Sugar's toll on your health

The bitter news that the average American eats 130 pounds of sugar a year explains why obesity and other weight-related health problems are on the rise. Sugar causes weight gain and can also affect your health in the following negative ways, which is more than enough convincing evidence to show that sugar has no place in your diet.

What the research says about sugar

1. Sugar is believed to be the main cause of childhood and obesity
2. Sugar is believed to be the main cause of childhood sickness
3. Sugar is believed to be the main cause of Type 2 diabetes
4. Sugar is believed to be the main cause of hypertension
5. Sugar is believed to be the main cause of heart disease
6. Sugar is blamed as a culprit of rising rates of number one killers such as heart disease
7. Sugar increases blood levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol
8. Sugar increases risk factors for cardiovascular disease
9. Sugar helps cancer cells grow
10. Sugar is addicting and has a drug-like effect on the brain

The sugar solution

Your solution to avoiding the above health problems is to cut sugar from your diet. As the evidence shows, sugar is toxic and has no health benefits. It's not only harmful to your health, but it can also be addicting, so even a small amount could potentially lead you to wanting more, which can make you gain weight and also put you at risk for serious health conditions.


Foods with hidden sugar

In addition to avoiding processed and packaged foods that are high in sugar, look out for foods with hidden sugar in them. You'd be surprised which ones do contain sugar: bread, yogurt, sauces and peanut butter.

Are you frustrated with fad diets or dieting with no direction? Learn how to lose weight the fast and healthy way with WeightLossNYC! Call 718-491-5525 for your first appointment.

Source: cbsnews.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, blood sugar, cancer, childhood obesity, childhood weight gain, cholesterol, cravings, diet, heart disease, manhattan, nutrition facts, ny, nyc, obesity, weight gain

Eat your legumes!

Yes, beans really are a miracle food of sorts. Packed with fiber and a high water content, they can also help you stay nice and trim. Here are some great reasons why you should make beans a staple in your diet.

Beans are satisfying

Because they contain a lot of fiber and water, they help you feel full and satisfied -- in a good way. The benefit: You eat less food and snack less, which can help you lose weight as you consume less overall calories. Fill up on healthy foods like beans instead of high-calorie foods with no health benefits!

Stay or get thin

Because you stay fuller longer and eat less, that means you'll be thinner, have less weight around the waist and weigh on average 7 pounds lighter than those who do not regularly consume beans, according to a recent study.

Other health benefits

With a slimmer waistline, you'll also have a decreased chance of diabetes and heart disease. The antioxidants present in beans (1/3 of your daily intake) can also help keep the free radicals at bay and provide some protection against cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Tip: If you buy canned beans, find a low- or no-salt version.

Source: fitsugar.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, calories, cancer, diabetes, diet, dieting, heart disease, heart health, ny, nyc, sodium, weight loss

Good news for Type 2 diabetics

Are you an adult suffering from Type 2 diabetes and trouble with mobility? New research says there's hope. You can improve your mobility through some positive lifestyle changes, weight loss and exercise.

The facts

In the 4-year study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services published in The New England Journal of Medicine, more than 5,000 overweight or obese adults, who were between 45 and 75 years old with type 2 diabetes, were put into two different groups: intensive lifestyle intervention or diabetes education and support. It found that the lifestyle intervention group experienced a reduction of 48% in the risk of loss of mobility. Increased fitness and weight loss were considered to be major factors in this result.

The conclusion

Weight loss and improved fitness were found to slow the decline of mobility in overweight Type 2 diabetics. The study shows that by making healthy lifestyle changes, Type 2 diabetes sufferers can experience not only weight loss and improved health, but an overall improved lifestyle. These benefits are possible for anyone by making healthy choices.

A healthier lifestyle is easier to achieve than you think. Call us at 718-491-5525 to get on track! WeightLossNYC is here to help.

Source: nejm.org

Labels: 718-491-5525, diabetes, exercise, fast weight loss, lose weight, new york, ny, nyc, obesity, overweight, weight loss

Snacking 101: The granola bar

A granola bar can be the perfect healthy snack for an afternoon pick-me-up or a post-workout nosh, but if you pick the wrong kind, you may be grabbing something that is just as bad as a candy bar. Here, we explain what to look for when checking out granola bars in the snack food aisle.

What's in your granola bar?

Always check the nutrition facts and list of ingredients on your granola bars. If it contains a lot of sugar, fat and calories, then it's probably a candy bar in disguise. Some granola bars even contain just as much sugar and calories as bad-for-you candy bars, so beware.

Your ideal granola bar

Look for a granola bar that has less than 5 grams of sugar per bar, not per serving, to make sure you aren't getting too much of a sugar fix. Also be on the lookout for fat and calorie content, as chocolate and peanuts are common contributors to all of the above. Natural and organic granola bars are also a better buy because they aren't going to contain artificial ingredients. Still, check the ingredients to be sure of what's in your granola bar!

