Our Diets Today

Anti-Obesity Prescriptions Pass The Million Mark, UK

2008-04-28T02:53:00.000-04:00

More than a million prescriptions for anti-obesity drugs are dispensed to patients each year at an annual cost of £47.5 million, according to the NHS Information Centre for health and social care (IC).

The number of prescriptions is more than eight times of that handed out nine years ago, and two drugs - orlistat (Xenical) and sibutramine (Reductil) - make up the bulk of the prescriptions issued by GPs in England.

Sibutramine works by altering chemical messages to the brain that control feelings about food, and orlistat prevents some fat absorption.

The NHS also said that more than one in five men and nearly one in four women are now at very high risk of developing health problems, based on waist circumference and body mass index (BMI).

Exercise and healthy diet

Read More

Putting on Pedometer Helps Walkers Shed Pounds

2008-04-08T02:10:00.001-04:00

Just by strapping on a step-counting pedometer, overweight or obese "couch potatoes" who start a daily walking regimen can expect to lose at least a modest amount of weight -- even in the absence of any special diet, new research reveals.

The review of data from nine studies found that patients who used a pedometer to track and motivate their walking achieved a loss of about a pound every 10 weeks.

"The main point is that pedometer-based walking programs are effective at getting people to walk more, and they do result in a modest amount of weight loss," said study lead author Dr. Caroline R. Richardson, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor.

Role of Vitamin E in Supplements

2008-03-24T00:21:00.000-04:00

Vitamin E deficiency is associated with impaired immune responsiveness and increased severity of infection. Vitamin E deficiency has resulted in impaired bactericidal activity of phagocytes, reduced lymphocyte response to mitogens, decreased production of the cytokine IL-2, altered T cell differentiation in the thymus, and increased myocardial injury during viral infection.

Supplementation with vitamin E during viral or bacterial infection (influenza, murine AIDS, herpes simplex virus, Staphylococcus aureus, parainfluenza, Clostridium pelfringens) has been shown to decrease mortality rate or severity of infection in several different animal models. However, not all studies have found an improved resistance to infection from vitamin E supplementation 85 and we are not aware of any human studies that have tested this theory by infecting human subjects and then assessing disease incidence and/or severity.

Heart-felt gifts

2008-03-16T22:20:00.003-04:00

Fruit basket: Fruit is essential to any nutritious diet and eating healthy is a great way to reduce your risk of heart disease. Fruit is rich in starch and fiber, but low in fat. A healthy diet can help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and help keep your weight under control. Fad diets aren't helpful in maintaining a healthy weight, but including servings of fruit, vegetables and grains with every meal is. In the American Heart Association's ABCs campaign to prevent heart disease, the C stands for "Choose good nutrition." A fruit basket at your local florist costs from $35.99 and up.

Massage: Stress on you can lead to stress on the heart, according to some scientists. A massage either from a loved one or a masseuse at a Casper spa like Bamboo Spa & Salon can be the perfect relief. Stress may affect a person's risk factors for heart disease or stroke. People under stress may overeat or smoke, amplifying some of the risks. A relaxing massage at Bamboo costs between $65 and $75.

Click here for more.

What is aerobic activity?

2008-03-06T18:31:00.000-05:00

What is aerobic activity? Aerobic activity is any kind of movement that makes your muscles use oxygen and gets your heart pumping. Aerobic activity usually helps the cardiovascular system in many ways. Aerobic activity helps if you want to lose weight.But Aerobic Activity is not an overnight remedy, and you need to exercise for twenty to thirty minutes in duration. To get the most benefit from aerobic activity you should try to exercise at least 3 or 4 times a week. Examples of aerobic activity would include step aerobics,playing singles tennis game,long distance running. Riding a stationary bicycle or walking on a treadmill are good aerobic activities that can be enjoyed while watching television or listening to radio. Another favorite aerobic activity for some people is swimming which many experts agree is one of the most healthy forms of exercise workouts.Aerobic activity can be a pleasurable exercise activity.
Don't forget for a fitness program to be effective it should include aerobic activity, strength training, and flexibility.
It is always best to consult with a physician prior to beginning any aerobic workout regimen.
For more Information check out this article here.

What is diet kidney stones?

2008-03-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

Kidney stones, which are also known as nephrolithiases, urolithiases or renal calculi, are solid crystals of dissolved minerals in urine found in the kidneys. Kidney stones form when the urine has excess acid from taking acid forming foods like white flour and sugar products, meat, tea,coffee, condiments and spices, rich foods, and overeating.
Anyone can get Kidney stones but statistics show that they are common in white males.
The kidney attack comes with very excruciating pain as the stones move through the urethra.
Kidney stones can be treated with a diet kidney stones to help the solid crystals dissolve and be passed out through the urine. Not everyone suffering from Kidney stones would get healed through diet. In this case kidney stone surgery would be the only treatment left for the sufferer.

The basis of the diet Kidney stones is balancing of the acidity and alkalinity of the urine. So liquid intake is the core of this diet and eating foods that are low in calcium like milk and cottage cheese and lentils and groundnuts which are high in phosphorus.
Alkanizing our diet combined with detoxification can help many ailments like Kidney stones, arthritis and even gout.

The following is a list of acceptable foods in the Kidney stones diet. Bananas, beans, citrus fruits (not grapefruit), green leafy vegetables, milk, potatoes, pumpkins, seafood, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, watercress, coffee, tea, water, and bran oats.

These foods are to be avoided during the kidney stone diet,almonds, beetroot greens,chocolate, nuts, peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, strawberries, sugar, dairy, heavy protein like fish, meat, poultry,and grapefruit and JuiceSoft Drinks.

