Eliminate Negative Thoughts and Lose Weight

You think thousands of thoughts each day. You talk to yourself more than anyone else. You are your most trusted advisor and confidant. Many of the conversations that you have with yourself you would never share with anyone else because to do so would expose the “real” you. The you that is filled with self doubt, worries, sadness, guilt, hurts and disappointments. 

But this is not the “real you” at all. This is the you that your ego and belief systems have constructed. These negative beliefs have been constructed by you, and accepted by you as truth. The sad thing is that nothing can be further from the truth.

Where did these false ideas about you originate? They mostly came from others; parents, teachers, co-workers, and friends. They might have planted the seed by saying something like “she is fat” and you have cultivated those comments to the point that they have become your truth.

You are allowing your entire life to be controlled by some obscure comments made years ago.  Nobody has the right or power to dictate who you are.  Only you know who you truly are and what’s in your heart. 

When you were born you entered this world without the burdens of you current negative belief system.  You entered this world as a beautiful bundle of joy filled with unlimited potential and possibilities.

I’m here to tell you that you have not changed.  You are still and will always be a beautiful bundle of joy with unlimited potential and possibilities.

The only difference is what you give your attention to.  Let me ask you a question.  If you stopped all the negative talk that you currently have with yourself such as;
- I’m too fat
- Why would anyone want to love me
- I will never be thin
- I always fail

. And the list can go on and on…  How would you feel ?  Do you think that you would feel emotionally lighter ?  Do you think that you would feel happier ?  Do you think that you would feel more confident ?

Now how do you think your life would change if you were to go one step further and modify your self talk by only speaking positively about yourself.  If you take some time and focus on what you like about yourself and focus on only that your emotional state will become positive to the point that you will be able to accomplish anything.

Once you begin looking for the positive things within you, you will be surprised to realize your magnificence has always been there just below the surface.  You have never been anything other then that shining bundle of joy that entered the world years ago.  It’s easy to uncover positive aspects of yourself by asking some questions.
- What am I good at?
- Who has benefited by me being in the world?
- Who am I, what is in my heart that only I    know?
- What do I like about my body?

Your goal is to feel good now.  How do you feel now?  If you only observe what you feel is positive about you, you will feel good, you will be happy.  Decide right here and right now how you want to feel.  Decide that you will always look for the good within you and appreciate that goodness.  

So what does all of this have to do with losing weight?  Everything!!!  Your emotional state is the control valve that determines what you draw into your experience.  How you talk to yourself creates your beliefs and programs your subconscious.  So you need to ask yourself do you want your beliefs and subconscious programming to be based on false negative thinking.  Or do you want your beliefs to be based on the truth, that you are and always have been a perfect being.

Begin today to love and nurture yourself. Allow the joy, playfulness and enthusiasm that you naturally had as a child begin to flow into your everyday experiences.  Allow yourself to celebrate each and every success no matter how small.  Love and appreciate yourself every opportunity you have.  Do this everyday and watch your weight begin to dissolve just as your old negative beliefs about yourself begin to dissolve.

Could A Diet High In Fish And Flax Help Prevent Broken Hips?

Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood may reduce the risk for hip fractures in postmenopausal women, recent research suggests.

Scientists analyzed red blood cell samples from women with and without a history of having a broken hip. The study showed that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids from both plant and fish sources in those blood cells were associated with a lower likelihood of having fractured a hip.

In addition to omega-3s, the researchers looked at omega-6 fatty acids, which are generally plentiful in a Western diet. The study also showed that as the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3s increased, so did the risk for hip fracture.

Though the study did not define the mechanisms for these relationships, the researchers hypothesized that inflammation may contribute to bone resorption, the breaking down of bone caused by the release of cells called osteoclasts.

"Inflammation is associated with an increased risk of bone loss and fractures, and omega-3 fatty acids are believed to reduce inflammation. So we asked if we would see fractures decrease in response to omega-3 intake," said Rebecca Jackson, the study's senior author and a professor of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at The Ohio State University.

"One thing that was critically important was that we didn't use self-report of food intake, because there can be errors with that. We looked directly at the exposure of the bone cell to the fatty acids, which is at the red blood cell level," said Jackson, also associate dean for clinical research in Ohio State's College of Medicine. "Red blood cell levels also give an indication of long-term exposure to these fatty acids, which we took into account in looking for a preventive effect."

Broken hips are the most common osteoporosis-related fractures, with an estimated 350,000 occurring annually in the United States. About 20 percent of people die in the year following a hip fracture.

The research is published in a recent issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

The observational study did not measure cause and effect, so the researchers say the findings are not definitive enough to suggest that taking omega-3 supplements would prevent hip fractures in postmenopausal women.

"We don't yet know whether omega-3 supplementation would affect results for bone health or other outcomes," said Tonya Orchard, assistant professor of human nutrition at Ohio State and first author of the study. "Though it's premature to make a nutrition recommendation based on this work, I do think this study adds a little more strength to current recommendations to include more omega-3s in the diet in the form of fish, and suggests that plant sources of omega-3 may be just as important for preventing hip fractures in women."

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are both polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential fatty acids, meaning they contribute to biological processes but must be consumed because the body does not produce them on its own. Previous research has suggested that while both types of fatty acids are linked to health benefits, omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and omega-6 fatty acids seem to have both anti- and pro-inflammatory effects.

The researchers used blood samples and hip fracture records from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a large national prospective study of postmenopausal women that enrolled participants between 1993 and 1998 and followed them for 15 years. For this new work, the sample consisted of red blood cell samples and records from 324 pairs of WHI participants, half of whom had broken their hips before Aug. 15, 2008, and the other half composed of age-matched controls who had never broken a hip.

The analysis showed that higher levels of total omega-3 fatty acids and two other specific kinds of omega-3s alone were associated with a lower risk of hip breaks in the study sample.

On the other hand, women who had the highest ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids had nearly twice the risk of hip fractures compared to women with the lowest ratios. The current typical American diet contains between 15 and 17 times more omega-6 than omega-3, a ratio that previous research has suggested should be lowered to 4-to-1, or even 2-to-1, by increasing omega-3s, to improve overall health. The primary omega-6 fatty acid in the diet is linoleic acid, which composes about 99 percent of Americans' omega-6 intake and is found in corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oils.

