Category Archives: Weight Control

Rethink Obesity and Reshape Your Health

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Raised Garden Beds_A.H.steadI had a conversation with a friend regarding the pandemic and weight among other topics. My question is—How is your weight affecting you physically, emotionally, or medically?

If this sounds relevant to you, read on.

First, I’m highlighting three quick facts about obesity:

  1. The prevalence of obesity in U.S. adults reaches 42.4% (pre-COVID), based on the CDC.
  2. The obesity rate of young adults aged 20-39 is 40%.
  3. Obesity is an established risk for chronic diseases (e.g. heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, stroke, etc.), and has been linked to severe complications and clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Now combine the reality of the pandemic. The lockdowns or self-quarantine and teleworking—by less exercise and more stress—exacerbate obesity epidemic, at least weight gain becomes increasingly common among many folks.

Let’s focus on one of the weight control solutions right at your home.

If you have been living in a confined world, getting less active in the outdoors or gaining “lockdown pounds”, you may wish to create your own “little paradise” in your garden.

The health benefits are abundantly clear, just mentioning some of them:

  • More movement to get physically active for weight control
  • Family activity to prevent the kids from overweight and obesity
  • Stress relief and mood enhancer
  • Close contact with soil that benefits the gut microbiome.
  • Eat nourishing veggies or fruits of your own without chemical toxins.
  • Connect with nature and enjoy your surroundings.

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Let me add a critical note on gut microbiome.

We know that the gut microbiota can contribute to human metabolism, immune defense and so on. Disturbances of gut microbiota not only disrupt your gut barrier and immune function but also have an impact on your weight and obesity.

Due to a modern lifestyle, most of us leave behind the contact with soil (plainly the “dirt”), hence causing the loss of diversity of beneficial microbiota in the human gut, which has led to some negative health consequences including obesity and diabetes. In contrast, research showed that our ancestors had the highest richness of the gut microbiome because of their hunting-gathering lifestyle.

Flowers & Plant on hands_Sm_PixabaySo, what actions can you take to reshape your health?

In August to early fall, you still have time to plan something green and healthy, with benefits of getting physical activity, fresh air, and the gut microbiome as players in your team.

Whether you have a big or small backyard garden, you have many ways to do so including but not limited to the following:

  • Select your favorite seasonal veggies, fruits or flowers and plant them.
  • Use elevated / raised garden beds or planter boxes , if you need more space or more variety. They look fantastic and this site offers a lot of great information too!
  • Add other varieties such as a little fountain or water flow, providing serenity.
  • Include a bird feeder or bath for bird watching, which is really joyful and meditative. As an article in New York Times puts it—“The birds are not on lockdown, and more people are watching them.” Certainly, you can also adore eBird.
  • Any other favorites, lawn chairs, a table under a tent, etc.?

Now that I threw a few ideas based on my “playing with dirt” and experience, but I’m not in any way near a gardener. So, if you ask a Pro gardener, you’ll get an ocean of suggestions or options for sure.

But the point is —

Whether you’re planting veggies, fruits and flowers or watching birds chanting and water flowing at your backyard, you are in touch with nature, thereby escaping from the pandemic anxiety or quarantine fatigue to enhance your well-being.

Not only can you indulge in your “little paradise” anytime, but you keep moving because gardening is not one-time labor.

So, take a few minutes from your busy or demanding life, appreciate nature, the tranquility, the beauty of greens or colors, the sound of water, the singing birds, along with healthy weight, beyond harvesting nutritious crops.

Is it a small joy of your life? I bet it’s the unique rewards of your “little paradise”!

 

P.S. If you don’t have your own garden, participate in nearby community garden.

Image credits: Aaron’s Homestead , Pixabay

How Small Measures Matter to Your New Year’s Resolution

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Hiker steps to Mt. peak_happy-hiker-winning-reaching-life_366801260Are you surprised? – Most people who set New Year’s Resolutions already fell off the wagon sometime between end of January and end of February. Nonetheless, statistical rates on the failure can top 88%.

Improving Health has always been one of top New Year’s resolutions for most Americans. One obvious question is – why can’t such a worthy resolution last? Also, what’s the gap?

I’m going to help you explore it by focusing on one gap, that is a lack of measurement.

There are various reasons people failed their goals, often including unrealistic or immeasurable goals (too big to reach), and/or unmeasurable goals (somehow unable to be measured objectively).

So, let’s move to your measures for health resolution on following topics.

  •        Why are measures important?
  •        Define your measure with small steps in mind.
  •        Contemplate and compart specific components or areas with small actions.
  •        Three musts for winning health results

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Why are measures important?

