Hoodia Gordonii Alert

If you follow the latest developments in dieting you've certainly heard about hoodia gordonii. It's a very popular weight loss supplement that works by suppressing the appetite. However, as is the case with many natural diet supplements, some hoodia gordonii products don't contain what they say they do. In fact -- because of the current consumer 'frenzy' surrounding the product -- it probably wouldn't be a stretch to say that most hoodia products are crap. Why? Mainly because they're being sold by fly-by-night companies, many of which are based outside of the US, through quickly-made, horribly-designed websites. That is the formula used by scammers in the supplement industry.

Also, since real hoodia gordonii is actually now in short-supply (because the hoodia plant takes several years to mature) it's very likely that most of the raw hoodia coming from Africa-based bulk suppliers is adulterated with fillers. This is a common problem in the herbal supplement industry and is a major reason why any herbal supplement you buy should contain 'certified pure' bulk ingredients.

If you want to try a good, high-quality hoodia gordonii product that many fitness and nutrition experts are recommending, take a look at the 'Hoodoba' hoodia gordonii formula. It appears to be one of the few hoodia products that actually contains what it says it does. Plus, it may be the only product that is providing verifiable weight loss benefits to its users. Click here to learn more...

Also, be sure to read this recent report by NewsTarget.com:

Hoodia Gordonii Weight Loss Pills Scam


-------------
Related posts:

Hoodia Gordonii: The Diet Cactus

.

Tags: hoodia

'Simple' Tai Chi Great Exercise for Elderly

A new style of simplified Tai Chi is becoming a popular way for elderly adults to exercise and improve their fitness...

From Reuters Health:

The style, known as Tai Chi Fundamentals, combines the traditions of the Chinese practice along with modern therapeutic principles to form an exercise plan feasible for elderly adults with a range of health problems -- from arthritis to heart disease.

"It's a simplified version of Tai Chi," said Dr. Sandra Matsuda, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Missouri-Columbia and one of only about 15 practitioners in the U.S. specifically certified in Tai Chi Fundamentals (TCF).

The program is part of a growing recognition in the U.S. and other Western nations of the potential health benefits of Tai Chi, particularly for older adults who cannot perform higher-impact exercise.

Long used in China as a way to promote wellness, Tai Chi focuses on building strength, balance and flexibility through slow, fluid movements combined with mental imagery and deep breathing. Studies have suggested that the elderly can reduce their risk of falls, lower their blood pressure and ease arthritis symptoms through the practice, and some research indicates Tai Chi can improve heart and blood vessel function in both healthy people and those with heart conditions.

"It's the regular practice of Tai Chi that makes it beneficial," Matsuda told Reuters Health. Making the practice accessible through a simplified style like TCF or through free classes at community senior centers, for example, should help older people stick with it.

Writing in the March issue of the Rehab Management Journal, Matsuda and her co-authors, including one of the developers of TCF, Tricia Yu, describe how various rehabilitation therapists in the U.S. are using the program to help older patients with chronic illnesses.

The exercise, according to the Matsuda and her colleagues, can be beneficial for a range of patients, including those who are recovering from total knee replacement or who have cardiovascular or lung conditions, given that instructors are properly trained in the needs of elderly adults with health limitations.

A local senior center, Matsuda said, would be a good place for older people to start looking for an appropriate class.

Like traditional Tai Chi, TCF is intended to promote well-being, not just aid in rehabilitation, according to Matsuda. In general, Tai Chi seems particularly suited to helping reduce the risk of falls -- a major cause of disabling injury among the elderly - because it helps improve balance and coordination.

"It offers a way to be confident in your movement," Matsuda said.

One recent study of frail men and women between 70 and 90 years old, many of whom relied assistive devices to get around, found that regular Tai Chi lessons cut the risk of falls by 25 percent.

"The time to treat falls," Matsuda said, "is not after people have broken bones."

.

9 Steps to Effective Weight Loss

Learn 9 proven steps for losing weight and getting healthier from weight loss coach Jonny Bowden...

From eDiets.com:

1. Be scrupulously honest with yourself! According to Jonny, you need to be honest about your willingness to change unhealthy habits. It also helps to be truthful about everything you are currently eating.

2. Realize everything is connected! Jonny believes there is a solid connection between your weight and the rest of your life. Taking off those extra pounds is not as simple as eating less food. One of Jonny’s mottos is: "Change your life, change your weight."

3. Fat is not the enemy! Though the percentage of calories from fat in the American diet has gone down over the last couple decades, obesity has gone up. "We demonized fats when what we should have demonized is trans fats," Jonny says. "We literally threw the baby out with the bathwater."

4. Calories are not the whole picture, but they still count! Jonny believes low-carb, high-fiber diets control appetite more effectively than any other kind, but he warns that they do not provide a license to eat anything and everything in all quantities.

5. Keep a food diary! Jonny believes a food diary is one of the most essential tools for making your lifestyle change a reality.

6. Eat protein at every meal! Not only does it raise your metabolic rate, but Jonny says eating protein may also help you lose fat rather than muscle. He recommends consuming at least 3 to 4 ounces of protein with every meal.

7. The more vegetables the better! According to Jonny, high-fiber foods are an essential part of any weight loss strategy. Not only are vegetables rich in fiber, they are loaded with healthy phytonutrients.

8. Eat without distractions! Jonny believes that unconscious eating is the enemy of weight loss. He suggests training yourself to eat without television or other distractions.

9. Exercise is not the best way to take off weight but it’s one of the best ways to make sure the weight stays off! With the addition of regular exercise, Jonny says you have a much better chance of making your diet effective.

Learn more at eDiets.com...

.

Get Great Abs: Extreme Belly Busting Formula

From eDiets.com:

At some point you just have to make a commitment.

Everyone wants a flat and tight abdominal area, but much like earning a Ph.D, few make the ultimate commitment to work and sacrifice for it.

Unlike a Ph.D, attaining a tight and flat abdominal area is a reality for many, but it does take work and sacrifice. Ugh, awful huh? You want to hear about the easy three-minutes-a-day workout that will get you there, don’t you?

It doesn’t exist.

If you read my articles often, you know that I place a great deal of emphasis on reducing body fat through a calorie-reduced nutrition program and by incorporating weight training and cardiovascular exercise to stimulate the metabolism.

Abdominal exercises serve to strengthen and tighten the abs, so when your body fat reduces -- you then see the fruits of your labor.

Abdominal work is vital, but it’s only part of the formula.

The formula consists of being consistent on your eDiets nutrition plan. Please note, I didn’t say perfect, just consistent most days of the week.

You then need to add three to six days of cardiovascular exercise. For those who’ve been sedentary for a long time, I recommend 15 minutes of cardio on three alternate days per week to start, but you’ll need to build from there slowly. As you progress, you’ll eventually be doing 30-50 minutes three to six days per week. This will accelerate fat loss, but you need to get into this range gradually.

The third key area of the formula is resistance exercise, otherwise known as weight training.

For every pound of muscle you gain, you will burn 30-50 additional calories per day to support the needs of that extra muscle. Muscle is a fat-burning tool.

Afraid you’ll get bulky? You will if you don’t lose body fat. However, you’ll look lean and tight if you lose fat using the entire formula.

You expected a great abdominal workout I bet. I’ve written many of them, but every once in awhile I have to set the record straight and help you to remember the foundation -- the formula.

If you don’t, you’ll be one of those people performing ab crunch after ab crunch wondering why your belly just won’t flatten.

I don’t want you to be one of those people.

The clients I’ve trained will all tell you that I take my craft very seriously and one of my greatest joys is helping and watching people transform themselves.

Transformation. That’s the real glory -- that’s the essence of it.

Learn more at eDiets.com...

.

US Government: Eat More Whole Grains

Of the government's new dietary guidelines, the recommendation to eat more whole grains and boost fiber intake is definitely one of the best... and probably the easiest to follow!

From the Associated Press:

Go ahead, have a piece of bread. Have three. Make it whole-grain, and you'll be following government advice for eating right. Three servings of whole grains each day will reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

It doesn't have to be bread. Brown or wild rice, oatmeal, cold cereal flakes, popcorn — without the salt and butter — and even trail mix will do.

Of all the new advice in the government's new dietary guidelines, eating enough whole grains may prove the easiest.

But if eating whole grains is so easy, then why aren't people doing it now? Most Americans are eating one serving or less each day, according to the Agriculture Department.

One reason may be that a little sleuthing is needed to figure out which foods have whole grains.

Just because a bread slice is dark, or a cracker looks grainy, doesn't mean the whole grain is there. They could be darkened by molasses or other coloring.

You need to look on the ingredient list to make sure you've got whole grains. The words "whole" or "whole grain" should come before the grain ingredient. And that should be the very first thing listed.

Food companies are trying to make to make it easier. General Mills Inc. last year converted all its breakfast cereals to whole grain and now puts a big "Whole Grain" logo on the front of the box.

Some companies are using a black-and-gold label shaped like a postage stamp for identifying products that contain whole grains. Bruegger's Bagels, Kashi, Gardenburger and Snyder's of Hanover are among those using the stamp, which was developed by Oldways Preservation Trust, a Boston-based think tank that specializes in food issues.

