Pomegranates

Pomegranates are a fruit high in antioxidants. Pomegranates are a great source of the antioxidant polyphenols which help to fight off free radicals in our bodies. Eating pomegranates or pomegranate juice helps reduce cellular damage. Pomegranate juice is seen to be the most powerful beverage you can drink due to its high antioxidant and vitamin content. Pomegranates may help lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. Consuming pomegranates has been helpful in slowing down the cholesterol oxidation process, a process that causes atherosclerosis and increases risk of heart disease. Any consumption of pomegranates or pomegranate juice will give antioxidant benefits. This article states that “pomegranate juice each day may keep the cardiologist away.”

To read more: http://www.hhnews.com/pomegranate.htm

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Herbs To Lower Your Cholesterol

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Hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol is a condition developed when the levels of cholesterol in the blood become too high. Heart diseases, heart attacks and strokes have a higher risk of occurring with high levels of LDL cholesterol. Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries caused by the LDL levels narrowing the arteries. LDL cholesterol affects the lining of blood vessels and by building up in the arteries walls. Lowering cholesterol levels becomes imperative in this case.

A natural and effective method to lower your cholesterol levels is through cholesterol lowering herbs. These herbs can, in most of the cases provide the desired results. Vitamin B3 – also known as Niacin – is effective when it comes to lowering cholesterol levels because it reduces LDL cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent but it also increases HDL cholesterol by 15 to 30 percent and it dramatically reduces lipoprotein.

Artichoke leafs

Artichoke leaf is another herb that helps lower cholesterol levels. This herb works by limiting the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. Artichokes are also known to contain cynarin that supposedly increases bile production in the liver and speeds the flow of bile from the gallbladder, which together increases the excretion of cholesterol.

Plant stanols and sterols

Plant stanols and sterols are naturally occurring substances that are found in some plants. Stanols can also be found in dietary supplements or are added to margarine, dressings and orange juice. Plant stanols help reduce cholesterol – it has been shown through recent researches. Plant stanols are similar in structure to cholesterol and help when it comes to block absorption of cholesterol from the intestines.

Garlic

In order to maintain a healthy balance with vitamins, one must keep in mind that herbs are as well as a good diet to keep the arteries smooth as well as clear. The ultimate herb that lowers cholesterol is garlic. Its antioxidant activity protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation

Guggul

Guggul is a herb that comes from India and is a cholesterol lowering herb which has been the basis of Ayurvedic medicine for over two thousand years to control cholesterol through its active ingredient guggusterone. Guggusterone helps increase the rate at which the liver takes up and breaks down LDL cholesterol from the blood.

Soy products

As a substitute for meat, one can consume soy products because of their cholesterol lowering properties, and they also enhance liver metabolism of LDL cholesterol.

[Via http://herbsandtheiruses.wordpress.com]

Welcome to the Natural Health Resource

The Natural Health Resource has been created to educate and enlighten those interested in learning more about all natural ways to maintain and enhance a healthy lifestyle. In recent history our society has been bombarded with a non-stop stream of marketing from big pharmaceutical companies with one goal in mind.  To cloud both practitioners and consumers minds into thinking that the only way to better or maintain health and wellness is with a pharmaceutical.  The truth of the matter is that there are countless other quality products available on the market, many of which are over the counter supplements that do have substantial benefits with much less likelihood of side effects.  You might be thinking if these alternative medicines are so great then why haven’t I heard much about them?  The main reason that there isn’t as much info on natural remedies is simple. Money.  For example, the number one selling pharmaceutical in the United States is Lipitor. This is an effective agent at reducing cholesterol.   If you don’t take Lipitor, I’m sure you’re familiar with the name.  In 2007 this blockbuster drug accounted for over 12 billion dollars in sales.  That’s just one drug!   Last year, combined sales in the dietary supplement industry only reached a total of $13 billion, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.  So where does all that Big Pharma money go?  It goes towards expensive FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval, commercials, large scale clinical tests, huge sales forces, physician practice lunches, loads of free samples, etc.  So why doesn’t Big Pharma make dietary supplements if they can be just as effective?  Well some pharmaceutical companies are actually beginning to enter the dietary supplement industry but it’s definitely not their focus.  The most important thing in the pharmaceutical world is patents.  It’s near impossible to get a patent on most supplement ingredients. Why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars performing double-blind studies on an ingredient like vitamin D that you can’t patent?  The bottom line is that if Big Pharma can’t receive a patent on a particular health solution then they have no desire to allocate large amounts of money to prove it’s effectiveness.

This blog was not created to jab at pharmaceutical companies.  For the most part they’re products are effective.  As for side effects, we’ll save that for a future post.  The purpose of this blog is to shed light on all natural alternatives that are proven to be safe and effective. Our featured author is a cardiologist by the name of Dr. M. H. Chaudhry M.D., F.A.C.P. He has been practicing cardiology for over 35 years and recommends both pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements on a case by case basis.  He is in the minority in regards to practitioners but is part of a growing movement towards the understanding and acceptance of natural alternative medicines.  Whether you are well versed in alternative medicine or have yet to be exposed. We invite you to subscribe to this blog and look forward to your input.

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Health – Statin Drugs, CoQ10 and Your Health – Are You Healthier Taking Statin Drugs?

The New England Journal of Medicine reported recently, that at least 250,000 heart attacks last year could have been prevented by controlling inflammation.  These 250,000 heart attacks represent 20% of the total 1,250,000 heart attacks.  Half of the total heart attacks occurred in people with normal cholesterol levels.  You have the same risk of heart attack with high cholesterol compared to people with normal levels of cholesterol.  Maybe cholesterol is not the correct indicator or marker of your heart health?  The New England Journal of Medicine stated that controlling inflammation might be a better way to prevent cardiovascular events.

Statin drugs sold under a variety of names including Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin) and Pravachol (pravastatin) are prescribed to lower cholesterol and supposedly to reduce the risk of heart disease. Statin drugs block your body’s production of cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase.  By inhibiting this enzyme, your body’s production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is also blocked.  CoQ10 is the key to energy production in every cell in your body.  Your heart uses more energy than any other organ, and has a higher concentration of CoQ10.  Statin drugs block this enzyme.  If you are taking statin drugs and have a concern, please consult your doctor about adding a CoQ10 supplement.  Interestingly enough, there are two United State Patents (4,933,165 and 4,929,437) filed in 1990 by one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world that added CoQ10 to their statin drug.  To my knowledge, this statin drug with a CoQ10 supplement has never been released to the public.

CoQ10 supplements are not affected by statin drugs.  The best reference book that I’ve found on CoQ10 was written by Dr. Emile Bliznakov wrote “The Miracle Nutrient Coenzyme Q10” in 1998.  CoQ10 supplements do not prevent any of the current side effects caused by statin drugs, although some researchers believe that muscle and joint pain might be reduced with CoQ10 supplementation.  If you have muscle and joint pain from taking statin drugs, check with your doctor before adding CoQ10 supplements to your diet.

There are some things you can do to reduce cholesterol without taking statin drugs.  Avoid trans-fats, refined sugars, reduced-fat milks and powdered milk products.  Supplements that should be considered are:  cod liver oil, evening primrose and borage or black currant oil.  Eat plenty of saturated fats and foods high in copper.  Use coconut oil and coconut products.  I personally mix coconut oil and olive oil (half and half) for frying foods.

Statin drugs block your body’s production of cholesterol and CoQ10.  Additionally, statin drugs block dolichols which target proteins based on your DNA’s instruction.  Blocking dolichols can lead to your cells responding chaotically because of dolichol deficiency.  The immediate precursor of cholesterol is squalene.  Researchers have found that squalene inhibits blood vessels formation in tumors.

CoQ10 supplements can be found with the name ubiquinone or ubiquinol.  Ubiquinone is the primary commercially available CoQ10 supplement being sold in stores and over the Internet.  If the label of the CoQ10 bottle doesn’t specifically stated ubiquinone or ubiquinol, it is most likely ubiquinone.  Ubiquinone is the oxidized form of CoQ10.  You body will convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol is difficult to synthesize and a method was found about three years ago that makes it commercially profitable to sell today – and at a higher price than ubiquinone.  Ubiquinol is the reduced form of CoQ10 – it is not oxidized.  As such, ubiquinol is the antioxidant form of CoQ10 which neutralizes free radical damage.  Not all of the ubiquinone you ingest is converted to ubiquinol.  Approximately 90% of ubiquinone is converted to ubiquinol in healthy young people.  As you age, your body makes less CoQ10 and converts less ubiquinone to ubiquinol.  Therefore, if you are older and have a choice, take ubiquinol.  I have read some articles that state ubiquinol is six to eight times more effective compared to ubiquinone in those people over 50 years of age.

I always read every label and accompanying document for any prescription, non-prescription and food supplement that I take.  I want to know it will do for me.  Last year my dermatologist gave me a prescription for a fungal infection on both my large toes.  I bought the medicine and read all the paperwork and decided that I didn’t want to take any chances with the side effects.  I chose a natural alternative solution that worked fine and eliminated the problem.  Check all labels before using – even if your doctor prescribed it for you.  You are responsible for your health!

Choices have consequences.  Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin

[Via http://prosperityprofessor.wordpress.com]

Eating Like a Caveman

You may have heard of something called the paleo diet, the idea being that to live healthy, humans should probably eat what their bodies evolved to eat. Cavemen did not eat Lucky Charms, Pop Tarts, Hot Pockets, or even bread. Recently, I’ve been reading stuff over at Free The Animal, a blog by Richard Nikoley, who went paleo three years ago and lost 60 pounds since. He avoids eating grains, vegetable oils, and the products derived from them. He also avoids grain-fed meat. He does not avoid all carbs and does not intentionally avoid any kind of animal fat. He maintains that a good paleo diet can be zero-carb or can include lots of starchy vegetables.