Talking about measures, one can immediately connect to numbers or numerical values.

Measures are ubiquitous in life. In science, rigorous measurements are critical for accuracy and precision of the findings. Business (e.g., sales) needs measures or calculations to evaluate its performance, quality, profit or loss. Similarly, the NFL has its measures for success too, including time of possession, execution of players (e.g., passing yards, rush yards, speed, etc.), among others. Likewise, personal health is examined or determined through a variety of measurements.

Therefore, if you want to improve your result, you need to measure from the beginning. If you measure, you can repeat whatever you do well, and refine if you want to mend or do better.

Define your measure with small steps in mind.

It’s desirable to “improve health”, “lose weight” or even “lose 30 pounds”, but these goals are vague and sometimes unrealistic, especially when pursued without measurable actions.

Dramatic changes rarely turn out well. Consider how realistic it is changing from a “couch potato” to a “gym rat” or from a meat-lover to a vegan? In fact, I didn’t jump from white rice in three daily meals to my breakfast with whole grains, nuts and fruits, sometimes proteins, overnight or over months.

Small steps are critical to measuring your health improvement, and closely connected with concrete measures. Importantly, small steps prove to be an effective strategy for you while measuring, and a key to success in many areas of life.

Take high blood pressure as an example. If your blood pressure is high, you need to do multiple things to lower it, and even prevent it. You need to reduce salt intake, have a healthy diet, exercise at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, support a healthy weight, and moderate alcohol consumption, just naming a few. Then how do you meet each requirement?

Let’s just talk about ways for salt restriction. It’s not easy for many folks; after all, food without salt is boring, right? However, there are small steps to reduce salt intake unless you go “no salt”. You may choose to cut half of your daily salt or pick “low-sodium” items, or instead of pouring salt over your plate, sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, spice or herbs like rosemary, drizzle with olive oil or honey if you wish – all can adjust the food flavor and maybe even make it better. These are only a few tiny, baby steps to reduce your salt intake towards lowering blood pressure.

One way to ensure small steps work is to set up a system for measurements. Based on your detailed plan, you can use a score system, and rate those reasonable steps on a scale of 1 to 5, for example. Alternatively, you may prefer a week log to monitor your diet and exercise. If you want to measure how you get more active, it could be something like “walk 20 minutes or 2 miles a day, do it after dinner, go over it each day, reward myself at the end of each month.” Then rinse and repeat this routine. Do whatever works better for you. Moreover, give yourself a pat on the shoulder or a treat as a reward.

The smaller, the more specific a step is, the more measurable it is, and the more meaningful it’s towards your goal. Ask yourself how much, how far or how often you want to make change and when expect it to occur, and at what level you feel comfortable or stretch a bit? Remember to make small, gradual change over time.

Contemplate and compart specific components or areas with small actions.

Another way to take small steps and make incremental progress for a healthy lifestyle is to break into sections or box the areas that require your attention, because your health improvement should be personal. So, go after your major concern or root problems. Here are some ideas to consider:

  • Ease Stress resolution: First, uncover sources of your stress – Is the clutter-loaded desk or office driving you crazy? Or are the posts on social media that upset you most? Do work-related issues trigger your sleepless nights? Next, how you calm and combat stress should include different approaches, unique stress-relieving techniques, modified diet, and etc. Again, start small.
  • Healthy Weight resolution or more specifically – Dump Belly-Fat Resolution
  • Well Kitchen resolution
  • Green Lifestyle resolution
  • Cancer Prevention resolution

For cancer prevention resolution, you’ll be amazed how much you can achieve. You can learn and become aware of various cancer risk factors, you can make small modifications on your diet, you can keep moving and be more active. You can quit smoking and limit alcohol if you haven’t done so. You can also get vaccinated (e.g., HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer), and get screened (e.g., for breast, prostate, and colon cancer if applicable).

Getting vaccinated or screened is seemingly a small step; however, it’s an immediate action resulting in a big gain with long-term benefits. So, you can cheer yourself with a high-five!

A recent study (conducted by Dr. Schiff’s group at Harvard University, reported on J. Healthcare Risk Management, 2019) showed that many cancer diagnostic errors (greater than 50%) often involve a failure or delay in routine screening and diagnostic testing. So, it’s imperative to take control of your own health.

There are other aspects involved in your well-being, but you get the idea.

Three musts for winning health results

1.      Act NOW. Don’t procrastinate.

That’s also why it’s easy and effective to implement small steps. Replacing sugar-dense beverage with water is actionable for losing weight. Adding one or two more servings of veggies/fruits each day is more manageable than going meatless.

