Coca-Cola: Blame Laziness For Obesity, Not Us

People may think twice before heeding health advice from soda giant Coca-Cola, and that’s exactly why they’re funding scientists to speak for them. The Global Energy Balance Network calls itself a nonprofit of educators with the goal of improving the world’s health by addressing obesity and revealing “what really causes this epidemic.” According to the nonprofit,…

Food for thought: What future doctors are learning about nutrition

Katie Ball, Georgia Health News | Posted: Friday, February 6, 2015 1:00 pm    

If you type the phrase “What do doctors know about nutrition?” into an Internet search engine, the most common result will be “not much.”
Some links will open on articles claiming that busy doctors have no time for diet advice during brief office visits. Other will lead to authors who chastise medical educators for drilling students on neurology at the expense of nutrition.
The National Academy of Sciences recommends that medical students get at least 25 hours of instruction about nutrition. Even though this advice comes from a highly respected group, the fact is that only 30 U.S. medical schools — roughly 25 percent of the national total — actually follow it.
At the new medical campus in Athens, Dean Barbara Schuster’s faculty has chosen a different route from what is supposed to be the norm on nutritional instruction. It’s not focused on devoting hours to formal nutrition courses.
She says the “case-based” approach used at Georgia Regents University-University of Georgia Medical Partnership (GRU-UGA) teaches students how to build nutritional considerations into treatment plans for their patients.
Dr. Schuster freely acknowledges that the school offers no freestanding courses on nutrition, but this does not trouble her. She resists the idea that nutrition is something to be taught in isolation.
Information about what constitutes healthy or unhealthy eating, and how nutrients can promote health and healing, is abundant in the school’s curriculum, she says. It’s incorporated into lectures, discussions and problem-solving exercises.
“We integrate all the information within our case-based structure,” Schuster said. “Elements of nutrition really are added across the curriculum into the cases.”
During a biochemistry learning module, for example, students might be required to examine a runner’s metabolism. They would analyze the athlete’s energy needs and consider how different types and quantities of foods could meets those needs. They’d work out how foods are transformed into energy, calculating how many calories the runner needs based on his or her body weight.
A practical approach to obesity
Knowledge about nutrition becomes even more important in the third year of medical schools, when students begin clinical rotations that take them into hospitals and doctors’ offices.
A student on a surgical track may need to look at the food intake of a patient recovering from an operation, with the goal of restoring normal metabolism as soon as possible. Those focusing on family medicine may see patients who have been obese for years, and the medical student may wrestle with the challenge of providing effective counseling in an office setting.
More than 78 million Americans face the life-threatening problem of obesity, and the rates are highest in the South.
Schuster’s philosophy, of course, is not to look at the problem in isolation.
What families choose to eat often depends on what they can afford. The Athens medical students are taught to consider diet in the context of a patient’s income and access to medical advice, two key factors in obesity. The students learn to take all these factors into consideration when calculating treatment plans for temporary illness, injury or chronic disease.
“We really try to intermingle aspects of poverty and a lack of medical care into the curriculum as well,” said Shuster. This is important because students learn to understand how complex a person’s overall well-being really is.
When researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined trends in nutrition education at U.S. medical schools, they found that the number of hours usually falls short of the National Academy of Sciences recommendation. And the number of hours is actually dropping.
But hour totals are not necessarily an indication of how well the subject is being taught. In Athens, for instance, the case-based learning methods of the Medical Partnership are an “excellent way to integrate nutrition into medical education,” according to Dr. Mary Ann Johnson, a foods and nutrition professor at UGA and a national spokeswoman for the American Society for Nutrition.
Johnson believes national guidelines can encourage medical schools to integrate nutrition education into their teaching, and she says technology is also changing the landscape as doctors use mobile devices to supplement their own memories.
“Health professionals should know where to access nutrition education and advocacy resources and should use innovative approaches, including online resources and case-based approaches to enhance learning,” she says.
Johnson believes that integrating learning about food, diet and nutrition into standard medical instruction is more important than setting aside a certain number of hours for nutrition classes.
This is what Schuster hopes that graduates of the GRU-UGA Medical Partnership will remember a decade from now, when they have their own patients to care for.
“Students may not have taken courses on food, but we’ve put all those areas of nutrition in throughout the curriculum just like everything else, so it not separate,” she says.
Katie Ball is a medical journalist based in Athens. Recently earning her graduate degree in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia, her writing interests include food and nutrition, health policy, and medical technology.

