Archive for the ‘Prevention’ Category
Message: There is a diet plan called “The cabbage soup diet”, which is in fact a low calorie density plan and as such, it does work. But why cabbage?
Several clinical studies have found cabbage to be effective in warding off diseases, specifically, cancer:
In their article “Vegetables, Fruit and Phytoestrogens as Preventive Agents, ” Drs. Potter and Steinmetz from Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, reviewed 205studies and, based on the evidence provided in these studies, included cruciferous vegetables (of which cabbage is a member) into the list of foods containing preventive phytoestrogens. They wrote:
“The practice of medicine– past and present — often involves the prescription of specific foods(almost always plants) or their potent derivatives, to treat a wide spectrum of illnesses. Foods that have been ascribed healing properties include the cruciferae (cabbage), the allium family, celery, cucumber, endive, parsley ,radish and legumes.”(1)
Scientists from the Cancer Research Laboratory, University of Auckland, New Zealand, investigated the role of micronutrients in healthy nutrition and concluded that some micronutrients that seemed to play a protective role in cancer are beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to those chemicals with an established role in nutrition, there is also a less well-defined group of chemicals, often referred to as phytochemicals, which may prove even more important. Examples here are a group of sulphur-containing chemicals present in brassicaceous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, that appear to be very effective anticarcinogens.(2)
In the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University, researchers aimed to identify specific phytochemicals in Brassica vegetables, such as sulforaphane in broccoli that may confer protection against cancer.(3)
In China (Department of Epidemiology, Harbin Medical College, Heilongjiang), consumption of cabbage was found to protect against brain tumor development. Consumption of fresh vegetables– specifically that of Chinese cabbage and onion — fruit, fresh fish and poultry was inversely related to the risk of developing brain cancer. (4)
One of the most impressive results came from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Nutrition and Food Research Institute. The results of 94 studies showed that with an increase in the consumption of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, the risk of many types of cancer decreased.(5)
Not Just Cancer
Studies conducted by the Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo Noko University, concluded that cabbage is also good for keeping cholesterol levels low. Cabbage was found to contain S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide, which suppresses hypercholesterolemia by upregulating cholesterol catabolism. (6)
Russian Cabbage Soup Recipe
References
1. IARC Scientific Publications (Lyon). (139):61-90, 1996.
2. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 51(8):337-44, 1997.
3. Nutrition Reviews. 56(4 Pt 1):127-30, 1998 Apr.
4. International Journal of Cancer. 81(1):20-3, 1999 Mar 31.
5. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 5(9):733-48, 1996
6. International Journal of Cancer. Suppl 10:7-9, 1997.
The ketogenic diet can be good for the brain >> Read why
Question: Hi, I was wondering if and how enzymes supplements that break down fat and protein impact the efficiency of a ketogenic diet? At first I thought they might be a good supplement for me to aid in the weight loss, but now I’m not sure.
Answer: Different enzymes digest different foods, so, you are right, on a low-carb diet you need different enzymes than on a high-carb diet.
Here is what major enzymes do:
- Protease – Breaks protein
- Amylase – Breaks carbohydrates
- Lipase – Breaks fat
The enzymes are found in saliva, the stomach, pancreas, and intestines. Digestive enzymes break down food into its basic components, which are then absorbed and used for body needs.
Do we have enough enzymes of our own?
The main reason we don’t is the processed food prevailing on or tables. Modern food processing techniques and cooking destroy much if not most of the enzymes naturally present in food. Poor digestion leads to poor nutrition and can cause a weakening of the immune system. Dr. Atkins developed the “Basic Enzymes Formula” containing more protease (helps digest proteins) and lipase (helps digest fats) enzymes and fewer amylase enzymes than standard enzyme formulas.
