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Feb 27

Sports Scientist explains to SportsJOE just why Conor McGregor is so reluctant to cut to 145lbs – SportsJOE.ie

When a fighter almost dies from a weight cut you have to start taking the issue seriously.

Fighters have been going to extremes for many years to make weight for a fight - you only have to look at UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor at the UFC 194weigh-in to see the visually shocking toll it can take on a man's body.

But the practice of cutting weight and extreme dehydration 24 hours before a fight almost cost Bellator's Dada 5000 his life.

The heavyweight reportedly cut 40lbs in the weeks before his headline fight with fellow former street fighter Kimbo Slice to make the 265lbs heavyweight limit.

But Dada, real name Dhafir Harris, collapsed midway through the third round and reports stated his heart stopped on the way to hospital before he underwent life-saving treatment for kidney failure.

It's a dangerous game fighters are playing, but one man looking at the science of MMA weight-cutting is sports scientistBen Crighton.

He is about to launch a study into British amateur and professional MMA fighters at Liverpool John Moores University.

SportsJOE spoke to Crighton about an issue which could come to define the sport of MMA.

Ben Crighton: As long as he does it the right way, then yes. I'm sure he's got the right guys on board. As long as your time frame is big enough, it's possible to start gradually cutting that weight.

For example, he's walking around at round 168lbs now - if he had four weeks to get down then it's not going to be doable. Or it's not going to be doable safely, because you're going to have to starve yourself, your energy intake is going to be super low and then on top of that you've got to do a massive water cut.

The UFC 200 card is July 9. If he did fight at featherweight he's got more than three months.

Any time you're losing muscle mass, you're probably going to lose some punching force. But I think that will be in relation to bodyweight. So relatively speaking his punching power may still be as heavy as it was.

It all comes down to how sensible you are with the weight cut. This is the interesting thing - depending on your body type, depends on how easy it is for you to cut weight.

You look at Gleison Tibau. He fought Terry Etim at 155lbs but he was something ridiculous like 192lbs on fight night. He could have potentially fought at middleweight - it's frightening to think he was fighting a guy at 155lbs.

But if you look at him, he's heavily muscular and the more muscle you carry, then the more water your body can carry. Some guys have got the body type and shape to be able to cut more water.

It's like physique athletes. You can diet down to a low body fat percentage and you will lose muscle as a result of it. McGregor has packed a lot of muscle on because of the training he's been doing and because of the extra calories.

He will be able to lose that weight over a prolonged period of time. But the longer the time period you have to lose that weight, the safer it's going to be.

However, regardless of whether you've got 20 weeks or you've got eight weeks, it's not going to be fun because any time you want to shed body fat you're going to lose a bit of lean tissue and your body doesn't necessarily know you're doing this for a sport - so you're going to get hungry all the time, you're going to be irritable because you're not getting enough energy.

Long term if he wants to go between featherweight and lightweight and maybe welterweight, then those cycles with him fighting three or four times a year at different weights isnt necessarily going to be good for his long term health.

If he's going to be doing big water cuts several times a year and going up and down in weight, the chances are he may have issues with his kidneys either short term or long term.

That seems to be one of the major problems we're finding now with the guys that do the big water cuts. Especially if they're doing water loading on top of other methods like hot baths or saunas. Your body wasn't designed to be dehydrated so drastically and then rehydrated to fight the next day.

I would say the dehydration is even more extreme in MMA than in bodybuilding. Because in bodybuilding you want to be 'dry', as they say, so you look as ripped as possible - but you also need to have fullness in the muscle so you've got to have enough water to hold onto the glycogen and carbohydrate stores in the muscle, so you look 'full' on stage.

Whereas the MMA guys are dry as a bone. McGregor against Mendes - look at how bad McGregor looked. He looked like a concentration camp victim or something, that was how dehydrated he was.

If you go to any weigh-in events around the UK there are guys hobbling onto the stage because they can barely walk because they're that dehydrated.

We've seen deaths in the sport in the past few years because of dehydration. Okay, it's linked to diuretics and other extreme methods. But fighters want to gain an advantage over their opponents. There was a death of a judoka in 1995 and three deaths in college wrestling in 1997 and as a result the NCAA brought in new regulations about weight making in college wrestling.

But what we find with MMA are that these methods that were banned in wrestling are trickling down into MMA. If you can suck that weight and then be bigger than your opponent on fight night, then it enables you to be heavier and dominate your opponent.

Most guys will diet down over a number of weeks on the fight camp, then the final week before fight night they will drop their carbohydrate intake right down. It's fine to do that because carbohydrates aren't essential to the body, as long as you get enough protein and sufficient fats it's not a problem.

