Tag Archives: body

Meet the man who claims he doesn’t need food

It may seem a little hard to digest, but a man who hasn’t eaten three solid meals a day in months claims he has stumbled upon the secret to good health — and it doesn’t involve calorie counting and exercise. But Rob Rhinehart isn’t on a fad diet or starving himself in a bid to lose weight. He simply wanted to revolutionize his life when he created what he says is a formula which gives his body the exact amount of vitamins and minerals it needs to survive. Spurned on by a poor diet and lack of time to shop and prepare food, the 24-year-old began researching what his body needed, down to the biochemical level, and made Soylent — a drink mixture of vitamins and minerals which includes calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K. “I was really tired of eating poorly and wondered why it had to be difficult to obtain healthy food,” he said. “I started seeing food on a biochemical level and developed a new form that is much more efficient and scalable by including only the necessary components — and was surprised to find it worked.” He swapped his favorite pizzas, burgers and other foods with his Soylent formula for a month and says he begun to enjoy food for the first time as he learned how to eat for pleasure instead of greed. Mr Rhinehart, who now has Soylent for 90 percent of his meals, said he believed his formula could be the ideal replacement for unhealthy fast food, or for time-poor people who wanted to avoid the stress of shopping and cooking. Not to be confused with the 1973 sci-fi film Soylent Green in which most of the population lives off rations including one aptly called Soylent Green, Mr Rhinehart’s says his formula may be just as effective in helping solve food shortages. He admits to still having the occasional craving for a big hearty meal, but says he mostly wants healthy, fresh tasting flavors. “I still eat, but I have not been to the grocery store, cooked, or cleaned a dish in months,” he said. “I enjoy my favorite foods a few times per week, mostly out with friends on the weekends, which is really all I crave.” Mr Rhinehart insists his diet is far from boring. “I assumed I would quickly get tired of the taste but this does not happen,” he writes in his blog. “It’s really nice to always be full and healthy, and still enjoy food just for fun when I want to.” And he reckons even the biggest foodie could learn to eat less using a mix of Soylent and prepared meals as people would be left with more time to enjoy the things they want. “People will find a good balance of Soylent meals and regular meals to ensure maximum enjoyment of food and health. I think it could vastly improve our relationship with food and agriculture,” he said. But nutritionists warn that such a formula-type diet is not only restrictive, but unsustainable. Sydney-based nutritionist Susie Burrell said while supplements could be developed to replace the contents of a meal, the reality was that humans enjoyed sitting down to meals. “While technically you can develop supplements that replace the nutrients content of a meal, which can be used to support weight loss or feed those who do not have access to food, the reality is that human beings like to eat, which is why dietary restriction and meal replacements are not proven to work long term,” she said. “Claiming such a product can solve the nutrition issues of the world is a simplistic view of very complex issues including obesity, malnutrition, food security, eating behaviour and basic nutrition.” Nutrition consultant Tracie Hyam said Mr Rhinehart may think he’s learning to eat properly, but that it actually wasn’t the case. “Meal-replacement shakes can definitely have a place in a weight-loss program or plan, but in the long-term the shakes will not deliver a healthy eating habit for him,” she said, adding there were a lot of other reasons such a diet was far from ideal. “If his digestive system isn’t used to chewing or digesting food, that one meal a week out with friends might be a big shock to the system,” she said. “Food in moderation, and definitely nutritious food, is there to be enjoyed. So replacing most meals of the day, is really taking away that enjoyment.” Click for more from news.com.au. source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/17/meet-man-who-doesnt-need-food/

Drinking alcohol to shrink?

