Sabtu, 31 Mei 2014

Want a better sex life? Lose weight

Want to rev up your sex life? It is time to run, jog, join the gym, hit the park or just begin walking to tuck in your tummy as losing even a moderate amount of weight can help improve your sex life.


'Excess weight is related to poor circulation and dwindling testosterone, both of which can contribute to erectile dysfunction,' researchers said in a new study. Obese men who lost just five to 10 percent of their body weight experienced improved desire as a result, said the study which appeared in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.


Losing weight can help regulate one's hormones and also help improve circulation across the body - including to the genitals - which means improved sensation and greater arousal. It can also help people move more easily and feel more comfortable during sex, the study noted, adding that shedding extra weight can also have emotional benefits as well.


Here are some exercises for women and men


Sex exercises for women


If you're stressed the last thing you want is sex. Doing cardio-based activities will pump you full of endorphins and improve your mood though. In turn this will make you want it more and will give your sex drive a boost.


The plank

Is this another exotic position? Nope. Fact is most women hate crazy positions because for most of us our bodies jiggle and wiggle involuntarily. The plank, though, helps tone up these wobbly areas and makes you more confident trying new things in bed.


Bow bend

We've all seen that insanely good yoga whizz and we've all probably had the same thought: I bet they're great in bed. Getting more flexible will enable you to do more positions and allow for deeper penetration, which will make sex better for both you and your guy.


Method: Lie on your stomach and take your heels as close to your butt as you can, then take your hands behind and hold your ankles. Keep your knees hip width apart.


Every man must learn how to thrust, and thrust well. Hip lunges work the hips and will give you the perfect power force you need to please your girl.


Method: Place one foot forward, so that your feet are about a metre apart and your knees are slightly bent. Push your pelvis forward. Hold this position for 30 seconds making sure you feel a stretch.


If the flesh around your pubic bone is padded with too much fat it will make your penis look smaller and make it more difficult to penetrate your girl deeply.


Method: Find a hill and sprint up it, then walk back down for recovery. Beginners aim for 10 x 45 seconds uphill running whilst advanced runners should aim for 15 to 20 x 60 seconds uphill running.


Upper body workout

Has your girl ever complained that you're squashing her when you're in bed? If so, it's probably time you worked on your upper body strength.


Method: To build strength in your upper arms do several sets of different exercises. A good group to try is: 12 x tricep dips, 12 x box press-ups and 12 x pull-ups. Repeat this three times. Read more about how push-ups can strengthen your upper body.


Love the beautiful game? So does your libido. Football boosts testosterone levels, which in turn gives your sex drive a boost.


Method: we don't need to tell you how to play football, but one tip we do have is to try and play in front of your home crowd. Research has found men's testosterone is higher for home games.


For more exercises: Read Improve your sex life with these exercises


With Inputs from IANS


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Entities 0 Name: Google Plus Count: 1 1 Name: IANS Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1t3pQPg Title: Unsafe sex: why everyone's at it Description: 'So... wait," I asked my friend Hayley, over some overpriced wine in my local one evening, "you don't use any contraception, at all?" "None," she said matter-of-factly. "I've had unprotected sex so many times with no results that I think I might be infertile."

Some might gag, but I devoured the whole concept of eating my placenta

FEELING GREAT: Mary-Elaine Tynan, who decided to eat her placenta to ward off post-natal depression after thoroughly researching the practice, pictured with her son Donnacha. Photo: Gerry Mooney


I've been called many things as a mother: 'hippie', 'crusty', 'mad' - but only recently a 'cannibal', something I never imagined when I signed up to motherhood. Let me explain...

I gave birth to two children in two consecutive years.


'A brave move,' some said. 'Masochistic!' others commented. In reality, after having the first baby at 36, we needed to move swiftly on to the second - although we didn't think it would happen quite so quickly! It turns out you can get pregnant while breastfeeding, but that's another story...


The first was born after a 52-hour fear-filled, tear-filled labour. Thankfully my exhaustion was surpassed by the wonder and awe of becoming a mother. Sometimes in the following weeks that wonder was elusive as I battled emotional and physical fatigue.


Eighteen months later, I was facing the prospect of giving birth again, but this time in early winter: my personal nemesis. The endlessly dark, cold and wet winter months weigh me down every year, so the prospect of giving birth at this time really scared me. I'd be exhausted and possibly in pain after childbirth, and yet responsible for two fairly helpless individuals - not including The Husband and myself. In winter! I was really worried about post-natal depression.


I decided to do some online research. It has, on occasion, yielded some frighteningly inaccurate results. In both my pregnancies I diagnosed myself with a host of bizarre ailments, convincing myself and my unsuspecting husband that the baby had died in utero. He hadn't. Eventually Himself banned me from making online diagnoses.


My online research suggested that post-natal depression is rampant: one in 10 women suffer from it, according to www.pnd.ie, and yet the causes are 'unclear'. And even worse, there's little one can do to prepare for or prevent it.


Then I heard about placentophagia - eating your own placenta. Websites suggest that this may prevent post-natal depression, increase milk supply and help mothers gain their energy back more quickly. Interesting.


I'd only ever heard of people frying it up like a steak - a bit hardcore for me. Then I learnt there are lots of options available to the mother willing to give placentophagia a go. These days, somebody will pick up your placenta from your home or the hospital, and after steaming or dehydrating it, return it to you within days in capsules - aka placenta encapsulation.


January Jones did it, and she looks pretty good!


You can also have some of it in a smoothie, mixed with spring water and cleverly disguised in a host of fresh (red) fruit.


The theory made sense; after childbirth women experience a huge drop in their hormone levels, leaving them feeling very tired and often down. Eating the placenta allows a woman to reingest those hormones, thus preventing that enormous drop in energy and mood.


I mentioned my idea to a couple of people, but the response was less enthusiastic than I'd hope for.


'Gag!' said Eve. 'Save me some - NOT,' my sister wittily informed me.


'Isn't that cannibalism?' my mother wondered. Was it? My internet research had led me down a number of one-way streets characterised by mostly unsubstantiated information. I needed proper medical advice.


'It's an unregulated industry,' the Master of the Rotunda cautioned me when I contacted him.


My own GP acknowledged that consuming my placenta could have possible benefits, like recycling iron, but he warned me about the risks of cross-contamination.


He did admit that while he wouldn't be keen to try it himself, he also wouldn't discourage his wife from doing so. This was more promising.


Finally I discovered some positive feedback about it when I met Martina O'Sullivan-Darcy, a midwife who lived in Canada for a number of years. Explaining that she's seen it work at least 60 or 70 times, she said it was very common in the Chinese community in Canada.


'[They] prepare the placenta in the kitchen ... dehydrate it much like we would steam vegetables here. [This] takes the moisture out of the placenta and dries it. Then they sprinkle it on food.'


Martina also told me about a 'placenta party' she was invited to, where family and invited guests were treated to placenta pate. I couldn't see that happening in my house!


I was still worried about the lack of any medical evidence and the possible risks of cross-contamination, so I spoke to Dr William Murphy, a haematologist and the Medical Director of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.


'When a woman delivers a baby she is by definition iron-


deficient or at very best iron-marginal, and the placenta represents an extraordinarily


good source of iron.


'In iron marginal societies it is probably a really important source of iron,' Dr Murphy told me.


Good news - but what about the risk of infection?


