Monday, July 25, 2016

Too Much Sitting Will Kill You

Originally publish on HealthDay, this article tells about the dangers of too much sitting, a typical problem that office workers have, but they're not the only ones today. Road truck drivers, some factory workers, even some instructor have to spend there days in front of a computer screen and they do that sitting.

Regular exercise doesn't erase the higher risk of serious illness or premature death that comes from sitting too much each day, a new review reveals.

Combing through 47 prior studies, Canadian researchers found that prolonged daily sitting was linked to significantly higher odds of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dying.

And even if study participants exercised regularly, the accumulated evidence still showed worse health outcomes for those who sat for long periods, the researchers said. However, those who did little or no exercise faced even higher health risks.

"We found the association relatively consistent across all diseases. A pretty strong case can be made that sedentary behavior and sitting is probably linked with these diseases," said study author Aviroop Biswas, a Ph.D. candidate at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network.

"When we're standing, certain muscles in our body are working very hard to keep us upright," added Biswas, offering one theory about why sitting is detrimental. "Once we sit for a long time . . . our metabolism is not as functional, and the inactivity is associated with a lot of negative effects."

About 3.2 million people die each year because they are not active enough, according to the World Health Organization, making physical inactivity the fourth leading risk factor for mortality worldwide.

Among the studies reviewed by Biswas and his team, the definition of prolonged sitting ranged from eight hours a day to 12 hours or more. Sitting, or sedentary activities ubiquitous with sitting such as driving, using the computer or watching TV, shouldn't comprise more than four to five hours of a person's day, Biswas said, citing guidelines issued by Public Health Agency of Canada.

"We found that exercise is very good, but it's what we do across our day," he said. "Exercise is just one hour in our day, if we're diligent; we need to do something when we're not otherwise exercising, like finding excuses to move around, take the stairs, or carry groceries rather than use the [shopping cart] at the supermarket."

The biggest health hazard stemming from prolonged sitting, according to the review, was a 90 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Among studies examining cancer incidence and deaths, significant links were specifically noted between sedentary behavior and breast, colon, uterine and ovarian cancers.

One study in the review showed that fewer than eight hours of sitting time per day was associated with a 14 percent lower risk of potentially preventable hospitalization.

Dr. Joshua Septimus, a clinical associate professor of internal medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, praised the new research, saying it "gives us more data to help counsel our patients."

"The idea that we could exercise for 15 or 20 minutes a day and that could completely erase any harms of a sedentary lifestyle for the other 23 hours a day is just too hopeful," Septimus noted. "This showed us that yes, there is some benefit to physical activity . . . but it's not enough."

Biswas and his colleagues offered additional tips to reduce sedentary time, including:

Taking a one- to three-minute break every half-hour during the day to stand (which burns twice as many calories as sitting) or walk around,
Standing or exercising while watching TV,
Gradually reducing daily sitting time by 15 to 20 minutes per day, aiming for two to three fewer sedentary hours over a 12-hour day.

When you sit after a while, your metabolism will slow-down and other body functions will start to do the same thing. As your body functions slow down you become a target for disease and illness from others you come in contact with.

Think about a stand up desk that you can use part of the day. Think about taking short breaks often just to walk around the room for a few minutes. Even standing is better for your health than sitting.

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Saturday, July 23, 2016

Processed Foods Can Affect Your Health

This is a topic I preach about all the time. The dangers of processed foods and this article says it all. Take a moment to read this and then maybe you'll think twice about buying fast food.

Recently, I was meeting a friend at a park over lunch, and I noticed a really disturbing trend. Almost everyone there was opening a package or box for their lunch.

As you are probably aware, multiple concerns have been raised about processed foods, including the abundance of processed foods and the dangers they pose. In fact, a recent study performed by researchers at the University of Chapel-Hill found that more than 60 percent of the food purchased annually in America is highly processed. Is it any wonder Cancer is running ramped.

As evidence mounts linking over-consumption of these products to major health consequences, highly processed foods are becoming a concerning trend.

Some basic food processing is necessary to ensure the safety of perishable items, such as fresh meat or dairy, the concern lies with products considered to be highly processed. These are the convenience foods that dominate the center aisles of your typical grocery store and include: ready-made meals, cereal, canned goods, cookies, chips, sodas, candy, sweets and other packaged items. In addition, many types of meat and cheese products, such as bacon, sausages, hot dogs, lunch meat, and cheese slices or spreads are also considered highly processed foods. These types of foods constitute the majority of the calories consumed on a regular basis for the average American family.

