01 Friday Nov 2019
Men’s health may be compromised by weight stigma, finds the latest research from the University of Connecticut.
As many as 40% of men report experiencing weight stigma, but little is known about how this stigma affects their health. This study found that men experiencing weight stigma have more depressive symptoms, are more likely to binge eat, and have lower self-rated health. Read More at Science Daily
23 Wednesday Oct 2019
Posted in food, Health, Uncategorized
Tags
Providing weekly food delivery as part of a weight loss program has little impact on outcomes, based on the results of a one-year study conducted in Toronto, Canada.
Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, this study tested four weight loss interventions in 919 overweight Canadian adults. Roughly half of participants were assigned to one of three dietary interventions, which included dietary advice, weekly food delivery, or food delivery plus dietary advice. The other half were part of the control group and received only a dietary brochure at the start of the study.
All of the interventions promoted current dietary guidelines and the DASH diet, which limits salt intake and helps lower blood pressure. While weight loss interventions lasted six months, participants were followed for one year to track outcomes like weight, waist circumference and blood pressure.
The goal of the study was to see whether dietary advice and/or weekly food delivery helps boost weight loss and reduce cardiovascular risk in overweight adults.
The good news is that all participants saw small reductions in weight, waist circumference and blood pressure at six months. A year after the interventions, participants also had lower ten-year risk for developing heart disease, as measured by the Framingham risk score. However, there were no significant differences in outcomes between groups, which means monthly phone calls and weekly food delivery had no impact on weight loss or changes in cardiovascular risk.
Authors did note, however, a difference in drop-out rates between groups. Participants receiving food delivery were much more likely to stay in the study, with only 9% of participants dropping out of the study by six months, compared to 33% of participants with no food delivery. Participants receiving weekly food baskets plus advice also had consistent increases in consumption of recommended foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Based on findings, authors conclude that providing food as part of a dietary intervention has little added benefit on weight loss or cardiovascular risk reduction. However, findings also confirm the overall benefits of the DASH diet and general dietary guidelines. As other studies have shown, maintaining a healthy diet promotes a healthy weight, reduces risk for heart disease and improves overall health. Authors hope that with future research, we can improve available resources to help adults achieve both a healthy weight and diet.
16 Wednesday Oct 2019
Tags
02 Friday Aug 2019
Posted in diet
You can smell like a burger without having to work at a burger place for very low wages. For hamburger aficionados who want the smell even when they can’t get a bite, Burger King is putting the scent into a limited-edition fragrance. 
Burger King said Friday that the Whopper grilled beef burger-scented cologne will be sold only on April 1, and only in Japan.
Sounds too good to be true? It’s not an April Fools’ Day joke, though the company chose the date deliberately.
The limited “Flame Grilled” fragrance can be purchased at 5,000 yen (about $40), including the burger. There will be only 1,000 of them.
Burger King said it hopes the scent would also seduce new grill-beef burger fans.
AND
Big Mac-themed line of clothes (store is now closed) and household accoutrements.
The product lineup includes matching thermal tops and bottoms, bed linens, wallpaper, a dog coat, a human raincoat and Wellington boots. Each one sports the same repeating Big Mac pattern on a white background. It’s not as subtle as poo emoji fabric, but at least it’s not as jarring at the outfit the Hamburglar wears.
10 Wednesday Jul 2019
Posted in vegan
Tags
As with any diet, a vegan diet requires planning. However, when properly planned, a vegan diet can be considerably healthier than the traditional American diet. In its 1996 position paper on vegetarian diets, the American Dietetic Association reported that vegan and 
vegetarian diets can significantly reduce one’s risk of contracting heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating conditions. Cows’ milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for young calves, but far too much for humans. And eggs are higher in cholesterol than any other food, making them a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease.
Vegan foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in fiber and nutrients. Vegans can get all the protein they need from legumes (e.g., beans, tofu, peanuts) and grains (e.g., rice, corn, whole wheat breads and pastas); calcium from broccoli, kale, collard greens, tofu, fortified juices and soymilks; iron from chickpeas, spinach, pinto beans, and soy products; and B12 from fortified foods or supplements. With planning, a vegan diet can provide all the nutrients we were taught as schoolchildren came only from animal products.
Will I get enough protein?
Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, and Mark Messina, PhD, recommend that vegans receive 0.4 grams of protein per day for every pound of healthy body weight. If a vegan consumes adequate calories and eats a variety of foods, it is very difficult not to get enough protein. This is true for athletes as well. One need not combine foods at each meal to get “complete protein. “ The most important plant sources of protein are legumes, soy foods, and nuts. Grains and vegetables also contain significant amounts of protein. Eat a variety of protein sources throughout the day: e.g, a legume (such as beans, tofu, or peanuts) combined with a grain (such as rice, corn, or whole wheat breads or pastas). For more information, visit Veganhealth.org
How about B12?
There has been much debate as to what plant foods supply an adequate source of B-12. Many products that were once thought to be adequate, such as tempeh, are no longer considered so. Fortunately, there are easy solutions for vegans. Vegetarian B-12 vitamin pills
How about calcium?
Adequate intakes of calcium vary according to one’s age: 1200 mg for age 50 or above, 1000 mg for ages 19-49, 800 mg for ages 4-8, 500 mg for ages 1-3. A number of vegan foods contain high levels of calcium per serving: calcium-set tofu (120-200mg per 0.5 cup), fortified soymilk (200-300 mg per cup dried figs (50 mg per fig), fortified orange juice (250 mg per cup), collard greens (180 mg per 0.5 cup), sesame seeds (180 mg per 2 Tbsp), baked beans (130 mg per cup), broccoli (90 mg per 0.5 cup) , almonds (50 mg per 2 Tbsp), kale (50 mg per 0.5 cup) For more information read Bones, Vitamin D, and Calcium
