Study: Green tea extract may improve strength, endurance, fat-metabolism

We already know that drinking green tea is very healthy. Now researchers in Japan have shown that green tea extract may boost endurance, increase strength, and help you burn fat more efficiently...

From CBSNews.com:

Is green tea the secret to Mighty Mouse's amazing power?

Probably not. But green tea extract does make mice stronger swimmers, Japanese researchers report. Ten weeks of green tea supplements plus strenuous exercise made mice swim longer and stronger than mice that swam their laps without performance enhancement.

"We have shown that green tea extracts are beneficial for improving endurance capacity, and that this effect is accompanied by a stimulation of [fat] metabolism," Takatoshi Murase, PhD, writes. "Although the clinical efficacy of green tea extract has not yet been confirmed in human studies, our results suggest that green tea extract may be a useful tool for improving endurance capacity."

Even better news: The mice got stronger because the green tea made them burn fat more efficiently, suggests Murase and colleagues at the Biological Sciences Laboratories of Kao Corp., Tochigi, Japan. Kao Corp. is a maker of green tea products.

Read more...

Why burgers are bad for you

New research helps to explain how the 'bad' fats found in many foods (such as hamburgers) are converted into artery-clogging cholesterol...

From HealthDayNews:

Researchers say they have discovered the molecular switch that turns the bad fats in food into the cholesterol that clogs your arteries.

It is a molecule designated PGC-1 beta, biochemically classified as a co-activator, and it plays a role in liver metabolism, according to a report in the Jan. 28 issue of Cell by scientists at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

When the saturated fats and trans-fatty acids in meat, whole-milk dairy products and other foods on cardiologists' crime sheet arrive at the liver, PGC-1 beta begins a cascade of biochemical signals that direct liver cells to produce LDL cholesterol, the "bad" kind that clogs arteries, as well as triglycerides, another family of artery-blocking substances, the researchers report.

Read more...

Study: Fidgeting may keep you thin

A new study shows that people who have a hard time sitting still are often able to keep from gaining weight, even if they eat a little too much...

From Reuters News:

Tests on slim and overweight people who all described themselves as 'couch potatoes' showed the main difference between the two groups was how long they spent sitting still.

"Our study shows that the calories that people burn in their everyday activities are far, far more important in obesity than we previously imagined," said Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who helped lead the study.

His team recruited 10 normal-weight and 10 obese men and women for their study, persuading them to wear special underwear with sensors that logged every move, however small.

They found the obese people spent, on average, more than two extra hours a day sitting still compared with the lean volunteers. That did not include sleeping time, which was the same between the two groups.

The difference in activity accounted for about 350 calories a day -- enough to add 10 pounds (4.5 kg) a year.

Read more...

How Much Water Do You Really Need?

Are you confused about how much water you really need to drink per day for optimal fitness and health? Don't worry, most people are. There has been a lot of conflicting information on this subject recently. Here's a very good article that helps to shed some light...

From eDiets.com:

We’ve heard for years that eight glasses of water daily is the minimum necessary to keep healthy. Your weight loss and health depend on it. Drink the minimum and see clearer skin, better sleep, better sex (we hope!), improved vision (now I’m pushing it!). We’re warned of impending dehydration without at least eight glasses. But, the tide has turned, away from liquid nutrition toward examining your daily diet, including what you eat, as well as what you drink.

The answer is... you need what you need! If it’s summer, you need more. If you’re exercising, you need more. If you’re a "normal" sedentary person, who’s not perspiring, and not exercising more than 15-20 minutes daily, Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School says you need no more than four glasses of water daily. Most beverages can be counted as part of your daily fluid intake. Although the World Health Organization recommends that everyone drink a minimum of two liters of water daily, or about eight cups, the old "8X8" rule is based on studies performed on people under extraordinary circumstances; including soldiers at high altitude and hospitalized patients -- what you and I need is different.

How Important is Water?

There is no debate that water is important. Nevertheless, it has not been scientifically determined that the amount recommended for all these years is right for all people. Kidney experts at the National Institute of Health state that the average-sized person living in a temperate climate needs about one liter, or approximately four eight-ounce glasses of fluid daily, some of this fluid may be obtained from food. Fruits and vegetables are mostly fluid, and contribute to the minimum fluid requirement, plus they add fiber to your diet.

People take water for granted. Do you know that your entire body chemistry and metabolic functions depend on getting adequate hydration? More than half the weight of the human body is water, which forms the basis of all body fluids, including digestive juices, blood, urine, lymph and perspiration. All cell processes and all organ functions depend upon water. Water is necessary for digestion, for elimination (and to prevent constipation) and for regulating your body temperature by distributing heat and cooling the body via perspiration.

Can You Drink Too Much Water?

It’s very difficult to drink too much water... but it’s possible. Excessive water consumption can result in hyponatremia, a medical term for low sodium (salt) in the blood. Hyponatremia's symptoms include extreme diarrhea, headaches, confusion, weakness and sometimes personality changes. The most severe cases will result in seizures, respiratory arrest, coma and death.

However, drinking too much water, or water intoxication, is not common... most people can handle at least eight glasses a day. Dr. David Katz, Associate Clinical Professor of Public Health and Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine, says, "In general, healthy people cannot drink too much water. Normal kidneys can handle up to 12 liters per day."

Dr. Katz said certain medical conditions preclude drinking too much water, including kidney failure and heart failure, and people under a doctor's care will follow their physician's medical advice. But, for the rest of us, drinking eight eight-ounce glasses per day is not an unreasonable goal, although far less important for sedentary people in cool environments than for those active in the heat. "For most healthy people, thirst is a good guide."

How Much Do We Really Need? And Where Should I Get It?

Here are my best tips for staying hydrated:

1. How much water you need depends upon your weight, your activity and your climate. If it’s hot, and you’re exercising, you’ll surely need more water than when you’re sitting at a computer all day.

2. Fresh fruits and vegetables add fluid to your diet. You’re going to benefit from the water in these foods. Lettuce is 97 to 98 percent water; and so is watermelon. Other good "fluid sources" include carrots, (88 percent water), fresh tomatoes (93 percent water) and fresh celery (94 percent water).

3. Since cooking vegetables decreases the fluid content, eat a big, fresh salad every day, and at least two servings each of fruit and other vegetables.

