We are what we eat: facts and myths! Let's talk about this!

Myth: Red meat is bad for health. 

Fact: Red meat is not bad when you choose leaner cuts of beef (top round, flank or sirloin) and pork (tenderloin or center cut) and eat a healthy portion (3-4 ounces). Poultry can contain more saturated fat than lean meats depending on preparation methods or if skin is not removed.  

Myth: Whole wheat/whole grain breads, cereals, pastas, etc. are lower in calories. 

 Fact: Most whole wheat products are equal in calories to their more refined partner (ie white bread, white pasta, etc). However, the whole wheat/whole grain food provides more fiber and nutrients making it a healthier choice. Mary Ellen Richards, RD, CDE, PinnacleHealth skipping-meal.jpg Try eating 3 meals daily and include small snacks between meals. 

Myth: Skipping meals will help you lose weight. 

Fact: When you skip a meal, your body’s metabolism tends to slow down to compensate for the lack of energy (food). Bodies with slower metabolisms require fewer calories. In addition, those who skip meals tend to overcompensate and eat more at the next meal which may result in more calories being consumed. For better appetite control, try eating three meals daily and include small (100 calorie) snacks between meals. 

 Myth: Most of the sodium in our diets comes from added salt. 

 Fact: Actually only about 6% of the sodium in our diets comes from added salt. The largest source of sodium comes from processed packaged food and restaurant foods. Deb Gochenour, MEd, RD, LDN, CDE PinnacleHealth Outpatient Clinical Nutrition Manager healthy-restaurant.jpg Don’t be afraid to make special requests and ask questions. 

Myth: If I’m trying to lose weight, I have to avoid eating in restaurants. 

 Fact: Restaurants often serve foods higher in salt than we would eat at home, and restaurant meals tend to be higher in fat and overall calories. Eating out can be tricky when you’re attempting to lose weight. But don’t let it stop you from trying. Don’t be afraid to make special requests and ask questions. Ask for a salad without the cheese, and dressing on the side. If an entrée contains bacon, maybe ask to hold the bacon. Inquire as to how a food is prepared. If a fish is breaded or fried, request that it be grilled. The great thing about restaurants is that they aim to give us delicious food that we enjoy, and they can prepare grilled or broiled entrées that are just as enjoyable as the higher fat counterparts. 

 Myth: High-carbohydrate foods are high in fat and calories. 

 Fact: Carbohydrate and fat are both considered macronutrients, each of which provides calories in the diet. The carbohydrates in a food have nothing to do with the fat in a food. In fact, one gram of carbohydrate in a food provides 4 calories, whereas one gram of fat provides 9 calories. In order to maintain a healthy weight, it is most important to eat the amount of calories that your body burns in a day. So, high-fat foods will provide more calories that your body must burn, compared to foods that are high in carbohydrate. Monitor overall calorie intake to maintain a healthy weight.

Materials given from www.transforminghealth.org 

#Study Finds No #Change In #Hospital #Heart #Attack #Death #Rates

One of the great medical advances in recent years has been the improved treatment of acute myocardial infarction. As the enormous benefits of earlier reperfusion became evident, medical systems in many parts of the world aimed to treat increasing numbers of patients in a shorter time frame. The door-to-balloon (D2B) time as a performance measure has emerged as a key part of this initiative. Now a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that in-hospital mortality for acute MI patients receiving PCI has not fallen despite improvements in the D2B time. But some experts fear this finding may be misinterpreted, as it more accurately reflects a growing and changing population receiving PCI than any shortcomings in the D2B initiative.

Using the CathPCI Registry of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry, Daniel Menees and colleagues analyzed data from almost 100,000 hospital admissions for primary PCI between July 2005 and June 2009.

• Median door-to-balloon times declined over time, from 83 minutes to 67 minutes (p<0.001).
• A greater percentage of patients were treated in 90 minutes or less: from 59.7% to 83.1% (p<0.001).
• No significant change in unadjusted in-hospital mortality: 4.8% and 4.7% (p=0.43 for trend)
• No significant change in adjusted in-hospital mortality: 5.0% and 4.7% (p=0.34).