2.      Be disciplined and integrative.

Stick with the positive changes, gradually add more, and make them a daily habit or routine. Meanwhile, it’s not about one switch. If you quit smoking or eliminate alcohol, but keep prolonged sitting or stay less physically active, don’t control stress, you still won’t be in a good shape.

3.      Be patient. But be joyful.

Don’t expect the result sooner than what it should take to happen. In addition, some changes can be necessary yet uncomfortable or inconvenient, find fun ways to do so. However, don’t force yourself to the things you dislike or are ill-suited to you. Don’t ignore your emotion. Are you happy at the end of the day? What’s your feeling about new choices or changes? Hope you truly enjoy them.

Lifestyle modification is a journey rather than a destination, the journey with many, many small steps that lead you to a bright destination for your wellness.

So, take one step at a time, practice one day at a time, so as to add up many small steps from point A to point B.

The bottom line is that small steps are measures for your big or huge gains. With concrete measures, you can surely keep your health resolution or achieve any goal you set.

The book “Key Strategies for Cancer Prevention – Options to Help You Stay Healthy and Happy” is packed with tips for small and attainable actions, which lead you to achieving concrete, measurable goals for your heart health and cancer prevention.

 

Image credit: shutterstock.com

How Bottlenecks Affect Weight Management

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Wt. loss w-water_M_PixabayThe Bottleneck Effect on Weight Gain

From time to time, most of us have gotten stuck in a traffic jam or a slowdown when driving through so-called bottlenecks. These bottleneck areas often result from the merging of a three-lane to a two-lane highway, a lane closure due to construction, a stop signal, or an accident in busy traffic. Afterwards, the cars begin to speed up again.

Like traffic bottlenecks, other bottlenecks occur in our life that affect our health, including our weight management.

With the start of a new year, many people likely made a new year’s resolution for reducing to a healthy weight, given the fact that obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. and worldwide. Weight gain is a big challenge for many, many people.

We have previously addressed the various health consequences and cancer risk of obesity. In this post, I suggest a new approach to help you with weight gain or weight regain.

Let’s picture you as a problem-solver and use your willpower to get your resolution done.

First, the complexity of obesity

I understand your frustrations and struggles, especially given that genetics is nobody’s fault. Based on what science tells us, many factors can contribute to weight gain or weight regain after a weight-loss triumph. What I focus on here is behaviors, of course, without throwing biology out of the window.

Visualize this simple model of energy balance: Energy intake = Energy expenditure, or Calories in = Calories out. (See the schematic illustration below.)

Imagine what happens when energy imbalance occurs: Calories in > Calories out, then you gain weight.

Now consider this situation: suppose that you eat healthy and exercise regularly, but as you’re aging, your pounds start piling up, and you wonder where did they come from?

Energy balance & imbalance_CPD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scientific evidence shows that many factors may regulate your weight, some of them being:

  •           Eating a fat-, sugar-, salt-rich, red-meat-heavy, or a processed-food-oriented diet
  •           Overeating, whether out of habit or for emotional comfort
  •           Sedentary lifestyle
  •           Exposure to environmental pollutants or chemicals (natural or synthetic)
  •           Intensive stress (work, finance, or personal life, etc.)
  •           Lack of sleep, particularly obstructive sleep apnea
  •           Aging
  •           Medication(s) you take
  •           Chronic conditions

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No doubt, each individual’s condition is unique. That’s how you can be a problem-solver for your weight gain and be a part of the solution.

Where is your bottleneck?  

A starting point is to identify the bottleneck for your weight gain or regain. For example, maybe you eat less and move more, but you are in your golden age when your body’s hormones change—a bottleneck.

Or you may be exposed heavily to environmental chemicals (at work or home) that tilt your body toward getting obese by promoting fat production and reducing metabolic rate—another bottleneck.

Or maybe you do have a healthy weight under your watch, but unexpectedly, you then take a drug for some treatment that alters your metabolism (as many medications do), causing a different kind of bottleneck.

So, you get the idea.

Moreover, what happens if those folks with debilitating pain are unable to exercise as needed despite eating healthy? That’s not just a bottleneck, but more like a funnel clogged at the bottom—leading to limited or minimized energy expenditure. In this case, consult your physician for pain relief and to deal with the underlying problem(s).

Whatever it is, there is a likelihood that somehow or somewhere there is a bottleneck(s) for your weight gain or regain that is likely to be associated with your disrupted energy balance.

Finding the bottleneck is certainly helpful, but not the final solution. Next, you need to re-set or re-tweak your behaviors and lifestyle based on your body’s recalibration to adjust to your situation. Make sure that your solutions are specific and realistic.

