5 surprising reasons you gain weight

Rarely does a complicated problem have a simple answer. And for America’s 36 percent national obesity rate, the answer is sandwiched between nutritional obfuscation from the people who sell food and the bad diet habits of those of us who eat it. So in Eat This, Not That! 2012, I took a hard look at the eating habits of America. Here I present to you the surprising reasons you gain weight, plus examples of the restaurant meals that encourage the bad habits.

Reason #1: Eating a Carb-Heavy Breakfast

Perkins Berry Blueberry Pancakes: 1,140 calories, 29 g fat (12 g saturated), 2,150 mg sodium, 200 g carbohydrate, 110 g sugars, 20 g protein

Sugar equivalent: 7 Klondike ice cream sandwiches!

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that meals that limited carbohydrates to 43 percent were more filling and had a milder effect on blood sugar than meals with 55 percent carbohydrates. With that in mind, this pancake platter is 70 percent carbs—a full 800 calories worth—making it a dangerous way to start your day.

The best breakfast is one heavy on protein, and eggs make that incredibly easy. In one study published in The International Journal of Obesity, dieters who ate eggs instead of bagels for breakfast lost 65% more weight and a 34% greater reduction in waist circumference.

Eat This Instead!

Perkins Build-Your-Own-Omelette with Swiss Cheese, Bacon, Mushrooms, and Spinach: 430 calories, 29 g fat (13.5 g saturated), 530 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g sugars, 35 g protein

Feel-good fuel: Food is powerful, and the wrong kind can leave you depressed, tired, and anxious. Instead, instantly brighten your day with these 11 Foods That End Bad Moods.

Reason #2: Eating Excessive Amounts of Sodium

P.F. Chang’s Pork Double Pan Fried Noodles: 1,652 calories, 84 g fat (12 g saturated), 7,900 mg sodium

Sodium equvalent: Nearly 9 cans of Pringles potato crisps!

Forget bloating and parchedness—these salt-soaked noodles pose a larger threat. Salt has been shown to produce an addictive effect similar to that of opiates. Researchers in Florida found that when opiate-dependent subjects went off a drug, they increased their intake of sodium-rich foods, ostensibly to stimulate those same opiate receptors in the brain.

Salt, say the researchers, often “feels good” rather than “tastes good.” The subjects in the study, during opiate withdrawal, saw an average weight gain of 6.6 percent. Protect yourself by swearing off The 8 NEW Saltiest Foods in America.

Eat This Instead!

P.F. Chang’s Garlic Noodles: 712 calories, 16 g fat (4 g saturated), 1,440 mg sodium

Reason #3: Ordering foods because the name sounds healthy

IHOP Chicken & Spinach Salad: 1,600 calories, 118 g fat (32 g saturated, .5 g trans), 2,340 mg sodium

Calorie equivalent: 3 McDonald’s Big Macs!

IHOP’s egregious salad is a prime example of what researchers call the “health halo” effect. This is the psychological phenomenon in which people perceive unhealthy meals as healthy when those foods are associated with good-for-you buzzterms or foods.

Words like “natural” or “multigrain” can be misleading, and any time a restaurant serves something on a salad, people automatically assume it’s good for them. The so-called health halo also makes us more likely to overeat. Restaurants like IHOP know and exploit this, which is how salads with 100+ grams of fat continue to make it onto menus.

Eat This Instead!

IHOP Take Two Combo, 1/2 Double BLT Sandwich and Seasonal Fresh Fruit: 470 calories, 28 g fat (6 g saturated), 1,180 mg sodium

Related link: Which is the superior snack: a granola bar or a chocolate pudding cup? The answer could surprise you. Find out, courtesy of The Ultimate Snack Scorecard.

Reason #4: Ordering combo meals

McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Value Meal (with Large Fries and Large Coke): 1,550 calories, 67 g fat (23 g saturated, 3 g trans), 1,750 mg sodium, 95 g sugars

Fat equivalent: 17 bowls of Kraft Easy Mac!

A study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing showed that, compared to a la carte orders, value meals pack an extra hundred calories or more. And in some cases, as seen here, that number can be much, much higher. Part of the problem is that restaurants bundle items together so that they can pawn off cheap calories, like those found in french fries.

So they earn more profit, and you earn more inches on your waistline. Piece together your own meal to be sure you’re not being stuck with any freeloading fat calories.

Eat This Instead!

McDonald’s McDouble, 4-Piece Chicken McNuggets, and Large Iced Tea: 580 calories, 31 g fat (10 g saturated, 1.5 g trans), 1,290 mg sodium, 7 g sugars

Related link: Discover the 1,500-calorie combos lurking in the drive-thru line with the 10 Worst Fast Food Meals.

Reason #5: Taking in empty calories

Dairy Queen Banana Cream Pie Blizzard (medium): 770 calories, 28 g fat (17 g saturated, 1 g trans), 83 g sugars

Sugar equivalent: 9 bowls of Cookie Crisp cereal!

Dessert calories are empty, meaning they present your body with lots of energy, but no nutritional advantage for burning it off. Sugar is the primary culprit here, and there’s a direct correlation between the amount you eat and the size of your pants. What’s most shocking is that we develop our propensity toward sugar at very young age.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, today’s kids take in about 16 percent of their daily calories from added sugars, and the main sources are soda, baked goods, cereal, candy, and fruit drinks.

This primes us to gravitate toward monstrous, over-sweetened desserts—like Blizzards—later in life. When your sweet tooth strikes, think modesty. It only takes a few bites to satisfy, and if you stop there, you’ve cut hundreds of calories from your diet.

