Category Archives: Diet And Food

Losing weight is hard, but for many people, keeping off the pounds over the longer term is even more difficult.

Now, new research has attempted to shed some light on why: It found that certain popular diets are better than others at boosting the rate at which the body burns calories. And that, the researchers argued, could have implications for how successful people are at keeping extra pounds at bay.

"The results indicate that from a metabolic perspective, all calories are not alike," paper co-author Dr. David Ludwig, director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at the Boston Children's Hospital told The Huffington Post.

For the new study, published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers recruited 21 overweight and obese young adults who had already shed 10 percent to 15 percent of their body weight. The researchers randomly placed participants for four weeks at a time on a succession of three popular eating plans: a low-fat diet, a low-carb diet and a low-glycemic index diet. With a low-glycemic diet, someone eats only certain types of carbohydrates to help regulate blood sugar levels.

Prior research has suggested that weight loss can decrease a person's rate for burning calories. According to the new study's authors, this might help explain why only 1 in 6 overweight or obese adults who have lost 10 percent of their body weight can maintain that reduction for a year.

For this study, the low-fat plan triggered the biggest decline in an overall calorie-burning rate, meaning less weight loss. On that plan, participants received 60 percent of their daily calories from carbs, 20 percent from fat and 20 percent from protein.

"The research subjects burned about 350 calories per day more on the low-carb diet than on the low-fat, even though they were consuming the same number of calories," Ludwig explained. "That's roughly equal to an hour of moderate physical activity without lifting a finger. On the low-glycemic [plan], they burned about 150 calories per day more than the low-fat diet."

The study also showed negative effects associated with the low-carb diet, which limited participants to receiving 10 percent of their daily calories from carbs.

The low-carb diet increased levels of the hormone cortisol, which can lead to insulin resistance and heart disease. It also boosted the levels of certain proteins that have been linked to heart disease over the long term.

Ludwig cautioned that any diet plan that drastically reduces a major class of nutrients like fat or carbs might be difficult to stick to because it is so restrictive, thereby undermining long-term maintenance of a lower weight.

Excerpt from:
Diet Type Changes Quantity Of Calories Burned: Study

Editor's Choice Main Category: Nutrition / Diet Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Article Date: 26 Jun 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'Vitamin B3 Found In Milk May Result In Substantial Health Benefits'

5 (2 votes)

2 (1 votes)

According to the June issue of Cell Metabolism, high doses of the niacin-related vitamin precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) prevent obesity in mice that have been fed a fatty diet. Furthermore, it increases muscle performance and energy expenditure, whilst preventing the development of diabetes development without any side effects.

The mouse experiment was designed by research leader Dr. Johan Auwerx and his Swiss team, whilst the team from Weill Cornell Medical College, who played leading role in uncovering the biological story of NR, found a method to administer sufficient doses of NR to the animals.

Dr. Anthony Sauve, a pharmacologist and organic chemist and associate professor of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College, remarked: "This study is very important. It shows that in animals, the use of NR offers the health benefits of a low-calorie diet and exercise - without doing either one."

Dr. Sauve, a pioneer and leader in investigating how NAD can signal adaptation in cells and in physiology, invented a simple method to efficiently synthesize NR on a large scale, was the first scientist to demonstrate that NR elevates nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels in mammalian cells. NAD plays a key role in energy metabolism.

He states:

According to the Swiss team, NR is a "hidden vitamin", which is thought to occur in low levels in numerous foods, even though it is difficult to measure these levels. Overall, the researchers call the metabolic effects of NR "nothing short of astonishing."

Link:
Vitamin B3 Found In Milk May Result In Substantial Health Benefits

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire -06/25/12)- Smart Lunches (www.smartlunches.com), the Boston-based online solution that brings nutrition to kids and convenience to their parents -- while ensuring that schools, daycare centers and summer camps provide healthy lunches to their students and campers -- announced two new additions to its team of advisors.

Barbara Lynch, a James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, and Debi Kleiman, President of the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX), join Smart Lunches at a time when the company and its business model are gaining tremendous momentum and acceptance. Since its launch in September of 2011, the company has added an impressive roster of 35 forward-thinking schools, daycare centers and summer camps, resulting in a tripling of the volume of lunches provided in the past two months alone.

