Rainbow Kebabs
These fresh fruit kebabs are simple to prepare and make a stunning display. It's perfect to bring to a barbeque or to enjoy as a healthy dessert. The fruit selections below aren't set in stone – use any fruit that is fresh and colorful.
Yield: 10 servings
Here's what you need...
* 10 wooden skewers
* 10 strawberries
* 10 bite-sized watermelon pieces
* 10 bite-sized cantaloupe pieces
* 10 bite-sized mango pieces
* 10 bite-sized pineapple pieces
* 10 bite-sized kiwi pieces
* 10 blueberries
* 10 blackberries
1. Put the chunks of fruit on each skewer in a rainbow pattern - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.
2. Place skewers on a platter and serve.
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 60 calories, 0g fat, 15g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 1g protein.
Today’s Re-Powering Information – Again, since I am not doing a grocery shopping tour in the summer, I want to continue to feed you with info for when you grocery shop. The bottom line is to avoid all foods that have additives or things you do not recognize or can not pronounce.
From Dr. Mercola’s site.
12 Food Additives to Remove From Your Diet
alt="food additives">Many food additives have been studied and linked to various diseases. Becoming informed about the additives in everyday food items can make for an easier shopping experience and healthier food for everyone.
Here’s a list of some of the most medically questionable and harmful additives in everyday foods:
1. Sodium nitrite
2. BHA & BHT
3. Propyl gallate
4. Monosodium glutamate
5. Trans fats
6. Aspartame
7. Acesulfame-K
8. Food colorings (Blue, Red, Green, Yellow)
9. Olestra
10. Potassium bromate
11. White sugar
12. Sodium chloride (salt)
Since some of these may not be familiar to you, sodium nitrite is a preservative added most commonly to bacon, ham, hot dogs, sandwich meats, and smoked fish. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are other preservatives added to foods like cereal, gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. Propyl gallate is found in meats, chicken soup base, and gum. All of these preservatives have been linked to cancer.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can cause migraines and other adverse effects. Trans fats are being eliminated from most foods, as the studies linking them to heart disease, strokes, and kidney problems are widely accepted.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in products like NutraSweet and Equal as well as diet foods and soft drinks. And acesulfame-K is a newer sweetener used in soft drinks and some baked goods.
Many food colorings have been banned by the FDA, but some can still be found in foods that require a particular color. Olestra was common for a time in potato chips as an additive that prevented fat from being absorbed in your digestive system. Food colorings have been tied to cancer and Olestra also blocks vitamins from being processed.
Potassium bromate is sometimes added to white flour, breads, and rolls to increase the volume of the products, but it has cancer-causing properties that have prompted some states in America to actually require a label to that effect.
Finally, white sugar and sodium chloride (salt) can be dangerous if not kept to a minimum.
Sources:
Health News June 29, 2009
Dr. Mercola''s Comments
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
More than 3,000 food additives -- preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients -- are added to foods in the United States. While each of these substances are legal to use, whether or not they are entirely safe for long-term consumption -- by themselves or in combination -- is a different story altogether.
And when you consider that 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed foods that are loaded with these additives, you get an idea of just how many toxins you may be polluting in your body with.
When foods are processed not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the texture, natural variation and flavors are lost also. After processing, what’s actually left behind is a bland, uninteresting “pseudo-food”
At this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture to processed foods in order to make them palatable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives.
Many Food Additives Increase Your Risk of Cancer
Nine of the 12 food additives listed above have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. These include:
1. Sodium Nitrate (also called Sodium Nitrite)
2. BHA and BHT
3. Propyl Gallate
4. Trans Fats
6. Aspartame
7. Acesulfame-K
8. Food Colorings (Blue 1, 2, Red 3, Green 3, Yellow 6)
9. Potassium Bromate
Please understand that these additives are in countless products from baked goods and chewing gum to chicken soup base, cereal, luncheon meats, vegetable oils and potato chips. If you eat a highly processed food diet, you are therefore potentially exposing yourself to cancer-causing toxins at every meal!
Food Additives May Mimic Your Hormones
A recent analysis published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology found 31 potential estrogen-mimicking food additives (called xenoestrogens) after searching a food additive database of 1,500 substances.
These xenoestrogens have been linked to a range of human health effects, including reduced sperm counts in men and increased risk of breast cancer in women.
Among the xenoestrogens revealed were propyl gallate, which acts as an antagonist, and 4-hexylresorcinol, which is a potent transactivator. Antagonists block the binding of an agent at a receptor molecule, and transactivators increase the rate of gene expression. In conclusion the authors’ state:
“Some caution should be issued for the use of propyl gallate and 4-hexylresorcinol as food additives.”
Propyl gallate is frequently used in conjunction with BHA and BHT, which come with their own set of health hazards. These two additives also keep fats and oils from going rancid and are commonly used in processed food products such as cereals and potato chips, even though some studies have found they too, cause cancer in rats.
The other food additive mentioned above, 4-hexylresorcinol, is commonly used as an anti-browning agent in shrimp and other shellfish.
Your Behavior and Mood May be Impacted Too
According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates (common in processed foods) lead to excessive insulin release, which in turn leads to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes your brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.
The glutamate that causes this is identical to the flavor-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its chemical cousins, which are found in thousands of food products, further exacerbating the problem.
Further, a study published in the journal The Lancet concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate -- found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings -- cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.
The study also found that the E-numbered food dyes (such as tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129) do as much damage to children's brains as lead in gasoline, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ.
The results of this study have prompted the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) to issue an immediate advisory to parents, warning them to limit their children's intake of additives if they notice an effect on behavior. They’re also advising the food industry to voluntarily remove the six food dyes named in the study by the end of 2009, and replace them with natural alternatives if possible.
The United States, however, has not followed suit in issuing any similar warnings to American parents.
How to Avoid Food Additives
One of the best ways to avoid food additives is to cut way back on the processed foods in your diet and instead focus your meals on whole foods. If you do eat processed foods, choose organic varieties and make sure to read the label and avoid foods that contain numerous additives.
By keeping your diet as pure as possible, you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs without all of the added toxins it definitely doesn’t.
Ideally you, your spouse, or someone you pay would freshly prepare your food and you can avoid processed foods. Also recognize that when you eat out at a restaurant you are losing virtually all of the control of the quality of your food.
While this is typically socially enjoyable, tasty, and easier than preparing your own food, it frequently results in you exchanging convenience for your health.
Have a nutritious day!
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diet. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Low Caloric Diets- protein at EVERY meal
Today’s Repowering information – This article is by Tom Venuto. . It explains why I also recommend you have a protein at EVERY meal and watch your portion sizes as well as create a small caloric deficit each day. This is a Q&A from Tom’s Newsletter about cutting carbs for weight loss.
QUESTION: Tom, I've been reading your stuff for years and I also read a lot of other sites and message boards including some of the low carb boards. I have finally come to the conclusion, both from all my reading and my personal experience, that the idea that one will lose weight just by cutting carbs is a myth.
And I welcome anyone who thinks they can to go ahead and try to prove me wrong. I'm not looking for a fight of course, just looking for good information and discussion.
Consider the following two situations; each involves an identical male who requires 3,000 calories/day to maintain his current weight.
SITUATION #1: The individual reduces his calories to 2,500/day, which theoretically will result in losing one pound/week. The individual divides his calories so 60% (1500) come from Carbs and the remainder come from Fat and Protein. Will he lose weight even though he's eating a lot of Carbs? I believe the answer is YES because even though the carbs are high (60%), he is in a calorie deficit.
SITUATION #2 The individual adopts a Low Carb Diet by eating only 25 grams of Carbs daily (100 calories). He then eats an additional 2900 calories of Fat and Protein. Will he lose weight?
I believe the answer is NO because even though the carbs are low, he is eating at his maintenance level.
Now, I understand that there are advantages to controlling insulin and reducing Carbs, including some health benefits for some people, but what I often don't see on the low carb benefit list is the impact that fat has on controlling appetite.
I believe that Fat satiates even the largest appetite, causing you to eat less.
Therefore, I believe that the reason a Low Carb Diet works is because people who follow it eat fewer calories.
I would love to get your feedback on this Tom and if you or any of your newsletter or blog readers have any studies or information proving me wrong, please let me know.
