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Vinegar is a Fat-Burning, Waist Shrinking, Cholesterol Lowering Superfood

October 15th, 2009

In yesterday’s post, I introduced you to a study which showed that plain ole’ vinegar is effective in suppressing body fat accumulation.

More specifically, the researchers found that laboratory mice fed a high-fat diet and given acetic acid developed significantly less body fat (up to 10 percent less) than other mice.

I was so excited by this low-tech, inexpensive weight loss trick that I contacted the author of the study.

And to my surprise, he emailed an even more recent study which looks at the fat-burning effects of vinegar on actual human beings….no more mice studies.

The Science

In this study, researchers investigated the effects of vinegar intake on the reduction of body-fat mass in obese Japanese students.

The 175 students were randomly assigned to three groups of similar body-weight, BMI and waist circumference.

During the 12 week study, the participants ingested 500ml daily of a beverage containing either 15 ml of apple vinegar (750 mg AcOH – acetic acid), 30 ml of vinegar (1500 mg AcOH) or 0 ml of vinegar (0 mg AcOH, placebo).

In place of vinegar, the placebo group ingested 1250 mg of lactate.

To make them more palatable, all beverages contained the equal amount of flavor and artificial sweetener.

The Results

After only 4 weeks, the vinegar-group participants saw their body-weight, BMI and body-fat percentages improve. These improvements continued in a dose dependent manner for the entire 12 weeks

Translation: more vinegar = more fat loss

In addition to BF, BMI and BF%, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, LDL cholesterol and serum TG (triglyceride) levels also fell (starting in week 8).

These results can be considered to be due to the body-fat loss because the VFA (visceral fat), SFA (subcutaneous fat) and TFA (total fat) values were significantly lower in the vinegar groups than in the placebo group.

Does the vinegar make these "diet" chips?

Conclusion

15 ml (0.5 oz or 1 tbsp) of vinegar per day is enough to significantly improve your:

Body-Weight
BMI
Body-Fat Percentage
Waist Circumference
Waist-Hip ratio
LDL Cholesterol
Serum TG
Visceral Body-Fat, and
Subcutaneous Body-Fat

And considering that these health markers are associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome, perhaps it might be wise to consider adding a tbsp or two of vinegar to your daily diet.

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Toronto By-Law Nazi Accosts Senior Citizens for Exercising in a Public Park

October 12th, 2009

Most days, I love living in Toronto.

It’s a great city. All the culture you could want and you can still walk down the street at night.

But, yesterday, as I was reading my morning newspapers over a cup of coffee, I came upon this story….

Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

…and it pissed me off.

Why in the world would a city bylaw officer harass senior citizens for exercising in a public park?

Why harass anyone for exercising in a public park?

As a nation, Canada is getting fatter year after year.

Our provincial health care systems are being bankrupted by chronic diseases brought on by the same lifestyle choices that cause obesity.

So, why would the city discourage physical activity by ticketing citizens to exercise in public parks that they already support with their tax dollars?

Especially when you consider that way back in 2005, Toronto city council created Get Your Move On…

an initiative formed between public, voluntary and private sector organizations to address the current epidemic of physical inactivity by achieving increased physical activity levels in Toronto by raising public awareness, creating more opportunities and reducing barriers to enable all residents to be physically active where they live, work and play.

This commitment was stated again in 2008 when Mayor David Miller once again joined with those same members of the private, public and voluntary sectors to re-brand Get Your Move On as Get Active Toronto.

At this time, the mayor et al signed a Declaration of Commitment to a physically active Toronto.

Partnership Commitment Statement
As members of the Get your move on partnership, we commit to working together with individuals, community groups, agencies, institutions, businesses and all levels of government to achieve increased physical activity among all residents.

To accomplish this Get your move on partners will:

Promote healthy active living for all Toronto residents, beginning with children, youth, their families and other influencers. Champion the right of residents to have the opportunity for daily physical activity.

Seek innovative, creative solutions to reduce systemic barriers to physical activity.

Lead by example, undertaking initiatives within our organizations and communities to foster significant increases in physical activity and health. Develop and promote a civic culture where active living is part of everyday life.

Involve and support individuals, groups and organizations across sectors to build a movement that promotes physical activity for all Toronto residents.

Our commitment will increase opportunities and access for physical activity and contribute to lasting change for the people of Toronto.

Arrrggghhhh!!!!!

I am mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.

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Thanks to Toronto Sun columnist Sue-Ann Levy for breaking this shameful story.

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Having trouble sticking to your diet?