4. With age, we need more water, because we become less sensitive to body losses and our sense of thirst diminishes.

5. Clinical evidence shows that people with a history of kidney stones can lower their risk for reoccurrence by increasing their fluid intake.

6. Drink more water if you're exercising and perspiring a good amount, especially in a dry climate.

7. Water is the best fluid you can drink. It has no calories, additives or preservatives. I drink tap water because my municipal water company produces a high quality product at an inexpensive price. In fact, regulations on tap water are more stringent than bottled water and the average bottle of water costs more than a gallon of gas or milk, sometimes 500-1,000 times more.

8. In terms of weight loss, drinking water will not cause you to lose weight, but use water as a strategy or tool to help when you’re on a program to lose weight. Drinking water between meals can help curb your appetite, and so will snacking on water-filled fresh vegetables and fruit.

9. To prevent dehydration, follow these recommendations from the American Water Works Association:

* Drink water BEFORE, DURING and AFTER exercise
* Drink water every 20 minutes or so when engaged in strenuous physical activity
* Do NOT take salt tablets
* Stop working out at the first sign of dizziness, lightheadedness or fatigue

Learn more at eDiets.com...

Study: Stay thin, avoid kidney stones

From Reuters Health:

Men and women who tip the scale at more than 220 pounds are significantly more likely to develop kidney stones than people who weigh less than 150 pounds, according to new study findings reported Tuesday.

Based on data from nearly 250,000 people collected over almost 50 years, the study's authors also found that men who gained more than 35 pounds since turning 21 were nearly 40 percent more likely to develop kidney stones. Women who gained the same amount after age 18 had up to an 80 percent increase in risk.

"Our study provides additional evidence that people should maintain a healthy body weight," study author Dr. Eric N. Taylor of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston told Reuters Health. "Kidney stones are common, expensive, and extremely painful."

Taylor explained that the current study -- published in the Journal of the American Medical Association -- was not designed to figure out why overweight people develop more kidney stones.

However, he noted that research shows that people who are obese often develop a pre-diabetic problem called insulin resistance. This may cause changes in urine that increase the risk of kidney stones, Taylor said.

Taylor added that during the study, not enough people lost weight to determine whether shedding excess pounds will reduce the risk of kidney stones among obese people. "However, our study indicates that weight loss should be tested as a strategy to prevent kidney stones," he noted.

Read more...

Improve your kids' diets with whole grains

From KidsHealth.org:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have recently released the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Many parents may wonder what, if anything, they should do to improve their children's diets. Specifically, the recommendations call for an increase in whole-grain consumption, with at least half of the suggested grain intake coming from whole grains, especially for kids and teens.

"Whole grains" certainly sounds like a healthy way to go, but what does that actually mean for parents? KidsHealth ( http://www.KidsHealth.org ), the most visited and linked-to website devoted to children's health, offers these tips for parents:

* Read food labels. Whole grains come in many forms: whole wheat, popcorn, buckwheat, wild rice -- the list goes on. What ingredients should parents look for? For a complete list, along with specific whole-grain suggestions, visit: http://www.KidsHealth.org/breaking_news/whole_grains.html .

* Don't be duped! Be wary of misleading claims on packages. "Multi-grain" isn't whole grain, and the only way to know is to look at the ingredient list.

* Mix it up! Enriched grains provide some nutrients that whole grains may not. Most enriched grain products are fortified with folic acid (folate), as well as iron, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. In general, parents should make sure that at least half of the grains their child eats are whole grains and the rest of the servings their child needs can be from enriched grains.

* Watch your sugars and fats. Just because a food contains whole grains, it doesn't mean that it is a healthy choice. When choosing whole-grain products, look for ones without added sugar or fat.

* Keep it colorful. Kids and teens need carbohydrates from all groups, not just grains. Don't forget to add color to the shopping cart, too, with fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

"Parents shouldn't go crazy trying to make sure that everything in the pantry is all whole grain all the time," says pediatrician Mary Gavin, MD, co- author of "Fit Kids: A practical guide to raising healthy and active children" and medical editor for KidsHealth.org. "If you want to get your child to eat more whole grains, start with small changes, like making sandwiches on whole- wheat bread rather than white."

About KidsHealth®

KidsHealth creates engaging online, print, and video media about a wide range of health and family issues. KidsHealth has a physician-directed, professional editorial staff -- and is the largest resource of online children's health, behavioral, and developmental information. In 2004, over 60 million families turned to KidsHealth.org -- making it the Web's most accessed site on children's health. KidsHealth comes from Nemours, one of the largest nonprofit organizations devoted to children's health.

Fitness Stuff You Should Know

From eFitness.com:

I'd like to cover multiple bits of valuable information, or as I like to refer to it, "stuff you should know." I’ll cover nutrition, exercise, training technique and fact versus fiction. If you love scanning information, learning quickly and then moving on to the next thing in your day, then this article is for you!

Whether you're a beginner or experienced exerciser, here's some "stuff" I think you should know:

1. MUSCLE AND STRENGTH -- I asked several of my comrades who compete in drug free bodybuilding how much muscle they have actually put on per year. The average is about three pounds per year! I include myself in this category. Building muscle and strength takes time, patience, dedication and perseverance. Don’t believe the supplement companies that try to sell you a quick muscle building product.

2. THE MAGIC WORKOUT -- Get it hammered into your mind that there is no "best and only way" to work out. I get a multitude of questions concerning the efficiency of super slow rep workouts, super sets, German volume training, etc. In reality, it’s all good if it works for you, but you don’t want to stay with any of it for too long. Don’t let the body or the mind adapt. Vary volume of sets, time between sets, reps, exercises, etc. Manipulate your routine every 3-4 weeks and view CHANGE as the key constant.

3. NUTRITION -- When a person starts eating less food than their body needs on a daily basis, intermediate energy sources are used to make up the caloric difference. These sources are blood sugar, liver and muscle glycogen (sugar), and blood lipids (fat). After a few days the liver begins to convert stored body fat into new glucose (carbohydrates). This process, known as glucogenesis, will convert as much body fat to glucose as necessary to make up any caloric deficit. That’s part of the major process in losing body fat!

4. RATIOS OF PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES AND FATS -- Contrary to what many believe, a calorie is not a calorie. I guarantee that your body will look and feel very different if you take in 60 percent of your calories from carbohydrate compared to 40 percent.