The specific omega-3 sources associated with lower risk for broken hips were ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which comes from plant sources such as flaxseed oil and some nuts, and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), which is found in fatty types of fish. The other marine-sourced omega-3, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), on its own did not have a significant link to lower hip-fracture risk, "but all three omega-3s were in the protective direction," Orchard said.

Jackson, who was a vice chair of the WHI for more than a decade, said continuing analyses of data from the WHI will dig down to the genetic influences on metabolism and absorption of nutrients, and whether such genetic differences could affect health risk factors in postmenopausal women.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

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The Glycemic Index

Blood glucose

The glycemic index refers to the rate blood glucose levels rise after eating food, in
comparison with an equivalent amount of pure glucose (sugar). Sometimes pure glucose is
replaced by white bread as a standard.

High glycemic index foods

Food with high glycemic indexes include corn flakes, instant potatoes, honey, bread,
rice and potatoes. Interestingly ice cream has a fairly low glycemic index. This is due to the
fats which tend to slow blood sugar rises.
Low glycemic index foods
Food with a low glycemic index include kidney beans, lentils, soya beans, peanuts,
butter and haricot beans, blackeye and chick peas, apples, ice cream, milk, yogurt and tomato
soup

Glucose metabolism

Carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes are broken down in the
body into a sugar molecules called glucose. Glucose is either burned for energy or stored as
fat.

Many physicians consider problems with glucose metabolism to be a precursor of diabetes,
a disease characterized by excessive levels of glucose in the blood.

Weight Loss Or Fat Loss - Important Differences To Lose Weight And Fat Healthily

Some people used the term “weight loss” while others call it “fat loss” whilst many use the terms weight loss and fat loss interchangeably. Do they mean the same thing? To many people, they do mean the same thing. But the terms may be entirely different in meaning. You must know the difference if you want to lose weight or lose fat effectively and healthily.

When you step onto your bathroom scale every morning, what you will be reading from the scale is weight loss and not fat loss. Bath room scales are never accurate in determining fat loss.

Why? Because it measures your overall weight and not your body fat per se. If you weigh yourself in the morning before breakfast after your bowel movement, you will probably get your lowest reading of the day because your body is dehydrated through hours of non fluid replenishment when you were sleeping and after emptying your bowels, more water and wastes are flushed away so much so that you are you are lighter. After a night of sleep and not eating anything, your carbohydrate store is running low and therefore you are even lighter without the stored carbohydrate known as glycogen. What happened then? You just loss weight not loss fat! Your body fat is still there while the weight of other substances such as glycogen, wastes, water etc are depleted.

Now go weigh yourself again after dinner when you are fully replenished through meals and consumption of water and it may surprised you that you may probably weigh 2kg or more heavier and that is at least 4.4 pounds! You just gained weight and may even gained fat! Now you can see that it is such a misnomer when people think weight loss and fat loss are the same thing.

Why must you know the difference? Because for most of us, especially those who are on the fat side want to lose fat and not necessarily want to lose weight. Getting the drift?

Now for the more important part. Mere weight loss may cause you to lose muscle and in turn, make you gain body fat later. Yes, it is ironical. That is because the more muscle mass you have, the more you burn fat efficiently because muscle is an active tissue and it requires calories to function. Body fat just sit there doing nothing and thus do not burn calories on its own. So the less muscle mass you have, the less calories your body will burn. The fewer calories your body burn, the more calories ended up being stored as body fat! Therefore it is important to lose fat but not merely lose weight which may include the loss of muscle tissues.

How is it that a person may lose muscle on a weight loss program? Well for starters, we commonly hear about people going on this diet and that diet. Most diets demand a severe restriction of food or calorie intake. Your body will then signal to your mind that you are in a starvation mode and the body is designed to store fat for the impending famine and will use up your muscle for energy in your daily activities.

Some diets advocate a severe cut in carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is your body's first source of energy. When your body is depleted of carbohydrate, it turns to your protein (muscles) and body fat indiscriminately for energy. Now to make matters worse, because of the restricted carbohydrate consumed, there will be fewer carbohydrate calories to be used as energy calories and that again will signal the onset of starvation mode again. The vicious cycle of your body cannibalizing its own muscle is set in motion again. The same applies to people on slimming pills or salon fat loss programs.

So some people say ok, Chris, I see your point, so I will just do plenty of cardio exercises to lose weight. Another grave mistake. Have you ever wondered why marathon runners, those who run many kilometers often and are doing cardio exercises almost everyday are so skinny with no muscle tone? Because your body is a wonderful machine. It is designed to adapt. When you run or skip or swim long enough, it will say, look, I better get lighter so that I can take the stress better and improve the endurance. Guess what? Your muscles are heavier than fats and what will your body shed more when it wants to get lighter? Muscle or fat? Your body will shed both but more muscles than fats.

Anyway, why would you want to lose weight only to become a smaller you with the same body shape without any muscle tone? Why would you want to be on a weight loss program that eats your muscles and lower your fat burning rate so much so that when you are off the program, the fats come piling back on again?

Therefore, while you are on a lose weight program, you must also be on a build muscle program. That will mean a combination of correct dietary habit, cardio exercises and weightlifting exercises to maintain muscle preservation and a fat loss result.

From now on tell people you are on a fat loss program and not a weight loss program. That you are on a correct eating habit instead of just simply dieting.

With the distinction clearly in mind, you will then know how to lose fat effectively, preserve and grow your muscles and at the same time losing weight on your bathroom scale. That would be an ideal way to achieve your weight loss objective because you will lose body fat instead of muscle and mere body wastes.

How Bone Adapts To Exercise Likely Affected By Timing Of Calcium And Vitamin D Supplementation

Taking calcium and vitamin D before exercise may influence how bones adapt to exercise, according to a new study. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"The timing of calcium supplementation, and not just the amount of supplementation, may be an important factor in how the skeleton adapts to exercise training," said study lead author Vanessa D. Sherk, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "Further research, however, is needed to determine whether the timing of calcium supplementation affects the skeletal adaptations to exercise training."

Previous research has shown that a year of intense training is associated with substantial decreases in bone mineral density among competitive road cyclists. Experts believe that this kind of exercise-induced bone loss could be related to the loss of calcium during exercise. As blood calcium levels drop, the parathyroid gland produces excess parathyroid hormone, which can mobilize calcium from the skeleton.

