Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

A mum who lost four-and-a-half stone has set up a healthy food delivery business.

Danielle Byrnes lost the weight in two years and dropped down from 14 stone.

At the time she said she was "classed as obese" and she explained she began trying to lose weight five years ago.

Explaining how she achieved her results, she said: "I was a gym-goer when I was heavier but I was obviously just still eating the wrong foods so it was a mixture of eating the right foods and going to the gym and finding exercise that I enjoy rather than forcing myself to do something I didn't like."

She has since maintained her weight and in that time has had a baby.

After she was made redundant from her previous job as a product manager at Experian, she decided to launch her own company, selling prepared healthy meals and lunches which she delivers to customers.

The idea is to provide "tasty food that's not unhealthy".

Explaining how the idea came about, the 33-year-old said: "My husband is a bodybuilder, a heavy weightlifter, as well as working full-time.

"And I've lost all that weight. I'd do all of our cooking together, would prepare it for the week and that's what we'd eat.

"I'd have three meals a day to lose weight and then to maintain it but my husband has five or six for muscle building.

"My friends always said 'I wish I could do that' and 'how do you do it?'

"I just thought: 'You know what, it's probably something I could make a business from'.

"I sell meal prep to people so they'll buy five to 10 meals in bulk off me in one go.

"Or I do a one-off meal, like a lunch with a drink."

The business, Aubrey's Healthy Bites Ltd, is named after her two-year-old daughter.

The meals can be warmed up in the microwave for customers to eat.

"I've been doing a new menu each week with a few choices, I keep it quite small because it's just me," said Mrs Byrnes.

Options can be made with meat or suitable for vegetarians.

Speaking about the types of meals available, she said: "I keep them high in protein and around about 500 calories.

"This week it's teriyaki chicken with egg noodles and lean sausage, mash and vegetables.

"I've done a satay chicken with broccoli and rice, a lentil and chickpea dal - those went down really well."

Mrs Byrnes, who lives in Cotgrave, explained she was currently delivering across Rushcliffe.

She added: "It's doing well, I can see it getting busier and busier, especially into January when people are trying to lose weight after Christmas."

The business has been running for a month since she left Experian in October.

Her husband Shon, a 35-year-old business analyst, said: "At the end of the day she's taken that risk, she believes she can do it - she hasn't held back.

"This is what she wants to do and she's done all of her research, done all of her marketing - it's all been her. This is just the start, hopefully."

The business has a website and Facebook and Instagram accounts customers can use to place orders.

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Mum's incredible 4st weight loss inspires her new healthy eating business - Nottinghamshire Live

PITTSBURGH, Pa. In the most recent issue of the Annals of Surgery, epidemiologists from the University of Pittsburgh published two separate analyses that could help guide clinicians and policymakers in counseling bariatric surgery patients to improve their quality of life for many years to come.

A study led by Dr. Gretchen White, assistant professor of medicine and clinical and translational science at Pitts Institute for Clinical Research and Education, identified several patient characteristics pre- and post-surgery such as insufficient social support and unrealistic weight loss expectations that can predict not being satisfied long-term with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

In a second paper, Whites colleague and collaborator Dr. Wendy King, associate professor of epidemiology at Pitts Graduate School of Public Health, found that higher physical activity levels after bariatric surgery lessen depressive symptoms and improve mental and physical quality of life, irrespective of weight loss.

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans who struggle with obesity undergo gastric bypass surgery to manage their body weight and comorbidities, such as diabetes. Yet, the Pitt scientists found, while most patients are at least somewhat satisfied with their surgery long-term, satisfaction decreased from 85% to 77% three to seven years post-surgery. Most patients also continue to lead sedentary lives, which contributes to weight regain and negatively affects their mental well-being.

Knowing which patients are more likely to be dissatisfied with their surgery can help doctors guide a conversation about expectations and maximize beneficial effects of the procedure, White said. Similarly, providing quantitative data that show being more physically active has positive effects on a persons well-being might help shift a patients perspective on exercise.

Our data support why its important to counsel patients regarding their physical activity behaviors, said King. Although patients in general are not meeting physical activity recommendations post-surgery, we found a dose-response relationship the more active patients were, the better improvement they had in depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life. Every bit matters.

Both studies analyzed data collected from 1,700 adults who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery between March 2006 and April 2009 and were followed for up to seven years.

In a pre-operation assessment, younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), higher percent weight loss needed to reach dream weight, worse physical and mental health status, and less social support all independently predicted higher risk of not being satisfied with surgery. In addition, less weight loss, worsening physical and mental health status, less social support and greater depressive symptomology after the surgery were associated with not being satisfied.

Knowing these characteristics can be useful for clinicians when talking to patients about how realistic their post-surgery expectations are, particularly when having conversations about achieving their dream weight, said White. Modifying expectations early may lead to better satisfaction long-term.

In a separate study, King found that improvements in mental and physical health-related quality of life differed by physical activity level. By analyzing objective measures collected from wearable activity monitors step count, amount of time spent sedentary and amount of time spent doing moderate-to-vigorous activity she found that higher levels of physical activity related to improvements independent of weight loss. In her recent work, also published in the Annals of Surgery, King showed that higher activity level predicted better weight loss and less weight regain but that study didnt look at quality-of-life measures.

