Category Archives: Diet And Food

Why Yesterday's Diets No Longer Work - Yesterday's best weight loss diets focused on calorie reduction, "bad foods" elimination, or restriction. This strategy actually worked in the past for 3 reasons: 1. Food was not as nutritionally deficient or chemically loaded and toxic as it is today. 2. People burned more calories with N.E.A.T. (non exercise activity thermogenesis) than they do today. 3. Life wasn't as hectic and stressful as it is today so hormones were more balanced than they are today.

Today's Weightloss Diets Need to Do More - Today's diets for weightloss need to do so much more than just cut calories and bad foods. A good weight loss diet must balance hormones and help your body detox from chemicals, additives, preservatives and toxins. It also needs to help you manage or reduce stress hormones, plus help you build or maintain lean muscles mass while burning fat stores. Most diets out there still don't address any of these important weight loss factors. They're stuck in the past which is what keeps you stuck at an unhealthy weight!

How to Choose a Weightloss Diet That Work - So if most diets don't work then how do you find a weight loss diet that gets results? The best way to choose a diet that will help you lose weight is to stay focused on the health benefits. Use the 10 questions below to determine if a diet you're considering will improve your health and your body's ability to burn fat.

Is the diet going to improve your health? Is the diet going to boost fat burning hormones? Is the diet going to help you reduce stress hormones? Is the diet going to help you have balanced eating habits? Is the diet going to boost energy levels so you can be more active? Is the diet going to help you detox on a daily basis? Is the diet going to help you have a healthy food attitude? Is the diet going to be simple and easy to follow and maintain for life? Is the diet going to help you maintain your weight loss results for life? Is the diet going to improve your lifestyle?

If you answered no to even one of the questions above then you should continue searching until you find a diet that will allow you to answer yes to most of the questions above because today's weight loss issues require a healthier more holistic approach.

Find out what your body needs to lose weight with the simple nutrition and lifestyle assessment questionnaires in How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!.

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Best Diet to Lose Weight Guide

24-05-2012 21:14 - Click To Left to find out the 6 Crucial Factors to Consider on How to Diet Safely and Effectively

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How To Diet? - Video

May 23, 2012 12:00pm

While neurologists have known that a high-fat and very low-carb diet, known as a ketogenic diet, reduces seizures in epileptic patients who are resistant to medical therapy, the why to it all has always been a mystery.

But today, some scientists say they may have found the answer. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School said seizures might be linked to a protein that changes metabolism in the brain, which is why patients respond so well to the ketogenic diet.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures, or convulsions, over time. The seizures represent episodes of disturbed brain activity and cause changes in attention and behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health. The condition affects about 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.

The ketogenic diet mimics aspects of starvation by forcing the body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates. The diet produces ketones in the body, organic compounds that form when the body uses fat, instead of glucose, as a source of energy. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures.

The study, published in the journal Neuron and conducted in genetically-altered mice, found that the effect of the ketogenic diet on epilepsy can be mimicked using a much more specific and non-dietary approach by manipulating a particular protein in mice, said Gary Yellen, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the study.

This points toward potential new ways of treating epilepsy in patients for whom current drugs are not effective, said Yellen.

Yellen said that while the connection between epilepsy and diet has remained unclear for nearly 100 years, he has seen childrens lives change drastically after changes in their food intake. In the past, some patients have also seen improvement when they cut nearly all sugar from their diets.

Experimenting in mice, the researchers found they could mimic the effects of the diet by altering a specific protein, known as BAD. Seizures decreased in the mice.

While the research must first be replicated in humans, Yellen said, in the long run, scientists should be able to target this pathway pharmacologically.

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Why 'Miracle Diet' Controls Epilepsy

(CBS News) Children with epilepsy who don't respond well to anti-seizure medications are sometimes treated with a strict "ketogenic diet" that's high in fats and low in carbohydrates, including foods like bacon, hot dogs, butter and eggs.

Seizures often misdiagnosed as epilepsy, actually stress: Study Epilepsy surgery shown effective for many hard-to-control cases Epilepsy Miracle Diet Cuts Seizures Drugs Can't

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the diet is so effective for some kids that they can go off "keto" for a few years and remain seizure-free. In 2010, the New York Times profiled the diet as "Epilepsy's Big Fat Miracle" and despite being prescribed at more than 100 hospitals around the country, researchers weren't exactly sure how it worked - until now.