What I like about him is that he is not at all dogmatic about it. He does not care much to argue what exactly humans were eating in the Paleolithic era, as some paleo folks do, rather he uses the likely Paleolithic diet as a foundation and goes from there looking into scientific research. For example, humans have probably been eating wheat for a while, maybe we’ve adapted to it.

I’ve understood for some time that eating carbohydrates causes your pancreas to produce insulin which causes your body to store fat, while eating excess fat causes your body to simply burn it off. In other words, low-carb is good for weight lots and low-fat isn’t. However, we are told that avoiding cholesterol and fat, saturated fat in particular, is necessary for good heart health. Richard links to a lot of science showing this to be nonsense. First off, the cholesterol problem is more complicated than good (HDL) and bad (LDL). Second, your body produces almost all of the cholesterol in your blood. Eating more or less has basically no effect.

I want to eat like he does. The two difficulties I see would be finding and affording meat that is not grain-fed and avoiding wheat. Still, even if I just move partly toward this diet, my health should improve.

[Via http://unfrozencaveman.wordpress.com]

Top 10 Reasons to Manage Stress

1. Stress can cause you to ‘numb out’ and become insensitive. This is a natural survival instinct in an emotionally painful environment and could cause you to become an ineffective customer service representative or an insensitive manager. (David Lee, Training Scene)

2. Stress can stifle your creativity and innovation in the workplace due to the high physiological and psychological effects it can have on you. It causes your thought process to narrow and could make it harder for you to excel at thinking out of the box. (David Lee, Training Scene).This can be detrimental to your job security because in today’s harsh economic environment, “innovation is the best source of competitive advantage” according to Professor Larry Smith at the University of Waterloo.

3. Stress can cause accidents because your mind is often occupied elsewhere creating what David Lee author of “Managing Employee Stress and Safety” calls ‘tunnel vision’.

4. Stress can cause conflicts between you and your co-workers. In fact it could potentially lead to violence. According to the “Attitudes In The American Workplace VI” Gallup Poll in 2000: 14% of respondents had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn’t; 25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress, 10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent.

5. Stress is can make you less productive as it might cause you to miss work, quit or change jobs. Northwest National Life reported in 1993 that one million absences each day in the workplace are stress-related and it is estimated that 40% of worker turnover is due to job stress.

6. Stress can cause memory loss. The renowned brain researcher, Robert M. Sapolsky, has shown that sustained stress can damage the hippocampus, the part of the limbic brain which is central to learning and memory. The culprit is Cortisol a hormone secreted from the adrenal glands during stress.

7. Stress can affect your problem solving abilities. In a study done by Thomas D’Zurilla and F.Collette Sheedy in 1990, they measured specific components of the problem-solving process (e.g., problem orientation, problem-solving skills). The results of the analysis showed that general problem-solving ability was negatively affected even years later when the stress/problems have disappeared.

8. Stress can cause weight gain. Too much cortisol can slow your metabolism, causing more weight gain than normal. You may also experience more cravings as the hormones released during stress cause carbohydrate cravings by lowering levels of serotonin, the calming hormone (Psychology Today, August 2007).

9. Stress can elevate your cholesterol levels. Studies of medical students near exam time and accountants during tax season showed significant increases in cholesterol levels during stressful events, when there was little or no change in diet. (Rosenman, 1993)

10. Stress can increase your risk of stroke even 50 years down the line. In a study of 556 veterans of WWII, the rate of stroke among those who had been prisoners of war was eight times higher than among those not captured. (Page and Brass, Yale Medical, 2001).

Co-written by Sumayya Sattar

[Via http://watershedsolutions.wordpress.com]

Tomatoes!

Scientists are suggesting that tomato lovers may be more likely to reduce the risk of serious disease. Lycopene, an anti oxidant which gives tomatoes their lovely rich red color, helps remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer and other serious diseases.

Professor Michael Avirim of the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel who is testing lycopene in clinical trials says, ‘ In its natural form, lycopene is an excellent anti oxidant that helps to prevent formation of oxidized LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries and can lead to heart attacks. When this natural extract was added to cancer cell cultures, the lycopene inhibited their growth. Lycopene is the most potent nutritional antioxidant found to date.

Another study compared men who have a heart attack with the same number of healthy men and found that those with high levels of lycopene appeared to reduce their risk of heart diseases by 50%. The study’s coordinator, Lenore Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the university of North Carolina, said, ‘Based on our findings, and other research, lycopene can be an excellent antioxidant, we recommend that people eat tomato based cooked foods.

Several recent studies have shown that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products is strongly linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers. In a six year study of 48,000 male professionals, Dr Edward Giovannucci and colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that consuming tomatoes and tomato based products between five to seven serving a week was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer of 21% to 34%.

Another study published in the International Journal of Cancer said that lycopene appears to protect against cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. Researchers at the University of Illinois report that women with the highest lycopene levels had a five fold lower risk of developing precancerous signs of cervical cancer than women with lowest lycopene levels.

The human body does not produce lycopene alone and therefore relies on a consumption of tomatoes and tomato based products for this anti oxidant. Nutritionists and other health professionals have long advocated the cancer preventative benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Lycopene: Just The Facts

Research by Dr. Joseph Levy and colleagues from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, may have identified the unique mechanism through which lycopene protects against cancer which is by activating cancer-preventive phase II enzymes.

Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red color to tomatoes.

Lycopene is a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease.

In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians.

In one six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only the tomato products (which contain large quantities of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and the risk for prostate cancer decreased. The study also showed that the heat processing of tomatoes and tomato products increases Lycopene bioavailability.

Ongoing research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

The Wholefood Farmacy’s Farmacy Gourmet V-6 Creamy Tomato Soup is quick and easy taking only a minute to prepare. Handcrafted using the finest whole food ingredients, our V-6 Tomato Soup is made from Tomatoes, Brown Rice, Soy Beans, Oats, Onions, Dill Weed & Stardust Pure Salt. If you haven’t tasted it, you don’t know what you’re missing.

[Via http://patriotwellnesscenter.wordpress.com]

Physical exercise for your health

All the news about trans fat are related to how negative it can be for you personally and your entire body. There's an improve of awareness on small fat eating habits, minimal ldl cholesterol food, the risk of cardiovascular system ailment and other fat related health problems, all these drives persons to consider if their trans fat is decreased enough. The issue is how minimal is decreased adequate ? Is there a flip side to incredibly minimal cholesterol degree within the body?

Visit lowering cholesterol naturally

Go to the park or local playground and you will see children with a great time. These children are exercise and running perfectly in the world, except perhaps if they have some dirt in his eyes. Children are the keys to a healthy exercise routine and embedded in them from an early age, without even knowing it. Adults can follow the strategies that keep children healthy more fun and active exercise routine that eventually will stop feeling like a complete task. Take exercise tips from the perspective of a child to do an exercise routine of the fun part of the day instead of a hum drum routine should do. We rarely see children playing in the park miserably as if it were a task, and with these simple lessons for children, exercise routine that r no longer seems a task well. Have fun with exercise and fitness is very important to maintain a consistent routine going and happy. Play: Children love to play and also adults. This is the playing time which makes the exercise seem like a game and not a liability. Follow the children and make the daily workout of a game by setting goals and trying your hardest to achieve. Laugh: Laughter is sometimes the best cure for a boring exercise routine. Incorporate a series of fun times in your daily routine to spice it up a bit. Laughter is commonly shared by children and not just t reduce your blood pressure and increase your energy, it also just feels good. Jump and Run: Try to jump as you can have as a child. Skip is very similar to running, but much more fun. You can run if you want too … Either way everything is better than a slow walk. Not just jumping and running increase your heart rate, but also gets you to where you need to go faster. Skip is particularly fun because it reminds the child of laughter and fun. Friends: Exercise with friends whenever possible. A friend will make the workout seem to go much faster, be more fun, and you can even get a good laugh out of it. Follow the instructions of the children and spend as much time "playing" with your friends as you can. This book is a great motivator, and keep the exercise interesting. Try Try Try: Think of your childhood when his father told him you could do anything in the world if you just put your mind to it … Now think of something fun and silly and do it! Incorporate fun, strange activities in their daily routines, although not think I can do … try anyway. Try and keep trying, because the more you try the better you get! Leave the house: a workout routine can quickly become a nightmare if done within the walls of a house again and again. The nature and timing of outdoor activities alone change a workout routine and make it more interesting. Children are constantly asking if they can play outside, and this activity must be followed by adults. A bit of fresh air, playing outside with children for a great workout!

Visit lower cholesterol naturally

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Fish Oil: Why you should be taking it!

Fish oil:  What is it?  Who needs it?  How much should I be taking?

Odds are if you haven’t already heard of it, you’ll be hearing much more about fish oil in the near future!  This is something I recommend to all of my patients because it really is a great all-around nourishing and preventative supplement and in terms of preserving your health, it will save you a lot of trouble down the line.  With February being Heart Health Month I feel it’s my personal duty to clue you in to the wonders that fish oil has to offer!

An astounding body of evidence has been emerging over the last few decades supporting that fish oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids, is one of the best things you can be taking to improve your health.

Oils are found in every single cell of our body and exist as components of our cell membranes, backbones to our crucial hormones, moisturizers for our skin, and even lining the nerve cells allowing our brains to think clearly and deliver messages to the rest of our body.  By ensuring the oils composing these structures are of high quality, this improves the overall efficiency and health of the body as a whole.

