Quick weight loss is the key to long lasting weight loss - Health News Updates

Want to lose weight and keep it off? The best way to do it is to drop the pounds quickly, not slowly, according to new research.

Scientists at the University of Florida, who studied the link between the rate of initial weight loss and overall success long-term, said shedding weight quickly is the best way to achieve lasting results.

"Women who lost at a faster rate, greater than 1.5 pounds (0.68 kilos) a week, had lost more and maintained a greater loss in the long run than women who lost at a slower rate of half a pound (0.23 kilos) a week or less," said researcher Lisa Nackers, whose findings are published online by the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

The women who lost weight faster also kept better food records and ate fewer calories than the other women.

"It shows if you get off to a quick start ... it pays off more in the long run than making smaller behavioral changes," Nackers added in an interview.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese. Research results have been mixed on whether dropping pounds at a slow or quicker pace is best for overall weight loss in the long term.

Nackers said the jury is still out on which is the best method but her findings support the quick approach.

"What we concluded in this study is that the results show that perhaps losing at a faster rate is more reinforcing in terms of the learning period of behavior," she added.

Nackers suggests that physical appearance, body image, increased energy and better mobility may be improved more by shedding weight quickly which can be encouraging to meet goals.

She and her team studied data on 262 middle-aged women who took part in an obesity treatment trial. All the women were encouraged to cut calories and do more exercise.

They split the women into three groups, fast, moderate and slow, according to how much weight they lost in the first month. They also studied how much weight the women had dropped at six and 18 months.

Nackers reported that women in the fast group were five times more likely to achieve a 10 percent loss of their body weight at 18 months than those in the slow group. Women in the moderate group were nearly three times more likely to reach that milestone than the slow group.

Dark chocolate could reduce the risk of brain damage from a stroke - Health News Updates

You may forgo the guilt the next time you gorge on dark chocolate, for a new study has claimed that it could reduce the risk of brain damage from a stroke. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have discovered that a compound called epicatechin, commonly found in dark chocolate, actually protects the brain against strokes by shielding nerve cells.

They based their findings on tests in mice and hope the effects can be replicated in humans.

In their experiment, the scientists gave the mice a dose of epicatechin and then induced a stroke in rodents by cutting of blood supply to the animals' brains.

The findings revealed that the animals that had taken the epicatechin had significantly less brain damage than the ones that had not been given the compound.

And in positive news for eventual human trials, the scientists found epicatechin was a better treatment for stroke than current methods, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

According to the scientists, the findings could be important in the possible treatment of strokes.

"Animals that had preventively ingested the epicatechin suffered significantly less brain damage than the ones that had not been given the compound.

"While most treatments against stroke in humans have to be given within a two- to three-hour time window to be effective, epicatechin appeared to limit further neuronal damage when given to mice 3.5 hours after a stroke.

"Given six hours after a stroke, however, the compound offered no protection to brain cells," Professor Sylvain Doré was quoted as saying.

Prof Dore said the findings, published in the 'Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism' could be a step forward in the understanding of strokes.

"I hope this research into these pathways could lead to insights into limiting acute stroke damage and possibly protecting against chronic neurological degenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and other age-related cognitive disorders," he said.

Coffee and Carbonated soft drinks do not increase the risk of colon cancer- Health News Updates

There is a misconception that coffee and soda boost the risk of colon cancer. A new study suggests that coffee and carbonated soft drinks do not increase the risk of colon cancer.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have drawn the conclusion after analyzing 13 studies, which involved more than 730,000 people in North America and Europe. More than 5,600 developed colon cancer.

Previous studies are bit confusing whereas some findings were suggesting coffee and tea prevent the risk of cancer. And some other findings proved that anti-oxidants containing coffee and tea have also polyamines, which in theory promote cancer.

Sugary sodas are linked to weight gain, obesity, and other conditions that boost the risk of colon cancer.

However, the new study suggests not to consume tea or coffee and soda excessively as too much of everything is injurious to health.

The new research findings, published online on May 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed that drinking more than six eight-ounce cups of coffee or eight-ounce cups of sugar soft drinks a day did not boost the risk of colon cancer.

Tips for preparing sherbets in summer - Summer Food Tips

With summer now fast approaching, its time once again for some cool thirst quenchers, chillers and cool cool juices. Make concentrates, sherbets and store them while you can, to enjoy the freshness of fruit and their cool tangy taste.

A few general observations while making sherbets:

Try to use sulphurless sugar to make the recipes.

Use water which has been boiled and cooled, to give a clearer appearance to transparent concentrates..

All hard fruit should be boiled and peeled in hot water

To store for longer periods preservatives like potassium metabisulphite (KMS) are required. They should be used only in specified quantities. Otherwise they will spoil the texture of the drink, and also affect health if used in large quantities.