Thank you
John in Texas
PS. I realize I'm not the first to question a Low Carb diet, so my apologies if this has been discussed in your newsletters before.
ANSWER:
Thanks for your well-thought out question John. Yes, we've
discussed this before, but it's timely and worth discussing
again, especially with some of the long-term research that
was just published earlier this year.
You are preaching to the choir though, my friend. You are
right, fat loss hinges on calories in versus calories out.
BUT -- and there is a big BUT -- we really need to make some
distinctions about low carb and high protein so we don't
throw out the baby with the bathwater. Low carb has some
advantages. More importantly, so does high protein.
Heres where most of the confusion comes from in this whole
low carb thing:
Are we talking about low carb in a free-living / ad-libitum
(non calorie counting) situation, or are we talking about a
laboratory-controlled study or a strict calorie-counting
situation?
This makes all the difference because in a free-living,
situation, low carb almost always beats high carb for
weight loss, especially in the early weeks and months on
the program.
This can be partly explained by water weight and glycogen
loss in the initial weeks, but also by actual greater fat
loss during the early stages.
However, this is not because of "metabolic advantage" of
low carbs over high carbs, it is because subjects in these
types of studies ate less in the low carb group.
In other words, low carb diets usually control appetite
better, when calories are not counted,... i.e. you get
automatic calorie control.
So you are correct in your conclusion.
Furthermore, it's difficult to eat too much when you remove
an entire group of calorie dense foods (sugars and starches)
which are a food group responsible for providing a huge
portion of the calories in most people's diets.
Sure, you can overeat on dietary fat as well, at least
in a mixed diet, but apparently not easily in the absence
of carbs.
Now, heres the kicker...
As soon as you start controlling calories.. I mean hospital
ward or research facility controlled, where the subjects
cannot pick and choose their own food, and instead, the food
is weighed and measured and almost literally spoon fed to
the subjects, the difference in weight loss between low
carb and high carb shrinks or even vanishes.
In other words, when calories are matched, there is little
or no difference in fat loss between a high carb and low carb
diet, when dietary fats and carbs are the variables manipulated.
In the long term studies, even more valuable data has emerged...
The big study by the New England Journal of Medicine that got all
that publicity earlier this year confirmed it once again...
Even though low carb diets work better in the short term for
weight loss in free living subjects, the advantage decreases
by month six, and disappears after a year or two.
The moral of the story is (drumroll please)...
Most people don't stick with ANY type of diet very well for very long.
And... the extreme low carb diets in particular have lower long
term adherence rates and poor long term maintenance rates.
Now, this does not mean that low carb diets do not have
benefits. They certainly do, and some of them are health
related (which is beyond the scope of this column).
Others are fat loss related...
If you automatically eat less due to appetite suppression and
removal of calorie dense foods, that is clearly an advantage,
it's just not the advantage that most low carb advocates
suggest.
There is no proof of metabolic advantage purely from
restriction of carbs and insulin does not lead to obesity
in a cause and effect sense, insulin merely plays a role
in the process of partioning surplus carbs into fat stores
or in suppressing fat release.
Insulin is important to manage, but not the deciding factor
in whether you lose fat or not.
One change in macronutrients that DOES help fat loss is an
increase in protein. Protein is highly thermogenic - about 30%.
So 30% of the energy in protein is not available for potential
fat storage, as it is metabolized just in the digestion process.
So in reality, you could say it's the higher protein, NOT
the reduced carbs, that provides the real advantage!
Ironically, a high protein diet is not always low in carbs.
Take the 40-40-20 macro split from BFFM (or BFL) for example.
40% of calories from protein is very high. And yet 40% carbs
is not very low!
The protein-induced thermodynamic advantage is somewhat small,
but it's significant if a large shift in protein intake is made
as is the case with a 30-40% protein program.
For example, the old food pyramid/ traditional dietician-style
diet is 15% protein. Research from the University of Washington
School of Medicine showed that when protein is doubled to 30%
(replacing carbs), there is a small but measureable advantage
even when matched calorie for calorie.
In free living studies, the advantage is even larger because
protein is a great appetite suppressant and is highly satiating.
In fact, protein NOT FAT, is the most satiating nutrient.
It appears that fat is psychologically satiating, but protein
is the hands down winner as the most satiating, appetite
suppressing macronutrient, physiologically speaking.
Thus, a protein with every meal and a 30% (or even higher) ratio of
protein is conducive to better fat loss - which incidentally is
EXACTLY how the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program is set up
End
Have a peaceful day,
QUESTION: Tom, I've been reading your stuff for years and I also read a lot of other sites and message boards including some of the low carb boards. I have finally come to the conclusion, both from all my reading and my personal experience, that the idea that one will lose weight just by cutting carbs is a myth.
And I welcome anyone who thinks they can to go ahead and try to prove me wrong. I'm not looking for a fight of course, just looking for good information and discussion.
Consider the following two situations; each involves an identical male who requires 3,000 calories/day to maintain his current weight.
SITUATION #1: The individual reduces his calories to 2,500/day, which theoretically will result in losing one pound/week. The individual divides his calories so 60% (1500) come from Carbs and the remainder come from Fat and Protein. Will he lose weight even though he's eating a lot of Carbs? I believe the answer is YES because even though the carbs are high (60%), he is in a calorie deficit.
SITUATION #2 The individual adopts a Low Carb Diet by eating only 25 grams of Carbs daily (100 calories). He then eats an additional 2900 calories of Fat and Protein. Will he lose weight?
I believe the answer is NO because even though the carbs are low, he is eating at his maintenance level.
Now, I understand that there are advantages to controlling insulin and reducing Carbs, including some health benefits for some people, but what I often don't see on the low carb benefit list is the impact that fat has on controlling appetite.
I believe that Fat satiates even the largest appetite, causing you to eat less.
Therefore, I believe that the reason a Low Carb Diet works is because people who follow it eat fewer calories.
I would love to get your feedback on this Tom and if you or any of your newsletter or blog readers have any studies or information proving me wrong, please let me know.
Thank you
John in Texas
PS. I realize I'm not the first to question a Low Carb diet, so my apologies if this has been discussed in your newsletters before.
ANSWER:
Thanks for your well-thought out question John. Yes, we've
discussed this before, but it's timely and worth discussing
again, especially with some of the long-term research that
was just published earlier this year.
You are preaching to the choir though, my friend. You are
right, fat loss hinges on calories in versus calories out.
BUT -- and there is a big BUT -- we really need to make some
distinctions about low carb and high protein so we don't
throw out the baby with the bathwater. Low carb has some
advantages. More importantly, so does high protein.
Heres where most of the confusion comes from in this whole
low carb thing:
Are we talking about low carb in a free-living / ad-libitum
(non calorie counting) situation, or are we talking about a
laboratory-controlled study or a strict calorie-counting
situation?
This makes all the difference because in a free-living,
situation, low carb almost always beats high carb for
weight loss, especially in the early weeks and months on
the program.
This can be partly explained by water weight and glycogen
loss in the initial weeks, but also by actual greater fat
loss during the early stages.
However, this is not because of "metabolic advantage" of
low carbs over high carbs, it is because subjects in these
types of studies ate less in the low carb group.
In other words, low carb diets usually control appetite
better, when calories are not counted,... i.e. you get
automatic calorie control.
So you are correct in your conclusion.
Furthermore, it's difficult to eat too much when you remove
an entire group of calorie dense foods (sugars and starches)
which are a food group responsible for providing a huge
portion of the calories in most people's diets.
Sure, you can overeat on dietary fat as well, at least
in a mixed diet, but apparently not easily in the absence
of carbs.
Now, heres the kicker...
As soon as you start controlling calories.. I mean hospital
ward or research facility controlled, where the subjects
cannot pick and choose their own food, and instead, the food
is weighed and measured and almost literally spoon fed to
the subjects, the difference in weight loss between low
carb and high carb shrinks or even vanishes.
In other words, when calories are matched, there is little
or no difference in fat loss between a high carb and low carb
diet, when dietary fats and carbs are the variables manipulated.
In the long term studies, even more valuable data has emerged...
The big study by the New England Journal of Medicine that got all
that publicity earlier this year confirmed it once again...
