Category Archives: Obesity Prevention

Cutting Sugar for Cancer Prevention

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Sugar in a teaspoon_DreamstimeIt’s easy to say “Sugar is bad for you,” but just how bad is it?

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) is reducing its sugar intake recommendations from 10 percent of your daily calorie intake to 5 percent. To put this in a more measurable way, consuming 5% daily would be about 25 grams of sugar intake. This recommendation refers to all sugar – manually added and naturally occurring.

So, what does this translate for you? Adults with a healthy weight (a normal body mass index or BMI) are recommended to have less than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day from added or natural sources, given that 1 teaspoon = 4 grams.

The WHO warned the public that much of the sugar consumed today is “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. This is alarming. Sure, you probably know a can of regular soda contains 40 grams of sugar, equivalent to 10 teaspoons. However, do you realize that a tablespoon of ketchup contains 1 teaspoon of sugar (4 grams)?

How about your frozen pizza? Or cereal, bread, soup, yogurt, and even mayonnaise? They all contain sugar. So it’s not just soft drinks, juice drinks, desserts, and other foods we think of as “sweet,” but many other common food items, especially processed ones.

Why is cutting sugar crucial to fighting cancer?

Candies in stop-sign -1025007-mEvery cell in our bodies needs sugar to promote a positive energy balance. Cancer cells are no exception, and they love sugar because it feeds them. Growing research evidence has shown how, though complicated mechanisms, increased blood sugar plays a significant role in cancer development.

Cancer hallmarks include accumulated mutations of DNA, increased proliferation, and the invasion and migration of cancerous cells. Higher blood sugar has both direct effects on cancer’s cellular events and indirect effects on rewiring cancer-related signaling pathways through other factors. This may also provide insight into the extensive findings that the diabetic population is at higher risk of site-specific cancers (e.g., breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancer).

One of several modifiable risk factors for cancer is poor diet, which is also a risk factor for obesity. What’s more, obesity is an independent risk factor for cancer and for many other common chronic diseases. There is a variety of ways to lower your sugar intake, including:

  •     Keep a healthy, nutritious diet.
  •     Eat a plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits.
  •     Avoid processed foods.
  •     Avoid artificial sweeteners.
  •     Drink water instead of sugar-loaded soft drinks.
  •     Read food labels attentively.

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For more strategies and tips, see our cancer prevention blog.

The bottom line:

Cutting back sugar will help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity-related health problems, and cancer.

 

Image credits: By www.dreamstime.com and nazreth

Seven Novel Strategies for Spring or Anytime Cleaning to Prevent Cancer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Spring flowers-fly-garden_PexelsFlowers are blooming and birds are singing as spring arrives after a long winter. Spring cleaning is a buzzword now. Some people are excited about cleaning for fresh and renewed homes; in contrast, others see spring cleaning as a daunting task and feel overwhelmed even just running down a long checklist. Either way is understandable.

Here is the point: spring cleaning doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all, and you can gain cancer prevention benefits out of different kinds of spring cleaning. You will know why after reading the novel yet actionable ideas and strategies I outline here.

1.     Manage spring cleaning with a workable goal.

It’s desirable all rooms and corners of your house spotless, but it’s not a must. So, setting a priority (e.g., the kitchen or bedroom) can be very workable, especially when time is not on your side. Furthermore, your goal is more achievable when you make spring cleaning a family function. A bonus is that working together as a family helps foster responsibility for kids. It’s of course important to do chemical-free cleaning (e.g., e-cloths, baking soda, and vinegar) if you can.

2.     Clean out junk foods to optimize your heart health and for cancer prevention.

Go to your refrigerator and your pantry and you will likely find foods or drinks containing some cancer-causing ingredients such as:

  • Trans fat: it increases your bad cholesterol (LDL) and at the same time lowers your good cholesterol (HDL). Therefore, it is not only a double whammy on your heart, but also a fireball for inflammatory diseases such as cancer.
  • Sweeteners: commonly used aspartame causes various illnesses from birth defects to cancer.
  • High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or refined sugar: cancer cells have sweet teeth!
  • Genetically-modified organisms (GMOs): both GMOs and the chemicals used to grow them have been shown to promote tumor growth.
  • Processed meats: they contain cancer-promoting agents like sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate.
  • Canned food containing BPA.