Lynch, Founder and CEO of Barbara Lynch Gruppo which includes such acclaimed Boston eateries as No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Sportello and Menton, brings her expertise in food and nutrition to advise the company. She will work closely with Smart Lunches' on-staff nutritionist. "I'm excited about helping Smart Lunches creatively serve an unmet need with well-balanced, kid-friendly lunches made with fresh fruits and vegetables and other minimally processed ingredients," said Lynch. "Smart Lunches is already highly rated by children and parents alike -- but the Company's management is determined to do even more, and I'm thrilled to be a part of a team that will clearly be proactive about setting new standards on children's everyday diets."

Debi Kleiman, President of MITX, brings deep experience in digital marketing and consumer brands. Previously, Kleiman was VP, Product Marketing & Sales Operations at Communispace. Before that, she held marketing management positions at Oral-B (a division of Procter & Gamble), Welch's and the Coca-Cola Company. Said Kleiman: "By combining today's innovation in ecommerce with entrepreneurship, Smart Lunches has found the most convenient way for parents to give their kids the lunches they'd like them to have. As a mom myself, I know that parents are busy and our kids want to eat good stuff for lunch. There just aren't a lot of options that can help on both fronts. But meals from Smart Lunches fit right in, and I'm eager to have the chance to help get the word out."

"Barbara and Debi joining as advisors has added excitement to the atmosphere at our new headquarters in downtown Boston. Their enthusiasm and knowledge of today's food ecosystem and their skill at building great brands will be invaluable assets," said CEO Emily Green. "Based on feedback from kids, parents and schools, we're continuing to raise the bar on providing appetizing, nutritious meals. Our summer menu has parents across the state thrilled to get a break from packing their campers' lunch every day. Adding Barbara and Debi to our team will help us achieve our goal of having 50 Boston-area partners by Fall."

About Smart Lunches: Smart Lunches' online ordering and meal delivery service brings nutrition and convenience to parents and kids, while making life easier for schools, daycare centers and camps.

Smart Lunches is located in Boston, Massachusetts and is a proud member of 12 x 12 (www.twelvebytwelve.org), which brings together leading entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business service providers committed to accelerate promising new businesses in Massachusetts. The company gives back by sharing a portion of its earnings with its partners and by contributing to other programs to support underprivileged children -- proving great businesses can do great things while having a higher purpose.

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Smart Lunches Adds Barbara Lynch and Debi Kleiman as Advisors to Enhance Category Leadership and Support Growth

It can happen to the best of us: You decide you want to lose weight and you successfully drop some pounds. But you go back to your old eating habits or gorge on the foods that youve been craving for whatever reason, and suddenly the scales telling you youve gained everything back, maybe even more. Eventually, you start trying to lose the weight again

Yo-yo dieting is the everyday term for when people lose weight and gain it back, sometimes again and again over many years.

Its a very common pattern, said Christine Tenekjian, a registered dietitian at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham. Sometimes its just 20 pounds at a time and they might regain 25, but sometimes its 50 or 100 pounds, then regaining more than that.

Nationally, research has shown many people who lose weight manage to keep it off initially. But findings show that over several years, they often gain weight back.

Susan Pflug, 65, of Charlotte, has been trying to lose weight and then keep the pounds off for more than 20 years.

Part of it had to do with appearance, but mostly she wants to maintain her health. Around the time her father died, her outlook shifted. She says she became more aware of mortality and time passing.

Pflug, a retired librarian, has had no weight-related health issues so far, but she knows theres no guarantee her health will last forever.

She also wants to dance with her husband without her feet hurting, and to have more energy to keep up with her grandchildren.

I am absolutely worn out at the end of visits, she said, laughing. I would like that to change.

Over the years, Pflug has tried Weight Watchers, the Atkins Diet and giving up fat, among other things. She says some diets work well for losing weight, if you can stick to them.

More:
Yo-yo dieting has more than one cause

SPARTA, Ky., June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As the Kentucky Speedway prepares for the upcoming Quaker State 400, select Walmart stores will offer authentic NASCAR merchandise, a driver appearance and host exclusive fan events starting June 26. Customers are invited to attend these special events and enjoy show car and simulator displays perfect to safely get behind the wheel and feel the power of NASCAR June 26-29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., depending on the location.

