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Your Diet Questions Answered

September 6, 2011 in General Health & Wellness

Q: My dietitian advised me to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, so at the end of the day, does it really matter which types of foods I eat?

A: We are often told that weight loss is all about simple math – eat less than you burn. But, a shrinking waist may involve more than the old-school thinking of calories in versus calories out. Given that nowhere in the equation does it mention which foods to cut, it makes sense not to pay much heed to the calorie source, but this could cost you some flab! The quality of food matters, not just the quantity. For example, protein gives you the most bang for your calorie, if you will, by reducing appetite more than fat and carbs. Similarly, a 100 calorie high-fiber food is better at nipping hunger in the bud than a 100 calorie low-fiber food. Fatty and sugary foods do not keep us full for very long, and may carry an addiction potential equivalent to nicotine. Calories do count, but don’t count on them behaving equally in the body. And by the same token, just because a food is nutritious doesn’t mean that calories don’t count.

Q: What is better for weight loss: cut calories or exercise more?

A: At least in the short term, consuming fewer calories is more effective than putting more hours at the gym. However, if you want to keep the weight off, exercise must be part of your routine. Studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term engage in regular physical activity as opposed to crash dieters who are notorious for gaining the weight back quickly.

Q: Does apple cider vinegar really burn fat?

A: There is no concrete evidence that apple cider vinegar (in pill form or its liquid counterpart used on salads) can boost metabolism or break down fat. Reserve apple cider vinegar for culinary purposes, not to lose weight, since using more than what is deemed appropriate for kitchen use can weaken tooth enamel, burn the throat and stomach, interact with many medications, and lower potassium and bone density.

Q: Is there any merit to the blood type diet?

A: The blood type diet, a weight-loss plan based around whether your blood is an A, B, AB, or O, lacks credible evidence. It may be a bit pretentious to claim that blood type can dictate your food choices or have a reliable impact on your ability to melt away fat. With so many shortfalls, this diet fails to provide a reasonable explanation why two people with the same blood type can have radically different metabolisms. So, you can shuck this diet off as another gimmick, as it is no better than any other diet out there that purports healthier eating.

Q: I heard that I should refrain from eating immediately after working out. Is this true?

A: It’s counterproductive to fitness to deprive your body of food after training. But that doesn’t mean that doing an extra challenging cardio class gives you a free license to eat whatever you want. You don’t need to eat a big meal, but have something within an hour of working out. Known as the golden hour, you will optimize your fat-burning machinery if you take advantage of this period by grabbing a snack with a balance of protein, healthy fat and the right kind of carbs. If you wait too long to have a bite to eat, you run the risk of wanting to devour everything in sight and making exercise-induced hunger even worse.

Q: I need to lose 10 kilos, so I bought a bottle of MetaSlim diet pills. My friend told me that they are natural and safe to take. Is this true?

A: Natural does not equal safe. With similar cardiovascular side effects to the now banned ephedra, bitter orange (citrus aurantium) contains the stimulant synephrine, which can be found in many so-called ‘natural’ diet pills, such as MetaSlim. No less dangerous than its chemical cousin ephedra, bitter orange can cause palpitations, high blood pressure and even heart attacks. Many herbal weight-loss products on the market today slap on the words “ephedra-free” – to signify some sort of stamp of approval for safety – which you shouldn’t buy into, as it only means that ephedra was substituted with the equally unsafe bitter orange.

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You Feel What You Eat

February 20, 2011 in General Health & Wellness, Mental Health, Vitamins & Herbals

The rat race of everyday life may cause the blues every now and then. Don’t look to your plate to cure your melancholy, but research shows that your nutritional status can affect your mental wellbeing.

1. Feel good with healthy grub

Stopping short of saying junk food causes depression, it is in your mood’s best interest to stay away from the fast food joints. A poor diet full of greasy, processed, refined, fatty foods may increase your vulnerability to depression by as much as 58 percent, according to a recent UK study. Not to mention, excess weight can lead to low self-esteem and depression, so stock up on plenty of whole foods, produce and fish to lower your risk of becoming depressed.

2. Pick yourself up with antioxidants

You can’t completely stop free-radicals from forming, but antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, will fight back against their damaging effects. Replenish your mental energy with these must-eat super foods: blueberries, broccoli, oranges, spinach, beans, carrots, tomatoes and walnuts, just to name a few.

3. Clear your mind with proteins

Protein-rich foods like turkey, canned tuna, fish, eggs, chicken and beans are loaded with tyrosine and tryptophan, which are amino acids needed to form mood-regulating brain chemicals (norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine). In fact, prescription antidepressants work by improving the availability of these mood hormones to the brain.