A healthy lifestyle is a journey, not a destination

Living a healthy lifestyle involves individual choices and behaviors. Modifying your behaviors is within your control. Keep in mind that every step counts. For instance, you may eat less, but do you eat right? By that I mean that you need to eat the right products (nutrition) in the right portions. In addition, beware of not just weight per se, but also how much and where the fat is distributed on your body. Any quick fix for weight loss is not a long-term solution.

Equally important is your perseverance with a balanced diet and regular exercise. Persistence can not only benefit your weight stability but also reduce your risk factors for various chronic illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The bottom line:

With this new approach in a new year, you can be a problem-solver by discovering your bottleneck(s), and tackling the challenge(s) on a weight-management journey. Remember the importance of teamwork too, such as your physician’s treatment, psychological counselling, and the support of family and friends.

Rooting for your health!

 

Image credit: Pixabay

Go Beyond Knowing Obesity Is Bad (Part 2)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Warn-Danger Fats_FitWtCare & CPDWhat comes to your mind when you hear “Belly fat”?

Call it “Belly fat” as you like, but what I’m specifically talking about is visceral fat, the fat stored deeply inside your abdominal cavity and around your organs – unlike subcutaneous fat (under your skin) that’s visible and pinchable. (Image Credit: FitWeightCare)

Fat on Visceral Organs (i.e. intra-abdominal fat)

Everybody likely has visceral fat whether knowing it or not. but how much is too much?

Although visceral fat can only be measured by CT and MRI now, if you or your loved ones have an overhanging belly and large waist, that’s a warning sign of dangerous fat inside. That said, it doesn’t exclude relatively lean (with normal waistline) folks.

So, how dangerous is visceral fat exactly?

Visceral fat has deleterious effects on a variety of your organs and their functions. Clearly, it is attributed to increased inflammation by provoking inflammatory pathways and releasing pro-inflammatory chemicals. Also, extra visceral fat is strongly linked to insulin resistance and metabolic diseases, and to an elevated risk of death, even for people who have a normal body mass index (BMI).

Carrying around excess visceral fat increases a risk for a long list of chronic conditions or diseases including, but not limited to –

  • Coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke
  • Cancer
  • High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high blood glucose
  • Obesity – making it hard to lose weight
  • Type 2 diabetes – due to insulin resistance
  • Dementia
  • Depression and mood problems
  • Sleep disorders (e.g. sleep apnea)
  • Endocrinal, sexual dysfunction
  • Arthritis

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Here, I want to lay emphasize on cancer, as cancer’s impact on public health is increasingly prevalent. Excess visceral fat is a risk factor for several cancers of the gastrointestinal system, particularly esophageal, stomach, small intestine, colorectal, pancreatic, liver and gallbladder cancers. This is because overloaded adiposity is associated with fat tissue-derived inflammation, alterations in insulin signaling and sexual hormones’ pathways, then turning normal cells into cancerous ones. Moreover, visceral obesity is greatly associated with breast cancer.

Fat’s Influence on Other Vital Organs (e.g. brain)

Just because visceral fat is wrapped around abdominal organs such as the pancreas, liver and kidneys, it doesn’t mean that its damaging effects are local. For instance, liver fat may have a direct association with brain aging or shrinking. What’s more, greater visceral fat is correlated with a smaller total brain volume, which has been linked to neurodegenerative processes, and used as one of predictors for dementia.   

Excessive visceral fat results from a combination of hormonal, dietary, lifestyle (i.e. sedentary), and genetic factors. Now you can see how any big belly and large waistline are unhealthy.

Obesity and Aging   

As we get older, we store more visceral fat, because changes in body composition occur and co-morbidities accumulate. However, hopefully by now, you’ve come to the realization – simply accepting a growing midsection as an unavoidable product of aging may ignore or tone down your health risks.

On issues of aging and obesity, it’s inevitable not to touch on the gut microbiome, the microbial communities inhabiting the human body and containing a diverse array of microbes (in trillions).

The gut microbiota has emerged as a crucial regulator between how our food interacts with our body. They modulate how we balance levels of blood sugar and how we store fat, as well as how we respond to hormones. They play a key role in obesity.

As we age, altered gut microbiota in their composition and metabolites (called Dysbiosis) occurs. Science reveals that our gut microbiota undergoes the most prominent changes during infancy and old age, and profoundly, our immune health is also in its weakest and most unstable state during these two critical stages of life, indicating that the gut microbiota and immune function develop hand-in-hand with age.