Here is a short list of what fish oil can do:

• Improving heart function and decreasing LDL cholesterol
• Reducing inflammation
• Supporting brain health and mental focus
• Supporting positive mood & emotional well-being
• Healthy immune system function
• Enhances appearance and moisturization of skin and hair
• Promotes optimal fat metabolism and hormone synthesis

Fish oil can be obtained from adding fish to your diet, but these powerful essential fatty acids are most effective by taking a fish oil supplement.  An effective supplement will specify the levels of EPA (eicosopentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) which are the active omega-3 components of the fish oil, and the combined amount of EPA and DHA should be somewhere between 1000-3000mg per day.

So whether you’re suffering from high cholesterol, hypertension, depression, pain, dry hair and skin, menstrual abnormalities, decreased concentration, or even just looking for health prevention in general, fish oil has a lot to offer and is one of the best investments you can make in your health!

[Via http://davisvillehealth.wordpress.com]

So....it's porridge for me!

Since finding out that my cholesterol level is 8, not a good number to be, I have been reading up on what to do about getting it lower.

I have found out that porridge oats are an excellent thing to eat if you have high cholesterol, as the soluble fibre and beta-glucans helps get rid of the nasty cholesterol stuff in your blood stream.

In the course of trawling the internet, I came across this amazing site that tells you all you ever need to know about oats, how much is grown, how long we have been eating them and why you should add them to your diet.

http://bit.ly/cUY9G9

So, I will now start each day with a bowl of porridge oats and see if they can help me get from a level of 8 to one of 5 which is much more healthy

[Via http://40again.wordpress.com]

MMS, nouvelles de février 2010

Voici le dernier message de MMS France pour le mois de février 2010. Et profitez de la boutique en ligne pour commander vos bouteilles de MMS. Bonjour à toutes et à tous les supporteurs Francophones du MMS ! En ces mois froids nous remercions Jim Humble de nous avoir fait connaître le MMS car nous ne souffrons plus de grippes et autres rhumes ou angines grâce au petites doses quotidiennes de MMS que nous prenons. Je rappelle qu’une dose de maintenance de 4 à 6 gouttes permet au système immunitaire de répondre efficacement à toutes les attaques microbiennes. Ce mois-ci je viens encore de traduire et d’ajouter un témoignage d’une personne guérie du diabète, pouvant arrêter complètement la prise d’insuline, après seulement 3 semaines de prises de MMS ! Quand on sait que des millions de gens souffrent du diabète, avec des conséquences douloureuses, on espère que tout le monde connaisse bientôt le MMS. http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_diabetes_mineral_miracle.html Ce mois-ci nous avons aussi vu plusieurs témoignages de personnes âgées qui ont arrêté d’utiliser leur canne après quelques prises de MMS … Merci encore Jim pour ce produit miracle ! Et cette femme paralysée pendant 8 ans, qui retrouve la mobilité grâce au MMS, encore un miracle, et c’est aussi dans la mise à jour de Février sur http://lemineralmiracle.com J’attends des nouvelles de Jim et de sa Fondation concernant les stages de formation en Anglais dans les Caraibes, car je souhaite y assister pour vous informer au mieux sur toutes les utilisations du MMS, et la sortie de son nouveau livre que je me suis aussi proposé de traduire gratuitement. Je vous tiendrai au courant ! Je vous souhaite à toutes et à tous une bonne santé et une bonne humeur pour passer ces mois frisquets. Faites passer l’info miraculeuse autour de vous … Merci et bonne chance, Jules Trésor.

[Via http://hibouk.wordpress.com]

Bariatric Surgery can be Safer than Living with Obesity

Today, obesity is considered a public health problem due to ist prevalence, costs and health effects on Western societies. While some individuals manage to fight obesity through changing their life styles and eating habits, some put their hope into baratric (weight loss) surgy to battle the problem.

While a baratric, or gastric, surgery is a severe treatment containing many risks. A Geisinger physician now warns that the real danger may actually be a life of obesity. Christopher Still, D.O., and director of The Geisinger Center for Nutrition and Weight Management states “There are risks associated with bariatric surgery, as there are with any surgical procedure, but the risks associated with the procedure may pale in comparison to the health complications that can be caused by obesity.”

Obesity can lead to a variety of complications including diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, liver disease, heart disease and sleep apnea. Many patients considering bariatric surgery often suffers from at least one of these conditions.

“Some obesity-related conditions can be fatal, and others require chronic medication and treatment. With the help of bariatric surgery, medical complications caused by obesity can be eliminated, and patients can enjoy a much healthier life”, Dr. Still said.

A Bariatric sugery (weight loss surgery) can also lead to some complications and is only recommended for severely obese people (BMI over 40) who have failed to loose weight with other pharmacological dietary treatments. However, the long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality rate justifies surgery for some people.

A gastric surgery eliminates medical complications and help many patients feel more in control of their lives. After surgery, many patients can perform daily tasks that they were unable to accomplish before. For many, a bariatric surgery leads the way to healthier habits.

Comment below or on our Facebook Page! 

Dr. Christopher Still at Gesinger Health System

[Via http://novasans.wordpress.com]

Why Valentine's Day Just May Be The Healthiest Day Of The Year!

By Christy Valentine, MD

Many people eagerly await Valentine’s Day, and for good reason! Whether you are with a loved one, family or friends various Valentine’s Day traditions can benefit your body, mind and spirit. And for these scientific reasons, it might just be the healthiest day of the year.

It’s all about the Flavonoids

According to the Cleveland Clinic, flavonoids are found in plants. They have been identified as compounds that help repair the plant from environmental damages. Flavonoids can also be found in a wide variety of food and drinks. When we ingest foods rich in flavonoids, it is believed they also help protect us against our own environmental toxins such as pollutants from factories, cars, and the dreaded cigarette.

The benefits don’t end there. Flavonoids also have been found to have a positive effect on heart health and may help reduce platelet activation. Platelet activation plays a key role in the development of heart attacks and stroke. Anything that we can do to ward off these crippling and deadly disease processes lead to a better more enjoyable quality of life.

Chocolate has been identified as one such food! Actually, not all chocolate has jumped from the naughty to the nice list. The cocoa from which chocolate is made is rich in flavonoids. However, through the processing and getting rid of that strong cocoa taste, many of the benefits are lost. Dark chocolate which retains a little of the bitter cocoa flavor contains the highest amount of flavonoids. So although milk chocolate may have a sweeter taste and may be preferred over the dark chocolate, the health benefits aren’t the same. Even with this new “good for you” label, moderation is always key. Having a couple of small pieces of dark chocolate every-so-often may no longer be a bad idea. What you would want to avoid are candies like large milk chocolate covered marshmallows or a caramel mound of delight. Even if you sprinkle a little dark chocolate on top, the risk would definitely outweigh the benefit! So maybe this year buy your sweetheart a small box of DARK chocolate.

A Special Dinner with a Special Someone

Another tradition which contributes to Valentine’s Day possibly being the healthiest holiday is that special dinner. Many couples like to splurge on a “nice meal” which often consists of a lean filet or may be even a fish or seafood entree. Lean meats are excellent sources of protein and iron which are both important for maintaining strong muscles, adequate levels of oxygen carrying red blood cells, and overall healthy body functioning.

Fish and seafood are low in saturated fat which may make them more heart healthy. Some believe adding a variety of fish to the diet is a benefit because then you limit overexposure to toxins which may be present in any one particular species. Also, some fatty fish are very high in omega-3 fatty acids which make them a heart healthy option as they are known to improve blood pressure, decrease inflammation, and improve memory.

Red Red Wine

Enjoying a glass of red wine with your Valentine’s Day meal can also continue the trend of a heart healthy day! We have long heard that one glass of red wine would not hurt us. Although the green light for a glass of their favorite Malbec may be enough for some, it still leaves the question what makes RED wine so special?

Well the flavonoids present in chocolate are a form of a larger group of antioxidants called polyphenols. The two main forms of polyphenols are flavonoids and nonflavonoids. Red wine contains both forms. Studies have found that alcohol can increase your good cholesterol and protect arteries. All alcohol can have this benefit but red wine is special because the nonflavonoids are found in the grape skin. Since red wine is fermented longer than white wine for example, it has more of the nonflavonoids than its white wine counterpart. So it IS okay to have a glass of WHITE wine with your fish or seafood during your Valentine’s Day meal. You just won’t get as much of the heart healthy antioxidants. And remember moderation…only one glass.

To maximize the protection that red wine provides, as well as achieve anti-aging benefits with the best resveratrol available, try Shaklee’s Vivix, the Cellular Anti-Aging tonic.   

Love and Marriage

As a day dedicated to celebrating love, it is no wonder that Valentine’s Day can also impact a person’s emotional well being! We as social beings thrive when we feel an intimate connection to another and the intimacy shared between a couple can lead to the release of endorphins. Endorphins are our body’s natural “feel good” hormone. They have actions in the body like opiates and result in pain relief. Exercise, stress and intimate contact can result in the release of our endorphins. A release of endorphins can intensify the overall wellness experienced by a couple on this very healthy holiday. Perhaps this is why Valentine’s Day has to be one of THE most popular days for a mate to pop the question or for a couple to get married.

The aroma of fresh flowers can help you and your loved one enjoy mental relaxation. Typically roses are the flowers of choice but lavender would also work. The tranquil environment you create may allow both of you to truly enjoy each others company and forget the troubles of the world on this special day. Reducing stress and maintaining low anxiety levels lead to an inner peace which facilitates a more fulfilling home and work life. When you feel good this shines through. You can become a parent better able to guide your family, a more productive employee or business person, and a more active individual!

