10 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain During the Holidays

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

Newswise — The holiday season is officially in full gear and with it comes the tempting Thanksgiving-to-New-Year’s food fest. During the holiday season, good eating habits spiral out of control and exercise plans are thrown out the window resulting in undesired weight gain.
With a little self-control and a few simple adjustments to your traditional approach, you can still enjoy all of the highly-anticipated feasts without sabotaging your weight, said Kristen Kizer, a registered dietitian at Houston Methodist Hospital.

“Lack of sleep, an abundance of decadent food and the stress of the holidays are the perfect storm for weight gain,” she said. “Remind yourself how it feels to over eat and implement a personal wellness plan to get you through the holiday season without adding to your waistline.”

Kizer suggest these tips to maintain a healthy weight and still enjoy the holidays.

1. Sign up for a race after the holidays. Incorporating a race during the holidays like a turkey trot or jingle bell dash is great, but signing up for a walk or 5K in January can really motivate us to move during a time of the year when we’re quick to give ourselves an excuse to skip our exercise.

2. Eat breakfast. Instead of saving up all your calories for the big meal, eat a small but satisfying breakfast in the morning so you won’t be starving when you arrive. Be sure to include a protein-rich food item such as low-fat Greek yogurt.

3. Cut out the casserole. Between the fried onion strings, condensed soup, and canned beans, green bean casserole lacks nutritional value. Leave this unhealthy dish off the dinner table and replace it with something healthier. Try fresh steamed green beans with some low-fat cheese sprinkled on top or roasted green beans with a little olive oil and fresh garlic.

4. Eliminate the extra sweets. The Pilgrims did not add marshmallows to their sweet potatoes, and neither should you. Ditch the marshmallows and brown sugar, and enjoy the natural sweetness of the sweet potato.


5. Get plenty of sleep. Getting less than six hours of sleep a night causes cravings for starchy, sugary foods (hello frosted Santa-shaped cookies) and dissolves your resolve to make healthy food decisions. Most health experts recommend at least seven hours of sleep a night to feel fully rested.

6. Lighten your carb intake. Holiday meals are typically heavy in carbohydrates, so try reducing your carb consumption for the day by replacing mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower. Your guests probably won’t even notice the difference.

7. Enjoy guilt-free dessert. Substitute natural applesauce for oil or butter in your dessert recipes. This simple ingredient swap not only adds moisture and flavor to baked goods, but fiber and nutrients.

8. Choose alcohol or dessert. Before going out to a party decide beforehand to treat yourself with either alcohol or dessert, but not both. If you choose dessert, limit yourself. When it’s time for dessert, pick one treat and enjoy it slowly. There is no need to try every sweet on the table. As for alcohol, choose a drink with lower calories, such as a wine spritzer instead of creamy holiday drinks that can easily pack 500 calories. And remember, moderation is key.

9. Prepare less food. Cut back on the amount of food you prepare for your guests. Instead of fourteen dishes, try pairing down to seven or eight dishes. By doing this you, you can save time and money and avoid eating leftovers for the several days following.

10. Skip the leftovers. It’s not the meal that gets us, it’s the fact that we then eat Thanksgiving for the next three days. Decline taking party leftovers or limit the number of dishes you prepare.

For more information about Houston Methodist, visit houstonmethodist.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

 -30-

12-Week Exercise Program Significantly Improved Testosterone Levels in Overweight, Obese Men

 

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

              

Phoenix (November 4, 2016)—Twelve weeks of aerobic exercise significantly boosted testosterone levels in overweight and obese men, with the greatest increases seen among vigorous exercisers, according to research presented today at the Integrative Biology of Exercise 7 meeting in Phoenix.

Researchers from Tsukuba University and Ryutsu Keizai University in Japan previously found that a combination of diet and exercise was effective in increasing the testosterone in this population. For this study, however, they looked specifically at the effect of regular aerobic exercise on testosterone levels.

“Testosterone is a male sex hormone, and low circulating testosterone levels lead to various health disorders in men. Obesity, one of the biggest problems in the world, results in reduction in circulating testosterone levels in men,” the research team wrote. Fatigue, decreased sex drive and decreases in muscle and bone mass are some of the common symptoms of low testosterone in men.

The research team compared 16 normal weight men to 28 overweight/obese men. None of the men were regular exercisers. At baseline, the overweight/obese men had significantly lower total, free and bioavailable testosterone level than normal weight men. All of the study volunteers completed a 12-week aerobic exercise plan that entailed 40–60 minutes of walking or jogging on one to three days per week. Testosterone levels were also recorded at the end of the study.