Eat This Instead!

Dairy Queen Banana Sundae (medium), 330 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated, 0.5 g trans), 42 g sugars

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Posted in: 5 surprising reasons you gain weight,health gist,healthy diet

Causes of Forgetting in Human

What are some of the major reasons why we forget information? One of today's best known memory researchers, Elizabeth Loftus, has identified four major reasons why people forget: retrieval failure, interference, failure to store and motivated forgetting.

1. Retrieval Failure

Have you ever felt like a piece of information has just vanished from memory? Or maybe you know that it's there, you just can't seem to find it. The inability to retrieve a memory is one of the most common causes of forgetting.

So why are we often unable to retrieve information from memory. One possible explanation retrieval failure is known as decay theory. According to this theory, a memory trace is created every time a new theory is formed. Decay theory suggests that over time, these memory traces begin to fade and disappear. If information is not retrieved and rehearsed, it will eventually be lost.

One problem with this theory, however, is that research has demonstrated that even memories which have not been rehearsed or remembered are remarkably stable in long-term memory.

2. Interferance

Another theory known as interference theory suggests that some memories compete and interfere with other memories. When information is very similar to other information that was previously stored in memory, interference is more likely to occur.

There are two basic types of interference:

Proactive interference is when an old memory makes it more difficult or impossible to remember a new memory.

Retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with your ability to remember previously learned information.

3. Failure to Store

Sometimes, losing information has less to do with forgetting and more to do with the fact that it never made it into long-term memory in the first place. Encoding failures sometimes prevent information from entering long-term memory.

In one well-known experiment, researchers asked participants to identify the correct U.S. penny out of a group of incorrect pennies (Nickerson & Adams). Try doing this experiment yourself by attempting to draw a penny from memory, and then compare your results to an actual penny.

How well did you do? Chances are that you were able to remember the shape and color, but you probably forgot other minor details. The reason for this is that only details necessary for distinguishing pennies from other coins were encoded into your long-term memory.

4. Motivated Forgetting

Sometimes, we may actively work to forget memories, especially those of traumatic or disturbing events or experiences. The two basic forms of motivated forgetting are: suppression, a conscious form of forgetting, and repression, an unconscious form of forgetting.

However, the concept of repressed memories is not universally accepted by all psychologists. One of the problems with repressed memories is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to scientifically study whether or not a memory has been repressed. Also note that mental activities such as rehearsal and remembering are important ways of strengthening a memory, and memories of painful or traumatic life events are far less likely to be remembered, discussed or rehearsed.

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Posted in: causes of forgetting in Human,health gist

The Prevention, Cure And Cause Of Mouth Odour

Dental Health and Bad Breath

Bad breath, medically called halitosis, can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath can also be made worse by the types of foods you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

How Does What You Eat Affect Breath?

Basically, all the food you eat begins to be broken down in your mouth. As foods are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, they are eventually carried to your lungs and given off in your breath. If you eat foods with strong odors (such as garlic or onions), brushing and flossing -- even mouthwash -- merely covers up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body.

Why Do Poor Habits Cause Bad Breath?

If you don't brush and floss your teeth daily, food particles can remain in your mouth, which promotes bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This causes bad breath. In addition, odor-causing bacteria and food particles can cause bad breath if dentures are not properly cleaned.

Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products can also cause bad breath, stain teeth, reduce your ability to taste foods, and irritate the gums.

What Health Problems Are Associated With Bad Breath?

Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth may be warning signs of gum (periodontal) disease. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on teeth. The bacteria cause toxins to form in the mouth, which irritate the gums. If gum disease continues untreated, it can damage the gums and jawbone.

Other dental causes of bad breath include poorly fitting dental appliances, yeast infections of the mouth, and dental caries.

The medical condition dry mouth (also called xerostomia) can also cause bad breath. Saliva is necessary to moisten and cleanse the mouth by neutralizing acids produced by plaque and washing away dead cells that accumulate on the tongue, gums, and cheeks. If not removed, these cells decompose and can cause bad breath. Dry mouth may be caused by the side effects of various medications, salivary gland problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth.

Many other diseases and illnesses may cause bad breath. Here are some to be aware of: respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis, chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes, chronic acid reflux, and liver or kidney problems.

What Can I Do to Prevent Bad Breath?

Bad breath can be reduced or prevented if you:

Practice good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day with fluoridetoothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Brush your teeth after you eat (keep a toothbrush at work or school to brush after lunch). Don't forget to brush your tongue, too. Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months.

Use floss or an interdental cleaner to remove food particles and plaque between your teeth once a day. Dentures should be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly before being placed in your mouth the next morning.

See your dentist regularly - at least twice a year. He or she will conduct an oral examination and professional teeth cleaning and will be able detect and treat periodontal disease, dry mouth, or other problems that may be the cause of bad mouth odor.

Stop smoking/chewing tobacco-based products. Ask your dentist for tips on kicking the habit.
Drink lots of water. This will keep your mouth moist. Chewing gum (preferably sugarless) or sucking on candy (preferably sugarless) also stimulates the production of saliva, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria.

Keep a log of the foods you eat. If you think the foods that you eat may be causing your bad breath, record what you eat. Bring the log to your dentist to review. Similarly, make a list of the medications you take. Some medications may play a role in creating mouth odors.

Who Treats Bad Breath?

