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IN THIS ISSUE:

Lifestyle Changes Lead to Weight Loss and Fewer Medical Problems

Posted Feb 22, 2013

Deloris Brown, 46, said the most important part of her losing more than 70 pounds was making the decision.

She had some help, though. She wrestled with pre-diabetes, asthma and an autoimmune disease that often saw her in an emergency room as her immune system turned on her.

But that’s over, now, she said.

“I can’t remember when I last used my inhaler,” Brown said. “And I’m saving money because I haven’t had to buy the asthma medicine — and that was $140 for 30 pills.”

She put on pounds over the years because of her diet, which included a lot of stress eating and fried food, and the Prednisone, a drug she took for asthma and to fight off the autoimmune reactions. Weight gain and high blood glucose levels are a side effect of the drug.

Brown used a weight-loss method that scares a lot of people: She changed her diet, ate less and exercises nearly every day.

Brown decided in mid-2011 to lose weight, when she saw the first announcement for a new program called “Tread the Med” at the Washington University School of Medicine where Brown works.

“I’d been wanting to lose weight, so (friends and co-worker) formed a team to participate,” she said. The program assigned participants to walk 10,000 steps a day by walking around the hospital campus and other walking.

Tread the Med was “an initiative to get employees up and walking so they could have exercise in their daily lives,” said Betsy Snyder, wellness coordinator for Washington University School of Medicine. “We chose walking because so many people can do it and it’s so easy to do, the benefits are numerous and it leads to a less stressful walk.”

Each participant gets a pedometer with a goal of 10,000 steps per day for 100 days, Snyder said. People can build up to the goal while some are able to do 10,000 steps, she said.

“The purpose was that if you walk or do anything for 100 days, it becomes a habit,” she said. “Hopefully people continue walking after the program.”

That’s what Brown did. She joined the first session more than a year ago, then joined the second session.

During that second session, though, she had an asthma attack that set off the autoimmune disease. She had hives, rashes and other things that came with allergy attacks plus the asthma, she said.

“I knew then I had to lose weight, something to get my health under control,” she said.

She approached a childhood friend, Briant K. Mitchell, who ran a fitness center in Jamestown Mall. “She came to me crying,” he said. “I told her if she follows my program, she’ll get rid of the weight and be healthier.”

Mitchell says he caters mainly to people whose health depends on dropping weight. “Most of my clients have diabetes or pre-diabetes and hypertension,” he said. He and two physicians who were clients of his, created the eating program that Brown adopted.

“It’s the right amount of carbohydrates, nutritious food, six small meals a day,” he said, “and exercise for an hour four times a week.”

That was last spring. By the end of summer, she was missing 70 pounds. More importantly, her health numbers had improved and her asthma and autoimmune symptoms had vanished.

She said she might have weighed more than 229 pounds. “But that was the first time she weighed.”

She still works out with Mitchell and was in the second round of the Tread to Med program when she joined the fitness program. She’s in the third session now.

Each day she walks around the medical school with friends and co-workers. “That’s what’s good about this,” she said. “People asked how I did it and then they joined me and started walking too.”

The best part is that she feels better, she said. “I can do more, I have more energy and I feel so much better,” she said.

“My daughter told me when I lost the weight, Mama, I can get my arms around you now.”

Do you know a “How I did it?”

Suggest a candidate to:

Email — harry.jackson@post-dispatch.com

Phone — 314-340-8234′

©2013 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

Deloris Brown, 46, said the most important part of her losing more than 70 pounds was making the decision.

She had some help, though. She wrestled with pre-diabetes, asthma and an autoimmune disease that often saw her in an emergency room as her immune system turned on her.

But that's over, now, she said.

"I can't remember when I last used my inhaler," Brown said. "And I'm saving money because I haven't had to buy the asthma medicine -- and that was $140 for 30 pills."

She put on pounds over the years because of her diet, which included a lot of stress eating and fried food, and the Prednisone, a drug she took for asthma and to fight off the autoimmune reactions. Weight gain and high blood glucose levels are a side effect of the drug.

Brown used a weight-loss method that scares a lot of people: She changed her diet, ate less and exercises nearly every day.

Brown decided in mid-2011 to lose weight, when she saw the first announcement for a new program called "Tread the Med" at the Washington University School of Medicine where Brown works.

"I'd been wanting to lose weight, so (friends and co-worker) formed a team to participate," she said. The program assigned participants to walk 10,000 steps a day by walking around the hospital campus and other walking.

Tread the Med was "an initiative to get employees up and walking so they could have exercise in their daily lives," said Betsy Snyder, wellness coordinator for Washington University School of Medicine. "We chose walking because so many people can do it and it's so easy to do, the benefits are numerous and it leads to a less stressful walk."

Each participant gets a pedometer with a goal of 10,000 steps per day for 100 days, Snyder said. People can build up to the goal while some are able to do 10,000 steps, she said.

"The purpose was that if you walk or do anything for 100 days, it becomes a habit," she said. "Hopefully people continue walking after the program."

That's what Brown did. She joined the first session more than a year ago, then joined the second session.

During that second session, though, she had an asthma attack that set off the autoimmune disease. She had hives, rashes and other things that came with allergy attacks plus the asthma, she said.

"I knew then I had to lose weight, something to get my health under control," she said.

She approached a childhood friend, Briant K. Mitchell, who ran a fitness center in Jamestown Mall. "She came to me crying," he said. "I told her if she follows my program, she'll get rid of the weight and be healthier."

Mitchell says he caters mainly to people whose health depends on dropping weight. "Most of my clients have diabetes or pre-diabetes and hypertension," he said. He and two physicians who were clients of his, created the eating program that Brown adopted.

"It's the right amount of carbohydrates, nutritious food, six small meals a day," he said, "and exercise for an hour four times a week."

That was last spring. By the end of summer, she was missing 70 pounds. More importantly, her health numbers had improved and her asthma and autoimmune symptoms had vanished.

She said she might have weighed more than 229 pounds. "But that was the first time she weighed."

She still works out with Mitchell and was in the second round of the Tread to Med program when she joined the fitness program. She's in the third session now.

Each day she walks around the medical school with friends and co-workers. "That's what's good about this," she said. "People asked how I did it and then they joined me and started walking too."

The best part is that she feels better, she said. "I can do more, I have more energy and I feel so much better," she said.

"My daughter told me when I lost the weight, Mama, I can get my arms around you now."

Do you know a "How I did it?"

Suggest a candidate to:

Email -- harry.jackson@post-dispatch.com

Phone -- 314-340-8234'

©2013 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Is Sugar to Blame?

Posted Feb 2, 2013

As January fades into February, many New Year’s resolutions start to wilt.

But the status of sugar in the American diet is still hotly contested.

“Sugar (and added sugars) has received a lot of attention lately,” said Marianne Smith Edge, senior vice president of nutrition and food safety at the International Food Information Council, in an email.

The resolve to lose weight again made the list as one of the most common resolutions in the United States, but research suggests it’s also one of the hardest to keep.

Recently published research in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that obese people have a lower risk of death compared to people with normal weight.

A recent book by Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, posits fat isn’t the issue in obesity.

What does matter is the health of processes necessary for life. Heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses threaten health, Lustig said. And he blames sugar for the development of those conditions.

Studies in nutrition are frequently cropping up with new ideas in weight loss and management, but it’s important to remember the science of nutrition is still evolving, said Susan Kopins, a registered dietitian at the Women’s Healthcare Group in Spring Garden Township.

“The American Heart Association and American Medical Association recently recognized under their low-fat diet recommendation, obesity rates increased,” Kopins said.

But sugar is tricky, she said.

It’s easy to get a lot of sugar quickly into your system with sodas and juices,” Kopins said.

That rush of sugar sends a message to the body to stabilize blood-sugar levels with insulin. Because the simple sugars are quickly and easily digested, the body is soon hungry again. The addictive qualities of sugar, push people to desire more sweet flavors to curb their hunger, and the cycle starts again, Kopins said.

The way to solve the problem: portion control.

John White, an expert in caloric sweeteners, agrees.

“Sugars alone are not responsible for obesity,” said White, the president of White Technical Research, a consulting firm for the food and beverage industry. “It’s calorie intake.”

The Food and Drug Administration reported calorie intake over the last 40 years has increased by 425 calories a day.

And calorie reduction is achievable, Kopins said.

She recommends pairing sweet foods with those high in fiber or protein.

For example, apple slices with peanut butter will slow down the insulin response and better control the sugar dump, she said.

“There’s a place for everything in your diet,” Kopins said. “The key is finding balance.”

©2013 York Daily Record (York, Pa.)

Visit York Daily Record (York, Pa.) at www.ydr.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

As January fades into February, many New Year's resolutions start to wilt.

But the status of sugar in the American diet is still hotly contested.

"Sugar (and added sugars) has received a lot of attention lately," said Marianne Smith Edge, senior vice president of nutrition and food safety at the International Food Information Council, in an email.

The resolve to lose weight again made the list as one of the most common resolutions in the United States, but research suggests it's also one of the hardest to keep.

Recently published research in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that obese people have a lower risk of death compared to people with normal weight.

A recent book by Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, posits fat isn't the issue in obesity.

What does matter is the health of processes necessary for life. Heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses threaten health, Lustig said. And he blames sugar for the development of those conditions.

Studies in nutrition are frequently cropping up with new ideas in weight loss and management, but it's important to remember the science of nutrition is still evolving, said Susan Kopins, a registered dietitian at the Women's Healthcare Group in Spring Garden Township.

"The American Heart Association and American Medical Association recently recognized under their low-fat diet recommendation, obesity rates increased," Kopins said.

But sugar is tricky, she said.

It's easy to get a lot of sugar quickly into your system with sodas and juices," Kopins said.

That rush of sugar sends a message to the body to stabilize blood-sugar levels with insulin. Because the simple sugars are quickly and easily digested, the body is soon hungry again. The addictive qualities of sugar, push people to desire more sweet flavors to curb their hunger, and the cycle starts again, Kopins said.

The way to solve the problem: portion control.

John White, an expert in caloric sweeteners, agrees.

"Sugars alone are not responsible for obesity," said White, the president of White Technical Research, a consulting firm for the food and beverage industry. "It's calorie intake."

The Food and Drug Administration reported calorie intake over the last 40 years has increased by 425 calories a day.

And calorie reduction is achievable, Kopins said.

She recommends pairing sweet foods with those high in fiber or protein.

For example, apple slices with peanut butter will slow down the insulin response and better control the sugar dump, she said.

"There's a place for everything in your diet," Kopins said. "The key is finding balance."

©2013 York Daily Record (York, Pa.)

Visit York Daily Record (York, Pa.) at www.ydr.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Extra Fat Leads to Extra Health Problems

Posted Jan 20, 2013

Extra body fat increases a person’s risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney and liver failure, amputation, blindness, early death and a long list of other problems nobody wants. Research tells us that. But how does it actually happen? The Gazette-Mail asked medical experts to explain, in plain language.

“Start with this fact,” Dr. Sally Swisher said. “If you eat more sugar than you burn with exercise, your body generates fat.”

Swisher is a neurologist and bariatric doctor at Charleston’s Medical Weight Loss and Skin Care Clinic.

The body turns food into glucose, she explained. It’s straightforward, almost mathematical. Your muscle cells use most of the glucose for fuel. If you exercise a lot, your muscles burn up a lot of glucose. If you’re a couch potato, your glucose doesn’t burn up – and the body converts it into fat.

Globs of sunny yellow fat – unused glucose – float through your arteries in your blood to the organ or tissues where they are deposited.

“Picture your arteries coming out of your heart like big rivers,” Swisher said. “The farther they are from the heart, the smaller they get, and the easier it is for fat to clog them up. By the time arteries get to your feet and hands, they’re tiny.”

Fat cells float through these arteries. Along the way, they are deposited on tissue and organs. When fat finds a home in an organ, it can cause problems. If enough fat is deposited, it causes big problems.

That’s an “extremely simplified version of the way it happens,” Swisher said.

Inside the arteries, fat aggravates the walls as it floats along, then inflames them, Swisher said. “Fat cells slip underneath the inflamed lining. That constricts the artery. It used to be called hardening of the arteries.”

If the inner artery wall becomes harder and rougher, the blood has a harder time getting through, and blood clots are more likely to form.

“There is bad fat and good fat,” Swisher said. Exercise generates good fat, known as HDL cholesterol. It lowers all kinds of health risks. Bad fat – called triglycerides and LDL cholesterol – inflames artery walls. “It’s not just innocent baby fat,” Swisher said.

“When we are children, our bodies create the number of fat cells we will have for the rest of our lives, research shows,” she said. “If people have too many fat cells when they reach adulthood, they are more likely to have trouble with weight for the rest of their lives.”

What damage can it cause?

Extra weight can raise a person’s risk of many different kinds of problems:

Heart failure: “A hundred extra pounds makes your heart muscle thicken, just like any muscle working overtime,” Swisher said. “A bigger heart eventually leads to heart failure.”

A heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through a large body. The strain can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Fat can be especially dangerous inside arteries that supply the heart. It interferes with heart function and can set off heart attacks.

Sleep apnea, which is almost always caused by obesity, Swisher said. “Obese people often have fat in the back of their throats. When they lie down, the weight of their chest is on top of them. They don’t have enough oxygen, so they wake up tired, or their spouse hears them struggling to breathe.”

Diabetes: Belly fat has a lot to do with Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called “adult onset” diabetes. Thirty years ago, people under 20 almost never got it. Now it is showing up in obese teenagers and children.

Type 2 diabetes – 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes – can be prevented with exercise and healthy diet.

Parkersburg native Dr. Frank Schwartz, who directs the diabetes/ endocrine program at Ohio University, explains the role fat plays in diabetes:

Glucose (digested sugar) can’t enter the cells to provide fuel without insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Insulin interacts with the glucose and lets it enter the cells, like a key that opens the door to the cell. But fat secretes hormones that can keep the key from working.

When glucose can’t enter the cells, that’s called insulin resistance. The more fat, the more interference. The more interference, the more insulin resistance.

When glucose cannot enter the muscle cells, a person has diabetes. Digested sugar stays in the person’s bloodstream and his or her blood sugar goes up. The body converts much of the sugar into fat.

Type 2 diabetes can start in the body 10 years before a person feels symptoms, research says. If a 30-year-old develops diabetes, it might have started at age 20. When a 15-year-old develops diabetes, it might have started at age 5.

Physical activity counteracts insulin resistance and increases the amount of glucose that can reach the cells. “That’s a major reason why physical activity can prevent diabetes or help make it better,” Swisher said.

Amputation: When little arteries get clogged with fat, circulation is cut off to the body parts farthest from the heart: including feet and hands. They don’t heal well from infection and may get ulcers and gangrene. “That puts you at risk of amputation,” Swisher said.

Kidney failure: “If small arteries leading to the kidneys get clogged, your body tries to overcome it, but after awhile, your kidneys just quit working,” Swisher said. After that, a person needs expensive, time-consuming dialysis – often four hours a day, three days a week, running the entire blood supply through a cleaning machine.

Stroke: Diabetics are more likely to have strokes, caused by constriction of small brain arteries. “That leads to clogging of the carotid arteries, which leads to strokes,” Swisher said. Plaques of inflamed cells and fat build up inside the artery.

“People in their 30s and 40s with high cholesterol who smoke can have a premature stroke,” she said. “If we don’t get a grip on this, it’s a matter of time till teenagers start having heart attacks and strokes.”

Alzheimer’s disease: In 2008, researchers found that obese people are twice as likely to get Alzheimer’s as healthy-weight people are. Healthy-weight people with a “spare tire” are twice as likely to get dementia as healthy-weight people with no spare tire, they found. Nobody knows yet why that happens.

Liver disease: Fat deposited on the liver can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Obesity causes more liver failure than alcoholism does, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cancer: Estrogen is stored in fat, so excess fat creates higher estrogen levels in the blood. “Extra estrogen in the blood also puts you at risk of cancers of the breast and uterus,” Swisher said. The lining of the uterus may also get thicker with excess weight, which can cause cancer.

“Colon cancer is also related to obesity, though nobody knows why,” she said.

Sexual dysfunction: Diabetes causes impotence in men, and very obese young women often don’t ovulate. “They’re infertile and have high insulin levels,” Swisher said. “If they lose weight, they can become fertile again. Doctors joke that pregnancy is a side effect of weight loss.”

Incontinence: “If a woman has 50 or 60 extra pounds, and she rides a bike or just sneezes, the pressure of the belly against the bladder can force urine out,” Swisher said. A woman can undergo surgery to lift the bladder – or she can lose weight, making the surgery unnecessary.

Musculoskeletal problems and arthritis: “If weight-bearing joints carry too much weight: knees, feet and, to a lesser extent, hips, the amount of arthritis accelerates as you get older,” Swisher said. “Overweight people don’t get over it as easily. Rehab is harder.”

Blindness: Diabetes also can cause blindness. Fat clogs the artery leading to the retina, and “that can cause stroke in the eye,” Swisher said. Young overweight girls can also go blind with “false tumor” condition, she said, in which fat creates pressure inside the skull, causing severe headaches. The bulge in the optic nerve may resemble a brain tumor.

“None of these things has to happen,” Swisher said. “That’s the important thing to remember. It’s possible to prevent them all with exercise and diet. It’s within most people’s reach.

“If I were queen of the world,” she said, “the first thing I’d do is take control of school lunches and get kids outside playing every day again.”

KATE LONG | Sunday Gazette-Mail I have patients lift this rubber model of five pounds of fat when theyre disappointed that they only lost five pounds, said Dr. Sally Swisher, neurologist and bariatric doctor at Charleston Medical Weight Loss and Skin Care Clinic. They feel how heavy it is and realize that five pounds is a wonderful thing not to have to carry around anymore.

Reach Kate Long at 304-348-1798 or katelong@wvgazette.com.

This story was written with the help of the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, administered by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships at the USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Extra body fat increases a person's risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, kidney and liver failure, amputation, blindness, early death and a long list of other problems nobody wants. Research tells us that. But how does it actually happen? The Gazette-Mail asked medical experts to explain, in plain language.

"Start with this fact," Dr. Sally Swisher said. "If you eat more sugar than you burn with exercise, your body generates fat."

Swisher is a neurologist and bariatric doctor at Charleston's Medical Weight Loss and Skin Care Clinic.

The body turns food into glucose, she explained. It's straightforward, almost mathematical. Your muscle cells use most of the glucose for fuel. If you exercise a lot, your muscles burn up a lot of glucose. If you're a couch potato, your glucose doesn't burn up - and the body converts it into fat.

Globs of sunny yellow fat - unused glucose - float through your arteries in your blood to the organ or tissues where they are deposited.

"Picture your arteries coming out of your heart like big rivers," Swisher said. "The farther they are from the heart, the smaller they get, and the easier it is for fat to clog them up. By the time arteries get to your feet and hands, they're tiny."

Fat cells float through these arteries. Along the way, they are deposited on tissue and organs. When fat finds a home in an organ, it can cause problems. If enough fat is deposited, it causes big problems.

That's an "extremely simplified version of the way it happens," Swisher said.

Inside the arteries, fat aggravates the walls as it floats along, then inflames them, Swisher said. "Fat cells slip underneath the inflamed lining. That constricts the artery. It used to be called hardening of the arteries."

If the inner artery wall becomes harder and rougher, the blood has a harder time getting through, and blood clots are more likely to form.

"There is bad fat and good fat," Swisher said. Exercise generates good fat, known as HDL cholesterol. It lowers all kinds of health risks. Bad fat - called triglycerides and LDL cholesterol - inflames artery walls. "It's not just innocent baby fat," Swisher said.

"When we are children, our bodies create the number of fat cells we will have for the rest of our lives, research shows," she said. "If people have too many fat cells when they reach adulthood, they are more likely to have trouble with weight for the rest of their lives."

What damage can it cause?

Extra weight can raise a person's risk of many different kinds of problems:

Heart failure: "A hundred extra pounds makes your heart muscle thicken, just like any muscle working overtime," Swisher said. "A bigger heart eventually leads to heart failure."

A heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through a large body. The strain can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Fat can be especially dangerous inside arteries that supply the heart. It interferes with heart function and can set off heart attacks.

Sleep apnea, which is almost always caused by obesity, Swisher said. "Obese people often have fat in the back of their throats. When they lie down, the weight of their chest is on top of them. They don't have enough oxygen, so they wake up tired, or their spouse hears them struggling to breathe."

Diabetes: Belly fat has a lot to do with Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called "adult onset" diabetes. Thirty years ago, people under 20 almost never got it. Now it is showing up in obese teenagers and children.

Type 2 diabetes - 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes - can be prevented with exercise and healthy diet.

Parkersburg native Dr. Frank Schwartz, who directs the diabetes/ endocrine program at Ohio University, explains the role fat plays in diabetes:

Glucose (digested sugar) can't enter the cells to provide fuel without insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Insulin interacts with the glucose and lets it enter the cells, like a key that opens the door to the cell. But fat secretes hormones that can keep the key from working.

When glucose can't enter the cells, that's called insulin resistance. The more fat, the more interference. The more interference, the more insulin resistance.

When glucose cannot enter the muscle cells, a person has diabetes. Digested sugar stays in the person's bloodstream and his or her blood sugar goes up. The body converts much of the sugar into fat.