The key to maximizing your Valentine’s Day health benefits is to incorporate these traditions throughout the year. Eating well, spending time with loved ones and focusing on a healthy lifestyle should be an everyday occurrence or at least a daily goal. This very special day can then transform into a very special life!

http://globalhealthnwealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/whynow_rx4health.html

[Via http://keepyoung.wordpress.com]

Demystifying Some Vegan Staples

Extra firm?  Silken?  Nutritional yeast?  Miso?  Tahini?

At first, it might sound erotic.  Then, maybe like you’re treating a miserable skin condition.

But alas, these are wonderful terms commonly found in the vernacular and cookbooks of  vegetarians and vegans everywhere.  I’ll share what I know about some of the vegan go-to items like these and offer some ideas about how to use them.

Soy Milk – This is a milk derived from soybeans.  The most pervasive brand, it seems, is Silk.  I’ve loved the light chocolate Silk, but have found that the taste can be inconsistent.  Sometimes it’s terrific and sometimes it’s just okay.  I’ve been using my local grocery store brand lately (Wegman’s) and love it.

I baked whole wheat bread yesterday and altered the original recipe by using reduced fat soy milk.  The bread turned out AWESOME.  I use soy milk when I cook to replace milk or cream in recipes.  No one has ever noticed a difference.

Most significant to me is that it’s been a great help with my cholesterol.  There is research to support my experience. There is also information that challenges the value of soy; so while I’m a big fan, I’d encourage you to read up and be an informed consumer.

Almond Milk – I love it in my coffee.  I use it interchangeably with soy milk when I’m cooking, but it’s more expensive, so soy’s usually my go-to in those cases.  But I also love the unsweetened vanilla variety on my oatmeal.  Blue Diamond brand really is my favorite.  I’ve tried the others….

Tofu – This is a soft, cheese-looking soybean curd.  It’s made by curdling hot soymilk with a coagulent (Source: Soyfoods.com).  It comes in difference consistencies, from extra-firm to silken.  I’ve used the extra-firm to make Smoky Miso Tofu Sandwiches and Sweet and Sour Tofu (both Vegan Yum-Yum) and the silken to make smoothies and sauces.  You don’t want to eat this right out of the package.  Good recipes can guide even the most reluctant cooks to great tofu success. The downside to using the firm tofus is that you need to plan ahead about 20-30 minutes before you start cooking to drain and press it.  This isn’t difficult at all, but you do need to think ahead a little bit.  To press, all you have to do is wrap it in a couple of paper towels, and then a clean dish towel, set it on a plate, put another plate on top and weigh it down with a few cans of stuff.  The point is to push most of the moisture out.

Tofutti Cream Cheese – I don’t miss the regular stuff and this is so much better for you!  I’m looking forward to my bagel for breakfast tomorrow.

Earth Balance – This butter-replacement is vegan and tastes terrific.  My kids love it.  We don’t miss butter at all. (Hint:  The “whipped” variety is our preference.)

Nutritional Yeast – In the natural foods section of my store, I can buy this in bulk and it’s cheap.  This is not a rising yeast.  Don’t bake with it!  It’s loaded with protein and B vitamins.  It has a cheesy-ish flavor and is a nice add-in for sauces when you want a tangy, complex flavor.  I’m new to it and I really like it!

Ground Flaxseeds – You should definitely have this in your pantry.  They work as omega-3s in your diet (2 Tbsp a day) and can work as an egg substitute in cooking things like pancakes when mixed well with water (1 Tbsp mixed with 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg).  I also mix them in with my oatmeals, breads, even cookies and smoothies.  Pulling them out happens easily on a daily basis.

Tahini – This is a paste made from sesame seeds.  The most common use is in hummus (though I make hummus without it, too) or as a falafel topping, but it’s used in lots of recipes that I’ve found.

Miso – This is a fermented paste of soybeans and grains.  I just used this for the first time last week in making a marinade for my tofu slices.  Here’s a great site with a couple of recipes and a great history: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6190769

Cashews – These aren’t intimidating, but they’re used a lot in cooking.  I made an amazing tomato sauce last night with cashews and they make a terrific Alfredo sauce–great comfort food with none of the guilt.  Here’s the recipe:  http://veganyumyum.com/index.php?s=hurry+up+alfredo&searchbutton=Go%21.

Seitan and Tempeh – My next step is to venture into these…. “Fake meats” have been a little scary for me (though we have done Boca Burgers:o)

Ultimately, a great cookbook will be the best impetus for you to wade into these foodstuffs.  Let me know if you have more specific questions or have an ingredient that you’re curious about!

[Via http://healthyisnormal.wordpress.com]

Reader Comment: A Child's Chest Pain

A reader recently commented on the SW101 post Will My Child Have A Heart Attack with a disturbing letter about her child.  It has now been granted its own blog.  I have written my own comments in throughout the letter in red italics to make me appear extra important and potentially infallible.

***************************

Thank you for that article. My typically healthy 6 year old daughter has been complaining of chest pain, burning on the left side of the neck and feeling her heart “in her throat” as she says. This is not a big deal.  Kids say this stuff all the time.  It goes along with the ubiquitous ”Tummy ache”, “I’m full”, “My eyes hurt”, “I need a drink of water”, and “Where’s my bear you can’t expect me to sleep in such harsh conditions so until you find my bear I’m going to sit here and attempt to poop my pants in protest so start lookin’ quick, POPS.”

She says it goes too fast and she gets dizzy and has actually passed out several times while doing minimal activity. This IS a big deal.  Kids don’t do this…ever.  True loss of consciousness in a 6 year old kid has a genuine cause.  In the elderly, things like autonomic instability lead to syncopal episodes (pass out when they stand up).  Add 90 years to your kid’s life, and your letter wouldn’t have won itself a full blog post.

I have taken her to several Dr’s, only to be told “kids don’t have heart attacks”.  I agree.  Kids don’t.  Adolescents do, however.  And young adults in their early 20’s do too. I’m at my wit’s end with this and worry over it constantly.  You’re right to be.  The hair is starting to stand up on the back of my neck over this one.

She had bloodwork to check her cholesterol about 14 months ago and it was high. Genetics..ding!  ding!  ding!  That, or you’ve set her up with a continuous Big Mac infusion pump through her sleeping hours.

She recently had it checked again and it was 259. That’s worse than mine…and I’m 37 spending most of my time with my butt glued to a chair while I hover like an anxious hen over my blog. Her sister (age 10) had a cholesterol level of 126. Luck of the draw, kid.  I’d see the bet and raise it if I were her. They eat virtually the same thing and my 6 year old is only 40 lbs, so she isn’t overweight. Another sign of a genetic component…which makes this just fantastically unfair.

This is now starting to affect her normal playing routine because she says running/playing make it hurt worse. REALLY bad sign.  Kids run.  Especially skinny kids.  They RUN.

I’ve been told it’s constipation ?, seriously?, reflux probable in ADULTS, heartburn same thing…grown ups, not kids, pulled sternum maybe the strangest musculoskeletal diagnosis I’ve ever heard….but so far no Doctor feels it is anything to worry about.  Are you seeing actual doctors…in actual America?  I hear the medical system on the plains of Balinor is a bit iffy.

She had a EKG and it showed she was tachycardic based on her age?  EVERY kid is tachycardic compared to an adult and a few arrythmias this is like saying “oh, we had some red wine”.  Some arrythmias KILL YOU, others are meaningless…and everything in between.  What kind of arrythmia?, however her pediatrician feels that could be normal for her age. ‘Could be?‘

Her teacher at school tells me she complains 5-10 times a day and says ‘my heart hearts’.  My 3 year old boy is obsessed with candy, but I’d guess he rarely actually asks for it 10 times in one 24 hour period (considering he sleeps for about 14 of them).

We live in a very small town population 4?, and have to travel 120 miles to a ped. cardiologist worth it…however they won’t see her without a referral and her pediatrician doesn’t feel it is necessary I suspect an insurance issue.  How hard is it to make a referral, even if only to help reassure mom?

If you have any suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I’m worried

that even though diet has been modified and the rest of the family has no cholesterol issues (grandparents do) that this high level is affecting her.  Do you know of any other tests that I could suggest her Doctor perform? Short of a cardiac catheterization, I’m not aware of any other helpful tests in this situation. He has also shrugged off any suggestions of a heart echo.

Final Thoughts – (I’ll dispense with the red italics, even though it makes me feel Extremely Important):

I can’t be certain that your story is completely true, because I don’t know you and haven’t seen your daughter’s medical file.  It also rings a bit fantastical since I’ve spent lots of time around pediatricians and have never seen one as cavalier as what you describe based on the small amount of information you’ve provided me.  As a rule, I do not believe that many doctors are lazy, incompetent, negligent…or drunk.  If you’re going to a licensed child specialist physician, they probably know what they’re talking about.

That said, IF your story is completely true, my advice is to knock on doors – pound on them if you have to.  Walk up to any door with an M.D. on it (be wary of any other initials except perhaps D.O.) – until you get a referral to a pediatric cardiologist for an echo.  Women walked for 5 solid hours under the Haitian sun to have their child seen in our clinics when I did relief work there, so you can cross vast distances for your child too.

The echo, in my opinion, is the first place to start.  Your child also probably needs medication for the cholesterol issue – or will in the very near future – and if your pediatrician seems to be cavalier about this, you may need to look for one that is more aggressive.  But diet changes won’t help this situation much, and exercise could be dangerous until you rule out structural heart disease.  It’s almost impossible to find cardiomyopathy without imaging, and totally impossible to find early atherosclerosis without a significant work up by a cardiologist.

