Carbs Linked to Weight Gain and Shortened Life

(Article first published as Cut Carbs from Diet to Aid Weight Loss and Extend Life on Technorati.)

If you knew that the key to successful weight loss and adding extra years to your life was a matter of making simple changes to your diet, would you want to know more details? There is no doubt that the type of foods we eat every day affect the way our body burns or stores calories, and new research indicates that carbohydrates may be critical to the development of disease and how long we live.

Scientists have discovered that the human body can sustain 120 healthy years before our cellular matrix simply wears out and we die. Yet the average life span is only 80 to 85 years. And for many the last decade of life is far from pleasant, as declining health, excess body weight and disease devastate the lives of so many productive people. Learn how you can control the genes that promote longevity and lose weight naturally.

Study Finds Insulin Dysfunction Triggers Most Lethal Diseases and Obesity

The results of a study conducted at the University of California show that insulin is a major accelerant of the aging process and is the main reason that obesity and diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia are so prevalent today. Insulin is released primarily as a response to excess blood sugar and consuming excess carbohydrates.

After a large meal of breads, pasta and sugary treats, large amounts of insulin are needed to mop up the massive amount of glucose in the blood. After years and even decades of carb overload, insulin becomes resistant and unable to perform effectively, allowing high levels of sugar to remain in the blood. Sugar is known to feed cancer cells, and damages the inner lining of the arterial walls increasing risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Carbohydrates Affect Genes That Control Lifespan

Research from this study demonstrates that carbohydrate consumption directly affects two key genes that govern longevity and youthfulness. Aging has always been viewed as a natural process that is inevitable and to be accepted as part of getting older. We now understand that our genetics determine how quickly we age, and that carbs influence the action of those genes responsible for regulating key metabolic processes that promote disease.

Processed Carb Diet Leads to Obesity

For decades the medical profession has promoted the low fat diet as a preventive measure for heart disease and lower weight. A low fat diet means high carb consumption, and the statistics show that heart disease and obesity have both soared since the conception of the low fat mantra. Researchers have demonstrated that fat is essential to health, and processed carbs cause metabolic alterations that promote fat storage. The best way to lose weight is to adopt a moderate fat diet (no hydrogenated or trans fats) and eliminate all processed and refined carbs.

This study provides another example of how our junk food diet of fast and convenience foods is damaging the health of our nation and is behind the obesity epidemic. Excess or resistant insulin are shown to be the primary cause of premature death by promoting lethal chronic disease and contributing to excessive fat storage. Control your insulin by limiting carbs and eating healthy fat sources that help prevent illness and lead to successful weight loss.

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Posted in: Low Carb Diet,Obesity,weight loss

Fructose is Behind the Diabesity Epidemic

(Article first published as Why You Can’t Lose Weight: Study Finds Fructose Behind the Diabesity Epidemic on Technorati.)

Fructose is fast becoming a new type of four-letter word among people trying to lose weight and those health conscious individuals concerned about excess dietary sugar and increased risk of metabolic diseases including diabetes. The medical profession has coined the phrase ‘diabesity’, as diabetes and obesity frequently coexist. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was introduced into our food supply in the early 70’s and obesity rates have steadily increased in tandem with fructose consumption since that time. 

Diabetes cases have similarly grown over the past 40 years and it is now expected that more than half of the US population will be prediabetic or diabetic by 2020. There’s no mistake making the connection between increased dietary fructose from sweetened beverages and processed foods to the explosion of overweight, obese and diabetic Americans.

Fructose Rapidly Breaks Down and Becomes Belly Fat

Researchers have demonstrated that calories from drinks and foods containing fructose are metabolized differently than the same calories from table sugar. While both sugars contain empty calories, fructose is converted to fat in the liver and doesn’t register as an available energy source that the body can use to power metabolic activities. This means that the proper hormonal signals aren’t transmitted to the brain telling you to stop eating, as is the case with traditional sugar sources. The tendency is to overeat and fat is quickly stored from fructose metabolism.

Study Links Fructose to Obesity and Diabetes

Due to government subsidies, inexpensive HFCS has found its way into virtually every processed food source. It’s nearly impossible to avoid the sweetener unless you eat a raw, natural diet, as HFCS is added into everything from baked goods and breads to hot dogs and condiments The results of a study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology makes the link between fructose consumption and the dramatic rise in obesity rates over the past 40 years. The study also cited a connection with hypertension and renal disease.

Controlling Weight by Understanding the Impact of Fructose

Most people known that fructose is a form of sugar derived from fruit. While some people may need to limit fruit due to existing metabolic problems, this form of fructose is not the cause of the obesity and diabetic dilemma. Fructose from fruit is tightly bound with fiber and releases slowly. Refined fructose, especially in the form of HFCS has been processed to optimize sweetness.