They will cut their carbohydrate content so that means they will lose the glycogen stored in their muscles. Along with that you lose the water that's attached to glycogen.

There's roughly 3g-4g of water per 1g of glycogen. So you will lose a few kilograms in that final week just from restricting carbohydrate intake. On top of that guys tend to 'water load'. This is similar to bodybuilding.

You will drink a set amount of water - like two to three gallons of water for a few days and then you cut your water intake right down for a day or so. If you weigh in on Friday then those guys will cut their water intake out completely about midday the day before weigh-ins.

They go 24 hours without drinking. As well as loading up with water they drastically reduce their sodium intake. Salt is taken out of everything, because sodium makes you hold onto water. It's this manipulation of water intake and removal of salt which makes your body enter a 'flushing mode'.

This is whereby you've got such a large intake of waterfollowed by a cessation of water intake, your body still continues to produce urine even when you've stopped drinking water.

There's no definitive research to say this is the best way or whether it actually works, but fighters say it works and guys lose weight doing it. But until something better comes along, it will continue to be a go-to method.

Any more weight loss comes from getting in a sauna wearing a sweat suit, hot baths is another one.

What we have seen with the deaths in MMA is that one guy collapsed and died in the sauna. He had a stroke, which was linked to diuretics as well.

The guy that died in the sauna took a fight on short notice - maybe 21 days. He ended up losing a ridiculous amount of weight - like 33lbs - in the time frame he had.

Both deaths were in the flyweight division, which is 125lbs. It worked out at something ridiculous like over 20% of his bodyweight he tried to lose. Any time you're getting above 2-3% it might have an effect on performance. But when you're getting above 10-15% you've got a potential for a cardiac arrest and for you body just to shut down.

Not only are you losing so much water, but if you're reducing sodium and messing around with your electrolytes, your electrolytes are responsible for muscle contraction and making sure everything, including your heart, keeps going.

If you're playing around with this and pushing the boundaries,your body isn't designed to take this stress.

If guys are doing massive amounts of dehydration there's a chance that they're not going to be able to ensure the fluid volume around their brain is back when rehydrating.

If they're not completely rehydrated and haven't got all this fluid around their brain back then any strikes to the head are going to be more devastating because they haven't got that cushioning there.

Any impact on a dehydrated brain, the chances of sustaining some kind of brain trauma are a lot higher.

There's also a chance later in life of getting CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) which they're finding more and more in NFL players, which is a deterioration of the brain because of the amount of trauma.

You look at guys like Diego Sanchez. He's one of my favourite fighters and a legend in the sport. But the amount of punishment he takes. He's one of these guys that bites down on his gum shield and wades forward and is willing to take it. There will be a pay off later in life.

He cut down to 145lbs recently. The figure was something like 22lbs he put back on the next day - the majority of that is water. If you don't do that correctly or rehydrate properly then any impact you take on the brain is going to be intensified.

We have to protect young fighters coming through in the sport. You see young kids having to cut weight just to compete in amateur competitions. It's crazy.

The first part is getting as many guys as possible to interview. Asking them questions about the sport, how they got involved, problems they may have had with healthcare professionals and other things. All this information will be anonymised. We want amateur level guys, coaches, judges and doctors.

The next phase is to get the guys into the lab and just follow them on their normal weight cuts without intervening in any way.

Blood samples are just measured for liver and kidney functions - were not looking for PEDs at all. We're just concerned with some markers of health and some markers of vitamin profile to get an idea of how healthy these guys are.

We want to find out what effect the weight cut has on their body. We want to see what happens on the human body because there's not much research out there.

Fighters wanting to get involved in the study will benefit. Not many guys have access to a DEXA Scanner - it gives us a picture of people's muscle mass, bone density and fat mass. So if you're a fighter coming in throughout your camp you're going to have some real accurate scientific data to take back to your coaches, nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches, if you've got them, and see how you're losing the weight and if you're losing the right type of tissue.

We do an RMR test to measure your metabolism too, because again we're interested to see how the energy deficits and weight cuts effect a guy's metabolism.

Check out Episode 4 of The Hard Yards rugby podcast as Donncha O'Callaghan, Mike McCarthy, Johnny O'Connor and Pat McCarry chat to Andy McGeady.

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Sports Scientist explains to SportsJOE just why Conor McGregor is so reluctant to cut to 145lbs - SportsJOE.ie


Feb 27

Kiwi Physiotherapy Ltd – Consett Magazine (blog)

Its hard to believe, but we are celebrating 20 years in business this year. How time flies!!

My ambitions in 1996 were simple, to work for myself & provide the highest possible quality of care to my patients, with no waiting list. I had no interest in growing a huge company with dozens of employees and shareholders to answer to.

