Saturday, January 24, 2009
Health Matters: Hepatitis C
Best 7 Day Cleansing Diet Plan
It’s claimed that this Healthy Diet Plan takes nine kilograms in two weeks, , if strictly held. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, drink coffee without sugar a salad spiced with lemon. If you don’t see quantities refer you may eat it as much as you want it. Cleansing Diet leads to changes in the exchange of substances in the body that should guarantee that in the next period, if you eat normally or not, accrue new kilograms.B= Breakfast - L= Lunch - D= Dinner
1.Day
B: coffee without suger
L: 2 boiled eggs, spinach (little solt)
D: 1 large stack (3 small beffs’s grilling)
lettuce and raw celery
DRUGSTORE: - Weight Loss
2.Day
B: black coffee without suger with 1 pastry
L: 1 large stack, green salad and fruit
according to choice
D: boiled ham
3.Day
B: black coffee without sugar and biscuits
L: 2 boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato
D: cooked ham, green salad (with a little lemon)
4.Day
B: black coffee without sugar and biscuits
L: 1 boiled egg, raw carrots, Swiss cheese
D fruit and natural yogurt
5.Day
B: carrots with lemon and black coffee
L: boiled fish and tomato
D: 1 stack roasted, green salad
6.Day
B: black coffee and biscuits
L: chicken roasted
D: 2 boiled eggs and carrots (bound)
7.Day
B: tea with lemon
L: stack grilling, fruit according to choice
D: to choice, whatever you want
From Day 8 this Healthy diet begins again and lasts one more week. After that its allowed to eat Normaly.
Source: bestdietsplans.com
Antidepressants: Know Your Options
About 2 dozen antidepressant medications are approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. Some date back to the 1950s, while others have been released in the past few years. Some are like siblings, with very similar chemical characteristics, while others are more like distant cousins with very different pharmacologic properties. Some of the shorter-acting medications are available in extended-release pill formulations that release the drug over a longer period of time. All of the antidepressants are available in tablet or capsule form, a few are made in liquid preparations, and one is available as a patch.
Antidepressants affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are believed to be involved in the regulation of mood, although exactly how and why they work is not fully understood. The two key neurotransmitters influenced by antidepressants are norepinephrine and serotonin, although some affect dopamine. Antidepressants may block the reuptake of these neurotransmitters or interact with neurotransmitter receptors at synapses within the brain.
The earliest antidepressants were the tricyclic compounds (TCA), named for their chemical structure, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The MAOIs act by interfering with the action of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that ordinarily breaks down the beneficial neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. By slowing this breakdown, MAOI allows the neurotransmitters to remain active longer. While both these early classes of drugs are effective antidepressants, the TCAs and MAOIs are both associated with bothersome side effects, sometime serious ones.
New types of antidepressants rapidly became available in the 1980s, especially with the popularity of the selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRI) like Prozac. Over the past few decades, selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), serotonin modulating antidepressants (SMA), a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (DNRI), a tetracyclic antidepressant, a newer type of MAOI, and a norepinephrine and selective serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA) were approved and marketed. All have certain advantages and disadvantages.
Here is a list of the antidepressants currently available in the U.S. I've listed the generic names along with the primary brand name, and the antidepressant type of each:
Antidepressants affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are believed to be involved in the regulation of mood, although exactly how and why they work is not fully understood. The two key neurotransmitters influenced by antidepressants are norepinephrine and serotonin, although some affect dopamine. Antidepressants may block the reuptake of these neurotransmitters or interact with neurotransmitter receptors at synapses within the brain.
The earliest antidepressants were the tricyclic compounds (TCA), named for their chemical structure, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The MAOIs act by interfering with the action of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that ordinarily breaks down the beneficial neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. By slowing this breakdown, MAOI allows the neurotransmitters to remain active longer. While both these early classes of drugs are effective antidepressants, the TCAs and MAOIs are both associated with bothersome side effects, sometime serious ones.
New types of antidepressants rapidly became available in the 1980s, especially with the popularity of the selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRI) like Prozac. Over the past few decades, selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), serotonin modulating antidepressants (SMA), a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (DNRI), a tetracyclic antidepressant, a newer type of MAOI, and a norepinephrine and selective serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA) were approved and marketed. All have certain advantages and disadvantages.
Here is a list of the antidepressants currently available in the U.S. I've listed the generic names along with the primary brand name, and the antidepressant type of each:
Generic Name | Brand Name | Type |
Amitriptyline | Elavil® | TCA |
Bupropion | Wellbutrin® | DNRI |
Citalopram | Celexa® | SSRI |
Clomipramine | Anafranil® | TCA |
Desipramine | Nopramin® | TCA |
Doxepin | Sinequan® | TCA |
Duloxetine | Cymbalta® | SNRI |
Escitalopram | Lexapro® | SSRI |
Fluoxetine | Prozac® | SSRI |
Fluvoxamine | Luvox® | SSRI |
Imipramine | Tofranil® | TCA |
Isocarboxacid | Marplan® | MAOI |
Maprotiline | Ludiomil® | Tetracyclic |
Mirtazapine | Remeron® | NaSSA |
Nortriptyline | Pamelor® | TCA |
Paroxetine | Paxil® | SSRI |
Phenelzine | Nardil® | MAOI |
Protriptyline | Vivactyl® | TCA |
Selegiline | Emsam® | MAOI |
Sertraline | Zoloft® | SSRI |
Tranylcypromine | Parnate® | MAOI |
Trazodone | Desyrel® | SMA |
Trimipramine | Surmontil® | TCA |
Venlafaxine | Effexor® | SNRI |
Hope For Paralysed Patients As Obama Overturns Bush's Block On Stem Cell Therapy
Revolutionary human trials using stem cells to treat paralysis have been given the go-ahead.
The move offers hope to millions who are seriously injured in car crashes or sporting accidents and would otherwise not be expected to walk again.
New chapter: The potential of human embryonic stem cells will be trialled on paraplegics
The controversial experiments are to begin in the U.S. within months in what experts hail as a new era for medicine under Barack Obama’s presidency.
His predecessor George W. Bush was an opponent of stem cell research on moral grounds but President Obama has made it clear that he believes it has a large part to play in scientific developments.
US regulators cleared the way for the tests just three days after President Obama was sworn into office.
The trial will see ten people paralysed from the waist down become the first in the world to be injected with embryonic stem cells, which can be turned into any cell in the body.
Treatment will take place within the first two weeks of their injury, as it is not expected to work on long-standing problems.
Scientists will use a cocktail of chemicals to turn the embryonic stem cells into cells thought to be capable of repairing spinal cords damaged in accidents.
It is hoped that once injected into the body, the cells will replenish levels of myelin, the fatty protective sheath that insulates the nerve fibres of the brain and spinal cord.
Stocks of myelin fall when the spine is injured, causing paralysis.
Huge promise: The technology could have helped Superman actor Christopher Reeve who was confined to a wheelchair after a horse riding accident
Geron – the California-based biotech company given the green light to go ahead with the trials – has already succeeded in making paralysed rats walk again and is optimistic the treatment will work on people.
But for thousands of Britons, the trial, hailed as a potential ‘earthquake in terms of treatment of spinal injury’, offers fresh hope.
Thomas Okarma, Geron’s chief executive, said the idea ‘is not to make somebody get up and dance the next day’ but to provide an improvement that can be boosted by physiotherapy, perhaps allowing some patients to walk again – albeit shakily.
He added the injected cells also pump out substances that stimulate nerve growth – meaning they hold potential for treating strokes, multiple sclerosis and even Alzheimer’s disease.
It could also be extended to patients with neck injuries, similar to those sustained by Superman actor Christopher Reeve who was left paralysed after a riding accident in 1995.
Controversial technology: A single cell is removed from a human embryo to generate stem cells for scientific research
If the treatment is successful, it could be in widespread use in as little as four or five years, with a ‘remarkably affordable’ price tag, says Geron.
Embryonic stem cells, plucked from embryos in the first weeks of life, offer more promise than other types of stem cell, but their use is controversial, as their extraction leads to the death of the embryo, leading to protests that life is being sacrificed in
the interest of medicine.
A backlash against the change of course is growing, with Roman Catholic leaders, evangelical Christians and ethical campaigners calling the shift in stem cell policy a ‘terrible mistake’.
Although Mr Obama hasn’t yet reversed his predecessor’s ruling to free up federal funding, he has long been a strong supporter of stem cell research.
He left no doubt during his campaign that he would shift White House policy to encourage scientists to pursue the new frontier in medicine.
To do so would only require him to sign a new executive order without needing the backing of US Congress.
The U.S. move could also benefit British companies involved in stem cell research, such as Guildford-based drug developer ReNeuron.
The firm is carrying out British trials on a stroke treatment using foetal stem cells, which could potentially help 50million worldwide, and is awaiting the go-ahead to undertake similar human studies in the U.S..
Shares in ReNeuron shot up by 41?2 pence to 133?4 pence, a 49 per cent rise, on the back of the announcement, valuing the firm at ?22million.