In this study, investigators found that an exercise-induced decrease in blood calcium occurred whether calcium supplements were taken before or after exercising. Pre-exercise supplementation, however, resulted in less of a decrease. Although not statistically significant, parathyroid hormone levels increased slightly less among cyclists who took calcium before exercising.

"These findings are relevant to individuals who engage in vigorous exercise and may lose a substantial amount of calcium through sweating," Sherk said. "Taking calcium before exercise may help keep blood levels more stable during exercise, compared to taking the supplement afterwards, but we do not yet know the long-term effects of this on bone density."

The timing of calcium supplementation did not cause a difference in blood levels of a compound that is a biological indicator of bone loss. Both the before- and after-exercise groups exhibited 50-percent increases in the level of this compound, called CTX, for collagen type-1 C-telopeptide.

Study participants included 52 men aged 18 to 45 years. Investigators randomly assigned participants to take 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 1,000 international units of vitamin D either 30 minutes before or one hour after exercise. The exercise comprised a simulated 35-kilometer time trial, and participants wore skin patches to absorb sweat.

Investigators measured blood levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone before and immediately after exercise. They also measured CTX before and 30 minutes after exercise. They used pre- and post-body weight, adjusted for fluid intake, combined with the calcium measured in the sweat from the skin patches, to estimate the amount of calcium lost through the skin during exercise.

The Endocrine Society

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Infant Brains Benefit From Breastfeeding

A new study by researchers from Brown University finds more evidence that breastfeeding is good for babies' brains.

The study made use of specialized, baby-friendly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a sample of children under the age of 4. The research found that by age 2, babies who had been breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed a combination of formula and breastmilk. The extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition, the research showed.

This isn't the first study to suggest that breastfeeding aids babies' brain development. Behavioral studies have previously associated breastfeeding with better cognitive outcomes in older adolescents and adults. But this is the first imaging study that looked for differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young and healthy children, said Sean Deoni, assistant professor of engineering at Brown and the study's lead author.

"We wanted to see how early these changes in brain development actually occur," Deoni said. "We show that they're there almost right off the bat."

The findings are in press in the journal NeuroImage and available now online.

Deoni leads Brown's Advanced Baby Imaging Lab. He and his colleagues use quiet MRI machines that image babies' brains as they sleep. The MRI technique Deoni has developed looks at the microstructure of the brain's white matter, the tissue that contains long nerve fibers and helps different parts of the brain communicate with each other. Specifically, the technique looks for amounts of myelin, the fatty material that insulates nerve fibers and speeds electrical signals as they zip around the brain.

Deoni and his team looked at 133 babies ranging in ages from 10 months to four years. All of the babies had normal gestation times, and all came from families with similar socioeconomic statuses. The researchers split the babies into three groups: those whose mothers reported they exclusively breastfed for at least three months, those fed a combination of breastmilk and formula, and those fed formula alone. The researchers compared the older kids to the younger kids to establish growth trajectories in white matter for each group.

The study showed that the exclusively breastfed group had the fastest growth in myelinated white matter of the three groups, with the increase in white matter volume becoming substantial by age 2. The group fed both breastmilk and formula had more growth than the exclusively formula-fed group, but less than the breastmilk-only group.

"We're finding the difference [in white matter growth] is on the order of 20 to 30 percent, comparing the breastfed and the non-breastfed kids," said Deoni. "I think it's astounding that you could have that much difference so early."

Deoni and his team then backed up their imaging data with a set of basic cognitive tests on the older children. Those tests found increased language performance, visual reception, and motor control performance in the breastfed group.

The study also looked at the effects of the duration of breastfeeding. The researchers compared babies who were breastfed for more than a year with those breastfed less than a year, and found significantly enhanced brain growth in the babies who were breastfed longer - especially in areas of the brain dealing with motor function.

Deoni says the findings add to a substantial body of research that finds positive associations between breastfeeding and children's brain health.

"I think I would argue that combined with all the other evidence, it seems like breastfeeding is absolutely beneficial," he said.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

Diets and Diet Programs - Choosing a Diet that works

If you find yourself with a few added pounds, feeling sluggish or just wanting to be the best that you can be, then your diet has a lot to do with your optimal performance.  There have been many studies on which diet works the best.  Although there are plenty of choices such as the Atkins diet, South beach diet, Mediterranean diet, etc.  Many health professionals are quick to note that not every diet is perfect for everyone.

Most health professionals agree that as long as you stay within a healthy range, then there are plenty of ways that your diet can help you take off the weight and make you look and feel great. 

Health professionals advise a person to eat a balance diet, which includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.  Using these foods, dieters can come up with some very healthy choices to lose the pounds.  Unfortunately, when people are on a diet they think of all the foods they can’t have instead of the foods they can.  There are dozens of fruits and vegetables that can fit into anyone’s diet and plenty of lean meats that offer flavor and give you the protein that is needed daily.  Just because you can’t eat bacon or lots of butter on a diet, doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world.

If you want to find a diet that will lose the pounds and keep it off, then don’t think of it as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle.  Choose a lifestyle with all the healthy foods that will help keep off the pounds and keep you looking and feeling great.

Everyone is different.  We all have different metabolic rates.  Finding the ‘perfect’ weight loss program is a personal choice. Base your decision on your lifestyle and ability to be flexible.   I’ve found that moderation works well for me and no one program is ‘perfect’ for me.

Why Do We Cheat On Our Diets?

If only we could solve this question, the world (for many) would be a better place! Well, the reality is that there are real answers to this question that will apply to many people. It will take a good dose of reality and a brave heart to stop denying what really happens. Read on to discover some answers that may change your life forever and give you the impetus to lose weight and keep it off!

Justification ?
Being overweight can be used as an excuse for being unhappy, especially when you do not do anything to help yourself. Subconsciously, over-eating is a comfort for many people and this then allows them to hide behind their weight problem and helps them to justify rejection and avoid being hurt. They can then shift the blame of rejection on their weight-problem, without addressing other aspects of their fears. Sometimes it seems easier to hide behind your “weight problem”, than address other matters where you may have a greater fear of failure.

