June 07, 2006
September 27, 2005
June 28, 2005
Steps
I walked 8188 steps yesterday. I was stuck at about 3500 at dinner so we went for a walk and ended up picking blackberries. It was really hot but we had fun (except for all the scratches).
April 08, 2005
Putting the hungry on a diet?
Seems like the Atkins crazy is definately over. Now all the unsold Atkins products are showing up in food pantries. The food companies are dumping unsold product, but here is the kicker:
Even so, the bigger problem facing most of the region is obesity. An Appalachian Regional Commission study last year showed that the mountain region had higher rates of premature deaths caused by heart disease, diabetes and cancer than the nation as a whole and that obesity was more prevalent than in the rest of the country.
March 29, 2005
I'll take two..
NPR : A Whopper of a Breakfast
Morning Edition, March 29, 2005
Burger King is offering a breakfast version of its famous Whopper burger: the Enormous Omelet Sandwich. The new Burger King sandwich contains more than 700 calories, about 40 grams of fat and has health experts wondering whatever happened to the trend in healthier fast food.
I don't get this. I have noticed that fast food places have become schitzo. McDonalds is trying to act healthy with adult happy meals, but they have the McGriddle. Hardees now has the mega-death burger, and now Burger King will kill you it's way.
February 14, 2005
Sign of the end III
A magazine for the Plastic set. Why???????
Boing Boing: "New beauty" mag: cosmetic surgery, c'est chic
"New beauty" mag: cosmetic surgery, c'est chic
Hack your face -- or your butt, your breasts, your wrinkles, or any
other part that might feel inferior. "New Beauty" is a glossy
publication devoted to the glories of cosmetic sugery, with articles on
lipo, lasers, injectables, and new boob job technologies in the the
premier issue.
Mmmmm. Stroke
As a southerner I understand. There are some great ingredients, but we grease and cook them to death. I like greens, peas, etc. I just hate how much fatback there is in them, and there is no reason to cook the veggies all day.
Yahoo! News - Southern Food Frustrates Health Officials
Much of the South's traditional foods
date back to the days of slavery. Frying was preferable in the region's
hot climate, since it didn't take as long as baking and didn't heat up
a house as much. Plus, Burley said, workers didn't have all day to
prepare meals; they had to get back into the fields to work. Lard was
also plentiful. Today, frying still is popular, especially in poor
areas of the South, because it is also inexpensive.
February 11, 2005
Scary news
NYC Health Officials Find New, Virulent HIV Strain
New York City doctors have discovered a previously unseen strain of HIV, which appears to be resistant to three of the four types of anti-viral drugs that combat the disease, and progresses from infection to full-blown AIDS in two or three months, the health department said.
January 30, 2005
Tumor diary comes to a brave end
An online diary by Ivan Noble has been following his fight against a brain tumor. He has now posted his last post. We should pray for him and his family (especially his children). We should also pray for his father who is also fighting cancer.
My father died from a brain tumor, and it is particularly unpleasant. I try to forget watching him degenerate. Slowly losing that which made him who he was. Finally lapsing into a coma and lying helpless for months as he wasted away. Bravery is facing the unbearable, and bearing it none the less.
hattip to shrinkette
BBC NEWS | Health | Tumour diary: The time has come
What I wanted to do with this column was try to prove that it was possible to survive and beat cancer and not to be crushed by it.
Even though I have to take my leave now, I feel like I managed it.
I have not been defeated.
Thank you once again to everyone who helped me and came with me.
The last phase now will, I know, not be easy but I know that I will be looked after as I always have been.
I will end with a plea. I still have no idea why I ended up with a cancer, but plenty of other cancer patients know what made them ill.
If two or three people stop smoking as a result of anything I have ever written then the one of them who would have got cancer will live and all my scribblings will have been worthwhile.
January 28, 2005
That crazy shortage
So how does a shortage turn into a surplus? Just add government. I thought the panic from the flu vaccine was a bit much. Now we have moved to panic because we have too much vaccine. I don't get it.....
Health Groups Now Worry About Flu Shot Surplus (washingtonpost.com)
The government also is expanding its Vaccines for Children Program to
allow inventories within it to be used for adult patients, irrespective
of financial need.
January 04, 2005
Die with a T
More confirmation that diets (as opposed to long term nutritional change) are mostly useless. The only plan I have seen come out consistently well is Weight Watchers.
If you restrict calories temporarily you might lose weight temporarily. Once you go back to eating like "normal" you will go back to your equilibrium weight.
It all goes back to calories in - calories burned.....
December 31, 2004
Why I'm fat meme
December 30, 2004
You are what you bleat.