Even though low carb diets work better in the short term for
weight loss in free living subjects, the advantage decreases
by month six, and disappears after a year or two.
The moral of the story is (drumroll please)...
Most people don't stick with ANY type of diet very well for very long.
And... the extreme low carb diets in particular have lower long
term adherence rates and poor long term maintenance rates.
Now, this does not mean that low carb diets do not have
benefits. They certainly do, and some of them are health
related (which is beyond the scope of this column).
Others are fat loss related...
If you automatically eat less due to appetite suppression and
removal of calorie dense foods, that is clearly an advantage,
it's just not the advantage that most low carb advocates
suggest.
There is no proof of metabolic advantage purely from
restriction of carbs and insulin does not lead to obesity
in a cause and effect sense, insulin merely plays a role
in the process of partioning surplus carbs into fat stores
or in suppressing fat release.
Insulin is important to manage, but not the deciding factor
in whether you lose fat or not.
One change in macronutrients that DOES help fat loss is an
increase in protein. Protein is highly thermogenic - about 30%.
So 30% of the energy in protein is not available for potential
fat storage, as it is metabolized just in the digestion process.
So in reality, you could say it's the higher protein, NOT
the reduced carbs, that provides the real advantage!
Ironically, a high protein diet is not always low in carbs.
Take the 40-40-20 macro split from BFFM (or BFL) for example.
40% of calories from protein is very high. And yet 40% carbs
is not very low!
The protein-induced thermodynamic advantage is somewhat small,
but it's significant if a large shift in protein intake is made
as is the case with a 30-40% protein program.
For example, the old food pyramid/ traditional dietician-style
diet is 15% protein. Research from the University of Washington
School of Medicine showed that when protein is doubled to 30%
(replacing carbs), there is a small but measureable advantage
even when matched calorie for calorie.
In free living studies, the advantage is even larger because
protein is a great appetite suppressant and is highly satiating.
In fact, protein NOT FAT, is the most satiating nutrient.
It appears that fat is psychologically satiating, but protein
is the hands down winner as the most satiating, appetite
suppressing macronutrient, physiologically speaking.
Thus, a protein with every meal and a 30% (or even higher) ratio of
protein is conducive to better fat loss - which incidentally is
EXACTLY how the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program is set up
End
Have a peaceful day,
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Brain Chemistry altered by foods high in fat, salt, and sugar
Today’s Re-Powering Information – The article below explains why you grab that cookie even though you know you shouldn’t eat it. It also explains why diets don’t work. The author also has a new book called “The End of Overeating”. I have not read it, but if you struggle with overfeeding, it may be worth the read.
Published Monday May 4, 2009
Brain aches for food bathed in badness
THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON - He went in the middle of the night, long after the last employee had locked up the Chili's Grill and Bar. He'd steer his car around the back, check to make sure no one was around and then quietly approach the Dumpster.
Click to Enlarge
Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain's chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat, says Dr. David Kessler, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
If anyone noticed the man foraging through the trash, they would have assumed he was a vagrant. Except he was wearing black dress slacks and padded gardening gloves.
The high-octane career path of David Kessler, the Harvard-trained doctor, lawyer, medical school dean and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, had come to this: nocturnal Dumpster diving. It took many of these forays until Kessler emerged with his prize: ingredient labels affixed to empty cardboard boxes that spelled out the fats, salt and sugar used to make the Southwestern Eggrolls, Boneless Shanghai Wings and other dishes served by the nation's second-largest restaurant chain.
Kessler was on a mission to understand a problem that has vexed him since childhood: why he can't resist certain foods.
His resulting theory, described in his new book, "The End of Overeating," is startling. Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain's chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat. "Much of the scientific research around overeating has been physiology - what's going on in our body," he said. "The real question is what's going on in our brain."
The ingredient labels gave Kessler information the restaurant chain declined to provide when he asked for it. At the FDA, Kessler pushed through nutrition labels on foods sold through retail outlets but stopped short of requiring the same for restaurants. Yet if suppliers ship across state lines, as suppliers for Chili's do, the ingredients must be printed on the box. That is what led Kessler, one of the nation's leading public health figures, to hang around trash bins across California.
The labels showed the foods were bathed in salt, fat and sugars, beyond what a diner might expect by reading the menu, Kessler said. The ingredient list for Southwestern Eggrolls mentioned salt eight different times; sugars showed up five times. The "egg rolls," which are deep-fried in fat, contain chicken that has been chopped up like meatloaf to give it a "melt in the mouth" quality that also makes it easier to eat quickly. By the time a diner has finished this appetizer, the person has consumed 910 calories, 57 grams of fat and 1,960 milligrams of sodium.
Instead of satisfying hunger, the salt-fat-sugar combination will stimulate that diner's brain to crave more, Kessler said. And the food industry manipulates this neurological response, designing foods to induce people to eat more than they should or even want to, Kessler found.
His theory, borne out in a growing body of scientific research, has implications not just for the increasing number of Americans struggling with obesity but for health providers and policymakers.
"The challenge is how do we explain to America what's going on - how do we break through and help people understand how their brains have been captured?" he said.
Kessler is best remembered for his investigation of the tobacco industry and attempts to place it under federal regulation while he was FDA commissioner from 1990 to 1997.
Kessler's aggressive approach toward the tobacco industry led to billion-dollar settlements between Big Tobacco and 46 states and laid the groundwork for legislation now pending in Congress that would place tobacco under FDA regulation.
Whether government ought to exercise tougher controls over the food industry is going to be the next great debate, especially since much of the advertising is aimed at children, Kessler said.
"The food the industry is selling is much more powerful than we realized," he said. "I used to think I ate to feel full. Now I know, we have the science that shows, we're eating to stimulate ourselves. And so the question is what are we going to do about it?"
Through interviews with scientists, psychologists and food industry insiders, and his own scientific studies and hours spent surreptitiously watching other diners at food courts and restaurants around the country, Kessler said, he finally began to understand why he couldn't control his eating.
"Highly palatable" foods - those containing fat, sugar and salt - stimulate the brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure center, he found. In time, the brain gets wired so that dopamine pathways light up at the mere suggestion of the food, such as driving past a fast-food restaurant, and the urge to eat the food grows insistent. Once the food is eaten, the brain releases opioids, which bring emotional relief. Together, dopamine and opioids create a pathway that can activate every time a person is reminded about the particular food. This happens regardless of whether the person is hungry.
Not everyone is vulnerable to "conditioned overeating" - Kessler estimates that about 15 percent of the population is not affected and says more research is needed to understand what makes them immune.
But the key to stopping the cycle is to rewire the brain's response to food, he said.
Deprivation only heightens the way the brain values the food, which is why dieting doesn't work, he said.
Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom
Copyright ©2009 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
Published Monday May 4, 2009
Brain aches for food bathed in badness
THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON - He went in the middle of the night, long after the last employee had locked up the Chili's Grill and Bar. He'd steer his car around the back, check to make sure no one was around and then quietly approach the Dumpster.
Click to Enlarge
Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain's chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat, says Dr. David Kessler, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
If anyone noticed the man foraging through the trash, they would have assumed he was a vagrant. Except he was wearing black dress slacks and padded gardening gloves.
The high-octane career path of David Kessler, the Harvard-trained doctor, lawyer, medical school dean and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, had come to this: nocturnal Dumpster diving. It took many of these forays until Kessler emerged with his prize: ingredient labels affixed to empty cardboard boxes that spelled out the fats, salt and sugar used to make the Southwestern Eggrolls, Boneless Shanghai Wings and other dishes served by the nation's second-largest restaurant chain.
Kessler was on a mission to understand a problem that has vexed him since childhood: why he can't resist certain foods.
His resulting theory, described in his new book, "The End of Overeating," is startling. Foods high in fat, salt and sugar alter the brain's chemistry in ways that compel people to overeat. "Much of the scientific research around overeating has been physiology - what's going on in our body," he said. "The real question is what's going on in our brain."
The ingredient labels gave Kessler information the restaurant chain declined to provide when he asked for it. At the FDA, Kessler pushed through nutrition labels on foods sold through retail outlets but stopped short of requiring the same for restaurants. Yet if suppliers ship across state lines, as suppliers for Chili's do, the ingredients must be printed on the box. That is what led Kessler, one of the nation's leading public health figures, to hang around trash bins across California.