http://m.northwestgeorgianews.com/mobile/rome/news/local/food-for-thought-what-future-doctors-are-learning-about-nutrition/article_fe270ba6-ae11-11e4-ad07-efbf42319831.html

How Fibre Can Help You Lose Weight

NDTV Cooks, Modified: November 21, 2014 12:58 IST                   

                                 


















Fibre forms an essential part of our daily diet. Not only is fibre good for our digestive system, it has also been linked to reduced risk of he risk of colon cancer and type 2 diabetes. Health experts will tell you that foods with high fibre make one feel full and satiated for long which is why they easily fit in your weight-loss strategies. A latest scientific study agrees with this notion.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a fibre-rich diet can help in shedding those extra kilos. Polydextrose and soluble corn fibre may cause a shift towards beneficial bacteria in the gut and assist in weight loss when made part of a long-term, daily diet. "These two fibres look like they could be beneficial when included in a balanced diet along with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes," Hannah Holscher from the University of Illinois, US.

Researchers used whole-genome sequencing to explore the full range of bacterial genomic information in the gut after fibre supplementation. It was found that using fibre supplements resulted in significant shifts in the gut bacterial population. Interestingly, when the supplements were stopped the bacterial population went back to where they were before.

The team was surprised to see a shift in the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratio. It was found that fibre supplements had caused a shift towards Bacteroidetes which are considered as good gut bacteria. Both Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes belong to the bacteria domain. Firmicutes are often associated with obesity in mice modules as well as in humans, hence this shift was seen as a positive one.

"This was of particular interest to us because other research works have shown that having more Bacteroidetes may be beneficial because the higher that proportion is, the individual tends to be leaner. With higher Firmicutes, an individual tends to be more obese," Holscher said.

Another study conducted earlier this year at Imperial College in London states that dietary fibre contains a chemical called acetate which is released when plants and vegetables are digested by the colon bacteria. This chemcial sends signals to the brain to stop eating. Foods loaded with fibre include whole-grains, cereals, leafy vegetables, beans, mushrooms and more.
 http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/how-fibre-can-help-you-lose-weight-623522

Grapes For Weight Loss

 

 

Grapes for Weight Loss Study 1

The resveratrol in grapes has anti-obesity properties.

Research in cells as well as animal models has revealed that resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, stimulates the expression of adiponectin, a hormone resulting from cells that make and store fat.

Adiponectin is released by fat tissue and functions within the human brain to help reduce body weight.

As opposed to leptin, an associated hormone, adiponectin can result in weight loss by increasing metabolic rate without affecting appetite.

Grapes for Weight Loss Study 2

Another compound present in grapes, and structuraly similar to resveratrol, has the ability to stop cellular processes that enable fat cells to develop.

This compound piceatannol stops an immature fat cell’s capability to develop and grow.

Piceatannol basically changes the timing of gene functions and insulin action at the time of adipogenesis, the process when immature fat cells develop into mature fat cells.

Piceatannol adheres to insulin receptors of early stage fat cells in the 1st phase of adipogenesis, preventing insulin’s capability to control cell cycles and trigger genes that execute additional phases of fat cell creation. Piceatannol effectively blocks the pathways needed for early stage fat cells to mature and develop.

Piceatannol is also found in different quantities in red grape seeds and skin, passion fruit, blueberries as well as other fruits.

http://www.shape-able.com/grapes-weight-loss.html 

How To Quit Sugar In 30 Days

GMO Sugar – You Can’t Get Away From It!

More and more recent research is saying just how bad sugar is for your health. From obesity to insomnia, this stuff seems to interfere with everything.

What’s worse, there’s a lot of evidence that sugar is highly addictive—even as addictive as some drugs. It seems that sugar, especially processed sugar, causes a release of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals that get you hooked right away.