Alcohol and your weight have a tricky relationship. So tricky, in fact, that experts have had a tough time nailing down exactly why some women wind up with a beer gut (or butt) while others drink daily and never seem to gain a pound. Here's what we know: Your average drink—beer, wine, martini, pick your poison—is usually a combination of carbs, sugar and ethanol (pure alcohol). When it goes down the hatch, it makes a pit stop at your stomach, where some of the alcohol is absorbed through the lining and into your bloodstream, giving you that initial buzz. The carbs and sugar go the traditional digestive route, while ethanol, a toxin, is diverted to the liver. This is when that innocent little drink starts messing with your internal fat incinerator. Ethanol has no nutritional value, so your body burns it off first. That means any remaining calories in your stomach—whether they're from the margarita or the chips and guacamole you had with it—will likely be stored as fat.  And the more fattening the foods you eat, the easier the calories are to store. (Bear in mind that research published in Physiology & Behavior found that alcohol makes us focus on immediate pleasure and ignore the consequences, which often results in eating junk food.) Unlike protein and carbs, which require some energy for the body to break down and store, fat can directly deposit itself, so those chips are first in line to be plastered to your thighs. MORE: The 3 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes Still, the situation might not be as bleak as it appears, because the real problem may not be drinking itself, but how often and how hard we hit the bottle. Drink and Shrink? A 2010 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine may be the best news for booze since the 21st Amendment. Researchers found that women who had one or two alcoholic drinks a day were actually less likely to gain weight than those who shunned the sauce. And they did it while consuming more calories overall (from food and drink) than both heavy drinkers and teetotalers. Short of striking a deal with the devil, how did they manage to pull that off? Researchers believe that the bodies of long-term moderate drinkers somehow adapt to metabolize alcohol differently than heavy or occasional drinkers. They use more energy, burning the calories in the drink—or even more than that—while digesting it, Dr. Lu Wang, the lead researcher of the study and an instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said.  Researchers are still working out the specifics of how and why this happens, but they've figured out that for women who drink up to eight ounces of an alcoholic beverage a day, those calories simply don't end up as extra fat. MORE: 15 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Of course, there's a catch. Women who bank their daily drinks for weekends or girls' nights out don't qualify for the free-calorie plan (and among the 18-to-25 crowd, this “binge” behavior is on the rise, according to a 2009 Addiction study).  “Your body adjusts metabolically to the amount you drink, and when you don't drink regularly, your body can't adjust,” Wang said.  Instead of learning to disregard those nutritionally empty calories, your body automatically stores them—as fat. It's akin to tossing old clothes you don't wear into the back of your closet, only your body doesn't have the good sense to hide the junk. It tends to store the fat front and center, in your belly. MORE: 4 Amazing Abs Exercises Booze Clues Evidence suggests that moderate drinkers also tend to practice healthier habits than teetotalers. If you're used to having three or four drinks every week as part of your diet, you're probably compensating for them with fewer calories elsewhere.  “These women know how to moderate how much they drink, so it makes sense that they'd moderate what they eat as well,” Robert Klesges, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, said. The Archives study found that these women also exercise more, which knocks off additional calories. Another thing that helped: The women in the Archives study were served no more than two four-ounce glasses of wine or two 1.5-ounce shots of liquor a day. In real life, you're likely to be handed far more than that by a bartender or waitress—20 to 45 percent more, according to a 2009 study in the journal Alcohol. And we're not much better when left to our own devices.  “Eyeballing the right amount is very difficult,” William C. Kerr, a senior scientist at the Alcohol Research Group in Emeryville, Calif., said. “Most of us don't even know how much we should be shooting for, so overpouring is typical.” MORE: 20 Habits That Make You Fat It's especially easy to overdo it with vino, given that the average wineglass these days looks big enough to hold a school of fish. So a bottle of light beer may be your best bet.  “Unlike wine and mixed drinks, it's portion controlled—the bottle is right there with the calories printed on it,” says Lisa Young, R.D., author of “The Portion Teller Plan.” “It eliminates the guesswork.”source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/14/drinking-alcohol-to-shrink/

BPA linked to higher risk for obesity among young girls

A chemical commonly found in plastic food containers, water bottles and canned foods called bisphenol-A (BPA) has long been linked to serious health issues, including infertility and birth defects.Now, researchers say exposure to BPA may also be associated with a higher risk for obesity among puberty-age girls. In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers measured the levels of BPA present in urine samples from 1,326 children between the ages of 9 and 12. Researchers discovered that girls who had higher levels of BPA in their urine had a greater risk for being overweight. The effect was not seen in the boys involved in the study. Girls who had more than 2 micrograms per liter of BPA in their urine were twice as likely to be overweight, compared to girls with below normal levels of BPA in their urine. And girls that had more than 10 micrograms of BPA per liter in their urine had a ten times greater risk for obesity. Dr. Di-Kun Le, the study’s principal investigator and a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., has been studying the effects of BPA for years. “Animal (studies) started to show that BPA can impact metabolic processes, which often leads to obesity and diabetes,” Le told FoxNews.com. “So we decided to look at it (in humans).” Le noted that though he expected to find a link between obesity and BPA levels, he didn’t expect it to be such a strong correlation.   While the research does not necessarily prove BPA is the reason for the girls’ obesity, Le said that the effect is likely caused by the fact that BPA is an endocrine disrupter and acts similarly to the hormone estrogen, which impacts metabolic function. Because of the damage that BPA incurs on the endocrine system, Le believes exposure to BPA is contributing to the global obesity epidemic.   “Overeating a little won’t cause obesity, but (by) having this kind of endocrine damage without knowing it, and adding more food, the consequences are magnified,” Le said. Though Le said there are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations forcing manufacturers to label how much BPA is used in packaging, he hopes this research will add to the body of evidence mounting against the chemical. He warns that people should try to avoid products containing BPA as much as possible. “Buy BPA-free containers, particularly containers used for kids. Kids and fetuses are the most affected populations,” Le said. “Also try to reduce using plastics. It’s not feasible to use none, but reduce exposure to plastic containers…and reduce the use of canned foods.” Le hopes to study the effects of BPA further, by testing its impact on unborn babies. “I want to look when pregnant women, and their fetuses, are exposed to even small amounts of BPA, how it’s going to damage (them),” Le said. “When you damage the fetus, you damage the rest of their life.”source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/bpa-linked-to-higher-risk-for-obesity-among-young-girls/