Rest assured, there is a doctor out there who will find in in their writing hand to put in 10 minutes and refer you to a specialist if your story is as legit as it appears on this blog.  If it takes spending a week in a larger city, fine.  If it takes getting on an airplane, DO IT!  If what you said is true, and there are no additional conveniently omitted facts, your child needs to see a specialist.  Do NOT stop pestering doctors until she does.

Finally, let me say that while my heart goes out to you, remember that I am a doctor…but not YOUR doctor.  And this is a blog, not my clinic.  As you can see by my responses, I’m giving my honest opinion, but also being silly.  I write this blog for fun, not to extend my day at the office.  Therefore, these responses qualify only as  suggestions and musings, not medical advice.  A licensed physician, who has actually seen your daughter and evaluated her entire history, is the one who needs to make a real recommendation in this situation.  It completely annoys me that I find it necessary to say that….the world these days is run by lawyers.

All joking and useless lawyer pandering aside, my responses in this blog really boil down to one thing:  Keep knocking….

[Via http://secretwave101.wordpress.com]

Fucus Kelp: Anti Fat Supplement and Weight Loss Aid

I recently discovered an herbal supplement that was been reported to help with natural weight loss.  I’m really not someone who believes in weight loss pills.  So, I’m always looking for natural remedies to help improve my health and manage my weight.  The product that I’m taking now is Aquazon. 

This product has a seaweed or marine algae (Fucus) that is a century-old homeopathic remedy for weight loss, slimming or reducing weight. 

Fucus (fucus vesiculosus), also called kelp or bladderwrack, is a brown algae seaweed found on the North Sea coast, the Western Baltic coast, and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.  It has been used for centuries in Europe for weight management and to stimulate lymphatic circulation.   Recent studies have shown that fucus promotes healthy tissue growth, stimulates the immune system and helps maintain balance in blood glucose levels.

The main ingredient used from fucus vesiculosus is iodine which stimulates the thyroid gland to speed up metabolism.  The increase in metabolism has the potential to initiate weight loss. 

Fucus is used to increase/balance thyroid hormone activity, reduction of appetite/craving for foods and slow conversion of fats and carbohydrates into body fat.

Seaweed as kelp and fucus effectively stimulates the metabolism and helps with the breakdown of fatty tissue leading to a fast and safe way of weight loss.  Other benefits are that the combination of natural minerals and trace elements within the seaweed also helps to control the appetite, elimination of toxins, assists in the fight against water retention.

Fucus is used for increasing/balance thyroid hormone activity. By many seen as a healthy way to beat the menopause weight with no side effects and many added benefits.  Important source of bio minerals, trace elements, vitamins, essential amino acids and fiber.

Aquazon is a unique blend of Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae and Marine Algae (Fucus), a seaweed also known as kelp.  This formula provides exceptional support to the immune and nervous systems.  It also promotes overall health and longevity.

Benefits of Aquazon:

• Increases energy
• Rich source of trace minerals
• Promotes mental clarity and concentration

 

To Your Health ~

Melissa

[Via http://melissamaze.wordpress.com]

Tofu, Soy Diet Linked to Lower Death in Breast Cancer

Greetings everyone,

On my next radio talk show “Waves of Healing” on 2/2/10

at 3pm PST, I will be interviewing John Lucas – a Remote

Energy Healer who can eliminate the causes of virtually

any kind.

You can listen to show live on 2/2/10 at 3pm PST  by

login to www.blogtalkradio.com/Lea-Yekutiel. Or you can

listen to all of the shows at your convenience   by

login to www.blogtalkradio.com/lea-yekutiel and listen

to archived shows and download it for F R E E.

Tofu, Soy Diet Linked to Lower Death in Breast Cancer

Survivors

By Nicole Ostrow

Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) — Breast cancer survivors in China who

ate tofu, soy milk and fresh beans as part of a diet rich

in soy protein had a lower risk of dying and less chance

their cancer would return, a study found.

Those who ate the most soy protein had a 29 percent lower

risk of dying and a 32 percent lower rate of their breast

cancer returning than those who had the lowest intake of

soy, research showed today in the Journal of the American

Medical Association. The foods included in the study were

tofu, soy milk and fresh soy beans, all common choices in

Asian meals.

The study, which followed women for an average of about

four years, is the largest to examine the influence of soy

intake on breast cancer survival and recurrence, the authors

said. More than 192,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed

with breast cancer this year, according to the National

Cancer Institute.

“Women with breast cancer can be assured that consumption of

moderate amounts of soy food is safe and may be associated

with better outcomes,” said the study’s lead author Xiao-Ou

Shu, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in

Nashville, Tennessee, in a Dec. 4 e-mail. The researchers

will follow the women to watch “the long-term effects of soy

food intake on health among breast cancer survivors,

including bone density, fracture and coronary heart disease,”

she said.

Rich in Isoflavones

Soy foods are rich in isoflavones, which are estrogen-like

compounds that occur naturally in plant foods. Soy isoflavones

may compete with the body’s estrogen in binding to cell

receptors, reducing the amount of estrogen in the body and

hindering the ability of cancers to grow. The most common

types of breast cancer depend on estrogen to grow, Shu said.

The researchers said the results eased previous concern that

isoflavones might interfere with tamoxifen, a cancer drug

designed to block estrogen. The study found higher soy food

consumption was beneficial regardless of whether a patient

was taking tamoxifen, she said.

The researchers analyzed data from women in the Shanghai

Breast Cancer Survival Study in China. The women had been

diagnosed with breast cancer from March 2002 to April 2006.

They were followed for an average of four years through June

2009.

At that time, there were 444 total deaths and 534 breast

cancer recurrences or breast cancer-related deaths among

5,033 women in the study.

Death Rate Lower

The four-year mortality rate was 7.4 percent for women with

the highest consumption of soy protein compared with 10.3

percent for those with the lowest intake. The four-year

breast cancer recurrence rates were 8 percent for those in

the highest soy group and 11.2 percent for those in the

lowest group, the researchers found.

Eating soy food that is the equivalent to 11 grams

(0.39 ounces) of soy protein or 40 milligrams of soy

isoflavone a day was enough to see a benefit, Shu said.

In the study, the women consumed an average of 47

milligrams a day of isoflavone compared with the average

U.S. intake of 1 milligram to 6 milligrams a day, the

researchers said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends people

consume 25 grams of soy protein a day, which contains

about 50 milligrams of isoflavone, as part of a diet low

in saturated fat and cholesterol that may help reduce the

risk of heart disease. One cup of fortified soy milk

contains 10 grams of soy protein, or 43 milligrams of

isoflavone, while a half cup of a firm soybean patty

called tempeh contains 16 grams, or 53 milligrams of

isoflavone. A half-cup of tofu or about 1.5 cups of edamame,

a green vegetable, also each contain 10 grams of soy protein.

Survival Benefits

Other ingredients in soy foods including folate, protein,

calcium or fiber may also be responsible for the survival

benefits, Shu said.

More soy foods are consumed in China than in the U.S.,

according to an editorial written in the same journal by

Rachel Ballard-Barbash at the National Cancer Institute

in Bethesda, Maryland, and Marian Neuhouser at the Fred

Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Ballard-Barbash and Neuhouser said most soy in the U.S.

is consumed through supplements and processed foods,

including meat substitutes made with soy, that may contain

lower amounts of isoflavones. Future studies should look at

whether isoflavone supplements have similar results as those

seen with soy food, Shu said.

More studies are needed in larger numbers of people among

more diverse populations to fully understand the effects of

soy on breast cancer survivors, Ballard-Barbash and Neuhouser

wrote.

“In the meantime, clinicians can advise their patients with

breast cancer that soy foods are safe to eat and that these

foods may offer some protective benefit for long-term health,”

they wrote. “Patients with breast cancer can be assured that

enjoying a soy latte or indulging in a pad thai with tofu

causes no harm and, when consumed in plentiful amounts, may

reduce risk of disease recurrence.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New

York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net.

I hope this article is informative so it can help you to make

the right decisions about your health.

With my unconditional love,

Lea Yekutiel

www.ilovemybreastcancer.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/lea-yekutiel

P.S Please click below to check important information

that are dealing with healing issues.

http://m1e.net/c?84982601-FnJ/DEBHfHiqM%404922283-uxXFcSwT2qhls

http://m1e.net/c?84982601-wrpDOtHyFCCUc%404922284-81dssxIfJ6mc%2e

P.P.S Enjoy Abraham Hicks – Abundance of Well Being

_http://www.youtube. http://wwwhttp: //www.yo_

(http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=1hN2uVdlbZQ

[Via http://breastcancernmastectomy.wordpress.com]

Syndrome X, Metabolic syndrome...

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.[1] It affects a great number of people, and prevalence increases with age. Some studies estimate the prevalence in the USA to be up to 25% of the population.[2]

Metabolic syndrome is also known as metabolic syndrome X, syndrome X, insulin resistance syndrome, Reaven’s syndrome, and CHAOS (Australia). A similar condition in overweight horses is referred to as equine metabolic syndrome; it is unknown if they have the same etiology.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms and features are:

Fasting hyperglycemia — diabetes mellitus type 2 or impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or insulin resistance;

High blood pressure;

Central obesity (also known as visceral, male-pattern or apple-shaped adiposity), overweight with fat deposits mainly around the waist;

Decreased HDL cholesterol;

Elevated triglycerides;

Associated diseases and signs are: elevated uric acid levels, fatty liver (especially in concurrent obesity), progressing to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hemochromatosis (iron overload); and acanthosis nigricans (a skin condition featuring dark patches).