July 21st, 2009

I know, it’s summer.

The weather is warm, the steaks are sizzling on the bbq, the beer is flowing and the last thing you want to think about is sticking to your diet.

If this sounds like you, read on…

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According to a new study, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity are on the rise in Canadians of all ages. (same goes for you non-Canadians)

It’s so bad that for the first time in 2 centuries, Canadians can expect to die earlier than their parents.

And why, you may ask are Canadians dropping like flys on a bug zapper?

Because they are fat.

The authors of the study found that hypertension and diabetes are increasing most in those who were obese or overweight.

“Projections suggest that the rising prevalence of obesity in the current generation of adolescents will increase the prevalence of coronary heart disease by 5 to 16% in 2035, and may for the first time in 2 centuries significantly reduce life expectancy in the 21st century,” state Dr. Douglas Lee of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

Obesity = Hypertension = Diabetes = Heart Disease = An Early Death

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And just in case you still feel like reaching for another handful of nacho chips…

This couple loves to eat nachos & donuts & pizza & ice cream

This couple doesn't

Your choice

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Omega 3s, Allergies and your Immune System

June 2nd, 2009

Winter’s over, Spring is in full bloom and Summer is on the way.

That can mean only one thing.

It’s allergy season.

Sneezing, sniffling, red eyes, anaphylaxis…

ahhhhhh-chooooooooo

Misery – pure unadulterated misery.

All brought on by an overcompensation of your immune system.

And why has your immune system gone haywire?

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One theory is that as our Western Diet evolved, the ratio of Omega 6 : Omega 3 fatty acids has shifted from a healthy 2:1 ratio to an unhealthy 10:1 ratio.

And because of that imbalance, our bodies have been flooded with inflammatory molecules, leading to “systemic inflammation and a higher incidence of problems including asthma, allergies, diabetes, and arthritis”.

However, according to this study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, there is hope.

The Science

In this study, researchers took 27 healthy human test subjects, and for 5 weeks, fed them a special diet designed to reproduce the Omega 6 : Omega 3 fatty acid ratio our caveman ancestors would have enjoyed.

They then looked at the gene levels of immune signals and cytokines (protein immune messengers), that impact autoimmunity and allergy in blood cells and found that many key signaling genes that promote inflammation were markedly reduced compared to a normal diet, including a signaling gene for a protein called PI3K, a critical early step in autoimmune and allergic inflammation responses.

Translation: Caveman diet lower inflammation…lower inflammation levels mean reduced allergies, asthma, diabetes & arthritis.

Conclusion: Increase your Omega 3s and reduce your Omega 6s.

It’s as simple as eating more fish, walnuts, flax seeds and eating less processed foods, less snack foods, less junk foods, less fast foods and less soy and other polyunsaturated oils.

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Omega 3s protect men from heart failure

April 22nd, 2009

Attention MEN!!!

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Eat one serving of fatty fish per week and reduce your risk of heart failure

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The Science

According to this new study:

Men who eat one serving of fatty fish a week reduced their odds of heart failure by 12%.
Men who consume 330 mg of omega 3 fish oils per day reduced their odds of heart failure by 33%

What this means to YOU

If you eat:

20 grams of tuna, or
13 grams of salmon, or
23 grams of stinky sardines, or even
1/4 teaspoon of fish oil

You will get your 330 mg of Omega 3s and lower your odds of dying from heart failure by 33%

Pretty cheap insurance policy if you ask me.

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Hollywood to Declare War on Obesity

August 17th, 2008

By 2030, over 86% of Americans will be OBESE.

And who’s to blame?

HOLLYWOOD

That’s right, I said it.

Hollywood.

And you thought that they were already doing their part to keep America trim by encouraging all of America’s young women to develop eating disorders in order to look like Angelina Jolie or Keira Knightley.

Well, according to weight-loss expert Dr. Martin Schiff, “Hollywood must share the blame for the obesity epidemic. Every day we see examples of overeating, gorging, food play and general disregard for health in movies and TV shows. No wonder millions of people are overweight.”

WHAT???

Seriously doc, you’re kidding…right?

Nope. He goes on.

“Just as a cigarette hanging from the lips of a “cool” actor can encourage smoking, scenes of gluttony and indiscriminate eating promote obesity in children, according to the good doctor.

He now wants the film industry to introduce a special “O for Obesity” rating so that parents can judge whether a film is suitable.

He also suggests an SE (Suggestive Eating) designation for movies that use fast-food companies in their marketing campaigns.

And this is where he may get his way.

Here’s why.

