America’s Weight Gain Has Supersized Some Surprising Things

By Reader s Digest Magazine

Here’s weighty news: Americans’ expanding waistlines have caused some alarming beefing-up in places you wouldn’t expect.

Ambulances: American Medical Response, the largest ambulance company in the United States, introduced bariatric ambulances in 2001. Their cots can accommodate up to 1,600 pounds, compared with older models that hold only up to 800 pounds.
Caskets: A standard-size casket for adults used to be 24 inches wide, but 28-inch-wide models are becoming more common, according to the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America (CFSA), a trade association for the funeral-supply industry, based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. One company, Goliath Casket, began making 29-inch caskets in the 1980s (the new models hold up to 1,000 pounds) but sold only about one per year. Now they ship half a dozen oversize models every month.

Fuel Usage: Extra pounds cause cars, trucks, and planes to use more gasoline and jet fuel. Americans consume at least one billion more gallons of fuel today than they would if they weighed what they did on average in 1960.

CT Scanners: Imaging companies such as Siemens and General Electric are building new equipment to accommodate Americans’ growing girths. Siemens’s CT scanner went from a 60-centimeter (23.6-inch) diameter in 1997 to an 80-centimeter (31.5-inch) diameter in 2011, a 25 percent increase.

Santa Costumes: In 1996, santasuits.com’s largest offering was size 2X, and oversize suits accounted for just 12 percent of sales. Today, santasuits.com estimates that size 3X suits account for up to 20 percent of sales.

What Hasn’t Changed but Needs to: Airline Seats Based on testing standards designed almost 50 years ago, airline seats are meant to restrain a 170-pound passenger, but today the average American man weighs 195 pounds, and the average woman, 165. These seats may not be as safe for heavy passengers during a crash.

 

 

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The Ingredient in Your Drink that Could Be Making You Overeat

by Lexi Petronis,

We know that sugary beverages pack a lot of calories into their sweet little containers (they’ve taken a lot of heat in the obesity debate). But now the results of a new study are showing that they may also trick our brains into thinking that we’re hungry!

Actually, it’s the fructose in sugar-sweetened drinks that researchers say affect the brain region that regulates appetite. The researchers–who point out that the study does not show that fructose causes obesity–say that participants who drank a cherry-flavored drink with fructose in it experienced a spike in their hypothalamus. The participants who drank the same beverage made with glucose didn’t have the spike.

The conclusion: high-fructose corn syrup and other forms of fructose might actually help lead us to overeat more than glucose does. (Plain table sugar contains both glucose and fructose.) Which means, say the experts, that it’s generally a good idea to cook your own food at home and limit processed foods and drinks that have fructose or high-fructose corn syrup. It doesn’t mean you can’t ever have them–just keep how often (and how much) you have them in check!

Do you try to avoid fructose? What about sugary drinks in general?

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7 Ways to Get Rid of the Refined Sugar Habit

By betterhealthblog.com

Increased consumption of sugar has been linked to some serious health issues such as heart diseases and cancer besides the obvious weight issues. It is also believed that our brain releases dopamine which helps to keep our body happy. However, the fact is that every person has unique physical needs. For example, many people do not prefer consuming sweets even in moderation because they don’t feel the urge to have them. However, contrarily, other people constantly nibble on sweet food because their bodies want so.

The dangers of consuming excessive sugar cannot be overlooked which is why we bring for you some incredible ways to get rid of consuming refined sugar:

1. Stop Drinking Sodas and Sweetened Drinks

All soft drinks contain huge quantities of sugar content in them. You consume around 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 ounce can. If you can stop drinking these soft drinks you can easily lose a lot of fat. Also, try getting rid of candies and cakes, as these contain the highest amount of sugar and carbohydrates both of which are dangerous for your health.

2. Avoid Consuming or Buying Packaged Foods

All sorts of organic packaged food are rich in sugar content. It is much better to prepare your own snacks such as homemade popcorns over the stovetop. You can even consume raw fruits and vegetables as snacks.

