SIMPLE HOLIDAY DIET TIPS

The holiday season can be one of the most challenging times of the year to stick to a healthy diet. With endless holiday parties and family get-togethers, it’s a question of will power, for sure, but it’s also about making small, yet effective changes to cut calories when you can. Joy Bauer's general rule of thumb is “rule of one” meaning enjoy one of each delicious appetizer, one plate of food, one alcoholic beverage, and one dessert. Harder said than done? If so, adhere to the advice below for more simple ways to curb calories at your next holiday soiree.

DESSERT

 Dessert, especially for ladies, is a real treat, and it’s very hard to pass it up no matter how full we may be (right ladies?). It often feels like there’s a separate compartment for dessert, but to get our sweet fill, doesn’t mean we have to down a giant piece of cake. Follow Joy Bauer simple dessert tips: 

• Cut off the end of the pie crust and save 100 calories
• Leave the top layer of frosting and save 150+ calories
• Opt for a hot cappuccino instead – lasts longer than a slice of cake, and fewer calories
• Skip the fudge – it’s one of the worst options! A tiny 1.5-inch square has 220 calories!
•  A frosted holiday sugar cookie is a better choice at around 150 calories
• Be selective with your splurges. Save them for delicious homemade treats or traditional favorites – and skip the stuff that isn’t extra special

 

BEVERAGES

Ladies love their festive, sugary cocktails but those can be packed with sugar. Treat them as a dessert instead of just a cocktail. Joy recommends alternating every other alcoholic drink with a club soda with lime. Not only will it help pace you, it also looks like a cocktail so you feel like you’re being social. Joy suggests any of the following options for 120 calories or less:

• Glass of wine/champagne, light beer, shot of liquor with club soda and splash of fruit juice (i.e. vodka with club soda and cranberry juice, or, gin with club soda and grapefruit juice & lime)
• A 5oz glass of wine actually has less than 4 grams of carbs and only about 1-gram sugar, which surprises most people.
• A light beer only has 6 grams carbs (the lower calorie count in light beers comes from slashing carbs, not alcohol) 

 HORS D’OEUVRES

Joy emphasizes to look for options with produce or lean protein. For instance, if you see a veggie platter, gravitate right towards it, but watch out for the dips. Spinach and artichoke dip is one of the worst – it may sound healthy because of the vegetables, but it can have up to 200 calories in a measly ¼-cup scoop. The best dips are spicy mustard and salsa and a close second is hummus, guacamole, and bean dip.

Other appetizers to grab include chicken skewers, shrimp with cocktail sauce, sushi, or cold salmon (enjoy with produce like on a cucumber round or wrapped around bell pepper stick instead of on high-cal crackers/toast).

Some appetizers that pack a calorie punch, but that may surprise you, are a single cheese and cracker which has 150-200 calories. The same goes for mixed nuts, which are healthy but easy to overeat; a 1/2 cup of nuts, which is about two handfuls, is 340 calories!

 For more great nutrition and diet tips from Joy, keep up with her on Facebook, Twitter, or at joybauer.com.

SECRETS FOR LIFELONG WEIGHT LOSS

Most people can lose a quick five or ten pounds before a big event. But how do you keep the weight off today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life? Not even everyone with "lucky genes" can stay slim for a lifetime without the help of a few basic strategies.
These five secrets to lifelong weight loss can keep you leaner and more important, healthier now and forever.

Lifelong weight-loss secret #1: Acknowledge that your body and your life change as you get older, and fine-tune your habits accordingly.

Aging begins well before you turn 40 or 50. "Lifelong weight loss comes down to paying attention at every life stage. "You need to acknowledge that you're always changing, and you can't do the same things you've always done to maintain the same weight."
To put this in practice:

• Leave food on your plate. The older you get, the more your metabolism slows -- one to two percent a year after age 30. "It doesn't take much food to add up to weight gain. Extra bites can add 100 calories a day, or ten pounds at the end of the year."
  
  
• Move away from three square meals a day. Digestion slows as we age, especially digestion of fiber. So lightening the load by eating smaller, lighter meals and healthful snacks keeps your energy levels more stable and makes you less prone to hungry gorging.
  
  
• Count the liquid calories. A five-ounce pour of wine with dinner contains about 150 calories. That can add up to 15 extra pounds in a year. Two glasses? Double that.
  
