Tag: Drink

Dr. Oz: How to Boost Your Metabolism All Day Long

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Here are some fantastic tips from Dr. Oz on how to boost your metabolism all day long:

6:30 A.M.
Do a little yoga. It can double your metabolic rate first thing in the morning. I recommend a gentle cycle of two sun salutations. If you’re new to yoga, check out my seven-minute morning routine (which also includes a few strength-building exercises).

6:40 A.M. 
Drink cold water. Five hundred milliliters of H2O (a little more than a pint) may spike metabolism by 30 percent for as long as an hour. Water triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn stimulates your metabolism. Cold water may also force your body to use energy to warm it.

6:50 A.M. 
Take 500 milligrams of white bean extract. In a 2007 study, people who took the extract (which may slow the absorption of carbs) for 30 days experienced a significant improvement in their muscle-to-fat ratio. That’s good news for metabolism since muscle burns about three times more calories than fat.

7:00 A.M. 
Eat a protein-packed breakfast. Digesting protein takes up to seven times more energy than digesting carbohydrates or fat. Try making a dozen hard-boiled eggs on Sunday, and eat one or two each day.

8:00 A.M. 
Enjoy a cup of joe. Caffeine promotes an increase in norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that keeps your sympathetic nervous system activated and your metabolic rate humming. According to research, coffee may increase the amount of energy you burn by 16 percent for up to two hours.

9:30 A.M. 
Take 50 milligrams of forskolin. Recent studies indicate that compounds in forskolin—an extract derived from a medicinal plant—might break down fat and help raise levels of thyroid hormones, which play an important role in regulating the speed of metabolism.

10:00 A.M.
Snack on tahini dip. Tahini is made from sesame seeds, a rich source of zinc. And zinc may increase the production of leptin, a hormone that improves metabolism and curbs appetite.
11:15 A.M.
Chew a stick of sugarless gum. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that this mindless activity can help your body burn 19 percent more calories per hour. (At that rate, if you chewed gum every waking hour, you’d lose 11 pounds over the course of a year! And likely drive everyone around you nuts.)
12:00 P.M. 
Go for a brisk 15-minute walk. A trip around the block can triple your metabolic rate. This boost continues after you stop moving because the body consumes more oxygen, a crucial player in metabolism, when it’s recovering from exertion.
12:45 P.M.
Spice up lunch with peppers. Capsaicin, the key substance that makes chili peppers hot, stimulates your “fight or flight” stress response and may increase metabolism by 23 percent. Peppers may even improve your muscle-to-fat ratio: Research suggests that capsaicin inhibits the generation of fat cells.
2:00 P.M. 
Sip a cup of green tea. This miracle beverage pairs caffeine with a compound known as EGCG—and together they create an even greater bump in metabolism than caffeine alone. Studies also indicate that green tea may reduce body fatand trim the waistline.
5:00 P.M.
Use your muscles—with your mind. Believe it or not, visualizing a workout can actually trick your body into strengthening your calorie-zapping muscle: A Cleveland Clinicstudy discovered that participants who spent 15 minutes a day imagining flexing their biceps had a 13.5 percent increase in their strength after three months.
5:15 P.M.
Use your muscles—with your muscles. After age 30, we lose 3 to 8 percent of our muscle mass per decade, which is one of the main reasons metabolism slows. To counteract that loss, aim to do two to three 30-minute strength-training sessions a week, using moves that engage as many muscles as possible, like squats, planks, and lunges.

6:30 P.M. 
Cook dinner with coconut oil. Most of the oils we eat are converted largely into fat. But coconut oil, with its unique molecular makeup, is rapidly converted into energy—and may causea 12 percent bump in your metabolism.

6:55 P.M. 
Add dairy to your meal. Calcium can help improve your muscle-to-fat ratio in two ways: It binds with fat to reduce the body’s absorption of fat. And any remaining calcium typically circulates in your bloodstream, helping to break down fat cells.

7:00 P.M. 
Garnish with dill weed or chives. Both of these herbs are packed with kaempferol, a flavonoid that has been shown to increase the production of metabolism-spurring thyroid hormones by about 150 percent.
7:45 P.M. 
Unwind with a glass of wine. Alcohol can raise your metabolic rate for up to 95 minutes. In fact, a large peer-reviewed study found that women who regularly enjoy a drink are seven to eight pounds lighter, on average, than teetotalers.

10:30 P.M.
Hit the hay. Irregular sleep patterns can disrupt the circadian rhythm of your cells, throwing your metabolism out of whack. Do your best to get a steady eight hours of rest each night.