Dr Wise Young, a spinal cord injury researcher, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said: 'A lot of hope of the spinal cord injury community is riding on this trial.'
Opposed: Pro-life groups say the new technique involves destroying embryos. Pictured here are ampoules containing a medium for stem cell storage
Professor Chris Mason, a stem cell expert from University College London, said: 'This historic decision by the Food and Drug Administration is a pivotal milestone in the development of embryonic stem cell therapies.
'The knowledge that will be gained in this first clinical trial deploying embryonic stem cell derived material will accelerate the development of all future stem cell therapies.
'This decision is therefore very encouraging news for patients, carers and healthcare providers such as the NHS.'
But Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: 'We still know very little about embryonic stem cells, which are notoriously unstable and with a capacity to form tumours, and if anything goes wrong the consequences will be very serious.
'The proposed therapy using embryonic stem cells does not seem to differ at all from existing therapies which use stem cells from the injured patients themselves.
'One has to ask what is the purpose of this much more controversial, experimental and risky route forward?'
Source: dailymail.co.uk
The move offers hope to millions who are seriously injured in car crashes or sporting accidents and would otherwise not be expected to walk again.
New chapter: The potential of human embryonic stem cells will be trialled on paraplegicsThe controversial experiments are to begin in the U.S. within months in what experts hail as a new era for medicine under Barack Obama’s presidency.
His predecessor George W. Bush was an opponent of stem cell research on moral grounds but President Obama has made it clear that he believes it has a large part to play in scientific developments.
US regulators cleared the way for the tests just three days after President Obama was sworn into office.
The trial will see ten people paralysed from the waist down become the first in the world to be injected with embryonic stem cells, which can be turned into any cell in the body.
Treatment will take place within the first two weeks of their injury, as it is not expected to work on long-standing problems.
Scientists will use a cocktail of chemicals to turn the embryonic stem cells into cells thought to be capable of repairing spinal cords damaged in accidents.
It is hoped that once injected into the body, the cells will replenish levels of myelin, the fatty protective sheath that insulates the nerve fibres of the brain and spinal cord.
Stocks of myelin fall when the spine is injured, causing paralysis.
Huge promise: The technology could have helped Superman actor Christopher Reeve who was confined to a wheelchair after a horse riding accidentGeron – the California-based biotech company given the green light to go ahead with the trials – has already succeeded in making paralysed rats walk again and is optimistic the treatment will work on people.
But for thousands of Britons, the trial, hailed as a potential ‘earthquake in terms of treatment of spinal injury’, offers fresh hope.
Thomas Okarma, Geron’s chief executive, said the idea ‘is not to make somebody get up and dance the next day’ but to provide an improvement that can be boosted by physiotherapy, perhaps allowing some patients to walk again – albeit shakily.
He added the injected cells also pump out substances that stimulate nerve growth – meaning they hold potential for treating strokes, multiple sclerosis and even Alzheimer’s disease.
It could also be extended to patients with neck injuries, similar to those sustained by Superman actor Christopher Reeve who was left paralysed after a riding accident in 1995.
Controversial technology: A single cell is removed from a human embryo to generate stem cells for scientific researchIf the treatment is successful, it could be in widespread use in as little as four or five years, with a ‘remarkably affordable’ price tag, says Geron.
Embryonic stem cells, plucked from embryos in the first weeks of life, offer more promise than other types of stem cell, but their use is controversial, as their extraction leads to the death of the embryo, leading to protests that life is being sacrificed in
the interest of medicine.
A backlash against the change of course is growing, with Roman Catholic leaders, evangelical Christians and ethical campaigners calling the shift in stem cell policy a ‘terrible mistake’.
Although Mr Obama hasn’t yet reversed his predecessor’s ruling to free up federal funding, he has long been a strong supporter of stem cell research.
He left no doubt during his campaign that he would shift White House policy to encourage scientists to pursue the new frontier in medicine.
To do so would only require him to sign a new executive order without needing the backing of US Congress.
The U.S. move could also benefit British companies involved in stem cell research, such as Guildford-based drug developer ReNeuron.
The firm is carrying out British trials on a stroke treatment using foetal stem cells, which could potentially help 50million worldwide, and is awaiting the go-ahead to undertake similar human studies in the U.S..
Shares in ReNeuron shot up by 41?2 pence to 133?4 pence, a 49 per cent rise, on the back of the announcement, valuing the firm at ?22million.
Dr Wise Young, a spinal cord injury researcher, from Rutgers University in New Jersey, said: 'A lot of hope of the spinal cord injury community is riding on this trial.'
Opposed: Pro-life groups say the new technique involves destroying embryos. Pictured here are ampoules containing a medium for stem cell storageProfessor Chris Mason, a stem cell expert from University College London, said: 'This historic decision by the Food and Drug Administration is a pivotal milestone in the development of embryonic stem cell therapies.
'The knowledge that will be gained in this first clinical trial deploying embryonic stem cell derived material will accelerate the development of all future stem cell therapies.
'This decision is therefore very encouraging news for patients, carers and healthcare providers such as the NHS.'
But Josephine Quintavalle, of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: 'We still know very little about embryonic stem cells, which are notoriously unstable and with a capacity to form tumours, and if anything goes wrong the consequences will be very serious.
'The proposed therapy using embryonic stem cells does not seem to differ at all from existing therapies which use stem cells from the injured patients themselves.
'One has to ask what is the purpose of this much more controversial, experimental and risky route forward?'
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Plan To Grow More Cannabis For Research Turned Down
US researchers do not need a second federally approved facility for providing research-grade cannabis, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has ruled. The decision ends an eight-year bid by Lyle Craker at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, to grow cannabis for medical research, which was supported by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). A single laboratory at the University of Mississippi supplies cannabis under a contract with the National Institute of Drug Addiction.
Craker, MAPS and others have argued that the current supply of cannabis is of inconsistent quality, difficult to obtain, and that efforts to widen that supply are being stalled for political reasons (see Nature 430, 492; 2004). In 2007, a DEA judge recommended that Craker's application to set up a second facility should be granted; but the DEA's final ruling, made on 7 January, said the current supply was adequate.
Craker, MAPS and others have argued that the current supply of cannabis is of inconsistent quality, difficult to obtain, and that efforts to widen that supply are being stalled for political reasons (see Nature 430, 492; 2004). In 2007, a DEA judge recommended that Craker's application to set up a second facility should be granted; but the DEA's final ruling, made on 7 January, said the current supply was adequate.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Apple Juice Can Help to Delay Onset of Alzheimer's
A growing body of evidence demonstrates that we can take steps to delay age-related cognitive decline, including in some cases that which accompanies Alzheimer's, according to a study published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.Thomas B. Shea and his research team have carried out a number of laboratory studies demonstrating that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than normal in maze trials, and prevented the decline in performance that was otherwise observed as these mice aged.
In the most recent study Shea and his team demonstrated that mice receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced less of a small protein fragment, called "beta-amyloid" that is responsible for forming the "senile plaques" that are commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's.
Dr. Shea commented that "These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one's mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer's and augment therapeutic approaches."
Source: elements4health.com
Survey Finds Employers Split on Impact and Cost of Migraine
Most employers are unsure of how migraine headaches influence the health and productivity of their employees
In a survey of large employers released today by the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health, 91 percent of respondents recognize that migraine headaches impact productivity, yet most don’t track the costs or seriousness of the problem in their covered populations. And despite the fact that employers rely on their health plans and wellness vendors to help manage worker productivity and costs associated with migraine, they often don’t know how effective these programs are.
The National Headache Foundation (NHF) estimates that U.S. industry loses $50 billion per year due to absenteeism, lost productivity and medical expenses caused by migraine.
“This research is part of an ongoing effort by MBGH to educate our employer members on the importance of early and ongoing screening to prevent and identify health issues that are impacting their covered populations,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “Migraine is a serious, neurological, chronic condition that non-sufferers often view as only stress-related and easily treated. The reality is that it results in lost productivity and causes significant disruptions to migraine sufferers’ work and personal lives.”
Additional survey findings:
MBGH’s January 2009 survey was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and was submitted electronically, with 34 employers responding.
Midwest Business Group on Health (www.mbgh.org)
The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) is one of the nation’s leading business groups of private and public employers. MBGH’s 96 members represent over 2 million lives, spending more than $2.5 billion on health care benefits on an annual basis. The nonprofit MBGH offers employers a variety of health benefit educational seminars, networking opportunities, quality and community initiatives, demonstration projects and group purchasing programs. MBGH is a member of the National Business Coalition on Health.
In a survey of large employers released today by the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health, 91 percent of respondents recognize that migraine headaches impact productivity, yet most don’t track the costs or seriousness of the problem in their covered populations. And despite the fact that employers rely on their health plans and wellness vendors to help manage worker productivity and costs associated with migraine, they often don’t know how effective these programs are.
The National Headache Foundation (NHF) estimates that U.S. industry loses $50 billion per year due to absenteeism, lost productivity and medical expenses caused by migraine.
