Ramanisblog

Tag: Diet

  • On Diet and Why Dieting does not help.

    Glasstrut, Tip Top
    Image via Wikipedia

     

    Causes for Obesity and weight gain have not been found conclusively.

    By Dieting with the scant knowledge we have often impairs Health and  results in loss of Stamina.

    I have seen people who have been on Diet looking shrunken,frame is there but some thing is missing.

    Also Dieting may damage metabolism.

    Individuals are unique.

    There can never be a standard Diet for all of us.

    My suggestion,in the interest of your health, is,eat what you want in moderation.

    Avoid junk food.

    Shun snacks.

    Take one breakfast , two meals a day.

    Take fibrous food , vegetables and Fruits9( eat food not simply as a dessert, but eat when hungry-read my blog on How to eat fruit?)

    Eat Dinner before 10 pm.

    Have a good sleep.

    Story:

    The most immediate reason that diets don’t work over the long term is that they promote a loss of the internal signals for hunger and fullness that are necessary for normal eating. This was the finding of a classic study conducted by Janet Polivy and Peter Herman at the University of Toronto, published in 1999. In this experiment, a group of dieters and a group of nondieters were given the task of comparing ice cream flavors. Participants in each group were divided into three subgroups. Before getting the ice cream, the first subgroup was asked to drink two milkshakes, the second subgroup was asked to drink one milkshake, and the third subgroup wasn’t given any milkshakes. Next, the researchers offered the groups three flavors of ice cream and asked the participants to rate the flavors, eating as much ice cream as they desired.

    The results revealed that the nondieters ate as you might expect: those who hadn’t consumed any milkshakes ate the most ice cream, those who’d consumed one milkshake ate less ice cream, and those who’d consumed two milkshakes ate the least. The dieters, by contrast, reacted in the opposite way. Those who were offered no milkshakes before the taste test ate small amounts of ice cream, those who drank one shake ate more ice cream, and those who’d consumed two milkshakes ate the most ice cream!

    The researchers termed what had happened to the dieters “disinhibition,” which occurs as a result of a “diet-mentality.” The milkshake preload had a different effect on dieters than on nondieters. Nondieters, eating in an unrestrained and normal manner, tend to regulate their food consumption according to internal physical cues of hunger and satiety. Therefore, in the experiment, nondieters regulated the amount of ice cream they ate based on perceived fullness. What could be more obvious and natural?

    The dieters, however, reacted in the opposite way — the more milkshakes they consumed, the more ice cream they ate. Why did they lose the capacity to regulate their intake? According to the researchers, this “counterregulation” occurs because a milkshake preload disinhibits a dieter’s usually inhibited or restrained eating, almost like a switch: “I’ve blown it anyway, so I might as well keep eating before I go back on my diet.” This is an almost irresistible incentive to go on eating well past physical fullness.

    The dieters, however, reacted in the opposite way — the more milkshakes they consumed, the more ice cream they ate. Why did they lose the capacity to regulate their intake? According to the researchers, this “counterregulation” occurs because a milkshake preload disinhibits a dieter’s usually inhibited or restrained eating, almost like a switch: “I’ve blown it anyway, so I might as well keep eating before I go back on my diet.” This is an almost irresistible incentive to go on eating well past physical fullness.

    For example, metabolism plays a significant role in determining our weight. Resting metabolic rate refers to the amount of energy the body burns when not engaged in physical activity; it accounts for approximately 70 percent of the calories we burn each day. About 40 to 80 percent of the influence for resting metabolism is apparently inherited. In the journal Nature Medicine, Jeffrey Friedman, director of the Starr Center for Human Genetics, writes, “The commonly held belief that obese individuals can ameliorate their condition by simply deciding to eat less and exercise more is at odds with compelling scientific evidence indicating that the propensity to obesity is, to a significant extent, genetically determined.”

    This inherited weight range, known as the set point, is the weight your body settles at when you’re eating in response to signals of hunger or fullness and engaging in some level of physical activity. Our set point acts like a thermostat, seeking to maintain our natural body weight within a range of 10 to 20 pounds. When we take in less food as fuel, our body deals with this reduction by slowing down to conserve energy. Metabolism is lowered, reducing the rate at which calories are burned. Within 24 to 48 hours of beginning a calorie-restricted diet, metabolic rate decreases 15 to 30 percent. Our body has successfully slowed itself down to defend against this self-imposed famine. By contrast, when our body takes in more food than it needs as fuel, the metabolism speeds up and burns calories more quickly. In her book Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth about Your Weight, Linda Bacon, a physiologist specializing in nutrition and weight regulation, explains that when this mechanism is working properly, it functions as a force that pulls you back to your comfortable range whenever you veer away; however, if you consistently override your body’s signals of fullness, this system becomes broken. The goal is to find your healthy weight, keeping in mind that even if we all ate the same and exercised the same, we wouldn’t weigh the same. Weight is a complicated matter, which can be affected by a variety of factors, including medical issues, such as thyroid problems or polycystic ovary syndrome, the side effects of medications, poverty, stress, and lack of sleep.

    http://www.alternet.org/story/149702/why_diets_make_you_fatter_–_and_what_to_do_about_it?page=1

  • Better Health-All about Grains .