Eating Without Thinking ?
If you are concentrating on another activity while you are eating you are more likely to overeat because you are not fully aware of how full you are feeling. This factor can be difficult to change because it is not a conscious action. Try to only eat when you don’t have a lot of other distractions. Sit down, eat slowly and enjoy the food you are eating, and remember that it is not always necessary to go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and for your brain to register that you are full.

Cravings ?
The famous “Pavlov’s dogs” were conditioned to eat at the sound of a bell, and we human are much the same when it comes to habitual cravings. If you wonder why you always feel like a chocolate when you sit down to watch a movie, or you have to have a box of popcorn….think again. You are not necessarily craving these foods because you are hungry, but rather consider force of habit. During the time when you have a craving, try to ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. If you are hungry, reach for a low fat snack rather than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps.

Indulging ?

Eating or thinking about food can be a distraction from your troubles and you may therefore be unnecessarily over-eating. Emotions and hormones can trigger certain cravings, for example, if you are feeling low, chocolate and carbohydrates assist the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you feel happier. This is why we might crave sweet or starchy foods during times of sadness or stress.

If you identify with any of the above factors, you could be on your way towards discovering what is triggering you to overeat.

5 Simple Steps to Losing Weight

If you are carrying around a few (I use that term loosely) extra pounds like most of us are, you all know all the reasons why we should take the weight off. It will reduce stress on our heart, reducing the chance of heart disease, cancer, possibility of diabetes; feel better, look more attractive, etc.

There are 101 reasons why, but it can be a real pain to finally get that weight off. You push really hard, make a little progress, get side tracked, and bam you are heavier then you started. 

It’s maddening.  Enough with that hassle, I have put together 5 simple steps to actually losing weight and keeping it off. These steps can be applied to anything, but we are focusing on weight loss here.

1.         Know What You Want

2.         Know Where You Are

3.         Track Your Results

4.         Make Course Corrections

5.         Being held Accountable

Now all your extra weight will effortlessly melt off.  Yeah right! A simple list of 5 items is not going to do it, so let me explain the intricacies of the 5 items and where the hang up normally occurs when applied to losing weight.

1.         Know What You Want 

This one is dead simple. Most people that want to lose weight have an idea of how many pounds they would like to lose or how they would like their body to look.

I think we can safely say if your body started looking the way you wanted it, you would know, even if you didn’t have it completely mapped out and detailed.

2.         Know Where You Are

This is the big trip up. It is almost always overlooked and is the number one reason for the up and down Yo Yo effect we experience with losing weight. We are unhappy with how our body feels and how it looks and it is painful to zoom in and get an accurate picture of where we are. Unfortunately, we have to know where we are, to be able to accurately judge the results we are getting.

You are on a trip to San Diego, California. You would like to start your trip from Phoenix, Arizona, but you really don’t know where you are. No problem.  You get an Arizona/California map and find that a simple 6 hours trip west on interstate 8 will get you to San Diego.

6 hours later, you have no clue where you are and it is definitely not warm San Diego.  You feel defeated and you want to give up!  Do you blame the car? The stupid maps? San Diego? Yourself?

Now what if I told you, you were actually in New Your City, not Phoenix, Arizona. A 6 hour car ride west from New York City will never get you to San Diego.

If you took the time to accurately find out where you were, you would have been able to choose the appropriate means to get to San Diego and have an expectation as to how long it would take.

This is the same with weight loss and our personal physical condition. In our minds, we think we are starting in a different physical condition then we really are. When the results don’t follow the illusion in your mind, we get upset.

3. Track Your Results

This is conceptually simple. If we have no clue as to WHAT we are doing, how do we know what is working? It might be a simple to do, but is also simple not to do. In the end, most people never track their results.

4. Make Course Corrections

We love to do this one. We have it hands down. It is like step 1 of knowing what you want. We try the new food diet, the super sit up machine, and the cardio hip hop power energy yoga fat burner class.

We might be great at switching it up, but without knowing where we are starting from and a history of tracked results, we have no clue as to what we should change or even which direction we should go.

5. Being held Accountable

No, not accountability! That is an evil word. I don’t want someone to know what I am doing, or more importantly what I am not doing.

So, why do we resist accountability, your secret weapon to weight loss?  Because it works!  If you know someone is going to be watching, you would follow through or at least feel very uncomfortable not following through.

Accountability when used wisely is the ultimate turbo booster to your weight loss. Since you are going to be accountable anyway, you might as well get something out of it.

Using accountability up front, you can achieve the body of your dreams. If you let your body hold you accountable, it will throw on fat in places you don’t want it to be. 

The biggest obstacle to weight loss is not taking any action. It doesn’t matter how good the plan is, it is worthless if you don’t follow it. So what do I do now?

First and foremost get Accountable.

Forward this article to someone you respect and care about and tell them I want to be accountable to finally taking off my extra pounds. 

When they agree to support you, start working through Steps 1 – 5.

Increasing The Convenience Of Fruit May Increase Consumption In School Cafeterias

Previous studies and surveys have shown that kids love to eat fruit in ready-to-eat bite-sized pieces, yet in most school settings, the fruit is served whole, which could be the cause that children are taking fruits but not eating them. Most people believe that children avoid fruit because of the taste and allure of alternative packaged snacks. A study by Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab researchers Brian Wansink, David Just, Andrew Hanks, and Laura Smith decided to get to the bottom of why children were avoiding their fruit. Could, perhaps, increasing the convenience of fruit increase consumption?

To address this question, researchers conducted a pilot study in eight elementary schools within the same district. Each school was given a commercial fruit slicer and instructed to use it when students requested apples. The fruit slicer cut the fruit into six pieces and the process took three to four seconds. Results from interviews conducted with students during this pilot indicated they dislike eating fruit for two main reasons: for younger students, who might have braces or missing teeth, a large fruit is too inconvenient to eat; for older girls, it is un-attractive-looking to eat such a fruit in front of others. Initial results showed fruit sales increased by an average of 61%, when the fruit was sliced.

To confirm this finding, six middle schools in this same district were added to the study. Three of the schools were given fruit slicers, while the other three continued normal cafeteria operations to act as a control. Fruit slices were placed in cups in two of the three schools and on a tray in the third school. To assess actual consumption, trained field researchers were assigned to every school to record how much of the apple was wasted by counting the number of slices thrown away by each student.