'There's nothing in medical literature that suggests there is any medical risk in eating your or anybody else's human placenta,' he reassured me. 'It is almost certainly no different than drying fish, for example... the human gastrointestinal tract is extraordinarily resilient, otherwise we wouldn't be around.'


I had decided I wanted to eat my placenta. I contacted Theresa Caton, an encapsulation specialist, who put me in touch with Hazel Mayger. Hazel would collect and encapsulate my placenta.


She offered me a range of other options - creams, balms, a smoothie - all for less than €250. I wondered if I was being incredibly naive but I decided I'd give it a go.


Did it work? I think so. Within 10 days of taking the tablets I felt renewed and re-energised. My milk supply was also excellent.


And my mood? My mother, honest to a fault and very cynical about the whole placenta 'nonsense', admitted that my mood was far better than it had been after the birth of our first child. And if you can't trust your mother, who can you trust?


The Documentary On One: 'The Rough with the Smoothie', will air on RTE Radio 1 on Saturday June 14 at 2pm


Sunday Independent



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Fast weight loss may mean muscle loss

Fast weight loss may mean muscle loss


THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.


The researchers put 25 participants on a five-week very-low-calorie diet of just 500 calories per day. Another 22 volunteers went on a 12-week low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day.


The investigators found that right after the end of their diets, both groups had similar levels of weight loss. The average weight loss was a little over 19 pounds among those on the very-low-calorie diet and just under 19 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet.


The researchers then looked at the loss of fat-free mass, which includes all the tissue in the human body, except fat. The major tissues are blood, bones, organs and muscles. However, the mass of the organs, blood and bones does not change during dieting. Therefore, changes in fat-free mass during dieting are mainly due to changes in muscle mass.


Participants on the very-low-calorie diet had lost about 3.5 pounds of fat-free mass, compared with 1.3 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet. Fat-free mass accounted for 18 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 7.7 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, the study found.


Four weeks after the end of their diets, reductions in fat-free mass averaged 1.8 pounds among those in the very-low-calorie diet group and 0.7 pounds among those in the low-calorie diet group. Fat-free mass accounted for 9.4 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 2.9 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, according to the report.


The findings were presented Wednesday at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria.


'Loss of fat-free mass was higher after rapid than slow diet-induced weight loss with similar total weight loss,' said the study's authors, Roel Vink and Marleen van Baak, of the School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues.


However, the authors also pointed out in a meeting news release that muscle loss among people in the very-low-calorie diet was likely overestimated immediately after they completed the diet, compared with four weeks later.


This is likely because they had a larger loss of water and glycogen (a natural form of sugar in the body) when they had just completed the diet than four weeks later, the researchers explained.


Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.


More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains how to choose a safe and successful weight-loss program.



Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


Entities 0 Name: School for Nutrition , Toxicology and Metabolism Count: 1 1 Name: Netherlands Count: 1 2 Name: Maastricht University Count: 1 3 Name: Marleen van Baak Count: 1 4 Name: U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Count: 1 5 Name: Bulgaria Count: 1 6 Name: Roel Vink Count: 1 7 Name: European Congress on Obesity Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/RJJPqe Title: Diet soft drinks can help in successful weight loss - study Description: The new study, which was fully funded by the American Beverage Association, looked at whether drinks such as Coke Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Snapple might help people lose more weight than drinking water alone.

GPs mustn't sugar coat diet advice


GPs already offer 12-week slimming courses, which typically cost £100, to 'obese' patients but now the health watchdog is advising them to refer the 'overweight' too. Since 65 per cent of the UK's adult population is thought to fall into both categories, this edict could potentially prove more costly than leaving the Roly Polys in charge of an all-you-can-eat buffet.


The new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence urge GPs to raise the issue of weight loss in a 'respectful', 'non-judgmental' way.


With obesity costing the NHS an estimated £5.1billion a year, is this really the time to start sugar-coating dietary advice? I knew the health watchdog's name had changed but I had not realised it was to 'Naughty But NICE'.


Rather than paying Marjorie Dawes's wages, the NHS should be spending money on programmes which promote behavioural change. We all know people who have lost weight on slimming classes, but how many who have kept it off?


The old adage of 'eat less, do more' might be a cliche but it is how the remaining 35 per cent of the population have avoided becoming overweight for centuries. There is a good reason why thin people are not fat: they watch what they eat for life, not just for Christmas.


It is called self-control and since so few of us appear able to exercise it (or exercise at all), we need to teach it from primary school upwards (not least when a report last week found that British girls are the fattest in Europe, that is 29.2 per cent of under 20s tipping the scales too far).


Before she broke up for half-term, my five-year-old daughter returned home from school with a healthy wrap she had made as part of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day. These kinds of initiatives can make all the difference, not least because they also reach the children whose parents' idea of good nutrition is wiping the Wotsit dust off their chops.


If you want to do Weight Watchers, be my guest. Just do not expect me to pay for it when there is more free diet and exercise advice on the internet than most of us have had hot dinners. You can even download apps these days which tell you the calorific content of every food known to man (or more accurately, woman).


NICE seeks to justify its latest edict by arguing that the NHS must do something to halt the increasing millions being spent treating patients with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other obesity-related illnesses.


Prevention should not be the cherry on the cake but part of the basic ingredients, surely? The Government should do more, for example, about the hidden amounts of sugar and salt in our food before it makes it on to the supermarket shelves.


Ultimately, though, it is up to the individual, not the state, to ensure that they do not dig their grave with a knife and fork.


Philosopher Cicero cracked it back in Roman times when he said: 'Thou shouldst eat to live, not live to eat.' Food for thought, isn't it?


Entities 0 Name: NHS Count: 3 1 Name: Europe Count: 1 2 Name: Marjorie Dawes Count: 1 3 Name: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Count: 1 4 Name: Cicero Count: 1 5 Name: British Count: 1 6 Name: Jamie Oliver Count: 1 7 Name: UK Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1jICqOJ Title: Eating high fat yogurt lowers risk of obesity Description: Professor Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, University of Navarra, Spain, said: "Yogurt it just one food and cannot counterbalance an overall unhealthy diet. "But for people with good adherence to a Mediterranean diet then yogurt provided an additional benefit. "The results are probably a result of people eating yogurt, particularly with fruit, instead of creamy, high fat desserts.

Need surgery? Time to cut your calories

SHABNAM DASTGHEIB



Strict low-calorie diets are standard procedure leading up to weight-loss surgery but they could become an option for all overweight surgical patients as hospitals struggle to deal with an increasing number of fat patients.


For weeks before going under the knife, obese patients who want publicly funded bariatric surgery need to stick to a very low-calorie, rapid-weight-loss plan. This 800-calorie diet involves a couple of high-protein shakes each day, as well as a small amount of low-calorie fruit or vegetables for variety. Some patients do the diet without the shakes, and some who make it through the three-week plan lose 5kg. But others don't.


For bariatric patients, the diet is designed to shrink the size of the liver and reduce the risk of complications during surgery, as well as to prove they are serious about losing weight.


Currently discussions are underway between Auckland DHB specialist anaesthetist Dick Ongley and other health experts on ways to help patients with an elevated BMI lose weight prior to other surgeries. One option could be a low-calorie diet like bariatric patients undergo.


Dealing with obesity has become an increasingly large part of Ongley's job. Obese patients needed extra resources and focus from medical staff because they have increased risk factors during surgery, and can face a raft of post-operative complications.


Ongely assesses patients with high body mass index (BMI) for mobility, potential heart failure 'and we also look at their ability to lie flat'. Other problems centre on getting intravenous access through well-padded limbs and safely securing airways during anaesthesia.