I have read a couple of interesting things related to nutrition today. The first is the Oldways site. The second is an article entitled How we eat now.
Glycemic index vs. glycemic load
Is there any difference? Harvard and others seem to think that glycemic load is a better method for gauging the healthiness of a food.
October 26, 2004
A cuppa a day...
From Yahoo News:
A nice cup of tea could hold back Alzheimer's, scientists say
LONDON (AFP) - A steaming cup of tea, the relaxing drink of choice for millions in countries such as Britain and China, could help ward off the effects of Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites), scientists said.
Laboratory tests found that regular cups of green and black tea inhibit the activity of certain enzymes in the brain which bring on Alzheimer's, a form of generative dementia that affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide.
The research by the Medicinal Plant Research Centre at Newcastle University, northeast England, is published in academic journal Phytotherapy Research.
Scientists tested coffee as well as green and black tea, the latter of which -- the variety enjoyed by most Britons -- is derived from the same plant as the green variety but has a different taste and appearance as it is fermented.
The results found that while coffee had no significant effect, both green and black tea inhibited the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer's.
According to the journal, tea inhibited the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down the chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer's is characterised by a drop in acetylcholine.
Green tea and black tea also hinder the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), seen in protein deposits found on the brains of patients with Alzheimer's.
However green tea alone had a further effect, obstructing the activity of beta-secretase, which has a role in the production of protein deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer's.
The effects of green tea also last for a week, scientists found, as against only a day for black tea.
"Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's, tea could potentially be another weapon in the armoury which is used to treat this disease and slow down its development," said head researcher Dr Ed Okello.
"It would be wonderful if our work could help improve the quality of life for millions of sufferers and their carers.
"Our findings are particularly exciting as tea is already a very popular drink, it is inexpensive, and there do not seem to be any adverse side effects when it is consumed.
"Still, we expect it will be several years until we are able to produce anything marketable."
October 14, 2004
Do you think he wishes he had backed more bedsore research?
With the passing of Christopher Reeve we have to ask ourselves if his courage was used in the wrong way. I laud his wish to walk again, but would his notoriety have been better used to improve the day to day lives of the paralyzed. Addressing things like bed sore treatment, wound care, access and transportation, better wheel chairs, more community services might have done more in the long run.
September 24, 2004
Mediterranean diet gets more kudos.
There is more evidence that the mediterranean diet is beneficial for you. It appears to help mitigate metabolic syndrome and inflamation. Both of these appear to have an effect on cholesterol and heart disease.
An excerpt from the scienceblog.com article:
In a new study research have demonstrated that a Mediterranean-style diet had beneficial effects on endothelial (a layer of flat cells lining the closed internal spaces of the body, including the blood vessels) function and in reducing vascular inflammatory markers in patients with the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome consists of several factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Recent estimates indicate that the metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in the United States, with an estimated 24 percent of the adult population affected.
September 13, 2004
Fitting the average lady.
The Seatle Times has an article (via Big Fat Blog) about available clothing for normal (today's normal rather than 60 years ago) women. I still think women's colthing is a joke. I can find clothes in an hour. It takes my wife weeks. She is not a clothes hound, and I consider her a reasonable person. Also why is clothing for women either slutty or ugly. What happened to decent clothes.
August 28, 2004
Two health related articles
Volunteers Needed for Tinnitus Drug Study
Millions of people with severe tinnitus currently have little hope for quick relief from the unrelenting ringing or buzzing noises the disorder produces. But scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suspect a drug already approved for seizure disorders and chronic nerve pain also can help silence the noises that plague tinnitus patients. The team is recruiting volunteers for the first large study of the potential treatment. ''All other medications currently used for this condition just work on the negative effects of tinnitus, like sleep disturbance and anxiety. But if this trial is successful, it could lead to a new type of treatment option.''
Unused back muscles switch themselves off
Slumping in front of the television or computer could deactivate muscles that support and protect your spine, triggering many otherwise inexplicable cases of lower back pain.
A European Space Agency study in Berlin, Germany, in which young men spent eight weeks in bed, showed that an absence of load on spinal support muscles can sometimes be just as debilitating as a physical injury.
Was the grapefruit diet really right?
Got Grapefruit? It May Help You Lose Weight
Fri Aug 27, 4:56 PM ET
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating half of a grapefruit three times per day before meals appears to help people shed unwanted pounds, according to new study findings reported this week.
Moreover, regular grapefruit-eaters experienced a decrease in insulin, which in excess can increase the risk of weight gain and cardiovascular problems.
These findings suggest that adding grapefruit to your diet may be a good idea, a study author told Reuters Health.
