Weight Loss Plan for Women Over 40 - Two Tips to Melt Stubborn Belly Fat
Weight Loss Plan for Women Over 40 - Two Tips to Melt Stubborn Belly Fat
By Monique Hawkins
Many women over 40 know that it can be more challenging to lose belly fat now that they are older. So, some women are searching for a excellent weight loss plan for women over 40 to start to help them loss that unsightly and unhealthy belly fat. Who wouldn't love to see that fat just melt effortlessly away? However, everybody knows very little happens without some effort. Now, a new tool has been found that can help in the battle against abdominal fat.
An accumulation of deep belly fat, known as visceral adipose tissue, has been linked to increased inflammation throughout the body. This, in turn, is a risk factor for developing cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure and excessive cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Science is learning that the deep belly fat secretes damaging hormones that can alter the body's metabolism. This can play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases including cancer.
Visceral adipose tissue lies beneath the abdominal muscles, close to the organs which makes it even more dangerous. It differs from subcutaneous fat which is the fat beneath the skin that helps insulate the body and serves as an energy storage tissue.
So, just looking slimmer is not the main reason for tackling the belly fat problem. Did you know that dangerous visceral adipose tissue can accumulate even in people with an acceptable Body Mass Index? You don't have to be overweight to have excess belly fat.
What to do to get rid of that stubborn belly fat? Well, routine exercise has been shown to greatly reduce belly fat and slow the accumulation of more. If you don't participate in regular activities that get the body moving, try starting a daily walking routine. While you are upping your calorie burning exercise, take a look at how much soluble fiber you get in your diet every day. It has been proven to slow the accumulation of deep belly fat.
Soluble fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Food sources are always a better choice than supplements, since you are getting all kinds of valuable nutrients while eating the fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Insoluble fiber passes through the body pretty much intact. Its role is to add bulk to the fecal matter passing through the intestines, helping you stay regular.
Soluble fiber, on the other hand, forms a kind of gel in water and can bind to and usher substances, including fats, out of the digestive tract. It helps lower cholesterol levels, normalizes blood sugar, and slows the accumulation of belly fat. One of the easiest you can do is to grab an apple, make some oatmeal, or have a tasty bowl of herb-filled brown rice and beans. These are excellent sources of soluble fiber.
If you are a woman and currently, seeking a weight loss plan for women over 40 that you can begin to follow, try doing these two simple things: exercising and eating more soluble fiber. If you do, you will be starting off on the right track!
Most people who want to lose weight look for get thin quick tips, want to learn how to lose weight effectively, and gotta know how to lose fat quick. If this sounds like you, click here to visit my "Lose Weight Really Fast Tips" blog at Lose Weight Fast and Easy
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monique_Hawkins
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Live Longer and Loose Weight...at the Same Time!
Live Longer and Loose Weight...at the Same Time!
The Anti-aging diet was created by nutritionist to help you achieve these goals and it lets you eat 1,450 calories a day.
The Anti-aging diet was created by nutritionist to help you achieve these goals and it lets you eat 1,450 calories a day.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Milk Helps Women Lose Fat
MILK POWER! Just 2 Glasses A Day Tones Muscles and Helps Keep The Fat Away In Women
Women who drink two large glasses of milk a day after their weight-lifting routine gained more muscle and lost more fat compared to women who drank sugar-based energy drinks, a McMaster study has found.
The study appears in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. "Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women," say researchers in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. "But the health benefits of resistance training are enormous: It boosts strength, bone, muscular and metabolic health in a way that other types of exercise cannot."
A previous study showed that milk increased muscle mass and fat loss in men. This new study was more challenging because women not only steer clear of resistance training they also tend to steer away from dairy products based on the incorrect belief that dairy foods are fattening.
"We expected the gains in muscle mass to be greater, but the size of the fat loss surprised us," said the researchers. "We're still not sure what causes this but we're investigating that now. It could be the combination of calcium, high-quality protein, and vitamin D may be the key, and. conveniently, all of these nutrients are in milk.
Over a 12-week period, the study monitored young women who did not use resistance-training exercise. Every day, two hours before exercising, the women were required not to eat or drink anything except water. Immediately after their exercise routine, one group consumed 500ml of fat free white milk; the other group consumed a similar-looking but sugar-based energy drink. The same drinks were consumed by each group one hour after exercising.
The training consisted of three types of exercise: pushing (e.g. bench press, chest fly), pulling (e.g. seated lateral pull down, abdominal exercises without weights), and leg exercises (including leg press, seated two-leg hamstring curl). Training was monitored daily one on one by personal trainers to ensure proper technique.