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3.     Clean mental clutter to lower stress and enhance immunity.

  • Get rid of stress.
  • Get rid of negative thoughts, worries, and self-doubts.
  • Take a yoga class, a bath, or a walk; treat yourself to a massage or go out for lunch or dinner with a friend; whatever works best as a stress reliever for you, just do it.

4.     Clean your mouth to reduce oral cancer risk.

  •  Quit smoking.
  •  Avoid alcohol.
  •  Make a daily habit of brushing and flossing your teeth.
  •  Schedule a dental cleaning and oral cancer screening.

5.     Clean the fat in your body to gain long-term health.

Obesity is a risk factor for certain cancers, in addition to increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So, by promoting fat breakdown, you may compensate certain aspects of obesity that cause diabetes. Certainly, you cannot gain a healthy weight overnight, but you do have options to modify your diet and lifestyle starting with cleaning out junk foods and taking actions such as:

  • Stay away from high-fat and high-sugar foods.
  • Start or continue a balanced diet rich in fresh veggies, fruits, proteins, and fiber.
  • Burn some fat by exercising and being more physically active.
  • Drink more water or tea instead of sugar- or sweetener-rich drinks.

6.     Clean the air to remove pollutants that cause cancer and allergies.

  • Check for and remove asbestos, a lung cancer-causing agent.
  • Test for radon level while increasing ventilation in your house. Radon is a radioactive but colorless, odorless gas.
  • Install an air freshener, which is a great aid to cleaning indoor pollutants.

7.     How about “digital cleaning”?

In this digital age, our lives are influenced by digital devices in many ways. “Digital hazards” can affect your health more than you may realize. You can help detox yourself from them simply by doing the following:

  • Clean your inbox. This can be a jump start of a “digital detox.” Eliminate all junk mail, and if possible stop those pesky unwanted emails from arriving in the first place. Delete old and useless email, and organize your inbox in more efficient ways.
  • Clean out all electronic wastes, such as old cell phones or other electronic devices, and take them to a safe disposal location designated by your local government. Donate your old computer to a cause if it’s still functional.
  • Clean viruses, spyware, and malware that may be in your computer. Backup your files and organize your passwords – whatever you do to make your computer run faster and less vulnerable to cyber threats, it will make your stress level lower and your life easier.
  • Keep your bedroom free of iPads, iPhones, and other digital devices as much as you can, because they are hazards to your snoozing, and consequently your health.

Of course, you can do more beyond these lists, but you get the idea.

I hope these strategies provide valuable insight into some small, easy, and quick steps you can take towards lowering your cancer risk. Spring or anytime cleaning of the areas outlined here can be a great strategy for cancer prevention and other health benefits.

 

Image credit: by Pexels

Foods to Stop Abdominal Obesity and Inflammation

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Big Belly-and-diet-1349596-mAre you a woman with a waist measurement of over 35 inches or a man with a waist of over 40 inches?

If so, you need to keep reading and engaging in this topic. There is an increasing concern about abdominal obesity, which has been identified as a risk factor of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

How bad is it?

Abdominal obesity, so-called “big tummy”, is the accumulation of excess intra-abdominal fat tissue, which promotes the release of inflammation-causing chemicals and subsequently causes inflammation. On top of that, chronic inflammation is harmful to your body and a root for many chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. So, “big tummy” should not be taken lightly.

Several factors might contribute to increased abdominal fat, including sex hormones, growth hormone, and local production of cortisol, a “stress hormone”. Dietary fructose is involved too. So, you cannot shrink your waist size overnight, and there is no a magic pill for it. However, you can simply start with modifying your diet.

How can you do it?

Is there any food that can improve your belly towards a healthy, active anti-inflammatory way? Yes. Here are the topmost eight approaches you can focus on:

1.      Oily fish: salmon or tuna

Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and sardines, are not only good proteins but high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation. To rip most benefits, eat these fish a few times a week, and cook them in healthy ways, such as grilled or baked, not deep fried, dried or salted.

