Thursday, December 31, 2015
Answers for the Four Big Questions About Patient Transportation
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Wednesday, December 30, 2015
How Group Fitness Training Classes Can Help You Become Fit
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Monday, December 28, 2015
Intelligent Software to Detect Posture Problems
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Saturday, December 26, 2015
Reality About Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
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Is Aspirin Easy to Use?
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Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Four Steps To Optimal Health
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What Is Nasal Fracture Surgery?
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6 Morning Habits of Naturally Thin People
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Tuesday, December 22, 2015
5 Ways You Can Literally Lose Weight In Your Sleep
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VED Analysis Of A Meaningful Relationship In Old Age
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The Importance Of Water To The Human Body
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Monday, December 21, 2015
This Is How to Cut 3,500 Calories In One Day (Yes, Really)
On the Stop & Drop Diet, many of our testers lost a pound a day during the initial Kickstart eating plan. We know what you’re probably thinking: “Really? Can you really lose a whole pound in one day?” The answer is yes—and this is why. As a general rule, a deficit of 3,500 calories will lead to a pound of fat loss. Cut 3,500 calories out of your day, and you will lose weight quickly.
In order to drop that many calories and still have enough to eat, you’d have to already be eating almost 5,000 calories a day. I couldn’t believe most Americans eat that much, but consider the example in the chart below. This is how much weight you could lose by switching to Stop & Drop’s Kickstart meal plan from a typical day of eating.
Follow the easy meal plan (on the right) for a day of delicious food, and see how many calories you cut from your daily routine. For even more tasty options, check out these smart food swaps for every craving. To learn more about the Stop & Drop Diet, visit stopanddropdiet.com.
Read More: How to Lose a Pound a Day By Eating Your Favorite Foods
Read More: 12 Perfect Food Swaps for Every Craving
The post This Is How to Cut 3,500 Calories In One Day (Yes, Really) appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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Saturday, December 19, 2015
How to Lose a Pound a Day While Eating Your Favorite Foods
You embrace vegetables. You choose skim milk over half-and-half. You opt for whole wheat bread over white, mustard over mayo. So why does the number on the scale keep creeping up?
The possible culprits, of course, have been the subject of other successful diet books. You might be prone to wheat belly. You might lack belly-slimming MUFAs. Perhaps you suffer from an imbalance of gut bacteria. But even if you have one of these conditions, chances are excellent the following three factors are helping to pile on the pounds and make you hold on to extra weight. The fix starts here.
1. Similar Foods Don’t Equal Similar Calories
Having written about health and weight loss for more than 20 years, I consider myself savvy about food. But as I researched Stop & Drop Diet, I was surprised to find huge calorie differences among foods that seem very similar.
Take the humble burger. If you make your patty with ground beef; top it with lettuce, tomato, a couple of slices of cheese, and a big squirt of ketchup; and plop it in a regular bun, that’s a 570-calorie meal. If, instead, you make your burger with 95 percent lean ground beef, replace the cheese with sautéed onions or mushrooms, and use less ketchup, you can slash 332 calories—without sacrificing any taste. Or consider the restaurant menu at TGI Fridays: The ten-ounce Jack Daniel’s sirloin has 130 more calories than the ten-ounce grilled sirloin. Why? Extra carbs in the sauce.
2. Small Calorie Differences Matter
Sometimes calorie differences are not that dramatic: One slice of Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Honey Wheat Bread is 120 calories; a piece of the brand’s Whole Grain Honey Bread is 110 calories. A Freschetta frozen pizza has 50 more calories per serving than a Newman’s Own version. The large bowl of Vegetarian Minestrone soup atAu Bon Pain has 80 more calories than the small. But over time and in larger portions, these differences add up. You could gain up to 20 pounds a year by consistently adding these few extra calories to your meals.
3. Oversize Portions Befuddle Your Brain
California Pizza Kitchen has a Chinese chicken salad that I used to love—until I found out it had 790 calories, 36 grams of fat, and 39 grams of sugar! Luckily, CPK offers half-size portions of its salads—and I’m not hungry even though I’m eating only half as much. How can that be? Study after study has found that the more food we’re served, the more we eat. In one study from Penn State University nutrition professor Barbara Rolls, PhD, people who bought a bigger portion of pasta ate nearly 50 percent more calories than those who had a regular size.
