The Revolving Diet

Junk Food Trigger....

I am asking myself this question this morning and wondering if this is why diets fail us sometimes....Is this why I fell off the wagon yesterday???

Paprika & Cinnamon Protects your body...

Eating meals laced with paprika and cinnamon 'protects your body from effects of fatty foods'

By Claire Bates

  

Eating a diet rich in spices such as turmeric and cinnamon can protect you from the physical damage caused by fatty meals, say scientists.

A team from Penn State University has found a blend of antioxidant spices can reduce the stress that high-fat foods can place on the heart.

When we eat, our bodies use carbohydrate calories for energy and turn leftover calories into triglycerides that are stored in fat cells for later use.

 

  

Balancing act: The spices in curries could counteract any physical stress caused by high-fat contents

Study leader, Sheila West, said: 'Normally, when you eat a high-fat meal, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood.

'If this happens too frequently, or if triglyceride levels are raised too much, your risk of heart disease is increased.

'We found that adding spices to a high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30 per cent, compared to a similar meal with no spices added.'

Professor West and her colleagues prepared meals on two separate days for six men between the ages of 30 and 65 who were overweight, but otherwise healthy.

The researchers added two tablespoons of culinary spices to each serving of the test meal, which consisted of chicken curry, Italian herb bread, and a cinnamon biscuit.

 

The control meal was identical, except that spices were not included. The team drew blood from the participants every 30 minutes for three hours.

'In the spiced meal, we used rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, garlic powder and paprika,' said fellow researcher Ann Skulas-Ray.

'We selected these spices because they had potent antioxidant activity previously under controlled conditions in the lab.'

The spice dose provided the equivalent amount of antioxidants contained in 1.4oz of dark chocolate.

When the meal contained a blend of antioxidant spices, antioxidant activity in the blood was increased by 13 per cent and insulin response decreased by about 20 per cent.

High insulin levels can be toxic over time and cause a build-up of plaque in the arteries. 

'Antioxidants, like spices, may be important in reducing oxidative stress and thus reducing the risk of chronic disease,' Prof West said.

Many scientists think that oxidative stress contributes to heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.

Ms Skulas-Ray noted that adding two tablespoons of spices to meals did not cause stomach upset in the participants.

'They enjoyed the food and had no gastrointestinal problems,' she said.

In the future, Prof West plans to investigate whether she can get the same results by adding smaller doses of spices to meals.

The findings were reported in the current issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2024816/Eating-meals-laced-paprika-cinnamon-protects-body-effects-fatty-foods.html

Beach ALERT.....Hudson River & Surrounding Areas

Hi Everyone!

 Tell everyone you know ....

 DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH THIS WEEKEND!

 There was a MAJOR SEWERAGE LEAK into the Hudson - - The company I work for is providing the pumps to assist in the clean-up.  Sewerage is wastewater....wastewater contains POOP, etc......

I know you want to show off your weight loss - this weekend is not the weekend to do it!!  Be safe and be healthy!

Caution urged as sewage leaks into Hudson River

By TOM McELROY © 2011 The Associated Press

July 21, 2011, 11:59PM

NEW YORK — Environmental officials urged swimmers and kayakers to stay out of New York City waters Thursday because a wastewater treatment plant disabled by fire was spewing millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Hudson River.

New York City Department of Environmental Protection officials urged people to avoid swimming, canoeing, and any other recreational activities involving direct contact with the water through at least Sunday in New York Harbor on the Hudson River, on the East River along Manhattan, and the Harlem River.

Officials also cautioned against swimming and bathing at Staten Island's South Beach, Midland Beach and Cedar Grove Beach, and Brooklyn's Sea Gate beach, especially for people with underlying medical conditions. Officials said testing indicated that those beaches may be affected by the sewage spill.

Police harbor units were patrolling near the plant to ensure boaters keep a proper distance. The city Parks Department was restricting access to the river at the 79th Street Boat Basin and placing signs prohibiting recreational water activities from all city boat launch sites along the Hudson River and other nearby sites, according to DEP spokesman Farrell Sklerov.

DEP staff and contractors were inside the facility assessing damage and performing cleanup. Officials gave no word on when the plant would be running again. Some wastewater was being diverted to other facilities, Sklerov said.

DEP and city health officials were taking samples in the harbor and at area beaches, which remain open.