"Walmart is the champion of the racing fan, and we are committed to providing customers with savings on authentic merchandise, as well as unique race time experiences," said Walmart market manager Beth Dlutowski. "We want to give fans affordability and accessibility, so they can enjoy race time with their families and friends."

Race Time at Walmart

In addition to the fan events happening in Walmart parking lots, area Walmart stores will feature savings on all the food and snacks you need to enjoy the race, plus authentic NASCAR merchandise such as T-shirts and racing flags, with an even bigger selection of exclusive products available at Walmart.com/NASCAR.

Participating stores near the Kentucky Speedway include:

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Displays free and open to the public include the M&M's Show Car, Simulator Pod and Trophy Display, Hefty Show Car Simulator and Coors Light Show Car at:

Store #2967 3450 Valley Plaza Parkway Ft. Wright, Ky. 10 a.m. 4 p.m.

Displays free and open to the public include the No. 24 Pepsi MAX Show Car, No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Show Car, 5-hour Energy Show Car, No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger, Kingsford Ultimate Tailgate Truck, Coca-Cola 2-Seat Simulator, Miller Lite Show Car, Walmart's 50th Anniversary Show Car, Cheez-It Show Car Simulator and Oreo Ritz Show Car at:

Store #1510 7625 Doering Drive Florence, Ky. 11:30 a.m. 5:30 p.m.

Excerpt from:
Kentucky Walmart Stores Offer NASCAR Driver Appearance, Authentic Merchandise, Fan Events Starting June 26

Newswise Obese older adults can reduce their chance of developing the metabolic syndrome by losing weight through dieting alone, but adding exercise to a weight loss program has even more benefit, a new study finds. The results, to be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Societys 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, show that a combination of diet-induced weight loss and frequent exercise almost doubled the improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with dieting alone.

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic problems that raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease: abdominal obesity as shown by a large waist circumference, disturbed lipids (low HDL or good cholesterol and high triglycerides), high blood pressure and high blood glucose (blood sugar). Although it is known that weight loss can reduce these risk factors, the most appropriate lifestyle treatment for obesity in older adults has been controversial, said the presenting author, Matthew Bouchonville, MD.

It was not clear from prior studies in obese elderly adults whether the beneficial effects of diet and exercise are distinct from each other or have additive effects, said Bouchonville, an assistant professor at the University of Mexico Health Sciences Center and the New Mexico Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System in Albuquerque.

The researchers investigated the independent and combined effects of diet-induced weight loss and regular exercise in a one-year randomized controlled clinical trial, funded by the National Institute on Aging. They randomly assigned 107 obese adults ages 65 and older to one of four groups: weight management using a calorie-restricted diet, exercise (three times a week for 90 minutes each) without dieting, combined dieting with exercise, and controls (no diet or exercise).

The primary outcome analyzed was the degree of change in the insulin sensitivity index. Insulin sensitivity is the bodys ability to successfully clear glucose from the bloodstream and is often impaired in obese people. This index was measured from the oral glucose tolerance test, a blood test for diabetes after the patient drinks a sugary drink.

Other measures obtained included those for the components of the metabolic syndrome as well as C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. Research has linked chronic inflammation to diabetes and heart disease.

Ninety-three participants completed the study. In the intention-to-treat analysis of all 107 subjects, the insulin sensitivity index did not improve in the exercise-alone group or the controls. This index did improve on average by 40 percent in the diet group and by 70 percent in the combined diet-exercise group after controlling for relevant covariates, Bouchonville reported.

This suggests a distinct complementary effect of exercise on diet-induced weight loss, he said.

Weight loss by diet alone also led to improvements in blood pressure and C-reactive protein. Without weight loss, exercise did not result in improvement in these risk factors, Bouchonville said. Other measures that did not improve in the exercise-only group or the controls but did improve in the other two groups included glucose and insulin response to the oral glucose tolerance test (levels of insulin and glucose trended over several time points after the sugar intake), waist circumference, abdominal visceral (deep belly) fat, triglycerides and adiponectin. Adiponectin is a protein produced in fat cells that improves insulin sensitivity.

Excerpt from:
Diet, Exercise or Both? Study Shows What Obese Older Adults Need to Do to Reduce Cardiometabolic Risk

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2012) Dieters have less hunger and cravings throughout the day and are better able to keep off lost weight if they eat a carbohydrate-rich, protein-packed breakfast that includes dessert. These findings come from a new study that was presented June 25 at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

"The goal of a weight loss diet should be not only weight reduction but also reduction of hunger and cravings, thus helping prevent weight regain," said Daniela Jakubowicz, MD, the study's principal investigator.

