Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 75«..1020..74757677..8090..»

Home » Page 75

March 7, 2024, 10:00 AM HST

Playing in :00

Continuing his goal of ending childhood obesity and fighting mental illness, fitness icon Jake Body by Jake Steinfeld, chair of the National Foundation for Governors Fitness Councils (NFGFC), has kicked off the year by selecting the state of Hawaii for its 2024 Dont Quit! Campaign.

The NFGFC will deliver a state-of-the-art Dont Quit! Fitness Center tothreeelementary or middle schools.Public and public charter schoolnominations will be accepted through March 29. Visitwww.natgovfit.org/apply-now, then click the Hawaii state seal to download the short application and nominate a school.

This opportunity for three suites of fitness equipment for our Hawaii schools is a wonderful opportunity and will be an even bigger blessing for our keiki who attend the selected schools, said Gov. Josh Green. As a physician, I know that getting energized by physical activity helps students to learn better.

By the end of the year, NFGFC will have gifted fitness centers to all 50 states. Each fitness center is financed through public/private partnerships with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Carelon Foundation and Nike, and does not rely on taxpayer dollars or state funding. Fit Supply provides the fitness equipment.

I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact our fitness centers have on students and communities, said Steinfeld. When you provide schools the tools, youll be amazed by the changes that take place. Not only are we seeing increased academic scores, but we are also seeing confidence and self-esteem skyrocket.

Physical activity and exercise are shown to help prevent and treat more than 40 chronic diseases, enhance individual health and quality of life, and reduce health care costs. In schools, studies show that physical activity improves academic achievement, increases confidence and self-esteem, reduces discipline problems, cuts absenteeism and fosters better interpersonal relationships.

For more information about the NFGFC or to download an application, visitwww.natgovfit.org.

Read more here:
3 Hawaii schools to receive $100K fitness centers from national foundation - Big Island Now

Read More..

Led by names like Google, Apple and Samsung, the wearables category of the connected economy has become a study in contradictions.

New, high-profile introductions have accelerated due to recent events like the Consumer Electronics Show and Mobile World Congress (MWC). On the other hand, niche players have also become more aggressive providing new use cases for the category.

And while some companies are working to create a super wearable that unites disparate fitness data sources, others are sticking with the proprietary approach. These dynamics have put wearable innovations back on the agenda for a huge consumer market.PYMNTS research as of November 2022 put that market north of 96 million U.S. consumers.

However, interoperability and data usage has become an issue, as seen with the most recent product introductions. Samsung used MWC to introduce a coordinated series of connected devices featuring its first-ever smart ring. Called the Galaxy Ring, it will compete with Oura and eventually, Apple.

Like other smart rings, it ticks all the boxes for personal health data, from movement to sleep to heart rate and more. The Galaxy series leans heavily on mobile AI, and one of its selling points is its ability to aggregate at least some of the data a consumer will get from watches, headsets, glasses and other more niche products such as headbands that track brainwave activity.

Samsungs new Galaxy series, introduced at MWC, uses the phone as the AI-driven hub, connecting the ring, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Book series of laptops and even the smart home Internet of Things platform. The companys positioning distanced itself from the hype surrounding the ring, focusing instead on the data issue.

One of the biggest challenges the healthcare industry is facing today is fragmented data and how to bring it all together, said Samsungs Dr. Hon Pak, vice president and head of the digital health team. Our vision is to improve the health of billions through connected care centered around the home by connecting devices, services and people.

The Galaxy Ring will only interact with Android OS platforms and Samsung products. But Paks mission to unify data is one that wearables manufacturers are taking seriously.

For example, Googlerecently announced that its Google One data subscription platform will include Fitbit. A short time before that, it announced that the redesignedFitbit app through Health Connectwill include data from other wearables and apps like AllTrails, Oura Ring and MyFitnessPal.

Consumers can access the Fitbit app via any Android phone, head to the You tab to see all the connected data such as steps, calories burned, floors climbed and distance traveled from Health Connect-compatible apps.

Google has not made any announcements about a potential ring introduction, although it did file apatent for one in 2015.

Oura which is valued at $2.55 billion isnt stopping at its Google partnership. It announced a new integration on March 5 with digital exercise community Strava, which claims 120 million users. Strava doesnt have a wearable and Oura needs user growth, so the partnership makes sense for both.

Stravas announcement sounded the data unification theme. Strava further defines itself as the nucleus of their active life, connecting health inputs from more devices to tell the full story of an athletes performance and improvement, it stated.

Other more niche players are also leading with data, many of them designed to address specific health conditions.Dexcom, for example, provides glucose and insulin level data in real-time via a wearable that sticks on the patients skin.

At Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, research is going much deeper into potential disease diagnosis, based on the data produced by a customized wearable device. For example, according toDr. Joseph Schwab, director of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Surgical Innovation and Engineering, when a doctor uses a reflex hammer above your knee to test for a reflex reaction, they are only able to identify the presence or absence of the reflex. Wearable devices in development can measure the reflex response, assign data points, and provide a more complete report to the doctor.

Consumer wearables on the market are essentially motion trackers,Schwab said. They may have an accelerometer or gyroscope that can simply measure your position or motion to track steps and other data. What were doing is different in that our devices are sending energy in the form of light, electrical energy and sound into the tissues, and we can measure that energy as it leaves the tissue, and we can deduce things based on how the energy was affected by the tissue.

Read more:
Google and Samsung Wearables Focus on Fitness Data - PYMNTS.com

Read More..

Sunday Runday

In this weekly column, Android Central Fitness Editor Michael Hicks talks about the world of wearables, apps, and fitness tech related to running and health, in his quest to get faster and more fit.

Any athlete knows that training in sunny weather is harder, but thermal load and heat acclimation aren't things that everyday runners or cyclists think much about. Most of us seek out cooler or shadier conditions, drink water to cool off, and avoid the sun where we can. Simple! But after using with the CORE Body Temperature Sensor, I'm rethinking my whole approach to fitness training.

Unlike your fitness smartwatch's temperature sensor which only tracks during sleep because it can't properly differentiate between your body temp and the surrounding air flow while on the move the CORE Body Temperature Sensor clips onto an HRM chest strap (like my Polar H10) so it can rest snugly against your rib cage.

With this sensor, you can get continuous data on your body's core temperature (hence the name), with the data broadcast over BLE or ANT+ to your fitness watch in real time. So on my Garmin Forerunner 965, I can see my temperature data field right next to my heart rate and pace.

No doubt your next question will be, "But why do I need to know this?" That's what family and friends asked me when I described this sensor.

The answer is somewhat complicated, but it boils down to one key fact: Just like runners need to worry about their "training load" to get faster and fitter, you also need to consider your "thermal load." And that's not something that your everyday smartwatch can quantify.

Up until now, I've focused on heart rate zones, a pretty common metric. I aim for casual low aerobic runs, long high-aerobic tempo runs, or fast-paced anaerobic training in balance to improve my VO2 Max. But sometimes, it's difficult to understand why I perform better on some days while struggling on others.

Since I went running with CORE's temperature sensor, I learned something that should have been obvious in hindsight: that my body experiences the equivalent of running a low-grade fever once I start running hard. A moderate workout keeps you under 100.4F / 38C, while my recent anaerobic track workout had me hit the top of the "ideal" workout zone (according to CORE) at 100.9F / 38.2C.

Any higher, and you get into "Heat Training," or the more dangerous "Red zone" in which your performance plummets. I rarely came close to either zone, because running in winter naturally reduces any heat strain. But as the weather warms up, it's something you have to be wary of. There's only a 1F difference between the ideal zone to improve your fitness and a serious health risk.

That's why many Olympic or pro teams of cyclists and triathletes use CORE's sensor to train safely. I'm firmly on the casual side of running, but it was exciting (and a little demoralizing) to dip my toe into the world of pro metrics.

I say demoralizing because I've certainly slacked on my thermal load, which is why my performance seriously dips when I reach higher zones.

According to CORE, training in Zone 3 about 100.5F/ 38C actually "enhances immune function, allowing the body to respond more effectively to viruses and bacteria." I'd love to see some scientific data to back this up, but it's a comforting thought that rigorous running makes both your cardiovascular and immune systems healthier.

The problem is that to see actual performance gains, you want to do 4560 minutes of activity around 101.3 F / 38.5 C. That's not an easy temperature to hit, especially if you actively avoid warm conditions.

"When enough thermal load is accumulated in this zone, the body will increase blood plasma and subsequently hemoglobin," CORE's blog post explains. "This makes more oxygen available to the muscles at all temperatures, increasing performance. The extra blood volume also helps cool the body in warm conditions."

Just like a higher VO2 Max means you can convert more oxygen into a higher energy threshold, a higher thermal load will ensure your body's oxygen use is more efficient in tough conditions. This is especially important for marathoners or cyclists who need to maintain a consistent pace for hours because once you crack the higher heat "zones," your ratio of HR to performance efficiency will never recover.

But if you're only climbing into this zone during race conditions, the heat strain of trying to cool off will only make you perform much worse than you do during training.

That's why I'm trying to use the CORE Body Temperature Sensor to make sure I actually climb into the higher heat zones, so my body can better withstand the heat in race conditions. That means finding the time for more indoor cross-training in warm conditions, or braving the California sun with a lot of sunscreen slathered on. Then I use the sensor to make sure that I'm hitting the right zone, without overdoing it.

The CORE sensor has plenty of upsides but also some drawbacks that make it a non-starter for some athletes.