2.      Healthy fats: olive oil and avocado

Let’s face it. Fat adds delicious taste, but not all fats are created equal. So, sprinkle olive oil and avocado over your salad, or mix them with your dishes.

 3.      High fiber foods: whole grain, oatmeal

A diet study on nearly 90,000 people in 2010 found that those consuming at least 10 grams of fiber daily (especially the kind in whole grains) had waists about three inches smaller than those eating very little fiber.

4.      Tomatoes
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Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin C and lycopene, known to reduce inflammation throughout the body, along with supporting the immune system. Cooked tomatoes contain even more lycopene than raw ones, so does tomato sauce.

5.      Kale and other green leafy vegetables.

Kale is one of the stars among green leafy veggies, which can make up key components in an anti-inflammatory diet. More than forty-five individual flavonoid antioxidants have been identified in kale, including quercetin and kaempferol. Quercetin has been shown to possess a strong anti-inflammatory property. Moreover, kale facilitates the body’s detoxification processes, which are crucial in flushing out inflammatory substances, such as those built up from processed foods.

6.      Nuts and nuts-based fiber bars

Nuts such as almonds and walnuts, are wonderful snacks, and a great source of inflammation-fighting fats and antioxidants. There are so many good things about them — rich in fiber, calcium, vitamin E, and alpha-linolenic acid (a type of omega-3 fat).

7.      Low-fructose food: lemon, prune, and cranberries

These fruits contain little fructose. Research findings demonstrate that reduction in fructose improves several risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, low-fructose diet may be an effective intervention in cancer development.

8.      Spice like garlic, ginger and onions

Garlic and ginger have been used since ancient times, as powerful punches to combat inflammation. Garlic can help ward off a range of chronic illnesses, attributing to its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory nature. Ginger is rich in antioxidants too. Onions are loaded with antioxidants, particularly quercetin. Many people tend to ignore them, but these foods do add an appreciable taste to your dishes.

Overall, diet can play an important role in lowering the risk of various cancers, and in reducing the hazard of chronic inflammation. A diet with the above beneficial foods helps shrink your waist size; in the long run, it can boost your anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer force.

What else can you do to speed up the progress?

Regular exercises, drinking more water or tea instead of coca and sweet beverages, reducing stress level, and a good night sleep as well, can all add up to burn your abdominal fat.

 

Image credit: By julosstock

How to Love Your Heart

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

pink-ribbon-1380887-mFebruary is the month we celebrate and show our love, whether it’s to our sweetheart, a favorite football team at the Super Bowl, or someone else we care about.

But don’t forget to love your own heart, because February is American Heart Month and we still face a sober reality – that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States.

You have only one heart. The following 8 practices can help you keep it healthy and young.

  1. Quit smoking. Never start smoking or using any other tobacco product if you are not a smoker. Tobacco smoke can harm not only anyone who smokes but also others who breathe it.
  2. Know your critical numbers. Get screened or tested for your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar. Don’t wait until any symptoms show up.
  3. Maintain a healthy weight. Your weight is one of the important risk factors for heart disease. You need to calculate your body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height). A BMI under 25 is healthy; a value between 25 and 29.9 is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or higher means obesity. There are several online resources you can use.
  4. Keep a heart-healthy diet. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and other plant-based food, along with a balance of lean meat, especially poultry and fish.
  5. Exercise, exercise, and exercise. Being physically active is doable and enjoyable, and it leads to many health benefits.

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  6. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats; limit sugar and sodium/salt intake.
  7. Know your family history and other risk factors. While you cannot control your race, age, or family history, you do have control over your lifestyle and other important risk factors.
  8. Recognize common signals of heart trouble and do not ignore these warnings. Ask for a ride to a local hospital and get checked if you experience pain in your chest, back, shoulders or arms; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; or any other signs of heart trouble. Also be aware that the symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to person.

Fortunately, lifestyle factors are mostly modifiable. Although it’s optimal to start building healthy habits and a healthy cardiovascular system at an early age, it’s never too late or too early to love your heart and safeguard it.