Your muscles will look and feel very different if you take in 30 percent of your calories from protein, compared to 15 percent. If we look at point #3 above, by virtually eliminating all carbs in your diet your liver has to convert more fat to glucose thereby stimulating more fat loss... yeaaaaa! The problem is, if you restrict carbohydrates too low on a calorie restricted diet, you also catabolize (break down) muscle... booooooo! So, correct ratios are vital for muscle density and fat loss!

5. EXERCISE FORM AND TECHNIQUE -- Cheating on form and technique while weight training eventually catches up to everyone in the way of injuries. In weight training, we place too much emphasis on how much weight to lift and not enough on how or why we perform the lift.

6. FATIGUE DURING EXERICSE -- Most people think too much along the lines of "no pain, no gain." Don’t seek fatigue; instead, MANAGE it during the workout. If you have a lot of energy during a certain workout, do a few more sets. If you’re super tired, back off a few sets. Relish in your ability to manage your energy and your mind.

7. STAY WITH THE BASICS -- Weight train for about an hour three to four days per week and stay with good compound movements (bench press, squats, etc.). Perform cardio 3-4 days per week for 30-40 minutes; eat a little less; take in enough protein; drink a lot of water; supplement intelligently and be consistent. That’s how you make progress!

8. HEIGHT AND WEIGHT -- Height and weight rarely tell you all you need to know. The key is finding out how much muscle versus fat that’s on your body. One person can be 5'10" and weigh 175 pounds and look great. Another person with the same height and weight may look soft and out of shape. The first undoubtedly has more muscle mass.

9. THE BEST WAY TO LOSE BODY FAT -- Fall down, get back up... fall down, get back up... fall down, get back up! I don’t care how many times you screw up on your diet, don’t give up. Try to focus on the emotion you will eventually feel when you achieve your goal. That's the key! We live in a very "hand holding" society. I encourage you to challenge yourself and call upon your own levels of discipline. It sits there waiting for you, always waiting for you to exercise it.

10. APPLIED KNOWLEDGE -- Hey look, I know you know this but I have to say it anyway. No matter how much knowledge you have about nutrition, training, rest and supplementation, it doesn’t matter unless you apply it. Application does not mean perfection. It simply means that you steadily move towards your goal. You do know what your short and long term goals are, don’t you? Gather as much knowledge as possible concerning nutrition and training and how YOUR body reacts to changes and don’t take anything in this industry at face value.

Now, take one or more of these items and run with it. Apply it to yourself and teach someone else a few of these points when the opportunity arises. Keep spreading the word!

Learn more at eFitness.com...

The problem with lifting too little

From MSNBC:

You've likely heard that with exercise, it all adds up. Every minute you spend climbing stairs, swimming laps or raking leaves counts toward the half hour a day of physical activity that's recommended for keeping your heart healthy. Just as long as you get moving, you're on the right track.

But when it comes to keeping your muscles strong, it's not that simple.

"Cardiovascular and strength training really are different," says Stephen C. Glass, professor of exercise physiology and coordinator of the human performance lab at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. "You can't just lift a pencil a thousand times," he says, and think that will boost your biceps.

That's an exaggerated example, of course, but plenty of gym-goers are working out with weights that are doing little more for them than a pencil, according to Glass and other fitness experts.

"If you just sit in a weight room and observe most people, I would say 80 percent are lifting inappropriately," Glass says.

Most gyms have their share of power-lifters who make the mistake of quickly jerking very heavy weights, a practice that can cause injuries. But a more common problem, he notes, is the failure to lift enough weight to build strength.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Glass found that everyone in a small group of novice weightlifters failed to use enough resistance to do them much good.

The study was meant to mimic what typically happens when beginners go to a gym and embark on a weight program with minimal supervision. Thirteen male and 17 female college students were observed using several weight machines, such as the seated bench press and the biceps curl. And all of the study participants consistently chose weight loads that were well below the minimum recommended level for building strength — 60 percent of their one repetition maximum (1RM).

Instead, they were lifting at intensities of 42 percent to 57 percent of their 1RM.

"They were picking really light weights," Glass says.

Read more...

6 Ways to Kill Late Night Cravings

From eDiets.com:

Let's face it, sometimes despite all of your healthy intentions -- you just can't make cravings go away.

Or can you?!

This time of year we are especially tempted by the plethora of treats that appear at every turn. Even if you pass up a plate of freshly baked cookies at the office, by 9:00 PM you are ready to hold Mrs. Fields for ransom until you get a hot Tollhouse cookie. Rather than giving in to the craving (and risk imprisonment for kidnapping!) why not try a different approach this year?

If late night munchies are your downfall, you can win if you deploy these few tricks. We have all heard the "brush your teeth" trick to change what your taste buds may be craving, but I know that doesn't always work -- I have been guilty of thinking, "Oh, I can brush them again before I go to bed" -- but how about this time after brushing your teeth you apply some whitening strips?

I do this often. Not only am I unable to eat, regardless of how loudly the cravings are shouting to me -- I also get the benefit of whiter teeth. I sit at my computer most evenings and type for hours. This is a time that tempts many of us. It is so easy to open a bag of chips, have some popcorn or even some candy to munch on. Well, you can't munch on ANYTHING if your teeth are coated in bleach and plastic! Make this your new motto:

YOUR TEETH GET WHITE, WHILE YOUR THIGHS GET TIGHT!

Your pearly whites are white enough and you don't need this trick but could use another tool?

Try changing what you munch on when you have a bingeing episode. For example, you may be a person who, on occasion, eats everything in sight late at night. For you, I would recommend trying to stick with ONLY raw veggies as your allowed foods. That way, you aren't trying to reinvent who you are and what you do, but you aren't doing much damage to your weight loss progress.

IF YOU EAT IT RAW, YOUR FAT WILL THAW!

Another great way to keep cravings at bay is to do abdominal crunches. When your abs are engaged, firm and fit, they serve as a great tools to keep the munchies down. Think of it as a natural stomach stapling!

WORK YOUR ABS AND YOUR APPETITE WILL BE FAB!

Still munching?! Try putting on a beauty mask. One of the types that dry and harden/tighten as you wear them. It is hard to chew or even open your mouth with these on -- and just like your teeth being more white, this will make your face glow.

IF YOUR MASK IS ON, YOUR WEIGHT WILL BE GONE!

Or polish your fingernails! There is NOTHING more difficult than eating with wet nail polish on, and once dry, you won't want to ruin the beautiful look by dying them orange with cheese puff dye!

