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ScienceDaily (May 29, 2012) For years the Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lesser chance of illness and increased well-being. A new study has now linked it to mental and physical health too.

The Mediterranean diet, which is characterised by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, pulses (beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils etc.) , fish, olive oil and nuts, has been proven to be beneficial to the health in terms of a lesser chance of chronic illness and a lower mortality rate.

A new study headed by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Navarra took the next step and analysed the influence of the Mediterranean diet on the quality of life of a sample of more than 11,000 university students over a period of four years.

"The progressive aging of the population in developed countries makes it even more interesting to find out those factors that can increase quality of life and the health of the population," as explained by Patricia Henrquez Snchez, researcher at the centre in the Canary Islands and lead author of the study.

Dietary intake data was taken at the beginning of the study and self-perceived quality of life was measured after the four year monitoring period. In order to ascertain whether the Mediterranean diet was followed, consumption of vegetables, pulses, fruit, nuts, cereals and fish was positively valued whereas consumption of meat, diary products and alcohol was negatively valued.

Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the results reveal that those who stick more to the Mediterranean diet score higher on the quality of life questionnaire in terms of physical and mental well-being. This link is even stronger in terms of physical quality of life.

The Mediterranean Pyramid

Henrquez states that "the Mediterranean diet is an important factor associated with better quality of life and can be considered as a healthy food model." Its food pyramid combines food to be eaten daily, weekly and occasionally.

Main meals should never lack three basic elements: cereals, fruit and vegetables and dairy products. Furthermore, it must include a daily intake of 1.5 and 2 litres of water. Olive oil constitutes the main source of fat for its nutritional quality and moderate consumption of wine and other fermented beverages is recommended.

Furthermore, fish, lean meat and eggs are sources of high quality animal protein. Fish and seafood are also sources of healthy fats.

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Mediterranean diet is definitively linked to quality of life

Public release date: 28-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marla Paul marla-paul@northwestern.edu 312-503-8928 JAMA and Archives Journals

CHICAGO The diet and activity levels of patients may be improved through use of mobile technology, remote coaching and financial incentives, according to a report of a randomized controlled trial published in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Not following a physician's lifestyle change advice is a major barrier to patients achieving effective preventive care. Many physicians are skeptical that patients will change their unhealthy behaviors, and physicians also report a lack of time and training to effectively counsel their patients, researchers write in the study background.

"This study's interventions leveraged handheld technology to create efficient interventions that make self-monitoring more convenient, extend decision support into life contexts where lifestyle choices are made, and convey time-stamped behavioral data to paraprofessionals who provide coaching remotely," the researchers note.

Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and colleagues randomly assigned 204 adult patients (48 men) with elevated intake of saturated fat and low intake of fruits and vegetables, and high sedentary leisure time and low physical activity into 1 of 4 treatments. The treatments were: increase fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity, decrease fat and sedentary leisure, decrease fat and increase physical activity, and increase fruit/vegetable intake and decrease sedentary leisure. Patients used personal digital assistant devices to record and self-regulate their behaviors.

During three weeks of treatment, patients uploaded their data daily and communicated as needed with their coaches by telephone or by email. The participants could earn $175 for meeting goals during the treatment phase. In addition, there was a 20-week follow-up during which patients could earn from $30 to $80 for continuing to record and transmit their data.

"The increase fruits/vegetables and decrease sedentary leisure treatment maximized healthy lifestyle change compared with the other interventions," the authors comment. They note that lifestyle gains diminished once treatment ended, as expected, but improvements persisted throughout the follow-up period.

From baseline to the end of treatment to the end of the follow-up, respectively, mean (average) servings per day of fruits/vegetables changed from 1.2 to 5.5 to 2.9, mean minutes per day of sedentary leisure from 219.2 to 89.3 to 125.7, and daily calories from saturated fat from 12 percent to 9.4 percent to 9.9 percent, according to the study results.