Ongley said at least a third of his patients needed this type of care, a situation which had worsened since he began practising in his field in the early 2000s. 'It is just part of the job, perhaps it is just one of the challenges. We have become much better at anaesthetising people with an elevated BMI but it does take a lot of resources to do so.'


The proportion of New Zealand adults considered overweight has risen to 66 per cent - an estimated 2.2 million people, including 960,000 who were obese.


Ongley said sometimes the anaesthetic assessment was the first time the patient had been confronted with the issue of their weight. 'The first thing to recognise is that it is a problem. We need to bring it into society's consciousness. We are very good at addressing smoking and alcohol but BMI has been a very uncomfortable issue for many doctors.'


Middlemore general surgeon Richard Babor said every patient who underwent a laproscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure to remove most of the stomach and shape the remainder into a tube or 'sleeve', needed to show they were committed to weight loss.


Babor said the diet often led to 4-5kg of weight loss, often on a product called Optifast, a low-calorie protein shake. 'They are allowed to have water and other zero-calorie liquid with it. In the evening, for a bit of variety, they are allowed very low-calorie vegetables or fruit. Not things like potato but things like tomatoes and lettuce. They can survive on it because they have got all the vitamins and minerals they need.'


Babor said a diet this strict was only tolerable for a short period of time. 'Some people can't, they just can't, it's too hard. Obviously we can't drive round to their house and make sure they take their dogs for a walk every day or check their fridge for some cheesecake.'


There are about 150 of the publicly funded procedures performed each year in Middlemore. Last year the government funded a record 421 bariatric surgical procedures, each costing between $17,000 and $35,000, more than double the number six years ago.


Some people could do the diet with real food but the protein-shake diet made it easier and more structured, Babor said.


'You do have to conform to a certain lifestyle choice, you can't just have the surgery and everything is sorted, but you still have to exercise and eat reasonable food.'


He said the post-operative results were often very successful, with patients losing a lot of their excess weight. 'Part of the job is making sure we aren't doing something that's a complete waste of time.'


- Sunday Star Times Comments Entities 0 Name: Babor Count: 3 1 Name: Ongley Count: 3 2 Name: Richard Babor Count: 1 3 Name: Middlemore Count: 1 4 Name: BMI Count: 1 5 Name: Auckland DHB Count: 1 6 Name: Dick Ongley Count: 1 7 Name: New Zealand Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1o5TW3q Title: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss - WebMD Description: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.

Worst 5 fad diets


Every day, we see a new fad diet commercial that promises us to end all our worries and make us slim and smart. These fad diets are said to give great results overnight and are known to help people lose tons of calories.


Yes! These fad diets DO help people, but the long-term results are neither healthy nor effective. These fad diets neither focus on the human body nor on what is healthy or beneficial for it, rather they focus on the ways through which they can offer quick fixes. And obviously! These quick fixes are unlikely to be maintainable in the long run.


So, which of these fad diets are worse among all the fad diets out there? Read on and find out more!


Try this old school new body Proven method - 5 Steps To Looking 10 Years Younger - click here The Acid Alkaline Diet:

The Acid Alkaline Diet supports the theory that if a person avoids acidic foods, the body will become more alkaline and thus, this would increase the weight loss. This idea is completely absurd because there is no scientific evidence that supports this idea. Furth


Furthermore, studies suggest that the body is capable of regulating its own alkaline and acid balance. This means, that it doesn't matter what you eat or drink, the body will take care of the acid - alkaline balance on its own.


Breatharian Diet:

I have NO idea how people can actually call this thing a 'diet'. Breatharian diet suggests that people don't need food to eat or water to drink, they can easily survive on air and sunshine.


In other words, the followers of Breatharian diet actually go on a hunger strike. Of course, you will lose plenty of calories this way since your body would not be consuming anything, but there are chances of dehydration, malnutrition and in some severe cases even death.


The cabbage soup diet:

In this diet, the followers are only allowed to eat cabbage soup. You can imagine what this diet would do to you. This diet barely provides enough energy to carry out every day's chores. Not only that, since this diet eliminates a large number of food groups, therefore, this diet puts the essential nutrient intake at risk.


And that is not it, there are chances that people who follow this diet will experience symptoms of bloating, diarrhea, dehydration and gas.


The blood group diet

This may sound intellectual but it is actually an illogical means of losing weight. It involves identifying your perfect diet using your blood group. For example, people with type A blood are supposed to be vegetarian, balanced omnivore for type B, high protein for type O or a combination of all groups for type AB. There is no evidence which proves that your blood type plays a role in how much you lose weight.


The lemon detox diet:

This is a very popular diet and there is a huge number of people who follow this diet yet dieticians have rated this diet as the worst fad diet for two years consecutively. So, what this fad diet is all about? This fad diet suggests that the person should not eat ANYTHING for ten to fourteen days and exist purely on lemon flavored drinks. This way this diet eliminates all other food groups and thus the person can develop nutrient deficiencies. Not only that, this diet provides the person with minimum amount of energy that is not sufficient to carry out their daily tasks.


S top Bullshiting Yourself , The Only Proven Method , Old School New Body Click Here!


If you follow this diet regularly, then there are chances that you would lose a huge number of calories. However, as soon as you would fall back to your normal eating habits, you would gain weight fairly quickly.


References http://ift.tt/1nQjvY1 loss breeze http://ift.tt/KzutBB http://ift.tt/1nQjvY5 Entities 0 Name: AB Count: 1 1 Name: Furth Furthermore Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1o5TW3q Title: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss - WebMD Description: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.

His diet makes me fat


Eating for two: while her husband was on the 5:2 diet, Sue Willams was on a 7:0 regimen. Photo: Sascha Eisenman/http://ift.tt/1prrJb6 Media (posed by models)


My husband, rather too heavy for his height - or a tad too short for his weight, whichever way you'd like to look at it - announced that he'd decided to go on the 5:2 diet.


I was full of encouragement. He'd tried a number of different girth-control measures over the years, but none with much long-term effect. The 5:2 diet, where devotees consume a restricted number of kilojoules two days a week, and whatever the hell they like for the other five, sounded a perfect extra-large fit. He could eat and drink to his heart's content most of the time, and just man up to the pain of 2500 kilojoules a day for two non-consecutive days. I assured him he'd easily measure up to the challenge.


Unlike other diets, such as the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet and the Dukan Diet, it seemed to be able to bend and flex with our lifestyle. We'd simply schedule in regular chocolate cake for the five, while the two, with their plates of poached white fish and boiled kale and broccoli, would coincide with nights in on the best TV evenings.


So far, so good. After four weeks on the 5:2, he's lost three kilos and is on a steady descent through the 80-kilo range. His clothes are looser, he's lost half his chin, and he's looking sleeker by the day. I, however, am making up on the scales for what he's losing. Since he started the diet, I am two and half kilos heavier. My clothes are straining at the seams and I'm starting to eye his cast-offs with real interest.


This isn't meant to be happening. For years, we've heard about partners being co-dependents as far as weight loss is concerned: one person suggests eating more, and the other goes along with it, vindicating their partner's bad choices. It should follow, therefore, that if one person is eating fewer kilojoules a week, then the other would be doing the same. But it's here that the 5:2 diet stomps horribly in the face of reason.


On the two restricted days, the dieter eats incredibly sparingly, diligently measuring the diameter of each mushroom, weighing a sliver of salmon and counting the peas on a plate to make sure they haven't inadvertently busted their limit. In between, they groan and moan about how hungry they are.


