Why low calorie diet can extend lifespan - Even if adopted later in life
Research is offering new insight into why a restricted diet can result a longer lifespan. Scientists know that a restricted diet can increase the lifespan of certain animals but this work shows how it affects ageing mechanisms. Working with the theory that cell senescence (the point at which a cell can no longer replicate) is a major cause of ageing the researchers set out to learn what effect a restricted diet had on this process. Mice on a restricted diet had a decreased accumulation of senescent cells in their livers and intestines - organs known to accumulate large numbers of these cells as animals age. (sciencedaily.com)
1 out of 3 cancer deaths could be prevented by reducing Omega-6 fatty acids and cutting calories
A research claims that 1 out of 3 cancer deaths in both humans and dogs could be prevented by decreasing Omega-6 fatty acids and cutting calories. Demian Dressler, DVM, suggests cutting down foods that contain ingredients rich in Omega-6, such as corn oil, vegetable oil and grain-fed red meat. Too much Omega-6 fatty acid can lead to inflammation, which creates an environment conducive to cancer. Studies show obesity limits the production of adiponectin, a hormone that suppresses cancer cell growth. He recommended reducing calories, especially sugar, which feeds cancer cells and encourages their growth. (sify.com)
Foods that burn more calories than they contain
If you love to snack, here is list of foods that burn more calories in digestion then they contain: Celery, Oranges, Strawberries, Tangerines, Grapefruit, Carrots, Apricots, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Watermelon, Cauliflower, Apples, Hot Chili Peppers, Zucchini. (chicagonow.com)
Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat by Nancy L. Snyderman (book review)
The Information Age has not been kind to the dieter. The volume of nutritional data available today is overwhelming. And diet advice seems to change with the season: eat more carbs, don't eat carbs, count calories, don't count calories, cut back on fats, eat all the fats you want. Who can keep up? In "Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat", Snyderman covers the many diet and nutrition beliefs - some are true and others that are anything but. She explores at popular weight-loss strategies and describes their origins, how they work, whether they're effective and how they measure medically and nutritionally. (latimes.com)
50 no-sweat ways to burn calories and lose weight
(1) Take vitamin D: Women who are deficient in it lose weight more slowly. --- (4) Do things by hand: Wash your dishes, vacuum, etc. --- (11) Fill up on fiber: Low-carb, high-fiber foods take more time to digest and leave you feeling fuller longer and less likely to snack. --- (17) Drink more: Dehydrated people go through a drop in their metabolic rate. Drinking water throughout the day can increase metabolic rate by 30%. --- (25) Cook your own food: It's usually healthier, and by the time you've made a meal and cleaned up, you've been on your feet a half-hour more than you would have waiting for takeout. (msnbc.msn.com)
2000-calorie milkshake named the worst drink in America - Equivalent of eating 68 strips of bacon
Just one drink equals the daily total calorie intake for women and falls only just short of the 2,500 daily allowance for men. The Cold Stone PB&C is made with chocolate ice cream, milk and peanut butter. It contains 2,010 calories: 131 grams of fat - 68 grams of which is saturated - and 153 grams of sugar. It leads the Men's Health 20 Worst Drinks in America 2010 list, beating a McDonald's Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake to the number one spot. In terms of saturated fat, drinking this Cold Stone catastrophe is equal to consuming 68 strips of bacon. (telegraph.co.uk)
DNA test could predict most effective diet
A simple DNA test may predict whether someone is more likely to lose weight on a low fat or a low carbohydrate diet, reveal US researchers. The results from the preliminary study of 101 women showed those on the best diet for their genes - a diet which matched their genotype - lost 2-3 times more weight. The field of "nutrigenomics" explores how food interacts with genes. It has long been known that people react to nutrients differently according to their genetic makeup. (bbc.co.uk)
Study: 27% of children's calories come from snacks
Kids in the United States are eating more unhealthy snacks daily than ever before, a new study reveals. The study, in the March issue of the Health Affairs, shows that children snack nearly 3 times a day on candy, salty chips, and other junk food. In addition, researchers say American kids are drinking more sugar-heavy fruit juices and sweetened sports energy drinks that are full of calories. (webmd.com)
More evidence links longer lives to calorie restriction diest
The potential for calorie-restriction diets to lengthen lifespans has been pondered for decades. Now research is offering the first solid evidence that eating less might lead to longer human lifespans. Biologists grew different human cells, and then fed them different amounts of glucose. Healthy cells on a low-glucose diet lived longer than expected, and precancerous cells died off in mass quantities. The implications of the study - the first to examine life span using human cells, not lab animals - could be profound as more and more data suggests that calorie restriction might be a means to longer life and a reduction of age-related illnesses. (sphere.com)
A new weight-loss plan: Getting paid to shed pounds
Financial rewards are the latest wellness craze, motivating Americans who are overweight to skip their potato chips. A few years ago, in an effort to cut overall health care costs, companies started dangling gift cards and even cash prizes to employees who shed extra pounds. Now an independent website is offering to pay anyone who drops a certain amount of weight in a year. Since HealthyWage.com launched in October 2009, 5000 persons have signed up for the site, which gets corporate sponsors to give a cash reward to overweight users who during a specified time period move from an unhealthy to a healthy body mass index (BMI). (time.com)