The new science of weight loss: Introducing the anti-inflammatory diet

You likely haven't given much thought to your cells since high-school biology, but focusing on them might be the key to unlocking your best body ever. While most diets prioritize cutting calories and fat, the anti-inflammatory diet—Hollywood's new favorite healthy-eating plan—operates on a biochemical level.  Designed to neutralize the inflammation that occurs inside your body, the regimen offers big benefits, including a slimmer waist, a clearer mind, fewer cravings, and better skin. No surprise, then, that image-minded celebrities have taken notice: Matthew Fox followed an anti-inflammatory eating plan to get in shape for his upcoming movie World War Z. So how does it work? Eating high levels of saturated fats, trans fats, and refined sugars (read: the modern American diet) sets off a series of reactions: The “bad fat” triggers the liver to release chemicals to fight the toxins, which causes inflammation. Meanwhile, the glucose in food can't be transported to your cells while the body is inflamed, which means that your brain isn't registering the intake. The result: You're left feeling foggy, hungry, and more prone to cravings, which then restarts the cycle. “The more inflammation you have, the less efficiently you're using your calories, so you eat more and feel worse,” says Jackie Keller, the Los Angeles–based founder of the NutriFit meal-delivery service, who crafts anti-inflammatory diet plans for Channing Tatum, Penelope Cruz, and Charlize Theron. Cellular inflammation also stiffens up your arteries, causes skin breakouts, and makes you more prone to heart disease and cancer. “Because we're eating so many processed foods, inflammation is a bigger problem than ever before,” said Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian and wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic. “This diet is partly about what you don't eat—saturated fats, trans fats, and sugar—and a lot about what you do eat.” The focus is on unsaturated fats in fish and olive oil, plus plenty of produce, especially deeply colored fruits and vegetables, which are packed with phytonutrients that help neutralize inflammation.  Another major hallmark is a reliance on herbs and spices: Powerful compounds including quercetin in garlic, gingerol in ginger, cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon, and curcumin in turmeric may all help fight inflammation, said Kirkpatrick. “Not all of my clients understand the science,” Keller said. “But they feel better and they find it easier to lose weight, and that's what matters. ___________________________________________________ More From Details: Elimination Diets: A Primer Why You Should Be a Meat and Potatoes Guy 8 (Surprising) Things That Make You Fat ___________________________________________________ The Anti-Inflammatory Menu Breakfast: 1 cup cooked steel-cut oats with cinnamon and 1 oz almonds. Morning Snack: 1½ cups seasonal berries with 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt. Lunch: 4 oz baked chicken, cut into strips, mixed with 2 cups steamed or stir-fried Asian vegetables, such as bok choy and shiitake mushrooms, with garlic and ginger. Afternoon Snack: 1 cup fresh cherries or 1 cup cherry juice. Dinner: 6 oz grilled fresh trout seasoned with curry powder (which includes turmeric), 2 cups dark-green vegetables (preferably broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or kale) cooked in 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil. Dessert: 1 oz dark chocolate.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/new-science-weight-loss-introducing-anti-inflammatory-diet/

A path to lower-risk painkillers: Newly-discovered drug target paves way for alternatives to morphine

Now, new research from the University of Michigan Health System and a major pharmaceutical company has identified a novel approach to moderate and severe pain therapy that paves the way for lower dosage painkillers. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Drugs such as hydrocodone (the main ingredient of Vicodin) and oxycodone (Oxycontin) are often the best options for the treatment of moderate to severe pain for patients facing medical conditions ranging from a wisdom tooth extraction to cancer. The drugs bind to specific molecules (opioid receptors) on nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to prevent the feeling of pain…