Even after the surgery, an average bariatric surgery patient leads a significantly more sedentary lifestyle than recommended by physicians.

King says this may explain why the magnitude of associations between physical activity level and improvement in health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms in their cohort was small. Still, the findings provide support for expanding measures that increase physical activity in bariatric surgery patients to influence mental and physical health outcomes.

Most insurance providers include coverage for dietary counseling but dont reimburse expenses for hiring a health coach or getting a gym membership, said King. There needs to be more systemic support to help patients increase their activity level and maintain an active lifestyle post-surgery.

Dr. Anita Courcoulas, of Pitt and UPMC, is a coauthor on both studies. Amanda Hinerman, M.P.H., and DrSteven H. Belle, both of Pitt, are coauthors on the depressive symptoms study.

No grant support was provided for the analysis or preparation of both manuscripts.

The Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery-2 (LABS-2) study that produced the data used in these analyses was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

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Pitt Scientists Identify Predictors of Satisfaction after Bariatric Surgery and Demonstrate Positive Effects of Physical Activity in Patients -...

If you had the power to melt fat in just 60 seconds, would you use it? Well, that power is yours. You can use those 60 seconds to read our list of the most effective weight loss tips we can find. These expert-recommended, science-backed tips were hand-selected for their ability to turn your body into a hyper-efficient fat-burning machine so you can lose weight faster by revving up your metabolism, toning and defining your muscles, and turning off the genes that contribute to fat storage.

Incorporate these into your diet, and blast fat fast by reading our essential report: The Best Ways to Lose Belly Fat for Good, Say Doctors.

It's getting hot in here so take off all your, um, cloves. And use spicier spices instead! "Sprinkle cayenne pepper (or any other chili pepper) over your food, or make a drink by adding cayenne to lemon and hot or room temperature water," shares Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, a plant-based dietitian and author of The Vegiterranean Diet and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition. "This will temporarily give your metabolism a boost."

RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox!

Those Greek gods at the gym are onto something: "Aim for 25-35 grams per meal until you [hit your weight loss goals]," suggests registered dietitian Mitzi Dulan, RD, author of The Pinterest Diet: How to Pin Your Way Thin and team nutritionist for the Kansas City Royals. "This will satisfy you and help prevent going overboard with carbs." You can start with your first meal of the day: 19 High Protein Breakfasts That Keep You Full.

With apologies to Virginia Woolf, one cannot think well, love well, eat well, if one has not slept well. Getting plenty of sleep is extremely important for losing weight at a good rate. Not only can lack of sleep slow the metabolism, but it can also make us more likely to make poor food choices. We often eat more sugar when we are tired because we feel the need for energy, but what we really need is sleep and not sugar! And then we are more likely to skip workouts when we are sleep deprived, too.

We'd always hoped English would be more important than math. "Learning to read the ingredients, instead of relying on the caloric and macronutrient breakdown, allows you to better understand what's going in your food," says registered dietitian Lisa Hayim, RD and founder of The Well Necessities and TWN Collection. "When we identify things like added sugar, preservatives, or chemicals, we are more likely to find alternatives that are cleaner and digested more easily."

Here's a comparison for you to remember: "Five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of hard liquor or 12 ounces of light beer all have significantly fewer calories (typically 90-120) than mixed drinks, fruity cocktails and regular beer (which range from 140 calories to upwards of 700 calories, especially when you don't stick to a serving size!)," The Nutrition Twins, Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, and authors of The Nutrition Twins' Veggie Cure remind us. "If you have a couple of cocktails each week and switch to the lighter choices, it's an easy way to shed pounds!" Or, blast fat drinking pinot noir, one of our 16 Best Wines for Weight Loss!

"Add some good clean fun to your life. Eating well, moving more, and managing stressas daily lifelong habitsis the recipe for achieving healthy weight," says Annie Kay, MS, RDN, Lead Nutritionist at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. "If you are not losing weight, the first thing to check is if one of these key areas has slipped. And if so, what made your plan too hard to maintain? Can you think of three strategies to make your plan a little easier or more fun?"

We know, we know. But at least for now: "Cheese is so high in calories that if you eat it regularly (including pizza, enchiladas, and foods with cheese on or in them), these foods will contribute to your weight gain," suggests celebrity nutritionist Lisa DeFazio, MS, RDN. If you need some help following this tip, check out22 Genius Tips To Cut Back on Dairy, According to Experts.

"Eat carbohydrates during the day. But at dinner, eat protein, vegetables, and a small amount of carbs like a half-cup of sweet potato," says DeFazio. "After dinner, try not to eat anything and have a cup of herbal non-caffeinated tea," she adds. And when you do eat a carb, make sure it's one of these mouthwatering 25 Best Carbs for Weight Loss!

Spice is, well, the spice of life, right? "If you've been eating healthy, balanced meals and being active to reach a healthy weight, and you've reached a standstill, change it up! If you usually walk, how about trying a bike ride or a swim?" shares Kay. For some fun ideas, check out these astonishingly effective 20 ways to overcome a weight-loss plateau!

"When you strength train, you increase your RMR (resting metabolic rate)," says Hayim. "This means that at rest, you are burning more than you normally would. This elevated metabolic rate continues after the workout is done, meaning more calories burned."