Once purchased, eat three ounce-equivalents a day. It's not hard to do. These measurements equal about an ounce:

_A half-cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta.

_A slice of bread.

_1 cup of cold cereal flakes.

_An ounce of dry pasta or rice.

"If you have a cereal high in whole grains, and you have a sandwich with whole grain bread for lunch, you can get your number of servings right there," said Joanne Lupton, a Texas A&M University nutrition professor who helped write the guidelines.

Mark Andon, technical director for nutrition at Quaker, said a cup of oatmeal for breakfast counts as two servings of whole grains.

"When you think about a snack, think about trail mix. It's not weird food," said K. Dun Gifford, president of Oldways.

This effort may seem to contradict the thinking behind popular low-carb diets such as Atkins and South Beach. But while both of those diets insist that people eliminate most carbohydrates in the first two weeks, after that it's all about choosing "good" carbs, such as whole grains.

Scientists don't quite understand how and why whole grains are good for you.

"It would be nice if we knew the answer to that question; unfortunately, we don't," said Lupton. "It's not just the fiber. It's something in addition to that that has to do with having the whole grain."

A whole grain is the entire seed or kernel — from grains like wheat, oats, corn or rye. They are packed with fiber, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and besides helping guard against heart disease and diabetes, they also contain cancer-fighting antioxidants and other nutrients.

They lose the good stuff when grains are refined or processed. Manufacturers generally fortify their food with nutrients, but it's not the same.

To promote Pepperidge Farm's new line of whole grain bread, the company signed up celebrity chef and Food Network host Bobby Flay to create sandwich recipes. Among his recommendations are whole wheat with grilled salmon salad and lemon mayonnaise, or grilled eggplant, zucchini and roasted red pepper with roasted garlic mayonnaise.

In his Manhattan and Las Vegas restaurants, Flay serves dishes made with more exotic whole grains, such as quinoa and faro. But he thinks most people will tune out if you try to interest them in foods they aren't used to eating.

"I wouldn't tell people to go out and make faro salad. If they can just open up a loaf of bread and make a sandwich, they're more apt to do that," Flay said.

------------
Related info:

Oldways: http://www.oldwayspt.org

Dietary Guidelines: http://www.healthierus.gov

.

Why You Need So Much Water

From eDiets.com:

Water! An essential element of life and a very important and critical component of any serious weight loss plan. The other day, I was responding to an eDiets member, who was struggling with drinking her daily allocation of water. I should add that this is not uncommon for those in the process of weight loss.

For those who feel like dieting is a punishment they must suffer for poor eating, this part of the program is often viewed as water torture. Many people would much rather drink their soda or juice than water, but if you are to succeed at weight loss, you must learn to love water. That is a simple fact of weight loss life.

As I was preparing to respond to this member, I thought I would do a little research on the topic. Let me give you some water facts and then offer a suggestion for those of you struggling to drink your daily water requirement.

So, join me as I offer you some ramblings on the wonders of water...

By definition, water is a clear, odorless, colorless and tasteless liquid. Chemically, it is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, and it is everywhere. As a matter of fact, according to the World Book Encyclopedia, "it is the only substance on earth that is naturally present in three different forms -- as a liquid, a solid (ice) and as a gas (water vapor)."

Water is a common topic of conversation at eDiets. Let me share with you an excerpt about water from our "HELP" menu under the "Frequently Asked Questions" banner:

"How much water do I have to drink every day, and what else can I drink? Is it possible to drink too much water?"

Because water makes up 80 percent of your blood and brain -- and about 50 percent of the rest of your body's tissues, water is vitally important to your good health! You can estimate how much water you need by dividing your weight by two... the result is approximately the amount of water you should drink each day.

Water regulates the body temperature and aids the liver and kidneys in processing body toxins. Water is necessary for nutrient and oxygen transport in your body, and for absorption and utilization of vitamins and minerals. If you don't drink enough water, you can become constipated, dehydrated and very, very ill!

When you're exercising, make sure you drink before, during and after your activity. Although you do get water from foods and other fluids, we recommend drinking at least 8 glasses (8 oz. each, or 64 oz. total) of water daily. Some beverages, such as no-sodium-added club soda and herbal tea may count toward your water intake, but coffee and tea, which contain caffeine, are "dehydrating," and cannot be counted as water.

It's difficult to drink too much water, although it is possible! Drinking too much water, or "overhydration," usually only occurs in an adult whose heart, kidneys and pituitary glands are not functioning normally. A normal person would have to drink more than two gallons of water in one day to develop "overhydration!"

Here are some other interesting facts about water that I found on a government web page, called "Water Science For Schools" (located at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html).

Just how much water is there on (and in) the earth? Here are some numbers you can think about: the total water supply of the world is 326 million cubic miles (a cubic mile is an imaginary cube, a square box measuring one mile on each side). A cubic mile of water equals more than one trillion gallons.

About 3,100 cubic miles of water, mostly in the form of water vapor, is in the atmosphere at any one time. If it all fell as precipitation at once, the earth would be covered with only about one inch of water.

The 48 contiguous states in the U.S. receive a total volume of about four cubic miles of precipitation each day.

Each day, 280 cubic miles of water evaporate or transpire into the atmosphere.

If all of the world's water was poured on the United States, it would cover the land to a depth of 90 miles.

Of the freshwater on earth, much more is stored in the ground than is available in lakes and rivers. More than 2,000,000 cubic miles of fresh water is stored in the earth, most within one-half mile of the surface. Contrast that with the 60,000 cubic miles of water stored as fresh water in lakes, inland seas, and rivers. But, if you really want to find fresh water, the most is stored in the 7,000,000 cubic miles of water found in glaciers and icecaps -- mainly in the polar regions and in Greenland.

The bottom line is that water is everywhere, and it is the best friend a dieter can have. If you want to lose weight and get healthy, you simply must escape the water torture mentality and learn to embrace a water-drinking lifestyle. I mentioned above that I had a suggestion for those of you struggling with drinking your daily allowance of water. I offer it here for your consideration.

In my Monday morning meeting here at eDiets, one of the members posted a very interesting comment about drinking water. The moment I read it, I knew it could be helpful to others. She said that every time she takes a drink of water, she imagines that she is "watering her internal seeds of change." What a great mental image to use to reinforce the water drinking habit!

So, I suggest, as you grab that vessel of water, think of yourself as a health gardener -- watering your internal seeds of change. I love it!! That calls for a drink -- of water that is!

Learn more at eDiets.com...

.

Burger King Debuts 730-Calorie Breakfast Sandwich

Burger King has introduced a new menu-addition: a 730-calorie 'Enormous Omelet Sandwich' which has more fat and calories than a Whopper. Unless you actually want to become incredibly overweight, try to avoid it and anything that resembles it. Of course, that's a good rule of thumb for just about all fast food!

From CNN.com:

Burger King has unveiled a new breakfast sandwich that's a huge bet that not everyone is dieting.

The No. 2 fast food chain debuted its Enormous Omelet Sandwich Monday. The sandwich has one sausage patty, two eggs, two American cheese slices and three strips of bacon.

That works out to 730 calories and 47 grams of fat -- more than a Whopper sandwich, which the Burger King Web site said has 700 calories and 42 grams of fat.

Critics were quick to spring on the latest breakfast offering.

"Americans do not need an Enormous Omelet Sandwich," said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutrition at Penn State, who noted the sandwich's contents were high in fat and salt and the meal lacked fruit and fiber. "That's too many calories."

According to a joint report by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, the average American female aged 19 to 50 requires 1,800 to 2,400 calories each day, depending on size and activity level. For men in the same age range, it's 2,200 to 3,000.

A Burger King spokeswoman defended the giant egg sandwich, saying eating one is little different than ordering a full plate breakfast at a local dinner.

"It's designed for people who like to start the day with a hearty breakfast," said Denny Post, chief product officer at Burger King.

Read more...

.

Colorado is getting fat

Even the traditionally 'ultra-fit' state of Colorado is getting hit with the obesity problem...

From the Associated Press:

For years, Colorado has been ranked the leanest state in the country with a reputation as a magnet for hard bodies who love the outdoors.

But over the past 15 years, the percentage of obese Coloradans has grown faster than any other state, except Virginia. Denver resident Toby Head illustrates the point. A trim 185 in 1990 when he left the Army, he's now one pound shy of 300 pounds.

"I guess friends moved away and I found X-Box and decided to drink every night and play video games," he said.

Colorado's growing weight problem has alarmed health experts and grabbed the attention of state lawmakers, who are considering bills designed to encourage children to exercise and choose healthy foods and to include obesity treatment under Medicaid.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6.9 percent of Colorado residents in 1990 were considered obese. By 2003, the latest figures available from the CDC, that figure had risen to 16 percent.

"I still have an image of Colorado as this mecca for outdoor activities. It is a little surprising to see the obesity numbers increasing," said Adam Hodges, a columnist for The Colorado Triathlete magazine who moved to Boulder 14 years ago to train.

