An increasing number of patients with triple-negative breast cancer are receiving chemotherapy before surgery, a treatment approach called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. …
We all fib a little, but telling your co-worker her new haircut looks great (when what you're really thinking is “oh my!”) is pretty harmless. Lying to yourself about your own eating habits on the other hand, can wreak some real mental and physical havoc; and a new study shows it may be pretty common. In my private practice, I make it very clear to my clients that my role is not to scold, berate, or act like a food cop. In fact, it's just the opposite, because fostering an open, non-judgmental dialogue about your relationship with food is the only way to uncover some truths you may be pushing under the rug. And until they're exposed, they're pretty impossible to change. Here are five many of my clients reveal, and why coming clean with yourself can be the answer to finally losing weight—for good. 'I eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I'm full' When reviewing my clients' food diaries, I often see snacks, driven by hunger, just an hour or two after fairly substantial meals–generally a sign that something is out of sync. When I ask, “What did the hunger feel like?” it often turns out to be emotional or social, rather than physical in nature. In other words, there are no bodily symptoms that signaled a need for energy or nourishment, and in truth, many clients know this to be true. One once said, “I realize it's not really hunger, but I fool myself into thinking it is, because I don't know what else to do.” Alternative: The toughest part of recognizing that you want to eat, but not because your body is telling you to, is acknowledging that what you really need has nothing to do with food. But once you do just that, and find other healthy ways to cope with what's really going on (anxiety, relationship issues…), the weight may effortlessly fall off (day after day after day, just 200 surplus calories can keep you 20 pounds heavier). If you don't keep a food diary already, start one, and include not just what you eat and how much, but also your hunger level before and after meals, in addition to your emotions. The revelations may allow you to break the pattern. Health.com: 20 Snacks That Burn Fat 'I'm not a big drinker' I've heard this from many clients who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, are chronic binge drinkers (consuming four or more drinks in a two hour period for women, five for men). For some, the self-categorization is justified, because they don't drink during the week, have already cut back, or are comparing themselves to friends who drink a whole lot more. But after some reflection, I often hear sentiments like, “I know polishing off a bottle of wine by myself isn't good, even if it's only on the weekends.” Alternative: For most of my clients, drinking has a domino effect that travels in both directions. Knocking a few back drinks on Saturday night often leads to eating more at dinner, followed by going out to brunch on Sunday, skipping the gym Monday morning, and giving into the office candy dish Monday afternoon.  On the flip side, cutting back on booze often leads to feeling “cleaner,” more in control, and motivated to eat healthier and be more active—changes that can be transformative for both your waistline and health. If you're using alcohol as an emotional crutch, or it's integral to your social scene, reach out to someone you trust. I've had clients break out of this pattern simply by connecting with a close friend or family member who supported their decision to cut back, or stop drinking all together. Health.com: How to Drink Alcohol Without Gaining Weight 'I eat really healthfully most of the time' I often hear this statement right after a client tells me about a decadent vacation, dinner out, or holiday that involved overeating. And while some believe it to be true, many know that on a day-to-day basis, while they don't pig out, they're not exactly earning gold stars, especially when it comes to hitting the mark for veggies, or reaching for whole, rather than refined grains. After acknowledging that she was looking at her diet through rose-colored glasses, one client said, “I think I was giving myself an A when what I really earned was more like a B-.” Alternative: It's OK to admit that you're not perfect, even if you're not perfect most of the time! You can't set concrete goals that will improve your eating habits without coming to terms with how you really eat. For example, if you realize that you eat too much rice and not enough veggies at dinner, flip-flopping the portions (e.g. a half cup of brown rice and one cup of broccoli, instead of the reverse) shaves 20 grams of carbs from your meal. At one meal a day, that's a savings equivalent to walking on a treadmill at four miles per hour for 85 hours. Health.com: Best Superfoods for Weight Loss 'I eat 5 or 6 small meals a day' The operative word here is “small.” Many of my clients who say this are actually eating five full meals, which by today's portion distortion standards, may seem small, but are actually far more than their bodies need. Admitting to this, one client said, “I think I've just gotten used to eating every few hours, or I thought it was the best thing to do, but it's clearly not working for me.” Alternative: Long stretches without eating can lead to rebound overeating, so well timed meals are key. But whether you eat four, five, or six times a day, your body's needs remain the same, which means if you want to eat more often, you must eat less each time you chow. For example, if you need 1,600 calories a day, you can eat: four 400 calorie meals; five 320 