20 years later, nothing much has changed! We are a little bigger out of necessity; after all one person can only do so much. We are now a team of three, with 83 years of experience between us. We work out of 2 locations, our main clinic in Lanchester and a satellite clinic in Rickleton, Washington.

We specialise in the assessment treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal problems. These include, back & neck pain, shoulder, knee & elbow problems, strains, sprains, sports injuries, fibromyalgia & headache. Our treatments combine (as appropriate) manual therapy, massage and acupuncture for pain relief, exercise, injection therapy, and of course advice & education.

Unfortunately, from a musculoskeletal perspective at least, modern life is bad for us! Most of us sit far too much, dont exercise enough, or occasionally too much. Either way aches & pains are a common side effect. Isnt it strange how we are only too happy to give our cars a regular service to help stave off problems, but when it comes to our bodies we tend to wait until the wheels have fallen off! A regular maintenance session every few months can help prevent problems.

Indeed, why wait until you have an issue at all? Injury prevention is very much the way forward. We are all being encouraged to be more active, lose weight and improve our levels of fitness. But how do you go about it without injuring yourself? We can advise on which types of activities might suit you best, given your current level of fitness, weight & personal goals.

Our population is aging. Chronic degenerative conditions which cannot necessarily be cured are therefore also on the rise & need to be managed. We can help with advice on does & donts, tailored exercise programmes & hands on therapies or acupuncture for pain relief, as appropriate.

Another consequence of an aging population is falls in the elderly. 30% of over 65 year olds & 50% of over 80 year olds fall at least once a year (NICE, 2013). Falls & even the fear of falls causes a huge amount of anxiety, loss of self confidence, loss of independence & reduced quality of life. Muscle weakness & impaired balance are risk factors underlying many falls. We offer a tailored falls prevention programme.

I know not everyone is a fan of needles, but seriously, if you have a flare of arthritis in your knee, thumb or shoulder a small volume of corticosteroid can start to settle stubborn inflammation within 48 hours. In arthritic joints relief can last for months & injections may be repeated safely every 6 months in most cases, if required. As an alternative we can use drug free Ostenil Plus.

In August 2015 we started opening 7 days a week to give our patients more choice. This has proven very popular with those working away from home during the week, shift workers & those whose lives are slightly less chaotic on a weekend!

Check out our website at http://www.kiwiphysiotherapy.co.uk for more details of the services we provide & our current prices. Remember we offer morning, afternoon, evening & weekend appointments.

Dont suffer in silence! Go on, pick up the phonewe are here to help you 7 days a week.

Call us on 01207 528 332

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Kiwi Physiotherapy Ltd - Consett Magazine (blog)


Feb 24

CKNW Health Series: Why are ‘fad diets’ so persistent? – iNews880.com

Atkins, Gluten-Free, The South Beach, The Zone, Paleo.

Do these sound familiar?

Its just a short list of fad diets youve probably heard at least someone talking about.

But what is it that about these food fads that keeps them coming back?

Registered dietician Lori Smart with Health BC says the reason why fad diets keep popping up is because people are always looking for a new way to better themselves.

A lot of the popularity around fad diets come from ones own personal beliefs that this is a diet that would be healthy for them, or this is a diet that would help them lose weight, she says.

Smart adds they seem to crop up more often this time of year, when people coming out of the winter are looking to make lifestyle changes or lose weight and are looking for a way to do it.

She says a big contributor is the internet.

With so much information on the web it can be very, very hard to figure out whats true, whats not true or whats beneficial, whats potentially harmful.

Smart says its important to remember that some of these diets are meant for people with clinical conditions, for example people with celiac disease must eat a gluten-free diet, or people suffering from cardiovascular disease might take special care about what they eat.

It may be turned into a fad diet because others believe its beneficial, but they could really have a benefit for that person with the food condition.

She says if youre interested in trying a new diet you read about online, or have heard from a friend has tried it, its still best to speak to a healthcare provider, physician, dietician, or by calling 8-1-1 the nurses line. She recommends asking questions such as:

And she says its important to have an honest conversation about it.

Certain diets are okay as long as youre aware of the things, or the nutrients that you might be missing out on if you follow that diet. Now some are just not healthy in general, but thats why its always good to talk to a health care provider, especially a dietitian who has been trained in this area to help you navigate that information and then to point you to some resources that if you choose to continue follow that diet, you can do so safely.

Smart adds this is important because its also a good way to prevent yourself from falling off your new routine.

Its usually that people start off really strong and then they end up falling back on old eating patterns, she says.