3. Choose Wisely When Eating Out

Whenever you choose to eat out, avoid desserts that are prepared using sugar. Instead, go for desserts prepared using fresh fruit and natural sweeteners such as honey. Prefer fruit smoothies, fruit salads, and other salads prepared using less sugar content and healthy dressings.

4. Try Going Sugar-Free At Least for a Week

This could be the best way to know how much sugar content your body needs on average. Go sugar-free for at least a week so your body starts adapting to the dietary change. This will help you gain a lot of confidence as well.

5. Deal with Sugar Cravings

Succumbing to sugar cravings is the major reason why people collect so much fat around their bodies. You can deal with sugar cravings by opting for foods that have natural sources of sugar. Consume fresh fruit when you wish to eat a bar of chocolate, for example.

6. Restrict You Daily Sugar Intake

You can control a lot of sugar intake by restricting your consumption to up to 2 teaspoons of sugar each day. You can either consume these two teaspoons of sugar at breakfast, during lunch or with snacks at any other time of the day.

7. Enjoy Other Food That You Like

Prepare meals that you like as a substitute for sugar laden food. You can always have healthy yet tasty meals every day. For example, roasted portobello mushrooms  toast nuts, roast squash, prepare dish salad, cook soups and stews, etc. There are several other foods that you can enjoy as well. 

 

 

 

 

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Seven Amazing Medicinal Properties of the Banana Plant

By Sayer Ji from Wake Up World

There is much more than meets the eye with the banana. A household favorite, a lost-leader at the grocery store, a metaphor for psychiatric problems, a mainstay of comic slap stick, the banana has woven itself deeply into human affairs, on both gut and mental levels. And this relationship is at least 10,000 years old, as far as conscious human cultivation of the species goes.

But, many do not realize that the banana is more than just an exceptionally starch-rich fruit, but has a complex biochemistry, with pharmacologically active properties. Bananas actually contain the catecholamines dopamine[i] and norepinephrine,the very same adrenal hormones released in the human body when it undergoes the typical “fight-or-flight” response. It is believed that the banana plant uses the biosynthetic pathway for catecholamines when under the stress of attack to fight off infectious pathogens such as in crown rot disease. Some varieties excrete a form of serotonin in their sap,  and there is even mention in the biomedical literature of the discovery of the NSAID drug naproxen (trade name Aleve) within the banana cultivar Musa acuminate. Sound crazy? Well, that’s to be expected from a fruit we commonly associate with a state of unbridled madness.

But the banana has a secret second life. It has been observed slyly practicing medicine without a license, and indeed, seems readily equipped with the following nutritional “super powers”….

1. Green Banana Is Anti-Diarrhea

Before a banana is ripened, while it is in its green state, it contains starches which are resistant to digestion, but have been studied in combination with pectin to significantly reduce intestinal permeability and fluid loss in those suffering with bouts of diarrhea.  Even when used without pectin, green banana has been found to hasten recovery of acute and prolonged childhood diarrhea when managed at home in rural Bangladesh.

2. Banana Is Anti-Ulcer Activity

Banana powder has been studied to prevent ulcer formation induced by a variety of drugs, including aspirin, indomethacin, phenylbutazone, prednisolone, cysteamine, and histamine. Researchers have found that banana powder treatment not only strengthens mucosal resistance against ulcerogens but also promotes healing by inducing cellular proliferation. One of the anti-ulcer compounds identified within unripe banana is the flavonoid known as leucocyanidin, and which is particularly effective against aspirin-induced erosion.

3. Banana Peel Suppresses Prostate Gland Growth

Banana peel has been found to suppress testosterone-induced prostate gland enlargement.

4. Banana Stem Extract suppresses Oxalate Kidney Stones

A water extract of banana stem extract has been found to suppress the formation of oxalate-associated kidney stones in the animal model, leading researchers to conclude that it “may be a useful agent in the treatment of patients with hyperoxaluric urolithiasis.”

5. Banana Consumption Protects the Skin Against UV-Light Damage

UV-B light induced skin damage may be prevented or reduced through the consumption of bananas, with a protective effect against loss of skin elasticity.