Results showed that apple sales in schools with fruit slicers increased by 71% compared to control schools. More importantly, researchers found that the percentage of students who ate more than half of their apple increased by 73%, an effect that lasted long after the study was over.

This study shows that making fruit easier to eat encourages more children to select it and to eat more of it. With an initial investment of just $200, fruit slicers constitute a means for school cafeterias not only to encourage fruit consumption among students but also to prevent food waste!

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

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Cook With Katie Lee! Guilt-Free Guacamole

Slice it all the way around, then twist halves apart. Strike a sharp knife into the pit and turn the wedged blade to pop it out. Nervous you might whack your fingers? Hold the avocado in a towel.

I trade some avocado for steamed asparagus. When you put it all in a blender, you get the same creamy texture, minus about 185 calories and 17 grams of fat. It's kind of genius.

See the recipe! »

See the video! »

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Cook With Katie Lee! Easy Dinner for Four

You'll want them to be ready to go when your wok or skillet is hot. Cut thin, uniform slices and they'll cook up quickly and evenly. Believe it or not, a really sharp knife is safest (it slices more smoothly). Always tuck fingertips under when you hold the food.

Before you sauté the veggies, put canola oil in a spray bottle and spritz the pan instead of pouring the oil from its original container. That way, you use less. Two spritzes equals about 1/4 teaspoon oil, so you'll need about four sprays total in this recipe.

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Get a Cooking Lesson With Katie Lee

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Lazy Girl's Guide to Throwing a Party

Whether you're having buds over for a Sunday football game or a Mardi Gras rager, there's a lot to think about: how to decorate, what to wear, and, often the biggest headache of all, what to serve.

Once you're a few years out of college it's time to ditch the red Solo cups and Ruffles. While you don't have to go totally Stepford-hostess on your friends if that's not your style, having some hot and cold bites around will go a long way. And no problem if you're not really a cook. Choose a few that will appeal to the masses (cough cough, dudes) but don't require more than a few stirs on the stovetop if you want to steer clear of the oven. The bonus? My picks won't totally send anyone's healthy 2013 resolutions down in flames.

• Popcorn. Good news! You don't have to load it with butter to enjoy. I reach for Quinn Popcorn; it's microwavable, about 180 calories per serving and comes in four yummy flavors like Maple & Sea Salt and Parmesan and Rosemary. For pre-popped, try Good Health Half Naked,, only 120 calories per serving.

• Tortilla Chips: Try Food Should Taste Good or Way Better Sprouted. Both lines boast a handful of flavors (kimchi, anyone?) and good-for-you ingredients like flax and quinoa.

• Dips. If you're opting for pre-made salsa, hummus and guac, make sure to review the nutritional labels for calorie counts, and fat and sodium content.

• Shrimp Cocktail. Low-fat and low-cal, practically the perfect party food.

• Jars of Olives. Or, if you're feeling all Martha, a mixed pint from the grocery store olive bar.

• Beans. High in protein and fiber (so filling!), these can be added to store-bought chili, made into hummus from scratch (not as hard as it sounds), or quickly mixed together in a room-temperature three-bean salad (just add olive oil, diced pepper and red onion, and seasoning and you're good to go.)

• Crudité. Veggies don't have to be boring, or green. In addition to celery sticks, try cucumber, carrots, cherry tomato, yellow squash, orange peppers and even asparagus (this you'll want to briefly steam).

• Chicken Wings. You'll have to (gasp!) get friendly with the oven. Bell&Evans Buffalo-Style Chicken Wings are low-fat (less than one gram per serving) and 170 calories per three pieces. Heat for 18–20 minutes, turning once, and you're done.

• Sweet Potato Fries. At 140 calories and 5 grams of fat per 12 pieces, frozen Alexia Sweet Potato Julienne Fries are a good alternative to fatty frites.

Carolyn Brown is a nutritionist at Foodtrainers and holds a masters in clinical nutrition from New York University. She has nutrition experience teaching at New York City Greenmarkets and working at a private school in Manhattan, and contributes regularly to WebMD in addition to Health.com, CBS News and New York Daily News.

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Yoga Fitness

The word Yoga comes from ancient Indian philosophy, it literally means union, and in this context refers to the union of the individual's soul with the universal. Yoga fitness is the ultimate fitness attained through the practice of Yoga.

Yoga is the art of meditation aimed at training a human body and soul consciously for a state of perfect spiritual insight, harmony and tranquility. Yoga fitness is basically achieved through the three paths- the path of actions, knowledge and devotion. Though yoga is always popularly recognized with fitness and health concerns, the art of Yoga hardly leaves any aspect of human health untouched! Be it health, weight loss, devotion, concentration, spiritual enlightenment, ego-shedding or beauty, yoga is effective in each of them. Many famous personalities in the health and beauty industry swear on the names of Yoga fitness.

Yoga Fitness: The Real Aura Of Beauty

Yoga fitness is a beautiful art that brings a perfect blend of physical strength and gracefulness in your life. Also, the beauty and health attained through Yoga fitness is not an artificial and temporary achievement like cosmetic surgery and other such means. Yoga fitness regime helps you lose all the flab in a right manner to the right extent. Apart from this the enlightenment achieved through yoga brings a shine of confidence over one's face. Yoga fitness regime also acts as a stress buster which is in itself a very wonderful method to avoid ageing. The flexibility attained through Yoga fitness regime also makes one feel good and thus look good.

The first and foremost principle of a Yoga fitness regime is that do not do the asana if it is not comfortable and does not make you feel good and relaxed. Thus yoga through its asana like Sukhasna and Shavasana aims to provide complete relaxation to your body.

Yoga fitness regime helps you gain physical fitness, helps in the healthy maintenance of mind and body. It also acts in removal of toxins from the body and increases flexibility of your body making you look younger.

 Once you begin a Yoga fitness regime it becomes a part of your lifestyle and gives you energy, positivity and zestfulness.

Yoga fitness regime also helps improve the efficiency of the immune system. Through regular Pranayams i.e. breathing exercises, you can easily avoid little daily problems of health by build your immunity. Yoga is equally active in thyroid and weight loss leading to perfect shaping of the body and thus making you healthy as well as beautiful.

The perfect oxygen dose which we get through various Yoga Fitness Asanas and Mudras also helps in skin glow.

Regularly following Yoga fitness program brings contentment in your life which reflects on your mind and body.