Whether it’s because we were told to “clean your plate” as kids or because we hate to waste food or we just don’t notice how much we’re eating, this tendency to eat all we’re given has become a big problem. That’s because the portions we’re given have grown. In the mid-1950s, McDonald’s sold only one size of fries, and it was one third the size of a “supersize” order in 2002. Burger King sold only a 3.9-ounce burger in the 1950s; in 2002, one option was more than three times that size. If the only change you make to your eating habits is to make your portions smaller, you will shed calories and pounds.
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The Stop & Drop Solution
I decided to write Stop & Drop Diet (and the accompanying online course, available at stopanddropdiet.com) because I knew weight loss could be simpler. No one wants to outlaw carbs, subsist on smoothies, or forgo dessert forever. As any serial dieter can tell you, too-restrictive plans are almost impossible to stick with. This is my first book that includes comprehensive information for people who frequently eat out and rely on convenience foods. You’ll learn how making smart choices at every meal and snack can add up to big calorie savings—and a big change on the scale. You stop eating unhealthy versions of the foods you love so you can drop the weight—up to a pound a day.
With the help of registered dietitian Mindy Hermann and the Reader’s Digest health team, I went aisle by aisle through the grocery store to evaluate more than 40,000 products. Then we gathered information from popular chain-restaurant menus, along with recipes for everyday dishes you’re likely to cook at home, such as pancakes, chili, and spaghetti. The result: the ultimate guide on what to stop eating, and what to start eating, to lose.
The heart of the diet is a three-phase plan that offers mix-and-match meals that are calorie controlled and nutritionally balanced. Kickstart, the first phase, accelerates weight loss so you can shed pounds quickly for maximum motivation. The second phase, Steady Loss, allows a slightly higher calorie allowance—you keep losing weight while still enjoying your favorite foods so you don’t feel deprived. The final part, Maintain, ensures you stick to your healthy habits to keep the weight off.
But the soul of the plan is a comprehensive guide to the best (and worst) food choices wherever you are, whether you’re cooking at home, perusing the grocery store, or dining out. Across soups, salads, breakfasts, sandwiches, main dishes, drinks, desserts, and snacks, Mindy and I identified more than 700 delicious, accessible foods to eat and drop weight.
Real-Life Results
To ensure that Stop & Drop Diet was as simple and effective as I envisioned, I recruited nine Reader’s Digest readers and employees to try it with me. Every single one of us lost weight—at least a pound a day in the first five days for the majority. Everyone agreed that the plan was easy and convenient. “I needed something that would fit with my hectic schedule,” says Karen Woytach, 34, a stay-at-home mom of three who lost 18 pounds after 21 days. “Knowing I can go to the grocery store, stick to my budget, and feed my whole family is a huge part of why I was so successful.” Angela Mastrantuono, 47, who dropped eight pounds in the first five days, “couldn’t believe the foods you’re allowed to eat.” For Donna Lindskog, 48, it was all about Stop & Drop Diet’s flexibility. “It gave me solutions I could easily find at a fast-food place or restaurant,” says Lindskog, who shed 12 pounds in 12 days. “I was eating more balanced meals, so I had fewer cravings. I was more satisfied while eating less.”
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The Nutrition Behind the Diet
You can lose weight if you make swaps based purely on calorie counts, but over time you might deprive yourself of valuable nutrients. I worked with registered dietitian Mindy Hermann to make sure all the meals in Stop & Drop Diet are high in protective nutrients and low in health-harming ingredients. Power up with:
Lean protein to boost metabolism and muscle strength. Dieters on a high-protein, high-dairy diet lost more fat and gained more muscle than those eating less protein and dairy.
Fiber to keep you full. Researchers compared a high-fiber oatmeal breakfast with low-fiber cornflakes. Oatmeal eaters had less at their next meal.
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), found in nuts and olive oil, to help shed dangerous belly fat.
Calcium to burn more calories. In the Framingham Heart Study, people who ate the most dairy gained less weight and fewer inches around their waists than people who ate less dairy.