"This study demonstrates the feasibility of changing multiple unhealthy diet and activity behaviors simultaneously, efficiently and with minimal face-to-face contact by using mobile technology, remote coaching, and incentives," the authors comment.

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Mobile technology, remote coaching, financial incentives may help improve diet, activity level

Warrior Cardio by Martin Rooney

Martin Rooneys 12-week diet and exercise program uses the language of combat and models that look like ultimate fighters to show you how to get that fierce, toned-up look, or at least a trimmer you. According to Rooney, the most effective way to burn fat and build muscle is interval training: sprints, free-weight circuits and exercises using your own body weight, such as push-ups interspersed with claps. His program also includes a nutritional plan focused on a healthful balance of protein, vegetables, fruit and whole grains, complete with recipes. If you are intrigued by the science behind his plan, Rooney offers a primer on aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise and adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, a molecule central to metabolism. For those more interested in just working out, there are lots of pictures. Each exercise from the mini plyo hop (small, quick hops performed in a pattern similar to hopscotch) to the Zercher lunge (performed with a barbell in the crooks of your elbows) is broken down and demonstrated by some very buff guys. The program is geared toward men, but that doesnt mean women cant unearth their inner warriors just as well.

Whitney Fetterhoff

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‘Warrior’ diet and exercise program uses language of combat to show how to get fit

Beyonce Atlantic City Beyonce Diet Programs - Isn't amazing how all of the celebrities you see have a celebrity diet plan for weight loss to maintain their weight. Some of them are shapely and healthy looking, and look good on camera. Others look like they haven't eaten in weeks, like they just got back from the famine in Ethiopia for a few weeks. Like they had been starving themselves to lose weight, and that is probably what they have been doing. You see it in all the tabloids, this person lost 100 pounds again, this one gained 100 pounds, and then lost 150 pounds. Some are not as dramatic; this one lost 40 pounds and is a television spokesperson, because the previous celebrity diet spokesperson gained the weight back. The fact is they may be starving themselves to lose weight, fasting like they are going through a famine.

Celebrities make dieting look so easy, don't they? One month they're on the cover of US Weekly for gaining too much weight and the next they're headlining the "sexiest beach bods" story. It is true that seriously overweight people can lose large amounts of fat in a quick amount of time, because of the large fat content in their cells. But those that are only a few pounds overweight, losing 40 pounds in a month, is not only starvation, it is malnutrition and can have serious side effects. Our body weight can fluctuate day to day and the best diets take the weight off gradually, the way it came on.

Researches indicate that individuals who indulge in a weight loss program by taking prepared meals end up losing an additional 31% weight as against those who cook their own meals. With help, losing weight is made easier and at times much faster as against doing it on your own.Diet delivery is gaining popularity in a big way as it is fairly affordable by even the common man, roughly around $20 a day with an increasing variety to choose from. A few of which include: Zone-compliant meal, low carbs plan, veggie meals, and gourmet too.

"Click Here to Watch Weird VIDEO About The 7 Foods that KILL Abdominal Fat!"

With the rapidly increasing epidemic of obesity and increasing BMI levels, there is an array of products and diet plan to aid in combating obesity. Celebrity slim diet, the basic idea is to educate people and not to depict food as an enemy. Like a lot of famous diets in Hollywood, if your body thinks you are starving, it is going to hold on to every calorie you take in to keep you from starving to death instead of burning them for energy. When you follow a properly balanced weight loss diet, your metabolism will hardly notice the decrease in calories and continue to burn fat it doesn't need to store. This is a more long-term weight loss strategy.

Celebrities do not have secrets about dieting. They are normal people like the rest of us but, unlike most of us, they have people working for them such as diet advisors and personal trainers. Celebrity diets involve a level of commitment and dedication which we struggle with. The best celebrity diets involve eating sensibly and limiting our calorie intake. Having these factors in mind will allow you to have safe and easy weight loss that will provide you with short term and long term consistent results.