Here are the components:
- Atkins Proprietary Enzyme Blend 840 mg
- Proteolytic (Protein) Enzymes 378 mg
- Protease (50000 HUT)
- Protease ll (28500 PC)
- Bromelain (180000 PU)
- Protease lll (150000 PU)
- Protease lV ( 15 SAPU)
- Lipolytic (Fat splitting) Enzymes 378 mg
- Lipase l (1400 FCCLU)
- Lipase ll (600 FCLU)
- Amylolytic (preventing carb absorption) Enzymes 84 mg
- Amylase l (1100 DU) Amylase (5 GA)
Message: “There are few fitness programs which don’t advocate exercising. The benefits of strengthening muscles extends beyond just the calorie burning effect of moving more. Weight bearing exercise is important for women who are worried about osteoporosis, and being strong and flexible can have a positive impact on energy levels, and overall well being.” — M. Ball
Longer, Leaner, and Taller: A Review of Pilates
by Maggie Ball
Lesley Ackland is a walking advertisement for the Pilates exercise system. At over 50 years old, Ackland is stunning, and has the sort of body that most 20 year olds would love. Pilates is a low impact exercise specifically designed to ‘elongate’ and strengthen the body rather than build bulk, and Ackland has been teaching Pilates at her Body Maintenance Studio in London for over 10 years. She is also the author of 4 other Pilates books, and is clearly dedicated to this program. The basic premise of Pilates, which is very popular with dancers and models, is to strengthen ligaments and joints, increase flexibility, and lengthen the muscles. The exercises are simple, and not very different from other types of callisthenics, although they draw from Yoga a focus on breathing, and on slow, controlled movements done perfectly, in an attempt to integrate mind and body. The book covers the origins and philosophy behind Pilates, including the use of things like creative visualisation, breathing, control over the specific body parts being conditioned, flow, precision, and coordination.
The exercise program is broken up into segments focusing on balance, breathing, abdominal exercises, side stretches, back exercises, legs, and upper body exercises. Each exercise includes a photo of Ackland demonstrating the technique. Although the exercises are pretty easy, it can take some practice to coordinate the breathing, and get the movements exactly right, and these are key points to the Pilates program, but explanations are very clear, and if you read through each one first, and practice the breathing until it is almost rote, it isn’t hard to do these. The most attractive element of Pilates is that they focus on increasing muscle length through stretching, and avoiding the creation of bulky muscles. This is particularly relevant for women, who don’t want to create treetrunk legs or even super muscled arms. There are suggestions for using weights, and hints on posture, and general tips on gradually increasing the benefits of the movements with weights, and other forms of resistence.
Thorson’s First Directions publish a range of new age type books, featuring popular heath related topics and short, easy to follow formats. Pilates is a small, hardcover book which is easily carried around, and many of the exercises can be done anywhere, with little equipment. If you don’t already have a callisthenic program, and don’t live close enough to attend Ackland trendy (but expensive) studio in Convent Gardens, this book is a pretty good investment.
For more information about Ackland, or Pilates, or to purchase a copy of Pilates , at a discounted price, click here: Pilates
About the reviewer: Maggie Ball is content manager for The Compulsive Reader, Preschool Entertainment, and is the author of The Literary Lunch: Recipes for a Hungry Mind and The Art of Assessment. Her fiction, poetry, reviews, interviews, and essays have appeared in hundreds of on-line and print publications.
Message: Thou Shalt Not Overeat
Fighting stalled weight loss, or a weight-loss plateau, is not an easy business; nor is it easy to advise on troubleshooting because there are many reasons for this plateau.
What is overeating?
It depends. For one person, overeating means that she eats in excess of her energy expenditure, which may be due to the sedentary needs. For another person, it’s because of sluggish metabolism. For yet another, it can be a plain old cheating on his diet.
In this article, I’ll talk about the weight-loss plateau and one of its aspects that is rarely discussed: taste and calories.
There are two issues in the weight-loss plateau problem that concerns low-carb dieters. First, what is this plateau – ; is it anything real or all in our heads? Second, is low-carb stalled weight loss different from any other diet stalling?
