New research has found that acupuncture could be effective as a tool to aid weight loss.

Carried out by the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University in cooperation with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the study looked at 72 participants, 13 males and 59 females, aged between 18 and 68.

All participants had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or above, and had not used any other weight control measures or any medication in the three months before the trial.

The team randomly assigned the participants to two groups for the controlled trial -- either the "real acupuncture group" or the "sham acupuncture group."

All participants completed a total of 16 sessions of acupuncture treatment over an eight-week period.

The treatment included certain acupoints in the body -- the areas where needles are inserted and manipulated -- including areas on the abdomen and the lower limbs.

The participants also received auricular acupressure in the ears targeting the auricular points of Hunger, Shen men, Spleen and Stomach. According to Chinese medicine, these acupoints can restore and harmonize the flow of energy in the intestines as well as transform body fluid and expel phlegm.

After undergoing the acupuncture treatment, the team found that the "real acupuncture group" showed a 2.47 kg decrease in average weight and a decrease of 1.56 kg/m2 in average BMI.

The most successful result recorded was a participant who lost 7.2 kg with a drop of 3.2 kg/m2 in BMI.

On the other hand, the "sham acupuncture group" had an average weight loss of just 0.54 kg with an average lowering of 0.19 kg/m2 in BMI.

Dr Zhong Lidan, who worked on the study, suggested that the weight loss may be due to acupuncture having a stimulating effect on serotonin and beta endorphin, which suppresses appetite and increases lipolysis activity -- the breakdown of lipids -- resulting in weight loss.

She added that the trial could be used as the basis of future larger studies, paving the way to integrating acupuncture in a weight-loss or weight control program.

The results also come just days after a study published in the journalEvidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine appeared to find a reason why acupuncture is an effective treatment for relieving pain.

Read more:
New study suggests acupuncture could aid weight loss - Yahoo Health

*When Shonda Rhimes lost 150 pounds a few years ago she was surprised by how her transformation caused people to react differently, and not necessarily in a good way.

The creator of Greys Anatomy and Scandal wrote in her Shondaland newsletter that she was disturbed by the shift in folks behavior, because for the first time ever, people complimented her and seemed excited to chat with her.

What the hell did they see me as before? How invisible was I to them then? How hard did they work to avoid me? What words did they use to describe me? What value did they put on my presence at a party, a lunch, a discussion? she wrote.

After I lost weight, I discovered that people found me valuable. Worthy of conversation. A person one could look at. A person one could compliment. A person one could admire. A person. You heard me. I discovered that NOW people saw me as a PERSON.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Dave Chappelle Adds Lauryn Hill, Chance the Rapper, Yasiin Bey to Radio City Music Hall Shows

In her new Shondaland newsletter, the uber-producer also noted that women I barely knew gushed. And I mean GUSHED. Like I was holding-a-new-baby-gushed.

Continuing, Only there was no new baby. It was just me. In a dress. With makeup on and my hair all did, yes. Butstill the same me. In one of my same dresses (cause why am I gonna buy a NEW dress when I can take this to a seamstress and she can just make it smaller? Who am I, The Crown? No, Im from the Midwest, baby, and I come with coupons). Women gushed anyway. And men? They spoke to me. THEY SPOKE TO ME. Like stood still and had long conversations with me about things. It was disconcerting. But even more disconcerting was that all these people suddenly felt completely comfortable talking to me about my body. Telling me I looked pretty or that they were proud of me or that wow, you are so hot now or you look amazing!

Rhimes says, When I was fat, I wasnt a PERSON to these people. Like I had been an Invisible Woman who suddenly materialized in front of them. Poof! There I am. Thin and ready for a chat.

She goes on to say being thinner doesnt make you a different person. It just makes you thinner.

Sign up for the Shondaland newsletterhere.

Read more from the original source:
Shonda Rhimes: 'People Found Me Valuable' After Dramatic Weight ... - Eurweb.com

A quick google search for those interested in losing weight will quickly reveal the latest buzz-worthy trendmeal prepping. From OCD-approved rows of macronutrient-friendly meals to personal competitions to complete a weeks worth of preparation before a timer runs out, its no surprise there are more than 5 million posts tagged #mealprep on Instagram.

The hype is justified, as studies have shown that people who meal prep are likely to have healthier diets and follow nutritional guidelines more closely. Other positive effects include better portion control,, spending less money on weekly groceries and eating out less.

In theory, there isnt anything wrong with meal prepping. However, if not practiced carefulyl, this method could sabotage your weight loss effortsfor a reason that has very little to do with the actual food you prep. These efforts can go to waste if you are prepping in containers containing the harmful, hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A, or BPA.