While their testosterone was still at lower levels than the normal weight men at baseline, overweight and obese men saw a significant increase in all measured testosterone levels. This effect was particularly evident among the men who exercised vigorously. However, the exercise intervention had no significant effect on testosterone levels in the normal weight men.

Normal Weight Men
	Pre-Exercise Intervention	Post-Exercise Intervention
Total Testosterone	21.2 ± 1.3 nnol/l	21.1 ± 1.3 nmol/l
Free Testosterone	0.47 ± 0.04 nnol/l	0.48 ± 0.05 nmol/l
Bioavailable Test.	11.65 ± 0.76 nnol/l	11.88 ± 1.11 nmol/l

Overweight/Obese Men
	Pre-Exercise Intervention	Post-Exercise Intervention
Total Testosterone	15.4 ± 1.0 nnol/l	18.1 ± 1.1 nmol/l
Free Testosterone	0.33 ± 0.02 nnol/l	0.40 ± 0.02 nmol/l
Bioavailable Test.	8.07 ± 0.53 nnol/l	9.63 ± 0.55 nmol/l

Body weight also significantly decreased following the exercise intervention in the overweight/obese cohort. “I think decrease in body mass is one of the factors for increasing serum testosterone levels,” said Hiroshi Kumagai, lead researcher on the study. “However, the degree of weight loss is small, and we found that the increase in vigorous physical activity was independently associated with the increase in serum testosterone levels. So, it seems the increase in physical activity, especially vigorous physical activity, is the main factor for increasing serum testosterone levels.”

DHA supplementation improves cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Results from a recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease support the cognitive benefits of DHA, which have been consistently demonstrated with doses of 900 mg/day or greater. The study, which took place in Tianjin, China, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 240 (219 completed) Chinese individuals aged 65 and older with mild cognitive impairment. The participants received either 2g/day of DHA or a corn oil placebo for 12 months and specific measures of cognitive function were measured at baseline, six months and 12 months.

The study results showed that there was a significant difference in the Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in the DHA group versus placebo, with IQ in the DHA group measuring 10% higher than the placebo group. Additionally, there were statistically significant increases in two IQ sub-tests (Information and Digit Span). The Information and Digit Span Subdomains are considered indicators of long-term and short-term memory, respectively. The findings suggest that DHA supplementation of 2g/day for 12 months in MCI subjects can significantly improve cognitive function.

While additional larger longer-term studies are needed to confirm the results, this paper adds to the body of science supporting DHA omega-3s and their role in supporting cognitive function.

###

Abstract: http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad160439
Source

Wrist-worn heart rate monitors not as accurate as chest straps; JAMA

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

                

In a study published online by JAMA Cardiology, Marc Gillinov, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues assessed the accuracy of 4 popular wrist-worn heart rate monitors under conditions of varying physical exertion.
Wrist-worn fitness and heart rate (HR) monitors are popular. While the accuracy of chest strap, electrode-based HR monitors has been confirmed, the accuracy of wrist-worn, optically based HR monitors is uncertain. Assessment of the monitors’ accuracy is important for individuals who use them to guide their physical activity and for physicians to whom these individuals report HR readings.
This study included 50 healthy adults; average age, 37 years; 28 participants were women. Participants wore standard electrocardiographic limb leads and a Polar H7 chest strap monitor. Each participant was randomly assigned to wear 2 different wrist-worn HR monitors. Four wrist-worn monitors were assessed: Fitbit Charge HR (Fitbit), Apple Watch (Apple), Mio Alpha (Mio Global), and Basis Peak (Basis). Heart rate was assessed with the participant on a treadmill at rest and at 2,3,4,5 and 6 mph. Participants exercised at each setting for 3 minutes to achieve a steady state; HR was recorded instantaneously at the 3-minute point. After completion of the treadmill protocol, HR was recorded at 30, 60, and 90 seconds’ recovery.
Across all devices, 1,773 HR values were recorded. When compared with electrocardiogram, the HR monitors had variable accuracy. While the Basis Peak overestimated HR during moderate exercise, the Fitbit Charge HR underestimated HR during more vigorous exercise. Analysis showed that variability occurred across the spectrum of midrange HRs during exercise. The Apple Watch and Mio Fuse had 95 percent of differences fall within -27 beats per minute (bpm) and +29 bpm of the electrocardiogram, while Fitbit Charge HR had 95 percent of values within -34 bpm and +39 bpm and the corresponding values for the Basis Peak were within -39 bpm and +33 bpm.