A Look at the General Problem of Plateaus
A weight-loss plateau is when you were losing weight and then stopped losing, without changing your diet, exercise or other lifestyle factors. You eat the same diet and exercise as much as before, but your bathroom scales are frozen at some mysterious point, sometimes referred to as the body-weight set point.(Just think of your refrigerator: it’s the point you set to maintain the temperature you want. Though different in details, basically the same parts make up the human body’s “thermostat” or “fatostat,” for that matter.)
Body-weight set point is nature’s idea of what amount of fat you need. If we deviate from nature’s, it forces us to eat more – ; even when our fat stores are huge. Luckily, a low-carb diet allows your body to recognise your stored fat as legitimate fuel and uses it instead of storing it (as it does on any other diet.) However, there is another danger that is often overlooked by low-carb dieters:
The Sweeter, the Heavier
It seems that our body-weight set points are not carved in stone. Clinical studies revealed links between taste and the amount of food we eat.
Tastier foods make the set point of body weight shift up proportionally, that is: the tastier the food, the greater the set point. Researchers even showed that foods with negative taste qualities, (in the study, researchers added quinine) do the opposite: the more bitter the food, the lower the set point.
Artificial Sweetners Are Not the Answer
Sweet taste – ; even from artificial sweeteners – ; causes an increase in calories coming from fat and protein. Why does this happening?
Sweet taste, even coming with artificial sweetener, raises glucose concentration in the blood before the food has a chance to be digested. Your body knows that eventually, it will have all the carbs you’ve swallowed and it doesn’t wait until it that happens. Instead, it releases some glucose from the carbohydrate depots and hopes to get it all back. When the sweet food is real, the carbohydrates eventually get into the blood. If they’re not? Well, nature never counted on us inventing artificial sweeteners. Being fooled, your body reacts rather vindictively: it forces you to want more sweet food plus eat more next time, no matter what food you agree to have.
So, you’d be better off without artificial sweeteners. There are other tasty foods you can have on a low-carb diet.
Some Clinical Data on Fats:
* Preference for high-fat foods appears to be a universal human trait.
* How much fat we eat appears to be determined simply by the amount of fat available.
* Fats are especially provocative in the obese, who tend to overeat fatty foods more than the lean.
Clinical Data on Other Tasty Foods:
* Good tasting foods increased so-called diet-induced thermogenesis (heat production after meals) and reduced food efficiency (how many calories are used and how many pass through the intestines).
* Good tasting foods increase energy expenditure. It seems like a paradox, but when you eat what you really enjoy, you body gets less of this particular food’s calories.
Message: Magnesium is an important element in many physiological processes and its uses as a supplement range from depression to bone, muscle, and joint strengthening to blood vessels protection.
Recent research in France showed the role of magnesium in the regulation of thyroid hormones, insulin, estrogen, testosterone, brain chemicals such as dopamine, catecholamines, serotonin, GABA, and body’s electrolytes. Magnesium controls the turnover of potassium and calcium in the body so deficit of magnesium causes calcium to be lost with the urine but deposited in the kidneys, arteries, joints, brain, where it is not welcome.
Magnesium protects the cell from poisonous metals like aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel, which can contribute to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases multiple sclerosis, and learning retardation.
Magnesium glycinate is considered the preferred source of magnesium. This form combines benefits of amino acid glycine & magnesium. It may also be less laxative and less irritating for the stomach than some other forms of magnesium. As to its role in as a weight loss aid, it’d be no surprise if you remember the significance of hyroid hormones, insulin, estrogen, testosterone, serotonin, GABA, and calcium in body fat deposition and appetite control.
Message: There’s always something new to try when it comes to dieting. A good strategy is making small changes and giving it enough time to see results. Only when there’s no results, go make another change. Note that under ‘results’ in dieting we mean any beneficial effects – inches loss, fitness improvement, health and/or mood improvements, etc.
Here are a few changes to consider.
1. If you tried to reduce fat in your diet without any progress, try to increase your fat intake while cutting down on refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potato, etc.)
2. If you tried a low carb diet and failed, try to introduce “good” complex carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, and berries to your daily meals.
