Boiling Shrimp May Stop Shellfish Allergy

March 9th, 2010

Researchers estimate 1 in 50 people living in the United States have an allergy to shrimp and other shellfish.

Tropomyosin a chemical found in shellfish is responsible for the allergic reaction.

But writing in the Journal of Food Science, scientists found boiling shrimp for 10 minutes may lower allergy triggers in shrimp and reduce allergic reactions in people.

Experts say this discovery will help diagnose shrimp allergies, especially among populations consuming a lot of shellfish.

Too bad shrimp sushi is so awesome!

Via Food Navigator.

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Healthy Diet Makes it Easier to Think

March 8th, 2010

FVIt’s impossible to eat too healthfully. A good diet will help you lose weight, stay fit, and feel great. Can’t argue with that!

But eating a healthy diet might also improve how well you think.

Published in the journal Hypertension, researchers found people who eat right had better cognitive function.

For the study, scientists followed 124 men and women with high blood pressure, age 52, and a minimum of 15 pounds overweight.

Depending on their grouping, individuals were either instructed to continue eating as they normally do or switch to a healthy diet.

And when given tests to assess mental function – in this case crossing off specific digits on a piece of paper as quickly as possible – individuals on a healthy diet did 30% better than individuals on a normal diet.

Regular exercise also contributed to the group’s success.

Researchers add that the diet and exercise groups lost an average of 19 pounds and lowered their blood pressure.

Via HealthDay News.

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Is Your Diet Plan Something You Can Follow for the Long Term?

March 7th, 2010

weight lifting programMost people want to follow a diet plan at some point so that they can lose weight and become their ideal weight, but most of them don’t work for the long-term. Why? Because most people don’t change their lifestyles; instead, they follow a “diet” for the short term, in hopes of losing weight. It almost never works, because it doesn’t translate into lifelong commitment. To find something that really works for you, you’ll need to be able to do “forever.” While a new diet plan can be exciting to start, if it’s not something you like and can stay with over the long term, that excitement is going to fade really quickly.

Here are five things you should look for in your diet plan so that you know it’s going to work for you.

1. You Really Enjoy It – Any good and long lasting diet plan is going to have healthy foods included — but you’re going to love them. If you’re excited about the food you get to eat and you’re satisfied with the amounts, this is probably something that’s going to stick around for a long, long time.

Don’t go for “fad” diets that are impossible to follow for long, in that you have to force yourself to follow it and don’t enjoy doing so. You can’t consistently be depriving yourself and expect to stay on track. You either need to change your own tastes, so that you like the foods on the diet, or you need to find a plan that incorporates those with you already like (easiest way).

2. The Main Environment You’re in Supports Your Choices – If you live in an environment that supports your food choices and your diet, it’s a lot easier to stay on it and not stray. For example, if you’ve decided to become a vegetarian, it’s going to be difficult (though certainly possible) to remain focused on excluding meat from your diet; at the very least, those people should be supportive of the fact that you are vegetarian and not constantly tempt you with meat.

If the others in your house don’t follow your eating plan and further, if they like to “junk it up” with junk foods, you’re much more likely to break with your plan. Creating a support network for yourself is going to make it easier to stay on your eating plan even if everyone around you doesn’t eat as you do.

3. You Find Your Diet Rewarding – People are creatures who like to be rewarded, and you’ll need to see regular benefits from your diet if you want to be able to continue without much struggle.

Of course, one possible benefit from this is losing weight, but you’ll also have to be truly enjoying your diet at the same time. It’s going to have to make you feel better or give you more energy, for example, so that you remain motivated to stay on it. Other benefits may include that you don’t just lose the weight, but also maintain it easily once you’ve lost enough weight, as well as having more energy, better physical health, and so on. If you want to continue on your diet uninterrupted, you’ll need to see benefit from it, regularly.

4. Your Plan Includes Physical Activity – In some form, every single day, you should be getting some type of exercise. If you’re looking to lose weight, this is going to make that happen faster, but it will also make you feel better and will also help you stay “with the program,” so to speak. In turn, that’ll help keep you motivated so that you continue with your progress.

5. Your Plan Includes Goals – Last (but not least), your plan should allow you to set goals so that you can continually achieve “the next thing.” These types of goals will also help keep you motivated as you continue and progress.

As one example, if you weigh 200 pounds now and you want to get down to 150, losing those 50 pounds can make your first goal, and then maintaining that weight can be the second goal you set. If you strive to stay on your plan and don’t go too far off, you’ll succeed, but if you go too far “off plan,” you’re not likely to maintain your weight loss once you’ve achieved it. Keeping the goal in mind that you want to stay at 150 pounds is going to help keep you there.

Every diet plan that works is doable, consistent, lets you eat what you enjoy, and contains activity as well that you like doing and makes you healthy. The goals within the plan are realistic (it doesn’t say, for example, that you can drop 10 pounds overnight). If the diet plan you’re on now is something you don’t enjoy and doesn’t contain all of the above elements, you may want to change plans. There’s a diet plan out there for you that’s going to work for you and keep you healthy and positive at the same time. As just a start, you can write something down as a plan for yourself that shows you what you can and cannot eat. You can start there, and then improve as you go.

