10 Diabetes-Friendly Meals That Beat Belly Fat

Here is a great article with 10 tasty recipes. I made some changes to some of the recipes to fit in with how my family eats so you can use the recipes as they are or like me use them as a guide and substitute 1 or 2 ingredients.

Enjoy

http://www.prevention.com/health/diabetes/10-diabetes-friendly-meals-beat-belly-fat

                                                                    

Overcome your fear of fat

For years, you’ve heard that fat is bad. It causes heart disease. It makes you fat. Too much will give you a stroke! But your brain is 60 percent fat. Fat helps you feel fuller and eat less over time, and it’s crucial to building cells and protecting your organs. In fact, nutrition science is beginning to turn on its head the idea that all fat is bad for you, with high-profile nutritionists like Walter Willett, Dr.P.H., professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, working to debunk the idea that low-fat diets are healthier. Many of the recommendations that we all follow regarding fat, he’s found, are based on rather weak science that has been repeatedly questioned over the decades.

Go to the link below to get the full benefits of this great article.

http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/6-healthy-fats-you-should-be-eating?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1135292-_-12132012-_-GoodFatSources-body

Enjoy

The Best Fitness Foods

Fueling your body the right way gets you better workout results.

Eat
Exercising on an empty stomach makes you more likely to lose muscle, and without any extra gas in the tank, your exercise intensity and overall calorie burn will take a hit. An hour or two before working out, snack on 100 to 200 calories of complex carbs and protein (like a cup of nonfat yogurt or a piece of fruit and a cheese stick).

Drink
Sipping green tea—hot or iced—helps your muscles recover faster after a workout so you can get back into the gym more quickly. According to a study in Nutrition Research, exercisers who drank green tea extract, which contains therapeutic antioxidants, had less muscle damage after workouts compared with those who drank only water.

Snack
Red apples, berries, and grapes contain the antioxidant quercetin, which can boost your endurance and oxygen capacity, making workouts feel more doable, according to a study from the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health. Researchers believe quercetin also helps the fatigue that can cause you to skip workouts.

Enjoy.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/workout-foods?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1131256-_-12112012-_-BonusTip-body

6 Snacks We Should Ban from the Classroom

These should obviously be banned from the schools so, I think you'll agree with me, they should also be banned from our homes.

Enjoy and share.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/6-snacks-we-should-ban-classroom?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1120870-_-12032012-_-BanClassroomSnacks-body

Skin care and hydration

It is winter and many of  my patients have been asking about herbal and nutritional solutions for dry skin. Many of us make a common mistake and decrease our fluid intake at this time of year. Hydrating is important not only for your skin, taking care of it starts from the inside out, but for all the cells of your body.

Even though it is not hot anymore we still suffer a loss of fluid which needs to be replaced. So here are some suggestions. All three are household favorites with my family.

Coconut water:
-A 2012 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that it is a (1) Natural source of electrolytes, (2) has a low glycemic index, and (3) is an effective method for rehydrating.
-A 2010 study from the Journal of Cell and Tissue Research showed that coconut water helped reduce blood pressure and cholesterol in rats suggesting it may promote heart health.

Green Tea:
This great source is packed with antioxidants and contains caffeine, although at lower doses than coffee, which research has shown enhances endurance and reaction time while improving brain function.
-A 2011 research study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that it may also promote weight loss.

Saving the best for last:

Spring or Mineral water:
The original and only true zero calorie hydrating drink. Remember, you should get your nutrition from good wholesome food choices not the processed and packaged drink aids.

Enjoy,

Dr. Dan McBride

Breast Cancer Disparities among American Women

This is a good article from the CDC concerning breast cancer. Please read it and share with others.

Thanks

http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USCDC-5c7249

10 spices and herbs that aid weight loss

Ten more reasons to spice up our lives.

Enjoy.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/14/health/gallery/weight-loss-herbs-spices/index.html?hpt=hp_bn12

10 Sneaky Names for Sugar

This is a great article which points out all the different ways they stuff sugar into our foods. 

Be aware.

How to find the hidden sweet stuff that’s lurking in your food.

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/agave-glucose-and-other-names-sugar?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1094698-_-11092012-_-SneakySugar-body

BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY WITH FOOD

It's all about the food you eat. Enjoy this great article about protecting you and your family with good food choices.


http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/boost-immunity?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1085258-_-10302012-_-BonusTip-body

Can Eating More Vegetables Make You Happy?

This weekend provided a treasure trove of great articles about the health benefits that can be derived from good foods.

This article contains some great research done at Dartmouth University in England.

Enjoy.

http://www.rodale.com/benefits-vegetables

11 Foods That Make You Smarter

Good morning everyone. I hope you are having a great weekend. Here is another article which continues our series on foods that heal.

Enjoy

http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/11-foods-that-make-you-smarter?page=0,0&cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1094594-_-11032012-_-BonusTip-body

6 Superfoods in Disguise

Since I like to eat I am always looking for information which will help me with my family's food choices and this is a good one, although I still don't eat pork which is mentioned in this article.

Enjoy

http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/6-superfoods-disguise?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1085258-_-10302012-_-SuperfoodsDisguise-body

15 Foods That Cure

Food can cure many—if not most—ailments. And it’s cheaper and more effective than seeing the doctor, popping pills, or calling your no-good cousin with the shady connections. See, the way you feel is a result of the various chemicals that flow through your system on a daily basis. When those chemicals are the kind derived from a healthy mix of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and fats, you feel healthy, energetic, and happy. Improve your health now by adding these 15 Foods That Cure to your repertoire.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/best-anti-aging-elixir?slideshow=77632#sharetagsfocus

Enjoy

Best Foods to Fight Disease

In the mind of keeping it simple, food based health care.