The authors write that their “findings raise questions about the role of door-to-balloon time as a principal focus for performance measurement and public reporting” and “suggest that additional strategies are needed to reduce in-hospital mortality in this population.” They point out that D2B is only “one component of total ischemic time; as door-to-balloon time is reduced, it becomes a smaller fraction of total ischemic time, making the time before arrival at a hospital a more important factor.”

In an accompanying editorial, Eric Bates and Alice Jacobs write that “the primary opportunity for reducing total ischemic time and time to treatment, and for improving outcomes, now lies in the prehospital STEMI system of care, where logistic challenges remain…. Although door-to-balloon time remains important, it’s time to turn our attention to the further development of systems that address the continuum of STEMI care, from symptom onset through return to the community.”

Another way to view the study results is that they show that the D2B initiative is an apparent victim of its own success by  bringing many more difficult-to-treat patients into the system at an earlier period. Harlan Krumholz, a leader of the D2B initiative, explains:

At a patient level shorter times translate into better outcomes and reaffirm the importance of rapid treatment. The paper also reveals the remarkable improvement in care over this period. And overall mortality rates for AMI (not shown in this paper) are dropping impressively. The lack of improvement in mortality over these years for the population of patients undergoing PCI may say more about the changing population of patients being referred for primary PCI over this period (volume grew rapidly – the mortality of those treated in more than 90 minutes increased) than the effectiveness of rapid (as opposed to delayed) reperfusion therapy.

In an interview to be published on CardioExchange, study authors Daniel Menees and Hitinder Gurm propose that

It may be time to move away from D2B time, or at least recognize its limitations and consider its use in the context of other measures. We need to start trying to track total ischemic time (i.e., onset of symptoms) better as well as take a closer look at the false activation rates across different regions and hospital systems. We think this is the real message behind our study – it’s time to look beyond D2B times, and we need start looking at other ways we can favorably impact patient outcomes.

what makes #people think that the #diet #program really #work

It seems that just about every week brings a new diet craze. From low-fat to low-carb to food combining, the diets come and go in the magazines and on the best-seller lists. Some prove lastingly popular, but many go the way of the latest dance fad. (Anyone remember the macarena? How about the cabbage soup diet?)

Meanwhile, dietitians keep giving the sensible advice they've been advocating for years: To lose weight, we need to eat less and exercise more.

Let's face it: We all know better than to keep falling for every fad that comes along. So why do we keep doing it?

"I think most people are put off by the fact that what we usually promote is life-long change," says Robyn A. Osborn, RD, PhD, a dietician and educational psychologist in Indianapolis, Ind.

Fad diets are often programs you're supposed to follow for just a few weeks. Butnutrition experts insist that the right approach to weight loss is to change your lifestyle -- permanently.

Anyway if you think that the diet is the best way to lose weight for you, then we highly recommend you to pay attention on the fat loss factor program. It's easy and "stress-free" method. Click for details>>

The Effect of Steroids on the Body

Before we get into the effects of steroids, its important to note what exactly they are. Specifically, steroids are pills, gels, creams or injections that artificially produce hormones to increase sports performance. The two main types of steroids are anabolic, which helps produce androgens such as testosterone, and steroidal supplements, which are essentially weaker types of anabolic steroids. 

Both types of steroids can help improve strength, endurance and muscle mass, which is why so many athletes sought and continue to seek them out. But they also produce certain side effects in subjects, such as acne, balding, insomnia, mood swings, high blood pressure, aggression, jaundice, liver damage and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots and certain types of cancer. Other risks are the shrinking of the genitalia, painful urination, impotence and infertility. What's more is that users who inject are at risk of becoming infected with HIV, Hepatitis C or other bacterial infections from needle usage.

But there's more than just the health risks mentioned above. Steroid users can also suffer psychologically. Delusion, paranoia, aggression and mistrust are common psychological issues. Steroids can also become addictive. In fact, prolonged steroid use can worsen both the medical and psychological effects. 