Id say some [diets] are easy to follow, most are not easy to follow because a lot of them end up eliminating a food group or they become overly restrictive or they require a lot of extra work and preparation, which is why we always recommend that when youre thinking about going on, or adopting a different way of eating, you look at something that would be more sustainable long term.

Smart says if you plan on giving up something you love like bread, maybe try phasing it out so you dont end up breaking down and give up entirely

Smart says that means if, say, youre trying to cut out carbohydrates that you do it in steps, set yourself small goals, and work out a pattern that you can stick to.

As for the future of fad diets? She says it doesnt look like they are going anywhere.

The food industry, the nutrition industry, all of these things keep coming up, so theres all these new and better ways of doing things, she says, but adds that is constantly being mixed with opinions and peoples personal beliefs.

What I would hope is that theres more information available so that consumers and individuals can make informed choices about what they want to do with their own diet and lifestyle and then seek out advice and help from a health care professional.

But Registered Holistic Nutritionist Bridgette Clare raises caution, warning theres a never ending supply of new fad diets, not all of them created equal.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They promise weight loss in seven days, or thirty days, or its the new miracle, that sort of thing thats simply isnt the truth, she says.

Clare says rather than focusing on excluding things, we should be looking at ways to include healthy, whole foods into our diets

Clare says the key is a well-balanced diet that isnt restrictive to the point of being uncomfortable.

The reason being is that even if you were to stick with it for say thirty days or sixty days especially if youre cutting out entire food groups, its not sustainable, its not teaching you positive eating habits or teaching you about new and exciting foods, its far too restrictive to keep going long term.

Clare says she hopes to see a transition from restrictive fad diets to more people adopting more balanced diets built around whole foods.

It almost feels like it needs to be crazy for people to buy into it. Like it needs to be something way more complicated than just eating a balanced, varied diet with a focus on more plants and more veggies.

Clare says thats tough with the competition between fad diets, each trying to distinguish itself from the others with some special feature.

She recommends the Whole 30 diet, which she says could be seen as a fad diet but boils down to fit with her core principles.

[It] has such a great back bone, really just focusing on eating more whole foods. It does require some restrictions; eliminating dairy I believe and sugar and that sort of thing, so it might not be sustainable in the long term but of all the diets Ive seen, its the one that has the most holistic sustainable view to it.

Clare says if youre looking for a magic pill or magic diet, youre out of luck.

But she says if you do plan on trying a fad diet, do your reading, see if it really will help your body, and make sure you are still getting balance in what you eat.

Tune into your body and if it doesnt work for your body dont do it.

With fad diets having a start date, it can either set you up for a success or you will inevitably revert back to old habits.

Clare saysits often best just to create lifestyle changes by making one small difference at a time and build on positive eating habits, rather than straining your mental well-being by focusing on an end date.

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CKNW Health Series: Why are 'fad diets' so persistent? - iNews880.com


Feb 23

Man loses 50 pounds by playing a VR game – The Daily Dot

Virtual reality gives you the chance to experience new worlds, play the most immersive gaming experience available to modern consumers, and even get some indoor exercisesome pretty darn effective exercise, it turns out. One HTC Vive owner has managed to lose more than 50 pounds over the past five months by regularly playing a game on his VR headset.

In an interview with UploadVR, Job Stauffer explained how he lost 50 pounds playing the VR game Soundboxing. Soundboxingis a game that lets you select a video via YouTube that plays on your VR headset's screen. The game then projects objects that fly at you to the beat of the music. The aim of the game is to punch each of those objects while you hold a pair of controllers in your hands.

"When I first started out I spent like 20 minutes in the headset," Stauffer said. "Twenty then became 25 and 25 became 45 and 45 became an hour and sometimes an hour would become 90 minutes." He eventually bought a set of one pound weighted gloves, which "may not sound like much," but made his workout sessions even harder by forcing him to engage his upper body more. And as of last week, that's translated into some serious weight loss.

Stauffer began his journey after hitting more than 300 pounds on the scale. He was experiencing regular headaches and other health ailments, and his doctor essentially gave him an ultimatum: You need to start losing weight, or you could die. Unable to start jogging outside due the extra weight (and the serious impact it would have on his joints), and unmotivated by the idea of hitting the gym, Stauffer, who works in the video game industry, decided to give some VR-based workout games a try. Soundboxing ended up being a natural fit.

Now that he's lost this initial weight, he can safely head to the gym and add more traditional workouts such as weight lifting and rowing to the mix, too.

Despite sounding rather sweaty, Stauffer's experience is inspiring others to give VR-based exercise a try using Soundboxing and other games. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new home fitness revolution. Is there a Jane Fonda VR app out there?