4. Get your fix of mood-boosting B’s

Vitamin B deficiencies, more widespread than thought, can lead to irritability, depression and anxiety. Vitamin B is essential to keeping our nervous system in tiptop shape. Specifically, low levels of folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 have been linked to depressive symptoms. If you want to get your B’s through supplements, your best bet is to take them as a complex, so each individual B vitamin can optimally do its job.

5. Lift your spirits with sunshine vitamin D

Who says that a little bit of sun won’t cheer you up? Vitamin D increases levels of your happy brain hormone serotonin. Researchers found that people who were suffering from depression, particularly those with seasonal affective disorder, tended to get better as their levels of vitamin D improved.

6. Don’t worry, be happy with selenium

Studies have shown that low selenium intake is associated with poorer moods. It’s hard to get too much selenium from your diet, but watch out for supplements as it is easy to go overboard and reach toxic levels if too much is taken. Excellent sources of selenium include nuts and seeds (especially brazil nuts), seafood, lean meats and whole grains.

7. See a ray of hope with omega 3’s

Interestingly, research shows that societies which ate a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids had higher rates of depression than those who had an ample amount.  You are also more likely to suffer from depression if you shun fish (excellent source of omega 3’s). If fish is not your forte, non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseeds, nuts, eggs and dark green leafy vegetables.

8. Cheer up with chromium

People with atypical depression (a misnomer as more outpatients suffer from it than other forms of depression) tend to overeat and have an irresistible craving for carbohydrates. Chromium may tame unhealthy cravings and stabilize mood. Foods high in chromium include whole grains, liver, mushrooms, sweet potato, apples, corn and onions.

9. Makeover your mood with magnesium

Studies show that there is a definite relationship between magnesium deficiency and depression. The Western diet, which is characterized by a high consumption of red meat, sugary desserts, high-fat foods and refined grains, is a major reason why it is relatively common to be low in magnesium. Excess calcium, stress, nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and excess sugar depletes magnesium, so it is no wonder why seven out of ten people are reported as having an inadequate intake of this important mineral.

The last thing anybody needs is to have their diet contribute to their bad mood. Even though healthy eating will not cure depression, getting the right balance of nutrients may lead to a more emotionally balanced you.

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Chocolate: Cure or Comfort?

January 27, 2011 in General Health & Wellness

It’s hard to keep tabs on all of chocolate’s professed health benefits. But are any of them true, or just hype to melt away the guilt when indulging in this ultimate feel-good food?

Myth #1: Chocolate beats depression.

Nobody can argue with the saying that chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don’t need an appointment. Let’s be honest here, who doesn’t reach out for that candy bar when feeling down. While it is true that cocoa is known for being a powerhouse of ‘feel-good’ hormones, there is no evidence that chocolate has a sustained effect on improving mood. Also, how can one explain that when chocoholics were given cocoa in capsules – without the fat and sugary goodness and without the sensation of chocolate melting in their mouth – it had no satisfying effect at all? A surprising turnaround, the latest studies have even pointed the finger at chocolate as a possible trigger for depression, after researchers discovered that people who ate chocolate regularly were more depressed than those who only enjoyed it occasionally. Clearly, the jury is still out on whether this beloved confection can make or break your mood!

Myth #2: Chocolate reduces stress.

Gather a few people, feed them chocolate, and test their stress level afterwards, and you too can make erroneous claims that chocolate cuts down tension. Just because one measly study reported a lowering of stress hormones after chocolate consumption does in no way imply that chocolate is a good stress reliever. Besides, think about how much more stressed you will be after gaining a few pounds from bingeing on chocolate? Nothing is wrong with cozying up to your favorite comfort food after a long day’s work, but these studies may be interpreted wrongly, especially by greedy chocolate makers who would love to bank on them. It is a good thing that there are governmental agencies overseeing our food, so that food companies are prevented from marketing false health claims. Advocating the use of chocolate to ease stress will only fuel emotional eating disorders and there are much more effective ways to handle life’s challenges with chocolate not being one of them!

Myth #3: Chocolate protects against heart disease.

Dubbing chocolate as a wonder food in a backdrop of soaring obesity and diabetes rates is reckless propaganda and satisfies just one agenda – the chocolate industry. Although dark chocolate has been shown to slightly lower blood pressure, the British Heart Foundation warns that chocolate is a treat, not treatment. A Hershey’s bar will not fend off heart disease, so stick with the proven techniques, such as exercising regularly, not smoking, watching your cholesterol intake and eating a nutrient-dense diet.