Enjoy.

http://www.organicgardening.com/living/best-foods-to-fight-disease?page=0,0&cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1079996-_-10252012-_-DiseaseFightFoods-body

Master the Produce Aisle

Good morning all,

I hope you had a good weekend. Here is a great article on getting the best fruits and vegetables for your dollar.

Enjoy.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/master-produce-aisle#sharetagsfocus

7 Shocking Reasons to Go Organic

Hello everyone. I hope you are having a great weekend. This is a good article but if you don't have a lot of time or even interest I still recommend you spend the 2-3 minutes it takes to read the first page and share this with others.

Enjoy.

http://www.organicgardening.com/living/7-shocking-reasons-to-go-organic?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1077748-_-10202012-_-BonusTip-body

The 7 Cheapest Ways to Eat Healthy

Enjoy.

http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/7-cheapest-ways-eat-healthy?page=0,1&cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1075606-_-10182012-_-CheapFoods-body

Skipping breakfast primes the brain to seek out fat

Another reason for starting your day with breakfast.

Enjoy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19962588

12 Diabetes Fighting Foods

     Diabetes is one of the biggest health threats in the U.S. today. If you and your children, yes your children, don't already have it you know several people who do. This is one of the most preventable problems we face today and the following article can help you prevent diabetes and even reverse it.
     Enjoy the read.

http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/diabetes-fighting-foods?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1063148-_-10102012-_-BonusTip-body

Tomatoes, Red Peppers & Watermelon are 'stroke preventers'

A diet rich in tomatoes, red peppers and water-melons may reduce the risk of having a stroke, according to researchers in Finland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19869666

Enjoy your fruits and vegies.

Foods That Fight Pain

Good morning, yesterday it was foods that fight allergies and today we have foods that fight pain. Enjoy the read and have a great day.

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/best-healthy-foods-pain-relief?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1061024-_-10052012-_-FoodsFightPain-body

9 Foods to Fight Your Fall Allergies

Good morning everyone,

While reading this article you will notice that these same foods that come up over and over again in so many articles about foods with healthy benefits.

Enjoy the read.

http://www.organicgardening.com/living/9-fall-foods-fight-your-fall-allergies?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1061022-_-10042012-_-9Fallfood-body

Tricks Foods Play

What you eat may fool your brain into packing on the pounds

By Janet Raloff

October 6th, 2012; Vol.182 #7 (p. 24)

  Text Size

ENLARGE

Photography by Cary Wolinsky; photo illustration by Rick Kyle

Most people would never equate downing a well-dressed salad or a fried chicken thigh with toking a joint of marijuana. But to Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health, the comparison isn’t a big stretch.
New animal experiments by Hibbeln and his colleagues have recently shown that the body uses a major constituent in most vegetable oils to make its own versions of the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Called endocannabinoids, these natural compounds play a role in heightening appetite. So overproducing them unnecessarily boosts hunger, similarly to how pot triggers the munchies (SN: 6/19/10, p. 16).
If what happens in people mirrors what happens in animals, then the prevalence of soybean oil, corn oil and other polyunsaturated vegetable oils in today’s Western diet means your body is “dumping out a lot of these marijuana-like molecules into your brain,” explains Hibbeln, a nutritional neuroscientist. “You’re chronically a little bit stoned.”
Vegetable oil’s link to endocannabinoids is just one example of newfound and surprising ways that foods can confuse calorie-sensing networks and foster obesity — in some cases by damaging the brain. Especially troubling: Excess body weight itself can exaggerate the risk of the brain telling a well-fueled body that it is running on empty.

For the full article go to:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/345277/title/Tricks_Foods_Play

8 "SCARY" FOOD MYTHS—BUSTED!

8. Nutrition "Scare" #1: Fat Will Make You Fat!:

Eating fat does not make you fat. In fact, not eating enough fat can make you fat. A 2008 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a diet high in healthy fats proved to be superior to a low-fat diet, both in terms of weight loss and overall health benefits. Saturated and trans fats have given fat a bad name, but the truth is that the unsaturated fats found in foods like nuts, salmon, and olive oil are a key component in a healthy diet.

7. Nutrition "Scare" #2: Bread Will Make You Fat! :

The low-carb craze of the early 2000s had people terrified of breaking bread, but eating the right kinds of breads and other grains can actually help you lose weight. An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that overweight people who obtained all of their grain servings from whole grains lost more belly fat than those who skipped the whole grains. The reason: The fiber found in whole grain foods helps slow digestion, keeping you fuller longer. You should still avoid refined grains like "enriched" flour, but a moderate amount of whole grain bread can be a great addition to a balanced diet. Tip: True whole grain bread products will have "whole wheat" or "whole grain" flour as their first ingredient. If you see anything else, your "wheat" bread is an imposter.

6. Nutrition "Scare" #3: Snacking Will Make You Fat!:

Mom may have told you that eating frequently is a surefire way to pack on the pounds, but she probably also told you that your face will freeze that way. In fact, snacking throughout the day is actually one of the best ways to avoid an expanding waistline. In a recent study, Spanish researchers found that participants lost significantly more body weight when they added low-sugar, high-protein snacks to their daily food routine. Why? Because consistent snacking helps maintain blood-sugar levels, keeping you full and preventing your body from storing excess fat. Two great options for a low-sugar, high-protein snack: nuts and (low-fat) dairy products, like yogurt. 

5. Nutrition "Scare" #4: Coffee is Ruining Your Health!:

It turns out that Americans' java addiction may not be such a bad thing. A 2006 study in the journal Diabetes Care showed that coffee drinkers were significantly less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and other research has linked coffee consumption with a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease, dementia, stroke, and depression. And get this: According to researchers from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, coffee is the number-one leading source of antioxidants in the American diet. So go ahead, enjoy your morning cup of joe guilt free!