    Cereal germ
    Image via Wikipedia

    The amount of grains you need to eat depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. Recommended daily amounts are listed in the chart.  Most Americans consume enough grains, but few are whole grains. At least ½ of all the grains eaten should be whole grains.

    http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains_amount.aspx#

    Daily
    recommendation*
    Daily minimum amount
    of whole grains
    Children
    2-3 years old
    3 ounce equivalents**
    1 ½ ounce equivalents**
    4-8 years old
    4 – 5 ounce equivalents**
    2 – 2 ½ ounce equivalents**
    Girls
    9-13 years old
    5 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**
    14-18 years old
    6 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**
    Boys
    9-13 years old
    6 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**
    14-18 years old
    7 ounce equivalents**
    3 ½ ounce equivalents**
    Women
    19-30 years old
    6 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**
    31-50 years old
    6 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**
    51+ years old
    5 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**
    Men
    19-30 years old
    8 ounce equivalents**
    4 ounce equivalents**
    31-50 years old
    7 ounce equivalents**
    3 ½ ounce equivalents**
    51+ years old
    6 ounce equivalents**
    3 ounce equivalents**

    *These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs. Click here for more information about physical activity.
    **Click here to see what counts as an ounce-equivalent of grains.

    Why is it important to eat grains, especially whole grains?
    Divider
    Eating grains, especially whole grains, provides health benefits. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies.

    Health benefits

    Nutrients

    Food sources of the nutrients in bold can be found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Click on the nutrient name to link to the food sources table.

    • Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
    • Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber; most refined (processed) grains contain little fiber.
    • B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate)play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system. Many refined grains are enriched with these B vitamins.
    • Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy should consume adequate folate, including folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
    • Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia. They should eat foods high in heme-iron (meats) or eat other iron containing foods along with foods rich in vitamin C, which can improve absorption of non-heme iron. Whole and enriched refined grain products are major sources of non-heme iron in American diets.
    • Whole grains are sources of magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system.

    At Meals:

    • To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product – such as eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice. It’s important to substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one, rather than adding the whole-grain product.
    • For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes and whole-wheat macaroni in macaroni and cheese.
    • Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soup or stews and bulgur wheat in casserole or stir-fries.
    • Create a whole grain pilaf with a mixture of barley, wild rice, brown rice, broth and spices. For a special touch, stir in toasted nuts or chopped dried fruit.
    • Experiment by substituting whole wheat or oat flour for up to half of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin or other flour-based recipes. They may need a bit more leavening.
    • Use whole-grain bread or cracker crumbs in meatloaf.
    • Try rolled oats or a crushed, unsweetened whole grain cereal as breading for baked chicken, fish, veal cutlets, or eggplant parmesan.
    • Try an unsweetened, whole grain ready-to-eat cereal as croutons in salad or in place of crackers with soup.
    • Freeze leftover cooked brown rice, bulgur, or barley. Heat and serve it later as a quick side dish.

    Popcorn iconAs Snacks:

    • Snack on ready-to-eat, whole grain cereals such as toasted oat cereal.
    • Add whole-grain flour or oatmeal when making cookies or other baked treats.
    • Try a whole-grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips.
    • Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a healthy snack with little or no added salt and butter.

    What to Look for on the Food Label:

    • Choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list:
      “brown rice”
      “bulgur”
      “graham flour”
      “oatmeal”
      “whole-grain corn”
      “whole oats”
      “whole rye”
      “whole wheat”
      “wild rice”
      • Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products.
      • Color is not an indication of a whole grain. Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients. Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.
    • Use the Nutrition Facts label and choose products with a higher % Daily Value (%DV) for fiber – the %DV for fiber is a good clue to the amount of whole grain in the product.
    • Read the food label’s ingredient list. Look for terms that indicate added sugars (sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, and molasses) and oils (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) that add extra calories. Choose foods with fewer added sugars, fats, or oils.
    • Most sodium in the food supply comes from packaged foods. Similar packaged foods can vary widely in sodium content, including breads. Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose foods with a lower % DV for sodium. Foods with less than 140 mg sodium per serving can be labeled as low sodium foods. Claims such as “low in sodium” or “very low in sodium” on the front of the food label can help you identify foods that contain less salt (or sodium).