Type 2 diabetes can start in the body 10 years before a person feels symptoms, research says. If a 30-year-old develops diabetes, it might have started at age 20. When a 15-year-old develops diabetes, it might have started at age 5.

Physical activity counteracts insulin resistance and increases the amount of glucose that can reach the cells. "That's a major reason why physical activity can prevent diabetes or help make it better," Swisher said.

Amputation: When little arteries get clogged with fat, circulation is cut off to the body parts farthest from the heart: including feet and hands. They don't heal well from infection and may get ulcers and gangrene. "That puts you at risk of amputation," Swisher said.

Kidney failure: "If small arteries leading to the kidneys get clogged, your body tries to overcome it, but after awhile, your kidneys just quit working," Swisher said. After that, a person needs expensive, time-consuming dialysis - often four hours a day, three days a week, running the entire blood supply through a cleaning machine.

Stroke: Diabetics are more likely to have strokes, caused by constriction of small brain arteries. "That leads to clogging of the carotid arteries, which leads to strokes," Swisher said. Plaques of inflamed cells and fat build up inside the artery.

"People in their 30s and 40s with high cholesterol who smoke can have a premature stroke," she said. "If we don't get a grip on this, it's a matter of time till teenagers start having heart attacks and strokes."

Alzheimer's disease: In 2008, researchers found that obese people are twice as likely to get Alzheimer's as healthy-weight people are. Healthy-weight people with a "spare tire" are twice as likely to get dementia as healthy-weight people with no spare tire, they found. Nobody knows yet why that happens.

Liver disease: Fat deposited on the liver can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Obesity causes more liver failure than alcoholism does, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cancer: Estrogen is stored in fat, so excess fat creates higher estrogen levels in the blood. "Extra estrogen in the blood also puts you at risk of cancers of the breast and uterus," Swisher said. The lining of the uterus may also get thicker with excess weight, which can cause cancer.

"Colon cancer is also related to obesity, though nobody knows why," she said.

Sexual dysfunction: Diabetes causes impotence in men, and very obese young women often don't ovulate. "They're infertile and have high insulin levels," Swisher said. "If they lose weight, they can become fertile again. Doctors joke that pregnancy is a side effect of weight loss."

Incontinence: "If a woman has 50 or 60 extra pounds, and she rides a bike or just sneezes, the pressure of the belly against the bladder can force urine out," Swisher said. A woman can undergo surgery to lift the bladder - or she can lose weight, making the surgery unnecessary.

Musculoskeletal problems and arthritis: "If weight-bearing joints carry too much weight: knees, feet and, to a lesser extent, hips, the amount of arthritis accelerates as you get older," Swisher said. "Overweight people don't get over it as easily. Rehab is harder."

Blindness: Diabetes also can cause blindness. Fat clogs the artery leading to the retina, and "that can cause stroke in the eye," Swisher said. Young overweight girls can also go blind with "false tumor" condition, she said, in which fat creates pressure inside the skull, causing severe headaches. The bulge in the optic nerve may resemble a brain tumor.

"None of these things has to happen," Swisher said. "That's the important thing to remember. It's possible to prevent them all with exercise and diet. It's within most people's reach.

"If I were queen of the world," she said, "the first thing I'd do is take control of school lunches and get kids outside playing every day again."

KATE LONG | Sunday Gazette-Mail I have patients lift this rubber model of five pounds of fat when theyre disappointed that they only lost five pounds, said Dr. Sally Swisher, neurologist and bariatric doctor at Charleston Medical Weight Loss and Skin Care Clinic. They feel how heavy it is and realize that five pounds is a wonderful thing not to have to carry around anymore.

Reach Kate Long at 304-348-1798 or katelong@wvgazette.com.

This story was written with the help of the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism, administered by the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships at the USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

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News Flash: Exercise Key to Weight Loss

Posted Jan 13, 2013

Exercise – and not only a proper diet – is essential for people who want to lose weight, according to Thomas Haab, a sport scientist at the BSA Academy in Saarbruecken, a German higher education institution focusing on health management and illness prevention.

“The duration and intensity are what matter most,” he said, pointing out that exercise burned extra calories. What is more, the body’s elevated energy metabolism after a workout promotes weight loss, too, “because more calories are burned and hence less surplus energy is stored in fat tissue.”

This “afterburn” occurs after strength or endurance training of sufficient intensity, Haab remarked. Although energy metabolism remains elevated up to 24 hours after both kinds of training, “the effect is greater after strength training,” he said.

During strength training, more calories are burned when the particular exercises are done in several sets each rather than circuit training – i.e. various exercises of one set each. For leisure athletes, it is irrelevant whether endurance training precedes or follows strength training.

In combination with an appropriate diet, Haab advised would-be weight losers who opt for strength-training exercises using machine weights to do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions each. An alternative, he said, would be 60 minutes of endurance training such as cycling, use of an elliptical trainer or jogging.

Exercise - and not only a proper diet - is essential for people who want to lose weight, according to Thomas Haab, a sport scientist at the BSA Academy in Saarbruecken, a German higher education institution focusing on health management and illness prevention.

"The duration and intensity are what matter most," he said, pointing out that exercise burned extra calories. What is more, the body's elevated energy metabolism after a workout promotes weight loss, too, "because more calories are burned and hence less surplus energy is stored in fat tissue."

This "afterburn" occurs after strength or endurance training of sufficient intensity, Haab remarked. Although energy metabolism remains elevated up to 24 hours after both kinds of training, "the effect is greater after strength training," he said.

During strength training, more calories are burned when the particular exercises are done in several sets each rather than circuit training - i.e. various exercises of one set each. For leisure athletes, it is irrelevant whether endurance training precedes or follows strength training.

In combination with an appropriate diet, Haab advised would-be weight losers who opt for strength-training exercises using machine weights to do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions each. An alternative, he said, would be 60 minutes of endurance training such as cycling, use of an elliptical trainer or jogging.

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Diet Myths

Posted Jan 10, 2013

DIET season is upon us and you may have started on a new weightloss “theory”. But if your no-fat detox fasting frenzy isn’t working, it could be because it’s a myth. We go in search of the truth…

1 Low-fat or no-fat diets are good for you.

Myth

A third of your calories should come from fat. The body needs fat for energy, tissue repair and to transport vitamins.

As a guideline, women need 70g of fat a day (30g as the minimum) and men need 95g (40g minimum). Cut down on saturated fats in cream, cheese or butter for unsaturated fats, found in olive oil and avocados.

2 Crash dieting makes you lose weight.

Myth

Crash dieting or fasting can hinder weight loss as both remove fat and also lean muscle and tissue, which causes a fall in your basal metabolic rate – the amount of calories your body needs when it is resting.

This means your body comes to need fewer calories to stay the same, making weight gain more likely once you stop dieting. It is why exercise is recommended in any weight-loss plan to maintain your metabolic rate.

3 Low-fat milk contains less calcium than full-fat milk.

Myth

Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk have more calcium, because the calcium is in the watery not creamy part. If you want to lose weight, skimmed milk is your best option but use semi-skimmed to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you are not dieting.

4 A slow metabolism stops you losing weight.

Myth

The number of calories used by the body at rest increases as people become fatter. So, the larger you are, the more calories you need to keep your body going and the higher your metabolism becomes.

5 Eating a fattening meal will mean you pile on the pounds.

Myth

Weight gain is a slow process. You need to eat an extra 3,500 calories to gain 1lb of fat. If the scales say you have gained a few pounds after a meal, it is down to fluid retention.

6 Low-fat foods always help you lose weight.

Myth

Low-fat or fat-free does not always mean low calorie. Check the calories of foods, especially cakes, crisps, ice creams and ready meals. Extra sugars and thickeners are often added to boost flavour. Foods labelled low-fat should have no more than 3g fat per 100g.

7 Food eaten late at night is more fattening for you.

Myth

A large meal eaten late at night does not make the body store more fat, according to a study at Dunn Nutrition Centre, Cambridge. Volunteers were fed a large lunch and small evening meal for one test period, then a small lunch and large evening meal the next. The large meal eaten late did not make the body store more fat. So it is not when you eat that is important, but the total amount you consume during a 24-hour period.

8 Avoid fatty foods because they will raise your cholesterol.

Myth

Cholesterol can be bad for us because it forms deposits that clog our arteries, which contribute to heart disease. But we all need blood cholesterol for building cells and making hormones.

>Saturated fats found in meat, cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries tend to raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, known as bad cholesterol. Choose unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

9 Vegetarians can’t build up muscle mass.

Myth

Vegetarians can be as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein from cheese, nuts, pulses and grains. You need protein to build muscle but the body can only store a certain amount of protein, so too much can damage the kidneys.

10 You always gain weight when you stop smoking.

Myth

While nicotine does increase metabolism, its effect is small. It is far healthier to be an overweight non-smoker than not bother giving up. Chew on sugar-free gum or snack on vegetables or satsumas until your cravings go away.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/features/dietmyths.htm

DIET season is upon us and you may have started on a new weightloss "theory". But if your no-fat detox fasting frenzy isn't working, it could be because it's a myth. We go in search of the truth...

1 Low-fat or no-fat diets are good for you.

Myth

A third of your calories should come from fat. The body needs fat for energy, tissue repair and to transport vitamins.

As a guideline, women need 70g of fat a day (30g as the minimum) and men need 95g (40g minimum). Cut down on saturated fats in cream, cheese or butter for unsaturated fats, found in olive oil and avocados.

2 Crash dieting makes you lose weight.

Myth

Crash dieting or fasting can hinder weight loss as both remove fat and also lean muscle and tissue, which causes a fall in your basal metabolic rate - the amount of calories your body needs when it is resting.

This means your body comes to need fewer calories to stay the same, making weight gain more likely once you stop dieting. It is why exercise is recommended in any weight-loss plan to maintain your metabolic rate.

3 Low-fat milk contains less calcium than full-fat milk.

Myth

Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk have more calcium, because the calcium is in the watery not creamy part. If you want to lose weight, skimmed milk is your best option but use semi-skimmed to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you are not dieting.

4 A slow metabolism stops you losing weight.

Myth

The number of calories used by the body at rest increases as people become fatter. So, the larger you are, the more calories you need to keep your body going and the higher your metabolism becomes.

5 Eating a fattening meal will mean you pile on the pounds.

Myth

Weight gain is a slow process. You need to eat an extra 3,500 calories to gain 1lb of fat. If the scales say you have gained a few pounds after a meal, it is down to fluid retention.

6 Low-fat foods always help you lose weight.

Myth

Low-fat or fat-free does not always mean low calorie. Check the calories of foods, especially cakes, crisps, ice creams and ready meals. Extra sugars and thickeners are often added to boost flavour. Foods labelled low-fat should have no more than 3g fat per 100g.

7 Food eaten late at night is more fattening for you.

Myth

A large meal eaten late at night does not make the body store more fat, according to a study at Dunn Nutrition Centre, Cambridge. Volunteers were fed a large lunch and small evening meal for one test period, then a small lunch and large evening meal the next. The large meal eaten late did not make the body store more fat. So it is not when you eat that is important, but the total amount you consume during a 24-hour period.

8 Avoid fatty foods because they will raise your cholesterol.

Myth

Cholesterol can be bad for us because it forms deposits that clog our arteries, which contribute to heart disease. But we all need blood cholesterol for building cells and making hormones.

>Saturated fats found in meat, cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries tend to raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, known as bad cholesterol. Choose unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

9 Vegetarians can't build up muscle mass.

Myth

Vegetarians can be as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein from cheese, nuts, pulses and grains. You need protein to build muscle but the body can only store a certain amount of protein, so too much can damage the kidneys.

10 You always gain weight when you stop smoking.

Myth

While nicotine does increase metabolism, its effect is small. It is far healthier to be an overweight non-smoker than not bother giving up. Chew on sugar-free gum or snack on vegetables or satsumas until your cravings go away.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/features/dietmyths.htm

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Eating Nuts May Help Manage Weight

Posted Dec 31, 2012

Could a food that sounds like it’s bad for you actually be good for you? That’s nuts, said June Puett, University of Tennessee Extension agent.

“Nuts are high in calories and fat, but those calories are loaded with nutrition,” she said.

According to Puett, research indicates that eating nuts daily may serve as an effective tool in weight loss and weight management.

“The fiber and protein in nuts helps make you feel fuller longer, so you are less hungry, and that means you may eat less,” she said. “Not all the fat in whole nuts is absorbed — from 4 percent to 17 percent passes out of the body undigested.”

But you can get too much of a good thing, she cautioned.

“Even though the fat found in nuts is healthier than some sources, going overboard could lead to excess calorie intake. Limit yourself to a small handful daily, and instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, eat them in replacement of saturated-fat foods,” Puett said. “Consumers should also watch out for the sodium in packaged nuts. Unsalted varieties are widely available.”

Puett also recommends nut butters, available in almond, cashew and peanut varieties. As sandwich fillings, they are a better choice than full-fat cheeses and most deli meats, she said.

If shopping for ready-made peanut butter, it’s important to read labels, as hydrogenated fats and sugar are often added to peanut butter, she said.

For ultimate freshness, she recommends making your own by grinding up shelled nuts in a food processor.

“The volume will be approximately half of what you started with, so one cup of nuts will yield about one-half cup of nut butter,” she said. “The oil content of the nut will determine the smoothness or graininess of the spread. Higher-fat nuts make creamier paste.”

Store the nut butter in the refrigerator. Before spreading, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

“Spread peanut butter on your morning waffle, whole-grain toast or midmorning crackers,” Puett suggested. “Add a tablespoon of peanut butter to your morning smoothie.”

For a quick, delicious sauce, combine peanut butter, coconut milk and ready-to-use thai red or green curry paste. “Pour over healthy sauteed vegetables,” she said, “[or] use as a cooking sauce for tofu or salmon.”

To add life to cooked brown rice, toss with sesame oil, chopped peanuts, scallions, sweet red pepper, parsley and currants, she said.

Nuts also may be sprinkled into salads, yogurt, cereal, pasta and cooked vegetables as well as muffin or pancake batter.

Tara Plumlee, CEO of A Silverware Affair (www.a silverwareaffair.net), said that nuts are often used in her catering company’s menu. Generally, pecans and walnuts are used in salads and desserts, pistachios in entrees and peanuts and peanut butter in certain pies and Asian sauces.

“They are great toppings for salads or can be candied for a sweet treat,” she added. “The possibilities are really endless.”

Plumlee, a vegetarian, said nuts are an easy way to add protein to one’s diet.

“They can be eaten on the go, which is super great for my busy lifestyle, and are generally easily accessible,” she said. “I travel with nuts in my bag everywhere I go for quick snacks, salad toppers at restaurants and the like.”

Because nuts are high in fat, Puett recommends buying them in small quantities to prevent rancidity.

“Store in a cool, dry place since heat, light and humidity can speed up rancidity. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage,” she said.

Though nuts have many dietary benefits, they can be harmful to some people. According to kidshealth.org, peanuts are among the most common allergy-causing foods, and they often find their way into things you wouldn’t imagine. Chili, for example, may be thickened with ground peanuts, the website noted. If allergy testing shows that someone has a peanut or tree nut allergy, a medical professional will provide guidelines on what to do.

“Peanuts aren’t actually a true nut; they’re a legume (in the same family as peas and lentils),” the information noted. “But the proteins in peanuts are similar in structure to those in tree nuts. For this reason, people who are allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to tree nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, pecans and cashews.”

A Silverware Affair’s Pistachio-Encrusted Fish

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried oregano

21/2 tablespoons mustard (honey, Dijon, spicy brown, whatever you like)

4 small fish fillets (any mild white fish), patted dry

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix pistachios, parmesan cheese and oregano in a blender or food processor, and pulse a few times to get coarse mixture. Pour the mixture onto a large plate, and spread it out until it forms a thin, flat layer.

Spread the mustard over the tops of the dry fish fillets, and dip the mustard-covered portion into the pistachio mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Place the fillets, crusted side facing up, on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for about 12 minutes or until the fish appears flaky.

— Tara Plumlee

Pumpkin Nut Bread

Great as a snack, breakfast or dessert, this recipe makes one large loaf or two mini loaves. The bread also freezes well. Freeze on a plate six hours, wrap frozen loaf in heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to six months.

2 cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or 1 cup solid-pack canned pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup each: chopped pecans and black walnuts (may substitute raisins or any combination to equal one cup)

Heat oven to 350 F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, oil and nuts, mixing until just moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into well-greased (use vegetable oil) 9- by 5-inch loaf pan or two 71/2- by 33/4-inch loaf pans (may use aluminum pans). Place pans in middle of the oven and bake 65 minutes for a large loaf or 50 minutes for two mini loaves, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen bread from the sides of the pan, invert and cool on a cooling rack or plate. Slice and serve.

Peanut Sauce

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix ingredients, and stir until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Candied Walnuts

1 cup walnut halves

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 325 F. Place walnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Combine honey, water and oil in a skillet, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in walnuts. Cook, stirring frequently until all liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer nuts to a bowl. Combine sugar and salt, and toss with nuts. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet to cool and dry. Sprinkle on any salad. Store in an airtight container.

©2012 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

Could a food that sounds like it's bad for you actually be good for you? That's nuts, said June Puett, University of Tennessee Extension agent.

"Nuts are high in calories and fat, but those calories are loaded with nutrition," she said.

According to Puett, research indicates that eating nuts daily may serve as an effective tool in weight loss and weight management.

"The fiber and protein in nuts helps make you feel fuller longer, so you are less hungry, and that means you may eat less," she said. "Not all the fat in whole nuts is absorbed -- from 4 percent to 17 percent passes out of the body undigested."

But you can get too much of a good thing, she cautioned.

"Even though the fat found in nuts is healthier than some sources, going overboard could lead to excess calorie intake. Limit yourself to a small handful daily, and instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, eat them in replacement of saturated-fat foods," Puett said. "Consumers should also watch out for the sodium in packaged nuts. Unsalted varieties are widely available."

Puett also recommends nut butters, available in almond, cashew and peanut varieties. As sandwich fillings, they are a better choice than full-fat cheeses and most deli meats, she said.

If shopping for ready-made peanut butter, it's important to read labels, as hydrogenated fats and sugar are often added to peanut butter, she said.

For ultimate freshness, she recommends making your own by grinding up shelled nuts in a food processor.

"The volume will be approximately half of what you started with, so one cup of nuts will yield about one-half cup of nut butter," she said. "The oil content of the nut will determine the smoothness or graininess of the spread. Higher-fat nuts make creamier paste."

Store the nut butter in the refrigerator. Before spreading, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

"Spread peanut butter on your morning waffle, whole-grain toast or midmorning crackers," Puett suggested. "Add a tablespoon of peanut butter to your morning smoothie."

For a quick, delicious sauce, combine peanut butter, coconut milk and ready-to-use thai red or green curry paste. "Pour over healthy sauteed vegetables," she said, "[or] use as a cooking sauce for tofu or salmon."

To add life to cooked brown rice, toss with sesame oil, chopped peanuts, scallions, sweet red pepper, parsley and currants, she said.

Nuts also may be sprinkled into salads, yogurt, cereal, pasta and cooked vegetables as well as muffin or pancake batter.

Tara Plumlee, CEO of A Silverware Affair (www.a silverwareaffair.net), said that nuts are often used in her catering company's menu. Generally, pecans and walnuts are used in salads and desserts, pistachios in entrees and peanuts and peanut butter in certain pies and Asian sauces.

"They are great toppings for salads or can be candied for a sweet treat," she added. "The possibilities are really endless."

Plumlee, a vegetarian, said nuts are an easy way to add protein to one's diet.

"They can be eaten on the go, which is super great for my busy lifestyle, and are generally easily accessible," she said. "I travel with nuts in my bag everywhere I go for quick snacks, salad toppers at restaurants and the like."

Because nuts are high in fat, Puett recommends buying them in small quantities to prevent rancidity.

"Store in a cool, dry place since heat, light and humidity can speed up rancidity. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage," she said.

Though nuts have many dietary benefits, they can be harmful to some people. According to kidshealth.org, peanuts are among the most common allergy-causing foods, and they often find their way into things you wouldn't imagine. Chili, for example, may be thickened with ground peanuts, the website noted. If allergy testing shows that someone has a peanut or tree nut allergy, a medical professional will provide guidelines on what to do.

"Peanuts aren't actually a true nut; they're a legume (in the same family as peas and lentils)," the information noted. "But the proteins in peanuts are similar in structure to those in tree nuts. For this reason, people who are allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to tree nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, pecans and cashews."

A Silverware Affair's Pistachio-Encrusted Fish

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried oregano

21/2 tablespoons mustard (honey, Dijon, spicy brown, whatever you like)

4 small fish fillets (any mild white fish), patted dry

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix pistachios, parmesan cheese and oregano in a blender or food processor, and pulse a few times to get coarse mixture. Pour the mixture onto a large plate, and spread it out until it forms a thin, flat layer.

Spread the mustard over the tops of the dry fish fillets, and dip the mustard-covered portion into the pistachio mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Place the fillets, crusted side facing up, on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for about 12 minutes or until the fish appears flaky.