4. Nutrition "Scare" #5: Thinking About Food Will Make You Obsessed With Eating!:

Think about other things: Your friends. Your 401(k). The game. Grandma’s dentures. Anything that will get your mind off food, right? Well, no: According to Dutch researchers, thinking about snacks and meals can actually help you stay lean. The study found that when asked questions like, "What will you do if you get hungry two hours before your next meal?" thinner participants were better able to give healthy responses, like "eat a handful of nuts." While fantasizing about how many onion rings you could feasibly fit on a double bacon cheeseburger is probably not going to keep the pounds at bay, taking a proactive approach to your diet by thinking ahead will. Try planning nutritious meals for the week or keeping healthy snacks like fruit and nuts on hand to ward off hunger. 

3. Nutrition "Scare" #6: Dessert Will Ruin Your Life!:

Au contraire: Dessert makes life worth living, and it just might help you stay lean as well. Studies have shown that completely eliminating foods you love can send you sailing straight into binge mode. Is chocolate mud pie good for you? No, and if you feel like you want to cut down on indulgences, go right ahead. But if, like most of us, swearing off sweets instantly causes you to start daydreaming about hot fudge sundaes, you might want to rethink your approach. Try allowing yourself a small dessert every day to satisfy your cravings without doing too much damage. Need help? Try a Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Vanilla Fudge Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich. It has a very reasonable 160 calories and 16 grams of sugar. 

2. Nutrition "Scare" #7: Red Meat Will Give You a Heart Attack!:

Harvard researchers recently discovered that while eating processed meats like hotdogs and bacon can contribute to heart disease, there is no such risk for people who consume only unprocessed meat. Meat is also a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids, and many studies have linked protein consumption with weight loss. Moreover, meat and other animal products are the only dietary sources of vitamin B12, which helps your body make blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system. But beware: Eating too much saturated fat has been linked to heart disease, so go ahead and include meat in your diet, but opt for the leanest cuts.

1. Nutrition "Scare" #8: Eggs are Cholesterol Bombs!:

Perhaps the biggest nutrition myth is that eggs are bad for your heart, a fact attributed to the cholesterol in the yolk. But here's the truth: The dietary cholesterol found in eggs actually has little effect on the amount of cholesterol in your blood. When it comes to increasing LDL ("bad cholesterol"), trans and saturated fats are the real culprits. The incredible, edible egg is actually an excellent, affordable source of protein and B vitamins, and it may help you lose weight. A 2008 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that dieters who consumed two eggs for breakfast each day lost significantly more weight than those who consumed bagels.

Finally, start your day right. A great breakfast will jump start your metabolism and have you burning more calories throughout the day.

From: http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/print-list/186673

8 Ingredients You Never Want to See on Your Nutrition Label

This is a great short list to look for and keep out of your diet, enjoy.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/8-ingredients-you-never-want-see-your-nutrition-label?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1054704-_-09262012-_-Ingredients-body

10 Best Foods for Life's Troubles

Enjoy these helpful hints.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/superfoods?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1041240-_-09252012-_-FixItFoods-body

The mind-altering effects of everyday foods

Enjoy this great article.

While kicking back with your good friends Häagen and Dazs may seem like the best way to perk up a crappy day—and let’s face it, sometimes you just need ice cream—a new study suggests you may want to be a little more strategic in your noshing. Turns out that the burst of flavor you get when you bite into certain foods may offer your mood the same happy boost as prescription drugs. 

Speaking before the American Chemical Society last week, Karina Martinez-Mayorga, PhD, a research chemist at the National Autonomous University in Mexico, reported that because the chemical properties of certain food flavors may mimic the structure of an antidepressant called valproic acid, food could provide similar mood-enhancing benefits. 

Food Remedies

• Foods That Fight Pain
• 13 Foods That Fight Sunburn
• Meals That Heal Inflammation

Cure It With Food

Prevent or even reverse hundreds of conditions with delicious food!

More from Prevention.com: 3 Natural Depression Treatments You Haven’t Tried  

Martinez-Mayorga’s results are still preliminary—she’s keeping mum on the specifics of her findings—but her research adds to a growing body of evidence that some foods may trigger emotional changes in the eater. 

Here, expert-backed ways to get mood-altering boosts out of your food:

• To wake you up… High-protein meals tend to increase mental alertness and help thwart fatigue, says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Greek yogurt and grass-fed beef are good protein sources, she says.
• To get a buzz… Spicy or pungent foods like chili, garlic, and ginger excite your senses and offer some of the same natural kick as stimulants like the caffeine, says Bowerman. 
• To get happy… The anthocyanins in blueberries, which give the fruit its distinctive hue, have been shown to block certain enzymes linked to depression and anxiety, according to a study from Germany’s University of Regensburg.
• To energize… Spinach, Swiss chard, and halibut are all loaded with magnesium, which studies have tied to increased energy levels. Bonus: Magnesium has also been linked to lower depression scores, finds a study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
• To prevent the blues… Romaine lettuce, asparagus, beets, and beans are all great sources of folate, which is essential to warding off depression. A study in the Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience found that 50% of depression sufferers were also folate deficient. 

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/node/31452#ixzz26RtjZs3D

Three Foods That (Surprisingly) Make You Slimmer

Enjoy

http://www.youbeauty.com/nutrition/surprising-skinny-foods?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=OutBrain%2BCPC&utm_term=Three-Foods-That-Surprisingly-Make-You-S

Diet Sodas: Kidney problems, Weight Gain and much, much more

Take seriously the information in this article since diet sodas are so prevalent.

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/diet-soda-bad-you?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1028674-_-09072012-_-DietSoda-body

The Lebron James Workout: Leap Like Lebron

This is a great workout for those of you who have plateaued and are struggling to get to the next level. Adding super-sets will help you to break through that barrier.

http://www.menshealth.com/celebrity-fitness/lebron-james-workout

10 Best Fitness Foods

Enjoy!