"The women who drank milk gained barely any weight because what they gained in lean muscle they balanced out with a loss in fat" they explained. "Our data show that simple things like regular weightlifting exercise and milk consumption work to substantially improve women's body composition and health.
Women who drink two large glasses of milk a day after their weight-lifting routine gained more muscle and lost more fat compared to women who drank sugar-based energy drinks, a McMaster study has found.
The study appears in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. "Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women," say researchers in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. "But the health benefits of resistance training are enormous: It boosts strength, bone, muscular and metabolic health in a way that other types of exercise cannot."
A previous study showed that milk increased muscle mass and fat loss in men. This new study was more challenging because women not only steer clear of resistance training they also tend to steer away from dairy products based on the incorrect belief that dairy foods are fattening.
"We expected the gains in muscle mass to be greater, but the size of the fat loss surprised us," said the researchers. "We're still not sure what causes this but we're investigating that now. It could be the combination of calcium, high-quality protein, and vitamin D may be the key, and. conveniently, all of these nutrients are in milk.
Over a 12-week period, the study monitored young women who did not use resistance-training exercise. Every day, two hours before exercising, the women were required not to eat or drink anything except water. Immediately after their exercise routine, one group consumed 500ml of fat free white milk; the other group consumed a similar-looking but sugar-based energy drink. The same drinks were consumed by each group one hour after exercising.
The training consisted of three types of exercise: pushing (e.g. bench press, chest fly), pulling (e.g. seated lateral pull down, abdominal exercises without weights), and leg exercises (including leg press, seated two-leg hamstring curl). Training was monitored daily one on one by personal trainers to ensure proper technique.
"The women who drank milk gained barely any weight because what they gained in lean muscle they balanced out with a loss in fat" they explained. "Our data show that simple things like regular weightlifting exercise and milk consumption work to substantially improve women's body composition and health.
Funding for the study was provided by McMaster University, CIHR, and the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Story Source: McMaster University, Journal Reference:Body Composition and Strength Changes in Women with Milk and Resistance Exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2010;
Sunday, May 8, 2011
What is the healthiest cooking oil?: Oils And Butter
What is the healthiest cooking oil?: Oils And Butter
What is the healthiest cooking oil?: Susan Silberstein & Marilyn Joyce (Health and Nutrition Educator and Executive Director, Center for Advancement in Cancer Education)
What is the healthiest cooking oil?: Susan Silberstein & Marilyn Joyce (Health and Nutrition Educator and Executive Director, Center for Advancement in Cancer Education)
Monday, May 2, 2011
High Protein/Low Starch - The Ultimate Diet from The New England Journal of Medicine
Eating More Protein and Less Refined Starch Is Critical for Effective Dieting, Major New Study Shows
A large-scale study called "Diogenes" has investigated the optimum dietary composition for preventing and treating obesity.
The results were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE), University of Copenhagen.
If you want to lose weight, you should maintain a diet that is high in proteins with more lean meat, low-fat dairy products and beans and fewer refined starch calories such as white bread and white rice. With this type of diet, most people can also eat until they are full without counting calories and without gaining weight. Interestingly, this study also concludes that the official dietary recommendations are not sufficient for preventing obesity.
The objective of the Diogenes Study has been to compare the official dietary recommendations in Europe, including the Danish recommendations, with a diet based on the latest knowledge specifically about the importance of proteins and carbohydrates for appetite regulation.
A total of 772 European families participated, comprising 938 adult family members and 827 children. The overweight adults initially followed an 800 kcal/day diet for eight weeks, losing an average of 11 kg (approx. 24 lbs.) They were then randomly assigned to one of five different low-fat diet types which they followed for six months in order to test which diet was most effective at preventing weight regain. Throughout the project, the families received expert guidance from dietitians and were asked to provide blood and urine samples.
The design of the study comprised the following five diet types:
1) A low-protein diet (13% of energy consumed) with a high glycemic index (GI)*
2) A low-protein, low-GI diet
3) A high-protein (25% of energy consumed), low-GI diet
4) A high-protein, high-GI diet
5) A control group which followed the current dietary recommendations without special instructions regarding glycemic index levels
A high-protein, low-GI diet works best...
A total of 938 overweight adults with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 34 kg/sq m were initially placed on an 800-kcal-per-day diet for eight weeks before the actual diet intervention was initiated. A total of 773 adult participants completed this initial weight-loss phase and were then randomly assigned to one of five different diet types, where 548 participants completed the six-month diet intervention (completion rate of 71%).
Fewer participants in the high-protein, low-GI groups dropped out of the project than in the low-protein, high-GI group (26.4% and 25.6%, respectively, vs. 37.4%; P = 0.02 and P = 0.01 for the two comparisons, respectively). The initial weight loss on the 800-kcal diet was an average of 11.0 kg (approx. 24 lbs.)