It is important to know that all of the studies use dark chocolate with a minimum content of at least 70 percent of cacao solids, which is unlike your ordinary chocolate that most people pick up from the grocery store. The bitterness of the chocolate comes from the flavanols (the good stuff), so if the chocolate is not bitter, you can kiss any health benefits goodbye. But, truthfully speaking, how many of us would grab the bitter chocolate over the sweet when the sugar craving hits? The processed varieties that contain the unhealthy ingredients (hydrogenated oils, milk fat, corn syrup, and so on) are in such demand that chocolate makers go to great lengths to remove the bitterness from the natural cacao beans.

It is unarguable that the healthful traits of cacao make it unique, but whether the slew of “studies” gives chocolate any health bragging rights is highly doubtful. Interestingly enough, Cadbury puts a health message logo on its chocolate products advising consumers to “be treatwise” (an indirect warning that too much chocolate can lead to obesity so as to protect them from lawsuits). In addition, the European Food Safety Authority shot down chocolate’s health claims, thereby shattering the hopes of the chocolate industry to advertise the alleged health benefits.

As with anything sweet, moderation is the key. Fruits and vegetables can do the trick in providing a healthy dose of antioxidants, and unlike chocolate, you can even eat as much as you want! Let’s leave chocolate to the connoisseurs and chocolate lovers alike who revel in its divine taste, not for prescriptions, since who really needs an excuse to eat this sinful delight?

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Lend a Helping Hand

January 20, 2011 in General Health & Wellness

Want to be healthier? Try volunteering! Doing good work gives you much more than you’d think. Aside from the obvious, that altruism makes a person feel good inside, researchers found that volunteering boosts energy, lowers vulnerability to heart disease, reduces risk of depression, improves sleep, strengthens immunity and may even prolong life. To top it all off, helping others allows you to do something that you would never think of, creates a sense of purpose, and can teach you invaluable life-changing lessons. The next time you are down and need a pick-me-up, consider giving back to your community. As if the multitude of health benefits isn’t enough, the power of donating your support, ideas, effort and time may even unleash talents that you never knew you had.

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Top 9 Sexy Foods

November 23, 2010 in General Health & Wellness

Rev up your sensuality this winter by cozying up to these passionate foods.

Aphrodisiacs are centuries-old substances that supposedly incite romance and lust. Mostly old wives’ tales, modern day science has not substantiated the beliefs that particular foods help increase sexual desire. But who says that we can’t put these foods to the test?

1. Dark Chocolate Does this highly revered candy make people ‘go gaga’ over each other? It turns out that cacao contains a host of feel-good chemicals, such as anandamide, phenylethylamine, and tryptophan which promote a sense of well-being, relaxation, euphoria and pleasure. But don’t go overboard to avoid packing on the pounds.

2. Arugula (Rocket) The peppery taste of this delicate green will surely stir up your palate, but it may also spice up your love life too. Arugula carries an age-old history to promote good sexual health. Rich in anti-oxidants, arugula may help block some of the environmental contaminants that negatively impact libido.

3. Coffee This pick-me-up beverage may offer more than just alertness. There have been studies that say coffee can increase sex drive by stimulating part of the brain regulating arousal. Limit your intake to no more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day, as the caffeine content may cause you to become irritable or have trouble sleeping.

4. Honey The product of queen bees, sticky and sweet honey may help put you in the mood. Honey is a great source of boron, a trace mineral that is needed to make estrogen and testosterone, which are the hormones responsible for promoting sex drive.

5. Almonds Since civilization first rooted, almonds have been regarded as symbols of fertility. Just the smell is said to stir up passion in women. Almonds are a prime source of vitamin E, which is touted as the “sex vitamin”, and may offer a nutritious way to get your juices flowing.

6. Ginger One of the oldest spices in the world, ginger root has traditionally been considered an aphrodisiac, due to its ability to promote good blood flow. The tongue-tingling, exotic Far-East flavors of ginger may be just what you need to tickle your fancy.

7.  Garlic Stinky breath may not be the sexiest way to start a romantic evening, but this pungent bulb may improve circulation in all the right places. Garlic’s ability to excite food flavors may also bring out the sexy in you.

8.  Anise This licorice-tasting herb is believed in many cultures to increase sexual desire. Anise contains an estrogen-like substance, which may help turn your sex drive up a notch.

9.  Hot chili peppers Eating peppers creates the same physiological response as sex, such as sweating, increased heart rate and blood flow. This aroused reaction is due to a chemical called capsaicin, which is also a good pain reliever. Feel the heat and watch the sparks fly!