Avoiding processed foods altogether may be impossible, but understanding why consuming too many may be detrimental is an important first step to improving your health.

For starters, these products typically contain increased amounts of salt, sugar, or fat—all of which are known as harmful.

Highly processed foods are also chemically treated with additives or preservatives to improve their taste, texture, or to extend shelf-life. An easy way to identify any processed food is to take a look at the label; if there is a laundry list of ingredients with unrecognizable, complicated names it is safe to say it's processed food.

Here are six ways overconsumption of processed food could be affecting your health:

Obesity

It is well known that sugar contributes to obesity, which can then lead to a host of other chronic diseases. Highly processed foods are often loaded with extra sugar, but don’t be fooled if the word “sugar” doesn’t actually appear on the label. There are as many as 50 different words used to list types of sugar added to processed foods. The most common names are corn syrup, fructose, glucose, sucrose, malt or maltose, honey, molasses, or nectar.

Known as “empty calories,” any type of sugar, including those hidden or disguised varieties, adds no nutritional value and in fact, encourages your body to consume even more calories. What’s worse is that consumption of sugar triggers the same sense of pleasure and craving within the brain comparable to those who struggle with drug addiction. This not only explains why it is so hard to resist seconds after indulging in a sweet treat but why many experience subconscious cravings for all those other highly-processed meals and snacks.

So, how much sugar consumption is too much? The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends added sugars should be limited to no more than 10 percent of daily calories. This equals about 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, which sounds pretty generous until you put into perspective that the average can of soft drink contains about 10 teaspoons alone. Most of us have to idea how much sugar and salt is in our processed foods.

The labeling is designed to confuse you. Manufacturers don't want you to know what your eating. Yes, it does tell you on the label, but the quantities are so small you think it doesn't matter. In reality, when everything you eat is processed the quantities of salt, sugar, and fats far exceed the limits your body can process so your liver turns the excess into fat and stores it.

Friday, July 22, 2016

What About GMOs?

Genetically Modified Food: What Do We Need to Know?

You need to read this article. I write every week about how we need to eat fresh and avoid processed foods, but after this article maybe we need to be growing our own.

Test tube holder with different vegetables and fruits, studio shot

I will spare you any suspense: I think genetically modified food can be good, bad, or in-between. Genetic modification is just a method, and it’s really the character of any given product that matters.

I also think it’s appropriate for information about genetically modified ingredients to be disclosed because people generally want that information—and transparency is almost always a good thing. But the power of knowing brings with it the responsibility of understanding.

If you get information about GMO (this stands for genetically modified organism) ingredients and don’t know what to make of it, it could lead in the direction of worse decisions rather than better. Let’s explore the topic accordingly.

First, you should know What Genetic Modification means and you can do your own research on that, it gets complicated so take your time.

GMO Foods

That said, the products of genetic modification need to be judged on their own, individual merits. I’ll give you two examples: corn and soy (there is no GMO wheat on the market).

Prevailing varieties of sweet corn have been genetically modified to make them tolerant of a herbicide called Roundup, made by Monsanto; and to produce their own insecticide, called Bt toxin. If you Google “GMO corn,” you will readily find arguments against it by those generally opposed to GMO food, and arguments for it. Personally, I am concerned that Roundup is bad for both people and the environment, and that modifying crops so Monsanto can use ever more of it is worrisome. I am also concerned that introducing novel proteins into foods may contribute to everything from food allergies to behavioral disorders, to irritable bowel syndrome, to gluten intolerance. These dots are very hard to connect with certainty, but such connections are plausible.

If you can find and buy locally grown, non-GMO corn, I think it’s a good idea.

Soy is another story. Soybeans are a very versatile crop, generating everything from tofu to cooking oil. That cooking oil is, historically, very high omega-6 fat, an excess of which has long been implicated in major health problems in the U.S., notably heart disease. Through genetic modification, a new variety of soybean is taking over that produces oil very rich in the monounsaturated fat, oleic acid, that predominates in olive oil; rich in omega-3 fat and low in omega-6. This is much healthier oil, and in fact- might be one of the best cooking oils there is. This is clearly a case of genetic modification working as it should, to produce better products, and better health.

The reason people are against GMO's is because they believe if you modify any food, you'll lose nutrition and then it becomes just another manufactured food.

GMO Labeling

I side with those who favor GMO labeling, but with a provision. It will be far easier for large companies with deep pockets, than smaller companies, to comply with such a requirement, and source non-GMO ingredients. But those products could well be GMO-free “junk,” just as there is low-fat junk food, low-carb junk food, and gluten-free junk food.