As a final point, the greater your risk for heart disease, the greater risk you likely have for cancer, because both diseases share several common risk factors. Protecting your heart can help you prevent cancer, which is a double-gain!

Let’s go RED, wear RED today, and spread the word!

 

Image credit: By Gioradi

Drug Overdose: When a Painkiller Can Become a Life-Killer

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

medicine-1-1034028-mIt happens often. Someone gets a headache, a back pain, or a muscular ache that seems non-stoppable and they head for the medicine chest for some Tylenol. But this person also starts suffering from a cold and, having already taken the Tylenol, then adds the popular over-the-counter (OTC) medicine NyQuil. However, what they don’t know is that NyQuil contains 650 mg of acetaminophen, which is the active pain reliever in Tylenol. In other words, they have unknowingly greatly increased their dose of the drug acetaminophen.

Acetaminophen is the generic name of Tylenol, and an active ingredient found in more than 600 drugs (both OTC and prescribed). In prescription drugs, acetaminophen may be labeled as APAP. Not being aware of how much to take this drug or not being aware of the presence of the drug in other medications being taken can lead to overdose and even a life-threatening situation. In the above example, Tylenol pills taken along with NyQuil could result in a deadly combination!

Today I’m going to help you understand how a painkiller might be a potential life-killer and will provide some overdose-prevention tips for your safety when taking medications, especially painkillers.

First, what is the safe dosage of acetaminophen?

Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning for acetaminophen dosage in prescription combinations of higher than 325 mg. The statement said, “There are no available data to show that taking more than 325 mg of acetaminophen per dosage unit provides additional benefit that outweighs the added risks for liver injury.”

What is the consequence of a drug overdose?

Liver damage is a major outcome. Do you know that more than 900 drugs have been implicated in causing liver injury? As the FDA stressed, “limiting the amount of acetaminophen per dosage unit will reduce the risk of severe liver injury from inadvertent acetaminophen overdose, which can lead to liver failure, liver transplant, and death.”

The liver, which is located under the rib cage on the right side of your body, is your second largest organ. It is one of vital organs for essential metabolism and survival. Because detoxification takes place there by metabolizing and eliminating toxins from the body, the liver can be exposed to high concentrations of toxic chemicals and drugs. If it has to deal with too much or too many toxins, the result can be serious damage to the liver.

In general, liver diseases are linked to drugs and alcohol, and damage to the liver can occur ranging from cirrhosis (i.e., scarring of the liver) and other liver injury to liver failure or liver cancer.

What are risk factors for liver cancer?

  • Cirrhosis: Chronic alcoholism and hepatitis are the leading causes of cirrhosis.
  • Hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection: These chronic infections are linked to liver cancer because they often directly or indirectly lead to cirrhosis.
  • Obesity: Too much eating is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a condition where more than 5 percent of liver cells contain abnormally high concentrations of fat. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
  • Diabetes: This can increase the risk of liver cancer, especially in those who drink heavily or have viral hepatitis.

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What can you do to prevent acetaminophen and other drug overdose?

  1. Consult your physician first when taking any medication including OTC drugs.
  2. Read the label and instructions before taking any drug. Keep yourself informed.
  3. Avoid drinking alcohol when you take any medication.
  4. If you’ve reached your daily intake limit of acetaminophen-containing drug(s), use natural remedies to ease your pain.
  5. If you have any liver problems or a history of liver disease (e.g., hepatitis), use extreme caution about taking any medication or supplement.

Also, for those who are animal-liver-lovers, minimize the consumption of animal liver to avoid possible accumulation of toxicity in your own liver.

Remember, safety in medication is crucial because it helps avoid serious liver injury or illness and saves lives!

If you consider this post is helpful, please share. Thanks!

 

Image credit: by srbichara

How Can Sedentary Behavior Hurt You

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

sedentary1_nationalnursingreviewDo you know — Approximately 25% of all cancers worldwide can be attributed to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle?

In my last post, I show you how to stay physically active — an approach to keep your New Year’s Health Resolution alive. Today, I’d like to emphasize why sedentary lifestyle has deleterious health consequences; particularly, it increases your risk for several cancers.

Sedentary lifestyle_comboHow do you define sedentary behavior?