On the plus side, this sensor works with nearly every fitness watch thanks to BLE and ANT+ support. Depending on the device ecosystem, CORE usually has made some way of making your temperature data visible in real time on your watch, such as a Wear OS app and a Connect IQ downloadable data field.

In my tests, I found that the data is quite consistent and accurate (at least compared to my CVS thermometer). However, it occasionally gives you unreasonably low data if you don't seat it properly on your skin, so just make sure to check the numbers in the app first before you begin your run or ride, then give it a few minutes to acclimate to your body's data.

The CORE app shows your core and skin temperature charts transposed next to your heart rate during workouts. You'll also find charts showing your daily Heat Strain and Thermal Load, plus your long-term average temperature and how your strain and load trends over time. For serious athletes, it has pretty much all the info you need.

Unfortunately for frugal runners, the CORE Body Temp Sensor costs a whopping $284.95, around the price of a smartwatch or a couple pairs of high-end running shoes. Unless you're a cyclist who needs constant temperature monitoring for hours-long excursions or a runner with plenty of weekly mileage, it's likely out of your league.

While it comes with some "medical-grade adhesive strips" to stick it to your body for long stretches, these aren't made for fast-moving, sweaty workouts. You need to be comfortable wearing a HRM chest strap it can attach to; you can technically use an arm strap like the COROS Heart Rate Monitor, but CORE admits that "the accuracy of the core body temperature measurements is lower" unless worn on the chest.

I think it would be especially exciting if CORE (or another brand) sold a chest strap with both heart rate and core temperature data packaged together, ideally with a slightly more reasonable price tag. But even though this sensor is arguably a niche tool for serious athletes, the idea behind it training your body to better withstand high thermal loads is much more important than most athletes realize.

CORE Body Temperature Sensor

A new training focus

The CORE Body Temperature Sensor is for serious cyclists, triathletes, and runners who want to take their thermal load training to the next level. It clips onto a chest strap for continuous data on your body's core temperature that your smartwatch just can't deliver. You then learn how good your body is under heat strain and if you're improving over time.

More here:
This wearable for pro athletes has me rethinking my whole approach to fitness training - Android Central

Read More..

People who cut carbohydrates from their diet often turn to meat as a replacement, but a new study suggests that loading up on plant-based foods instead could lead to less long-term weight gain.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, found that low-carb dieters who relied heavily on animal-based protein gained more weight over time than those embracing foods such as non-starchy vegetables and whole grains.

The key takeaway here is that not all low-carbohydrate diets are created equal when it comes to managing weight in the long-term, study author Qi Sun, MD, ScD, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a press release.

People who follow a low-carb diet often restrict carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, pasta, fruit, and starchy vegetables like potatoes and legumes. Instead, they focus on obtaining calories from protein and fat.

Researchers have long linked low-carb diets with rapid weight loss, but fewer studies have examined how the eating plan affects weight in the long term.

Our study goes beyond the simple question of, To carb or not to carb? lead author Binkai Liu, a research assistant at Harvard Universitys Department of Nutrition, said in the release. It dissects the low-carbohydrate diet and provides a nuanced look at how the composition of these diets can affect health over years, not just weeks or months.

Heres what you need to know about the study, the benefits of eating plant-based foods, and how to incorporate more of them into your diet.

recep-bg / Getty Images

The study used data from 123,000 generally healthy medical professionals enrolled in several ongoing studies that began in the 1970s and 80s. Participants in the current study were between ages 25 and 65 and all followed a low-carb diet. More than 80% were women, and most were white.

Researchers analyzed reports participants filled out every four years about their eating habits and weight. Then they divided participants into categories based on their eating patterns.

The researchers found a significant association between slower long-term weight gain and diets emphasizing plant-based foods and healthy carbs and fats.On the other hand, they found a link between diets heavy in animal products or refined carbs and weight gain over time.

The associations were particularly pronounced for participants who were younger than 55, overweight or obese, or relatively sedentary.

Our findings could shake up the way we think about popular low-carbohydrate diets and suggest that public health initiatives should continue to promote dietary patterns that emphasize healthful foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, Sun said in the release.

Toby Amidor, RD, registered dietitian and cookbook author, told Health that the study is reflective of previous studies that promote healthy foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and other wholesome foods when on a low-carb diet.

Given that 90% of Americans dont meet their daily recommendation for vegetables and 85% dont meet their daily recommendation for fruit per the dietary guidelines, eating more plants in general on any diet, including a low-carb one, can be beneficial, especially if those foods replace higher calorie, lower nutrient-dense foods, she said.

If youre following a low-carb diet, loading up on plant-based foods can provide benefits beyond potentially preventing long-term weight gain.

