Posts Tagged ‘lose weight’

Straight From the Headlines …Getting More Sleep Can Help You Lose Weight

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

According to an article on CNN Health a recent study suggests that lack of sleep could throw off a diet.

Research from the University of Chicago showed that dieters who slept for 8.5 hours lost 55 percent more body fat than dieters who slept 5.5 hours. How is this possible? According to the study not having enough sleep could affect a hormone called ghrelin, known to affect appetite and weight. An increase in this hormone level has been shown to make people hungrier and cause higher fat retention.

The study included 10 sedentary nonsmokers, between the ages of 35 to 49 years with a body mass index considered overweight to obese (BMI 25-32), who stayed in what’s considered a closed study environment for two weeks. They ate the same diet, consumed multivitamins and performed the same type of work or leisure activities. Six of them were assigned to 8.5 hours of sleep, and four slept 5.5 hours. Those who slept more lost more fat and maintained fat-free body mass.

The dieters who slept less also reported feeling hungrier throughout the course of the study.

Study authors wrote, “Together, these results suggest that the loss of sleep at times of limited food intake amplifies the pattern of ghrelin-associated changes in human hunger, glucose and fat utilization, and energy metabolism.”

Furthermore, according to About.com inadequate sleep amounts can affect you in a myriad of unhealthy ways:

• Lack of sleep interferes with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and causes high blood levels of glucose, which leads to higher insulin levels and greater body-fat storage.

• Drives down leptin levels, which causes the body to crave carbohydrates.

• Reduces levels of growth hormone–a protein that helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle.

• Can lead to insulin resistance and contribute to increased risk of diabetes.

• Can increase blood pressure.

• Can increase the risk of heart disease.

It may be worth your while health-wise to try to pack in as many zzz’s as possible.

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Quick Fitness Fixes: Easy Ways to Fit Fitness In

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Tired of feeling like the path to health and wellness is a long, drawn out path? Then start small! Use these quick five minute fixes to boost your health and to reach your goals one step at a time!

• Wear a pedometer to determine the distance you walk each day. Shoot for 10,000 steps per day. If you aren’t reaching that goal, add an extra mile to your routine or take the steps instead of the escalator whenever possible.

• Add jumping to your exercise routine – also known as plyometric moves – to build muscle and improve your bone density. Try jump squats or scissor lunges in your next routine.

• Spend the extra money to purchase good work out necessities – clothing, shoes, bras, supports, etc. Purchasing the better brands versus going the cheaper route will ensure that you use them and that they are the best for your workout.

• Edgeboston.com says to break up your workouts into 10 minute spurts. Daily recommendation is at least 30 minutes a day of moderately intense exercise, but it doesn’t have to all be done at once. Any sort of physical activity counts as exercise, and little bits of it throughout the day really add up.

• Don’t be a creature of habit. Switch up your routines, walking routes, gym machines and even what days you do specific workouts. Change is good when it comes to exercise and fitness.

• Consider the other ways that you can lose weight without really trying – clean the house and burn 200 calories or work in the garden and burn 272 calories.

• Even if you have to travel or spend all day in a car or on a plane, still try to fit in physical activity. Take advantage of bathroom breaks by stretching and doing some light exercise. Walk briskly through the airport in between flights if traveling by plane.

• Use downtime- Readersdigest.com suggests that anytime you’re cooling your heels during the day-waiting to meet a companion at the mall or staring at the download bar- look for opportunities to take a short walk, do toe raises or perform some other physical movement.

• Yoga has many healthy benefits for your body and your mind. Even if you are a novice, take a class and try something different.

• Work out with your significant other or a friend or family member. This allows you to be a spotting partner for one another or just spend some quality time together working out.

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Straight from the Headlines: Low Cholesterol can Ward off Prostate Cancer

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Low in cholesterolAccording to a recent report released by MSNBC.com new studies show that men may be able to lower their risk of acquiring the most aggressive form of prostate cancer if they keep their cholesterol levels in a healthy range.

The report states that men whose cholesterol was under 200 had less than half the risk of developing high-grade prostate tumors compared to men with high cholesterol. While having high cholesterol is typically a consequence of aging, young people are not in the clear either. Luckily there are preventive measures that anyone can do to help lower their cholesterol levels.

Here are four basic ways to maintain a healthy cholesterol level:

• Eat a healthy diet- According to MSNBC.com a healthy diet for lowering cholesterol should include cutting down on saturated fat and high-cholesterol foods. Make sure to include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains including soluble fiber. Avoid full-fat dairy products so stick to skim milk, lower fat cheese and trans-fat free spreads. And eat lean proteins such as fish, skinless chicken and lean meats and avoid marbled meats and bacon.

• Exercise- Losing weight can help lower cholesterol by increasing HDL (healthy cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol). Thirty minutes a day can have healthy benefits.

• Lose weight- Research has shown that losing just 20 pounds can reduce LDL cholesterol by 5 to 8 percent. By becoming more physically active you can help improve cholesterol as well as triglycerides, and blood pressure.

Some people will need to implement only one of these, while others will require a combination of these tips to help regulate their cholesterol.

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