Tip: Make your own healthy, quick snack by mixing plain granola with a small amount of fruit for no-sugar-added natural sweetness.

Source: shapefit.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, manhattan, new york, nutrition facts, ny, nyc, snacks, sugar, weight gain

Vitamins + Sugar = ?

Adding vitamins to popular sugary drinks, from Vitamin Water to Coca-Cola is all the rage right now.

These drinks may even have a healthy-sounding name, but don't be fooled by the slick packaging. These drinks still aren't good for you or your weight. If you look closely at the nutrition facts, you'll quickly realize what you'll be getting: lots of sugar and calories that can cause weight gain.

Vitamin Water, for example, contains 13 grams of sugar per serving, 32.5 grams per bottle; and more than 100 calories per bottle, which actually contains 2.5 servings.

Additionally, the added "vitamins" offer no real benefit to you:

Because the sugar found in Vitaminwater or Coke is made from a refining (or purifying) process, it contains no nutrients or vitamins beneficial to our health. It instead acts only as a source of energy -- once anything with sugar is ingested, the sugar skips digestion by passing through the stomach wall and raising blood sugar levels. Since your body is programmed to keep its blood sugar at a certain level, the pancreas secretes insulin to balance everything out.

If you aren't exercising these calories off, you will gain weight from drinks with added sugars and calories.

The best choice for quenching your thirst still remains: pure, unadulterated water. Your body needs it to function, it can also facilitate weight loss and it contains no harmful additives. Getting the right nutrients in your body means eating a healthy diet full of delicious natural foods. A multivitamin should only be a supplement to your already healthy diet.

Lose weight the safe and sane way, and call us at 718-491-5525 for your first appointment at WeightLossNYC.

Source: HowStuffWorks.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, blood sugar, bronx, brooklyn, calories, drinks, exercise, new york, nutrition facts, ny, nyc, sugar, vitamins, weight gain

Frequent dining out at restaurants can pack on the pounds and lead to obesity, but there is a way to counter the weight gain: mindful eating.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found in their six-week meditative study called "Mindful Restaurant Eating" that female participants actually lost weight when dining out.

Here are the facts from the study:

Overall, 35 perimenopausal women aged 40 to 59 years of age were studied. On average, the intervention group lost 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) during six weeks while eating out one to two times a week. They also reduced their daily caloric intake by about 297 calories after completing the intervention...

Participants learned how to plan before dining out and calculate fat and protein counts in restaurant meals. They also did meditative exercises that focus on sight, smell and texture of food to enhance enjoyment and focus on hunger, satisfaction and what their triggers are.

What these meditative exercises involved were simply using sound judgment and being aware of your body in order to lose or maintain weight. No meditation is necessary, but if you pay attention to your hunger -- and eat to satisfy yourself, not out of boredom or emotion -- and be mindful of what you eat, you will be on your way to a trimmer you.

Learn how to lose weight the smart way. Make your first appointment with WeightLossNYC today. Call 718-491-5525!

Source: NYDailyNews.com

Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, brooklyn, calories, emotional eating, hunger, manhattan, nutrition facts, ny, nyc, obesity, weight loss

A new weight loss drug for obese patients may soon come available pending FDA approval.

Weight Loss Medications
The weight loss drug Qnexa was initially rejected by the FDA because of the risk for possible heart problems or birth defects, but an FDA advisory panel recently gave it a recommendation for a full decision come April -- and pushed for a post-approval trial to monitor cardiovascular side effects.

There was concern over the increased risk of an elevated heartbeat and birth defects such as an oral cleft occurring in infants born to women on the drug while pregnant. However, two ingredients in the drug phentermine (an appetite suppressant) and topiramate (which makes you feel full) are already on the market today and can be prescribed off-label.

The drug’s maker, Vivus, is seeking approval for a once-daily pill for obese men and women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or for those with a BMI of 27 or higher who also have weight-related comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, or central adiposity.

Vivus shared that the drug can help patients lose 6 to 10% of their body weight and it can also lower their blood pressure. The company also worked on a plan with the FDA to do the following as part of a risk mitigation strategy: include labeling that states the drug should be discontinued once a female patient becomes pregnant, distribute it only through mail-order pharmacies that have pharmacists with specific training on the drug, educating providers and patients on contraception and monthly pregnancy testing, and developing a pregnancy registry to keep track of patients.

Choose a safe, non-surgical weight loss program under the guidance of a bariatric doctor and medical weight loss doctor.

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Source: MedPageToday.com

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Labels: 718-491-5525, appetite, ny, nyc, obesity, weight loss, weight loss supplements, women