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Man loses 50 pounds by playing a VR game - The Daily Dot


Feb 23

Diet Doc Reminds Consumers that the hCG Diet is not a Viable Weight Loss Strategy – Marketwired (press release)

WESTON, WV--(Marketwired - February 23, 2017) - The physicians and researchers at Diet Doc medical weight loss are urging consumers to choose wisely when it comes to weight loss strategies this year. Certain diets are gaining popularity due to an enormous internet presence, which leaves little room for proven, researched based weight loss strategies. This can lead many individuals to make unsafe dietary choices simply because a fad has allegedly produced satisfactory results for other dieters. The hGG diet is a prime example of this. Produced during pregnancy, the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (hCG) is purported to stimulate weight loss in conjunction with a calorie restrictive diet plan (only 500 calories per day are to be consumed). Supporters claim that HCG injections, drops or tablets target and eliminate long-stored fat reserves within the body. Over the past few years, the marketing and promotion of the hCG diet for weight loss have grown astronomically on the internet and the vast majority of the information on hCG and its corresponding products offered online are designed to confuse and make profit from an unknowing public. The truth, is that the medical industry has never supported the hCG diet. In fact, since its emergence in the 1950s, it still has yet to be deemed effective, or safe by any reputable medical organization.

Consuming a mere 500 calories per day can lead to health problems and since hCG isn't FDA regulated, most online retailers are selling products that contain little to no hCG. Therefore, any quick weight loss that occurs from the hCG diet is due to starvation dieting. There are claims that hCG is a permanent cure for obesity and that patients who on the hCG diet are losing two pounds of fat per day. However, any legitimate weight loss expert knows that starvation dieting is dangerous and can cause more harm than good. Rapid muscle loss, excessive bloating, binge eating, weight rebounds, poor nutrition and low-energy are just a few of the potentially negative side effects of such diets. Lastly, many existing websites claim that hCG permanently resets the metabolism. But experts suggest that any method one utilizes to lose weight, whether it be diet, exercise or gastric bypass surgery, once the weight is off long-term, a consistent weight maintenance regimen must be implemented to keep the weight and health in check.

Diet Doc wants consumers to know that there are in fact, many other safer dieting strategies for weight loss which are more effective than the severely restricted diet. The best options will be those which offer nutritional support and doctor supervision throughout the process. Dr. Rao, Medical Director of Diet Doc states that, "Weight loss goals can be met by the development of specific nutrition plans, dietary supplements and guidance to ensure that body composition changes are optimal for each individual." Diet Doc also offers their clients unlimited access to nutritional coaches and weight loss experts by phone, which means no traveling to weight loss centers for weigh-ins and prescription pickups. Dedicated patients can follow Diet Doc's guidance and start safely losing up to 20 pounds per month.

New patients can get started immediately, with materials shipped directly to their home or office. They can also maintain weight loss in the long-term through weekly consultations, customized diet plans, motivational coaches and a powerful prescription program. With Diet Doc, the doctor is only a short phone call away and a fully dedicated team of qualified professionals is available six days per week to answer questions, address concerns and support patients.

Getting started with Diet Doc is very simple and affordable. New patients can easily visit https://www.dietdoc.com to quickly complete a health questionnaire and schedule an immediate, free online consultation.

About the Company:

Diet Doc Weight Loss is the nation's leader in medical, weight loss offering a full line of prescription medication, doctor, nurse and nutritional coaching support. For over a decade, Diet Doc has produced a sophisticated, doctor designed weight loss program that addresses each individual specific health need to promote fast, safe and long term weight loss.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DietDocMedical

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DietDocMedicalWeightLoss/

LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/diet-doc-weight-loss?trk=biz-brand-tree-co-logo

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Diet Doc Reminds Consumers that the hCG Diet is not a Viable Weight Loss Strategy - Marketwired (press release)


Feb 23

Diet Doc Provides Customized And Healthy Weight Loss Alternatives To Starvation-Based hCG Diet – Digital Journal

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - February 22, 2017) - When it comes to weight loss, some of the most important factors include genetics, general health, daily behavior and physical activities. Based on research, dieting is the most important component that affects weight gain or weight loss. By improving eating behavior, for instance, one can dramatically affect their weight. This is why emotional eating, binge eating and other common dietary abnormalities can have long-term effects of body weight. Effective weight loss generally involves losing more calories than you gain. Because one pound of weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories, one needs to reduce caloric intake by 500-1000 calories per day in order to lose 1-2 pounds per week. However, this type of extreme dieting is often starvation-based and therefore risky.

The starvation approach to dieting is nothing new. For example, the original hCG diet from the 1950s, also called the Simeons method, was practically a starvation diet that limited daily consumption to 500 calories. It led to many harmful side effects ranging from weakness to muscle loss. According to the Obesity Medicine Association, the hCG-based Simeons method and diet for weight loss is unsafe and not recommended.