Some research shows that consuming a higher percentage of your calories from protein (20-30 percent) while also following a strength-training routine can help you lose weight fast and the building of lean muscle, simultaneously. This doesn't mean totally cutting carbs or other food groups out of your dietyou need them to have the energy to workout!but it does mean replacing empty calories [from things like sugary drinks or sweets] with calories from protein. Lean up with one of these best protein shakes for weight loss!

Emerging research shows a correlation between gut health and weight. People who have more good bacteria in their guts tend to be a healthier weight, while overweight and obese individuals tend to have less of the good stuff in their gut. You can enhance the good bacteria in your gut by eating food rich in good bacteria (also known as probiotics) including yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut (look for the refrigerated versions of these to get the benefits). But don't stop there! You have to feed those good bacteria, and they eat prebiotics, which are found in fiber-rich food such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. As an added bonus, fiber helps to control your appetite and some studies show that having more good gut bacteria can reduce junk food cravings as well, and both of these things could help accelerate weight loss!

"Eat plenty of fiber by opting for at least seven one-cup servings of vegetables, two servings of fruits, and one cup of beans or lentils each day," says Hever. "Fiber, found exclusively in plants, signals your brain to stop eating. Thus, you can feel full with fewer calories and plenty of nutrition." Here are the best high-fiber foods that will get things movingfast.

Instead of reaching for your phone first thing in the A.M., befriend a tall, refreshing glass of water. "Start your day with water and drink at least half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces each day," suggests Hever. "Fill up on water to improve satiety and help you eat fewer overall calories." Slip a few invigorating summer staples into your meals like watermelon and cukes whose water content are high, too!

It's mmm mmmm good! Especially if infused with some fruit and sliced cukes. "This calorie-free beverage is an easy way to add volume and fill your stomach before you dig into your next meal," says registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE. "By drinking before the meal, you can offset hunger and allow yourself to eat smaller portions, promoting weight loss."

"Eat a piece of fruit, green salad with a low-fat dressing, raw vegetables, or soup before every meal," suggests Hever. "Research has shown that this will help you eat fewer overall calories at those meals due to the satiation those foods provide." Need some inspiration? Look no further than the 20 best-ever fat-burning soupsto help you lose weight fast.

You don't have to tell us twice! "Science shows that stress can trigger cravings for less healthy foods, as well as set your body up to store more fat. So, meditation, yoga, and taking time to do things you like to do are great healthy-weight strategies," says Kay.

Every tea has its own special weight-loss powers, but if your boat is sinking and you can only grab one package of tea before swimming to the deserted island, make it green tea. Green tea is the bandit that picks the lock on your fat cells and drains them away, even when we're not making the smartest dietary choices and aren't able to lose weight fast. Chinese researchers found that green tea significantly lowers triglyceride concentrations (potentially dangerous fat found in the blood) and belly fat in subjects who eat fatty diets.

Related:What Happens to Your Body If You Drink Tea Every Day

And eat your veggies at every mealand yes, we mean every. " Mix steamed veggies right into your meal! You'll significantly slash calories," say The Nutrition Twins. "The vegetables will make the meal much less calorie dense and you'll fill up faster. You'll be able to save some for the next day. For example: Don't just order pasta with shrimp, order a side of steamed broccoli and mix it right into the sauce. Do the same with all of your dishes!"

"Perform cardiovascular exercise first thing in the morning. This will ensure you kick off your metabolism-boosting for the day," says Hever. You don't necessarily have to go on a run or do a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. Walking at a "brisk" pace (over 3.5 miles per hour) for 30 minutes is enough to get a cardiovascular workout.

"This sounds silly but fast eaters are more likely to overeat," says Palinski-Wade. And here's why it really works: "By simply putting your fork down in between bites, you can slow down your eating pace allowing your body more time to process your food and get the signal to your brain that you have eaten enough to be satisfied."

Straight from a nutritionist to music for your sweet, sweet ears: "[Enlist] carbohydrate-rich foods offer filling fiber and optimal nutrition to help you attain all you need with fewer calories than high-fat foods," says Hever. Some of our favorites are whole grains like quinoa and brown rice.

Individualized attention? Check. Customized plans tailored for your body and lose weight fast goals? You betch ya. "Nutritionists to the rescue! A professional nutritionist can review what you are doing and eating, and is likely to pinpoint the quickest healthiest ways to meet your personal goal," says Kay.

Been there, time to ditch that. "Focusing too much on the numbers on your scale may be missing the point. Weight is one indicator that you might check weekly, but focusing on your energy level and measurements like waist circumference are just as important. Give it time and don't give up; you are worth the effort," says Kay.

This simple switch can help you lose weight fast! "Most people eat several hundred calories of dessert but if you satisfy your sweet tooth with a piece of fruit, you'll get the sweet flavor, as well as the fiber to help prevent an energy crash and save yourself hundreds of calories," share The Nutrition Twins. For more little swaps than can lead to big gains, don't miss these 50 Little Things Making You Fatter and Fatter!

"Tons of research supports this idea," says Hayim. "We used to rely on three square meals throughout the day, but more research shows us that eating small meals helps drop the weight easier. This is useful because you avoid going long periods of time without food, which ultimately causes overconsumption, and also ensures that the fuel you put in, gets used, instead of stored."