The average weight regain among all participants was 0.5 kg (approx. 1.1 lbs), but among the participants who completed the study, those in the low-protein/high-GI group showed the poorest results with a significant weight gain of 1.67 kg (approx. 3.5 lbs)The weight regain was 0.93 kg (approx. 2 lbs) less for participants on a high-protein diet than for those on a low-protein diet and 0.95 kg less in the groups on a low-GI diet compared to those on a high-GI diet.
The children's study...
The results of the children's study have been published in a separate article in the American medical journal Pediatrics. In the families, there were 827 children who only participated in the diet intervention. Thus, they were never required to go on a diet or count calories, they simply followed the same diet as their parents. Approx. 45% of the children in these families were overweight. The results of the children's study were remarkable: In the group of children who maintained a high-protein, low-GI diet the prevalence of overweight dropped spontaneously from approx. 46% to 39% -- a decrease of approx. 15%.
Proteins and low-GI foods...
The Diogenes Study shows that the current dietary recommendations are not optimal for preventing weight gain among overweight people. A diet consisting of a slightly higher protein content and low-GI foods ad libitum appears to be easier to observe and has been documented to ensure that overweight people who have lost weight maintain their weight loss. Furthermore, the diet results in a spontaneous drop in the prevalence of overweight among their children.
About Glycemic Index...
The glycemic index is a measure of the ability of carbohydrates to increase blood glucose levels when absorbed in the body. Food with a low-glycemic index (LGI) causes blood glucose levels to increase more slowly and to lower levels compared to high-carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index.
Drastic increases in blood glucose levels give rise to several potentially undesirable effects that can influence the body's metabolism as well as our ability to perform mentally. It is therefore most appropriate to maintain a diet that results in slow digestion and thus more stable blood glucose levels and greater satisfaction.
A diet with a high protein content contains many protein-rich foods such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy products. Legumes also contain high levels of protein, as do nuts and almonds. Proteins are significantly more filling than both carbohydrates and fat.
Recommendations and Special Requirements for a Low-Glycemic Diet...
The glycemic index applies to carbohydrate-containing foods. The recommendations are that some types of fruit may be consumed such as apples, pears, oranges, raspberries and strawberries. Other types should be eaten in only very limited amounts, including bananas (especially overripe bananas), grapes, kiwi, pineapple and melon. Nearly all vegetables are permitted, with the exception of corn, which should be limited. Carrots, beets and parsnip should preferably be eaten raw.
With regard to cereal-based foods (bread, grain, corn, hulled grains and breakfast products), the goal is to eat as many coarse and wholegrain foods as possible, such as wholegrain breads with many kernels, wholegrain pasta, whole oats and the special varieties of wholegrain cornflakes.
Potatoes should be cooked as little as possible. Try to stick to new potatoes, and it is a good idea to eat them cold. Avoid mashed potatoes and baked potatoes.
Pasta should be cooked "al dente" and is best eaten cold. Choose rice varieties such as brown rice, parboiled rice or basmati.
White bread without kernels, white rice and sugary breakfast products should be avoided. In general, sugar intake should be limited, not so much because of its GI but to avoid all those 'empty calories'.
Recommended GI values:
Over 70 -- high GI 55-70 -- medium GI Under 55 -- low GI High-GI foods can still be healthy and vice versa. Carrots, for instance, have a high GI (72), while chocolate has a low GI (49). Fats help decrease the absorption of sugar in the blood, which means that carbohydrate-containing foods and fat can have a low GI.
Example of a day's menu for a high-protein, low-GI diet:
If you want to maintain a high-protein, low-GI diet, here's a sampling of daily meals, comprised as follows:
Breakfast: Low-fat yogurt with muesli (without added sugar), wholegrain crispbread with low-fat cheese, and an orange.
Mid-Morning: Vegetable sticks and low-fat cheese sticks or low-fat cottage cheese.
Lunch: Wholegrain rye bread with lean meat, turkey or chicken cold cuts, mackerel, herring or sardines in tomato sauce and misc. vegetables.
Afternoon: Wholegrain rye bread with low-fat liver paté and cucumber.
Dinner: Stir-fried turkey with vegetables and wholegrain pasta; avocado salad with feta cheese and peas. It is best to drink water or low-fat milk with meals.
To summarize...
There is nothing particular about this diet with the exception of the above-mentioned limitations, special cooking instructions and the fact that certain vegetables should be eaten raw. This diet generally complies with the official dietary recommendations of eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, low-fat foods, plenty of fiber and limiting total sugar intake.
The study was conducted by eight European research centers including The Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE)
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
A large-scale study called "Diogenes" has investigated the optimum dietary composition for preventing and treating obesity.