Once you get a taste for fructose, even table sugar doesn’t seem as sweet. The important point is that fructose has the same number of calories as any sugar source, but it doesn’t register properly with our brain and leads to overeating and excess fat production and storage.

Nutritional researchers continue to make the connection between fructose, obesity and increased risk of diabetes. The best way to avoid fructose is move away from processed foods and drink, favoring foods in their natural form. Read all nutritional labels diligently, as manufacturers are allowed to use a variety of different terms to indicate the presence of the sweetener. Cut your dependence on fructose and its derivatives to hit your target weight goal and prevent metabolic disease.

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Posted in: Diabesity,Diabetes,Diet and Nutrition,Obesity,weight loss

Processed Foods Slow Weight Loss and Promote Disease

(Article first published as Processed Food Diet Shown to Hinder Weight Loss and Promote Chronic Disease on Technorati.)

When was the last time you really took a close look at the nutrition label on many of the processed food items you regularly eat? If your diet consists mostly of products that come in a can, jar, foil-wrap or cardboard container, they have likely been ultra-processed by one of the food manufacturing giants.

Processed foods make up the majority of calories eaten by Americans every day, and are largely void of the essential nutrients our body uses to properly metabolize calories and regulate fat storage. Research demonstrates the importance of controlling our diet to ensure proper nutrition and avoid dangerous chemical additives that slow weight loss and promote chronic disease.

Ultra-Processed Foods are Developed in a Food Laboratory

Food manufacturers know that their food must appeal to your evolved sense of taste for sweet, salt and fat. We crave these tastes so we will want to eat natural foods that are packed with vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients that help prevent disease. Instead, laboratory foods are infused with sugar and hydrogenated fats that tease our taste buds and provide us with little more than empty calories that boost blood sugar, cause weight gain and initiate chronic illnesses including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Increase in Processed Food Consumption Directly Related to Weight Gain and Chronic Illness

The results of a study published in the Journal of the World Public Health Nutrition Association found that Americans spend 90% of their food budget on processed foods. A direct correlation was made between the calories eaten in the form of processed foods, weight gain and disease. The lead author of this study concluded, "the rapid rise in consumption of ultra-processed food and drink products, especially since the 1980's, is the main dietary cause of the concurrent rapid rise in obesity and related diseases throughout the world."

Processed Foods are Calorie Dense and Nutrient Poor

The main problem with ultra-processed foods is they deprive your body of the essential nutrients required to maintain optimal health and alter metabolism toward overweight and obesity. A steady diet of laboratory manufactured foods typically consists of twice the daily calories required to maintain an ideal weight and less than one-quarter of the critical nutrients we need to preserve health and avoid illness. While processed foods satisfy our taste for a variety of different flavors, over the course of decades they lead to a nutrient deficient state that is a medium for disease development and weight gain.

Controlling Processed Food Consumption

Processed foods have become so much a part of our daily diet that it would be impossible for most people to eliminate this source of calories from their diet. The key is to include more raw foods in their natural form into your diet and minimize consumption of processed items. Include at least one serving of vegetables, leafy greens or fruit with each meal, and cut the amount of processed foods you eat. Slowly introduce additional sources of raw foods as you work toward making processed foods nothing more than an occasional treat.

Processed foods have been manipulated and heated to destroy or neutralize any healthy nutrients that may have originally been present in the raw product. A diet void of these nutrients leads to metabolic dysfunction, chronic illness and weight gain. Make a conscious effort to cut processed food consumption to live a longer, disease-free life.

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,Processed Foods,weight loss

Vitamin D Slashes Cancer and Heart Disease Risk in Half

Health conscious individuals have been closely following Vitamin D research for the past decade as volumes of scientific evidence prove this prohormone has been selected through our evolution to provide critical protection against many inflammatory and immune mediated diseases.

New information now reveals a clear picture of how this amazing nutrient works at the cellular level while prompting the expression of more than 3000 individual genes to protect us against many lethal forms of cancer and heart disease as well. You can dramatically reduce your risk of illness and extend your healthy lifespan by making sure your blood is saturated at an optimal level with Vitamin D.

Vitamin D Influences our Genes, Cuts Cancer Risk in Half

Research has determined that virtually every cell in the human body has evolved with a Vitamin D receptor (VDR) which needs to be filled with circulating Vitamin D from our blood. Insufficient levels of the nutrient means that cellular receptors will be left open to be hijacked by a rogue virus. This can pave the way for infection by the influenza virus or eventually lead to a greatly increased risk of cancer.

According to a study published in Genome Research, Vitamin D regulates genes which provide protection against many forms of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D specifically binds with these genes to provide a protective shield which dramatically reduces our risk of disease. Vitamin D also acts as a master blueprint for cellular replication, guiding the DNA strands with instructions to accurately divide during mitosis and provides critical guidance to prevent cellular proliferation, a hallmark of cancer metastasis.