 A good Yoga fitness regime helps you in delaying ageing. A regular yoga practitioner remains young and active for quite longer than others who do not practice yoga.

Guiding Healthier Behavior While Preserving Choices - Libertarian Paternalism And School Lunches

The term 'libertarian paternalism' is a peculiar phrase because it invokes feelings about two seemingly contradictory philosophies. Yet, as a principle of the behavioral sciences, this phrase actually implies gentle guidance, without force.
Recently, the USDA passed regulations designed to make school lunches more nutritious. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are required to increase whole grain offerings, cap the fat of milk at 1% for white and non-fat for flavored, and ensure that students take either a fruit or a vegetable with their purchased lunch. Unfortunately, forcing behavior jeopardizes the potential to accomplish the most important goal of improving children's diets. After all, it's not nutrition until it's eaten!

Staying true to the meaning of libertarian paternalism, Cornell University researchers Andrew Hanks, David Just and Brian Wansink conducted a field study in two of high school cafeterias to test whether low- and no-cost environmental changes could lead children to take and eat healthier foods. Under the name, "Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover," they tested multiple small changes such as making fruits and vegetables more attractive, convenient, and normative, all simple applications of libertarian paternalism.

After the "makeover" was implemented, students were 13% more likely to take fruits and 23% more likely to take vegetables. These are very encouraging results, but selection is only half of the battle!

To check the consumption of the fruits and vegetables selected, Hanks, Just and Wansink recorded whether food items were completely eaten, half eaten or not eaten at all. They found that students not only took more fruits and vegetables, but actual consumption increased by 18% for fruits and by 25% for vegetables. They also found that after the makeover the percentage of kids eating a whole serving of fruit increased by 16% and by 10% for vegetables.

These small changes, based on the principle of libertarian paternalism, cost three hours of time and less than $50 to implement. Evidence from the results demonstrates that this "makeover" not only preserves choice but also can 'nudge' children toward healthier behaviors that they can carry with them into adulthood, contributing to the fight against current childhood obesity trends!

Furthermore, these simple changes could also be effective in the cafeterias of other organizations, including hospitals, companies, and retirement homes, as well as within the walls of your very own home.
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject. Hanks, A. S., Just, D. R., & Wansink, B. (2013). Smarter Lunchrooms can Address New School Lunchroom Guidelines and Childhood Obesity. Journal of Pediatrics, 162: 867-9
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Even Organic Foods Not Stored, Prepared Or Cooked In Plastic Containers Can Contain Phthalates And Bisphenol A

While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a study published February 27 in the Nature Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, people may be exposed to these chemicals in their diets, even if their meals are organic and foods are prepared, cooked and stored in non-plastic containers. And children may be most vulnerable.
"Current information we give families may not be enough to reduce exposures," said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, lead author on the study and an environmental health pediatrician in the University of Washington School of Public Health and at Seattle Children's Research Institute. She is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UW School of Medicine and an attending physician at Harborview Medical Center's Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit.
Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are synthetic endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Previous studies have linked prenatal exposure to phthalates to abnormalities in the male reproductive system. Associations have also been shown between fetal exposure to BPA and hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression in girls.
The researchers compared the chemical exposures of 10 families, half who were given written instructions on how to reduce phthalate and BPA exposures, handouts developed by the national Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units, a network of experts on environmentally related health effects in children. For five days the other families received a local, fresh, organic food catered diet that was not prepared, cooked or stored in plastic containers
When the researchers tested the urinary concentrations of metabolites for phthalates and BPA, they got surprising results. The researchers expected the levels of the metabolities to decrease in those adults and children eating the catered diet.
Instead, the opposite happened. The urinary concentration for pthalates were 100-fold higher than the those levels found in the majority of the general population, The comparison comes from a study conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a program of studies managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The concentrations were also much higher for children as compared to the adults.
Then, the researchers tested the phthalate concentrations in the food ingredients used in the dietary intervention. Dairy products - butter, cream, milk, and cheese - had concentrations above 440 nanograms/gram. Ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper had concentrations above 700 ng/g, and ground coriander had concentrations of 21,400 ng/g.
"We were extremely surprised to see these results. We expected the concentrations to decrease significantly for the kids and parents in the catered diet group. Chemical contamination of foods can lead to concentrations higher than deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," said Sathyanarayana.
Using the study results, the researchers estimated that the average child aged three to six years old was exposed to 183 milligrams per kilogram of their body weight per day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended limit is 20 mg/kg/day.
"It's difficult to control your exposure to these chemicals, even when you try," said Sathyanarayana. "We have very little control over what's in our food, including contaminants. Families can focus on buying fresh fruits and vegetables, foods that are not canned and are low in fat, but it may take new federal regulations to reduce exposures to these chemicals."
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject. The other researchers in the study included Garry Alcedo (Seattle Children's Research Institute), Brian E. Saelens and Chuan Zhou (UW Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Research Institute), Russell L. Dills and Jianbo Yu (UW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences) and Bruce Lanphear (BC Children's Hospital and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada).
The study was funded through the Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences in the UW School of Public Health. A grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health provides major support for the center.
The paper is titlted, "Unexpected results in a randomized dietary trial to reduce phthalate and bisphenol A exposures."
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Food Choices Can Be Child's Play With Smarter Lunchrooms

In January 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture passed a series of regulations designed to make school lunches more nutritious, which included requiring schools to increase whole grain offerings and making students select either a fruit or vegetable with their purchased lunch. However, children cannot be forced to eat these healthier lunches. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers determined that small, inexpensive changes to school cafeterias influenced the choice and consumption of healthier foods.

Andrew S. Hanks, PhD, and colleagues from the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B.E.N. Center) studied the effects of multiple small interventions, called the smarter lunchroom makeover, in the cafeterias of two junior-senior high schools (grades 7-12) in western New York. In the lunchroom, changes were implemented to improve the convenience and attractiveness of fruits and vegetables (e.g., fresh fruit next to the cash register in nice bowls or tiered stands) and make the selection of fruits and vegetables seem standard through verbal cues from cafeteria staff (e.g., "Would you like to try an apple?"). The smarter lunchroom makeover took no more than 3 hours in one afternoon and cost less than $50 to implement. These types of changes are applications of the behavioral science principle termed "libertarian paternalism," which promotes influencing choice through behavioral cues, while preserving choices.