"Whether you pour oil on your omelet at breakfast, in your salad at lunch, or in your pan to cook your dinner, each tablespoon adds 120 calories," explains The Nutrition Twins. "And chances are each time you pour the oil you are using more than a couple of tablespoons. Put your oil in a spray bottle, spritz it on your pot or your meal instead of pouring it and you'll save hundreds of calories each day and the weight will seem to fall off you."

From your healthy snacks to that bite-size mini Milky Way, write it all down! "Keeping record holds you accountable for what you put in your mouth," say The Nutrition Twins. "You won't forget you ate a few pieces of candy from your co-workers' candy jar if it's recorded in your food diary. Research shows when you write down what you eat you lose twice as much weight." Not a fan of pen and paper? Loads of websites make it a cinch to log what you eat each day, and they'll even tally up the nutrition and calorie counts for you to boot.

C'mon, speak up! And besides, you'll avoid that doused-in-too-much balsamic syndrome while you're at it. "Even the healthiest eaters can pack in additional calories without realizing it. One of the biggest culprits is excess salad dressing," states Palinski-Wade. "When you pour it on your salad, you consume dressing you may not even taste and often use a larger portion. Instead, ask for the dressing on the side this way you can dip each bite so you still enjoy the same flavor but with a much smaller amount." Click here to uncover even more of the 40 Habits That Make You Sick and Fat!

"Eat dinner on the early side so you can go to sleep without a full stomach," advises Hever. "Then stretch out breakfast until you are truly physically hungry. This will provide your body with a break to restore and rejuvenate and help you eat in accordance with your true hunger and satiety needs."

Salad plates work fine or invest in cute side plates that make you swoon every time you see 'em. "Research has shown that when we eat on larger plates, we can eat up to 31% more food than we realize," says Palinski-Wade. "Shrinking your plate size may help to shrink portions and calories, making weight loss easier."

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31 Ways to Lose Weight Faster - Nation Online - nation.lk - The Nation Newspaper

Both salmon and broccoli are stellar low-carb foods for weight loss that together make for a filling meal.

Image Credit: Elena_Danileiko/iStock/GettyImages

If you're following a low-carb diet to lose weight, you've probably figured out that not all foods low in carbohydrates are created equal.

In other words, eating a low-carb diet doesn't always provide fast and sustainable weight loss. If your version of low-carb includes large servings of high-fat animal products, processed meats and adding butter or coconut oil to your coffee, your food choices could be doing more harm than good.

When it comes to eating fewer carbs for weight loss, it's wise to focus on lean proteins and vegetables that are low in carbs and high in fiber to keep, which will keep you feeling full and provide other added benefits.

Here are some of the best low-carb foods for losing weight.

Salmon is an excellent zero-carb choice; it provides heart-healthy fats and brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s, which are a type of unsaturated fatty acid, may help decrease triglycerides, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting and decrease your risk of heart failure or stroke, per the Mayo Clinic.

A 3-ounce piece of cooked salmon packs nearly 22 grams of protein in 196 calories, per the USDA. Protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients (the other two being carbs and fat), so a protein-packed choice like salmon helps you feel full longer (without the saturated fat you'd get from proteins like red meat).

Chicken breast has zero carbohydrates and is an excellent source of protein. One medium chicken breast provides 193 calories and 36 grams of protein, per the USDA.

Research shows that protein plays a major role in weight loss. An April 2015 review in Clinical Nutrition found that eating a higher-protein diet containing between 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of a person's body weight per day provided improvements in body weight and appetite.

A kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds. So, a person who weighed 180 pounds, for example, would want to aim for between 98 and 130 grams of daily protein.

Too much math? There's a simpler solution: The analysis found that eating 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal provided similar effects.

Leafy greens like spinach, kale and arugula can add volume and flavor to your meals without adding many calories or carbohydrates. Leafy greens are a great pick because they allow you to add more food to meals to spark benefits, instead of taking food away.

Studies have found that doing just this adding voluminous veggies to meals can help people lose weight. When you break down the nutrition profile of greens, it's easy to see how they can provide so much good: One cup of raw spinach, for example, contains just 6 calories and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates with more than half of the carbohydrates coming from fiber, per the USDA.

Eggs are a versatile low-carb pick. For an easy grab-and-go option, hardboil a batch and eat a couple for breakfast or one as a snack. Don't forget to look beyond breakfast, too: Eggs can make a delicious addition to salads, avocado toasts and even zucchini noodles.

One large egg contains 70 calories, 6 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, per the USDA.

Beyond protein, eggs are a healthy source of vitamin D, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Because of their stellar nutrition profile, they're a great option for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Brussels sprouts are considered nonstarchy vegetables, per the American Diabetes Association. These veggies are naturally low in carbs and calories 8 grams of carbs and 39 calories per cup, per the USDA which makes them an excellent addition to any weight-loss plan.

Other examples of nonstarchy veggies include cauliflower, celery, carrots, cabbage and zucchini. Like leafy greens, these veggies can be piled on your plate to add volume; they'll increase your satiety and provide essential vitamins and minerals without adding many calories, carbs or fat.

Did you know that keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to manage your weight? Download the MyPlate app to easily track calories, stay focused and achieve your goals!

Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, offering fiber and antioxidants with very few carbohydrates. One 3-ounce serving of broccoli contains 25 calories, 4 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber, per the USDA.