There are healthy alternatives to dieting, however, and doctor-supervised dieting is always the safest approach. hCG can be applied more safely with a flexible diet program that necessitates between 800 to 1250 calories daily without reducing the rate of rapid weight loss. The Simeons method for hCG dieting is not only outdated but also unnecessary and unrecommended. High-calorie programs offering safe weight loss are the ideal option for patients considering the hCG diet treatment. Doctor-supervision and diet customization based on nutritional needs is highly recommended.

At Diet Doc, patients can get a thorough understanding of the weight loss needs and develop an individualized diet based on their nutritional needs or even their genetics. All Diet Doc programs, provide a doctor-supervised, customized diet plan.Instead of encouraging patients to adopt harmful dietary practices with no prior medical knowledge, Diet Doc consults with patients to provide a detailed weight loss plan based on their nutritional needs and medical history. Losing weight with Diet Doc is safe, simple and affordable. Nutrition plans, exercise guidance, motivational support, and dietary supplements are all part of the package. More than 90% of Diet Doc patients lose 20 or more pounds every month.

Patients can get started immediately, with materials shipped directly to their home or office. They can also maintain weight loss in the long-term through weekly consultations, customized diet plans, motivational coaches and a powerful prescription program. With Diet Doc, the doctor is only a short phone call away and a fully dedicated team of qualified professionals is available 6 days per week to answer questions, address concerns and support patients.

Getting started with Diet Doc is very simple and affordable. New patients can easily visit https://www.dietdoc.com to quickly complete a health questionnaire and schedule an immediate, free online consultation.

About the Company:

Diet Doc Weight Loss is the nation's leader in medical, weight loss offering a full line of prescription medication, doctor, nurse and nutritional coaching support. For over a decade, Diet Doc has produced a sophisticated, doctor designed weight loss program that addresses each individual specific health need to promote fast, safe and long term weight loss.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DietDocMedical

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DietDocMedicalWeightLoss/

LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/diet-doc-weight-loss?trk=biz-brand-tree-co-logo

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Diet Doc Provides Customized And Healthy Weight Loss Alternatives To Starvation-Based hCG Diet - Digital Journal


Feb 21

Low impact exercises to get fit safely – Bel Marra Health

Home General Health Low impact exercises to get fit safely

Were told constantly how important exercise and keeping in shape is to our health, but not everyone is capable of performing the same fitness routines due to health conditions affecting their joints and mobility. If you find yourself limited to less intense workouts, continue reading to discover a list of low-impact exercises that can help keep you fit without causing injury.

Swimming: Water exercises are a fantastic way to keep fit without putting too much strain on your joints and muscles. The buoyancy of the water helps relieve any stress on joints and ligaments, while the water keeps you from overheating and provides light resistance to work your muscles.

Cycling: Riding a bike is a great cardio workout that is easy on your cartilage and ligaments in a way that running may not be. Cycling also has a social aspect, as you can join a club that organizes rides of varying intensity to suit your personal fitness level.

Tai chi: Traditional tai chi is slow and meditative and can help to get your body moving while relieving stress. Recently, a cardio intesive type of tai chi was created by Dr. Chi-Hsiu D. Weng that combines low-impact movements with a faster tempo to get your blood flowing while remaining joint-friendly.

Water aerobics: Like swimming, water aerobics can keep you in shape while reducing the stress on your joints due to the increased buoyancy provided by the water. The increased density of the water adds resistance that is not present when working out outside of the pool as well, which can help you get an even better workout.

While a CrossFit class or boot camp may not be in the cards for you, there are plenty of other low-impact ways to keep fit and prevent injuries. Swimming, cycling, tai chi, water aerobics, and dancing are just five activities that can get your heart pumping while remaining easy on your joints and ligaments. Many of these exercises also have a social aspect, so why not get together with some friends and start your new workout today?

Related: Exercises and tips to improve posture and alleviate back pain

Related Reading:

The Healthy Truth: My favorite exercises for a full-body workout

Shoulder arthritis exercises: Stretching, rehab, and aerobics

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Low impact exercises to get fit safely - Bel Marra Health


Feb 20

Salud America!: On SA’s Need for Safe, Accessible Recreation Spaces – Rivard Report

Commentary By Amanda Merck, MPH | February 19, 2017

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone / Rivard Report

Runners charge up one of the many uphills along the Mission Reach trail.

Updated 19 hours ago

For San Antonio tobe at itshealthiest, its residentsneed and deserve safe places to move more and sit less.