To measure the impact of the smarter lunchroom makeover, researchers recorded what was left on trays after lunch, both before and after the intervention. After the smarter lunchroom makeover, students were 13% more likely to take fruits and 23% more likely to take vegetables. Actual fruit consumption increased by 18% and vegetable consumption increased by 25%; students were also more likely to eat the whole serving of fruit or vegetables (16% and 10%, respectively).

These low-cost, yet effective interventions could significantly influence healthier behaviors, potentially helping to offset childhood obesity trends. Dr. Hanks notes, "This not only preserves choice, but has the potential to lead children to develop lifelong habits of selecting and consuming healthier foods even when confronted with less healthy options." These simple changes could also be effective in the cafeterias of other organizations, including hospitals, companies, and retirement homes.

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Researchers Replace Artificial Preservatives In Bread, Improve Flavour

Preservatives In Bread, Improve Flavour

University of Alberta researchers have found a way to replace artificial preservatives in bread, making it tastier.

After loafing around in the lab analyzing strains of mould fermented in sourdough bread, Michael Ganzle, professor and Canada Research Chair in the University of Alberta Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science and fellow researchers were able to isolate natural compounds that can help keep bread fresh without changing its flavour. Preservatives added to store-bought bread are safe to eat and extend shelf life, but alter the flavour and give off a distinctive odour, said Ganzle.

The U of A research is the first to link the compounds - hydroxy fatty acids - to antifungal activity and to show that these compounds are formed in the production of fermented foods. "We were able to put known compounds into quite a new and exciting context," Gaenzle said.

The findings served up by the researchers also have the potential to replace or complement fungicides used in treating crop seeds such as barley, wheat and canola, and in protecting crops.

The study appears in the March 6, 2013 issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

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Omega-3 Supplements May Prevent Skin Cancer

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Article Date: 27 Feb 2013 - 0:00 PST Current ratings for:
Omega-3 Supplements May Prevent Skin Cancer

Consuming omega-3 fish oils can help to prevent skin cancer, according to the first clinical trial exploring the influence of fish oils on the skin immunity of humans.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Manchester and funded by the Association for International Cancer Research, and examined the effect of taking omega-3 on 79 healthy participants.

Findings of the study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, revealed that consuming regular doses of fish oils increases immunity to sunlight.

It directly decreases sunlight-induced immunity suppression - called immunosuppression - which affects the body's power to combat skin cancer and infection.

Professor Lesley Rhodes, Professor of Experimental Dermatology from the Photobiology Unit Dermatology Centre at the University's School of Medicine and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said their study was the first of its kind conducted using humans:

"There has been research in this area carried out on mice in the past but this is the first time that there has been a clinical trial directly in people. It has taken a number of years to get to this stage and the findings are very exciting. This study adds to the evidence that omega-3 is a potential nutrient to protect against skin cancer. Although the changes we found when someone took the oil were small, they suggest that a continuous low level of chemoprevention from taking omega-3 could reduce the risk of skin cancer over an individual's lifetime."

The volunteers consumed a 4g dose of omega-3 - approximately one and a half portions of oily fish each day. Then they were exposed to either 8, 15, or 30 minutes of summer midday sun in Manchester using a specific light machine.

A number of other participants took a placebo before being exposed to the sunlight machine.

Immunosuppression was shown to be 50 percent lower in the subjects that took the omega-3 and were exposed to 8 and 15 minutes of sunshine compared with the volunteers who did not take the supplement. Little to no impact on those in the 30 minute group was shown.

The conclusions from this study are significant in the battle against skin cancer, because earlier studies have always shown that sunscreens are frequently applied incorrectly and only worn on vacation.

However, Professor Rhodes points out omega-3 is not a substitute for suntan lotion or physical protection, and that it should be seen as additional protection factor to help keep the skin from burning.

Historically, fish oil has already been associated with health benefits like protecting against cardiovascular disease, helping prevent age-related vision loss, and even slowing the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Professor Rhodes and her team of investigators will continue with their research with more omega-3 studies being conducted on healthy humans at Salford Royal.

Nearly 100,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer were diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 2010, proving that it is a quite common cancer.

Dr Helen Rippon, Head of Science at AICR, said:

"Skin cancer has been one of the fastest growing types of cancer, and numbers will likely continue to increase. It is always exciting to see research that AIRC has funded generating such promising results, and we look forward to seeing future developments in this area."

Written by Kelly Fitzgerald
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject. Randomized controlled trial of oral omega-3 PUFA in solar-simulated radiation-induced suppression of human cutaneous immune responses
Suzanne M Pilkington, Karen A Massey, Susan P Bennett, Naser MI Al-Aasswad, Khaled Roshdy, Neil K Gibbs, Peter S Friedmann, Anna Nicolaou, and Lesley E Rhodes
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Mediterranean Diet Reduces Heart Attack, Stroke In High Risk Groups

A landmark study from Spain reports that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) among people with high cardiovascular risk.

Researchers working on the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterranea) trial write about their findings in the 25 February online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

PREDIMED is a multicenter, randomized, primary prevention trial of cardiovascular disease funded by the Spanish Ministry of Health. It is one of the world's largest and longest dietary intervention trials.

People who follow a traditional Mediterranean diet have high intakes of olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and cereals, moderate intakes of fish and poultry, and low intakes of red and processed meats, dairy foods and sweets. They also drink wine in moderation, and only with meals.

Previous studies have suggested a Mediterranean diet protects against cardiovascular events and heart disease, and small trials have proposed some underlying mechanisms to explain the effect. But none has managed to rule out the possibility that other health factors or lifestyle could be responsible.

To single out the effect of a particular diet on the outcomes, the PREDIMED team randomly assigned 7,447 participants with high cardiovascular risk to follow one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, or a standard low-fat diet (the control), for five years, starting in October 2003.

43% of the participants were men, who were aged between 55 and 80 and, 57% were women between 60 and 80. None had cardiovascular disease when they enrolled in the study, but they did have high cardiovascular risks, either in the form of type 2 diabetes or at least three from a list of well-known major risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and family history of heart disease.

Over the five years of follow-up, 288 participants had a cardiovascular event (ie stroke, a heart attack, or died of a cardiovascular disease).