“This research is part of an ongoing effort by MBGH to educate our employer members on the importance of early and ongoing screening to prevent and identify health issues that are impacting their covered populations,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “Migraine is a serious, neurological, chronic condition that non-sufferers often view as only stress-related and easily treated. The reality is that it results in lost productivity and causes significant disruptions to migraine sufferers’ work and personal lives.”
Additional survey findings:
- While 76 percent of responding employers indicated they have not calculated the direct and/or indirect costs of migraine, the impact is considered a more costly and serious problem for employers involved in manufacturing, with 44 percent responding that this is a concern. Forty-seven percent of employers are interested in tools to measure the costs associated with migraine.
- Most employers offer migraine resources and programs with the majority offering health coaches/nurse lines (38 percent); migraine materials and website information from health plans or vendors (24 percent) and onsite clinics (24 percent). Employers consider the health coaches/nurse lines to provide the most valuable support.
MBGH’s January 2009 survey was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and was submitted electronically, with 34 employers responding.
Midwest Business Group on Health (www.mbgh.org)
The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) is one of the nation’s leading business groups of private and public employers. MBGH’s 96 members represent over 2 million lives, spending more than $2.5 billion on health care benefits on an annual basis. The nonprofit MBGH offers employers a variety of health benefit educational seminars, networking opportunities, quality and community initiatives, demonstration projects and group purchasing programs. MBGH is a member of the National Business Coalition on Health.
The Dangers of Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders alcohol abuse is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences.The U.S. Surgeon General has released advisories in 1981 and again in 2005 urging women who are pregnant or may become pregnant to abstain from alcohol. The damage caused by prenatal alcohol abuse includes a range of physical, behavioral, and learning problems in babies.
Babies most severely affected have what is called fetal alcohol syndrome. These babies may have abnormal facial features and severe learning disabilities. Babies can also be born with mild disabilities without the facial changes typical of fetal slcohol syndrome.
Women giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome also have a higher risk of early mortality.
A study from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research has revealed the consequences of alcohol abuse on pregnancy. It shows the effects of alcohol abuse and demonstrates that heavy and binge levels of alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk to the baby, even if drinking is stopped in the first three months of pregnancy. The findings are sobering and should act as a deterrent to alcohol abuse during pregnancy.
The study investigated the relationship between prenatal exposure to alcohol and the effects on fetal growth and preterm birth.
A random sample of 4,719 women who gave birth in Western Australia between 1995 and 1997 took part in a survey. Data such as how often participants drank alcohol, the amount of alcohol consumed in each occasion and the types of alcoholic beverage consumed were collated.
The research team from the Institute with the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford found that, on average, levels of alcohol intake decreased from the pre-pregnancy period to the second and third trimester.
The incidence of preterm birth was highest amongst women who binge drink (9.5%) or drink heavily, even if the mother stopped drinking prior to the second trimester (13.6%), compared with less than 6% in women who did not drink during pregnancy. There were 2.3-fold increased odds of preterm birth in women who drank heavily in early pregnancy but then stopped after taking into account maternal smoking, drug use, socioeconomic status and maternal health. Researchers suggest that a possible reason why this occurs is because the cessation of alcohol abuse before the second trimester may trigger a metabolic or inflammatory response resulting in preterm birth.
Although there was no difference in outcomes for women who drank low levels of alcohol during their pregnancy and those that abstained, the safest choice is to stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking at any level during pregnancy should be regarded as a risk factor for the mother as well as for offspring.
Researchers noted a link between smoking and alcohol consumption; they found women who smoked during pregnancy were less likely to abstain from alcohol at any time during their pregnancy than non-smokers. Over one quarter (27.7%) of women who drank in late pregnancy also smoked, compared with 19% of women who had abstained from alcohol during pregnancy. Other factors associated with late term pregnancy drinking include: a maternal age of 30 years and above, higher income, and use of illicit drugs.
Institute researcher Colleen O'Leary said “Our research shows pregnant women who drink more than one to two standard drinks per occasion and more than six standard drinks per week increase their risk of having a premature baby, even if they stop drinking before the second trimester”. A standard drink in this analysis is the Australian standard 10gm of alcohol, eg 100ml of wine.
The risk of preterm birth is highest for pregnant women who drink heavily or at binge levels, meaning drinking more than seven standard drinks per week, or more than five drinks on any one occasion.
Health professionals should routinely screen pregnant women and all women of child bearing age for alcohol abuse or use. It's important that women should be given information about the possible risks to the baby from alcohol exposure during pregnancy.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What diets and supplements fight prostate cancer?
Asked by Edward Siguel, Rockville, Maryland
What are the best diets and supplements to prevent and treat prostate cancer? What about tomatoes? Or vitamin E? Or antioxidants?
I've heard arsenic may be effective, but some side effects are frequently undesirable.
Expert Answer:
Conditions Expert
Dr Otis Brawley
Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society
There is no definite non-drug prostate cancer preventative. Epidemiologic studies suggest that men who have a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and soy products and low in fat (especially animal fat) may have a lower risk. Also men with diets high in tomato products seem to have a lower rate of prostate cancer. This was especially true of tomato products cooked in olive oil such as tomato sauces. There is growing interest in Vitamin D as a possible correlate with prostate cancer prevention.
These are all epidemiologic correlations. I caution that there have been epidemiologic correlations that when the identified behavior was tested in a controlled study, the behavior did not lower risk. For example studies suggested a correlation between Vitamin E and Selenium and reduced risk of prostate cancer. These hypotheses were tested in a study in which 32,000 men were randomized to a daily selenium pill versus placebo and 32,000 men were randomized to a daily vitamin E pill versus placebo for about five to six years. The men getting selenium and vitamin did not have a lower rate of prostate cancer compared to those getting the placebo and there was concern that selenium might be increasing risk of diabetes and vitamin E might actually be correlated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. The lesson here is be careful adopting things that sound good and have not been tested scientifically.
Some have advocated supplements advertised to promote prostate health and suggested they prevent prostate cancer. It almost always says in the small print that these supplements have not been tested. One should be careful.
The drug finasteride, marketed as Proscar by Merck, has been FDA approved as a medical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH is a common benign growth of the prostate that makes it difficult to urinate. The drug shrinks the prostate and improves urinary flow symptoms. In a large long term randomized study of finasteride and placebo, it was found that finasteride reduced the risk of prostate cancer by more than 25%. Those who were diagnosed with prostate cancer however had a higher proportion of high grade more aggressive prostate cancers. It has sense been shown that finasteride helps screening find small prostate cancers not that it causes high grade prostate cancers.
There are lots of questions about the benefits, risks and accuracy of prostate cancer screening so studies with finasteride continue.
I know of no data on arsenic and caution that it is a very dangerous compound.
What are the best diets and supplements to prevent and treat prostate cancer? What about tomatoes? Or vitamin E? Or antioxidants?
I've heard arsenic may be effective, but some side effects are frequently undesirable.
Expert Answer:
Conditions Expert
Dr Otis Brawley
Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society
There is no definite non-drug prostate cancer preventative. Epidemiologic studies suggest that men who have a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and soy products and low in fat (especially animal fat) may have a lower risk. Also men with diets high in tomato products seem to have a lower rate of prostate cancer. This was especially true of tomato products cooked in olive oil such as tomato sauces. There is growing interest in Vitamin D as a possible correlate with prostate cancer prevention.
These are all epidemiologic correlations. I caution that there have been epidemiologic correlations that when the identified behavior was tested in a controlled study, the behavior did not lower risk. For example studies suggested a correlation between Vitamin E and Selenium and reduced risk of prostate cancer. These hypotheses were tested in a study in which 32,000 men were randomized to a daily selenium pill versus placebo and 32,000 men were randomized to a daily vitamin E pill versus placebo for about five to six years. The men getting selenium and vitamin did not have a lower rate of prostate cancer compared to those getting the placebo and there was concern that selenium might be increasing risk of diabetes and vitamin E might actually be correlated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. The lesson here is be careful adopting things that sound good and have not been tested scientifically.
Some have advocated supplements advertised to promote prostate health and suggested they prevent prostate cancer. It almost always says in the small print that these supplements have not been tested. One should be careful.
The drug finasteride, marketed as Proscar by Merck, has been FDA approved as a medical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH is a common benign growth of the prostate that makes it difficult to urinate. The drug shrinks the prostate and improves urinary flow symptoms. In a large long term randomized study of finasteride and placebo, it was found that finasteride reduced the risk of prostate cancer by more than 25%. Those who were diagnosed with prostate cancer however had a higher proportion of high grade more aggressive prostate cancers. It has sense been shown that finasteride helps screening find small prostate cancers not that it causes high grade prostate cancers.
There are lots of questions about the benefits, risks and accuracy of prostate cancer screening so studies with finasteride continue.
I know of no data on arsenic and caution that it is a very dangerous compound.
