Beauty Health for Life

University of Granada researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences have scientifically disproven the old belief that eating chocolate is fattening. In an article published this week in the journal Nutrition, the authors have shown that higher consumption of chocolate is associated with lower levels of total fat (fat deposited all over the body) and central fat (abdominal), independently of whether or not the individual participates in regular physical activity and of diet, among other factors.

The researchers determined whether greater chocolate consumption associated with higher body mass index and other indicators of total and central body fat in adolescents participating in the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study. This project, financed by the European Union, studies eating habits and lifestyle in young people in 9 European countries, including Spain.


Independent of diet and physical activity

The study involved 1458 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years and results showed that a higher level of chocolate consumption associated with lower levels of total and central fat when these were estimated through body mass index, body fat percentage—measured by both skinfolds and bioelectrical impedance analysis—and waist circumference. These results were independent of the participants sex, age, sexual maturation, total energy intake, intake of saturated fats, fruit and vegetables, consumption of tea and coffee, and physical activity.

As the principle author Magdalena Cuenca-García explains, although chocolate is considered a high energy content food—it is rich in sugars and saturated fats—“recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders”.

In fact, chocolate is rich in flavonoids—especially catechins—which have many healthy properties: “they have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease”.

Recently, another cross-sectional study in adults conducted by University of California researchers found that more frequent chocolate consumption also associated with a lower body mass index. Whats more, these results were confirmed in a longitudinal study in women who followed a catechin-rich diet.

The effect could be partly due to the influence of catechins on cortisol production and on insulin sensitivity, both of which are related with overweight and obesity.


Calorie impact is not the only thing that matters

The University of Granada researchers have sought to go further and analyse the effect of chocolate consumption at a critical age like adolescence by also controlling other factors that could influence the accumulation of fat. The research, which is both novel and, perhaps, the largest and best-controlled study to date, is the first to focus on the adolescent population. It includes a large number of body measures, objective measurement of physical activity, detailed dietary recall with 2 non-consecutive 24-hour registers using image-based software, and controls for the possible effect of a group of key variables.

In Nutrition, the authors stress that the biological impact of foods should not be evaluated solely in terms of calories. “The most recent epidemiologic research focuses on studying the relation between specific foods—both for their calorie content and for their components—and the risk factors for developing chronic illnesses, including overweight and obesity”.

Despite their results, the authors insist that chocolate consumption should always be moderate. “In moderate quantities, chocolate can be good for you, as our study has shown. But, undoubtedly, excessive consumption is prejudicial. As they say: you can have too much of a good thing”.

The University of Granada researchers stress that their findings “are also important from a clinical perspective since they contribute to our understanding of the factors underlying the control and maintenance of optimal weight”.

"Q: I heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Will it affect me if I miss breakfast on a fast day?
"There is no scientific evidence to prove that breakfast is any more important than lunch or dinner for adults. As a matter of fact, there is no scientific evidence proving three meals per day are any better than one."

Above is a quote from Brad Pilons book, "Eat Stop Eat" which can be found at:
http://www.eatstopeat.com/?vtid=eatblogeat&utm_expid=7760520-13&utm_errer=http%3A%2F%2Fbradpilon.com%2Fbooks%2F

When I found the above quote among the FAQs in Brads book it addressed a particular thought that I had been having about whether I could simply eat a good meal once a day and fast the rest of the time in order to speed up my weight loss. Also wondering if I could try that every day, or just a few times a week.

I had the idea to do that once before (which I blogged about) but I got waylaid by worry. I was worried that I would not be able to go that long every day without having a snack. That got turned into "two snacks" and soon it was three meals again, so I never actually tried it out.

Now that I have the experience of fasting "under my belt" I think I could actually do it. Without planning to, I did it yesterday (Saturday) and noticed I lost a few pounds this morning even though I ate two meals last night within a few hours of one another. As I thought about it, I dont think I went overboard on the daily calories, although I only made guess-timations on the calorie count.

Since I belong to the 5:2 Diet group on Facebook Ive been reading how the other participants are doing with their calorie counting and actually eating small meals on their fast days. They go for about 36 hours twice a week, on average, and eat 500 cals during their fast. Then on the other days they are supposed to eat "normally" but most of them count calories on those days, too, keeping it under whatever level they have calculated to fit their body and metabolism. They seem to lose an average of  about a pound a week doing all this.

