Showing posts with label key. Show all posts
Showing posts with label key. Show all posts
Motivation Key to Weight Loss Success
Monday, May 19, 2014
(Article first published as Motivation Speeds Weight Loss Results, Keeps Weight Off on Technorati.)
Recent research released from The Journal of Medical Internet Research indicates that people who have lost weight were more than twice as likely to keep the weight off if they kept track of their progress using an online recording system.
This is consistent with studies demonstrating that people lose weight more consistently and faster when they keep a dairy to record all foods eaten each day. Aside from diet and exercise, there are several important steps to help motivate your mind and hit your ideal weight target.
Step 1: The Power of Motivation to Lose Weight
People are much more likely to achieve and maintain their weight loss goal when they’re motivated by others. Losing weight significantly reduces the risk of sudden death from a heart attack, diabetes, stroke, dementia and many cancers, yet many people never attain or maintain their weight goal. The motivation provided by a friend or family member is the missing key to weight loss success for many.
Before beginning your weight loss journey, find somebody who will be able to encourage you when you hit the inevitable low point or plateau in your quest. The encouragement they’ll provide is invaluable, providing the strength and psychological boost to continue toward success. Interestingly, researchers have found that people who are financially incentivized to lose weight achieve a 70% success rate, making money a powerful source of motivation.
Step 2: Eat It, Track It and Don’t Cheat
Since many tracking programs break down fat, carb and protein ratios, you’ll find that highly ined carbs are blocking your road to success, as they cause wild blood sugar surges which tip your metabolism toward fat storage. Be honest with yourself by measuring and weighing foods, and enter them to your log either before or immediately after eating.
Step 3: Set a Food Clock
While proper diet and sufficient exercise are an essential part of a successful weight loss plan, it’s also important to incorporate the resources of mind and motivation. Solicit the help of someone who can motivate you, providing encouragement when you stray off track, and use a menu diary and food clock. Get your mind in the game and you’ll find the added support you need to hit your ultimate weight loss goal, and keep it off for life.
Resveratrol Could Be Key to Fighting Prostate Cancer
Resveratrol, a compound found commonly in grape skins and red wine, has been shown to have several beneficial effects on human health, including cardiovascular health and stroke prevention. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has discovered that the compound can make prostate tumor cells more susceptible to radiation treatment, increasing the chances of a full recovery from all types of prostate cancer, including aggressive tumors.
"Other studies have noted that resveratrol made tumor cells more susceptible to chemotherapy, and we wanted to see if it had the same effect for radiation therapy," said Michael Nicholl, an assistant professor of surgical oncology in the MU School of Medicine. "We found that when exposed to the compound, the tumor cells were more susceptible to radiation treatment, but that the effect was greater than just treating with both compounds separately."
Prostate tumor cells contain very low levels of two proteins, perforin and granzyme B, which can function together to kill cells. However, both proteins need to be highly "expressed" to kill tumor cells. In his study, when Nicholl introduced resveratrol into the prostate tumor cells, the activity of the two proteins increased greatly. Following radiation treatment, Nicholl found that up to 97 percent of the tumor cells died, which is a much higher percentage than treatment with radiation alone.
"It is critical that both proteins, perforin and granzyme B, are present in order to kill the tumor cells, and we found that the resveratrol helped to increase their activity in prostate tumor cells," Nicholl said. "Following the resveratrol-radiation treatment, we realized that we were able to kill many more tumor cells when compared with treating the tumor with radiation alone. Its important to note that this killed all types of prostate tumor cells, including aggressive tumor cells."
Resveratrol is present in grape skins and red wine and available over-the-counter in many health food sections at grocery stores. However, the dosage needed to have an effect on tumor cells is so great that many people would experience uncomfortable side effects.