Vitamin C to boost your immune system and fat loss. People deficient in vitamin C may have a harder time shedding not only colds but also pounds.
And stop eating:
Saturated and trans fats, which raise cholesterol and increase inflammation. The 41,000 people in the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study were more likely to gain weight if their diet was high in these fats.
Sodium, which can raise blood pressure and cause bloating.
Added sugars and other refined carbs, which contain empty calories and raise blood sugar.
Each day of the Stop & Drop Diet meal plan provides about:
- 60 g protein
- 25 g fiber
- Less than 2,400 mg sodium
- 75 mg vitamin C
- 1,000 mg calcium
Read: 12 Smart Swaps For Every Food Craving
The post How to Lose a Pound a Day While Eating Your Favorite Foods appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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Cut Calories to Lose Weight: 12 Perfect Food Swaps For Every Craving
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Friday, December 18, 2015
The Top Three Reasons You Should Major in Sports Medicine
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Understanding Chiropractic Treatment
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Urgent and Primary Care: Why They Are So Important
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Thursday, December 17, 2015
Preventing Sports and Fitness Related Injuries
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Evolution of X-Ray Machines
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Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Signs And Contraindications For Laser Therapy
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Tuesday, December 15, 2015
A Salute to A Father Happily Approaching 94, In Spite of Dementia, Knee Arthritis, & Urine Blockage
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How to Get the Perfect Leg Resistance Band?
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Reasons and Factors to Join Fitness Gyms
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5 Things Your Nails Are Trying to Say About Your Health
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Monday, December 14, 2015
How to Choose The Right Hospital For Your Treatment
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pH Balance: Easy Tips On How To Balance pH Naturally
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Saturday, December 12, 2015
A Cup of Hot Herbal Tea for a Healthier Cold Season
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Friday, December 11, 2015
Low Carb or Low Fat? Treadmill or Elliptical? Surprising Answers to 8 Contentious Health Debates
1. What’s healthier in your coffee—sugar or artificial sweeteners?
Winner: Sugar.
Go ahead and opt for the real stuff. Not because artificial sweeteners aren’t safe (they are, confirms the FDA), but the premise that we should eat “real foods” in moderation is persuasive. Whereas your body knows how to deal with sugar (i.e., you burn it for energy and, if you eat too much of it, store the rest as fat), emerging animal research suggests that, on the other hand, a habit of artificial sweeteners may interfere with metabolism and blood sugar regulation, possibly even contributing to weight gain and glucose intolerance. (One possible exception: People with diabetes, who must closely monitor their blood sugar levels, should talk to their doctor about the healthiest choices for them.)
But more important than how you sweeten your java is your overall intake of sugar or artificial sweeteners, says Elisa Zied, RDN, a former spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the author of Younger Next Week.
The World Health Organization says adults should limit sugar intake to about six teaspoons total each day (one can of soda can have about ten teaspoons). While FDA recommended limits for sweeteners vary, Zied advises using no more than a couple of packets a day.
2. Which provides a superior workout—treadmill or elliptical?
Winner: Treadmill.
You can raise your heart rate and burn calories on any piece of cardio equipment, but every time your foot comes down on that treadmill belt, you get the bonus of building bone strength too, says Jessica Matthews, senior adviser for health and fitness education for the American Council on Exercise. Unlike the elliptical, only weight-bearing exercises—such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, and weight training—help to preserve bone density.
Most exercisers also simply like the treadmill more than the elliptical, found a recent study published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills, which is a helpful factor if they’re trying to stick to an exercise program. That said, folks with arthritis or who are overweight may find the lower-impact elliptical to be more comfortable for their joints, says Matthews.
3. Which diet is more effective for weight loss—low fat or low carb?
Winner: Low carb.
Researchers have been bickering over this diet dilemma for decades, but last year, a randomized study funded by the National Institutes of Health firmly tipped the scales in favor of low-carbohydrate diets.
At the end of 12 months, low-carb eaters lost more weight than did low-fat dieters (about eight pounds more). But a low-carb diet doesn’t mean no carb, points out Melina Jampolis, MD, president of the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists.