As a woman, you feel for them. Often too much. Seeing the care with which each potential kilojoule is accounted for makes me yearn for a peanut-butter sandwich, a cheesecake, packet of chips ... until I remember, with a yelp of unbounded joy, that I'm not on that diet, that I'm free to eat my own weight in all of them, should I so wish. Then, far more regularly than I care to admit, I do.


Tragically, it doesn't end there. As they sit on the sofa in the evening, complaining about the gnawing hole in their belly and speculating about the number of chocolate ads on TV it might take to fill it, I can't help stealing away for a snack. Thoughtful, I know, but it feels so much better to do it out of their sight. And, of course, you need to eat extra so you won't go back for more.


As the next day dawns, the feasting begins. 'Let's go out for breakfast,' he says to me. 'We deserve a treat.' After lunch, he smiles. 'Cake?' he suggests. 'Come on, I really suffered yesterday.' Recalling the agony, I happily agree.


So on it goes, along with the extra kilos. In the five days off the diet, I eat much more than I'd normally consume. There's the nice big breakfast of porridge and fruit, or scrambled eggs, mushrooms and toast, just because we can. There's the hearty lunch, too, just because we know the next day he might not be consuming much more than a thimbleful of miso soup. Then there's a dinner that spreads, like my own muffin top, over the sides of the plates, followed by dessert and even sometimes - oh joy! - cheese and biscuits. Then, on the two worst days, I empathise too much with the agony, and go way too far to appease it. He might be on the 5:2, but I'm on the 7:0.


So, is there a solution to all this? Yes, I know I could have gone on the diet, too, but I never did - as I didn't have a weight problem. Didn't.


But the answer is rapidly presenting itself. I just hope that by the time I'm ready to go on the 5:2, he won't have lost enough weight already to have abandoned it. That way we'd simply end up back on the weight merry-go-round, with a combined weight of exactly the same as when we started this agony.


Entities 0 Name: Sue Willams Count: 1 1 Name: CSIRO Count: 1 2 Name: Sascha Count: 1 3 Name: Dukan Diet Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1o5TW3q Title: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss - WebMD Description: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.

New Mercury Level Guidelines In Seafood Coming For Pregnant Women


WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is updating its advice for pregnant women on the appropriate levels of mercury in seafood. Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says the agency won't require mercury labels on seafood packages.


In a wide-ranging interview Friday with healthy-diet-guidelines.blogspot.com, Hamburg said the agency will update guidance on mercury in different varieties of seafood and what that means, a long-awaited move aimed at helping women better understand what to eat when they're pregnant.


'It's an advisory, not an effort to mandate labeling,' Hamburg said. 'Different seafood products do contain different levels of mercury, and so different seafood products can be rated in terms of levels of mercury.'


Eating fish is part of a heart-healthy diet, and many types are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids that are important for brain development.


But fish also can absorb small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, from streams and oceans - and a small number of varieties harbour higher levels.


For most people, accumulating mercury from eating seafood isn't a health risk. But for a decade, the FDA has warned that pregnant women, those who may become pregnant, and young children avoid certain types of high-mercury fish because of concern that too much could harm a developing brain.


Consumer groups have sued the agency, saying the warnings weren't clear enough about what to avoid, and seeking labeling to help so that shoppers wouldn't have to remember which products are OK during pregnancy or for youngsters.


'We can't ask consumers to memorize two different lists of fish,' said Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the groups that sued.


DeWaal said the new advisory will be an improvement if it gives consumers better information, especially if that information could be kept at fish counters in grocery stores and retail outlets.


The seafood industry says the government shouldn't look at mercury by itself, but at the benefits of seafood. Jennifer McGuire of the National Fisheries Institute says the original FDA guidelines warning against some types of fish for pregnant women just served to decrease overall seafood intake.


'That would be very concerning if there was a 'good fish, bad fish' list,' she said.


The government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines incorporated FDA's warnings to say that pregnant or breastfeeding women should consume 8 to 12 ounces of a variety of seafood per week. But it said they should not eat tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel because of the mercury content and it advised limiting white albacore tuna to six ounces a week.


On other food-related issues, Hamburg said deciding which businesses will have to post calorie labels has been 'one of the more complex undertakings of my tenure as FDA commissioner.'


The food industry is closely watching FDA to see which establishments are included in final menu labeling rules, which are expected this year. Congress required the labels in 2010 health overhaul, and supermarkets and convenience stores have lobbied aggressively since then to be excluded. But the restaurant industry says that all establishments serving prepared foods should have to post the labels.


She said the increasing amount of caffeine in a whole range of foods 'has gotten our attention and concern' and that the agency needs to better understand the role of the stimulant in non-traditional products, especially on children. She said the science is not absolutely clear about its effects.


The agency is investigating the safety of energy drinks and energy shots, prompted by consumer reports of illness and death. FDA is also looking at caffeine in food as manufacturers have added caffeine to candy, nuts and other snack foods in recent years.


On genetically modified foods, Hamburg reiterated her support for voluntary labels, and said a 'considerable amount of scientific study' does not suggest the kinds of public health concerns that some consumers have worried about. Advocates for GM labeling have been pushing state laws that require the labels.


As such, she says she does not believe FDA should have to do a mandatory safety review of all engineered foods. FDA now reviews the safety of GM animals, but has a voluntary review for companies that want to sell modified crops for consumption.


___


Associated Press writers Matthew Perrone and Michael Felberbaum contributed to this report.


Entities 0 Name: FDA Count: 8 1 Name: Hamburg Count: 4 2 Name: GM Count: 2 3 Name: Associated Press Count: 2 4 Name: DeWaal Count: 1 5 Name: Center for Science Count: 1 6 Name: Congress Count: 1 7 Name: Matthew Perrone Count: 1 8 Name: WASHINGTON Count: 1 9 Name: Jennifer McGuire Count: 1 10 Name: Michael Felberbaum Count: 1 11 Name: National Fisheries Institute Count: 1 12 Name: Public Interest Count: 1 13 Name: The Food and Drug Administration Count: 1 14 Name: Margaret Hamburg Count: 1 15 Name: Caroline Smith DeWaal Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1gJRK2H Title: FDA to update seafood guidance for pregnant women Description: WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration is putting together new advice for pregnant women on the appropriate levels of mercury in seafood. In an interview Friday with healthy-diet-guidelines.blogspot.com, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the agency doesn't plan to require mercury labels on seafood, as some consumer groups have sought.

ASK A DOCTOR: The basics of a healthy diet explained

Jennifer Wyss is a fitness and nutrition instructor at The Fitness Center at Valley Medical Center. Wyss teaches Eat Smart classes at Valley. Learn more at http://ift.tt/1wH6e8c. Q: What diet plan is right for me?

A: Learning how to maintain a healthy weight can be complicated and confusing. There's an entire industry built around weight loss and hundreds of diets: Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, Detox Diet, and so on. Weight-loss gurus tell you what to do but not necessarily how to do it. And, when sticking to your diet gets hard, many have no advice at all to give.


Overly specific meal plans are hard to follow. You'll have greater success if you ditch the diet and just eat smart.


Q: What does 'eating smart' mean?