The labels showed the foods were bathed in salt, fat and sugars, beyond what a diner might expect by reading the menu, Kessler said. The ingredient list for Southwestern Eggrolls mentioned salt eight different times; sugars showed up five times. The "egg rolls," which are deep-fried in fat, contain chicken that has been chopped up like meatloaf to give it a "melt in the mouth" quality that also makes it easier to eat quickly. By the time a diner has finished this appetizer, the person has consumed 910 calories, 57 grams of fat and 1,960 milligrams of sodium.
Instead of satisfying hunger, the salt-fat-sugar combination will stimulate that diner's brain to crave more, Kessler said. And the food industry manipulates this neurological response, designing foods to induce people to eat more than they should or even want to, Kessler found.
His theory, borne out in a growing body of scientific research, has implications not just for the increasing number of Americans struggling with obesity but for health providers and policymakers.
"The challenge is how do we explain to America what's going on - how do we break through and help people understand how their brains have been captured?" he said.
Kessler is best remembered for his investigation of the tobacco industry and attempts to place it under federal regulation while he was FDA commissioner from 1990 to 1997.
Kessler's aggressive approach toward the tobacco industry led to billion-dollar settlements between Big Tobacco and 46 states and laid the groundwork for legislation now pending in Congress that would place tobacco under FDA regulation.
Whether government ought to exercise tougher controls over the food industry is going to be the next great debate, especially since much of the advertising is aimed at children, Kessler said.
"The food the industry is selling is much more powerful than we realized," he said. "I used to think I ate to feel full. Now I know, we have the science that shows, we're eating to stimulate ourselves. And so the question is what are we going to do about it?"
Through interviews with scientists, psychologists and food industry insiders, and his own scientific studies and hours spent surreptitiously watching other diners at food courts and restaurants around the country, Kessler said, he finally began to understand why he couldn't control his eating.
"Highly palatable" foods - those containing fat, sugar and salt - stimulate the brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure center, he found. In time, the brain gets wired so that dopamine pathways light up at the mere suggestion of the food, such as driving past a fast-food restaurant, and the urge to eat the food grows insistent. Once the food is eaten, the brain releases opioids, which bring emotional relief. Together, dopamine and opioids create a pathway that can activate every time a person is reminded about the particular food. This happens regardless of whether the person is hungry.
Not everyone is vulnerable to "conditioned overeating" - Kessler estimates that about 15 percent of the population is not affected and says more research is needed to understand what makes them immune.
But the key to stopping the cycle is to rewire the brain's response to food, he said.
Deprivation only heightens the way the brain values the food, which is why dieting doesn't work, he said.
Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
FDA Warns Consumers about Weight Loss Products
Today’s Re-Powering Information – I know that some of you are following Weight watchers or Jenny Craig or some other supervised diet program. Those have some merit and can be effective, although I am not thrilled with the quality of food and I would never put a frozen dinner to my lips (read the label and see why), however that’s not what I am going to address today. Today I want to cover something that I hope does not apply to any of you, but you may be able to understand to enlighten those you care about. Diet pills do not work. Not only don’t they work, they are harmful, have side effects and can kill you. Read a recent article from the Chicago Tribune and then the comments by Dr. Mercola regarding his take on Diet Pills.
FDA Warns Consumers about Weight Loss Products
diet pill, weight loss productsThe FDA has issued a new alert about weight loss products tainted by potentially dangerous ingredients. Many of the products claim to be "natural" or "herbal" but include drugs, sometimes in very high doses.
Drugs found in weight loss products include:
• Sibutramine (a controlled substance)
• Phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication)
• Phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent)
• Bumetanide (a diuretic)
Altogether, the FDA has found 72 tainted weight loss products since it first brought the issue to public attention last December.
Sources:
Chicago Tribune March 20, 2009
Dr. Mercola''s Comments
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
It’s a tempting proposition for many. Take a diet pill, then sit back and relax as the pounds melt away. For the 15 percent of American adults who say they’ve used weight-loss supplements, many probably thought “why not”? What could they lose other than the money to buy them and possibly some extra pounds?
As it turns out, you could lose quite a bit, including your health, if you take many of these weight-loss supplements.
So far the FDA has identified 72 diet pills -- most of them imported from China -- that are tainted with hidden and potentially dangerous drugs and chemicals.
You can view a full list of the contaminated products on the FDA’s Web site. Many of them claim to be “natural” or “herbal” yet contain chemicals and drugs such as:
• Cetilistat: an experimental obesity drug that can cause serious health risks in certain populations.
• Fenproporex: a stimulant not approved for marketing in the United States, which can cause increased blood pressure, uncontrollable movements or shaking, palpitations, arrhythmia and possibly sudden death.
• Fluoxetine: the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Prozac, a prescription antidepressant, which can increase the risk of suicidal thinking and suicide in children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Furosemide: the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Lasix, a potent diuretic that can cause profound dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, leading to dehydration, seizures, GI problems, kidney damage, lethargy, collapse and coma.
• Rimonabant: the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Zimulti, which has not been approved in the United States because of increased risk of neurological and psychiatric side effects -- seizures, depression, anxiety, insomnia, aggressiveness, and suicidal thoughts among patients.
All of the tainted weight loss supplements on the list are available over-the-counter without a prescription and are not FDA-approved, but please don’t misconstrue this information. While this new finding underscores the importance of knowing where your supplements (whether for weight loss or any other purpose) come from, diet pills that are FDA-approved or available by prescription have also been linked to serious side effects.
The Risks of “Approved” Diet Pills
Two of the most well-known diet drugs in the United States are Xenical, a prescription-only drug, and its non-prescription version Alli. Unpublished studies on Xenical have revealed concerning data, including:
• Xenical increases the precursor markers to colon cancer by 60 percent in rats.
• When eating a high- fat diet and taking Xenical, the cancer risk increased 2.4 fold.
• Fat-soluble vitamin E depletion, due to Xenical's fat-blocking action, raises the risk of colon cancer even further.
• Recorded adverse reactions to Xenical include: 39 cases of increased abnormal blood thinning, several cases of bleeding episodes, 10 hospitalizations (four with life-threatening reactions), and one death.
• Dangerous thinning of the blood can occur in people taking drugs like Warfarin (an anti-coagulant), or who suffer from vitamin K deficiency.
Alli, meanwhile, which blocks the absorption of about 25 percent of consumed fat, can also result in loose stools, hard-to-control bowel movements, and gas with an oily discharge. The manufacturer calls these “treatment effects.”
These are some serious, not to mention embarrassing, risks all for a very small benefit. Though these drugs may help you lose weight, it will likely be only a few pounds more than you would lose with diet and exercise alone.
In fact, the Mayo Clinic reported the average weight loss for prescription-strength Xenical is only about 6 pounds greater than diet and exercise alone after one year. Since Alli is half the strength of Xenical, they reasoned Alli could conceivably result in an average of just 3 extra pounds lost in a year.
The REAL Way to Lose Weight
How to lose weight safely and effectively is an urgent and relevant issue given that two-thirds of the U.S. population is already overweight, and a recent study found it’s possible that nearly every American adult could be overweight by 2048.
Of course, maintaining a healthy body weight is about so much more than looking good in a bikini -- it’s about having more energy, fighting disease, protecting your heart and, above all else, choosing a lifestyle that will support your entire body and your health.
A drug simply will not provide these benefits, and neither will a crash diet.
Dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain. On any given diet, people initially lose 5 percent to 10 percent of their weight, but then they gain it back, often with some additional pounds as well.
This is because they’re not addressing two key aspects to weight loss: emotions and your nutritional type.
As anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight knows, making up your mind to do it is half the battle (in fact, it’s probably 99 percent of the battle for many).
Nip emotional eating in the bud by dealing with your feelings and creating a new relationship with food. Release self-sabotaging behaviors like avoiding exercise.
That is one step in the weight-loss equation. From there, it’s just a matter of changing your lifestyle in the following ways:
1. Tailor your diet to your nutritional type. These are the foods that are right for your biochemistry, and these are the foods that will push your body toward its ideal weight. (By the way, these foods may be high in fat, high in carbs, heavy on protein or heavy on veggies, it all depends on YOU).