The results were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE), University of Copenhagen.
If you want to lose weight, you should maintain a diet that is high in proteins with more lean meat, low-fat dairy products and beans and fewer refined starch calories such as white bread and white rice. With this type of diet, most people can also eat until they are full without counting calories and without gaining weight. Interestingly, this study also concludes that the official dietary recommendations are not sufficient for preventing obesity.
The objective of the Diogenes Study has been to compare the official dietary recommendations in Europe, including the Danish recommendations, with a diet based on the latest knowledge specifically about the importance of proteins and carbohydrates for appetite regulation.
A total of 772 European families participated, comprising 938 adult family members and 827 children. The overweight adults initially followed an 800 kcal/day diet for eight weeks, losing an average of 11 kg (approx. 24 lbs.) They were then randomly assigned to one of five different low-fat diet types which they followed for six months in order to test which diet was most effective at preventing weight regain. Throughout the project, the families received expert guidance from dietitians and were asked to provide blood and urine samples.
The design of the study comprised the following five diet types:
1) A low-protein diet (13% of energy consumed) with a high glycemic index (GI)*
2) A low-protein, low-GI diet
3) A high-protein (25% of energy consumed), low-GI diet
4) A high-protein, high-GI diet
5) A control group which followed the current dietary recommendations without special instructions regarding glycemic index levels
A high-protein, low-GI diet works best...
A total of 938 overweight adults with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 34 kg/sq m were initially placed on an 800-kcal-per-day diet for eight weeks before the actual diet intervention was initiated. A total of 773 adult participants completed this initial weight-loss phase and were then randomly assigned to one of five different diet types, where 548 participants completed the six-month diet intervention (completion rate of 71%).
Fewer participants in the high-protein, low-GI groups dropped out of the project than in the low-protein, high-GI group (26.4% and 25.6%, respectively, vs. 37.4%; P = 0.02 and P = 0.01 for the two comparisons, respectively). The initial weight loss on the 800-kcal diet was an average of 11.0 kg (approx. 24 lbs.)
The average weight regain among all participants was 0.5 kg (approx. 1.1 lbs), but among the participants who completed the study, those in the low-protein/high-GI group showed the poorest results with a significant weight gain of 1.67 kg (approx. 3.5 lbs)The weight regain was 0.93 kg (approx. 2 lbs) less for participants on a high-protein diet than for those on a low-protein diet and 0.95 kg less in the groups on a low-GI diet compared to those on a high-GI diet.
The children's study...
The results of the children's study have been published in a separate article in the American medical journal Pediatrics. In the families, there were 827 children who only participated in the diet intervention. Thus, they were never required to go on a diet or count calories, they simply followed the same diet as their parents. Approx. 45% of the children in these families were overweight. The results of the children's study were remarkable: In the group of children who maintained a high-protein, low-GI diet the prevalence of overweight dropped spontaneously from approx. 46% to 39% -- a decrease of approx. 15%.
Proteins and low-GI foods...
The Diogenes Study shows that the current dietary recommendations are not optimal for preventing weight gain among overweight people. A diet consisting of a slightly higher protein content and low-GI foods ad libitum appears to be easier to observe and has been documented to ensure that overweight people who have lost weight maintain their weight loss. Furthermore, the diet results in a spontaneous drop in the prevalence of overweight among their children.
About Glycemic Index...
The glycemic index is a measure of the ability of carbohydrates to increase blood glucose levels when absorbed in the body. Food with a low-glycemic index (LGI) causes blood glucose levels to increase more slowly and to lower levels compared to high-carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index.
Drastic increases in blood glucose levels give rise to several potentially undesirable effects that can influence the body's metabolism as well as our ability to perform mentally. It is therefore most appropriate to maintain a diet that results in slow digestion and thus more stable blood glucose levels and greater satisfaction.
A diet with a high protein content contains many protein-rich foods such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy products. Legumes also contain high levels of protein, as do nuts and almonds. Proteins are significantly more filling than both carbohydrates and fat.
Recommendations and Special Requirements for a Low-Glycemic Diet...
The glycemic index applies to carbohydrate-containing foods. The recommendations are that some types of fruit may be consumed such as apples, pears, oranges, raspberries and strawberries. Other types should be eaten in only very limited amounts, including bananas (especially overripe bananas), grapes, kiwi, pineapple and melon. Nearly all vegetables are permitted, with the exception of corn, which should be limited. Carrots, beets and parsnip should preferably be eaten raw.
With regard to cereal-based foods (bread, grain, corn, hulled grains and breakfast products), the goal is to eat as many coarse and wholegrain foods as possible, such as wholegrain breads with many kernels, wholegrain pasta, whole oats and the special varieties of wholegrain cornflakes.