IF YOUR NAILS ARE DONE, YOUR DIET WILL BE MORE FUN!

Or if these mottos aren't enough to get you past your cravings try this final motto and make it your mantra:

IF YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE, YOU WILL KEEP GETTING WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN!

Quit giving in to cravings and start getting the results you desire!

Learn more at eDiets.com...

High blood pressure? Go vegetarian!

From HealthDayNews:

Vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure than the general population, but it hasn't been clear whether their diet or their lifestyle guards them against hypertension.

Now, a new review of previously published studies claims that diet provides the protection.

"It's the diet itself, and it is clearly the diet of choice for people who want to get their blood pressure under control," said Dr. Neal D. Barnard, president and founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and co-author of the report, which appears in the January issue of Nutrition Reviews.

Barnard, a nutritionist and author of the book Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings and Seven Steps to End Them Naturally, concluded that a person who suffers from hypertension and has yet to switch to a vegetarian diet is "really trying to fight their condition with one arm tied behind their back."

Read more...

EU considering ban on junk food ads

This is a great idea! Too bad it won't happen in the US any time soon...

From AXcess News:

EU health commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, warned the food industry to stop junk food advertising aimed at children or face an ad ban.

The EU junk food ads are to stop within one year or face legislation that could ban junk food ads aimed at children all together.

The European Union has taken a stance on curbing obesity, especially in children, which EU health commissioner Kyprianou says has gotten out of hand and Brussels will step in if the food industry does not begin regulating itself.

According to EU media watchdog Ofcom, 70% of children are exposed to junk food ads between 6 and 9pm. Kyprianou wants junk food ads banned during those time slots and the industry is showing a willingness to self-regulate and cooperate.

Kyprianou was quoted in the Scotsman Thursday as saying, "The signs from the industry are very encouraging, very positive.

"But if this doesn't produce satisfactory results, we will proceed to legislation.

"I would like to see the industry not advertising directly to children any more."

Read more...

Folate Supplements Good for Women's Blood Pressure

From Reuters Health:

Higher intake of folic acid is associated with a decreased risk of developing high blood pressure, particularly among younger women, according to Harvard researchers.

Small studies have suggested that high-dose folic acid supplementation may lower blood pressure, Dr. John P. Forman and colleagues note in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, but there have been no large, forward-looking studies examining this issue.

The team analyzed information on nearly 94,000 women ages 27 to 44 years participating in the Nurses' Health Study II, none of whom had high blood pressure when the study began. Their folate intake was estimated based on food questionnaires and information regarding folate-containing supplements.

During 8 years of follow-up, 7373 of the women developed hypertension.

After adjusting for factors such as physical activity, weight and family history, women who consumed at least 1000 micrograms per day of total folate had a 46 percent lower risk of becoming hypertensive compared with those with an intake less than 200 micrograms per day.

Forman's team also examined data on more than 62,000 older women (43 to 70 years of age) in the Nurses' Health Study I, among whom 12,347 developed high blood pressure.

In this group, the risk of hypertension was reduced 18 percent for the highest versus lowest folate intake.

The benefit came primarily from folate supplementation rather than dietary folate, the researchers found.

This may be because relatively few subjects consumed very high quantities of dietary folate, or perhaps folate from supplements is more readily used by the body.

Energy Gels: Do you really need them?

From eDiets.com:

Depending on the brand, the gels provide 100 to 110 calories and 24 to 28 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Energy gels could be described as the offspring of a sports drink and an energy bar.

Exhibiting qualities of both, the energy gel is absorbed easily like a drink but packs more of a nutritional wallop, like a bar.

It is because of this versatility that energy gels are becoming more widespread in the demanding world of professional sports and more popular in the recreational world of amateur athletics.

"The gels are very popular in the world of professional cycling and racing," said Richard Kerner, owner of Bicycles-N-Gear in Myrtle Beach. "If you watch [cyclists] on television, you'll notice that they wear special belts that enable them to hold energy gels."

The gels, a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates and water, come in many different flavors.

The American Council on Exercise cautions that an energy gel cannot take the place of consuming enough water and that athletes must take in enough fluid to replace what's lost during strenuous exercise.

Kerner, an amateur cyclist, uses the gels regularly and says they enhance his performance significantly.

"If you use them right, they work real well," he said. "They prevent me from cramping up as much or 'hitting the wall.'"

"Hitting the wall" means muscle fatigue or simply running out of energy. And running out of energy is an athlete's worst nightmare.

"I take the gels about every 30 minutes of strenuous activity," Kerner said. "It gives me all the stamina I need to keep it going."

Because of their quick absorption into the bloodstream, many athletes prefer gels because they are not heavy on the stomach.

"When you're running, they are much easier to digest and you feel the effects quicker," said James Blanton, Myrtle Beach Golds Gym employee and amateur runner, skater and cyclist.

Blanton estimates the gels give him an energy boost of 20 to 30 percent when he is training or competing. "They definitely help me," he said.

Blanton discovered energy gels when he participated in a Charleston 10k marathon six years ago and gel samples were given to runners. Now Blanton spends about $35 dollars a month on Gu Energy Gel to help him excel during his five-day-a-week exercise regimen and when it really counts: in the race.

Kerner is a big fan of Hammer Gel, which his store carries in chocolate, banana and eight other flavors. The Hammer Gel squeeze bottle retails for $19.95 and lasts Kerner about two weeks.

"I've used this stuff on 80-mile rides, and it helped me keep my stamina from bonking, or hitting the wall," he said.

Most energy gels are sold in 1.1-ounce foil packets. Depending on the brand, the gels provide 100 to 110 calories and 24 to 28 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

According to research provided by Holly Ortlund, director of research and development of Carb-BOOM! Inc., each serving of gel provides about 30 to 45 minutes of energy during physical activity. The gels can be found at General Nutrition Centers or online at sites such as www.cranksports.com and www.energyfoodwarehouse.com.

Energy gels can benefit athletes, diabetics and anyone looking for a quick source of energy. They are ideal for sports such as triathlons, running, cycling, swimming, tennis, soccer and football.

Learn more at eDiets.com...

Vending industry launches anti-obesity program

From CNN Health:

The vending machine industry, taking heavy criticism as kids and other Americans get fatter, is launching an anti-obesity marketing campaign to improve its image and fend off efforts to remove machines from schools.

