Not all calories equal, study shows
A diet based on healthy carbohydrates—rather than a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet—offers the best chance of keeping weight off without bringing unwanted side effects, a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests.
Study participants following a low-glycemic-index diet, which is similar to a Mediterranean diet and focuses on fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, also saw improved cholesterol levels and other important markers that lower the risks of developing heart disease and diabetes. Such a diet might include minimally processed oatmeal, almonds, brown rice, beans and healthy fats like olive oil, among other foods.
The study was led by researchers at the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital and funded by the National Institutes of Health and the New Balance Foundation, which is affiliated with the athletic-shoe maker. It was designed to assess how each of three common diets affects the ability to keep weight off. Participants had all of their food prepared for them, and their food intake was monitored. They ate many meals at the hospital, picking up others to eat at home.
Insufficient Vitamin D Linked With Increased Weight In Older Women
Your weight and your vitamin D levels may be linked, according to new research.
A recent study from the nonprofit Kaiser Permanente Center for Heath Research shows that women who have insufficient vitamin D levels are also more likely to gain about two pounds over a nearly five-year period, compared with people who have enough in the vitamin.
“Nearly 80 percent of women in our study had insufficient levels of Vitamin D,” study researcher Dr. Erin LeBlanc, M.D., an endocrinologist and researcher at Kaiser, saidin a statement. “A primary source of this important vitamin is sunlight, and as modern societies move indoors, continuous Vitamin D insufficiency may be contributing to chronic weight gain.”
However, researchers cautioned that they only found a correlation — and no proof that having low levels of vitamin D can actually cause women to put on the pounds. Therefore, they said to make sure to talk to a doctor before considering ways to increase vitamin D intake, like via a supplement, since everyone has different health concerns.
Stop and Chew Your Dinner for better health benefits
In this era of fast-paced everything, even the act of eating a meal has become something we can do on the run. Breakfast comes in bars, lunch can be eaten while speeding down the highway, and dinner is merely an accompaniment to the evening news, squeezed in between other pressing activities. Invariably, when eating plays second string to everything else, every meal becomes “fast food,” as in eaten-very-fast food. If you find yourself wolfing down your meals in a hurry, you’re actually shortchanging yourself in more ways than you might think.
It turns out there’s a reason food tastes so good. You’re supposed to enjoy it—slow down and savor it, not just get it to your stomach as quickly as possible. Chewing your food thoroughly is actually the first step in the complex process of digestion, and if you glaze over it, just chewing the minimum amount of times necessary to get the food down your esophagus, you’re actually compromising this process. And it’s a mistake many people make.
Fiber For Fat Loss?
Fiber for fat loss, are you crazy? That’s right folks, fiber can actually help you lose fat. We all know that fiber will help fight against heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes and colon cancer, but it also plays a role in fighting obesity. Fiber is a compound that only plants contain. The fiber we consume from plant foods is called dietary fiber. Dietary fiber only comes from plant foods (i.e. grains, oats, fruits, etc.); it is never in animal foods (i.e. meats). Dietary fiber can be broken down into two forms, soluble and insoluble fiber. Though there is no daily recommended amount of fiber, health experts recommend consuming 20-35 grams of fiber per day. On average, most Americans consume only 12 grams of fiber a day.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber, as the name implies, dissolves in water. These fibers bind to bile acids and excrete them from the small intestine. Surplus cholesterol is disposed of in the liver as bile acids. Bile acids are then transported to the small intestine where they aid in lipid digestion. Bile acids are also essential for the absorption of these digested products. This binding of bile acids would help to decrease the cholesterol levels in the blood. It has also been said that soluble fibers help to regulate blood sugar levels.
Why Does Spinach Give Us Strength?
Spinach has long been associated with strength, but why the leafy vegetable makes us stronger has remained unknown until now.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute say that nitrate, found naturally in spinach and several other vegetables, significantly increases muscle strength.
In the study, the team placed nitrate directly into the drinking water of a group of mice for seven days and then compared their muscle strength to a control group. According to the researchers, the amount of nitrate given to the mice was roughly the equivalent to that which a human would obtain by consuming 200 to 300 grams of fresh spinach or 2 to 3 beetroots a day.
Spinach and beetroot are two of the main sources of nitrate, but it is also found in several other vegetables, such as chard and lettuce.
After 7 days, the researchers examined different muscles on the mice’s legs and feet. They discovered that those given nitrate had significantly stronger muscles than mice in the control group. According to the researchers the greatest effect were observed in the extensor digitorum longus muscle, which extends down the tibia, and the flexor digitorum brevis muscle of the foot.
Hemp seed oil: The new healthy oil
Hemp seed oil, pressed from the seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been named nature’s perfect food due to its balanced concentrations of omega fatty acids. Hemp used to be consumed worldwide, as it was one of the first cultivated and consumed crops. There is a misconception that hemp contains THC, the principal psychoactive constituent of the cannabis plant. Needless to say, this is false. Although relativity new to the Western Hemisphere, hemp seed oil is now widely available in health-food stores.