Potatoes should be cooked as little as possible. Try to stick to new potatoes, and it is a good idea to eat them cold. Avoid mashed potatoes and baked potatoes.
Pasta should be cooked "al dente" and is best eaten cold. Choose rice varieties such as brown rice, parboiled rice or basmati.
White bread without kernels, white rice and sugary breakfast products should be avoided. In general, sugar intake should be limited, not so much because of its GI but to avoid all those 'empty calories'.
Recommended GI values:
Over 70 -- high GI 55-70 -- medium GI Under 55 -- low GI High-GI foods can still be healthy and vice versa. Carrots, for instance, have a high GI (72), while chocolate has a low GI (49). Fats help decrease the absorption of sugar in the blood, which means that carbohydrate-containing foods and fat can have a low GI.
Example of a day's menu for a high-protein, low-GI diet:
If you want to maintain a high-protein, low-GI diet, here's a sampling of daily meals, comprised as follows:
Breakfast: Low-fat yogurt with muesli (without added sugar), wholegrain crispbread with low-fat cheese, and an orange.
Mid-Morning: Vegetable sticks and low-fat cheese sticks or low-fat cottage cheese.
Lunch: Wholegrain rye bread with lean meat, turkey or chicken cold cuts, mackerel, herring or sardines in tomato sauce and misc. vegetables.
Afternoon: Wholegrain rye bread with low-fat liver paté and cucumber.
Dinner: Stir-fried turkey with vegetables and wholegrain pasta; avocado salad with feta cheese and peas. It is best to drink water or low-fat milk with meals.
To summarize...
There is nothing particular about this diet with the exception of the above-mentioned limitations, special cooking instructions and the fact that certain vegetables should be eaten raw. This diet generally complies with the official dietary recommendations of eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, low-fat foods, plenty of fiber and limiting total sugar intake.
The study was conducted by eight European research centers including The Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE)
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
How To Lose Weight Like a Celebrity
How To Lose Weight Like a Celebrity
Ever wondered how stars stay a size two – besides starvation, personal trainers, and plastic surgery? Wonder no more.
Ever wondered how stars stay a size two – besides starvation, personal trainers, and plastic surgery? Wonder no more.
Friday, April 29, 2011
How to Get in Shape for Swimsuit Season
How to Get in Shape for Swimsuit Season
In this video series, fitness expert Charlotte Hellhoff shows you specific exercises that will help transform your body for that swim suit you've been wanting to wear. Charlotte covers how to perform lunges, tricept dips, a row, and also shows you how to get an effective ab work out.
In this video series, fitness expert Charlotte Hellhoff shows you specific exercises that will help transform your body for that swim suit you've been wanting to wear. Charlotte covers how to perform lunges, tricept dips, a row, and also shows you how to get an effective ab work out.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Resveratrol Now Considered Beneficial For Helping Promote More Efficient Metabolic Function For Weight Loss.
Resveratrol Demonstrates Metabolic Benefits for Obese Reports New Study
Naturally-Derived Polyphenol (Antioxidant) Known To Help Support Cardiovascular Health, Prevent Diabetes and Now Considered Beneficial For Helping Promote More Efficient Metabolic Function For Weight Loss.
Daily intakes of Resveratrol the Phytonutrient compound from red wine may improve the metabolic profile of people with obesity, according to a new study from Denmark.
Writing in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Aarhus University report that Resveratrol changed the production of certain compounds called adipokines from human fat cells, and produced an anti-inflammatory effect.
The study is reported to be the first to in vitro suggest resveratrol has anti-inflammatory effects on adipokine expression and secretion in human fat tissue.
"Small interfering molecules such as resveratrol are in this matter hypothesized to possess beneficial effects and might improve the metabolic profile in human obesity," wrote the researchers, before adding that the results need to be replicated in vivo.
Resveratrol, a powerful polyphenol and anti-fungal phyto-chemical, is often touted as the bioactive compound in grapes and red wine, and has particularly been associated with the so-called 'French Paradox'. The phrase, coined in 1992 by Dr Serge Renaud from Bordeaux University, describes the low incidence of heart disease and obesity among the French, despite their relatively high-fat diet and levels of wine consumption.
Interest in the compound exploded in 2003 when a research team from Harvard reported that Resveratrol was able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells. The research, published in Nature, was greeted with international media attention. Other studies with Resveratrol have reported anti-cancer effects, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular benefits, anti-diabetes potential, energy endurance enhancement and protection against Alzheimer's.
New Study Highlights Benefits For Resveratrol Metabolic Syndrome
The new study sought to investigate if the compound's anti-inflammatory benefits extended to the low-grade inflammatory state associated with obesity. This is "characterized by abnormal levels of circulating proinflammatory factors and an abnormal production of bioactive factors/adipcytokines from the adipose tissue", explained the researchers, and these adipocytokines are "suggested to have direct implications for the development of the metabolic syndrome".