A: Eating smart doesn't mean you have to follow a diet. Instead, focus on a good nutrition behaviors. Start by mastering these five healthy eating habits - which, when done consistently, can become second nature over time:


* Eat at least five servings of vegetables per day (one serving may be fruit) to aid weight loss;


* Curb hunger with one serving of lean protein (7g fat or less) at every meal;


* Control calories and cravings by drinking only water or unsweetened tea;


* Slow down when you eat and stop eating when you feel 80 percent full; and


* Include healthy fats in your diet (e.g. nuts, avocado, olives), limit saturated fat to 15g or less per day (e.g. meat, eggs, butter, dairy) and eliminate trans fats altogether


Q: What is a healthy fat? Shouldn't I avoid eating fat?

A: Understanding fats is important. We've been trained to keep a diet low in fat, but new research reveals that isn't helping obesity rates at all. In acknowledgement, the USDA inverted the food pyramid. Good fats, in moderation, help manage cravings and hunger.


Q: What about carbs? Are they bad for me?

A: Carbohydrates have received a lot of attention, but the true culprit is sugar-both simple sugar and sugar broken down from carbohydrates. Many people don't realize how much sugar they consume each day. Natural sugar found in fruits and other whole foods is fine, but added sugar contributes calories without any added nutritional value. Also, when sugar is consumed in excess it has been found to lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.


Start reading nutrition labels more closely to get a sense of how much sugar you consume on a regular basis and see what you can do to minimize your daily intake.


Q: What about sodium/salt?

A: Too much sodium in your diet can lead to high blood pressure and life-threatening diseases.


Q: This seems like a lot. Where do I start?

A: It's difficult to be successful when you're trying to incorporate many new healthy habits at once. So, pick one area of your diet and focus your energy there. I recommend that everyone try to set aside an hour each week for meal preparation. Plan each meal, clean and chop vegetables in advance, and brainstorm three 'emergency' meals to grab on the go: a smoothie, tuna fish salad, an omelet or two eggs with added egg whites and a side of fruit. The time savings and convenience during the week will help you keep from reaching for unhealthy comfort foods.


How your body metabolizes food is unique to you. Pay attention to foods which seem to make you feel more energetic or sluggish, or cause negative reactions (breakouts, bloating, headaches, weight gain) and fine-tune your food choices.


And stay the course. Cravings can be physiological or behavioral. It's important to recognize the meaning behind cravings and implement strategies to combat them. One bonus: over time, your five health habits will retrain your taste buds so that some cravings disappear.


For more information about eating healthy, visit http://ift.tt/1wH6e8c.


Entities 0 Name: Atkins Count: 1 1 Name: Wyss Count: 1 2 Name: USDA Count: 1 3 Name: Valley Medical Center Count: 1 4 Name: Paleo Count: 1 5 Name: Jennifer Wyss Count: 1 6 Name: Valley Count: 1 7 Name: South Beach Count: 1 8 Name: Detox Diet Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1jIGpRH Title: 6 Foods Nutrition Experts Won't Eat Description: Most of us are familiar with the typical no-no foods like sugared soda or anything deep-fried, but have you ever wondered what the experts steer clear of? Everyday Health's nutrition mavens dish on the foods they won't eat, and share tips for making healthier swaps. 1. Hot dogs, bacon, and sausages.

Kim Kardashian West is ready for second baby

Kim Kardashian West Bang Showbiz


KANYE West and Kim Kardashian West are reportedly ready to have another baby and hope she will get pregnant during their Irish honeymoon.


Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West are ready to have another baby.


The couple, who already have 11-month-old daughter North West together, are reportedly planning to expand their family as soon as possible.


A source close to the newlyweds, who got married in Florence, Italy last Saturday (24.05.14), told PEOPLE magazine: '[They] both want more kids.'


The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star embarked on a gruelling diet and fitness regime to regain her pre-pregnancy figure in time for their nuptials after giving birth to North last summer, but is looking forward to getting pregnant again.


The insider said: 'Kanye would have already been trying for another, but Kim just wanted to get back to feeling like herself again first. But more kids are definitely in the plan.'


The duo are currently enjoying a low-key honeymoon in Ireland, where they were spotted going to the cinema twice on Wednesday (28.05.14).


Sources close to Kim, who admitted she didn't enjoy her first pregnancy, recently revealed she was planning to get pregnant again on her honeymoon.


Last month, a friend said: 'She wants to get pregnant right after the wedding.'


The 33-year-old star previously said that North made her want to have 'a million' children because she is the perfect baby.




Entities 0 Name: Kim Count: 2 1 Name: Kim Kardashian West Count: 2 2 Name: Irish Count: 1 3 Name: Italy Count: 1 4 Name: Ireland Count: 1 5 Name: North West Count: 1 6 Name: North Count: 1 7 Name: Florence Count: 1 8 Name: Kardashians Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1nKMWuF Title: See the Photo That Has Nearly 2 Million Likes on Instagram Description: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding was regarded as one of the most lavish celebrity celebrations in a long time. Now, it's record-setting, too. First Kim Kardashian-Kanye West Wedding Photos Released The reality TV star's Instagram post of her first kiss with groom Kanye West has garnered 1.97 million likes on the social media network -- the most of all time.

Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss

Posted: Thursday, May 29, 2014, 9:00 AM



THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.


The researchers put 25 participants on a five-week very-low-calorie diet of just 500 calories per day. Another 22 volunteers went on a 12-week low-calorie diet of 1,250 calories per day.


The investigators found that right after the end of their diets, both groups had similar levels of weight loss. The average weight loss was a little over 19 pounds among those on the very-low-calorie diet and just under 19 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet.


The researchers then looked at the loss of fat-free mass, which includes all the tissue in the human body, except fat. The major tissues are blood, bones, organs and muscles. However, the mass of the organs, blood and bones does not change during dieting. Therefore, changes in fat-free mass during dieting are mainly due to changes in muscle mass.


Participants on the very-low-calorie diet had lost about 3.5 pounds of fat-free mass, compared with 1.3 pounds among those on the low-calorie diet. Fat-free mass accounted for 18 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 7.7 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, the study found.


Four weeks after the end of their diets, reductions in fat-free mass averaged 1.8 pounds among those in the very-low-calorie diet group and 0.7 pounds among those in the low-calorie diet group. Fat-free mass accounted for 9.4 percent of weight loss in the very-low-calorie diet group and 2.9 percent of weight loss in the low-calorie diet group, according to the report.


The findings were presented Wednesday at the European Congress on Obesity in Bulgaria.


'Loss of fat-free mass was higher after rapid than slow diet-induced weight loss with similar total weight loss,' said the study's authors, Roel Vink and Marleen van Baak, of the School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and colleagues.


However, the authors also pointed out in a meeting news release that muscle loss among people in the very-low-calorie diet was likely overestimated immediately after they completed the diet, compared with four weeks later.


This is likely because they had a larger loss of water and glycogen (a natural form of sugar in the body) when they had just completed the diet than four weeks later, the researchers explained.


Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until it is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.


More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains how to choose a safe and successful weight-loss program.


-- Robert Preidt


SOURCE: European Congress on Obesity, news release, May 28, 2014


Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


Entities 0 Name: School for Nutrition , Toxicology and Metabolism Count: 1 1 Name: Netherlands Count: 1 2 Name: Maastricht University Count: 1 3 Name: European Congress Count: 1 4 Name: Marleen van Baak Count: 1 5 Name: U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Count: 1 6 Name: Robert Preidt Count: 1 7 Name: Bulgaria Count: 1 8 Name: Roel Vink Count: 1 9 Name: European Congress on Obesity Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/RJJPqe Title: Diet soft drinks can help in successful weight loss - study Description: The new study, which was fully funded by the American Beverage Association, looked at whether drinks such as Coke Zero, Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Snapple might help people lose more weight than drinking water alone.