A big part of the effort: Color-coded stickers on vending machines to separate healthful items from those that hungry snackers should, in the industry's words, "choose rarely."

The National Automatic Merchandising Association's effort, "Balanced for Life," includes computer software available to schools for $100 that was developed by a hospital to rate food by color codes.

The move comes a day after the government issued guidelines urging Americans to exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day, eat less and choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

"People are going to eat what they want to eat," said Richard M. Geerdes, the association's president and chief executive. He said that when some schools in Los Angeles removed vending machines, consumption of snack food "shifted to a different source."

"A solution like that doesn't work," Geerdes said.

Read more...

5 Big Fitness Myths

From eDiets.com:

With the New Year upon us, I couldn’t think of a better time to provide some my favorite myths. Hopefully, this will help you to avoid the fairy tale promises you might read about or see on TV concerning the diet or workout of the month -- that can get you in shape in a matter of hours.

Here’s my top 5 for 2005:

1. One should lose weight before they begin an exercise program. MYTH.

There is no physiological reason to lose weight prior to beginning an exercise program. Exercise is the best thing for your health and there is no time like the present to start. There are too many benefits of exercise to list here, but you’re doing every system and cell in your body a world of good by exercising. Any amount, starting with five minutes a day is beneficial.

Fat loss and muscle gain are only two of the many benefits that your body will experience from exercising.

Each day will get a little easier as you become more fit. There is no justification for waiting to begin -- unless you have absolute orders from a doctor not to.

Whether you exercise with 20 percent body fat or 30 percent body fat, you’ll still be providing your body with the same benefits. Of course with less fat, you can move a little easier and it may be less strenuous on your heart, but you can be more fit and efficient at 30 percent body fat if you are exercising, than if you wait to get to 20 percent body fat without exercising.

The goal is to gain or preserve muscle and lose fat -- not just lose weight (which implies both muscle and fat).

2. Exercise will help to sweat off body fat. MYTH

You actually don’t sweat off the fat itself. The fat cells never leave your body, but they do shrink in size and appearance. It takes energy to build up a sweat and the energy you generate to sweat comes primarily from fat. So exercising can actually help to shrink fat cells.

3. When working out with weights, very high reps (over 15) will help me to get defined muscles and very low reps (8-12) will make them bulky. MYTH

You’re not going to improve your strength or affect muscle definition if you’re choosing a weight that is too light. Muscles respond to overload. It’s the only way to get the cosmetic and strength benefit from weight training.

If the repetitions are too high (above 15) and the weight too light, you may achieve muscular endurance, but not any visual changes.

Muscular definition is the result of a calorie-reduced diet, overall body fat loss and weight training with challenging poundages. Add cardiovascular exercise and you have the body you’ve been dreaming about -- over time, of course.

The guidelines used for selecting a weight are to choose a resistance that allows you to do between 8 and 12 repetitions. If you can’t do 8, it’s too heavy. If you can do 12 repetitions, then increase your resistance by 5 percent. Keep in mind that all of your muscle groups are not equally as strong. For example, you may be able to use 7 pounds on a lateral raise, but need 15 pounds to be challenged during a squat.

4. Walking with hand or ankle weights will help to burn more calories and get me leaner faster. MYTH

I see a lot of people walking with small dumbbells or ankle weights. It’s absolutely ineffective.

You should never walk with hand or ankle weights. It places excessive stress on your joints and the risks are greater than the benefits. If you want to progress in your walking program, walk faster, walk up a hill, do a combination of walking and jogging intervals, increase your distance or time, etc.

5. When one begins an exercise and diet program, motivation will always be elevated and things will be easy. MYTH

OK, so maybe this is more psychological in nature, but you need to know the truth. Exercise and diet do become easier as you get into the flow of things. You’ll also feel better and look better as you progress. However, there will be days when it’s not always so easy and days when motivation isn’t always high.

That’s when discipline and support become so important. If you’re an eDiets member, you know you can post on my Fitness For You support board anytime you wish, or join an online meeting about motivation. You can also post on any of the nutrition boards or even call our 800 support line.

When you use your own discipline along with a support system, consistency starts to take place. That consistency leads to progress and that progress takes you to your goal.

Is it easy? Not always, but as you progress you’ll have more easier days than harder ones.

Wishing you great success in 2005.

Learn more at eDiets.com...

New U.S. Food Guidelines Stress Vegetables, Grains

From Reuters:

New eating guidelines issued by the U.S. government on Wednesday stress that most Americans are overweight and need to eat more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

The guidelines, updated every five years, recommend eating up to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and specify that at least three of the daily servings of grains be whole grains such as whole wheat, oats or brown rice.

They also emphasize getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day -- an hour for children. And officials said the "food pyramid" may be replaced by something easier to understand.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said the guidelines are meant in part to help Americans understand they are responsible for their own health.

"Let's face it. Everyone in America is looking to NIH (the National Institutes of Health) to come up with that (diet) pill. It's not going to happen," he told a news conference.

The guidelines, published on the Internet at http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines, set standards for U.S. school breakfasts and lunches and other federal programs, but are also aimed at the average consumer.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which lobbied to change the guidelines, praised them.

"They look to me like they are the strongest diet guidelines yet produced," said Michael Jacobson, the group's director. "There is a major emphasis on fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products."

While not setting limits on processed sugar, the guidelines steer Americans away from sweetened foods in several places.

"Many of the recommendations are not significantly different from what has been recommended in the past, whether it is eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and dairy sources," Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman told the news conference.

COUNTERING THE ADS

The consumer groups and Thompson said it was up to them to counter aggressive food advertising and educate Americans about a healthy diet.

"Most Americans currently are not eating a healthy diet," said Margo Wootan, nutrition director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Only 12 percent follow the 2000 guidelines, she added.

"While school meals programs are required to meet dietary guidelines ... the USDA is going to have to issue more regulations," Wootan said.

Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, a member of the Senate appropriations panel that funds health care initiatives, agreed.

"Much more needs to be done in Congress and throughout our communities to give Americans the tools they need to eat right and maintain a healthy weight," he said.

The report said Americans should avoid trans-fats, which are created in processing vegetable oils and have been found to be as unhealthy as pure cholesterol.

"The guidelines should specifically recommend Americans avoid meat, dairy, and fish," said Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which advocates a strict vegetarian diet. "The USDA must take the Big Meat, Big Sugar, and Big Dairy industries' money and influence out of the guidelines process."