-- Tara Plumlee

Pumpkin Nut Bread

Great as a snack, breakfast or dessert, this recipe makes one large loaf or two mini loaves. The bread also freezes well. Freeze on a plate six hours, wrap frozen loaf in heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to six months.

2 cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or 1 cup solid-pack canned pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup each: chopped pecans and black walnuts (may substitute raisins or any combination to equal one cup)

Heat oven to 350 F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, oil and nuts, mixing until just moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into well-greased (use vegetable oil) 9- by 5-inch loaf pan or two 71/2- by 33/4-inch loaf pans (may use aluminum pans). Place pans in middle of the oven and bake 65 minutes for a large loaf or 50 minutes for two mini loaves, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen bread from the sides of the pan, invert and cool on a cooling rack or plate. Slice and serve.

Peanut Sauce

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix ingredients, and stir until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Candied Walnuts

1 cup walnut halves

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 325 F. Place walnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Combine honey, water and oil in a skillet, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in walnuts. Cook, stirring frequently until all liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer nuts to a bowl. Combine sugar and salt, and toss with nuts. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet to cool and dry. Sprinkle on any salad. Store in an airtight container.

©2012 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Produce Makes a Difference for Long Term Weight Loss

Posted Oct 29, 2012

New research has been tried to figure out what might help postmenopausal women achieve long-term weight loss. And it turns out that adding produce to their diet didn’t show up as especially helpful in the short term, but it mattered in the long term.

Researchers didn’t find that eating fried chicken was just fine as long as it came with a side of broccoli. What they found was that some behaviors are hard to maintain forever, and adding produce might be easier than avoiding all fried foods for the long haul.

“People are so motivated when they start a weight-loss program. You can say, ‘I’m never going to eat another piece of pie,’ and you see the pounds coming off,” Bethany Barone Gibbs, the lead investigator, said in a statement. “Eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake. But that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, because it’s not as hard to do as giving up french fries forever.”

The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, looked at overweight postmenopausal women.

Barone Gibbs, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh department of health and physical activity, said several factors work against long-term weight loss.

“Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you’ve lost weight,” she says.

A group of 508 women from the Pittsburgh area were divided into two groups, one of which met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists and psychologists to reduce fat and caloric intake, eat more produce and grains and exercise regularly. The second group was offered some general health seminars.

The researchers looked at what happened after six months and after four years. At four years, most of the intervention group had lost some weight, compared with about a third of the other group. Barone Gibbs noted that the women all had wanted to lose weight and sought help.

For the six-month mark, the researchers found that weight loss was associated with eating fewer desserts and fried foods, drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, eating more fish and eating out less.

At the four-year mark, some of those things still mattered. But eating more produce and less meat and cheese emerged as important predictors of long-term weight loss.

“If the goal is to decrease the burden of obesity, the focus must be on long-term strategies because changes in eating behaviors only associated with short-term weight loss are likely ineffective and/ or not sustainable,” the researchers wrote.

New research has been tried to figure out what might help postmenopausal women achieve long-term weight loss. And it turns out that adding produce to their diet didn't show up as especially helpful in the short term, but it mattered in the long term.

Researchers didn't find that eating fried chicken was just fine as long as it came with a side of broccoli. What they found was that some behaviors are hard to maintain forever, and adding produce might be easier than avoiding all fried foods for the long haul.

"People are so motivated when they start a weight-loss program. You can say, 'I'm never going to eat another piece of pie,' and you see the pounds coming off," Bethany Barone Gibbs, the lead investigator, said in a statement. "Eating fruits and vegetables may not make as big a difference in your caloric intake. But that small change can build up and give you a better long-term result, because it's not as hard to do as giving up french fries forever."

The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, looked at overweight postmenopausal women.

Barone Gibbs, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh department of health and physical activity, said several factors work against long-term weight loss.

"Not only does motivation decrease after you start losing weight, there are physiological changes, including a decreased resting metabolic rate. Appetite-related hormones increase. Researchers studying the brain are now finding that you have enhanced rewards and increased motivation to eat when you've lost weight," she says.

A group of 508 women from the Pittsburgh area were divided into two groups, one of which met regularly with nutritionists, exercise physiologists and psychologists to reduce fat and caloric intake, eat more produce and grains and exercise regularly. The second group was offered some general health seminars.

The researchers looked at what happened after six months and after four years. At four years, most of the intervention group had lost some weight, compared with about a third of the other group. Barone Gibbs noted that the women all had wanted to lose weight and sought help.

For the six-month mark, the researchers found that weight loss was associated with eating fewer desserts and fried foods, drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, eating more fish and eating out less.

At the four-year mark, some of those things still mattered. But eating more produce and less meat and cheese emerged as important predictors of long-term weight loss.

"If the goal is to decrease the burden of obesity, the focus must be on long-term strategies because changes in eating behaviors only associated with short-term weight loss are likely ineffective and/ or not sustainable," the researchers wrote.

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Gluten Can Hide

Posted October 21, 2012

ST. LOUIS – Rabia Rahman is as much a detective as a dietitian when she works with her patients to help them avoid gluten.

“I had one patient who got really sick from licking an envelope,” says Rahman, who’s both a nutritional counselor and an instructor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University.

Ironically, gluten is used in the binders or coatings of some medications that patients may be taking to feel better. And many of Rahman’s female patients are surprised to find out that gluten is sometimes an ingredient in makeup and lipstick.

Helping patients eliminate gluten from their diets is easier than ferreting out some of these more obscure uses, but it still poses significant challenges.

“We’ll always go over food habits and cover the broad items like wheat, barley and rye, which means they shouldn’t eat regular cakes, breads and pastas,” Rahman says. “But then I work with them to go over ingredient lists on labels closely and avoid specific items – hydrolized wheat starch, or anything that says malt, graham or spelt.

“There’s often gluten where you really don’t expect it. Soy sauce is a big one; broth soups, potato chips and even French fries, which are sometimes dipped in a starch to preserve them.”

The medical reasons for going gluten-free, says Rahman, range from mild gluten intolerance to wheat allergies and celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which consumption of gluten damages the small intestine. Blood tests can diagnose allergies and celiac disease, and Rahman calls a small-intestine biopsy the “gold standard” for diagnosis of celiac.

But there aren’t any specific tests for gluten sensitivity.

“That diagnosis often comes after a patient has gone from doctor to doctor to find out why they just don’t feel well,” Rahman says. “Sometimes it’s (gastrointestinal) symptoms, but many times the symptoms are less obvious – tiredness, headache, or even sometimes depression.”

Rahman has her patients keep a log of both their food consumption and their symptoms and eventually may recommend that they eliminate gluten from their diets. Or, in some cases, she may work the other way by having the patients go gluten free to see if it makes their symptoms go away.

In either case, she says, adopting a gluten-free diet gets easier every year.

“Even in the past five years, there’s been a huge increase in cookbooks, in what’s available in stores and restaurants and in online support,” Rahman says.

However, she adds, part of the demand has been generated by a certain trendiness in gluten-free lifestyles that’s been aided by their adoption by various celebrities.

“They’re using it as a fashion statement, or in some cases they’re saying it might help with weight loss,” Rahman says. “But there’s no medical reason to follow it unless you have to.”

But that said, she advises her patients and anyone else who’s been diagnosed as gluten-sensitive not to be shy about it.

“Eating out or at someone’s house are things that many patients find very, very difficult,” Rahman says. It’s not just the food itself – there are issues of cross-contamination, as simple as crumbs left when regular bread is made in the same toaster.”

“But you have to be willing to advocate for yourself,” she adds. “It’s also really important to involve family members and friends. You’ll often get a lot of support that really helps you stay on top of it.”

— Joe Bonwich

GLUTEN FREE SUPPORT ON THE WEB

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

www.celiaccentral.org

A nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for celiac disease.

Celiac Disease Foundation

celiac.org

A nonprofit, public-benefit corporation providing services and support through awareness, education, advocacy and research.

Celiac Sprue Association

csaceliacs.org

Another nonprofit organization with extensive online resources.

Gluten Intolerance Group

www.gluten.net

Tips for diet and finding medical professionals, as well as geographic lists of restaurants that offer gluten-free alternatives. (The restaurants listed in the St. Louis area are primarily nationwide chains.)

—

ARTISAN GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND

Yield: About 12 cups

5 cups (625 grams) brown rice flour

3 cups (350 grams) sorghum flour

2 2/3 cups (360 grams) cornstarch

1 cup (148 grams) potato starch

1/3 cup (57 grams) potato flour

4 teaspoons xanthan gum

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The authors recommend measuring by weight rather than by volume for a more accurate and consistent result.

Notes: If you have a sensitivity to a specific ingredient, use the following substitutions. For corn, replace the cornstarch with 1 3/4 cups arrowroot flour. For potatoes, omit the potato starch and potato flour and replace with 1 1/3 cups tapioca starch. For sorghum, omit the sorghum flour and replace with an additional 3 cups of brown rice flour for a total of 8 cups of brown rice flour.

The ingredients can frequently be found in the specialty-flour or health-foods aisle of the supermarket or in health food stores.

Per cup: 468 calories; 2g fat; 0.5g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 6g protein; 105g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 5g fiber; 11mg sodium; 11mg calcium.

Adapted from “Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking,” by Kelli and Peter Bronski (second edition, The Experiment, 2012)

—

QUINOA SALAD WITH VINAIGRETTE

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed if necessary

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and diced small

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. Refrigerate until cooled.

2. Combine the vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together the quinoa, bell pepper, green onions and olive oil and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve chilled.

Per serving: 290 calories; 17g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 6g protein; 29g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 4g fiber; 5mg sodium; 29mg calcium.

Adapted from “Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking,” by Kelli and Peter Bronski (second edition, The Experiment, 2012)

—

SZECHUAN NOODLES

Yield: 6 servings

1 (12-ounce) package brown rice spaghetti or other gluten-free thin noodle

2/3 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup gluten-free tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/3 cup brown rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (regular or black)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium glass bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, tamari, brown rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown rice syrup, garlic, ginger and peppers.

3. Pour pineapple-juice mixture over noodles and, using a pair of tongs, toss well to coat noodles evenly. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Add carrots, green onions, cilantro, parsley and sesame seeds and toss well to combine.

Per serving: 290 calories; 17g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 6g protein; 29g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 4g fiber; 5mg sodium; 29mg calcium.

Adapted from “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking,” by Julieanna Hever and Beverly Lynn Bennett (Alpha Books, 2011)

©2012 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.

ST. LOUIS - Rabia Rahman is as much a detective as a dietitian when she works with her patients to help them avoid gluten.

"I had one patient who got really sick from licking an envelope," says Rahman, who's both a nutritional counselor and an instructor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University.

Ironically, gluten is used in the binders or coatings of some medications that patients may be taking to feel better. And many of Rahman's female patients are surprised to find out that gluten is sometimes an ingredient in makeup and lipstick.

Helping patients eliminate gluten from their diets is easier than ferreting out some of these more obscure uses, but it still poses significant challenges.

"We'll always go over food habits and cover the broad items like wheat, barley and rye, which means they shouldn't eat regular cakes, breads and pastas," Rahman says. "But then I work with them to go over ingredient lists on labels closely and avoid specific items - hydrolized wheat starch, or anything that says malt, graham or spelt.

"There's often gluten where you really don't expect it. Soy sauce is a big one; broth soups, potato chips and even French fries, which are sometimes dipped in a starch to preserve them."

The medical reasons for going gluten-free, says Rahman, range from mild gluten intolerance to wheat allergies and celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which consumption of gluten damages the small intestine. Blood tests can diagnose allergies and celiac disease, and Rahman calls a small-intestine biopsy the "gold standard" for diagnosis of celiac.

But there aren't any specific tests for gluten sensitivity.

"That diagnosis often comes after a patient has gone from doctor to doctor to find out why they just don't feel well," Rahman says. "Sometimes it's (gastrointestinal) symptoms, but many times the symptoms are less obvious - tiredness, headache, or even sometimes depression."

Rahman has her patients keep a log of both their food consumption and their symptoms and eventually may recommend that they eliminate gluten from their diets. Or, in some cases, she may work the other way by having the patients go gluten free to see if it makes their symptoms go away.

In either case, she says, adopting a gluten-free diet gets easier every year.

"Even in the past five years, there's been a huge increase in cookbooks, in what's available in stores and restaurants and in online support," Rahman says.

However, she adds, part of the demand has been generated by a certain trendiness in gluten-free lifestyles that's been aided by their adoption by various celebrities.

"They're using it as a fashion statement, or in some cases they're saying it might help with weight loss," Rahman says. "But there's no medical reason to follow it unless you have to."

But that said, she advises her patients and anyone else who's been diagnosed as gluten-sensitive not to be shy about it.

"Eating out or at someone's house are things that many patients find very, very difficult," Rahman says. It's not just the food itself - there are issues of cross-contamination, as simple as crumbs left when regular bread is made in the same toaster."

"But you have to be willing to advocate for yourself," she adds. "It's also really important to involve family members and friends. You'll often get a lot of support that really helps you stay on top of it."

--- Joe Bonwich

GLUTEN FREE SUPPORT ON THE WEB

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

www.celiaccentral.org

A nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for celiac disease.

Celiac Disease Foundation

celiac.org

A nonprofit, public-benefit corporation providing services and support through awareness, education, advocacy and research.

Celiac Sprue Association

csaceliacs.org

Another nonprofit organization with extensive online resources.

Gluten Intolerance Group

www.gluten.net

Tips for diet and finding medical professionals, as well as geographic lists of restaurants that offer gluten-free alternatives. (The restaurants listed in the St. Louis area are primarily nationwide chains.)

---

ARTISAN GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND

Yield: About 12 cups

5 cups (625 grams) brown rice flour

3 cups (350 grams) sorghum flour

2 2/3 cups (360 grams) cornstarch

1 cup (148 grams) potato starch

1/3 cup (57 grams) potato flour

4 teaspoons xanthan gum

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The authors recommend measuring by weight rather than by volume for a more accurate and consistent result.

Notes: If you have a sensitivity to a specific ingredient, use the following substitutions. For corn, replace the cornstarch with 1 3/4 cups arrowroot flour. For potatoes, omit the potato starch and potato flour and replace with 1 1/3 cups tapioca starch. For sorghum, omit the sorghum flour and replace with an additional 3 cups of brown rice flour for a total of 8 cups of brown rice flour.

The ingredients can frequently be found in the specialty-flour or health-foods aisle of the supermarket or in health food stores.

Per cup: 468 calories; 2g fat; 0.5g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 6g protein; 105g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 5g fiber; 11mg sodium; 11mg calcium.

Adapted from "Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking," by Kelli and Peter Bronski (second edition, The Experiment, 2012)

---

QUINOA SALAD WITH VINAIGRETTE

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed if necessary

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and diced small

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. Refrigerate until cooled.

2. Combine the vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together the quinoa, bell pepper, green onions and olive oil and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve chilled.

Per serving: 290 calories; 17g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 6g protein; 29g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 4g fiber; 5mg sodium; 29mg calcium.

Adapted from "Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking," by Kelli and Peter Bronski (second edition, The Experiment, 2012)

---

SZECHUAN NOODLES

Yield: 6 servings

1 (12-ounce) package brown rice spaghetti or other gluten-free thin noodle

2/3 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup gluten-free tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/3 cup brown rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (regular or black)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium glass bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, tamari, brown rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown rice syrup, garlic, ginger and peppers.

3. Pour pineapple-juice mixture over noodles and, using a pair of tongs, toss well to coat noodles evenly. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Add carrots, green onions, cilantro, parsley and sesame seeds and toss well to combine.

Per serving: 290 calories; 17g fat; 2g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 6g protein; 29g carbohydrate; 1g sugar; 4g fiber; 5mg sodium; 29mg calcium.

Adapted from "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Cooking," by Julieanna Hever and Beverly Lynn Bennett (Alpha Books, 2011)

©2012 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.

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Healthy Hair

Posted Sept 27, 2012

What you should know

* Ugly hair might not be life-threatening, but it can be disconcerting when hair is a daily embarrassment.

* Your health can affect your hair. Hormonal changes after childbirth or menopause can cause hair to fall out. Certain diseases and conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes and lupus can also cause hair loss. Yeast and fungal infections and inflammation might affect your hair follicles. A lice infestation can also affect the scalp.

* Some medications cause hair changes or loss. These changes are often temporary. Certain blood thinners, cholesterol-lowering drugs, antidepressants, birth control pills, chemotherapy and too much vitamin A can cause hair loss. Poor nutrition resulting in sudden weight loss or lack of protein can also harm hair.

* Many experts feel that sudden stress such as a death, job loss or surgery can also change your hair.

* Genetics and male sex hormones can cause some people to have male pattern baldness.

* In many cases, the body is quite well, but the hair is not healthy. Excess hair porosity is often the cause of ugly or frizzy hair. Like a fish with scales, each hair has an outer cuticle layer that overlaps. Porosity affects how much water each hair can absorb. If the cuticle is very tight, the hair will often appear shinny and shed water.

* Ugly damaged hair usually has external causes. The sun, heat and processing chemicals can fry your hair. Harsh shampoos with sulfates and soaps can strip hair of lipids and cells that hold the cuticle in place. Hair can also be tortured by excessive brushing, rubber bands and hats.

* Ironically, dry porous hair sponges up too much water and humidity, which makes it frizzy.

* Curly hair curves naturally. Curly hair will appear to be more porous and less smooth than straight hair.

* In the warm and humid Mid-South weather, your hair might need more protein, non-oily serums, pomades or anti-humectants (hair products that repel water) to help lock moisture out of the hairs’ surface. Other techniques to seal gaps in the hair cuticle include clear color products with protein and cool rinses that are slightly acidic.

What you should do

* If hair damage or loss is sudden, get professional advice to find out why. Visit a doctor if hair falls out in wads.

* Protect your hair like your skin. Use gentle products that condition, moisturize and protect. Clean hair after being in chlorine or saltwater. Don’t boil the internal moisture in your hair with irons, curlers or very hot dryers.

* Wear a hat or scarf to shield your hair from the sun. Some hair products also include sunscreen (SPF).

* Trim hair regularly to remove damaged ends. Then baby the healthy new growth.

* Protect your hair from the inside by protecting your overall health. Heart-healthy nutrition can be good for hair. Eat a well- balanced diet with plenty of water, fresh fruits, vegetables providing folate, vitamins and minerals, fish with omega-3 oil, and low-fat protein sources.

* Don’t wash your hair too often. Wet hair thoroughly and wash with lukewarm water and a gentle shampoo. Consider diluting your shampoo. Rinse well with cool water followed by conditioner. Wash more often if you have very oily hair or dandruff. Use a prescribed or dandruff shampoo for a flaky scalp.

* Blot and squeeze wet hair instead of rubbing it dry. Use a wide- tooth comb on wet hair with a detangler product or leave-in conditioner. Air-dry your hair if possible.

* Be careful about processing hair coloring, perms, straightening, flat-ironing and blow-drying to avoid permanent damage to hair. Watch out for hair chemicals with alcohol, ammonia, PPD, peroxide or silicone. Get professional hair coloring and processing help. Be wary of inexpensive home coloring and straightening kits.

* Avoid daily grooming routines that can break, stretch or pull out hair. Avoid hairstyles that require lots of brushing or binding with bands, clips or scrunchies. Consider using old-fashioned cool rollers to shape hair.

* Accept curly hair. Learn to style it naturally. Relaxers, ironing and stretching hair under dryers damage hair.

* If you have ruled out heredity or a specific medical cause for thinning hair, consider seeing a dermatologist. Recommendations might include adding specific vitamins and minerals to your diet. Monoxidil might also help.

* Beware of hair regrowth products sold over the Internet. You might buy an unapproved drug that can affect your blood pressure, cause an irregular heartbeat or cause skin problems.

For more information

Visit nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hairproblems.html.

Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: healthymemphis.org. This article supports the care and advice of your doctor.

What you should know

* Ugly hair might not be life-threatening, but it can be disconcerting when hair is a daily embarrassment.

* Your health can affect your hair. Hormonal changes after childbirth or menopause can cause hair to fall out. Certain diseases and conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes and lupus can also cause hair loss. Yeast and fungal infections and inflammation might affect your hair follicles. A lice infestation can also affect the scalp.

* Some medications cause hair changes or loss. These changes are often temporary. Certain blood thinners, cholesterol-lowering drugs, antidepressants, birth control pills, chemotherapy and too much vitamin A can cause hair loss. Poor nutrition resulting in sudden weight loss or lack of protein can also harm hair.

* Many experts feel that sudden stress such as a death, job loss or surgery can also change your hair.

* Genetics and male sex hormones can cause some people to have male pattern baldness.

* In many cases, the body is quite well, but the hair is not healthy. Excess hair porosity is often the cause of ugly or frizzy hair. Like a fish with scales, each hair has an outer cuticle layer that overlaps. Porosity affects how much water each hair can absorb. If the cuticle is very tight, the hair will often appear shinny and shed water.

* Ugly damaged hair usually has external causes. The sun, heat and processing chemicals can fry your hair. Harsh shampoos with sulfates and soaps can strip hair of lipids and cells that hold the cuticle in place. Hair can also be tortured by excessive brushing, rubber bands and hats.

* Ironically, dry porous hair sponges up too much water and humidity, which makes it frizzy.