Sure enough, with aging, levels of inflammatory mediators in the blood rise, and hence age-associated inflammation becomes a strong risk factor for morbidity and mortality in elders. It turns out that the gut microbiota may act as invisible yet important players in chronic inflammation.

Aging-associated dysbiosis can promote intestinal barrier’s broken-down, systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction, which all contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases commonly seen in old people such as obesity-related disorders, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Age-related changes in the gut microbiota have also been associated with various neurological and neurodegenerative disorders due to disturbed gut-brain communication.

Clearly, the gut microbiota can have a potent impact on human health and diseases.  But to date, there is no knowledge on “Which” gut microbe is doing “What”, “Why” and “How”. Without doubt, we can anticipate to learn more soon as a remarkable pace of scientific research is going on.

The Key Point Is –

If fats deposit where they should not be or more than they should be, then that will change a physiological condition to a pathological one through the effects of inflammatory chemicals. Excess body fat is like an inflammation-pumping machine.

For this reason, any extra fat – from both body and diet – any big belly or larger waistline poses a hidden risk. With obesity, people carry not only fat or weight but pain and health consequences.

Obesity is serious, regardless of the debate whether obesity is a disease or a condition. Obesity is just as significant as high blood pressure and high cholesterol – while none of them are actual diseases (but symptoms), all need to be medically treated lest they lead to termed “diseases”.

Indeed, causes of obesity are multifactorial and complex. However, for some, obesity is caused by genetic factor(s) and could be a life-long condition, which needs to be medically treated and individually managed. 

Doses of Wisdom for Prevention

Obesity, in most cases, is a modifiable and preventable. Lifestyle, diet and physical activity are key factors to prevent, ease or slow down obesity even with aging.

So, please don’t see obesity as a death sentence, because it’s not.

Nutritional and physical approaches, that are within your control, can prevent dangerous fat buildup, and thus lower a risk for obesity as well as chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Furthermore, getting a good night sleep and reducing stress are also beneficial for a healthy weight, because the stress cortisol can increase the amount of visceral fat your body stores.

Ultimately, consider to recruit your hidden microbial players, keeping them in harmony and happy, which could help your weight control. 

Bonus: Valuable Principle on Diet

An optimal diet to manage obesity should be individual-focused and ensure a long-term maintenance of weight loss, along with the diet that’s safe, efficient, nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable and economically affordable.

Critically important and specifically effective are diet plans including low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-calorie but high-protein, high-fiber diet, and Mediterranean diet. Without fail, go for fiber-rich foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables and whole grains), because they are essential to boost growth and activity of beneficial gut microbiota.

Remember low-sugar diet too, as research findings indicate that a high-sugar diet increases visceral fat in humans and animals.

References (including Pt. 1 & Pt. 2) Click here

Image Credit: by FitWeightCare, CPD

 

Go Beyond Knowing Obesity Is Bad (Part 1)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Stop Obesity by CPD_2018As you no doubt know, obesity is a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. The condition results from genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Virtually everybody knows that obesity is bad for you; but in this post, I want to elaborate further. In particular, I’m going to emphasize FAT, the adipose tissue in our bodies.

Adipose tissue is not only an inert fat-storage tissue, but an active endocrine organ, being accountable for synthesizing and secreting several hormones and inflammatory substances – from angiotensin, leptin, TNF-alpha and IL-6 to adiponectin, just to name a few.

Let’s take one of them, angiotensin, as an example to explain the link between obesity and hypertension.

Fat tissue has a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which is well-known as an important regulator of blood pressure and a determinant of cardiovascular homeostasis. One of the components is angiotensin II (Ang II) generated from angiotensinogen (AGT). Ang II causes vasoconstriction, reducing the lumen of blood vessels, leading to elevated blood pressure.

Yiannikouris et al’s study (2012) provided compelling evidence that fat-derived AGT contributes to circulating AGT levels and blood pressure regulation.

Under normal condition, while most AGT in the blood comes from the liver, AGT produced by fat cells contributes significantly (~26%) to the circulating pool of AGT. Noticeably, in obese state, fat mass increases fat-derived AGT, which may become a major source of circulating AGT, leading to stimulated RAS, increased Ang II and elevated blood pressure. So, you can see how obesity is linked to hypertension through fat-derived AGT.

Now, what needs to be addressed is how fat mass is expanded. Well, increased caloric intake, a sedentary lifestyle, and/or various endocrine disorders can all promote the development of fat mass, leading to an increase in AGT gene expression and a high level of circulating AGT in obesity. Furthermore, with an increase in fat tissue and circulating AGT, increased Ang II initiates fat cell growth and thus enlarges fat mass. On the whole, RAS activation results in not only hypertension but also weight gain.