Last month, the FTC issued a report showing that the nation’s largest food and drink companies, including the fast-food chains, spend about $1.6 billion a year marketing their “food” to America’s children.

While most of that money was spent on television commercials, the FTC says that about $200 million of it was spent on cross promotion.

Those are not real apples

And it’s this cross promotion spending that has got U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin’s shorts in a knot.

Harkin has been complaining for years about children being enticed to make poor food choices. He questions why the same minds and money behind all this marketing can’t be turned to attracting kids to “healthy snacks, tasty cereals, fruits and vegetables.”

Probably because the fruit and vegetable producers don’t have the marketing budgets of the breakfast cereal, pop and snack food producers.

Shhhhh...Creative Genius at work

So what is Senator Harkin going to do?

Well….

In New York, the city’s health department passed and is enforcing a law requiring all chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus.
In Los Angeles, city council has banned the opening of any new fast food restaurants for the next year.
San Jose, California is considering a similar moratorium.
Across the pond, the Dutch are debating the merits of a nation wide fat-food restaurant ban.

So really, is it that big a stretch to think that some combination of government and public pressure may push Hollywood into slapping a couple of new rating categories on the next Hollywood blockbuster.

I mean, come on. The last thing we want is for poor old Angelina Jolie to get any fatter than she already is.

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Posted in Diet/Nutrition, Exercise, In the News, health

Tags: angelina jolie big brother cross promotion diet Exercise fat acceptance fitness food ftc government health hollywood keira knightley marketing nutrition obesity weight loss

Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympic Eater of All Time

August 15th, 2008

Yeahhhhh!!!!.....The pizza guy is here!!!

According to this New York Post article, Michael Phelps isn’t just the most decorated Olympic champion of all time, he may also be one of the world’s greatest eaters.

“Eat, sleep and swim. That’s all I can do,” Phelps told NBC when asked what he needs to win medals. “Get some calories into my system and try to recover the best I can.”

SOME CALORIES….obviously Mr. Phelps is a master of the understatement.

According to the Post, the following is a visual representation of EXACTLY the type and amount of food that Michael Phelps eats on a daily basis.

Breakfast:

Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

Two cups of coffee.

One five-egg omelet.

One bowl of grits.

Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar.

Three chocolate-chip pancakes

Breakfast’s finished…time for a nap.

Lunch:

One pound of enriched pasta.

Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread.

Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.

Exactly how long does he have to wait to get back into the pool after eating this meal?

Dinner:

One pound of pasta.

An entire pizza.

More energy drinks.

Well that’s it:

12,000 Calories…divided over 3 gigantic meals.

And he looks like this…

hey, watch where you put that hand! I'm an Olympic champion dammit!!!

Rubbing the Buddha's belly for good luck

What would happen if a normal person tried to eat 12,000 calories a day.

Well, why don’t we ask Jared?

You know, Jared. Jared Fogle?…The Subway Diet guy.

Right. That Jared.

Well, according to Jared, back before he invented the submarine sandwich, he was a pretty big guy.

How big.

435 pounds big.

And how did he get this big?

By eating 10,000 calories a day.

Not 12,000 like Michael Phelps but close.

The Jared Fogle See-Food Diet

So what did Jared’s pre-Subway diet look like?

“Every day for breakfast, he’d have two bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, with a large order of hash browns, a large coffee with cream and 10 packets of sugar”.

“Lunch was an entire pizza — extra meat, extra cheese, and of course dessert”.

“For a mid-afternoon snack, he would usually have two large bean burritos with extra cheese”.

“And for dinner? That usually consisted of not one or two, but three trips to the Chinese buffet, and ice cream for dessert”.

And we’re not finished yet. He usually topped off each day with a late-night snack – not a warm glass of milk, but a hamburger, French fries and some kind of dessert”.

urp…I feel sick….and confused.

How can two men eat the same amount of food and one becomes an Olympic swimming god while the other becomes obese and depressed?

Well, I think it may have something to do with the fact that one of them trains for six hours a day, six days a week, without fail. His workouts consist of swimming 50 miles a week along with hitting the weight room.

I will let you decide who I am talking about.

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Posted in Diet/Nutrition, Exercise, In the News, health

Tags: calories Exercise fitness food health michael phelps obesity olympics pizza red bull weight loss

Weight Loss: The Good and the Very, Very, Very Bad

July 23rd, 2008

Here are two stories out of today’s news that clearly illustrate the right way to lose weight and the wrong way.

