Health for life

According to research from Purdue University and University of Kentucky, mice that were given a diet which included watermelon juice received considerable benefits when compared to the control group.

The experts suggest, in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, that citrulline, a compound found in watermelon, was responsible for the mices lower cholesterol, weight, and arterial plaque.

This study coincides with prior research, also by the University of Kentucky, which found that watermelon consumption caused a reduction in atherosclerosis in animals.

Since other research has demonstrated that consuming this type of fruit can lower blood pressure, explained Shubin Saha, co-author and a Purdue Extension vegetable specialist, they were interested to examine what it could do in this research.

"We didnt see a lowering of blood pressure, but these other changes are promising," Shubin Saha added.

The scientists divided mice into two groups for their investigation, both were given diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol. One group drank water that consisted of 2% watermelon juice, while the other mice drank the exact amount of water mixed with a solution that matched the carbohydrate content of the fruit juice.

Results showed that nearly 50% less LDL cholesterol, or the "bad" cholesterol, was found in the animals who drank the watermelon juice, who also gained 30% less weight than the control group.

A 50% decrease in plaque in the arteries, as well as high citrulline levels, were found in the experimental group.

"We know that watermelon is good for health because it contains citrulline," revealed Sibu Saha, a professor of surgery at the University of Kentucky. "We dont know yet at what molecular level its working, and thats the next step."

The team hopes to discover a secondary market for watermelons in nutraceuticals, which are food or food components that provide health and medical benefits, such as preventing and treating certain diseases.

Approximately 20% of watermelon crop goes to waste each year, according to Shubin Saha. It may be because buyers think the fruit does not look appealing or because some farmers do not think it is worth spending that much money on harvesting it, as prices drop during the peak of watermelon season.

Shubin Saha explained:

"We could use the wasted melons that cant go to market for extracting beneficial compounds. Growers are putting energy into these crops, so if we can do something to help them market their additional product, that would be a benefit to the industry and consumers."

Onions, a key ingredient in recipes around the globe, come in a tearless version that scientists are now reporting could pack health benefits like its close relative, garlic, which is renowned for protecting against heart disease. They published their laboratory analysis, which suggests a similar heart-friendly role for the tearless onions, as well as a possible role in managing weight gain, in ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Colin C. Eady and colleagues note that the onion has a unique chemistry that leads to its tear-inducing effects when cut. Its pungency has driven cooks to don goggles, clench wooden spoons in their mouths and try other usually futile techniques to prevent crying at the cutting board. An answer could arrive in the form of a new type of onion that makes less of the protein blamed for making eyes burn and tear up. Eadys team has developed such a version, which instead makes a sulfur compound similar to one found in cut garlic that may be the key to its cardiovascular benefits. Many people eat garlic cloves or take it as a nutritional supplement in pill form to reduce the clumping of platelets in the blood, which can lead to blood clots and clogged arteries. Garlic also has been shown to reduce weight gain. They wanted to know whether the new onion might also have similar positive effects on health.

The scientists found that in lab tests, extract from the tearless onion significantly reduced platelet clumping, compared to regular onions or even garlic. Other results showed that the new onion had about the same anti-inflammatory properties as the original. Also, preliminary testing in rats showed that the tearless onion could help control weight gain — more so than regular onions or garlic.

If your goal is to gain weight instead of lose it, eating healthy snacks is one way to go. To make sure that you add on those much-needed pounds, go for food that’s high in calories, carbohydrates, protein and healthy unsaturated fats. If you’re counting your calories, make sure that your intake is more than the recommended. Pretty soon, you’ll see your weight rising healthily up the scale.
More than just choosing the right types and amounts of food to snack on, it will also help to change your eating habits. Use a generous heaping of olive oil, canola oil or peanut butter on your food. Also, make sure that your drinks contain some healthy weight-gaining sugars. Instead of strictly having 3 square meals, make sure to snack in between. To give you an idea of good, healthy munchies for weight gain, here are 7 snack ideas you can zero in on:

1. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts alone are good muscle building snacks. They are high in monosaturated fats, and even contain a healthy heap of protein and calories. For a better weight gain strategy, you can throw in some peanut butter for a tasty treat. Don’t overlook flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pistachios, and other nuts and seeds.

2. Tuna

Tuna has been a long-time favorite of fitness buffs. Some would argue that it’s perfect for losing weight because of this fish’s low fat content. Being high in protein and healthy calories makes it a perfect snack choice for those who wish to gain weight.

3. Whole Fat Dairy Products

Veer away from low-fat skim products, and instead opt for the full-cream and whole milk. These are rich in protein and fat, which will help you quickly go up the scales. Feel free to add some whole fat cheese, like Swiss and Cheddar, to your snacks and sandwiches. Don’t hold the yogurt either, as this also contains some healthy weight-gaining dairy.

4. Crackers and Bagels

You need not zoom in to the white breads and high-carbohydrate offerings. Crackers and bagels made from whole wheat, bran and sesame can help you pack on some pounds. Use a generous heaping of peanut butter, jams, margarine or honey to ring up those calories and proteins.

5. Cereals

You might be surprised to note that cereals actually contain some healthy calories. The health conscious always seek these out in their daily diet, but they’re also great snacks for weight gainers. You can opt for the healthier cereal and veer away from frosted flakes and puffs. Go for a healthy heaping of granola, oats and muesli. Add in some raisins and fruits, and douse in whole milk. You got yourself a healthy high-calorie snack.