The majority of its carbohydrates are part of broccoli's fiber content, which make it a great choice. Fiber is the indigestible part of a plant food that doesn't get absorbed by the body, so it fills us up but doesn't stick around.

Enjoy this versatile veggie as a side or make it the meal's main attraction there is truly no wrong way!

Like chicken breast, roasted turkey breast is an excellent source of protein (26 grams in a 3-ounce serving, per the USDA) with zero carbohydrates and only 125 calories.

Swap in turkey for recipes that call for ground beef and you'll cut down on both calories and fat while still getting your protein fix.

When trying to lose weight, it's best to bake, broil, grill or steam lean sources of protein like turkey. This will help limit calories from fat that add up in cooking methods that rely on oil.

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7 Low-Carb Diet Foods That Can Help You Lose Weight - LIVESTRONG.COM

Stephanie Bennett's journey with health and wellbeing started simply with a love of food, and eating.

It was this passion for food, and a fascination with the human body that led her to the world of nutrition and dietetics.

Now, the dietitian has started a new job where she hopes to transform Toowoomba's view on what health and wellbeing really is.

After living and working on the Sunshine Coast, she made the move back to her home town to begin work at The Fit Lab.

Moving back to Toowoomba and working as a dietitian has presented a world of challenges and rewards.

"Some people come to me for weight loss, so if I can get them some sustainable weight loss, not just a fad diet, that's really rewarding," she said.

"Some people that have been suffering a lot with gastrointestinal upsets, so bloating, IBS symptoms - it really can affect their quality of life.

"Just making some small tweaks to their diet can make all the difference and improves their quality of life significantly."

Recent data from the chief health officer said Darling Downs residents are among the most unhealthy residents in Queensland.

The region ranked one of the worst in the state for their fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as their exercise rates.

This trend of unhealthy eating has been apparent to Mrs Bennett from day one.

"We've got an environmental factor playing on us a lot," she said.

"We have fast food, the activity culture is not as big here, the meal delivery services are around more lately.

"We've got a really busy lifestyle and people really struggle to implement healthy lifestyle changes.

"Eating is one part of it but addressing all the other parts of it, all of that needs to tie in together."

She said health and wellbeing could never come in a "one size fits all" mould - it's multifaceted.

"Health and wellbeing is finding your individual place where you're happy and content - it's your diet, and asleep, and exercise, and social interactions, and bringing health and wellbeing from that.

"Focusing on small, sustainable things you can add to the diet sort of kickstarts those health habits and kickstarts you on your journey to making healthy choices."

Originally published as New dietitian: 'Health is about more than just losing weight'

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New dietitian: 'Health is about more than just losing weight' - Queensland Times

The coronavirus pandemic has dominated the headlines and our daily lives for most of this year. Medical News Today have covered this fast-moving, complex story with live updates on the latest news, interviews with experts, and an ongoing investigation into the deep racial disparities that COVID-19 has helped unmask.

However, this has not stopped us from publishing hundreds of fascinating stories on a myriad of other topics.

This week we take a close look at consuming baking soda for weight loss is it a good idea, and what is the evidence for and against? We also compare two popular aerobic activities enjoyed by millions worldwide, with plenty of advice on whether pounding the pavements or sitting on a saddle is better for health.

Next, we have a Special Feature on Thanksgiving and mental health how best to make the most of this important time in such an unusual year?

We also look at how a drug developed to treat diabetes may also reverse heart failure, concerning news about vegan diets, and the lung microbiomes role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We finish with an article that we have removed from cold storage for you to enjoy over the Holidays.

If youve ever wondered what its like to spend an afternoon in your underwear at -80C, scroll down for our News Editors full and frank report.

Below are 10 recent stories that you may have missed amid all the COVID-19 fervor.

This week, MNTs most popular new article looked at a common household item that some people try to use for weight loss.This article explores whether or not baking soda is either safe or effective to consume and whether there is any truth to the notion that ingesting alkaline substances promotes weight loss.

As well as assessing if it works and covering the serious safety concerns, our editors also recommend a range of healthful, evidence-backed weight loss tips that people should consider trying instead.

This article is one of the fastest movers this year, with over 200,000 page views over the past 2 days alone.

Learn more here.

This week, we also published a comprehensive article on two of the most popular forms of aerobic exercise. Our editor and medical reviewer took a close look at the benefits, risks, and costs of cycling and running, with detailed tables of how many calories each burns and even which muscles each exercise engages.

There are plenty of useful insights to take away from this article, not least because a person who weighs more burns more calories when running or cycling than a person who weighs less.

Simple physics, perhaps, but this suggests that those who weigh more have the most to gain from building up their strength and stamina in these ways.

Its a popular piece, with over 30,000 people viewing this article since publication on Tuesday.

Learn more here.

Thanksgiving 2020 was always going to be different, with officials urging people to stay at home earlier this week, a stark contrast to the traditional family gatherings with fun and feasting.

This article features a highlights video, with advice for those facing Thanksgiving alone and evidence-based tips that may help ward off the blues. Some of the steps we recommend include sleeping well, staying active, and managing ones expectations to align with this years reality.

MNT also published a regularly-updated vaccine trials article this week, reporting the progress of 57 candidate vaccines a good reason to hope for a welcome return to normality in time for Thanksgiving 2021.

Learn more here.

