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January's tips and info..................(scroll down)

We make choices, and then our choices make us...

Don't tell God how big the mountain is...tell the mountain how big your God is.

Need a lifeguard?........mine walks on water

Is your excuse a Lie with a Ribbon tied around it?

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DRINK WATER - LOSE WEIGHT!!!

In a 2010 study of adults aged 55 to 75, drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals was associated with almost four pounds more weight loss in 12 weeks than in a control group who ate a similar diet but didn't have the pre-meal H20. Participants drank an average of 1.5 cups of water a day before the study.

In part, the Virginia Tech researchers say, water is filling, so you feel fuller and eat less. An earlier study found those who drink water before meals consume an average of 75 fewer calories per meal. (Make that twice a day over a year, and that could add up to 14 pounds!) The Virginia Tech scientists also believe the water drinkers began swapping this zero-calorie beverage for sodas and other caloric beverages.

What's more, when you're well hydrated, your body is working closer to maximum efficiency -- enhancing aspects of weight loss, like digestion and muscle function, when you exercise. Water-drinking tip: For variety's sake, try flavoring your water. Drop some fruit into a pitcher and let it sit a few minutes -- lemons, oranges, watermelon, and berries all work well. Or let an herbal or flavored green tea bag steep in unheated water to accent the taste.

Exercise for 15 Minutes: Live Longer
Here's more evidence that even a little bit of exercise can make a big difference to your health. Researchers in Taiwan followed more than 400,000 people for an average of eight years and found that 15 minutes of exercise daily can boost life expectancy by three years. Compared to inactive individuals, participants who exercised for just under 15 minutes per day were 14 percent less likely to die from any cause during the eight years of the study, and 10 percent less likely to die of cancer. Beyond that, each additional 15 minutes of daily exercise lowered the risk of death - from any cause - by four percent, and the extra physical activity cut the risk of death from cancer by one percent. Earlier this month, a review published online in Circulation showed that people who get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week reduce their risk of heart disease by 14 percent compared to inactive people and that exercising five hours per week can lower heart disease risk by as much as 20 percent. The new study from Taiwan was published online on August 15 by The Lancet.

More Protein for Dieting Postmenopausal Women
If you're past menopause and want to lose weight by cutting calories, you'll likely lose muscle as well as fat, but adding protein to your diet can help offset the muscle loss. Another bonus to added protein: it helps cut down on hunger, according to University of Illinois researchers who followed two groups of healthy postmenopausal women for six months. All the women were following a 1,400 calorie a day weight-loss diet. One group of women received a powdered whey protein supplement twice a day; the other group received a placebo containing carbohydrates. Before and after the study, all the women were evaluated for strength, balance, the ability to walk 50 feet, stand up five times from a chair and lift a book 12 inches above shoulder height. After the study, the researchers found that all the participants' strength decreased as their weight fell, but that those whose diets included the supplemental protein lost 3.9 percent more weight and had a relative gain of 5.8 percent more thigh-muscle volume than those in the other group. The investigators noted that age and weight-related loss of muscle mass can affect strength, balance, and the ability to perform such everyday activities as climbing stairs and getting up from a chair.

Think you're making a healthier choice when you reach for diet soda instead of a sugary soft drink? Think again.
Diet soft drinks may have minimal calories, but they can still have a major impact on your waistline, according to two studies presented at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

Researchers at the Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio tracked 474 people, all 65 to 74 years old, for nearly a decade, measuring the subjects' height, weight, waist circumference, and diet soft drink intake every 3.6 years. The waists of those who drank diet soft drinks grew 70 percent more than those who avoided the artificially sweetened stuff; people who drank two or more servings a day had waist-circumference increases that were five times larger than non-diet-soda consumers.

The findings are in line with those of a 2005 study, also conducted by researchers at the Texas Health Science Center, in which the chance of becoming overweight or obese increased with every diet soda consumed.

“On average, for each diet soft drink our participants drank per day, they were 65 percent more likely to become overweight during the next seven to eight years, and 41 percent more likely to become obese,” said Sharon Fowler, who was a faculty associate in the division of clinical epidemiology in the Health Science Center’s department of medicine at the time.

But how does something with no calories cause weight gain? Turns out that even if our taste buds can't tell the difference between real and fake sugar, our brains can. Another study, also presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting on Sunday, found that after three months of eating food laced with aspartame (which is also found in many diet soft drinks), mice had higher blood sugar levels than rodents who ate regular food. According to Fowler, who worked on all three studies and is now a researcher at UT Health Science Center at San Diego, the aspartame could trigger the appetite but do nothing to satisfy it. That could interfere with your body's ability to tell when you're full—and could lead you to eat more in general.

Potatoes: The Most Fattening Food

If you've gained weight as an adult, blame it on potatoes - chips, fries and other potato dishes seem to be the foods most directly responsible for the pound per year the average adult gains. That news comes from a Harvard School of Public Health Study that examined the diet and lifestyle factors that appear most related to long-term weight gain. The researchers reviewed three separate studies that included data from nearly 121,000 men and women who were followed from 12 to 20 years. None of the participants were obese or suffered from any chronic disease when they joined the studies. The researchers assessed changes in consumption of specific foods and drinks, physical activity, TV time and time spent sleeping to help identify what contributes most to weight gain. All told, the researchers found that diet was the primary culprit and that the foods linked to the greatest weight gain were potato chips, other potato-based foods, sugar sweetened beverages, and unprocessed and processed meats. Increased consumption of some foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and yogurt) were linked to less weight gain. Regular consumption of high glycemic index foods increases your risk of developing insulin resistance, an underlying cause of obesity, high cholesterol and adult-onset diabetes. In that respect, high glycemic index foods - including potatoes - can be considered "bad carbs."

Olive Oil May Help Prevent Strokes
If you're over 65, the more olive oil you use, the less likely you may be to have a stroke. This news comes from a French study published online June 15, 2011, by the journal Neurology. The researchers reviewed the medical records of more than 7,600 seniors, age 65 and older, none of whom had had a stroke. The investigators then categorized each person's olive oil consumption as "no use," "moderate use" (for cooking OR for salad dressing OR with bread) or "intensive use" (for cooking AND as salad dressing OR with bread). Participants mostly used extra virgin olive oil. After five years, 148 of the group studied had suffered a stroke. Weighing olive oil use against the known risk factors for stroke, the researchers found that the odds of having a stroke were 41 percent lower among those whose olive oil use was intensive, compared to those who didn't use it at all.

Low "D" Linked to Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity

The latest on vitamin D comes from three new studies. The first suggests that women with low levels of "D" may be at increased risk for an aggressive type of breast cancer. The second reveals that low levels of "D" are associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and the third investigation demonstrates that it isn't easy to normalize levels of "D" in obese teens. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center looked at vitamin D levels in 155 breast cancer patients before and after surgery. They found that low levels of "D" were associated with hard-to-treat tumors that have a worse outlook than other types of breast cancer. They noted that premenopausal women and African-American women were more likely to have low levels of "D" than older, Caucasian women. Meanwhile, after following 5,000 people for five years, Australian researchers reported that those with lower than average vitamin D levels had 57 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those whose levels of "D" were in the recommended range. And researchers at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, RI reported that even after being treated, levels of vitamin D remained low among almost three-quarters of a group of 68 obese adolescents. The researchers called for increased surveillance of obese teens and studies to determine whether normalizing their levels of "D" would help protect them against obesity-related health risks.

My take? Earlier studies have suggested that low levels of vitamin D are associated with the spread of breast cancer after treatment, and we do know that breast cancer occurs more frequently in areas of the world that get the least sun (exposure to sunlight initiates the synthesis of vitamin D in our bodies). Overall, an increasing body of evidence suggests that "D" plays an important role in defending against cancer (studies have linked a deficiency of vitamin D to as many as 18 different types of cancer). In recent years, scientists have also found that "D" may help to prevent a number of other diseases, including diabetes. Because of the accumulating evidence associating low levels of vitamin D with disease, I raised my recommendation of 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day to a minimum dose of 2,000 IU per day. No adverse effects have been seen with supplemental vitamin D intakes up to 10,000 IU daily.

Daily Apple for Heart Health

Eating an apple each day may help to keep the cardiologist away. Daily apple consumption appears to help lower cholesterol, according to a small study at Florida State University. Researchers randomly assigned 160 women between the ages of 45 and 65 to eat 2.7 ounces of dried apples or dried plums (prunes) prunes every day for a year. Afterward, the investigators found that the women who ate the dried apples had reduced their total cholesterol by 14 percent and their LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 23 percent. They also saw a four percent increase in HDL ("good") cholesterol. Even though the dried apples added 240 calories to the women's daily diets, they lost an average of 3.3 pounds over the year - possibly because the apples and their fiber content provided a sense of fullness. Another benefit: a drop in levels of C-reactive protein, a substance in blood that is a marker for inflammation. High levels of CRP are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. The Florida State investigators also reported a drop in levels of lipid hydroperoxide, another substance that may indicate heart disease risk. Slight reductions of cholesterol and the other substances occurred among the women who ate prunes as well, but not to the extent seen among those who ate the dried apples. Apples really are good for you - as long as they're fresh and organically grown. In addition to the encouraging results of the Florida State study, other research has shown that eating apples may reduce the risk of cancers of the colon, liver, prostate and lung (thanks to the flavonoids they contain). In addition, studies have shown that eating apples may reduce chronic cough and other respiratory symptoms, that people who eat the most apples (and pears) have the lowest risk of asthma, that eating an apple a day may reduce the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in smokers, and that for every 10 grams of fiber consumed daily, you may be able to lower your risk of developing heart disease by 14 percent and your risk of dying from heart disease by 27 percent. A single apple gives you five grams of fiber.

