ARTICLE - CUTTING CARBS JUST 2 DAYS A WEEK CAN SPUR WEIGHT LOSS

Cutting carbs just 2 days a week can spur weight loss

 

By Linda Carroll

msnbc.com contributor

updated 12/8/2011 

 

Dieters who can’t stomach the idea of going hungry seven days a week just got good news: You might be able to drop more weight if you cut back on carbs just two days a week.

British researchers found that women who essentially gave up carbs for two days and ate normally the rest of the time dropped about 9 pounds on average, as compared to the 5 pounds lost by women who cut back to around 1,500 calories every day, according to a report presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
“We came up with the idea of an intermittent low-carb diet because it enables people to still have foods that are very satiating,” said the study’s lead author Michelle Harvie, a research dietician at the Genesis Prevention Center at the University Hospital in South Manchester, England. “Also, there’s a lot of evidence from other studies showing that restricting carbohydrates has the same effect as restricting energy.”
Harvie and her colleagues were spurred to find a diet that would be easier for women to follow because research has shown that obesity and the changes it causes in the body increase the risk for breast cancer. “We know from our research in animal models that losing weight has the potential for reducing breast cancer risk,” Harvie said.


The researchers followed 88 women for four months. All the women were at high risk for breast cancer based on their family histories.
One third of the women were put on a Mediterranean-type diet that restricted calories to about 1,500 per day. A second group was told to eat normally most of the time, but two days a week to cut carbs and also calories to about 650 on those two days. The third group was also to cut carbs two days a week, but there was no calorie restriction on those days.
At the end of four weeks women in both of the intermittent dieting groups had lost more weight — about 9 pounds — than the women who ate low calorie meals every day of the week — about 5 pounds.
Women in the intermittent dieting groups also had better improvement than daily dieters in the levels of hormones — insulin and leptin — that have been linked with breast cancer risk, Harvie said.
And, yes, this is something you can try at home, Harvie said. You just need to dramatically cut back carbohydrates two days a week and try to eat sensibly the rest of the time, she added.
What that means, Harvie said, is that you can eat protein and healthy fats on the two low carb days, but skip bread, pasta, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and parsnips to get to the 50g limit. The diet allows for one piece of fruit on the low carb days. Other foods on the menu include: nuts and green, leafy vegetables, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant and cauliflower.

NEWS - FDA SAYS HCG WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS ARE ILLEGAL

Written on December 7, 2011 by BHR

FDA says HCG weight-loss products are illegal

Over-the-counter HCG products being sold for weight loss are illegal and claims that the drugs work are unsubstantiated, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Tuesday.

HGC products are sold online and in stores as pellets, sprays or oral drops. These products are considered by the FDA to be unapproved new drugs.
Last week, the FDA, along with the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to seven companies manufacturing human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, products labeled "homeopathic." The products in question are "hCG Diet Drops Weight Loss Formula," "hCG Diet Pellets Weight Loss Formula," "Alcohol Free hCG Weight Loss Formula,""HCG Fusion 30," "HCG Fusion 43," "Homeopathic Original HCG," Homeopathic HCG," "HCG Platinum X-30," "HCG Platinum X-14" "HCG Diet Homeopathic Drops," and "HCG Extra Weight Loss Homeopathic Drops."

According to the labels, these products should be taken with a "very low calorie diet." This is a very dangerous way to use the HCG supplement, according to the FDA.
“These HCG products marketed over-the-counter are unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous even if taken as directed,” said Ilisa Bernstein, acting director of the Office of Compliance in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “And a very low-calorie diet should only be used under proper medical supervision.”
The FDA says people on such diets have an increased risk of heart arrhythmia's, electrolyte imbalance and gallstones. Currently no HCG products for weight loss have been approved by the agency.
Companies have 15 days to tell the agency what corrective actions they will take, otherwise the FDA will take legal action ranging from seizure to criminal prosecution.
“Deceptive advertising about weight loss products is one of the most prevalent types of fraud,” said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Any advertiser who makes health claims about a product is required by federal law to back them up with competent and reliable scientific evidence, so consumers have the accurate information they need to make good decisions.”

HUMOR: CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS

Chocolate Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all round my hips
Were Fannie May candies that sneaked past my lips.

Fudge brownies were stored in the freezer with care,
In hopes that my thighs would forget they were there.

While Mama in her girdle and I in chin straps
Had just settled down to sugar-borne naps.

When out in the pantry there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash,
Tore open the icebox then threw up the sash.

The marshmallow look of the new-fallen snow
Sent thoughts of a binge to my body below.

When what to my wandering eyes should appear:
A marzipan Santa with eight chocolate reindeer!

That huge chunk of candy so luscious and slick
I knew in a second that I'd wind up sick.

The sweet-coated Santa, those sugared reindeer,
I closed my eyes tightly but still I could hear;
On Pritzker, on Stillman, on weak one, on TOPS
A Weight Watcher dropout from sugar detox.

From the top of the scales to the top of the hall
Now dash away pounds; now dash away all.

Dressed up in Lane Bryant from my head to nightdress
My clothes were all bulging from too much excess.

My droll little mouth and my round little belly
They shook when I laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

I spoke not a word but went straight to my work
Ate all of the candy then turned with a jerk.

And laying a finger beside my heartburn
Gave a quick nod toward the bedroom I turned.

I eased into bed, to the heavens I cry
If temptation's removed I'll get thin by and by.