* Curly hair curves naturally. Curly hair will appear to be more porous and less smooth than straight hair.

* In the warm and humid Mid-South weather, your hair might need more protein, non-oily serums, pomades or anti-humectants (hair products that repel water) to help lock moisture out of the hairs' surface. Other techniques to seal gaps in the hair cuticle include clear color products with protein and cool rinses that are slightly acidic.

What you should do

* If hair damage or loss is sudden, get professional advice to find out why. Visit a doctor if hair falls out in wads.

* Protect your hair like your skin. Use gentle products that condition, moisturize and protect. Clean hair after being in chlorine or saltwater. Don't boil the internal moisture in your hair with irons, curlers or very hot dryers.

* Wear a hat or scarf to shield your hair from the sun. Some hair products also include sunscreen (SPF).

* Trim hair regularly to remove damaged ends. Then baby the healthy new growth.

* Protect your hair from the inside by protecting your overall health. Heart-healthy nutrition can be good for hair. Eat a well- balanced diet with plenty of water, fresh fruits, vegetables providing folate, vitamins and minerals, fish with omega-3 oil, and low-fat protein sources.

* Don't wash your hair too often. Wet hair thoroughly and wash with lukewarm water and a gentle shampoo. Consider diluting your shampoo. Rinse well with cool water followed by conditioner. Wash more often if you have very oily hair or dandruff. Use a prescribed or dandruff shampoo for a flaky scalp.

* Blot and squeeze wet hair instead of rubbing it dry. Use a wide- tooth comb on wet hair with a detangler product or leave-in conditioner. Air-dry your hair if possible.

* Be careful about processing hair coloring, perms, straightening, flat-ironing and blow-drying to avoid permanent damage to hair. Watch out for hair chemicals with alcohol, ammonia, PPD, peroxide or silicone. Get professional hair coloring and processing help. Be wary of inexpensive home coloring and straightening kits.

* Avoid daily grooming routines that can break, stretch or pull out hair. Avoid hairstyles that require lots of brushing or binding with bands, clips or scrunchies. Consider using old-fashioned cool rollers to shape hair.

* Accept curly hair. Learn to style it naturally. Relaxers, ironing and stretching hair under dryers damage hair.

* If you have ruled out heredity or a specific medical cause for thinning hair, consider seeing a dermatologist. Recommendations might include adding specific vitamins and minerals to your diet. Monoxidil might also help.

* Beware of hair regrowth products sold over the Internet. You might buy an unapproved drug that can affect your blood pressure, cause an irregular heartbeat or cause skin problems.

For more information

Visit nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hairproblems.html.

Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: healthymemphis.org. This article supports the care and advice of your doctor.

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6 Reasons Your Diet Has Not Worked

Posted June 5, 2012

1. YOU REWARD YOURSELF WITH FOOD AFTER EXERCISE: Burning 300 calories during a workout is cause for celebration…but rewarding yourself with a high-calorie treat doesn’t add up to weight loss. You’re likely to overestimate how much the workout burned off and underestimate how much you ate. “Even if you’re just working out for well-being, you still have to keep calories in check,” says Heidi Skolnik, author of “Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance.”

2. YOU SLURP DIET DRINKS: Research suggests that diet drinks may backfire: The taste of something sweet without the calories can cause your body to hold on to calories as fat. In a 2011 study, diet-soda drinkers had a 178-percent greater increase in waist circumference over 10 years, compared with non-diet-soda drinkers. “Artificial sweeteners can actually raise your insulin levels and lower your blood sugar, which may stimulate hunger and move existing calories into storage in your fat cells,” says Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, one of the study’s coauthors. Plus, fake sweeteners may not quell a craving like real sugar can, because sugar triggers a longer dopamine release. So even after downing two Diet Cokes, you may still want the candy bar.

3. YOUR FRIENDS ARE FAT: Your chances of being overweight or obese increase half a percent with every friend in your network who is obese, finds a November 2010 study from Harvard. That more than adds up: Your chances of obesity double for every four obese friends you have, say researchers. Even if that friend lives thousands of miles away, your chances of gaining weight still go up, according to a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study. That may be because your perception of being overweight changes – living larger seems acceptable since the heavy person is a friend. (Interestingly, having an obese neighbor that you don’t know does not raise your risk.) Experts also think that a person’s lifestyle and behaviors can subconsciously rub off on those in the individual’s inner circle. But you don’t have to ditch overweight friends to lose weight. In fact, if you embark together on an exercise plan, you can increase your fun and calorie burn: Research from Oxford finds that exercising with friends as a team can actually make the agony of exertion less intense. The same hormones that are released during social bonding, endorphins, also help quell pain. And once a friend starts to lose weight, you have a greater chance of losing as well (the mechanisms work both ways).

4. YOU’VE ELIMINATED WINE: New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that women who drank one to two glasses of wine daily gained less weight over 13 years, compared with those who did not drink alcohol – 8 pounds versus 5.5 pounds, to be exact.

5. YOUR DIET ISN’T DIGITALLY ENHANCED: You may already know that writing down what you eat helps you automatically reduce your calorie intake, simply by making you aware of each bite. But did you know that using a digitized program or application with positive feedback can help you lose even more? A new study from the University of Pittsburgh finds that people who monitored their diet and exercise with a digital device that provided daily feedback lost more weight and stuck with their diet longer than those who used paper and pen. Not only that, but the high-tech group increased their fruit and veggie intake more than paper users. And you don’t have to log in daily or even weekly to benefit: One study found that dieters who recorded meals online just once a month were 3 times more likely to keep off pounds over 2 years, compared with those who did so less frequently.

6. YOU’VE GONE NO-CARB OR FAT-FREE: Cutting back markedly on any one food group – say, carbs or fat – can leave you short on the nutrients you need to stay energized: One study found that dieters low in calcium and vitamin C had higher odds of putting on belly fat. The trick is a varied diet that includes healthy fats and good carbs such as fruits. After all, the biggest reason low-carb diets backfire is that, for the vast majority of people, they aren’t sustainable over the long haul. It’s a rare soul who can pass up birthday cake and pasta dinners for a lifetime. And as with all diets, once you quit, you regain the weight you lost and (often) more. These fluctuations can make it an even bigger challenge to lose weight next time.

For more great tips, pick up a copy of Prevention magazine or visit www.prevention.com.

© 2012, Prevention magazine

1. YOU REWARD YOURSELF WITH FOOD AFTER EXERCISE: Burning 300 calories during a workout is cause for celebration...but rewarding yourself with a high-calorie treat doesn't add up to weight loss. You're likely to overestimate how much the workout burned off and underestimate how much you ate. "Even if you're just working out for well-being, you still have to keep calories in check," says Heidi Skolnik, author of "Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance."

2. YOU SLURP DIET DRINKS: Research suggests that diet drinks may backfire: The taste of something sweet without the calories can cause your body to hold on to calories as fat. In a 2011 study, diet-soda drinkers had a 178-percent greater increase in waist circumference over 10 years, compared with non-diet-soda drinkers. "Artificial sweeteners can actually raise your insulin levels and lower your blood sugar, which may stimulate hunger and move existing calories into storage in your fat cells," says Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, one of the study's coauthors. Plus, fake sweeteners may not quell a craving like real sugar can, because sugar triggers a longer dopamine release. So even after downing two Diet Cokes, you may still want the candy bar.

3. YOUR FRIENDS ARE FAT: Your chances of being overweight or obese increase half a percent with every friend in your network who is obese, finds a November 2010 study from Harvard. That more than adds up: Your chances of obesity double for every four obese friends you have, say researchers. Even if that friend lives thousands of miles away, your chances of gaining weight still go up, according to a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study. That may be because your perception of being overweight changes - living larger seems acceptable since the heavy person is a friend. (Interestingly, having an obese neighbor that you don't know does not raise your risk.) Experts also think that a person's lifestyle and behaviors can subconsciously rub off on those in the individual's inner circle. But you don't have to ditch overweight friends to lose weight. In fact, if you embark together on an exercise plan, you can increase your fun and calorie burn: Research from Oxford finds that exercising with friends as a team can actually make the agony of exertion less intense. The same hormones that are released during social bonding, endorphins, also help quell pain. And once a friend starts to lose weight, you have a greater chance of losing as well (the mechanisms work both ways).

4. YOU'VE ELIMINATED WINE: New research from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who drank one to two glasses of wine daily gained less weight over 13 years, compared with those who did not drink alcohol - 8 pounds versus 5.5 pounds, to be exact.

5. YOUR DIET ISN'T DIGITALLY ENHANCED: You may already know that writing down what you eat helps you automatically reduce your calorie intake, simply by making you aware of each bite. But did you know that using a digitized program or application with positive feedback can help you lose even more? A new study from the University of Pittsburgh finds that people who monitored their diet and exercise with a digital device that provided daily feedback lost more weight and stuck with their diet longer than those who used paper and pen. Not only that, but the high-tech group increased their fruit and veggie intake more than paper users. And you don't have to log in daily or even weekly to benefit: One study found that dieters who recorded meals online just once a month were 3 times more likely to keep off pounds over 2 years, compared with those who did so less frequently.

6. YOU'VE GONE NO-CARB OR FAT-FREE: Cutting back markedly on any one food group - say, carbs or fat - can leave you short on the nutrients you need to stay energized: One study found that dieters low in calcium and vitamin C had higher odds of putting on belly fat. The trick is a varied diet that includes healthy fats and good carbs such as fruits. After all, the biggest reason low-carb diets backfire is that, for the vast majority of people, they aren't sustainable over the long haul. It's a rare soul who can pass up birthday cake and pasta dinners for a lifetime. And as with all diets, once you quit, you regain the weight you lost and (often) more. These fluctuations can make it an even bigger challenge to lose weight next time.

For more great tips, pick up a copy of Prevention magazine or visit www.prevention.com.

© 2012, Prevention magazine

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Pros and Cons of Going Totally Vegan

Posted May 26, 2012

Several high-profile public figures have made headlines recently about their decision to go vegan, spurring increased interest and debate about this plant-based diet plan.

Among them are Ellen DeGeneres, the Emmy award-winning comedian and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, who have purged their diets of all animal products, including milk and eggs.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton recently spoke with DeGeneres on her talk-variety show about his decision to adopt a vegan diet, too. Other famous vegans include: Carrie Underwood, Ted Danson, Mike Tyson, Alec Baldwin, Alicia Silverstone and Lea Michele.

Vegetarian vs. Vegan

According to a 2011 poll by The Vegetarian Resource Group, approximately 5 percent of adults in the U.S. say they are vegetarian, which means they never eat meat, fish, seafood or poultry.

About half of those vegetarians also are vegan, which means they also do not consume any animal products or by-products, according to the VRG.

In addition to staying away from flesh foods, dairy and eggs, vegans avoid fur, leather, wool, down and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals for a variety of reasons, including those related to animal rights, the environment and health, according to Vegan Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

With the vegan lifestyle getting increased attention, we spoke to nine local experts and asked them to explain the pros and cons of this diet and lifestyle choice and how to make the change safely.

Benefits of vegan diet

Local dietitians said when done right, going vegan comes with numerous health perks.

Less fat, more fruits and veggies: Ellen Thompson, a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who is based out of Springfield and works throughout the Miami Valley, said vegans are removing saturated fats from their diet and are likely to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Decreased health risks: The vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables may lead to a decreased risk for certain types of cancer, said Carla Metzler, a registered, licensed dietitian who works at Fort Hamilton Hospital.

A vegan diet may prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity, according to both Joan Wire, a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who runs a counseling business called Real Well and who works out of LaDeSpa in Oakwood, and Kathryn Hines, a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who works at Springfield Regional Medical Center.

Going vegan also may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, constipation, breast cancer, colon cancer, diverticular disease, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome and appendicitis, said Mara Lamb, a registered, licensed dietitian who owns her own practice called Nutrition Therapy Clinic in Dayton.

Lower BMI: Vegans tend to have a lower body mass index and a lower amount of LDL cholesterol in their bodies, which clogs arteries, said Carol Nartker, a diabetes nutrition educator and a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who works at the Diabetes Wellness Center of Atrium Medical Center in Middletown.

In fact, “Forks over Knives,” a 2011 documentary, has recently drawn attention for examining the claim that most, and perhaps all, degenerative diseases can be controlled or eliminated by rejecting animal-based and processed foods, said Rich Cohen, a registered dietitian, licensed dietitian in Ohio, who works at Kettering Weight Loss Solutions within the Kettering Health Network.

“Our food supply is not very natural,” Cohen said. ” … The vegan diet seems to be offering perhaps some kind of a nutritional medicine approach, particularly with people with cardiovascular disease.”

Allergy, sinus relief? Wire also said individuals who turn to a vegan diet may realize allergy symptoms and sinus problems are reduced or eliminated once they stop consuming dairy.

Downsides of going vegan

On the other hand, there are potential negative health effects associated with going vegan, dietitians said.

Risk of deficiencies: According to Thompson, if a vegan is not careful, he or she may develop nutritional deficiencies due to a lack of dairy and meat products in their diet.

Some dietitians are concerned that vegans do not receive an adequate amount of amino acids, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, protein and iron, Thompson said.

Dr. Andrew Dyer, an associate clinician at Back to Health Center in Dayton, said protein deficiencies can lead to fatigue, a lack of energy and an inability to complete daily tasks, he said.

Additionally, those participating in exercise and athletics may have a difficult time healing and repairing post workout without getting enough protein in their diet, he said.

A lack of Vitamin B12 in a diet may lead to anemia, Nartker said.

Bone health: In addition, a lack of calcium may put a person at risk for developing a fragile bone structure, according to Metzler.

“Chronic nutritional deficiencies can affect the quality of one’s life, how they feel, how they function from day to day,” Nartker said.

What vegans should, should not eat

Vegans should avoid overly processed foods and choose whole foods, which are closer to “what Mother Nature intended” for people to consume, Wire recommends.

Vegans must minimize their intake of “junk food,” which includes sweets and snacks high in fat, Lamb said.

Acclimating to new tastes typically takes about three weeks, she said.

Importance of planning

Careful planning is key to ensuring a person adopts a long-term, healthy vegan diet, Thompson said. It’s also important that vegans remember that a healthy lifestyle means they get enough exercise and sleep, too, she said.

“It’s not what you do once in a while,” Thompson said. “It’s what you do every day.”

Start by doing research.

“Don’t go in cold turkey,” Wire said. ” … You could miss out on getting the right types of protein.”

Thompson said vegans should speak to a dietitian in order to make sure they are following a healthy diet plan.

New vegans should change their diet slowly, and should see a doctor if they have health issues such as diabetes, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2122 or Jacqueline.Boyle@coxinc.com.

©2012 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at www.daytondailynews.com

Several high-profile public figures have made headlines recently about their decision to go vegan, spurring increased interest and debate about this plant-based diet plan.

Among them are Ellen DeGeneres, the Emmy award-winning comedian and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, who have purged their diets of all animal products, including milk and eggs.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton recently spoke with DeGeneres on her talk-variety show about his decision to adopt a vegan diet, too. Other famous vegans include: Carrie Underwood, Ted Danson, Mike Tyson, Alec Baldwin, Alicia Silverstone and Lea Michele.

Vegetarian vs. Vegan

According to a 2011 poll by The Vegetarian Resource Group, approximately 5 percent of adults in the U.S. say they are vegetarian, which means they never eat meat, fish, seafood or poultry.

About half of those vegetarians also are vegan, which means they also do not consume any animal products or by-products, according to the VRG.

In addition to staying away from flesh foods, dairy and eggs, vegans avoid fur, leather, wool, down and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals for a variety of reasons, including those related to animal rights, the environment and health, according to Vegan Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

With the vegan lifestyle getting increased attention, we spoke to nine local experts and asked them to explain the pros and cons of this diet and lifestyle choice and how to make the change safely.

Benefits of vegan diet

Local dietitians said when done right, going vegan comes with numerous health perks.

Less fat, more fruits and veggies: Ellen Thompson, a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who is based out of Springfield and works throughout the Miami Valley, said vegans are removing saturated fats from their diet and are likely to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Decreased health risks: The vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables may lead to a decreased risk for certain types of cancer, said Carla Metzler, a registered, licensed dietitian who works at Fort Hamilton Hospital.

A vegan diet may prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity, according to both Joan Wire, a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who runs a counseling business called Real Well and who works out of LaDeSpa in Oakwood, and Kathryn Hines, a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who works at Springfield Regional Medical Center.

Going vegan also may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, constipation, breast cancer, colon cancer, diverticular disease, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome and appendicitis, said Mara Lamb, a registered, licensed dietitian who owns her own practice called Nutrition Therapy Clinic in Dayton.

Lower BMI: Vegans tend to have a lower body mass index and a lower amount of LDL cholesterol in their bodies, which clogs arteries, said Carol Nartker, a diabetes nutrition educator and a registered, licensed dietitian in Ohio who works at the Diabetes Wellness Center of Atrium Medical Center in Middletown.

In fact, "Forks over Knives," a 2011 documentary, has recently drawn attention for examining the claim that most, and perhaps all, degenerative diseases can be controlled or eliminated by rejecting animal-based and processed foods, said Rich Cohen, a registered dietitian, licensed dietitian in Ohio, who works at Kettering Weight Loss Solutions within the Kettering Health Network.

"Our food supply is not very natural," Cohen said. " ... The vegan diet seems to be offering perhaps some kind of a nutritional medicine approach, particularly with people with cardiovascular disease."

Allergy, sinus relief? Wire also said individuals who turn to a vegan diet may realize allergy symptoms and sinus problems are reduced or eliminated once they stop consuming dairy.

Downsides of going vegan

On the other hand, there are potential negative health effects associated with going vegan, dietitians said.

Risk of deficiencies: According to Thompson, if a vegan is not careful, he or she may develop nutritional deficiencies due to a lack of dairy and meat products in their diet.

Some dietitians are concerned that vegans do not receive an adequate amount of amino acids, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, protein and iron, Thompson said.

Dr. Andrew Dyer, an associate clinician at Back to Health Center in Dayton, said protein deficiencies can lead to fatigue, a lack of energy and an inability to complete daily tasks, he said.

Additionally, those participating in exercise and athletics may have a difficult time healing and repairing post workout without getting enough protein in their diet, he said.

A lack of Vitamin B12 in a diet may lead to anemia, Nartker said.

Bone health: In addition, a lack of calcium may put a person at risk for developing a fragile bone structure, according to Metzler.

"Chronic nutritional deficiencies can affect the quality of one's life, how they feel, how they function from day to day," Nartker said.

What vegans should, should not eat

Vegans should avoid overly processed foods and choose whole foods, which are closer to "what Mother Nature intended" for people to consume, Wire recommends.

Vegans must minimize their intake of "junk food," which includes sweets and snacks high in fat, Lamb said.

Acclimating to new tastes typically takes about three weeks, she said.

Importance of planning

Careful planning is key to ensuring a person adopts a long-term, healthy vegan diet, Thompson said. It's also important that vegans remember that a healthy lifestyle means they get enough exercise and sleep, too, she said.

"It's not what you do once in a while," Thompson said. "It's what you do every day."

Start by doing research.

"Don't go in cold turkey," Wire said. " ... You could miss out on getting the right types of protein."

Thompson said vegans should speak to a dietitian in order to make sure they are following a healthy diet plan.

New vegans should change their diet slowly, and should see a doctor if they have health issues such as diabetes, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2122 or Jacqueline.Boyle@coxinc.com.

©2012 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at www.daytondailynews.com

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The Best Diet to Lose Weight

Posted April 9, 2012

What’s the best diet to lose weight? The one you can stick with. That was the finding from a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Overweight volunteers in this trial lost weight on a variety of diet strategies – high carbs, low carbs, high fat, low fat, high protein, average protein.

And what was the one “major predictor” that guaranteed weight loss in these diet trials? Adherence. In other words, there are a variety of strategies to lose weight. But whatever we decide to do, it seems to be important to stick with it (duh).

That said, some diet strategies – based on research studies – apparently are worth sticking to for the long term more than others. Here are a few examples:

CHOICE (Choose Healthy Options Consciously Every Day). Adults in this recent randomized controlled study stopped drinking sweetened beverages for 6 months. In their place, they drank water or another no-calorie beverage. Surprise … they effectively lost weight and their blood pressure went down as well.

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Originally proven as an effective way to lower blood pressure, this diet plan is now recommended as a way to lose weight and make our hearts happy, too. Many experts now refer to the DASH plan as the “gold standard” for current diet recommendations.

What is the DASH diet? Eat several cups of fruit and vegetables every day. (These foods are major sources of potassium, magnesium and fiber that help regulate blood pressure and appetite). Add 2 to 3 low-fat or non-fat dairy foods (milk, yogurt, or cheese) to your diet every day. (Protein and calcium in these foods are important for blood pressure control and may help with weight loss attempts as well.) Eat 4 to 5 small servings of nuts, legumes (beans) or seeds each week. (Ditto on important nutrients that work in concert with other components of the diet.) Eat lean meats, fish and poultry in moderate portions. Cut way back on sweets, added sugars, fats and alcohol.