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-fitness-food?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1024424-_-09042012-_-BonusTip-body

Obesity Increases Gas Prices...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/sns-rt-us-obesitybre83t0c8-20120430,0,4447251.story

Obesity 'bad for brain' by hastening cognitive decline

Another reason for avoiding obesity.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19323061

The Power of Intermittent Fasting

This is an easy read with a good explanation about some of the lesser known benefits of fasting.
Enjoy the read.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549

Vitamins: Forget the Pill, Eat the Food

This is a good article for those of us who would rather get our nutrition from food. This gives us the whole food sources for the vitamins we need. Enjoy.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/most-nutritious-whole-foods#sharetagsfocus

15 Grossest Food Additives

This is a great article.

http://www.rodale.com/gross-food?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-992120-_-08042012-_-GrossFoods-body

Why Gluten-free is not always Gluten-free

Enjoy this great article.

http://www.rodale.com/gluten-free-food?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-992116-_-08022012-_-BonusTip-body

Burn Fat Fast: 6 Nutrients For Faster Weight Loss

For years scientists have searched for a magical ingredient that would help people shed fat. In 2008, Dr. Shalamar Sibley of the University of Minnesota put 38 obese people on an 11-week diet where they consumed 750 calories less than their estimated daily need. Study participants whose blood levels of D were higher at the study's start lost more weight than participants whose blood levels of D were lower. They actually lost a lot more—70 percent more, to be exact.

Based on the results of this study, by fueling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs to stay out of a fat-storage state and in a fat-burning state, you can speed weight loss by 70 percent! Thousands of studies on vitamin D have been completed over a span of 40 years, and it's become clear that vitamin D is pretty incredible and effective. 

Calcium
HOW IT MELTS FAT: Calcium is a mineral that works in tandem with D to help you shed fat. Calcium is stored in fat cells, and researchers think that the more calcium a fat cell has, the more fat that cell will release to be burned. Calcium also promotes weight loss by binding to fat in your GI tract, preventing some of it from getting absorbed into your bloodstream.

Protein
HOW IT MELTS FAT: In addition to keeping hunger in check, regular doses of protein help to keep body composition—the amount of fat relative to muscle—in better proportion. Along with calcium and D, protein helps you to preserve muscle mass as you drop pounds. A recent study out of the University of Illinois found that women who consumed protein twice daily lost 3.9 percent more weight than women who consumed less of it on a diet. They not only lost more weight, they also got stronger as they did so, with their thigh muscles alone ending up with 5.8 percent more protein at the end of the diet than before.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
HOW IT MELTS FAT: Omega-3s enable weight loss by switching on enzymes that trigger fat-burning in cells. They also help to boost mood, which may help reduce emotional eating. And omega 3s might improve leptin signaling in the brain, causing the brain to turn up fat burning and turn down appetite.

You almost can't consume D without consuming omega-3 fatty acids, and that's a good thing. Fatty fish like salmon (which are also high in D) are one of the richest sources of this fat. Other foods, such as some nuts and seeds, contain a type of fat that can be converted into omega-3s after ingestion.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)
HOW THEY MELT FAT: MUFAs are a type of fat found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter, and chocolate, and they have just one chemical bond (which is why they are called "mono" unsaturated). One Danish study of 26 men and women found that a diet that included 20 percent of its calories from MUFAs improved 24-hour calorie burning by 0.1 percent and fat burning by 0.04 percent after 6 months. Other research shows that MUFAs zero in on belly fat. Specific foods that are high in MUFAs—especially peanuts, tree nuts, and olive oil—have been shown to keep blood sugar steady and reduce appetite, too.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
HOW IT BURNS FAT: CLAs are potent fat burners that are found, along with D and calcium, in dairy products. They are fatty acids that are created when bacteria ferments the food in the first part of the stomach of cows, sheep, and other ruminant animals. The CLA that is created through fermentation then makes its way into the meat and milk of these animals.

When we consume these foods, the CLA helps blood glucose enter body cells, so CLA can be burned for energy and not stored as fat. CLA also helps to promote fat burning, especially in muscles, where the bulk of our calorie burning takes place.

THE WHOLE FAT-MELTING PICTURE
Now before you start superdosing yourself with all of these fat melters and waiting for the fat to magically melt away, let's be clear: D and other fat melters facilitate weight loss, but they are not magic pills. If you just took a bunch of supplements, you might see some effect—for instance, by swapping some fat for muscle. But to see serious weight loss, you'll need to combine these fat melters with portion control.

Read more at Women's Health: http://www.womenshealthmag.com

6 Superfoods in Disguise

Enjoy this great article.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/6-superfoods-disguise?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-992108-_-07302012-_-6SuperfoodsinDisguise-body

Saccharin's Dirty Discovery

Saccharin, the sweetener in the pink packet, was discovered because chemist Constantin Fahlberg didn't wash his hands after a day at the office.

Prepare to get icked.

The year was 1879 and Fahlberg was trying to come up with new and interesting uses for coal tar. After a productive day at the office, he went home and something strange happened.

He noticed the rolls he was eating tasted particularly sweet. He asked his wife if she had done anything interesting to the rolls, but she hadn't. They tasted normal to her. Fahlberg realized the taste must have been coming from his hands -- which he hadn't washed.

The next day he went back to the lab and started tasting his work until he found the sweet spot


More interesting info can be found at: http://science.discovery.com

10 Foods for Longer Life

Enjoy this article.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/10-foods-longer-life?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-975496-_-07222012-_-10FoodsLongerLife-body

Affordable Superfoods

Enjoy this great article.

http://www.rodale.com/antioxidant-rich-foods?page=0,0

5 Foods That Make You Skinny

You are NOT what you eat.
 