"We dont need a large dose at the site of the tumor, but the body processes this compound so efficiently that a person needs to ingest a lot of resveratrol to make sure enough of it ends up at the tumor site. Because of that challenge, we have to look at different delivery methods for this compound to be effective," Nicholl said. "Its very attractive as a therapeutic agent since it is a natural compound and something that most of us have consumed in our lifetimes."
Nicholl said that the next step would be to test the procedure in an animal model before any clinical trials can be initiated. Nicholls studies were published in the Journal of Andrology and Cancer Science. The early-stage results of this research are promising. If additional studies, including animal studies, are successful within the next few years, MU officials will request authority from the federal government to begin human drug development (this is commonly erred to as the "investigative new drug" status). After this status has been granted, researchers may conduct human clinical trials with the hope of developing new treatments for cancer.
Guest Post Four Key Ingredients to Eat Well and Frugally at Home
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Vincent Scordo is the proprietor of Scordo.com, a fabulous blog about Italian American cooking. Check out his Pasta Challenge, which is more than sufficiently awesome.
As Ive said in the past, eating out/ordering in is a colossal waste of money, and beyond the occasional breakdown or special night out I tend not to reach for the Chinese take out menu or make reservations at our local restaurant. My other rationale for not eating out is that I simply will not get the same quality food at 95 percent of the restaurants in our immediate area (including New York City). Im not a trained Chef, but outside some extraordinary restaurants in New York, Ill take a simple meal prepared at home, with high quality ingredients, over a mediocre restaurant experience. Eating well at home is not rocket science, and moreover, you dont always need to purchase exotic ingredients to make tasty dishes. (The ingredients need to be high quality, but they shouldnt break the bank).
Here are 4 ingredients that can help you eat cheap and well for as long as our recession lasts:
2. Tuna in Olive Oil
I always keep between 3-4 cans of Italian tuna in olive oil stocked in my kitchen. My ideal tuna sandwich consists of one can of tuna (do not discard the oil!) with salt and pepper on toasted whole wheat bread. You can also add some fresh parsley and a few slices of tomatoes if theyre in season. (Try it without the mayonnaise, I swear youll like it.)
3. Pasta and Rice
My pasta and rice arsenal includes: thin linguine, angel hair or capellini, linguine, rigatoni, penne rigate, pastine, soba noodles, arborio rice for risotto, Carolina rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, and whole wheat couscous. Having the aforementioned pasta and rice on hand at all times gives you limitless possibilities, including: linguine with olive oil, parsley, and garlic, baked rigatoni with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, soba noodles stir fried with green peppers, chicken breast, and onion, brown rice with ginger, cilantro, and cracked black pepper, couscous with feta, red onion, cucumber, and olive oil, etc.
4. Whole Chicken
Buying a whole, free range, chicken is the equivalent to getting the deal of a lifetime. A whole chicken gets you two types of meat (dark and white) as well various parts which translate into various types of dishes. I purchase a whole, free range, chicken every other week and butcher the chicken according to my perences. If Im interested in making a whole roasted chicken, Ill simply leave the bird as is and make a rub mixture with lemon zest, salt and pepper, rosemary, and olive oil. If I have a little more time on my hands Ill butcher the bird into nine pieces and freeze the parts for various dishes throughout the week, including: braised chicken thighs with fresh mint, breaded and baked drumsticks and wings, thinly pounded chicken breast with shitake mushrooms and sherry wine, etc.
~~~
If you like this article, check out:
As Ive said in the past, eating out/ordering in is a colossal waste of money, and beyond the occasional breakdown or special night out I tend not to reach for the Chinese take out menu or make reservations at our local restaurant. My other rationale for not eating out is that I simply will not get the same quality food at 95 percent of the restaurants in our immediate area (including New York City). Im not a trained Chef, but outside some extraordinary restaurants in New York, Ill take a simple meal prepared at home, with high quality ingredients, over a mediocre restaurant experience. Eating well at home is not rocket science, and moreover, you dont always need to purchase exotic ingredients to make tasty dishes. (The ingredients need to be high quality, but they shouldnt break the bank).
