Archive for January, 2007
Well, the public is finally mobilized to reject trans fats when the food industry comes up with something that may be just as bad for a replacement.
Research reported in the online journal Nutrition & Metabolism claims that ‘interesterified’ fats being used as a replacement for trans fats by some food companies depresses good cholesterol (HDL) and raises blood glucose levels. The researchers sound an alarm over this because the effects occured in a trial lasting only 4 weeks.
Trans fats were produced when food companies partially hydrogenated oils to increase the shelf life and taste stability of packaged foods. When trans fats fell from grace, these companies looked around for an alternative and some of them chose the interesterified fats.
Keep your eyes open on this: you will see packaging that claims ‘no trans fats!’ but in fact the ‘trans fats’ have been replaced by some thing that may be just as bad, or worse. The best way to avoid all this nonsense is to eat fresh foods–not processed.
January 29th, 2007
Fast food has been blasted for its fatty content and fattening effects, and this research adds fuel to the fire.
Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the authors looked at young adults over a 3 year period and compared their body mass index against eating habits. They found that increases in the BMI were associated with what they call ‘away from home’ eating, and fast food restaurants had more strong effects.
January 22nd, 2007
Who pays the piper calls the tune.
Well, not ALWAYS, but often enough that you need to identify the funding source before you can have full confidence in published research on beverages. An article in the online journal PLoS Medicine finds that when an industry funds research into one of its own products — beverages in this case — the results tend to be more favorable to the industry. In this study out of Boston, researchers found that studies of interventions had 0% unfavorable findings when there was industry funding, but 37% unfavorable when there was no industry funding. Statistically, it is very unlikely that this is just by chance.
There is a controversy here. A lot of health-related research is funded by industry. PLoS editors say that 30% of the 100 billion spent on biomedical research in 2004 was provided by pharmaceutical companies. Can we trust it? Should we insist on foundation or government funding, insulated from economic or political pressure?
January 13th, 2007
It’s now 2007, New Year’s Resolutions have been stated and goals are ready to be achieved. In an article I read on MSN Health and Fitness on New Year’s Day, I was faced with so many topics that I hear on a daily basis: topics such as putting dieting off and reasons for gaining or not losing weight.
It is very common to hear our guests talk about their medical conditions that cause weight gain or prevent weight loss. In the article, the writer was discussing in these cases you can still be leaner and fitter. It is all about choices and behaviors. Is she right? Personally, I think so because I witness it first hand. Through eating better and exercising you give your body nutrients it wasn’t necessarily getting before and as a result you are going to have more energy. The exercise will boost your metabolism, lift your spirits, and even self confidence.
Don’t let any reason hold you back from achieving your weight loss goals, it will just keep getting put off. A new, vibrant you is waiting to be found, you just have to start the journey.
January 3rd, 2007