Consuming any fish caught in the affected waters also was not recommended for the time being. Officials urged anglers to release any fish they catch back into the water.

The North River Wastewater Treatment Plant was taken offline Wednesday following a four-alarm fire in the engine room. Untreated wastewater began flowing into the river beginning at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday and has continued since. The plant has been in operation since 1976 and treats on average 120 million gallons of wastewater a day.

The Westchester County Health Department notified its residents to avoid direct contact with the Hudson River along Westchester County through the weekend.

New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said water tests were being done for bacteria and pathogens. He said no impact is expected south of Sandy Hook at the Jersey Shore.

"We're on top of it, we want the public to be aware we're staying on top of it and we're going to continue to communicate as we learn more information," Martin said Thursday afternoon.

Drinking Soda or Drinking Water - - - PICK WATER

What happens to your body after you drink a soda every day, for a long time

Link to Article: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/what-happens-to-your-body-after-you-drink-a-soda-every-day-for-a-long-time-2494154/

by Bliss Tree

Sugar rushes and caffeine highs followed by a depressing energy crash are what happens to your body if you drink a soda right now, but plenty of Blisstree readers actually seem to be okay with that. Some of you think it’s alarmist to compare a caffeine and sugar rush to doing drugs, and some just don’t really care about the slump they’ll find themselves in after drinking 39 grams of sugar, but what makes us really worried about a soda-slurping habit is what happens over the long term.

Here’s a quick snapshot of you, in a few years, after drinking soda on a regular basis:

You’ll Be Fatter: According to research in the Nurse’s Health Study, which monitored the health of 90,000 women for eight years, drinking a single soda every day of the week added 10 pounds over a four-year period.

You’ll Probably Have Diabetes: In the Nurses’ Health Study, women who said they drank one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely consumed these beverages.

You’re Much More Likely to Develop Heart Disease: According to a study published in 2007 in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, subjects who drank a soda every day over a four-year period had a 25% chance of developing high blood sugar levels and a 32% greater chance of developing lower “good” cholesterol levels. The Nurses’ Health Study found that women who drank more than two sugary beverages per day had a 40% higher risk of heart attacks or death from heart disease than women who rarely drank sugary beverages.

You’re Probably Also Less Healthy In Other Ways: Several studies, including the 2007 study published in Circulation, suggest that diet sodas have some of the same effects on health as regular sodas, despite having none or very little of the sugar. Why? Drinking soda is typically part of an overall lifestyle that’s not very healthy: We know you don’t like us to compare drinking caffeine and sugar to substance abuse, but when it comes to your lifestyle, some think that soda is just like a gateway drug.

Men's Waistlines Could Be Key to Health

Men's Waistlines Could Be Key to Health

40 inches put most men in risk zone for serious illnesses, experts say.

By Robert Preidt,

 MONDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) — Men can gain significant health benefits from watching their waist size and, if necessary, losing some flab around the middle, the American Dietetic Association says.

"Just as it's important to know your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight numbers, men need to know their waist circumference. So, get out the tape measure," registered dietitian and ADA spokesman Jim White said in an ADA news release.

For an average male, a waistline of 40 inches puts him into the "disease-risk zone," the experts warned.

Excess abdominal fat, as opposed to fat elsewhere on the body, increases men's risk for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. This fat around internal organs is known as visceral fat.

To correctly measure your waist size, wrap the tape measure over bare skin on your natural waistline, a little above the belly button at the narrowest part of your torso. Don't hold the tape measure too loose or too tight, White said.

"Eating better, decreasing stress levels, engaging in physical activity and getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep every day can help keep a man's midsection under control," registered dietitian and ADA spokesman Manuel Villacorta said in the news release.

Villacorta suggested reducing portion sizes, cutting back on alcohol and exercising regularly.

Fattest teenager now ANOREXIC - An Argument Against Gastric Bypass

This article has a few pictures of this very pretty young girl BEFORE surgery and horrific pictures AFTER - click link to Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1383049/Malissa-Jones-Britains-fattest-teenager-battling-anorexia.html#ixzz1MA15Sf26

Britain's fattest teenager now ANOREXIC and given six months to live after gastric bypass surgery

By Daily Mail Reporter

A woman who was once Britain's fattest teenager is now battling with anorexia after her life was turned upside down by a gastric bypass operation.