MNTs new diabetes information hub launched this week. It is a comprehensive resource that answers questions about the types, symptoms, treatment, and complications of this condition.

We also covered surprising news about how a study found that the diabetes drug empagliflozin significantly improved the heart function of people with heart failure, even reversing the disease in many people.

Those who received the drug suffered little to no side effects, such as an adverse effect on their blood sugar levels, which some might expect with a drug designed to treat diabetes. Study participants who took the placebo showed no improvement.

Our article looks at this clinical trial in detail, and the results are very promising. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could approve Empagliflozin as a treatment for people with heart failure in a matter of months.

Learn more here.

Last week, MNT reported on a study raising concerns that people following a vegan diet without adequate supplementation may become deficient in iodine.

This week, another study reported that vegans are more likely to suffer bone fractures than people who eat meat. This is also true for people following vegetarian and pescatarian diets, though to a lesser extent.

This was a large study, with 55,000 participants who the original researchers followed for more than 17 years, on average. The study found that the risk of hip fracture was 2.3 times higher in people following a plant-based diet than in people who ate meat.

Learn more here.

Keeping an open mind and a cool head may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, a predisposition to react to stressful situations adversely might increase the risk, according to a new study that MNT covered this week.

This article looked at what cynical hostility is, how it differs from other types of hostility, and how researchers measured and inflicted repeated stress on the 196 participants in their study.

Learn more here.

The microbiome has been a rich area of research in recent years, as our microbiome hub reflects. However, most research and thinking about the microbiome concerns the gut. This week, we reported on research into the lung microbiome, an organ that scientists considered free of microbes until relatively recently.

In this article, we examine the potential role of the lung microbiome in people with COPD. Although questions remain, the picture is becoming clearer. This article features an informative highlights video presented by MNTs Research Editor, Yella Hewings-Martin, Ph.D.

Learn more here.

Autoimmune diseases arise when the bodys immune system attacks healthy cells and include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

A recent study, covered by MNT this week, has found a connection between such diseases and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In OSA, the upper airway becomes repeatedly blocked during sleep, reducing or completely stopping airflow.

Researchers found that people with untreated OSA had abnormal levels of four inflammatory cytokines that have links to autoimmune disorders.

Learn more here.

As well as covering the latest medical news and research, MNT has an editorial team devoted to answering more general questions about health and the human body.

This week, they tackled the subject of eye color, including what it is, the genetics of iris pigmentation, the rarest color, and how the number of people with each eye color varies in populations around the world.

There are also several health conditions that can affect eye color. Anyone who notices a color change in one or both eyes should report it to a doctor.

Learn more here.

We finish this week with a story from the MNT archives. Three years ago, our Senior News Editor, Tim Newman, decided to endure a whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) session in the interests of science reporting.

As well as considering the reputed health benefits of WBC, our intrepid editor wanted to find out if it really does feel great, as well as experiencing its other effects on the body and nervous system.

This enjoyable moment-by-moment account of what happens when you decide to expose yourself to temperatures that do not occur naturally on Earth will warm you up in time for the weekend.

Incredibly, this is not the only trial Tim agreed to put himself through, as well share in future editions of the Recovery Room.

Learn more here.

We hope that this article has provided a taste of the stories that we cover atMNT. We will be back with a new selection next week.

We publish hundreds of news stories and features every month. Here are some upcoming articles that may pique our readers interest:

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The Recovery Room: News beyond the pandemic November 27 - Medical News Today

Courtesy Santiago Potes

In second grade, Santiago Potes walked into Marina Esteva's gifted and talented classroom at Sweetwater Elementary School in Miami, Florida, for the first time.

He was an undocumented immigrant from Colombia who entered the country when he was 4 years old. Esteva said she quickly noticed his intelligence and wanted to nurture him toward success.

Now, Potes is the first Latino DACA recipient to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

On Saturday, the Rhodes Trust announced that Potes, a 2020 graduate of Columbia University in New York, would be one of the 2021 Rhodes Scholars.

Potes traces all his success back to Esteva, the teacher he saw twice a week from second to fifth grade in elementary school.

"She was one of the biggest blessings that I've had in my entire life so far," Potes told CNN's Poppy Harlow.

"My parents didn't go to college. My parents had me when they were 16 years old. So, she really became kind of like my first mother figure actually. She went out of her way to teach me a rigorous education."

Video: First Latino DACA recipient receives Rhodes Scholarship (CNN)

First Latino DACA recipient receives Rhodes Scholarship

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That included a lesson about what it meant to be a Renaissance man, a term that young Potes took to heart. In addition to his academic success, Potes is also an accomplished violinist and is fluent -- or near fluent -- in nine languages, one of which is Chinese.

In their announcement, the Rhodes Trust wrote, "Santiago has been a teaching or research assistant for leading professors in physics, philosophy, social psychology and neuroscience, and won numerous college prizes for leadership as well as academic performance. He is widely published on legal issues relating to DACA status, was one of the DACA recipients featured in a brief filed with the Supreme Court to preserve DACA."

"He is so complete. He's a well-rounded human being," Esteva told CNN.

"With the highest moral caliber, with a sense of justice, with a sense of what is excellence, and willing to sacrifice for excellence, not for show, but for excellence itself."