And I mumbled again as I turned for the night
"In the morning I'll starve...
'til I take that first bite!"

BEANS - A SECRET WEAPON INGREDIENT

Beans: Secret Weapon Ingredient

Ahem...allow us to introduce to you one of many Secret Weapon Ingredients. And what, you might ask, are Secret Weapon Ingredients? They are versatile foods that are perfect for mixing into many recipes and dishes and provide a nutritional punch to any meal. They are easy and convenient, and their health benefits are numerous. Do you have trouble making your kids eat healthy foods? Sneak these into their meals and their bodies will be grateful.

Beans
These little guys are a major source of soluble fiber, which keeps the digestive tract moving efficiently and therefore allowing it to absorb nutrients more effectively. Fiber also lowers bad cholesterol levels in the blood. How can you use beans? Replace fatty meat with low-fat beans in some of your recipes. They will make you feel full, so you're less likely to overeat. Add them to salad or soups. For a simple dinner idea, mix beans with brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

NEWS - GROP PREDICTS 522 MILLION COULD HAVE DIABETES BY 2030

Group predicts 522M could have diabetes by 2030

 

GENEVA (AP) — The International Diabetes Federation predicts that one in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to their latest statistics. In a report issued on Monday, the advocacy group estimated that 522 million people would have diabetes in the next two decades, based on things like aging and demographic changes.

The figure includes both types of diabetes. The group expects the number of cases to jump by 90 percent even in Africa, where infectious diseases have previously been the top killer. Without including the impact of increasing obesity, the International Diabetes Federation said its figures were conservative.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries. The agency projects diabetes deaths will double by 2030 and said the International Diabetes Federation's prediction was possible.

"It's a credible figure," said Gojka Roglic, head of WHO's diabetes unit. "But whether or not it's correct, we can't say."
Roglic said the projected future rise in diabetes cases was because of aging rather than the obesity epidemic. Most cases of diabetes are Type 2, the kind that mainly hits people in middle age, and is linked to weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.

Roglic said a substantial number of future diabetes cases were preventable. "It's worrying because these people will have an illness which is serious, debilitating, and shortens their lives," she said. "But it doesn't have to happen if we take the right interventions."

___

Online:

www.idf.org

www.who.int

NEW APP FOR COUNTING CALORIES

November 3, 2011, 2:56 pm

A New App for Counting Calories

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

 

 The toughest part of counting calories can be figuring out how many are actually on your plate. But what if your Android or iPhone could do it for you?
A smartphone app called PlateMate, developed by former Harvard engineering students and currently in the works, may soon allow you to snap a picture of your food and quickly get a good estimate of its calorie count. Other tools count calories by letting users input the foods they eat, or sending photos out to a nutritionist. A social networking app called Meal Snap allows users to get nutritional breakdowns by taking pictures of their food, though the calorie estimates often fall within a broad range. PlateMate uses a different system of social networking to quickly crunch data and estimate calories, as an article in today’s Boston Globe explains:

In a paper presented last month at a software technology conference, the former students — now employed at Microsoft and Google — showcased their method of using crowd-sourcing to instantly estimate portions and identify foods on a plate, information that can then be fed into a software program to estimate the number of calories. …
PlateMate uses a more complex crowd-sourcing tool, involving sets of individuals — getting small payments to analyze photos on a website — who analyze parts of the food photo, with some identifying the food and others estimating portion sizes. The trick is to have five individuals estimating portion sizes on each plate and then averaging those guesses.

But as one nutritionist pointed out, how can any app decipher what’s hiding inside a quiche or figure out whether the cheese smothering a slice of pizza is regular or low-fat? Still, for the health- and calorie-conscious, apps like this one might one day be a helpful and snazzy new tool on the go.
Smartphone tools and social media have already secured a growing role in health and physical fitness for many Americans. Tens of millions of people looking to lose weight, eat better or stay in shape have downloaded personal training apps like Nike Training Club, exercise trackers like RunKeeper and calorie-counting apps like Lose It! and MyFitnessPal. Last year, Brian Stelter, a media reporter for The New York Times, wrote about losing 75 pounds with the help of Twitter.
What other health and fitness apps would you like to see someday? To learn more about PlateMate, read the full article, “New Harvard App Counts Calories on a Plate,” and then please join the discussion below.

ARTICLE - SODA DRINKERS BEWARE

Soda Drinkers, Beware

Studies now correlate an increase in certain health risks with soda consumption. For four years, researchers tracked the soda drinking habits of 50,000 women. When women went from drinking one regular soda drink a week to at least one a day, they gained an average of 10 pounds during the four year period. An increase in body weight was also seen when consuming fruit drinks, but not with diet soft drinks. In another study of 90,000 women, those who drank soda or fruit drinks daily had about twice the risk of developing diabetes compared with those who drank soda less than once a month.

Currently, the federal government is considering its first-ever warning that soft drinks can cause unhealthy weight gain. While soda sales have nearly doubled during the past 20 years, so has the percentage of obesity. Battle lines are being drawn and the debate is heating up.

• Should a warning be issued concerning weight gain and soda consumption?
• Should there be a ban on soda commercials during children's television programs?
• Should soda be eliminated at school? Currently the sale of soda helps fund many school activities.

Action Sparked: There is strong evidence linking the consumption of soda and fruit drinks to obesity. An occasional soft drink presents no problem, but one or more a day could be disastrous to the health of you and your children.