High Fiber Foods and Your Heart
Eating lots of fiber when you're young - or middle-aged - could cut your lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease. A study from Northwestern University's medical school shows that consuming 25 grams of fiber daily (whole foods, not supplements, drinks or fiber bars, are best) can result in a statistically significant lower lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease. The investigators examined data from a nationally representative sample of about 11,000 adults. Taking into consideration diet, blood pressure, total cholesterol, smoking status and history of diabetes, the researchers predicted lifetime risk for cardiovascular diseases. They found that adults between the ages of 20 and 59 who had the highest fiber intake had a significantly reduced lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those whose fiber intake was lowest. Fiber might exert its influence on cardiovascular health through its known beneficial effects on weight control, cholesterol and blood pressure. A related study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and the VA Boston Healthcare System showed that eating breakfast cereal - especially whole grain cereal - daily can decrease the risk of high blood pressure by 20 percent.

Omega-3s May Slow Vision Loss
The omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may help protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in seniors. A new study found that women whose intake of omega-3s was highest were 38 percent less likely to develop AMD than were women whose omega-3 intake was lowest. The study was based on observation over 10 years of more than 38,000 women age 45 and older who had filled out detailed diet questionnaires. At the 10-year mark, 235 of the women had developed severe AMD. When the researchers looked at the women's fish intake, they saw that those who consumed most were least likely to have AMD. At this point, the one thing that investigators can say for sure about prevention of this eye disease is that the only confirmed strategy is not smoking. However, the omega-3 study suggests a need for randomized clinical trials to see if these fatty acids really are protective. The study was published online March 14 in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Zumba: 500 or more calories per hour
Who knew an hour of dancing could produce such results?! Because this Latin-inspired dance workout uses the principles of interval training and resistance exercise, the workout will boost your metabolism considerably, according to FitnessZumba.com. However, like any fitness regimen, the number of calories burned varies from person to person depending on weight, sex, current fitness level, and how hard a person works out. Still the massive weight loss and toning benefits of hip-swishing and shimmying make this dance workout one of the most popular today.

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Two Studies Show Exercise May Reduce Risk of Cancer Death

Researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis compared the physical activity of more than 150,000 men and women, using reports gathered between 1982 and 1997. The investigative team then correlated these activity levels with cancer diagnoses between 1998 and 2005, and with cancer deaths between 1998 and 2006. They found that those who exercised on a daily or near daily basis for at least 10 years had the lowest risk of dying from colon cancer. Meanwhile, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of California, San Francisco, studied the exercise habits of 2,705 men diagnosed with prostate cancer over an 18 year period. The data suggested that those who walked 90 or more minutes per week at a normal to very brisk pace had a 46 percent lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who walked less than 90 minutes per week at an easy pace. In this study, more than three hours a week of vigorous activity was associated with a 61 percent lower risk of prostate cancer death compared with men who did less than one hour a week of vigorous activity.

To reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. "All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD, chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

Aim for five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and vegetables—especially these six superstars.

Broccoli
All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals, says Jed Fahey, ScD. A recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells—those that aid in tumor growth.

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers

Your Rx: The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

Berries
All berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients. But black raspberries, in particular, contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals called anthocyanins, which slow down the growth of premalignant cells and keep new blood vessels from forming (and potentially feeding a cancerous tumor), according to Gary D. Stoner, PhD, a professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Helps fight: colon, esophageal, oral, and skin cancers

Your Rx: Stoner uses a concentrated berry powder in his studies but says a half-cup serving of berries a day may help your health, too.

Tomatoes
This juicy fruit is the best dietary source of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue, Béliveau says. And that's good news, because lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study in Nutrition and Cancer. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year.

Helps fight: endometrial, lung, prostate, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: The biggest benefits come from cooked tomatoes (think pasta sauce!), since the heating process increases the amount of lycopene your body is able to absorb.

Walnuts
Their phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells' growth, says Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia.

Helps fight: breast and prostate cancers

Your Rx: Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits, Hardman's research found.

Garlic
Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative, Béliveau says. In fact, the Iowa Women's Health Study found that women with the highest amounts of garlic in their diets had a 50 percent lower risk of certain colon cancers than women who ate the least.

Helps fight: breast, colon, esophageal, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: Chop a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps release beneficial enzymes), and sprinkle it into that lycopene-rich tomato sauce while it simmers.

Beans
A study out of Michigan State University found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats, in part because a diet rich in the legumes increased levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth. Another study, in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans particularly effective in preventing breast cancer in rats.

Helps fight: breast and colon cancers

Belly Fat and Bone Health

If you're female and overweight, don't count on that excess padding to protect you from osteoporosis. New research suggests that if the fat is in your belly, it could actually increase your risk of weakening bones. Investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital looked at the impact of "visceral" fat - the kind that surrounds internal organs - on bone density. The Mass General team looked at the effect of subcutaneous abdominal fat (that lies under the skin), bone marrow fat, total fat, and visceral fat on bone mineral density. Their study group was comprised of 50 premenopausal women who had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 30, indicating obesity. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, they looked at the bone marrow fat of the fourth vertebra (L4) in the lumber section of the spine and then used quantitative computed tomography to measure the bone mineral density of L4. They found that women with more visceral fat had increased bone marrow fat and decreased bone density. None of the other types of fat studied was associated with this decrease.
Previous research has shown that visceral fat increases the risk for heart disease, and we know that the fat that surrounds internal organs in the abdomen is linked to increased risks of diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well. We used to think that excess weight protected women from osteoporosis, but this study suggests that it won't. Although genetics does contribute to developing visceral fat, poor diet and lack of exercise play significant roles as well. The good news is that you can protect yourself against osteoporosis the same way you can protect yourself from the increased risk of heart disease: eat less and exercise more.

America's Top 5 Healthiest Fast Food

1. Panera Bread
Over 1,230 locations nationwide (and in Canada)

This bakery-cafe-based eatery wowed our judges with a comprehensive menu of healthy choices for every meal. “Variety makes it easy for everyone to choose healthy,” praises registered dietitian and panelist Marisa Moore. What does that mean for you? For starters, you can pick from two whole-grain breads for your sandwich and have an apple with it instead of chips (though the chips are fine, too—they can be baked!). Half-size soups, salads, and sandwiches make it a cinch to control portion size. Also, most of the chicken is antibiotic- and hormone-free, a rarity for large chains.

Panera also won top honors for kid fare, dishing out RD-approved crowd-pleasers like squeezable organic yogurt, PB&J (with all-natural peanut butter), and grilled organic cheese on white whole-grain bread.

2. Jason’s Deli
206 locations in the West, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South

How did this up-and-comer snag second place? Largely because of its devotion to organic food: About one-fifth of all its ingredients are organic, from blue-corn tortilla chips and whole-wheat wraps to field greens and spinach. Plus, its creative salads—like the Nutty Mixed-Up Salad with organic field greens, grapes, chicken breast, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, pumpkinseeds, raisins, and organic apples—make you actually want to order the greens.

Our judges applauded the portion-control option: Reduced sizes of, say, a stuffed baked potato, are $1 less. Jason’s menu also highlights ultrahealthy sandwiches and provides the nutitional info.

3. Au Bon Pain
280 locations nationwide

A pioneer in healthy fast food, Au Bon Pain serves up sandwiches, soups, salads, and hot entrees made with whole grains, veggies, and hormone-free chicken.

New this year: Portions, a 14-item menu of nutritious small plates—from appetizers like apples, blue cheese, and cranberries to salads like chickpea and tomato—all of which are less than 200 calories. Another impressive feature: Au Bon Pain provides on-site nutritional information via computer kiosks, so before you even order you know each option’s calories, fat, and sodium. “It’s a great way to empower customers,” praises judge Amy Jamieson-Petonic.

4. Noodles and Company
204 locations in West, Midwest, South

Noodles and Company isn’t your typical greasy Asian food-court joint. In fact, it goes beyond Asian fare and cuts out the grease (only healthy soybean oil is used in sauteing). Here, you choose from three food types: Asian, Mediterranean, or American, then within each style, pick from four noodle bowl options. Lean proteins—hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken, beef, shrimp, and organic tofu—can be added, too.