How To Buy The Best Beef
Americans love beef; we eat nearly 63 pounds per person each year. Although that's a lot, the amount is down from our 1976 high of 89 pounds. When buying beef, we tend to stick to what we know, which may be why almost 60 percent of our beef dollars go for ground beef. Even as an experienced chef, I often brought home familiar cuts. But researching my book, "Field Guide to Meat," led me to expand my repertoire to tasty, if less familiar, cuts like hanger steak and tri-tip. Soon you can do the same, knowing which cuts to choose for maximum flavor and nutrition.
Beef Background
Humans began domesticating cattle, Bos taurus, about 8,500 years ago. Columbus first brought cattle to the New World, and by 1690, descendants of Columbus' cattle ranging in Mexico were driven north and became known as Texas Longhorns. Others arrived later with the colonists. America's top five cattle breeds are Angus from Scotland, Hereford from England, Limousin from France, Simmenthal from Switzerland, and Charolais from France.
A 3½-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein and is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus.
More than 90 percent of the beef we buy originates in America, while most of the rest is Canadian bred. The beef we eat comes mostly from 18- to 24-month-old steers, averaging about 1,000 pounds, and yielding about 450 pounds of meat. Each is divided for wholesale into eight primals (major portions): the chuck (shoulder and upper ribs), the rib, the loin, the sirloin (hip), the round (upper leg), the brisket (breast), the plate (belly), and the small flank. Organs like liver and kidneys are called variety meats.
When evaluating your choices at the grocery store, here are a few key terms and facts to know:
• Grain-finished: Nearly 75 percent of U.S. beef comes from cattle fattened on grain (usually corn) for three to six months in feedlots. Since corn is not a natural part of a cow's diet, cattle fed on it may experience stress and other ailments, so they are routinely treated with antibiotics. They also receive growth hormones to increase their size (and value, as beef is sold by weight). Until recently, inexpensive corn has helped keep down the price of beef.
• Grass-finished: Grass- or pasture-finished beef comes from cattle that forage on grasses and legumes. Their meat is lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories than grain-finished. (Because it is quite lean, cook rare to medium-rare for juiciness.) Grass-fed beef has a distinct flavor, often described as bold, complex, and gamy. Many people believe that grass-fed cattle are a more sustainable choice. However, raising grass-fed cattle is time-consuming and requires large open spaces, variables that raise its price. Most is imported from Canada, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil.
• Aging: Dry-aging is the traditional process preferred by many steak lovers. The concentrated, intense flavor of dry-aged beef develops as it hangs in special temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms from 10 days to six weeks. The longer the aging, the better the flavor and tenderness, but also the more the shrinkage as water evaporates and a dark crust develops, which must be cut away. About 90 percent of American beef is sold as large vacuum-packed cuts. During the average seven-day period the beef spends "in the bag," it ages in a process called "wet-aging."
• Processing and packaging: Until the 1960s butcher shops bought beef as half- or quarter-carcasses. Packers then began selling vacuum-packed beef, the same large cuts sold at warehouse club stores. Retailers refrigerated the boxes until needed, then opened the package and cut the meat into portions for sale. Next came case-ready meat, which precluded the need for skilled butchers on-site in markets. Leak-proof and easily stackable, case-ready packages are produced in USDA-inspected plants and have a longer shelf life. Packages covered with a sealed layer of clear plastic are modified-atmosphere packages, which have a gas-filled space inside to help preserve freshness and color.
Nutrition
• Fat content: The USDA defines "lean beef" as having less than 10 grams (g) of total fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 31/2-ounce serving (100g) of cooked beef. Half of the fat is saturated and half is heart-healthy monounsaturated. There are 29 naturally lean cuts of beef, including many familiar to Cooking Light readers, such as tenderloin, flank steak, and sirloin, as well as five lesser-known cuts. Others, such as ribeye or chuck roast, naturally contain more fat, although it is similarly divided between saturated and monounsaturated.
Because lean beef contains less fat, it's best cooked to medium-rare (145°F) or medium (160°F) to optimize tenderness. If using fattier cuts, slice away the outer rim of fat and cut or pull out any pockets of fat before cooking. For larger cuts, allow the fat to baste the meat while cooking, then trim away before eating, or skim it from the surface of braised dishes or stews.
• Other nutrients: A 31/2-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein -- more than half of the 50g recommended daily in a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. All beef is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus. In general, the redder the meat, the more iron it contains (beef liver has the most). Beef also contains thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin and is a rich source of B12, found naturally only in animal foods.
At the Market
• Inspection and grading: USDA inspectors examine all live animals and beef shipped out of state, which encompasses most of today's supermarket beef. Grading is voluntary and done by the same inspectors. The more marbling -- the small white flecks of fat within the muscles -- the higher the grade. Three grades of beef are sold to consumers. Only three percent is highly marbled Prime, sought after by top steak houses and butcher shops. About 57 percent is moderately marbled Choice, the most common supermarket grade. The remaining 40 percent is lean Select.
• Private labels: Supermarket chains and large food distributors also have developed private brands with their own specifications. The first such program began in 1978 with Certified Angus Beef, which must come from Angus cattle. Niman Ranch Natural Beef and Certified Hereford Beef are two others.
• Natural and Organic: Beef labeled "natural" must not contain any artificial ingredients and cannot be more than minimally processed, such as ground beef. "Organic" beef must come from cattle raised and certified according to the USDA's National Organic Program. Organic cattle must be fed 100-percent organically and without antibiotics or hormones. Both natural and organic beef can be either grass- or grain-finished.
Ways to Save
• Buy lean cuts. Often, leaner cuts are cheaper than fatty ones. And when the fat cooks away, lean cuts provide more meat for your dollar.
• Buy in bulk. Large or family-sized packages cost less per pound than smaller packages. Divide into portions, and freeze the surplus.
• Be your own butcher. Beef that has been presliced into steaks or made into patties costs more than less processed meat. Buy bigger cuts, and do some of the preparation work yourself.
• But don't go overboard. Advice to buy a side or quarter of beef may seem sensible, but you'll likely have more meat than you can store. Such a purchase may yield what one buyer describes as "cheap steak and expensive hamburger."
Beef Background
Humans began domesticating cattle, Bos taurus, about 8,500 years ago. Columbus first brought cattle to the New World, and by 1690, descendants of Columbus' cattle ranging in Mexico were driven north and became known as Texas Longhorns. Others arrived later with the colonists. America's top five cattle breeds are Angus from Scotland, Hereford from England, Limousin from France, Simmenthal from Switzerland, and Charolais from France.
A 3½-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein and is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus.More than 90 percent of the beef we buy originates in America, while most of the rest is Canadian bred. The beef we eat comes mostly from 18- to 24-month-old steers, averaging about 1,000 pounds, and yielding about 450 pounds of meat. Each is divided for wholesale into eight primals (major portions): the chuck (shoulder and upper ribs), the rib, the loin, the sirloin (hip), the round (upper leg), the brisket (breast), the plate (belly), and the small flank. Organs like liver and kidneys are called variety meats.
When evaluating your choices at the grocery store, here are a few key terms and facts to know:
• Grain-finished: Nearly 75 percent of U.S. beef comes from cattle fattened on grain (usually corn) for three to six months in feedlots. Since corn is not a natural part of a cow's diet, cattle fed on it may experience stress and other ailments, so they are routinely treated with antibiotics. They also receive growth hormones to increase their size (and value, as beef is sold by weight). Until recently, inexpensive corn has helped keep down the price of beef.
• Grass-finished: Grass- or pasture-finished beef comes from cattle that forage on grasses and legumes. Their meat is lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories than grain-finished. (Because it is quite lean, cook rare to medium-rare for juiciness.) Grass-fed beef has a distinct flavor, often described as bold, complex, and gamy. Many people believe that grass-fed cattle are a more sustainable choice. However, raising grass-fed cattle is time-consuming and requires large open spaces, variables that raise its price. Most is imported from Canada, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil.
• Aging: Dry-aging is the traditional process preferred by many steak lovers. The concentrated, intense flavor of dry-aged beef develops as it hangs in special temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms from 10 days to six weeks. The longer the aging, the better the flavor and tenderness, but also the more the shrinkage as water evaporates and a dark crust develops, which must be cut away. About 90 percent of American beef is sold as large vacuum-packed cuts. During the average seven-day period the beef spends "in the bag," it ages in a process called "wet-aging."
• Processing and packaging: Until the 1960s butcher shops bought beef as half- or quarter-carcasses. Packers then began selling vacuum-packed beef, the same large cuts sold at warehouse club stores. Retailers refrigerated the boxes until needed, then opened the package and cut the meat into portions for sale. Next came case-ready meat, which precluded the need for skilled butchers on-site in markets. Leak-proof and easily stackable, case-ready packages are produced in USDA-inspected plants and have a longer shelf life. Packages covered with a sealed layer of clear plastic are modified-atmosphere packages, which have a gas-filled space inside to help preserve freshness and color.
Nutrition
• Fat content: The USDA defines "lean beef" as having less than 10 grams (g) of total fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 31/2-ounce serving (100g) of cooked beef. Half of the fat is saturated and half is heart-healthy monounsaturated. There are 29 naturally lean cuts of beef, including many familiar to Cooking Light readers, such as tenderloin, flank steak, and sirloin, as well as five lesser-known cuts. Others, such as ribeye or chuck roast, naturally contain more fat, although it is similarly divided between saturated and monounsaturated.