For now, Colorado is the second leanest state with 51 percent of adults overweight or obese, behind Hawaii with 50 percent. That's compared to almost two-thirds nationally. Still, the state is seeing more people like Head, who found it easier to grab a couple hot dogs and a bag of chips for lunch than to find something healthier. And like many others, he gave up exercise for a sedentary life.

"We've created just the wrong environment for our bodies if we want to be lean," said James Hill, who heads a nutrition and research center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

The problems by now are familiar: children with video games and TV instead of playing outside; adults working and shopping by Internet-connected computers. And everywhere are cheap, high-calorie goodies.

"We've basically engineered physical activity out of our lives," said Hill, co-founder of America on the Move, a group that encourages weight-loss through walking and small calorie cutbacks.

Read more...

.

Atkins is turning into 'The Zone'

The popular Atkins diet is undergoing a big change, moving towards a low-glycemic 'Zone-style' eating plan. Definitely a good idea...

From Newsday.com:

With hardly any fanfare, the people who control the Atkins diet have suddenly abandoned their famous meat-gorging, bread-shunning eating plan.

"Never mind!" they're telling a whole generation of Atkins meatheads.

Instead of Atkins' familiar "net carbs" system for measuring food, they've introduced an Atkins "glycemic index," an approach that seeks to gauge the body's blood-sugar response to food.

Diet irony alert: This glycemic index sounds awfully like the weight-loss plan popularized by one of Atkins' chief competitors, the Zone diet. Robert Atkins and "The Zone" author Dr. Barry Sears clashed frequently at medical conferences and in media interviews, scoffing at each other's philosophies. Now, it seems, the Atkins people are all but embracing the Zone, while back at company headquarters in Ronkonkoma, they try to spin the change as no big deal.

"We see this as the standard and the next generation for measuring net carb and blood sugar impact," Matthew Wiant, Atkins' chief marketing officer, told Reuters this week.

So what spurred the change?

Simple. The low-carb fad had passed.

Sales of Atkins frozen dinners and Atkins power bars were slipping. And it certainly didn't help that Atkins died on April 17, 2003, after a fall on an icy sidewalk. At death, he was 72 years old, 6 feet tall and 258 pounds. After a lifetime of dieting, he qualified as officially obese.

One person watching all this with special fascination is "Zone" author Sears. Was that the sound of sweet vindication in his voice?

"I knew Bob very well," Sears said yesterday from a medical conference in San Diego. "I debated him for years. He thought carbohydrates were evil, and we had to take them out of our diets entirely. That spawned a whole frenzy for the low-carb approach."

Read the rest...

.

Which Is Better: Treadmill or Elliptical Trainer?

Trying to choose between a treadmill and an elliptical trainer? When it comes to purchasing an expensive piece of home fitness equipment you want to make sure you buy something you'll actually use. Here's a good article that can help you to make a more informed decision...

From SmoothFitness.com:

Everyone who has a gym membership most likely has a favorite preference in exercise machines. People who purchase exercise equipment for their personal use in a home or office environment typically buy something they think they would enjoy using.

Is one fitness machine better than another machine? Does one draw more favoritism over the others? If so, which machine is it and why?

Top-Ranked Exercise Machines

For convenience, ease, and best results, the treadmill is ranked at the top of the list of fitness machines. Go into any public gym or health club during its busiest time of day, and you'll probably have to wait in line to use one of the treadmills.

However, the elliptical trainer, a machine that is relatively new among fitness equipment, is gaining in popularity, as well! And, with good reason! It gives a great cardiovascular workout in less time, because it works both the upper and lower body simultaneously. This machine is also pretty much impact free! That fact makes the elliptical trainer ideal for older people and for individuals who suffer from knee or other joint problems.

With a treadmill, the impact experienced when walking is also relatively low. Nonetheless, the impact when running on a treadmill increases in proportion to your body weight and is, therefore, considerably higher than that felt during an elliptical workout. Now, that isn't necessarily a bad thing! In fact, your body needs to be put through such impact in order to build stronger bones and muscles!

Although a treadmill works only the lower body, there are ways to increase the intensity of workouts for quicker, more efficient results. For instance, you may set the incline at a higher level or adjust the speed to go faster. In turn, you'll increase the number of calories burned as well as give your body a better cardio workout.

Exercise Versatility

Most decent treadmills come with a variety of preset programs from which to choose. You may also manually set the speed and incline as desired. You may choose to walk at a slow, casual pace. Or, you may pick a simulated hill-climbing workout. You may jog or run, provided the treadmill can handle that type of pounding. And, if you really want to be creative, you can include moves such as side steps and knee raises.

With the dual action handlebars and foot pedals that can go forward or in reverse, the elliptical trainer also offers versatility in exercise sessions. Additionally, some elliptical trainers allow the user to change the cross ramp incline. And, they may also be equipped with a feature that gives the user the option to NOT use the handlebars and, thus, work only the lower body.

When you pedal forward on an elliptical machine, the motion is similar to the movements of a cross-country skier. Change the foot motion into reverse, and your lower body will be worked in an entirely different manner. Note that some elliptical trainers automatically adjust the pedaling difficulty as your workout progresses. And, a good elliptical trainer also provides special features, which include preset exercise programs that can add variety to your workouts.

So, Which Machine is the Better Choice?

It remains to be seen whether the elliptical trainer will replace the treadmill as the fitness machine of choice. However, its popularity is certainly gaining on that of the treadmill!

If you happen to be a runner, the treadmill will obviously provide you with the best training. If you don't particularly care for running or jogging or cannot participate in such exercise, an elliptical trainer may be more feasible and/or enjoyable for you.

A treadmill can provide a great aerobic workout. However, according to Thomas Altena, an exercise physiologist at the University of Missouri-Columbia, "the physiological responses associated with elliptical exercises were nearly identical to treadmill exercises. Both exercise machines are effective for increasing the amount of calories burned and for producing cardio respiratory health and training benefits."

Which exercise machine is better? The consensus is still up in the air!

Learn more at SmoothFitness.com...


----------------
Related info: Treadmills vs. Ellipticals

Study: Limiting Carbs Results in Greater Weight Loss

From Reuters Health:

Obese women who follow low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet, may lose more weight in a four-month period than those who go on low-fat diets, new study findings show. The reason for the greater weight loss, however, is not clear.

"The differential weight loss is not explained by differences in resting energy expenditure, thermic effect of food or physical activity," write study author Dr. Bonnie J. Brehm, of the University of Cincinnati, Ohio and her team.

In a previously published study, Brehm and her colleagues compared the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet among obese women. They found that the women on the low-carbohydrate diet lost more than twice as much weight as those in the comparison group during a six-month study period.

The researchers hypothesized that the greater weight loss among those on the low-carbohydrate diet was due to the women's greater energy expenditure. "If it's not calories in, it must be calories out," Brehm told Reuters Health.

Some advocates of low-carbohydrate diets say that such diets promote increased energy expenditure, but this claim has not been formally tested, until now.

To investigate, Brehm and her team randomly assigned 50 moderately obese women to a low-carbohydrate diet group or a low-fat diet group. Only the low-fat group was told to restrict their caloric intake. Forty women completed the study.

By the end of the four-month study, women in both groups had lost weight and body fat, the researchers report in this month's issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. However, the low-carbohydrate group lost more than 10 percent of their body weight, while the low-fat group lost about 7 percent.

Specifically, the low-carbohydrate group lost 9.8 kilograms (21.6 pounds) of weight and 6.2 kilograms (13.7 pounds) of body fat, while the low-fat group lost about 6.1 kilograms (13 pounds) of weight and 3.2 kilograms (7 pounds) of body fat, the report indicates.

To estimate their level of physical activity, women in both groups were fitted with pedometers, which recorded the number of steps they took daily. At the start of the study, both groups of women had similar pedometer readings, and by the end of the study, there were no significant changes, according to Brehm and her team.

Resting energy expenditure was also similar between the two groups at the start of the study and remained comparable four months later.

The thermic effect of food (TEF), which comprises up to 10 percent of the amount of energy consumed daily, includes the energy expended during digestion. When the investigators obtained TEF measurements after the women ate breakfasts containing a similar number of calories, they found that those on the low-fat diet expended more energy in a five-hour period.

This suggests that the low-fat meal was absorbed more quickly than the low-carbohydrate meal, the report indicates. Yet, even if the TEF of the low-carbohydrate meal had been underestimated, the researchers "would not have approached the amount of energy needed to account for the greater weight loss in this group," they write.

"These results confirm that short-term weight loss is greater in obese women on a low-carbohydrate diet than in those on a low-fat diet even when reported food intake is similar," according to Brehm and her team.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, March 2005

Muffins: The Big Lie

From Yahoo! Nutrition and Fitness:

Many so-called healthy breakfast muffins, like bran or carrot, are really just cakes disguised by a cute shape -- commercial varieties are loaded with fat and calories. Beware of these charlatans! For a genuine healthy choice, look for muffins made with whole wheat flour and reduced sugar and fat. Be sure to read the label carefully, and if a muffin looks huge to you, it probably is -- eat half and save the rest for later.