Veneman denied the food industry had much influence on the guidelines.

"The process that was used to develop these guidelines was more rigorous, more science-based and more transparent than ever before," she said.

Many major U.S. food manufacturers had stepped up their efforts to make food more nutritious.

General Mills Inc., for instance, announced last year it would begin using whole grains in all of its breakfast cereals and Kellogg Co. recently introduced a new whole-grain cereal aimed at children called Tiger Power.

How to beat the winter blues: Light Boxes

From HealthDayNews:

Few people relish the cold, short days of winter.

For many, there's good reason: Experts believe that about one in five Americans suffers from either mild or severe forms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which can lead to depression, overeating, weight gain and fatigue.

Fortunately, this is one condition where drugs aren't the best answer. A new study confirms that simply sitting next to a light-emitting box for a half-hour a day greatly reduces SAD symptoms.

"Bright light treatment is definitely the treatment of choice for SAD," said lead researcher Randall Flory, a professor of psychology at Hollins University, in Roanoke, Va.

Flory's study, presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychological Society, also found that room air ionizers -- which increase levels of negatively charged particles circulating in air -- can help ease the symptoms of SAD.

According to Flory, about 14 percent of Americans admit to feeling "blah" during the winter months. "They have the lesser form of SAD, which we just call the 'winter blues,'" he said. "It's not as debilitating as full-blown SAD."

Another 6 percent to 7 percent of people may experience full-blown SAD, which can include clinical depression, overeating and related weight gain (up to 40 pounds per season), excess sleep followed by daytime fatigue, a heightened sensitivity to pain, and social withdrawal.

Premenopausal women are four times more likely to be affected by SAD than men, Flory said, suggesting links between SAD and the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

While popular antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have shown some effectiveness in treating SAD, non-medicinal methods are proving even more powerful, he said.

In their study involving 140 women observed over five successive winters, the Roanoke researchers compared the effectiveness of two non-pharmaceutical treatments: 30 minutes per day of home exposure to light-emitting boxes, and air-cleaning devices that also produce negative ionization of airborne particles.

Light boxes were the clear winner, Flory said, although the air ionizers were also somewhat effective. The results suggest that a combination of winter conditions -- fewer hours of strong sunlight, as well as weaker negative ionization of air -- work together to affect humans in a physiological way.

"From previous studies, we know that just about everybody, whether they have SAD or not, shows lowered levels of serotonin in the brain in winter compared with summer," Flory said.

SSRIs work by adjusting brain serotonin levels, so it makes sense that they fight SAD. But Flory believes most patients are better off using light boxes, since they have virtually no side effects and are much cheaper than prescription drugs over the long term.

Use of a standard light box for five years works out to "about $60 per year," Flory noted, "compared to about $300 to $500 per year for Prozac or another of the SSRIs."

Michael Young, a SAD expert and director of clinical training at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, agreed that "light boxes are certainly the most effective treatment" for seasonal depression.

New variations on light boxes are giving patients more choices, he said, including devices called "dawn simulators." These devices -- hooked up to a bright light in the bedroom -- cause light to slowly grow in intensity during the early morning hours, much as it would on a spring day.

"There's been less research done on dawn simulators compared to light boxes, but the research that is out there seems to have gotten positive results," said Young, who is also president of the non-profit Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms.

He stressed that scientists still aren't sure why some individuals are more deeply affected by winter than others.

"For example, there are many of us that have the physiological changes but not the psychological ones -- they'll say 'Yeah, winter is crummy, I sleep more, I want to eat sweets all the time, but, hey, that's the way it goes.' They aren't depressed."

Others experience those physical signs, plus the debilitating depression that marks severe SAD. Young believes some people may simply be more neurologically vulnerable to season-to-season changes than others.

For most, light boxes provide an easy, harmless solution, the experts agree.

"You just sit three for a half hour a day, that's all it takes," Flory said. "It's not even necessary that it's there in front of you --- only that the light somehow enters your eye. In fact, when we do studies, the light box is over to the side while people watch a movie on television."

More information

To learn more about SAD, visit the National Mental Health Association.

Study: Going downhill has health benefits

From CNN Health:

A novel study of hikers in the Alps made the intriguing discovery that different types of exercise had different effects on fats and sugars in the blood.

Going uphill cleared fats from the blood faster, going downhill reduced blood sugar more, and hiking either way lowered bad cholesterol.

Both types of hiking are beneficial, but one may help diabetics more than the other, said Dr. Heinz Drexel of the Academic Teaching Hospital of Feldkirch, Austria, who reported the research at a recent American Heart Association conference in New Orleans.

His was a most unusual study, involving steep mountains and lifts at a ski resort.

"If you think about this in practical terms, it's pretty hard to imagine how any human being could just go one way and get back to where they started unless they happen to live near a cable car, which was used in this study," said Dr. Raymond Gibbons, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who had no role in the research.

Still, Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, said the findings could be applied in the real world: People who work in office buildings, for example, could take the stairs one way and the elevator the other, depending on what their exercise goals were.

Hiking uphill is concentric exercise, where muscles are shortened, which happens when you bend your arm or step upward. Going downhill is eccentric muscle work, such as extending your arm or actively resisting stretching, which happens when you step down.

Read more...

Fitness Trend Predictions for 2005

From the American Council on Exercise:

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s non-profit fitness advocate, today announced its top 10 fitness trend predictions for 2005. Through its research, “workout watchdog” studies and worldwide network of certified fitness professionals, ACE continues to accurately monitor America’s growing interest in fitness. With 2005 right around the corner, ACE’s predictions show a “back to the basics” approach that includes time-efficient workouts and core strengthening.

1. Balance training grows in popularity. Balance training activities (e.g., Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, etc.) and equipment (e.g., foam rollers, wobble boards, Bosu balls, etc.) are among the fastest growing and most popular exercise options for adults. Health clubs and trainers are offering balance training programs for virtually all levels and types of participants.

2. A growing tendency to blend popular mind-body programs such as yoga and Pilates with more traditional forms of exercise. These fusion classes and programs will combine the traditional elements of a fitness regimen with many of the key elements of mind-body activities including proper posture, breathing and body awareness. By incorporating elements of mental and spiritual fitness, individuals will take better care of their entire being and psychological self, not just their bodies.

