Daily Health Tips: Trusted Medical Information, Health Tips and Advices

Sounds like a miracle -- fatty potato chips made with a fat substitute that doesn't go directly to your hips. But a new study suggests fat substitutes could have an unforeseen downside: They might make the numbers on your bathroom scale climb higher, not lower. Mind-Bending Meal In a laboratory experiment involving animals on high-fat diets, researchers noticed that the group given potato chips made with a fat substitute actually gained the most weight and developed the most fatty tissue over a 28-day period. The reason? Scientists think that when something fatty is tasted, it triggers the brain to prepare the body for a large amount of calories. When the body doesn't get those calories, the systems that regulate food intake become confused, which can result in overeating and weight gain. The study used an animal model and more research is needed to see whether the same result occurs in people, but the scientists note that there are some similarities between hu

To keep your waistline trim, you might want to make sure this flavor enhancer doesn't make its way into your mouth: MSG. Too much monosodium glutamate (MSG) -- an additive used in restaurant and processed foods to boost flavor -- may be a fast track to weight gain, a new study shows. Investigating MSG Have you heard of MSG? It's basically a salt that comes from glutamic acid. Restaurants and food manufacturers use it because it gives flavors a little lift. But that pleasure for your mouth may come at the expense of your hips. People who started a study at a healthy weight but were among the highest MSG consumers -- taking in about 5 grams a day -- were 33 percent more likely to be overweight at the end of the study 5 years later. And, surprisingly, it's not because better-tasting food enticed people to eat more. Eating lots of MSG bumped up the risk of extra pounds, regardless of calorie intake. Weighted Speculations The study researchers suspect MSG m

You can't go anywhere without being confronted by calories. Restaurants now print calorie counts on menus. You go to the supermarket and there they are, stamped on every box and bottle. You hop on the treadmill and watch your "calories burned" click upward. But just what are calories? The more calories we take in, the more flab we add—and if we cut back on them, then flab starts to recede too, right? After all, at face value, calories seem to be the factor by which all foods should be judged. But if that were true, 500 calories of parsnips would equal 500 calories of Double Stuf Oreos. Not quite. There's nothing simple about calories. Learn the distinctions and lose the lard. Want Health tips from our Expert Click Here  Myth #1: Calories Fuel Our Bodies   Actually, they don't A calorie is simply a unit of measurement for heat; in the early 19th century, it was used to explain the theory of heat conservation and steam engines. The term entere

Few things plant the waist-widening TV remote more firmly in our hands than the need to destress. But here's a healthier way to let go of it all: Just breathe deeply. It takes only about 30 seconds to do it right, and a quick and easy stress reduction strategy like this is critical to your waistline -- especially given a recent study on job stress and weight gain. In the study, workers who were super stressed tended to have bigger bellies than their peers who were more at ease.

Among the numerous myths floating around us all the times, myths about weight loss keep on surfacing every now and them. They are all around us: on the Web, friends keep delivering sermons on them or they can be found in the latest issue of a celebrity magazine. On this World Health Day,  tries to rip apart five grave misconceptions related to weight loss. Myth 1: Giving Up the Breakfast Skipping breakfast would only undo your efforts of losing weight. A high-nutrient breakfast gives our body the much-needed calorie burning start. Just make sure that your breakfast is composed of healthy stuff like sprouts, juices, etc and it's not equivalent to the heavy meals you enjoy at weddings. Myth2: Carbs are My Worst Enemy All carbs aren't bad. Soda, a carbohydrate, is bad but broccoli, another carbohydrate, is good. All you need to figure out is which carbs are good for you instead of worrying about the overall carb intake. Re

Is a box of plastic sandwich bags all you need to easily shave 120 calories from each day? Research suggests it may be so. As long as you use those bags to divide up your snacks -- be they nuts, pretzels, crackers, or popcorn -- into small servings. About 100 calories per bag. In a recent study, people whose snacks came prepackaged in low-calorie portions ate about 120 fewer calories each day compared with folks who munched from larger packages. Mini-Snack Strategy More and more research has shown that when people are presented with large servings of food, they typically don't know when to say when. The larger the serving size offered, the more people tend to eat, going so far as to completely empty an overloaded plate or jumbo snack bag even though they'd feel satisfied with a smaller portion. So when you make an effort to eat less and slim down, keep in mind that it really starts with your serving spoon, not your dinner fork. (Here's another important way