Balance is key
The seed of the hemp plant contains some of the most balanced and richest sources of oils on the planet. The ideal 3:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is recommended by the World Health Organization for optimal utilization. The essential fatty acids in these oils are fundamental in restoring health and immune function. Hemp seed oil contains 80 percent essential fatty acids, the highest of any plant.
Good Sources of Protein
Here are a variety of protein choices you probably encounter every day:
- Meats. Schmitt says that salami, steak, and chicken with skin are meats that are high in protein but also high in saturated fat. A six-ounce steak, for instance, has almost all the protein you need for one day, but that same steak has nearly 75 percent of your daily saturated fat intake. Does this mean you have to give up your Italian sub sandwiches or Philly cheesesteaks? Not necessarily. Schmitt recommends moderation: “Try to eat these meats only once or twice a week,” she says.
- Lean meats. Luckily, there are also leaner choices for die-hard meat eaters. Chicken, turkey, fish, and beef that is 95 percent lean are still high in protein but have less fat, especially the saturated fats that can lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
- Soy. Schmitt says that soy proteins are rich in protein and low in saturated fats. She recommends edamame (baby soybeans) and vegetarian meat alternatives such as soy nuggets and veggie burgers. Look for these in the refrigerator case at your local supermarket. Edamame is usually served lightly boiled and salted, often as a part of Japanese and Chinese cuisine. If you don’t have an Asian specialty market near you, check the freezer section of conventional supermarkets, which sometimes carry edamame.
- Beans, legumes, and nuts. All varieties of beans are good sources of protein and low in saturated fats, Schmitt says. Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, taste delicious on salads or in hummus, a low-fat dip. Spicy vegetarian chili recipes can be a flavorful alternative to traditional chili. Legumes such as dried peas and lentils can also be used in chili and stews. And nuts, when eaten in moderation, are another good source of protein that is not high in fat.
- Dairy. Dairy products are often overlooked as sources of protein, but they are certainly worth mentioning, says Schmitt. Some dairy products are higher in saturated fat than others. She recommends the low-fat versions of cottage cheese, Greek-style yogurt, and ricotta cheese, not only because of their value as a protein source but because they also make an easy and convenient snack.
Fiber can save your life
Have you had your fibre today?
If you’ved answered yes, you’ve taken another easy but important step in keeping yourself in good health.
A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gives further evidence that a higher intake of dietary fibre (especially from whole grains and vegetables) may reduce risks of chronic disease.
Previous studies have shown that a high fibre diet is associated with lower mortality but less is known about the association of fibre with specific causes of death other than cardiovascular disease. The researchers looked at data from the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study, a large European prospective study of 452,717 men and women, followed over about 12 years.
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When they looked at deaths in the population, they were able to show that there were significantly lower rates of death from circulatory, digestive, respiratory and non-cardiovascular non-cancer inflammatory diseases among people who had a higher fibre intake (28 grams or more per day). The associations were stronger for fibre from cereals and vegetables than from fruit.
Vegetarian diet provides good nutrition, health benefits
A vegetarian diet provides adequate nutrition to adults and children and can also reduce health problems, an Australian study has found.
The scientific research review, “Is a vegetarian diet adequate?” published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, puts to rest the long-held belief a vegetarian diet lacks sufficient protein and iron, The Advertiser reported.
The study found those who adopted a vegetarian diet are receiving adequate levels of protein, iron and zinc, and are less likely to suffer from heart disease, colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said there were no significant health differences in babies born to vegetarian mothers and no noticeable differences in the growth of vegetarian children compared to children who consumed meat as part of their diet.
Although vegetarians who do not eat fish may be receiving less Omega 3 fatty acids than considered desirable, vegetarians do not exhibit signs of clinical deficiency.
Low-carb diet may not be good for heart
A low-carbohydrate diet may not be good for the heart as it has been linked with higher cholesterol levels, a study says.
The research, conducted in Sweden over 25 years, tracked the health of 140,000 people after it was noticed that occurrence of cardiovascular diseases was particularly high there in the 1970s.
A diet programme was introduced in 1985 which included better food labelling, cooking lessons, health information and dietary advice. By 1992, fat intake for men and women had reduced by three and four percent, respectively, and remained at that level until 2005, the Nutrition Journal reports.
Then, fat intake began to increase again and crossed the levels of 1986, while consumption of starchy carbohydrates fell. This was the time the Atkins diet was being promoted and became popular, according to the Telegraph.
The diet involves eating large amount of meat and fat while limiting consumption of carbohydrates.
Consequently, cholesterol levels began to increase once more despite the introduction of a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, Statins.
Ingegerd Johansson, professor from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, who led the research, said: “The association between nutrition and health is complex. It involves specific food components, interactions among those food components, and interactions with genetic factors and individual needs.”
“While low-carbohydrate/high-fat diets may help short-term weight loss, these results of this Swedish study demonstrate that long-term weight loss is not maintained and that this diet increases blood cholesterol which has a major impact on risk of cardiovascular disease.”