Research scientists from the Department of Endocrinology at Aarhus University Hospital examined the effects of Resveratrol on levels of adipcytokines – particularly interleukin 1beta (IL-1B) - in human adipose tissue explants.
When human fat cells were exposed to IL-1B, the researchers noted increases in the secretion of pro-inflammatory compounds, including IL6, IL8, MCP-1. However, when the cells were simultaneously exposed to resveratrol, a 16 to 36 percent reduction in the expression of these cytokines was observed.
"Our results show that resveratrol ameliorates the proinflammatory response in human adipose tissue and increases adiponectin expression changes, which is hypothetically beneficial, as adipose tissue from obese individuals with metabolic syndrome, expresses lower adiponectin levels and higher levels of proinflammatory adipokines," wrote the researchers.
"We are aware that it is difficult to compare in vitro incubations and in vivo conditions, and especially it is difficult to know whether the concentrations used in our study are a meaningful in a clinical setting.
"However, the concentration used in our in vitro experiments (50 mM) is similar to most other reports on resveratrol effects in different cell types," they added.
Source: International Journal of Obesity Volume 34, Pages 1546-1553; "Anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol on adipokine expression and secretion in human adipose tissue explants"
Article courtesy of Vitamin Power
Naturally-Derived Polyphenol (Antioxidant) Known To Help Support Cardiovascular Health, Prevent Diabetes and Now Considered Beneficial For Helping Promote More Efficient Metabolic Function For Weight Loss.
Daily intakes of Resveratrol the Phytonutrient compound from red wine may improve the metabolic profile of people with obesity, according to a new study from Denmark.
Writing in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Aarhus University report that Resveratrol changed the production of certain compounds called adipokines from human fat cells, and produced an anti-inflammatory effect.
The study is reported to be the first to in vitro suggest resveratrol has anti-inflammatory effects on adipokine expression and secretion in human fat tissue.
"Small interfering molecules such as resveratrol are in this matter hypothesized to possess beneficial effects and might improve the metabolic profile in human obesity," wrote the researchers, before adding that the results need to be replicated in vivo.
Resveratrol, a powerful polyphenol and anti-fungal phyto-chemical, is often touted as the bioactive compound in grapes and red wine, and has particularly been associated with the so-called 'French Paradox'. The phrase, coined in 1992 by Dr Serge Renaud from Bordeaux University, describes the low incidence of heart disease and obesity among the French, despite their relatively high-fat diet and levels of wine consumption.
Interest in the compound exploded in 2003 when a research team from Harvard reported that Resveratrol was able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells. The research, published in Nature, was greeted with international media attention. Other studies with Resveratrol have reported anti-cancer effects, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular benefits, anti-diabetes potential, energy endurance enhancement and protection against Alzheimer's.
New Study Highlights Benefits For Resveratrol Metabolic Syndrome
The new study sought to investigate if the compound's anti-inflammatory benefits extended to the low-grade inflammatory state associated with obesity. This is "characterized by abnormal levels of circulating proinflammatory factors and an abnormal production of bioactive factors/adipcytokines from the adipose tissue", explained the researchers, and these adipocytokines are "suggested to have direct implications for the development of the metabolic syndrome".
Research scientists from the Department of Endocrinology at Aarhus University Hospital examined the effects of Resveratrol on levels of adipcytokines – particularly interleukin 1beta (IL-1B) - in human adipose tissue explants.
When human fat cells were exposed to IL-1B, the researchers noted increases in the secretion of pro-inflammatory compounds, including IL6, IL8, MCP-1. However, when the cells were simultaneously exposed to resveratrol, a 16 to 36 percent reduction in the expression of these cytokines was observed.
"Our results show that resveratrol ameliorates the proinflammatory response in human adipose tissue and increases adiponectin expression changes, which is hypothetically beneficial, as adipose tissue from obese individuals with metabolic syndrome, expresses lower adiponectin levels and higher levels of proinflammatory adipokines," wrote the researchers.
"We are aware that it is difficult to compare in vitro incubations and in vivo conditions, and especially it is difficult to know whether the concentrations used in our study are a meaningful in a clinical setting.
"However, the concentration used in our in vitro experiments (50 mM) is similar to most other reports on resveratrol effects in different cell types," they added.
Source: International Journal of Obesity Volume 34, Pages 1546-1553; "Anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol on adipokine expression and secretion in human adipose tissue explants"
Article courtesy of Vitamin Power
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Alpha-Lipoic Acid Beneficial To Treating Obesity, Promoting Weight Loss
Medically speaking, not all overweight people are obese. Obesity is defined as weight that exceeds 15 percent of normal weight for height and body type. "Morbid" obesity exceeds 20 percent of optimum weight.