Source: best diet plans


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Set Up the Perfect Diet Plan with These Simple Tips

March 5th, 2010

acidofolico2When you think about starting yet another diet plan to lose weight, do you instantly envision yourself eating nothing but raw carrot and celery sticks washed down by tall glasses of plain water?

Dieting really doesn’t have to be like this. You can create a diet plan that’s not only easy to follow, but perfectly suited to your individual needs. The last thing you want to do is lose focus in your day to day life by starving yourself.

A diet plan that’s easy to follow and more importantly easy to stick to, should incorporate a variety of foods. The key is to eat the foods you enjoy, but in moderation. You just can’t expect to reach your weight loss goals if you are gorging yourself on greasy, fried foods.

One critical factor to the success of any diet plan is your determination. While it’s important to set weight loss goals, setting them too high will cause you to ultimately fail. The key is to break your ultimate goal into smaller, more achievable goals.

Weight loss experts agree that regardless of the food you eat, you have to slow down and take your time while eating it. Eating slowly gives you body enough time recognize that your stomach is full and send this message to your brain. If you follow this one simple tip along with your chosen diet plan, you will find yourself leaving food on your plate at meal time.

Many people that don’t take the time to plan their meals are overweight. They are in the habit of picking up dinner at a drive through or even a convenience store when they run short on time. This can only lead to poor dietary habits and weight gain. Not very many people have the metabolism to handle this eating plan for any length of time.

One simple diet plan is to plan all your meals for the upcoming week and go to the grocery store just once. Not only will this plan help with your weight loss efforts, but you’ll feel healthier and probably save money.

Nearly everyone has been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day time and time again. The fact of the matter is that this is true. When you eat breakfast, your metabolism is given a kick start that will continue for the rest of the day. Studies have shown that individuals that eat breakfast meat and sustain their long term weight loss goals more frequently than those that skip breakfast.

Before you begin any diet plan it’s recommended that you talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about weight loss. This will alleviate any stress you might feel about starting a weight loss plan.

Now that you’ve decided to lose weight and know how to choose a diet plan that will fulfill your weight loss criteria, you have to understand that you need to exercise in order to maximize your results. It’s true that you can cut your calorie intake by changing your eating habits and this is normally enough to start the fat burning process, so why do you have to exercise?

Eventually your body’s metabolism will slow down as a response to your imposed dietary restrictions. This is called the starvation response. This essentially shuts down all important functions of the body and sets off hunger pangs that cannot be ignored. To continue losing weight you will have to either cut more calories or burn off those you consume.

An effective diet plan doesn’t have to involve back breaking workouts or a starvation diet. Visit my website for more strategies for long term weight loss.

Consulting your physician with your weight loss concerns will alleviate any stress you may feel about starting a weight loss routine.

Source: best diet plans


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Obese Kids More Likely to Suffer Leg Injuries

March 4th, 2010

XRCarrying around a lot of extra weight has to be murder on your legs. It must wreak havoc on your knees, ankles, and joints.

Turns out it does, especially in kids. Overweight or obese children are twice as likely to sprain something as normal weight kids.

Writing in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found obese children tended to suffer more lower body injuries, while thinner – more active – kids endured more sporting injuries, like lacerations and bumps on the head.

Data on 23,000 children, ages 3 to 14, revealed the obese children – one in six of the kids studied – had more lower extremity injuries with a 30% risk, compared to an 18% risk for normal weight children.

And obese kids had a 10% risk to suffer head or face injuries, while thinner children only had a 18% chance.

Researchers point out that both obese children and adults take longer to recover from physical injuries.

Via Reuters.

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Snacking Could Lead to “Constant Eating” in Kids

March 3rd, 2010

SNKSSnacks and junk food are everywhere, even hardware stores and pet shops have candy and salty snacks up by the cash registers.

So now experts think all this easy access to food and snacking could spur “constant eating” in young children.

Writing in the journal Health Affairs, researchers claim 27% of calories that American kids eat come from snacks; mostly salty foods, candy, desserts, and sweetened beverages.

The scientists say children’s caloric intake has increased by 113 calories per day from 1977 and 2006 – basically a can of soda.

All this snacking may lead to constant eating, which refers to the “physiological basis” for eating is becoming upset and kids confusing when to and when not to eat.

This compulsion, coupled with inactivity, will continue to fuel rising obesity rates. So U.S. health officials have urged food producers to improve the nutritional quality of their products.

And parents to become better educated about nutrition and to encourage their kids to exercise more.

Via Reuters.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Need to Find a Good Diet Plan for You? Do Your Homework Before You Choose One

March 3rd, 2010

diet planThere are a lot of diet plans available out there, and it can be pretty tough sometimes to figure out the right one for you. For example, there are lots of low-calorie, low-carb, flexible, low fat, rotational, strict, and so on. That’s a lot of information, and it can be confusing, to say the least.