The result? Tasty combos like Japanese Pan Noodles with broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, Asian sprouts, and sauteed beef. Also key: “You don’t have to chow down on a giant bowl of noodles. You can opt for a small portion,” says judge Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, Health’s Senior Food and Nutrition Editor. The small Bangkok Curry bowl has just 250 calories.

5. Corner Bakery Cafe
111 locations in West, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South

What sets Corner Bakery apart? A fantastic breakfast menu, which is rare in the quick-serve world. We love the Farmer’s Scrambler: eggs scrambled with red and green bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, potatoes, and Cheddar cheese. (It’s only 260 calories when ordered with egg whites.) There’s also Swiss oatmeal, a chilled European breakfast cereal made with rolled oats, green apples, bananas, currants, dried cranberries, low-fat yogurt, and skim milk.

But Corner Bakery also has healthy salads, sandwiches, and soups made with whole grains, fresh, lean meats, and vegetables, as well as great portion-controlled combinations that make limiting calories a no-brainer.

There's new hope in the search for a way to help slow or prevent arthritis: eating broccoli. Researchers in England are examining evidence suggesting that sulforaphane, a compound in broccoli, helps deter the arthritic process and provides long-term benefits for joint health. Initial laboratory research indicated that sulforaphane can block the enzymes that cause joint destruction. The same substance is also thought to suppress tumors, which would make it protective against cancer as well. We know that eating broccoli leads to a high level of sulforaphane in the blood, but the British researchers want to determine how it gets into joints, and how much would be needed to prevent or treat osteoarthritis, a joint disease that gradually destroys cartilage leading to pain, swelling and loss of mobility. The same British team is also investigating the effects of other dietary compounds on arthritis, including diallyl disulphide, which is found in garlic

Every child is aware that eating broccoli is good for you. Population studies have shown that people who eat a lot of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have lower rates of cancer than those who don't. We don't yet know, however, which constituents in these vegetables are responsible for their protective effects. It may be indole-3 carbinol, which some lab studies show inhibits growth of some types of cancer, the carotenoid pigments, vitamin C or the sulforaphane. The cancer-protective effects observed could also be due to two or more of these components acting together. I'll be interested in the outcome of the British study, but in the meantime, eating plenty of broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables) seems a simple and prudent strategy to support a healthy lifestyle.

Lose Weight to Ease Aches and Pains

We all know that excess weight increases the risks of chronic health concerns - cancer, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and asthma. But that knowledge hasn't been very effective in motivating individuals to lose weight. Now, in hopes that other benefits would be more motivating than the danger of future disease, researchers at the University of Cincinnati have documented a more immediate perquisite of weight loss: relief of the musculoskeletal aches and pains that often accompany excess pounds. The investigators recruited 32 women between the ages of 22 and 76 who already were enrolled in a local weight-loss clinic. At the start of the 12-week study, they collected data on the women's weight and any associated pain in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands and wrists, upper back, lower back, hips, knees, lower legs and feet. They tracked each woman's weight loss weekly and asked the participants to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10. After losing an average of 10 pounds, 21 percent of the women reported significantly less pain in their lower extremities and back. Overall, the participants reported a 20 to 30 percent reduction in pain after losing weight.

Earlier studies have shown that weight loss improves quality of life, including increased energy and less physical pain. If you have arthritis, excess weight puts additional stress on the hip and knee joints, and you're likely to feel better if you can lose even a few pounds. Losing weight to relieve pain is a worthwhile and achievable goal - you'll feel better even after relatively small losses. And, incidentally, you'll also lower your risks for the diseases that can endanger your long-term health.

Cinnamon Extracts and Heart Disease, Diabetes Risks
Two daily doses of a dried water-soluble cinnamon extract seemed to lower the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in a small study led by a U.S. Department of Agriculture chemist. The research team found that the daily doses of the cinnamon extract improved the antioxidant status of the volunteers, a group of obese men and women, and also seemed to decrease their fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels. For this small, 12-week study, the researchers randomly divided their 22 participants into two groups. Participants in one group received 250 mg of cinnamon extract twice a day along with their usual diets; those in the other group were given a placebo. Investigators collected blood from all the volunteers after an overnight fast at the beginning of the study, again after six weeks and at the end of the 12 weeks. The positive changes seen in the lab values of the cinnamon group suggest a benefit in reducing risk of both diabetes and cardiac disease. We'll need more and larger studies to tell us if cinnamon really does help. But in the meantime, if you're at risk, the most important thing you can do for your health is lose weight.

Big Belly, Big Health Threat…
…even if you're not fat. Researchers who followed more than 100,000 men and women age 50 or older from 1997 to 2006 found that those with the biggest bellies were twice as likely to die over the course of a decade as those whose waists were slimmest. The study, published in the August 9, 2010 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that people with big waists were at greater risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and respiratory disorders. The researchers said that ideal waist size for men is 40 inches or less; for women, 35 inches or less. However, more than half of all American men over 50 have big bellies, as do more than 70 percent of women. In some cases, participants' weight didn't change over the years, but their shapes shifted and midsections got bigger. Beware if you can't button a waist band or have to let your belt out a notch: that could be a warning of trouble ahead, said researcher Eric Jacobs of the American Cancer Society, which sponsored the study. Some researchers subscribe to the theory that abdominal fat secretes proteins and hormones that contribute to inflammation, raise cholesterol levels and interfere with the way the body processes insulin.

Lack of Sleep May Account for Weight Gain in Women

While there’s no direct proof that sleep deprivation is the only factor to blame, researchers in Finland have found that women who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep tend to gain more weight over time than women who have no sleeping problems. The investigators followed more than 7,300 40- to 60-year-old men and women for seven years. During that time, they saw that about one third of the women who had trouble sleeping at the outset of the study generally gained at least 11 pounds by the study's end compared to a similar weight gain among only one fifth of the women who reported sleeping well. Some other contributors could be responsible for the weight gain but these findings raise the possibility that addressing sleeping problems might help some women with weight control. Earlier evidence suggested that sleep deprivation affects levels of appetite regulating hormones, which in turn might account for weight gain. The Finnish findings were reported online June 8, 2010 in the International Journal of Obesity. The researchers saw no connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain in men.

Diet Soda & your Bones

They may contain zero calories, no sugar and provide an energy boost, but diet soda could drain calcium and phosphorous from your body, according to a preliminary study presented at a medical convention.

A small study from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported that healthy women who drank diet cola excrete more calcium and phosphorous than non-cola drinkers.

The findings were presented by Dr. Noelle Larson in a presentation at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in June and focused only on diet soda. She focused on diet cola mainly because of her own informal observations that young women tend to drink large amounts of diet cola.

In the study, 20 health women were randomized to drink 24 ounces of water or diet cola on two days. Their urine was collected up to three hours later.

Those who drank diet cola excreted more calcium and phosphorous than the control group. The mean calcium excretion three hours after drinking cola was 6.85 milligrams higher than after drinking water. Mean phosphorous excretion was 41 milligrams higher in the cola group than the control group, according to the abstract. Calcium and phosphorus are both important nutrients that work together to build strong bones and teeth.

Previous studies have reported that cola drinkers (both diet AND regular soda) have lower bone mineral density and increased fracture rate compared to non-cola drinkers.

“Our study suggests that diet cola ingestion may result in a negative calcium balance acutely in young, otherwise healthy women,” wrote Larson and her colleagues in the abstract. “This may help explain the clinically observed decrease in [bone mineral density] and increased fracture rate in women who consume these drinks regularly.”

Weight Loss Lowers Inflammation

Losing weight can do wonders for your health by decreasing the activity of immune system cells that promote inflammation. New research from Australia published in April suggests that even modest weight loss (in this case only about 13 pounds) can reverse damaging pro-inflammatory changes often seen in the immune cells of obese individuals. The investigators at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research looked at 13 obese patients with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes who agreed to go on a diet of between 1,000 and 1,600 calories per day for 24 weeks. Halfway through the study the participants underwent gastric banding, a surgical procedure in which the stomach is cinched so that it can hold only a small amount of food. At the study's end, the researchers found an 80 percent reduction in the overall number of pro-inflammatory cells, as well as decreased activation of immune cells in the body fat of their subjects. This changed the pro-inflammatory nature of circulating immune cells back to that found in lean people, the team reported.

We know that weight loss can positively affect many aspects of health, particularly type 2 diabetes and its consequences including heart disease. Excess weight is also implicated in many cancers and other diseases. These new findings are very interesting because they illustrate that the health dangers posed by obesity may be reduced by even modest weight loss.

17 Ways Exercise Sends Health Soaring

Besides losing weight, being active makes you healthier, happier, and sharper

When most of us launch into a new fitness routine, it is for one common reason: to shed fat. But it turns out focusing on your weight loss goal alone can slash your odds of success by over half, say researchers. A better inspiration: The amazing health rewards you get by being active. Finding the right motivation can make you 70% more likely to keep it up for the long haul, reports the American College of Sports Medicine.

Next time you're too busy, tired, or achy to lace up your sneakers, remember these health-transforming benefits of exercise.