The description continues at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome

Other links:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/reverse_syndrome_x.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/syndrome_x_education.htm

http://www.syndromexassoc.org/Home.asp

http://www.syndromexassoc.org/Treatment.asp

[Via http://myoblast.wordpress.com]

This Week - on the Liberation Wellness Hour - Julie Burns - Eat Like the PROS!

Julie H. Burns, MS, RD, CCN is founder of SportFuel, Inc. and Eat Like the Pros® – an integrative nutrition consulting firm and Organic Meal Delivery service, both located in Western Springs, IL. Past and current clients include the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, Chicago White Sox baseball team, Chicago Bears football team, Chicago Bulls basketball team, Northwestern University’s varsity teams, Next Level Performance and individual pro and elite athletes. Julie regularly provides nutrition guidance to coaches, athletic trainers, amateur athletes, and health care professionals. As a mother of teenage active triplets, she is often asked to address mother’s groups, parent associations, and other lay audiences. Julie also consults with food and public relations companies. Julie previously served as Director of Research at the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, a former affiliate of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, where she specialized in cardiovascular experimental nutritionals and pharmaceuticals. She has served as an adjunctive faculty appointment at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Department of Nutrition. Julie is a regular presence on Chicago-area network and cable television and is frequently quoted in major newspapers and magazines. She co-edited the second edition of Cardiovascular Disease: Nutrition for Prevention and Treatment, a manual for health professionals, by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She has published articles in major medical journals, and authored a brochure for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) based on their Position Stand on Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Julie’s sports nutrition chapter contributions include a Sports Beverage chapter for Macroelements, Water, and Electrolytes and Basketball: Power Jam Nutrition, in Sports Nutrition: A Guide for the Professional Working with Active People-3rd edition.

The Liberation Wellness Hour Radio Show can be heard each week on Saturday at 12noon EST on

Liberty Works Radio Network, on BlogTalkRadio.com/LiberationWellness, and on Zubeo

The Shows Website is LiberationWellnessHour.com

[Via http://liberationwellnessblog.com]

High cholesterol? It could happen to you...

In 2005–2006, 16% of adults had serum total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or greater (high cholesterol). The good news is that generally, for Americans 20 years of age and over, cholesterol levels are declining. However, this decline was seen for men 40 years and over and for women 60 years and over, with little change between 1999 and 2006 for all other age-sex groups.

What may be most disconcerting is the fact that many U.S. adults may not even know they have high cholesterol, with data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey finding that 8% of U.S. adults had high cholesterol but had never been told by a health care provider that their cholesterol levels were high. For more data concerning high cholesterol, see the NCHS Data Brief on High Cholesterol. For more information on combating high cholesterol, visit the CDC Webpage on Cholesterol.

[Via http://nchspressroom.wordpress.com]

Why you should eat eggs, Egg baked potato, and Slooow south western chicken

I am a big proponent of eating real eggs.  They are basically natures perfect food, I mean think about… they are life waiting to happen.  Most people think that eggs are awful for your cholesterol and you should only eat the whites.  This is a fair assumption, but there has been a lot of research disproving this myth.  Check out this article from Men’s Health:  

Whole eggs contain more essential vitamins and minerals per calorie than virtually any other food. They’re also one of the best sources of choline, a substance your body requires to break down fat for energy. In addition, eggs provide lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.

However, you’ve probably been told at one time or another to avoid eggs because they’re high in cholesterol and fat. This is the same thinking that led to low-fat diets—and a mindset that has probably made us a lot fatter over the past decade. It’s simply a leftover recommendation from the low-fat legacy that was never forgotten.

In a recent review of dozens of scientific studies, Wake Forest University researchers found no connection between egg consumption and heart disease  

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/saturated_fat/Eggs.php#ixzz0dmaYNnJM  

  Pretty cool, I think.  Our grandparents probably grew up eating eggs, bacon, and toast with real butter every morning.  Yet, they didn’t have an obesity epidemic like we face now.  There were no such thing as Pop-tarts back then.  I won’t start on why I think saturated fats are actually good for us and that its all the trans fats, added sugars, and filler preservatives in our foods that are killing us… but I just wanted to give some background for Egg Potato! I realized at the end of the day, last saturday, that I had really hadn’t had any healthy fats in my diet for the day.  I decided I would include an egg with dinner, and I figured since we eat hash browns and eggs, I would just bake an egg in a potato. I started by cooking the potato in the microwave and then moving it to the oven to get crisp.  About 8-10 minutes before I was ready to eat, I pulled out the potato, made a well, and cracked an egg inside and put it back in the oven for that time.  

Pre-baked and split

  

Egged

  

Baked--a little too long, you really want the yolk to be runny

  

As noted in the caption, I baked mine just a little bit too long.  I love my yolks runny, and that way I could have mixed it up with the potato which I wasn’t able to do as well.  Oh well, next time.  Also, don’t forget to season!  Same as you would an omelete or a baked potato– I used garlic, onion, chili powder, and ranch seasoning.  

I also took another go with the slow cooker, making some South Western chicken concoction.   Here’s what I used:  

• Like 3(?) chicken breasts
• 2 Spicy low-fat andouille chicken sausages
• Good amount of black bean salsa
• 1 can of a corn, okra, and onion soup
• 1 can green chiles
• Garlic, onions, and chili powder

Southwest Chicken ingredients

  

It came out well!  Could have used a little more spice though.  What would give it that, does anyone have any ideas?  

Cooked it on high for about 4 hours:  

Simmerin'

  

So again, let me know if you have any fitness or nutrition questions you would like me to discuss, or dishes you want to see me cook!  

[Via http://feerlessfood.wordpress.com]

Peanut Butter and Jelly

If Chloe had her way, she would live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  She loves them and if I dare to give her cheese instead, she just won’t eat it!  To get her to eat cheese, I may put in on the side!  She will eat soup with her PB&J and I have found various other creative things to add to her staple diet of PB&J sandwiches, which incidentally is only a lunch time obsession!!

Every lunch time I have something to feel guilty about… if I do give her what she wants, then she is not getting a very healthy meal, if I don’t, I have an unhappy bunny on my hands.

As well as the PB&J battle, there is the cereal battle.  How many of you out there have kids that want to eat cereal for dinner?  How many of you would like to confess that you have taken the easy option and given them cereal for dinner?  I have!!

And thus we have the topic for today’s post… “Healthy Eating”.

I have a desire to feed my kids healthy, wholesome, meals every time they sit at the table, I have come to the conclusion that in order to do that I would have to spend considerably more money in the grocery store, shop 3 or 4 times a week to keep things fresh and be constantly cooking.  (As super healthy meals tend to take longer to cook, than a 15 minute frozen pizza!)  Now I love to cook so that would not be a problem for me, however, that may be more realistic when all the kids are in school!  I do cook every night of the week, we do eat out a little but an average week is me cooking a simple dinner every night.

So since waiting for them all to be in school is not an option, I have to commit now to make the change, I have a cookbook buried somewhere that I will dig out and as of today, (after we have eaten the pizza in the fridge…) I publicly announce that my family will be healthy eaters from now on!!

With that said, I want you to join me, or if you are already a healthy eating family, will you help me?  I am going to start a recipe page, please feel free to contribute your favorite healthy recipes, and we can comment after we have tried them.

Almost one in six American children and teens are overweight, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s office, which also warns that 70 percent of overweight teens will grow into overweight or obese adults. Overweight children are now increasingly at risk for type 2 diabetes, a disease formerly associated only with adults. Kids carrying extra pounds may also have a higher risk of developing low self-esteem or depression.

“Were now seeing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children,” said Dr. Brenda Kohn, a pediatric endocrinologist at the New York University Medical Center. She noted that other disorders, such as high cholesterol, are also on the rise in heavier youngsters.

From U.S. News and World Report Website.

1 in 5 U.S. kids has high cholesterol

Thu, Jan 21, 2010 (HealthDay News) — Twenty percent of U.S. children and teens have abnormal lipid levels, an indication of too much bad cholesterol, too little good cholesterol or high triglycerides, federal health officials report.

These abnormal levels can raise the risk for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BabyCenter.com

And so it is with these worrying facts that I will leave you for today, lets do this together and though I can’t promise to never make another peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich ever again, I can certainly feel more relaxed doing it, knowing she has had her veggies the night before!

Happy cooking!

[Via http://lindathakur.wordpress.com]

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease - Part II

In the previous post regarding the topic of high cholesterol, I presented the idea that cholesterol is not dangerous or might not even be a cause of heart disease. Several researcher and reports have suggested this. How then, did the idea that cholesterol must be lowered through low-saturated fat diets and statin drug use get started if there was not enough evidence to support it?

Apparently it started when butter became more expensive than margarine after WWII. At the same time it was discovered that oil could be expressed from cotton seed, a useless by product of the cotton industry, and became profitable, with the company Norton Simon becoming the biggest cotton seed oil producer. The milk industry at that time was diverse and powerful and thus began the marketing campaign by Norton Simon to convince the public that margarine was better than butter and divert profits to their product. This campaign was started by a small group of businessmen around 1946 involved in vegetable oil firms. These men formed a front group, called the American Health Foundation about 1970. The chairman happened to be David Mahoney, the President of Norton Simon. Associations were quickly formed between this Foundation and othe tax-supported organizations like the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBL), including the FDA. With the help of these prominent organizations the Foundation went on to disseminate information on how saturated fat from foods like butter were dangerous.