Malissa Jones, 21, lost so much weight that she now tips the scales at just 8 stone. Four years ago, before her surgery, doctors were warning her that she had to take drastic action after ballooning to 34 stone. 

They warned her she had to shed 20 stone or would die within months. Now the pendulum has swung the other way for Malissa, from Selby, North Yorkshire with doctors now warning she could die in six months unless she increases her food intake.

Worrying: Malissa Jones, who dropped from 32st to 8st, is now anorexic after developing a fear of eating following her gastric band surgery. Malissa told Closer magazine: 'I would urge anyone wanting surgery to lose weight healthily. I wish I had. 'Surgery can have consequences you might never have imagined.'

Malissa was the youngest person in the world to have a stomach bypass when surgeons performed the £10,000 NHS operation in January 2008.

 She consumed 15,000 calories a day from gorging on chocolate, crisps and junk food  - seven and a half times the recommended 2,000 calories for a girl of her age. But parents Richard and Dawn were unable to stop her food cravings.

 Despite the risk of drastic surgery in such a young girl, she survived the operation and within a year lost more than half her body weight.

She started going clubbing and fell pregnant with farmer boyfriend Chris Robottom, 22. In February, after six months' pregnancy, she became ill with liver failure and her baby had to be delivered by Caesarean.

Sadly her baby, Harry, died an hour after delivery. Doctors then revealed Malissa's failure to eat properly had led to him being malnourished.

Malissa's weight dropped rapidly as she lost interest in food and doctors have now diagnosed her as anorexic.

'Food made my physically sick,' she said. 'I had to force myself to eat.'  Her daily diet is now three cooked carrots, two portions of parsnip and a roast potato, which provides 300 calories.

Doctors have advised her to eat between 500 and 1,000 calories a day. Malissa, who is 5ft 8in tall, says: 'I am not deliberately starving myself but, right now, I would rather die than force myself to eat.

'I'm too thin. My body shocks me. But swallowing is painful. Eating a tiny amount gives me stomach cramps or makes me sick.

'My consultant says, if I continue like this, I only have six months to live.

'I will most likely die of a heart attack, so I must persevere with eating. I am trying, but it is so hard.'

Clinical psychologist Dr Funke Baffour from Waltham Cross, Herts, said: 'There would have been psychological reasons for Malissa' obesity that a gastric band would not have dealt with.

'It is not surprising she has swapped one emotional relationship with food for another.

'Perhaps, subconsciously, Malissa is so afraid of becoming obese again, she is stopping herself from eating.

Menopause and Excess Body Weight

Question and Answer to a pressing question that majority of woman face...

Menopause and Excess Body Weight: Ask Dr Pat

 by Patricia Yarberry Allen, M.D.

 Dear Dr. Pat,

I am 58 years old, 5’2” tall, and I weigh 170 pounds. My doctor tells me that I am pre-diabetic and has warned me that I am increasing my risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer because of my weight. I am still having my periods, and they are a bit longer and heavier than they used to be: 8 days and a 8 pads on the heavy days. I miss an occasional period here and there. None of my girlfriends still have their periods at this age, but I figured that I was just hormonally younger than them. I have never had any female problems. There is no gynecologist in my county anymore. My doctor told me that I need to go to the regional medical center to find out why I am still having my periods. That’s a big trip and a big expense for me. Do I really need to go?

Ruth

 

Dear Ruth,

It is hard for doctors and patients these days in rural America. Costs are fixed, new government regulations have allowed big insurance companies to lower their payments to doctors and hospitals, and there’s been a decrease in Medicaid payments to individual doctors and hospitals. Doctors in high-malpractice categories like obstetrics and gynecology can no longer afford to practice in these areas. It is heartbreaking to hear stories like yours of no obstetrical or gynecologic care without a long drive to a bigger county. And with the costs of travel on the rise, this will only decrease access to basic care.

 Your local doctor has given you very good advice on two matters: weight loss and the need to see a gynecologist. Overweight women do have an increase in diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke and other vascular diseases. In addition, women who are overweight in the late menopausal transition and after menopause have a real increase in endometrial cancer. Epidemiologic data has found a two-to-fivefold increase in the risk of developing endometrial cancer among obese pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women. In clinical studies, obesity has in fact been associated with at least 40% of endometrial cancer cases.