The evidence has been pretty clear that we should all be eating a more plant-based diet, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, author of The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes, told Health. These diets are rich in fibers, healthy fats, micronutrients, and phytochemicals with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action.

A bulk of research has linked the Mediterranean diet, an eating pattern emphasizing healthy fats and plant-based foods, not only with weight loss but many other health benefits, such as a reduced risk of developing heart disease, strokes, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and certain cancers. Some studies show it may even boost brain health for older adults.

Its important to note that incorporating some animal products into your eating plan doesnt negate the benefits of a plant-rich diet and doesnt necessarily mean you wont lose weight.

In fact, research has shown that adding small quantities of leaner, minimally processed animal protein could even help you stay slim. In a paper published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research in 2015, for example, researchers concluded that people who incorporate poultry meat into a vegetable-rich diet have a lower risk of becoming overweight or obese. Furthermore, a study from 2019 found a link between fish intake and a reduced chance of developing obesity.

While veggies like broccoli, lettuce, and zucchini might spring to mind when you imagine plant-based foods, a low-carb plant-rich diet isnt solely about eating leafy greens and other non-starchy veggiesthough they are undoubtedly nutritious choices. There are many options to choose from.

Here are some other ingredients to integrate into your diet if youre cutting back on carbs but ramping up on plants:

While following a plant-based diet has general benefits, its always a good idea to speak to a healthcare provider before changing your eating patterns.

Some people may need to avoid certain ingredientsthose with thyroid disorders, for example, may have to limit their intake of goitrogenic foods like raw cruciferous vegetables.

You can also discuss how to plan meals carefully so that you dont miss out on essential nutrients found predominantly in animal protein: vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

View post:
Plant-Based Low-Carb Diets Work Best for Weight Management - Health.com

Read More..

Diet culture makes us ashamed of our bodies, but weight-loss diets dont work long-term or lead to better health. Photo / Getty Images

Question:

I am elderly and after struggling all my life to keep my weight at a reasonable level, I succeeded with the help of a diet company. So I know all about healthy eating, the importance of exercising regularly and my psychology. But successive Covid lockdowns sent my resolutions out the window: Ive put on weight, none of my clothes fit, and I hate how I look. How do I lose weight safely?

Answer:

While many diets produce weight loss in the short term, almost all diets fail long-term, and typically, all lost weight is regained within three to five years. Despite this conspicuous failure rate, the dieter is still blamed for the failure rather than the dieting process itself. It is time we examined our beliefs about weight loss, diets and health.

The desire to lose weight is typically founded on the assumption that this will improve health. This ignores the lack of evidence that intentional weight loss improves health outcomes independently of behaviour changes, such as exercising regularly and eating a more nutritious diet, a 2022 article in Frontiers of Psychiatry noted. It is likely the acts of exercising regularly and eating healthier foods improve health outcomes rather than weight loss as such. Weight loss is neither a prerequisite for improved health nor an appropriate target for treatment, the article noted.

Moreover, being overweight is associated with improved mortality among community-dwelling older adults, a 2022 study published in Gerontology found.

So, why are overweight people encouraged to diet and become skinny? Diet culture is a widespread belief system in Western cultures that equates thinness with health, gives social status to weight loss and exercise behaviours, prioritises control and restriction of foods, moralises food choices, and contributes significantly to body dissatisfaction. Studies since 1985 have reported variously that 69-84% of American women were dissatisfied with their bodies; 93% of 168 female students surveyed at a Spanish university wanted to change at least three areas of their body; and 60% of Austrian women aged 60-70 were dissatisfied with their bodies. Women, no matter their age, are habitually unhappy with their bodies and want to be thinner.

Social scientists have long been aware of this cultural phenomenon. For example, the impact of Western diet culture was profoundly demonstrated in Fiji during the 1990s when broadcasters introduced Western television shows. Until then, bulimia nervosa had been unheard of in the Pacific Island nation.

However, three years after the introduction of Western soap operas and advertisements, Fijian teenage girls reported dissatisfaction with their bodies. Critical indicators of disordered eating were now present, with 11% of Fijian teenage girls inducing vomiting to control their body weight. While 74% reported feeling too big or fat sometimes, 83% stated that television had influenced their feelings or their friends feelings about their body shape or weight.

Diet culture is all around us but is not consciously seen. It shapes how women (and men) think and feel about our bodies and eating habits, whether through newspaper headlines, magazine advertisements for womens shapewear, derogatory jokes about fat bodies, or metaphors like you are what you eat.

You mentioned that you hate how you look, and that is a very telling illustration of diet cultures impact on women. It is unfortunate that even at retirement age, diet culture is still able to make women feel less than worthy because of their body weight.