There are several types of detox diets . There are those in which you can only eat fruits and vegetables, those in which you can only eat "clean" foods, those in which you can only drink fruit and vegetable juice , and the most extreme type where you can only drink water . You can also do specialized cleanses designed specifically for certain area of the body, for instance the liver, kidneys, blood or lungs. However, most detox diets just involve cleansing the entire body. Below, there is a sample of a seven day detox diet that you can try. First of all, it is important that you have regular bowel movements during a detox because this will lessen the likelihood of toxins being reabsorbed by the body. A good way to make sure you will eliminate regularly is to take 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds in lemon water in the morning, and drink lemon water throughout the day. Flax seeds provide the body with fiber and lemon water has a slightly laxative effect. It

Something as little as this daily 7-minute ritual might help you get skinny. In a study, dieters who spent about 7 minutes meditating each day experienced far fewer food cravings than their nonmeditating peers. And the meditators were far more likely to resist their cravings. Mind over Matter Here's how it all worked: Over a 7-week period, a group of study participants was taught "mindfulness meditation." With this method, they practiced recognizing, accepting, and experiencing their cravings rather than trying to ignore or suppress them. As a result of this meditative practice, people did a better job of holding those cravings off. Researchers think the mindfulness meditation worked better than relying on sheer willpower because the practice helped minimize the frustration and obsessive preoccupation with food triggered by trying, often unsuccessfully, to suppress food cravings. (Find out how yoga helps you avoid overeating.) Choose Your Method Min

Wouldn't it be nice if, just once, you were able to say no to those office muffins or that second helping of Friday night pizza? Well, guess what? Yoga could give you that willpower. That's right. Aside from making you stronger and more flexible, yoga may help you become smarter about food, too. Mind over Muffins In a study, researchers surveyed more than 300 adults on their exercise and eating habits. Detailed questionnaires revealed that people who regularly practiced yoga had a different eating style than people who did other types of exercise. Yoga practitioners were more tuned in to their appetites and were better able to judge when they were full and actually lay down the fork at the appropriate time. Could this be why the yoga devotees had lower body mass indexes on average, too?   Work Your Will Yoga requires calm and focus. The poses also require people to pay close attention to their bodies. And researchers suspect the increased mind-bo

Could a side salad make you fat? Possibly . . . if you let that side salad lull you into eating too much. You see, side salads can play tricks on your mind -- such as making that slice of pizza next to it seem like no big deal, caloriewise. That's exactly what a recent study revealed when people were asked to estimate the calories in big meals. Fooled by Food In the study, participants were shown pictures of high-calorie main dishes, like hamburgers and meatball-pepperoni cheesesteak sandwiches, and were asked to guess the number of calories in them. Interestingly, when a high-calorie food item was pictured with a healthful side dish next to it, people estimated the meal had about 43 fewer calories than when the high-calorie dish was pictured alone. What's more, even the most health-conscious eaters weren't immune to this illusion. In fact, the people who lowballed calorie counts the most were those who reported being extremely conscious of their diets. 

Here are two quick weight loss tricks that are so simple, they're almost too good to be true: Just read and walk. Research shows that middle-aged adults who read food labels and also stick with a regular exercise program -- like walking -- are much more likely to succeed at weight loss than folks who practice just one of these little habits. Portion Patrol Most people are notoriously bad at estimating portion sizes, but being a label reader can help curb that. Knowing how to read and interpret food labels can help you judge portion sizes correctly, so you're less likely to overeat. In fact, in one study, patrons of a popular coffee chain consumed 6 percent fewer calories per transaction when the calorie counts for items on the menu were clearly displayed. Label reading . . . what could be easier? Exercise Extras Combine label reading with regular exercise and you've got a powerful one-two weight loss punch. And you don't have to knock yourself out with marath

You won't lose weight on a diet of celery sticks and dry toast. Your body will just think it's starving and hang onto those extra pounds! Rather, to lose weight effectively and permanently, you need to eat . And eat smart. Happily, there are a host of delicious edibles designed by nature to turn up your fat-burning furnace, flatten your belly, and take a big bite out of your appetite. Here are 11 of the get-slim food gems we're talking about: Yogurt Mmmm . This creamy, tangy snack is loaded with calcium -- and studies show that calcium may curtail weight gain by hindering the absorption of fat in the small intestine. Eggs   Turn breakfast into a fat-burning morning boost by skipping the stack of pancakes and feasting on a couple of eggs instead. According to a study, huevos beat out carbs when it came to helping folks feel full longer and helping them beat back snack attacks later in the day. Pistachios Nuts may be high in fat, but it's t