"There's something inert about fresh grapefruit that does help you with weight loss," said Dr. Ken Fujioka of the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California. "All in all, I would recommend it."
In an interview, Fujioka explained that people have been espousing the "grapefruit diet" ever since the 1930s, and the concept has resurfaced from time to time over the years.
To investigate grapefruit's effect on weight loss, Fujioka and his colleagues asked 100 obese people who were not trying to lose weight to eat grapefruit in various forms, and recorded how their weight changed over 12 weeks.
Three times per day before each meal, each group of patients either ate one-half of a grapefruit, or drank a glass of grapefruit juice, or took a pill containing grapefruit extracts, or drank apple juice. Participants were told not to vary their eating habits from before the study.
By the end of the study period, people who ate fresh grapefruit had lost 3-1/2 pounds "without doing anything," Fujioka said. Moreover, these patients also experienced a decrease in insulin, a "surprising" finding, the researcher said.
He noted that grapefruit juice and pills of grapefruit extract were less helpful in shedding pounds. However, both fresh grapefruit and the juice appeared to encourage weight loss in people with metabolic syndrome -- which includes several disorders such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and unhealthy cholesterol levels that set the stage for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Fujioka explained that previous research has shown that grapefruit does not ramp up metabolism, suggesting that the fruit may encourage weight loss by lowering insulin levels.
He added that fans of the low-carbohydrate diet might want to consider making an exception for grapefruit. "It doesn't act like a 'bad carbohydrate,' so to speak," Fujioka said.
He and his colleagues presented their findings during the 228th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.
August 25, 2004
MMMMM. Blueberries
Blueberry Compound Fights Cholesterol, Study Finds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A compound used by blueberries and grapes to fight off fungal infections could help lower cholesterol, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
The compound, called pterostilbene, also helps regulate blood sugar and might help fight type-2 diabetes, the researchers told a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.
Not likely to make Letterman.
15 ills fuel rocketing health bill
COSTLY CONDITIONS
The 15 most expensive medical conditions, in descending order, according to a new Emory University study:
• Heart disease
• Trauma
• Cancer
• Pulmonary conditions
• Mental disorders
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Back problems
• Cerebrovascular disease such as stroke
• Pneumonia
• Skin disorders
• Endocrine disorders
• Infectious disease
• Kidney disease
August 21, 2004
But yet crack is illegal?
The AP reports that an inhaler that delivers alcohol is coming on the market. I can't think of any possible reason for this. Nothing good will come of it.
August 17, 2004
The weight
I know successful weight loss is hard, but you have to try. You also (IMHO) have to make small permanent changes. "The Weight" By Michael Leahy is a testament to the antipathy that most people view DIEts. The first step to losing weight is accepting that you have to change how you eat.
An excerpt:
He tells himself that he needs to get into better shape, lay off the munchies and drop some pounds. "But it's a hard thing, man," he tells people. Hard when the TV is always telling you about some great new fried chicken deal down the street or a cheeseburger to rival the Double Whopper -- hard when you've gone through your whole life tasting what Deke calls the "tasty taste" and not knowing or wanting any other taste but the tasty taste. It's a hush-yer-mouth world, he thinks. People just want the food, and don't want to be nagged about it. "It's powerful, it's like a narcotic, man," he says. "It's gotta be a tasty narcotic to get a man like this. Look at this."
It angers me that there is an implicit assumption that things that are good for you can't be "tasty"
August 01, 2004
Tinnitus troubles
I suffer from Tinnitus. I am not sure if it is from the constant sinus infections I had for years or the loud music as a teenager. Science Blog has a good round up of the current state of research. The treatment options are limited today.
I have developed strategies to cope. I try to always have noise around me. During the day I usually keep the television or radio on. At night I run a fan or noise machine. I wish I could make it go away, but there are people who are much worse off. At least my hearing is still good. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I went deaf. I couldn't imagine.
I hope it doesn't get worse as I age.
July 13, 2004
Cholesterol crisis
The LA Times reports
that guidelines for acceptable cholesterol for high and moderate risk patients are changing.
July 12, 2004
Larger than "True Life"
I watched a show on MTV the other day. This in and of itself is a rarity. The show was called "True Life". It was informative and heartbreaking. I especially felt for Amy who during the course of the show underwent bariatric surgery. She also suffered from Lymphedema. The other two people profiled were interesting, but Amy was riveting. I know that obesity is seen as someones fault, but that is not always the case. In my case, I am overweight. I weight 220 and I am six feet tall. I have lost 45 pounds since my heaviest weight. I have lost it over the course of two years through exercise and changing how I eat. I just decided to eat more healthfully. I was lucky that I decided to own my obesity.