  
• Pay attention to how food is prepared. Midlife and older adults often cook less and eat out more. But when you're not controlling the food prep, extra calories sneak in. It's not that you shouldn't socialize but that you need to be hyperaware of what's going in your mouth.
  

Lifelong weight-loss secret #2: Keep moving (not necessarily in the gym).

A gradually slowing metabolism from young adulthood onward means you need to eat less than you could in your 20s to keep weight comparable. But you can also compensate for the slowdown by fighting midlife inertia and a sedentary lifestyle. Thinner people move more, numerous studies have shown. Lean older adults don't necessarily follow vigorous workouts; rather, they keep moving all throughout their day -- gardening, doing chores, walking, climbing stairs, and staying engaged and active.
To put this in practice:

• Get up -- every hour. One famous study found that obese people sat for 9.5 hours a day, compared with lean people, who sat fewer than 7 hours a day. University of South Carolina researchers found in 2011 that people who sit more have larger waist sizes (along with a host of undesirable blood-work results). But it's not enough to sit for long periods and then go physically wild; better to stand up and exert calories throughout the day, which stimulates muscles and body functions better.
  
  
• Rely less on "labor-saving devices." One Mayo Clinic study compared those who performed daily chores like dish washing and doing local errands manually or on foot with people who did the same things with electric or mechanical devices like dishwashers and cars. The comparative calorie savings were small (26 extra calories for hand-washing the dishes), but they added up, day after day, to the tune of as many as 11 more pounds per year for those who relied on devices. Obviously you can't walk everywhere, but the takeaway is that the more you can do on your own, the better for your body.
  
  
• Wear a pedometer. This can help you track how much you're moving. Aim for 10,000 steps a day.
  
  
• Start fidgeting. Research shows that some people are natural-born fidgeters, genetically programmed to move around more than others. But that doesn't mean you can't train yourself to emulate them.
  
  

Lifelong weight-loss secret #3: Eat plants -- all day, every day.

Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules, has famously distilled healthful eating to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."  "Eating lighter, eating better, always comes back to a more plant-based diet.
To put this in practice:

• Include a plant at every meal, every snack. Don't worry about how many fruits and vegetables you're supposed to eat in a day. Just include one at every single meal and snack.
  
  
• Make sure veggies and grains dominate your plate. Break free of the "meat-potato-veggie" definition of a decent meal. Don't limit yourself to just one vegetable per meal, and explore the wide world of whole grains. Consider meat a condiment.
  
  
• Choose fruits, vegetables, and grains that are fresh and whole. By definition, you'll be eating fewer processed foods. That, in turn, helps you minimize sodium, which is bad for blood vessels that grow less flexible and more prone to high blood pressure over time. Eating fewer processed foods also helps you avoid inflammatory fats. Chronic inflammation is a biochemical process that can fuel unwanted weight gain.
  

Lifelong weight-loss secret #4: Stay super hydrated.

Sure, water fills up your stomach -- but that's not the only reason drinking a lot will help keep your weight low. It's important to keep well hydrated, especially as you get older, because thirst receptors lose their ability to recognize thirstiness over time, says Duke University's Beth Reardon. Since we're water-based beings, our organs rely on staying well hydrated in order to perform optimally. Older adults often take multiple medications that need to be metabolized by the liver, for example, and drinking water helps flush them through the system.
You might not directly connect this process to your scale, but stabilizing weight is easier when the body's organs are performing optimally.
To put this in practice:

• Don't confuse hunger with thirst. "Make sure that before you grab something to eat, you check whether you're really thirsty.
  
  
• Carry a water bottle everywhere. Bring it in the car, to doctor's appointments, when you're going for a walk -- "just like you carry your wallet everywhere.
  
  
• Make water tasty. To help develop the habit, try flavoring your water. Drop in a lemon or orange wedge, or even a slice of watermelon or some berries. Or add an herbal tea bag or flavored green tea bag to cool or room-temperature water to enhance its taste.
  
  
  

Lifelong weight-loss secret #5: Don't be a night owl.

 A large body of research now shows that poor sleep directly influences how tightly those pants fit when you get dressed in the morning. On average, those who sleep less, weigh more.
Why? People with disrupted sleep cycles or who fail to get enough restorative sleep experience many hormonal shifts that influence appetite. Levels of leptin, which regulates satiety, sink; ghrelin, which triggers appetite, rises. Many people with poor sleep have poorer control of their cravings. And cortisol (a.k.a. the stress hormone) rises too, which can contribute to insulin resistance and prediabetes. Six to eight hours of sleep is an often-cited goal for those trying to break this problematic cycle.
To put this in practice:

• Consider sleep as important to weight control as diet and exercise. Most people simply discount sleep. But lifelong weight loss is more than simply a calories-in-calories-out formula.
  