Sedentary behavior is characterized by spending a majority of one’s waking hours sitting or lying down. Sedentary activities are increasingly seen in our daily lives in modern society, ranging from leisure (e.g. watching TV, lying down to read, playing video or online games, and parking your body in the car for a long commute to work or road trip) to occupation, such as sitting all day in the office or working on a computer for several hours.

Distinctly speaking, just because you meet or even exceed physical activity recommendations, it doesn’t mean that you are “sedentary-behavior-free”. For example, if you exercise for 30-45 minutes a day but spend the rest of day in sedentary activities, only ~3% of your day is physically active. As recent studies suggest, sedentary behavior may be a novel health risk factor independent of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Also see Physically Active, Physically Inactive, or “Active Sitting Potato”: Where Do You Fit in? 

How does sedentary lifestyle increase cancer risk?

Emerging evidence points to a link between sedentary behavior and risk for several cancers. Scientific research has shown that sedentary behavior is associated with an increased risk for colorectal, gastric, breast, ovarian, endometrial, and prostate cancer.

Sedentary behavior can cause changes at the cellular and metabolic levels, which may contribute to the development of cancer. These changes include:

  1. Overweight or obesity, which is linked to several cancers. Obesity is also viewed as a condition of systemic inflammation.

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  2. Altered production of sex hormones, which plays a role in breast and prostate cancer.
  3. Higher blood sugar, which cancer cells use as a fuel to grow and proliferate.
  4. Lower vitamin D, which may increase a risk for some cancers.
  5. Increased chronic inflammation, which may contribute to some cancers. Specifically, increased inflammation-causing factors and decreased anti-inflammatory factors may lead to a higher cancer risk.

What is more?

Sedentary behavior (too much sitting) is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and for death due to other illnesses, leading to shorter life expectancy. On the whole, physical inactivity is one of important causes of most chronic diseases including cancer.

In contrast, physical activity can reduce the risk and progression of several cancers. Staying physically active primarily prevents and/or postpones many chronic illnesses, and gain longer life expectancy.

Related topic: 10 Strategies to Keep a New Year’s Resolution for Staying Active

What’s your practice for “sit less and move more”? Thanks for sharing!

 

Reference from B.M. Lynch: Sedentary Behavior and Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010;19:2691-2709.

Image credit: by nationalnursingreview.com; dailymail.co.uk; healthcureview.com; and howtoplaza.com

Physically Active, Physically Inactive, or “Active Sitting Potato”: Where Do You Fit in?

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Too much sittingImagine your day: After 8 hours of sleep, you get up and exercise for 30 minutes first thing in the morning. After 45 minutes of preparing to meet the day and having breakfast, you drive to work for 1 hr. Then you spend a total 8.5 hours sitting at your desk, working on a computer before and after lunch, and then you drive back home for 1 hr. After having dinner for 1 hour, you watch TV, surf the Internet, or read for another 3 hrs or so before bedtime. Then the cycle starts again.

If something like this is your schedule, do you realize that you actually spend only about 3% of your daily waking hours being physically active? Would the term “active sitting potato” describe you more properly?

You are not alone. Recent research shows that about 25% US adults spend ~70% of their waking hours sitting, 30% in light activities, and little or no time in exercise. The modern technologies in our lives—watching TV, using computers, playing video games, surfing the Internet, and engaging in social media—offer us a more sedentary lifestyle than at any time in human history. Consequently, we move less and sit more.

Evidence has emerged that sedentary behavior (prolonged sitting) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and some cancers, as well as for all-cause mortality. Notably, these health consequences that result from too much sitting can be separated from those that are simply due to the lack of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (too little exercise).