7 ways to cut your diabetes risk

Defend yourself against prediabetes and type 2 diabetes by sticking to these lifestyle habits, like lifting weights and getting a good night's sleep Hit the Weights Upping your lean muscle mass could lower your insulin resistance and drop your odds of developing prediabetes, according to a new study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Researchers found that for every 10 percent increase in muscle mass, people's prediabetes risk fell by 12 percent.  Build three days of resistance training into your weekly fitness plan, Sheri Colberg-Ochs, a professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University, said. And aim for at least two and a half hours a week of glucose-burning cardio activity such as running, cycling or swimming. MORE: 4 Muscle-Sculpting Kettlebell Exercises Score Enough Sleep Long-term sleep deprivation may amp up the body's insulin resistance, especially in people genetically predisposed to diabetes. A preliminary University of Chicago study found that those who regularly snoozed fewer than six hours a night were at the highest risk. Try to get at least seven hours of shut-eye each evening. MORE: 15 Tricks to Sleep Better Tonight Fiber Up The rough stuff isn't just good for digestion—it also curbs post-meal sugar spikes by slowing down the flow of glucose into the bloodstream. So when you crave something sweet, opt for fiber-rich fruit such as raspberries or pears. And consider adding brown rice to your diet: Eating two or more servings a week lowers diabetes risk by 11 percent, an Archives of Internal Medicine study said. MORE: What Your Food Cravings Say About Your Health Chill Out Chronic stress is a risk factor for many major diseases, including diabetes.  “When your body senses stress, it releases hormones that increase blood sugar,” Colberg-Ochs said.  That rush is beneficial in a pinch but dangerous long-term. Regularly practicing deep breathing or meditation, listening to calming music or getting massages can quell stress hormones and help lower overall blood sugar, she said. MORE: 8 Daily Strategies That De-Stress Your Life Embrace the Omegas The omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like oily fish (wild salmon, sardines) can help improve insulin sensitivity. Nosh on at least one serving of such seafood a week. Do the D The “sunshine vitamin” may be a key factor in the fight against diabetes. A review published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that people with high vitamin-D levels were less likely to develop type 2. Swallow 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day through dairy foods, fatty fish, or supplements. Spice Things Up Cinnamon may be an ace at lowering blood sugar levels, research in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine said. Rich in nutrients called polyphenols, the sweet spice may help insulin do its job more effectively. Sprinkle some into your morning joe or mix it into an oatmeal snack.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/10/7-ways-to-cut-your-diabetes-risk/

Relieve stress naturally with acupuncture

Your body is hardwired to react to stress. But if you are constantly on alert, your health can pay the price. We recently got this email from a viewer looking for some relief. Dear Dr. Manny, I heard acupuncture can help relieve stress, but how many treatments do you need? Thanks, MaryAnn Long-term stress on the body can put you at risk for numerous conditions: -Heart disease -Sleep problems -Digestive problems -Depression -Obesity -Memory impairment And new research shows you can actually wear the effects of stress on your face. Acupuncture can be a great way to relieve stress naturally. Each person responds to treatment in a different way, so the number of sessions required can vary. Experts recommend a minimum of one session per week for five to eight weeks, and patients often start to feel an immediate reduction in stress after just one session. You should always talk to your doctor before making any lifestyle changes, and make sure you find a licensed practitioner for treatment. Do you have a health question for Dr. Manny? Email it to him at DrManny@foxnews.com.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/09/relieve-stress-naturally-with-acupuncture/