  
• Learn how to manage problems that interfere with sleep, such as sleep apnea or overactive bladder triggers. Physical problems are often at the root of disrupted sleep.
  
  
• Avoid eating close to bedtime. Your body will spend energy digesting the food rather than shifting into restorative sleep. Leave at least three hours between dinner and bed. If you must have something, make it a glass of milk, which may increase seratonin levels.
  
  
• Try enhancing sleep with supplements. Magnesium and melatonin have relaxing, sedative qualities. Periodic use of over-the-counter sleep aids can also help reset a pattern of disrupted sleep.
  
  
• If you're a caregiver and someone else's sleep is affecting yours, get help. Ask a doctor about medications that can help regulate sleep in an older adult with dementia who has sundown syndrome, for example. Your sanity, your health, and, yes, your weight management may all depend on it.
  
   orig: http://health.yahoo.net/caring/5-secrets-to-lifelong-weight-loss
  
  

CALCIUM-RICH FOODS THAT ARE NATURAL FAT BURNERS

Research shows that people who don't eat enough calcium have a higher percentage of body fat. A calcium-rich diet can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Here are some new ways to get the recommend 100 mg experts suggest you need each day.

1. Sesame Seeds

Calcium level: 277 mg, 28% Daily Value
Serving: 1 ounce, about 160 calories

2. Bok Choy

Calcium level: 158 mg, 16% Daily Value
Serving: 1 cup, about 20 calories

3. Tahini

Calcium level: 112 mg, 12% Daily Value
Serving: 2 tablespoons, about 160 calories

4. Cream Cheese

Calcium level: 98 mg, 10% Daily Value
Serving: 1 ounce of fat free cream cheese, about 29 calories

5. Kale

Calcium level: 93 mg, 9% Daily Value
Serving: 1 cup, about 36 calories

6. Almonds

Calcium level: 75 mg, 8% Daily Value
Serving: 1 ounce (22 almonds), about 170 calories

7. Broccoli

Calcium level: 62 mg, 6% Daily Value
Serving: 1 cup, about 55 calories

8. Spinach

Calcium level: 60 mg, 6% Daily Value
Serving: 2 cups, about 14 calories

9. Watercress

Calcium level: 40 mg, 4% Daily Value
Serving: 1 cup, about 4 calories

10. Romano Cheese

Calcium level: 298 mg, 30% Daily Value
Serving: 1 ounce, about 108 calories

orig: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/11-calcium-rich-foods-that-are-natural-fat-burners/?trkid=channel#slideshow=slide11

HYPOTHYROIDISM

Have you ever wondered why you never seem to lose weight even though you diet and exercise? Have you ever considered checking your thyroid gland? It has been researched and proven that hypothyroidism plays a significant role in weight gain. This review explains the function of the thyroid gland, the effects and treatment of hypothyroidism.

The thyroid gland is an important endocrine gland that controls the body’s metabolism. It is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland produces the hormones tetraiodothyronine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).

Together these hormones regulate how your cells use energy. The pathways by which cells use energy is called metabolism. Your body’s general metabolism determines blood pressure, heart rate, and weight.

Hypothyroidism is a condition where your thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Low levels of thyroid hormone interfere with the body’s ability to perform normal metabolic functions such as efficient use of energy from food products, regulation of many chemical reactions in the body, and maintenance of healthy cells, bones and muscles, to name a few..

SYMPTOMS

There are no symptoms that are unique to hypothyroidism. There may be no symptoms early in the disease process. Long standing, untreated hypothyroidism can cause obesity, joint pain, heart disease, and infertility. Other symptoms can include:

• increased sensitivity to cold
• constipation
• depression
• fatigue
• weakness
• heavier menstrual flow
• brittle hair and nails

If left untreated, the following symptoms can occur:

• hoarseness
• puffiness of the face, hands, and feet
• slowed speech
• decreased taste and smell
• thin eyebrows
• thickened skin
• coma (called “myxedema coma”)

HOW TO DIAGNOSE HYPOTHYROIDISM

Your doctor first conducts a physical exam and reviews of your medical history. This can reveal any procedures like thyroid surgery or radiation treatments connected to hypothyroidism. Family history might reveal a close relative with autoimmune disease. Medication history might be positive for drugs, such as lithium and amiodarone that can cause the condition.