Because lean beef contains less fat, it's best cooked to medium-rare (145°F) or medium (160°F) to optimize tenderness. If using fattier cuts, slice away the outer rim of fat and cut or pull out any pockets of fat before cooking. For larger cuts, allow the fat to baste the meat while cooking, then trim away before eating, or skim it from the surface of braised dishes or stews.
• Other nutrients: A 31/2-ounce serving provides 27g to 30g of protein -- more than half of the 50g recommended daily in a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. All beef is an excellent source of iron, zinc, and phosphorus. In general, the redder the meat, the more iron it contains (beef liver has the most). Beef also contains thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin and is a rich source of B12, found naturally only in animal foods.
At the Market
• Inspection and grading: USDA inspectors examine all live animals and beef shipped out of state, which encompasses most of today's supermarket beef. Grading is voluntary and done by the same inspectors. The more marbling -- the small white flecks of fat within the muscles -- the higher the grade. Three grades of beef are sold to consumers. Only three percent is highly marbled Prime, sought after by top steak houses and butcher shops. About 57 percent is moderately marbled Choice, the most common supermarket grade. The remaining 40 percent is lean Select.
• Private labels: Supermarket chains and large food distributors also have developed private brands with their own specifications. The first such program began in 1978 with Certified Angus Beef, which must come from Angus cattle. Niman Ranch Natural Beef and Certified Hereford Beef are two others.
• Natural and Organic: Beef labeled "natural" must not contain any artificial ingredients and cannot be more than minimally processed, such as ground beef. "Organic" beef must come from cattle raised and certified according to the USDA's National Organic Program. Organic cattle must be fed 100-percent organically and without antibiotics or hormones. Both natural and organic beef can be either grass- or grain-finished.
Ways to Save
• Buy lean cuts. Often, leaner cuts are cheaper than fatty ones. And when the fat cooks away, lean cuts provide more meat for your dollar.
• Buy in bulk. Large or family-sized packages cost less per pound than smaller packages. Divide into portions, and freeze the surplus.
• Be your own butcher. Beef that has been presliced into steaks or made into patties costs more than less processed meat. Buy bigger cuts, and do some of the preparation work yourself.
• But don't go overboard. Advice to buy a side or quarter of beef may seem sensible, but you'll likely have more meat than you can store. Such a purchase may yield what one buyer describes as "cheap steak and expensive hamburger."
Gates Foundation Pledges $255m For Polio Fight
(CNN) -- The Gates Foundation is pledging $255 million to help eradicate polio around the world.The money will go to Rotary International as a "challenge grant" that it hopes to match with a further $100 million raised by its members over the next three years, the foundation announced late Wednesday.
Rotary's Global Polio Eradication Initiative says it has reduced the number of global polio cases by 99 percent in the past two decades, bringing the number from 350,000 to just 1,600 last year.
In addition to the money from the Gates Foundation, the United Kingdom is giving $150 million to the initiative and Germany is donating $130 million, the foundation announced.
"With the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we are on the brink of eradicating one of the most feared diseases in the world," said Jonathan Majiyagbe, chair of the Rotary Foundation. "This shared commitment of Rotary and the Gates Foundation should encourage governments and non-governmental organizations to ensure that resources and the will of the world are available to end polio once and for all."
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was started by the Microsoft founder and his wife to battle hunger and poverty.
Polio is an infectious disease carried by the poliovirus. It causes motor paralysis and atrophy of skeletal muscles, often causing permanent disability and deformity.
The disease has been completely eliminated in the Americas, the Western Pacific and Europe, but the polio virus persists in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Imported cases from these countries threaten other developing nations.
Access to vaccines and vaccine effectiveness are the biggest problems in fighting the disease.
The money donated to the polio initiative will be used to sponsor immunization days for children, extra vaccinations in high-risk areas, research into new vaccines and more surveillance to detect outbreaks before they spread, Rotary said.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Gym Has 'Human Dumbbells' To Help Customers Exercise
A gym is offering its customers an unusual set of dumbbells to exercise with – including an overweight man and two dwarfs.
Human Dumbells :Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragement
Members of Gymbox in Bank, central London, can choose to lift any of five differently sized "human weights".
Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragement.
The "dumbbells" include two dwarfs – 32-year-old Arti Shah, who weighs just 4.5 stones (30kg) and 64-year-old Mike Edwards, who weighs 8 stones (55kg).
At the other end of the scale for those with stronger muscles is 24 stones (155kg) Matt Barnard, 37.
Gymbox owner Richard Hilton said: "A lot of our members felt that lifting metal weights was boring and not especially motivating.
"They said that they had no idea what they were lifting.
"Experts in sports psychology agree that visualisation is a significant factor in improving performance and human weights are as visual as it can get.
"Our human weights will, at the gym-goers request, shout encouragement like 'Come on, lift me harder and faster' and 'You're doing great. Look at those muscles building'.
"Otherwise, they will just keep quiet and keep still as they are lifted."
The gym already runs a "Chav fighting" self-defence class, "boob aerobics" to help women increase their bust size and "WAG workouts" aimed at making female members more attractive to footballers.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
Human Dumbells :Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragementMembers of Gymbox in Bank, central London, can choose to lift any of five differently sized "human weights".
Wearing Lycra catsuits which label their weight, they sit on specially adapted machines and shout words of encouragement.
The "dumbbells" include two dwarfs – 32-year-old Arti Shah, who weighs just 4.5 stones (30kg) and 64-year-old Mike Edwards, who weighs 8 stones (55kg).
At the other end of the scale for those with stronger muscles is 24 stones (155kg) Matt Barnard, 37.
Gymbox owner Richard Hilton said: "A lot of our members felt that lifting metal weights was boring and not especially motivating.
"They said that they had no idea what they were lifting.
"Experts in sports psychology agree that visualisation is a significant factor in improving performance and human weights are as visual as it can get.
"Our human weights will, at the gym-goers request, shout encouragement like 'Come on, lift me harder and faster' and 'You're doing great. Look at those muscles building'.
"Otherwise, they will just keep quiet and keep still as they are lifted."
The gym already runs a "Chav fighting" self-defence class, "boob aerobics" to help women increase their bust size and "WAG workouts" aimed at making female members more attractive to footballers.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
Acupuncture Works ... As Placebo
Headache sufferers can find relief in acupuncture, even if the needles are stuck in the wrong places, scientists now say.
Two separate systematic reviews of data show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for prevention of headaches and migraines. But the results also suggest that faked procedures, in which needles are incorrectly inserted, can be just as effective.
Pain forces an estimated 36 million U.S. residents to miss work every year and results in roughly 70 million doctor visits. Studies find that exercise is in many cases one of the best remedies for chronic pain. Image credit: Dreamstime
"Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued," said lead researcher of both studies, Klaus Linde, who works at the Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Other research has found taking placebos — fake pills thought by the patient to be real — might invoke a useful "power of positive thinking," but also that regularly and properly taking pills thought to be medicine might indicate a person's overall tactical approach to getting well.
In each of the new studies, the researchers tried to establish whether acupuncture could reduce the occurrence of headaches. One study focused on mild to moderate but frequent 'tension-type' headaches, whilst the other focused on more severe but less frequent headaches usually termed migraines. Together the two reviews included 33 trials, involving a total of 6,736 patients.
The findings, detailed in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews:
However, Linde says more research is still required.
"Doctors need to know how long improvements associated with acupuncture will last and whether better trained acupuncturists really achieve better results than those with basic training only," he said.
Source: livescience.com
Two separate systematic reviews of data show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for prevention of headaches and migraines. But the results also suggest that faked procedures, in which needles are incorrectly inserted, can be just as effective.
Pain forces an estimated 36 million U.S. residents to miss work every year and results in roughly 70 million doctor visits. Studies find that exercise is in many cases one of the best remedies for chronic pain. Image credit: Dreamstime"Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued," said lead researcher of both studies, Klaus Linde, who works at the Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Other research has found taking placebos — fake pills thought by the patient to be real — might invoke a useful "power of positive thinking," but also that regularly and properly taking pills thought to be medicine might indicate a person's overall tactical approach to getting well.
In each of the new studies, the researchers tried to establish whether acupuncture could reduce the occurrence of headaches. One study focused on mild to moderate but frequent 'tension-type' headaches, whilst the other focused on more severe but less frequent headaches usually termed migraines. Together the two reviews included 33 trials, involving a total of 6,736 patients.
The findings, detailed in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews:
- Following a course of at least eight weeks, patients treated with acupuncture suffered fewer headaches overall compared to those who were given only painkillers.
- In the migraine study, acupuncture was superior to proven prophylactic drug treatments, but faked treatments were no less effective.
- In the tension headache study, true acupuncture was actually slightly more effective than faked treatments.
However, Linde says more research is still required.
"Doctors need to know how long improvements associated with acupuncture will last and whether better trained acupuncturists really achieve better results than those with basic training only," he said.