You may not find a female version of Viagra in your fridge, but there’s no harm experimenting with these foods to see if your love engine gets refueled.

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Sip Away Your Colds

November 16, 2010 in General Health & Wellness

A hot beverage may be just what the doctor ordered after a new study by Cardiff University purports that drinking hot liquids may help reduce the symptoms of colds and flu. With antibiotic overuse becoming a serious global health problem, think twice before running to the nearest pharmacy in order to self-medicate a sore throat or cough with antibiotics or pressuring your doctor to prescribe one, since they will not help. Antibiotics do absolutely nothing for viruses, which are the bad guys that cause colds, flu and most coughs and sore throats – your best bet in fighting these sicknesses is to give yourself time to recover. Let’s keep antibiotics working by reserving them when we really need them, so say yes to hot fluids and no to antibiotics the next time you catch a cold or flu.

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The Forever Young Pill?

October 30, 2010 in Beauty & Skin, General Health & Wellness

The anti-aging industry is scattering to find that secret formula that will help preserve youthfulness, but does the ‘fountain of youth’ DHEA supplement live up to its hype?

 

Aging may be inevitable, but how fast we grow old may be more in our hands. The “you look good for your age” compliment attests to the fact that taking care of yourself helps keep the body looking and operating at its finest. But your DNA blueprint is also important – if your parents or grandparents lived to a ripe old age, you have a better shot, provided you don’t abuse your body.

There is no doubt that genes and environment are essential players in the aging process, but how do we age? There are many aging theories ranging from the free-radical theory which hypothesizes that aging happens when free-radicals destroy healthy cells to hormonal ones which claim that a decline in various hormones causes the body not to perform in tip-top shape.

DHEA is one such hormone that diminishes with age, so proponents of DHEA assert that replenishing this youth exuberant hormone will reverse bodily aging by increasing muscle mass, increasing bone mass, boosting vitality and more. It sounds good in theory, but does it actually work? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed no convincing evidence that DHEA is an effective anti-aging supplement, so people are strongly urged not to use these pills for this purpose. Furthermore, long-term adverse affects of DHEA are unknown. Since DHEA is converted to estrogen in the body, there is a concern that it can increase the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer, especially at higher doses.

 

Even though DHEA supplements have been debunked as an anti-aging remedy, new products are on the horizon as the search for eternal youth will never cease to continue. Until the scientific world succeeds in discovering that super pill which will ‘turn back the clock’, your best weapon against aging is healthy living and preventative care, so here are some tips to help you age gracefully:

  • Be health vigilant – we are lucky that we live in a time of state-of-the art biomedical technologies that will help detect diseases early, so don’t forget your pap-smear, mammograms, and blood tests.
  • Do not light up (ever notice the leathery complexion of some heavy smokers?).
  • Avoid excess sun exposure and wear sunscreen even in the winter (the sun is a potent skin ager!).
  • Work your muscles – including your brain – by participating in sports, hobbies, social events and mentally challenging activities.
  • Avoid high-glycemic foods because oxidative stress (production of free radicals) can be controlled by stabilizing blood sugar. Sticking with nutrient dense food rich in anti-oxidants, healthy fats, and lean proteins is your best anti-aging diet strategy.
  • Boost growth hormone (also declines as we age) naturally by doing surge-style resistance training daily and getting your eight hours of sleep each night.
  • Learn how to deal with ongoing stress in a positive way as chronic stressors will eventually take a toll on your body, whether it is now or later.
  • If you do have a chronic disease, such as diabetes, keep it under control by adhering to your medications, sticking to your doctor appointments and making positive lifestyle choices.

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Broccoli: A Breast Cancer Superfood

October 23, 2010 in General Health & Wellness

These miniature tree-looking veggies reign supreme when it comes to nutrition, but can broccoli help fight breast cancer?

It turns out that there was a reason why our moms forced us to eat our broccoli. This not-so-popular with kids vegetable is loaded with so many vitamins that scientists eyed it as a potential anti-cancer food. A recent study confirmed their suspicions showing that broccoli does have cancer-fighting properties. This revelation was found when researchers injected breast cancer tissues with broccoli extract and found a lowering of cancer stem cells. Researchers pinpointed this anti-cancer effect of broccoli to a naturally-occurring compound called sulforaphane, a potent gobbler of carcinogenic agents.