Smaller companies making genuinely good foods, but unable to source exclusively non-GMO ingredients, might wind up being punished—and your health could suffer, too. Some GMO products are excellent; some non-GMO products are terrible. This is why GMO labeling could lead to worse food choices as readily as better ones. It all depends on what you do with the information.

Making the Best Decision for Yourself

Here’s my brief inventory of recommendations:

GMO foods should be labeled transparently. Oppose any legislation that would prevent this.
GMO is a method, neither good nor bad, any more than an assembly line is good or bad. It depends what it is making.
GMO products can pose health risks at times, but can also help eliminate health risks. Avoid summary judgment and assess each product on its own merits. Getting unbiased information to inform such assessment is challenging, but you can find it if you look. WHO and the FDA provide some; USDA tends to have the most detailed information.
Just as foods can be organic and still be junk, foods can be non-GMO and still be junk. Don’t fall for that. Choose foods that are nutritious and wholesome to begin with, and then superimpose non-GMO if so inclined.
Shop along the “middle path.” What I mean is: don’t get caught up in the hype that GMO is bad because it deviates from nature. Every domesticated food in the modern supply was altered from some wild ancestor. But also, don’t assume that all innovation is a good thing. The law of unintended consequences certainly pertains, and any time a new food is engineered- there is some potential for new, unintended adverse effects.

I realize an “all good” or “all bad” verdict would be simpler—it would just be wrong. To make balanced and reasonable decisions about the place for GMO products in your diet, that’s really what you need to know.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Is U.S. Government Subsidizing Fattening Foods?

Study found Americans who ate the most grains, dairy, and livestock products had more health issues

Did you ever wonder why so many Americans are overweight?

I found this article in my inbox today and I knew I had to reblog this. Many of us are unaware of the foods that are causing our health problems. We assume that the foods we buy in the supermarket are safe. But the truth is that food we buy today is engineered to make money for the producers with little regard for the health of the consumer.

By Alan Mozes

HealthDay Reporter

Americans get more than half of their daily calories from seven farm foods that are subsidized by the U.S. government, but a new study suggests those subsidies may be contributing to the obesity epidemic.

The problem, according to the researchers: The biggest consumers of such food products are also much more likely to be obese, and to struggle with high cholesterol, high inflammation levels or high blood sugar. The foods include grains, dairy and livestock products.

I want to inject a sentence here to clarify the word "grains". I like the whole grains that are available in food products, but today too many consumers are still buying food that contains enriched grains (mostly wheat), enriched or processed wheat is just as bad for blood sugar levels as pure sugar and should be avoided, but whole grains like barley and oats can be found in several breads, biscuits, pizza crusts, pita breads, crackers, and other foods and can be found in your supermarkets.

"We know that eating too many of these foods can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. However, we still didn't expect to see such strong results when looking directly at the association between the consumption of subsidized foods and health," said Edward Gregg, chief of the epidemiology and statistics branch in the division of diabetes translation with the U.S. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

The researchers focused on seven leading commodities covered in the 1973, U.S. Farm Bill. Under that law, producers receive direct financial support from the federal government to grow or raise farm products that include corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, dairy and livestock.

The goal is to ensure "a plentiful supply of food at reasonable prices," given that domestic food production accounts for 80 percent of the food that Americans eat, Gregg explained.

The researchers noted that such subsidies amounted to $170 billion between 1995 and 2010.

Unfortunately, much of this food ends up being processed into nutritionally questionable products, including high-calorie sugary sodas and juices (sweetened with corn syrup), high-calorie packaged foods, high-fat meats and high-fat dairy products, the study authors said. In contrast, fruits and vegetables have historically been excluded from such subsidies, given their "perishable nature and shorter shelf-life," Gregg said.

More than 10,000 American adult men and women offered researchers a breakdown of their food intake in the 24 hours prior to being polled. While smoking histories, exercise habits or socioeconomic backgrounds were not assessed, obesity risk was, along with the risk for high abdominal fat, high overall inflammation levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar levels.

The majority of food (56 percent) respondents consumed came from among the seven subsidized food products. And those who consumed the most subsidized food fared the worst, the study findings showed.

For example, the investigators found that people who consumed the most of these food products were 37 percent more likely to be obese, 41 percent more likely to have belly fat, 34 percent more likely to struggle with inflammation, 14 percent more likely to have high levels of "bad" cholesterol and 21 percent more likely to have high blood sugar levels.

Still, Gregg noted that obesity "is a complex public health problem" and that simply consuming more subsidized foods does not make obesity -- or any other health problems -- inevitable. More research is needed to assess how changes to the current subsidy program might affect such health risks, he suggested.