In most cases, your dentist can treat the cause of bad breath. If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy and that the odor is not of oral origin, you may be referred to your family doctor or to a specialist to determine the odor source and treatment plan. If the odor is due to gum disease, for example, your dentist can either treat the disease or refer you to a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in treating gum conditions.

What Products Can I Use to Eliminate Bad Breath?

You can buy a number of mouthwashes over-the-counter that claim to eliminate bad breath. However, keep in mind that many of these mouthwashes generally provide only a temporary way to mask unpleasant mouth odor. There are, however, several antiseptic mouth-rinse products available that instead of simply masking breath odor kill the germs that cause bad breath. Ask your dentist about which product is best for you.

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Posted in: Cure And Cause Of Mouth Odour,health gist,mouth odour gist,The Prevention

How to treat impotence with herbs

Erectile dysfunction — difficulty maintaining an erection sufficient for s*x — is a common problem. You’ve likely seen advertisements on the newspapers or in magazines for erectile dysfunction herbs or supplements.

The search for a remedy or a prescription that can enhance s*xual function and/or treat male erectile dysfunction has been an obsession throughout known history. Whether it was an Eastern civilisation or a Western one, religious or atheist, man’s aspiration for a better or best “manhood” has been a history-time goal.

In order to preserve the integrity of manhood various therapeutic approaches are employed. Among many orthodox therapeutic approaches is the use of Sildenafil citrate (Viagra), but with limited efficacy, unpleasant side effects and contraindications in certain disease conditions.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is quite common among s*xually active men in Nigeria, as evidenced by a survey

that was carried out in Ogbomoso metropolis.

In an assessment of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage to enhance male s*xual performance in Ogbomoso metropolis, for instance, researchers found that use of CAM is quite common among s*xually active men in the metropolis and usage is independent of socio-economic status.

Ironically, this survey found that there were 420 (79.24 per cent) CAM users, 38 (7.18 per cent) Orthodox remedy users and 72 (13.58 per cent) neither use herbal nor orthodox remedy to enhance s*xual performance, indicating a significant patronage of CAM as remedy for male s*xual dysfunction.

Also, significant percentage of orthodox remedy users indicated unpleasant experience when compared with CAM users.

The 2011 survey that was published in the Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology was done by Oyekunle Olanrewaju Akinloye from the Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State in collaboration with Raji Yinusa from the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Little wonder, research efforts are also geared towards finding natural products with aphrodisiac potentials, readily available, affordable and with little or no side effect.

Many plants have been reported to possess aphrodisiac potential and being employed as remedies for arousal disorders in males. The herb, the scientists assess to substantiate its usefulness for erectile dysfunction is Clerodendron capitatum, an indigenous tropical African plant.

In Sudan, the roots of this plant are used traditionally in the management of male erectile dysfunction. In Nigeria, this plant is used to treat diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension. It is suggested to be used also in the treatment of diarrhoea and malaria.

Clerodendron capitatum, locally named “Fèrèmomi” in Yoruba, is an indigenous tropical African plant, which grows fast, erect, well branched and grows up to between 0.5 and 2m high.

In carrying out the study, the researchers tried out the methanol extract of the plant root on rabbits and guinea pigs. The extract was made from the air dried and ground roots of the plant.

The researchers, who compared mechanistically the effect of this plant with the viagra, an orthodox drug, on the penile erection found that the plant in a dose dependent fashion can correct an erectile dysfunction arising from poor blood flow to the penis.

They postulated in the study which was published by the journal, Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine that the methanol extract of the root of Clerodendron capitatum induced penile erection in a similar fashion to viagra.

In the same vein, many plants have been reported to possess aphrodisiac potential and are being employed as remedies for arousal disorders in males they include extracts of Fadogia agrestis, Myristica fragans (nutmeg), Passiflora incarnate (passion flower) and Massularia acuminate known as pako ijebu or orin ijebu.

Meanwhile other researchers have shown how extracts of Tribulus terrestris increase the testosterone (male s*x hormone) level of the blood. They suggested that the aqueous extracts may thus be used to modify impaired s*xual functions in humans due to their saponin components.

Tribulus terrestris is commonly called devil’s thorn, yellow vine and goathead. In Nigeria, it is hana taakama in Hausa (prevents swagger, in allusion to its thorns piercing the feet-a common expression) or tsaida (to stop because if a thorn pierces the foot one must stop to extract it), kaije in Kanuri and da ogun daguro in Yoruba.

Tribulus terrestris has a long history of traditional medical use in China, India, and Greece. In ancient times it was recommended as a treatment to promote female fertility and support a healthy libido in both men and women.

S*xual behaviour and erection are dependent on an androgen (male s*x hormone like testosterone) that may be acting both centrally and peripherally. Testosterone supplementation has previously been shown to improve s*xual function and libido, in addition to the intensity of orgasm and ejaculation, which might also be expected to improve.

The increase in testosterone by extracts of Tribulus terrestris seemed to have translated into male s*xual competence as claimed by users of its herbal preparations.

Tribulus terrestris has a long history of traditional medical use in China, India, and Greece. In ancient times it was recommended as a treatment to promote female fertility and support a healthy libido in both men and women.

The study by Adimoelja A. entitled “Phytochemicals and the breakthrough of traditional herbs in the management of s*xual dysfunctions” was published in the International Journal of Andrology.

In addition, chili peppers such as African Pepper, Red Bird Pepper and Hot Flame peppers aside its high vitamin A content, which reportedly helps with smooth skin and vision also has an invigorating effect on several body systems, the penile.