1. Be Happier at Work
Increase productivity...and maybe get a raise

An active lifestyle may help you check off extra items on your to-do list, says a study from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. On days staffers participated in on-site fitness activities, they reported thinking more clearly, getting more done, and interacting more effectively with colleagues. You'll be less likely to miss work due to illness, too. Research shows that people who participate in vigorous leisure-time physical activity (such as jogging or bicycling) just once or twice a week take about half the sick time of those who are more sedentary.

2. Improve Your Vocabulary
Brush up on your Scrabble skills

A single treadmill session can make you brainier. Exercisers who ran just two 3-minute sprints, with a 2-minute break in between, learned new words 20% faster than those who rested, in a University of Muenster in Germany study. Getting your heart pumping increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your noggin. It also spurs new growth in the areas of the brain that control multitasking, planning, and memory.

3. Get Natural Pain Relief
Keep moving to ease stiff, achy joints

It may seem counterintuitive, but rest isn't necessarily best for reducing pain and stiffness in the knees, shoulders, back, or neck. Healthy adults who did aerobic activity consistently had 25% less musculoskeletal pain than their couch-bound peers, says Stanford senior research scientist Bonnie Bruce, DrPH, MPH, RD.

Exercise releases endorphins, the body's natural pain reliever, and may make you less vulnerable to tiny tears in muscles and tendons. Staying active can also provide relief for chronic conditions such as arthritis: In a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, arthritis sufferers experienced 25% less pain and 16% less stiffness after 6 months of low-impact exercise like balance and strengthening moves. Most people start to feel improvement within a few weeks, says study author Leigh Callahan, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at UNC.

4. Feel Sexy at Any Size
Flaunt a figure you can be proud of

A good workout practically ensures a better body image. The simple act of exercising-regardless of your weight or fitness level-can make you feel positive about how you look, possibly due to the release of feel-good hormones, finds a review of 57 studies on exercise and body image.

Working out can also boost your libido by increasing blood flow to the genitals. University of Washington research found that just one 20-minute cycling workout enhanced sexual arousal up to 169% in women. And the benefits stand the test of time: A Harvard study of swimmers found that those over age 60 were as satisfied sexually as those decades younger.

5. Lower Dental Bills
A health-boost worth smiling about

Flossing and brushing, it turns out, are not the only keys to a healthy smile, says Mohammad Al-Zahrani, DDS, PhD, a former associate professor at Case Western Reserve University. Exercise plays an important role, too. In his recent study, Al-Zahrani discovered that adults who did 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 or more times a week were 42% less likely to suffer from periodontitis, a gum disease that's more common as you get older. Working out may thwart periodontitis the same way it does heart disease--by lowering levels of inflammation-causing C-reactive protein in the blood.

6. Unlock Hidden Energy
Rouse your body out of a slump

If you're among the 50% of adults who report feeling tired at least 1 day a week, skip the java and go for a walk. University of Georgia researchers who analyzed 70 different studies concluded that moving your body increases energy and reduces fatigue. Regular exercise boosts certain fatigue-fighting brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and dopamine, which pep you up, and serotonin, a mood enhancer.

7. Shrink Stress Fat
Combat anxiety-related weight gain

Just two 40-minute workouts a week is enough to stop dangerous belly fat in its tracks, according to University of Alabama at Birmingham research. The waistline of those who worked out less expanded an average of 3 inches. Exercise may lower levels of hormones such as cortisol that promotes belly fat.

8. Slash Cold Risk 33%
Build up your body's defenses

Moderate exercise doesn't just rev your metabolism--it boosts your immune system, too, helping your body fight off cold bugs and other germs. Women ages 50 to 75 who did 45 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, had a third as many colds as those who did once-weekly stretching sessions, a University of Washington study found.

9. Improve Vision
Carrots are great, but exercise might be better

What's good for your heart is good for your eyes. An active lifestyle can cut your risk of age-related macular degeneration by up to 70%, according to a British Journal of Ophthalmology study of 4,000 adults. This incurable disease makes reading, driving, and seeing fine details difficult, and it's the most common cause of blindness after age 60.

10. Reach the Deep-Sleep Zone
Decent shut-eye is not a far off dream

Say good night to poor sleep. Women age 60 and older who walked or danced for at least an hour, four times a week, woke up half as often and slept an average 48 minutes more a night than sedentary women, according to a study in the journal Sleep Medicine. That is good news for the many women who toss and turn more as they get older. As you age, sleep patterns start shifting, so you spend more of the night in lighter sleep phases, says Shawn Youngstedt, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.

11. Never Get Diabetes
Walk to keep your blood sugar in check

Walking 2 miles 5 times a week may be more effective at preventing diabetes than running nearly twice as much, report Duke University researchers. Because fat is the primary fuel for moderate exercise, walking may better improve the body's ability to release insulin and control blood sugar.

12. Eliminate Belly Bloat
Shrink the muffin top

The next time you feel puffy around the middle, resist the urge to stay put. A study from Spain's Autonomous University of Barcelona suggests that mild physical activity clears gas and alleviates bloating. That's because increasing your heart rate and breathing stimulates the natural contractions of the intestinal muscles, helping to prevent constipation and gas buildup by expediting digestion.

13. Clear Out Brain Fog
Build your mental muscle

Exercise is linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease among older people; now, new research shows it can prevent brain fog at a much younger age too. Japanese researchers assigned sedentary young adults to two groups; one took aerobic exercise classes, and the other did not. After 4 months, MRIs revealed that the nonexercising group experienced shrinkage of gray matter in some areas of the brain, while the active participants had no change.

14. Save Your Heart
Reduce dangerous inflammation

Sedentary, obese women age 50 and older who began exercising lowered their levels of C-reactive protein-an inflammatory blood marker linked to heart disease—by 10% after 1 year, found research recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

15. Add Years to Your Life
Stay healthy and active for years to come

Being physically fit can actually change how your body works. Vigorous exercisers have longer telomeres-cellular biomarkers that shorten as we age-compared with healthy adults who rarely work out.

16. Ease Your Ailments
Heal your body with yoga

Yoga has a well-earned reputation as a surefire stress reducer (particularly when combined with meditation), and new studies show the simple stretching regimen can also help treat and prevent a number of other ailments, from back pain to diabetes. Other research reveals regular yoga practice can put an end to mindless eating by creating an outlet for emotions that can lead to binging. Unfortunately, less than 15% of women over age 35 say they do yoga frequently, according to the National Sporting Goods Association.

17. Survive Breast Cancer
Increase your defenses against the disease

Exercise not only reduces breast cancer risk, it can also save your life if you're diagnosed. Overweight women who were exercising more than 3 hours a week before they were diagnosed were 47% less likely to die than those who exercised less than a half hour per week.

Weight Gain and Breast Cancer

Gaining weight after age 20, even just a pound or two per year, can nearly double the risk of developing breast cancer after menopause compared to women who keep their weight stable. This finding, from a National Cancer Institute (NCI) study, reported on the equivalent of a 30-pound gain over the years for a five-foot, four-inch woman. This extra weight acted as a major risk factor for breast cancer, and was as significant as family history of the disease, the age at which a woman begins to menstruate (the earlier, the higher the risk), or whether or not she has had children and the age at which she gave birth, according to study co-author Regina Ziegler, Ph.D., an NCI epidemiologist. The NCI research team, working with investigators from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, analyzed information from 72,007 postmenopausal women in NCI's Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) cohort to arrive at the conclusions. Bear in mind that doubling the risk of any disease, while not desirable, isn’t as awful as it sounds. For example, if the normal risk were one in 100, double the risk would be two in 100.

We've long known that being overweight or obese increases the risk of breast cancer. This study is newsworthy in that it helps quantify the added risk. There's nothing women can do about the most common risks of breast cancer: being female and getting older, but weight is something you can strive to control through healthy eating and regular exercise. Breastfeeding your babies, avoiding alcohol and long term estrogen replacement therapy at menopause, eating less meat and avoiding exposure to environmental pollutants can also help reduce your breast cancer risk, as can taking two grams of fish oil per day for the omega-3 fatty acids it provides.

Sugar and Heart Disease

It isn't just the fats in your diet that can affect your risk of heart disease. The sugar (of all types) counts as well. Added sweeteners in foods may contribute to heart disease by pushing down your good (HDL) cholesterol (the higher your HDL, the better) and raising triglycerides (the lower the better). According to a study from Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who received at least 25 percent of their daily calories from any type of sweetener had more than triple the normal risk of having low HDL levels than those who consumed less than five percent of their calories from sweeteners. Beyond that, those whose sugar intake made up 17.5 percent or more of daily calories were 20 to 30 percent more likely to have high triglycerides. The links between sweets and blood fats were independent of the fat and cholesterol provided in high fat foods and other risk factors for heart disease. Investigators looked at data collected from more than 6,000 adults. Overall, they concluded that Americans consume an average of 21.4 teaspoons of added sugars daily - about 16 percent of total calories.