Next, let’s look at how the presence of fat on various tissues and organs impacts your health.

Fat on/around Blood Vessels

Under physiological condition, vascular endothelial cells, the inner lining of blood vessels, synthesize and release endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and/or other relaxing factors that induce endothelium-dependent vasodilation, increase blood flow, and play a critical role in the regulating blood pressure. We now know that functional changes in endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells contribute to the initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.

There is also fat tissue that structurally and functionally surrounds blood vessels.
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How could fat be involved in pathological changes?

Fat tissue around blood vessels can produce inflammation-promoting chemicals, subsequently promoting vascular diseases. Under conditions of hypercholesterolemia, high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS, i.e. free radicals) can rapidly destroy NO and impair endothelium-dependent vasodilation; the abnormality is evident in various disorders such as diabetes, coronary artery disease and hypertension.

After feeding mice with a high-fat diet for 2 weeks, researchers found a reduction in anti-inflammatory factors and an increase in pro-inflammatory chemicals in fat tissue around blood vessels (i.e. perivascular fat), but not fat surrounding abdominal organs (i.e. visceral fat) and under the skin (i.e. subcutaneous fat) in these animals. Consistent with functional studies, these data suggest that pro-inflammatory factors derived from perivascular fat play a key role in the development of vascular dysfunction, and vascular dysfunction is likely an early sign of cardiovascular diseases.

High fat mass can also raise your LDL (i.e. bad cholesterol) and blood pressure, and cause insulin resistance – a risk for type-2 diabetes. My research has demonstrated that bad cholesterol (especially its oxidized form) can cause endothelial dysfunction and reduced blood flow in small brain arteries. Other researchers have also found that fat diet, together with overexpression of oxidized LDL’s receptor, can cause vascular dysfunction in small mesenteric arteries.

It is worth mentioning that obesity reduces adiponectin, a substance that is secreted from fat tissue and protects blood vessels against endothelial dysfunction. Clinical data show that lower levels of blood adiponectin are correlated to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.

How about fat inside blood vessels?

You have probably heard about the “plaque”, a combination of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances. In atherosclerosis, plaque builds up inside your arteries, grows larger due to chronic inflammation, and can eventually rupture. When this takes place, blood clots clog up the lumen of arteries, blocking blood flow and depriving oxygen supply. Consequently, heart attack and stroke may occur, depending on a clot’s location in the coronary or brain arteries.

Overall, as fat expansion outside and inside blood vessels, increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation promote cardiovascular aging and diseases.

Please stay tuned to learn hidden fat on intra-abdominal and vital organs (Part 2).

References (including Pt. 1 & Pt. 2) Click here  

Image by CPD

Color-Coded Foods Guide Your Immune System and Vitality

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Rainbow Color Foods_pixabay.comDoes the food color panel tell something about your diet and your body?

Are you fully aware how your daily diet contributes to chronic inflammation? — which has been proven to be a link to countless chronic diseases, especially heart disease and cancer.

Plant-based, colorful foods, i.e., red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple vegetables and fruits, are filled with nutrients. The “food rainbow” contains not only vitamins and minerals, but most importantly, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Accumulated scientific evidence has shown their anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-pollutant, and anti-cancer properties.
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Therefore, rethink your diet, think about colors and rainbow, and eat a plenty of them for your physical and psychological benefits.

 

Image credit: Pixabay

Lifestyle Interventions in the Midst of Three Health Crises

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas Healthy Lifestyle in Right direction_CPD-Clipart combo

As a nation, we are facing three health crises: (1) Chronic diseases, (2) Obesity, and (3) Opioid epidemic.

The facts and figures below tell a sad story.

Impact of three health crises in the U.S. (estimated in 2016)

 

 

Morbidity

 

Mortality

% of All Death
Chronic diseases 25% of adults had two/more chronic health conditions. 595,690 deaths (cancer);  610,000~ deaths (heart disease) 48%
Obesity epidemic 36.5% of adults were obese; 35.6%, overweight. 300,000+ deaths (obesity attributable) 18%
Opioid overdose   59,000 – 60,000 deaths  

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*Data compiled from CDC, NIH and other health institutes.

Chronic diseases not only affect health and quality of life, they also add economical and social burdens. Specifically, about 86 percent of all health care spending goes towards treating individuals with one or more chronic conditions.

On the bright side, just eliminating three risk factors – poor diet, inactivity, and smoking – would prevent: 80% of heart disease and stroke, 80% of type 2 diabetes, and 40% of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It’s clear that poor lifestyle choices are key contributors in developing preventable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, several types of cancer, and obesity. Lifestyle modification or intervention is not something new. However, it’s quite challenging to achieve and sustain success. So, here I will emphasize some key strategies and points you can use to fight these health crises personally.  

