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November 3rd, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
If you’re trying to lose weight, you may be more successful if you partner with a family member or friend who has similar goals.
A study published in the Oct. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine revealed that enrollment with a buddy in a comprehensive program enhanced weight loss among 344 African-American participants—but only if they attended sessions together.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine ran the 2-year study to help participants achieve and maintain a 5%–10% weight loss. The program involved self-monitoring of food intake, physical activity, pedometer use, group sessions with weight and activity checks, and community-based field workshops (cooking demonstrations, gym visits).
After 24 months, those who enrolled in the program with a friend or family member lost more weight than those who entered the program alone.
For Your Organic Bookshelf: You: On a Diet
Tags: Health, obesity, weight-loss
Posted in Health | 21 Comments »
August 31st, 2009 - Barbara Feiner
Ninety percent of Americans fail to meet the recommended daily guidelines for whole-grain consumption, which vary by gender and age.
Whole grains include oatmeal, brown or wild rice, buckwheat, bulgur, whole-wheat cereal, whole-wheat pasta and quinoa. (Click here for a full list. Be sure to differentiate them from refined grains, and make organic choices.)
“Start the day right with a bowl of whole-grain cereal, fat-free milk and fruit,” says Jackie Newgent, a registered dietitian and culinary consultant in New York City.
“Americans need to close the whole-grains gap,” says Newgent, author of Big Green Cookbook: Hundreds of Planet-Pleasing Recipes and Tips for a Luscious, Low-Carbon Lifestyle. “Whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals and are also loaded with fiber—a great tool for weight management because it fills you up and keeps you satisfied.”
Whole-grain cereals are “familiar, satisfying, taste great and offer the utmost in convenience for busy consumers,” she adds.
“What you add to your cereal can elevate it to a real taste sensation and nutritional powerhouse.” (Saturday’s recipe for Mandarin Orange Cereal Bowl is a perfect example.)
Whole grains help prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer, Newgent says, and studies show consumption is associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Also by Jackie Newgent: The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook
Tags: breakfast, cereal, diabetes, fiber, Health, Organic Food, weight-loss, whole grains
Posted in Health, Organic Food | 6 Comments »
March 19th, 2009 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
 I don’t eat meat. So I can swear up and down about the power of veggies. Plant nutrients protect against cancer and heart disease, fiber promotes weight-loss and other things scientists have yet to figure out.
And now, new research suggests organic foods may reverse our country’s health misfortunes, like slowing the aging process and limiting pesticide exposure.
Here are some bullet points from the Organic Center’s report, Organic Food and a Healthier Future:
- Organic foods promote healthy patterns of cell division and differentiation, and lay the groundwork for normal endocrine system regulation of blood sugars, lipids, energy intake, and immune system functions.
- Establish and help sustain taste-based preferences in the child for familiar nutrient-dense, flavorful foods.
- Largely eliminate dietary exposures to approximately 180 pesticides known to disrupt the development or functioning of the endocrine system.
- Possibly helping to trigger or reinforce a sense of satiety, or fullness, thereby reducing excessive caloric intake.
- Lessening or limiting the cellular and genetic damage done by reactive oxygen species (so-called free radicals), and in this way reducing the risk of diabetes and other diseases rooted in inflammation (arthritis, cardiovascular disease) and rapid cell growth (cancer).
- Slowing, and perhaps even reversing certain neurological aspects of the aging process, leading to better memory and retention of cognitive skills.
Via TreeHugger.
Tags: cancer, fiber, heart disease, nutrients, weight-loss
Posted in Health, Organic, Organic Food | 1 Comment »
December 11th, 2008 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
 From punching the clock to Hollywood game shows, getting paid makes everything easier.
And now, in a world that’ll try anything to slim down, a new study claims paying people to lose weight works better than conventional approaches, i.e. doing it for health reasons.
It seems people like a payday more than the payoff.
“We wanted to create a reward system which gave [people] rewards in the present,” Dr. Kevin Volpp of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine told Reuters, “The idea was to create a mechanism where loss aversion would help drive people’s motivation.”