I think that no change Amy made would have helped. Medical issues would have precluded the weight loss she needed. I think some people get gastric bypass for all the wrong reasons, and without the commitment needed. I have a relative who had it done, and after initially losing weight he gained almost all of it back. GBP is not a quick fix and the results are guartanteed. Also, as Amy and the MTV special note, it is dangerous.
Best of luck in your journey Amy.
July 11, 2004
Interesting post from AB list
Just saving this for my own records. The subject is diets.
July 07, 2004
Gastric bypass surgery has its risks, including divorce.
The Seatle P-I has a tale of woe regarding Bariatric surgery
Continue reading "Gastric bypass surgery has its risks, including divorce." »
A Rhubarb a day?
June 29, 2004
Top 20 Antioxidant foods
Their Top 20:
1. Small red beans (dried).
2. Wild blueberries.
3. Red Kidney beans.
4. Pinto beans.
5. Blueberries (cultivated).
6. Cranberries.
7. Artichokes (cooked).
8. Blackberries.
9. Prunes.
10. Raspberries.
11. Strawberries.
12. Red Delicious apples.
13. Granny Smith apples.
14. Pecans.
15. Sweet cherries.
16. Black plums.
17. Russet potatoes (cooked).
18. Black beans (dried).
19. Plums.
20. Gala apples.
June 13, 2004
A buyers market for elastic?
From Clark Howard:
Weight related deaths soon our No. 1 killer
Americans are getting bigger and bigger and soon issues involving weight will be the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Weight-related deaths will surpass smoking-related deaths, which accounts for a huge percentage of the mortality rate today. Part of the reason is the amount of food were eating in each sitting. Portion sizes are 200 to 500 percent larger than they were in the Eisenhower era, so people are seriously overeating. One way to reduce the amount you eat is to share entrees. Even if a restaurant has a plate charge, you can split your meal and still save money. Its been proven that people will eat whatever is in front of them and they will finish it, regardless of the size. The other key is exercise. Walking briskly a few times a week for 30 to 45 minutes will keep the weight off. Its not that difficult to take 30 minutes out of your day and walk around the block. It could save your life.
April 19, 2004
Atikins tones it down
Sounds like the Atkins folks are changing their tune about the quality of fats you eat on the Atkins diet.
[Listening to: Rush Limbaugh (WSPD) - 01 Apr - 0_Replay Radio - Rush Limbaugh (WSPD) (30:06)]
CEO of McDonalds dies
I hate to see anyone die prematurely, but this strikes me as ironic. Sort of like the CEO of Ford dying ina car crash.
[Listening to: Rush Limbaugh (WSPD) - 01 Apr - 0_Replay Radio - Rush Limbaugh (WSPD) (30:06)]
March 29, 2004
Newsflash! Weight loss boils down to choice
An good read from the Houston Chronicle. Did you know that your diet and exercise choices are the main factor in your weight? Next thing you know they will be trying to tell us men and women are different.
Now to be serious it is an interesting article.
Continue reading "Newsflash! Weight loss boils down to choice" »
March 26, 2004
Fructose evil?
An interesting study has been done on the impact of high fructose corn syrup. I am not sure if this is the central cause of obesity . Another more detailed article from sfgate.com.
March 24, 2004
Glycemic index
An interesting article from the mayo clinic about the glycemic index. From what I understand the glycemic index is somewhat flawed and the glycemic load might be a better measure. I wish there was a good place to find glycemic load values for foods.
March 09, 2004
Even More from the LPC Chat
March 05, 2004
Tayloring your exercise to your personality
Here is an article from ABC about picking the right exercise for yourself.
Continue reading "Tayloring your exercise to your personality" »
Antioxidant values in foods
I found an interesting study that qualifies the antioxidant values of foods. The test is called ORAC.
March 01, 2004
As if we didn't know but...
More confirmation we are becoming more and more rotund. For the first time in decades they are surveying average body sizes and they are much larger. The good news was that older men have thinner thighs.
February 28, 2004
Partial List of whole grains
1. Amaranth
2. Barley
3. Brown rice
4. Bulgur (cracked wheat)
5. Whole-wheat pasta or couscous
6. Flaxseed
7. Millet
8. Oats
9. Quinoa
10. Rye
11. Spelt
12. Wheat berries
13. Wild rice
February 04, 2004
neat greenway
I have been on the silver comet trail but just found this one in Alpharetta as well. I like greenway trails. They give you a chance to escape the grey streets.
February 03, 2004
Calorie restriction study.
It is never too late to change. Middle age fruit flies show us that you can extend your life through calorie restriction even if you start at middle age. I haven't seen a skinny fly yet.