6. Fruits and Vegetables

Even if snacking on fruits and munching on salads is a favorite of dieters, those who aim to gain weight shouldn’t shun fruits and vegetables. They are high in vitamins, minerals and healthy sugars that can definitely aid you in adding a few healthy kilos. Snacking on dried fruits is also advisable, so don’t turn away from dried prunes, raisins and the like.

7. Traditional Snack Foods

This is one advantage weight-gainers have over dieters; they’re still at liberty to reach for the traditional snacks. Go easy on these carbohydrate high-calorie snacks, because they’re not all that healthy when taken in large amounts. But, the increase in calories will certainly help you reach your weight goal. Dark chocolates and baked potato chips should not be scrapped from your snacks list; pretzels are always good as well!
_http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/7-healthy-snacks-for-weight-gain.html

Its that time again, folks.  The best time of the year.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years... the holiday season.  Theres just nothing like it... turkey dinners, Christmas trees, the snow, the gift of giving, the time spent with family.  I look forward to it every year.  But step inside the psyche of any health-conscious person this time of year, and you may find a war zone:

"I love apple pie, but I dont want any.  I dont want it.  It goes right to my butt.  God, look at it... its gawking at me.  Ahhh okay Ill have a slice.  ONE slice.  Just one slice and Ill stop.  This is the year I keep my weight under control during the holidays.  Oh god that was good.  Shit girl, give me another.  This is better than sex, oh my god.  The apple pie god.  I love him, he who created apple pie.  Screw butt fat, whatever.  Men like big butts anyway... they cannot lie."

Right?  We all know the holiday season presents a problem.  Excessively yummy food + great people + alcohol = weight gain.  It happens every year... and come the New Year?  Resolutions abound.  Gyms explode with new members, we eat less, and we try to right the wrongs of the past few months.  But, as anyone who has done this probably knows, that weight doesnt come off with the same ease at which it was put on, and rarely does it stay off.

And thats the point of this post.  I want to explain to you why that weight wont stay off, and why, consequently, its so important to prevent the weight gain to begin with.  Saddle up partner...


Body fat set point and the regulation of body weight
In order for this to make sense, we have to first talk about the concept of the "body fat set point".  The body fat set point is the idea that our bodies "defend" a certain level of fat on the body.  Think about how a thermostat works... if you set the temperature to 70, the system will heat or cool your house accordingly to maintain the temperature at 70 degrees.  Our physiology uses a similar system to regulate body fat.  If a man overeats one day, his body will adjust accordingly in the following few days by decreasing hunger.  In the end, his body weight evens out.  The same would be true if he starved himself one day; his body would compensate by increasing hunger in the days to follow.  Over the course of a week or two, caloric intake tends to balance out with caloric expenditure (1).  Through a system involving the hormone leptin, the brain senses a change in body fat, whether it has lost or gained, and alters hunger accordingly, in an attempt to return to the set point (2). 


In the vast majority of us, this system works well.  But this all rests on one assumption... that we eat when were hungry, and we stop eating when were full.  And this is where the problem comes in.  In todays society and food environment, its becoming increasingly difficult to stop eating.  Weve got access to food wherever we go, its more palatable than in the past, it comes in larger portion sizes than ever before, and its advertised to us at every turn.  How can we avoid buying a soft, warm, melts-in-your-mouth Cinnabon at the airport when we have an hour to kill and nothing to do but wait?

We can overeat at one meal or on one day without harm, as long as we listen to our hunger cues and compensate later.   But overeating without compensation, for any reason, over a period of a few months or more, can be a problem.  In overfeeding studies that are designed to induce weight gain, some subjects will return to their normal weight after the study is over, but many do not.  Some of the subjects end up hanging on to a little fat, indicating that the body fat set point has increased.  This phenomenon has been observed in both animals (3,4) and humans (5,6).  Once you establish a higher set point, it becomes extremely difficult to lose that fat.  Take, for instance, the fact that when obese people lose body fat, their body goes into a starvation response, despite having plenty more fat to lose (7).  Their bodies want that fat.

Back to the holidays...
So how does this relate to the holiday season?  Because around the holidays, our food environment takes steroids.  We have even MORE delicious treats, MORE palatable food, and MORE drive to eat.  Grandmas making you a pie every Tuesday, Christmas cookies permeate the office, there are Christmas parties, theres candy everywhere... its excessive.  Delicious... festive... but excessive.

Given that, this shouldnt be a surprise:  According to a recent study, half of annual weight gain in the United States happens during the holidays via voluntary overeating (8).  HALF OF IT.  And the news nobody wants to hear... people who gain weight during the holidays lose some of it in January, but they hold on to most of it long-term.  Thats a problem.  That means you have a new, higher set point.  Your body is now "happy" with more body fat, even if youre not.  And once this happens, getting back to the weight you want to be at is made exceedingly more difficult.

We may not gain 20 pounds in one holiday season; according to the study, its only about a pound on average.  But that weight stays on.  If you imagine this happening every holiday season for years and years, its not a stretch to say that you can become overweight or obese from holiday eating alone.  All you have to do is overeat for a few months each year.  Its likely a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.


The Solution
Of course, theres a solution hidden in there... dont allow yourself to gain any weight to begin with over the holidays, and you wont have to worry about any of this!  Its not easy, but its better than the alternative if youre trying to avoid gaining weight.  For a few good tips on how to accomplish this, check out "3 tips for preventing holiday weight gain" by Chris Kresser.

So try to practice some balance this holiday season.  Even though were already halfway through it (Im inexcusably late with this post), try to listen to your body.  If you want some pie and cookies, have some pie and cookies.  But either practice moderation or be in tune to your bodys hunger/satiety signals in the days that follow. 

Hope this helps you out this year!  Happy Holidays!