.

Top 10 Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Eating an antioxidant-rich diet is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and fitness. Many foods - especially fruits, veggies, and beans - contain antioxidants, but some foods have much more of these healthy nutrients than others...

From DrWeil.com:

Antioxidants are one of nature's intrinsic ways to support healthy functioning of cells and protect them from free-radical damage. They are also important in helping us to age well and ward off disease. Nutrients that act as antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, selenium and carotenoids. The best source of antioxidant-rich foods are the brightly colored varieties of fruits and vegetables, and you should include a full spectrum in your daily diet. The following ten foods were found by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to have the highest levels of antioxidants. Make sure to put these on your next grocery list:

1. Small red beans (dried)
2. Wild blueberries
3. Red kidney beans
4. Pinto beans
5. Blueberries (cultivated)
6. Cranberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
8. Blackberries
9. Prunes
10. Raspberries

.

10 Metabolism-Boosting Tip That Work

If you want to burn fat and lose weight, you need to boost your metabolism. It's as simple as that. Here are 10 things proven to get your body's natural fat-burning engine racing...

From MSN Health & Fitness:

Metabolism. Simply put, it’s the process by which the body makes and uses energy (calories) for everything from the cellular absorption of nutrients to running a marathon.

Sounds like pretty boring science on paper. Except that knowing how to efficiently metabolize calories could translate into a healthier body.

Whether you’re trying to lose extra pounds or preparing for the inevitable metabolic slowing that comes with age, here are some surefire ways to boost your metabolism to keep your energy pulsating and your body in shape.

1. Build lean body mass. As mentioned above, metabolism slows as we age – by as much as two percent a year! But there is something you can do to counterbalance nature. “Muscle is the single most important predictor or how well you metabolize your food, how well you burn calories and burn body fat,” insists Shari Lieberman, author of Dare to Lose. Strength training with dumbbells or resistance bands at least twice a week is essential to boosting your metabolism. Repeat – essential. And here’s the really good news: Your metabolism stays pumped for many hours after you finish your workout.

2. Get moving. You know the drill, but here’s a reminder. At least 30 to 60 minutes of walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or some other form of aerobic exercise a minimum of three times a week is the other half of the exercise equation. “People don’t like to hear it but you have got to exercise,” says Lieberman.

3. Eat. It may sound crazy to those trying to lose weight by severely restricting their daily caloric intake, but the problem with this old school of thought, explains Michigan dietician Julie Beyer, is that it actually slows metabolism. “Every cell of the body is like a flashlight bulb,” she explains. “When our bodies don’t get enough food, or fuel, every cell burns less brightly.” Recent studies show that eating smaller meals every three to four hours aids metabolism and weight loss.

4. Ditch the sugar. Of course, you still have to make good choices about what you eat. “When you eat sugar you throw your metabolic switch into fat storage mode,” says Lieberman, who suggests a predominately low glycemic index diet, meaning foods that, unlike sugars, are broken down gradually to help maintain an even blood-sugar level.

5. Don’t skip breakfast. It’s a fact that people who eat a healthy breakfast are skinnier than people who don’t. And try to think outside the box. A breakfast bowl of vegetables and brown rice is a great way to kick-start your metabolism for the day.

6. Include hot foods. If Mexican and Thai are favorites, you’re in luck. “Spicy food that has hot peppers in it appears to boost metabolism,” Lieberman says.

7. Drink green tea. “There are unhealthy things that can boost your metabolism, like a really strong cup of coffee, or nicotine, but I would never say go have a cigarette!” says Michelle Streif, a personal trainer in Nebraska. Nor overdo it on caffeine, which also has undesirable side effects. Instead, go for green tea, says Lieberman, which is known to stimulate metabolism longer and more effectively than coffee.

8. Don’t forget H2O. Staying well hydrated is essential to flushing the body of toxic byproducts that are released when fat is burned. Cold water may also give your metabolism at least a small boost because energy is required to heat the body.

9. Avoid stress. At all costs. “Stress can actually cause weight gain, particularly around the tummy,” says Lieberman. Why? Because physical and emotional stress activates the release of cortisol, a steroid that slows metabolism.

10. Sleep. Research shows that people who don’t sleep for seven to eight hours a night are more prone to weight gain. Additionally, we now know that lean muscle is regenerated in the final couple of hours of sleep each night, says Beyer. Which takes you right back to tip number one!

.

Exercise Smarter, Not Harder

From eFitness.com:

If I were to ask the average Jane or Joe, whether they'd rather work out six days a week for two hours each day, or four or five times per week for 30 minutes, most would jump on the second choice.

Unfortunately, most beginners make the mistake of thinking more is better. They dive in head first, but hit a brick wall after a few weeks. Before you pick up your first dumbbell, you should pause and reflect upon what is truly motivating you to get started.

A wise man once said, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Take a close look at your immediate and long-range goals, likes, dislikes, limitations, time and budget constraints, as well as exercise/health history.

If necessary, get clearance from your physician, who can also advise you on what type of exercise he or she feels would be best for you. Following my six-step formula below will help you organize the process, and match you more closely with the right program. Follow the simple assignment with each step.

Mike's 6-Step Fitness Formula

1. IDENTIFY GOALS

Being clear about what you want helps you get it. Clearly established goals are the earmark of any successful endeavor. For example, if weight loss is your ultimate goal, know how much weight and how many inches you'd like to lose.

ASSIGNMENT

Write down two or three simple, but specific goals.

2. WORK YOUR STRENGTHS

Use, but don't abuse your strengths. Ultimately select exercise that utilize your current abilities to overcome weakness in other areas. For example, if you have strong legs with no lower body problems, but somewhat low cardiovascular capacity, use brisk walking or jogging to enhance heart and lung health.

ASSIGNMENT

List any areas where you have adequate or greater abilities.

3. UTILIZE PREFERENCES

If you can find an activity you like, and make it the bulk of your program, you've overcome the first obstacle, boredom. On the other hand, if you despise treadmill walking, but based on somebody else's advice, you're putting in four or five painful hours a week, your program is doomed. You might possibly prefer outdoor walking, circuit training, or 18 holes of golf. You make the choice.

ASSIGNMENT

List at least three things you like to do that involve physical activity.

4. RECOGNIZE LIMITATIONS

God created us all very differently. Respect your individual limitations as much as you rely on your strengths. Don't exacerbate a current condition. Work around problems. It may take more time or a greater effort, but at least you'll reach the finish line.

ASSIGNMENT

Clearly define, and make sure you're completely aware of, any physical limitations, illness, injury or weakness. Get a check-up before you start.

5. SET ASIDE ENOUGH TIME

Here's where it gets tricky. Thirty minutes, three to five times each week somehow sounds like nothing initially, but eventually becomes harder and harder to block out of every week. If you can't get in all 30 minutes, have a five or ten-minute backup plan that can hold you over to your next full workout.

ASSIGNMENT

Be honest with your available time. Take a close look at your day, and realistically set aside the required time you'll need.

6. DECIDE UPON EQUIPMENT

Whether it's $25 dumbbells, or a $2,500 health club, if used properly, most all exercise equipment has a positive effect on your body. But remember, it's about saving time and energy with intelligent choices. If you can't make it back and forth to the gym, you can save time by having some basic stuff around the house. Exercise bands or dumbbells are a great option, and all you need are a good pair of sneakers to go for a brisk walk.

Decide whether at home, or at a health club what will work best for you. Travel time has to be balanced against the variety and atmosphere of the gym.

---------------
Michael Stefano is author of The Firefighter's Workout, which features more than 50 exercise illustrations. To learn more about Mike Stefano and his fat-burning, body-sculpting programs, click here to visit his website.

Learn more at eFitness.com...

.

New Exercise Guidelines: 30, 60, or 90 minutes per day?

From the Associated Press:

Sixty to 90 minutes of exercise? Every day? That's what the government now suggests. Even people working out at the gym say most folks won't consider that, and the experts behind the government's recommendation say 30 minutes a day is enough for most.

Paul Steinkoenig, 45, of Arlington, Va., now works out about 90 minutes a day three days a week. Sixty or 90 minutes every day "sounds higher than certainly what the average American is going to consider," he said while using weight machines at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington.

"I think 60 minutes would be a little much for me," added Joseph Allwein, 84, who was pedaling a stationary bike at the center. Allwein said he bikes, rows or walks for 30 minutes five days a week.

The panel of doctors and scientists that developed the recommendations put an emphasis on getting 30 minutes of exercise. But its 25 pages of recommendations were scaled down to three when they were released as part of the government's new dietary guidelines in January. Those guidelines gave equal billing to the 60- and 90-minute suggestions.

"There's an enormous need to clarify that," said Russell Pate, a panel member and professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina school of public health. "I have no doubt that if we all met that 30-minute guideline, we'd have a lot fewer of us that have weight problems."

The guidelines are being used to update the government's food pyramid, which is due out this spring. This is what they say about exercise:

* People need 30 minutes of physical activity on most days to ward off chronic disease.