As you can tell, steroids can be extremely detrimental to one's health, which is part of the reason why MLB, and all other sports leagues, are cracking down on use and enforcing severe punishments on those that violate their respective drug testing policies. Still, the side effects - and suspension risk - are worth the chance to many aspiring athletes who want to be the very best at what they do, whether that's by artificial enhancement or not.

#Cigarette pack #health #warnings 'have little #impact on #teens'

Health warnings in the form of pictures or text on the back of cigarette packets are common in many countries, serving to deter smokers from the habit. But according to a new study, they have little impact on teen smokers.

In the US, cigarette packets carry health warnings in the form of text only. In 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule stating that health warnings in the form of images must be present on all cigarette packets to deter smokers.

However, this ruling was challenged in court by tobacco companies, and the rule was dropped.

But in many countries, such as the UK, this ruling is very much in place, with some pictures covering more than 75% of the main surface area on a cigarette packet, alongside text warnings. Researchers from the UK wanted to find out exactly what effect this had on smokers, particularly teenagers.

They conducted a study involving two waves of a Youth Tobacco Policy survey of adolescents 11 to 16 years of age. One survey was completed in 2008 by 1,401 teens, and the other in 2011 by 1,373 teens.

For each survey, the same text warnings appeared on the front and back of the cigarette packets, while pictorial health warnings were present on packets for the 2011 survey.

All teenagers were required to share their thoughts regarding the visibility and impact of the warnings, and their responses were scored on a sliding scale of 1 to 5. They were asked:

• How well the health warnings served as visual cues
• How easy they were to understand and believe, and
• How persuasive they were.

90% of teens ignore health warnings

Teenage smokers are not deterred by health warnings on cigarette packs, the study shows.

The surveys showed that 68-75% of teens had never smoked, 17-22% had experimented with cigarettes, while 1 in 10 were deemed as regular smokers (smoked at least one cigarette a week).

Results from the health warning questions revealed that only 1 in 10 teenagers said they thought about the warnings when the cigarette packet was not in sight.

At the time of both surveys, around 85% of teens said they found the warnings credible. However, from the 2011 survey, those who had never smoked were less likely to find the warnings easy to understand, but experimental smokers were more likely to find them trustful and believable.

Those who had never smoked were more likely to think about the warnings "often" or "very often."

Additionally, while the proportion of teens who thought the warnings were capable of deterring them from smoking increased between 2008 and 2011, this was only apparent in never and experimental smokers, with no change in regular smokers.

Teens more likely to remember images

When it came to the teens remembering the health warnings on the cigarettes, the recall of text health warnings stating "smoking kills" fell from 58% in 2008 to 47% in 2011, while the recall of the text "smoking seriously harms you and others around you" fell from 41% in 2008 to 25% in 2011.

However, memory of three images on cigarette packets, including rotten teeth, diseased lungs and neck cancer, all increased.

But the researchers add that when the pictures were only present on the back of the cigarette packet and not the reverse, they had less impact.

The study authors say:

"The findings have implications for warning design. Positioning pictorial warnings only on the back of packs may have had a deterrent effect on never and experimental smokers, but for most measures no significant differences were observed."

They add that the EU ruling endorsed by the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in July 2013, which said large pictorial warnings should cover 75% of the pack on both sides, is likely to increase the impact warnings have for all adolescents, irrespective of smoking status.

Research in 2012 from the University of South Carolina suggested that health warning labels containing pictures have proven to be effective in causing awareness in adult smokers.

Other research from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove suggested that graphic cigarette packet warning labels could significantly reduce demand.

#healthy #diet #fat #loss #factor #weightloss: does it really #work or not?

How the Fat Loss Factor #Diet Works

The Fat Loss Factor Diet is a 12 week online based program that was designed to be able to be done regardless of a participant’s fitness level. There are four program choices with the Fat Loss Factor Diet that include the Beginner program, the Intermediate program, Rapid Weight Loss program, and the Extreme Weight Loss Program.

The first two weeks of any of the Fat Loss Factor Diet programs consist of the participant eating only all natural and organic foods. This is supposed to be done in order to cleanse the body of impurities as well as rid the body’s dependency on unhealthy food. To boost results, participants can also do the “Master Cleanse” which involves fasting and consuming a drink made up of water, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. During this phase walking of 30 to 60 minutes each day is required.