6. Banana Has Anti-Diabetic Properties  

Banana flower extract has been studied in a type 1 diabetic model, and has been found to have both antioxidant and blood sugar lowering effects. Banana root extracts have been discovered to contain blood sugar lowering properties comparable in efficacy to the drug glibenclamide (trade name Glyburide).Also, unripe banana contain starches resistant to hydrolysis and therefore beneficial to diabetics.

7. Banana Contains a Variety of Anti-Infective Compounds

Banana contains compounds with demonstrable anti-MRSA activity,  anti-HIV replicative activity, and following metabolic transformation by fungi, anti-leishmanicidal activity. The leaves of the plant are used in many centers in India during the care of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and other extensive blistering disorders which can result in deadly sepsis in the absence of treatment.

 

 

 

About the Author: Sayer Ji is the founder and director of GreenMedInfo.com and co-author of the book The Cancer Killers: The Cause Is The Cure with New York Times best-seller Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Charles Majors. His writings and research have been published in the Wellbeing Journal, the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, and have been featured on Mercola.com, NaturalNews.com, Reuters.com, GaryNull.com, and Care2.com. Check out his newest project: Dr. Gourmet.

Foods That Lower Diabetes Risk

By Erin Palinski RD

November is American Diabetes Month, which brings our attention to Type 2 diabetes — a devastating disease that is rising exponentially. Even children are now being diagnosed with what was thought to be only an “adult disease”.

For those of us who want to prevent diabetes, how can we eat in a way cut the risk and also whittle our middle? What if there were just a few easy superfoods that we can incorporate each day to not only drastically reduce our risk of diabetes, but shrink our waistline in the process? The good news is these foods do exist- and they even taste great!

In my newly released book, Belly Fat Diet for Dummies, I focus on specific foods, seasonings, and spices that have been shown in recent research to target the most dangerous of all fats — belly fat. The great news is that many of these superfoods not only burn up stubborn belly fat, they can actually help decrease insulin-resistance and lower blood sugar, helping to prevent and control diabetes!

FIRST, STOCK UP ON BLUEBERRIES 

A University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study found that when rats consumed just 2% of their calories from blueberries over a 90-day period, they significantly reduced their percentage of belly fat! And this tasty fruit has also been shown to reduce food cravings. This same study also showed a significant increase in insulin sensitivity as well as a decrease in triglyceride levels. 

SECOND, BUY MORE BEANS 

Beans are another great source, especially cannellini beans, since these contain one of the highest levels of resistance-starch (a fiber that resists digestion). This means your body has to work harder, and in turn burn more calories, to digest these, helping promote weight loss. In addition, the low glycemic index of these beans means they have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels. Add these into meals in replacement of higher glycemic index foods, like white rice, for better blood sugar control.

THIRD, GET NUTS

Out of all nuts, walnuts may just be the most effective at burning up belly fat and controlling diabetes. Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are not only strong anti-inflammatory nutrients, but they also help to regulate stress hormones such as cortisol. When stress hormones are elevated in your body, it causes your body to store more fat- specifically belly fat. Consuming a high level of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet can help prevent stress hormones from peaking, meaning less of these hormones are circulating in your body, and therefore you start to store less belly fat. In addition, walnuts can have a significant impact on reducing blood sugar. A recent study found that consuming nuts daily reduced A1c levels by as much as 8%. Another study found that walnuts helped to reduce fasting insulin levels. So sprinkle walnuts onto your salads, yogurt, or just snack on a handful a day for a smaller waist and improved blood sugar control. 

FOURTH, GRAB HOT PEPPERS 

If you like spicy foods, stock up on hot peppers! Rich in capsaicin, these peppers have a thermogenic effect on the body, boosting metabolism and calorie burn, helping to shed unwanted pounds, especially around the midsection. But that’s not their only benefit! A study found that consuming an increased amount of capsaicin for 10 weeks lowered obesity-induced insulin resistance in mice. So add these to everything from salads to chili. You can even use the ground or flaked form to season foods.

 

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