For myself, when Dr Robbins measured my bodys daily caloric burn on her machine it came to 2400 per day.  This means that I could eat 2400 calories each day and I would not put on any more weight. She wanted me to eat 1800 calories a day and I went off the deep end when I tried calorie counting. I could not keep my intake that low and counting calories is such an offensive way to eat. I ended up gaining weight as I resisted the whole idea and quit doing it. (I blogged about that, too. LOL)

Brad suggests fasting for 24 hours straight with only water or calorie free drinks and then simply eating normally on the other days. "Eating normally" to Brad means not increasing your intake to compensate for the time that you spent fasting. This makes sense if your goal is to reduce your weekly calories and lose weight, along with all the other health benefits that come from fasting.

I tried those diets, too, that said you should eat 4 or 5 times a day and found that easier to take emotionally than calorie counting, but "many meals" turns out to be tedious to do in real life, also. Either counting calories, or eating many small meals in the day, turned out to be, for me, a lot of hard work, in addition to the rest of my life. I find that either method forces me to worry about food and eating all day long. Id really per to not have to think about that all the time.

On the other hand, the "Eat Stop Eat" program does seem to work for me and my daily life. It is so much easier to simply not pay attention to food during a fasting period and then look forward to having a good meal at the proper time, when I break the fast. Amazingly, I find, that I dont mind how I feel when Im not eating. Having an empty stomach is kind of a treat. Who knew? LOL

I find that when I resume eating that my body gets back all its old "feelings" again. It is a little bit odd to find out that processing food puts a "drag" on my body. I feel more sluggish and full and not so light and efficient as I feel when Im fasting.

Since Brad says there is no real scientific evidence that I have to eat breakfast or even eat three meals a day, let alone, four or five, I see no problem with simply holding out on my eating until dinner time each day and then have the meal I would really like to have.

I always fear that someone is going to get all scared that Im going to have 22,000-calorie Sumo meals but that is not what I am talking about. Im talking about a regular, ordinary, dinner with or without dessert as the occasion fits. And then stop eating for the day.

Under those conditions, even having another snack at the end of the day should not be a problem but Im not going to build that in. That is the mistake I did last time. I built in the snack then they got out of hand. I am kind of an odd duck. If I build it in, then it somehow gets translated into my mind that not only "I can" but eventually "I have to" and I dont want to trigger that response either. Ill just plan on eating normally, for me, and thats the end of it.

Sometimes I dont know if all this is just a "nice thought" or an actual "plan." It feels like a plan, at this moment so Im going to try it out and see how it goes. Im always flexible if Im nothing else, so Im not going to worry about it.

Another thing... on the 5:2 Diet facebook group page they have been talking about chia seeds so I got mine out and made up a batch. I used to take two tablespoons full like everybody always directs when you read about them, but I never really noticed any particular effect with that and it soon fell by the wayside. If I cannot see the benefit, I usually just leave it behind. Today, I filled a cup with the gelatinous solution of chia seeds in water and drank it down.

My belly feels as full as if Id eaten but I dont feel the drag on my body. Ill have to wait and see if there are any other side effects. Im hoping it will keep the plumbing moving along, too.

Anyway, thats where I am today.

Be back soon,

Marcia

excerpt from "Eat Stop Eat" by Brad Pilon:

Smile Savers


Brushing, flossing, and eating right keep your teeth strong — and promote overall health

Make it tea for your teeth: Fruit drinks, sodas, and citrus juices (like orange) have sugar and acids that wear away tooth enamel. The better dental choice — as safe as just plain water — is tea without milk, lemon, or sugar.

Listen to your hygienist: In a two-week study of identical twins — one brushed and flossed, the other simply brushed — flossers developed significantly less plaque-causing bacteria than their brush-only siblings.

Spoon up some culture: In a new study, people who consumed at least 1/4 cup of yogurt or a lactic acid drink every day were less than half as likely to have serious gum disease. The magic ingredient? Probiotics, researchers believe.

Get plenty of fruits and veggies: The higher your consumption of folic acid from food (produce is a great source), the lower your risk of bleeding gums, research shows.

2 Twofers

With these, you burn calories and curb hunger

Cardio before meals: An aerobic workout cuts your hunger by lowering levels of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone. Count on about two hours benefit, including workout time. Weight training helps, too, but not as much. Not exercising at all leaves you hungriest.