Source: livescience.com
Sperm May Be Affected By Marijuana
NASHVILLE, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Human male fertility may be impacted by long-term exposure to marijuana, researchers in the United States and Japan suggest.The researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and colleagues said the findings show that genetic loss of fatty acid amide hydrolase -- an enzyme -- results in elevated levels of anandamide, an endocannabinoid, in the male reproductive system, leading to compromised fertilizing capacity of sperm. The endocannabinoid system refers to a group of lipids and their receptors that are involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood and memory.
Retention of fatty acid amide hydrolase on an egg provides evidence that the sperm's capacity to penetrate is dampened by elevated anandamide levels.
These findings, published in the Biology of Reproduction, point to previously unsuspected pathways regulating sperm function.
But perhaps more importantly, the results are of great clinical significance because sperm of chronic marijuana users, as well as sperm in fatty acid amide hydrolase-mutant males are exposed to enhanced cannabinoid/endocannbinoid signaling, the researchers said.
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Five 'Healthy' Snacks That Aren't So Healthy
In some cases, it might be better for your health to reach for the Doritos.Don't be so quick to feel virtuous when you reach for dried fruit instead of chocolate, or veggie chips instead of Pringles. Many snacks that are marketed as being great for your waistline actually aren't that much better—and, in some cases, are worse—than some popular notoriously indulgent treats. A few offenders:
1. Dried Veggies: Snapea Crisps are made from sun-dried peas and contain all of the peas' natural nutrients, according to manufacturer Snack Salad. But don't think that means they're light on the calories: a one-ounce serving, or about 22 crisps, has 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, according to snacksalad.com. Calorie- and fatwise, that's just as bad as the unhealthiest bags of Doritos on the market (that spread includes the Hot Wings and Blue Cheese flavor). So think twice before dipping them in your favorite ranch dressing.
2. Veggie Chips: Terra Chips, those colorful, gourmet slices of sweet potato, parsnip and yucca, contain 150 calories and 9 grams of fat in each one-ounce, 14-chip serving, according to Terrachips.com. And Utz's Natural Exotic Medley Vegetable Chips have 160 calories and 10 ounces of fat per ounce, according to the company's Web site.
3. Granola Bars: Though granola bars do contain healthy grains, they're often doused in enough sugar and syrup to obviate at least some of the health value. Nature Valley's vanilla nut granola bars, for example, contain 190 calories and 7 grams of fat in each two-bar serving. Each serving also contains 11 grams of sugar, or as much as a 3/4-cup bowl of Lucky Charms, according to General Mills.
4. Dried Fruit: That dried apricot may taste as healthy as a fresh one, but it pales in comparison to the real thing. It takes more dried fruit to feel full (the natural water in fruit is filling) and that means more calories. On top of that, many dried fruits are covered in added sugar. One fistful of raisins contains as many calories as a whole pound of fresh grapes, according to the Web site of nutritionist and diet consultant Anne Collins, annecollins.com; five dried pear halves hold 229 calories, according to dietbites.com.
5. Bran Muffins: They might beat out chocolate chip muffins in the health race, but bran muffins are full of refined flour and sugar. One medium muffin contains 305 calories, 8.4 grams of fat and 9.3 grams of sugar, according to caloriecount.about.com. An old-fashioned cake doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts has 280 calories, 18 grams of fat and 6 grams of sugar, according to dunkindonuts.com.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Interesting Facts About Kidney Stones
Louis C. Herring Laboratory has analyzed over 4 million calculi, more than all other stone laboratories in the United States combined.
The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.The smallest kidney stones are microscopic crystals; it is possible to analyze stones weighing less than 0.1 mg.
...more Kidney Stones
The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.The smallest kidney stones are microscopic crystals; it is possible to analyze stones weighing less than 0.1 mg.
...more Kidney Stones
Vitamin B1 May Reverse Kidney Disease in Diabetes Patients
Researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered high doses of thiamine (vitamin B1) can reverse the onset of early diabetic kidney disease.Kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy, develops progressively in patients with type 2 diabetes. Early development of kidney disease is assessed by a high excretion rate of the protein albumin from the body in the urine, known as microalbuminuria.
The researchers have discovered taking high oral doses of thiamine can dramatically decrease the excretion of albumin and reverse early stage kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients.
It was shown that 300 mg of thiamine taken orally each day for three months reduced the rate of albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes patients.
The albumin excretion rate was decreased by 41% from the value at the start of the study. The results also showed 35% of patients with microalbuminuria saw a return to normal urinary albumin excretion after being treated with thiamine.
Forty patients with type 2 diabetes aged between 35 and 65 years old took part in the trial. They were randomly assigned a placebo or 3 x 100mg tablets of thiamine a day for three months.
The Warwick research group has already conclusively proven that type 2 diabetes patients have a thiamine deficiency. In an earlier study led by Professor Paul Thornalley at Warwick Medical School, the research team showed that thiamine deficiency could be key to a range of vascular problems for diabetes patients.
Source: elements4health.com
Women Have a Higher Tendency Than Men to Overeat
Each brain image shows the change in brain metabolism when subjects were asked to inhibit their response to food during food stimulation compared with when they were not told to inhibit their response. Two brain sections at different levels of the brain are shown for each group (women, men, and women vs. men). Left row, women: No color indicates that women had no significant differences in brain activity between the two conditions. Middle row, men: Blue colored areas were significantly less active when men were told to inhibit their response to food than they were without inhibition. Right row, women vs. men: Orange color indicates areas where men showed greater decrements with inhibition than women. These brain regions are involved in emotional regulation, conditioning, and the motivation to eat.
A groundbreaking brain-imaging study shows that men, but not women, are able to control their brain’s response to their own favorite foods, and may help explain why rates of obesity and eating disorders are higher among women than men, and why women typically have more difficulty losing weight.
“Our findings may help us understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the ability to control food intake, and suggest new pharmacological methods or other interventions to help people regulate eating behavior and maintain a healthy weight,” said Gene-Jack Wang, lead author on the study. “The surprising finding of a difference between genders in the ability to inhibit the brain’s response to food and hunger will certainly merit further study.”
The scientists used positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to monitor brain activity in 13 female and 10 male volunteers. In this method, a form of glucose “tagged” with a radioactive tracer molecule is injected into the blood stream while subjects lie in the PET scanner. The scanner tracks the tracer’s signal to monitor the uptake and use of the glucose by various regions of the brain. All study subjects were of normal body weight and had fasted for nearly 20 hours before each of three separate scans, performed in random order.
On one scan day, subjects were presented with their favorite foods, from bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches to pizza, cinnamon buns, barbecue ribs, and chocolate cake, warmed, if appropriate, to enhance the enticing aromas and taste. During the scan, subjects were asked to smell, taste, observe, and react to the food, but not eat it. On another day, they were instructed to inhibit their desire for food prior to being tempted with the same foods. A control scan with no food was performed on another day.
The volunteers were also asked to rate the foods and describe their feelings of hunger and their desire to eat during the scans when food was presented.
In both men and women, a variety of brain areas associated with emotional regulation, conditioning, and motivation “lit up,” indicating increased metabolic activity in those regions, in response to the tempting foods when compared with the no-food scans — a finding consistent with earlier work using the same setup at Brookhaven Lab. When asked to inhibit their response to food, both men and women described themselves as less hungry and less interested in eating than when they weren’t trying to inhibit their response. But only the men showed a relative decrease in activity in the food-activated brain regions during the scan when they were asked to inhibit their response.
“Even though the women said they were less hungry when trying to inhibit their response to the food, their brains were still firing away in the regions that control the drive to eat,” Wang said. “In contrast, men’s brain activity decreased along with their self-reports of hunger during the scan when they were asked to keep their hunger in check.”
The researchers believe this is the first study to document such a gender-specific disconnect between subjective reports of an emotional or motivational state and the associated pattern of brain activity.
“This may indicate a difference between the genders in the ability to perceive and respond to internal body signals,” Wang said.
“The finding of a lack of response to inhibition in women is consistent with behavioral studies showing that women have a higher tendency than men to overeat when presented with palatable food or under emotional distress,” Wang said. “This decreased inhibitory control in women could be a major factor contributing to the observed differences in the prevalence rates of obesity and eating disorders such as binge eating between the genders, and may also underlie women’s lower success in losing weight while dieting when compared with men.”
Differences in sex hormones, such as estrogen, may underlie these gender differences and merit further exploration. Sex hormones are known to directly influence food intake, body weight, and fat distribution, as well as the signaling of other molecules involved in regulating eating behavior, the researchers said. This study did not control for variations in the menstrual cycle of the female research subjects.
“A woman’s menstrual cycle can be an important factor in responsiveness to reward and in successful quit attempts at smoking cessation,” said National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow, who was a collaborator on this study. “Its role in inhibiting food-related brain activation will be important to address in future studies.”