“We found variable accuracy among wrist-worn HR monitors; none achieved the accuracy of a chest strap-based monitor. In general, accuracy of wrist-worn monitors was best at rest and diminished with exercise,” the authors write.
“Electrode-containing chest monitors should be used when accurate HR measurement is imperative. While wrist-worn HR monitors are often used recreationally to track fitness, their accuracy varies; 2 of 4 monitors had suboptimal accuracy during moderate exercise. Because cardiac patients increasingly rely on these monitors to stay within physician-recommended, safe HR thresholds during rehabilitation and exercise, appropriate validation of these devices in this group is imperative.”

###

(JAMA Cardiology. Published online October 12, 2016; doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2016.3340. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)
Editor’s Note: The research was supported by The Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Fund at the Cleveland Clinic. All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none were reported.
Source

See other articles about Commercial Fitness Industry, Pedometers

 

Stem cell therapy for arthritis and cartilage damage

 

 

The science is still out on this fairly new revolutionary procedure.

 

By all accounts this should be God send for people suffering from

 

Arthritis and cartilage damage.

 

It is presently not covered by insurance.

 

The out of pocket can be anywhere between $3000-8000 per injection.

 

Hopefully with more studies down the road and refinement of the procedure,

 

it will be shown to be an effective non-invasive therapy for those currently suffering from pain.

 

 

Feel free to click on the link and read more for yourself.



Meal frequency and timing: impact on metabolic disease risk

 

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

   

     

Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2016 Oct;23(5):379-83. doi: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000280.
Meal frequency and timing: impact on metabolic disease risk.
Varady KA1.
Author information
1Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW:
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the most recent human intervention trials that have examined the impact of meal frequency or meal timing on metabolic disease risk factors.
RECENT FINDINGS:
Findings from intervention studies published over the past 12 months indicate that weight loss may be more pronounced with decreased meal frequency (two meals per day) versus increased meal frequency (six meals per day) under hypocaloric conditions. However, under isocaloric conditions, no effect on body weight was noted. Plasma lipid concentrations and glucoregulatory factors (fasting glucose, insulin, and insulin sensitivity) were not affected by alterations in meal frequency. As for meal timing, delaying the lunchtime meal by 3.5 h (from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.) has no impact on body weight, but may impair glucose tolerance in young healthy adults.
SUMMARY:
In sum, altering meal frequency has little impact on body weight, plasma lipids, or glucoregulatory factors, whereas eating the majority of calories later in the day may be detrimental for glycemic control. These preliminary findings, however, still require confirmation by longer term, larger scale controlled trials.

Eating Your Greens Could Enhance Sport Performance

 

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Stone Hearth News

     

Newswise — Nitrate supplementation in conjunction with Sprint Interval Training in low oxygen conditions could enhance sport performance a study has found.

Researchers from the University of Leuven in Belgium carried out a study with twenty-seven moderately trained participants. These were given nitrate supplements ahead of Sprint Interval Training (SIT), which took the form of short but intense cycling sessions three times a week.

Nitrate is commonly found in diets rich in leafy green foods, like spinach and is important for the functioning of the human body, especially during exercising.

To assess differences in performance in different conditions, the study included workouts in normal oxygen conditions and in hypoxia conditions, which are low oxygen levels such as those found in high altitudes.
The observations published in Frontiers in Physiology were unexpected: after only five weeks, the muscle fiber composition changed with the enhanced nitrate intake when training in low oxygen conditions.

“This is probably the first study to demonstrate that a simple nutritional supplementation strategy, i.e. oral nitrate intake, can impact on training-induced changes in muscle fiber composition;” stated Professor Peter Hespel from the Athletic Performance Center at the University of Leuven.

For athletes participating in sports competitions which require energy production in conditions with limited amounts of oxygen, this study is particularly interesting. In fact, exercising at high altitudes has become a training strategy for many athletes, albeit the uncertainties about such methods.

In these conditions, performing intense workouts requires high input of fast-oxidative muscle fibers to sustain the power. Enhancing these muscle fiber types through nutritional intake could very well boost the performance in this type of events.

However, this remains a question mark for the time being. “Whether this increase in fast-oxidative muscle fibers eventually can also enhance exercise performance remains to be established;” said Professor Hespel.

He cautioned: “consistent nitrate intake in conjunction with training must not be recommended until the safety of chronic high-dose nitrate intake in humans has been clearly demonstrated”.

 

In times where athletes push the limits of their bodies and thrive for ever greater performances, this is clearly only the beginning of the research into how athletes can improve their competitive edge through dietary supplements. Looking to the future, Professor Hespel suggested: “it would now be interesting to investigate whether addition of nitrate-rich vegetables to the normal daily sports diet of athletes could facilitate training-induced muscle fiber type transitions and maybe in the long term also exercise performance”.

See other articles about Nutrition is Medicine