If we were what we ate, then people who ate lots of hot dogs and pork chops would be solid walls of muscle. People who ate lots of pasta would be stringy and fat-free. People who ate lots of pecan pie would be Zooey Deschanel (sweet, but nutty and flaky).
 
And people who ate a lot of fat would be fat.
 
What’s that, you say? That last sentence is true? People who eat fat are fat? Well, no, not necessarily. Science shows that eating fat won’t make you fat any more than eating money will make you rich.
 
Now, eating foods that are packed with the wrong kinds of fat will make you fat. Trans fats found in pie crusts and other baked goods, and saturated fats found in processed and grain-fed meats, add hefty calories while doing mostly harm to your body’s nutritional bottom line. But healthy fats will do the opposite: They can quell your appetite, cutting the number of calories you eat in a day, while improving your heart health and stoking your metabolism.
 
Delicious, fatty foods that help you lose weight? Where can you sign up? Right here!


#1 Grass Fed Beef
Yeah, I know: grass-fed beef is a little pricey. But its higher ratio of good-for-you fats make it well worth the cost: A study in Nutrition Journal found that grass-fed meat contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disease. And when it comes to your waistline, grass-fed beef is naturally leaner and has fewer calories than conventional meat. Consider this: A 7-ounce conventional strip steak, trimmed of fat, will run you 386 calories and 16 grams of fat. But a 7-ounce grass-fed strip steak is only 234 calories and five grams of fat—you’ll save more than 150 calories and your steak will taste better.


#2 Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols and heart-strengthening monounsaturated fats, and when it comes to looking lean, it’s backed by some pretty strong facts. A recent study from Obesity found that an olive-oil-rich diet resulted in higher levels of adiponectin than did a high-carb or high-protein diet. Adiponectin is a hormone responsible for breaking down fats in the body, and the more you have of it, the lower your BMI tends to be. Reap the benefits by making olive oil your cooking fat of choice and using it in dressings and sauces.


#3 Coconut
Coconut is high in saturated fat, but more than half of that comes from lauric acid, a unique lipid that battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores. And get this: A study published in Lipids found that dietary supplementation of coconut oil actually reduced abdominal obesity. Of the participants, half were given two tablespoons of coconut oil daily and the other half were given soybean oil, and although both groups experienced overall weight loss, only the coconut oil consumers’ waistlines shrunk. Sprinkle unsweetened flakes over yogurt or use coconut milk in a stir-fry to start whittling your waist.


#4 Dark Chocolate
Good news for your sweet tooth: Chocolate can help you flatten your belly. Dark chocolate, that is. But to truly take advantage, don’t wait until dessert: A recent study found that when men ate 3.5 ounces of chocolate two hours before a meal, those who had dark chocolate took in 17 percent fewer calories than those that ate milk chocolate. The researchers believe that this is because dark chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid. Milk chocolate’s cocoa butter content, on the other hand, is tempered with added butter fat and, as a result, passes more quickly through your GI tract. Because dark chocolate takes more time to process, it staves off hunger and helps you lose weight.


#5 Almond Butter
Numerous studies have indicated that almonds can help you lose weight despite their high fat content. In fact, a study from the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders compared two diets over the course of six months. One group followed a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet (18 percent fat) and the other followed a moderate-fat diet (39 percent fat) in which the extra fat was supplied by almonds. The latter group lost more weight than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that both groups consumed the same amount of total calories. Furthermore, the almond eaters experienced a 50 percent greater waistline reduction. How is this possible? Almonds contain compounds that limit the amount of fat absorbed by the body, so some passes through undigested. Try stirring almond butter into your oatmeal, spreading it on toast with banana slices, or eating a couple spoonfuls as a snack.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/5-fatty-foods-make-you-skinny?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-971648-_-07112012-_-FattyFoodsthatMakeYouSkinny-body

13 Great Food Combinations

This is a great article to help you get the maximum benefits from your foods you eat and the why these combinations work.

http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/13-best-food-combos-planet?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-970542-_-07072012-_-BonusTip-body

Diabetes Care in Hot Weather

     If you have diabetes, you need to take extra care in hot weather. Temperatures of 80°F (about 27°C) or above, especially with humidity, can affect medication, testing supplies, and your health. 

     If you have diabetes, it is harder for your body to handle high heat and humidity. The heat index which measures how hot it really feels by combining temperature and humidity readings, advises caution starting at 80°F with 40% humidity.  

     Here are suggestions from CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation on taking care of yourself during hot weather:

·  Heat can affect your blood glucose (sugar) levels and also increase the absorption of some fast-acting insulin, meaning you will need to test your blood glucose more often and perhaps adjust your intake of insulin, food and liquids.

·  Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, to avoid dehydration. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages such as sweet tea and sodas.

·  If your doctor has limited how much liquid you can drink, ask what to do during times of high heat.

·  Check package inserts with medications to learn when high temperatures can affect them. Take medications with you if you will need to take them while you’re away from home, and protect them from the heat.

·  If you’re traveling with insulin, don’t store it in direct sunlight or in a hot car. Keep it in a cooler, but do not place it directly on ice or on a gel pack.

·  Check glucose meter and test strip packages for information on use during times of high heat and humidity. Do not leave them in a hot car, by a pool, or on the beach.

·  Heat can damage insulin pumps and other equipment. Do not leave the disconnected pump or supplies in the direct sun.

·  Get physical activity in air-conditioned areas, or exercise outside early or late in the day, during cooler temperatures.

·  Use your air conditioner or go to air-conditioned buildings in your community.

More info at cdc.gov

6 Nutrients For Faster Weight Loss

For years scientists have searched for a magical ingredient that would help people shed fat. In 2008, Dr. Shalamar Sibley of the University of Minnesota put 38 obese people on an 11-week diet where they consumed 750 calories less than their estimated daily need. Study participants whose blood levels of D were higher at the study's start lost more weight than participants whose blood levels of D were lower. They actually lost a lot more—70 percent more, to be exact.