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Beyonce Atlantic City Beyonce Diet Programs

(CBS News) Children with epilepsy who don't respond well to anti-seizure medications are sometimes treated with a strict "ketogenic diet" that's high in fats and low in carbohydrates, including foods like bacon, hot dogs, butter and eggs.

Seizures often misdiagnosed as epilepsy, actually stress: Study Epilepsy surgery shown effective for many hard-to-control cases Epilepsy Miracle Diet Cuts Seizures Drugs Can't

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the diet is so effective for some kids that they can go off "keto" for a few years and remain seizure-free. In 2010, the New York Times profiled the diet as "Epilepsy's Big Fat Miracle" and despite being prescribed at more than 100 hospitals around the country, researchers weren't exactly sure how it worked - until now.

In a new study of mice, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston have found that a child's ability to stave off seizures is tied to a protein that affects metabolism in the brain. The protein, so-called BCL-2-associated Agonist of Cell Death, or BAD, also regulates metabolism of glucose.

The researchers discovered that by modifying this this, they switched metabolism in brain cells from glucose to ketone bodies, which are fat byproducts.

"It was then that we realized we had come upon a metabolic switch to do what the ketogenic diet does to the brain without any actual dietary therapy," study author Dr. Alfredo Gimenez-Cassinam a research fellow at Dana-Farber, said in a news release.

The researchers used genetically modified mice to alter the BAD protein to increase ketone metabolism in the brain, and seizures in mice decreased. The findings suggest the BAD Protein could be a promising target for future epilepsy drugs. The study is published in the May 24th issue of the journal Neuron.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by repeated seizures, likened to electrical storms in the brain, that can appear as convulsions, loss of motor control, or loss of consciousness.

"I've met a lot of kids whose lives are completely changed by this diet," study co-author Dr. Gary Yellen, professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, said in a university news release. Yellen was introduced to the ketogenic diet through his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Thiele, who directs the Pediatric Epilepsy Program at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. "Diets in general are hard, and this diet is really hard," said Yellen, "So finding a pharmacological substitute for this would make lots of people really happy."

About two in 100 people will experience a seizure at some point in their lives, according to the Mayo Clinic, and at least two unprovoked seizures often are required to diagnose epilepsy. Anti-seizure medications such are often prescribed and brain surgery is a possibility for some people whose seizures originate in a small, well-defined area of the brain not involved with vital processes. Some children may even outgrow the condition with age.

Originally posted here:
Understanding epilepsy "miracle" diet may lead to better treatments, scientists say

By Elizabeth Lopatto - 2012-05-23T16:00:00Z

A fatty diet that helps control epileptic seizures may do so by triggering a chemical change in the brain, a discovery that could lead to new treatments, according to a Harvard University study.

The diet may force a protein to switch the brains fuel to fat byproducts called ketones from its preferred energy, glucose, according to a study in genetically manipulated mice in the journal Neuron. Making the brain operate on ketones is known to shut down overexcited neurons that cause seizures.

This so-called ketogenic diet is used by epilepsy patients who arent helped by seizure-reducing drugs. The patients are only allowed a saltine crackers worth of carbohydrates daily, said Gary Yellen, a study author. Thats hard to do, and new treatments based on the diets effects in the body may lead to better control of seizures, he said.

There are kids who go off this diet because they and their parents cant manage it, said Yellen, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Having a pharmaceutical to help them would be important.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures, where neurons fire in a disorganized and sudden way, according to the National Institutes of Health. About 3 million Americans are epileptic, according to the Landover, Maryland-based Epilepsy Foundation, an advocacy group.

Yellens coauthor, Nika Danial, an assistant professor of cell biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is working on mimicking the protein. That may lead to a treatment, or help researchers look through chemical libraries for something similar, she said.

The diet is very high in fat, with some protein and almost no carbohydrates, triggering the body to use fat as its source of energy and imitating the effects of starvation on the body. That releases ketones, which can provide energy to the brain in lieu of sugar.