A short walk: In a "gotta have chocolate" mood? Hit the sidewalk for 15 minutes. The walk will cut calories and — a study of chocolate lovers showed — curb your cravings as well.

Medicine Chest Must-Haves

These two can be lifesaving while youre waiting for the ambulance to arrive:

Aspirin (325 mg, not baby) to chew on in case you, a family member, or a guest has a heart attack

Liquid Benadryl in case of a life-threatening allergic reaction

4 Sleep Helpers

In 1896, GH advised insomniacs, "Upon retiring ... take a bowl of hot broth, like oatmeal gruel or clam soup." Our contemporary advice:

1. Chill, baby, chill. A cool bedroom lowers core body temperature, which initiates sleepiness. How cool? The ideal temp varies from person to person (and from husband to wife!), but try 65 degrees to start.

2. Hire a specialist — online. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps even longtime insomniacs sleep better. Try the online course developed by a Harvard researcher at cbtforinsomnia.com($25); also on CD.

3. Turn off appliances. Artificial light (from lamps, TVs, maybe even a glowing clock) can keep you up. But if its still not dark enough, try a sleep mask. The favorite in GHRI testing: Buckys 40 Blinks Mask ($13).

4. Practice tai chi. When researchers compared this Eastern meditative martial art with standard health education programs, tai chi won — heads down — in improving both sleep quality and duration.

Coffee Perks

Its fortunate our national java habit (the average coffee drinker downs three cups a day) turns out to be good for us. Coffee is rich in antioxidants, and (surprise) caffeine can also be a health booster. The brew has been linked to:

Lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Better memory and other cognitive functions

Reduced chances of non-melanoma skin cancer

Wider-awake days

But theres a trick to getting the most from your caffeine: Drink two ounces every hour or so through the morning and at lunchtime — then stop in early afternoon. Gulping a grande at breakfast may be followed by a crash later in the day

Move It!

Get one sweat every day; not a mere glow or perspiration, but a genuine, downright, old-fashioned ... sweat. (March 1916)

If youre sick of the gym, try a fun alternative that burns more calories than walking (246 calories per hour for a moderate pace). Ballet or swimming laps burns 422 calories; biking or playing Ping-Pong, 281.

Take a break. You may burn more fat when you divide a 60-minute workout into two 30-minute sessions with a 20-minute rest in between — and the boost may even continue post-exercise.

Get your hands dirty. Gardening gives you as much of a workout as walking or golf, a recent study reported. Plus: The weight-bearing motions involved in digging and pulling weeds can strengthen bones and muscle.

Add the #1 Veggie to Your Diet

Its kale — based on its contribution to daily nutrient recommendations, including beta-carotene, lutein, vitamins C and K, and folate, plus potassium, magnesium, and iron.

Spinach and collard greens are also stars.

Little Changes, Big Weight Loss

Cook pasta al dente. When you boil spaghetti for five minutes, its glycemic index is 38; after 20 minutes, it shoots up to 61. The higher the glycemic index, the sooner youll be hungry again.

Munch around the clock. A healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon will keep you from overdoing itat lunch and dinner, for a net reduction in calories.

Keep a food diary. Recording meals and snacks ups your chances of weight-loss success. In fact, among a group of almost 1,700 dieters, diarists doubled their weight loss compared with non-writing folks.

Eat s...l...o...w...l...y. In one study, women who took half an hour to eat a pasta lunch consumed almost 70 fewer calories than those who scarfed it down in nine minutes.

Stop the music! People spend longer at the dining table when theres background music — any tempo or volume.

Watch out for sneak eating. "I just want a taste" (of pie, ice cream, pizza...) can add about 25 calories per mouthful.

Sip Gingerly

Beyond quelling nausea, ginger also eases menstrual cramps. To brew your own relief, peel 1 inch of fresh ginger root, cut into fine rounds, and put in a saucepan. Cover with 2–3 cups of water and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, pour into a pretty cup, and sweeten with honey.

If Only It Were That Simple... an excellent and never-failing cure for nervous headache is the simple act of walking backward. (July 1896)

Better Bones

1. Do An Upward Dog: Yoga postures can ward off — and help correct — the dreaded dowagers hump that can occur with age. In a six-month study, even people who already had serious curves in their upper backs improved with yoga classes three times a week.