How do we start moving towards a DASH-style diet? Choose to have a fruit or a vegetable (or both) at every meal. Add sunflower seeds or legumes to salads. Eat yogurt, fruit or nuts for snacks. Walk away from the salt shaker and sugar bowl. And find other ways to adhere to the DASH way of eating at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new-dash.pdf

ENCORE (Exercise and Nutritional Interventions for Cardiovascular Health). Besides the fact that the acronym doesn’t quite match the words, this trial from Duke University combined the DASH diet with exercise and other weight loss strategies. The result? Even further improvements in blood pressure and other measurements of heart health than the DASH diet alone.

Bottom line? The best way to lose weight is to stick with a proven plan. And a proven plan is one that combines health-enhancing food choices with consistent physical activity. Sound familiar?

What's the best diet to lose weight? The one you can stick with. That was the finding from a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Overweight volunteers in this trial lost weight on a variety of diet strategies - high carbs, low carbs, high fat, low fat, high protein, average protein.

And what was the one "major predictor" that guaranteed weight loss in these diet trials? Adherence. In other words, there are a variety of strategies to lose weight. But whatever we decide to do, it seems to be important to stick with it (duh).

That said, some diet strategies - based on research studies - apparently are worth sticking to for the long term more than others. Here are a few examples:

CHOICE (Choose Healthy Options Consciously Every Day). Adults in this recent randomized controlled study stopped drinking sweetened beverages for 6 months. In their place, they drank water or another no-calorie beverage. Surprise ... they effectively lost weight and their blood pressure went down as well.

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Originally proven as an effective way to lower blood pressure, this diet plan is now recommended as a way to lose weight and make our hearts happy, too. Many experts now refer to the DASH plan as the "gold standard" for current diet recommendations.

What is the DASH diet? Eat several cups of fruit and vegetables every day. (These foods are major sources of potassium, magnesium and fiber that help regulate blood pressure and appetite). Add 2 to 3 low-fat or non-fat dairy foods (milk, yogurt, or cheese) to your diet every day. (Protein and calcium in these foods are important for blood pressure control and may help with weight loss attempts as well.) Eat 4 to 5 small servings of nuts, legumes (beans) or seeds each week. (Ditto on important nutrients that work in concert with other components of the diet.) Eat lean meats, fish and poultry in moderate portions. Cut way back on sweets, added sugars, fats and alcohol.

How do we start moving towards a DASH-style diet? Choose to have a fruit or a vegetable (or both) at every meal. Add sunflower seeds or legumes to salads. Eat yogurt, fruit or nuts for snacks. Walk away from the salt shaker and sugar bowl. And find other ways to adhere to the DASH way of eating at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new-dash.pdf

ENCORE (Exercise and Nutritional Interventions for Cardiovascular Health). Besides the fact that the acronym doesn't quite match the words, this trial from Duke University combined the DASH diet with exercise and other weight loss strategies. The result? Even further improvements in blood pressure and other measurements of heart health than the DASH diet alone.

Bottom line? The best way to lose weight is to stick with a proven plan. And a proven plan is one that combines health-enhancing food choices with consistent physical activity. Sound familiar?

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iPad Health and Fitness Apps

Posted April 3, 2012

With its high-resolution display and access to thousands of games, movies and TV shows, the third-generation iPad offers plenty of excuses to laze on the couch.

For the more health-conscious among the 3 million users who picked up a new iPad last weekend, however, there are many free and paid apps that can incorporate Apple’s latest tablet into a fitness routine or diet regimen.

Currently, there are more than 3,700 iPad entries in the App Store’s Health & Fitness section. Want to know what to eat or desire a custom workout routine for achieving beach-worthy abs? Yeah, there’s an app for that.

[Note: Although iPhone/iPod Touch apps will work on the iPad -- albeit in an expanded form -- this list is limited to native iPad apps that take advantage of the device's increased screen real estate.]

GENERAL FITNESS

All-In Fitness HD

–Developer: Arawella Corp.

–Price: $1.99.

–Who needs it: Those with access to a gym or a home exercise machine who want to lose weight and tone or build muscle.

–Why it’s worth it: A custom workout generator provides programs tailored to users’ needs. Each exercise includes narrated videos to demonstrate proper technique and an illustration of which muscle groups are being worked. The database includes hundreds of activities, from yoga positions to free-weight exercises.

–Alternate apps: “Navy SEAL Fitness” ($1.99).

CALORIE TRACKER

“Calorie Counter–”

–Developer: About Inc.

–Price: Free.

–Who needs it: Those interested in an app for keeping track of eating habits and analyzing nutritional intake.

–Why it’s worth it: “Calorie Count” is free, simple to use and has a searchable database with entries for popular restaurant chains and brands. The app also includes exercise and weight logs and an analyzer for breaking down daily nutritional intake and showing areas that could use improvement.

–Alternate apps: “Calorie Counter by FatSecret” (free).

NUTRITION/FITNESS ANALYSIS

“Diet & Fitness Fracker by SparkPeople”

–Developer: SparkPeople.

–Price: Free.

–Who needs it: Any statistically minded person who is motivated by visual metrics and wants to lose weight.

–Why it’s worth it: Like many fitness apps, “Diet & Fitness” offers logs for food, exercise and weight and bases daily goals on users’ target weight loss. What sets it apart is its conversion of that data into colorful charts and graphs that visually depict dietary choices and exercise habits.

–Alternate apps: “Food Scanner: Good Food or Bad Food?” ($2.99).

YOGA

“All-in Yoga HD”

–Developer: Arawella Corp.

–Price: $1.99.

–Who needs it: Anyone with an interest in practicing yoga, from novices to gurus, who wants the motivation of a coach without the cost of a class.

–Why it’s worth it: After inputting age, weight, level of expertise and the goal of your session (flexibility, de-stressing, etc.), the app creates a customized, narrated workout from a database of more than 300 positions. The app will also sync data online to keep track of your workout calendar, and videos are available to demonstrate proper form.

–Alternate apps: “Daily Yoga” ($2.99).

RUNNING

“Couch to Half”

–Developer: Uncaged Confidence.

–Price: $1.99.

–Who needs it: Beginning runners with an eye on completing the 13.1 miles of a half-marathon who need help setting a schedule and maybe a bit of extra motivation.

–Why it’s worth it: Certified personal trainer Trish Blackwell guides users through a 12-week program. Each week has training tips, a workout schedule and videos for motivation and cross training. Blackwell also provides consistent encouragement and tips for beginners.

–Alternate apps: “WalkJogRun Running” ($4.99).

BODY BUILDING

“iMuscle — (Nova series)”

–Developer: 3D4Medical.com.

–Price: $4.99.

–Who needs it: Those without access to a personal trainer who want to know how to strengthen or tone muscles.

–Why it’s worth it: Using an interactive, detailed 3-D rendering of the body, “iMuscle” allows users to zoom in on specific areas, identify each muscle and get a list of exercises that will develop it. There are more than 400 exercise animations with tips for proper execution. Users can string these together to create customized workouts.

–Alternate app: “Get Ripped” ($4.99).

©2012 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com

With its high-resolution display and access to thousands of games, movies and TV shows, the third-generation iPad offers plenty of excuses to laze on the couch.

For the more health-conscious among the 3 million users who picked up a new iPad last weekend, however, there are many free and paid apps that can incorporate Apple's latest tablet into a fitness routine or diet regimen.

Currently, there are more than 3,700 iPad entries in the App Store's Health & Fitness section. Want to know what to eat or desire a custom workout routine for achieving beach-worthy abs? Yeah, there's an app for that.

[Note: Although iPhone/iPod Touch apps will work on the iPad -- albeit in an expanded form -- this list is limited to native iPad apps that take advantage of the device's increased screen real estate.]

GENERAL FITNESS

All-In Fitness HD

--Developer: Arawella Corp.

--Price: $1.99.

--Who needs it: Those with access to a gym or a home exercise machine who want to lose weight and tone or build muscle.

--Why it's worth it: A custom workout generator provides programs tailored to users' needs. Each exercise includes narrated videos to demonstrate proper technique and an illustration of which muscle groups are being worked. The database includes hundreds of activities, from yoga positions to free-weight exercises.

--Alternate apps: "Navy SEAL Fitness" ($1.99).

CALORIE TRACKER

"Calorie Counter--"

--Developer: About Inc.

--Price: Free.

--Who needs it: Those interested in an app for keeping track of eating habits and analyzing nutritional intake.

--Why it's worth it: "Calorie Count" is free, simple to use and has a searchable database with entries for popular restaurant chains and brands. The app also includes exercise and weight logs and an analyzer for breaking down daily nutritional intake and showing areas that could use improvement.

--Alternate apps: "Calorie Counter by FatSecret" (free).

NUTRITION/FITNESS ANALYSIS

"Diet & Fitness Fracker by SparkPeople"

--Developer: SparkPeople.

--Price: Free.

--Who needs it: Any statistically minded person who is motivated by visual metrics and wants to lose weight.

--Why it's worth it: Like many fitness apps, "Diet & Fitness" offers logs for food, exercise and weight and bases daily goals on users' target weight loss. What sets it apart is its conversion of that data into colorful charts and graphs that visually depict dietary choices and exercise habits.

--Alternate apps: "Food Scanner: Good Food or Bad Food?" ($2.99).

YOGA

"All-in Yoga HD"

--Developer: Arawella Corp.

--Price: $1.99.

--Who needs it: Anyone with an interest in practicing yoga, from novices to gurus, who wants the motivation of a coach without the cost of a class.

--Why it's worth it: After inputting age, weight, level of expertise and the goal of your session (flexibility, de-stressing, etc.), the app creates a customized, narrated workout from a database of more than 300 positions. The app will also sync data online to keep track of your workout calendar, and videos are available to demonstrate proper form.

--Alternate apps: "Daily Yoga" ($2.99).

RUNNING

"Couch to Half"

--Developer: Uncaged Confidence.

--Price: $1.99.

--Who needs it: Beginning runners with an eye on completing the 13.1 miles of a half-marathon who need help setting a schedule and maybe a bit of extra motivation.

--Why it's worth it: Certified personal trainer Trish Blackwell guides users through a 12-week program. Each week has training tips, a workout schedule and videos for motivation and cross training. Blackwell also provides consistent encouragement and tips for beginners.

--Alternate apps: "WalkJogRun Running" ($4.99).

BODY BUILDING

"iMuscle -- (Nova series)"

--Developer: 3D4Medical.com.

--Price: $4.99.

--Who needs it: Those without access to a personal trainer who want to know how to strengthen or tone muscles.

--Why it's worth it: Using an interactive, detailed 3-D rendering of the body, "iMuscle" allows users to zoom in on specific areas, identify each muscle and get a list of exercises that will develop it. There are more than 400 exercise animations with tips for proper execution. Users can string these together to create customized workouts.

--Alternate app: "Get Ripped" ($4.99).

©2012 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com

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Unroasted Coffee Beans Could Help with Weight Loss

Posted April 2, 2012

There’s a new ally in the war on weight: Green coffee beans.

Scientists at the American Chemical Society convention reported Tuesday that green, or unroasted, coffee beans can cause the obese to lose more than 10 percent of that unwanted weight in less than five months.

The best news of all: There were no side effects, said study leader Joe Vinson. However, Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, Pa., cautioned that the results need to be confirmed.

“This is a benign, natural material that was used in this study, and it remains to be seen in a larger study whether we can still get that large weight loss,” Vinson said at a press conference at the convention, held this week at the San Diego Convention Center.

The study, conducted in India, involved 16 overweight people aged 22 to 26 years. All cycled through three six-week regimens of taking either a high or low dose of an extract from green coffee beans, and a placebo, for 22 weeks.

The low dose consisted of 700 mg of the coffee extract, and the high dose was 1,050 mg. They were administered in capsules.

Participants lost an average of 17 pounds during the 22 weeks of the study. It included an average of a 10.5 percent decrease in overall body weight and a 16 percent decrease in body fat, Vinson said.

By ensuring that each person took a placebo along with a low and high dose in turn, the individual effects could be studied more precisely, Vinson said.

Although previous studies have shown weight loss with green coffee beans, Vinson said this study tested the highest level of the substance, and also was the first to test two doses.

It’s unclear how green coffee bean extract causes weight loss, Vinson said. But it is known that the extract doesn’t suppress appetite like other weight loss drugs, he said. Calorie intake didn’t change during the study.

‘”We believe it has to do with glucose absorption, fat absorption and perhaps a decrease in insulin levels,” Vinson said.

Vinson said the weight-loss effect is probably caused by a substance called chlorogenic acid present in unroasted beans. Roasting breaks down this chemical, in addition to giving coffee its unique flavor and smell.

Call staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at 760-739-6641.

©2012 the North County Times (Escondido, Calif.)

Visit the North County Times (Escondido, Calif.) at www.nctimes.com

There's a new ally in the war on weight: Green coffee beans.

Scientists at the American Chemical Society convention reported Tuesday that green, or unroasted, coffee beans can cause the obese to lose more than 10 percent of that unwanted weight in less than five months.

The best news of all: There were no side effects, said study leader Joe Vinson. However, Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton, Pa., cautioned that the results need to be confirmed.

"This is a benign, natural material that was used in this study, and it remains to be seen in a larger study whether we can still get that large weight loss," Vinson said at a press conference at the convention, held this week at the San Diego Convention Center.

The study, conducted in India, involved 16 overweight people aged 22 to 26 years. All cycled through three six-week regimens of taking either a high or low dose of an extract from green coffee beans, and a placebo, for 22 weeks.

The low dose consisted of 700 mg of the coffee extract, and the high dose was 1,050 mg. They were administered in capsules.

Participants lost an average of 17 pounds during the 22 weeks of the study. It included an average of a 10.5 percent decrease in overall body weight and a 16 percent decrease in body fat, Vinson said.

By ensuring that each person took a placebo along with a low and high dose in turn, the individual effects could be studied more precisely, Vinson said.

Although previous studies have shown weight loss with green coffee beans, Vinson said this study tested the highest level of the substance, and also was the first to test two doses.

It's unclear how green coffee bean extract causes weight loss, Vinson said. But it is known that the extract doesn't suppress appetite like other weight loss drugs, he said. Calorie intake didn't change during the study.

'"We believe it has to do with glucose absorption, fat absorption and perhaps a decrease in insulin levels," Vinson said.

Vinson said the weight-loss effect is probably caused by a substance called chlorogenic acid present in unroasted beans. Roasting breaks down this chemical, in addition to giving coffee its unique flavor and smell.

Call staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at 760-739-6641.

©2012 the North County Times (Escondido, Calif.)

Visit the North County Times (Escondido, Calif.) at www.nctimes.com

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Getting Gout to Go Away

Posted March 6, 2012

What you should know

The pain caused by the disease of gout can be relieved with the right treatment, careful nutrition, weight loss and fluids.

Pain occurs when sharp uric acid crystals form in one or more joints. Uric acid is a body waste product that is passed through the kidneys into the urine. Crystals can occur in joints because the body makes too much uric acid or builds up too much uric acid rather than getting rid of it.

Lower joints such as a big toe, ankle or knee are most often affected. Gout is more common among overweight adult men and older women. Gout seems to run in some families.

Discomfort often starts at night. Anything touching the irritated joint – even a sock or sheet – can cause extreme pain. The joint can become swollen and warm.

An acute gout attack might last only a few days. However, without proper treatment, an acute attack can cause permanent joint damage. Permanent joint damage can lead to chronic attacks.

A doctor who specializes in arthritis (rheumatologist) can perform tests to diagnose whether you have gout. Diagnosis can involve testing a sample of joint fluid for crystals and white blood cells. Joints might be X-rayed and blood tests done to check the blood’s uric acid level.

The doctor can recommend the correct dose of a nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reduce pain and swelling. He or she might also prescribe a painkiller such as codeine and medicine like colchicine to reduce swelling. The swollen joint can also be treated with an injected steroid.

For chronic gout, the doctor might prescribe a medicine to reduce uric acid in the blood, such as allopurinol.

Gout treatment might also require changes in lifestyle.

Sometimes pseudogout is confused with gout or some other form of arthritis. In pseudogout, a type of salt crystal (calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate), not uric acid crystals, forms in the painful, swollen joint.

Many of the same medicines used for treating gout are generally effective for pseudogout. Treatment for both diseases might include removing excess fluid from a joint.

Other health conditions and medications increase the risk of a gout attack or make an attack worse. Patients who are dehydrated or take medicine to remove excess water (diuretics) due to hypertension could be at greater risk. Some other medicines can also increase risks. The chance of gout symptoms tends to be higher for people who are obese or who have diabetes, anemia, blood cancer, kidney disease or an underactive thyroid.

Gout can improve with a healthy diet. Certain eating habits can make gout worse. They include drinking alcohol and eating high-fat and purine-rich foods such as sardines, organ meats and brewers’ yeast. Brewers’ yeast is often used in breads, gravies, casseroles, dips, spreads and soups. Purines are a type of protein found in many foods. Foods that increase acid levels in the body might also increase risks.

At first, uric acid-lowering treatment might cause a joint to become sorer as crystal deposits break up in a joint.

What you should do

Take recommended medicines to reduce inflammation in a joint as soon as you have a gout attack. Ibuprofen (for example, Advil or Motrin) or naproxen (such as Aleve) helps many people.

Get professional help when symptoms occur. Visit your primary care provider to see if you need a rheumatologist.

Get serious about your lifestyle. Avoid things that can trigger attacks. Drink plenty of water to flush uric acid from your body. Avoid alcohol and animal proteins from meats and fatty and purine- rich foods.

Reduce the chances of more attacks by losing weight slowly but surely. Exercise regularly and eat small portions.

Be sure to include complex carbohydrates in your diet. A lack of carbohydrates can lead to ketosis, which can eventually increase the level of uric acid in your blood.

Get professional advice about medicine. Tell your care provider about the medicines and vitamins you are taking. Some, such as aspirin, niacin and diuretics, might be increasing your gout risks. Some anti-inflammatory medicines might be harmful if you have kidney disease or ulcers. Aspirin can also interfere with some uric-acid- lowering medications. Don’t just stop recommended medicines on your own.

Rest an inflamed joint. Use an ice pack to reduce pain and swelling.

For more information

Learn about gout at niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/ Gout/default.asp. See acumedico.com/purine.htm for a list of purine-rich foods to avoid.

Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: www.healthymemphis.org. This article supports the care and advice of your doctor.

What you should know

The pain caused by the disease of gout can be relieved with the right treatment, careful nutrition, weight loss and fluids.

Pain occurs when sharp uric acid crystals form in one or more joints. Uric acid is a body waste product that is passed through the kidneys into the urine. Crystals can occur in joints because the body makes too much uric acid or builds up too much uric acid rather than getting rid of it.

Lower joints such as a big toe, ankle or knee are most often affected. Gout is more common among overweight adult men and older women. Gout seems to run in some families.

Discomfort often starts at night. Anything touching the irritated joint - even a sock or sheet - can cause extreme pain. The joint can become swollen and warm.

An acute gout attack might last only a few days. However, without proper treatment, an acute attack can cause permanent joint damage. Permanent joint damage can lead to chronic attacks.

A doctor who specializes in arthritis (rheumatologist) can perform tests to diagnose whether you have gout. Diagnosis can involve testing a sample of joint fluid for crystals and white blood cells. Joints might be X-rayed and blood tests done to check the blood's uric acid level.

The doctor can recommend the correct dose of a nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reduce pain and swelling. He or she might also prescribe a painkiller such as codeine and medicine like colchicine to reduce swelling. The swollen joint can also be treated with an injected steroid.

For chronic gout, the doctor might prescribe a medicine to reduce uric acid in the blood, such as allopurinol.

Gout treatment might also require changes in lifestyle.

Sometimes pseudogout is confused with gout or some other form of arthritis. In pseudogout, a type of salt crystal (calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate), not uric acid crystals, forms in the painful, swollen joint.

Many of the same medicines used for treating gout are generally effective for pseudogout. Treatment for both diseases might include removing excess fluid from a joint.

Other health conditions and medications increase the risk of a gout attack or make an attack worse. Patients who are dehydrated or take medicine to remove excess water (diuretics) due to hypertension could be at greater risk. Some other medicines can also increase risks. The chance of gout symptoms tends to be higher for people who are obese or who have diabetes, anemia, blood cancer, kidney disease or an underactive thyroid.

Gout can improve with a healthy diet. Certain eating habits can make gout worse. They include drinking alcohol and eating high-fat and purine-rich foods such as sardines, organ meats and brewers' yeast. Brewers' yeast is often used in breads, gravies, casseroles, dips, spreads and soups. Purines are a type of protein found in many foods. Foods that increase acid levels in the body might also increase risks.

At first, uric acid-lowering treatment might cause a joint to become sorer as crystal deposits break up in a joint.

What you should do

Take recommended medicines to reduce inflammation in a joint as soon as you have a gout attack. Ibuprofen (for example, Advil or Motrin) or naproxen (such as Aleve) helps many people.

Get professional help when symptoms occur. Visit your primary care provider to see if you need a rheumatologist.

Get serious about your lifestyle. Avoid things that can trigger attacks. Drink plenty of water to flush uric acid from your body. Avoid alcohol and animal proteins from meats and fatty and purine- rich foods.

Reduce the chances of more attacks by losing weight slowly but surely. Exercise regularly and eat small portions.