This does not mean that broccoli can prevent or treat breast cancer, because the broccoli extract was not studied in real live people, only cells in a lab. The study also used broccoli extract which contains a higher dose of sulforaphane than what can be obtained by eating broccoli. Even though broccoli extract pills do exist on the market, offering a higher content of the anti-cancer sulforaphane, they are not recommended as they have not been studied for safety. In addition, sulforaphane concentrations in the extract are unregulated so you may not get what you think you are getting. By the same token, high ingestion of sulforphane is toxic, so it is best to just stick to eating broccoli and avoid these supplements altogether until a consensus is made.

While it may be too early to say ‘broccoli a day can keep breast cancer away,’ a daily hefty serving of broccoli may be a good idea. Unfortunately, it is not known how much broccoli a person needs to consume to get any anti-cancer effect. However, it is known that overcooking broccoli will harm its beneficial components. So if you cannot eat these cruciferous vegetables raw, then steam them lightly for three to four minutes to preserve their goodness. If you cook the broccoli to the point that you lost most of its crunch, then a good amount of the anti-cancer compound may have been lost too.

Be aware that no diet or food can prevent you from getting breast cancer, but some foods can make your body the healthiest it can be. Broccoli is so versatile that it can be paired with about anything or just eaten on its own, such as in salads or as a snack, so stock up your fridge with this mighty green to enjoy its full health benefits.

Cancer-Fighting Foods

  1. Flaxseed
  2. Garlic
  3. Beans
  4. Berries – blueberries, acai berries, raspberries, cranberries
  5. Grapes
  6. Tomatoes
  7. Cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower
  8. Green tea (decaf)
  9. Sweet & Hot peppers
  10. Soy
  11. Dark green leafy vegetables – arugula, kale, spinach

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Thinking about quitting, dangers of high salt & more

October 16, 2010 in General Health & Wellness, Latest Health News

Calling all salt lovers

If you consume a lot of salt, you may want to cut back. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, high salt intake is associated with a higher risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. The salt shaker is not the real problem – it is the food we buy at the grocery store. Stick with fresh foods prepared at home, as anything processed or canned, and even restaurant food, is likely to be smothered in sodium.

Thinking about quitting?

Most smokers try to quit 6-9 times in their lives, attesting to the difficulty of this task. Fortunately, there are prescription medications that can increase your chances of achieving a smoke-free life. From nicotine patches and gums to non-nicotine anti-smoking pills, like Chantix and Bupropion, you don’t have to face the quitting process alone. Keep in mind that that the first few weeks can be the toughest, use exercise to reduce cravings, and ask your doctor about different smoking cessation options.

FDA says “no” to weight loss drug

Hopes that Qnexa would have been the first prescription drug, in more than a decade, to treat obesity were shattered when the Food and Drug Administration rejected its entry into the market. Citing safety reasons, FDA could not justify the widespread use of Qnexa. Although disappointing news for the millions of people around the world battling obesity, it is a blessing in disguise that this potentially dangerous drug was stopped in its tracks before reaching the masses of people who are desperately wanting to lose weight.

Move of the month

Hail to a strong back!

With the race to achieve buns of steel and tight abs, it is easy to forget about our backs. A strong back is key to building a strong core, so make sure to include this back sculpting move in your exercise routine. Lean abs and hips on a stability ball, and keep chest lifted, while holding 3-pound weights in each hand. Rest soles of feet against a wall for support, and extend arms by ears. Pump arms up and down a few inches, while keeping neck in line with spine. Work up to three sets of 10 to 20 reps.

Light device to help winter blues

People who experience a serious mood change during the winter months may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Symptoms of SAD are similar to classic depression, with the difference that they are dictated by the season. Most cases occur in the winter, with a small percentage in the spring or summer. Experts believe that the causes of SAD are a combination of shortened daylight and genetic vulnerability. Treatment of SAD includes light therapy (a light box that mimics natural sunlight), anti-depressants, and psychotherapy. Check out these “mood-lifting” lights at zadrohs.com.

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Will you live to be 100?

October 10, 2010 in General Health & Wellness

The days of turning to astrology or fortune-telling to find out if you are going to live a long life may be over.

Scientists discovered as many as 150 gene variations which can predict, with 77 percent accuracy, a person’s chance of reaching centenarian-hood. However, inheriting the “cream of the crop” longevity gene does not mean that you can forgo healthy living. Hitting the DNA jackpot is not enough – lifestyle habits, dietary choices, activity level, environment, and plain ole’ good luck will always be factored into the lifespan equation. And don’t forget to exercise your brain too by mentally challenging yourself and maintain a strong sense of purpose, as these nuggets of wisdom may help tip the odds of making it to those golden years in your favor.

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