Lona Sandon, program director of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, expressed little surprise with the findings.

"We know that people who eat a higher percentage of fruits and vegetables, and less high-fat, less high-starch, less high-sugar foods, tend to have lower body weights," she said. "But our eating culture is about an animal-based diet. Meat and dairy," Sandon said. "So while the subsidy situation is complicated, and there are no easier answers, it does likely play into the fact that people just don't eat enough fruits and vegetables," Sandon added. "It's kind of a no-brainer."

I write almost every day about eat fresh and why we should lose body fat and this article spells out the dangers we face eating a typical American diet. Consumers have to wake up and start to pay attention to what they eat and what they buy. It all starts with what you buy at the supermarket.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Which is the Best Diet?

As new research comes out, the age-old debate over the best diet for weight loss keeps evolving. Is it a low-fat diet, a low-carb diet, the Military Diet, paleo, gluten-free, or something else?

The answer really boils down to you. Ultimately, all of these diets are just fancy ways of cutting calories so that you eat less than you burn. That's the only way you'll lose weight.

Before you decide, explore your choices. Make sure the diet you choose isn't bad for you, ask yourself these important questions, and talk to your doctor or another licensed health professional to help you make the right decision.

Many diet plans make promises that weight loss is easy, that you can eat anything that you want and that you'll see quick results. The claims can be both tempting and confusing. So, how do you sort through the plans to find the best diet plan for you? Ask yourself these questions before investing any time or money in a weight loss plan plan.

What is my budget? Before you begin shopping for the best weight loss plan, decide if you have money to invest. Then, based on that budget, investigate as many diet plans and products as possible. Be sure to evaluate all costs that might be involved. This includes the cost of the food, support services, reference materials and exercise classes.

Keep in mind that the cost of a diet program is not necessarily a predictor of the plan's success. Just because you pay to lose weight doesn't mean that the weight will necessarily disappear. However, there is some evidence that suggests commercial weight loss plans are more successful than trying to lose weight on your own. Research in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that dieters who followed a structured commercial plan lost slightly more weight than those who followed a self-help plan.

But if you don't have money to spend on a commercial diet, don't worry. There are some great online weight loss programs that are cheap or even free. These apps, online workouts and virtual coaching services are perfect if you are a do-it-yourself type who prefers to be independent and create your own weight loss program. The best program for you is the one you can stick to. This is more than a diet it's a life long meal plan you can stick to so be carefully. Don't give up because because you didn't pick well, most people don't. You'll gain knowledge and do better next time.

I chose the Mediterranean diet that the people of the Mediterranean region have had for centuries. You'll find it on the internet for free. I chose it because the food chooses are numerous, more than any other plan I looked at and it's a proven plan with thousands of years of proven results.

One of the reasons that many diets fail is that busy schedules get in the way of good eating-habits. It's hard to pass by a fast-food restaurant after working a 10-hour day. But if you know that a healthy meal is waiting at home, making a good choice might be easier.

If your serious about succeeding this time, you want to prepare your own meals. You can't trust pre-made food, you don't know what in it. You can't trust food labels. The pre-made diet meals are usually very small and the plan is to starve you and you'll lose weight. You can't lose weight by starving. This is the biggest mistake that even the commercial plans get wrong. All the designer plans want to cut your calories by giving less food. If you eat less, you'll lose weight. But the idea doesn't work very long because you can't keep restricting your food intake. That leading to bingeing and then you develop a more serious problem.

The trick is to change the food your eating so you eat less calories, not less food. You don't want to be hungry. Eat fresh and eat clean and you can eat all you need to stay full.

In the process of choosing the right diet for you, try to ignore the claims and advertisements. Focus on your own physical, emotional and lifestyle considerations to find a plan that helps you reach your weight loss goal.

Eating fresh means no packaged foods, no frozen foods, no processed foods, no frankenfood, You want food that gives you the most nutrition in every meal. Also eat more seafood. You can find websites like seafoodedf.org which will tell you which seafoods are low in mercury. Another tip is to drink more water and avoid drinks with calories. Also eat less red meat; Americans eat too much red meat and tube meat; it contain animal fat and it will add inches to your waist line.

Losing body fat should be your goal. Read up on weight loss and losing body fat. It doesn’t cost money to lose weight. The internet is full of free information.

But the quickest way and cheapest way is to buy an ebook online and get everything you need in one short read. I have two ebooks on Amazon:

How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight

Getting To A Healthy Weight

Check out one of them, I think you can find all the info you need and plenty of tips on how I lost my body fat.