These findings are further evidence that keeping your sugar intake low is healthy. You can cut back on added sweeteners by avoiding processed and prepared foods that are high in sugar. Instead, try to satisfy your sweet tooth with natural fat-free treats such as dried fruit, hard candy, fruit ices (sorbets or water ices).

The Worst 'Healthy' Foods In America

#6: Worst “Healthy” Smoothie

Smoothie King Skinny Cranberry Supreme (40 oz)

908 calories

2 g fat (0 g saturated)

146 g sugars

It’s hard to pick a “worst” thing when it comes to this drinkable disaster. First, Smoothie King boasts that this drink’s function is to help you “Stay Healthy”—but with as much sugar as in 14 glazed doughnuts and nearly half your day’s worth of calories, it’s clear that this beverage is little more than liquefied sweetener. Second, Smoothie King allows patrons to opt to make their beverages “Skinny,” meaning they’ll leave out the turbinado sweetener. But don’t be fooled by the false advertising: Downing this drink is likely to do anything BUT make you skinny.

#5: Worst “Healthy” Burger

Ruby Tuesday Avocado Turkey Burger

1,234 calories

81 g fat

2,961 mg sodium

Turkey often has an undeserved health food reputation. Take turkey bacon, for instance: Most people believe a strip of turkey bacon is better for you than the pork equivalent. But most people are wrong; both strips are roughly 35 calories, and turkey bacon usually comes with more sodium than the oinking variety. (That's why you MUST check labels and use any other tools and guides at your disposal.) Remember this the next time you’re aching for a juicy burger, but want to keep it healthy: Turkey burgers are often just as bad, if not worse, than regular burgers. When at Ruby Tuesday, skip the burgers altogether and order the Cowboy Sirloin for your protein fix instead.

#4: Worst “Healthy” Chicken Entrée

Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken

1,303 calories

94 g fat

2,146 mg sodium

If you read our list of 30 Worst Chicken Dishes in America, you’d know by now that just because a plate has chicken on it doesn’t mean the meal is good for you. This dish is a classic example of a reasonable, lean protein dish gone afowl. It has well over half your day’s caloric allotment, plus nearly a full day’s worth of sodium. Stick with the Grilled Chicken with seasonal veggies, instead.

#3: Worst Salad in America

California Pizza Kitchen Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing (full)

1,570 calories

30 g saturated fat

2,082 mg sodium

Remember when salads were a diet food? Forget that mindset, at least when you’re eating out. CPK used to be home to the worst salad in America, the Thai Crunch Salad, which originally rang in at over 2,000 calories. The good news is that as a result of all the attention they downgraded that leafy monstrosity (to a “mere” 1,300-something calories, but still). The bad news, of course, is that there’s still a number of hulking salads on the menu. Like the Waldorf Chicken with Blue Cheese Dressing, for instance. Three-quarters of your day’s calories—in a dish that’s supposed to be good for you. Blame the dressing, obviously, and the piled on extras that are drowning in it.

#2: Worst “Healthy” Seafood Entrée

Culver’s North Atlantic Cod Filet Dinner (3 pieces)

2,121 calories

134 g fat (20 g saturated, 2 g trans)

2,568 mg sodium

Fish is healthy, right? Not if Culver’s has anything to do with it. For starters, nearly every single item on the menu is fried, which automatically adds extra caloric heft. But seriously—how is such a disastrous plate concocted? First, take three breaded, fried cod filets—870 calories. Add cole slaw (350 calories) and Tartar sauce (376), a dinner roll with butter (140 calories) and Crinkle Cut fries (385 calories). Bingo.

#1: The Worst “Healthy” Food in America

Cheesecake Factory Bistro Shrimp Pasta

2,819 calories

77 g saturated fat (Yes, four days' worth!)

1,008 mg sodium

It’s hard to say what’s the most shocking part of this dish—the fact that it has nearly one and a half times your daily caloric allotment, or the fact that it somehow manages to keep the sodium count at a reasonable level, in spite of its monstrous proportions. This is the absolute worst dish on the worst menu in America, no small feat considering that it’s surrounded by other plates that surge past the 2,000-calorie limit. Forget the fact that it has shrimp in it. There is nothing nutritionally redeeming about this platter.

Ingredient	Why it is Used	Why it is Bad
Artificial Colors	Chemical compounds made from coal-tar derivatives to enhance color.	Linked to allergic reactions, fatigue, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity and headaches.
Artificial Flavorings	Cheap chemical mixtures that mimic natural flavors.	Linked to allergic reactions, dermatitis, eczema, hyperactivity and asthma Can affect enzymes, RNA and thyroid.
Artificial Sweeteners (Acesulfame-K, Aspartame, Equal®, NutraSweet®, Saccharin, Sweet’n Low®, Sucralose, Splenda® & Sorbitol)	Highly-processed, chemically-derived, zero-calorie sweeteners found in diet foods and diet products to reduce calories per serving.	Can negatively impact metabolism Some have been linked to cancer, dizziness hallucinations and headaches.
Benzoate Preservatives (BHT, BHA, TBHQ)	Compounds that preserve fats and prevent them from becoming rancid.	May result in hyperactivity, angiodema, asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis, tumors and urticaria Can affect estrogen balance and levels.
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)	Chemical that boosts flavor in many citric-based fruit and soft drinks.	Increases triglycerides and cholesterol Can damage liver, testicles, thyroid, heart and kidneys.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)	Cheap alternative to cane and beet sugar Sustains freshness in baked goods Blends easily in beverages to maintain sweetness.	May predispose the body to turn fructose into fat Increases risk for Type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer Isn’t easily metabolized by the liver.
MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)	Flavor enhancer in restaurant food, salad dressing, chips, frozen entrees, soups and other foods.	May stimulate appetite and cause headaches, nausea, weakness, wheezing, edema, change in heart rate, burning sensations and difficulty in breathing.
Olestra	An indigestible fat substitute used primarily in foods that are fried and baked.	Inhibits absorption of some nutrients Linked to gastrointestinal disease, diarrhea, gas, cramps, bleeding and incontinence.
Shortening, Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Palm, Soybean and others)	Industrially created fats used in more than 40,000 food products in the U.S. Cheaper than most other oils.	Contain high levels of trans fats, which raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, contributing to risk of heart disease.

9 Ingredients to avoid in processed food

One test to know whether an ingredient is healthy is to ask yourself whether your grandmother would recognize it. If not, there is a good chance the ingredient is less natural food and more man-made chemical. Another good test is whether or not you can easily pronounce the ingredient. If you feel like you need a science degree to pronounce it properly, chances are the ingredient is worth avoiding.

If you do have to resort to a processed food for a snack or dinner (anything canned, packaged, etc.), try to avoid those that contain the ingredients listed in the following chart. Although this isn’t an exhaustive list, these ingredients are some of the most highly processed and least healthy of all:

Ingredient

Why it is Used

Why it is Bad

Artificial Colors

Chemical compounds made from coal-tar derivatives to enhance color.

Linked to allergic reactions, fatigue, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity and headaches.

Artificial Flavorings

Cheap chemical mixtures that mimic natural flavors.

Linked to allergic reactions, dermatitis, eczema, hyperactivity and asthma
Can affect enzymes, RNA and thyroid.

Artificial Sweeteners
(Acesulfame-K, Aspartame, Equal®, NutraSweet®, Saccharin, Sweet’n Low®, Sucralose, Splenda® & Sorbitol)

Highly-processed, chemically-derived, zero-calorie sweeteners found in diet foods and diet products to reduce calories per serving.

Can negatively impact metabolism
Some have been linked to cancer, dizziness hallucinations and headaches.

Benzoate Preservatives

(BHT, BHA, TBHQ)

Compounds that preserve fats and prevent them from becoming rancid.

May result in hyperactivity, angiodema, asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis, tumors and urticaria
Can affect estrogen balance and levels.

Brominated Vegetable Oil

(BVO)

Chemical that boosts flavor in many citric-based fruit and soft drinks.

Increases triglycerides and cholesterol
Can damage liver, testicles, thyroid, heart and kidneys.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
(HFCS)

Cheap alternative to cane and beet sugar
Sustains freshness in baked goods
Blends easily in beverages to maintain sweetness.

May predispose the body to turn fructose into fat
Increases risk for Type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer
Isn’t easily metabolized by the liver.

MSG

(Monosodium Glutamate)

Flavor enhancer in restaurant food, salad dressing, chips, frozen entrees, soups and other foods.

May stimulate appetite and cause headaches, nausea, weakness, wheezing, edema, change in heart rate, burning sensations and difficulty in breathing.

Olestra

An indigestible fat substitute used primarily in foods that are fried and baked.

Inhibits absorption of some nutrients
Linked to gastrointestinal disease, diarrhea, gas, cramps, bleeding and incontinence.

Shortening, Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils
(Palm, Soybean and others)

Industrially created fats used in more than 40,000 food products in the U.S.
Cheaper than most other oils.

Contain high levels of trans fats, which raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, contributing to risk of heart disease.

Have you checked your ingredient lists recently? Do they contain any of the above? Have you tried cutting some of these ingredients out?