There was convincing research on the role of cayenne in libido or s*xual enhancement and as an aphrodisiac. Cayenne works as a stimulant and catalyst for aphrodisiac functions.

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Posted in: health gist,How to treat impotence with herbs,impotence gist

Risk Factors for Recurrence of Depression

Depression is a common mental health disorder that negatively affects daily functioning and quality of life. Unfortunately, depression is often a recurrent disorder.

Current treatment guidelines are based on clinical features of the disease, but new evidence points to sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics that influence the severity and prognosis of depression. 

Specifically, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal highlights smoking and a feeling of lack of control over one’s life as significant predictors of a negative long-term prognosis of depression. 

The population-based survey evaluated nearly 600 people aged 16 or older who participated in a national health survey. The national survey included more than 17,000 participants, and the subjects in this evaluation were those who had reported a major depressive episode in the first year of the survey. The participants were followed for six years. 

More than half (64.5%) of the participants were women, and, at baseline, the average age of the group was approximately 39 years. Most of the participants were white (91.7%) and earned a middle to high income (81.5%). Nearly two-thirds had achieved greater than a high school education. Over the follow-up period, slightly more than half (55.3%) of the survey population experienced repeated episodes of depression. 

The authors evaluated numerous physical, emotional, psychological, social, and demographic characteristics of the participants to examine their association with depressive episodes. Daily smoking and low mastery (feeling that life circumstances are beyond one’s control) were significant predictors of recurrent depression. 

A history of depression, which is already a well-established risk factor for future episodes of depression, was also significantly related to recurrent depressive episodes in this study. The association between risk factors and depressive episodes varied with the severity of depression. Due to the nature of the study and the small sample size, the direction of effect and causal mechanisms are unclear. However, interventions that promote smoking cessation and increase mastery may provide positive mental health outcomes. 

Smoking cessation has obvious health benefits, and high levels of mastery are linked to regular physical activity, a healthy diet, decreased metabolic risk factors, and a decreased risk of death from cardiovascular factors. In fact, high levels of mastery at baseline were protective against recurrent episodes of depression in this population.

 Smoking and mastery are simple and straightforward to assess in routine clinical practice. According to the authors of the current study, these novel prognostic factors may offer new avenues for treatment of depression and prevention of recurrent depressive episodes.

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Posted in: depression gist,health gist,Risk Factors for Recurrence of Depression

Loud iPods overtake noisy workplaces as most common cause of hearing damage

Loud iPods overtake noisy workplaces as most common cause of hearing damage Millions of commuters risk hearing damage because they have set the volume level too high on their MP3 players. In the past, loud workplaces were blamed for causing the majority of harmful noise. 

However, researchers at Michigan University in the US found that noise from MP3 players has overtaken as the biggest danger to hearing. Occupational health experts found nine out of 10 people using public transport were exposed to excessive noise through listening to loud music through their headphones, rather than from the environment. 

This could be because cheap headphones fail to seal against the ear properly, causing commuters to turn up the volume to block out exterior noise. The resulting tinny noise can drive fellow passengers up the wall. Professor Rick Neitzel, who co-authored the study, said: 'It's startling that two in three people get the majority of noise exposure from music.

'I've always viewed the workplace as a primary risk for noise exposure. But this would suggest that just focusing our efforts on the workplace isn't enough, since there's lots of noise exposure happening elsewhere. 'It's a serious problem as there aren't really any other experiences where we would tolerate having nine out of 10 people exposed at a level we know is hazardous. We certainly wouldn't tolerate this with something that caused cancer or chronic disease. Yet for some reason we do for noise.' 

 Researchers looked at noise exposure among 4,500 New Yorkers who used public transport, in work and non-work related activities, MP3 player and stereo use and during domestic activities. They found the average New York public transport user spent about 380 hours using buses and trains, exposed to average noise levels of 72 to 81 decibels. For comparison, the average speaking level is 60 decibels, a busy street corner is 80, a circular saw is 90, a baby crying 115. 

The threshold for pain is about 125, and even a brief, one-time exposure above that level can cause permanent hearing loss. Prof Neitzel said: 'Lots of people appear to be exposed at hazardous levels. 'A growing number of studies show noise causes stress, sleep disturbance, and heart disease. It may be the noise which we haven't historically paid much attention to is actually contributing to some of the top health problems in developed countries today.'

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Posted in: health gist,hearing gist,Loud iPods overtake noisy workplaces as most common cause of hearing damage

Young mother, 20, dies after taking 'a few extra paracetamol' to help cope with br*ast surgery pain

A young mother died from liver failure following routine surgery after she took 'a few extra tablets' of paracetamol each day to cope with the pain.

Desiree Phillips, 20, had a number of benign lumps on her br*ast removed earlier this year.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics and over-the-counter paracetamol to help her cope with the discomfort.

Her family suspected she was taking just ‘a few extra tablets’ a day before she was admitted to hospital with a failing liver nine days after the operation.

The single mother, from Llanelli, South Wales, endured a week of excruciating pain and a liver transplant. But she died at Birmingham Queen Elizabeth hospital on August 26.

Her grandfather Des Phillips and mother Ayshea spoke of their shock and sorrow.

Mr Phillips, 58, a chef, said: ‘She must have been taking a few extra tablets than the recommended eight a day. She seemed fine to us, then out of the blue her boyfriend found her stretched out on the sofa.

‘When we heard she was at hospital we never expected she might die. People don’t realise that an extra two over a period of time can harm your liver if you keep taking that over two to three weeks.’

