Healthy Living – Yahoo, Thursday, November 12, 2009
8 fat fighting foods – Veronica Byrd
Combat fat! Your allies in battling bulge? Foods that do the work for you. These edibles have proven lipid-melting powers that help you slim. That’s a win.
Almonds - Almond joy! Dieters who ate 3 ounces of these nuts every day reduced their weight and body-mass index by a solid 18 percent compared with an 11 percent drop in the no-nut group, a study in the International Journal of Obesity found. Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can speed the metabolism of fats. Stick to 12 per serving.
Berries Vitamin C–loaded fruit such as strawberries and raspberries can help you sizzle up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, suggests research from Arizona State University at Mesa. Blend a vinaigrette of 1 cup berries and ¼ cup balsamic vinegar.
Cinnamon - This spice could make your waistline nice. Sprinkling ¼ teaspoon on your food may prevent a postmeal insulin spike—this increase normally occurs after you eat and “signals the body that it should store fat rather than burn it,” explains Lauren Slayton, R.D., of New York City. Add a dash to your oatmeal, yogurt or coffee.
Mustard - Hello, yellow. The spice that gives mustard its color, turmeric, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology notes. Eighty-six mayo in favor of any mustard; sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower and roast for a tangy side.
Oranges - Prevent pound creep with this citrus star: It contains fat-torching compounds called flavones. Women who ate the most flavones had a significantly lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds. Snack on slices or drink freshly squeezed OJ (with pulp!) for the biggest payback. Soybeans These green gems are rich in choline, a compound that blocks fat absorption and breaks down fatty deposits. Add ½ cup edamame to a salad.
Sweet potatoes - Trade up to sweet taters. They’re high in fiber, which means no drastic insulin jumps and thus less fat packed onto your hips. Bake a small sweet potato—think of two bars of soap as a portion size—and top with a dollop of lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese.
Swiss cheese **- Holy cow: “Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown,” says Michael B. Zemel, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Put toe to toe with some of its cheesy counterparts, Swiss is a heavy hitter in the calcium department; layer a slice on a lunchtime sandwich, or stack some on high-fiber crackers.
-----------------------------------------
** dairy products ( are high in animal proteins) make our body acidic
after metabolism.
Cheese is one of the most acidic food around.
Our body has to restore the pH back to normal (slightly alkali) by
utilizing the calcium in our bones to neutralise the acidity.
We end up with a net loss of calcium instead of stronger bones.
Countries with the highest consumption of dairy products have
highest rate of osteoporosis.
- further info from www.drmcdougall.com under the video topic
"marketing of milk" .
Friday, November 13, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Teenage Obesity Links to Future Multiple Sclerosis
BBC NEWS / HEALTH
05:00 GMT, Monday, 9 November 2009
Being obese as a teenager may be linked with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis as an adult, researchers say.
A 40-year study of 238,000 women found those who were obese at 18 had twice the risk of developing MS compared to women who were slimmer at that age.
Yet body size during childhood or adulthood was not found to be associated with MS risk, the US researchers report in Neurology.
But an MS charity warned more research was needed to confirm the findings.
"Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS" - Dr Kassandra Munger, Harvard School of Public Health
Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health used data from nurses taking part in a large study on diet, lifestyle factors and health.
Over the course of the study, 593 women were diagnosed with MS, a condition caused by the loss of nerve fibres and their protective myelin sheath in the brain and spinal cord, which causes neurological damage.
The researchers compared the risk of the disease with body mass index (BMI) - a ratio of weight to height - at age 18.
Participants were also asked to describe their body size using a series of diagrams at the age of five, 10 and 20.
The study showed that those with an "obese" BMI of 30 or larger at age 18 had more than twice the risk of developing MS.
There was also a smaller increased risk in those who were classed as overweight .
The results were the same after accounting for smoking status and physical activity level.
Body shape
When comparing the risk of MS with self-reported body shape, the researchers found no association between childhood obesity and the future chances of developing the disease.
They also found no risk associated with adult obesity.
But women who had a larger body size at 20 years of age also had almost twice the risk of MS compared to women who reported a thinner body size.
Previous research has linked high levels of vitamin D with a reduced risk of MS and the researchers point out that obesity is associated with low vitamin D levels in the body.
The researchers suggest fatty tissue produces substances that affect the immune system, which may also provide a link with the chances of developing MS.
Further research should look at confirming the findings in men and individuals from different ethnic groups as well as comparing with vitamin D levels, they said.
"Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS," said study author Kassandra Munger, ScD, of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
"There's a lot of research supporting the idea that adolescence may be an important time for development of disease, so what we have found is consistent with that."
She added: "Teaching and practicing obesity prevention from the start - but especially during teenage years - may be an important step in reducing the risk of MS later in life for women."
Susan Kohlhaas, research communications officer for the MS Society, said: "This study does not account for several other factors that may play a role in causing MS. Based on that, more work is needed.
"As such, it is difficult to determine whether teenage obesity could be a possible factor in causing MS in women."
05:00 GMT, Monday, 9 November 2009
Being obese as a teenager may be linked with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis as an adult, researchers say.
A 40-year study of 238,000 women found those who were obese at 18 had twice the risk of developing MS compared to women who were slimmer at that age.
Yet body size during childhood or adulthood was not found to be associated with MS risk, the US researchers report in Neurology.
But an MS charity warned more research was needed to confirm the findings.
"Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS" - Dr Kassandra Munger, Harvard School of Public Health
Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health used data from nurses taking part in a large study on diet, lifestyle factors and health.
Over the course of the study, 593 women were diagnosed with MS, a condition caused by the loss of nerve fibres and their protective myelin sheath in the brain and spinal cord, which causes neurological damage.
The researchers compared the risk of the disease with body mass index (BMI) - a ratio of weight to height - at age 18.
Participants were also asked to describe their body size using a series of diagrams at the age of five, 10 and 20.
The study showed that those with an "obese" BMI of 30 or larger at age 18 had more than twice the risk of developing MS.
There was also a smaller increased risk in those who were classed as overweight .
The results were the same after accounting for smoking status and physical activity level.
Body shape
When comparing the risk of MS with self-reported body shape, the researchers found no association between childhood obesity and the future chances of developing the disease.
They also found no risk associated with adult obesity.
But women who had a larger body size at 20 years of age also had almost twice the risk of MS compared to women who reported a thinner body size.
Previous research has linked high levels of vitamin D with a reduced risk of MS and the researchers point out that obesity is associated with low vitamin D levels in the body.
The researchers suggest fatty tissue produces substances that affect the immune system, which may also provide a link with the chances of developing MS.
Further research should look at confirming the findings in men and individuals from different ethnic groups as well as comparing with vitamin D levels, they said.
"Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS," said study author Kassandra Munger, ScD, of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
"There's a lot of research supporting the idea that adolescence may be an important time for development of disease, so what we have found is consistent with that."
She added: "Teaching and practicing obesity prevention from the start - but especially during teenage years - may be an important step in reducing the risk of MS later in life for women."
Susan Kohlhaas, research communications officer for the MS Society, said: "This study does not account for several other factors that may play a role in causing MS. Based on that, more work is needed.
"As such, it is difficult to determine whether teenage obesity could be a possible factor in causing MS in women."
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