So, what does prolonged sitting do to our bodies? Well, first we know that exercise improves the metabolism of muscles and prevents the loss of muscle mass, provides health gains for the heart and blood vessels, and improves immunity and overall well-being. Sedentary behavior, on the other hand, has a deleterious effect on the cardiovascular system and can lead to developing metabolic syndrome, which is primarily associated with metabolic function in the skeletal muscle. With prolonged sitting, reduced muscle contractions may result in decreased enzymatic activity for lipoproteins, decreased clearance of triglycerides and/or sugar load, and decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

It is a big cause of concern for both man pdxcommercial.com tadalafil india online and his partner. Either do it manually or set it to download and install latest viagra sales in australia updates automatically. cheap cialis In just one click your order will be process and deliver on your doorstep in due time. You can become expert within few months with hard work and determination. levitra 20mg price To help prevent multiple chronic conditions, current public health recommendations emphasize that US adults should participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day for 5 days a week; or vigorous exercise for 20 minutes each day on 3 days per week. Surprisingly, recent surveys show that about 79% of adults do not meet these physical activity guidelines.

Today, I challenge everyone reading this, including myself, to make frequent and purposeful efforts to get out of the chair and engage more in daily activities, i.e. those things we do routinely but are not included in prescriptive exercise guidelines. Here are some suggestions for getting physically active:

1.      Do it first. Do your exercise in the morning. Set it as a priority, and get it over with if you consider it a task. Morning exercises, which can be as simple as walking, also invigorate and increase your mental sharpness.
2.      Do it creatively and strategically. For example, purposely walk more by parking your car farther away from the stores you shop at or your workplace.
3.      Do it more. Little bits add up. Doing house chores, running up and down the stairs, playing with the kids, gardening, yoga, jogging, hiking—some and often many of these ways of exercising are usually available to us every day. And you can probably identify even more. The more activities you can find to do each day, even if some of them are only for one or a few minutes, the greater the additive health effect.
4.      Try something new. Excitement or at least reduced boredom makes you more likely to stick with it.

Finally, let me conclude this post with the wisdom from Lao Tzu: “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small,” and, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

These quotes emphasize how a great thing starts with single little steps, and advise a practical approach to breaking big projects into small, easy, and durable tasks for execution. I hope the quotes and this blog inspire you to find ways to get up out of the chair and move more on a daily basis.

“Sweet” in Perspective

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Colored_Jellyballs_889257Sugar is sneaking into all kinds of our daily foods, from coffee, breakfast cereal, bread, sauces to soda, fruit/flavored drinks, candy, cookies, ice-cream and other desserts. What is the impact?

How bad is it?
American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 to 9 teaspoons daily intake of added sugar. In comparison, one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains 8 teaspoons of sugar, which saturates your daily consumption before counting any extra amount from whatever sources.

High sugar consumption can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer in both adults and children, because too much sugar can
-          alter insulin sensitivity, resulting in elevated blood sugar.
-          accumulate fat in the body and speed up weight gain.
-          lead to inflammation, thereby raising the risk of heart disease and cancer.
-          feed cancer cells growth.
-          cause various chronic illnesses including obesity and bone loss.

How many types of sugar? 
Sugar in our diet can be either natural or added or both. Added sugars are defined as sugars that are eaten separately at the table or used as ingredients in processed or prepared foods. Whether it’s high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), refined sugar, or any other sweetener, the sweets are delightful, but not sweet to your health at all.

The amount does matter. Fructose itself is a natural sugar in many fruits and vegetables. So, it’s not as bad as many folks think. However, fructose can be found in other forms in our daily foods, i.e. from table sugar (containing fructose and glucose, each 50%) to HFCS in almost everything such as soda, fruit drinks, cereal, baked foods, desserts, and many packaged/processed convenience foods.

Reg. Soda_AHAHow does sugar become popular?
Sugar-loaded food is often delicious, and we tend to eat more not only during the holidays but also under stressed conditions.

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How to limit sugar intake?
1.      Know sugar sources, be especially aware of some hidden ingredients with many different names.
The major sources of added sugars are:
-          regular soft drinks, soda, fruit/flavored drinks or punch, sports beverages
-          sugars, candy, cakes, cookies, pies, jam
-          dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt and sweetened milk)
-          grains (breads, cinnamon toast and honey-nut waffles).
-          processed snacks, bars, and breakfast cereal.

2.      Limit your intake, because added sugars supply zero nutrients and potential poison, other than extra calories, thereby putting harm and extra pounds in your body. So, drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.

3.      Choose healthy alternatives for food tastes or flavors, and sugar-free items.

4.      Consider your children, and look beyond sugar.

In short, over-consumption of sugar can negatively impact your health.