How to eat for your life...
http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2004/02/02/what_to_eat_for_the_rest_of_your_life.php contains a neat post on how to eat for life.
February 02, 2004
Elitism in Youth Sports
Elitism in Youth Sports Yields Physical Fatness is an interesting article about physical fitness in the US.
My wife and I were talking about the same just the same issue other day. That PE in school never prepareed you for real life, and it does a bad job of teaching sports to kids. At least in our experience.
January 27, 2004
Effects of an Ad Libitum Low-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Diet
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/2/210:
Effects of an Ad Libitum Low-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Diet on Body Weight, Body Composition, and Fat Distribution in Older Men and Women
A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nicholas P. Hays, PhD; Raymond D. Starling, PhD; Xiaolan Liu, MD; Dennis H. Sullivan, MD; Todd A. Trappe, PhD; James D. Fluckey, PhD; William J. Evans, PhD
Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:210-217.
Background The efficacy of ad libitum low-fat diets in reducing body weight and fat in overweight and obese adults remains controversial.
Methods We examined the effect of a 12-week low-fat, high–complex carbohydrate diet alone (HI-CHO) and in combination with aerobic exercise training (HI-CHO + EX) on body weight and composition in 34 individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (20 women and 14 men; mean ± SEM age, 66 ± 1 years). Participants were randomly assigned to a control diet (41% fat, 14% protein, 45% carbohydrates, and 7 g of fiber per 1000 kcal), a HI-CHO diet (18% fat, 19% protein, 63% carbohydrates, and 26 g of fiber per 1000 kcal), or a HI-CHO diet plus endurance exercise 4 d/wk, 45 min/d, at 80% peak oxygen consumption (HI-CHO + EX). Participants were provided 150% of estimated energy needs and were instructed to consume food ad libitum. Total food intake, body composition, resting metabolic rate, and substrate oxidation were measured.
Results There was no significant difference in total food intake among the 3 groups and no change in energy intake over time. The HI-CHO + EX and HI-CHO groups lost more body weight (–4.8 ± 0.9 kg [P = .003] and –3.2 ± 1.2 kg [P = .02]) and a higher percentage of body fat (–3.5% ± 0.7% [P = .01] and –2.2% ± 1.2% [P = .049]) than controls (–0.1 ± 0.6 kg and 0.2% ± 0.6%). In addition, thigh fat area decreased in the HI-CHO (P = .003) and HI-CHO + EX (P<.001) groups compared with controls. High carbohydrate intake and weight loss did not result in a decreased resting metabolic rate or reduced fat oxidation.
Conclusion A high-carbohydrate diet consumed ad libitum, with no attempt at energy restriction or change in energy intake, results in losses of body weight and body fat in older men and women.
January 25, 2004
Super size me!
I just heard about one of the entrants at this years Sundance festival. It is called "Super Size Me." It is by Moragn Spurlock. Here is the description from his web site supersizeme.com
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock hit the road and interviewed experts in 20 U.S. cities, including Houston, the "Fattest City" in America. From Surgeon Generals to gym teachers, cooks to kids, lawmakers to legislators, these authorities shared their research, opinions and "gut feelings" on our ever-expanding girth.
During the journey, Spurlock also put his own body on the line, living on nothing but McDonald's for an entire month with three simple rules:
1) No options: he could only eat what was available over the counter (water included!)
2) No supersizing unless offered
3) No excuses: he had to eat every item on the menu at least once
January 22, 2004
Churchill update
Looks like the parrot story was too good to be true.
Atkins filling station
There is confirmation in the Telegraph of my supposition that Atkins just works by filling you up quicker than low fat diets. I can't wait until Atkins 15 minutes are up.
Update: More news from nytimes.com as well in "The Post-Atkins Low Carb Diet" and this from the washington post.
January 21, 2004
I think I am tired of hearing about low carb.
I don't know if it was the disappeared of the bun at Hardees, The appearance of low carb foods at subway, or this article about other low carb foods coming that made me realize I am sick of hearing about this. We have gone from one extreme (low fat) to the other (low carb). It is a FAD! Diets don't work. You have to change how you eat and live to make it stick. Losing 40 pounds and gaining it back over the course of a year is worse than not doing anything.
January 19, 2004
Lipoflavonoids
I have a constant ringing in my ears. I have had this for years. Someone just mentioned they have heard that Lipoflavonoids will help this. I am curious if this will work. I wonder if many people out there have tried this.
January 15, 2004
We are not fat.
When it comes to issues of science I sometimes wonder what the Bush administration is smoking. How can they deny that junk food is a factor in obesity. I hope there is more to this story than the bbc is reporting.