And you want to know something quite interesting?  I was just on a trip where I met a guy who used to work with Monsanto – the corporation who has been suing farmers for ridiculous patent claims, and what he told me I had to make sure I shared with all of you. What is most scary is that over the past few years Monsanto has been farming GMO (genetically modified) sugar beets to produce sugar and the ramifications of the herbicides used as well as cross-contamination are a threat to organic farmers.

Natural sodas coming from the Pepsico corporation have also been recently exposed of containing these GMO sugars and the health implications are quite unclear.

What I’m getting at here is that perhaps its the GMO sugars that are causing some kind of hormonal imbalances or in more simple terms, interfering with our natural body chemistry and the cause effect is a harsh addiction.

That unknown is a big one and I think it’s time we kick the habit. I’ve tried all of these myself, and I can tell you that it is highly effective in curbing the irrational sugar cravings.
Let’s start with the basics…

Sorting Out Carbs and Sugars
Sugars are carbohydrates, but they’re the simplest carbohydrates you can get from your food. All carbohydrates are essentially composed of different numbers of sugar molecules. The problem with the simple sugar molecules, like the ones you get in processed sugars, is that they enter your bloodstream quickly and cause a very fast spike in blood sugar levels.
This spike can cause a number of problems, from nasty cravings to insulin resistance and obesity. This is also where the addictive properties of sugar really come into play.

But some other carbohydrates cause a pretty fast spike in blood sugar as well, especially processed grains like white bread, white pasta, and white rice. Because they’re so heavily processed and stripped of their nutrients, they end up acting much like processed sugar when they enter your body.

What’s the Solution?
In addition to cutting out all processed sugars (including foods that have added sugar), you should also be cutting out highly processed carbohydrates. Make sure everything you eat is whole grain, and go for minimal processing whenever possible. Fruits are okay in moderation, because they tend to include a lot of other nutrients.

Vegetables are the kind of carbohydrates (called fibrous carbohydrates) that you want to get more of in your diet. Starchy carbs like those found in potatoes and peas should be eaten less frequently, but overall veggies are the thing to go with.

The biggest challenge is to remove foods that contain added processed sugars. Everything from ketchup to salad dressings can contain sugar, so you really have to monitor your labels.

If you think you’re ready to give it a try, here are a few more ways to quit sugar in 30 days.

How to Quit Sugar for Good

1. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners – Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners just remind you of what sugar tastes like, and can keep that craving alive. Some of them also come with their own health risks. If you can ditch these too, now’s the time.

2. Eat Natural Foods Regularly – In order to stay satisfied without sugar, you have to be eating enough. Keep your meals and snacks healthy, but make sure you’re constantly fuelling your body.

3. Avoid Processed Foods – The first problem with processed foods (biggest culprits – cereal, bread, dry pasta, chocolate, rice crackers, chips, etc.) is that they often contain added sugar. But even if that’s not the case, you need to boost your nutrient intake to get through the first 30 days. Go whole foods as much as possible.

4. Go with Reduced or even Full Fat Foods – Fat-free foods are usually packed with added sugar. Go with reduced-fat or even full-fat, whole foods all the time. They’ll also be far more satisfying and keep you full longer. Plus, recent research of 72 different studies and 600,00 people is saying that saturated fat really isn’t all that bad for you.

5. Drink Lots of Water – Coming off of sugar can sometimes be dehydrating, so make sure you’re drinking lots of water (a minimum of 8 cups). This is also a good way to fight some of those cravings, and you don’t have to do it all plain-jane, add some lemon, cucumber or mint to give your water a kick and some extra calorie-free nutrients.

6. Avoid Eating Out – if at all possible in the first 30 days, try to avoid eating out altogether. It’s extremely difficult to control your added sugar intake at a restaurant, so prepare your own meals for the first month. If that is simply not a possibly then just make sure it is the exception to the rule.

