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.
January 31st, 2012
People with PCOS depression have a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than non-depressed individuals, according to a new study.
The findings, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that the relationship between Type 2 Diabetes, which is closely linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, may be somewhat like a two-way highway. Not only can Diabetes lead to depression, but the latter can also lead to Diabetes.
U.S. researchers led by Dr. Sherita Hill Golden of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore tracked an ethnically diverse group of about 5,000 men and women between ages 45-84 for three years.
They found that people with symptoms of depression were 42% more likely to develop Diabetes by the end of the study than those without such symptoms. They also found that the more serious the symptoms, the higher the risk of Diabetes.
The researchers statistically accounted for factors including obesity, smoking and lack of physical activity, finding that the risk for Diabetes was still 34% higher in patients with depression.
“When we looked at the people in our study who had elevated symptoms of depression, they were more likely to eat more calories, they exercised less and they were more likely to be current smokers. And as a consequence, they were also more obese,” said Dr. Golden, who added that depression also pushes up the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol.
This latter hormone can impair insulin sensitivity and encourage belly fat – risk factors, in their own right, for the onset of Diabetes.
The study also measured the risk for developing depression among people who already had Type 2 Diabetes. Researchers discovered that people who had been treated for this condition were 54% more likely to develop depression symptoms than non-Diabetics.
Regular exercise combined with a balanced, nutritious PCOS diet can help reverse an underlying cause of depression-linked 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 and improve mood.
January 20th, 2012
People who have a cat can reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke by more than a third, researchers have found.
Owning a cat as a pet helps to relieve stress and anxiety, which is known to help protect against heart disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart rate.
Researchers at Minnesota University looked at 4,435 adults aged between 30 and 75, about half of whom owned a cat. The findings, presented at a stroke conference, showed that 3.4% of the cat owners died from a heart attack over 10 years. But among the group who had never owned a cat, the rate was nearly double.
Cat owners still had a much reduced chance of developing a stroke or heart attacks when researchers took account of other factors known to trigger heart disease, including excess weight and obesity, high cholesterol levels, smoking and Diabetes.
Study leader Professor Adnan Qureshi said he was surprised by the strength of the effect that owning a cat appeared to have.
“The logical explanation may be that cat ownership relieves stress and anxiety and subsequently reduces the risk of heart diseases,” he said.
Professor Qureshi believes one reason could be that stroking the pet may cut the level of stress-related hormones in the blood. But he added that the type of person who owned a cat was usually already fairly stress-free and at low risk of heart disease.
A balanced, nutritious PCOS diet combined with regular exercise can help reverse an underlying cause of heart disease, namely the excess weight and obesity-linked imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance. By reversing this latter condition, you can facilitate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome weight loss.
December 26th, 2011
Complicated aerobic exercises can have a great effect on personal fitness. But so, too, can something as simple as walking.
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh revealed that overweight people who walked briskly for 30-60 minutes a day lost weight even if they didn’t change any other lifestyle habits, though a balanced, nutritious diet is vital for long-term health.
Another study found that people who walked for at least four hours a week gained less weight (an average nine pounds less) than couch potatoes as they got older.
Researchers at the University of Colorado discovered that regular walking helped to prevent peripheral artery disease, which impairs blood flow in the legs and causes leg pain in one-fifth of elderly people.
And walking can apparently even help to prevent colds. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts medical school found that people who walked every day had 25% fewer colds than those who were sedentary.
Because walking is a weight-bearing exercise, it can also help prevent the bone disease osteoporosis. Bones are like muscles in the way that they get stronger and denser with the more demands you place on them. The pull of a muscle against a bone, together with the force of gravity when you walk, will stress the bone – which responds by stimulating tissue growth and renewal.
Best of all, walking makes you feel good about yourself. For people with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome suffering from depression, walking three to four times a week for 30 minutes has been shown to enhance their mood.
Experts recommend walking 10,000 steps most days (about five miles) to stay healthy. But don’t be alarmed by that prospect because you’re allowed to take as long as you like to work up to feeling comfortable with walking that kind of distance.
Regular exercise when combined with a healthy PCOS diet can help reverse an underlying cause of obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance. By reversing Insulin Resistance, you can facilitate weight loss.
