May 21, 2003
Atkins Studies Report Meaty Results
Just a month after his death, controversial diet guru Robert Atkins may be getting a little more respect. Two new studies in Thursday's prestigious New England Journal of Medicine show that dieters who followed the meat-lovers' low-carb diet lost more than twice as much weight as those on a traditional low-calorie, high-carb diet.
Exciting news on the low-carb diet front.
Eat right. Live better.
-Tim
Omega-3s May Alleve Depression
Women may be able to significantly lower their chances of becoming depressed during pregnancy and postpartum months by eating fish that's rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, says a large National Institutes of Health study.
More good news concerning the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, especially wild salmon, is a great source of Omega-3s.
Eat right. Live better.
-Tim
Is The Zone Diet Good for Health and Weight?
Celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, and Demi Moore have used The Zone diet to achieve their highly admired svelte figures. But is this diet that takes into account hormones and balancing acts just another fad diet or can it actually produce weight loss along with good health?
An interesting, and balanced, review of the Zone diet by the folks at WebMD.
Eat right. Live Better.
-Tim
May 14, 2003
Busting Health and Fitness Myths
Calm down. Women who lift weights don't get bulky muscles. Pain is not necessary to achieve gain. A huge time commitment is not required for health and fitness. And what about walking? Is walking all it's cracked up to be?The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is helping us sort through what we've heard about health and fitness -- the myths vs. the truth.
What's written about walking does hold water, he says. "If America began to walk even a minimal amount -- 30 minutes a day -- it would turn around the epidemic of heart disease and obesity."
Here's a suggestion: Find easy ways to add exercise to your day such as walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator or escalator.
Eat right. Live better.
-Tim
Smart Eaters Go Wild With Salmon...
The flesh of this hard-swimming Pacific native tastes wonderful, especially when it's caught wild, in season, close to home. Now is the time. California's wild salmon season opened May 1 and the fishing fleet sped straight out to the Farallones, chasing reports of a monster school of glittering, fat kings gorging themselves on ocean critters.
I recommend indulging in the salmon at Ana Mandara, a high-end Vietnamese restaurant owned by Don Johnson. Make sure to ask for wild salmon, which is much higher in beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. The atmosphere is wonderful and the fish is out of this world.
Eat right. Live better.
-Tim
May 4, 2003
Eat Right for Your Genotype
New York Times by Bruce Grierson::
A trip to the diet doc, circa 2013. You prick your finger, draw a little blood and send it, along with a $100 fee, to a consumer genomics lab in
California. There, it's passed through a mass spectrometer, where its
proteins are analyzed. It is cross-referenced with your DNA profile. A few
days later, you get an e-mail message with your recommended diet for the
next four weeks.
The promise of genomics continues to fascinate. It is, however, dependent on databases full of your most personal information: your genotype. Will people trade off potential violations of their privacy for the ability to live healthier lives?
Also, what should one do until 2013? Since the vast majority (80%) of people will benefit eating a "normal" diet, I believe a common sense approach will win the day. I recommend a diet that consists of lots of fruits and vegetables, low-fat protein and the right types of fat, e.g. olive oil.
If you want further information on this common sense approach, I highly recommend two books: Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy (Willett) and The Omega Diet (Simopoulos).
Eat right. Live Better.
-Tim