He added:'We have lost part of our heart, losing her like this.'

.

Mr Phillips said: ‘They said she should have a liver transplant straight away but her body rejected the new organ.’

Although an inquest is yet to be held, Desiree’s family is keen for action to be taken to try to prevent similar tragedies.

Mr Phillips said: ‘If a painkiller is that dangerous, it should be prescribed. Cigarettes have a label saying “smoking kills” but paracetamol packets don’t look dangerous.’

Desiree’s family said her one-year-old son Jayden is now being cared for by his father Simon Dewi-Jones.

Desiree’s mother Ayshea, 38, added: ‘Jayden doesn’t deserve to be growing up without a mum because of this.’

The 20-year-old's funeral was held at Llanelli Crematorium yesterday.

Dr Kenneth Simpson, of the Scottish Liver Transplantation Unit, who led a study on paracetamol-induced liver injury in 663 patients, says 161 of them had taken a ‘staggered overdose’ – taking one or two too many over several days.

‘Those who’ve taken a staggered overdose do worse, paradoxically, than the people who’ve tried to kill themselves,’ said Dr Simpson.

A Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency spokesman said: ‘Paracetamol is a safe and effective painkiller when used correctly and when dosage recommendations are followed.

‘Every pack has a warning about overdose and instructions not to take more than eight tablets in any 24-hour period.’

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Posted in: 20,dies after taking 'a few extra paracetamol' to help cope with br*ast surgery pain,health gist,Young mother

Eating Nuts Helps In Loss of Weight!

The researchers said that eating at least one ounce of raw and unpeeled nuts such as hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds will help you manage your weight better. Eating nuts increased the levels of serotonin in the brain which reduces the feelings of hunger and is also beneficial to your heart.

Around 42 people took part in the study, led by Cristina Andres-Lacueva, of which 22 people followed a nut rich diet for over 12 weeks while the remaining were told to avoid nuts.

According to the study, published in the American Chemical Society Journal of Proteome Research, those who ate nuts regularly displayed increased levels of serotonin and reduced levels of substances that have been associated with heart disease and inflammation.

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Posted in: eatin g nut help in weight loss,health gist,nut gist

Children with low levels of zinc may be at higher risk of autism

Children who are low in zinc may be at higher risk of autism.

A study found that large numbers of children with autism and related conditions such as Asperger’s syndrome were deficient in the mineral, which is found in meat, bread and dairy products.

The researchers said their finding provided hope for the treatment and prevention of autism.
But British experts say it is impossible to draw any firm conclusions from the study – and people should not rush out to stock up on zinc supplements.

Autism and related conditions affect more than one in 100 British children – ten times more than just 30 years ago – but the condition is still little understood.
In the latest study, researchers in Tokyo measured levels of zinc in the hair of almost 2,000 children with autism and related conditions.

More...
Cancer-risk of well-cooked meat may be more than twice as high than first thought
Handful of nuts a day can help beat belly fat
This showed a ‘considerable association’ with zinc deficiency, especially in the youngest children, according to the journal Scientific Reports.


Pills: But experts warn that taking too many supplements can do more harm than good
The lowest levels were seen amongst the youngest children, with almost half of the boys and more than half of the girls aged up to the age of three judged to be deficient.
Some cases were severe, with one two-year-old boy having just one twelfth of the expected amount.

The researchers said it seems that infants need more zinc for growth and development than older children and that that lack of zinc early in life may be involved in the development of autism.

They concluded: ‘A nutritional approach may yield a novel hope for its treatment and prevention.’

But British experts in the development of the brain said that much more research is needed. And they stressed that linking something with a disease does not necessarily mean it caused it.

Professor Dorothy Bishop, of the University of Oxford, said: ‘If zinc deficiency is confirmed in future research, then it remains unclear whether this is a cause of autism, or rather reflective of dietary abnormalities.

‘Many children with autism will eat only a restricted range of foods and some have a habit of chewing on inedible objects.’

Uta Frith, of University College London, said there were weaknesses in the way the study was carried out. She said that on no account should people start medicating themselves – or their children – with zinc.
The professor told the Daily Mail: ‘It is just as bad to have too much zinc as too little.

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Posted in: health gist,zinc bebefit

How you CAN beat your 'fat genes' and lose weight... with exercise

When getting in to last season’s clothes is a struggle, it is all too easy to tell ourselves that being plump is in our genes.

But those cursed with the ‘fat gene’ are mistakenly shunning exercise in the belief they are powerless to shift those extra pounds, a study claims.

Experts have found that when it comes to our weight, we are not slaves to our genes after all.

Being active can melt away unsightly rolls of fat – even in those who have inherited DNA that makes them prone to obesity.

Their study focused on the ‘junk food gene’, a strain of DNA carried by around two-thirds of Britons which makes them crave fatty and sugary food.

Those with a flawed version of the FTO gene, as it is known, eat 100 calories more per meal than people without it. Over a week, this amounts to an extra 2,100 calories – a whole day’s food.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge examined data on genes, weight and the exercise habits of 220,000 adults from around the world.

Like others before it, the study linked flawed FTO genes with obesity. But it also highlighted the value of exercise.

In couch-potatoes with one copy of the gene, odds of obesity were 30 per cent higher than in those who do not have it. In those who exercised, the gene only raised the odds 22 per cent.
It means exercise cuts the effect of the FTO gene by 27 per cent, the PLoS Medicine journal reports.