The long-term health implications are well known, in fact, obesity is considered an outright disease. Life expectancy may be decreased in overweight and obese individuals. An obese or overweight person is at high risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, varicose veins, dementia, psychological stress, depression, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, psoriatic arthritis, and diabetes.
Many scientists believe that alpha-lipoic acid is an important antioxidant. One of its most key is that it is
both fat-soluble and water-soluble. This enables it to provide antioxidant protection in a much wider range of body systems, which has resulted in some scientists referring to alpha-lipoic acid as the "universal" antioxidant.
Red meat is the best dietary source of alpha-lipoic acid. Smaller amounts occur in the leaves of some plants and in potatoes, carrots, yams, and sweet potatoes.
A study published in the journal, Current Pharmaceutical Design, sought to investigate the effect of alpha-lipoic acid in pre-obese and obese adults. The study included 1,127 men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 years. The researchers measured the BMI of each participant and found that 53 percent were obese and 43 percent were classified as pre-obese.
The subjects were then treated for four months with 800 mg per day of alpha-lipoic acid. The results revealed that pre-obese participants saw an average weight reduction of 8 percent, a two point drop in BMI and significant reductions in waist circumference and blood pressure.
The obese participants saw an average weight loss of 9 percent, a three to four point drop in BMI and also significant reductions in waist circumference and blood pressure. These results suggest that alpha-lipoic acid may be useful in treating adults with obesity related diseases although further studies should be considered to confirm these findings.
Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design
" Alpha-lipoic acid supplementation: a tool for obesity therapy? " 2010;16(7):840-6.
Article courtesy of Vitamin Power
The long-term health implications are well known, in fact, obesity is considered an outright disease. Life expectancy may be decreased in overweight and obese individuals. An obese or overweight person is at high risk for a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, varicose veins, dementia, psychological stress, depression, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol, psoriatic arthritis, and diabetes.
Many scientists believe that alpha-lipoic acid is an important antioxidant. One of its most key is that it is
both fat-soluble and water-soluble. This enables it to provide antioxidant protection in a much wider range of body systems, which has resulted in some scientists referring to alpha-lipoic acid as the "universal" antioxidant.
Red meat is the best dietary source of alpha-lipoic acid. Smaller amounts occur in the leaves of some plants and in potatoes, carrots, yams, and sweet potatoes.
A study published in the journal, Current Pharmaceutical Design, sought to investigate the effect of alpha-lipoic acid in pre-obese and obese adults. The study included 1,127 men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 years. The researchers measured the BMI of each participant and found that 53 percent were obese and 43 percent were classified as pre-obese.
The subjects were then treated for four months with 800 mg per day of alpha-lipoic acid. The results revealed that pre-obese participants saw an average weight reduction of 8 percent, a two point drop in BMI and significant reductions in waist circumference and blood pressure.
The obese participants saw an average weight loss of 9 percent, a three to four point drop in BMI and also significant reductions in waist circumference and blood pressure. These results suggest that alpha-lipoic acid may be useful in treating adults with obesity related diseases although further studies should be considered to confirm these findings.
Source: Current Pharmaceutical Design
" Alpha-lipoic acid supplementation: a tool for obesity therapy? " 2010;16(7):840-6.
Article courtesy of Vitamin Power
Kate Middleton, Jennifer Lopez Among High-Profile FollowersThe Dukan Diet: Latest Diet Craze
Dukan Diet - Sort of Like Atkins...
From ThirdAge.com
The Dukan Diet is the next international diet craze headed to the US.
Kate Middleton, who is Britain's Prince William's fiance, has been one of the most-speculated-about users of the diet, though the Palace is denying that Middleton is actually on it.
The diet is the brainchild of French doctor Pierre Dukan, whose book "the Ducan Diet" hit US bookstores today. Dukan denies that his plan is a fad diet-he says he hit upon the high-protein, quick weight loss plan 35 years ago and has been refining it ever since.
Much like the Atkins diet the Dukan plan allows dieters to eat meats but puts some limits on other kinds of food. The plan includes four phases. Read MORE
From ThirdAge.com
The Dukan Diet is the next international diet craze headed to the US.
Kate Middleton, who is Britain's Prince William's fiance, has been one of the most-speculated-about users of the diet, though the Palace is denying that Middleton is actually on it.
The diet is the brainchild of French doctor Pierre Dukan, whose book "the Ducan Diet" hit US bookstores today. Dukan denies that his plan is a fad diet-he says he hit upon the high-protein, quick weight loss plan 35 years ago and has been refining it ever since.