The problem is not your body weight but instead that our culture has convinced you that losing weight is the only path to good health and looking good. You know about healthy eating, the importance of exercising regularly and understanding your psychology, so focus on those things, not your body weight, and your body will settle into its natural weight range. That weight may not be what diet culture tells you it should be or what you wish to be, but your body is the ultimate authority in this case, and no amount of dieting will permanently downsize your body to a weight it cannot sustain long-term.

View original post here:
Why weight-loss diets don't work long-term - New Zealand Herald

Read More..

Imagine if you could diet for just five days a month and see results. Results that extend far beyond weight loss and promise to "rejuvenate" your body at a cellular level. This is the basis of the fast-mimicking diet, also known as FMD.

Intermittent fasting has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, with programs like the 5:2 diet and time restricted eating receiving endorsements from celebrities and nutritionists around the world. All of these different diet plans are characterized by a cycle of fasting and feeding on a regular, cyclical schedule. But unlike most other fasting diets, which rotate on a daily or weekly basis, the FMD revolves around a monthly cycle.

"It's really another form of intermittent fasting but it's unique in the sense in the way it is organized," Adam Collins, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Surrey in the U.K., told Newsweek.

The FMD diet, designed by gerontology professor Valter Longo, consists of five days of restricted eating, where calorie consumption is kept at around 700 calories per day. "The FMD [...] is a low calorie nutrition program that last 5 days with a specific low sugar, low protein, high fat plant based composition, designed to match or surpass the effects of water only fasting, without the safety and compliance issues," Longo, director of the Longevity Institute of the University of Southern California, told Newsweek.

"For people without [specific] diseases, it is designed to be used for only 5 days for 2 to 3 times per year (10 to 15 days per year [in total]) and otherwise not impose a lifestyle change."

Like any energy-restricting diet, people do tend to lose weight on FMD. But weight loss isn't the only benefit of this type of cyclic fasting. In 2018, Collins and colleagues at the University of Surrey investigated how the health benefits of intermittent fasting compared to other restrictive dieting strategies.

"We had one group doing the 5:2 diet and then we had another group doing traditional continuous energy restriction," Collins said. "So they had the same overall energy restriction if you average it out across the week. Then what we did was we waited until they had lost 5 percent of their body weight and brought them back into the lab."

Interestingly, those on the 5:2 diet didn't lose the weight any faster than those undertaking more traditional energy restriction. But what the researchers did see was a significant difference in various metabolic markers between the two groups.

"Our metabolism is designed to operate in a cycle of feeding and fasting. Your body is able to cope with these changes and adjust accordingly. You're going to start tapping into energy reserves, and that essentially boils down to us shifting from predominantly using carbohydrates for energy to now using mainly our body fat. So that fast-feed cycling is having metabolic effects.

"From a cellular point of view, if you're changing the availability of energy, your cells are going to have to change their priorities. So you're going to change from synthesizing and building new molecules to breaking down and recycling old ones instead. And this process, called autophagy, is where all of the longevity stuff comes in, because all that breaking down and recycling is like spring cleaning for your cells."

The difference between the 5:2which involves restricted eating twice a weekand FMD is the window over which fasting takes place. "[FMD] is a way to fast where you're not doing it every week but when you do it, you're doing it for a cumulative period of time," Collins said.

Preliminary studies have already suggested that FMD can reduce inflammation, improve cognition, reduce our risk of cancer and heart disease, and possibly event protect against Alzheimer's. Most significantly, in a paper published by Longo's team in the journal Nature Communications on February 20, it was shown to potentially reverse biological aging.

"In [our] studies the FMD was shown to decrease liver and abdominal fat without reducing muscle mass, it reduced A1C [a measure of average blood sugar levels], it caused changes in the immune system cells consistent with a rejuvenation of the immune cell profile and it caused a 2.5 year median biological age decrease in both of the clinical trials which enrolled a total of 184 participants," Longo said.

It is worth noting here that two thirds of the study participants were overweight or obese at baseline so some of these positive results may have resulted from simple weight loss among these participants. "It seems it was most beneficial for the obese, as would be expected, and those with higher systolic blood pressure etc at baseline," David Clancy, a lecturer in biogerontology at Lancaster University in the U.K., told Newsweek.

Even so, the beneficial effects persisted for several months after the last FMD cycle.

However, as encouraging as these results are, 184 is a fairly small sample size, and most of our prior understanding of this topic has come from research in animals. "While preliminary findings are encouraging, more research is needed, particularly more human studies with meaningful sample sizes," Caroline Susie, a dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the U.S., told Newsweek.

With all that in mind, who is best suited to this diet?

"Those who are overweight or obese, those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol, those with fatty liver, those with pre-diabetes or high A1C, those with high CRP or other inflammation markers," Longo said.

Clancy added: "It's not unreasonable to think that, during ages 40 to 60 at least, this regime twice per year may add 3 to 4 years of healthy life, maybe more, in those with higher BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar etc. This is the age range where we accumulate problems that will harm us later.