Adding Prunes in Diet Helps Reduce Weight

First Posted: May 31, 2014 07:17 AM EDT



Including prunes in diet helps lower excess body weight and reduces the waistline, a new study reveals.


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Prunes, a good source of fiber, have been recognized as a nutrient rich fruit that offer various health benefits. It is rich in phenolics and has high antioxidant properties. Researchers at the University of Liverpool found that prunes can be included as a part of a weight control diet.


In the current study, researchers observed 100 overweight and obese people. They were tested on whether including prunes as a part of weight loss diet helped or obstructed weight control over a 12-week period.


Their tolerance for the high fibre prunes was also tested and whether consuming prunes had a positive effect on appetite.


Professor Jason Halford, director of the University's Human Ingestive Behaviour Laboratory, said, 'Maintaining a healthy diet is challenging. Along with fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit can provide a useful and convenient addition to the diet, especially as controlling appetite during dieting can be tough.'


The participants were divided into two groups in which one group received prunes every day (140g a day for women and 171g a day for men) and the other were given advice on healthy snacks over the period of active weight loss.


The researchers noticed that the group that received prunes as a part of healthy life style diet lost nearly 2kg in weight and reduced their waistline by 2.5 cm. Those who were given advice on healthy snacks lost just 1.5 kg in weight and just 1.7 cm from their waists.


During the last four weeks of the study, prune eaters had a greater weight loss and after week eight participant showed increased feelings of fullness after having the prune diet. The participants showed good tolerance to high doses of prune.


Liverpool psychologist, Dr Jo Harrold who led the research, said, 'These are the first data to demonstrate both weight loss and no negative side effects when consuming prunes as part of a weight management diet. Indeed in the long term they may be beneficial to dieters by tackling hunger and satisfying appetite; a major challenge when you are trying to maintain weight loss.'


The finding was presented at the European Congress on Obesity, Sofia.


Entities 0 Name: University of Liverpool Count: 1 1 Name: Liverpool Count: 1 2 Name: University Count: 1 3 Name: Sofia Count: 1 4 Name: Human Ingestive Behaviour Laboratory Count: 1 5 Name: Jason Halford Count: 1 6 Name: Dr Jo Harrold Count: 1 7 Name: European Congress on Obesity Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1o5TW3q Title: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss - WebMD Description: Fast Weight Loss May Mean Muscle Loss Study volunteers eating 500 calories a day lost more muscle than those eating more than twice as much WebMD News from HealthDay By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- If you lose weight too fast, you lose more muscle than when you shed excess pounds more slowly, a small study says.

The Wandering Life of the Electric Horseman

Content:

I met the Electric Horseman on a spring day last year. He told me I could find him in Lompoc, California, where he would begin the first leg of an expedition north toward Oregon. More specifically, he told me to park my car near a playground at a trailhead and walk about a mile into the wilderness toward the Mission La Purisima Concepcion until I found myself at a very specific clearing of trees. I couldn't miss it, he told me. It was a strange request. But, just as I began to wonder if I had found myself in the wrong clearing, Dane Hartwell, the Electric Horseman, appeared around a bend. As he approached, he beeped a car horn mounted on one of his packs.


Hartwell was aboard Sundown Baby, a 4-year-old mare, with two older horses following behind. However, Hartwell looked nothing like a typical cowboy. He didn't wear blue jeans, a ten-gallon hat, or clunky spurs. Instead, he had long, red motorcycle pants and black leather boots. He outfitted his black bicycle helmet with a headlamp, a red bandana to cover his neck from the sun and a GoPro camera. His horses wore some unusual gear too. The packs were strapped with solar panels that powered a slew of tech equipment along with regular camping supplies. One of the horses even had blinkers installed on the back of her bags so Hartwell could use signals on the road as if he were operating a car.


He swung off Baby, shook my hand, and apologized for being late. 'One of the horses spooked, a pack came loose, and fell off,' he explained. 'When that happens, you have to stop to put everything back on.'


Hartwell, 51, is what's known as a long rider, a rare breed of horseman in the United States today. Many modern long riders journey great distances to break records, and few take pack horses along. Some have sponsors to fund their rides. Hartwell has always traveled for himself and, although he does ride his horse along roads and highways, much of his time has been spent alone in the wilderness. 'I don't tell people how many miles I've done,' Hartwell said. 'I don't want to be competitive with people or for them to feel like they have to beat me. I don't care about that.'


We live in an era built for digital nomads-freelancers and travelers able to work anywhere in the world with WiFi access. The Electric Horseman preceded this trend by many years and, though he has been without a traditional job most of his life, has managed to remain connected in some of the most remote locations in the country.


I helped him lead his horses further off the trail, where he tied them to trees with rope long enough to allow the horses to graze and wander a bit. The two pack horses, Belknap and Starlite, disappeared from view momentarily behind some trees while he untacked Baby. She let out shrill whinnies, worried about being separated from her small herd. Hartwell came to her and cooed as he scratched her chest, 'You're just a little scaredy, aren't you.' He uncinched his saddle and the warm smell of sweat and hay radiated from Baby's skin. 'She's not a very smart horse, so...' he trailed off a moment then burst out laughing. 'I hate to say that, since so many people say there's no such thing as a dumb horse. But she can't figure anything out.'


While Baby settled in, Hartwell relieved himself of a Bluetooth earpiece and set his packs on the ground. They were filled with dehydrated food, first-aid kits, books on edible and medicinal plants, a solar shower, an air pad for sleeping, plus lots and lots of gadgets. He had a radio, a DSLR camera and lenses, a burglar alarm, video gear, and a cell phone. Strangely, he also had two laptops and a word processor. He said he carried both laptops so he could be online and watch TV at the same time. As for the word processor? He liked the calm the device brought when he wanted to write without distractions.



Hartwell began living as a wanderer 20 years ago when he left his Montana cabin on horseback. He only remained in one place long enough to make money doing plumbing, ranching, or electrical work before moving on. His set-up was simple. Often, Hartwell slept under the stars on an air mattress and saddle pads, tethering his steeds to nearby trees. His diet consisted of wild plants, dehydrated food and the rare purchased item. But, though it may sound idyllic, his form of nomadism has its share of both urban and natural challenges. Hartwell has been buried in snow while sleeping in a tent in the mountains, and wild cats have attacked his horses. He has come face-to-face with grizzly bears, helped his horses give birth to foals while on the trail, and was robbed at gunpoint by drug addicts in Bakersfield. A few times, while riding through the suburbs, the horses broke loose and ended up in someone's backyard. He's had Animal Control called on him more than once. But, typically, the attention is positive. People are always approaching him to ask about his horses, and some even bring him supplies. Kids love the horses most. Hartwell has learned to avoid riding past schools after class is let out, or he'll spend entire afternoons giving pony rides.


At 51, Hartwell shows no sign of slowing down. He usually styles his facial hair in goatee or long handlebar mustache, with a spray of long, gray hairs on his neck that have escaped a few rounds of shaving. His light blue eyes bug out with excitement as he talks, which he does with sweeping arm gestures. On the trail, his floppy, curly hair is pressed flat into a perpetual case of helmet hair.