It’s fortunate, though, that you can research diet plans in depth before you try them out. You can go online and take a look at diet plans so that you can find one that fits what you want. It’s a really bad feeling, I know, if you start a diet only to realize that it’s not for you pretty soon after you start.

There are lots of reasons people fail when they diet; for example, there may not be enough exercise included (or too much), it may have the wrong foods for you, it may not let you enjoy foods you want to, it doesn’t have enough direction, or it’s not a good fit for you or the life you lead. That can mean you blame yourself when you fail, but in fact, it’s not your fault. You picked a plan that wasn’t right for you, so it’s understandable that you failed.

Simply, take a look at all the different diets out there. There are so many because there are so many different people. In other words, every diet plan out there has worked for someone. Every plan is not going to be right for everyone. As you do some research and figure out what the different diet plans are that can help you lose weight, remember that you want a great diet plan and a safe diet plan — and one that’s going to fit you. No diet plan is the be-all and end-all if it just doesn’t work for you, no matter how many people rave about it.

Let’s say, for example, that a friend of yours is on a diet that he or she raves about, so you decide you’re going to give it a try. Only, it doesn’t work for you, which leaves you frustrated, and continuing search for something that’s going to be right for you. There are a lot of diet sites out there that will let you review several plans at once so that you can choose the right plan for you.

Be careful where you look, though, because many “diet plan review” sites aren’t really that. Instead, they’re looking to sell a particular product. What you want to find is a diet plan review site that has a lot of information, is easy to navigate, and lets you learn about each diet plan, including drawbacks and pluses. Finally, of course, you want honest opinions about why particular diets do or don’t work.

Remember that there are a lot of great diet plans out there, and if one doesn’t work for you, another will. The “best” diet plan is one that works for you, period. Because of that, I’ve started a review site that tells you exactly the advantages and disadvantages of particular diets, so that you can put together a plan for you. Putting together a successful plan is the first step in your weight loss journey.

You’ll be able to see what’s involved with each diet plan, so you’ll know whether or not a particular diet plan would work for you. You can start this next diet, finally, feeling confident that you have finally chosen the right one, so that you’ll have success. This will bring you to your goal of weight loss that finally is going to be permanent.

Finally, you’ll be able to lose the weight so that you can have the body you have always dreamed of. Lose weight permanently (and fast) by uncovering hidden habits that keep you in failure. If you’ve been a yo-yo dieter, for example, you can stop doing that and rediscover healthy eating again. It’s time to rediscover the new you.

Source: great diet plans


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Obesity and Depression Feed Off Each Other

March 2nd, 2010

DPIf you’re overweight, odds are you don’t feel that good about yourself. And most likely if you’re depressed, you’re a wreck too.

A lot of people use food as a drug; junk food is an awesome cure-all.

So it should be no surprise that researchers found a link between depression and obesity – and vise-versa.

Published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, scientists found a “bidirectional” association; meaning obese people had a 55% risk of developing depression, and depressed individuals were 58% more likely to become obese.

Other then the obvious – feeling bad and eating too much – the scientists attribute inflammatory effects of obesity to depression, social pressure to be thin, and the chemical effects of depression and depression medication may interfere with the endocrine system.

So the researchers suggest doctors monitor depressed people’s weight and obese individuals mood.

Via HealthDay News.

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Taking Naps May Raise Diabetes Risk

March 2nd, 2010

NAPA midday snooze on the couch sounds like a good idea – feels like one too – but making a habit out napping could be harmful.

Writing in the journal Sleep, researchers say individuals who nap four to six days out of the week are more likely to have diabetes.

The study involved 20,000 Chinese adults, ages 50 and older.

When accounting for other factors – such as exercise, age, and diagnoses of hypertension or cardiovascular disease – frequent naps were still linked to higher diabetes risk.

For both men and women, taking naps four to six days per week increased their risk of diabetes by 36%; napping appears to impair fasting glucose levels.

Unless you work a demanding job with crazy hours, you should probably stop napping after kindergarten anyway.

Via Reuters.

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Children in Minority Groups Have Higher Risk of Obesity

March 1st, 2010

BGRacial minority groups – such as blacks and Hispanics – are higher in almost every risk factor for childhood obesity.

Major predictors of childhood obesity include having an obese mother, eating solid foods before four months of age, stopping breast-feeding too soon, and over consumption of fast food.

Writing in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found minority children were more inclined to have these risks factors than their white counterparts.

But the scientists report that these issues can be resolved early on by changing behaviors; a biggie being counseling women to breast feed longer.

Minority groups in the United States are typically pegged with higher rates of obesity; previous  studies claim Mexican Americans have a 38% obesity, blacks 34.9%, and whites 30.7%.

As a layman, I contend distribution of wealth and socio-economic status contribute to all this – sad to say.

Via HealthDay News.

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