THE GOOD

AP/Kennebec Journal, July 18, 2008: Joel Marsh and his wife, Dorothy, pose for a photo in Randolph, Maine.

Associated Press/Kennebec Journal/Fox News

RANDOLPH, Maine — Joel Marsh, a 68-year-old retiree who shed 172 pounds in 20 months has been honored by TOPS Club Inc. as its “International King of Weight Loss.”

Joel Marsh tipped the scales at more than 350 pounds just over two years ago and was on 11 medications for diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems. He said he is now down to just three drugs and expects to be off those soon.

“After all the doctor warnings, something finally kicked in and I knew I had to do something if I wanted to live any longer,” said Marsh, who heeded the suggestion of friends that he attend a meeting of the local TOPS chapter.

“The whole thing is portion control,” said Marsh, now a slim 178 pounds. “And exercise. I’m on the [Kennebec River] Rail Trail at 5 a.m. every day. I can eat what I want, as long as I get in my three to five miles every day.”

He began by forcing himself to walk 150 feet, a task that left him gasping for breath, and then added another 150 feet each day.

Marsh tells his weight-loss story at TOPS chapters across the state, and the organization occasionally flies him to other states to speak. He does so, he said, to provide incentive for others trying to lose weight.

He usually brings a pair of his old pants with a 58-inch waist that are big enough for him and another person to fit into.

Marsh said his weight was “reasonable” until he retired from his job as a drug and alcohol counselor at Togus in 1994.

“I didn’t keep active or do much of anything except watch television and eat everything in sight,” he said.

Marsh’s wife, Dorothy, also joined the TOPS chapter and has lost about 45 pounds. In addition, she gained a healthier, more active husband.

“I used to have to do all the yardwork and things like that, because he just couldn’t do it,” Dorothy Marsh said. “It’s hard to keep up with him now.”

And now for…

THE VERY, VERY, VERY BAD

Dawn Paige with her husband Jeff: She was told to drink 4 extra pints of water a day and reduced her salt intake Photo: SWNS

Richard Savill / Telegraph / SWNS

A UK woman has been awarded £800,000 (1.6 million USD) in damages by Great Britain’s High Court after a nutritional therapist placed her on a radical detox diet that left her brain damaged and epileptic.

By Richard Savill

22 Jul 2008

Dawn Page, 52, a mother of two, claimed she was told to drink an extra four pints of water each day, and reduce her salt intake, after consulting the therapist, Barbara Nash, about losing weight.

Her lawyers said she suffered uncontrolled vomiting within days of being placed on “The Amazing Hydration Diet”, but was assured her sickness was simply “part of the detoxification process”.

She claimed she was later told to increase the amount of water she drank to six pints per day.

However, less than a week after she started the diet, the former conference organizer, of Faringdon, Oxon, said she suffered an epileptic fit brought on by severe sodium deficiency.

She was treated in intensive care, but doctors were unable to prevent permanent brain damage.

So Let’s Compare

Sensible eating and exercise = sensible & healthy weight loss

Losing weight by depleting yourself of sodium = epilepsy & brain damage

But I would never do something so stupid!

Really?

How many people do you know who have tried the Master Cleanse?

I thought so.

The Master Cleanse involves drinking only lemonade made from fresh lemon or lime juice, Grade B maple syrup, water and Cayenne pepper.

No solid food can be eaten for the duration of the cleanse.

Let’s check out the nutritional content of the Master Cleanse recipe.

* 2 Tablespoons of organic lemon juice

* 2 Tablespoons of organic grade B maple syrup

* 1/10 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

* 10 oz of filtered water

That recipe is for a single serving of lemonade, and you should drink 6-12 servings a day.Lemon Juice – 12 servings = 24 tbsp/ 1.5 cups = 75 calories (all carbs) and 76.8 mg or 4.2% of your daily required sodium.

Let’s break down the ingredients

Grade B Maple Syrup – 12 servings = 24 tbsp / 1.5 cups = 1233 calories (all carbs) and 42 mg or 2.3% of your daily required sodium.

Cayenne Pepper – 12 servings = 1 1/5 tsp = 7 calories and 0.6 mg of sodium.

Total – 1315 calories and 6.5% of your required sodium intake

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Yeah, that’s healthy

But, Beyonce did it!!!

And before you jump all over me saying that salt is bad, read this.