* To prevent unhealthy weight gain, people should spend 60 minutes on physical activity on most days.

* Previously overweight people who have lost weight may need 60 to 90 minutes of exercise to keep the weight off.

Pate said it was a mistake not to tie the half-hour recommendation to people's weight.

"It probably would have helped if, in the release of the guidelines, the 30-minute recommendation had been connected to the weight issue as the 60- and 90-minute recommendations were," he said.

Weight is an issue throughout the guidelines, which tell people how to eat to be healthy. Overall, the guidelines advise eating fewer calories and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. People should also drink more lowfat milk, eat less fat and salt and get more exercise.

The number of overweight and obese Americans is growing at an alarming rate, the panel said, which is why they included the advice recommending 60 and 90-minute daily exercise regimes in their report.

"Because we have 60 percent of Americans overweight and 30 percent obese, we have a lot of people trying to lose weight and keep it off, and we know how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off," said Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, a panel member and director of obesity research at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York.

Up to 90 minutes a day is required for people who, since they were overweight, may have a more demanding metabolism, said Dr. Janet King, the panel's chair and a scientist at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute.

About two-thirds of Americans each year try to start regular exercise programs, according to a 2004 Associated Press-Ipsos poll. That contrasts with how many stay with it. Nearly 40 percent of adults said they didn't do physical activity during leisure time in 2002 data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites).

People trying to fit the new exercise advice into their day don't have to start all at once. It's fine to break your activity into bouts of 10 or 15 minutes. But the idea is still to do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity — the equivalent of walking briskly, at about 3.5 miles an hour.

Try walking your dog in the park for 15 minutes in the morning and walking on a treadmill for 15 minutes in the evening, or take a walk at lunchtime, Pi-Sunyer said. "You don't have to change, put on a sweat suit, take a shower. You're not going to work up a big sweat, and you can go back to work," he said.

And it doesn't have to be walking. The panel gave several examples of moderate exercise: Hiking, light gardening or yard work, dancing, golf, bicycling, a light workout of weight lifting. Stretching also counts.

More vigorous activity is even better, the committee said. That could include running or jogging at 5 miles an hour, walking at 4.5 miles an hour, bicycling at 10 miles an hour, swimming, aerobics, heavy yard work such as chopping wood, more vigorous weight lifting or playing basketball.

"The idea here is small steps," said Eric Hentges, director of the Agriculture Department's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, which helped write the guidelines. "Get the 30 minutes first, because independent of any of the other aspects, the 30 minutes alone will have benefits."

___
On the Net:

Dietary Guidelines: http://www.healthierus.gov

.

Study: Tying Exercise to Culture Boosts Participation

From HealthDay News:

Tailoring exercise to specific cultural backgrounds may encourage older women to start and continue a fitness program, claims a study that found the vast majority of elderly Chinese women sticking with their Tai Chi lessons over the long term.

The study, from the University of California, San Francisco School (UCSF) of Nursing, included 27 ethnic Chinese women, average age 64, who took part in one-hour Tai Chi sessions three times a week for three months. All the women had at least one major risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Many exercise programs for women with coronary heart disease have high dropout rates. But 96 percent of the women in this study completed the Tai Chi program, and there was a waiting list to join it, the researchers report.

"Tai Chi has been widely practiced in China for centuries, and is a popular form of exercise there," Ruth E. Taylor-Piliae, a doctoral candidate in the UCSF School of Nursing, said in a prepared statement.

"The exercise program was provided at a community center where a large number of Cantonese-speaking senior citizens gather daily. They readily embraced this form of exercise, and were excited. Activities within various cultures that are the equivalent of brisk walking most likely will spark interest and be readily accepted," Taylor-Piliae said.

The study was reported Feb. 18 at the Second International Conference on Women, Heart Disease and Stroke in Orlando, Fla.

More information

The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about women and exercise.

.

The best exercises to burn fat

From eDiets.com:

What is the best exercise to burn fat?

In reality, there is no "best" exercise to burn fat because it’s more of an issue related to sufficient intensity and consistency which helps to speed the metabolism. Not necessarily the exercise itself.

However, all things being equal, I will admit that there are certain cardiovascular exercises that seem to get the job done quicker and with more efficiency than others.

Bob Greene, author of Total Body Makeover, puts it best when he defines cardiovascular exercise as "the ability of the heart, lungs and arteries to deliver oxygen (which is carried in the blood) to working muscles, and your muscles’ ability to use that oxygen to perform work over a particular period of time."

Greene also states, "By increasing your level of cardiovascular fitness, you are increasing the rate that your body can burn calories. The more aerobic an exercise is, the greater effect it will have on your aerobic enzymes (which help you burn more fat), cardiovascular fitness and metabolism -- and ultimately your percentage of body fat."

That is exactly what you want to accomplish.

That being said, I’m providing my top 4 cardio exercise fat burners (in no particular order):

Jogging -- I know that everyone can't do it due to fitness levels, possible knee injuries or excessive body fat. However, jogging burns a lot of calories and absolutely revs the metabolism. People who jog and use a calorie-restricted diet seem to lose fat at an accelerated pace.

A 30-minute jog at 5.2 miles per hour burns approximately 350-400 calories. The cumulative effect over a month or more is significant and turns you into a fat-burning machine.

Stepmill -- Found in most health clubs and not to be confused with the traditional stair stepper, the Stepmill actually has revolving steps that you continually climb while holding onto side bars.

It is a very difficult workout when first beginning and many people can only last several minutes.

If you build your capacity with natural progression, you’ll be doing 20-30 minutes within a month. You’ll also burn approximately 350 calories in about 30 minutes.

Aerobic Classes -- This falls into the category of many cardiovascular exercise classes such as Cardio Kick Boxing, Jazzercise and Cardio Boot Camp, etc.

As long as the class is aerobic and challenging you’ll get tremendous benefit. The calorie expenditure is dependent upon the type of class as well as continuous aerobic movement.

Spinning -- Spinning is an indoor specialized stationary-bike-ride class, limited to about 15 people and lasting about 45 minutes. Your spinning instructor plans a ride over imaginary terrain by changing intensity and speeds. The ride is set to upbeat music so it’s a load of fun. You’ll get extremely fit by spinning and will burn inches off your butt and shape your legs.

Don’t assume that I don’t like or approve of other forms of cardiovascular exercise. In fact, powerwalking is an excellent form of cardio and actually what most beginners should start with.

I just wanted to give you my calorie-crunching favorites. As always, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Learn more about the best exercises to burn fat at eDiets.com...

.

U.S. Government Won't Ban Junk-Food Ads Aimed at Kids

From Reuters:

The U.S. government will not ban or limit junk-food advertising to children, but wants the industry to set new guidelines to promote healthy eating and minimize obesity, a top regulator said on Friday.

Regulators will host a workshop this summer to help food makers and advertisers develop the guidelines, said Deborah Majoras, chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission.

"Let me make clear, this is not the first step toward new government regulations to ban or restrict children's food advertising and marketing. The FTC tried that approach in the 1970s and it failed," Majoras said at a Consumer Federation of America conference.

The announcement "is a call to action for industry to examine what is working and what more can be done through responsible marketing, product innovations and other approaches to promote healthy food choices and lifestyles in children," she said.

About 9 million children over age six are obese, according to an Institute of Medicine report released last September. The independent group that advises the government called on the food, beverage and entertainment industries to self-regulate how they sell food and drink to children.

Some critics of the fast-food industry partly blame shrewd marketing for an increase in obesity, arguing that food too high in calories or fat should not be advertised to kids.

Dan Jaffe, executive vice president for the Association of National Advertisers, said the industry has had an effective self-regulatory system since 1974. An industry-backed group screens ads aimed at youth to make sure they are appropriate for children.

"We certainly don't see any reason or any need for a new system to be imposed. There's a very strong existing system," Jaffe said.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the FTC, which polices advertisements for misleading claims, will host the marketing workshop, Majoras said.

"For this workshop to be effective, it must take a serious look at the impact that current junk-food marketing has on kids and address the remedies that should be implemented to protect kids," said Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, based on a ratio of weight to height known as BMI (body mass index), and about half of those are considered obese.

Obesity raises the chances of heart disease, some cancers and other health problems and adds billions of dollars in health-care costs.

Study: "Big" kids more likely to become obese adults

From Reuters:

Children and young teens who are not overweight but in the higher range of normal weight are much more likely than lean kids to become obese adults, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

The study of mostly white children from the Boston area suggests that "normal" weights may in fact be tilting a youngster toward obesity, the researchers reported in the journal Obesity Research.

"We have known that kids who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for being overweight or obese as adults," said study leader Alison Field, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston.

"But in this paper, we show that even children in the high normal weight range have an elevated risk of becoming overweight or obese as adults."

Field's team looked at 314 children from East Boston who were 8 to 15 years old when their weight, height, and blood pressure were first recorded. They were examined again 8-12 years later.