In a new study of mice, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston have found that a child's ability to stave off seizures is tied to a protein that affects metabolism in the brain. The protein, so-called BCL-2-associated Agonist of Cell Death, or BAD, also regulates metabolism of glucose.

The researchers discovered that by modifying this this, they switched metabolism in brain cells from glucose to ketone bodies, which are fat byproducts.

"It was then that we realized we had come upon a metabolic switch to do what the ketogenic diet does to the brain without any actual dietary therapy," study author Dr. Alfredo Gimenez-Cassinam a research fellow at Dana-Farber, said in a news release.

The researchers used genetically modified mice to alter the BAD protein to increase ketone metabolism in the brain, and seizures in mice decreased. The findings suggest the BAD Protein could be a promising target for future epilepsy drugs. The study is published in the May 24th issue of the journal Neuron.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by repeated seizures, likened to electrical storms in the brain, that can appear as convulsions, loss of motor control, or loss of consciousness.

"I've met a lot of kids whose lives are completely changed by this diet," study co-author Dr. Gary Yellen, professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, said in a university news release. Yellen was introduced to the ketogenic diet through his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Thiele, who directs the Pediatric Epilepsy Program at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. "Diets in general are hard, and this diet is really hard," said Yellen, "So finding a pharmacological substitute for this would make lots of people really happy."

About two in 100 people will experience a seizure at some point in their lives, according to the Mayo Clinic, and at least two unprovoked seizures often are required to diagnose epilepsy. Anti-seizure medications such are often prescribed and brain surgery is a possibility for some people whose seizures originate in a small, well-defined area of the brain not involved with vital processes. Some children may even outgrow the condition with age.

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Understanding epilepsy "miracle" diet may lead to better treatments, scientists say

By Elizabeth Lopatto - 2012-05-23T16:00:00Z

A fatty diet that helps control epileptic seizures may do so by triggering a chemical change in the brain, a discovery that could lead to new treatments, according to a Harvard University study.

The diet may force a protein to switch the brains fuel to fat byproducts called ketones from its preferred energy, glucose, according to a study in genetically manipulated mice in the journal Neuron. Making the brain operate on ketones is known to shut down overexcited neurons that cause seizures.

This so-called ketogenic diet is used by epilepsy patients who arent helped by seizure-reducing drugs. The patients are only allowed a saltine crackers worth of carbohydrates daily, said Gary Yellen, a study author. Thats hard to do, and new treatments based on the diets effects in the body may lead to better control of seizures, he said.

There are kids who go off this diet because they and their parents cant manage it, said Yellen, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Having a pharmaceutical to help them would be important.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures, where neurons fire in a disorganized and sudden way, according to the National Institutes of Health. About 3 million Americans are epileptic, according to the Landover, Maryland-based Epilepsy Foundation, an advocacy group.

Yellens coauthor, Nika Danial, an assistant professor of cell biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is working on mimicking the protein. That may lead to a treatment, or help researchers look through chemical libraries for something similar, she said.

The diet is very high in fat, with some protein and almost no carbohydrates, triggering the body to use fat as its source of energy and imitating the effects of starvation on the body. That releases ketones, which can provide energy to the brain in lieu of sugar.

In epileptic mice, the scientists tinkered with a protein called BCL-2-associated agonist of cell death, or BAD, to promote ketones and lower levels of glucose. While their seizures decreased, there was no effect in mice that had been genetically altered to take out the protein, providing evidence for how it worked, according to the study.

The switch is much like changing from diesel to unleaded fuel, causing fewer seizures, Yellen said. Something about the swap prevents neurons from firing too much, though the full extent of the changes isnt clear. Additionally, a ketogenic diet may be effective in some neurodegenerative disorders, Danial said.

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Fatty Diet Preventing Seizures May Lead to Epilepsy Drugs

As drivers prepare for the Coca-Cola 600 scheduled for May 27 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, there is one story that is getting an inordinate amount of attention. The obsession with Danica Patrick's diet and how she will handle the 600 mile race is only growing. Her diet was part of the May 24 press conference and revealed a ridiculous focus on something other drivers handle without incident.