3. Shorter duration workouts continue to become more widespread. Lack of time continues to be the most frequently cited reason why individuals do not exercise on a regular basis. Time-starved Americans continue to seek out effective, yet time-efficient workouts pushing health clubs and trainers to offer express circuits and abbreviated routines.

4. Wellness coaching and nutritional counseling are drawing a larger crowd. These services address a more holistic approach to health and wellness. Wellness coaching helps individuals make healthy, positive choices in all aspects of every day life. Nutritional counseling is gaining popularity as many Americans continue to look for ways to manage weight and maximize performance.

5. Clubs and trainers offering more flexible workout sessions. Small-group personal training (usually less than five individuals) appears to be on the rise. Such programming is a great way to receive the technical instruction and close supervision of personal training at a more economical cost. This modified approach offers participants more social interaction which can have a very positive impact on exercise adherence.

6. Employers are encouraging fitness and weight loss. A vast majority of adult Americans are inactive and overweight, at times costing their employers to lose revenue due to increased rates of absenteeism, higher health and medical expenses, and reduced productivity. Now a growing number of corporations are offering wellness programming to its workers in an effort to encourage physical activity, sensible nutrition habits, and an overall healthier lifestyle.

7. Functional fitness and core strengthening have a strong presence in personal training sessions and group fitness classes. Functional strength training and/or core strengthening activities enhance coordination, strength and endurance in everyday activities. Focusing on exercising several muscles and joints together rather than working a particular muscle or group of muscles better prepares the body for daily activities and recreational pursuits.

8. Personal trainers and group fitness instructors share clients. Personal trainers will work with group fitness instructors and vice versa to encourage participants to diversify their workout routines. Even the most dedicated exercisers occasionally get bored with their routines. A new variation on activities such as a cardio-funk class or a “boot camp” workout instead of traditional exercise machines or working with free weights instead of step aerobics will help to reinvigorate stale routines.

9. An increase in family participation in outdoor fitness activities. More families will look for diverse and creative ways to be active together such as outdoor adventure activities and various recreational sports including soccer, softball, and touch football, etc. It’s important that parents show children that being active can be a fun and regular part of daily life.

10. Participation in physical activities for socialization and motivation will become more popular. Not everyone participates to compete. Joining a training group just to finish a marathon, triathlon or adventure race is a great way to meet people or include family and friends in a fit and active lifestyle.

Study: Pick a diet and stick to it

From Reuters:

Only one in four people can stick to a diet for a full year, a study comparing adherence to weight-loss programs said on Tuesday.

In the study, four groups of 40 overweight or obese adults each were assigned to one of four weight-loss programs: the Atkins low-carbohydrate diet, the Ornish vegetarian, the Weight Watchers plan or the Zone Diet. Participants were enrolled in two-month classes to help them, and then were on their own.

"We found that all four diets worked well for weight loss (and) heart disease risk factor reduction, but only in the people who could follow their diet closely for a year," said study author Dr. Michael Dansinger of Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston.

Three in four participants quit their diets before the year was out. The highest dropout rates were among enrollees in the Atkins and Ornish diets, he said.

Overall, successful dieters lost an average of 5 percent of their body weight or roughly 10 to 20 pounds after one year, and one in 10 dieters lost more than 10 percent of their weight or more than 25 pounds.

Dansinger, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, said no single diet worked for everyone -- especially low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins that are in vogue.

"To find the one that's best for you, try 'dating the diets' as if looking for a life-long partner. You may kiss a few frogs along the way, but once you find the one you can live with forever, stand by your plan," Dansinger said.

The report came on the heels of another diet study published on Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine that concluded no one really knows which diets work and which are a waste of time, with the possible exception of Weight Watchers, which had scientific research to back its approach.

6 Cheap At-Home Workouts

There are many ways to workout without spending a lot of money on equipment or gym memberships. In fact, the majority of my workouts involve only bodyweight movements like pushups, pullups, single-leg squats, etc. These exercises are safe and extremely effective -- both for building muscle and for burning fat.

Here´s a good article about effective, low-cost fitness "tools" you can use for great at-home workouts...

From eDiets.com:

Working out at home saves time as far going back and forth to the gym and allows for great flexibility concerning the time you work out. In addition, if one has small children, it eliminates child care and baby-sitting issues and expenses.

Here’s a quick glance at some tools and tips:

Pedometers:

Many people have treadmills in their homes, but sometimes the workout can get boring. I recommend investing in a pedometer that counts steps. A person can carry the pedometer with them during the course of a day with the goal of walking 5,000-10,000 steps (2,000 steps is equivalent to one mile). Whatever steps are not completed during the course of the day can be done on the treadmill. This makes working out less drudgery.

Bodybars:

A bodybar is a great tool for working out at home. A good one for home use would be a four-foot bar. The bodybar is a weighted bar with foam cushioning for added comfort. The bar weighs nine pounds, is under 30 dollars and can be used for squats, lunges, overhead presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions and chest presses while lying on the floor.

Medicine Balls:

These unique and versatile balls help to develop muscular strength, increase stability and help with joint integrity. They can weight up to 12 pounds or more and can be used to simulate free weights, as well as be used to perform unorthodox movements in the privacy of one’s home. For example, walking lunges while holding a medicine ball over one’s head helps with lower and upper body strength. One can also perform isolation exercises for each area of the body.

Dumbbells:

Dumbbells can be purchased for the home and one can invest in a safe material such as neoprene or vinyl. This will help to protect household items of value and allow one to get a good overall body workout. Dumbbells can be purchased for 50 cents per pound and up. The lighter neoprene and vinyl dumbbells are also good for aerobic tapes that incorporate light free weights.

Resistance bands:

Resistance bands are small, inexpensive and an extremely effective exercise tool. One can work the entire body with all types of resistance exercises. It provides for a perfect home workout. I also recommend that door attachments be purchased for additional exercises. One should pay attention to the various colors of bands to determine weight resistance. In most cases, yellow is three pounds, green is five to six pounds and red is approximately 10 pounds of resistance.

Videos:

There are many types of videos from aerobic dance, Pilates, Yoga and aerobic/weight training combinations. Along with one of the recommendations above for resistance training, one can perform two days of resistance and two days of an aerobic-type video. This provides for a balance of strength training ands aerobics.

Learn more at eDiets.com...

'Polymeal' just as good as pills for longer life

From Nutraingredients.com:

Consumers should forget about taking medication to help them stay healthy longer and change their diet instead, suggest scientists writing in this week’s British Medical Journal.