Keep reading: 4 more ways to turn back the clock

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/How-to-Increase-Your-Metabolism-All-Day/7#ixzz1wSfYZpRa

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Happy Saint Patty’s Day: Beer Nutrition

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By , About.com Guide

Beer and nutrition? You don’t usually see those two words together, but perhaps beer is a bit misunderstood. It may actually be good for you when consumed in very moderate amounts.

Beer has been brewed for just about as long as humans have been cultivating crops and is actually made with some very healthy ingredients. Those ingredients are hops, brewer’s yeast, barley and malt. There are different styles of beer and each style has a distinctive flavor and color. Tasting and learning about the different types of beer is as much fun as tasting and learning about the different types of wine.

Part of a Healthy Diet

Drinking one beer per day may be good for your health because it has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Why? Some experts suggest these reasons:
  • The folate found in beer may help to reduce homocysteine in the blood and lower homocysteine levels mean a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
  • Lab studies have found constituents in beer that lower triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol in mice.
  • Drinking one beer per day reduces blood clotting so some studies found that cardiovascular patients who drank one beer per day also lived longer.

Other studies have found that women who consume one beer each day have improved mental health. Drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages in moderation may also improve bone density.

Of course that doesn’t mean that if one beer is good, three or four must be better. That isn’t true. Drinking more than one beer or any alcoholic beverage per day can put too much alcohol in your system and that isn’t good for you. Heavy drinking has been associated with several health problems, so moderation is definitely the key with drinking beer. The studies also point to one beer per day as being beneficial, not drinking all seven beers in one day per week. That type of binge drinking will overload you system with alcohol too.

The benefits of beer nutrition probably have nothing to do with the alcohol and there are some low-alcohol beers and non-alcohol beers available which offer the same heart-protective effect as regular and light beers.

 

Nutrition Information

According to Michael Jackson, the Beer Hunter, Trappist monks drank beer to sustain themselves during their Lenten fasts. They called their beer “liquid bread.”

We don’t tend to think much about the nutritional aspects of beer, but according to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one 12-ounce serving of regular beer has the following nutrients:

Beer is actually a good source of folate, niacin, magnesium, potassium and niacin.

Drinking Too Much

While drinking one beer per day may improve your health, heavy drinking will not. In fact heavy drinking has the opposite effect. Heavy drinking is defined as more than 21 drinks per week for women and more than 35 drinks per week for men. Drinking heavily leads to liver damage, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, pancreatic diseases, severe thiamin deficiency and some cancers.

Who Shouldn’t Drink Beer?

Beer drinking isn’t for every one. Some people have personal or religious reasons for not drinking beer or other alcoholic drinks. That’s OK. All of the health benefits of beer can be found in other foods beverages. The following people should not drink beer, or should speak with their doctor before drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages:
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding women should not drink beer. Even small amounts of alcohol can damage a developing fetus.
  • Young people. In the United States the drinking age is 21, in Canada the drinking age is 18 or 19. Other countries vary.
  • People with liver, pancreatic diseases, or really, any type of chronic disease should speak with their doctor.
  • People with gout should avoid beer. Gout is very painful and is triggered by alcohol.
  • People taking any type of medications should speak with their doctor. This includes over-the-counter medications.

Image

Remember, “healthy drinking” is 1 for women, 2 for men a day.  After that, you’re just loading up on empty calories.  

According to the National Institutes of Health if you knock off 5 or more drinks — you raise your risk of death from a heart attack 30%.  And if you drive — you raise the risk of killing someone else.  If you drink to be cool –the Mom, wife, husband, son or daughter of someone you accidentally killed will beg to differ.

If you don’t drink –you get the same “healthy drinking” benefits from exercise & good nutrition.  

Happy & Healthy St. Patty’s Day, everyone!  🙂

MD

 

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Sober Up to Safe Soda and Cocktails

Published on by mariadorfnerLeave a comment

According to a survey conducted by the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, 95 percent of people do not know what constitutes safe levels of drinking.  That’s a lot of ignorance. Maybe since they may be drunk, the “ignorance is bliss” adage rings true.

That said, I thought I’d take a moment to raise awareness because young people responded to the survey by saying they thought 8 or 9 drinks were “risk-free” and “safe.”  Pay attention and Sober Up youth of America and Australia.

FACT:  Safe drinking is TWO drinks per day for men and women.  Some say one for women.  For special occasions, FOUR drinks over 6 hours.