Many folks are unaware of this, please share. Thanks.

Image credit: By JGPHOTOS, AHA

4 Proven Strategies for Having Tasty Foods without Bad Fats

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

“Help me – I’m a meat and steak lover. Tell me what this has to do with being overweight and what I can do to better my health.” from Anonymous.

This post will answer your questions, and make it clear that you need fat, but not high fat, above all – not bad fat.

You need fat in your diet. 
Fat is one of the structural components for the cells in the human body. Fat provides energy for body functions and facilitates absorption of essential nutrients. In addition, fat adds flavor to food.
The question is how much you need. As recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adult daily fat intake should be 25 to 35 percent of their total calories. For example, if your food intake is 2000 calories a day, you should consume 500 to 700 calories of fat (or 55 to 78g of fat) or less daily.

You need to stay away from a high-fat diet, esp. “bad fats”.
Research shows that consumption of a high-fat, high-sugar diet significantly increased weight gain and abdominal fat. Overweight and obesity lead to an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. A high-fat diet dramatically exacerbates the development of insulin resistance (a condition where your cells fail to respond to insulin, thereby poorly managing sugar), hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, hence risks for various illnesses. It also promotes chronic inflammation, and weakens immune functions.

That’s the danger posted by Standard American Diet (SAD), which is characterized with excessive animal fats or saturated fats (“bad fats”), but lack in fibers, fresh fruits and vegetables. Saturated fats are packed in red meats, processed meats, butter and cream, as well as fast or junk food. Trans fats are very harmful and mostly hidden in processed, fried foods (such as deep-fried potato chips and cheese sticks).

Are you aware of high-fat diet associated abdominal obesity?
Abdominal obesity refers to excessive fat build up around the stomach area (so-called belly fat), a condition can even present in normal-weight individuals. Many folks are unaware of this. Accumulating evidence indicates that abdominal obesity per se is positively associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. One study examined 44,636 women with 16 years of follow-up, and concluded that abdominal obesity is significantly linked to increased deaths from cardiovascular disease in normal-weight women.

Among multifaceted mechanisms possibly involved in abdominal obesity, lifestyle including high-fat diet is a modifiable factor. Thus, you have the power to make the change.

You can definitely benefit from healthy fats 
Some fats such as omega-3 fatty acids are essential for our normal metabolism, but the human body cannot make them. So, your diet is the source to obtain these fats. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:
-          Fish: salmon, sardines, tuna
-          Nuts & Seeds: walnuts, flaxseeds
-          Oil: canola oil or soybean oil
-          Others: winter squash, beans (esp. kidney beans)
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Other sources of healthy fats (i.e. “good fats”, unsaturated fat) include olive oil, avocado, and nuts. These are flavenoids-rich foods; increased intake can lower your blood cholesterol and your risk of heart disease and cancer.

How to trim-down high-fat diet and prevent weight gain: Four Proven Strategies

1.  Modify your diet.
A healthy, balanced diet is a must, period. You need to say NO to Trans Fat, avoid or at least limit intake of animal fats, red meats, and processed meat products, eat a plenty of fruits, vegetables, and plan-based foods.

2.  Replace bad-fat foods with healthy alternatives.
Here are some examples:
Replace deep-fry foods with baked or grilled food
Replace red meat with salmon, tuna or beans
Replace butter with avocado or olive oil
Replace cheese in salad with almond
Replace ice cream or sweet pie with fruit cake, or ice-cold fruit juice (important: fresh-made, not artificial or commercial one)
Replace whole milk with non-fat (skim) or 1% fat milk.

3.  Replace high-fat diet with high-fiber diet.
Fiber has no fat and is beneficial for weight control. Fiber is abundant in whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Here are some tips to get 30-35 grams of fiber a day as recommended:
-          Breakfast: Have high-fiber cereal or oatmeal.
-          Lunch: Eat lots of veggies and beans, use whole wheat bread for your sandwiches.
-          Dinner: Consume whole wheat pasta, brown rice, or potato with skin, and more veggies.
-          Snack: All-bran or Multi-grain crackers, high-fiber bars, fresh or dried fruits, and nuts.