Unhealthiest Foods At The Mall

Worst Mall Drink

Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo’d (22 oz)

770 calories

20 g fat (4.5 g saturated)

108 g sugars

Worst Slice of Pizza
Sbarro Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza (1 slice)

890 calories

42 g fat

3,200 mg sodium

Worst Chinese Meal
Panda Express Orange Chicken with Fried Rice

970 calories

38 g fat (7.5 g saturated)

1,540 mg sodium

Worst Sandwich

Panera Bread Full Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French

990 calories

56 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans)

2,370 mg sodium

***The Worst Mall Food in America***

Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbun

1,100 calories

56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans)

47 g sugars

141 g carbohydrates

Omega 3 May Prevent Colon Cancer
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), a form of omega 3 fatty acid, seems to work as well as prescription medication to reduce the number and size of precancerous polyps that can lead to colorectal cancer. A study in England including 55 patients with a genetic mutation that triggers development of precancerous polyps (a condition known as familial adenomatous polyposis or FAP) found that six months of treatment with a purified form of EPA reduced the number of polyps that developed by 12 percent; among participants who received a placebo instead, the number of polyps increased by 10 percent. In addition, the size of the polyps declined by more than 12.5 percent in the EPA group, compared to a 17 percent increase among those on the placebo. These effects were similar to those achieved by using celecoxib, a drug that can lead to undesirable cardiovascular side effects in older patients. The researchers suggested that their EPA strategy might help to prevent colorectal cancer in people with non-familial polyps. The study was published online on March 18, 2010 in the journal Gut.

The Wine Diet?
Here's a bit of cheer for women who enjoy drinking a daily glass or two of wine, or beer, or cocktails. The alcohol may help prevent weight gain. Researchers from Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston looked at data from more than 19,000 women collected by the Women's Health Study and followed for about 12.9 years. They found that women who drank the equivalent of a glass or two of wine a day gained less weight and had a lower risk of becoming overweight or obese than women who didn't drink at all and less risk of becoming overweight than those who drank too much. Women who didn't drink gained about eight pounds over the 12.9 years, while the ones who drank moderately gained only 3.5 pounds. This effect isn't seen in men, the researchers said, probably because men add alcohol to their food intake while women substitute alcohol for other foods - in this study, they tended to compensate by cutting back on carbohydrates. If you don't drink, the researchers said they don't recommend that you start in order to control your weight.

The Unhealthiest Salads in America

#6. Quizno’s Honey Mustard Chicken Regular Chopped Salad
920 calories
65 g fat (20 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,685 mg sodium

#5. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Salad
960 calories

#4. Chili’s Quesadilla Explosion Salad
1,400 calories
88 g fat (26 g saturated)
2,370 mg sodium

#3. Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad with Oriental Vinaigrette
1,430 calories

#2. Cheesecake Factory Caesar Salad with Chicken
1,513 calories
16 g saturated fat
1,481 mg sodium
23 g carbohydrates

#1. California Pizza Kitchen Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing (full)
1,570 calories
30 g saturated fat
2,082 mg sodium

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Aspirin May Cut Breast Cancer Death Risk
In this study, the women, all participants in the long-running Nurses' Health Study, had been taking aspirin regularly, usually to protect against heart disease. But researchers who followed 4,164 of the nurses who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer found that the cancer was 50 percent less likely to spread and that the nurses with breast cancer were 50 percent less likely to die from the disease if they were taking aspirin. It's too soon to say that all women with breast cancer should take a daily dose of aspirin. The only way to confirm this study's findings is with a randomized controlled trial in which half of participating breast cancer patients take aspirin daily and the other half doesn't. One possible explanation for the effects seen: aspirin reduces inflammation and therefore might reduce breast cancer risk. And research has shown that women who regularly took ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories also had a 50 percent lower risk of death from breast cancer. The study was published online in the February 16, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

How Omega-3 Helps the Heart

We've known for years that omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart. These healthy fats down-regulate inflammation, and may help reduce the risk and symptoms of disorders influenced by inflammation, including heart attack, stroke and several forms of cancer. Now researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have found another action of omega-3s that may help explain why they offer benefits for the heart. The investigators found that the more omega-3 consumed by patients with coronary heart disease, the slower the structures called telomeres at the ends of chromosomes shrank. (Telomeres have been likened to the caps on the ends of shoelaces that prevent the laces from unraveling. In cells, telomeres prevent chromosomes from fusing with one another or rearranging - undesirable changes that could lead to serious diseases.) The more times a cell divides, the shorter telomeres become, a change that makes them a marker of biological age. The California investigators followed about 600 patients with coronary artery disease and measured their blood levels of omega-3s and telomere length at the beginning of the study and again five years later. They found that the higher the blood levels of omega-3s, the slower telomeres shortened, suggesting that the rate of biological aging - as mirrored by telomeres - decreased.

This is a fascinating area of research and may give us new insight into how omega-3 fatty acids benefit health. It only reinforces the need to get plenty of omega-3s through your diet or supplements. Longstanding recommendations have been to consume two to three servings of fish per week or to take a fish oil supplement if you don't like fish. Eat fish often and also take 2-3 grams of supplemental fish oil a day.

The Facts About Fats

Despite the fact that the low-fat craze has long since passed, fear and misconceptions about dietary fat still remain. Fats are a necessary part of a healthy diet; they give you energy, protect your organs and keep you warm. They're also vital in helping your body absorb vitamins A, D, E and K.

Most Americans consume much more fat in their diet than the daily recommendation of 20 to 35%, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. All fats are not created equal, though. Whether polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated or trans fat, each gram contains 9 calories, but that's where the similarities end.

The Good

Unsaturated fats: the healthy superstars of the fat family, and should make up the majority of your daily intake. They reduce your bad cholesterol and total cholesterol level, as well as your risk for heart attack and stroke. Here's a breakdown of the two main types:

Monounsaturated Fats: These fats tend to be liquid at room temperature and solid when chilled. Oils in this family include olive, peanut, sesame, sunflower, and canola oil. Foods rich in monounsaturated fats are avocados, nuts and seeds. In addition to the positive effects on cholesterol, monounsaturated fats are often high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.

Polyunsaturated Fats: These fats tend to be liquid at both room temperature and when chilled. They contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids -- nutrients that are essential to brain functioning and body development. Oils in this family include soybean, safflower and corn oil, and the best food sources of polyunsaturated fats are fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and trout.

The Bad

Saturated Fats: Not only do foods high in saturated fat raise your cholesterol level, but these foods are often high in cholesterol themselves, delivering a harsh one-two punch to your LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. Red meat, full-fat dairy and tropical oils like coconut and palm tend to be the biggest culprits. Because high cholesterol is associated with heart disease and stroke, the American Heart Association recommends that no more than 7% of your daily fat intake include saturated fat.

The Ugly

Trans Fats: Trans fats are great for food producers and fast-food purveyors -- they're easy to come by, cheap to make, and they have a long shelf life. For consumers, though, it's another story. Trans fats go a step further than saturated fats, as they actually lower your HDL, or "good" cholesterol level in addition to raising your LDL. Fried foods and commercially baked goods often contain trans fats like margarine and shortening. Any product labeled "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" contains trans fats, so be on the label lookout. The AHA recommends that no more than 1% of your daily fat intake come from trans fats, which can contribute to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

While We're on the Subject of Exercise…
If you're a woman and are beginning to think that your memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, exercise may improve matters. In a small study (only 33 individuals were included; all were between the ages of 55 and 85 and all had mild memory problems) women who took part in a six-month high-intensity aerobic exercise program improved on tests of memory and verbal fluency compared to women in another group who did less vigorous, stretching exercises. The men in the study boosted their general fitness, but the researchers saw little or no memory improvement among them. The study participants who exercised did so for up to an hour, four times a week supervised by a trainer each week. The study was published in the January, 2010, Archives of Neurology. Meanwhile, an ongoing Mayo Clinic study reported in the same issue suggests that moderate exercise benefits memory in both men and women.

Prescription for the blues is simple—get moving!

Research has shown physical activity can be just as effective as medication in alleviating the symptoms of depression—and without any side effects, only “side benefits.”

The research on exercise and mood includes a study undertaken at the world-famous Cooper Clinic in Dallas, showing that individuals diagnosed with actual depression and who’d normally be put on medication can get the very same benefit from 180 minutes a week of physical activity. In that study, 41 percent of the participants completely reversed their depression in twelve weeks.