People will say things like, “Yeah…but I’m tall” or “I weigh a lot, so I can drink a lot more than the average bloke” to excuse going over that amount.  Some will even say the food they ate is absorbing the alcohol. Sober Up, excuse makers.

News Flash:  It may take longer for the alcohol to catch up with your cheeseburger and fries, but it will travel through your bloodstream just the same.  Your height, weight or food intake is not a reason to overindulge.

I never acquired a taste for beer or alcohol in my youth. It may have to do with my thought that alcohol was loaded with empty calories.  I was into fitness, even as a kid. So, my beverage of choice back then was TAB. What?

Back then, there was a commercial of Elle McPherson sauntering on a beach in a red bikini drinking TAB. I thought if I drank enough of it, I’d look like her.

I switched from the pink can to the one Paula Abdul was holding while dancing on Elton John‘s piano keys. I’m still not sure why I thought that was SO cool, but Abdul even set a fashion trend as we began wearing ties in college like Annie Hall.

Youth of America is easily influenced.  It’s not just me. Today, there are studies (see links at the end of this blog) that show teens are still influenced by what they see on television and in films.  Advertisers know this and they don’t give a hoot about your health. They care about you buying into whatever they’re selling.

It would be years before I learned the aspartame used in diet sodas increase insulin resistence, which leads to an increase in blood sugar, which leads to weight gain. That’s right.  They lied to the youth of America. I bet we can trace the “Obesity Epidemic” and “Increase in Diabetes” back to those TAB and Diet Coke commercials that brainwashed millions of us into thinking we were “healthy” if we were holding a can of diet soda in our hand.

By the time young people realize the truth, they are already: 1) old and 2)  suffering from strange ailments with unknown causes. I had cramps when I drank diet colas, and never imagined it could have been caused by the diet cola in my hand.

Another ailment so many in my own generation suffered from were infertility problems.  Lots of otherwise healthy people with healthy parents who had 3 to 6 kids with no problems were suddenly having issues.  We often joked something was in the water. Maybe something was in the SODA.  Today, if you google “toxic diet coke” on YouTube, you’ll find out the truth.  Chris Wragge at CBS interviewed Dr. Jennifer Ashton about the health dangers of diet soda and found they may increase your risk of stroke by 48 percent.  Sober Up on the Facts about Diet Soda by clicking on some of the links at the end of this article & watching the videos.

I’m happy I haven’t gone near diet soda in 7 years. I quit my diet cola and coffee addiction and now feel amazing. It wasn’t easy, but I feel incredibly healthy.

My advice to everyone is if you suffer from ANY aliment and you and/or physicians do not know the cause –look at what you’re eating and drinking FIRST.  Eliminate soda.  Your aches, pain or symptoms may mysteriously vanish naturally.  A safe soda choice is none. Unfortunately, it’s addicting so if you can’t shake your soda habit –take it one day at a time.  Try to limit it slowly until you can get rid of it completely. Switch to water as often as you can.

Back to alcohol. Is there any such thing as a smart cocktail?  Lisa Lillien says the following drinks are your best bet if you don’t want to pile on empty calories:

POMEGRANATE MARTINI.  A 4-oz. serving made with flavored vodka and pure pomegranate juice (half and half each) has about 185 calories. The juice packs a ton of flavor, plus a punch of antioxidants.

 

 

 

 

RED WINE. A glass of red wine is about 120 calories for 5 ounces.  If it’s a jumbo wine glass, she recommends not filling it to the top. Half works best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAIQUIRI.  A low-cal daiquiri using frozen fruit with no added sugar.  Strawberries are a good choice because they’re naturally sweet: Mix 3 partially thawed berries in a blender with ice, 1/2 oz. lime juice, and a 1 1/2 oz. shot of rum. Add just enough water to blend.

 

 

 

    RASBERRY CHAMPAGNE.  Pour champagne, then add a few raspberries. That’s about 100 calories per 5-oz. glass.

 

 

 

 

 

   SPRITZER.  Add club soda and ice to a glass of white wine and voila.

 

 

 

 

CALORIE BOMBS

 

CHOCOLATE MARTINI. Lillien says to “Beware the chocolate martini.”  It’s loaded with heavy cream and sugary syrup, which can add up to 500 calories.

 

 

 

 

WARM MULLED WINE. Loaded with honey and sugar.

 

 

 

 

 

PINA COLADAS. These favorites can top 600 calories.

 

 

 

 

  CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS. One flute with fruit juice and sugary liqueur will run more than 200 calories.