Source: elements4health.com
A groundbreaking brain-imaging study shows that men, but not women, are able to control their brain’s response to their own favorite foods, and may help explain why rates of obesity and eating disorders are higher among women than men, and why women typically have more difficulty losing weight.“Our findings may help us understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the ability to control food intake, and suggest new pharmacological methods or other interventions to help people regulate eating behavior and maintain a healthy weight,” said Gene-Jack Wang, lead author on the study. “The surprising finding of a difference between genders in the ability to inhibit the brain’s response to food and hunger will certainly merit further study.”
The scientists used positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to monitor brain activity in 13 female and 10 male volunteers. In this method, a form of glucose “tagged” with a radioactive tracer molecule is injected into the blood stream while subjects lie in the PET scanner. The scanner tracks the tracer’s signal to monitor the uptake and use of the glucose by various regions of the brain. All study subjects were of normal body weight and had fasted for nearly 20 hours before each of three separate scans, performed in random order.
On one scan day, subjects were presented with their favorite foods, from bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches to pizza, cinnamon buns, barbecue ribs, and chocolate cake, warmed, if appropriate, to enhance the enticing aromas and taste. During the scan, subjects were asked to smell, taste, observe, and react to the food, but not eat it. On another day, they were instructed to inhibit their desire for food prior to being tempted with the same foods. A control scan with no food was performed on another day.
The volunteers were also asked to rate the foods and describe their feelings of hunger and their desire to eat during the scans when food was presented.
In both men and women, a variety of brain areas associated with emotional regulation, conditioning, and motivation “lit up,” indicating increased metabolic activity in those regions, in response to the tempting foods when compared with the no-food scans — a finding consistent with earlier work using the same setup at Brookhaven Lab. When asked to inhibit their response to food, both men and women described themselves as less hungry and less interested in eating than when they weren’t trying to inhibit their response. But only the men showed a relative decrease in activity in the food-activated brain regions during the scan when they were asked to inhibit their response.
“Even though the women said they were less hungry when trying to inhibit their response to the food, their brains were still firing away in the regions that control the drive to eat,” Wang said. “In contrast, men’s brain activity decreased along with their self-reports of hunger during the scan when they were asked to keep their hunger in check.”
The researchers believe this is the first study to document such a gender-specific disconnect between subjective reports of an emotional or motivational state and the associated pattern of brain activity.
“This may indicate a difference between the genders in the ability to perceive and respond to internal body signals,” Wang said.
“The finding of a lack of response to inhibition in women is consistent with behavioral studies showing that women have a higher tendency than men to overeat when presented with palatable food or under emotional distress,” Wang said. “This decreased inhibitory control in women could be a major factor contributing to the observed differences in the prevalence rates of obesity and eating disorders such as binge eating between the genders, and may also underlie women’s lower success in losing weight while dieting when compared with men.”
Differences in sex hormones, such as estrogen, may underlie these gender differences and merit further exploration. Sex hormones are known to directly influence food intake, body weight, and fat distribution, as well as the signaling of other molecules involved in regulating eating behavior, the researchers said. This study did not control for variations in the menstrual cycle of the female research subjects.
“A woman’s menstrual cycle can be an important factor in responsiveness to reward and in successful quit attempts at smoking cessation,” said National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow, who was a collaborator on this study. “Its role in inhibiting food-related brain activation will be important to address in future studies.”
Source: elements4health.com
General Mills And Kroger Pull Peanut Butter Items
MILWAUKEE – General Mills Inc. and grocers Kroger Co. and Safeway Inc. have joined the growing list of food companies and retailers pulling items made with peanut butter amid a salmonella outbreak.
Salmonella is seen under high magnification in a colorized scanning electron micrograph.
The Food and Drug Administration has traced the outbreak to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corp. of America, which makes peanut butter and peanut paste and sells it to institutions and food companies. The outbreak may have contributed to the deaths of six people and sickened more than 470 others in 43 states.
The government has advised consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods containing peanut butter until health officials learn more about the contamination. Peanut butter sold in jars to consumers is not included, officials said.
The FDA has created a searchable list of recalled products and brands on the agency's Web site.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the bacteria behind the outbreak is common and not an unusually dangerous strain but that the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more at risk. At least five of the six people who died were elderly. All had salmonella when they died, though their exact causes of death haven't been determined.
The salmonella outbreak is the second in two years involving peanut butter. Salmonella is the nation's leading cause of food poisoning; common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Peanut Corp. expanded its own recall Sunday to all peanut butter and peanut paste produced since July 1 at its plant in Blakely, Ga. The recalled products were distributed to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies in 24 states.
"We deeply regret that this product recall has expanded, and our first priority is to protect the health of our customers," said Stewart Parnell, president of Peanut Corp.
Late Monday, Safeway said some of the products it makes, including Ready Pack Eating Right Kids Apples with Peanut Butter and Orchard Valley Harvest's Organic Bark Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream, may use peanut butter involved in the recall and asked customers to throw them out or return them to the store for a full refund.
Kellogg Co. recalled 16 cracker and cookie products last week. The company said Monday that federal authorities have confirmed that salmonella was found in a single package of its peanut butter crackers: Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter, which had previously been recalled.
Other recently recalled items that contain peanut butter:
Salmonella is seen under high magnification in a colorized scanning electron micrograph.The Food and Drug Administration has traced the outbreak to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corp. of America, which makes peanut butter and peanut paste and sells it to institutions and food companies. The outbreak may have contributed to the deaths of six people and sickened more than 470 others in 43 states.
The government has advised consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods containing peanut butter until health officials learn more about the contamination. Peanut butter sold in jars to consumers is not included, officials said.
The FDA has created a searchable list of recalled products and brands on the agency's Web site.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the bacteria behind the outbreak is common and not an unusually dangerous strain but that the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more at risk. At least five of the six people who died were elderly. All had salmonella when they died, though their exact causes of death haven't been determined.
The salmonella outbreak is the second in two years involving peanut butter. Salmonella is the nation's leading cause of food poisoning; common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Peanut Corp. expanded its own recall Sunday to all peanut butter and peanut paste produced since July 1 at its plant in Blakely, Ga. The recalled products were distributed to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies in 24 states.
"We deeply regret that this product recall has expanded, and our first priority is to protect the health of our customers," said Stewart Parnell, president of Peanut Corp.
Late Monday, Safeway said some of the products it makes, including Ready Pack Eating Right Kids Apples with Peanut Butter and Orchard Valley Harvest's Organic Bark Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream, may use peanut butter involved in the recall and asked customers to throw them out or return them to the store for a full refund.
Kellogg Co. recalled 16 cracker and cookie products last week. The company said Monday that federal authorities have confirmed that salmonella was found in a single package of its peanut butter crackers: Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter, which had previously been recalled.
Other recently recalled items that contain peanut butter:
- Grocer Meijer, which operates 181 stores in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky: Meijer brand Cheese and Peanut Butter and Toasty Peanut Butter crackers, Peanut Butter and Jelly and Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.
- Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery chain: Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream sold in stores named City Market, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Scoopers, QFC and Smith's in 11 states, primarily in the West. The company said the ice cream was not sold in its namesake Kroger stores or any other retailers it operates.
- General Mills: two flavors of snack bars, LARABAR Peanut Butter Cookie and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp.
- Clif Bar & Co.: Some Clif branded bars, including some under Luna and Clif Mojo labels.
- Abbott Nutrition: ZonePerfect Chocolate Peanut Butter bars, ZonePerfect Peanut Toffee bars and NutriPals Peanut Butter Chocolate nutrition bars. The items are sold in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Real Price of Piercing Your Body
While body piercing has increased in popularity and social acceptance, long healing time, infections and scarring can plague those who pierce.
Source: washingtonpost.com
(Click to Enlarge)
Source: washingtonpost.com
Genes Explain Why Some Drinkers And Smokers Die Young, While Others Escape
Two newly identified genes can increase the chances of an unhealthy lifestyle giving you cancer, scientists believe.
Scientist hope to explain why some smokers' lives are cut short due to their habit, while others continue into old age Photo: GEOFF PUGH
The findings could explain why some heavy drinkers and smokers live to a ripe old age while others have their lives cut short by their habits.
The genes put carriers more at a heightened risk of developing five different types of cancer, the researchers found - skin, lung, bladder, prostate and cervical cancer.
Lung cancer in particular is one of the most deadly, killing around 35,000 sufferers in Britain every year.
The findings could allow scientists to identify those most at risk from suffering the potentially deadly conditions because of a combination of genetics and their lifestyle.
The researchers estimate that around one quarter of the population have the highest risk that their unhealthy lifestyle would give them cancer.
Another quarter of the population have the lowest risk, because they do not carry these genes, they estimate.
These could be the people who remain hale and hearty into old age even in spite of smoking, drinking, using sunbeds of having a poor diet.
However, as yet the scientists did not know by how much these two genes can increase the overall lifetime chance of developing a form of the disease.
On average humans have a one in three chance of developing some form of cancer over their lifetime.
Scientists have long known that lifestyle and environment can affect a person's risk of developing many types of cancer.
Smoking has previously been linked to lung and bladder cancer, drinking to different types of cancer including liver cancer, and eating a diet high in red meat to an increased risk of bowel cancer.