Eating right for your nutritional type is not a “diet.” In fact, if you still feel hungry after eating you are definitely not eating according to your nutritional type. There is no food deprivation, no counting calories and definitely no starving yourself -- just eating plenty of healthy foods that are right for you.
2. View exercise as a drug. When you’re trying to lose weight, a casual walk here and there is not going to cut it. Many studies find that exercising for one hour, five days a week is actually needed, and I tend to agree with that. Sometimes you may even need up to 90 minutes of aerobic activity every day.
There is also strong compelling evidence that strength training and high-intensity anaerobic interval training may be especially effective for weight loss.
So there you have it: eat right, exercise, and address your emotions -- and that is typically all it takes.
FDA Warns Consumers about Weight Loss Products
diet pill, weight loss productsThe FDA has issued a new alert about weight loss products tainted by potentially dangerous ingredients. Many of the products claim to be "natural" or "herbal" but include drugs, sometimes in very high doses.
Drugs found in weight loss products include:
• Sibutramine (a controlled substance)
• Phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication)
• Phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent)
• Bumetanide (a diuretic)
Altogether, the FDA has found 72 tainted weight loss products since it first brought the issue to public attention last December.
Sources:
Chicago Tribune March 20, 2009
Dr. Mercola''s Comments
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
It’s a tempting proposition for many. Take a diet pill, then sit back and relax as the pounds melt away. For the 15 percent of American adults who say they’ve used weight-loss supplements, many probably thought “why not”? What could they lose other than the money to buy them and possibly some extra pounds?
As it turns out, you could lose quite a bit, including your health, if you take many of these weight-loss supplements.
So far the FDA has identified 72 diet pills -- most of them imported from China -- that are tainted with hidden and potentially dangerous drugs and chemicals.
You can view a full list of the contaminated products on the FDA’s Web site. Many of them claim to be “natural” or “herbal” yet contain chemicals and drugs such as:
• Cetilistat: an experimental obesity drug that can cause serious health risks in certain populations.
• Fenproporex: a stimulant not approved for marketing in the United States, which can cause increased blood pressure, uncontrollable movements or shaking, palpitations, arrhythmia and possibly sudden death.
• Fluoxetine: the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Prozac, a prescription antidepressant, which can increase the risk of suicidal thinking and suicide in children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Furosemide: the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Lasix, a potent diuretic that can cause profound dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, leading to dehydration, seizures, GI problems, kidney damage, lethargy, collapse and coma.
• Rimonabant: the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Zimulti, which has not been approved in the United States because of increased risk of neurological and psychiatric side effects -- seizures, depression, anxiety, insomnia, aggressiveness, and suicidal thoughts among patients.
All of the tainted weight loss supplements on the list are available over-the-counter without a prescription and are not FDA-approved, but please don’t misconstrue this information. While this new finding underscores the importance of knowing where your supplements (whether for weight loss or any other purpose) come from, diet pills that are FDA-approved or available by prescription have also been linked to serious side effects.
The Risks of “Approved” Diet Pills
Two of the most well-known diet drugs in the United States are Xenical, a prescription-only drug, and its non-prescription version Alli. Unpublished studies on Xenical have revealed concerning data, including:
• Xenical increases the precursor markers to colon cancer by 60 percent in rats.
• When eating a high- fat diet and taking Xenical, the cancer risk increased 2.4 fold.
• Fat-soluble vitamin E depletion, due to Xenical's fat-blocking action, raises the risk of colon cancer even further.
• Recorded adverse reactions to Xenical include: 39 cases of increased abnormal blood thinning, several cases of bleeding episodes, 10 hospitalizations (four with life-threatening reactions), and one death.
• Dangerous thinning of the blood can occur in people taking drugs like Warfarin (an anti-coagulant), or who suffer from vitamin K deficiency.
Alli, meanwhile, which blocks the absorption of about 25 percent of consumed fat, can also result in loose stools, hard-to-control bowel movements, and gas with an oily discharge. The manufacturer calls these “treatment effects.”
These are some serious, not to mention embarrassing, risks all for a very small benefit. Though these drugs may help you lose weight, it will likely be only a few pounds more than you would lose with diet and exercise alone.
In fact, the Mayo Clinic reported the average weight loss for prescription-strength Xenical is only about 6 pounds greater than diet and exercise alone after one year. Since Alli is half the strength of Xenical, they reasoned Alli could conceivably result in an average of just 3 extra pounds lost in a year.
The REAL Way to Lose Weight
How to lose weight safely and effectively is an urgent and relevant issue given that two-thirds of the U.S. population is already overweight, and a recent study found it’s possible that nearly every American adult could be overweight by 2048.
Of course, maintaining a healthy body weight is about so much more than looking good in a bikini -- it’s about having more energy, fighting disease, protecting your heart and, above all else, choosing a lifestyle that will support your entire body and your health.
A drug simply will not provide these benefits, and neither will a crash diet.
Dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain. On any given diet, people initially lose 5 percent to 10 percent of their weight, but then they gain it back, often with some additional pounds as well.
This is because they’re not addressing two key aspects to weight loss: emotions and your nutritional type.
As anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight knows, making up your mind to do it is half the battle (in fact, it’s probably 99 percent of the battle for many).
Nip emotional eating in the bud by dealing with your feelings and creating a new relationship with food. Release self-sabotaging behaviors like avoiding exercise.
That is one step in the weight-loss equation. From there, it’s just a matter of changing your lifestyle in the following ways:
1. Tailor your diet to your nutritional type. These are the foods that are right for your biochemistry, and these are the foods that will push your body toward its ideal weight. (By the way, these foods may be high in fat, high in carbs, heavy on protein or heavy on veggies, it all depends on YOU).
Eating right for your nutritional type is not a “diet.” In fact, if you still feel hungry after eating you are definitely not eating according to your nutritional type. There is no food deprivation, no counting calories and definitely no starving yourself -- just eating plenty of healthy foods that are right for you.
2. View exercise as a drug. When you’re trying to lose weight, a casual walk here and there is not going to cut it. Many studies find that exercising for one hour, five days a week is actually needed, and I tend to agree with that. Sometimes you may even need up to 90 minutes of aerobic activity every day.
There is also strong compelling evidence that strength training and high-intensity anaerobic interval training may be especially effective for weight loss.
So there you have it: eat right, exercise, and address your emotions -- and that is typically all it takes.
Friday, February 27, 2009
'Natural' weight-loss supplements may be a health hazard
I know none of you take weight loss supplements, but you know how it’s the topic of discussion at the office, neighborhood or with your girl friends. Be a savvy consumer and read the article below so that you are armed with an arsenal of information. When your friends and family tell you they are trying the latest weight loss supplement, even if it claims to be natural, beware. They all have side effects and ultimately are short term band aids that do not produce necessary behavior changes for life long health and vitality.
'Natural' weight-loss supplements may be a health hazard
* Story Highlights
* FDA: At least 69 so-called natural diet pills are tainted with prescription meds
* Buyer beware: FDA doesn't approve or regulate dietary supplements
* FDA has asked for voluntary recalls; so far only three of 69 complied
* So far, no deaths have been linked to the tainted supplements
Health
The names of the weight-loss supplements say it all: 7 Day Herbal Slim, 2 Day Diet, and even 24 Hours Diet. Those are just three of dozens of different brands touted as all-natural ways to shed pounds, and lose them super fast.
The FDA found that at least 69 so-called natural weight loss supplements are tainted with medication.
The FDA found that at least 69 so-called natural weight loss supplements are tainted with medication.
But according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, nothing could be further from the truth. Many of these "herbal" weight-loss remedies -- 69 at last count -- are tainted with prescription drugs or mixtures of drugs, including laxatives, diuretics, and anti-seizure medications. And that list of 69 products will probably grow in the coming weeks, says FDA spokesperson Rita Chappelle.
"Our investigation is ongoing and quite extensive, and more products will be added to the list," she says.