Those with two copies of the gene who did not exercise had a 69 per cent higher chance of obesity than those without the gene. The figure fell by 29 per cent in those who exercised.
A summary by the journal’s editors said: ‘The wider public view of genetically determined obesity not being amenable to exercise is incorrect.’

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Posted in: benefit of jogging,health gist

Vitamins linked with higher death risk in older women

When it comes to vitamins, it appears you could have too much of a good thing, say researchers who report a link between their use and higher death rates among older women.

Experts have suspected for some time that supplements may only be beneficial if a person is deficient in a nutrient. 

And excess may even harm, as the study in Archives of Internal Medicine finds. All of the women, in their 50s and 60s, were generally well nourished yet many had decided to take supplements. 

Multivitamins, folic acid, vitamin B6, magnesium, zinc, copper and iron in particular appeared to increase mortality risk. The researchers believe consumers are buying supplements with no evidence that they will provide any benefit.

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Posted in: health gist,health tip for women,vitamin pills unhealthy for wom,vitamins gist

Want to cure that snack habit? Eat more protein as too little makes you hungry

Too little protein in your diet makes you feel hungry and reach for fattening snacks, an international study shows. Eating more than the average amount of foods such as meat, fish, eggs and nuts can stop you gaining two pounds a month. Researchers found that those whose meals were ten per cent protein consumed 260 more calories a day than those on 15 per cent protein. 

 Not only did they eat more but 70 per cent of the extra calories they ate were between snacks between meals rather than at mealtimes. Raising consumption to 25 per cent – as advocated by the Atkins Diet – was no extra help in halting over-eating.

An average British adult eats around 12 per cent protein, but for many people this has gone down as a result of diluting their protein intake with lots of carbohydrates from processed foods.

The researchers from Cambridge University and the University of Sydney recruited 22 volunteer, all of a healthy weight and aged between 18 and 51, to live and eat in a science facility.

While the foods looked the same, they had different protein levels. Typical meals were a savoury muffin for breakfast, and tuna bake with salad for lunch and beef pasty or spaghetti bolognaise with vegetables and a dessert for dinner. 

The amount of fat remained constant at 30 per cent of the total calories in a meal but the carbohydrate was adjusted to either 45, 50 or 60 per cent of the meal. 

Volunteers all took the same amount of exercise – a one-hour supervised walk per day – and did the same activities to avoid them eating out of boredom or stress. People who consumed ten per cent protein a day ate on average an extra 1,036 calories over a four-day period compared with those who ate a 15 per cent protein diet. 

Over a year that would be enough to gain two stone. Each was asked to rate how hungry they felt at one-hour intervals and those who ate 15 per cent protein felt fuller two hours after a meal than those on the 10 per cent protein diet while at 25 per cent the difference was no higher.

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Posted in: health gist,more protein can cure snakes habit

Asthma inhalers to be banned by year's end for allegedly disrupting ozone layer

Asthma sufferers who use inexpensive, over-the-counter Primatene Mist (PM) inhalers will no longer be able to obtain them beginning in 2012, thanks to a phase-out of the product initiated by the Obama administration. 

In accordance with the Montreal protocols adopted during the Bush administration, products that emit chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which include PM inhalers, are an alleged threat to the ozone layer, and are thus being withdrawn from use. 

The decision is a curious one, though, as the Obama administration recently denied a new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) smog rule that was allegedly designed to cut emissions and protect the ozone layer. Surely millions of vehicles produce more ozone-destroying pollution than those tiny inhalers do, right? 

Nevertheless, the Obama administration is moving forward with the inhaler ban, which will send thousands of asthma patients using epinephrine inhalers to the pharmacist counter to purchase more-expensive, prescription-only albuterol inhalers, which can cost up to three times more and are not necessarily as effective. 

We at NaturalNews do not necessarily endorse either type of inhaler, since the chemicals inside them can cause respiratory illness and other health problems in those that use them (http://www.naturalnews.com/020318.html). The simple fact of the matter is that a common medicine is being banned, not because it is harmful to human health, but because it is supposedly harmful to the environment. 

The minute amount of CFCs emitted by epinephrine inhalers is nothing compared to the massive amount of other pollutants permitted to freely plague the environment -- toxic waste from pharmaceutical plants, fluoride chemicals dumped in water, and the millions of tons of aerosol chemicals sprayed in skies by aircraft to allegedly "prevent global warming" are just a few examples. 

And yet the Obama administration is targeting a simple inhaler for extinction, which conveniently leaves several million asthma sufferers with no choice but to buy high-priced alternatives that require a trip to the doctor first in order to get a prescription. The good news, though, is that there are ways to treat asthma naturally without the use of any inhaler. For some, simply drinking more water is enough to "cure" the disease, as respiratory inflammation is often caused by a lack of hydration

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Posted in: Asthma gist,health gist,inhaler to be banned

Swimming Pool Chemicals Cause Thousands of Injuries: CDC

More than 28,000 cases of injury and illness caused by swimming pool chemicals are estimated to have occurred in the United States between 2002 and 2008, according to a new federal study. 

Most of the cases occurred at private homes, and the most common problems were respiratory symptoms and eye and skin injuries, the researchers said. 

The findings are based on projections from a nationally representative sample of hospital emergency rooms and a state-based injury and illness surveillance system, the researchers said. 

They noted that people can suffer injury or illness when pool disinfectants and other chemicals are used or stored improperly, and when they are handled or applied by untrained people or those who don’t use appropriate personal protective equipment. 