To continue their promotion of their claim they needed to show that cholesterol in the diet (from butter) lead to heart disease. They latched on to a Russian study done in 1913 that fed large amounts of cholesterol to rabbits who died of heart disease. They completely ignored the fact that rabbits are vegetarians and are not designed to handle large amounts of animal fats. Despite this omission, and the existence of evidence to the contrary,  the study has been repeatedly used to promote this connection and used to establish historic precedence.

Not only did the vegetable oil companies develop the myth to benefit profits, soon the pharmaceutical companies realized that they could get a share of the pie too by developing a drug that would lower blood cholesterol levels. This proved to be a very successful money making campaign for the pharmaceutical companies. But they didn’t stop there. They needed to determine a point at which doctors should prescribe the drugs.   As you probably know these guidelines have been revised, despite the fact that 50% of people with heart disease have “normal” cholesterol levels. The more people they could get into the “high” category, the bigger their profits. Coincidence?

Perhaps not,  considering that Lead Discovery, a UK company that helps companies optimize drug discovery and product pipelines stated in a report that:

“…Those drugs (cholesterol lowering statin drugs) are one of the most widely-prescribed and most lucrative sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, with total revenues exceeding $26 billion in 2008. Importantly, the world statins market is poised to undergo a period of rapid and dynamic change, with the generic statin sector growing particularly strongly in the years ahead.”

Next it reveals its advice to companies to best reach the profit goal:

“Importantly, there are opportunities for companies to raise sales by maximizing patient compliance and accessing new patient groups. Statins: The World Market, 2009-2024 examines strategies for increasing patient compliance there. The report has detailed interviews with key-opinion leaders in this important field. Full interview transcripts are provided – you will not find this information anywhere else.”

This market research is taken seriously by statin drug producers such as Pfizer and Merck who would have to pay £6999 to get the full report and details on how to increase profits. And no wonder, considering Pfizer’s Lipitor is the biggest statin seller, at $11 billion. Merck’s Zocor, about to lose U.S. patent protection, is No. 2 at $4.2 billion.

The report goes on to outline steps to take regarding patient compliance including use of more tests, increase in patient contact and the use of information technology. For obvious reasons, I was not able to find out the details of their recommendations, so I can only infer as to what the above steps may entail. It seems that companies would profit most by focusing their resources on those that disseminate medical information to patients; doctors and media.  And the reason they need to focus on patient compliance is that it turns out that patients prescribed statin drugs stop taking them after about 3 months, many claiming undesirable side-effects such as muscle pain and memory loss. But instead of improving it to reduce side effects, drug companies have realized it would be more cost effective to spend more money on tactics to convince patients they are safe and necessary. One way they do this is by perpetuating the myth that cholesterol is highly dangerous.

So how do they get this message across to patients? How would a company make sure that the patient feels like the consequences of not taking their drugs are worse than the potential dangers of the drug? The obvious route would be increase the frequency that the patient receives their message and through increased testing, as outlined in the report. This is done through the media and through a patient’s doctor. Where do the media get its medical information? Many report on research they find in medical journals, even though few medical journalists are trained to interpret them accurately. Because of this, they often rely on the interpretations of research that is published in position statements or articles made by major health organizations like the American Heart Association or the American College of Cardiology. I have pointed out in previous posts that this avenue of information is actually full of conflict of interests, with corporations often influencing the information. This route would be an obvious one for major statin producers like Pfizer to use in order to increase patient compliance by the dissemination of misinformation about the dangers of high-cholesterol. Consider this: Pfizer is a big donor to the American College of Cardiology and in 2002 was a member of its “Diamond Heart Award by donating $750,000 or above. Pfizer was the leading sponsor at its 2001 meeting in Orlando, FL, forking over $822,000 for the meeting.” (Wall Street Journal, 6/15/01).

Physicians also use these organizations as their source of information which they use to convince patients to take statin drugs. However, it turns out that peer-reviewed research is not their main source of information. A report in the journal Family Practice concluded that for new drugs “The most important sources (of information) were the pharmaceutical industry [49 percent], in particular the company representative, non-peer-reviewed literature, the mass media, and, to a lesser extent, hospital colleagues. Peer-reviewed literature or independent drug information sources were rarely significant at this stage.”

So it seems clear that the flawed information you ultimately receive regarding high-cholesterol is delivered to you in calculated ways with the aid of a myriad of organizations including your physician, to ultimately boost profits received by the pharmaceutical companies.

[Via http://activelypolitical.wordpress.com]

Practicing What We Preach

Let me be straight with you. I constantly struggle to keep my weight where I want it to be. Never mind that I know what to do to take off 20 pounds and keep it off. Like a lot of my friends, this time of year I find my clothes are more snug that I would like for them to be.

I have a strong motivator, and I’m not talking about that phenomenal personal trainer that is my other half. The strongest motivator for me is a family history of cardiovascular disease. My doctor checks my cholesterol level four times a year.

If you follow this blog, one of the topics you will find is my personal challenges coping with weight control. I will cover some of the tips that have worked for me, and welcome your thoughts and observations in response. We’ll get into tactics to help you eat well when you travel, how to avoid injuries when you begin a fitness program, and some of the fun stuff we are doing at the gym to keep it fresh, etc..

And from time to time you may find posts from Don Oliver himself and from other folks at the Do Fitness staff.

I hope you’ll find some insight or inspiration to help you on your path to health and fitness.

[Via http://dofitness.wordpress.com]

Overcome Cholesterol with natural Products for health Care without Pharmaceutical Drugs

Can a natural health to really combat cholesterol?

There are two types of cholesterol in the human body. Generally defined as can Augood, or AT, Aubade, AU.

That sounds like two thirds of the West, not to fight for good and evil to death, but the winner gets the spoils. The key to a level of cholesterol in the body to maintain a balance between good and bad cholesterol, a cholesterol level generally strong.

To preserve this balance, you have the bad LDL cholesterol and HDL, good cholesterol, known to have a greater proportion.

There are arguments that are considered “good” cholesterol, and therefore each patient will be considered individually to assess the risk of heart disease and cholesterol. In this way the patient to the overall effect can be evaluated by your condition.

If values are considered too high, your doctor may prescribe drugs such as stations, niacin or resins. Stations are usually the drug of choice for high cholesterol.

The problem is that stations may limit the production of an enzyme called Q10, which is an important source of energy for the heart. This is one reason why, if it was a risk for high cholesterol, early intervention in a natural approach to the levels of the winery.

One way to lower cholesterol naturally by exercise. We burn a lot of energy during exercise. Once it runs out of sugars and proteins, the body has no choice but to turn fat into fuel.

In accordance with the advice of your doctor, you should at least twenty minutes of each meeting, which is at least three times a week. She as better to start slowly and increase your endurance.

Another possibility is to food, foods rich in soluble fiber fabric. Examples are beans, grains, fruits and vegetables. This is important, because fiber binds cholesterol in the intestine, and rinse each time he calls nature.

Food may also help provide food diet rich in animal fat and cholesterol.

For those that can be eaten like rice, substitute red yeast rice. A study by the Center for Human Nutrition has shown that this assistance, which is regularly lower than the production of LDL consume.

Instead of medication for cholesterol levels, some companies in the post, with the additions that are considered effective are finding.

The first is called inositol, which is time released niacin. Studies show that taking this regularly reduce LDL cholesterol and the number of HDL in the human body.

The extra second is called Policosanol. It’s almost the same as inositol and limits the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Finally, there is an additional “bio Lipitor. The interesting part of this paper is to make the ingredients in red yeast rice, inositol, policosanol, and extracts guggal rubber.

It is clear that treatment options for natural health products available that can play a role in reducing cholesterol. What followed this advice; you should consult your physician before starting a new system and not taking prescription medications without the consent of the physician.

[Via http://tutorial405.wordpress.com]

water. who knew?

Really, people – you have no idea how I never thought I’d be writing this . . . which is exactly why I’m writing it. 

I grew up being told to drink 8 glasses of water a day and I pretty much did that.  We drank water or juice at my house – almost never soda.

At some point I got derailed.  I decided I hated water and that it tasted like “liquid steel”.

Then I used the differing opinions about water intake to validate my resistance:  “8 glasses of water a day is a myth“, “drink 10 glasses of water a day,” “you can drink too much water!” etc.  I also whined about how far away the water cooler was, how many times I’d have to trudge to the ladies’ room, how nocturnal “loo” visits interrupted my sleep and presented a health hazard.

In the past several months, Wendy Battles has enthusiastically encouraged water drinking, which got me up to a glass a day . . .  maybe . . . when I saw her tweets . . . 

Then, as you know, my doc told me I had a total cholesterol count of 258 and gave me 6 weeks to “get religion” about my health or start taking Lipitor.  During the course of my research and planning my JUST SAY NO TO LIPITOR program, I read that dehydration can contribute to high cholesterol (or at least doesn’t help).  Besides, excess weight is a contributor to high cholesterol and drinking water reportedly aids in weight loss.  That meant I had to give up my refusal to drink water or wonder if I did everything possible to avoid cholesterol medication.

Day 1.  I drank 2 whole glasses of water. 200% more than usual.

Day 2.  I experimented with simply doubling what I’d done the day before.  4 glasses of water imbibed.

And so it went until I found myself having drunk (drunken? . . . drank?) 8 glasses in a single day.

To combat the gripes listed above, I got a lovely, cobalt-blue 16 oz. glass so I could I’d feel the victory of having consumed “2 8-oz. glasses” with every refill while minimizing trips to the water cooler and drank most of my water before 6 or 7 pm to avoid sleep interruptions.

