Category Archives: Food

Cutting Belly Fat: 6 Essential Tips For Treating Abdominal Obesity

Americans keep getting bigger around the middle, and it’s definitely cause for concern. Abdominal obesity, also called central obesity, belly fat, beer belly or pot belly, is one of the most dangerous forms of obesity. Associated health risks include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and asthma. Abdominal obesity is also a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome. While the obesity statistics have been high in America for years, a recent report in The Journal of the American Medical Association states that the problem is now as dire as it’s ever been. Get ready for this: over half the U.S. population now has abdominal obesity. To be exact, 54.2 percent of Americans suffer from the condition – up from 46.4 percent about a decade ago. This is in spite of the fact that overall obesity levels have generally leveled off. Also, the average American waist size went from 37.6 inches at the turn of the millennium to 3.8 in 2011-2012.

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Posted in Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Medical, Nutrition, Weight Loss | 10,145 Comments

Guess How Much Exercise it Takes to Counteract the Effects of Soda

The effects of soda have been widely reported. From the famous “what happens to your body when you drink a Coke” story to the proposed New York City ban on soft drinks larger than 16 ounces, it’s safe to say that most people are at least slightly aware that soda isn’t good for your health. And yet we drink it anyway. In fact, according to some sources, the average American drinks around 44 gallons of soda each year.

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Posted in Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Nutrition, Studies | 4,130 Comments

Low-Carb vs. Low-Fat Diets: Both Work for Weight Loss

There tons of different diet programs out there, and all of them promise weight loss results. In fact, a large section of our website is dedicated solely to determining which weight loss programs are the most effective. For the past few years, however, there’s been a very specific debate regarding low-carb vs. low-fat diets. Which diets achieve weight loss faster? Which ones make it easier to keep the weight off? Which ones involve eating more nutritious foods? It might now be time to put the debate to rest, as two new studies show that low-carb diets tend to help people lose slightly more weight over time. However, one of the studies in particular reenforces what is probably the best piece of dieting advice: many different diets can be effective, but only if you stick to them. Low-fat or low-carb will make no difference without commitment.

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Posted in Diet, Food, Health, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 1,458 Comments

Importance of Breakfast Questioned By Studies

We’ve been told by many sources for years that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day.” According to WebMD, people who skip breakfast tend to eat more during their next meal or consume high-calorie snacks throughout the day. Some studies suggest that people gain more body fat when eating fewer, larger meals instead of eating smaller meals more frequently. One study, conducted by Harvard only a year ago, suggests that eating breakfast can significantly lower the risk of coronary heart disease. In fact, male study participants were found to be 27 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or death caused by CHD if they skipped breakfast. Researchers stated that missing breakfast leads to “prolonged fasting,” which can raise blood pressure, insulin levels and cholesterol. Now, however, some new studies indicate that the importance of breakfast could be overstated.

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Posted in Diet, Food, Health, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 2,629 Comments

Researchers Deeply Divided Over Salt Consumption

The most recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine contains three separate studies regarding salt, and the findings range from predictable to downright controversial. The first study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, concluded that 1.65 million deaths across 66 countries in 2010 could be attributed to cardiovascular problems stemming from salt consumption of over 2.0 g per day. The second study examined sodium excretions in over 100,000 people from 18 countries. It concluded that the association between sodium consumption and high blood pressure was most pronounced in the elderly, people with hypertension, and those who consume more than 6.0 grams of salt per day. The third study, on the other hand, concluded that consuming too little salt could also lead to cardiovascular events. It is this study that’s causing an uproar.

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Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies | 5 Comments