The Diet

On May 24, NASCAR fans received a lesson in Danica Patrick's diet preparations for the Coca-Cola 600 thanks to a press conference committed to ignoring the hard questions. The topics ranged from the types of snacks that Danica will have in her car to general diet inquiries. Patrick responded by explaining that her diet is "healthy all the time" and that she will have a special drink mix in the car for the race. Danica Patrick admitted that her trainer will provide input in her snack preparations.

Contributing to the Problem?

Danica, who is just slightly over 5 feet tall, has had her weight in the spotlight since her time in IndyCar. Since she weighs 100 pounds, drivers initially accused of her having an unfair advantage due to low body weight. Modifications in the rule books to total car mass have made sure that this type of advantage is not possible, but her weight is still in the headlines.

While other drivers faced questions about their season and the upcoming race on May 27, Patrick's press conference was absorbed in dissecting her snack choices. Can Danica be blamed? She has brought up the topic of her diet frequently, and her new sponsorship with Coke Zero is contributing to the problem. She has even posted pictures of a minuscule cheese platter on her Twitter account. However, the media's bias was still visible as male drivers were never asked about their diets.

The Danica Patrick Fit Fuel Concession Stand

The Charlotte Motor Speedway seems to be benefitting from the hype surrounding Danica Patrick's diet. The track has added a concession stand that provides healthier options. The Danica Patrick Fit Fuel concession stand provides veggie burgers, fresh fruit and sliced vegetables. It is an interesting contrast to some of the other items offered at the Charlotte Motor Speedway that include deep-fried cupcakes and fried cheese sticks.

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Matt Kenseth Has a New Sponsor: NASCAR Fan Reaction

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The Obsession with Danica Patrick’s Diet: NASCAR Fan View

By Deni Rose M. Afinidad, Staff Writer

05/21/2012

he past century had been a celebration of cures. Now, the mantra prevention is better than cure has become so strong, this century has been rated PG (Prevention Generation).

If it is true that the digestive system is the culprit behind top Filipino killers heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and diarrhea, then prevention should start with what the old adage says makes you who you are: what you eat.

Now that summer break is almost over, it is now time to give a holiday to one of the busiest parts of the body your stomach. The recently held 4th HSBC Coffee Talk: Hot Summer, Hot Diets was a platform for people to meet eye to eye with the eye of todays wellness storm: diets.

Art Mendoza from The Biggest Loser; Rescina Bhagwani who lost 65 pounds on the Cohen diet; JL Martinez who lost 120 pounds on the HCG diet; Lala Agregado who credits her newly toned physique to CrossFit; and Kat Azanza, co-owner of Juju Cleanse, shared pound-per-pound pieces of advice for those thinking of tipping off the scale to get todays most sought-after Bora body.

Natural diet and CrossFit

In her childhood, Agregado used to be overweight. Her mother has a seemingly eternal hourglass figure, while every celebrity she watched on TV seemed to be always slim. These pressured her to try the extremes.

I have tried all the crazy diets and weight loss methods out there, she said. Bangkok pills, Xenical... you name it. You may lose a lot of weight in a short period of time but trust me, you will balloon back with a vengeance.

She, however, found the solution she had been looking for ever since she signed up for CrossFit.

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Diets du jour

By Erin Gulden Content provided by

When news hit that a certain Duchess may have turned to the Dukan Diet to help her slim down before her very public wedding in April 2011, the blogs were abuzz. Then came reports that both model Gisele Bundchen and singer Jennifer Lopez used the diet to lose their baby weight. The blogs went wild. Was this the magic method dieters had been waiting for?

Dr. Pierre Dukan had been prescribing his high-protein, phase-based diet to his own patients for decades, but only in the last 10 years has he put his plan down in writing. It made a splash in France before spreading through European nations and dozens of other countries before being published in the United States in April 2011, the same month as the Royal Wedding. Though Carole Middleton is reportedly a fan and turned her now-famous daughters on to the diet, Dukan's method has plenty of detractors.