This chemical can be found in many places, such as polycarbonate plastic, canned food linings and even on smartphones. Generally, were regularly ingesting BPA and it passes through the body fairly quickly once exposed. The issues arise when people are exposed to high levels of BPAsuch as when every meal of every day is prepped in plastic containers containing the chemical.

An effective diet is not just about healthy eating, managing sugar and carbohydrates, and exercise, said Dr. Aly Cohen, a rheumatologist and integrative medicine and environmental health specialist at the CentraState Medical Center. Reducing chemical exposure is also key because many of these chemicals can disrupt normal hormone function, impede weight loss, and even cause weight gain. Just because chemicals may not have an obvious effect, like causing a rash, doesnt mean they arent tinkering with your body.

Not only has research shown that BPA is an active agent in prompting cells to become fat cells, it has also shown that exposure to the chemical can make it harder to feel full.

BPA is so ubiquitous, that humans are continuously exposed, making BPA pseudo-persistent, Cohen said. Whats interesting in terms of weight is that BPA can turn stem cells into fat cells and make fat cells turn larger. Thats not great news for our waistlines

But there is hope for those dedicated to the life of meal prepping with just a few alterations. Using glass, stainless steel or ceramic containers when possible and using care with plastic containers when necessarysuch as avoiding harsh chemical cleaners and never reheating food in plasticwill help decrease BPA exposure. Further, switching to fresh or frozen produce and avoiding canned, if you can, will help bring these levels down.

Photo: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock, CC-BY

Emma Korstanjeis a freelance journalist based out of Athens, GA.

Continue reading here:
Is Meal Prepping Negating Your Weight Loss Efforts? - Paste Magazine

Forty five thousand people in Cyprus have put themselves on the Cambridge weight loss plan in the 11 years it has been available on the island, seeing themselves get slimmer and reverse medical conditions related with excessive weight.

This week the programme launched its new campaign Lose Weight, Win Your Health Back, that aims at reminding people of the connection between excess weight and disease such as high cholesterol, insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. It stresses that a 10 per cent weight loss can lead to the reversal of symptoms.

Medical Director of Cambridge Weight Plan UK Professor Antony Leeds, on the island for the launch of the campaign, stressed how important weight loss is for good health. Cambridge weight plan is currently involved in a major research programme funded by the EU on diabetes related weight reduction.

Three studies are underway on prediabetes, diabetes and late-diabetes, Leeds told the Cyprus Mail. He added that preliminary results recorded the reversal of diabetes. The full results of these studies are to be announced at the International Diabetes Convention in Abu Dhabi later in the year.

In Denmark we have research on osteoarthritis, people with heart disease, skin problems in all studies the same thing has been said, the very effective weight reduction of about 10 per cent or about 10kg of weight loss actually does give a health benefit, Leeds said.

He added that Cambridge weight loss plan could be a safe, effective, cost-effective intervention that does actually work that could be used by health care providers as its cost is much lower than that of drug interventions.

There are 200 million people in the world who will develop diabetes, he said, while in Cyprus 16 per cent of the population is at risk.

In the meantime, we know that, and lots of people here in Cyprus know that if they do the programme, and if they comply and do it properly they get a very good result, he said.

Helen Zenios (who is also a Nutritional Therapist) along with her husband Peter Zenios, are managing directors for Cambridge Weight Plan in Cyprus,the diet formula developed morethan four decades ago for patients who had to lose weight fast and safe, not only works but also transforms lives.We can actually say that we are the most successful diet in the world, we are permitted to say that because we are the most researched, the most scientific. Everything we say we can prove through scientific research, she said.

Many people with health issues in Cyprus who do the weight loss plan say they lose ten kilos and see their conditions either reversed or improved, she added.

Its about re-educating the people of Cyprus on what is a good diet and what is a bad diet. It doesnt matter if Cambridge is not eating food. Sometimes you have to break the bad relation-ship you have with food. The way to do it is taking everything away from them and start again. And then you break the bad habits, you have your meals and you start introducing to them a better relationship with food, Zenios said.

Cambridge Weight Plan was the brainchild of biochemist Dr Alan Howard then working at the Dunn Nutrition Laboratory in Cambridge who wanted to create the prefect diet for patients, and who got together in the 1970s with Dr Ian McLean-Baird, of the West Middlesex Hospital to do just that. The aim was to create a formula food with excellent weight loss properties but no undesirable side effects. The product proved very successful in obesity clinics in the UK, and in 1984, a commercial version of Cambridge Weight Plan was launched in the UK, and from there, it spread throughout the rest of the world. Cambridge Weight Plan, consisting of shakes and snacks containing all the calories and nutrients needed, is available in 44 countries.

Antony Leeds with Helen and Panicos Zenios

See the rest here:
Lose weight and get your health back - Cyprus Mail