Rugged Elegance, LLC: RE: Living in the Zone

Cooking Oil To Fight Fat And Cholesterol: McGill Researchers Prove Tropical Oil Blend Beneficial ...

Thu, 05 Jun 2003 04:52:54 GMT

A new cooking oil designed by McGill researchers may soon offer relief to calorie counters and cholesterol watchers. Peter Jones, a professor at McGill_s School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in Montreal (Canada), has completed two promising studies on a new blend of cooking oil that enables people to heighten their metabolism, lower their cholesterol and, in some cases, lose weight.

Genes Seen as Key to Understanding Obesity

Tue, 03 Jun 2003 00:19:24 GMT

Genes Seen as Key to Understanding Obesity

Reuters:

Changes in diet and a sedentary lifestyle have fueled an obesity epidemic, but genetics also play a role and could explain why some people put on weight more easily than others, a leading obesity expert said on Friday.

I don't doubt that genes are important in obesity, but it seems clear to me that poor diet and lack of exercise is the key to the obesity epidemic as genetic makeup has not changed in the past 100 years while obesity rates have skyrocketed.

-Tim

[RE: Change]

Carbo Loading

Mon, 02 Jun 2003 17:43:07 GMT

Carbo Loading

New York Times by Jason Epstein:

My apologies to readers who may have been seduced by my euphoric example when I announced my conversion to Atkinsism in these pages nearly a year ago. The diet worked. My conversion failed. In half the time it took to lose 20 pounds, I gained 12 back, not because my will is weak but because my temptations are strong, especially for my daughter-in-law Susie Norris's homemade chocolates, hamburgers at the Corner Bistro, Maida Heatter's ginger biscotti and long, slow dinners accompanied by Leslie Rudd's smoothly complex cabernet/merlot blend.

I've always thought that the Atkins diet was too strict in restricting carbohydrates. I prefer the Zone diet, which is more moderate in terms of carbohydrates.

Thu, 22 May 2003 06:50:09 GMT

Atkins Studies Report Meaty Results USATODAY.com:

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.

Wed, 21 May 2003 19:57:03 GMT

Omega-3s May Alleve Depression USATODAY.com:

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. -Tim

Wed, 21 May 2003 19:37:22 GMT

Is The Zone Diet Good for Health and Weight? WebMD:

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. -Tim

Mon, 19 May 2003 23:22:42 GMT

Busting Health and Fitness Myths WebMD:

Pain Is Not Necessary for Health and Fitness, but Walking Is 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."

Sat, 17 May 2003 01:45:01 GMT

Worm Research Sheds Light On Aging Process San Jose Mercury News by Lisa M. Krieger:

It's not the Fountain of Youth, but it is intriguing: a class of molecules that researchers have discovered prolongs life and prevents a debilitating age-related illness. These findings, announced by a team of University of California-San Francisco scientists in today's issue of the journal Science, are thus far confined to a lowly worm found in compost heaps everywhere.

Wed, 14 May 2003 20:57:11 GMT

Smart Eaters Go Wild With Salmon San Francisco Chronicle:

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

Wed, 14 May 2003 14:15:55 GMT

Obesity Reported to Cost U.S. $93B a Year AP via Kansas City .com:

Obesity is costing not only American lives, but dollars too. A study tallies that $93 billion per year goes to treat health problems of people who are overweight.

Connect to Health Affairs for the orginial article. -Tim

Mon, 12 May 2003 20:05:05 GMT

Book Review: Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Walter Willett Aimed at nothing less than totally restructuring the diets of Americans, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy may well accomplish its goal. Dr. Walter C. Willett gets off to a roaring start by totally dismantling one of the largest icons in health today: the USDA Food Pyramid. Dr. Walter Willett, M.D. is the chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School. As you might expect, this book is heavy on science but written in a hard-hitting, enjoyable style. A great book to read and use frequently as a reference on specific nutrition topics. -Tim

Sat, 10 May 2003 03:36:12 GMT

The Target Of The New War: Obesity USA TODAY by Nanci Hellmich, :

What if you lived in a world in which your boss handed you a bonus if you lost 20 pounds, or gave you extra time off if you took daily walking breaks? What if every time you bought a Twinkie or a soda you had to pay an extra tax, and the money paid for public awareness campaigns on better nutrition? What if your company offered free fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria and charged extra for chips, fries and other fatty foods? These tactics might sound drastic to some, but they are the types of strategies needed to help the USA curb an epidemic of obesity, experts say.