"That said, a sensible exercise habit could achieve the same, or even better, and is maintainable into older age. Starving oneself in older age is risky because immune responses to infections need ready resources."

The elderly are not the only ones who should be cautious of restrictive dieting. "There are concerns about this dietary approach for those living with certain medical conditions," Susie said. "This diet is not appropriate for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding; people with a history of disordered eating are not appropriate for FMD; people who are currently underweight and or already living with vitamin/mineral deficiencies are not appropriate. Additionally, if you are living with cancer, diabetes, or congestive heart failure, FMD is not appropriate.

"Always check with your doctor before you start any diet or make any changes to your diet."

The FMD program is commercially available under the brand name ProLon.

Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about fasting? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Go here to read the rest:
What is the Fast-Mimicking Diet (FMD) and What Are Scientists Saying About it? - Newsweek

Read More..

With the likes of

The research involved 12 volunteers, five women and seven men, and were told to consume just water for seven days. The investigation involved a comprehensive analysis of around 3000 plasma proteins measured before, during, and after fasting.

After three days of fasting, the researchers noticed that the body changed its energy sources from glucose to fat, resulting in an average weight loss between participants of 5.7 kg. This weight loss came from fat mass and muscle mass. During the follow up, after three days of returning to their normal eating patterns, the loss of muscle was almost completely reversed while the fat mass didn't return.

The researchers also noticed differences between certain proteins made within the body, which they believe can help them find and diagnose specific diseases and conditions.

The researchers assessed the health effects of 212 proteins altering during fasting across roughly 500 outcomes and sought to understand how these alterations in these specific proteins during fasting might relate to different conditions.

For example, they highlighted the connection between a protein called SWAP70 and arthritis, suggesting that the changes in this protein during extended fasting could potentially be beneficial for those with arthritis. They also identified an association between another protein, HYOU1, and heart disease, indicating that changes in this protein might have potential positive implications for heart health.

This is one of only a few studies that has found a positive correlation between water fasting and its ability to inform targeted health interventions.

'For the first time, were able to see whats happening on a molecular level across the body when we fast,' said Claudia Langenberg, director of Queen Mary's Precision Health University Research Institute (PHURI). ' Fasting, when done safely, is an effective weight loss intervention. Popular diets that incorporate fasting such as intermittent fasting claim to have health benefits beyond weight loss. Our results provide evidence for the health benefits of fasting beyond weight loss, but these were only visible after three days of total caloric restriction later than we previously thought.'

'Our findings have provided a basis for some age-old knowledge as to why fasting is used for certain conditions,' added Maik Pietzner, Health Data Chair of PHURI. 'While fasting may be beneficial for treating some conditions, often times, fasting won't be an option to patients suffering from ill health. We hope that these findings can provide information about why fasting is beneficial in certain cases, which can then be used to develop treatments that patients are able to do.'

Fasting is a contentious issues, and we don't endorse fasting for seven days. For most people, fasting for such an extended period is impractical, especially for those aiming to lose weight, as it's not sustainable to go without food for that length of time

Extended water fasts also carry risks and should be done only under professional supervision. Many individuals may find interventions such as intermittent fasting or shorter fasting methods more sustainable and a lot safer in comparison to extended fasts.

It's also important to note that this study only saw health benefits after three days of no food.

New research such as this study could help us find out more about how extended fasting impacts the body beyond weight loss, which is still unclear. But water fasting requires further investigation. For now, it's important to adjust your diet under supervision of a nutritionist or dietician so that you can ensure the safety of your health.

Kate is a fitness writer for Mens Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Mens Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isnt lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.

Here is the original post:
New Study Explores the Effects of Water Fasting for 7 Days - Men's Health UK

Read More..

Despite recent struggles, the brand formerly known as Beachbody expects positive cash flow for the first time since 2020

BODi, formerly known as Beachbody, the OG of subscription health and fitness systems, expects positive cash flow in Q1 the first time since 2020 following a transformational 2023. The company just released its financial earnings, reporting a total revenue of $119.0 million in Q4 of 2024, compared to $148 million in the prior year period. Total revenue for the full year 2023 was $527.1 million, compared to $692.2 million in the prior year.

Despite the seemingly lackluster financial results, BODis executive team tells Athletech News theyre bullish on the companys future, driven by a focus on improving cash flow and leaning into digital fitness and holistic wellness content, including an embrace of GLP-1s.

The company known for its high-energy fitness coaches such as Autumn Calabrese, Shaun T, Tony Horton and Shakeology protein shakes, underwent a major rebrand from Beachbody to BODi last year, adopting a more holistic approach to health and wellness. The move also included a major declaration from Carl Daikeler, the companys co-founder and CEO: Beachbody is dead.