Esteva is a Cuban refugee and immigrant to the United States herself. She said it means even more to have teacher and student both Latino immigrants and refugees, two generations of opportunity and success in the United States.

"I wish there were a larger national conversation about how important elementary school teachers specifically are," Potes said.

He said he would not have reached this level of success if Esteva had not told him from an early age that she believed he could do great things.

For her part, Esteva said she just spotted what was already innately in Potes as a child.

"I planted a seed in fertile soil. You took care of a plant. You are the one who made it possible."

Potes will study contemporary East Asia and international politics at Oxford University with an eye toward working in national security in the United States. His program will begin in October 2021.

See the article here:
This student just became the first Latino DACA recipient to win the Rhodes Scholarship - msnNOW

Under the program you are sent 5 packets of fuel per day and then you make a meal on your own.

There's a diet that is helping people lose weight fast. So in February we shot testimonials and a doctor's opinion.

But then the pandemic hit. So did wearing masks. We decided to hold the story.Now we know maintaining a healthy weight is more important than ever, since obesity is a risk factor for severe, even deadly COVID-19.

This plan safely brings the food to your home, and the support can be done virtually for physically distancing.

"I'm at the orthopedist's office for my follow up and I have to get on the scale, and I'm like, 'Wait, what!' It was quite a shock," said Elinor Dorsey, 57, an Optavia coach in Covington.

"People would say, 'No, you won't look good in that because your behind's too big,' or you know it's, 'My face was so fat,'" said Lydia Steele, 57, an Optavia Client.

"I found myself to be in my 50s and the heavy blonde," said Chloe Coombe, 65, an Optavia client and coach.

The three women bonded over a weight loss program that they say took off pounds fast, and was easy to follow.

RELATED: Mackie: Once again Mediterranean diet a winner for weight loss, healthElinor Dorsey says her weight gain happened fairly recently when she fell, broke her arm and needed surgery. It was also around the time she lost her mom.

"It was just a lot more than I even thought. Like it was kind of like what I would weigh when I was pregnant. Like kind of scary, you know," remembers Dorsey.

And then three years ago she heard a friend talk about a weight loss program that focused on health, with some flexibility. Four months later, she took the step.

"I can't tell you what made me pick up the phone this one day, but one day I just knew like something has to give," Dorsey said.

And it did.

"The first week I lost four pounds, which was a lot for somebody five feet four inches." Then the next week I lost two pounds and I remember coming and telling my husband, 'This is going to work. I'm going to reach my goal,'" Dorsey said.

In a little more than three months, she did reach her goal. Twenty-fivepounds were gone, and then to her surprise anothereight came off.

"To do this program for four months and everything needs to be taken in, it was crazy," Dorsey said about her clothes.

Elinor follows Optavia. You eat six times a day, 800 to 1,200 calories total. There's a variety of 60 mini meals or 'fuelings' as they are called, like shakes, bars, soups, biscuits and pudding, to keep your metabolism revved up. There are customized plans but most people are on the 5&1, meaning 5 of those fuelings, bought from the company and delivered to your home, then one lean and green meal, with vegetables and protein to help keep you from losing muscle.

It is low in simple carbs, like sugar and starch. There is free support, a personal coach for counseling, and an extensive online community. Coaches can give advice for what to order if you're going out to eat, and there are numerous shared recipes for lean and green home meals. You're encouraged to drink 64 ounces of water a day and get seven hours of sleep. Elinor had so many people notice her transformation, that she became a coach.

"It keeps me accountable and it's just very rewarding to help somebody with something they're struggling with. I mean, I can't think of a greater way to spend my time," Dorsey said.

"Having a weight loss coach is shown to, is shown to provide the kind of support that most of us need to loose weight, so it is a good thing," explained Dr. Melinda Sothern, of LSU Health Sciences Center School of Public Health.

A health, exercise and weight loss expert Dr. Sothern says if you stick to commercial weight loss programs, they can be effective, especially over the short term. Long-term weight loss is more rare, but there is science suggesting that online and personal coaching, like Optavia has, lead to weight loss success two years later. Dr. Sothern also points out the benefit of planned meals and snacks.

"There's numerous studies going back decades to show that if the food is packaged for you, and it's delivered to you, and you don't have to think, and you don't have to shop, and you don't have to cook, you're more likely to follow the plan, and you're more likely to lose weight," explained Dr. Sothern.

Another benefit: feeling satiated.

"So when you remove the carbohydrates and the sugar, and replace them with proteins and fats, you're going to feel full faster," said Dr. Sothern.

"Well after one week I wasn't hungry.My one complaint was why do I have to keep eating," said Steele.

Registered nurses Lydia Steele and Chloe Coombe asked Elinor to coach them. Lydia remembers being overweight as far back as grade school.

"Somebody said as I was eating Cheetos, 'Well that's why she's so fat," remembers Steele.

She is a type 1 diabetic and found that the 5&1 program did not work well for her, so Elinor got advice and recommended the 3&3 program.

"After that, the weight just started falling off, so within, I would say, two months, two and a half months, I had lost 20 pounds," said Steele.

"The first three days were hard because you're just starting something new. You're getting rid of sugars,and within a month, I had lost the prescribed amount of weightthat they say that you will, if you stay on the program. And within about four months, I had lost 45 pounds," said Coombe.