 In an overweight woman, menopause may be delayed, and periods may become heavier and longer because estrogen levels are still high even after the ovaries no longer produce appropriate levels of progesterone. (The high level of estrogen in overweight women is partly the work of fat cells, which turn adrenal hormones into estrogen—along with other hormonal changes that also increase the active form of estrogen.) This hormonal imbalance, with high estrogen and low progesterone, creates an environment in the body that can cause an increase in endometrial hyperplasia and often endometrial cancer.

 The most pressing issue for you is to have a clinical exam by a gynecologist, and then a sonogram of your pelvic organs. The gynecologist will then make a decision based on your age and your history—including the delayed menopause, and your long and heavy bleeding—and the information we have about obesity and endometrial cancer. It is likely that you will have an endometrial biopsy, then further surgery based on what is found in that sample.

Then, Ruth, it is time to address the underlying cause of so many health problems that you are beginning to develop: your weight.

Obesity is the major cause of so many preventable illnesses in America. Now that we have less access to health care, each of us must do our part to decrease our risk for developing the diseases that are related to being overweight. Not only are Americans now forced to deal with austerity measures in the provision of basic services, we must all do the hard things that will keep us out of the doctor’s office and out of the hospital.

 Life change is always hard, but you have been given two very powerful reasons to get started. So, begin a gentle daily exercise plan, cut out the foods you know you should not eat, control your portion sizes, and eat more frequent small meals.

 There is no way out now, Ruth. Just start.

Link to site with this question & answer: http://womensvoicesforchange.org/menopause-and-excess-body-weight-ask-dr-pat.htm

Day 50.2 ~ 3/11/11

Wednesday was the start of Lent and for next few weeks we will not be eating meat on Fridays.  Normally it's pizza night for us -quick & easy, no decisions...plus isn't pizza a normal Friday night ritual??  End of a work week and not having to cook.

Fish is another regular addition (during Lent) to Friday meals for us also and using that as my segway - I made tuna fish for lunch today for hubby & myslef and found something I thought was interesting and odd at the same time. 

I had two different types of tuna fish in my cabinet. Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea.  Both cans stated White Albacore Tuna packed in water.  The can of Bumble Bee Tuna was also "Low Sodium".

Both cans were 2 servings/5oz each.

Bumble Bee              Fat 1g   Protein 16g  Cholesterol 25mg   Sodium 35 mg   Potassium  135mg

Chicken of the Sea   Fat 1g   Protein 13g  Cholesterol 10mg   Sodium 140 mg   Potassium  75mg

Bumble Bee ingredients state: White Tuna, Demineralized water.

Chicken of the Sea ingredients: Solid white Tuna, water, vvegetable broth(containing soy), Pyrophospate

Now I can see why the Chicken of the Sea Tuna has more Sodium, but what brought down the Protein, Cholesterol and Potassium?  The vegetable broth with soy or the Pyrophosphate.

Just so you know this is what Pyrophosphate is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_pyrophosphate

"Sodium pyrophosphate, also called tetrasodium pyrophosphate or tetrasodium phosphate, is a slightly toxic and mildly irritating colorless transparent crystalline chemical compound with the formula Na4P2O7 and CAS number 7722-88-5. It contains the pyrophosphate ion. Toxicity is approximately twice that of table salt when digested orally[1]."

I do not know about you - but I think I am sticking with Bumble Bee Low Sodium Tuna (I was thinking this before I knew what Pyrophosphate was (do you have this stuff in your cabinet?). I'd like to think that the meat/fish I chose would not have a chemical in it. I also think more Protein and Potassium is better for me than the extra Sodium (WHO NEEDS MORE BLOAT??) Trade up being more Cholesterol but much better than extra chemicals in the fish.

 Today's Meals:

Breakfast:  Bacon & Cheese Omelet (2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 1 slice American cheese & 4 slices center cut bacon)

Snack: 1 Sorrento Reduced Fat Mozzarella Stick

Lunch: 1 can Bumble Bee Tuna, 2 slices Swiss Cheese, 2 Tablespoons Mayo, 4 Lettuce leaves (rolled tuna sandwiches)

Snack: ½ cup 2% fat cottage cheese

Dinner: 5 oz Parmesan Tilapia, 1 Tablespoon butter, 1 cup broccoli florets

Snack: ½ 1 Sorrento Reduced Fat Mozzarella Stick , ½ bag of Trader Joe's handful of almonds

Total Carbs: 26g - 6%

Total Protein: 156g - 37%

Total Fats: 108g - 57%

Total Calories: 1,719

I was able to add another 10 minutes to my walk today - so a full 40 minutes!  I also remembered to bring my new Reebok Easy-tone sneakers to work and my butt and ass are sore - I can definately feel them working!