Much like the Atkins diet the Dukan plan allows dieters to eat meats but puts some limits on other kinds of food. The plan includes four phases. Read MORE
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sugar Toxicity And The Paleo Diet
From the BlogCritics Taste Section:
Can our love of sugar be killing us? Everybody loves sugar and this love may be one of the main causes for Western societies many health problems. At least, that’s what Dr. Robert Lustig believes. On May 26 2009, Lustig who is a lecturer at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine gave a lecture titled “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” in which he described sugar as poison and that it is the likely cause of many western diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and several cancers.
Read more: http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article/sugar-toxicity-and-the-paleo-diet/#ixzz1K4UDLgLK
Can our love of sugar be killing us? Everybody loves sugar and this love may be one of the main causes for Western societies many health problems. At least, that’s what Dr. Robert Lustig believes. On May 26 2009, Lustig who is a lecturer at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine gave a lecture titled “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” in which he described sugar as poison and that it is the likely cause of many western diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and several cancers.
Read more: http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article/sugar-toxicity-and-the-paleo-diet/#ixzz1K4UDLgLK
Diet soda doesn't raise diabetes risk: study
From Reuters:
Diet soda doesn't raise diabetes risk: study
Diet soda and other artificially-sweetened drinks - previously implicated in raising the chance of developing diabetes - are not guilty, suggests a new study from Harvard University researchers.
In a large group of men followed for 20 years, drinking regular soda and other sugary drinks often meant a person was more likely to get diabetes, but that was not true of artificially-sweetened soft drinks, or coffee or tea.
Replacing sugary drinks with diet versions seems to be a safe and healthy alternative, the authors said in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"There are multiple alternatives to regular soda," Dr. Frank Hu, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.
"Diet soda is perhaps not the best alternative, but moderate consumption is not going to have appreciable harmful effects," he said.
Prior studies have suggested that people who drink diet soda regularly might be more likely to get diabetes than those who stay away from artificially-sweetened drinks.
But this study indicates that the link is a result of other factors common to both diet soda drinkers and people with diabetes, including that they are more likely to be overweight.
Read MORE
Diet soda doesn't raise diabetes risk: study
Diet soda and other artificially-sweetened drinks - previously implicated in raising the chance of developing diabetes - are not guilty, suggests a new study from Harvard University researchers.
In a large group of men followed for 20 years, drinking regular soda and other sugary drinks often meant a person was more likely to get diabetes, but that was not true of artificially-sweetened soft drinks, or coffee or tea.
Replacing sugary drinks with diet versions seems to be a safe and healthy alternative, the authors said in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"There are multiple alternatives to regular soda," Dr. Frank Hu, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.
"Diet soda is perhaps not the best alternative, but moderate consumption is not going to have appreciable harmful effects," he said.
Prior studies have suggested that people who drink diet soda regularly might be more likely to get diabetes than those who stay away from artificially-sweetened drinks.
But this study indicates that the link is a result of other factors common to both diet soda drinkers and people with diabetes, including that they are more likely to be overweight.
Read MORE
Saturday, April 24, 2010
How Slimming Body Wraps Work
How Body Wraps Work Body wraps work through several mechanisms, by absorbing the fluids surrounding the fat and skin cells, by chemically stimulating the fat cells to empty out their contents and by compacting those cells together mechanically.
Absorption in generally achieved by the use of clays or plant materials that are known to draw fluids and toxins out of the skin. In my experience, the most effective of these are the cosmetic clays.
Chemically stimulating the fat cells to empty their contents is achieved by the use of caffeine-related chemicals - aminophylline and theophylline found in many plant extracts, and by the stimulation of the adrenoreceptors on the fat cells.
Compaction is achieved by tightly wrapping the body so that cells are encouraged to bind closer together to fill the empty spaces left by the now-absent fluids.
The fluids surrounding the fat and skin cells are called 'interstitial fluids' and these fluids carry toxins and metabolic wastes from the cells and into the blood stream or lymph system for removal. Exposure to toxins and a sedentary lifestyles can slow this process of detoxification and result in water retention, toxic buildup and overload of the lymph system.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Ultimate Sex Diet
The Ultimate Sex Diet.
So you have committed to losing weight this year? Well how about trying the ultimate diet...the ultimate SEX diet! Join Shay Pausa in today's Daily Dish on SheKnows.com for a special look at a new way to lose weight. You might just want to diet more!
I have SO got to try this...
So you have committed to losing weight this year? Well how about trying the ultimate diet...the ultimate SEX diet! Join Shay Pausa in today's Daily Dish on SheKnows.com for a special look at a new way to lose weight. You might just want to diet more!
I have SO got to try this...
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