In epileptic mice, the scientists tinkered with a protein called BCL-2-associated agonist of cell death, or BAD, to promote ketones and lower levels of glucose. While their seizures decreased, there was no effect in mice that had been genetically altered to take out the protein, providing evidence for how it worked, according to the study.

The switch is much like changing from diesel to unleaded fuel, causing fewer seizures, Yellen said. Something about the swap prevents neurons from firing too much, though the full extent of the changes isnt clear. Additionally, a ketogenic diet may be effective in some neurodegenerative disorders, Danial said.

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Fatty Diet Preventing Seizures May Lead to Epilepsy Drugs

May 23, 2012 12:00pm

While neurologists have known that a high-fat and very low-carb diet, known as a ketogenic diet, reduces seizures in epileptic patients who are resistant to medical therapy, the why to it all has always been a mystery.

But today, some scientists say they may have found the answer. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School said seizures might be linked to a protein that changes metabolism in the brain, which is why patients respond so well to the ketogenic diet.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures, or convulsions, over time. The seizures represent episodes of disturbed brain activity and cause changes in attention and behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health. The condition affects about 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.

The ketogenic diet mimics aspects of starvation by forcing the body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates. The diet produces ketones in the body, organic compounds that form when the body uses fat, instead of glucose, as a source of energy. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures.

The study, published in the journal Neuron and conducted in genetically-altered mice, found that the effect of the ketogenic diet on epilepsy can be mimicked using a much more specific and non-dietary approach by manipulating a particular protein in mice, said Gary Yellen, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the study.

This points toward potential new ways of treating epilepsy in patients for whom current drugs are not effective, said Yellen.

Yellen said that while the connection between epilepsy and diet has remained unclear for nearly 100 years, he has seen childrens lives change drastically after changes in their food intake. In the past, some patients have also seen improvement when they cut nearly all sugar from their diets.

Experimenting in mice, the researchers found they could mimic the effects of the diet by altering a specific protein, known as BAD. Seizures decreased in the mice.

While the research must first be replicated in humans, Yellen said, in the long run, scientists should be able to target this pathway pharmacologically.

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Why 'Miracle Diet' Controls Epilepsy

As drivers prepare for the Coca-Cola 600 scheduled for May 27 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, there is one story that is getting an inordinate amount of attention. The obsession with Danica Patrick's diet and how she will handle the 600 mile race is only growing. Her diet was part of the May 24 press conference and revealed a ridiculous focus on something other drivers handle without incident.

The Diet

On May 24, NASCAR fans received a lesson in Danica Patrick's diet preparations for the Coca-Cola 600 thanks to a press conference committed to ignoring the hard questions. The topics ranged from the types of snacks that Danica will have in her car to general diet inquiries. Patrick responded by explaining that her diet is "healthy all the time" and that she will have a special drink mix in the car for the race. Danica Patrick admitted that her trainer will provide input in her snack preparations.

Contributing to the Problem?

Danica, who is just slightly over 5 feet tall, has had her weight in the spotlight since her time in IndyCar. Since she weighs 100 pounds, drivers initially accused of her having an unfair advantage due to low body weight. Modifications in the rule books to total car mass have made sure that this type of advantage is not possible, but her weight is still in the headlines.

While other drivers faced questions about their season and the upcoming race on May 27, Patrick's press conference was absorbed in dissecting her snack choices. Can Danica be blamed? She has brought up the topic of her diet frequently, and her new sponsorship with Coke Zero is contributing to the problem. She has even posted pictures of a minuscule cheese platter on her Twitter account. However, the media's bias was still visible as male drivers were never asked about their diets.

The Danica Patrick Fit Fuel Concession Stand

The Charlotte Motor Speedway seems to be benefitting from the hype surrounding Danica Patrick's diet. The track has added a concession stand that provides healthier options. The Danica Patrick Fit Fuel concession stand provides veggie burgers, fresh fruit and sliced vegetables. It is an interesting contrast to some of the other items offered at the Charlotte Motor Speedway that include deep-fried cupcakes and fried cheese sticks.