Tue, 06 May 2003 19:03:05 GMT

Fruit Juice a Double-Edged Sword for Kids HealthScout News by Colette Bouchez:

If you stock your refrigerator with fruit juices, you may be setting your kids up for a battle with obesity. That's the suggestion of a new study finding that overweight children consume 65 percent more of the calorie-laden juices than thinner kids. "Parents think that because fruit juices are natural that they are a healthy drink, so they don't put a limit on how much their children consume," says study author Dr. Sarita Dhuper, director of pediatric cardiology and the pediatric obesity clinic at the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center. In truth, however, Dhuper says fruit drinks are a major source of calories on their own. Moreover, she says, their high sugar content may increase a child's appetite for even greater amounts of food, thus further contributing to weight gain.

Juicing fruit removes all the fiber from fruit, which means that the carbohydrates (sugars) in fruit juice get converted into blood glucose very quickly. The body releases insulin to bring the blood glucose down. What ever is not used by the body for energy at the time gets stored as fat. This happens quickly and kids end up becoming hungry soon after drinking fruit juice. What's a better solution? Have kids eat fresh fruit and drink water instead of drinking fruit juices. The fiber in the fruit slows down the rate at which carbohydrates (sugars) get converted into blood glucose. Three positive benefits: 1) kids don't get hungry quickly as they do with juice; 2) they get all the vitamins that they need from the fruit and 3) the water keeps kids hydrated. Here's a rule of thumb: The less processed a food is, the better it is for you. Eat Right. Live Better. -Tim

Sun, 04 May 2003 16:32:43 GMT

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

Fri, 02 May 2003 21:28:45 GMT

Fiber May Prevent Colon Cancer After All WebMD: Two studies, published in the May 3 issue of The Lancet offer renewed hope fiber's role against colon cancer.

Fiber is believed to help reduce risk in two ways: It keeps you regular to remove toxins from the intestines, and bacteria living in the gut feeds on it -- producing beneficial byproducts to keep the colon healthy.

The magic amount of fiber per day is 35 grams, which researchers found led to a 35% reduction in the incidence of colon cancer. The article goes on to say that fiber supplements are an ineffective source of fiber. The best source of fiber are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. Eat right. Liver better. --Tim

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 01:44:29 GMT

The Low-Carb Lifestyle In Oregon The Oregonian: "Ask the waiter in just about any dining establishment to hold the starch on your dinner plate and he responds with a knowing smile and a one-word retort: 'Atkins?'" Looks like Oregon is one of the leaders in the low-carb lifestyle. -Tim

Mon, 28 Apr 2003 23:13:20 GMT

Womb Time Drops When Hungry Mama Conceives, Science Study Says BBC News: "If you don't eat enough just before conception and early in your pregnancy, you may be increasing the odds you'll have a premature baby, a new study suggests. The researchers, from Canada, New Zealand and Australia, believe the finding may shed new light on the 40% of premature births for which there is currently no obvious explanation. " Omega-3 fatty acids, found in many fish, also serve to reduce the number of premature births. There seems to be more and more evidence which confirms what our mothers told us: "You are what you eat." Eat right. Live Better. -Tim

Fri, 25 Apr 2003 17:35:29 GMT

Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation More good news for tea drinkers. Science Daily: "Research into the health-promoting properties of green tea is yielding information that may lead to new treatments for skin diseases and wounds. " "Dr. Stephen Hsu, a cell biologist in the Medical College of Georgia Department of Oral Biology, has uncovered a wealth of information about green tea in the last few years. Most importantly, he helped determine that compounds in green tea called polyphenols help eliminate free radicals, which can cause cancer by altering DNA. "