Because hypothyroidism is most often found in women over age 50, some doctors advocate thyroid function screening for this group. Doctors also may suggest screening women of childbearing age.

Blood tests also are common. These include:

• thyroid function tests: T4, T3RU and TSH
• tests for pituitary function: TSH
• cholesterol (can be elevated)
• CBC (may show anemia)
• liver enzymes (can be elevated)
• prolactin (can be elevated)
• electrolytes (sodium can be low)

In hypothyroidism, T4 is low and TSH is high. This means the pituitary is sending more TSH to stimulate the thyroid, but the thyroid does not respond. A low TSH indicates the pituitary may be the cause of hypothyroidism.

TREATMENT

A common treatment is to replace thyroxine with a specific synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine). This hormone is safe and affordable, but determining the right dosage often takes time. Your metabolic rate has to be returned to normal. Raising it too quickly can cause palpitations and make some medical problems like coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation worse. Symptoms of thyroid hormone excess are:

• shakiness or tremors
• palpitations
• insomnia
• increased appetite

Diets rich in soy and high fiber can interfere with levothyroxine absorption. Medications and supplements also can reduce absorption. These include:

• calcium supplements
• iron supplements
• cholestyramine
• aluminum hydroxide (present in some antacids) 
•  orig: http://health.yahoo.net/health/hypothyroidism
  

FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Based on the results of this study, by fueling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs to stay out of a fat-storage state and in a fat-burning state, you can speed weight loss by 70 percent! Thousands of studies on vitamin D have been completed over a span of 40 years, and it's become clear that vitamin D is pretty incredible and effective. Still, it's not the only player on this fat-melting team. Turn up your metabolism and melt body fat adding vitamin D and these five fat-melters from The Vitamin D Diet.

1. Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that works in tandem with D to help you shed fat. Calcium is stored in fat cells, and researchers think that the more calcium a fat cell has, the more fat that cell will release to be burned. Calcium also promotes weight loss by binding to fat in your GI tract, preventing some of it from getting absorbed into your bloodstream.

2. Protein

In addition to keeping hunger in check, regular doses of protein help to keep body composition--the amount of fat relative to muscle--in better proportion. Along with calcium and D, protein helps you to preserve muscle mass as you drop pounds. A recent study out of the University of Illinois found that women who consumed protein twice daily lost 3.9 percent more weight than women who consumed less of it on a diet. They not only lost more weight, they also got stronger as they did so, with their thigh muscles alone ending up with 5.8 percent more protein at the end of the diet than before.

3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s enable weight loss by switching on enzymes that trigger fat-burning in cells. They also help to boost mood, which may help reduce emotional eating. And omega 3s might improve leptin signaling in the brain, causing the brain to turn up fat burning and turn down appetite. Fatty fish like salmon (which are also high in D) are one of the richest sources of this fat. Other foods, such as some nuts and seeds, contain a type of fat that can be converted into omega-3s after ingestion.

4. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)

MUFAs are a type of fat found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter, and chocolate, and they have just one chemical bond (which is why they are called "mono" unsaturated). One Danish study of 26 men and women found that a diet that included 20 percent of its calories from MUFAs improved 24-hour calorie burning by 0.1 percent and fat burning by 0.04 percent after 6 months. Other research shows that MUFAs zero in on belly fat. Specific foods that are high in MUFAs--especially peanuts, tree nuts, and olive oil--have been shown to keep blood sugar steady and reduce appetite.

5. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

CLAs are potent fat burners that are found, along with D and calcium, in dairy products. They are fatty acids that are created when bacteria ferments the food in the first part of the stomach of cows, sheep, and other ruminant animals. The CLA that is created through fermentation then makes its way into the meat and milk of these animals.
When we consume these foods, the CLA helps blood glucose enter body cells, so CLA can be burned for energy and not stored as fat. CLA also helps to promote fat burning, especially in muscles, where the bulk of our calorie burning takes place.

orig:  http://health.yahoo.net/articles/weight-loss/photos/burn-fat-fast-6-nutrients-faster-weight-loss#0

BREAST CANCER

 Most of us knows or heard of someone with breast cancer and are curious to find out the causes and symptoms. Here is a complete review on breast cancer.