calorie meals; or six 266 calorie meals. The latter is a real challenge, because the meals end up being so mini, they don't feel like meals, leading to extra nibbles, which wind up feeding your fat cells. I don't advocate calorie counting, but if you think that too-frequent eating may be an issue, take inventory for a day or two, to gain some perspective. Health.com: 25 Ways to Cut 500 Calories A Day 'I can eat more because I work out a lot' I work with pro athletes and performers, but most of my clients work full time, on top of juggling family and social responsibilities, which often leads to fitting in far fewer workouts than they'd like. When they do hit the gym, they hit it hard, but many get there three days a week, while continuing to eat as if they're starting every day with a workout. One client confessed, “I think of myself as such an active person, but the truth is, it's more wishful thinking than reality.” Alternative: Rather than following the same routine every day of the week, establish a “baseline” eating plan, for non-exercise days, and add to it on the days you workout. Mentally, it's much easier to add to your plate, rather than take foods away, and with a daily regime that doesn't factor in fitness, if you just can't make it happen, you won't stick yourself with a surplus. Cynthia Sass is a registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she's Health's contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Her latest New York Times best seller is S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches. This article originally appeared on Health.com.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/5-white-lies-that-stall-weight-loss/
Apryl Michelle Brown had black-market silicone injections which turned out to be bathroom sealant. It left her in agony and led to her losing her hands and feet, as well as her buttocks. The 46-year-old former hairdresser blames “vanity” and wants to warn others of the terrible dangers of such illegal treatments. Teased as a child about her “pancake” bum, Brown vowed to buy a shapelier one when she was older. The moment that changed her life came in 2004, when two women walked into her successful beauty salon to get their hair done. One of them ran “pumping parties” — where unqualified practitioners inject illegal silicone into “patients” at their home. Brown, from Los Angeles, Calif., said: “One of the women told me how she had given bottom injections to the friend who was with her. “I remember thinking it was a miracle she’d walked into my life. Her friend showed me the work she’d had done and it looked great. “In a split second I made the decision that I was going to go to this woman and let her inject silicone into my behind.” That decision nearly killed her. Brown paid the woman, who had no medical background for two lots of injections. Doctors later discovered the substance used was industrial-grade silicone. Brown admitted: “I didn’t do any research. A combination of naivety, misplaced trust and insecurity led me to take this disastrous decision. “I trusted her because she seemed so professional, and I had no reason to think anything awful was going to happen. “She carried out the procedure in her daughter’s bedroom. She assessed my bottom and said, ‘You’ll need three or four sessions to get the result you want’. “The first procedure took an hour. I remember asking, ‘Is it meant to be so painful?’ and she said, ‘Yes’. It felt like it was squeezing through my nerves.” Within weeks Brown returned for her second treatment. She said: “After going through it again I had an epiphany. As I left her house I thought, ‘What am I doing? I have no idea what she’s putting in my body’. “I never returned. But though I didn’t know it then, my life had already changed forever.” Over the next two years the area where she’d been injected became hard and the skin blackened. Brown, mother to daughters Danye, 22 and Courtney, 21, said:  “Within a few months of the second injection my buttocks began to harden. I knew something wasn’t right. But shame stopped me seeking medical help. As time went on it got worse as the skin blackened. I developed hard lumps. Then the searing pain started. I had to tell my doctor what I did. I was so ashamed.” Brown spent the next four years in constant pain. Two surgeons told her it was too dangerous to remove the silicone. She said: “I was in so much agony I became a regular at hospital asking for medication to ease what was like a combination of a migraine, childbirth and toothache localized in one area. “I suffered day and night, so I was willing to do anything — including remove my buttocks.” In February 2011 a surgeon operated unsuccessfully. Brown developed a hole in her buttocks — thought to be the trigger for an infection that in June was nearly fatal.  She said: “I was 24 hours from dying. I didn’t think of leaving my family. It was a relief I’d finally be free of pain.” Doctors put her in an induced coma for two months while performing 27 surgeries — starting with amputating her buttocks — and doing extensive skin grafts. She said: “They saved me but gangrene set into my hands and feet. I was brought out of sedation shortly before I became a quadruple amputee. “My hands looked like those of a dead person. I knew then I was going to lose them.” She added: “At first you try to register your new limbs. The real comprehension comes when you start to live this new life. “I had dark times. I cried a sea of tears. I had to face the fact I’d lost my hands, feet and buttocks because of complications from bottom injections. I was overwhelmed by shame and guilt... all because I wanted a bigger bottom. “I was six months in hospital. By the time I was discharged I was determined to