2. Follow a Big (Low-) Fat Greek Diet: Women who eat Mediterranean-style — consuming plenty of fish and olive oil, and limiting red meat — have the greatest bone density, researchers recently found.

3. Eat Like Popeye: Spinach, along with other fruits and veggies, promotes the best acid-base balance in your body for keeping bones strong.

Dont Bar Chocolate

If youre worried about weight gain, indulging may be a solution. A study found that women who put their favorite snacks on the no-no list actually ate 40 grams more of them when given the chance than those who didnt set such strict limits. (In the case of dark chocolate, that would be 180 extra calories.) The payoffs associated with as little as half an ounce a day: Lower blood pressure

Less-stiff arterial walls

Lower bad LDL cholesterol

Inhibited formation of blood clots

Reduced stress hormones

Fruit and Veg

Eat More Fruit and Veg: Lunchboxes - Did you know that a good way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to increase the amount of fruit & veg that you eat?

Eating plenty of fruit and veg is essential for a balanced diet, and getting your kids used to eating these essential foods will help them avoid a range of serious illnesses (including heart disease and certain cancers) in later life.

Fruit and veg are a natural addition to your child’s lunchbox – they’re an ideal healthy snack, they don’t make a mess, they don’t need much packaging and they’re cheap! There are lots of different varieties to choose from so you don’t have to pack the same thing every day.

Fruit
Most types of fruit are ideal fillers for lunchboxes, although you may want to avoid using ones that younger children will find difficult to peel on their own.  It’s worth leaving the peel on where possible, as there are lots of fibre and other nutrients in the skin – don’t forget to wash fruit that is going to be eaten with the skin on.

Some of our favourite lunchbox fruit includes:

• Apples – try chopping into interesting shapes
• Bananas – you can cut a small slit at the top if your kids have difficulty peeling them
• Mandarins/Clementines/Satsumas – easier to peel than regular oranges
• Grapes – one handful counts as a portion
• Pears – if your child only eats apples, try widening their horizons with a pear!
• Berries – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, buy frozen to save money
• Kiwis – slice in half and your kids can eat them the same way as a boiled egg

Fruit Salad
If you’ve got a bit of time, you can chop fruit up and make a little fruit salad to put in a small tupperware pot. Shake it up with some lemon juice to stop the fruit from going brown.

Fruity Yoghurt
Adding chopped fruit to natural yoghurt is also a great way to jazz up both fruit and yoghurt. You can even use frozen fruit, and the beauty of this is that the frozen fruit will keep the yoghurt cool! Add a drop of honey if your kids find the yoghurt a bit sour. Your homemade mix will still be much lower in sugar (and higher in fruit!) than most of the “fruit” yoghurts you can buy in the shops.

Smoothies
If you’re getting lunches ready for more than one child, smoothies can be well worth the effort of throwing a few bits of fruit into a blender. You can prepare it the night before and store the mixture in the fridge. Pour the mix into leak-proof flasks or bottles the next morning before the school run.

Vegetables
Raw vegetables can be just as tasty and versatile as fruit, and they are also great additions for lunchboxes. Some of the best kinds of veg to be eaten raw include:

• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Peppers
• Celery
• Radishes
• Salad leaves (e.g. lettuce, rocket, mizuna, baby spinach, beetroot leaves)

Raw Veggie Sticks
Chop raw vegetables into matchstick sized pieces and serve them as they are. Carrots, peppers and celery are particularly good for this. As an added extra, include a pot of hummus that kids will enjoy dipping into.

Salad Ribbons
Try making a mini-salad using carrot ribbons, tomatoes and some lettuce leaves. The more colour, the better! You can make vegetable ribbons by using a peeler on things like cucumbers, carrots and courgettes. They’re easy to eat and add a bit of novelty.

Don’t forget, fruit and veg can also be included in lunchboxes as parts of sandwich fillings and cracker toppings.

Get the Kids Involved
If you get the kids involved in the shopping, chopping and selecting fruits & veggies, they’ll be much more likely to eat them! Don’t worry if the lunchbox comes home with uneaten fruit/veg – just persevere. You’re aiming to make fruits and veggies normal for your kids, so don’t worry if they don’t automatically gobble them up – especially if they’re not used to them. Take a long term approach – don’t nag your kids (which can be counter-productive), just keep packing fruit & veg and offering gentle encouragement.