But researchers have never been clear on the exact nature of how these exposures increase risk, and why some people appear more prone to their effects than others.
Tim Bishop, professor of genetic epidemiology at the University of Leeds, and one of the co-authors of the paper, said that cancer was often caused by a "complex" interplay between genetic and environmental factors, and that these newly identified genes could go some way to explaining their relationship.
The scientists were able to isolate the genes by looking at the genetic make up of more than 33,000 cancer survivors and another 45 ,000 people who had never suffered from the disease.
They then compared the genes against their carrier's lifestyle and history of the disease.
While they increased the chance of suffering from five types of cancer the genes were not linked to an increased risk of another nine cancers for which the researchers could test, including breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease in women, according to the findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
Scientist hope to explain why some smokers' lives are cut short due to their habit, while others continue into old age Photo: GEOFF PUGHThe findings could explain why some heavy drinkers and smokers live to a ripe old age while others have their lives cut short by their habits.
The genes put carriers more at a heightened risk of developing five different types of cancer, the researchers found - skin, lung, bladder, prostate and cervical cancer.
Lung cancer in particular is one of the most deadly, killing around 35,000 sufferers in Britain every year.
The findings could allow scientists to identify those most at risk from suffering the potentially deadly conditions because of a combination of genetics and their lifestyle.
The researchers estimate that around one quarter of the population have the highest risk that their unhealthy lifestyle would give them cancer.
Another quarter of the population have the lowest risk, because they do not carry these genes, they estimate.
These could be the people who remain hale and hearty into old age even in spite of smoking, drinking, using sunbeds of having a poor diet.
However, as yet the scientists did not know by how much these two genes can increase the overall lifetime chance of developing a form of the disease.
On average humans have a one in three chance of developing some form of cancer over their lifetime.
Scientists have long known that lifestyle and environment can affect a person's risk of developing many types of cancer.
Smoking has previously been linked to lung and bladder cancer, drinking to different types of cancer including liver cancer, and eating a diet high in red meat to an increased risk of bowel cancer.
But researchers have never been clear on the exact nature of how these exposures increase risk, and why some people appear more prone to their effects than others.
Tim Bishop, professor of genetic epidemiology at the University of Leeds, and one of the co-authors of the paper, said that cancer was often caused by a "complex" interplay between genetic and environmental factors, and that these newly identified genes could go some way to explaining their relationship.
The scientists were able to isolate the genes by looking at the genetic make up of more than 33,000 cancer survivors and another 45 ,000 people who had never suffered from the disease.
They then compared the genes against their carrier's lifestyle and history of the disease.
While they increased the chance of suffering from five types of cancer the genes were not linked to an increased risk of another nine cancers for which the researchers could test, including breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease in women, according to the findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
Group Sues Coke Over Vitaminwater Claims
Consumer Group Says Drink Helps Obesity, Not HealthVitaminwater, which is marketed as a healthy drink, is nothing more than soda without the bubbles, according to a consumer group that has filed a lawsuit against maker Coca-Cola, claiming deceptive advertising practices.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said that Coke's claims that the drinks can improve health are unsubstantiated.
CPSI said that the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of Vitaminwater do more to promote obesity than any health benefits other ingredients might provide. It also said that the claims of help for the joints and bones cross the line into fraud.
Coca-Cola responded with a statement on its Web site that called the move ridiculous and ludicrous.
"Vitaminwater is a great tasting, hydrating beverage with essential vitamins and water, with labels showing calorie content," it said. The company also said the drink, like all its products, can be part of a healthy diet.
CSPI disagreed.
"Vitaminwater is Coke's attempt to dress up soda in a physician's white coat. Underneath, it's still sugar water, albeit sugar water that costs about ten bucks a gallon," said Steve Gardner, the group's director of litigation.
Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director, said people should get their vitamins from real food or inexpensive supplements.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: wftv.com
My Lasik Eye Surgery (slightly graphic)
Obama Wants Congress To Act On Lifting Stem Cells Ban
President-elect Barack Obama said Friday he wanted legislation in Congress to permit federal funding on stem cell research and overturn a ban imposed by President George W. Bush.Obama, who favors medical research on stem cells derived from human embryos, told CNN he was still exploring an executive order to revoke Bush's ban.
"But I like the idea of the American people's representatives expressing their views on an issue like this," he said, lauding a "bipartisan" consensus in Congress that such research is ethical and potentially life-saving.
If the research could yield hope for victims of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, "I think that sends a powerful message," he said.
In blocking federal funding for stem cell research, Bush sided with religious conservatives who argue that research on embryos destroys human life, albeit at its earliest stage of development.
Stem cells are primitive cells from early-stage embryos capable of developing into almost every tissue of the body.
Scientists believe they could prove key in finding a cure for a number of serious diseases, including also diabetes and cancer.
© 2009 AFP
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Sunday, January 18, 2009
10 Most Annoying People At The Gym
Fourteen days into January, and most of us have probably spent more time at the gym this year than we have in our entire adult lifetimes. The resolutions, they are upon us, and we have decreed: this year we will lose the weight! At least until the free gym membership runs out, right? Or until we just can't stand that creepy guy at the ab machine eyeing us any longer.I used to think that the worst part about the gym would be all the buff dudes in the weight room dousing me in sloppy loads of testosterone; would that that were the least of my problems! No, the gym is full of folk, from creepy to sleazy to downright annoying, and I'm doing my best to deal with them whilst I huff and puff away. Read on to enter an account of this gym-goer's own personal hell: the 10 most annoying people at the gym.
10. The people outside the giant window watching us run
Someday, once we've all properly adhered to our gym routines and learned to eat well, or at least hide our eating disorders, everyone will be thin and beautiful. Until then, those of us at the gym who are sweating our asses off on the treadmill will not be especially thin, and in that moment, not especially beautiful. So why, gym architects, do you put the cardio equipment in front of the window that opens onto the street so that we can be gawked at like zoo animals? And seriously, dude with the giant coffee, we saw you walk by four times.
9. The locker room mirror hog
We're all at the gym hoping to see results. You are, too. That's fine. But spending seven minutes rotating oneself like a rotisserie meat in front of the full-length mirror is unlikely to reveal anything you didn't catch in the first four minutes. Move over, I have eyeliner needs.
8. The raquetball super-enthusiasts
It's hard for me to run and laugh at you wearing your goggles all over the place at the same time.
7. Wearers of ill-fitting gym clothing of the small persuasion
Tiny shorts. Tiny shirts. Tiny respect for the rest of the sweating, panting humanity. The smallest thing on your person at the gym ought to be your headphones, not your jogging shorts. I don't care if you're male or female, the fact remains: flesh is already plentiful at the gymnasium, and less is more. Way, way more. Like, 10 times more.
6. The locker room phone-talker
The public phone-talker is unknown to no one; we've all encountered the wheeling-dealing businessman, the self-absorbed Greek initiate, the baby-centric mommybot, all yammering on within closely quartered earshot. But the locker room phone-talker is a whole other breed, cluelessly getting their personal business on while wearing nothing but a jock strap or bra. Must one deal with somebody else's issues both visually and aurally? In the locker room, the answer is yes.
5. The person setting a world record for speed on the elliptical machineAt any moment, limbs could go flying mere feet from where you're trying to keep up a reasonable pace on the treadmill. Who knew an elliptical could churn so fast? Somebody put some milk under that thing, 'cause we've got enough energy going to make butter.
4. The over-motivated personal trainer
We all need a little guidance in our lives, and nowhere is that more important than at the gym, where one false move could result in serious injury or public humiliation. Usually both. Personal trainers are a great way to avoid both those things while losing weight. Just make sure your personal trainer stays personal. I'm trying to count reps, and it's hard to keep track when someone's yelling, "OMG YOUR FORM IS AMAZING! SIX MORE!" in my ear.
3. The dude sitting too close on the stretching mat
My, what a large stretching mat we have here! Look, there's room for yoga balls and Bosu balls and all kinds of fun stretching accoutrements! Maybe one of the reasons we're paying such an exorbitant price for gym membership is because we have giant spaces like this: use them! If there's no one else on the mat and I'm having to restrict my crunches because some dude in a sweatband hasn't ever heard of the concept of "personal space," somebody's gonna bounce.
2. The Goddess
She's been on the treadmill for 45 minutes, and she hasn't cracked a sweat, even though she's running at six mph. Her eyeliner remains perfect, her tan appears to be authentic, and there's not an ounce of cellulite on her frame. Men line up for the cardio equipment directly behind her, and I'm just wondering where her sweat glands are.
1. The couple
The gym is already full of people doing relatively personal things in view of strangers; let us not add kissing, back rubbing and baby-talk to this list. From the jock trying to teach his girlfriend how to shoot hoops to the 105-pound woman spotting for her bodybuilder husband, couples at the gym are as inappropriate as cupcakes at a Weight Watchers meeting. Leave the loving at home--I already feel like puking after my workout most of the time, anyway.
Source: heartlessdoll.com
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