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Posted in Diet/Nutrition, Exercise, In the News, health

Tags: diet Exercise fitness health life news weight loss

Health Promotion v.s Disease Prevention

July 10th, 2008

In an article printed in the BMJ (BMJ 2008;337:a399), Dr. Butler et al, are presenting a theory that is so revolutionary, so unbelievably insightful and paradigm shattering that it may signal an evolutionary shift in how medicine will be practiced for the next millenium:

The promotion of health and longevity may be more successful at preventing disease and improving both the quality and quantity of our lives than attacking individual diseases.

I like to call this the “An Apple a Day keeps the Doctor Away” theory.

But seriously folks, the authors of this study believe that a shift towards health promotion and disease prevention could pay off with social, economic and health benefits for present and future generations. We’re talking improved quality and duration of life. It’s a win-win.

In the study, they also note that since we all have biochemical mechanisms that influence how quickly we age, and that through lifestyle changes or possibly even genetic alteration, it is possible to extend lifespan by postponing or even eliminating (if Freddie Mercury is correct) aging-related processes and diseases.

As expected, research into how lifestyle interventions, such as exercise and improved nutrition, may provide us with the location of theis fountain of youth is ongoing.

Fingers crossed everybody.

But for now, turn your head and cough or click here and here and here.

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Posted in Diet/Nutrition, Exercise, In the News, Research, health

Tags: disease fitness health longevity

You're Fat?… It's your Fault

July 8th, 2008

As reported in the Daily Telegraph, British politician David Cameron has declared war on the “culture of moral neutrality” by “calling on the obese, the idle and even the poor to accept some responsibility for their plight.” (see video here)

Going further, Cameron says that “Britain risks creating a society where nobody is prepared to tell the truth about what is good and bad, right and wrong… Society has become far too sensitive to people’s feelings with no one prepared to say what needs to be said…. Instead, we prefer moral neutrality, a refusal to make judgments about what is good and bad behavior, right and wrong behavior. Bad. Good. Right. Wrong.”

About obesity in particular, Cameron said “We talk about people being at risk of obesity instead of people who eat too much and take too little exercise. We talk about people being at risk of poverty or social exclusion. It’s as if these things – obesity, alcohol abuse, drug addiction – are purely external events like a plague or bad weather.”

He goes on to speak about personal responsibility – “We have seen a decades-long erosion of responsibility, of social virtue, of self-discipline, respect for others, <and> of deferring gratification instead of instant gratification.”

Wow, strong words indeed.

I can only imagine the nasty emails in his Inbox this morning.

If the comments from this blog post are any indication, then the honorable Mr. Cameron will definitely need a shovel to clean up all of the @$%#& and &$%#@* and ^#$$@& when he is finished with today’s emails.

So, Is He Right or Wrong?

100% politically incorrect and 100% right.

Barring any genetic abnormality, such as a congenital leptin deficiency, we ARE responsible for our weight gain. We get fat if we ingest more calories than we expend.

End of story, right?

Wrong.

Obesity is not the same as alcohol or drug abuse. I don’t need to drink or smoke, but I do need to eat. I just don’t need to eat bacon and Bagel-fuls. or processed foods. or high fructose corn syrup. or Big Macs. or Beefaroni. or Slurpees. or Frosted Flakes. or triple latte mocha sugar bomb coffee desserts. or…

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Posted in Diet/Nutrition, Exercise, In the News, health

Tags: david cameron diet Exercise fitness health obesity political correctness politics weigh loss

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Health Habits

Archive for the ‘other health issues’ category

Vinegar is a Fat-Burning, Waist Shrinking, Cholesterol Lowering Superfood

Related Posts

Toronto By-Law Nazi Accosts Senior Citizens for Exercising in a Public Park

Related Posts

Having trouble sticking to your diet?

Related Posts

Omega 3s, Allergies and your Immune System

The Science

Related Posts

Omega 3s protect men from heart failure

Attention MEN!!!

.

Eat one serving of fatty fish per week and reduce your risk of heart failure

Related Posts

Hollywood to Declare War on Obesity

HOLLYWOOD

Here’s why.

So what is Senator Harkin going to do?

Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympic Eater of All Time

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

The Jared Fogle See-Food Diet

Weight Loss: The Good and the Very, Very, Very Bad

THE GOOD

Associated Press/Kennebec Journal/Fox News

THE VERY, VERY, VERY BAD

Richard Savill / Telegraph / SWNS

So Let’s Compare

But I would never do something so stupid!

Total – 1315 calories and 6.5% of your required sodium intake

Health Promotion v.s Disease Prevention

The promotion of health and longevity may be more successful at preventing disease and improving both the quality and quantity of our lives than attacking individual diseases.

You're Fat?… It's your Fault

So, Is He Right or Wrong?