So researchers divided participants into 3 groups:
- Lottery group: Individuals could receive daily lottery winnings for achieving weight-loss goals.
- Investment group: People put up their own money, between 1 cent and $3 a day, which they could lose for not meeting weight-loss goals, but received a bonus if they did.
- Control group: No money rewards. Just good health!
Of the participants, 57 obese people, the individuals in the incentive groups lost more weight than the control group at the end of the 4 months.
Published in Journal of the American Medical Association, people in the lottery group earned a total of $378.49 and lost 13 pounds and members of the investment group made $272.80 and lost 14 pounds. Individuals in the control group only shed 4 pounds.
But Dr. Volpp noted the cash helped in the short-term, but when the money stopped, the weight started coming back.
I guess it’s like they say, “Cash rules everything around me. C.R.E.A.M, get the money. Dollar, dollar bill y’all.”
Tags: Journal of the American Medical Association, weight-loss
Posted in Health | 1 Comment »
July 10th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner
 Perhaps you’ve adopted an organic lifestyle and have made a commitment to buying organic food because you’re battling a weight problem. If so, you’ve taken a step in the right direction.
A new study published in the July 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals the health risks for women who are extremely obese may be underestimated, as they have a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol than women at lower levels of obesity.
Obesity diagnosis and treatment are typically based on body mass index (BMI) of at least 30. BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Three categories of obesity have been defined:
- Obesity 1 (BMI of 30–34.9)
- Obesity 2 (35–39.9)
- Extreme obesity (40+)
The latter 2 categories—sometimes termed “severe obesity”—are increasing rapidly in the United States. From 1986 to 2000, prevalence of BMI of 30 or higher approximately doubled, BMI of 40 or higher quadrupled, and BMI of 50 or higher increased fivefold. In 2000, 2.8% of all U.S. women—and 6% of African-American women—reported measurements consistent with extreme obesity.
Dr. Kathleen McTigue and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study to examine the relationship between weight category and risk of death and coronary heart disease (CHD) in a large sample of U.S. women. They found extreme obesity prevalence differed with race/ethnicity, from 1% among Asian and Pacific Islanders to 10% among black women.
“We found that obesity was linked with considerable health risk and that accounting for degree of excess weight is important in understanding weight-related health risk,” the researchers write, concluding that their findings have “important clinical and policy implications.”
Healthcare providers can help patients assess their weight-related health risks, which would allow more informed decision-making about lifestyle and health.
Tags: Health, health risks, obesity, Organic Living, weight-loss
Posted in Health | No Comments »
February 6th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner
Many people decide to go organic after their doctor tells them they need to lose weight or adopt a healthier lifestyle. Based on the most current research, it’s a smart move.
Over the last few years, researchers have discovered that where you carry excess fat has significant health implications. Instead of relying strictly on weight and body mass index (BMI) to determine obesity, your doctor may soon take an up-close-and-personal look at your gut. A major international study now reveals that waist-to-hip ratio may be a more critical measurement.
“Waist-to-hip ratio was the most significant indicator of possible cardiovascular disease,” says Barbara Crishi, a certified diabetes educator at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas.
You can check your ratio by first measuring your waist (just under the ribcage). Next, measure your hips at their widest point. Now, divide waist measurement by hip measurement (both in inches). A ratio greater than .8 for women and 1.0 for men puts you at risk.
According to Crishi, it comes down to whether you’re apple- or pear-shaped: “The apple shape is more indicative of having cardiovascular disease than the pear shape is,” she says, as abdominal fat is more strongly associated with health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Researchers don’t yet know why abdominal fat is linked to greater risk, so they’re encouraging more research to confirm their hypotheses.
Check out Organic Authority’s archive of Health, Organic Food and Organic Living articles for tips on staying fit.
Tags: body shape, eating habits, fitness, Health, Organic Food, weight-loss
Posted in Health, Organic Living | No Comments »
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