1. Keep a healthy diet. Intake a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, fish, beans, whole grains, nuts and other nutrients.

-          Reduce fats, sugar and salt in your diet, which may be packed as hidden ingredients in processed foods.

-          Reduce red meat, animal meats consumption too.

2. Participate in physical activity. Aim for a minimum of 150 minute exercise each week.

A combination of diet and exercise is effective in maintaining healthy weight. Take advantage of summer outdoor activities (e.g. swimming, walking, or playing at beach).

3. Quit or avoid addictive behavior such as tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use.

-          Tobacco smoking takes more than 480,000 lives each year.

-          Rather than seeking substances as a mean for momentary pleasure, living a healthy lifestyle is an excellent regimen for meeting one’s physical, emotional, and social needs.

4. Maintain healthy weight. Weight control is about energy balance, i.e. Energy In = Energy Out. When energy intake exceeds energy expenditure, weight gain occurs.

-          Do eat good breakfast, and consume enough fibers and proteins.

-          Avoid emotional eating.

-          Yes, it’s not easy to make a big change. One step at a time. Don’t go it alone, lock arms for support and motivation.

5. Manage stress. There are many techniques to relieve stress, but the best ones are enjoyable, self-help ways that work for you.

-          Importantly, keep counting your blessings, because gratitude is a secret to happiness.

6. Get a good night’s sleep. Many people overlook this issue.

-          Lack of sleep for a long time may increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

-          Sleep hygiene is essential to getting sound sleep (see previous article)

All of above healthy habits will effectively reduce triglyceride levels, cut blood sugar levels, minimize waist circumference, and lower blood pressure. As a result, most chronic conditions and obesity are preventable, and some can even be reversed.

So, go for a healthy, vibrant lifestyle!

 

Image credits: https://openclipart.org/; CPD

Rethink Powerful Strategies for Cancer Prevention in 2017

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

LoveHope 2017_Std.The holiday season is over and the new year started. Many of you probably have set some exciting goals or resolutions already. In reality, early or later, some folks would probably fall “off the wagon”? How would you do differently?

CancerPreventionDaily has provided plenty of practical advice, resources, and useful links on powerful strategies for cancer prevention over the years. Instead of reiterating those strategies here, I’d like to highlight a tool of “RETHINK”.

First, let’s cherish HOPE by celebrating recent scientific and medical advances in cancer treatment! Cancer Immunotherapy has been put on the spotlight – a therapy based on the principle of unleashing the body’s immune system to attack cancer. In addition, remarkable advances in other therapies (e.g. chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery and radiation therapy) all improved clinical outcomes, especially lives of people battling cancers.

Equally significant is advance in cancer prevention, specifically, HPV vaccine. As the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major cause of cervical cancer – infected by passing the virus during sex, and the disease is preventable.

Now let me dive in a bit deeper on “Rethink”.

Consider Uber or Zipcar. Whether through Uber (providing you with a car and a driver) or Zipcar (providing you with a car), you can reach your desired destinies – a different approach from using traditional or old fashion rental cars. Note: These are good examples of innovation or rethinking, not paid Ads! :)

Next, how to rethink with regard to health?

Take weight loss as an example. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the top powerful strategies for cancer prevention, as scientific evidence clearly indicate that obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancer in both men and women, needless to say risk for diabetes and heart disease.

He/she may either reduce the dosage or switch the medicine. * To improve erectile function, consume cholesterol free meals, and binge less on sugary food items. buy cheap levitra prescription for viagra It is a main factor of being disinterested in sex in senor citizens. Its goal as a cialis in is to provide customers with the best online W.H.O and FDA and approved medication at a low competitive price. When man give up all chances of flensing erectile dysfunction, Caverta come into view and beat their tadalafil 20mg españa all tribulations. Many folks are struggling with losing weight for various reasons. If one lesson we can learn from “Santa” to apply here, it is to lighten our load.

So, get motivated, get rid of all unhealthy baggage in all possible ways – dispose of fats, throw away junk foods, abandon extra sugar and extra salt, dispense or burn off some calories, thereby getting rid of “unwanted” pounds, consequently you will reach your goal of weight management. Certainly, you can discover creative ways that work best for you along the journey.

Rethink about cancer and prevention: Instead of fearing “Big C”, treat it as a life or health project with “small pieces”. This is because cancer is the mass (of tissues) on the surface but a collection of complex and multiple diseases in the hub, therefore, you need to tackle it with multiple approaches from genetic medicine, lifestyle to environment and early detection.