turn this terrible thing into something positive. “I decided to do a triathlon. I told myself if I could achieve that I could do anything. “I took my first steps again by the end of 2011. I built up to training six days a week, learning to walk, cycle then swim again using my residual limbs. “I’d be crying in pain but I’d push through it. And six weeks ago I did it — completing a three-mile walk, ten-mile cycle and a 150-meter swim. “When I crossed that finishing line with my family cheering me on, I cried tears of joy.” She added: “I haven’t sued or sought compensation. I just want to move on. There are things I miss dearly — I’ll never be able to do my girls’ hair or feel sand between my toes. “But I believe I survived to share my story. “I want to warn others of the dangers of black-market surgery. We were born whole, perfect and complete. “My greatest message is we have to learn to love and accept ourselves for who we are.” Click for more from The Sun. source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/29/woman-becomes-quadruple-amputee-after-black-market-silicone-injections/
A Minnesota teenager whose farewell song “Clouds” became an Internet sensation with nearly 3 million views on YouTube died Monday after battling a rare form of bone cancer, his family announced. Zach Sobiech, of Lakeland, died at his home, surrounded by family and his girlfriend, according to a CaringBridge post by his mother, Laura Sobiech. He was 18. Zach Sobiech's family declined a request for an interview from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, but released a statement announcing his passing. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our son Zachary David Sobiech. Our family has been blessed not only by his amazing presence in our lives, but also by the love and support of our family and friends and by so many people in the community. In particular we'd like to thank those people who listened with their hearts and helped Zach bring his message and his music to the world,” the statement said. Sobiech began writing songs of farewell to family and friends last fall. His first song, the catchy “Clouds,” inspired tributes and covers, including a celebrity video. Sobiech was told in June 2012 that he had months — perhaps a year — to live. When a scan in October showed about 20 new lesions in his lungs, Sobiech's mother suggested he start writing letters to say goodbye. “I'm not good at writing letters,” Sobiech told the Pioneer Press in December. “So I figured instead, I could just write songs for people, and they might be around longer. It's more powerful than writing a letter because a song can get stuck in your head. You find yourself humming it during the day.” In February, Rock the Cause digitally released Sobiech's album, “Fix Me Up,” which he co-wrote with bandmate Samantha “Sammy” Brown, and he flew to New York, where he signed with BMI, a music-rights management company that will collect royalties for him. Proceeds from the sale of “Clouds” and Sobiech's other songs also are going to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. In addition to raising money for the fund in his name at the Children's Cancer Research Fund, Sobiech worked to raise awareness for children suffering from his rare form of cancer. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Zach's family and friends,” said John Hallberg, the fund's CEO. “Zach Sobiech faced his cancer diagnosis with grace and strength. His music touched millions, and he leaves a lasting legacy that will help other young cancer patients through the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. Zach once said, 'You don't have to find out you're dying to start living.' He taught us all how to live, and we are all better for having known him.” Sobiech, who would have graduated from Stillwater Area High School on June 8, received his diploma early — through his family at his house in late April, according to Lind Moncrief, assistant to the principal at the high school. Counselors and support services are available for students at the school. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/terminal-teen-whose-farewell-song-became-web-hit-dies-cancer/
Whether you earn your living working up a sweat, or squeeze in workouts when you can, it's easy to fall prey to eating errors that unintentionally hold you back from getting the most out of your workouts. Here are five common missteps I see, and how to correct them to reap the rewards of your hard work. Eating too little fat Despite my recommendations to include good fats at every meal, like avocado, nuts, seeds, and coconut oil, some of my clients remain fat phobic, and will scale back, fearing that fat is “fattening.” But the truth is, getting enough fat is a smart strategy for both sports nutrition and weight control, because fat: delays stomach emptying, so you feel fuller longer; increases satiety, to shut off hunger hormones; boosts antioxidant absorption, which in emerging research is related to leanness; and ups metabolic rate, to help you burn more calories. In fact, fat is one of the most vital nutrients in your diet, because it's a structural part of your cells, which means you can't heal a cell or construct a new one without enough fat to perform these important jobs. Cutting back too much can result in fatigue, chronic hunger, or a lack of satiety, irritability, depression, a weaker immune system, and an increased injury risk. So even if you're trying to reduce your body fat percentage, don't be afraid to add almond butter to a smoothie, top your salad with avocado, and sauté your veggies in extra virgin olive oil. Filling the fat gap can be the key to finally seeing results. Health.com:  Are You Making These Dieting Mistakes?