    Whole Grain Tips for Children

    • Set a good example for children by eating whole grains with meals or as snacks.
    • Let children select and help prepare a whole grain side dish.
    • Teach older children to read the ingredient list on cereals or snack food packages and choose those with whole grains at the top of the list.

  • Diet Pill Rejectd.

    Logo of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ...
    Image via Wikipedia

    watch?v=QgshXrMVajI&feature=youtube_gdata

    Causes for Obesity and weight loss have not been fully determined as yet.

    Whether they are due to heredity or environment/food habits has  been resolved.

    Also the effect Diet pills have not been scientifically proved.

    As such thee is no reason to fault FDA for turning the pill down.

    It would be good that FDA gives out reasons for disapproving a drug as it will keep the public educated on the subject.

    The Doctor,quoted in the article, should be more of a Doctor and not a spokesman for the Drug companies.

    While it is true that obesity is a serious health problem, there is no reason to approve a drug with serious side effects.

    Best way to beat obesity is to kick off sedentary life style and walk as much as one can .

    Avoid drugs in general,especially Diet pills in particular.

    Story:

    The Food and Drug Administration rejected another new diet pill on Thursday, a decision that sharply diminished the already scarce number of options available to overweight Americans amid the nation’s obesity epidemic.

    …….

    The rejected drug, called Qnexa, is the third weight loss drug to suffer a significant setback this month because of concerns about safety, as federal regulators seem to have heightened their scrutiny of diet pills that could pose risks to the heart or other organs. Last week, the F.D.A. declined to approve another new drug, lorcaserin, and earlier in the month it forced the withdrawal of Meridia from the market after 13 years, citing the risk of heart attacks and strokes for certain patients.

    “It looks pretty bleak out there for anyone trying to get a drug approval for weight loss,” said Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the center for weight management at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego.

    Qnexa, developed by Vivus, was one of a few diet pills that represented a new generation of weight-loss drugs, with consumers and pharmaceutical companies pinning their hopes on finding the next best-selling, slimming pill after a decade-long gap in new products. Many drug companies had shied away from the diet market, after part of the popular fen-phen diet combination was removed from the market in 1997 because it damaged heart valves. The debacle resulted in huge legal settlements.

    Dr. Fujioka, who is a consultant to some drug companies, including Vivus, said there was now only one prescription drug, Xenical, approved for long-term use in managing weight. “It’s tough to be a doctor and try to do something about the biggest problem in the U.S.,” he said.

    …..

    Qnexa is a combination of two existing drugs — phentermine, a stimulant that is approved for short-term use as a weight loss drug, and topiramate, an epilepsy and migraine drug sold by Johnson & Johnson under the name Topamax. An F.D.A. advisory committee in December will considering another diet drug, called Contrave, developed by Orexigen Therapeutics. But if that one also is not approved, some experts say it would discourage already chary pharmaceutical companies from working on drugs for obesity.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/health/policy/29drug.html?_r=1&emc=na

    Related:

    What is Adipex Diet Pill prepared from?

    Adipex is a medicine

    employed as an active element of diet pills. Adipex is the trade name, while the generic constituent is Phentermine.

    What is Adipex Diet Pill useful for?

    Adipex diet pill is useful as a weight loss medication

    But it should be noted that it can be utilized only for a short period of time.

    What is Adipex Diet Pill effect on the human body?

    The Adipex Diet pill acts directly on the Brain. To be more specific, it acts on the Hypothalamus of the Brain, which is one of the most crucial parts that control the responses of the Brain.

    On consuming the Adipex diet pill; it displays its effects by imitating Adrenaline. Adrenaline has an effect of suppressing appetite, and preparing the body to respond in a vigorous and energetic manner to any possible threat that may be encountered.

    Finally this means that Adipex diet pill also helps in suppressing the appetite, and getting the body prepared and ready for more vigorous physical exercise and action. Both these effects together contribute in bringing about the desired weight loss, when combined with a calorie monitored diet plan.

    What are the benefits of using Adipex diet pill?

    Weigh gain is a complex issue that has many different factors connected to it. One of the crucial factors is over eating. Many a times people are unable to put a check on their uncontrolled appetite, which makes them pile on the pounds and inches very rapidly.

    This overeating may be due to emotional problems or simply be a habit. What ever the reason for over eating, the Adipex diet pill directly acts on the Brain appetite controlling centers and prevents over eating by suppressing the appetite.

    Thus Adipex diet pill has a great benefit in gaining control over a very important factor that contributes to weight gain and Obesity

    http://www.justslimming.com/articles/is-adipex-diet-pill-effective-for-weight-loss/

    Glaxo to Pay $750 Million for Sale of Bad Products

    GlaxoSmithKline, the British drug giant, has agreed to pay $750 million to settle criminal and civil complaints that the company for years knowingly sold contaminated baby ointment and an ineffective antidepressant — the latest in a growing number of whistle-blower lawsuits that drug makers have settled with multimillion-dollar fines.