While I don’t get retested for my cholesterol until January 20, I have lost weight; but that could be because I now also eat breakfast daily, never going more than 3-4 hours without a healthful snack, cut out all the junk, and exercise more.  

So, what’s that got to do with water?  Nothing.  Here’s what does:  my ability to distinguish thirst from hunger and my unwillingness any longer to ignore my body’s signals.   Those are BIG!  I’d been ignoring my body for so long I couldn’t even tell if I was hungry or thirsty, both of which I mostly ignored until I could stand it no longer and sat down with a big bucket-o’something-unhealthy.  I’m back in tune with my systems and that certainly has me feeling healthier and more grounded. 

Do I know whether I need 4 glasses or 10?  Nope and I probably don’t even care.  I’m doing all I can to avoid cholesterol medication and actually feel better for it.  We’ll see what the doc says next week, but now that I’ve turned the faucet on, I won’t be turning it off again.

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”  ~Benjamin Franklin

[Via http://vintageawesome.wordpress.com]

MMS - Nouvelles de Janvier 2010

Bonjour,

En cette période de grand froid je vous rappelle que le MMS fournit des munitions au système immunitaire pour combattre les microbes.

Vous verrez qu’en prenant une dose journalière de MMS (4 à 6 gouttes avant le coucher) vous vous sentirez plus en forme et pourrez prévenir tous les maux provoqués par le froid et la fatigue. Finit grippes, angines, rhumes et autres infections ORL et pulmonaires !

ACHETEZ DU MMS

Pensez aussi qu’à long terme, avec une utilisation régulière, c’est contre les maladies chroniques que vous serez protégés !

En effet nous avons vu en 2009 que le MMS à des effets positifs, voir curatifs contre :

- les diabètes http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_diabetes_mineral_miracle.html

- les arthrites http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_arthrite_mineral_miracle.html

- le choléstérol http://lemineralmiracle.com/cholesterol_mineral_miracle.html

- la sclérose en plaques http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_scleroses_mineral_miracle.html

- les cancers http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_cancers_mineral_miracle.html

- les problèmes de dents et gencives http://lemineralmiracle.com/dents_gencives_mineral_miracle.html

- la maladie de Lyme http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_lyme_mineral_miracle.html

- les métaux lourds http://lemineralmiracle.com/metaux_lourds_mineral_miracle.html

- les hépatites http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_hepatites_mineral_miracle.html

ACHETEZ DU MMS

Ne ratez donc pas cette chance d’avoir une meilleure santé et de visiter moins souvent votre docteur !

J’ai reçu plusieurs courriels me demandant une version Française de la notice envoyée par le fabricant. Celle-ci est disponible depuis toujours à cette adresse : http://mmsglobe.com/Traduction_notice_MMS.pdf

ACHETEZ DU MMS

Il y a aussi ce document très interressant de Jim Humble ; « Comprendre le MMS » qui est disponible ici :

http://lemineralmiracle.com/Comprendre_le_MMS_traduction.pdf

Je vous souhaite à nouveau une belle et heureuse année 2010, et une bonne santé grâce au MMS !

Il y a encore beaucoup de documents à traduire sur le MMS et je m’y attellerai dès que possible, et aussi j’espère que j’aurai la possibilité d’aller visiter Jim cette année.

Merci et bonne chance,

David

ACHETEZ DU MMS

[Via http://hibouk.wordpress.com]

On Plant Sterols

Plant sterols have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, depending on how much you eat. They block the ability of the body to absorb cholesterol back into the body and as such it passes harmlessly out of your system. Plant sterols can lower total cholesterol by an average of 10 percent. You can get plant sterols from the foods such as nuts, seeds and legumes, bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables (but in small amounts). If you have high cholesterol and need to lower it you will find it very difficult to get enough in by these foods alone. In order to have a cholesterol lowering effect you will need 2 to 3 grams of plant sterols per day. This means 2 to 3 serves of plant sterol enriched foods per day, and these are now available in many supermarkets.

One serve of plant sterol enriched food is equivalent to:

* 2 teaspoons of plant sterol enriched margarine spread

* 1 cup of plant sterol enriched breakfast cereal or 2 breakfast biscuits

* 1 cup of plant sterol enriched milk

* 1 200-grams tub of plant sterol enriched yoghurt

[Via http://everylittlethingunderthesun.wordpress.com]

Can You Be Overweight and Still Be Healthy?

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

The idea that people can be overweight and yet still quite healthy began gaining scientific and popular credence some years ago, fueled by the publication of a number of studies showing that men and women who were a few pounds overweight but physically active had less risk of developing cardiac disease than people who were of normal weight but sedentary.

Some scientists and doctors began speculating that healthy people who were sporting extra pounds didn’t necessarily need to worry about losing weight. As one researcher told a reporter in 2004, “If a fat person or obese person has normal blood pressure, if their total cholesterol and glucose levels are normal and they are healthy, there is no reason they should necessarily have to lose weight.”

But several new studies are raising questions about that comforting notion at a very inopportune moment, with the holiday overindulgence season barely behind us. In the most recent of these studies, published online on Dec. 28 in the journal Circulation, Swedish researchers examined medical records reaching back 30 years for a group of more than 1,700 middle-aged men in the city of Uppsala.

The men were measured and tested when they reached the age of 50 and then periodically for the next 30 years. They were categorized into groups based on their body-mass indexes and metabolic profiles, a good marker of overall physical health and fitness. Some were normal weight; some overweight (meaning they had a body-mass index of 25 or above); some obese (a B.M.I. greater than 30). In each of these groups, some had normal metabolic profiles, while others were afflicted with a variety of conditions known collectively as metabolic syndrome. A diagnosis of metabolic syndrome means that you suffer from three or more of these conditions: impaired ability to handle blood sugar, high blood pressure, elevated blood fats, low HDL (“good” cholesterol) and a large waist circumference.

To no one’s surprise, the Swedish researchers found that being overweight or obese and having metabolic syndrome was quite unhealthy. Overweight men in that group had a 74 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease by the time they turned 80. Obese men with metabolic syndrome had a 155 percent higher risk. Even being of normal weight, if you had metabolic syndrome, was dangerous. Men in this group, with normal girths but poor cholesterol and blood-pressure readings, had a 63 percent higher risk of developing heart disease than normal-weight men without metabolic problems. In other words, you don’t want to have metabolic syndrome, even if you’re thin.

More startling, though, was the study’s finding that being overweight with no evidence of metabolic syndrome left you at significantly higher risk for heart disease than if, with the same metabolic readings, you were not overweight. Men who were overweight (not obese) with healthy blood pressures, cholesterol readings, blood glucose levels and so on, still had a 52 percent higher risk of developing heart disease within 30 years than men who were normal weight and had similar metabolic profiles. That risk rose to 95 percent among obese men who didn’t suffer from metabolic syndrome.

The researchers did not report on the activity levels or exercise practices of any of the men, but typically more-active people have healthier metabolic profiles and vice versa. The findings did make it clear that although being fat and having healthy blood work puts you at less risk of cardiac disease than someone who is thin and has lousy metabolic parameters, the extra pounds still leave you with at least a 50 percent greater risk of developing heart disease.

“Previous studies have put forward the existence of a ‘metabolically healthy’ subgroup” of overweight people “who are at no increased cardiovascular risk,” Johan Arnlov, Ph.D., an associate professor at Uppsala University and the study’s lead author, said in a statement. But “if you follow them long enough, you find out there appears to be no such thing as metabolically healthy” extra poundage. (To assess your B.M.I., plug your height and weight into this calculator from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.)

Another recent large study found somewhat similar results among women, although it looked at activity levels, not metabolic profiles, to assess health and fitness. That report, published in 2008, used data on almost 40,000 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Study. Its authors found that women with a higher B.M.I., even if they were active, had an elevated risk of coronary heart disease compared with women engaging in an equal amount of activity who were of normal weight. Being fit, for the thousands of women under consideration here, lessened but did not fully mitigate the health problems associated with being fat.

Then there are football players, a group — particularly the linemen — who would seem to be advertisements for hefty-size health and fitness. But according to a study presented in October at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, when scientists studied current N.F.L. linemen, they found that those athletes had a significantly greater incidence of metabolic syndrome than a group of less-bulky professional baseball players.

Why body size and composition should affect someone’s risk for heart disease and metabolic problems even if their body is otherwise apparently healthy remains a contentious issue. Some researchers, including the authors of the Women’s Health Study-based report, say that fat is itself a tissue with unhealthy properties. Fat can release inflammatory molecules, which increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Fat may also interfere with muscle function, as an article published this week in the Journal of Physiology points out, referring to several newly published studies.

“The fit or fat issue has unbelievable levels of complexity,” says Tim Church, M.D., Ph.D., the director of Preventive Medicine Research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. Perhaps being active affects how fat cells operate in a heavy person. Age plays a role, too, he says, as do genetics. The very categorization of fatness using B.M.I. is a gross oversimplification, he adds. “You can’t just say being overweight” is unhealthy, he says. “Nothing is that simple.”

So what can we take away from the most recent studies? If other scientists replicate the findings of the Swedish and Women’s Health Study-based reports, the message is clear if disconcerting: being overweight, even if you have sterling blood-cholesterol levels or a firm commitment to exercise, does increase your risk of heart disease, and you should probably try to lose the extra pounds.

“Some researchers have suggested that a heavy person without other risk factors didn’t need to lose weight,” said Johan Arnlov, M.D., Ph.D., the lead Swedish researcher, in a statement. ‘Our data does not support this notion.”

It pains me, but I’ll be tossing out my last Christmas cookies now.

Good luck, healthy girl!

[Via http://hecticlifehealthygirl.wordpress.com]