Vitamin D Lowers Heart Disease Risk by 47%

The results of a study presented to the American College of Cardiology show that correcting deficient Vitamin D blood levels can reduce the risks associated with coronary artery disease. Study participants were given Vitamin D supplements to raise their blood level well beyond the current minimum reference point and were followed for a period of a year to assess their risk for cardiovascular disease. While this study didn`t provide an explanation for the 47% risk reduction, other research has shown that Vitamin D can lower systemic inflammation throughout the body which promotes healthy arteries and lowers blood pressure.

Ensure You Aren`t Vitamin D Deficient

As much as 85% of the adult population is Vitamin D deficient, needlessly placing themselves at considerable risk for a variety of diseases ranging from flu and the common cold to heart disease and cancer. Sun exposure and multi vitamins are inconsistent sources of Vitamin D as we lose the ability to convert the nutrient to its active form on our skin as we age.

The only way to accurately determine if you need to supplement is by having your blood tested. Be sure to request a 25(OH)D blood test which yields the most accurate results. Optimal levels are between 50 and 70 ng/mL. If you test below this level you`ll need to supplement with an oil-based gelcap form of Vitamin D. Most people find that 1000 IU is needed to raise the blood level by 10 ng/mL.

Deficient levels of Vitamin D are responsible for millions of needless deaths and much suffering each year. Extensive research has shown exactly how this mega nutrient works on the cellular level to provide lowered risk from many lethal conditions including cancer and heart disease. Those interested in lowering disease risk will want to have a simple blood test and supplement accordingly to reap a multitude of health benefits.

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Posted in: Cancer,Heart Disease,Supplements,Vitamin D

Protein Diet Essential to Successful Weight Loss

(Article first published as Protein Balance Found to be Key to Successful Weight Loss Diet on Technorati.)

So, when is a calorie not really a calorie? This is a question that has been asked by weight loss enthusiasts for the past century. As you may have guessed, many people have not yet found the answer as evidenced by the continuing overweight and obesity challenges that plaque millions of Americans.

Medical researchers have been busy working to determine if successful weight loss is merely a matter of caloric balance or if calories from different food sources have a different effect on how our body stores fat. New information now provides evidence that some calories are more demonic than others and can impact your path to permanent weight loss.

Caloric Balance is Essential to Weight Loss Efforts

The results of a Danish study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine compared five different protein and carbohydrate balanced diets on their ability to initiate and maintain weight loss. Study participants initially lost an average of 24 pounds and then were placed on one of five specially prepared diets which varied from low carb/high protein to high carb/low protein.

The results showed that those on the low glycemic, high protein diet were 45% more efficient in maintaining their lost weight. Dr. Thomas Larsen, the co-author of the study theorized that the higher protein content provided a stronger satiety effect while improving blood sugar control. He concluded, "There has been considerable controversy over the role of glycemic index in general, and obesity treatment in particular. This study provides very strong, supportive evidence for the importance of this low-glycemic concept."

Protein Boosts Metabolism, Assists Weight Loss

The Danish study is the latest body of research to demonstrate that a higher protein diet when combined with a dramatically lower consumption of processed and refined carbohydrates is needed to boost metabolic rate and stimulate weight loss. Information published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides evidence that health adults should eat three-quarters of their body weight in grams of protein each day.

Critical metabolic changes begin to take place when you increase protein consumption to 30% of calories and decrease or eliminate sugar and refined carbs that drive blood sugar levels out of control. Since protein is much more difficult to break down, your body exerts more energy to metabolize a calorie of protein than the same simple carb calorie. And protein provides essential branched chain amino acids that your body requires as basic cellular building blocks. The answer is clear. All calories are not created equal.

One of the best ways to shift your body into fat burning mode is to begin each day with a good source of protein. This fuels your metabolic engine and limits blood glucose surges that can last all day. Ideal sources of protein include red meat (free range beef, minimally cooked) and cottage cheese, as well as milk, eggs, fish, chicken, legumes, peanuts, cheese, nuts, and seeds. Try increasing the amount of healthy protein in your diet and watch your weight loss goal become reality.

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Posted in: Diet and Nutrition,Low Carb Diet,Protein Diet,weight loss

Many Overweight Women View Extra Weight as Normal

(Article first published as 25% of Overweight Women See No Need for Weight Loss Diet on Technorati.)

As the number of overweight and obese people continues to rise, our perception of ‘normal’ body weight is altered. Suddenly those individuals with no excess body fat are viewed as malnourished while our mind becomes accustomed to a new overweight appearance. Even our self-perception of misplaced body fat is changing as we look in the mirror and tend to accept the extra pounds in stride.