    Altogether, GlaxoSmithKline sold 20 drugs with questionable safety that were made at a huge plant in Puerto Rico that for years was rife with contamination.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/business/27drug.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fhealth%2Fpolicy%2Findex.jsonp

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  • Can psychology make them eat?

    Bottom line is eat natural Food, avoid fast/junk food.
    Food habits are to be regulated from childhood.This can be done by example by parents.
    Children by nature do not develop likes and dislikes for food.it is a learned habit.It is determined by the parents,society and the culture in which they are placed.
    Essential that parents do not show like or dislike for natural food while the child is observing.
    Story:
    Hide the chocolate milk behind the plain milk. Get those apples and oranges out of stainless steel bins and into pretty baskets. Cash only for desserts.

    These subtle moves can entice kids to make healthier choices in school lunch lines, studies show. Food and restaurant marketers have long used similar tricks. Now the government wants in on the act.

    The U.S. Department of Agricultureannounced what it called a major new initiative Tuesday, giving $2 million to food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids’ use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity.

    http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-10-12-school-lunches_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+usatoday-NewsTopStories+(News+-+Top+Stories)

    Related:

    PUEBLO, Colo. — At 8:28 a.m., the cafeteria ladies of Centennial High School take up positions in the second-floor hallway, just outside closed classroom doors. Each woman is pushing a cart loaded with milk, juice, whole-wheat doughnuts and individual packages of Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms cereal.

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-09-14-1Aschoolbreakfast14_CV_N.htm

  • Macrobiotic Diet for Health.

    Very true.Note that non vegetarian food is excluded.
    Indian Philosophical treatises stress the fact that natural food is to be consumed.
    Human Nature is broadly divided into three categories.
    Contented,self reliant and calm
    Highly energetic,active and passionate .
    Inactive,dull and depressed.
    These three characteristics are present in every human being and the combination of these factors vary depending on predisposition, and habit.Also these characteristics vary from one moment to another.
    The first mentioned is ideal when you become healthy, strong both physically and mentally.You shall be in control of your mind and emotions and you shall be self reliant and self contented.
    This can be achieved by diet;for your thinking is determined by what you eat and you become what you think.
    For instance if you take pungent, spicy food you become hyperactive , easily swayed by emotions.On the other hand if you take mainly dairy food and vegetables you not only become healthy but you can manage your emotions.
    Therefore Diet is given pride of place in Indian Philosophy.
    There are foods to avoid.
    -Spicy,pungent,stale,food that is too hot or that is too cold;
    that is not cleaned,that is over cooked/under cooked;non vegetarian food including egg.
    Suggested food.
    Grains, Vegetables,roots,Milk products
    Also it is necessary that the food be prepared by people who love you.In fact Sanskrit texts say ‘That food is best that is prepared by self; next that is prepared by one’s Mother,Sister,Daughter and Wife in that order.Any thing other than this is equivalent to poison’
    Mental vibrations do play an important part in preparing the food.
    .
    http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/macrobiotic-diet.htm

    Story:
    Macrobiotics is an Oriental theory that lays down guidelines for promoting wellbeing and longevity through systematic diet consisting mainly of whole grains and beans. Macrobiotics is made up of two Greek words, Macro meaning the bigger picture and Bios meaning life. It is basically more a way of life than a specific diet that was followed in Japan.

    The macrobiotic diet probably originated with the teachings of a nineteenth century Japanese natural healer, Sagen Ishizuka. It was introduced to the West by George Ohsawa, a teacher in Japan who studied the eating habits of ancestors, followed the dietary principles of Sagen Ishizuka and claimed to have been cured of a life threatening disease—tuberculosis.

    Macrobiotic Diet

    Chinese philosophy describes the Yin and the Yang as the two opposite, but complementary cosmic forces that operate in all areas of life. Macrobiotics extends the principles of the Yin and the Yang to the realm of food and cooking. The main tenets of the macrobiotic diet are Yin and Yang, meaning Expansive and Contractive forces that are inherent in any food we intake. Ohsawa said if we balance the contractive and expansive forces we will stay away from diseases and live a healthy, happy life. Ohsawa’s original macrobiotic diet was considered too restrictive by many dieticians and the Kushi diet popularized in North America by Michio Kushi in 1978 is seen as a popular alternative to Ohsawa’s macrobiotic diet.

    The nutritional aspect of the macrobiotic diet holds to the principle that the body can exist in harmony with Nature and recover its natural good health. It is important to note here that the diet should be based on foods native to ones’ own climate, as this helps in achieving that “natural balance”. The diet should constitute of the following components:-