Popular diet has a caveat: It can be hard on hearts

2008-03-02T02:35:00.000-05:00

The low-carb Atkins diet that raged last decade may not be the weight-loss juggernaut it once was, but it still has adherents and even a new book.

And the controversial diet that promotes high-fat meats and cheeses over breads and pastas is still generating questions from the medical community. In a recently released study, a group of researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center says it might help people drop pounds but also might hurt the heart.

Sweeteners May Make Weight Gain Easier

2008-02-25T03:34:00.000-05:00

Artificial sweeteners make it harder for people to control how much they eat and their weight, according to a new study.

In fact, researchers from Purdue University said those who want to lose weight may want to pour the diet soda down the drain.

Their report in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience looked at rats that ate yogurt sweetened with glucose, which has the same calories as table sugar, and those that ate saccharin. .

Low-carb diet may remedy bowel illnesses

2008-02-20T03:05:00.000-05:00

The diet could also help those with irritable bowel syndrome.

Gearry said patients were usually put on the diet for six to eight weeks.

"Most patients found that the diet was easy to implement and that the taste was acceptable, which is very important if people are to follow this diet."

Gearry has presented his findings to the Australian Gastroenterology Week conference in Perth and will address the New Zealand Gastro Society 2007 Conference in Christchurch next month.

"I hope we can bring some of these ideas back home," said Gearry, "and help sufferers here as well".

Claire Worsfold, 37, who has suffered from Crohn's disease since she was 22, said she was "very excited about the news".

Worsfold, president of the Canterbury Crohn's and Colitis Support Group, said: "I know that each of us tries removing different things from our diet Â– it is all individual.

Shop Smart: Weight-loss promises: Too good to be true?

2008-02-17T04:04:00.000-05:00

Claims like these continue to crowd the airwaves 11 years after actor Chuck Norris brought the Total Gym into living rooms everywhere. Recent offerings for exercise devices advertised in infomercials range from an ab machine that looks like a lounge chair to a freestanding personal-size ballet bar.

Are any of them worth buying? To test the claims made by manufacturers, Consumer Reports tested 10 exercise devices sold through infomercials on television or the Web, measuring muscle activity and calories burned by panelists and also getting staff members' impressions.

CR concluded that the weight loss touted in testimonials is more likely due to the reduced-calorie diet plans that most manufacturers recommend than to the devices themselves. Losing one pound of fat solely by exercising with the machines, using recommended workout guidelines, would take a 165-pound person anywhere from one month to nine months.

Get thee behind me, cake, cobbler and donuts

2008-02-16T00:37:00.000-05:00

The problem is, of course - as those of you who know me thought as you read that title - that there is too much behind me already. I am not altogether unlike the subject of one of my creative writing students' profiles of a loved one which started with "My aunt was big on donuts; consequently she was big, on donuts."

And one of my New Year's resolutions is to continue doing something about that excess in the back yard and, more particularly, around my middle.

It is a goal that I share, I suspect, with many of you.

So, how are we going to go about it? Any ideas?

And don't talk to me about the South Beach Diet, or Sugar Busters, or Weight Watchers, or hypnotism, or stomach staples, or amputation.

Because I already know the formula that will take the pounds off of yours truly.

Diets don't provide long-term solution for weight control

2008-02-14T01:35:00.000-05:00

As we move into a New Year, most Americans are making or have already broken their New Year's resolutions. For most of us, our main resolution was to go on a diet and lose weight. We know that diets don't work. If they did, the obesity rate would not be at its highest and the diet industry would not be a multibillion-dollar industry.Diets plans are like a buffet — there seems to be one for every issue, every food group and every body type. There's even one geared for your blood type.We know they don't work, so let's talk about some of the reasons why.- Many people lose weight, but almost all gain it back, often regaining more than they lost. Only 3 to 5 percent of those who diet and lose weight maintain significant weight loss. - Dieting can disrupt normal eating and lead to binge eating, overeating and chaotic eating patterns.

Doctor behind South Beach Diet revamps his life, series

2008-02-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

It's a new year, and Dr. Arthur Agatston, the man behind the ubiquitous South Beach Diet books, is putting himself back on his diet.His son, Evan, 23, was home from law school for the holidays, watching football bowl games with him, and the doctor packed on a few pounds from "those dark chocolate things my wife brings home from Epicure for guests even though I ask her not to." He adds: "Then Sari (his wife) tells me that if I don't take off those pounds, I'll only be able to promote my book on the radio."
His new book, "The South Beach Heart Health Revolution" (St. Martin's Griffin, $14.95), is out. It goes well beyond his "good-carb, good-fat" diet books, promoting a four-point plan he says can create a major change in Americans' heart health.He asserts: "I believe we have reached a point where the great majority of heart attacks and strokes can be prevented.""Prevented?" Heart disease is the No.

Daily Blabber Celebrity Gossip Blog from iVillage Entertainment

2008-02-11T18:05:00.000-05:00

Star Jones Reynolds better head to the manicurist to sharpen her nails, because her new co-host on The View is apparently Rosie O'Donnell. The comedienne is heading back to daytime TV talk land in May, when Meredith Viera heads over to NBC to join The Today Show, of course, taking over for Katie Couric who is heading to anchor the nightly news on CBS. Rosie, you'll remember, recently took on Star's weight loss claims on her blog by writing a little poem about her doubts.

The Daily News reports that the official announcement will come tonight during the Daytime Emmy Awards from none other than Barbara Walters herself. Since your regular Blabberer Suzy is going to be there live backstage at the event in Los Angeles, we're sure we'll get the full report on Monday, so stay tuned.