Some supplements contain rimonabant, a prescription drug rejected by the FDA for use in the United States due to safety concerns. And others contain sibutramine, a prescription weight-loss drug sold as Meridia in the United Sates. However, the supplements often contain more than one drug, and in doses three to four times what you would get with a doctor's prescription. The supplements' labels don't mention the medications, much less the amount of the drug found in the pills. Health.com: 3 secrets to walking off belly fat
"The biggest issue generally speaking with herbal over-the-counter supplements is that people don't think they're drugs to begin with," says Matthew Grissinger, director of error reporting programs at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Undeclared ingredients make it even more likely that a person could have interactions with prescription medications or other health risks, he says.
Someone with high blood pressure or heart failure (not uncommon in the overweight) "may already be on diuretics, so now they are literally taking two, three, four times the amount of diuretic they are supposed to," he says.
More than 150 million people in the U.S. take vitamins and other dietary supplements, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which represents supplement manufacturers. The group supports the FDA's efforts and encourages "consumers to be savvy when it comes to their supplements," said CRN's president and CEO, Steve Mister, in a statement. "Always buy from reputable companies that you know and trust."
The FDA does not approve or regulate dietary supplements before they come on the market; "let the buyer beware" is typically the rule of thumb. VideoWatch: Elizabeth Cohen reported on this problem in December 2008 »
Many of the tainted weight-loss supplements are manufactured in China and sold on the Internet, says Chappelle. However, that's not true of all of them. One popular weight-loss product, called StarCaps, "was sold in GNC, advertised in People magazine, and promoted by people like Kathie Lee Gifford and others," says Chappelle. "That product contained an active pharmaceutical ingredient that was, again, not declared, called bumetanide -- a diuretic."
The FDA recently asked all the manufacturers of these supplements to recall their products, but only three have done so as of this week, says Chappelle. StarCaps has been recalled, as have two other products, called Venom HyperDrive 3.0 and Zhen de Shou.
So far, no deaths have been linked to the tainted supplements. But people who take the weight-loss products could experience heart palpitations, a drop in blood pressure, or seizures, says Chappelle.
"We're still seeking voluntary recalls, but our main message is to make consumers aware that these products are out there," she says. "If a product seems too good to be true, it typically is." The Internet "has become a huge playground" for fly-by-night companies selling potentially hazardous products, she says.
The FDA recommends that people who want to lose weight discuss their goals with their doctor and take only an FDA-approved weight-loss drug if such treatment is deemed necessary. There are three FDA-approved drugs on the market: sibutramine (Meridia), orlistat (Xenical), and a low-dose version of orlistat that is sold over the counter (Alli).
The FDA also recommends checking its list all of the tainted weight-loss supplements, which will be updated.
Health Library
* MayoClinic.com: Over-the-counter weight-loss pills: Do they work?
* MayoClinic.com: Herbal supplements: What to know before you buy
* MayoClinic.com: Weight-loss drugs -- Can a prescription help you lose weight?
Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of the Health Research Group at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, notes that weight-loss products have a dismal history in terms of safety and efficacy. For example, the prescription combination known as Fen-Phen was linked to heart valve problems and removed from the market in 1997, and phenylpropanolamine (PPA) was an ingredient removed from weight-loss products in 2005 due to stroke risk. (Public Citizen has also petitioned the FDA to remove sibutramine and orlistat from the market.)
"There isn't any magic solution to losing weight. The only way you can lose weight in a sustainable way is to cut down on your dietary intake by 200 or 300 calories a day and exercise 100 to 200 calories more," he says. "None of this other stuff works." Health.com: Get your family involved in changing your eating behavior
It's not just weight-loss supplements. In the past, other dietary supplements have been found to be tainted with prescription remedies, including diabetes drugs, Viagra, and other medications.
"The FDA can barely keep up with all the stuff that's going on here," says Wolfe. "It's not exactly easy for them to detect it."
'Natural' weight-loss supplements may be a health hazard
* Story Highlights
* FDA: At least 69 so-called natural diet pills are tainted with prescription meds
* Buyer beware: FDA doesn't approve or regulate dietary supplements
* FDA has asked for voluntary recalls; so far only three of 69 complied
* So far, no deaths have been linked to the tainted supplements
Health
The names of the weight-loss supplements say it all: 7 Day Herbal Slim, 2 Day Diet, and even 24 Hours Diet. Those are just three of dozens of different brands touted as all-natural ways to shed pounds, and lose them super fast.
The FDA found that at least 69 so-called natural weight loss supplements are tainted with medication.
The FDA found that at least 69 so-called natural weight loss supplements are tainted with medication.
But according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, nothing could be further from the truth. Many of these "herbal" weight-loss remedies -- 69 at last count -- are tainted with prescription drugs or mixtures of drugs, including laxatives, diuretics, and anti-seizure medications. And that list of 69 products will probably grow in the coming weeks, says FDA spokesperson Rita Chappelle.
"Our investigation is ongoing and quite extensive, and more products will be added to the list," she says.
Some supplements contain rimonabant, a prescription drug rejected by the FDA for use in the United States due to safety concerns. And others contain sibutramine, a prescription weight-loss drug sold as Meridia in the United Sates. However, the supplements often contain more than one drug, and in doses three to four times what you would get with a doctor's prescription. The supplements' labels don't mention the medications, much less the amount of the drug found in the pills. Health.com: 3 secrets to walking off belly fat
"The biggest issue generally speaking with herbal over-the-counter supplements is that people don't think they're drugs to begin with," says Matthew Grissinger, director of error reporting programs at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Undeclared ingredients make it even more likely that a person could have interactions with prescription medications or other health risks, he says.
Someone with high blood pressure or heart failure (not uncommon in the overweight) "may already be on diuretics, so now they are literally taking two, three, four times the amount of diuretic they are supposed to," he says.
More than 150 million people in the U.S. take vitamins and other dietary supplements, according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which represents supplement manufacturers. The group supports the FDA's efforts and encourages "consumers to be savvy when it comes to their supplements," said CRN's president and CEO, Steve Mister, in a statement. "Always buy from reputable companies that you know and trust."
The FDA does not approve or regulate dietary supplements before they come on the market; "let the buyer beware" is typically the rule of thumb. VideoWatch: Elizabeth Cohen reported on this problem in December 2008 »
Many of the tainted weight-loss supplements are manufactured in China and sold on the Internet, says Chappelle. However, that's not true of all of them. One popular weight-loss product, called StarCaps, "was sold in GNC, advertised in People magazine, and promoted by people like Kathie Lee Gifford and others," says Chappelle. "That product contained an active pharmaceutical ingredient that was, again, not declared, called bumetanide -- a diuretic."
The FDA recently asked all the manufacturers of these supplements to recall their products, but only three have done so as of this week, says Chappelle. StarCaps has been recalled, as have two other products, called Venom HyperDrive 3.0 and Zhen de Shou.
So far, no deaths have been linked to the tainted supplements. But people who take the weight-loss products could experience heart palpitations, a drop in blood pressure, or seizures, says Chappelle.
"We're still seeking voluntary recalls, but our main message is to make consumers aware that these products are out there," she says. "If a product seems too good to be true, it typically is." The Internet "has become a huge playground" for fly-by-night companies selling potentially hazardous products, she says.
The FDA recommends that people who want to lose weight discuss their goals with their doctor and take only an FDA-approved weight-loss drug if such treatment is deemed necessary. There are three FDA-approved drugs on the market: sibutramine (Meridia), orlistat (Xenical), and a low-dose version of orlistat that is sold over the counter (Alli).
The FDA also recommends checking its list all of the tainted weight-loss supplements, which will be updated.
Health Library
* MayoClinic.com: Over-the-counter weight-loss pills: Do they work?
* MayoClinic.com: Herbal supplements: What to know before you buy
* MayoClinic.com: Weight-loss drugs -- Can a prescription help you lose weight?
Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of the Health Research Group at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, notes that weight-loss products have a dismal history in terms of safety and efficacy. For example, the prescription combination known as Fen-Phen was linked to heart valve problems and removed from the market in 1997, and phenylpropanolamine (PPA) was an ingredient removed from weight-loss products in 2005 due to stroke risk. (Public Citizen has also petitioned the FDA to remove sibutramine and orlistat from the market.)