However, there is inequity in the citysplaces designated for walking, biking, playing, and being active. City officials mustlook beyond maps of facility locations to the context of real people trying to make healthy life choices.

For example, a map of the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System shows an emerald necklace going around and through San Antonio. Yet, these trails are only open from sunrise to sunset, which means they are open less than 12 hours per day for six months out of the year.

Many working families striving tobe more active and less sedentaryare unable to access the trails within this limited window. Southside residents, in particular, face additional barriers because the southern-most access point of the Mission Trail off Villamain Road is only open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Thats why I asked the San Antonio mayoral candidates about their plans to solve this inequity at the recent town hall forum hosted by the Rivard Report at the Pearl Stable.

What are you going to do to transform our incredible trail system from a recreational facility to a health and transportation facility that is safe and accessible for everyone? I asked Mayor Ivy Taylor, District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg, and Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina.

Listen to their full responses to the questions here.

Heres a quick snapshot of their responses:

I dont know about the hours that it should be open or not, because certainly we also want to make sure that anyone thats out there is safe, Taylor said.

It needs to [be] more than just a system that connects one park to another, Nirenberg said.

We need to make it easier for people to get to them, Medina said.

None of the candidates mentioned expanding hours, lighting, or patrolling trails, but we cannot ignore the great need for access to safe, active places.

Why? Heres a quick biology lesson (from someone who is not a biologist):

Our cardiovascular system is our lifeline for delivering oxygen, vitamins, minerals, proteins, hormones, and other chemicals to our organs, muscles, bones, and all other tissues. It also is our lifeline for getting rid of carbon dioxide and other waste. Our veins and arteries are constantly squeezing and releasing vasoconstriction and vasodilation to pump our nutrient- or waste-filled blood. Like any muscle atrophies without use, our blood vessels lose function and become less effective without physical activity. However, the exact mechanism through which this occurs is complex and not fully understood.

Basically, sitting increases inflammation, which damages the inner walls of your vessels (endothelium). Moderately intense physical activity, however, preserves the inner walls of these vessels and prevents plaque buildup and hardening.

These benefits are separate from the numerous other benefits obtained from variousother chemical, molecular, and biological processes that occur when you are physically active, such as reduced risk for diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression, osteoporosis, and manytypes of cancer.

The good news is that walking works regardless of weight status or diet, and you can walk or be active in short bursts throughout your day without having to depart from your normal daily routine.

If you have access to safe places, that is.

Educating people about the trails is moot when they are closed for half the day. Similarly, considering the trails as a resource for connectivity isnt painting a complete picture because they are only open part-time, which is counterproductive to the essences of connectivity.

Arecent SA2020 report identified four indicators in San Antonio that have stopped progressing or are going in the wrong direction: public transportation, obesity, air quality, and walkability. According to the report there is a need to continue to make both behavioral and systemic changes in our policies and infrastructure in order to make lasting change.

I hope our city leaders consider making lasting infrastructure changes.

In the case of our greenway trail system, the infrastructure is mostly in place, so its a matter of opening it to the public to use at whichever times accommodatetheir busy schedules.

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone / Rivard Report

Broadway Street was closed for Sclova so hundreds of bikers could safely ride the streets.

While there are incredible programs and events across the cityFitness in the Park, Sclova, Fit Pass, Fit Family Challenge, San Antonio Walks, Mobile Fit, Walk This Way, and many more permanent infrastructure like trails and sidewalks need to be safe and accessible year-round.

I also hope our leaders can distinguish the line between physical activity for health and for exercise or recreation, which are historically only accessible for the privileged and less available for residents living in underserved areas. Physical activity for health includes walking, biking, dancing, playing, skating, doing yoga, swimming, and many otheractivities.

People of color and low-income populations are disproportionately burdened by pedestrian injuries and deaths.

According to Salud America!s research review on active spaces and Latino kids, fewer Latinos (70%) than whites (82.5%) describe having neighborhoods with safe places for kids to walk and play.

Studies show that walkable neighborhoods provide many economic, safety, environmental, health, and social benefits; however, not all neighborhoods in San Antonio are created equal, with many low-income, predominantly Latino neighborhoods lacking safe, walkable infrastructure.

Inequity in access to safe places to walk, bike, and play can be seen on the South, West, and East sides of San Antonio. Lack of safe places to be active means people living in these areas face disparities in obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Some bright spots are occurring:In February 2017, State Rep.Celia Israel(D-Austin)proposed House Bill 1368 to lower the default speed limit in urban areas from 30 mph to 25 mph, as well as House Bill 1745 to allow cities to lower speed limits on certain highways withoutthe costly burdens mandated bycurrent legislation. Making it easier for cities to lower speed limits is critical because most crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists occur on arterial or collector roadways where default speeds are far greater than 30 mph.