More than 48 percent of the boys and 23 percent of the girls became overweight or obese between their first childhood visit and the young adult follow-up.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses body mass index -- a measure of height versus weight -- to determine normal weight. It classifies children with a BMI between the national 85th and 95th percentiles for age and gender as at-risk for being overweight, and those with a BMI greater than the 95th percentile are classified as overweight.

Children between the 50th and 74th percentile for weight were five times more likely to become overweight, the researchers found.

Girls with a BMI between the 75th and 84th percentile were up to 20 times more likely to become overweight young adults.

Boys between the 75th and 85th percentile of BMI as children were four times more likely to have high blood pressure as young adults.

"These findings underscore that even children who are in the high normal weight range may have adverse outcomes later in life, and our challenge may be even greater than we thought," said Matthew Gillman, who also worked on the study.

An estimated 15 percent of U.S. children and 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese.

Study: Aspirin, Plavix work to prevent heart attacks

From Reuters:

Patients whose clot-clogged arteries were treated with standard drugs, including aspirin, following serious heart attacks were more likely to maintain opened arteries and live longer if they also took the anti-clotting drug Plavix, researchers said.

Plavix, sold by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., has proven able in earlier trials to help prevent second heart attacks, strokes and death among patients who had suffered less-serious heart attacks.

"The new trials were meant to show Plavix can also keep the artery open and cut risk of another heart attack in people with large heart attacks, and they did so convincingly," said Dr. Marc Sabatine, lead researcher of the study sponsored by the two drug makers.

Sabatine's trial involved nearly 3,500 men and women all of whom were treated within 12 hours of reaching the hospital with severe heart attacks caused by complete blockages of a coronary artery.

"About one third of heart attacks are caused by such complete blockages of a coronary artery," said Sabatine, a physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

He presented his findings on Plavix -- which has annual sales of more than $5 billion -- at the scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday. The study will also appear in the New England Journal of Medicine. All patients received standard drugs, including "clot-busters" such as Genentech Inc.'s TNKase, as well as two treatments that prevent new clots: aspirin and heparin. Aspirin works by stopping blood cells called platelets from clumping. Heparin works through another mechanism.

Roughly half also receiving daily doses of Plavix, whose chemical name is clopidogrel, while the others got a placebo.

Within about a week after entering the hospital, all patients had been scheduled for an angiogram -- an X-ray of the affected coronary artery -- to see if it remained clear after drug treatment.

By the time of their planned angiograms, almost 22 percent of those taking placebo plus standard drug treatment continued to have a clogged artery, died or suffered a second heart attack -- compared with only 15 percent in the Plavix group.

"That means that those taking Plavix had a 36 percent reduced chance of these negative outcomes as those taking placebos," said Sabatine, who has received lecture fees and other remuneration from Sanofi and Bristol-Myers.

Moreover, Sabatine said those taking Plavix had neither overall increased bleeding nor a greater incidence of serious brain hemorrhages, compared with those taking placebos.

"By contrast, other types of potent anti-platelet drugs have been shown in different trials to double the risk of bleeding and brain hemorrhage," he said.

In a separate editorial in the Journal, doctors Richard Lange and David Hillis concluded that for patients receiving clot-busting therapy a combination of Plavix and aspirin "appears, in fact, to be effective and safe."

They said Plavix being easier to administer and less expensive than other common treatments, "further adds to its attractiveness" in patients receiving clot-busting therapy.

Favorable results from a large similar Plavix trial conducted in China, called COMMIT, were also presented on Wednesday at the cardiology meeting.

That trial involved 46,000 people who were treated for severe heart attacks within 24 hours with standard drugs, but about half the patients did not have access to expensive clot-busters, Sabatine said.

Patients taking Plavix had significantly fewer incidents of a second hard attack or stroke within a month of hospitalization, researchers said.

"Plavix is the first drug in 12 years to show a clear survival benefit in patients with big heart attacks, and could therefore become a standard of care for these patients," Sabatine said.

Study: More Women Fat Than Underfed Around World

From Reuters:

Many more women around the world are overweight than underfed, even in poor countries and rural areas, according to a report published on Tuesday.

Overall, 32 percent of urban women in 36 countries were overweight compared to 9 percent of rural women who were underweight, the study found.

"The prevalence of overweight among young women in the developing world has reached an alarming state," the U.S. and Brazilian researchers wrote in this week's issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Michelle Mendez and Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina and Carlos Monteiro of Sao Paulo University collected data on body mass index, a measurement of height versus weight, from nearly 150,000 women aged 20 to 49 in the three dozen countries.

A BMI of 18.5 or lower was taken as underweight, according to international standards, while a BMI of 25 or above was overweight. A person 5 feet 5 inches tall has a BMI of 18.5 at 108 pounds and a BMI of 25 at 150 pounds.

Consistently, in Asia, Africa and Latin America, many more women, urban and rural, were overweight than underweight.

Among more than 3,300 women in Kenya, 28 percent of urban women and 15 percent of rural women were overweight, while 7 percent of urban women and 12 percent of rural women were underweight.

"The exception was India, where very high prevalences of undernutrition persist (23.1 percent of urban and 48.2 percent of rural women)," the researchers wrote.

"Whereas overweight in urban areas has been widely acknowledged, these data indicate that the burden in rural areas is also substantial. Half of the countries surveyed had a 20 percent prevalence of overweight in their rural areas."

In the developed world, many more women are overweight. In the United States more than 60 percent of women are overweight and 33 percent are obese, and thus at serious risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

"The results of this study suggest that, in the absence of policies to shift current trends, continued economic development and urbanization in developing countries will likely be accompanied by increased prevalences of overweight in both rural and urban settings," Mendez's team wrote.

Related resources:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Study: Acomplia helps with weight loss

A second study has confirmed that the experimental weight loss drug rimonabant (Acomplia) may help overweight or obese people lose (some) weight and keep it off for up to two years. Does that mean it's a miracle drug? Heck no. Like all drugs there are side-effects. Also, for many obese people, 16 pounds of weight loss isn't nearly enough. The real value of Acomplia may be in its ability to alleviate metabolic syndrome...

From the Associated Press:

Experimental Diet Pill Keeping Pounds Off

A second study confirms that an experimental diet pill can help people lose weight and keep it off for up to two years, setting the stage for its maker to seek approval to sell it in the United States.

The drug, rimonabant, which the French company Sanofi-Aventis hopes to sell under the brand name Acomplia, trimmed nearly 16 pounds on average from people taking the optimal dose for two years, compared with 5.5 pounds for those who took dummy pills, doctors reported Tuesday at a cardiology conference.

"The majority of the weight that was lost at one year is still maintained after two years. There is only a slight increase over that second year," said Dr. Luc Van Gaal of University Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium, who led the company-funded study involving 1,507 severely obese people in Europe.

About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese; in European countries, one-third to half are. Diet drugs sold now are only for short-term use or have unpleasant side effects that make it tough to stay on them.

Acomplia works in an entirely different way, by blocking a "pleasure center" in the brain, leading people to eat less and acting directly on fat cells to prevent weight gain. Company studies suggest it also might help people quit smoking.

In a North American study of 3,040 obese people reported last fall, those given the higher of two doses of the drug lost about 19 pounds and kept it off for up to two years, compared with only 5 pounds for those given fake pills.

In the new study, those on the higher dose of Acomplia regained some weight in the second year but fared far better than those on placebo. Waistlines in the drug group were 3.4 inches smaller after one year and 3 inches after two.

The proportion of people with metabolic syndrome — a collection of unhealthy conditions such as high blood sugar and blood pressure and low amounts of "good" cholesterol — went from 42 percent at the start of the study to 21 percent at two years for those on the higher dose of the drug.

Dr. Sidney C. Smith, a former American Heart Association president and cardiology chief at the University of North Carolina, said this was especially important, since 47 million Americans have metabolic syndrome.

However, Acomplia has side effects: 13.7 percent on the optimal dose reported nausea compared with 5.5 percent taking dummy pills, though researchers said it tended to be mild and short-lived. Rates of dizziness and diarrhea were almost twice as common on the drug.

About 19 percent on the higher dose dropped out of the study because a problem occurred, but so did 13 percent in the placebo group. Depression was the reason for discontinuing for 2.8 percent on the higher dose of the drug and 1.6 percent in the placebo group.

Dr. Julius Gaardin, a cardiologist at Wayne State University who had no ties to the study or the company, called it and similar ones on Acomplia "truly landmark studies in the field of obesity."

He said "the safety profile was quite good" and obesity is such a serious problem that there ought to be higher tolerability of side effects than for drugs for other conditions.

Company officials say they are on track to seek Food and Drug Administration approval within a few months.

Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said health officials would welcome an effective obesity drug if it proved safe.

"The important message is that we want men and women to focus on heart-healthy behaviors, modifications in lifestyles that promote health," she said.

Smith said the Acomplia could give people "a wonderful jump start," but that for long-term success, "there have got to be some improved behavioral and diet changes going on beyond taking a pill."

Learn more about Acomplia

Our other Acomplia article

.