"There isn't any magic solution to losing weight. The only way you can lose weight in a sustainable way is to cut down on your dietary intake by 200 or 300 calories a day and exercise 100 to 200 calories more," he says. "None of this other stuff works." Health.com: Get your family involved in changing your eating behavior
It's not just weight-loss supplements. In the past, other dietary supplements have been found to be tainted with prescription remedies, including diabetes drugs, Viagra, and other medications.
"The FDA can barely keep up with all the stuff that's going on here," says Wolfe. "It's not exactly easy for them to detect it."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Today’s Re-Powering information – It’s obvious that at the end of the day calories matter. I have been preaching about the quality of the calories more than the quantity. If you are going to over eat, I would rather you over eat organic chicken vegetable soup than chicken wings and fried mozzarella sticks. They have a different effect on your body – even if the calories are the same. The natural food is easier to digest, metabolize and does not leave foreign toxins behind. Studies have shown that those who consume fewer calories live longer and have less disease. That stands to reason as over feeding causes inflammation and obesity. It’s also rare that people are over feeding on salad. They are more likely to overfeed on pastries, fried foods and other fast foods which are artery clogging and lead to other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Cutting calories not only leads to fast loss and improved health, a new study shows it also boosts memory so strive to eat for your physiology rather than your emotions or out of habit.
Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Healthy food
The volunteers had to limit their calorie intake
Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers.
They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later.
The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements.
However, a dietician said the reduction could harm health unless care was taken.
To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly
Munster University researchers
There is growing interest in the potential benefits of calorie restricted diets, after research in animals suggested they might be able to improve lifespan and delay the onset of age-related disease.
However, it is still not certain whether this would be the case in humans - and the levels of "caloric restriction" involved are severe.
The precise mechanism which may deliver these benefits is still being investigated, with theories ranging from a reduction in the production of "free radical" chemicals which can cause damage, to a fall in inflammation which can have the same result.
The researchers from the University of Munster carried out the human study after results in rats suggested that memory could be boosted by a diet containing 30% fewer calories than normal.
The study volunteers, who had an average age of 60, were split into three groups - the first had a balanced diet containing the normal number of calories, the second had a similar diet but with a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil and fish.
The final group were given the calorie restricted diet.
After three months, there was no difference in memory scores in the first two groups, but the 50 in the third group performed better.
Diet warning
They also showed other signs of physical improvement, with decreased levels of insulin and fewer signs of inflammation.
The researchers said that these changes could explain the better memory scores, by keeping brain cells in better health.
They wrote: "To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly.
"The present findings may help to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for maintaining cognitive health into old age."
However, care was taken to make sure that the volunteers, despite eating a restricted diet in terms of calories, carried on eating the right amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
Dr Leigh Gibson, from Roehampton University, said that the drop in insulin levels were one plausible reason why mental performance might improve.
The hormone was known to act on parts of the brain related to memory, he said, and the higher levels found in people with poorly controlled type II diabetes had been directly linked to worse memory and cognitive function.
A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that people, particularly those already at normal or low weight, should be "extremely careful" about attempting such a diet.
She said: "There is other evidence that, far from enhancing memory, dieting or removing meals can interfere with memory and brain function.
"A drop of 30% in calories is a significant one for someone who is not overweight, and should not be undertaken lightly.
"It could even be dangerous if the person is already underweight."
End
Remember if you want to re-read an article or show a friend, it’s available on the boot camp blog 24 / 7 for your reference. http://argylebootcamp.blogspot.com/
Be a Victor and not a Victim!
Have a glorious day!
Cutting calories not only leads to fast loss and improved health, a new study shows it also boosts memory so strive to eat for your physiology rather than your emotions or out of habit.
Cutting calories 'boosts memory'
Healthy food
The volunteers had to limit their calorie intake
Reducing what you eat by nearly a third may improve memory, according to German researchers.
They introduced the diet to 50 elderly volunteers, then gave them a memory test three months later.
The study, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, found significant improvements.
However, a dietician said the reduction could harm health unless care was taken.
To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly
Munster University researchers
There is growing interest in the potential benefits of calorie restricted diets, after research in animals suggested they might be able to improve lifespan and delay the onset of age-related disease.
However, it is still not certain whether this would be the case in humans - and the levels of "caloric restriction" involved are severe.
The precise mechanism which may deliver these benefits is still being investigated, with theories ranging from a reduction in the production of "free radical" chemicals which can cause damage, to a fall in inflammation which can have the same result.
The researchers from the University of Munster carried out the human study after results in rats suggested that memory could be boosted by a diet containing 30% fewer calories than normal.
The study volunteers, who had an average age of 60, were split into three groups - the first had a balanced diet containing the normal number of calories, the second had a similar diet but with a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, such as those found in olive oil and fish.
The final group were given the calorie restricted diet.
After three months, there was no difference in memory scores in the first two groups, but the 50 in the third group performed better.
Diet warning
They also showed other signs of physical improvement, with decreased levels of insulin and fewer signs of inflammation.
The researchers said that these changes could explain the better memory scores, by keeping brain cells in better health.
They wrote: "To our knowledge, the current results provide first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly.
"The present findings may help to develop new prevention and treatment strategies for maintaining cognitive health into old age."
However, care was taken to make sure that the volunteers, despite eating a restricted diet in terms of calories, carried on eating the right amount of vitamins and other nutrients.
Dr Leigh Gibson, from Roehampton University, said that the drop in insulin levels were one plausible reason why mental performance might improve.
The hormone was known to act on parts of the brain related to memory, he said, and the higher levels found in people with poorly controlled type II diabetes had been directly linked to worse memory and cognitive function.
A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that people, particularly those already at normal or low weight, should be "extremely careful" about attempting such a diet.
She said: "There is other evidence that, far from enhancing memory, dieting or removing meals can interfere with memory and brain function.
"A drop of 30% in calories is a significant one for someone who is not overweight, and should not be undertaken lightly.
"It could even be dangerous if the person is already underweight."
End
Remember if you want to re-read an article or show a friend, it’s available on the boot camp blog 24 / 7 for your reference. http://argylebootcamp.blogspot.com/
Be a Victor and not a Victim!
Have a glorious day!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Today’s Re-Powering Information: - Today’s information is about carbs in the diet. Dr. Atkins did a great thing when he brout to the attention of Americans that we were over consuming carbs. The mistake he made is that all carbs were lumped together and the truth is that all carbs are not created equal. You want to have some of the whole grain lower glycemic carbs such as steel cut oats, quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc. We want to avoid the processed carbs found in baked goods, white breads, white pasta, cereal, etc. Below is some new research on the effects of fructose on putting fat onto our body as well as Dr. Mercola’s take on the article. Remember these are Dr. Mercola’s opinions. I happen to agree with most of what he says and he goes against most conventional medicine.
Some Carbs Turn to Fat Fast in Your Body
According to new research, people on low-carb diets lose weight in part because they get less fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly.
The study shows that the type of carbs someone eats can be as important as the amount. Although fructose is naturally found in high levels in fruit, it is also added to many processed foods, especially in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.
For the study, six healthy people performed three different tests involving drinking various mixes of glucose and fructose. Researchers found that fructose turned into body fat much more quickly, and that having it for breakfast changed how the body handled fats at lunch.
Sources:
• NBC5 July 25, 2008
• Journal of Nutrition June 2008, 138:1039-1046
How Women Can Use This Simple Fat Tweak to Improve Their Health
Find Out More
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
It’s great to find this study is bringing some attention to the dangers of fructose. So often it’s mistakenly labeled as a “healthy” form of sugar, when in reality too much fructose will pack on the pounds faster than a buffet of French fries and Krispy Cremes.
If you need to lose weight, fructose is one type of sugar you’ll want to avoid, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Actually, even if you don’t need to lose weight, you should still avoid excess fructose if you want to stay healthy.
Eating + Fructose = Fat
Part of what makes HFCS such an unhealthy product is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar.
"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose," said Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of the study in Science Daily.
“Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down," she said. “ … The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in the body."
How does this happen?
Well, most fats are formed in your liver, and when sugar enters your liver, it decides whether to store it, burn it or turn it into fat. Fructose, however, bypasses this process and turns full speed ahead into fat.
"It's basically sneaking into the rock concert through the fence," Dr. Parks told Science Daily. "It's a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride [i.e. fat] synthesis.”