When I met Hartwell, his three horses included Mighty Belknap, a 17-year-old chestnut mare who has been on the road with Hartwell since she was a month old and Starlite, a 17-year-old paint with her breed's characteristic color-splotched coat. Baby, Hartwell's riding horse, was the product of Starlite and a mustang. A year ago, Hartwell was returning to the trail after staying at a friend's ranch in Lompoc and working to make some cash. Baby bucked Hartwell off at the ranch and he broke a shoulder blade during the fall, which kept him out of the saddle for months. But, after experiencing the simple comforts of the modern world for nearly a year, Hartwell was back.


There was no real agenda to Hartwell's two-decade-long travels, including this leg of his journey. 'If I get an instinct to go somewhere, I go,' he said. 'There's nothing holding me back. Living simple is easier because you have less to lose.'


Above all else, Hartwell's life has focused on survivalism. The incorporation of horseback riding and technology developed along the way.


Listening to Hartwell's stories, it is hard not to think of them as tall tales. He has lived a peculiar life and, because much of it has been spent alone with his horses and without interacting with any one person for a long time, some of it is hard to account for. Still, much of it has been chronicled by Hartwell, who is obsessed with writing about, photographing and filming his exploits, and by the few people who trailed along for some of his journey. He kept a detailed blog before he joined Facebook, which he updates regularly, answering the frequent, often repetitive, questions he gets from friends about his travels


Hartwell grew up near Flint, Michigan, where his father was an autoworker for General Motors. Hartwell got his first taste of riding from his mother, who rented horses out of their house for $24 per day. While he learned the basics of riding, he picked up on his mother's love for the wilderness above all else. A Native American neighbor taught him how to weave baskets and collect wild food and, by the age of 6, Hartwell was gathering wintergreen berries and making dandelion salads for his family. He would journey deep into his backyard, climbing through the thick woods cluttered with oak trees and maple. Whenever he felt afraid of the unknown deep in the forest, he decided to push himself to go farther and farther away from home. By 10, he was shooting small game with a rifle and dreaming of traveling the world. But he adored technology, too, and would disassemble gadgets in his house and try to put them back together again so he could figure out how they worked. After graduating from high school, Hartwell saved enough money to take a Greyhound bus to California. He worked part-time jobs, and preferred investing his money in survival gear-things like big knives and diving equipment-rather than paying rent.



He spent nights sleeping in a dumpster near his work before crafting a bamboo hut along a swampy river where some South American immigrants had also settled. His family asked if he needed cash, but Hartwell always refused. He was satisfied with his standard of living and, to him, accepting help was equivalent to admitting failure.


Hartwell's part-time work allowed him to hone his survival skills, take surfing trips, and spend his mornings diving in the ocean. He taught his neighbors how to catch ducks with slingshots, and he searched the beach for crabs and seaweed to eat. Hartwell learned more about traditional stalking and hunting techniques of the Apache, practicing by seeing how close he could get to other camps along the river without anyone noticing, and setting spring snares to trap friends as a joke. He also began practicing some spiritual customs, like going into a freezing cold lake to meditate and learn how to accept the sensation. He began to be interested in more extreme tests of endurance, too. During his first summer in California, Hartwell hitchhiked to the desert for a survival trip and, after failing to realize how much water he would need, nearly died from dehydration. He was saved by a man who found him collapsed in the sand. The failure only egged him on. 'I figure fear is calling me for something I need to learn about,' he said.


The morning after we met, Hartwell tied up his horses at a parking lot near the campsite. In between saddling the horses, he scarfed down a Jack in the Box burger he asked me to bring from town. (He may be a survivalist, but he also loves junk food.) We started riding toward the Mission Purisima La Concepcion alongside bikers, joggers and dog walkers. 'How you doin'? It's a beautiful day, huh?' Hartwell said with a toothy smile to passersby. If nothing else, Hartwell is a big talker.


When we got to the Mission, Hartwell tied his horses to another tree and took a look around. The place is rumored to be haunted by soldiers from a battle in 1824 but, by the light of day, it is an ideal place for an afternoon stroll. While we walked, the horses continued to attract attention. A couple sat on a log and took videos on their iPhones, giggling to each other. A woman had her pre-teen son in a backward baseball cap and skinny jeans stand awkwardly a few feet in front of the horses so she could snap a photo. Hartwell didn't seem to notice.



Later, as we rode away from the Mission, the horses paused to grab snatches of grass and at a wide, muddy puddle on the trail, they craned their necks to drink in big gulps. Aside from grazing while tied up at the end of the day and in the mornings, this is how the horses got most of their food and water throughout the day. Hartwell said he never had a problem keeping weight on them. He can shoe the horses himself and uses medicinal wild plants if his horses get hurt. Of the many horses that have accompanied Hartwell on the trail-including foals like Baby, who was born in the wild-only one has died. While in Los Angeles, a horse named Gonzo fell ill, likely from tainted river water. Though Hartwell called a vet, he said he had to wait too long for help to arrive and Gonzo passed away in the night.


As he rode past a playground near the road, a kid playing baseball with his dad spotted the horses. The boy's jaw went slack and he let his bat fall to the ground. 'Hello!' the boy called out, waving his hands. Hartwell waved back. This lifestyle has become so natural to him that it's easy to forget how much he struggled.


Years ago, after his failed desert trip, Hartwell pushed himself to go on long-distance hikes, even quitting his job so he would have more time for travel. On one of these walks, he stumbled across a Benedictine monastery. He became intrigued when he returned to town and found out more about it. St. Benedict, Hartwell says, lived very similarly to the Apache, which appealed to him. He went back to the monastery to ask if they needed any workers. They turned him away, but Hartwell returned again and again until they took him on as a carpenter.


Hartwell lived there for about seven years, taking trips into the wilderness whenever he could and worrying little about where life would lead him next. Partway through his time at the monastery, an abbot told him he was meant to leave someday. Initially, his feelings were hurt. But, he reflected on it a bit more during a hike and fast in the mountains. On his way home, Hartwell saw an owl swoop through the sky. He cupped his hands to his mouth and called to it with shrill, mouse-like squeaks. The owl looked at him and, though Hartwell thought it would fly away, it dropped through the air and sunk its talons into his forehead. The cut was not deep, but blood coursed down his face. Hartwell says he felt a surge of energy-he believes such an encounter with a wild creature is a sign that they are your totem animal-and decided it was time to leave the monastery.


On a friend's recommendation, Hartwell had invested in an inexpensive, empty plot in the Little Snowy Mountains with cash from odd jobs, and he decided it was time to make his way there. When he first arrived, he lived in a surplus army tent while building a cabin, and was able to get work on a neighboring cattle ranch. When his help wasn't needed there, Hartwell would travel by bike and on foot away from home, sometimes only returning for the winter. One day, Hartwell heard about a horse for sale for just a couple hundred dollars. The decision to buy the horse was spontaneous, but it entirely changed how he traveled.


He used beer coolers as packs while learning more about horseback riding. Gradually, Hartwell started riding further away from the cabin, making semi-permanent camps in the mountains. Eventually, he decided he wanted to sell his house and belongings to leave on horseback for good. He had no real destination. He started writing about his experiences and published an article about his trips with a now-defunct equestrian magazine. A few states over, a fellow rider named Gretchen read the story and got in touch with him. She had dreams of traveling the country on horseback, too. Soon, they were writing each other all the time. Mail was only delivered near Hartwell three times a week and if he didn't get a letter from her, he'd be close to tears.



'We just fell in love like crazy,' Hartwell said. 'We were pouring out our hearts in letters, stuff you wouldn't say in person. We would tell our innermost thoughts. We fell in love and there was no bullcrap.'