So, you got the idea.

In summary –

Rethink, Re-envision, Re-tweak, Re-evaluate and/or Re-calibrate, whatever works for you, so that you gain new perspectives and new approaches, which will help your new year’s resolutions stick, and reap your health benefits in the long run.

May more happiness and better health be all of yours throughout the year 2017!

 

Image credit: mozakdesign.com and CancerPreventionDaily

How to Consume Enough Daily Fiber for Cancer Prevention

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Imagine a fiber’s tale. “I am a fiber, and my nickname is “Tough Carb”. Together with my sibling soluble and insoluble kinds, I am largely wrapped up in foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Passing through your body, I bind with fats, help nutrients get better absorbed, move the bulk through the intestines, and promote a faster traffic to eliminate the waste your body doesn’t want. At the end, I still survive – remaining unbroken.”

What a fabulous job done by a “personal healthcare agent”! Well, I have more good news for you – Research indicates that a diet high in fiber can lower colon cancer risk. Specifically, every 10 grams of daily fiber intake reduces the risk of colon cancer by 10%.

Now the questions are how much fiber you need each day and how you can meet your goal to prevent colon cancer? Here I offer 5 meal-strategies that can help you effortlessly incorporate fiber into your daily diet and support the healthier, happier colon.

How much fiber do we need?

It is recommended that we eat 25-35 grams (g) of fiber per day. Sounds impossible or difficult? Don’t worry. A rule of thumb is – consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables and 3 servings of whole grains each day. This is based on the fact that fiber is abundant in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes.

Fiber-rich breakfast ideasHow do you integrate 25-35 g of fiber into your diet on a daily basis?

Here are 5 meal-strategies to get your 25-35 grams each day with ease:

1. Breakfast: Have oatmeal or high-fiber cereal, fiber-rich breads or English Muffins, and more desirable, add fruits.

Breakfast is the most important meal of a day. However, many people skip it. Think about this. A cup of rolled oats (dry) contains nearly 10 g of fiber, and Quaker Instant Oatmeal (3 g of fiber per pack) is also available in all grocery stores. So, if you have 2 packages of oatmeal (6 g of fiber), a slice of whole wheat bread (5-6 g of fiber per slice; depending on brands), and add some fruits like berries, bananas or raisins to your cereal or oatmeal (extra 1-2 g fiber), you’ve got a nice jumpstart, and it’s not hard. Plus, a bonus gain – fiber can boost your energy for a fantastic day ahead!
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Broccoli_10972132. Lunch: Eat plenty of veggies and beans. Use whole wheat or whole grain bread to make your sandwiches. Have an apple as a part of salad or desert. Broccoli, one of anti-cancer foods, holds a good supply of fiber; 4.0 g per ½ cup (raw), 5.0 g in 4 spears (frozen) and 9.3 g per cup (fresh, cooked). Beans and fish (esp. salmon) are also excellent protein sources to replace animal meat.

3. Dinner: Eat whole-wheat pasta, brown rice or potato (with skin), plus a variety of vegetables and olive oil. Add beans to your soup. Do you know cooked black beans contain 19.4 g of fiber per cup? How about whole-wheat pasta with chicken and colorful veggies?

whole-wheat-fig-bar4. Snacks: Take All-bran, Multi-grain crackers or high-fiber bars, fresh or dried fruits, as well as nuts and seeds, when you on the go. Fig is one of the highest fiber sources. Try Nature Bakery’s Whole Wheat Figgy Bars or Whole Wheat Blueberry Figgy Bars, they are individually-wrapped, delicious, and reward you another 2-4 g of fiber (2 g fiber per serving, 2 serving per pack). (But I’m not paid for “Ads”. :) )

5. Drinks: Drink more fruit/Veggie juice (fiber-rich) or soy milk (1-1.5 g of diary fiber in per 8 oz cup). See Martha Stewart’s recipes of making delicious green juice at home, which are affordable too.

Eventually, it’s your choice to include foods you desire. But the key is to eat a lot of fiber-rich foods (i.e. plan-based food).

Some folks consider that healthy foods taste boring, especially those from the grocery stores. I sympathize that, and the fix is – to get fresh fruits and vegetables from your local farmers’ market; those foods are yummy and refreshing!

As a final note, a balanced, fiber-rich diet is not the only tool to prevent colon cancer; exercise should go hand-in-hand with it.

 

Image credit: By aaronsg, quakeroats.com, rachelg, lockstockb, and naturesbakery.com

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