Be sure to include complex carbohydrates in your diet. A lack of carbohydrates can lead to ketosis, which can eventually increase the level of uric acid in your blood.

Get professional advice about medicine. Tell your care provider about the medicines and vitamins you are taking. Some, such as aspirin, niacin and diuretics, might be increasing your gout risks. Some anti-inflammatory medicines might be harmful if you have kidney disease or ulcers. Aspirin can also interfere with some uric-acid- lowering medications. Don't just stop recommended medicines on your own.

Rest an inflamed joint. Use an ice pack to reduce pain and swelling.

For more information

Learn about gout at niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/ Gout/default.asp. See acumedico.com/purine.htm for a list of purine-rich foods to avoid.

Better Health: Take Charge! is provided by the Healthy Memphis Common Table: www.healthymemphis.org. This article supports the care and advice of your doctor.

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The Best Diet to Lose Weight

Posted March 2, 2012

What’s the best diet to lose weight? The one you can stick with. That was the finding from a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Overweight volunteers in this trial lost weight on a variety of diet strategies – high carbs, low carbs, high fat, low fat, high protein, average protein.

And what was the one “major predictor” that guaranteed weight loss in these diet trials? Adherence. In other words, there are a variety of strategies to lose weight. But whatever we decide to do, it seems to be important to stick with it (duh).

That said, some diet strategies – based on research studies – apparently are worth sticking to for the long term more than others. Here are a few examples:

CHOICE (Choose Healthy Options Consciously Every Day). Adults in this recent randomized controlled study stopped drinking sweetened beverages for 6 months. In their place, they drank water or another no-calorie beverage. Surprise … they effectively lost weight and their blood pressure went down as well.

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Originally proven as an effective way to lower blood pressure, this diet plan is now recommended as a way to lose weight and make our hearts happy, too. Many experts now refer to the DASH plan as the “gold standard” for current diet recommendations.

What is the DASH diet? Eat several cups of fruit and vegetables every day. (These foods are major sources of potassium, magnesium and fiber that help regulate blood pressure and appetite). Add 2 to 3 low-fat or non-fat dairy foods (milk, yogurt, or cheese) to your diet every day. (Protein and calcium in these foods are important for blood pressure control and may help with weight loss attempts as well.) Eat 4 to 5 small servings of nuts, legumes (beans) or seeds each week. (Ditto on important nutrients that work in concert with other components of the diet.) Eat lean meats, fish and poultry in moderate portions. Cut way back on sweets, added sugars, fats and alcohol.

How do we start moving towards a DASH-style diet? Choose to have a fruit or a vegetable (or both) at every meal. Add sunflower seeds or legumes to salads. Eat yogurt, fruit or nuts for snacks. Walk away from the salt shaker and sugar bowl. And find other ways to adhere to the DASH way of eating at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new-dash.pdf

ENCORE (Exercise and Nutritional Interventions for Cardiovascular Health). Besides the fact that the acronym doesn’t quite match the words, this trial from Duke University combined the DASH diet with exercise and other weight loss strategies. The result? Even further improvements in blood pressure and other measurements of heart health than the DASH diet alone.

Bottom line? The best way to lose weight is to stick with a proven plan. And a proven plan is one that combines health-enhancing food choices with consistent physical activity. Sound familiar?

What's the best diet to lose weight? The one you can stick with. That was the finding from a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Overweight volunteers in this trial lost weight on a variety of diet strategies - high carbs, low carbs, high fat, low fat, high protein, average protein.

And what was the one "major predictor" that guaranteed weight loss in these diet trials? Adherence. In other words, there are a variety of strategies to lose weight. But whatever we decide to do, it seems to be important to stick with it (duh).

That said, some diet strategies - based on research studies - apparently are worth sticking to for the long term more than others. Here are a few examples:

CHOICE (Choose Healthy Options Consciously Every Day). Adults in this recent randomized controlled study stopped drinking sweetened beverages for 6 months. In their place, they drank water or another no-calorie beverage. Surprise ... they effectively lost weight and their blood pressure went down as well.

DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Originally proven as an effective way to lower blood pressure, this diet plan is now recommended as a way to lose weight and make our hearts happy, too. Many experts now refer to the DASH plan as the "gold standard" for current diet recommendations.

What is the DASH diet? Eat several cups of fruit and vegetables every day. (These foods are major sources of potassium, magnesium and fiber that help regulate blood pressure and appetite). Add 2 to 3 low-fat or non-fat dairy foods (milk, yogurt, or cheese) to your diet every day. (Protein and calcium in these foods are important for blood pressure control and may help with weight loss attempts as well.) Eat 4 to 5 small servings of nuts, legumes (beans) or seeds each week. (Ditto on important nutrients that work in concert with other components of the diet.) Eat lean meats, fish and poultry in moderate portions. Cut way back on sweets, added sugars, fats and alcohol.

How do we start moving towards a DASH-style diet? Choose to have a fruit or a vegetable (or both) at every meal. Add sunflower seeds or legumes to salads. Eat yogurt, fruit or nuts for snacks. Walk away from the salt shaker and sugar bowl. And find other ways to adhere to the DASH way of eating at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new-dash.pdf

ENCORE (Exercise and Nutritional Interventions for Cardiovascular Health). Besides the fact that the acronym doesn't quite match the words, this trial from Duke University combined the DASH diet with exercise and other weight loss strategies. The result? Even further improvements in blood pressure and other measurements of heart health than the DASH diet alone.

Bottom line? The best way to lose weight is to stick with a proven plan. And a proven plan is one that combines health-enhancing food choices with consistent physical activity. Sound familiar?

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Exercise Beats Cutting Calories to Reduce Fat

Posted Feb 1, 2012

Exercise can reduce the amount of fat stored in muscle and around the organs better than cutting calories, say new findings out of St. Louis University.

The study also found that reducing calories can cut some risk factors for diabetes and heart disease with an effectiveness equal to exercise.

“We learned that exercise and calorie reduction have health benefits independent of one another,” said Edward Weiss, assistant professor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University.

“You need a healthy, low-calorie diet and exercise to get the most out of your health,” Weiss said. “Don’t be fooled if you’re a healthy weight and only doing one of the approaches.”

The findings are part of a series of studies he has led for years. In those studies, researchers unexpectedly found that connection between cutting calories and a reduced risk factor for diabetes and heart disease, Weiss said.

“We expected calorie restriction to work well but not as well as exercise-induced weight loss,” he said. “We thought we’d see a greater improvement in diabetes risk for exercisers, but we didn’t see that.

“We don’t know why yet, but we think it might have something to do with changes in the intestines.”

That sparked the “Calorie Restriction, Exercise and Glucoregulation in Humans,” or CREG, study which began late last year and is expected to last another year or more, Weiss said.

The finding that exercise in some cases had double the effect of calorie reduction was somewhat of a surprise. Most weight loss experts say calorie reduction is the only effective way to lose fat.

“Calorie restriction promotes weight loss but in some cases, exercise alone can reduce weight,” said Kathy Kress, associate professor in the nutrition and dietetics department and one of the researchers.

BAD FATS

Excess body fat is blamed for a myriad of conditions, most of them bad. Controlling fat is the target for scores of researchers.

In Weiss’ studies, the fats under scrutiny are:

— Intermuscular fat that’s deposited between muscle fibers. “That would be like the marbling in a steak,” Weiss said. The form being studied makes up about 10 percent of the total body fat.

— Visceral fat packed around organs and behind muscles, makes up about 10 percent of a person’s body fat.

— Subcutaneous fat, the “love-handle” fat just below the skin and above the muscles is about 50 percent of body fat. “That’s the fat you can pinch,” Weiss said. It’s less of a health threat except for causing joint problems among people who are obese, Weiss said.

Liver fat, the most dangerous place to accumulate fat, isn’t part of the study.

The remaining body fat is in other places doing other things, for example, components of nerve tissue, Weiss said.

In the CREG study, 45 people have been divided into three groups: Some work on losing weight with exercise only; some by eating less and some by doing both.

The test subjects are “reasonably healthy” people who are free of diabetes and cardiovascular problems, ages 45 to 65, and no one has a body mass index over 30 — the line between being overweight and obese.

Kress helped dieters plan meals and make healthy choices. “If that didn’t work, we sent food home with them,” she said.

Exercisers used gym machines for 60 to 90 minutes six to seven days a week, then added more walking steps to their daily routines, Weiss said.

“The misconception is that if you do 20 or 30 minutes of exercise (a day), you can lose weight. That amount of exercise is not going to add up to weight loss,” Kress said. “Weight loss is work and it takes effort.”

Over one year, exercisers lost six to 10 pounds of fat, Weiss said, more of it the troublesome fat. The reduction in subcutaneous fat was on average identical among exercisers and dieters.

Those who have exercised and dieted have done better than either of the other groups, Weiss said.

The final data should be available in about two years, Weiss said.

Dr. Samuel Klein, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and head of the school’s Weight Management Program, strongly advocates calorie reduction as the front line of weight loss.

The study doesn’t change that, he said. Instead “It shows an additional beneficial effect of exercise on body composition during diet-induced weight loss,” he said.

Those who exercised lost more body fat “… in areas that are associated with metabolic abnormalities,” he said.

That doesn’t change that “Exercise is a very difficult way to lose weight,” Klein said.

“So if you run for a mile and come home and eat a slice of pizza and a beer, everything you’ve done has been (negated),” he said. “And in some people, increased exercise stimulates appetite and in some people it reduces appetite.”

The studies have been funded by grants from federal and private sources.

©2012 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Exercise can reduce the amount of fat stored in muscle and around the organs better than cutting calories, say new findings out of St. Louis University.

The study also found that reducing calories can cut some risk factors for diabetes and heart disease with an effectiveness equal to exercise.

"We learned that exercise and calorie reduction have health benefits independent of one another," said Edward Weiss, assistant professor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University.

"You need a healthy, low-calorie diet and exercise to get the most out of your health," Weiss said. "Don't be fooled if you're a healthy weight and only doing one of the approaches."

The findings are part of a series of studies he has led for years. In those studies, researchers unexpectedly found that connection between cutting calories and a reduced risk factor for diabetes and heart disease, Weiss said.

"We expected calorie restriction to work well but not as well as exercise-induced weight loss," he said. "We thought we'd see a greater improvement in diabetes risk for exercisers, but we didn't see that.

"We don't know why yet, but we think it might have something to do with changes in the intestines."

That sparked the "Calorie Restriction, Exercise and Glucoregulation in Humans," or CREG, study which began late last year and is expected to last another year or more, Weiss said.

The finding that exercise in some cases had double the effect of calorie reduction was somewhat of a surprise. Most weight loss experts say calorie reduction is the only effective way to lose fat.

"Calorie restriction promotes weight loss but in some cases, exercise alone can reduce weight," said Kathy Kress, associate professor in the nutrition and dietetics department and one of the researchers.

BAD FATS

Excess body fat is blamed for a myriad of conditions, most of them bad. Controlling fat is the target for scores of researchers.

In Weiss' studies, the fats under scrutiny are:

-- Intermuscular fat that's deposited between muscle fibers. "That would be like the marbling in a steak," Weiss said. The form being studied makes up about 10 percent of the total body fat.

-- Visceral fat packed around organs and behind muscles, makes up about 10 percent of a person's body fat.

-- Subcutaneous fat, the "love-handle" fat just below the skin and above the muscles is about 50 percent of body fat. "That's the fat you can pinch," Weiss said. It's less of a health threat except for causing joint problems among people who are obese, Weiss said.

Liver fat, the most dangerous place to accumulate fat, isn't part of the study.

The remaining body fat is in other places doing other things, for example, components of nerve tissue, Weiss said.

In the CREG study, 45 people have been divided into three groups: Some work on losing weight with exercise only; some by eating less and some by doing both.

The test subjects are "reasonably healthy" people who are free of diabetes and cardiovascular problems, ages 45 to 65, and no one has a body mass index over 30 -- the line between being overweight and obese.

Kress helped dieters plan meals and make healthy choices. "If that didn't work, we sent food home with them," she said.

Exercisers used gym machines for 60 to 90 minutes six to seven days a week, then added more walking steps to their daily routines, Weiss said.

"The misconception is that if you do 20 or 30 minutes of exercise (a day), you can lose weight. That amount of exercise is not going to add up to weight loss," Kress said. "Weight loss is work and it takes effort."

Over one year, exercisers lost six to 10 pounds of fat, Weiss said, more of it the troublesome fat. The reduction in subcutaneous fat was on average identical among exercisers and dieters.

Those who have exercised and dieted have done better than either of the other groups, Weiss said.

The final data should be available in about two years, Weiss said.

Dr. Samuel Klein, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and head of the school's Weight Management Program, strongly advocates calorie reduction as the front line of weight loss.

The study doesn't change that, he said. Instead "It shows an additional beneficial effect of exercise on body composition during diet-induced weight loss," he said.

Those who exercised lost more body fat "... in areas that are associated with metabolic abnormalities," he said.

That doesn't change that "Exercise is a very difficult way to lose weight," Klein said.

"So if you run for a mile and come home and eat a slice of pizza and a beer, everything you've done has been (negated)," he said. "And in some people, increased exercise stimulates appetite and in some people it reduces appetite."

The studies have been funded by grants from federal and private sources.

©2012 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Diet Excuses

Posted Jan 30, 2012

Ask any health expert to rattle off some of the bogus reasons they’ve heard as to why people can’t lose weight, and you’re likely to have enough excuses to fill a “Stuff Dieters Say” YouTube video. But there’s nothing funny – or pretty – about the little diet and fitness lies you persuade yourself to believe. Buying into incorrect information, such as the idea that skipping breakfast will save you calories in the long run or that your doctor will pull you aside if your weight is really a problem, will leave your scale stuck and could put your health at risk in the long-term.

The following ideas might seem like reasonable assumptions, but the research and experts suggest otherwise. Here, eight little fibs that might be making you fat.

1. Taking the stairs takes too long

Sorry folks, but taking the elevator at work isn’t just lazy, it’s inefficient, too. A small Canadian study calculated that when you factor in the time you spend waiting for an elevator to arrive, taking the stairs actually can save you about 15 minutes each workday. Researchers timed hospital workers making trips between one and six floors, and found that it took 2.8 times longer per floor to travel by elevator car than by stairwell. So the next time you catch yourself complaining about being too busy to work out, remember it’s possible to add minutes to your day and burn more calories.

2. Losing 10 pounds is good enough

Losing 10 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but if you’re obese, a small dip in the scale should be the starting point – not the finish line – of a healthier lifestyle. While short-term studies have concluded that obese people can see significant improvements in their heart health after a 5 percent weight loss, a new 10-year Swedish study found that you most likely need to lose twice as much to yield meaningful results. Obese people who lost 4 percent of their body weight – or 11 pounds – showed no significant improvements in terms of major risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They needed to lose at least 22 pounds before systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and insulin levels improved, and had to drop 33 pounds before significant benefits were seen in HDL and glucose levels.

3. My doctor will tell me if there’s a weight problem

If you’re waiting for your doctor to alert you that your weight is putting your health at risk, you’re better off facing your mirror for a true assessment. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that less than half of those who were overweight and two-thirds of those who were obese were told in the past year by their doctor that they were heavy.

A similar pattern crops up for children, as well. A 2011 study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that 22 percent of parents of overweight children recalled that their doctor voiced concern about their kid’s size and 58 percent of parents of obese children said that a physician told them their child is fat.

Weight is a touchy subject, especially for women, which might partially explain why female physicians are less likely to bring up weight with patients of either sex and why female patients are less likely to hear about it from their doctors. Plus, doctors sometimes figure that their patients have the resources to address weight issues on their own because there’s so much diet and fitness information available to the public, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of “Doctor’s Detox Diet.”

4. I know what calories are

You probably know a thing or two about calories – like you need to eat less of them and burn more if you want to see the number on the scale go down – but chances are you understand less than you think.

A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that when teens read a sign that said it takes 50 minutes of jogging to burn off one soda, sales fell 50 percent compared with those who read signs listing the calories, suggesting that people have a false sense about how many calories they consume and use up. “People say all the time that they know about calories, but they don’t know how hard it is to burn them off,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, and author of “The Flexitarian Diet.”

5. I’m in control of what I’m eating

Sure, you have no one to blame for eating that extra cookie but yourself, but no matter how strong your willpower, you could be tucking in more food without even knowing it. A number of studies show that there are sneaky, subliminal factors that affect how much we serve ourselves. Not only do people dish out and eat larger portions when using bigger spoons, plates and bowls, they also tend to eat more when their food is a similar color to their plate, say researchers from Cornell University. Mindless-eating expert Brian Wansink found that people were more likely to dish out a big helping of pasta Alfredo on a white plate than a red one.

6. It’s too expensive to be healthy

Times may be lean, but eating healthfully doesn’t have to be a luxury. To be fair, a 2011 study in Health Affairs calculated that following the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines could cost Americans an extra $380 a year in food groceries, or $1.04 a day. However, findings from George Washington University researchers show that obese women earned $5,826 less per year than their thinner counterparts in 2008 – so maybe eating right is worth the investment.

Still, not everyone agrees that a balanced meal translates to extra dollars and cents. “You can cook frozen vegetables to save money,” notes Gerbstadt. “Eating healthy doesn’t have to be exotic or gourmet.” To see just how much it would cost to shape up your eating habits, Blatner suggests tallying a week’s worth of food and meal receipts – everything from your $10 lunch to your $4 cappuccino – and compare it with 7-day’s worth of good-for-you groceries. “It can be daunting to see a $100 to $200 grocery bill, but it’s usually less expensive compared with how much you’re spending dining out and eating on the run,” says Blatner.

7. A little snack won’t hurt

Well, that depends on your perception of what qualifies as a snack and how often you’re noshing between meals. After all, weight loss boils down to calories in, calories out. Investigating the snacking habits of dieters over the course of a year, researchers found that midmorning snackers lost 7 percent of their body weight compared with those who snacked later in the day, who lost 11 percent of their body weight. Why? Midmorning snackers usually didn’t stop at just one snack and tended to eat another later in the day, as opposed to afternoon and evening snackers.

“The problem with snacking is that people don’t know what a snack is,” says Blatner. “A snack is nutritious and filling; it bridges meals and is about 200 calories. Snack packs, cookies and candies aren’t snacks – they’re treats. You need to know the difference and know that there is a limit.” Blatner says that when you keep to these guidelines, you can snack up to twice a day and maintain a healthy weight.

8. I’ll eat less if I skip breakfast

Drill it into your heads: Skipping breakfast won’t save you calories in the long run. “People have this notion that if they don’t eat breakfast they’ll save calories or can cheat eat later in the day, but it really doesn’t work that way,” says Gerbstadt. “Your body needs food in small increments throughout the day to stay powered, and research shows that people who eat 400 to 600 calories at breakfast are less likely to be overweight.” Starting your day with a morning meal can help jump-start your metabolism by 10 percent and prevents you from overindulging on snacks and large meals later in the day because you are ravenous.

If you typically don’t feel hungry in the morning, Blatner recommends skipping dinner – just once – to reset your appetite clock. “A lot of times people say they’re not hungry when they wake up because they’d eaten too much for dinner. This way, you’ll wake up naturally hungry.”

For more tips and tricks, visit Fitbie.com

@2012, Fitbie.com Visit them at http://fitbie.msn.com/ .

Distributed by MCT Information Services

Ask any health expert to rattle off some of the bogus reasons they've heard as to why people can't lose weight, and you're likely to have enough excuses to fill a "Stuff Dieters Say" YouTube video. But there's nothing funny - or pretty - about the little diet and fitness lies you persuade yourself to believe. Buying into incorrect information, such as the idea that skipping breakfast will save you calories in the long run or that your doctor will pull you aside if your weight is really a problem, will leave your scale stuck and could put your health at risk in the long-term.

The following ideas might seem like reasonable assumptions, but the research and experts suggest otherwise. Here, eight little fibs that might be making you fat.

1. Taking the stairs takes too long

Sorry folks, but taking the elevator at work isn't just lazy, it's inefficient, too. A small Canadian study calculated that when you factor in the time you spend waiting for an elevator to arrive, taking the stairs actually can save you about 15 minutes each workday. Researchers timed hospital workers making trips between one and six floors, and found that it took 2.8 times longer per floor to travel by elevator car than by stairwell. So the next time you catch yourself complaining about being too busy to work out, remember it's possible to add minutes to your day and burn more calories.

2. Losing 10 pounds is good enough

Losing 10 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but if you're obese, a small dip in the scale should be the starting point - not the finish line - of a healthier lifestyle. While short-term studies have concluded that obese people can see significant improvements in their heart health after a 5 percent weight loss, a new 10-year Swedish study found that you most likely need to lose twice as much to yield meaningful results. Obese people who lost 4 percent of their body weight - or 11 pounds - showed no significant improvements in terms of major risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They needed to lose at least 22 pounds before systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and insulin levels improved, and had to drop 33 pounds before significant benefits were seen in HDL and glucose levels.

3. My doctor will tell me if there's a weight problem

If you're waiting for your doctor to alert you that your weight is putting your health at risk, you're better off facing your mirror for a true assessment. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that less than half of those who were overweight and two-thirds of those who were obese were told in the past year by their doctor that they were heavy.