7. Focus on the Positive Outcomes – Throughout the first 30 days, stay focused on why you’re quitting sugar. Be aware of the positive effects of this dietary decision, whether it’s weight loss, energy, or improved sleep. In the end, I guarantee you’ll be better for it.


http://weightlossandtraining.com/how-to-quit-sugar-30-days?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-quit-sugar-30-days

How Do You Ensure Your Children Are Getting The Proper Nutrition They Need?

Generally speaking, most kids get too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. Chances are, your kids and many of their peers are eating too many fats, added sugars, sodium, empty carbs, and preservatives...

The childhood obesity rate has more than tripled in the past four decades...

There may be many issues over which you battle with your kids, like safety and homework. But food? Food sustains your family and brings everyone together. If your family meals have become family feuds, then perhaps it is time to switch things up.

Take a look how:

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/kid-approved-isagenix-products/

8 Foods Even The Experts Won’t Eat

 

Find out more at:

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12214-8-foods-even-the-experts-won-t-eat.html

Weight Loss After 40

If you miss the days when you could buckle down on diet and exercise to drop a few unwanted pounds within a reasonably quick period of time, you’re not alone. Older adults, especially women, face physiological changes that can promote weight gain and, even worse, muscle loss. Talk about a midlife crisis.

Read more at: http://www.isagenixhealth.net/weight-loss-after-40/

Learn more at: www.healthnharmony.isagenix.com

Heart surgeon declares on what really causes heart illness

The following article is a MUST to read!!!

 

Dr. Dwight Lundell, a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, admits he's been wrong on the medical science on heart disease and shares what he feels is the true cause of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

NOTE: After reading this article, you've no doubt discovered a range of health challenges. While no one product can single-handedly remedy these issues, it's imperative that we do something to support our health and well-being.

 

Remember, Isagenix does not treat cure or prevent any disease or illness. Isagenix used in conjunction with proper rest, diet and exercise, may contribute to overall health and well-being.

 

http://www.tunedbody.com/heart-surgeon-declares-really-causes-heart-illness/

Measure Your Waist

Your waist measurement compares closely with your body mass index (BMI), and is often seen as a better way of checking your risk of developing a chronic disease.

Measuring your waist circumference is a simple check to tell how much body fat you have and where it is placed around your body.  Where your fat is located can be an important sign of your risk of developing an ongoing health problem.

Regardless of your height or build, for most adults a waist measurement of greater than 94cm for men and 80cm for women is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits which coat the heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas, and increase the risk of chronic disease.
 
 
How to measure your waist

1. Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.

2. Breathe out normally.

3. Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist.

4. Check your measurement.
 
 
 

 

Are these waist measurements suitable for everyone?

Waist measurements should only be used for adults to check their risk of developing a chronic disease. The waist measurements above are recommended for Caucasian men, and Caucasian and Asian women. Recommended waist measurements are yet to be determined for all ethnic groups. It is believed that they may be lower for Asian men.

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/Pages/waist-measurement.aspx

Prevalence of Obese & Overweight Australians

Obesity and Overweight

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Australians has been steadily increasing for the past 30 years. In 2011–12, around 60% of Australian adults were classified as overweight or obese, and more than 25% of these fell into the obese category (ABS 2012). In 2007, around 25% of children aged 2–16 were overweight or obese, with 6% classified as obese (DoHA 2008).

A 2009 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that there will be continued increases in overweight and obesity levels across all age groups during the next decade in Australia, to around 66% of the population (Sassi et al. 2009).

While overweight and obesity are prevalent in all population groups, variation exists in their distribution across the Australian population. Obesity is particularly prevalent among those in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic groups (ABS 2008), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Penm 2008) and many people born overseas (ABS 2008; O’Dea 2008). Obesity is also more prevalent in rural and remote areas compared to urban areas (ABS 2008).

Health problems related to excess weight impose substantial economic burdens on individuals, families and communities. Data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study indicate that the total direct cost for overweight and obesity in 2005 was $21 billion ($6.5 billion for overweight and $14.5 billion for obesity). The same study estimated indirect costs of $35.6 billion per year, resulting in an overall total annual cost of $56.6 billion (Colagiuri et al. 2010).

 http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/your-health/obesity-and-overweight