3. If you tried to exercise OR to diet separately, try to do these things together: research showed that this is a win-win combination. Not only it’s much more efficient for weight loss, but the health benefits are great even if your scale didn’t budge.
4. If your exercise routine included only aerobics workouts, add strength training: it’ll help to build more muscles thus enhancing your metabolism.
5. If you did too much of aerobics, slow down a little bit: this type of exercise is shown to shift your metabolism into somewhat economic mode.
Message: Emotional eating, or stress-eating, can be due to several reasons calling for different ways to fight it.
1. If you crave sweets, go on a low carb diet. Research and anecdotal evidence show that on a low carb diet, the ‘sugargolics’ stop eating sweets during stress or boredom
2. If you are reaching for any piece of food, ask yourself: is it really food that you want? Can a hug or a phone call do the trick?
Take a warm aromatic bath, watch your favorite movie, go shopping for pleasant things like perfume or flowers.
3. If you MUST eat, have healthy snacks read: baby carrots, string cheese, celery sticks, sliced apples with a pinch of cinnamon and vanilla, plain yogurt or even sugar-free dark chocolate.
Message: A low-carb plan is your ideal “celebrity diet” if you don’t mind:
1. living on meat, fish, eggs, and cheese
2. cutting back on white bread, potato, rice, pasta, and pizza
3. snacking mostly on nuts
Many if not most of the stars limit pasta, bread and refined carbohydrates to quickly shape up for movies: Ben Affleck was known to stick with his low carb foods while losing weight for his role in Pearl Harbor. Many musicians and pop stars also enjoy low carb diets that help them to prepare for concerts and tours and maintain energy levels while slimming down.
If you decide to choose this way of eating, you’ll join the Friends’ star Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, Natalie Maines, Bill Clinton, George Michael, Ben Affleck, and Renee Zellweger who keep their plates packed with “good” fats and lean protein while cutting down on “bad” carbohydrates and “bad” animal fat. Simpson has said she likes the lifestyle approach of the South Beach, while Jennifer Aniston prefers the 40:30:30 ratio of the Zone Diet. But how do you know if this celebrity’s choice is right for you? Here’s a tip.
Message: Sleep is as important as nutrition and exercise in a healthy diet plan. Americans sleep an average of 6 hours instead of recommended 8 hours minimal. Poor sleep can be seen as a symptom of a stressful lifestyle, which adds to the obesity risk as well.
When Penelope Cruz decided to start a healthier life style, she quit smocking, started exercising, meditating, and paying more attention to sleep quality. Penelope claims that sleeping 12 hours a day helps her to remain naturally thin. Can it be true?
The Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that getting enough sleep may help reduce weight gain while sleep deprivation alters important hormone levels resulting in increased appetite. The journal published results of clinical study showing that during sleep restriction, there was an 18% decrease in the appetite-reducing hormone leptin, 24% increase in hunger, and 23% increase in appetite.
“This is a new and very exciting area of research which raises the possibility that lack of sleep may be an unrecognized and potentially modifiable risk factor for obesity,” explained Jean-Philippe Chaput of Laval University in Quebec, Canada.
Message: With seemingly endless amount of diets in the world, it all boils down to only three principal types of them: limiting calories, fats, or carbohydrates. Which one is best for you?
- Limiting calories is a very beneficial approach, health benefits-wise. It also requires self-discipline, so the best results are achieved with programs offering planning, support, and psychological services, online or offline.
- Limiting fats works well for physically very active people, not obese, and spending high amounts energy including calories from food carbohydrates.
- For obese people and those with insulin resistance, the best way of eating is limiting carbohydrate total intake and/or the kind of carbs in their foods (complex versus simple, fast absorbing versus slowly absorbing).
Reading:
Thirty Percent Less Calories = Thirty Percent Better Memory
Dietary Restriction and Life Span
Can Adults Benefit from Calorie Restriction?
Beware of Western Diet!
Two energy sources: carbohydrates vs fatty acids
Carbohydrate-Biased Control of Energy Metabolism: The Darker Side of the Selfish Brain.
Age gracefully