A similar pattern crops up for children, as well. A 2011 study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that 22 percent of parents of overweight children recalled that their doctor voiced concern about their kid's size and 58 percent of parents of obese children said that a physician told them their child is fat.

Weight is a touchy subject, especially for women, which might partially explain why female physicians are less likely to bring up weight with patients of either sex and why female patients are less likely to hear about it from their doctors. Plus, doctors sometimes figure that their patients have the resources to address weight issues on their own because there's so much diet and fitness information available to the public, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of "Doctor's Detox Diet."

4. I know what calories are

You probably know a thing or two about calories - like you need to eat less of them and burn more if you want to see the number on the scale go down - but chances are you understand less than you think.

A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that when teens read a sign that said it takes 50 minutes of jogging to burn off one soda, sales fell 50 percent compared with those who read signs listing the calories, suggesting that people have a false sense about how many calories they consume and use up. "People say all the time that they know about calories, but they don't know how hard it is to burn them off," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, and author of "The Flexitarian Diet."

5. I'm in control of what I'm eating

Sure, you have no one to blame for eating that extra cookie but yourself, but no matter how strong your willpower, you could be tucking in more food without even knowing it. A number of studies show that there are sneaky, subliminal factors that affect how much we serve ourselves. Not only do people dish out and eat larger portions when using bigger spoons, plates and bowls, they also tend to eat more when their food is a similar color to their plate, say researchers from Cornell University. Mindless-eating expert Brian Wansink found that people were more likely to dish out a big helping of pasta Alfredo on a white plate than a red one.

6. It's too expensive to be healthy

Times may be lean, but eating healthfully doesn't have to be a luxury. To be fair, a 2011 study in Health Affairs calculated that following the USDA's MyPlate guidelines could cost Americans an extra $380 a year in food groceries, or $1.04 a day. However, findings from George Washington University researchers show that obese women earned $5,826 less per year than their thinner counterparts in 2008 - so maybe eating right is worth the investment.

Still, not everyone agrees that a balanced meal translates to extra dollars and cents. "You can cook frozen vegetables to save money," notes Gerbstadt. "Eating healthy doesn't have to be exotic or gourmet." To see just how much it would cost to shape up your eating habits, Blatner suggests tallying a week's worth of food and meal receipts - everything from your $10 lunch to your $4 cappuccino - and compare it with 7-day's worth of good-for-you groceries. "It can be daunting to see a $100 to $200 grocery bill, but it's usually less expensive compared with how much you're spending dining out and eating on the run," says Blatner.

7. A little snack won't hurt

Well, that depends on your perception of what qualifies as a snack and how often you're noshing between meals. After all, weight loss boils down to calories in, calories out. Investigating the snacking habits of dieters over the course of a year, researchers found that midmorning snackers lost 7 percent of their body weight compared with those who snacked later in the day, who lost 11 percent of their body weight. Why? Midmorning snackers usually didn't stop at just one snack and tended to eat another later in the day, as opposed to afternoon and evening snackers.

"The problem with snacking is that people don't know what a snack is," says Blatner. "A snack is nutritious and filling; it bridges meals and is about 200 calories. Snack packs, cookies and candies aren't snacks - they're treats. You need to know the difference and know that there is a limit." Blatner says that when you keep to these guidelines, you can snack up to twice a day and maintain a healthy weight.

8. I'll eat less if I skip breakfast

Drill it into your heads: Skipping breakfast won't save you calories in the long run. "People have this notion that if they don't eat breakfast they'll save calories or can cheat eat later in the day, but it really doesn't work that way," says Gerbstadt. "Your body needs food in small increments throughout the day to stay powered, and research shows that people who eat 400 to 600 calories at breakfast are less likely to be overweight." Starting your day with a morning meal can help jump-start your metabolism by 10 percent and prevents you from overindulging on snacks and large meals later in the day because you are ravenous.

If you typically don't feel hungry in the morning, Blatner recommends skipping dinner - just once - to reset your appetite clock. "A lot of times people say they're not hungry when they wake up because they'd eaten too much for dinner. This way, you'll wake up naturally hungry."

For more tips and tricks, visit Fitbie.com

@2012, Fitbie.com Visit them at http://fitbie.msn.com/ .

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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List of Best Diets for 2012

Posted Jan 12, 2012

-U.S. News and World Report news magazine has ranked the Best Diets for 2012. The list includes 25 diet plans. Government-generated programs won top spots while commercial programs got a lot of honorable mentions.

The tops overall:

1. DASH Diet — Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension won the top spot. It was developed by the National Institutes of Health.

2. TLC — Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes is a diet high in fiber and low in fat also developed by the National institutes of Health.

Tied for 3rd:

–Mayo Clinic Diet, a low-energy, high-nutrition foods such as fruits and vegetables and allows dieters to eat more while eating fewer calories. –Mediterranean Diet, which includes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats such as olive oil and red wine in moderation. –Weight Watchers, which focuses on portion control and encourages plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.

The magazine employed 22 experts including physicians and public health specialists.

The experts also ranked had six sub categories.

Easiest to follow:

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Mediterranean.

Best for weight loss:

Weight Watchers, tied for second, Biggest Loser, Jenny Craig, and raw food.

Best commercial plan:

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Biggest Loser

Best for diabetes plan:

Biggest Loser and DASH tied for first, Mayo Clinic, Ornish, and vegan were tied for third.

Best for heart health:

Ornish, TLC, DASH

Best for healthy eating:

DASH, TLC, Mediterranean.

Experts encourage people searching for an eating plan to include respect to lifestyle. For example, a diet that requires a lot of at-home food preparation for someone who hates to cook or is not home long enough, won’t work.

See the list of all of the diet plans examined by the magazine’s experts.

Follow health reporter Harry Jackson Jr. on Twitter at www.twitter.com/STLhealth for coverage of health, outdoors, health gadgets and tips from fitness trainers.

©2012 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com

-U.S. News and World Report news magazine has ranked the Best Diets for 2012. The list includes 25 diet plans. Government-generated programs won top spots while commercial programs got a lot of honorable mentions.

The tops overall:

1. DASH Diet -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension won the top spot. It was developed by the National Institutes of Health.

2. TLC -- Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes is a diet high in fiber and low in fat also developed by the National institutes of Health.

Tied for 3rd:

--Mayo Clinic Diet, a low-energy, high-nutrition foods such as fruits and vegetables and allows dieters to eat more while eating fewer calories. --Mediterranean Diet, which includes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats such as olive oil and red wine in moderation. --Weight Watchers, which focuses on portion control and encourages plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.

The magazine employed 22 experts including physicians and public health specialists.

The experts also ranked had six sub categories.

Easiest to follow:

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Mediterranean.

Best for weight loss:

Weight Watchers, tied for second, Biggest Loser, Jenny Craig, and raw food.

Best commercial plan:

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Biggest Loser

Best for diabetes plan:

Biggest Loser and DASH tied for first, Mayo Clinic, Ornish, and vegan were tied for third.

Best for heart health:

Ornish, TLC, DASH

Best for healthy eating:

DASH, TLC, Mediterranean.

Experts encourage people searching for an eating plan to include respect to lifestyle. For example, a diet that requires a lot of at-home food preparation for someone who hates to cook or is not home long enough, won't work.

See the list of all of the diet plans examined by the magazine's experts.

Follow health reporter Harry Jackson Jr. on Twitter at www.twitter.com/STLhealth for coverage of health, outdoors, health gadgets and tips from fitness trainers.

©2012 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com

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Weight Loss Success Requires More than Just Calorie Counting

Posted Jan 4, 2011

If you’re looking to lose weight, look beyond what you eat.

Successful diet plans employ a three-part focus: healthy foods, movement and coping mechanisms.

You’ll probably have some success with a single-component diet, says Andrea Erickson, clinical manager for nutrition therapy at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, but if you want to keep the weight off, you need all three.

One of the biggest keys is behavioral, Erickson said. Dieters need to understand their relationship with food — are they eating to fuel their bodies or to cope with stress or boredom?

Erickson says one of the easiest ways to evaluate a diet plan is to ask if there’s interaction with others — in person or online — rather than just following a written plan. If not, there’s no behavioral component.

Of the commercial programs, Erickson said Weight Watchers is the most balanced, though she cautions the leaders have had personal success, but aren’t necessarily dieticians trained in nutrition counseling.

“Everybody’s quite different,” she said. “Some people are fine going through Weight Watchers. Others need a little different approach.”

Gundersen offers its own six-month program, Winning Ways, that combines nutritional information with a focus on mindful eating.

©2011 the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.)

Visit the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.) at www.lacrossetribune.com

If you're looking to lose weight, look beyond what you eat.

Successful diet plans employ a three-part focus: healthy foods, movement and coping mechanisms.

You'll probably have some success with a single-component diet, says Andrea Erickson, clinical manager for nutrition therapy at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, but if you want to keep the weight off, you need all three.

One of the biggest keys is behavioral, Erickson said. Dieters need to understand their relationship with food -- are they eating to fuel their bodies or to cope with stress or boredom?

Erickson says one of the easiest ways to evaluate a diet plan is to ask if there's interaction with others -- in person or online -- rather than just following a written plan. If not, there's no behavioral component.

Of the commercial programs, Erickson said Weight Watchers is the most balanced, though she cautions the leaders have had personal success, but aren't necessarily dieticians trained in nutrition counseling.

"Everybody's quite different," she said. "Some people are fine going through Weight Watchers. Others need a little different approach."

Gundersen offers its own six-month program, Winning Ways, that combines nutritional information with a focus on mindful eating.

©2011 the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.)

Visit the La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, Wis.) at www.lacrossetribune.com

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Simple Tips for Weight Loss Success- Part 3

Posted Dec 31, 2011

How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways. Whether you’ve vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier. We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year’s worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat, and flatten your belly. In this three- part series, we’ll bring you a total of 52 ways to cut the fat.

The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up.

“When you successfully implement one change, you’re more likely to do another. The more you’re able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you’ll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change,” says Jessica Cassity, author of “Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You.” Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year’s end.

-Pop smarter. Popcorn is a great whole grain snack, but don’t pour on the butter. Three cups of Orville Redenbacher Pour Over Movie Theater Butter popcorn will set you back 154 calories and 12 g of fat. Choose the Smart Pop version and snack without guilt for 48 calories and 1 g of fat.

-Take a fish oil supplement. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who took 6 grams of fish oil a day and exercised three times a week lost 3.4 pounds more in 12 weeks than those who just hit the gym and didn’t take a supplement.

-Max out. Stoke up your after-burn by lifting heavy. Women burned twice as many calories the 2 hours following a workout that involved doing 8 reps of lifting 85 percent of their max as when they did 15 reps at 45 percent of their max. Your max refers to the maximum amount of weight that you can lift in a single rep of an exercise. To estimate your one-rep max, determine the greatest amount of weight you are able to perform an exercise to exhaustion. Plug in the weight and number of reps into this formula: Weight

How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways. Whether you've vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier. We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year's worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat, and flatten your belly. In this three- part series, we'll bring you a total of 52 ways to cut the fat.

The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up.

"When you successfully implement one change, you're more likely to do another. The more you're able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you'll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change," says Jessica Cassity, author of "Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You." Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year's end.

-Pop smarter. Popcorn is a great whole grain snack, but don't pour on the butter. Three cups of Orville Redenbacher Pour Over Movie Theater Butter popcorn will set you back 154 calories and 12 g of fat. Choose the Smart Pop version and snack without guilt for 48 calories and 1 g of fat.

-Take a fish oil supplement. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who took 6 grams of fish oil a day and exercised three times a week lost 3.4 pounds more in 12 weeks than those who just hit the gym and didn't take a supplement.

-Max out. Stoke up your after-burn by lifting heavy. Women burned twice as many calories the 2 hours following a workout that involved doing 8 reps of lifting 85 percent of their max as when they did 15 reps at 45 percent of their max. Your max refers to the maximum amount of weight that you can lift in a single rep of an exercise. To estimate your one-rep max, determine the greatest amount of weight you are able to perform an exercise to exhaustion. Plug in the weight and number of reps into this formula: Weight

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Simple Tips for Weight Loss Success- Part 2

Posted Dec 29, 2012

How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways. Whether you’ve vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier. We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year’s worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat and flatten your belly. In this three-part series, we’ll bring you a total of 52 ways to cut the fat.

The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up.

“When you successfully implement one change, you’re more likely to do another. The more you’re able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you’ll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change,” says Jessica Cassity, author of “Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You.” Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year’s end.

-Eat an orange. People who don’t get enough vitamin C burn 25 percent less fat when working out than those who have adequate levels, say researchers. They also found that people who are vitamin-C deficient can quadruple their fat burn after taking 500 mg of the nutrient.

-Do intervals. You’ve probably already heard it, but doing interval training – alternating between periods of intense exercise and recovery – burns more fat and calories than exercising at a steady rate. University of Guelph researchers found that cyclists who switched between cycling for four minutes at 90 percent of their max and 2 minutes of recovery for an hour burn up to 36 percent more calories after their workout than those who biked at a moderate pace for the same amount of time.

-Go organic. Canadian researchers found that people with the highest levels of organochlorides – a chemical found in pesticides – were more likely to have slower metabolisms.

-Munch on almonds. Spanish researchers found that people who eat a diet high in MUFAs lose more fat from their middles than people who follow a high-carb diet or a high-fat one.

-Outsmart the elliptical trainer. The calorie-count mechanisms on cardio equipment are often off by 20 to 30 percent. So if the readout says that you’ve cranked out 260 calories’ worth of exercise, a more accurate estimate could be 200 calories burned. To even things out, aim to burn off 30 percent more than your target, notes Cassity in “Better Each Day.” Even if your machine’s calorie tally is accurate, ramping up your workout will help you achieve your weight loss goal.

-Pick a smarter spread. Rather than smear on a tablespoon of butter over your morning toast (102 calories, 11.5 g of fat), try apple butter (20 calories, 0 g fat). It tastes delicious and packs a fraction of the fat and calories.

-Choose Canadian bacon. You can get a heftier portion of the leaner meat and still cut fat. Two slices of Canadian bacon are 89 calories, 4 g of fat (57 g); two slices of the regular kind contain 86 calories and 6 g of fat (16 g).

-Try Meatless Monday. Vegetarians usually have a lower body mass index than those who eat meat. For instance, lacto-ovo vegetarians have an average BMI of 25.7, whereas meat eaters check in at a BMI of 28.8. Not ready to forgo meat entirely? Incorporate Meatless Monday into your eating routine. You’ll still be able to reap the benefits as vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher in fiber, potassium and antioxidants than other diets.

-See the sun. Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that people who had higher levels of vitamin D were able to lose more weight on a reduced-calorie diet than those who had inadequate levels – even though both cut 750 calories from their diets. Your body generates vitamin D naturally through sunlight, and it’s also found in foods like salmon, tuna, fortified milk and cereals and yogurt.

-Broaden your circle of friends. Having a lot of friends might not just help you live longer – it may make you leaner, too. A study in Cell Metabolism found that having a more active social life can turn regular white fat into calorie-torching brown fat, increasing overall calorie burn. Researchers found that when lab rats were placed in a living environment with 15 to 20 other mice and had greater opportunity to play, they lost weight due to increased brown-fat stores.

-Have half a grapefruit. There’s no need to go on an all-grapefruit diet, but incorporating the fruit into your diet can help you lose weight, say researchers from Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif. They found that people who ate half a grapefruit before every meal lost 3 pounds more than those who didn’t. Why? Not only is grapefruit a good source of fiber, but it also seems to help regulate insulin levels.

-Sweeten with cinnamon. An in vitro study by the USDA found that the spice can increase the rate at which sugar is metabolized by 20-fold. Eating 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of cinnamon a day has also been shown to lower blood sugar levels. The spice is also a great low-calorie alternative to sugar to sweeten your coffee.

-Clean your house. A tidy home may translate to a fit body. A recent study found that how clean a house is – or isn’t – is a better indicator of the occupant’s fitness level than the home’s proximity to safe walking trails and sidewalks. “Scientists really don’t know if it’s because you burn calories while cleaning the house or if it’s a reflection of how you take care of your body,” says Cassity. “It’s probably a little bit of each.”

-Avoid boxed baked goods. Store-bought cookies, cakes and mixes are often loaded with saturated fat. Case in point: A serving of Entenmann’s coffee cake is loaded with 260 calories and 13 g of fat – 4 of which are saturated. Make your own dessert at home for less.

-Switch to sorbet. A 1/2-cup serving of Haagen-Daz chocolate sorbet has half the calories and a whopping 16 grams fewer fat than a serving of chocolate ice cream.

-Slurp broth-based soups. A bowl of creamy New England clam chowder contains 154 calories and 5 g of fat. Switch to the broth-based Manhattan clam chowder at 73 calories and 2 g of fat per cup. Penn State researchers found that people who had a cup of soup before lunch ate 20 percent fewer calories at the meal. When you choose a low-cal soup to fill up on beforehand, you can actually consume fewer calories overall, too.

-Cut the can. And while we’re on the subject of soup, fresh is better than canned. Harvard researchers found that people who ate canned soup for 5 days in a row had BPA levels in their blood that were 10 times higher than those who ate homemade soup for the same amount of time. Elevated levels of BPA – a chemical- and hormone-disruptor that’s found in plastics and plastic-lined cans – has been shown to increase the number and size of fat cells.

-Skip fried food. It’s a no-brainer. Deep-frying adds tons of fat and calories. Make this fast-food swap: Instead of a Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap (Crispy) from McDonald’s, try the grilled version. You’ll save 80 calories and 7 g of fat.

For more tips and tricks, visit Fitbie.com

@2011, Fitbie.com

Visit them at http://fitbie.msn.com/

Distributed by MCT Information Services

How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways. Whether you've vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier. We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year's worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat and flatten your belly. In this three-part series, we'll bring you a total of 52 ways to cut the fat.

The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up.

"When you successfully implement one change, you're more likely to do another. The more you're able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you'll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change," says Jessica Cassity, author of "Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You." Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year's end.

-Eat an orange. People who don't get enough vitamin C burn 25 percent less fat when working out than those who have adequate levels, say researchers. They also found that people who are vitamin-C deficient can quadruple their fat burn after taking 500 mg of the nutrient.

-Do intervals. You've probably already heard it, but doing interval training - alternating between periods of intense exercise and recovery - burns more fat and calories than exercising at a steady rate. University of Guelph researchers found that cyclists who switched between cycling for four minutes at 90 percent of their max and 2 minutes of recovery for an hour burn up to 36 percent more calories after their workout than those who biked at a moderate pace for the same amount of time.

-Go organic. Canadian researchers found that people with the highest levels of organochlorides - a chemical found in pesticides - were more likely to have slower metabolisms.

-Munch on almonds. Spanish researchers found that people who eat a diet high in MUFAs lose more fat from their middles than people who follow a high-carb diet or a high-fat one.

-Outsmart the elliptical trainer. The calorie-count mechanisms on cardio equipment are often off by 20 to 30 percent. So if the readout says that you've cranked out 260 calories' worth of exercise, a more accurate estimate could be 200 calories burned. To even things out, aim to burn off 30 percent more than your target, notes Cassity in "Better Each Day." Even if your machine's calorie tally is accurate, ramping up your workout will help you achieve your weight loss goal.

-Pick a smarter spread. Rather than smear on a tablespoon of butter over your morning toast (102 calories, 11.5 g of fat), try apple butter (20 calories, 0 g fat). It tastes delicious and packs a fraction of the fat and calories.

-Choose Canadian bacon. You can get a heftier portion of the leaner meat and still cut fat. Two slices of Canadian bacon are 89 calories, 4 g of fat (57 g); two slices of the regular kind contain 86 calories and 6 g of fat (16 g).

-Try Meatless Monday. Vegetarians usually have a lower body mass index than those who eat meat. For instance, lacto-ovo vegetarians have an average BMI of 25.7, whereas meat eaters check in at a BMI of 28.8. Not ready to forgo meat entirely? Incorporate Meatless Monday into your eating routine. You'll still be able to reap the benefits as vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher in fiber, potassium and antioxidants than other diets.

-See the sun. Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that people who had higher levels of vitamin D were able to lose more weight on a reduced-calorie diet than those who had inadequate levels - even though both cut 750 calories from their diets. Your body generates vitamin D naturally through sunlight, and it's also found in foods like salmon, tuna, fortified milk and cereals and yogurt.

-Broaden your circle of friends. Having a lot of friends might not just help you live longer - it may make you leaner, too. A study in Cell Metabolism found that having a more active social life can turn regular white fat into calorie-torching brown fat, increasing overall calorie burn. Researchers found that when lab rats were placed in a living environment with 15 to 20 other mice and had greater opportunity to play, they lost weight due to increased brown-fat stores.



-Have half a grapefruit. There's no need to go on an all-grapefruit diet, but incorporating the fruit into your diet can help you lose weight, say researchers from Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif. They found that people who ate half a grapefruit before every meal lost 3 pounds more than those who didn't. Why? Not only is grapefruit a good source of fiber, but it also seems to help regulate insulin levels.

-Sweeten with cinnamon. An in vitro study by the USDA found that the spice can increase the rate at which sugar is metabolized by 20-fold. Eating 1/4 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of cinnamon a day has also been shown to lower blood sugar levels. The spice is also a great low-calorie alternative to sugar to sweeten your coffee.

