and workout to make up for those bad foods?

But that is precisely the point. Disordered eating has become so normalized most of us dont even register it as irregular or disturbing anymore.

Sometimes this type of disordered eating whether it means cutting out specific food groups, repeatedly skipping meals or following a new diet trend every week works for some people, as it doesnt interfere with their lives or daily functions. Therefore, they promote it as "normal," perpetuating the cultural myth that disordered eating is healthy and sustainable.

The same types of behaviors that work for some people end up being precursors to eating disorders in others.

Social media plays a big role in normalizing disordered eating. Fitspo posts, healthy recipe accounts and hashtags like #gymlife all contribute to this image of what it looks like to be healthy, which doesnt always match up with reality. Eating a balanced, varied diet is great, and exercising is good for keeping your mind and body active, but avoiding carbs or fatty foods and working out every day doesnt necessarily make you healthy.

The awareness brought to eating disorders is amazing and I hope that it continues, but we need to expand that awareness to encompass disordered eating as well. Not only should we be giving students the information and tools they need to recover; we should also be bringing awareness to the behaviors and habits which often lead to full-blown disorders.

According toHealthline, an estimated 30 million Americans will struggle with an eating disorder in theirlifetime, and more and more are starting while on college campuses. The social pressures and turbulent lifestyle changes lend themselves to the promotion of eating disorders, which are now disproportionately affecting college students.

Eating disorders can affect people permanently, causing osteoporosis, lasting body image issues, etc. but so can disordered eating. We internalize the shame it causes, and our perceptions of food, exercise and even ourselves shift because of it.

This is a real and deadly affliction that's happening all around us and we as students should be more conscious of how we perpetuate negative social behaviors surrounding food; whether it's how we personally treat food, how we talk about it or simply how much of an effort we make to educate ourselves about the realities of disordered eating.

Marie Plunkett is a 22-year-old classical studies senior from New Orleans.

See the article here:
Opinion: Disordered eating is everywhere and more dangerous than you think - The Reveille, LSU's student newspaper

Read More..

Contact Us Today

Page 443«..1020..442443444445..450460..»

Home » Page 443