Jakubowicz, a senior physician at Tel Aviv University's Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel, and her co-authors studied nearly 200 nondiabetic obese adults who were randomly assigned to eat one of two low-calorie diets. Both diets had the same number of daily calories -- about 1,600 for men and 1,400 for women -- but differed mainly in the composition of breakfast.

One group received a low-carbohydrate diet, featuring a 304-calorie breakfast with only 10 grams of carbohydrates, or "carbs." The other group ate a 600-calorie breakfast with 60 grams of carbs, which included a small sweet, such as chocolate, a doughnut, a cookie or cake. Both diets contained protein (such as tuna, egg whites, cheese and low-fat milk) at breakfast, but the "dessert with breakfast diet" had 45 grams of protein, 15 grams more than in the low-carb diet.

Halfway through the eight-month study, participants in both groups lost an average of 33 pounds (15.1 kilograms, or kg) per person, which Jakubowicz said shows that "both diets work the same." However, in the last four months of the study, the low-carb group regained an average of 22 pounds (11.6 kg) per person, while participants who ate the dessert with breakfast diet lost another 15 pounds (6.9 kg) each, the authors reported.

In addition, the study subjects who ate the dessert with breakfast diet reported feeling less hunger and fewer cravings compared with the other group. Subjects' food diaries showed that the dessert with breakfast group had better compliance in sticking to their calorie requirements. Women who ate the dessert with breakfast diet were allowed 500 calories for lunch and about 300 calories for dinner. Men in that group could eat a 600-calorie lunch and up to 464 calories at dinner.

As further evidence supporting the dessert with breakfast diet, the levels of ghrelin, the so-called "hunger hormone," dropped much more after breakfast than in the low-carb group: 45.2 percent versus 29.5 percent, respectively, according to the abstract.

Jakubowicz attributed the better results from the dessert with breakfast diet to meal timing and composition. She said the diet's high protein content reduced hunger; the combination of protein and carbs increased satiety, or feeling full; and the dessert decreased cravings for sweet, starchy and fatty foods. Such cravings often occur when a diet restricts sweets and can result in eating many fattening foods that are not allowed on the diet, she said.

This study was published in the March issue of the journal Steroids.

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'Dessert with breakfast diet' helps avoid weight regain by reducing cravings

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2012) Obese older adults can reduce their chance of developing the metabolic syndrome by losing weight through dieting alone, but adding exercise to a weight loss program has even more benefit, a new study finds. The results, presented June 25 at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, show that a combination of diet-induced weight loss and frequent exercise almost doubled the improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with dieting alone.

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic problems that raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease: abdominal obesity as shown by a large waist circumference, disturbed lipids (low HDL or "good" cholesterol and high triglycerides), high blood pressure and high blood glucose (blood sugar). Although it is known that weight loss can reduce these risk factors, the most appropriate lifestyle treatment for obesity in older adults has been controversial, said the presenting author, Matthew Bouchonville, MD.

"It was not clear from prior studies in obese elderly adults whether the beneficial effects of diet and exercise are distinct from each other or have additive effects," said Bouchonville, an assistant professor at the University of Mexico Health Sciences Center and the New Mexico Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System in Albuquerque.

The researchers investigated the independent and combined effects of diet-induced weight loss and regular exercise in a one-year randomized controlled clinical trial, funded by the National Institute on Aging. They randomly assigned 107 obese adults ages 65 and older to one of four groups: weight management using a calorie-restricted diet, exercise (three times a week for 90 minutes each) without dieting, combined dieting with exercise, and controls (no diet or exercise).

The primary outcome analyzed was the degree of change in the insulin sensitivity index. Insulin sensitivity is the body's ability to successfully clear glucose from the bloodstream and is often impaired in obese people. This index was measured from the oral glucose tolerance test, a blood test for diabetes after the patient drinks a sugary drink.

Other measures obtained included those for the components of the metabolic syndrome as well as C-reactive protein, a measure of inflammation. Research has linked chronic inflammation to diabetes and heart disease.