Regularly eating fish, wine, dark chocolate, fruits and vegetables, garlic and almonds could extend the life expectancy of men by 6.6 years and women by 4.8 years, says the team from Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

The regime has been dubbed a 'polymeal' in reference to a report in the same journal last year that described the potential benefits of a 'polypill.'

The pill, combining aspirin, folic acid and cholesterol-lowering and blood pressure drugs, could reduce risk of heart disease - the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Western populations by more than 80 per cent, according to the advocates.

But the Rotterdam researchers say that the polymeal would achieve roughly the same effect at lower costs and with less risk of side effects.

“The Polymeal promises to be an effective, non-pharmacological, safe and tasty alternative [to the Polypill] for reducing cardiovascular morbidity and increasing life expectancy in the general population," write Oscar H Franco and colleagues.

Read more...

Constipation Myths Debunked

Chronic constipation is a major problem for many people. But new research shows that many of the things we believe to be true concerning this condition are just plain wrong...

From the American Journal of Gastroenterology:

Results from an extensive, independent review into existing evidence on chronic constipation and the treatment thereof are published today in the American Journal of Gastroenterology showing that many of the popular and strongly held beliefs surrounding this disorder are not evidence based.

The review was undertaken by four leading experts, from Europe and the US, in the field of gastroenterology and the results of their findings are presented in the 'Myths and Misconceptions About Chronic Constipation' paper. The purpose of the review, conducted over a five-month period, was to examine all documentation and available evidence of widely held beliefs, some of which originate even from the 16th century B.C., concerning various aspects of constipation and the quality of evidence used to support these beliefs. These concepts encompass pathophysiology and treatment of constipation, all of which are widely held in both the medical and lay communities.

Professor Muller-Lissner, Germany, lead author of the paper on behalf of his co-authors, Professors Wald, US, Kamm, UK and Scarpignato, Italy comments, "We are delighted to be able to present these findings to both the medical community and more importantly to constipation sufferers who have been misled into thinking that they are the major cause of, and especially to blame for, the symptoms of this sensitive disorder. We hope that in publishing this paper, we can move medical thinking forward to accept the realities of this condition and accordingly recommend appropriate treatments rather than exacerbate symptoms and sufferers' fears by providing mis-information."

Key findings reported in the paper are as follows:

Lack of dietary fibre has often been championed as a cause of constipation, with fibre supplements being readily recommended to help relieve symptoms. The authors conclusively agree that a diet poor in fibre should not be assumed to be the cause of chronic constipation. In fact, they found that while several groups of patients may be helped by a fibre-rich diet, those with severe constipation actually develop worsening symptoms when increasing dietary fibre intake.

Increase in fluid intake is also a long-held myth associated with providing relief from constipation and again the paper found no evidence to support this claim. The authors believe this misconception is derived from observations that comparatively small changes to the water content of stools lead to considerable changes of consistency which are thought to be related to the total water intake. However, these small changes are insignificant in comparison to the total amount of fluid exchanges taking place in the intestinal tract. Various studies examining variances in fluid intake in both healthy subjects and those who were constipated concluded that there is no evidence that constipation can be successfully treated by increasing fluid intake, unless there is evidence of dehydration.

Reduction in physical activity has been linked to increased symptoms of constipation and the paper concludes that it is indeed relevant in elderly sufferers. However, these findings need to be put in context with other likely cofactors, such as medications, diet and personality. Intervention programmes to increase physical activity may help to improve symptoms, but these are less effective in young, severely constipated sufferers.

Much unfounded controversy has been generated over the years regarding laxative-use in treating constipation, resulting in unnecessary fears relating to proactive use/recommendation by both consumers and healthcare professionals. The paper discusses these misconceptions:

-- Damage to the colon: Claims that laxatives cause damage to the colon are not supported and the findings highlight that these claims have been based on poorly documented experiments

-- Colorectal cancer: There are no data to support the claim that stimulant laxatives are an independent risk factor

-- Electrolyte disturbance: Any theoretically possible electrolyte disturbance by stimulant laxative use can be minimised with appropriate drug and dose selection

-- Tolerance to stimulant laxatives: Tolerance is shown to be uncommon in the majority of users and found to occur only in the most severe patient group

-- Rebound constipation: There is no evidence for the occurrence of rebound constipation after stopping laxatives

-- Addiction: There is no potential for addiction to laxatives, although they may be misused by psychiatric patients

In conclusion, the paper recognises that the use of stimulant laxatives in the management of constipation symptoms is safe.

Sex hormones are also incorrectly believed to play a key role in causing constipation. This is based on the observation that constipation is more common in boys but between the ages of 15-50 it is more prevalent in women. Furthermore, women also report changes in bowel function during different stages in their menstrual cycles. Having reviewed the evidence, the paper found that sex hormones only play a minimal role in otherwise healthy women, although they may play a role during pregnancy when the changes in hormone levels are much greater.

The paper also concluded that there is no evidence to support the outdated notions of:

-- Autointoxication, an ill-conceived theory that has been long-since abandoned by the scientific community should have no place in clinical practice today.

-- Dolichocolon, a term used for an elongated colon, has been implicated in the past as a cause of constipation but was shown to lack any supportive evidence.

For further information please visit the American Journal of Gastroenterology website, http://www.amjgastro.com

How to feel better right now

Would you like to feel better right now? Do something to help out the victims of the Asian tsunamis! CNN has put together a good list of international aid organizations that are accepting donations. Check it out...

CNN.com: Aid groups accepting donations

2005: The year of the calorie

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Forget the diet wars of the past year, when low carb vs. low fat battled it out in supermarket aisles, weight-loss research and public opinion. This year, reports Cox News Service, it's back to basics: keeping track of how much you eat.

Calories have never gone away, of course. But in the giddy rush for low-fat brownies and low-carb potato chips, it's been easy to overlook an inconvenient fact: Sometimes those diet foods contain as many, or more, calories as the regular version. And when it comes to weight control, experts agree that calories -- not the proportion of fats, carbohydrates or protein in a diet -- are what really matter.

This year, calories won't be so easy to overlook: Labels will show calories for entire packages of certain snack foods and drinks that are realistically consumed as one serving. Also, new dietary guidelines, coming this winter, introduce the concept of discretionary calories -- what you're free to eat after satisfying nutrient requirements.