Factors that led to injury and illness included lack of proper training and supervision, spills/splashes of chemicals, and mixing incompatible pool products. The researchers outlined a number of ways to prevent pool chemical-related injuries and illness. 

They include: better chemical handling practices; pool chemical container and label redesign; and engineering controls, such as installing devices at pools to prevent the mixing of incompatible pool products.

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Posted in: health gist,swimming pool chemical may cause heat damage

Red Wine May Get Thumbs up for Br*ast Cancer

The latest research conducted jointly by Italian researchers collaborating with the Americans indicating that Resveratrol blocks estrogen receptors that make br*ast cancer grow, is perhaps the first study to claim positive effects of red wine against cancer but it must not make women to rush to the nearby wine bar yet, warns Subhash Arora.

The finding of the study published in the October, 2011 edition of the FASEB Journal is important for women whose br*ast cancer becomes resistant to hormonal therapy.

For the study, the scientists tested the effect of the red wine ingredient Resveratrol in br*ast cancer cell lines in the laboratory. They compared the resveratrol treated cells to those left untreated, finding drastic reductions of estrogen receptors that they also discovered was a direct result of the red wine ingredient.

The br*ast cancer cells showed significantly slower growth compared to the cells left untreated.

"Resveratrol is a potential pharmacological tool to be exploited when br*ast cancer become resistant to the hormonal therapy," said Sebastiano Andò, a researcher involved in the work from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Calabria in Italy.

However, Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal warns that women shouldn’t take resveratrol supplements or start drinking red wine to treat br*ast cancer, according to examiner.com.

According to the American Cancer Society, even one drink per day increases the risk of br*ast cancer and the risk gets bigger with more drinks. According to the editorial message of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, "from a standpoint of cancer risk, the message could not be clearer. There is no level of alcohol consumption that can be considered safe."

The research though encouraging, must be treated with caution and as academic for the time being, according to delWine. The researchers did not study the effects of red wine, but rather the effects of one chemical in a test tube. A lot more studies are needed before one gives any medical opinion

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Posted in: br*ast cancer tip.,health gist,red wine news

Types Of Cancer: Symptoms And Management

Globally, the month of October is used to create awareness on br*ast cancer. According to estimates, over 1.38 million new br*ast cancer cases are diagnosed annually with 458, 367 deaths worldwide annually. One of the keys for treating br*ast cancer is catching it very early on, experts say. 

This month aims to promote women’s awareness of the disease and encourage mammogram screening which has become much more accurate at detecting early states of the disease. Many non-governmental organisations and the Federal Ministry of Health are of the opinion that the fight against br*ast cancer should be taken to the public at large. 

Events are held around the country in October, including walks and other fund-raising activities, that not only promote br*ast cancer awareness but also seek to raise money to provide all women access to healthcare and br*ast screening. The issue is certainly worth paying attention to, with figures showing alarming rate of a million new cases of invasive br*ast cancer this year with approximately 20% dying from the disease, it is not to be taken lightly. 

Br*ast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, and surprisingly, it can also occur in men, though the number of cases is well under one percent and less than 500 males will die from the disease in 2011. Apart from having regular screenings and being generally aware of br*ast health, other factors that women should be aware of include:

Post menopausal

weight gain

Family history of the disease

Getting yearly mammograms after the age of 40 Arguments that are commonly heard include ideas that people rather wouldn’t know if they have cancer so avoid screenings, as well as not bothering because they feel healthy. 

Two aspects that women should be aware of is the possibility to make regular self examinations once a month, and on a positive note, being clear that br*ast cancer survival rates are improving both from more cases being caught early on and treatments and technologies becoming more advanced. Br*ast cancer survivors generally have a good quality of post-treatment life and many go on to live happy and healthy lives, having overcome the disease. 

 Having this kind of information made clear is one of the primary goals of Br*ast Cancer Awareness Month. However, the four most common cancers are: Br*ast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer . Cancer is a broad term that encompasses over one hundred different types of cancer. Although each type has its own set of characteristics, there are some cancer symptoms that occur in many types of cancer. 

It is important to note that some types of cancer do not present any symptoms until they are in advanced stages. This is why cancer screening and risk assessment are vital for cancer prevention and early detection, medical journals said. For most people with cancer, a persistent symptom is what prompted them to seek medical attention that eventually led to a cancer diagnosis. 

A 47-year-old Anayo Okechukwu, said he had severe drenching night sweats, severe heartburn, and a severe host of pains in the stomach, lower back pain, shoulder pain, difficulty swallowing sometimes, and a drastic weight loss. Currently living with liver cancer, Andrew presented with a noggin on his thyroid with a tumor that is growing and spreading. “So my symptoms were real,” he says, “I’m sad and I’m not afraid. I only feel afraid for my children ages 17, 15, 16 and 11. They will need me and I fear what they will fear or go through. I’m tired. 

I just want to make sure that I’m comfortable. No more pain” he says. Another victim who refused his name on print, said, “I have had soft tissue sarcoma since age 21. It has been removed five times but spread to my liver five years ago. I have been having bad back, chest and hip pain. I have lumps and bumps all over. I feel tired all the time, and I can’t handle any weight on my body at all. The hip pain causes me to not be able to sleep well, hurts to have s*xual intercourse. In fact, I hurt every day. 

Five years ago, I was diagnosed stage four but have always been told they don’t know the primary source. I am hurting alone and scared to death” A medical expert, Dr Okunoghae Imafidon, offers hope and succor to the sufferers of cancers, saying, “There is life after death. If you or your family are struggling with the possibilities of having cancer, stay positive and exercise, even more importantly read God’s Word. The Bible says it will give strength to thy navel and marrow to thy bones. 