It's Friday - enjoy your night and this coming weekend!

Take a moment to say a prayer for those unfortunate people hit by the Tsumnami - the devastation from the earthquake and tsunami is unbelievable!

Don't forget this weekend is Daylight Savings!!

Diet Soda May Increase Stroke Risk

Link to article: http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/heart-disease/diet-soda-stroke-risk?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl6%7Csec3_lnk1%7C43027

Diet Soda May Increase Stroke Risk

People who think they're being healthy by drinking diet soda and keeping their weight down could be mistaken.

New research finds that diet may increase the risk of stroke by as much as 61 percent.

"If our results are confirmed with future studies, then it would suggest that diet soda may not be the optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages for protection against vascular outcomes," said Hannah Gardener, lead author of the new study and epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, in a statement.

The findings were presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011 in California.

The research was based on 2,564 people who participated in the Northern Manhattan Study. Gardener and her colleagues found that people who drink diet soda every day have the greatest risk of stroke when compared to people who do not drink any soda.

But some are skeptical.

"This study has major flaws and should not change anyone's diet soda consumption," said ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser.

For the soda study, researchers asked participants how much and what kind of soda they drank. Participants were then grouped into seven categories: no soda (meaning less than one soda of any kind per month); moderate regular soda only (between one per month and six per week), daily regular soda (at least one per day); moderate diet soda only; daily diet soda only; and two groups of people who drink both types: moderate diet and any regular, and daily diet with any regular.

About 900 study participants reported drinking no soda at the start of the study, while 163 said they drank one or more daily.

Researchers followed up with participants for an average of 9.3 years. During that time, 559 suffered a vascular event, such as an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, both of which is caused by the rupture of a weakened blood vessel.

"One of the many flaws here is that participants were asked about soda intake at only one point in time, when they entered the study," Besser told ABC News. "It is difficult to imagine that people's intake of soda is constant during that period."

Nonetheless, researchers say the results held up, and that even after accounting for age, sex, race and lifestyle choices such as smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption and caloric intake, the increased risk was still 48 percent higher for people who drank diet soda.

The study noted that researchers did lack data on what brands of soda participants drank and whether the soda contained artificial color or flavoring.

FYI: Salads Sold at Major Grocery Chains Recalled Over Listeria Fears

link to full article: http://www.walletpop.com/2011/01/26/salads-sold-at-major-grocery-chains-recalled-over-listeria-fears/

Salads Sold at Major Grocery Chains Recalled Over Listeria Fears

Linda Doell
Jan 26th 2011 at 10:00PM

 

 Salad producer State Garden Inc. recalled all its salad products made on Jan. 4 -- sold at Wegmans, Shop & Stop/Giant, Shaw's and other stores on the East Coast -- after a sample in Rhode Island showed it was contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The salads were packaged under the brand names, Gold Quality, Hannaford, Nature's Place, Nature's Promise, Roche Bros, Northeast Fresh, Noreast Fresh, Olivia's Organics, Signature and Wegmans. The FDA has a list of the dozens of UPC codes and product descriptions. The product trace back codes are 45693 and 45703 and all the recalled products have a "best if used by" date no later than Jan. 15, 2011.

No one has reported getting sick from eating the recalled salad products, which are now past their best by dates.

Listeria can cause potentially life-threatening infections in young children or those with weakened immune systems. Even normally healthy people can come down with a high fever, severe headaches, nausea, diarrhea and stomach pain from eating tainted food.

State Garden said the Rhode Island Department of Health tested a sample of Northeast Spring Mix Salad at a retail store and the test came back positive for listeria. The company said any consumer who still has these recalled products should return them to the store for a refund. Call State Garden at (888) 841-6191, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.

Certain Fresh Express salad mixes were recalled last year after samples tested positive for listeria.