Based on the results of this study, by fueling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs to stay out of a fat-storage state and in a fat-burning state, you can speed weight loss by 70 percent! Thousands of studies on vitamin D have been completed over a span of 40 years, and it's become clear that vitamin D is pretty incredible and effective. Still, it's not the only player on this fat-melting team. 

Calcium
HOW IT MELTS FAT: Calcium is a mineral that works in tandem with D to help you shed fat. Calcium is stored in fat cells, and researchers think that the more calcium a fat cell has, the more fat that cell will release to be burned. Calcium also promotes weight loss by binding to fat in your GI tract, preventing some of it from getting absorbed into your bloodstream.

Protein
HOW IT MELTS FAT: In addition to keeping hunger in check, regular doses of protein help to keep body composition—the amount of fat relative to muscle—in better proportion. Along with calcium and D, protein helps you to preserve muscle mass as you drop pounds. A recent study out of the University of Illinois found that women who consumed protein twice daily lost 3.9 percent more weight than women who consumed less of it on a diet. They not only lost more weight, they also got stronger as they did so, with their thigh muscles alone ending up with 5.8 percent more protein at the end of the diet than before.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
HOW IT MELTS FAT: Omega-3s enable weight loss by switching on enzymes that trigger fat-burning in cells. They also help to boost mood, which may help reduce emotional eating. And omega 3s might improve leptin signaling in the brain, causing the brain to turn up fat burning and turn down appetite.

You almost can't consume D without consuming omega-3 fatty acids, and that's a good thing. Fatty fish like salmon (which are also high in D) are one of the richest sources of this fat. Other foods, such as some nuts and seeds, contain a type of fat that can be converted into omega-3s after ingestion.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)
HOW THEY MELT FAT: MUFAs are a type of fat found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter, and chocolate, and they have just one chemical bond (which is why they are called "mono" unsaturated). One Danish study of 26 men and women found that a diet that included 20 percent of its calories from MUFAs improved 24-hour calorie burning by 0.1 percent and fat burning by 0.04 percent after 6 months. Other research shows that MUFAs zero in on belly fat. Specific foods that are high in MUFAs—especially peanuts, tree nuts, and olive oil—have been shown to keep blood sugar steady and reduce appetite, too.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
HOW IT BURNS FAT: CLAs are potent fat burners that are found, along with D and calcium, in dairy products. They are fatty acids that are created when bacteria ferments the food in the first part of the stomach of cows, sheep, and other ruminant animals. The CLA that is created through fermentation then makes its way into the meat and milk of these animals.

When we consume these foods, the CLA helps blood glucose enter body cells, so CLA can be burned for energy and not stored as fat. CLA also helps to promote fat burning, especially in muscles, where the bulk of our calorie burning takes place.

THE WHOLE FAT-MELTING PICTURE
Now before you start superdosing yourself with all of these fat melters and waiting for the fat to magically melt away, let's be clear: D and other fat melters facilitate weight loss, but they are not magic pills. If you just took a bunch of supplements, you might see some effect—for instance, by swapping some fat for muscle. But to see serious weight loss, you'll need to combine these fat melters with portion control.

Info from:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/the-vitamin-d-diet?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-953678-_-07032012-_-BonusTip-body

Endometriosis, Autoimmune Diseases & Antioxidants

     A study appearing in Ginecologia y obstetricia de Mexico (2006; 74(1): 20-8) looked at the amount of oxidative stress and the antioxidant intake of 48 women with endometriosis. The researchers found an inverse relationship between the amount of antioxidants in the diet and the severity of the disease. Fruits and vegetables provide a wide spectrum of antioxidant nutrients to support the body’s defense against free radical compounds that cause damage to biological cells.

     Researchers here in the US at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, George Washington University, and the Endometriosis Association conducted a cross sectional survey of 3,680 women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis. The study was published in the journal, Human Reproduction [2002; 17 (10): 2715-2724]. Researchers found an increased incidence of many chronic and autoimmune diseases in women with endometriosis compared to the general population. Another reason to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables since both have been shown to strengthen your immune system.

More info at:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/49027318/Jun12BHN.pdf

The 15 Most Pointless Foods in Your Supermarket

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did.

http://www.rodale.com/worst-food?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-949356-_-06212012-_-BonusTip-body

Eat More Food, Lose More Weight

HERE'S A LITTLE BIOLOGY LESSON: As early humans evolved, starvation and deprivation were persistent threats to survival. So they learned to store fat in flush times and burn fewer calories when food was hard to come by—just like bears preparing for hibernation. If you go hungry all day and then eat a heavy evening meal, you're doing the same thing.

Instead, try eating several small meals, consuming 30 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories in the morning. You'll feel full all day and give your body a chance to burn off what you took in—rather than sleeping on it like a bear.

That's why avoiding this starvation response is a core principle. On this plan, you'll lose pounds without ever getting hungry, bored, or frustrated. Here are a few guidelines that'll help you turn fat into muscle without ever feeling deprived.

FIRST BREAKFAST

The foods
Dairy, eggs, whole grains, and fiber. If you usually skip breakfast, start with a glass of milk or a slice of cheese with whole-wheat toast. Or, if you wake up ready for a meal, have walnut-flaxseed oatmeal with some yogurt and blueberries.

The goal
To load up on calories.

The rationale
The protein in milk and other dairy products can increase muscle protein production, helping to promote muscle growth and fat loss after exercise.

SECOND BREAKFAST

More of the same! That's right—eating twice in the a.m. means you'll take in fewer calories overall. A lot of guys don't have the time (or the stomach) to power down a third of their daily calorie allowance first thing in the morning. So breaking up the meal keeps your calorie intake shifted to the morning while allowing you to start your day without busting a gut.