The evidence suggests exercise has a positive effect on certain mood-enhancing neurotransmitters in your brain—and can boost the feel-good endorphins responsible for the “runner’s high.” Plus, movement eases muscle tension, improves sleep, and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

More recent research has also shown that exercise may actually function as an antidepressant—right in your brain. According to a Yale School of Medicine Report published in Natural Medicine, research in the animal model indicates that exercise boosts the VGF gene in your brain—which is your “exercise-related gene.” In fact, scientists are looking at ways to use that information to create a new antidepressant.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Your Blood Pressure

Here's another reason to watch out for high fructose corn syrup (HCFS)¸ the ubiquitous, cheap, sweetener used in soft drinks and a wide range of processed foods such as salad dressings, ketchup, jams, jellies, ice cream, even bread. In addition to promoting weight gain, it may also raise your blood pressure. Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center queried more than 4,500 adults, age 18 and up, about their eating habits. Then, the investigators calculated their study participants' consumption of HCFS by looking at the amount of fruit juices, soft drinks, bakery products and candy they reported eating daily. The researchers found that individuals who ate or drank more than 74 grams of HCFS per day (the amount found in 2.5 servings of sugary soft drinks) were at increased risk of developing hypertension and that HCFS is "significantly and independently associated with higher blood pressure" in adults with no previous history of hypertension. More studies will be needed to see if cutting down on HCFS consumption can bring blood pressure back to normal.

HCFS is a contributor to the obesity epidemic, may have disruptive effects on metabolism, and appears to elevate triglycerides (blood fats that increase the risk of heart disease) in men (but not women). Avoiding foods containing HCFS will benefit your health and help control your weight - and, it now appears, your blood pressure.

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Exercise and Appetite: The Weight Loss Connection
Exercise can make you hungrier but it also can tamp down your appetite so you eat less and lose weight. The trouble is, that doesn't always happen. Australian researchers observed the differences in a study of 58 overweight and obese adults who began a 12 week exercise program designed to burn 500 calories per session. Overall, the investigators found that all the study subjects were hungrier for a meal after exercise than they had been before they began to exercise. However, some were more easily satisfied by their breakfasts than they had been prior to exercising while others who didn't drop as many pounds as they had hoped said that they were hungrier for their breakfasts than they had been before joining the study and remained hungrier throughout the day than they used to be. The researchers don't have an explanation for the difference in appetite but speculated that physical activity may trigger hunger and also boost the sensitivity of the body's fullness-signaling system. The study was published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

More Chocolate, Less Stress

Is this too good to be true? Investigators at the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland found that eating a little chocolate every day for two weeks reduces levels of stress hormones. The investigators recruited 30 volunteers, male and female ages 18-35, who were interviewed to assess their general anxiety. Those who rated themselves as highly stressed were then asked to consume 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks. The researchers reported that eating the chocolate appeared to reduce levels of stress hormones in these volunteers. This isn't the first study to suggest that chocolate can ease emotional stress, but it is the first to identify the positive biochemical changes chocolate promotes. The study was published online on October 7, 2009 in the Journal of Proteome Research, a publication of the American Chemical Society. Other studies have shown that antioxidants in chocolate can make blood vessels more flexible and that the flavonoids chocolate contains can reduce the stickiness of platelets, inhibiting blood clotting and possibly reducing the risk of developing coronary artery blockages.

How can women exercise good breast health?

Most women who think of screening for breast cancer think of mammograms, but there are three ways to screen for breast cancer: mammography, clinical breast exam by a healthcare professional and breast self-exams. When combined, they offer the best opportunity to detect the disease at its earliest, most treatable stages.

"When women understand that one-third of all breast cancer can be related to lack of exercise and poor diet, they'll see that they have the opportunity to have much more control over their cancer risk," Peterson said. "We want to encourage women to learn more about the impact wellness has on preventing cancer."

Eating to Keep Your Mind Sharp
The more antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables in your diet, the greater your chances of keeping your wits about you as you get older. German researchers in collaboration with investigators at Temple University in Philadelphia and Italy's Perugia University looked at the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, antioxidant status and cognitive performance in 193 healthy men and women aged 45 to 102. Those who ate the most fruits and vegetables (400 grams or about 14 ounces per day), had higher plasma antioxidant levels, lower indicators of free-radical damage and better cognitive performance than healthy subjects regardless of age who consumed less than 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of fruits and vegetables daily.

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Fish Oils May Prevent and Treat Heart Disease

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 5 (HealthDay News) -- A new review shows that the omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish not only prevent cardiovascular disease, but may even help treat it.

"A lot of people know that omega-3 fatty acids are a good thing, but have thought of them in the area of nutritional or health foods," said study author Dr. Carl J. Lavie, medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. "They don't realize there is so much data, a lot of data from big studies, that they are not only preventive but also help in therapy for a number of conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, heart attack, atherosclerosis and heart failure."

The report in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology cites four trials with almost 40,000 participants that show benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, in treatment after heart attack and, most recently, in heart failure patients.

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are such an old story that such studies can go unnoticed, Lavie said. "If you polled cardiologists about whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I don't know if they would recognize how much has been done in this area," he noted.

As far back as 2002, the American Heart Association issued a scientific statement endorsing omega-3 fatty acid intake, from fish or supplements. It recommended specific amounts of omega-3 fatty acids each day for people in general, with greater intake recommended for people with heart disease.

"For the general population, it should be 500 milligrams a day," Lavie said. "If you have heart disease, it should be 800 or 1,000 milligrams a day."

Lavie includes himself in the second category, because "I have a family history of heart disease. I eat a lot of fish and take a supplement just to be sure."

It's got to be the right kind of fish, the oily species that have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, Lavie added. "Redfish, trout, salmon," he said. "Salmon is my favorite."

Not much effort is needed for most people to achieve the recommended intake, Lavie said. "Five hundred milligrams a day is two fatty fish meals per week," he added.

But too many people eat non-oily fish such as catfish, Lavie noted. "And they have it fried, which reduces its health benefits," he added.

His review did turn up a few negative studies, including one showing no benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in people who had heart attacks. But it was a relatively small (4,000 people), short (one-year) trial, and the patients in the trial were already getting intensive drug therapy including clot-busting clopidogrel, cholesterol-lowering statins, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, Lavie noted.

Set against that one trial are the many larger studies cited by Lavie, and epidemiological evidence showing that populations such as Asians and Alaskan Eskimos, whose diets are rich in fish oil, have a low incidence of cardiovascular disease.

The picture is not complete, the new report noted. Studies still must be done to determine the relative benefits of DHA and EPA, the long-chain fatty acids in the omega-3 family. And the American Heart Association says that Omega-3 supplements should be taken only after consulting with a doctor, because too much can cause excessive bleeding in some people.

Another study now in the recruiting stage will test omega-3 fatty acids to prevent not only cardiovascular disease but also cancer, said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

She is a leader of the trial, which is now recruiting 10,000 men aged 60 and older and 10,000 women aged 65 and older. The researchers will test not only the effect of omega-3 fatty acids but also of vitamin D.

Both are "very promising nutrients in prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other chronic diseases," Manson said. In the five-year trial, a quarter of the participants will take both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, a quarter will take the vitamin, a quarter will take the fatty acids and a quarter will take a placebo.

Enthusiasts shouldn't anticipate the results of the trial and start taking large doses of omega-3 fatty acids, Manson warned. "It's too early to jump on the bandwagon and take megadoses, but moderate doses seem reasonable," she said.

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Vinegar May Combat Fat
Maybe the vinegar effect isn't just an old-wives tale. New research from Japan is lending credence to the age-old notion that vinegar can help reduce fat. Investigators put laboratory mice on a high-fat diet and fed them acetic acid, the main component of vinegar. They put another group of mice on the same diet but gave them water. The mice in both groups gained weight but those on the vinegar “diet” put on significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than the other mice. The acetic acid may work by turning on genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes. These genes produce proteins that can break down fats and therefore suppress body fat accumulation. Research elsewhere indicates that acetic acid also may help control blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Does this mean a vinegar diet will help humans lose weight or prevent them from gaining? That's for another study to determine, but you could try dressing your salads with vinegar and olive oil to see if it helps. The Japanese study was published in the July 8, 2009, issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Mediterranean Diet's Secret Ingredient
What is it about the Mediterranean diet that promotes longevity? It's apparently not the olive oil or all the healthy fresh fruits and vegetables or even the amount of fish. A new study that tracked more than 23,000 European men and women for an average of 8.5 years concluded that the moderate intake of wine is the dietary component most associated with the longer life seen among those who eat the Mediterranean way. The Harvard researchers who conducted the study suggested that alcohol, principally in wine, theoretically accounted for 23.5 percent of the diet's longevity effect. The high ratio of monounsaturated fat (mostly olive oil) to saturated fat was responsible for only 10.6 percent of the longer life attributed to the diet. The big surprise was that fish and seafood appeared to play a slightly negative role (but the researchers noted that fish eaten in the area are not high in the omega-3 fatty acids linked to cardiovascular benefits). Low meat intake was responsible for 16.6 percent of the longevity effect; high vegetable intake for 16.2 percent; high fruit and nut consumption for 11.2 percent; high intake of legumes, 9.7 percent.