District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales is leading the San Antonio Vision Zero initiative, with the goal to eliminate traffic fatalities, especially those of pedestrians.

According to SA2020, San Antonio continues to make progress on Complete Streets, but not at a rate great enough to meet the 2020 goal. When the City didnt meet Dignowity Hill residents standards for a street construction project, urban planners and residents got involved by requesting and successfully gaining more walkable streetscape elements.

Regardless, safe places to walk and be active are big part of public health and equity issues that need attention.

San Antonians would surely like to hearthat City leaders are working to improve equitable access to health facilities, includingexpanded hours, lighting, and safety. Research shows that scheduling park programs later in the evening keeps parks occupied bypeople engaging in beneficial activities, thusdeterring undesirable ones.

San Antonio has a new set of bond measureson the ballot in May.Its vital for community members to get involved and keep the focus on the real-life context in which these projects will be completed. Fifty-two plus miles of trails sounds great on paper and look awesome on a map, but if people cant walk their dogs on them before or after work, they representa missed opportunity.

Salud America! has a bank of resources and nationwide stories to help community members work with City leaders to increase access to safe places to walk and play, particularly in Latino communities.

Follow Salud America!on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest and register on our site. You can connect with local groups and organizations that are already working to make the healthy choice the easy choice, such asthe Active Living Council of San Antonio,a public-private partnership of policymakers, business leaders, school administrators, program providers, and community membersthatdeveloped the Active Living Plan for a Healthier San Antonio.Or you can learn from case studies of successful healthy change across the country.

Together, we canprioritize equitable access to safe, active places in San Antonio and beyond.

Amanda Merck is a content curator/research area specialist for Salud America! at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

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Salud America!: On SA's Need for Safe, Accessible Recreation Spaces - Rivard Report


Feb 20

How Can I Lose Weight Safely? – TeensHealth

Therefore, the best weight-management strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime. That's a long time, so we'll try to keep these suggestions as easy as possible!

Make it a family affair. Ask your mom or dad to lend help and support and to make dietary or lifestyle changes that will benefit the whole family, if possible. Teens who have the support of their families tend to have better results with their weight-management programs. But remember, you should all work together in a friendly and helpful way making weight loss into a competition is a recipe for disaster!

Watch your drinks. It's amazing how many extra calories can be lurking in the sodas, juices, and other drinks that you take in every day. Simply cutting out a can of soda or one sports drinkcan save you 150 calories or more each day. Drink water or other sugar-free drinks to quench your thirst and stay away from sugary juices and sodas. Switching from whole to nonfat or low-fat milk is also a good idea.

Start small. Small changes are a lot easier to stick with than drastic ones. Try reducing the size of the portions you eat and giving up regular soda. Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

Stop eating when you're full. Lots of people eat when they're bored, lonely, or stressed, or keep eating long after they're full out of habit. Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you're full. Slowing down can help because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize how much is in your stomach. Sometimes taking a break before going for seconds can keep you from eating another serving.

Avoid eating when you feel upset or bored try to find something else to do instead (a walk around the block or a trip to the gym are good alternatives). Many people find it's helpful to keep a diary of what they eat and when. Reviewing the diary later can help them identify the emotions they have when they overeat or whether they have unhealthy habits. Your doctor or nutritionist can give you pointers on how to do this.

Eat less more often. Many people find that eating a couple of small snacks throughout the day helps them to make healthy choices at meals. Stick a couple of healthy snacks (carrot sticks, whole-grain pretzels, or a piece of fruit) in your backpack so that you can have one or two snacks during the day. Adding healthy snacks to your three squares and eating smaller portions when you sit down to dinner can help you to cut calories without feeling deprived.

5 a day keep the pounds away. Ditch the junk food and dig out the fruits and veggies! Five servings of fruits and veggies aren't just a good idea to help you lose weight they'll help keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Other suggestions for eating well: replace white bread with whole wheat, trade your sugary sodas for water and low-fat milk, and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Having low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk with a piece of fruit is a much better idea than inhaling a donut as you run to the bus stop or eating no breakfast at all! A nutritionist can give you lots of other snack and menu ideas.

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How Can I Lose Weight Safely? - TeensHealth


Feb 18

Scientifically-designed fasting diet lowers risks for major diseases – Science Daily


Science Daily
Scientifically-designed fasting diet lowers risks for major diseases
Science Daily
It also shrank waistlines and resulted in weight loss, both in total body fat and trunk fat, but not in muscle mass. In effect, the diet reduced the study participants' risks for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other age-related diseases, according ...

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Scientifically-designed fasting diet lowers risks for major diseases - Science Daily



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