4.  Do exercise esp. endurance exercise.
Exercise is an effective way to maintain a healthy weight and redistribute abdominal fat. To keep heart healthy and long-term wellbeing, stick with a fixed schedule of treadmill (or other routine) for 30 min/day, 5 days/week at least.

Seven Simple Steps to Weight Loss

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Obesity represents a pressing public health problem. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the seriousness of the problem. It’s fine for people to feel comfortable with their body. However, it’s dangerous to feel comfortable with obesity since it significantly increases the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer, and it also contributes to chronic diseases like dementia. In all of these ways and more, obesity can lead to quality of life being seriously compromised.

Weight control is challenging for some folks, and there is no magic pill or drug therapy that works. And actually, it’s better not to resort to a pharmaceutical solution, because doing so can result in drug dependence with significant adverse side effects. It’s better to manage weight the old-fashioned way, with self-understanding and self-discipline. If controlling weight is a challenge for you, here are seven simple steps to help empower your efforts.

1. Raise you awareness and will power. 
Know that you are not determined by your genes alone. Even if you have a family history of obesity, you have the power to make a healthy change. Obesity is preventable.

2. Identify one or two key factors that cause your weight gain.
Uncontrolled food intake? Sedentary lifestyle? Too much junk in your diet? Busy schedule causing an unbalanced diet and no time for exercise?

3. Know how to measure your results (using a simple equation/formula). 
Weight control is based on energy balance. The simple yet important formula is:

Energy IN = Energy OUT

Which means:
Calories IN (most by food intake) = Calories OUT (most by daily activity or exercise)

This is critical to understand. The average daily energy expenditure for adult men is 2000 to 3000 calories. Therefore, the recommended daily food consumption for men is 2000 to 3000 calories, depending on activity level and base metabolism. Similarly, the average daily energy expenditure for women is 1600 to 2400 calories. So for women, the recommended daily food consumption is 1600 to 2400 calories, depending on energy expenditure and base metabolism. However, most Americans exceed the calorie intake needed to balance their energy expenditure and so live in a state of energy imbalance. This is why about 65% of Americans are overweight or obese.

A common way to measure your results if you are attempting to lose weight is to use pounds lost as a measurement. Remember, to lose one pound, you need an expenditure of approximately 3500 calories more than your food intake. You can achieve this by either decreasing food intake or increasing daily exercises or doing both.
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4. Have a lifestyle modification plan in the short term. 
-          Make it personalized. Include a specific daily diet (type and amount of food consumption) and specific physical activity or exercises (routines, time, and duration).
-          Make it measurable, with a specific number of pounds to lose.
-          Make it attainable. Whether it’s losing 5 pounds or 50, make sure it’s doable and within your capabilities.
-          Make it realistic. Can you completely give up your sweets-pleasure? Would it be better just to limit it? Don’t set any unrealistic goals, which will only frustrate and discourage you.
-          Have a timetable, say two or three months. Accomplishing short-term goals is an effective enabler. It will give you satisfaction and the confidence to achieve more.
The bottom line is to have a road map for your healthy-weight journey. And then stick to it.

5. Follow the golden rules.
There are some rules not only effective for weight loss but also beneficial for well-being and longevity. Particularly,
Rule #1 Always eat to a maximum of 70-80% full.
Rule #2 Never eat a big meal one or two hours before your bedtime.

6. Get armed with antioxidants by reinforcing a lifestyle change.  
Recent research shows that oxidative stress plays a role in obesity-related health problems. Obesity is characterized by lowered antioxidant defense and enhanced levels of free radicals. In part, this can be attributed to the fact that obese individuals may have a lower intake of antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, while also being relatively physically inactive. To boost your antioxidant status, keep moving! In addition, modifying type of food intake is one of the most effective strategies for weight control.

7. Get a helpful hand.
Find a coach or a buddy to work along with you. This might also be a family member or a friend, but it should be someone who can hold you accountable, monitor your progress, and send you an alarm when you’re drifting off course.

Related topic: Dos and Don’ts to Control Weight and Defend Colon Cancer

Image credit: By lockstockb