LUNCH

The foods
Vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, and whole grains. Think soups and salads.

The goal
To pack in as much nutrition as possible.

The rationale
Lunch is the defining moment of your nutritional day. Breakfast is about calorie loading, and by dinner the day is shot. So lunch is your chance to feast on at least three representatives from the fruit, vegetable, or legume category—which is why soups and salads are your go-to choices at this time of day.

What's for dinner? 

DINNER

The foods
Leafy greens and other vegetables, lean meats, fish, beans, and legumes.

The goal
To keep portion size down.

The rationale
A Penn State study found that eating a low-calorie salad before a main course can decrease overall food intake by up to 12 percent. So start with the green stuff, and then move on to lean protein or an omega-3-rich fish (like salmon).

SNACKS

The foods
Yogurt, berries, walnuts, red bell peppers with cottage cheese, whole-grain cereal with milk, and apples and cheese.

The goal
To stave off hunger.

The rationale
You can't lose weight and keep it off unless you snack! In fact, studies suggest that people who eat less often than three times a day may have trouble controlling their appetite. So don't deprive yourself. Raid that pantry. Just choose smartly.

Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/eat-food-lose-weight/page/2?cm_mmc=DDNL-_-953602-_-06212012-_-EatingPlan-_-body#ixzz1yQw3CdBi

Global Weight Gain more damaging than Global Population

Researchers say that increasing levels of fatness around the world could have the same impact on global resources as an extra billion people.


For the full article go to the link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18462985

15 Healing Foods

  Good morning. Here are some easy to include food suggestions for improving your over-all health that you can start today.

Red Wine Extract: Best Anti-Aging Extract

Oxidative stress plays a major role in aging, and an antioxidant in red wine extract called resveratrol may help extend life by neutralizing disease-causing free radicals.

Baked Potato: Best Blood Pressure Reducer
Besides the obvious factors—obesity, high salt intake—diets containing too little potassium are the primary cause of hypertension. Fight back with a baked potato.

Raspberries: Best Blood Sugar Stabilizer
Raspberries contain anthocyanins, which boost insulin production and lower blood sugar levels, providing a strong defense against diabetes.

Shrimp:  Best Bone Protector
Shrimp is high in vitamin B-12, which aids bone density, is crucial in the generation of new cells, and is a good source of vitamin D, an essential ingredient for bone strength.

Coffee:  Best Brain Booster
Beyond boosting altertness for up to 90 minutes, that morning cup is the number-one source of antioxidants in the American diet and can help decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 60 percent.

Whole-Grain Cereal:  Best Breast Cancer Beater
Women getting at least 30 grams of fiber daily are half as likely to develop breast cancer, according to research. A bowl of Fiber One with blueberries will get you halfway there.

Monterey Jack Cheese:  Best Cavity Killer
Researchers found that eating less than a quarter ounce of Jack, Cheddar, Gouda, or mozzarella cheese will boost pH levels to protect your pearly whites from cavities.

Olive Oil:  Best Cholesterol Reducer
Antioxidants found in olives have been shown both to raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, making olive oil a doubly potent protector against cardiovascular disease.

Green or White Tea:  Best Colon Cancer Guard 

Drinking just one cup of tea a day may cut your risk of colon cancer in half. Antioxidants in the tea, called catechins, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, found researchers at Oregon State.

Beef:  Best Hair Rejuvenator
Iron in the meat stimulates hair turnover and replenishment. Beef is also rich in zinc, which helps guard against hair loss.

Salmon:  Best Heart Protector
A diet of heart-healthy fats, like those found in salmon and olive oil, raises good HDL cholesterol levels. And salmon contains a huge dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which can ward off heart disease.

Grapefruit:  Best Lung Cancer Fighter
A grapefruit a day can reduce your risk of developing lung cancer by up to 50 percent. Grapefruit contains naringin, which may help lower levels of cancer-causing enzymes.

Carrots:  Best Skin Saver
National Cancer Institute researchers found that people with the highest intake of carotenoids—pigments that occur naturally in carrots—were six times less likely to develop skin cancer than those with the lowest intakes.

Spinach or Romaine Lettuce:  Best Vision Defender
The National Institutes of Health found that people who consume the most lutein—found in leafy greens—are 43 percent less likely to develop macular degeneration.

Enjoy

Info from: http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/15-foods-cure?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-949350-_-06182012-_-moreon1

Sleep Deprivation and Obesity

Bad food choices may partially be due to sleep deprivation, according to a new study. 

At Sleep 2012, researchers from the University of California show how sleep deprivation impairs the regions in the human brain responsible for food choices. 

They state that these findings may help explain the association between obesity and sleep deprivation.

The researchers enrolled 23 healthy individuals to participate in the study. They then conducted two functional magnetic resonance imagine (fMRI) scans on the participants; one after a night of sleep deprivation; one after a normal night's sleep. While being scanned the participants were shown various food items and were asked to rate how much they wanted them. 

Stephanie Greer, lead author of the study and a graduate student at the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, explained: "Our goal was to see if specific regions of the brain associated with food processing were disrupted by sleep deprivation."

The team found that brain activity in the frontal lobe of the brain was significantly impaired when participants were sleep deprived. 

These findings indicate that sleep deprivation may stop the higher brain functions that are usually vital for making good food choices, instead of changing activity in deeper brain structures that react to basic desire.

Greer said:

"We did not find significant differences following sleep deprivation in brain areas traditionally associated with basic reward reactivity. Instead, it seems to be about the regions higher up in the brain, specifically within the frontal lobe, failing to integrate all the different signals that help us normally make wise choices about what we should eat."