In place of the old and tired diet and fitness industry playbook, Daikeler explained his vision for the future one in which a positive mindset was woven into the health and fitness experience, combatting what he called a permanent dissatisfaction that many consumers experience.

Its not a quick fix, especially in a highly competitive industry, but BODi is encouraged by early results, including high search traffic volume following its makeover. Reflecting on 2023s earnings, Daikeler says BODis self-described turnaround plan has been successful so far, with the company lowering its breakeven point and enhancing its liquidity.

In 2024, our objective is fostering more profitable revenue streams and sustainable free cash flows, with a renewed focus on reshaping our nutrition business,Daikeler said. Our accomplishments in 2023 set the foundation for continued execution of our turnaround in 2024. We expect to have positive cash flow from operating activities and free cash flow in the first quarter.

BODi has also offloaded its Van Nuys, California, production facility for $6.2 million, using the net proceeds to make a partial prepayment on its $5.5 million term loan.

BODis Financial Overhaul

Mark Goldston, executive chairman of BODis board of directors, partnered with Daikeler last year to guide the companys transformation, drive profitability and unlock growth opportunities. He also serves as chairman and CEO of The Goldston Group and is a general partner of Athletic Propulsion Labs, a high-end performance athletic footwear company lending his expertise to revitalize and reposition BODi back on its fitness throne.

Since the start of the program, we are on track to achieve over $200 million in fixed costs and CapEx savings in 2024 over 2021, and introduced a more efficient sales and marketing model that aims to deliver a 1,000 (basis points) bps improvement in 2024, Goldston tells Athletech News. This dramatically lowers the revenue breakeven for the company. By building operating leverage into the P&L, our dramatically lower cost base has the potential to generate strong incremental profitability when we return to revenue growth.

Last year, the company also introduced a new Growth Game Plan that rewards high-performing network sales partners within its subscription health and fitness system.

King of Fitness Content

Touting its extensive digital fitness library of 134-plus programs with widely-known titles such as P90X, Insanity, 21-Day Fix and Lift More, BODi is leaning into its content offering, having refined its appeal.

We think of BODi as being the Netflix of the digital fitness industry, and we are doing a much better job of leveraging that library, Goldston said. That includes creating our first-ever free BODi Previews tool that features over 120 individual workouts and allowing even more consumers to enter into our community.

Goldston also shared that BODi is expanding its retail and direct marketing business to bring the benefits of its fitness content and nutritional products to a broader audience.

Our BODi digital fitness app was recently named the #1 workout app last year by CNN Underscored, so were being recognized for the impact were making for modern fitness consumers, Goldston said.

Embracing Wellness & Weight Loss Drugs

Unafraid of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, BODi instead sees a significant opportunity.

With over 145 million American adults categorized as overweight and more than 75 million of those people considered clinically obese, the TAM for BODi is massive, Goldston predicts, adding that many people who are considerably overweight may experience difficulty starting an exercise program and are self-conscious about going to a gym.

The GLP-1 drug movement is designed to address the 145 million people who are overweight, especially the clinically obese, and we strongly believe that those drugs will unlock a major TAM opportunity for BODi largely because a large group of people will lose enough weight to safely and comfortably consider starting an exercise program in the privacy of their own home, he continued.

Goldston also referenced the need for GLP-1 users to maintain a healthy eating regimen, which he sees as a major boon for BODI in terms of its meal plans and nutritional supplement offerings.

As for BODis fitness content, Goldston pointed out that the platforms fitness programs can help offset the loss of muscle mass.

The GLP-1 drugs have been known to have an adverse effect on lean muscle mass, and therefore, the use of programs like those contained in the BODi library will help reduce the risk of losing lean muscle mass and help people maintain and gain strength while getting their weight under control and improving their overall level of fitness, he said.

While BODi forges ahead, fortified by its vast digital fitness content and nutritional supplements, Goldston also sees the subscription health and fitness system taking center stage to meet an even bigger trend.

I believe that the industry has truly embraced a more holistic approach to fitness, he said. While there is no easy fix to maintaining a healthy life, there are benefits to a balanced approach. Consumers continue to look for guidance and that is a fundamental core principle of our approach at BODi. At BODi, its that balanced approach that makes us unique.

This article has been updated.

Excerpt from:
Inside BODi's Plan To Become the 'Netflix of Digital Fitness' - Athletech News

Read More..

If physical activity came in a bottle, it would be the most prescribed medicine of all. Just walking 10 more minutes a day may yield clinically significant outcomes such as improved mental health, less pain and better sleep. It can also help prevent and manage more than 100 chronic diseases like cancer, arthritis and diabetes.

And yet, many people do not reap the benefits of just a little more movement about 10 more walking minutes per day, or an extra 1,000 steps.