Statistical analysis showed that compared to those following the control (low-fat) diet, participants on the Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil were 30% less likely to experience a cardiovascular event, and those on the Mediterranean diet with nuts were 28% less likely.

Lead and co-corresponding author Ramon Estruch, of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and general coordinator for PREDIMED, says in a PR Newswire press release issued on behalf of the California Walnut Commission (who supplied the nuts for the trial) that:

"... the results of the PREDIMED trial are of utmost importance because they convincingly demonstrate that a high vegetable fat dietary pattern is superior to a low-fat diet for cardiovascular prevention."

Co-corresponding autor Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, of the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, agrees. He told Reuters Health that the "quality of fat in the Mediterranean diet is very good".

Good sources of calories are eaten in preference to bad sources, he adds. He also points to the wide variety of plant foods in the Mediterranean diet, "including legumes and fruits as desserts".

Martinez-Gonzalez says people wanting to move toward such a diet should start with small changes, such as not eating meat on two days a week, move to using olive oil for cooking, and replacing hard alcohol with red wine, and drinking it only at mealtimes.

In the Mediterranean group whose diet was supplemented with nuts, half of the nuts were walnuts (the mix was 15 g of walnuts, 7.5 g of hazelnuts, and 7.5 g of almonds). Research suggest walnuts rank amongst the highest in terms of the main quality of antioxidants for heart health, and only a handful a day can make a difference.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject. "Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet"; Ramón Estruch, Emilio Ros, Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Maria-Isabel Covas, and others, for the PREDIMED Study Investigators; New England Journal of Medicine, 25 Feb 2013; DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1200303; Link to Article.
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posted by Photorecipe on 26 Feb 2013 at 7:35 am

I´m glad to read this news! Today olive oil is one of the most popular edible oils worldwide both for its nutritional value as for its high gastronomic qualities. Its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, natural antioxidants and other nutrients make medical science considers as one of the healthiest.
There are many studies showing the benefits of the Mediterranean diet on weight control, cancer prevention breast, cerebro-vascular accidents, from heart attacks and anaemia, among other diseases.

The Mediterranean diet besides being varied and balanced nutritional intake, is rich in fiber, unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. More than a diet, is said to be a way of life, which to generate a positive effect obviously be combined with moderate exercise daily.

Regards

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Babies Slow To Grow Should Not Have Their Calories Increased, Most Catch Up By Early Teens

New parents are pleased when their baby gains weight as expected, but if the rate of weight gain is slow parents can become worried and concerned about their child's future size.

New research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol shows that most babies who are slow to put on weight in the first nine months of life have caught up to within the normal range by the age of 13, but remain lighter and shorter than many of their peers. There are significant differences in the pattern of 'catchup', depending on the infant's age when the slow weight gain occurs.

The new findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, are based on data from 11,499 participants in Children of the 90s, and provide the most conclusive and reassuring evidence for parents to date that, with the right care, many infants who fail to put on weight quickly in the first nine months of life will catch up over time.

The study found that, of the 11,499 infants born at term, 507 were slow to put on weight before the age of eight weeks ('early group') and 480 were slow to gain weight between eight weeks and nine months ('late group'). Thirty children were common to both groups.

The infants in the early group recovered quickly and had almost caught up in weight by the age of two, whereas those in the later group gained weight slowly until the age of 7, then had a 'spurt' between 7 and 10 years, but remained considerably shorter and lighter than their peers and those in the early group at the age of 13. At that age, children in the later group were on average 5.5k lighter and almost 4cm shorter than their peers; those in the early group were on average 2.5k lighter and 3.25cm shorter than their peers.

Slow weight gain is often seen by parents and some healthcare professionals as a sign of underlying ill health and clinicians face a dilemma between taking steps to increase a child's energy intake and putting them at risk of obesity later in life by encouraging too rapid weight gain.

The study shows that there were very different patterns of recovery between the early and late groups, even when other factors like the mother's education, background, and her weight and height were taken into account, but that there was little difference between boys and girls.

Professor Alan Emond, the paper's main author explains:

'The reason the early group caught up more quickly may be because those infants had obvious feeding difficulties and were more readily identified at the eight-week check, resulting in early treatment leading to a more rapid recovery. However, as Children of the 90s is an observational study, there is limited information available about which infants received nutritional supplements or medical treatments.

'Those children who showed slow weight gain later in infancy took longer to recover, because of the longer period of slow growth and because their parents were smaller and lighter too.

'Overall parents can be re-assured that well babies showing slow weight gain in the first year do eventually recover to within the normal range, but at 13 years tend to be lighter and smaller than many of their peers.'

The findings highlight the importance of monitoring a baby's weight and height gain during the first few weeks and months, but not creating anxiety with parents of slow-growing babies who are well, as most of these babies will catch up to within the national average over time.

The message to health professionals is that, unless children require intervention due to ill health, their calorie intake should not be increased as this may predispose them to obesity later in life. Feeding habits in the second six months of life determine a child's future weight gain, so consuming too many calories in infancy can lead to weight problems later in life.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our pediatrics / children's health section for the latest news on this subject. 1. Based at the University of Bristol (UK), Children of the 90s, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), is a long-term health-research project that enrolled more than 14,000 pregnant women in 1991 and 1992. It has been following the health and development of the parents and their children in detail ever since and is currently recruiting the next generation into the study. It is funded by the University of Bristol, the Wellcome Trust and the UK Medical Research Council. Find out more at www.childrenofthe90s.ac.uk.
2. The paper: Alan Emond et al, 'Growth Outcomes of Weight Faltering in Infancy in ALSPAC' is published online in the journal Pediatrics today [Monday 25 February 2013].
3. The study did not include babies with a major congenital abnormality that could affect growth (e.g. cerebral palsy or Down syndrome), those who were part of a multiple birth, those born before 37 or after 42 weeks, or those for whom weight data were missing.
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High-Fat, Low-Carb Diet Improves Blood Sugar, Cholesterol: Study

Diabetics know that a high-carb diet is unhealthy, but a new study suggest a low-fat diet may be just as bad.

The two-year study of 61 people found that both types of diet led to some weight loss, but those on the low-carb, high-fat diet had better control of their blood sugar. The "good" (HDL) cholesterol of those in the high-fat diet also increased, while their "bad" (LDL) cholesterol numbers stayed the same.

 Read full story > See all Diabetes News 

View the original article here