Look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find these e-books. These books give you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my books at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com,

iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Can Animal Fat Shorten Your Life?

Study Cites the Fats That Could Shorten Your Life

High levels of animal-based saturated fats were tied to earlier death, unsaturated fats seem healthier

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

I like this author, he always has something interesting to write about. I am a believer that we should avoid red meat as much as possible. This post is a good explanation of why we should.

(HealthDay News) -- Hold the butter, margarine, and high-fat dairy: A new study supports the notion that these "saturated" fats are bad for you.

The study, which followed more than 126,000 people for three decades, found that people who ate higher amounts of saturated fats and trans fats died earlier than those who stuck to healthier unsaturated fats.

Unsaturated fats include plant-based, unprocessed fats such as those found in olive, canola or soybean oil, the study authors explained.

"It is important to analyze what you're eating -- are they hydrogenated fats coupled with refined carbohydrates [for example, white bread] or are they unsaturated from plant sources?"

During the follow-up visits with the group, more than 33,300 of the participants died. Researchers reported that eating more saturated fat and trans fat was associated with a higher risk of death during the study.

For example, for every 2 percent rise in trans fat intake, there was a 16 percent higher odds of dying during the study period, the researchers found.

Trans fats are an especially unhealthy form of dietary fat that are gradually being phased out of the American food supply, the study authors noted.

Likewise, every 5 percent increase in saturated fat intake was tied to an 8 percent rise in risk of dying during the study period, the findings.

But the opposite was true with plant-based unsaturated fats. In that case, eating high amounts of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats was linked to an 11 percent to 19 percent reduction in death risk during the study period.

Polyunsaturated fats include the omega-6 fatty acids found in most plant-based oils and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and soy and canola oils, Hu's team noted. High intakes of both types of fats seemed tied to longer lifespans, the researchers said.

Shifting your diet from saturated to unsaturated fats might have real health benefits, the study suggested. The investigators found that replacing just 5 percent of calories from saturated fats with equivalent calories from polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat was associated with a 27 percent and 13 percent reduced risk of death, respectively, during the study period.

"Essential fatty acids are found in most foods in their natural state, such as cold water fish, nuts, seeds, hemp, and avocados," she explained. "The saturated sources are usually processed, including fractioned oils, hydrogenated oils, margarine, butter, animal fats and high-fat dairy products."

Mary Grace Webb is assistant director of clinical nutrition at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens hospital. She agreed that the new data "reinforces the need for consumers to include healthier unprocessed plant-based fats in their diets, which are naturally trans- and saturated fat-free. These fats include some oils, nuts and nut butters, and seeds."

In addition, "eating a more plant-based diet with less meat and more alternative protein sources -- such as fish, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy foods -- can also reduce levels of unhealthy fats," Webb said.

And healthy eating doesn't mean having to skimp on flavor, she said.

"I love low-fat Greek yogurt topped with raisins and nuts, white balsamic vinegar with extra-virgin olive oil on my salads, and every day I start with crunchy natural peanut butter on whole grain toast with sliced banana," Webb said.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Advice From Fitness and Movement Expert and Exercise Physiologist Teresa Tapp

I had to reblog this post I found on VeryWell.com.

After working in the fashion industry for over 18 years, as well as with regular women from all over the world for decades, I know that "yes you can" help your body eliminate excess water retention regardless of age, shape or size. Although I have several tips, my primary two are: (1) movement to maximize lymphatic flow and (2) intake of what I consider the perfect plant protein, alfalfa.

From my experience, excess consumption of simple carbohydrates -- for example pasta, bread, sugar, and alcohol) can increase inflammation, as well as increase fluid retention. For every gram of carbohydrate you consume, your body retains approximately 3 grams of fluid. Protein and increasing lymphatic circulation can help your body eliminate that excess fluid.

Although alfalfa looks like grass, it is actually a legume known for containing high concentrations of vitamins and minerals, as well as protein. Just make sure to check the quality of the product and only consume organic alfalfa leaf -- no sprouts, stems or seeds.

In my opinion, regular intake of alfalfa, along with doing a couple minutes of lymphatic pumping movements -- like T-Tapp Hoe Downs or T-Tapp Butterflies can immediately impact your body's ability to eliminate excess fluid and inflammation. Just be prepared for extra trips to the bathroom!

Rebounding works well too, but once you know how to do Hoe Downs and Butterflies, you are free to pump away puffiness and bloat anytime and anywhere. It's my personal secret to enjoying dessert and wine without the worry of bloat.

You can search the internet for examples of T-Tapp.