According to Greer, this impairment of the frontal lobe may represent one brain mechanism explaining the association between obesity and sleep deprivation.

Greer explained: "These results shed light on how the brain becomes impaired by sleep deprivation, leading to improper food choices." 

Written By Grace Rattue 
Copyright: Medical News Today

What caused the obesity crisis in the West?

Contrary to popular belief, we as a race have not become greedier or less active in recent years. But one thing that has changed is the food we eat, and, more specifically, the sheer amount of sugar we ingest.

"Genetically, human beings haven't changed, but our environment, our access to cheap food has," says Professor Jimmy Bell, obesity specialist at Imperial College, London.

"We're being bombarded every day by the food industry to consume more and more food.

"It's a war between our bodies and the demands our body makes, and the accessibility that modern society gives us with food. And as a scientist I feel really depressed, because we are losing the war against obesity."

One of the biggest changes in our modern diet stems back to the 1970s when US agriculture embarked on the mass-production of corn and of high-fructose corn syrup, commonly used as a sweetener in processed foods.

This led to a massive surge in the quantities of cheaper food being supplied to American supermarkets, everything from cheap cereal to cheap biscuits. As a result, burgers got bigger and fries (fried in corn oil) got fattier.

According to nutritionist Marion Nestle, this paved the way for obesity.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Obesity is caused when people consume too many calories without the exercise to balance it out”

Susan NeelyAmerican Beverage Association

"The number of calories produced in America, and available to American consumers, went from 3,200 in the 1970s and early 80s to 3,900 per person, almost twice as much as anybody needed. And that enormous increase, I think it's the cause of a great deal of difficulty," she says.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), a highly sweet by-product of waste corn, was also incredibly cheap. It began being used in every conceivable food - pizzas, coleslaw, meat. It provided a "just baked" sheen on bread and cakes.

By the mid 1980s, corn syrup had replaced sugar in fizzy soft drinks. The move made financial sense from the soft drink companies' point of view, as corn syrup was a third cheaper than sugar.

But it was also sweeter and, argue some scientists, more addictive. In the next two decades, the average American's consumption of fizzy drinks almost doubled - from 350 cans a year to 600.

But Susan Neely from the American Beverage Association says the increased consumption of fizzy drinks is not to blame for increased obesity in the West.

"The evidence says that obesity is caused when people consume too many calories without the exercise to balance it out," she says.

"Certainly our regular soft drinks are a source of calories, so if you're consuming too many calories and watching too much television or not getting enough exercise, you're going to have a problem."

Weight gain

Dr Jean-Marc Schwarz from San Francisco General Hospital says it's the sheer amount of fructose being consumed that makes it dangerous.

"It doesn't have a toxic effect like lead. It's not comparable to lead or mercury, but it's the quantity that just makes it toxic," he says.

Fructose is easily converted to fat in the body, and scientists have found that it also suppresses the action of a vital hormone called leptin.

"Leptin goes from your fat cells to your brain and tells your brain you've had enough, you don't need to eat that second piece of cheesecake," says Dr Robert Lustig, an endocrinologist.

He says when the liver is overloaded with sugars, leptin simply stops working, and as a result the body doesn't know when it's full.

"It makes your brain think you're starving and now what you have is a vicious cycle of consumption, disease and addiction. Which explains what has happened the world over," he says.

Heart disease

In the mid-1970s, a fierce debate raged behind the closed doors of academia over heart disease. It boiled down to one simple question: what causes it - sugar or fat?

The view that fat was to blame prevailed, and in doing so it created an entirely new genre of food - "low-fat" products.

The creation of "low fat" promised an immense business opportunity forged from the potential disaster of heart disease.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

When you're eating food that is highly hedonic, it sort of takes over your brain”

David KesslerFormer head, US Food and Drug Administration

Overnight, low-fat products arrived on the shelves. Low-fat yoghurts, spreads, desserts and biscuits. All with the fat taken out, and largely replaced with sugar.

The public embraced the new products, believing them to be healthier. But the more sugar we ate, the more we wanted.

By the time anyone began to ask if it was a good thing to replace fat with sugar, it was too late - but it was a decision with huge implications for the obesity crisis.

"If fat's the cause, that's a good thing to do," says Dr Lustig. "If sugar's the cause, that's a disastrous thing to do… and I think over the last 30 years we've answered that question."

David Kessler, the ex-head of the US government's most powerful food agency, the Food and Drug Administration, believes sugar - together with fat and salt - appeals to our brains in the same way as addictive substances.

"It gives you this momentary bliss," Mr Kessler says. "So when you're eating food that is highly hedonic, it sort of takes over your brain."

Terry Jones, from the UK's Food and Drink Federation, says: "All the time the science is changing, the thinking around how to tackle the problem is changing.

Continue reading the main story

Obesity and lifestyle

• What is obesity? It is normally defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30
• Use the BMI calculator to check your BMI, from your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared
• According to figures from 2009, almost a quarter of UK adults are obese (22% of men and 24% of women)
• Find out more about healthy living or explore aDiet and Fitness plan to suit you

"This is an industry which takes its responsibilities very seriously. It has already done an awful lot and will continue to do so, and we know that there's a real commitment behind us playing our full part in public health."

The US Sugar Association are keen to point out that that sugar intake alone "is not linked to any lifestyle disease", but scientists are now beginning to think there is something specific about fructose which accelerates obesity.

If a link with obesity is established beyond doubt, we could see the food industry creating a whole new market for low-sugar products, according to former Coca-Cola executive Hank Cardello, who is campaigning to get corporations to tackle obesity.

"The silver lining in the challenge of obesity is that even though it's a problem, it creates a galvanising effect.

"Companies need to make money, and consumers need to eat food that is convenient and tastes good, and from the public health perspective we need products that are healthier. And all those need to come together."

Info from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18393391