The women say when they put some pounds back on, they just get back on the program, but they do that before any weight gain gets out of control. Chloe's son rewarded her success with a trip overseas to visit him.

"They call it habits of health. I prefer to call it, not habits, but decisions. That's a stronger word. It is for my health, and it is for the rest of my life," said Coombe.

"The program is all about building new habits and it's one habit at a time, and it's replacing old habits with new habits," said Dorsey.

And Elinor takes her role as a coach seriously.

"You're sharing private things, like for instance, I have a book where people's weights are written down. If this house was on fire, that's the first things I'm grabbing," said Dorsey.

And remember the shock Elinor felt getting weighed at her doctor's office? Well, not after she lost weight.

"I thought I was going to cry.I was like, 'I did it!'So,I mean, I know how people feel, likeI feel emotional evensaying that, but it's true," Dorsey said with her eyes tearing up.

Same thing happened to Lydia when she got weighed in the doctor's office.

"And I just smiled because I knew I don't have to worry about this. And the nurse turned and just, her mouth just dropped," remembers Steele.

Oh, and remember the grammar school classmate who called Lydia fat as she ate Cheetos? Well recently, after more than 40 years,Lydiaapproached him.

"I said, 'Do you remember when you said that to me, because it lasted with me.' And he said, 'I am so embarrassed. I am so embarrassed. Now look at me and look at you,'" Steele recalls.

And the three women are not looking back. Most of their larger clothes are out the house for good.

The packaged foods cost around $400 a month and are delivered to your home. The personal coach and online help is free.

Coach Elinor: 985-264-0507

Coach Chloe: 985-778-9082

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Eat 6 times a day to lose weight under this program - WWLTV.com

BOSTON (CBS) Kayla Northam, a nurse at Faulkner Hospital, knows first-hand what can happen when patients with obesity are hospitalized with coronavirus.

These people are getting sicker, they are in the hospital longer, she told WBZ-TV. Unfortunately, a lot of patients who pass away, its because of their obesity and other risk factors.

Weighing nearly 300 pounds after college, she also knows what it is like to live with that risk factor.

I couldnt walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to catch my breath, she remembered. They told me I probably wouldnt be able to conceive naturally.

But today shes a healthy weight and mom to baby Jonathan, thanks to bariatric surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Kayla says the surgery changed everything about her life, including her ability to work with Covid-19 patients without worrying about her own added risk.

I would be a lot more afraid than I am, she said.

Kaylas doctor at Mass General, Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, says shes seeing twice as many patients now as she did prior to the pandemic. Some of them are brand new patients and others are patients who have long resisted the idea of surgery.

Many of them are stating that the reason why they are making that change really has to do with Covid, she said.

Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix, but the weight loss that results can eliminate other risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes.

Kayla understands surgery can be scary, but for her, the benefits have been life-changing.

I dont know if I would have been the nurse I am today, who is physically able to do those things to take care of my patients and I wouldnt have had my son, who I love very much.

Link:
Higher COVID-19 Risk Leading More Patients With Obesity To Weight Loss Surgery - CBS Boston

Mike Tyson shocked "Good Morning America" viewers on Monday, November 23, after he took off his hoodie to reveal a toned body following his 100 lb weight loss.

Former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson has been working hard to beat his body back to shape and it looks like it has finally paid off. The 54-year-old is happy with the progress and decided toshow itoff during a recent interview.

While talking to "Good Morning America" co-anchor T.J. Holmes, Tyson looked super excited to unveilhis impressive body and took everyone by surprise after pullingoffhis hoodie to flex those rock-hardmuscles.

HAPPY WITH HIS PROGRESS

The former pro boxer happily shared that it was all the progress he has made so far. "This is where it's at. This is where it's at, brother," he shared as Holmes' eyes widened in disbelief.

HOW HE LOST WEIGHT

Apparently, Tyson's wife played a big role in his weight loss journey.When Holmes asked Tyson what his weight loss secret was, he shared how difficult it was to get on track. He said:

"I became a vegan. My wife told me to get on a treadmill.I went from 15 minutes on the treadmill and ended at two hours.I had to lose 100 pounds."

TYSON'S GOAL

Tyson is all about hard work and has done it his whole life,so even thoughlosing that much weight was difficult, he kept pushing himself. His dedication and positive outlook have earned many praises.

Tyson's goal is to be in the best shape for his comeback fight with Roy Jones Jr. this weekend. He will take on Jones in anexhibition fight and looks highly motivated for the epic challenge.

The boxing legend has been teasing his fans with videos and photos of himself looking jacked for a couple of months now. Not only did he prove that his body is ready to fight, but he also reminded the world that he has still got that knockout power.

In an Instagram story video that he shared back in September, Tyson almost knocked his trainer Rafael Cordeiroout as he threw a series of power-packed punches at him. Cordeiro did not see it coming!

JONES SEEMED NERVOUS

As he ducked his head out of the way, Cordeiro looked shocked. After watching the video, former boxers weighed in and said that the November 28 fight might leave Jones seriously injured.

Even Jones seemed to be worried about his decision to take on one of the most powerful boxers of all time. Calling Tyson a big and explosive guy, he was wondering If he had made a mistake. Only time can tell!

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Boxing Heavyweight Champ Mike Tyson Reveals 100-LB Weight Loss Ahead of 1st Fight in 15 Years - AmoMama