Wine for Longer Life
We know that drinking wine – in moderation – is good for the heart. Now a Dutch research team has figured out how much wine is associated with longer life. The investigators monitored the cardiovascular health and life expectancy of 1,373 randomly selected 50–year–old men and followed them from 1960 to 2000, looking at how much alcohol they drank, what kind it was and over what period they drank. The team also tracked weight, diet, smoking and the presence of serious illness. By 2000, 1,130 of the men had died, more than half of them from cardiovascular disease. Analyzing their data the researchers found that drinking up to 20 grams of alcohol daily day (about half a glass) extended life by around two years compared to men who didn't drink alcohol. Those who drank more than 20 grams also lived longer than the non–drinkers, but men who drank only wine and had less than half a glass per day lived about 2.5 years longer than beer and spirits drinkers and almost five years longer than non–drinkers. The study was published online on April 30, 2009 ahead of the print issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Weight Training Can Lower Blood Pressure

Anahad O'Connor, the New York Times health answer person, reminds us that, for years, doctors have been advising patients with hypertension to steer clear of weight training, an the assumption that the strenuous activity would cause blood pressure to spike. Unfortunately, says Anahad, that assumption was not based on medical evidence, and the studies that were done failed to find a connection between pumping up and pumped up blood pressure. Now, says O'Connor, new studies are suggesting that the opposite is true. A recent analysis in the journal Hypertension examined 11 clinical trials comparing 182 adults who lifted weights several times a week and 138 who did not. Over all, the Times reports, it found that weight training lowered resting systolic blood pressure by 2 percent, and diastolic pressure by about 4 percent. Another report by the American Heart Association, published in the journal Circulation, found that just two or three bouts of weight training a week — with exercises like curls and presses — were enough to lower blood pressure.

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Walnuts May Prevent Breast Cancer

Walnuts are known to be good for the heart, but new research suggests that they may also help protect against breast cancer. Evidence presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in April, 2009, showed that feeding walnuts to mice programmed to develop breast cancer reduced the incidence of breast tumors that normally develop in the animals. Those receiving walnuts also showed a decrease in the number of glands with a tumor and in tumor size, and the researcher who presented the study commented that walnuts could also prove to be protective in humans. The amount of walnuts fed to the mice in the study was the human equivalent of two ounces per day. The researcher from Marshall University School of Medicine attributed her findings to the omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols in walnuts. In a separate study, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston found that walnuts helped aged rats improve motor and cognitive skills and suggested that eating about an ounce of walnuts a day could do the same thing for humans.

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How Does Turmeric Work?

I have long promoted the healing powers of turmeric, the brilliantly hued spice that’s an integral part of the traditional Indian diet. Turmeric’s main ingredient, curcumin, has been shown to have a wide array of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Indeed, eating turmeric in their daily curries appears to be one of the main reasons that elderly citizens of India have very low rates of Alzheimer’s disease.

Now, we are gaining some insight into how curcumin exerts its benefits. University of Michigan researchers have discovered that curcumin incorporates itself into cell membranes and makes them more orderly. This allows the membranes to more effectively control the flow of substances in and out of cells, which improves cells' resistance to infection and malignancy. The findings were published online March 3, 2009, for the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

I am always interesting in, and heartened by, scientific discoveries revealing the mechanism behind natural healing. Slowly, we are developing a sophisticated body of knowledge about the biochemistry of foods, which will help to usher in the day when physicians the world over will become just as likely - or, perhaps, even more likely - to prescribe dietary changes rather than medications.

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Insomnia Can Raise Your Blood Pressure
Tossing and turning through the night is bad enough, but a new study published in the April 1, 2009 issue of Sleep showed that getting inadequate sleep at night can have more serious consequences than daytime tiredness. The researchers demonstrated that insomnia can raise the risk of high blood pressure 500 percent higher in individuals who got less than five hours sleep compared to study participants who slept more than six hours and didn’t suffer from insomnia. The investigators also found that insomniacs who slept five to six hours a night had a risk for high blood pressure 350 percent higher than normal sleepers. But insomniacs who slept for six hours or more had no higher risk for hypertension, nor did individuals who slept less than six hours but didn’t complain about insomnia. The researchers, from Penn State’s College of Medicine, emphasized that you can’t judge your risk based on the amount of sleep you think you get - as that belief doesn’t necessarily conform to actual sleep time as measured scientifically in a sleep center. But the researchers said that if you have persistent insomnia with short sleep duration, you should discuss your blood pressure and general health with your physician.

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Omega-3 for Menopause Symptoms

If menopause has got you down, omega-3 supplements may help. A new study from Canada’s Université Laval found that these essential fatty acids helped boost the mood of menopausal and peri-menopausal women suffering from mild depression and psychological distress. (It didn’t work well with women who had more severe depressive symptoms.) What’s more, the omega-3s were as efficacious as hormone replacement therapy and anti-depressants in reducing the incidence of hot flashes, the researchers reported. The Laval team recruited 120 women age 40 to 55 for the study and divided them into two groups. One group received capsules containing a total of one gram of EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and took three per day for eight weeks. The other group was given similar looking capsules that contained only sunflower oil with no omega-3. When the study began, the women were having about 2.8 hot flashes a day. These dropped to 1.2 in the omega-3 group but only to 2.3 in the sunflower oil group. The study was published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and in the November 8, 2008 online edition of the journal Menopause.

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The Tale of Two Sisters

THIS STORY IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE HIDDEN COST OF POOR
HEALTH.

Kerri and Kelly are 39-year-old twin sisters. Both also live in Statesville,
both are married, and both even have four children. As you might expect, both
also have similar IQ's and similar appearance (each are about 40 pounds
overweight). They both are also earning about the same meager wage working as
middle managers at a local retail chain store, where they have each worked for
the last ten years. But in the last year, something drastic happened that will
forever change their lives - at least for one of them.

Kerri and Kelly were tired of being chronically tired, generally overweight,
and looking and feeling unhealthy. They were delighted to learn there was a
Curves fitness location just minutes from their homes and decided to stop in
and see if joining was right for them. While both were delighted to learn of
the way Curves puts together custom workouts designed to help them accomplish
their objectives, Kelly was concerned about investing the five-hundred-dollar
annual cost for such workouts, the 30 minutes of valuable time she would lose
at least three or four times a week while working out, and how her husband
would feel if she informed him she was once again trying yet another way to
lose weight and get healthy. For these reasons, Kelly decided to pass. She
simply didn't have that kind of time and money right now, she explained.

Kerri was also financially strapped, but she decided to borrow the money and
join nonetheless. Kerri also wasn't sure where she would find the time, but she
knew something had to change in her life. When Kerri informed her husband of
her decision to join Curves, lose weight, and look and feel better, he was
cautiously supportive. When she wrote that check for the annual membership, she
was concerned about it's value - but she moved forward anyways.

AFTER ONE WEEK:

Within the first week, Kelly was convinced she made the right decision. Kelly
had enough bills to pay off and was happy she didn't have another one to
Curves. She also came home tired at the end of a hard day's work, and knew
there was no way she would have been able to schedule yet another task (going
to Curves), and would have wasted her money if she joined. She applauded
herself for not joining Curves.

That same week, Kerri was also convinced she made the right decision. Thanks to
her four workouts that week, Kerri wasn't feeling as tired as she usually felt
when she completed her day, and the two hours per week actually was recaptured
by her feeling more energetic and awake, helping her to get up a little earlier
each morning. Kerri also decided to buy fewer snacks to assist in her goals,
and that saved her about ten bucks a week, which was more than the cost of the
Curves workouts.

AFTER ONE MONTH:

A month passed and Kelly was still stuck in her same situation, both personally
and professionally.

That same month Kerri was noticeably trimmer. People at work were beginning to
notice too, and Kerri proudly told them about Curves and her personal goals.
Her husband was once again giving her the looks she remembered when they
started dating, and that built her confidence. Something else was also
happening to Kerri which she couldn't figure out. Thanks to being physically
healthy, she had more oxygen flowing to her brain, so she felt smarter and less
frustrated. That resulted in a more positive relationship with her children,
her boss, and her customers at work. That month her boss approached her and
offered her a promotion and a two dollar per hour raise. Kerri accepted, and
was now earning considerably more than her twin sister.

AFTER ONE YEAR:

About a year has passed and Kelly and Kerri are about to have a 40th birthday
party together.

To Kelly, her life is starting to change for the worse. Her family relationship
is strained, she is having more difficulty than ever putting in those long
hours required in a retail environment, and her debts have actually increased
from where they were a year ago. On top of all that, Kelly just learned she has
type two diabetes, and she'll have to undergo a lifetime of treatment and
costly medication to live with it. Kelly also knows she is in the early stages
of depression, and has started taking costly medication in an effort to
overcome these unhealthy feelings.

To Kerri, her life has changed as well. She hardly recognizes the person she
was a only one year ago. For starters, Kerri has a better relationship with her
husband and children that at any time in recent memory. They see her both
physically and intellectually in a different light, and the respect she gets at
home and at work has noticeably improved as well. In fact, she recently had the
courage to apply for her dream job and demand nearly twice what she earned at
her current retail job. Because of her high energy, high confidence, and
positive physical appearance, she landed the job and was able to pay off nearly
all of her debts except for her mortgage. To Kerri, investing the time and
money in a Curves workout plan was literally a major life changing event.

WHAT'S IN YOUR FUTURE?

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