As a general rule, 1 kilogram of ready sherbet requires 1/2 tsp. essences unless specific recipes show otherwise.

The procedure of sterilising bottles for filling the sherbets should be sterilised by the same method as explained in jams and pickles.

Add 1/2 tsp. respective essence to 1kg. of the ready syrup where desired. Eg. raw mango does not need essence, while orange will be enhanced by addition of a little essence. So choice depends on taste.

Use unstrained juices (but not seeds) for orange, mosambi or lemon and other such squashes.

Melon - cooling and low calorie fruit - Summer Food Tips

With the onset of summer the temperature will steadily increase and the body will get warmed up with the increased demand for water. Fortunately the nature has provided cool fruits with nutrients to quench the thirst. In India melons appear in the market in abundance during the summer season. A slice of melon is one of the refreshing experiences provided by the nature for the hot season. Melons are cultivated in sandy soil and needs plenty of irrigation. Melons are of large in size and achieve a diameter of even 20 inches. Melons are creepers and plant starts bearing fruit within 4 to 5 months after seeds are sown. Melons are low in calories and high in water content of 95%. Even the seeds of melons are edible.

Watermelon

The botanical name of watermelon is “citrullus vulgaris” and is originated from tropical Africa. This fruit is also known as Tarmuj, Tarbuj, Kallangadi, He’nd wend, Thannir mathan, Kalingad, Tarvuja, Tarbuja, Darbusini, Puchakayi in different languages off India. Watermelons have solid dark green or paler striped skins and red flesh with black seeds embedded in it. Watermelon contains only 16kcal per 100 gms of edible portion. It has good amount of iron that is 7.9mg per 100 gms. It also has 27.3 mg of sodium and 160mg of potassium. The seeds can be roasted and eaten. Watermelon seeds contain 34 gm protein, 52 gm fat, 100 mg calcium, 937 mg phosphorous, 7.4 mg iron and 628 Kilocalories per 100 gm. For calorie watchers it is better to remove seeds before consuming watermelon. The oil extracted from watermelon seeds is mainly used for lighting lamps and also for certain special culinary preparations. The cake seed is good for cattle feed since it contains good protein content.

Muskmelon

Other popular melon is muskmelon or cantaloupe. It belongs to cucumis melon family. It is also known as sweet melon, Kharmuj, Kharbooja, Kherbuj, and Madhupaka. The outer rind of muskmelon has a netted lace like marking. The rind has soft and hard variety and has a yellowish orange or a creamish colour. The fruit is eaten as a delicacy because of its typical musk like flavour and taste. The hard skin pulp is rich orange in colour. The soft skin variety will have creamish pulp. They contain only 17kcal per 100 gms, sodium and potassium content is high in muskmelon. In India muskmelon is cultivated mainly in Punjab, Bihar, Uttar pradesh, Andra pradesh, and Maharashtra. It is also grown in other parts of the tropical world. Muskmelon seeds are also edible. They are used mainly in confectioneries and sweet meats. The seed kernel is tasty and is eaten after removal of the outer covering. The seeds can also be dried and roasted in the oven to make a delicious snack it is rich in protein 36% and fat 45%. There is a belief that the muskmelon seeds are good for eczema.

Nutritionally melons do not contain appreciable amounts of vitamins and minerals but they are low in calories and high in water content that is 95 %. Muskmelon contains some amount of carotene because of its orange flesh. Melons are very low in protein, fat, carbohydrates which makes it suitable for weight loss, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disorders. Melons are considered to be diuretic as it helps in proper excretion of urine and prevents water retention.

How to buy and store melons?

Watermelon should be firm and evenly coloured and should feel heavy. Tap them with your knuckles they should not sound hollow. The side where the melon has rested should be yellowish and not white or green. Melon pieces can be wrapped in clear film and kept in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Muskmelon should feel heavy for their size and give a pleasant and sweet aroma. They should not smell too musky, as this is a sign that they are over ripe.

Preparation of melons

A slice of chilled melons are one of the most refreshing experiences imaginable in summer. Watermelons can be sliced and eaten as such or as small cubes or scoops or can be added in the fruit salads that will not only add to the taste but make it more colourful and attractive. Chilled watermelon Juice is very refreshing during summer. Squeeze a lemon in it for varied taste.

Muskmelons are also best eaten raw, on their own or as a fruit salad. They should always be chilled before servings. A pinch of salt, pepper, and ginger enhances the flavour and taste. Scoops of muskmelon served with ice cream are very delicious to eat. For simplest and pretty desert scoop out balls of different coloured melon flesh of white, orange and red and pile into a glass bowl and serve chilled with lemon juice and mint leaves. Melons can make very good refreshing sorbets, mousses, juices, ice creams, and jams.