February 7th, 2012
Last week we focused on the confusion over which nuts are good for you in small doses … and which shouldn’t be part of your Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome diet.
Some are so high in fat and calories that they should be avoided, while others are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Although full of fat, the “good” nuts have the mono unsaturated and polyunsaturated kind, which have been shown to lower LDL “bad” cholesterol,” as well as having an anti-inflammatory effect on your cardiovascular system.
Walnuts, almonds and pistachios passed the health test last week. So what other nuts can be good for you?
PECANS
A study ranked pecans as one of the top 15 sources of antioxidants. In another study, pecan antioxidants were shown to prevent LDL “bad” cholesterol from building up in arteries. Compared with other nuts, pecans have one of the highest levels of phytosterols – a group of plant chemicals that may help protect against cardiovascular disease.
Mix finely chopped pecans with bread crumbs and use as a coating on any broiled fish. One ounce = 19 halves, 196 calories, 3 g protein, 20 g fat.
HAZELNUTS
Hazelnuts have the highest nut level of folate, a B vitamin known to reduce the risk of birth defects. Research indicates that it, along with other B vitamins, may also lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and depression. Hazelnuts also contain moderate levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, all of which can help lower blood pressure.
Add roasted hazelnuts to asparagus with lemon vinaigrette. One ounce = 21 nuts, 178 calories, 4 g protein, 17 g fat.
BRAZIL NUTS
Good news and bad news here. On the negative side, they have 4g of saturated fat per one ounce serving. One ounce equals 6 nuts, 186 calories, 4g protein and 19g of total fat.
On the other hand, brazils have the highest amount of selenium of any food. This mineral can help eliminate renegade molecules called free radicals that can lead to cancer. Eat regularly but very sparingly.
February 6th, 2012
Some people may enjoy exercising before breakfast but it’s actually a bad time to try to get your body moving with strenuous activity.
Why? Because after fasting all night and lying mainly in one position for hours, it’s like asking your body to perform like a sports car without putting any gas in the tank. It’s a much better idea to boost your energy levels with a healthy breakfast before exercising so there is some fuel to call on.
A recent study by the University of South Carolina found that swimmers who raced at different times of the day performed worse in the early morning up to 8:00am and best in the evening. In fact, evening exercise has the extra benefit of replacing typically sedentary night-time activities such as watching TV and surfing the Internet.
But a really crucial factor in exercise is regularity. So it’s best to pick a time with the fewest distractions.
That may end up meaning early morning for some people because it’s the only time they can guarantee not skipping an exercise session by being asked to help with a child’s homework or having to stay late at the office.
Regular exercise combined with a balanced, nutritious PCOS diet can help reverse an underlying cause of excess weight and obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance. This latter condition decreases insulin sensitivity. By reversing Insulin Resistance, it is possible to facilitate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome weight loss.
February 3rd, 2012
Obese women are 70% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer if they carry most of their extra weight around the stomach area, according to new research.
The findings are among the first evidence that the link between obesity and pancreatic cancer is as strong in obese women as in men, Dr. Juhua Luo of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute reported in the British Journal of Cancer.
“We found that the risk of developing pancreatic cancer was significantly raised in obese post-menopausal women who carry most of their excess weight around the stomach,” said Dr. Luo.
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Though it accounts for only about 2% of the cancers diagnosed each year, the first-year survival rate is less than 5%, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Until now, smoking and chronic pancreatitis were the most well-established risk factors for the disease in men and women, with much of the evidence also pointing to a stronger obesity link for men.
As part of a large study known as the Women’s Health Initiative, researchers followed more than 138,000 menopausal women in the U.S. for more than seven years to investigate the links between obesity and pancreatic cancer. They found that 251 women developed the disease.
Of these, 78 had the highest waist-to-hip ratios. After factoring in other risk factors, this was 70% more than the 34 women with the lowest excess stomach weight who developed pancreatic cancer. The findings also suggest that
a) excess weight around the stomach may better predict the disease than the traditional Body Mass Index ( BMI) measurement for obesity.
b) obesity could increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by affecting insulin levels, with Type 2 Diabetes also playing a role.
A balanced, nutritious PCOS diet combined with regular exercise can help reverse an underlying cause of excess weight and obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance. This latter condition decreases insulin sensitivity. By reversing Insulin Resistance, it is possible to facilitate PCOS weight loss.
February 2nd, 2012
People who go for intense workouts over fairly long periods of time often fare less well at avoiding serious conditions than those who opt for more moderate exercise, according to a new study. However, length and intensity of exercise can also bring their own rewards.
Researchers at Duke University found that individuals who followed a relatively gentle exercise regime such as 30 minutes of daily walking had more success at reducing a significant risk factor for heart disease and Diabetes, namely levels of fat in the blood called triglycerides. The benefits also lingered longer.
The study team said they were “amazed” to discover that not only did triglycerides drop more with moderate but continuous exercise compared to intense workouts but also the levels stayed low even two weeks after the gentler exercise ended.
On the other hand, levels of HDL “good” cholesterol tended to improve with the length and intensity of the workout, with the benefits “sustained over time.” The higher the levels of HDL cholesterol, the less the chance of a heart attack or stroke.
One possible conclusion to draw from the research is that people should check their cholesterol levels, including LDL “bad” cholesterol, with their doctor and tailor the intensity and duration of their workouts to focus on specific problems.
A balanced, nutritious PCOS diet combined with regular exercise can help reverse an underlying cause of excess weight and obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance, which decreases insulin sensitivity. By reversing Insulin Resistance, it is possible to facilitate PCOS weight loss.