Soy sauce overdose sends man into coma

A young man who drank a quart of soy sauce went into a coma and nearly died from an excess of salt in his body, according to a recent case report. The 19-year-old, who drank the soy sauce after being dared by friends, is the first person known to have deliberately overdosed on such a high amount of salt and survived with no lasting neurological problems, according to the doctors in Virginia who reported his case. The case report was published online June 4 in the Journal of Emergency Medicine. Too much salt in the blood, a condition called hypernatremia, is usually seen in people with psychiatric conditions who develop a strong appetite for the condiment, said Dr. David J. Carlberg, who treated the young man and works as an emergency medicine physician at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Hypernatremia is dangerous because it causes the brain to lose water. When there is too much saltin the bloodstream, water moves out of the body tissues and into the blood by the process of osmosis, to try to equalize the salt concentration between the two. As water the leaves the brain, the organ can shrink and bleed, Carlberg said. After the man drank the soy sauce, he began twitching and having seizures, and the friends took him to an emergency room. That hospital administered anti-seizure medication, and he was already in a coma when he was taken to the hospital where Carlberg was working, the University of Virginia Medical Center, nearly four hours after the event. “He didn't respond to any of the stimuli that we gave him,” Carlberg said. “He had some clonus, which is just elevated reflexes. It's a sign that basically the nervous system wasn't working very well.” The team immediately began flushing the salt out of his system by administering a solution of water and the sugar dextrose through a nasal tube. When they placed the tube, streaks of brown material came out. Within a half hour, they pumped 1.5 gallons (6 liters) of sugar water into the man's body. The man's sodium levels returned to normal after about five hours. He remained in a coma for three days, but woke up on his own. For several days afterward, a part of his brain called the hippocampus showed residual effects from the seizures. But a month after the event, he showed no sign of the overdose: He was back at college, and doing well on his exams, doctors reported. A typical quart of soy sauce has more than 0.35 pounds (0.16 kilograms) of salt, the researchers said. Most cases of sodium overdose happen more gradually. In the 1960s and 1970s, doctors actually gave salt to patients suffering from poisoning, to initiate vomiting, until they realized its harmful effects. Though it's rare in the United States, consuming excess salt was a traditional method for suicide in ancient China, according to the case report. Carlberg said he believes the young man survived because the team got his sodium levels down so quickly. “We were more aggressive than had been reported before in terms of bringing his sodium back down to a safer range,” Carlberg said. Reducing sodium levels more slowly has had poor or mixed results in the past, he said. Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/07/soy-sauce-overdose-sends-man-into-coma/

Medical breakthrough for multiple sclerosis sufferers

In a breakthrough discovery, researchers have discovered a treatment capable of reducing the debilitating autoimmune response that occurs in people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). When patients are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, their bodies begin to attack the protein myelin, which insulates the body’s spinal cord, brain and optic nerves. As a result, MS patients experience symptoms such as numbness in their limbs, paralysis and sometimes blindness. However, during a phase one clinical trial of a new treatment for MS patients, researchers were able to curtail the body’s attacks on myelin by 50 to 75 percent, while sustaining the functionality of the rest of the immune system. Current treatments for MS seek to lessen the body’s autoimmune response to myelin, but this often results in decreased effectiveness of the entire immune system. “Most therapies for autoimmune diseases employ approaches broadly called immunosuppressors – they knock down immune response without specificity,” study co-author Stephen Miller, professor of microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com.  “People can become highly susceptible to everyday infections and develop higher rates of cancer.” Miller and his colleagues sought a more targeted ‘tolerance’ treatment that would leave the greater immune system intact while knocking out only the autoimmune response to myelin. “In MS, the idea is to target autoreactive T-cells directed against myelin…which would (reduce) disease progression, but wouldn’t make patient susceptible to higher rates of infection,” Miller said. In a study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a small group of MS patients were treated intravenously with an infusion of their own white blood cells, which had been engineered to carry billions of myelin antigens. Researchers hoped the cells would teach the body to stop attacking myelin. Miller and his team needed to determine if the treatment, which was based on 30 years of previous research, could be safely applied in humans – and they were pleased to discover it could be. “It was safe to infuse as many as 3 billion autologous cells that we collected and manipulated back into the same patient and didn’t trigger exacerbations,” Miller said. “Most patients didn’t show any increased signs of disease during the six-month follow up.” Furthermore, the treatment did not seem to impede the larger immune system. Researchers tested this by analyzing whether or not each patient continued to retain their immunity to tetanus, for which all of the patients had previously been vaccinated. “Among four patients receiving the highest doses (of autologous cells),  immune response to myelin antigens had diminished or gone away - but tetanus had not gone away,” Miller said. This indicated that the immune system’s ability to fight other diseases after the procedure remained intact. Though researchers caution that the study was too small to draw any significant conclusions, they are optimistic about the outcomes of larger studies and the ability of this treatment to help halt the progress of MS – particularly among recently-diagnosed patients. “The idea is that if we’re able to intervene early enough in disease process, we can stop the autoimmune destruction and (the patient) will have little or no clinical deficit as result of earlier attacks before being diagnosed,” Miller said. Researchers hope to receive funding to begin a phase two trial soon.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/medical-breakthrough-for-multiple-sclerosis-sufferers/

Scientists unexpectedly discover stress-resistant stem cells in fat tissue removed during liposuction

The cells, called Multi-lineage Stress-Enduring (Muse-AT) stem cells from fat, or adipose, tissue, were discovered by "scientific accident" when a piece of equipment failed in the lab, killing all the stem cells in the experiment except for the Muse-AT cells. The research team further discovered that not only are Muse-AT cells able to survive severe stress, they may even be activated by it, said study senior author Gregorio Chazenbalk, an associate researcher with UCLA Obstetrics and Gynecology…