Regardless of how our mind may be tricked, extra weight is still a significant risk factor for a host of diseases including cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer. It’s important to be able to look beyond the image you see in the mirror and determine if you need to lose weight to ensure optimal health.

1 in 4 Women Misperceive Their Own Body Weight

We have become desensitized to people that carry too much weight, and begin to believe that excess pounds are normal and healthy. The results of a study conducted at The University of Texas Medical Branch shows that nearly 25% of women misperceive their own body weight and are unlikely to take the necessary actions such as reducing calories to lose weight. This places these women at considerable risk for adverse health consequences.

Study Finding Reflects ‘Fattening of America’

The study, published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology is the first large scale research to explain the dynamics behind a cultural phenomenon that has been manifesting for several decades. The study authors found that overweight and obese Hispanic and African American women were more likely than white women to categorize themselves as normal, and they were much less likely to report weight loss related behaviors such as dieting as a result.

The study concluded that the findings were a part of the cultural ‘fattening of America’ brought about by decades of a processed food diet and a shift away from foods in their natural form. According to corresponding author Dr. Mahbubur Rahman, "As obesity numbers climb, many women identify overweight as normal, not based on the scale but on how they view themselves." Currently 82% of African American women and 75% of Mexican-American women meet the criteria for being overweight or obese.

Weight Misperception Affects Health

One of the most significant findings of this study is that those women who perceived themselves as either normal weight or overweight were more than twice as likely to be health conscious. This means they were more inclined to follow a reduced calorie diet, avoid unhealthy processed foods, avoid smoking and exercise regularly. Women who did not properly perceive their excess weight practiced unhealthy weight loss behaviors that can lead to harmful medical and psychological consequences.

We tend to adapt to our surroundings over time and as more individuals tip the scales toward overweight and obese, our perception of normal body weight becomes commonly accepted. We are clearly becoming a fatter America and our health is suffering as a consequence. The time has come to take responsibility for our body weight and make the required changes to diet and physical activity that will lead to a longer and healthier life.

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Posted in: Obesity,weight loss

Excess Childhood Weight Doubles Adult Obesity Rate

(Article first published as Childhood Obesity Doubles Adult Risk – Early Weight Loss Intervention Required on Technorati.)

We’ve always been told that overweight adolescents are just carrying a little ‘baby fat’ and they’ll drop the chubby appearance as they grow older and taller. While this may be true for a small number of children, the vast majorities are being placed at considerable risk for the development of serious illness in middle life and reduced life expectancy.

Children and teens naturally need additional calories and nutrition to fuel their fast paced metabolism and accelerated growth. Researchers are beginning to understand that many diseases including heart disease and cancer begin to develop decades before clinical symptoms are detected. Excess body weight in youth provides the fuel for disease progression in later life. Small changes in diet at an early age can have a significant impact on overall health and longevity.

Study Confirms Childhood Overweight Results in Adult Obesity

The results of a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association shows that nearly 40% of obese adolescents can be expected to become severely obese by the age of 30. This is compared to only 2.5% of healthy weight and slightly overweight teenagers. The study found that gender did play a role in progression to adult obesity, as 37% of males and 51% of females in the study became severely obese in adulthood.

Understanding the Cause of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity rates have doubled over the past 20 years as nearly 16% of adolescents fall into the classification. Chronic childhood health problems have also doubled to 27% in the same period. Many theories abound to explain the problem, but it’s clear that the effects of diet and the environment impact the survival genes that have evolved to keep children alive through their reproductive years. Most children eat nearly twice as many calories as they require and get considerably less exercise than earlier generations.

The Effects of Super Sizing and Fructose

Many things have changed over the past 20 years that contribute to the obesity epidemic we are faced with in our children today. None is more significant than the portion size of meals, the proliferation of processed junk foods and the mass infusion of fructose as a sweetener into many foods and drinks. All of these factors result in altered metabolism and obesity in our youth. To make matters worse, levels of physical activity have declined as kids spend less time burning calories at play.

Ending the Obesity Cycle

The latest research shows that the obesity trend will continue through 2050, peaking at 42% of all men, women and children. While these numbers are devastating, they can be reversed with a plan to prevent overweight and obesity in adolescents. Studies show that eliminating the dietary and environmental factors that lead to excess weight can prevent the onset of health conditions that will plaque children into adult life.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that a plant-based diet seems to be a sensible approach for the prevention of obesity in children. While a strict vegetarian diet may not be the answer for all children, lowering caloric intake from fast food restaurants and limiting fructose from sweetened beverages and processed foods will provide immediate results. Children can make dietary and lifestyle changes easier than adults, and just need a little parental encouragement to alter the obesity cycle, lower disease risk in later life and improve longevity.

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Posted in: Child Obesity,Junk Food,weight loss