After the initial two weeks the diet and exercise plans will depend on the program that is chosen. At the end of the 12 weeks, if your weight loss goals have not been met you are then instructed to reevaluate your progress, see what you can learn, then redo the entire program.

Do Dieters Lose Weight on the Fat Loss Factor Diet?

Within the first two weeks there should be at least some weight loss. Only eating organic foods and not much of them will make almost anyone lose weight as will fasting. However, fasting can be dangerous as can cutting out too many calories from your diet, so caution should be taken.

Is the Fat Loss Factor Diet Easy to Follow?

The Fat Loss Factor Diet is an all natural type of diet and is very specific on the kinds of foods you can have while on the diet. Many of the foods and food groups that you might love will be a thing of the past. Cravings should be expected, especially in the first two weeks so your resolve must be strong.

In addition, much of the food that is required in order to do the Fat Loss Factor Diet properly will not be readily available. Some of what you consume will only be able to be obtained by visiting a specialty store in your area which can cost you additional time and money.

What people think about the program?

The Fat Loss Factor Program works to combine both the physical and mental aspects of the body so as to facilitate faster results. That is why stress relief exercises have also been included in the numerous guides and support information provided.

The reason why the Fat Loss Factor program has become popular is its simplicity. After the 2 week cleansing period, following the program becomes an easy affair and one will not have to give up most of their favorite meals just to stay on course. That is because the program raises one's body metabolism so food is broken down faster than before. All that is required is focus and discipline and a thinner healthier life can be within reach in 12 weeks time.

For more information visit the official site of the program, just click here.

#healthy #diet #fat #loss #factor #weightloss: does it really #work or not?

How the Fat Loss Factor #Diet Works

The Fat Loss Factor Diet is a 12 week online based program that was designed to be able to be done regardless of a participant’s fitness level. There are four program choices with the Fat Loss Factor Diet that include the Beginner program, the Intermediate program, Rapid Weight Loss program, and the Extreme Weight Loss Program.

The first two weeks of any of the Fat Loss Factor Diet programs consist of the participant eating only all natural and organic foods. This is supposed to be done in order to cleanse the body of impurities as well as rid the body’s dependency on unhealthy food. To boost results, participants can also do the “Master Cleanse” which involves fasting and consuming a drink made up of water, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. During this phase walking of 30 to 60 minutes each day is required.

After the initial two weeks the diet and exercise plans will depend on the program that is chosen. At the end of the 12 weeks, if your weight loss goals have not been met you are then instructed to reevaluate your progress, see what you can learn, then redo the entire program.

Do Dieters Lose Weight on the Fat Loss Factor Diet?

Within the first two weeks there should be at least some weight loss. Only eating organic foods and not much of them will make almost anyone lose weight as will fasting. However, fasting can be dangerous as can cutting out too many calories from your diet, so caution should be taken.

Is the Fat Loss Factor Diet Easy to Follow?

The Fat Loss Factor Diet is an all natural type of diet and is very specific on the kinds of foods you can have while on the diet. Many of the foods and food groups that you might love will be a thing of the past. Cravings should be expected, especially in the first two weeks so your resolve must be strong.

In addition, much of the food that is required in order to do the Fat Loss Factor Diet properly will not be readily available. Some of what you consume will only be able to be obtained by visiting a specialty store in your area which can cost you additional time and money.

What people think about the program?

The Fat Loss Factor Program works to combine both the physical and mental aspects of the body so as to facilitate faster results. That is why stress relief exercises have also been included in the numerous guides and support information provided.

The reason why the Fat Loss Factor program has become popular is its simplicity. After the 2 week cleansing period, following the program becomes an easy affair and one will not have to give up most of their favorite meals just to stay on course. That is because the program raises one's body metabolism so food is broken down faster than before. All that is required is focus and discipline and a thinner healthier life can be within reach in 12 weeks time.

For more information visit the official site of the program, just click here.