You know those pills that block fat absorption? There may be a natural snack that offers a similar benefit: toasted nori. This crispy Japanese munchie -- made of thin sheets of seaweed that have been roasted or toasted and lightly salted -- could help your body block fat calories. In a new study, a special fiber found in seaweed appeared to inhibit fat absorption by over 75 percent! Natural Fat-Blocker The fat-blocking fiber in seaweed is called alginate. And in a recent lab study using an artificial gut, alginate interfered with a key enzyme responsible for breaking down dietary fat. The likely result in a real gut? The undigested fat would just pass right through and get expelled, which means fewer fat calories to use or store. Another small study using alginate-spiked drinks provides additional evidence of the fat-blocking effect. In that study, getting just 1.5 grams per day of alginate fiber caused a reduction in calorie intake over the course of a week.    Th

Before you spend 20 minutes pumping iron at the gym or hauling your body up that park hill, feed yourself a little protein-rich snack first. Research suggests that a protein fix before a workout could boost your metabolic rate -- and thus your calorie burn -- for a full 24 hours after you strength train. Muscle Factory Whether you use elastic bands, gym weights, or your own body as resistance, strength training revs up your body's calorie burning from hours to days after a single session. And there are two reasons why: First, your body is simply working overtime to replenish the fuel -- oxygen and blood sugar -- you used up in your workout. But second, your body is also trying to rebuild the muscle broken down in the workout. And, as it turns out, a little extra protein may encourage your body to work even harder on that second part. The Power of Protein In a study done on exercisers, a protein-rich drink consumed 20 minutes before strength-training resulted

Ditching belly fat may be a simple matter of choosing the right rice or bread. And the choice to make? Whole grain. You probably already love whole grains for their heart-healthy, disease-defying superpowers. So new research on their belly-fat-busting abilities should vault whole grains to the top of your grocery list. A One-Grain Guy In fact, the more whole grains you add to your diet in place of refined grains, the better off your waistline will be. In a new study where scientists reviewed the diets of close to 3,000 men and women, they found a strong correlation between belly fat and grain choice. The whole-grain lovers tended to have less belly fat than refined-grain buyers -- and had smaller waists, too. But eating more whole grains had a fat-curbing effect only when it was combined with a low intake of refined grains. So eating that whole-grain cereal at breakfast doesn't mean you can slack off and have the white-bread sandwich at lunchtime.  The Magic Number Just how many

Not a lot of size 6's in your family? Well, then, here's the simple trick to outrunning your obesity genes: movement. In a study of people genetically predisposed to obesity, those who were the most active managed to seriously alter their body's predisposition to gain weight. They were far less likely to pack on pounds over time compared with the least active in the study. Handling Heavy DNA In the recent study, researchers found 12 genes that increased the risk of obesity. And every obesity gene people had correlated to extra weight gain. Still, although certain genes made them more susceptible to obesity, participants were not slaves to their DNA. Exercising about an hour a day dropped the risk of weight gain about 40 percent, compared with the couch potatoes. All in the Family You may have the cards stacked against you when it comes to family health history, but nothing is certain. Only about 30 percent of aging is determined by genetic factors.

When it comes to weight loss, there's no shortage of diet plans. Check any magazine rack, and you're bound to see the latest and greatest diet plans. But how do you know if a diet plan fits your needs and lifestyle? Ask yourself these questions about any diet plan you're considering. Does it: * Include various foods from the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein sources, nuts and seeds? * Include foods you like and that you would enjoy eating for a lifetime — not just for several weeks or months? * Feature foods you can easily find in your local grocery store? * Allow you to eat your favorite foods, or better yet, all foods? * Fit your lifestyle and budget? * Include proper amounts of nutrients and calories to help you lose weight safely and effectively? * Encourage regular physical activity? If you answer no to any of these questions, keep looking. There are better diet plans out there for you.   Diet and exercise

Despite pledges made by some of the leading fast food chains, many seem to still be promoting largely unhealthy meals and choices to children, according to a new report by researchers from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity in New Haven, Conn. The new report examined the marketing of 12 top fast food chains, and then looked at the amount of fat calories, fat, sugar, and sodium in 3,039 kids' meals and 2,781 menu items. The findings are slated to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver. Unhealthy Food Choices Are the Default Of the 3,000-plus kids meals, just 12 met the nutritional criteria for preschoolers, and just 15 met the nutrition criteria set for older children, the study showed. In fact, one single meal from most fast food restaurants contains at least half of young people's daily recommended sodium. Fast food marketing to kids also leaves much to be desired, the researchers rep