Low carbers in the NIH study, for example, took in about 30 percent of their calories from carbohydrates—about 110 grams of carbs a day for a 1,500-calorie diet. That equates roughly to a cup of oatmeal with half a cup of blueberries and a teaspoon of brown sugar, a small apple, a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt with half a cup of high-fiber cereal, and one piece of whole wheat bread, as well as a lot of veggies and protein. Plenty of wiggle room for pasta lovers.
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4. Which is better when you’re tired—exercise or an extra hour of sleep?
Winner: Exercise.
Both sleep and exercise are essential to your health, but tacking on an extra hour after a full night’s sleep is not going to be as beneficial as a morning sweat session.
A single workout can reduce depressive symptoms and lower blood pressure for hours, even in people without hypertension, studies have found. What’s more, workouts can be energizing. A 2006 review of studies by scientists at the University of Georgia found a strong link between physical activity and a reduction in fatigue. Randomized-controlled experiments done by the same researchers in 2008 and 2010 confirmed: Working out doesn’t zap energy—it builds it.
5. Which is the better germ fighter—soap or hand sanitizer?
Winner: Soap.
While soap doesn’t kill microbes, as the alcohol in some sanitizers can, washing with suds and water makes for cleaner hands, according to the infectious-disease experts at the CDC. Multiple studies have found that the combo of running water, lathering with soap, and friction from rubbing hands for 20 seconds removes the highest number of certain sickness-causing bacteria and viruses. No need to use warm or hot water—it doesn’t seem to help clear any more germs than cool water does and may actually dry out your hands more. When you can’t get to soap and water, a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is a decent second choice, says the CDC.
6. Which is healthier for your feet—wedge heels or ballet flats?
Winner: Wedge heels.
Both allow for even distribution of your body weight, since there’s ample contact between the sole of the shoe and the floor (versus, say, stiletto heels). But more support can put wedges on top, says Michele Summers Colon, DPM, a podiatrist and shoe designer in El Monte, California. “Very flat flats are the worst shoes you can wear,” says Summers Colon. “There is no support for the mid-foot, so the ankle tends to roll inward, causing ankle, calf, and even knee soreness.”
7. Which toothbrush works better—electric or manual?
Winner: Electric.
Studies have seesawed, but finally a Cochrane review of 56 studies confirmed in 2014 that powered brushes remove 11 to 21 percent more plaque than do manual ones and reduce other symptoms of gum disease better. Another helpful feature of many electric brushes? The timer. “Patients often don’t realize how little time they spend cleaning their teeth,” says Ricardo Vidal Gonzalez, DDS, of the Mayo Clinic. “Most dentists agree that proper brushing takes at least two minutes and recommend that to their patients, but many people brush less than a minute.”
Good brushing is one of the most critical ways to promote not only good oral health but systemic health as well, Dr. Gonzalez adds. “An infection in the mouth can negatively affect the cardiovascular system, diabetic patients, and the health of pregnant women.”
While most generally healthy people can keep their mouths in shape by brushing with a regular toothbrush twice a day, he says, those with gum disease or issues like arthritis, which can make regular brushing tough, will probably get more benefit from an electric.
8. Which is preferable for
good digestion—yogurt or
a probiotic supplement?
Winner: Yogurt and other fermented foods.
“Food is always the best way to get your nutrients,” says Gerard Mullin, MD, director of Integrative GI Nutrition Services at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and author of The Gut Balance Revolution. The synergistic effects of all the components in whole foods can’t be duplicated in a supplement. When you’re shopping for probiotic-containing foods such as kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha, look for live and active cultures on labels. If you can’t stand the taste of foods that contain probiotics, ask your doctor to recommend a high-quality supplement, says Dr. Mullin.
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Five Things To Consider When Choosing Health Clubs
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Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Avoid Long-Term Issues By Treating Your Car Accident Knee Injuries
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The Link Between Responsibility, Epigenetics and Health
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What You Must Know About Genetically Modified Animals
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Friday, December 4, 2015
Health Equals Wealth
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Why Health Equals Wealth
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Thursday, December 3, 2015
Your Lighting And Your Health: Are Your Lights Preventing Sleep?
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Combining Pilates With Yoga Can Do Wonders
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