Read the book of Psalms and Romans. He is the only one who gives true peace” Musa Abu tells his own story. “I am a smoker of about 30 cigarettes a day, and have been smoking for a good 25 years, I am a female. I always feel extremely exhausted, although my line of work is very physical. Of late I have developed a pain in my chest, not serious but it is always there. My legs are aching in and behind the joints, especially when I have been lying down or sitting and I get up, and I suffer from very bad headaches on a daily basis. 

A friend of mine passed away last year with pancreatic cancer and one of her symptoms was the sore legs, do you think I need to be checked?” For ovarian cancer, it is always characterized with abnormal bleeding, according to doctors. Mrs Victoria narrates her experience, “I did not know I had gone through the menopause. I still thought I was having periods when in fact I had womb cancer. 

I am due to have my womb removed. Apart from the bleeding, which still occurred roughly monthly, I felt a little tired, so I thought that at 59, I may have made medical history by being one of the oldest menstruating women because of the way the bleeding was occurring, monthly. But no, I did get a very nasty shock after having a biopsy and within one month of seeing my doctor and having my hospital tests, I had my operation in five days time. 

I will not deny I am a little frightened, but fingers crossed that it is contained in the lining of my womb” Another says, “It turns out that I have small-cell cancer in the lung and liver. It is spreading fast. There is little they can do to slow it down, and there is no stopping it at all. I am terminally ill. By the time I found it out, I was a stage 4.” Also, cancer knows no age barrier as a student laments his fate “I have had a sinus infection for four months now. 

It never gets better and every doctor I have seen just prescribes antibiotics that never seem to help. Now I’m having pain in my left side in and under my ribs, I always feel like I’ve eaten a truck load of food, fatigue, I’m impossibly cold all the time, my glands in my neck are always swollen and sometimes hurt so bad that my teeth ache and I’m having my period every two weeks. 

I also have a rash that doesn’t itch or hurt on my arms and legs. I can’t seem to get any doctor to want to find out what is causing all this. They just throw antibiotics at me and send me on my way. Nobody believes me because I’m young and supposed to be healthy but clearly I’m not. Not even my roommate believes me and he’s been present for all of this stuff. I am so aggravated and worried about myself. How do I get them to listen?” Speaking on the early symptoms of lung cancer. Okunoghae says, “We know that the survival rate from lung cancer is better the earlier it is caught. 

The 60% to 80% 5-year survival rate with stage 1 lung cancer drops to a saddening 10% with stage 4 diseases, yet nearly half of people has progressed to this advanced stage at the time of diagnosis.” Significantly, he said one should keep in mind that understanding the early symptoms of lung cancer is important for non-smokers as well as smokers. According to World Health Organisation estimates, currently, 50 per cent of people who develop lung cancer are former smokers, and 15 per cent have never smoked. 

Many people dismiss or adapt to a chronic cough, attributing it to something else. Perhaps it is allergies, a “leftover” cough following a cold, or dry air during the winter months. But, the Oncologist noted that a cough that lasts more than a few weeks can be a sign of something else. “A chronic cough as an early symptom of lung cancer is even easier to miss if you have a condition that predisposes you to coughing, such as asthma, COPD, allergies, or gastroesophageal reflux. 

Coughing up blood (hemoptysis) is a common symptom of lung cancer, but can be fairly subtle and you may notice only a small amount of blood tinged phlegm when you cough. If you experience a persistent cough, check with your doctor, and ask for a second opinion if you don’t get a clear answer.”

There are four standard methods of treatment for cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and biologic therapy. Clinical trials may be an option for some as cancer treatment who meet certain study criteria. 

When initially diagnosed with cancer, a cancer specialist, an oncologist, will provide you with the cancer treatment options. He or she will recommend the best treatment plan based on your type of cancer, how far it has spread, and other important factors like your age and general health. Ultimately, you are the one who makes your treatment decisions based on your doctor’s recommendations, possible second opinions, and other information gathered from qualified professionals. 

Surgery: Surgery can be used to prevent, treat, stage (determine how advanced the cancer is), and diagnose cancer. In relation to cancer treatment, surgery is done to remove tumors or as much of the cancerous tissue as possible. It is often performed in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. For those whose cancer is not treatable, palliative surgery may be an option to relieve pain that may be caused by the cancer. Palliative surgery is not intended to treat or cure the cancer, or even to prolong life, but more to lessen discomfort. 

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to eliminate cancer cells. Unlike surgery, chemotherapy affects the entire body, not just a specific part. It works by targeting rapidly multiplying cancer cells. Unfortunately, other types of cells in our bodies also multiply at high rates, like hair follicle cells and the cells that line our stomachs. This is why chemo can cause side effects like hair loss and an upset stomach. 

Chemotherapy is most commonly given by pill or intravenously (IV), but can be given in other ways. A single type of chemotherapy, or a combination of drugs, may be prescribed for a specific length of time. Like surgery, chemotherapy can be prescribed alone, in conjunction with radiation therapy or biologic therapy. 

Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy uses certain types of energy to shrink tumors or eliminate cancer cells. It works by damaging a cancer cell’s DNA, making it unable to multiply. Cancer cells are highly sensitive to radiation and typically die when treated. Nearby healthy cells can be damaged as well, but are resilient and are able to fully recover.

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Posted in: br*ast cancer tip.,cancer news,health gist,type and syptoms of cancers