Thu, 24 Apr 2003 17:15:47 GMT

Get Lean, Reduce Your Cancer Risk CNN:"Losing weight could prevent one of every six cancer deaths in the United States -- more than 90,000 each year, according to a sweeping study that experts say links fat and cancer more convincingly than ever before. "

Tue, 22 Apr 2003 19:30:48 GMT

Tea Boosts The Body's Defenses In an article found today at the ABCNEWS.com web site: "An ordinary cup of tea may be a powerful infection fighter, a study suggests. Researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they have found in tea a chemical that boosts the body's defense fivefold against disease." "Researchers said the chemical primes immune system cells to attack bacteria, viruses and fungi and could, perhaps, be turned into a disease-fighting drug someday." The study goes on to say that the best types of tea to drink are black tea, green tea and oolong tea. Eat (and Drink) Right. Live Better. -Tim "Story" ABCNEWS.com

Mon, 21 Apr 2003 06:35:52 GMT

Why We Get High Cholesterol. Researchers in the United States have identified a protein which they say plays a key role in determining whether or not fatty substances and cholesterol build up inside the arteries.

Dr. Robert C. Atkins

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 20:18:23 GMT

Dr. Robert C. Atkins, one of the pioneers of complementary medicine in the United States and one of the most famous, successful and enduring nutrition experts of the last 40 years, died on April 17, 2003 in New York City at the age of 72. The cause of death was related to head trauma when he slipped on an icy sidewalk while Dr. Atkins was on his way to work. Dr. Atkins inspired us to reexamine many myths related to the way that we eat. Dr. Atkins brought great enthusiasm and knowledge to his work and his work has improved the lives of many people. I may not agree with everything that he espoused -- especially with regards to the consumption of saturated fats -- but I acknowledge that Dr. Atkins was a pioneer in pointing out the link between high carbohydrate diets and obesity and Type 2 diabetes. I found his books, especially the recently published Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, to be extremely well researched and very compelling. I salute you Dr. Atkins! -Tim

Quest For Weight-Loss Drug Takes An Unusual Turn

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 16:29:15 GMT

From The New York Times
Quest For Weight-Loss Drug Takes An Unusual Turn "A pill to make you thin: it has long been a dieter's dream. But despite intense, if not desperate interest from the public -- 60 million Americans are obese -- and eagerness from drug companies to meet the demand, efforts to develop weight-loss drugs have been disappointing. The human body seems to guard its fat stores jealously, and attempts to outsmart the system often fail outright or backfire, causing dangerous side effects. " It's like what they used to say in those old commercials: "You can't fool Mother Nature." Eat Right. Live Better. -Tim "story" The New York Times

In Praise of Nancy's Yogurt

Thu, 17 Apr 2003 02:25:06 GMT

Nancy's Yogurt is by far the best tasting plain low-fat yogurt that I've eaten. I love it with grapes for a mid-afternoon snack or a late evening snack in place of ice cream. One cup of Nancy's Yogurt is great from a Zone perspective as it contains: - 16 grams of carbohydrates or about 2 Zone carb blocks
- 11 grams of protein or just shy of 2 Zone protein blocks
- 3 grams of fat or 1 Zone fat block
(Learn more about Zone blocks.) I also love the culture (pun intended) behind Nancy's Yogurt. Follow this link to find Nancy's Yogurt in a store near you. Eat Right. Live Better. -Tim

Mon, 14 Apr 2003 18:03:40 GMT

Calcium Helps Girls Keep the Weight Off A study conducted by the University of Hawaii investigators found that as little as a daily increase of one cup of milk or a small piece of cheese, about 300 milligrams of calcium, resulted in one-half inch less of abdominal fat and as much as two pounds less of body weight. "I have reason to believe that the same effect occurs in boys," says Rachel Novotny, a nutritionist at the University of Hawaii. I've seen other studies from the University of Tennesee which come to the same conclusion: calcium helps you to lose weight. Eat Right. Live Better. -Tim See the full story from Health Scout News