Here are 4 ingredients that can help you eat cheap and well for as long as our recession lasts:
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| From Flickrs Minimalist Photography |
1. Eggs
Eggs are a terrific source of protein and can be prepared in a variety of ways. My two "go-to" recipes for eggs include the basic onion and potato frittata and the cheese omelet. I often have eggs for dinner, but aim to keep my egg consumption to 1-2X per week. Also, Ive gone back and forth on using organic/free range vs your typical Omega 3 fortified, Eggland, eggs and to be perfectly blunt there isnt much difference taste-wise. (Eggs taste best fresh so only buy what youre going to consume.)
2. Tuna in Olive Oil
I always keep between 3-4 cans of Italian tuna in olive oil stocked in my kitchen. My ideal tuna sandwich consists of one can of tuna (do not discard the oil!) with salt and pepper on toasted whole wheat bread. You can also add some fresh parsley and a few slices of tomatoes if theyre in season. (Try it without the mayonnaise, I swear youll like it.)
3. Pasta and Rice
My pasta and rice arsenal includes: thin linguine, angel hair or capellini, linguine, rigatoni, penne rigate, pastine, soba noodles, arborio rice for risotto, Carolina rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, and whole wheat couscous. Having the aforementioned pasta and rice on hand at all times gives you limitless possibilities, including: linguine with olive oil, parsley, and garlic, baked rigatoni with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, soba noodles stir fried with green peppers, chicken breast, and onion, brown rice with ginger, cilantro, and cracked black pepper, couscous with feta, red onion, cucumber, and olive oil, etc.
4. Whole Chicken
Buying a whole, free range, chicken is the equivalent to getting the deal of a lifetime. A whole chicken gets you two types of meat (dark and white) as well various parts which translate into various types of dishes. I purchase a whole, free range, chicken every other week and butcher the chicken according to my perences. If Im interested in making a whole roasted chicken, Ill simply leave the bird as is and make a rub mixture with lemon zest, salt and pepper, rosemary, and olive oil. If I have a little more time on my hands Ill butcher the bird into nine pieces and freeze the parts for various dishes throughout the week, including: braised chicken thighs with fresh mint, breaded and baked drumsticks and wings, thinly pounded chicken breast with shitake mushrooms and sherry wine, etc.
~~~
If you like this article, check out:
- The 10 Cheapest, Healthiest Foods Money Can Buy
- 10 Ways to Eat Less Meat
- Touch of Class: 10 Thrifty, Healthy Ingredients to Improve the Quality of Your Meals
Protein Intake The key for long term weight loss
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Well, that weight lifter guzzling down a protein shake at your local fitness centre is onto something -- the latest cutting edge analysis reveals that doubling your personal protein consumption, coupled with working out, could be the key to losing fat pounds without losing lean muscle.
We all know a sufficient amount of protein (especially after a workout) is key to building and repairing muscular tissues, yet a recent analysis, circulated in the September issue of The FASEB Journal, suggests that we might not be having enough. The studys investigators placed 39 subjects on a weight-loss routine over 31 calendar days; to begin with, all of the participants were on the same exact diet plan to maintain their current body mass. After ten days, they were separated into 3 groups following calorie-restricted weight loss plans: those people that consumed the US-recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein, individuals that ingested twice the RDA of required protein, and people who ate 3 times the RDA of necessary protein. The participants exercised accordingly in order to lose an average of a couple of lbs each week. The medical experts established that people that ingested double were likely to drop pounds without decreasing muscle tissue even while training on the weight loss diet. The individuals who ingested triple the quantity of required protein didnt experience any further weight loss than the double group.
If ever youre wanting to burn fat, decreasing lean muscle is precisely what you shouldnt be working at, as muscle burns up extra calories and boosts metabolism. Whilst the group was small, this well-controlled study demonstrates that if youre healthy and active, upping your own protein intake while limiting over-all calories could be the best option for short-term fat loss, the researchers state, even though they note you should still adhere to a well-balanced diet in the long term.