Ironically, the very products that most people rely on to lose weight -- low-fat diet foods -- are often those that contain the most fructose! Even “natural” diet foods often contain fructose as a sweetener.
Fat is Not the Only Downside to Fructose
Aside from the weight gain, eating too much fructose is linked to increases in triglyceride levels. In one study, eating fructose raised triglyceride levels by 32 percent in men!
Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in your body, are not something you want in excess amounts. Intense research over the past 40 years has confirmed that elevated blood levels of triglycerides, known as hypertriglyceridemia, puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.
Meanwhile, one of the most thorough scientific analyses published to date on this topic found that fructose consumption leads to “decreased signaling to the central nervous system from 2 hormones (leptin and insulin).”
Leptin is responsible for controlling your appetite and fat storage, as well as telling your liver what to do with its stored glucose. When your body can no longer “hear” leptin’s signals, weight gain, diabetes and a host of related conditions may occur.
“The long-term consumption of diets high in … fructose is likely to lead to increased energy intake, weight gain, and obesity,” the analysis concluded. “The potential for weight gain from increased fructose consumption may only represent one aspect of its metabolic consequences.”
Are You Eating More Fructose Than You Realize?
Since the 1970s the consumption of HFCS in the United States has skyrocketed. The largest contributor is easily soda (The number one source of calories in America!), for which HFCS is the primary sweetener. But HFCS is not only in sugary drinks. It’s in the vast majority of processed foods, even those you wouldn’t think of as sweet, such as ketchup, soup, salad dressing, bread and crackers.
So even if you don’t drink soda, if you eat processed foods you’re likely consuming fructose -- and a lot of it.
Beware of HFCS Propaganda
To further complicate matters, the Corn Refiners Association recently launched a major advertising and PR campaign designed to rehabilitate HFCS’ reputation. The group is spending $20 million to $30 million on the campaign, including running full-page ads in more than a dozen major newspapers, claiming that the product is no worse for you than sugar.
This, of course, is not true.
The Corn Growers Association wants you to believe that HFCS has the "same natural sweeteners as table sugar and honey." But don’t fall for it. HFCS is highly processed and does not exist anywhere in nature.
The Safest Sweeteners Around?
Ideally I recommend that you avoid sugar, in all forms. This is especially important for people who are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
But if you’re looking for the occasional sweet treat, I recommend, in this order:
1. The herb stevia (this is the best and safest sweetener, although illegal to use according to the FDA)
2. Raw, organic honey
3. Organic cane sugar
I recommend avoiding all other types of sugar, including fructose, HFCS, and any type of artificial sweeteners. The easiest way to do this is to stop drinking soda and stop eating processed foods.
Small amounts of whole fruit, which do contain fructose, are not a problem. If you’re healthy, you can enjoy fruit in moderation according to your nutritional type.
End
Again I agree with Dr. Mercola’s comments regarding sugar. Alcohol is a sugar and like alcohol, sugar must be weaned off. Like alcohol, the more you have the more you want. When giving up sugar or alcohol you may have headaches, cravings and be grumpy initially, but then something incredible happens when you are without sugar . . . you feel great, your energy soars, you crave healthy things! Than if you have sugar when you are not used to it you feel like you are drugged b/c of the effects. – brain fog, lethargic, no energy, headache, etc.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Kelli@KelliCalabrese.com
Some Carbs Turn to Fat Fast in Your Body
According to new research, people on low-carb diets lose weight in part because they get less fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly.
The study shows that the type of carbs someone eats can be as important as the amount. Although fructose is naturally found in high levels in fruit, it is also added to many processed foods, especially in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.
For the study, six healthy people performed three different tests involving drinking various mixes of glucose and fructose. Researchers found that fructose turned into body fat much more quickly, and that having it for breakfast changed how the body handled fats at lunch.
Sources:
• NBC5 July 25, 2008
• Journal of Nutrition June 2008, 138:1039-1046
How Women Can Use This Simple Fat Tweak to Improve Their Health
Find Out More
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
It’s great to find this study is bringing some attention to the dangers of fructose. So often it’s mistakenly labeled as a “healthy” form of sugar, when in reality too much fructose will pack on the pounds faster than a buffet of French fries and Krispy Cremes.
If you need to lose weight, fructose is one type of sugar you’ll want to avoid, particularly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Actually, even if you don’t need to lose weight, you should still avoid excess fructose if you want to stay healthy.
Eating + Fructose = Fat
Part of what makes HFCS such an unhealthy product is that it is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar.
"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose," said Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of the study in Science Daily.
“Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down," she said. “ … The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in the body."
How does this happen?
Well, most fats are formed in your liver, and when sugar enters your liver, it decides whether to store it, burn it or turn it into fat. Fructose, however, bypasses this process and turns full speed ahead into fat.
"It's basically sneaking into the rock concert through the fence," Dr. Parks told Science Daily. "It's a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride [i.e. fat] synthesis.”
Ironically, the very products that most people rely on to lose weight -- low-fat diet foods -- are often those that contain the most fructose! Even “natural” diet foods often contain fructose as a sweetener.
Fat is Not the Only Downside to Fructose
Aside from the weight gain, eating too much fructose is linked to increases in triglyceride levels. In one study, eating fructose raised triglyceride levels by 32 percent in men!
Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in your body, are not something you want in excess amounts. Intense research over the past 40 years has confirmed that elevated blood levels of triglycerides, known as hypertriglyceridemia, puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.
Meanwhile, one of the most thorough scientific analyses published to date on this topic found that fructose consumption leads to “decreased signaling to the central nervous system from 2 hormones (leptin and insulin).”
Leptin is responsible for controlling your appetite and fat storage, as well as telling your liver what to do with its stored glucose. When your body can no longer “hear” leptin’s signals, weight gain, diabetes and a host of related conditions may occur.
“The long-term consumption of diets high in … fructose is likely to lead to increased energy intake, weight gain, and obesity,” the analysis concluded. “The potential for weight gain from increased fructose consumption may only represent one aspect of its metabolic consequences.”
Are You Eating More Fructose Than You Realize?
Since the 1970s the consumption of HFCS in the United States has skyrocketed. The largest contributor is easily soda (The number one source of calories in America!), for which HFCS is the primary sweetener. But HFCS is not only in sugary drinks. It’s in the vast majority of processed foods, even those you wouldn’t think of as sweet, such as ketchup, soup, salad dressing, bread and crackers.
So even if you don’t drink soda, if you eat processed foods you’re likely consuming fructose -- and a lot of it.
Beware of HFCS Propaganda
To further complicate matters, the Corn Refiners Association recently launched a major advertising and PR campaign designed to rehabilitate HFCS’ reputation. The group is spending $20 million to $30 million on the campaign, including running full-page ads in more than a dozen major newspapers, claiming that the product is no worse for you than sugar.
This, of course, is not true.
The Corn Growers Association wants you to believe that HFCS has the "same natural sweeteners as table sugar and honey." But don’t fall for it. HFCS is highly processed and does not exist anywhere in nature.
The Safest Sweeteners Around?
Ideally I recommend that you avoid sugar, in all forms. This is especially important for people who are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
But if you’re looking for the occasional sweet treat, I recommend, in this order:
1. The herb stevia (this is the best and safest sweetener, although illegal to use according to the FDA)
2. Raw, organic honey
3. Organic cane sugar
I recommend avoiding all other types of sugar, including fructose, HFCS, and any type of artificial sweeteners. The easiest way to do this is to stop drinking soda and stop eating processed foods.
Small amounts of whole fruit, which do contain fructose, are not a problem. If you’re healthy, you can enjoy fruit in moderation according to your nutritional type.
End
Again I agree with Dr. Mercola’s comments regarding sugar. Alcohol is a sugar and like alcohol, sugar must be weaned off. Like alcohol, the more you have the more you want. When giving up sugar or alcohol you may have headaches, cravings and be grumpy initially, but then something incredible happens when you are without sugar . . . you feel great, your energy soars, you crave healthy things! Than if you have sugar when you are not used to it you feel like you are drugged b/c of the effects. – brain fog, lethargic, no energy, headache, etc.
Your friend in fitness,
Kelli Calabrese
www.KelliCalabrese.com
www.ArgyleBootCamp.com
Kelli@KelliCalabrese.com
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