More from this contributor:

Matt Kenseth Has a New Sponsor: NASCAR Fan Reaction

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The Obsession with Danica Patrick’s Diet: NASCAR Fan View

May 21, 2012 1:48pm

(Image credit: ABC News)

Celebrity chef Paula Deen has revamped her diet and lost 30 pounds, she told the co-hosts of The View today.

Todays episode, which took a look at increasing American obesity rates, was titled The Fat Show. Co-host Joy Behar quipped to Deen and youre the guest of honor.

Deen has come under fire in recent weeks for waiting to announce her diabetes diagnosis and signing a pharmaceutical promo deal with Novo Nordisk.

The co-hosts gave Deen the opportunity to defend herself against critics of the buttery recipes she has become known for.

Studies have shown, Barbara, that theres not one food that causes diabetes. What causes Type II diabetes is being overweightIve just come to grips, over the past four or five months, with my diabetes.

This is not something I chose, she said. Im the only one in my family, and my family we all eat the same way.

RECIPES: Paula Deens Most Outrageous Recipes

However, Deen does acknowledge that she received warnings from her doctors in the past.

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Paula Deen Reveals How Much She's Lost on New Diet

If youve been trying to diet, but the scale just doesnt seem to be showing you the magic number you want to see, it may be time to shed all your illusions about what kinds of foods are really diet friendly and learn which choices can support rather than sabotage your weight loss goals.

Hold the Cheese Please: Bring on the pickles and lettuce but hold the cheese! When dieting, cheese isnt your friend unless you have a small portion of cottage cheese, a low-fat slice/stick or a little bit of sprinkle-on parmesan.

Complimentary Condiments: Mustard, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, horseradish, fat-free dressings with minimal grams of sugar, sugar-free jam and jellies and cinnamon are diet friendly. But beware! Calories and sugar grams from regular salad dressings, croutons, mayo and ketchup are a catch- 22 for dieters!

Dont Go Bananas! Fruit is good for you! But you can have too much of a good thing. If youre really serious about losing weight, the best diet friendly and lower-glycemic level fresh fruits include strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, green apples and pears.

Are You Nuts? Maybe, if you think all nuts are taboo for dieters. A well-balanced nutrition plan should include good for you monounsaturated fats in moderation from optimal sources such as almonds and walnuts or raw nut butters, avocados, wild salmon, egg yolks; flaxseed or olive oil

Sugars Not So Sweet: Virtually everywhere you look on nutrition labels, you can find unexpected grams of sugar so unfriendly, they could even be classified as a dieters worst enemy! Beware of fruit flavored yogurts, yogurt-covered raisins, certain energy and protein bars, granola, many cereals, flavored oatmeal theres even sugar in skim milk and Vitamin Water has as much as eight grams of sugar per serving.

White Out of Sight: Eliminating anything white will help you diet right! Instead of white rice, choose brown rice or quinoa; instead of white breads, choose low-carb Ezekiel breads (available at Whole Foods Market); and instead of white potatoes, choose lowglycemic sweet potatoes.

Eat Your Veggies: While dieting, avoid starchy or high-glycemic level vegetables like corn, carrots and butternut squash. Stick to green choices instead like spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, bok choy and asparagus.

Be Egg-ceptionally Creative: Eggwhites, especially the kind that come in convenient, pourable cartons, are eggs-traordinarily diet friendly and eggs-tremely versatile! You can find many recipes for making healthy eggwhite meals and snacks on-lineA favorite is Protein Pancakes prepared with eggwhites, oatmeal and a scoop of protein powder.

Indulge Without the Bulge: To survive snack attacks, diet friendly, sweet treats to keep on hand include sugar-free MHP Power Pak Pudding with 30 g protein (available at GNC); sugar-free Jello; Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets Diet Hot Chocolate; Hersheys sugar-free chocolate syrup (great for strawberry dipping); Skinny Cow ice creams; and Balance Nimble peanut butter bars made with Truvia (available by the box on-line).

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‘Diet Friendly’ Food

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