Definition

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast.

There are two main types of breast cancer:

• Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.
• Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.

In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast.

Many breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone estrogen. This means that estrogen causes the breast cancer tumor to grow. Such cancer is called estrogen receptor positive cancer or ER positive cancer.

Some women have what's called HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. When cells have too many copies of this gene, cells -- including cancer cells -- grow faster. Experts think that women with HER2-positive breast cancer have a more aggressive disease and a higher risk of recurrence than those who do not have this type.

 Symptoms

Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. This is why regular breast exams are important. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

• Breast lump or lump in the armpit that is hard, has uneven edges, and usually does not hurt
• Change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast or nipple -- for example, you may have redness, dimpling, or puckering that looks like the skin of an orange
• Fluid coming from the nipple -- may be bloody, clear to yellow, green, and look like pus

Men get breast cancer, too. Symptoms include breast lump and breast pain and tenderness.

Symptoms of advanced breast cancer may include:

• Bone pain
• Breast pain or discomfort
• Skin ulcers
• Swelling of one arm (next to breast with cancer)
• Weight loss

Causes & Risk Factors

Over the course of a lifetime, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Risk factors you cannot change include:

• Age and gender
• Family history of breast cancer
• Genes
• Menstrual cycle -- Women who get their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk for breast cancer.

Other risk factors include:

• Alcohol use -- Drinking more than 1 - 2 glasses of alcohol a day may increase your risk for breast cancer.
• Childbirth -- Women who have never had children or who had them only after age 30 have an increased risk for breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once or becoming pregnant at an early age reduces your risk of breast cancer.
• DES -- Women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of breast cancer after age 40. This drug was given to the women in the 1940s - 1960s.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- You have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have received hormone replacement therapy for several years or more. Many women take HRT to reduce the symptoms of menopause.
• Obesity -- Obesity has been linked to breast cancer, although this link is controversial. The theory is that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast cancer.
• Radiation -- If you received radiation therapy as a child or young adult to treat cancer of the chest area, you have a significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer. The younger you started such radiation, the higher your risk -- especially if the radiation was given when a female was developing breasts.

Breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing underwire bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and pesticides.

  

Tests & Diagnostics

 
The doctor will ask you about your symptoms and risk factors, and then perform a physical exam, which includes both breasts, armpits, and the neck and chest area. Additional tests may include:

• Mammography to help identify the breast lump
• Breast MRI to help better identify the breast lump
• Breast ultrasound to show whether the lump is solid or fluid-filled
• Breast biopsy, needle aspiration, or breast lump removal to remove all or part of the breast lump for closer examination by a laboratory specialist
• CT scan
• Sentinal lymph node biopsy 
• PET scan 
• Nuclear Bone Scan

  

Treatments

Treatment is based on many factors, including type and stage of the cancer, whether the cancer is sensitive to certain hormones, and whether or not the cancer overproduces (overexpresses) a gene called HER2/neu.

In general, cancer treatments may include:

• Chemotherapy medicines to kill cancer cells
• Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
• Surgery to remove cancerous tissue -- a lumpectomy removes the breast lump; mastectomy removes all or part of the breast and possible nearby structures

Other treatments:

• Hormonal therapy to block certain hormones that fuel cancer growth
• Targeted therapy to interfere with cancer cell growth and function

 Prevention

Many risk factors -- such as your genes and family history -- cannot be controlled. However, a healthy diet and a few lifestyle changes may reduce your overall chance of cancer in general.

Breast cancer is more easily treated and often curable if it is found early.

Early detection involves:

• Breast self-exams (BSE)
• Clinical breast exams by a medical professional
• Screening mammography

Most experts recommend that women age 20 and older examine their breasts once a month during the week following the menstrual period.

Women between the ages 20 and 39 should have a doctor examine their breasts at least once every 3 years.

After age 40:

• Women 40 and older should have a mammogram every 1 - 2 years, depending on their risk factors. Women should call their doctor immediately if they notice in change in their breasts whether or not they do routine breast self-exams.
• Women 40 and older should have a complete breast exam by a health care provider every year.

Mammography is the most effective way of detecting breast cancer early.

Certain women at high risk for breast cancer may have a breast MRI along with their yearly mammogram. Ask your doctor if you need an MRI.

  orig post: http://health.yahoo.net/channel/breast-cancer.html