 

 

 

 

 

Remember, the safe limit is TWO drinks or FOUR drinks over 6-hours on special occasions.  Safe soda is NO SODA.

Share this information whenever you can. If anyone drinks more than that —don’t let them drive.  An innocent person shouldn’t die because you want to get a “buzz.”  How can you tell if you have a problem with alcohol? You can take this Quiz:  http://alcoholism.about.com/od/problem/a/blquiz1.htm

When is the right age to start talking to your kids about alcohol and safe drinking?  As young as 8-years-old.  Also remember that children learn by observing you.  So, Sober Up and talk to your children and teens about drinking safely, and not driving if they consume more than that. And set a good example yourself.

Stay Healthy.  Cheers!!!

🙂

[Source for smart drinks vs. dumb drinks: http://www.hungry-girl.com]

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How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?

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Water: How much should you drink every day?

Water is essential to good health, yet needs vary by individual. These guidelines can help ensure you drink enough fluids.

By Mayo Clinic staff

How much water should you drink each day? It’s a simple question with no easy answers. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years, but in truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.

Although no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body’s need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.

Health benefits of water

   

Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don’t have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.

How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?

Everyone has heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s about 1.9 liters, which isn’t that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the “8 by 8” rule isn’t supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it’s easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: “Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day,” because all fluids count toward the daily total.

Factors that influence water needs

You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.

  • Exercise. If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, and the duration and type of exercise. During long bouts of intense exercise, it’s best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Also, continue to replace fluids after you’re finished exercising.
 
  • Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
 
  • Illnesses or health conditions. When you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea, your body loses additional fluids. In these cases, you should drink more water. In some cases, your doctor may recommend oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade, Powerade or CeraLyte. Also, you may need increased fluid intake if you develop certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones. On the other hand, some conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
 
  • Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.
 

Beyond the tap: Other sources of water

Although it’s a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don’t need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it’s calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.

Staying safely hydrated

Generally if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or light yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. If you’re concerned about your fluid intake or have health issues, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that’s right for you.

To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. It’s also a good idea to:

  • Drink a glass of water or other calorie-free or low-calorie beverage with each meal and between each meal.
 

Although uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who eat an average American diet.

Question:

Alkaline water: Better than plain water?

Is alkaline water better for you than plain water?

Answer:

from Mayo Clinic Nutritionist, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

For most people, plain water is best.

Alkaline water has a higher pH level than does tap water. Some proponents say that alkaline water can neutralize acid in your bloodstream, boost your energy level and metabolism, and help your body absorb nutrients more effectively. Others say that alkaline water can help you resist disease and slow the aging process. However, researchers haven’t verified these claims.

Some research does suggest that alkaline water may slow bone loss, but further study is needed to determine if the positive effects can be maintained over the long term or influence bone mineral density overall.

Mayo Clinic
Image via Wikipedia
 

It’s Not Your Grandmother’s Nursing Home: More Binge Drinkers than in College Dorms, CDC Study

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Seniorsdrinkingblog
Credit: Corbis

Nursing homes may house more frequent binge drinkers than college dorms.

In addition to finding that binge drinking is bigger than previously thought, a CDC report shows that while most binge drinkers are college students, those who binge most often are over 65.

More than 50 percent of the consumed alcohol in the United States is drunk while binge drinking, researchers found. The report revealed other surprises:

  • The income bracket with the most binge drinkers is well off, with incomes over $75,000
  • The poorest income bracket (less than $25,000) drinks the most per binge
  • people who binge are not alcoholics

BLOG: Human Drinking May Damage Memory

The survey of 457,677 Americans asked both how often people engaged in binge drinking, and how many drinks they downed in a single session.

Binge drinking is most common in the Midwest, with Wisconsin adults who indulge in the practice topping the charts at 25.6 percent. It’s lowest in Utah, at 10.9 percent.

NEWS: Light Drinking Said OK for Pregnant Women

Make no mistake, however: college-age young adults still drink a lot: 28 percent of those ages 18 to 24 said they binged on alcohol four times a month, averaging 9.3 drinks per binge. And more than 90 percent of the alcohol youth drink occurs during binges.

SOURCE: DISCOVERY CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) LINK:  http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=11158 

“People who binge drink are not alcoholics. Give it time. Binge eaters eventually got added to the spectrum of eating disorders. Just give it time, I say. And let’s hope there is always someone available, who hasn’t been binge drinking, to drive these individuals home.  Oh wait.  The ones in the Nursing Home ARE already home.  Come to think of it, so are the ones in Dorms.  O.K. Party on, then!!” ~Maria Dorfner

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