There are many digital solutions to help people meet physical activity goals, like fitness apps such as MyFitnessPal and Noom. Unfortunately, the challenges of forming healthy habits remains, and use of fitness apps can fall into a familiar pattern reflecting the difficulty of meeting new fitness goals.

With apps, it might look something like this: the app is downloaded with the best of intentions and is used for a couple of weeks. Gradually, the app becomes neglected and begins to collect dust on a smartphone screen, and eventually is abandoned or deleted.

As a physical activity expert, I have made it my lifes work to encourage more people to be more active more often. A hunch eventually led me to explore the idea of actually paying people to exercise as part of my PhD research. That began in 2010 with a small group of cardiac patients.

Fast forward almost 15 years, and it turns out this idea paying people to exercise has legs.

Governments and companies all over the world, for instance, have been paying people to exercise for years. And it works! Sort of. In the short-term, at least.

Predictably, when delivered on a population scale, paying people to exercise can get quite expensive, which is a critical limitation. I experienced this limitation firsthand while developing the Carrot Rewards app in partnership with Canadian federal and provincial governments from 2016 to 2019.

In 2019, due to some fiscal constraints, the financial rewards for exercise offered to Canadians for over a year via Carrot Rewards were mostly withdrawn in Ontario (Canadas largest province) but not in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador (the other two Canadian provinces where the app was available).

This natural variation in financial reward exposure set up an interesting behaviour experiment, which provided the opportunity to answer the question: Can financial rewards be mostly scaled back without negatively impacting physical activity?

In our large study of 584,760 Carrot Rewards app users, my colleagues and I found that physical activity improvements (about 1,000 steps per day, or 10 more walking minutes) largely remained in Ontario after financial rewards faded away. This was a notable finding, especially since many years of psychology research suggested the opposite; that people revert to baseline behaviours, their old ways, once financial rewards fade.

One reason for this might be that rewards for daily physical activity achievements were provided for over a year before withdrawal began, which is likely enough time for habit formation.

It may also be because the Carrot Rewards app rewarded the achievement of realistic and adaptive physical activity goals which increase confidence with micro-rewards worth only about US$0.05 per day.

Others have found that rewards as small as US$0.09 per day have boosted physical activity in more controlled clinical trial settings.

What does this mean for those who have fitness apps collecting dust on their home screens?

In a nutshell, this new research suggests people can potentially take a short dose of financial reward to increase physical activity, and once that activity is established (it usually takes about six to 12 months), it may be maintained longer-term with much less expensive financial reinforcement.

So practically speaking, if someone is interested in this approach, it would make sense to seek out financial rewards for exercise as an impetus, a nudge, a spark.

Some governments have financial rewards-based mobile health programs, such as England and Australia. Employers may offer financial rewards as part of their extended health benefits, which is common in the United States

If neither of those options are available, there are commercially-available financial rewards-based fitness apps like Sweatcoin or WayBetter. With Sweatcoin, goal achievements earn coins that can be redeemed for commercial products in Sweatcoins online store. With WayBetter, you deposit some of your own money and earn it back plus some if you achieve your goals.

While financial rewards may not work for everyone, our research and that of others is increasingly suggesting they may be one way of stimulating and sustaining a more active lifestyle.

Follow this link:
Paying people to exercise can be motivating, but the financial rewards don't have to last forever to work - The Conversation

Read More..

Indiana University South Bend and the South Bend Community School Corporation have launched a groundbreaking partnership to provide career pathway opportunities for students enrolled in the exercise science program at Washington High School.

IU South Bend is dedicated to educating our next generation of health science professionals. Partnerships like this are critical to getting students interested in the field, said Dr. Jess Garcia-Martinez, dean of the Dwyer College of Health Sciences.

This collaborative effort is a significant step forward in South Bend Schools commitment to preparing students with hands-on career education opportunities, particularly in the growing field of exercise science.

Through this innovative partnership, Washington High School will offer college-credit education courses, taught by an IU South Bend faculty member, to qualified high school students, empowering them to start on an early-in pathway to higher education at IU South Bend.

This career pathway program demonstrates our commitment to equipping students with the tools they need for success in both college and the workforce, said South Bend Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings. Thank you to our staff and partners at IU South Bend for supporting innovative opportunities like these for our South Bend Schools students.

By offering college-level coursework, both institutions aim to inspire and prepare the next generation of exercise science professionals, encouraging them to pursue bachelors degree programs and beyond. The collaboration not only enhances educational opportunities for high school students but also serves as an opportunity to foster future career pathways in health and exercise science.

Seventy percent of the health science graduates at IU South Bend come from the region and 90 percent stay and work in the region following graduation.

View original post here:
IU South Bend Launches Career Pathway Program in Exercise Science with South Bend Schools - IU Newsroom

Read More..

Contact Us Today

Page 75«..1020..74757677..8090..»

Home » Page 75