The RDA of necessary protein differs subject to how much you weigh and how active you are, but as an example, the RDA for a 130-pound active individual is 77 grams, meaning in accordance with this investigation you need to strive for 144 grams of protein every day if you are wanting to get in shape.
Vitamin D is Key to Good Health
Friday, February 7, 2014
Vitamin D has been receiving much attention lately, as it has been shown to reduce the risk of many cancers, help to prevent cardiovascular disease, lower the prevalence of diabetes and activate the bodys immune system. Vitamin D has been the subject of extensive research over the last decade. Vitamin D is deficient in nearly 60% of the population, as people avoid the sun and are not able to consume sufficient amounts. Vitamin D has been the subject of extensive research over the last decade, and we now have a clear picture of how it functions, the many health-promoting effects it has been shown to promote and how much is needed for disease prevention.
Vitamin D Activates Our Immune System
Recent research demonstrates how Vitamin D activates the T Cells of our innate immune system. When an invader bacteria or virus enters our body, the immune system must be able to detect the intruder and then mount an effective attack against the pathogen. Vitamin D is the component which must be available in sufficient amounts in the bloodstream for this activation process to initiate. The T Cells have Vitamin D receptors which must come in contact with Vitamin D to properly mount the attack. If sufficient Vitamin D is not available, the immune T Cells remain dormant, and the pathogen is able to infect the body. Additionally, virtually every cell in our body has Vitamin D receptors which are actively waiting to be filled. Studies have demonstrated that Vitamin D acts as the key to unlock the cellular instruction manual which controls how the DNA of the cell is to replicate. When sufficient Vitamin D is not present, mutations can occur which lead to improper cellular proliferation and the beginning of health issues.Vitamin D is Essential to Prevent Disease
Proper Vitamin D blood levels have been shown to reduce the prevalence of 17 different cancers by as much as 78%. Vitamin D bolsters the immune system and guides proper cellular replication which are critical factors in the development and progression of cancer. Vitamin D has also demonstrated significant improvements in blood lipid panels which help to prevent cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. And cutting edge research indicates that the Sunshine Vitamin helps avert diabetes by promoting the way insulin ushers glucose from the blood to the cells, in effect modulating insulin resistance and reducing the devastating effects of this disease. Autoimmune diseases also benefit from Vitamin D due to corrections in the immune response which have gone awry in this type of affliction. Even the effects of the common cold and flu are drastically reduced, as our cellular Vitamin D receptors are no longer targets of these pathogens.Vitamin D Supplementation is Required for Maximum Benefit
So how much Vitamin D is necessary to reap the benefits from this miracle pro-hormone? Ancient RDA levels set over a half century ago were originally developed to prevent diseases such as rickets. These levels are dangerously low for disease prevention from cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and proper immune T Cell response. The only way to know if you are optimally protected is to measure the level of Vitamin D in the blood using an inexpensive test known as 25(OH)D. A wealth of medical studies indicate that most adults should have blood levels between 50 and 70 ng/ml. This amount circulating in the blood ensures that all cells have been saturated, and innate immune response is at its highest level. Most adults will require 6,000 - 10,000 IU per day of Vitamin D (always take in an oil-based gel cap form for maximum absorption), and many factors such as body weight, age, sun exposure and diet can affect blood levels. Begin supplementing at 6,000 IU, and have your blood level tested after 90 days. Most people find that every 1,000 IU increases the blood response by 10 ng/ml, so adjust accordingly. People fighting cancer and other serious disease may require even higher levels up to 90 ng/ml.
With the overwhelming body of research now compiled, health conscious individuals monitor their Vitamin D levels twice a year and make the necessary adjustments to ensure proper blood levels. Evolution has selected Vitamin D to regulate many essential biologic functions in the human body. It is our responsibility to use the evidence we have accumulated to ensure our optimal, vibrant health.
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