Yoga for Weight Loss

From DrWeil.com:

Any form of physical exercise will help to burn calories - and thus support weight loss efforts - but some forms of exercise are gentler on the body than others. Yoga is a great way to burn calories, increase muscle (which in turn burns more calories) and enhance stretching, which is important for keeping joints limber and preventing injury.

If a yoga class seems too intimidating, read up on the practice of yoga (the Body section of Mind/Body/Spirit on DrWeil.com has easy-to-use information and a class finder, courtesy of Yoga Journal) and begin doing poses on your own. You may consider renting or buying a yoga video as well. Then, once you feel comfortable, look around for a yoga studio in your area. You are sure to feel the benefits - both physical and mental - that yoga provides!

Learn more at DrWeil.com...

.

Florida School Testing South Beach Diet

From the Associated Press:

Nine-year-old Kelly Ferrer no longer gets the waffles, pancakes and sugar cereals that she loved eating for breakfast last year in her school cafeteria.

This year, instead, she is served whole-wheat bread, lowfat cheese and fruit.

Does she like it? No.

"I want to go back to the old menu," said the fourth-grader at Mill Creek Elementary School. "We had better food last year."

Kelly's is one of six schools in this Orlando suburb taking part in a study by a research center founded by Dr. Arthur Agatston, the author of "The South Beach Diet."

The goal of the study is to figure out whether school cafeterias are capable of serving more nutritious food, whether kids will eat it and whether their health will improve.

The program underscores growing concerns across the nation about childhood obesity. Government data suggest about 15 percent of U.S. youngsters are severely overweight or obese, a problem that may lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Some state surveys indicate the obesity rate could be higher.

"We're not putting the children on the South Beach Diet," said Danielle Hollar, deputy director of research at the Agatston Research Institute. "We're trying to provide healthier options for these children, and in the long run we hope they learn to eat healthier and incorporate that into their daily living."

Although the 3,000 students in the study haven't been put on the low-carb diet per se, many of the diet's guiding principles have been incorporated into school menus.

White bread has been stricken and replaced with whole-wheat. White potatoes were subbed with sweet potatoes. French fries were abolished. Grilled chicken replaced breaded chicken. Fruits serve as dessert.

Read more...

.

Fight gym germs

The gym is a great place to get fit; it is also a great place to pick up unwanted germs. If you use a water bottle during your workouts, clean it with mild detergent and water after each use. Also, be sure to wash your hands with soap as often as possible or wear gloves when exercising.

Menopause and weight gain

From the Mayo Clinic:

Noticing a few extra pounds around your waist lately? Welcome to midlife expansion — the body changes that plague women between ages 35 and 55. During this time either you gain weight or you find that maintaining your weight becomes more difficult. You also discover that the weight you gain tends to accumulate around your stomach, rather than your hips and thighs.

But you don't have to accept weight gain as inevitable. Take steps to prevent weight gain before it starts. And if you've already begun adding to your waistline, it's never too late to reverse course through proper diet and exercise.
Causes of middle age weight gain

For most women, increases and shifts in weight begin during perimenopause — the years leading up to menopause. But these shifting levels of estrogen aren't the sole source of your weight gain. Aging also plays a part in your changing body composition.

Other possible causes of weight gain during middle age include:

* Reduced physical activity. Menopausal women tend to exercise less than other women, which can lead to weight gain.

* Increased food intake. Eating more means you'll take in more calories, which are converted to fat if you don't burn them for energy.

* Slowing metabolism. The number of calories you need for energy decreases as your metabolism slows and the amount of muscle you have decreases. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, the less muscle you have, the fewer calories you burn.

* Genetics. Genetic factors may play a role in your weight gain. You might be predisposed to gain weight around your stomach as you age. That means you may have to work harder to maintain your figure.

On average, women gain about a pound a year during the years leading up to menopause.
Complications of middle age weight gain

Weight gain can have serious implications for your health. Excess weight can increase your risk of:

* High cholesterol
* High blood pressure
* Insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes

These factors can put you at risk of heart disease.
What you can do to prevent or reverse weight gain

If you've already noticed the extra pounds, take steps to eat a varied diet and increase your daily exercise. If you've yet to reach the weight-gain stage of middle age, you can prepare by taking the same steps to ensure that you won't gain weight in the future.

Exercise

Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat. By incorporating strength training exercises, you'll increase your muscle mass, raise your metabolism and strengthen your bones.

Healthy diet

Deprive yourself of too many calories and you'll go into starvation mode. But carefully choosing a varied diet that's heavy on fruits and vegetables will help you safely cut back on calories and lose weight. Because your metabolism slows during this time, you need about 200 to 400 fewer calories a day. This shouldn't be a problem if you eat only when hungry and only enough to satisfy your hunger.

Dealing with life's changes

Body changes as you age might make it more difficult to keep that look you had in your 20s and 30s, but it doesn't mean you can't keep your body healthy. Forget about squeezing into your old jeans. Concentrate, instead, on being fit and healthy.

Related menopause resources:

MedlinePlus: Menopause

Exercise: A great "anti-aging" solution

From SmoothFitness.com:

Today, as the Baby Boomers approach their golden years, they try harder than ever to hold onto their youth. The evidence of this can be seen in a number of industries. For instance, take a look at the ever-growing popularity of 'anti-aging' products. Or, what about the increase in vitamin and herbal supplements that boast of bringing youth and longevity in pill or liquid form?

Cosmetic surgery for the sake of looking young has become almost as common as going to the dentist for a routine cleaning. In the past, such surgery was reserved for the wealthy. Now, however, you'll see people from all walks of life going under the knife to get a face-lift or a tummy tuck or whatever they think they need to knock years off their appearances! (Keep in mind that any surgery is risky...including cosmetic surgery!)

It seems that there is no end to the extremes that some people will go to in an effort to avoid growing old.

What About Exercise?

Physical activity requires just that: activity... movement... action! And, research has shown that physical activity can add years to your life! Unfortunately, many Americans have chosen a sedentary lifestyle rather than an active one. They would rather spend thousands of dollars to try to buy their youth, instead of engaging in physical exercise.

Money may be able to give you an outward appearance of being younger than you are. But, all the money in the world can't make you feel young, unless you do your part.

The fact is that, when it comes to aging, our mental and physical functions tend to thrive, as long as we actively use our minds and our bodies. When we let our minds and bodies stagnate, they begin to diminish and age more quickly. It's just as the old adage says: "Use it or lose it!"

How Does Exercise Relate to Aging?

Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy heart. It reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. For people who already have had heart attacks or coronary heart disease, regular physical activity carried out under the supervision of a physician has been found to be an effective means of rehabilitation. Exercise has also been recognized to noticeably lower blood pressure among those with hypertension.

Exercising regularly helps prevent obesity, reduces the risk for some forms of cancer (i.e. colon/rectal cancer), and is important in preventing many common mental health disorders (i.e. depression and insomnia).

Because exercise helps promote good health and physical fitness, your immune system can benefit from exercise and, thus, help your body ward off infections.

According to Charles B. Corbin and Ruth Lindsey in Concepts of Fitness and Wellness, Vol. I, page 26, "many, if not most, arthritics are in a deconditioned state resulting from a lack of activity. The traditional advice that exercise is to be avoided by arthritics is now being modified in view of the findings that carefully prescribed exercise can improve general fitness and, in some cases, reduce the symptoms of the disease."

Flexibility exercises help keep you limber and flexible for ease of movement. Strength training builds strong muscles and bones, as well as contributes to the prevention of osteoporosis and other musculoskeletal problems. Endurance training improves your ability to remain active for longer periods of time without getting too tired and winded. Even moderate exercise, such as daily walking, can promote longer, healthier lives.

I don't know about you, but I personally prefer to fight the aging process naturally... with physical exercise, as well as mental and spiritual exercises, a good attitude, and a healthy diet. I'd much rather exert myself, and feel good inside and out, than go under the knife or spend a fortune on expensive cosmetics that work only on the surface.

Now that you've been shown how being active can increase your life span, why not take my advice: get out there and start exercising! There's plenty to be gained from doing so!

Learn more at SmoothFitness.com...


|

Nutrition Tip: The Mighty Grape

More and more new research is confirming the fact that grapes are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. If you're trying to lose weight, get more fiber into your diet, prevent cancer, or just be healthier... start eating more grapes!

From ZonePerfect:

If grapes and grape juice are among the foods you enjoy, here's some good news: researches are discovering that red and purple grapes, pack a surprisingly powerful amount of health-giving nutrition into a very tasty package. And they may be an especially good choice for people with diabetes.

Grape juice and grape-seed extract contain potent antioxidants, two flavanoids, proanthcyanadins and catechins, that may help to protect our bodies from certain degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, and perhaps some forms of cancer. Resveratrol is the antioxidant found in purple grape juice.

Evidence is growing that these compounds may contribute to cardiovascular health because they may inhibit blood clot formation, improve the elasticity of blood vessels, and delay the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol).