-Clean your house. A tidy home may translate to a fit body. A recent study found that how clean a house is - or isn't - is a better indicator of the occupant's fitness level than the home's proximity to safe walking trails and sidewalks. "Scientists really don't know if it's because you burn calories while cleaning the house or if it's a reflection of how you take care of your body," says Cassity. "It's probably a little bit of each."

-Avoid boxed baked goods. Store-bought cookies, cakes and mixes are often loaded with saturated fat. Case in point: A serving of Entenmann's coffee cake is loaded with 260 calories and 13 g of fat - 4 of which are saturated. Make your own dessert at home for less.

-Switch to sorbet. A 1/2-cup serving of Haagen-Daz chocolate sorbet has half the calories and a whopping 16 grams fewer fat than a serving of chocolate ice cream.

-Slurp broth-based soups. A bowl of creamy New England clam chowder contains 154 calories and 5 g of fat. Switch to the broth-based Manhattan clam chowder at 73 calories and 2 g of fat per cup. Penn State researchers found that people who had a cup of soup before lunch ate 20 percent fewer calories at the meal. When you choose a low-cal soup to fill up on beforehand, you can actually consume fewer calories overall, too.

-Cut the can. And while we're on the subject of soup, fresh is better than canned. Harvard researchers found that people who ate canned soup for 5 days in a row had BPA levels in their blood that were 10 times higher than those who ate homemade soup for the same amount of time. Elevated levels of BPA - a chemical- and hormone-disruptor that's found in plastics and plastic-lined cans - has been shown to increase the number and size of fat cells.

-Skip fried food. It's a no-brainer. Deep-frying adds tons of fat and calories. Make this fast-food swap: Instead of a Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap (Crispy) from McDonald's, try the grilled version. You'll save 80 calories and 7 g of fat.

For more tips and tricks, visit Fitbie.com

@2011, Fitbie.com

Visit them at http://fitbie.msn.com/

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Simple Tips for Weight Loss Success

Posted Dec 27, 2011

How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways. Whether you’ve vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier. We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year’s worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat, and flatten your belly. In this three-part series, we’ll bring you a total of 52 ways to cut the fat.

The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up.

“When you successfully implement one change, you’re more likely to do another. The more you’re able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you’ll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change,” says Jessica Cassity, author of “Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You.” Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year’s end.

-Hit the gas early during your workout. College of New Jersey researchers found that men who started a 30-minute running workout at high speed, working at 70 percent of their VO2 max, and then eased up to 50 percent of VO2 max burned 5 to 10 percent more fat than those who started slow and then revved up the pace. The after-burn of the high-intensity workout seems to carry over into the lower-intensity period, increasing overall fat burn.

-Use public transportation. Turns out taking the bus or train is as good for your body as it is for your wallet and the environment. In one recent study from two Pennsylvania universities, researchers found that people who switched from driving everywhere to using a light-rail system lost an average of about 6 pounds in a year.

“The theory is that by walking the extra blocks it takes to get to and from bus stops and train stations – instead of pulling up right in front of a destination – you naturally increase your activity level enough to result in weight loss,” says Cassity.

-Drink two cups of coffee, black. A study in the journal of Physiology and Behavior found that drinking two cups of caffeinated coffee can boost your metabolism by 16 percent compared with the decaf kind. Make sure to drink it black though. The 67 calories in a spoonful of sugar and a tablespoon of cream can negate caffeine’s calorie-burning benefits.

-Blot your pizza with a napkin. You’ll dab off about 4.5 g of fat – or close to 30 calories per slice. Of course, depending on the pizza and your toppings, the amount of excess oil you can remove varies, notes Keri Gans, RD, author of “The Small Change Diet.” If you want a healthier slice, she prefers one loaded with veggies.

-Have a glass of wine. Rat studies show that resveratrol, a compound in red wine, may help fight weight gain when eating a high-fat diet. The same seems to hold true in humans. Harvard researchers found that women who drank about two glasses a day gained less weight and were less likely to become overweight than teetotalers.

-But avoid vodka. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking even as little as 1 ounce of vodka can slow your metabolism by as much as 73 percent.

-Douse your food in Tabasco. Capsaicin – the spicy compound found in the white membrane of chili peppers – has been shown to rev up your metabolism and can torch somewhere near an extra 50 calories. Eating salsa may boost fat burn a little bit, says Cassity, but don’t let that give you license to pile on the chips and guac. You still need to watch out for overall calorie intake.

-Fuel up on fiber. In addition to making you feel full, longer (and therefore helping you eat less), fiber can help you burn through as much as 30 percent more calories, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition. “Fiber has roughage,” says Gans. “And roughage takes a longer time for your body to break down and requires more energy to digest.”

-Sleep more. Researchers found that dieters who logged 8.5 hours of shut-eye burned more fat than those who slept 5.5 hours. While both groups lost a similar amount of weight (6.6 pounds), the ones who got a full night’s rest dropped the majority of their weight from fat while those who slept less lost most of theirs from muscle.

-Increase physical activity outside of the gym. In a recent U.K. study, 34 overweight women completed the same 150-minute-a-week exercise program, and while some women lost up to 7 pounds of body fat, others gained up to 5. The researchers think that the women who lost the most were the ones who maintained or increased their physical activity beyond the gym; those who gained weight had cut back on their everyday activity. “If you’re going to the gym, you don’t want to negate it by eating a lot afterward or no longer taking the stairs,” says Cassity. “You have to live the same life – if not improve on it – when you pick up exercise.”

-Eat breakfast. A study conducted by the U.S. Navy found that people who ate breakfast daily helped boost the metabolisms of its personnel by as much as 10 %.

-Pump iron. Lifting weights can help you torch a few more calories even after you finish your session, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Women who did an hour-long strength-training program burned 100 more calories in the next 24 hours than when they didn’t hit the weights.

-Choose tuna swimming in water. Stick to tuna packed in water not oil. Three ounces of water-packed chicken of the sea contains 109 calories and 2.5 g of fat compared with 158 calories and 6.9 g of fat in the oil-soaked kind. Plus, it’s a good protein source that’s rick in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease and help prevent depression, says Gans.

-Drink chocolate milk. McMaster University researchers compared the effects of downing low-fat chocolate milk, fat-free soy protein drink, and a traditional carbohydrate recovery drink after exercise. Not only did the milk drinkers gain more muscle than those who drank the soy and carbohydrate beverages, but they also lost twice as much fat.

-Drink cold water. German researchers found that your metabolism can increase by as much as 30 percent during the 10 minutes after you drink a cold glass. Why? They speculate that your body burns more calories as it tries to warm the water.

-Brew a cup of green tea. A 2010 Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics study found that after 3 months, people who drank two glasses of decaf green tea a day lost 2.6 more pounds than those who drank an herbal brew. Researchers believe that catechin compounds in green tea may prevent fat formation and stimulate your metabolism.

-Say yes to yogurt. A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that eating yogurt as part of a low-calorie diet may help burn more fat. People who tucked in three 1-cup servings a day lost 22 percent more weight and 61 percent more fat than those who dieted without including yogurt. Even better – most of the fat lost was from the belly.

For more tips and tricks, visit Fitbie.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

How can you lose weight in 2012? Let us count the ways. Whether you've vowed to lose 5 pounds or 50, the following advice will help make achieving your weight loss resolution a little easier. We scoured research journals and spoke with diet and fitness experts to find a year's worth of practical and effective methods to rev your metabolism, torch fat, and flatten your belly. In this three-part series, we'll bring you a total of 52 ways to cut the fat.

The following tips are simple, but the effects will add up.

"When you successfully implement one change, you're more likely to do another. The more you're able to stick to your goal, the greater your confidence, and the more chance you'll have to start and accomplish new goals. These small changes can add up to a lifestyle change," says Jessica Cassity, author of "Better Each Day: 365 Expert Tips for a Healthier, Happier You." Over the next 52 weeks, use these strategies in your daily life to help you reach your goal by year's end.

-Hit the gas early during your workout. College of New Jersey researchers found that men who started a 30-minute running workout at high speed, working at 70 percent of their VO2 max, and then eased up to 50 percent of VO2 max burned 5 to 10 percent more fat than those who started slow and then revved up the pace. The after-burn of the high-intensity workout seems to carry over into the lower-intensity period, increasing overall fat burn.

-Use public transportation. Turns out taking the bus or train is as good for your body as it is for your wallet and the environment. In one recent study from two Pennsylvania universities, researchers found that people who switched from driving everywhere to using a light-rail system lost an average of about 6 pounds in a year.

"The theory is that by walking the extra blocks it takes to get to and from bus stops and train stations - instead of pulling up right in front of a destination - you naturally increase your activity level enough to result in weight loss," says Cassity.

-Drink two cups of coffee, black. A study in the journal of Physiology and Behavior found that drinking two cups of caffeinated coffee can boost your metabolism by 16 percent compared with the decaf kind. Make sure to drink it black though. The 67 calories in a spoonful of sugar and a tablespoon of cream can negate caffeine's calorie-burning benefits.

-Blot your pizza with a napkin. You'll dab off about 4.5 g of fat - or close to 30 calories per slice. Of course, depending on the pizza and your toppings, the amount of excess oil you can remove varies, notes Keri Gans, RD, author of "The Small Change Diet." If you want a healthier slice, she prefers one loaded with veggies.

-Have a glass of wine. Rat studies show that resveratrol, a compound in red wine, may help fight weight gain when eating a high-fat diet. The same seems to hold true in humans. Harvard researchers found that women who drank about two glasses a day gained less weight and were less likely to become overweight than teetotalers.

-But avoid vodka. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking even as little as 1 ounce of vodka can slow your metabolism by as much as 73 percent.

-Douse your food in Tabasco. Capsaicin - the spicy compound found in the white membrane of chili peppers - has been shown to rev up your metabolism and can torch somewhere near an extra 50 calories. Eating salsa may boost fat burn a little bit, says Cassity, but don't let that give you license to pile on the chips and guac. You still need to watch out for overall calorie intake.

-Fuel up on fiber. In addition to making you feel full, longer (and therefore helping you eat less), fiber can help you burn through as much as 30 percent more calories, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition. "Fiber has roughage," says Gans. "And roughage takes a longer time for your body to break down and requires more energy to digest."

-Sleep more. Researchers found that dieters who logged 8.5 hours of shut-eye burned more fat than those who slept 5.5 hours. While both groups lost a similar amount of weight (6.6 pounds), the ones who got a full night's rest dropped the majority of their weight from fat while those who slept less lost most of theirs from muscle.

-Increase physical activity outside of the gym. In a recent U.K. study, 34 overweight women completed the same 150-minute-a-week exercise program, and while some women lost up to 7 pounds of body fat, others gained up to 5. The researchers think that the women who lost the most were the ones who maintained or increased their physical activity beyond the gym; those who gained weight had cut back on their everyday activity. "If you're going to the gym, you don't want to negate it by eating a lot afterward or no longer taking the stairs," says Cassity. "You have to live the same life - if not improve on it - when you pick up exercise."

-Eat breakfast. A study conducted by the U.S. Navy found that people who ate breakfast daily helped boost the metabolisms of its personnel by as much as 10 %.

-Pump iron. Lifting weights can help you torch a few more calories even after you finish your session, according to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Women who did an hour-long strength-training program burned 100 more calories in the next 24 hours than when they didn't hit the weights.

-Choose tuna swimming in water. Stick to tuna packed in water not oil. Three ounces of water-packed chicken of the sea contains 109 calories and 2.5 g of fat compared with 158 calories and 6.9 g of fat in the oil-soaked kind. Plus, it's a good protein source that's rick in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce your risk of heart disease and help prevent depression, says Gans.

-Drink chocolate milk. McMaster University researchers compared the effects of downing low-fat chocolate milk, fat-free soy protein drink, and a traditional carbohydrate recovery drink after exercise. Not only did the milk drinkers gain more muscle than those who drank the soy and carbohydrate beverages, but they also lost twice as much fat.

-Drink cold water. German researchers found that your metabolism can increase by as much as 30 percent during the 10 minutes after you drink a cold glass. Why? They speculate that your body burns more calories as it tries to warm the water.

-Brew a cup of green tea. A 2010 Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics study found that after 3 months, people who drank two glasses of decaf green tea a day lost 2.6 more pounds than those who drank an herbal brew. Researchers believe that catechin compounds in green tea may prevent fat formation and stimulate your metabolism.

-Say yes to yogurt. A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that eating yogurt as part of a low-calorie diet may help burn more fat. People who tucked in three 1-cup servings a day lost 22 percent more weight and 61 percent more fat than those who dieted without including yogurt. Even better - most of the fat lost was from the belly.

For more tips and tricks, visit Fitbie.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Living Successfully with Celiac Disease

Posted Nov 30, 2011

People who have celiac disease — a genetic disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food — must maintain a gluten-free diet for the rest of their lives in order to remain free of symptoms, said to Angie Sutphin, a dietitian at Western Maryland Health System.

There is no cure, pharmaceutical or otherwise, for the disease, the only treatment is a gluten-free diet.

Sutphin said that people dealing with celiac disease should learn to read labels carefully to see if the product contains gluten.

Gluten is found in food that contains wheat, rye or barley, ingredients in most grain, pasta, cereal and many processed foods, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).

Oats should be avoided as well because they often become contaminated after being stored in the same silos as wheat, rye and barley, according to Dr. William Mark, a gastroenterologist in Cumberland.

Gluten is also used in some medications.

“Don’t think of your condition as a death sentence. With practice and patience, you will find there are many foods you can enjoy on a gluten-free diet,” said Sutphin.

Gluten-free foods are not difficult to find. They include flours that are made of rice, soy, corn, potato or bean; nut flours (almond); quinoa; fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated); fruits; most dairy products; potatoes; rice and vegetables, according to Sutphin.

Foods other than beans, rice, potatoes and produce that are marked gluten-free typically tend to be more expensive, though most grocery stores have a gluten-free section, according to Mark.

Mark provides his patients with a list of food they are not advised to consume, as well as a list to replace those foods.

For most people, following this diet will stop symptoms of celiac disease, heal existing intestinal damage and prevent further damage.

Improvement begins within days of starting the diet, according to NDDIC.

The small intestine usually heals in three to six months in children but may take several years in adults.

Eating a gluten-free diet also helps lessen the symptoms of people with autism and schizophrenia, according to Mark.

“I don’t have celiac disease and I wouldn’t consume gluten. It’s poisonous to your whole body,” said Mark. “I have seen patients that have had hives for 20 years that go away after they stop eating gluten.”

Symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person but can include abdominal bloating and pain; chronic diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and weight loss. These symptoms are more common in infants and children, according to the NDDIC.

Some symptoms common in adults include unexplained iron-deficiency anemia; fat-igue; joint or bone pain; arthritis; seizures; missed menstrual periods, infertility or recurrent miscarriage.

Celiac disease is diagnosed through blood tests and intestinal biopsies.

Fifteen to 25 percent of the people who have the disease also have dermatitis herpetiforms, an intensely itchy blistering skin rash that usually occurs on the elbows, knees and buttocks, according to NDDIC.

Celiac disease affects one in 133 people, according to Sutphin. Among people who have a first-degree relative — a parent, sibling or child — diagnosed with celiac disease, as many as one in 22 people may have the disease, according to NDDIC. However, people can still have the disease even though no one in their family has it.

Other times, the gene exists but the body is able to prevent the disease from manifesting, according to Mark.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

©2011 the Cumberland Times News (Cumberland, Md.)

People who have celiac disease -- a genetic disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food -- must maintain a gluten-free diet for the rest of their lives in order to remain free of symptoms, said to Angie Sutphin, a dietitian at Western Maryland Health System.

There is no cure, pharmaceutical or otherwise, for the disease, the only treatment is a gluten-free diet.

Sutphin said that people dealing with celiac disease should learn to read labels carefully to see if the product contains gluten.

Gluten is found in food that contains wheat, rye or barley, ingredients in most grain, pasta, cereal and many processed foods, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC).

Oats should be avoided as well because they often become contaminated after being stored in the same silos as wheat, rye and barley, according to Dr. William Mark, a gastroenterologist in Cumberland.

Gluten is also used in some medications.

"Don't think of your condition as a death sentence. With practice and patience, you will find there are many foods you can enjoy on a gluten-free diet," said Sutphin.

Gluten-free foods are not difficult to find. They include flours that are made of rice, soy, corn, potato or bean; nut flours (almond); quinoa; fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated); fruits; most dairy products; potatoes; rice and vegetables, according to Sutphin.

Foods other than beans, rice, potatoes and produce that are marked gluten-free typically tend to be more expensive, though most grocery stores have a gluten-free section, according to Mark.

Mark provides his patients with a list of food they are not advised to consume, as well as a list to replace those foods.

For most people, following this diet will stop symptoms of celiac disease, heal existing intestinal damage and prevent further damage.

Improvement begins within days of starting the diet, according to NDDIC.

The small intestine usually heals in three to six months in children but may take several years in adults.

Eating a gluten-free diet also helps lessen the symptoms of people with autism and schizophrenia, according to Mark.

"I don't have celiac disease and I wouldn't consume gluten. It's poisonous to your whole body," said Mark. "I have seen patients that have had hives for 20 years that go away after they stop eating gluten."

Symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person but can include abdominal bloating and pain; chronic diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and weight loss. These symptoms are more common in infants and children, according to the NDDIC.

Some symptoms common in adults include unexplained iron-deficiency anemia; fat-igue; joint or bone pain; arthritis; seizures; missed menstrual periods, infertility or recurrent miscarriage.

Celiac disease is diagnosed through blood tests and intestinal biopsies.

Fifteen to 25 percent of the people who have the disease also have dermatitis herpetiforms, an intensely itchy blistering skin rash that usually occurs on the elbows, knees and buttocks, according to NDDIC.

Celiac disease affects one in 133 people, according to Sutphin. Among people who have a first-degree relative -- a parent, sibling or child -- diagnosed with celiac disease, as many as one in 22 people may have the disease, according to NDDIC. However, people can still have the disease even though no one in their family has it.

Other times, the gene exists but the body is able to prevent the disease from manifesting, according to Mark.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

©2011 the Cumberland Times News (Cumberland, Md.)

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Breakfast No No’s

Posted Dec 1, 2011

Many people start their day with diet blunders. Here’s how to correct them, with help from Dr. Wayne Andersen, an obesity specialist in Maryland and medical director for Take Shape for Life, a weight loss program:

Skipping breakfast… Dieters often use this strategy, but numerous studies have found breakfast eaters are more likely to maintain a healthy weight and make better food choices throughout the day. Even an unhealthy breakfast is almost always better than no breakfast at all.

… or eating it too late. Don’t wait longer than an hour. “Thirty minutes is ideal,” Andersen says.

Not eating enough protein. You won’t stay full long on carbohydrate-rich breakfasts such as sugary cereals or pastries. Choose cereals made from rice, oats, wheat, barley or rye; eggs and low-fat dairy such as yogurt and milk also are good protein sources.

Skimping on fiber. Fiber is filling enough to lower your overall caloric intake without leaving you feeling deprived. Choose whole-grain breads and cereals and add fruits and vegetables and a handful of nuts and seeds to staples such as cereal and eggs.

Taking in too many – or too few – calories. Most people should aim for roughly 300 to 400 calories per morning meal.

Not reading food labels. Compare total calories, protein, fiber, sugar and fat content, and pay attention to serving sizes. Remember that some “healthy” foods such as granola and cereal bars can be very high in sugar and fat. If you’re eating at a restaurant, check for nutrition facts via online menus.

Drinking too many calories. Fruit juices and energy drinks, along with many flavored coffee creamers, often are packed with sugar. Water and unsweetened green tea are always good choices.

Many people start their day with diet blunders. Here's how to correct them, with help from Dr. Wayne Andersen, an obesity specialist in Maryland and medical director for Take Shape for Life, a weight loss program:

Skipping breakfast... Dieters often use this strategy, but numerous studies have found breakfast eaters are more likely to maintain a healthy weight and make better food choices throughout the day. Even an unhealthy breakfast is almost always better than no breakfast at all.

... or eating it too late. Don't wait longer than an hour. "Thirty minutes is ideal," Andersen says.

Not eating enough protein. You won't stay full long on carbohydrate-rich breakfasts such as sugary cereals or pastries. Choose cereals made from rice, oats, wheat, barley or rye; eggs and low-fat dairy such as yogurt and milk also are good protein sources.

Skimping on fiber. Fiber is filling enough to lower your overall caloric intake without leaving you feeling deprived. Choose whole-grain breads and cereals and add fruits and vegetables and a handful of nuts and seeds to staples such as cereal and eggs.

Taking in too many - or too few - calories. Most people should aim for roughly 300 to 400 calories per morning meal.

Not reading food labels. Compare total calories, protein, fiber, sugar and fat content, and pay attention to serving sizes. Remember that some "healthy" foods such as granola and cereal bars can be very high in sugar and fat. If you're eating at a restaurant, check for nutrition facts via online menus.

Drinking too many calories. Fruit juices and energy drinks, along with many flavored coffee creamers, often are packed with sugar. Water and unsweetened green tea are always good choices.

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