A survey by the French magazine Journal des Femmes Sant asked 5,000 people who completed the Dukan Diet how it worked in the long run. More than 80 percent of responders reported losing weight rapidly, but putting it all back on within four years. In December 2011, the British Dietetic Association went a step further, calling the diet one of the five worst celebrity diets of 2011.

So how does it work? The plan consists of four phases. The first tends to be the most satisfying, due to the rapid weight loss. It's called the Attack Phase, and consists of eating unlimited amounts of lean meats and nonfat dairy products and small amounts of oat bran. This phase lasts for two to seven days, depending on how much weight the dieter wants to lose. The second phase is the Cruise phase, where dieters rotate days of pure protein with days of pure protein and vegetables until they hit their desired weight. The third phase reintroduces whole grains and cheeses in fixed amounts, and the last phase allows the dieter to eat whatever they like, as long as they eat only pure protein one day each week.

Karen Ansel, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), finds immediate fault with the diet's restrictive regimen. "When you're on a diet that restricts entire food groups it can be really difficult to get the nutrients you need," Ansel says. "To feel your best you really want to find a diet that lets you eat from all the food groups."

She says the high-protein approach may lead to rapid weight loss, but cautions that since protein acts as a diuretic, most of those initial pounds may be lost water weight, not fat.

And she says there are other side effects to high-protein diets, including constipation, fatigue, dry mouth, bad breath and even depression. "Our bodies need carbohydrates to synthesize the brain chemical serotonin, which is linked to feelings of happiness and relaxation," Ansel says.

So the Dukan Diet may work in the short term, and high-protein diets may be able to help you slim down a few days before an event, but for long-term weight loss success, Ansel suggests skipping Dukan.

"The best formula for weight loss is a plan that allows you to eat smaller portions from all food groups," Ansel says. "Not only is it healthier, you're more likely to stick with it."

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Is the Dukan diet right for you?

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(CNN) - A new study out of Harvard Medical School says higher good cholesterol levels may not lower heart attack risks.

It says genetic tests haven't shown a link between higher HDL and a lower risk.

HDL is the so-called "good" cholesterol.

One of the study's authors tells Web MD that HDL is important tool for figuring out heart attack risk.

But, he says this research raises questions as to whether there are benefits to taking drugs to increase those levels.

Studies have shown that high LDL or bad cholesterol, is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks.

So the takeaway message from doctors, is to definitely lower your LDL.

The study is published in the journal Lancet.

Copyright 2012 CNN. All rights reserved.

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Study: “Good Cholesterol” may not be that good for you

FA=high-fat, ab libitum (eat-at-will) diet, FT=high-fat, time-restricted diet, NA=normal ab libitum (eat-at-will)diet, NT=normal diet, time-restricted

Diets tell youwhat you eat, but a new study suggestswhen you eat matters too. Of two groups of mice who were fed the same high-fat diet, themice who could eat around the clock were much heavierthan those who had food restricted to eight hours per day, in a new study published inCell Metabolism.

Researchers in the study gave the mice a special high-fat chow, 61% of whose calories come from fat (compared to just 13% in normal feed). The mice who chowed down all day and night became, unsurprisingly, obese, but the ones who ate the same amount of hi-fat foodin only eight hours per day did not. Their body weight was comparable to mice fed an equivalent amount of calories on normal feed.

This being a study inCell Metabolism, the researchers didnt stop with just weighing the mice; they did a lot of molecular experiments to work out the link between timing and weight gain. Mice on high-fat, eat-whenever diets had the insulin problems associated with obesity-induced diabetes and lower expression of genes linked to breaking down fats in the liver, leading to fat accumulating in the liver. The high-fat, time-restricted diets did not have those problems.

This might make sense in light of ourcircadian rhythms, which are the approximately 24-hour cycles that govern sleep as well as metabolic functions such when the liver secretes bile and the pancreas insulin.Previous researchhas found that sleep-deprivedand jetlagged people, whose circadian rhythms are out of whack, are at risk for weight gain. The current study adds to the link between circadian rhythms and weight, suggesting that eating fat at odd hours disrupts daily metabolic cycles.

Image courtesy of M. Hatori et al / Cell Metabolism

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No More Midnight Snacks? Mice That Eat at Odd Hours Get Fat | 80beats