Ninety-three participants completed the study. In the intention-to-treat analysis of all 107 subjects, the insulin sensitivity index did not improve in the exercise-alone group or the controls. This index did improve on average by 40 percent in the diet group and by 70 percent in the combined diet-exercise group after controlling for relevant covariates, Bouchonville reported.

"This suggests a distinct complementary effect of exercise on diet-induced weight loss," he said.

Weight loss by diet alone also led to improvements in blood pressure and C-reactive protein. Without weight loss, exercise did not result in improvement in these risk factors, Bouchonville said. Other measures that did not improve in the exercise-only group or the controls but did improve in the other two groups included glucose and insulin response to the oral glucose tolerance test (levels of insulin and glucose trended over several time points after the sugar intake), waist circumference, abdominal visceral (deep belly) fat, triglycerides and adiponectin. Adiponectin is a protein produced in fat cells that improves insulin sensitivity.

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Diet, exercise or both? What obese older adults need to do to reduce cardiometabolic risk

Diet high in fat and calories can hasten the development of pancreatic cancer in humans.

Our results showed that in mice, a diet high in fat and calories led to obesity and metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance that are seen in obese humans. It also greatly enhanced pancreatic inflammation and pancreatic cancer development, said Guido Eibl, M.D., an associate professor in the department of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles and a researcher at UCLAs Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Human epidemiological studies have linked high fat intake and obesity to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, but the mechanism driving this association has not been understood.

To understand the link, Eibl and his colleagues first tested the hypothesis that diet is linked to cancer. They fed a corn oil-based diet that had a high content of fat and calories to mice with a genetic mutation that caused them to develop pancreatic precancer. The same gene, KRAS, is mutated in the majority of human pancreatic cancers.

The results showed that 90 percent of the mice fed the special diet became obese, and all of these mice developed insulin resistance and inflammation in the pancreas. Both of these conditions can stimulate the growth of precancerous cells and cancer. These mice also developed significantly more advanced precancerous lesions than did mice fed a normal diet.

This suggests that the high-fat, high-calorie diet accelerated pancreatic cancer development, said Eibl. A KRAS mutation in the pancreas might not be sufficient to cause an individual to develop pancreatic cancer. It likely needs something in addition a secondary hit. Our study showed that a high-fat, high-calorie diet could provide an environmental secondary hit and trigger cancer development.

The researchers are now defining the role that inflammation produced by obesity plays in development of the cancer, and if agents such as antidiabetic drugs or fish oil can halt this disease process.

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High-fat, High-calorie Diet Speeds Pancreatic Cancer Development

Desmond writes, What are your thoughts on the Atkins diet? I have heard people have great success but others say it leads to other medical complications?

It must be swimsuit time again! Probably the best time of the year for dieting, and healthier attitudes. It's important to understand how metabolism works, to understand how to lose weight, and become healthier. Unfortunately, many are not looking to be healthier, just skinnier....regardless of the health angle. So, my advice to you all is to think a little deeper, work a little harder, and put your health first, and your bikini/beach body second.

The biggest diet controversy has always been the type of food to eat that will help you lose weight. There have been hundreds of "fads" over the years, but many resurface, or refuse to go away. Any diet that severely restricts your food types and calories will make you lose weight, but will you be able to maintain that weight after stopping the restrictions? I look at diets as a "four letter word". It's not a term you are supposed to use! I would prefer "lifestyle changes" simply because there really is no end to the change. Therefore, any weight you lose will stay off since your goal is not to radically change your behavior for a short period of time (like most diets).

To answer Desmond's question, I did some research on the original Atkins diet, which was introduced in 1972, and revised in 2002. The premise is that a low carb, high protein diet will put the body in ketosis (weight loss by breaking down fat, also known as lipolysis. To do this you have to avoid carbohydrates, to allow the depletion of glucagon, and force the body to break down the fats used as storage in the body. The theory goes that you have to do this in stages to get the maximum benefit.

Stages of Atkins diet:

Induction is where most of the weight is lost, 5-10 pounds a week. During this phase, there are severe restrictions on carbohydrates, but no restriction on total calories taken in by protein or fat. There is a limitation of total fat, with only 20 percent of total calories expected from fat.

Ongoing weight loss, allows the inclusion of carbohydrates while still losing weight. This inclusion of carbs is limited and in stages or "rungs" of a ladder.

Rungs:

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Priority Health: Atkins diet