If you have diabetes, you should know that grapes and grape juice contain a lot of natural sugar. One-fourth cup of grape juice has the same amount of carbohydrate as one-half cup of orange juice. Juices cause a rapid rise in glucose and have routinely been used to treat hypoglycemia.

Whether you prefer your grapes seeded or seedless, they are available year-round and make a tasty, low-calorie dessert or snack. One serving of 20 fresh grapes contains just 70 calories, while a one-half cup serving of grape juice provides between 65 and 80 calories.

When buying grapes, look for bunches with firm, plump fruits that are tightly attached to moist flexible stems. Store unwashed grapes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and they will keep for about a week. Before serving, wash them under cold water and remove any damaged fruit. Whole or sliced, grapes will give an unexpected and delicious twist to your favorite chicken or pasta salad.

Oh, good things do come in small packages!

Learn more about ZonePerfect products...

|

3 Great Tummy Exercises (No Crunches!)

From eDiets.com:

One of the biggest misconceptions related to the abdominal muscles is that one must perform crunch after crunch exercise in order to tighten the area.

I’m here to tell you that not only do you have options, but the options available will also strengthen other areas of your body at the same time.

I’m providing three great exercises that will tighten your abs as well as improve your upper body strength, balance and coordination. How’s that for a complete solution?

Take your time with each exercise and follow my beginner guidelines where appropriate. Perform three sets of each movement on alternate days of the week.

1. The Plank

Lie face down on a mat with your elbows by the sides of your body resting on the floor next to your chest. Your hands will be clenched in a fist and palms facing toward your body. Push your body off the floor in a push-up position with your body resting on elbows and forearms. Also, your legs will be extended and you’ll be on the balls of your feet -- exactly like a push-up position.

Contract the abs and keep the body in a straight line from head to toes. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat for two more sets. For beginners, do this move on your knees and gradually work your way up to balancing on your toes/balls of the feet. Remember to keep breathing naturally.

Benefit: This movement tightens the entire abdominal area through a constant isometric contraction with no repetitious movement. It also strengthens the entire upper body. It’s an amazing exercise and you’ll be astonished how tight your abdominals become in just six to eight weeks.

2. Resistance Ball Pull-In

This exercise targets the lower region of the abdominal muscles.

# Begin in a push-up position, with your shins on the resistance ball (fitness ball).
# Exhale as you pull your knees in toward your chest.
# Inhale as you return to your original position.

Try to perform 10-15 repetitions.

In the above exercise it’s important to fully concentrate on the lower abdominals pulling in toward your chest, and not just the legs pulling inward. The upper body should also remain stable in the push-up position.

If you have trouble performing the exercise, simply practice it in stages. For example, for one to two weeks just get comfortable with your feet on the ball and in the push-up position. Don’t attempt the pull-in movement until you’re comfortable with balancing.

Benefit: Strengthens lower abdominal area and dramatically improves balance and coordination as well as overall upper body strength.

3. Abdominal Vacuum

The Transverus Abdominis muscle is the real deal. It’s the muscle that holds your mid-section tight and flat. It’s a thin sheet of muscle running along the sides of the abs and joins connective tissue behind it. It is your body’s natural corset. When you suck your stomach in, you have just used your Transversus. This is the only muscle that can help pull the stomach inward.

Position yourself on the floor on all fours. Keep your back flat and maintain this position throughout the exercise. Start by exhaling absolutely every bit of air from your lungs. Then, relax your abdomen and let it hang like a loose sling, but don't increase the arch in your lower back. Next, pull the navel toward the spine as if I just told you to suck in your stomach as tight as possible. Continue to breathe lightly through your nostrils, but make sure you’re pulling your navel in as tight as you can.

You must hold the contraction very tight for at least 40 seconds. If you can’t hold the contraction for 40 seconds, just practice and your time will eventually improve.

Benefit: In time, you’ll notice the abdominal area pulled in and looking flatter. This exercise provides benefit with virtually no repetitious movement.

All three exercises above are extremely effective and provide many benefits that traditional crunches don’t allow for. I’m not suggesting that you never perform an abdominal crunch again, but now you have some excellent options to choose from. As always, your ultimate success will be based on reducing body fat by maintaining consistency with your eDiets fitness and nutrition program.

Check with your doctor before starting this or any exercise program.

Learn more at eDiets.com...


|

Weight Loss Surgery: The benefits

When it comes to weight loss surgery, there is a lot of conflicting information. However, one thing is for certain: if they "do it right" -- including making healthy diet/exercise changes before and after the surgery -- an obese person can usually expect to enjoy several BIG health benefits...

From WebMD.com:

Obese patients who undergo weight loss surgery not only shed unwanted pounds, but also reduce their risk of a number of obesity-related illnesses, including heartburn, high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes, a new study shows.

In the study of more than 150 obese people who underwent a gastric reduction procedure in which an adjustable band was placed around the stomach to reduce it, 75% of those who suffered heartburn and chest pain caused by GERD no longer had symptoms after the procedure, researchers say. GERD -- gastroesophageal reflux disease -- happens when the valve between the stomach and the esophagus doesn't function properly, allowing stomach acids to escape and burn their way back up the esophagus.

Also, high cholesterol levels dropped to healthy levels in two-thirds of affected patients, while high blood pressure resolved in nearly half, says Hadar Spivak, MD, a laparoscopic surgery fellow at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta who also maintains a private practice in Houston and Baytown, Texas. One-third of the patients with diabetes were able to stop taking medication for their condition, he says.

Speaking in New Orleans at Digestive Disease Week, an annual medical conference, Spivak tells WebMD, "We knew the procedure helped patients to lose a significant amount of weight. Now we've confirmed it significantly improves overall health as well."

Patients Eat Less

The researchers studied 163 obese people who underwent gastric restriction using the adjustable Lap-Band system. The procedure involves inserting an inflatable silicone band around the upper stomach to create a new, tiny stomach pouch that can only hold a small amount of food.

"We don't really know exactly how it works, but you feel full on top of the band because food doesn't go down like before," Spivak says. "So you consume less food and for reasons I can't explain, people report less hunger, too."

Also, the narrowed opening between the stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach controls how quickly food passes from one to another, increasing the amount of time it takes for food to be digested.

Many patients prefer the procedure to traditional gastric bypass surgery because it's less invasive and reversible, Spivak says. The band is inserted laparoscopically through several tiny incisions in the abdomen, he explains.

The Lap-Band system is made by BioEnterics Corporation of Carpinteria, Calif., which helped pay for the study.

Patients Lose 45% of Excess Weight

By nearly two years after the procedure, the patients lost an average of 45% of their excess weight. Their average body mass index, or BMI -- a measure of obesity - dropped from 46 to 38. A BMI over 40 indicates a person is morbidly obese, increasing the risk of death from any cause by nearly double.

Other findings:

* Of the 48 people with GERD, 73% were able to stop taking their medication, and 15% needed less than before.

* Of the 40 people taking hypertension pills, 43% were able to stop taking their drugs and 5% needed less.

* Of the 116 people with high cholesterol, 64% stopped needing their medication.

* Of the four patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, 33% stopped needing insulin and another 33% needed less.

"The question is whether a reduction in medication is the best way to measure comorbities [other illnesses]," Spivak says. "We think it is. If a doctor says, 'You don't need to take any more diabetes medication,' for example, that's a pretty good indication you're doing better. And if you need no medication -- well, then the disorder has resolved."

Every Pound Counts

William Scott Helton, MD, chief of surgery at the University of Chicago, agrees. "It's pretty well demonstrated that even a little weight loss -- 10 pounds -- results in an improvement in diabetes," he tells WebMD. This holds true for other obesity-related illnesses as well, he says.

"It doesn't matter how you achieve the weight loss -- with bypass surgery or the Lap-Band -- there seems to be a correlation between weight loss, less caloric intake, and fewer obesity-related illnesses," says Helton, whose own study shows the Lap-Band procedure can safely be performed in about an hour at specialized centers rather than in the hospital.

But the procedure alone won't achieve the best results, he cautions. "You must also have behavioral modification, intensive follow-up, and nutrition counseling. That's how you really keep the weight off and improve your health."

SOURCES: Digestive Disease Week 2004, New Orleans, May 16-20, 2004. Hadar Spivak, MD, laparoscopic surgery fellow, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta; private practice, Houston and Baytown, Texas. William Scott Helton, MD, chief of surgery, University of Chicago.

Related info:

MSNBC.com: Think Twice About Weight Loss Surgery


|

56% of NFL players are obese!

It's amazing that even in a major professional sports league like the NFL obesity is becoming a huge problem...

From the AP:

It's no secret that size matters in American gridiron football, but a new study suggests that a whopping 56 percent of players in the National Football League would be considered obese by some medical standards.

The NFL called the study bogus for using players' body-mass index, a height-to-weight ratio that doesn't consider body muscle versus fat. The players union said that despite the sight of bulging jerseys, there's no proof that obesity is rampant in the league.

But former defensive tackle John Jurkovic said he's seen plenty of evidence that players have gotten not just bigger but sometimes fatter, "big as houses" in recent years because of league pressure to intimidate opponents and win.

Read more...


|