She lived in Minnesota and Hartwell thought Fargo, North Dakota, would be a good place to meet. He boarded a Greyhound and she drove her pickup truck. He told her to look for a cowboy in a red jacket. When they met they held each other in a long embrace. They married just two months later and, after spending some time together in the cabin, the pair sold all of their belongings and set out on horseback.


In a few years, though, Gretchen would realize that Hartwell had no intentions to stop.Regular life makes Hartwell feel restless and unbalanced. 'The first month is nice,' he told me. 'But after that...' He trailed off.


When he lives under a roof, he eats too much junk food and drinks too much beer. He feels disconnected from nature. 'I'd like to go as long as I can,' he said. Hartwell and Gretchen rode together for seven years, spending much of their time on the Pacific Crest Trail along the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. They kept each other warm at night and Hartwell says they got along well. That's when they began experimenting with bringing technology along on trips, too. During the summer months, solar-charged fans cooled down Gretchen's pet chickens, which were carried along in cages strapped to the horses' packs.



They also started bringing electronics, including a Nintendo Game Boy that Hartwell played at night until his thumbs lost feeling. Gretchen often joked that it was his pacifier.


Eventually, the pair stopped in Orange County for a month. According to Hartwell, Gretchen didn't want to leave. Her shoulder was bothering her, and she was ready to settle down and start a life in Southern California. Some other problems had developed in their relationship, and stopping was not a part of Hartwell's agenda. Feeling scorned, Hartwell left Gretchen and took off to ride alone. He was gone for a year, only contacting her once by email. 'I said if you're not going to ride with me, we should get a divorce because I'm not going to stop. This trip means everything to me,' he said. 'Wrong words.'


When he returned to Southern California, she served him with divorce papers. Hartwell said he probably would have quit his ride for her if he had been older. 'But I was really hardcore then and there was a still a lot of stuff I wanted to see. I haven't heard from her since.'


Hartwell continued on his own and lived in the Arizona mountains with his horses. Aside from running into about a half dozen backpackers during that time, he was completely alone. He continued to practice some extreme spiritual rituals-sleeping in a tree for days at a time, tying his arms behind his back and going blindfolded and shoeless into the wilderness to see how long he could survive, and doing vision quests where he would seclude himself in a single spot for days with not much more than water. During stops, he would set up video equipment to film his exploits. Often, the people he met on the trails didn't understand why he insisted on staying connected to the outside world through technology. At that time, Hartwell carried a television along with his other gear and he remembered a man who berated him, saying, 'I come out here to get away from that stuff.' But, to Hartwell, technology didn't spoil nature. It entertained him during down time and helped him maintain some balance between being embedded in nature and staying connected to the civilized world. It may have even saved his life or, at least, made his journey easier: More than once, the radio he carried alerted him to dangerous weather.


Still, Hartwell missed having a companion.


He returned to Southern California, where local news anchors wanted to interview him. One of those news segments caught the attention of a horse trainer named Karin Hauenstein. She got in touch with Hartwell to see if she could talk to him about his packing techniques. He invited her on the trip and, soon, she liquidated all her assets to go with him. They started a romantic relationship, but never seemed to get along very well. Hauenstein was a brave and bold rider, but Hartwell says the pair argued and quickly became competitive with each other.


They made it to Las Vegas in 2002, where Hartwell was offered a job on a ranch working for a wealthy, middle-aged guy. The boss paid well and Hartwell was set up in his own apartment. But Hartwell's freedom was gone. He was on call all the time, driving to get fast food for his boss at 2 a.m., or spending all afternoon on jet skis with the boss' kids. Hartwell yearned for the open road.


Hauenstein, too, wanted to leave. But then she became pregnant. 'I thought we'd keep the baby and go live on the trail and it would be pretty cool,' Hartwell said. They ultimately decided to give up the child for adoption. In hindsight, Hartwell agreed that they made the right choice. 'So many people have kids and can't take care of them and the kids have problems,' he said. 'I'm not responsible enough.' Their son was born in Flagstaff in November 2003 and, by spring of the next year, they were back on the trail.


Courtesy Dane Hartwell


Hartwell and Hauenstein decided to part ways a year after their son's birth. Hauenstein rode on her own until 2005, when she started living and working in Arizona as a booking clerk for the Yavapai County Sherriff's Office and as a foster parent. Hartwell continued through New Mexico before coming to Arizona, too. It was there that Hartwell ran into trouble with the law. The story according to Hartwell and Hauenstein is that, in 2009, Hartwell was living on a friend's ranch in Rimrock, Arizona. There were a few other people living on the property and Hartwell stayed in an RV, taking care of the animals there and doing ranch maintenance. Still, he was rarely paid, often only receiving canned food for his work. He began making plans to leave.


There were also kids living on the ranch, ranging from ages 8 to 12, who would bug Hartwell to play with them. 'Dane is not good at controlling children, at all,' Hauenstein wrote in an email. 'They would run wild all over and, when he would try to ignore them, they would shake his trailer, beat on the sides and scream until he came out. He expressed to me more than once that these kids were out of control and he would be upset about it sometimes because they broke some of his things.'


Hauenstein said she gave Hartwell a Mac laptop that she had in her home while fostering some youth in the state. Hartwell mostly used it for research, writing, and video editing, but he let the kids play with it, too. It was then that the kids discovered a Girls Gone Wild video on the computer, which Hauenstein and Hartwell said they believe was downloaded by one of her foster children.


'So, the boys found this file and were playing it and teasing the girls with it,' Hauenstein wrote. 'Now, whether or not Dane told them to put it away immediately upon realizing what they were doing, or how much time had expired before Dane took the laptop away from them-that is the cause that stood alone when it came time for the prosecutor to negotiate Dane's consequences.'


Hartwell was arrested on nine charges ranging from sexual assault to indecent exposure, which Hauenstein and Hartwell said was exacerbated by a custody battle going on between some of the children's parents. The charges were dismissed by the court except a single count of furnishing obscene material to a minor. Hartwell spent a little less than two years in prison. Both he and Hauenstein said they believed the outcome would have been different if Hartwell had had the money to fight the charge.


Hauenstein made her way back to California in July of 2009 shortly before Hartwell was arrested, taking two of the six horses they had used on the trails. She has gone on long rides since, but for shorter periods of time than Hartwell and for the purpose of drawing attention to issues surrounding horse slaughter. She recently had a daughter named Violet.



After prison, Hartwell continued on the trail, mostly alone with his technology and his horses. As time passed, better tech made for easier riding. Online maps helped him find where he could feed and water his horses, and weather reports helped him plan out routes and timing. Being connected made for less loneliness, too.



Trail is good -horses eating wild oats.


- Dane Hartwell (@dane_hartwell) August 12, 2012

He spent a lot of time online during downtime, where he met women who wanted to join the ride, or for him to ship his horses out to them to start a new expedition. From our conversation, I couldn't quite tell if they were girlfriends, groupies, or just people interested in his lifestyle. There's something unusual about Hartwell that draws people to him-maybe it's his charisma or wildness. Perhaps some women hope they can change him, or are drawn to someone who seems so free. If he chose to, it seems he could likely start a life with one of these people. So why, in his fifties and after spending time in prison, did Hartwell relinquish a normal life to be a nomad?


It is easy to say his riding is obsessive. But Hauenstein said she thinks it might be hard for him to let go because, at this point, Hartwell is really good at what he does. 'I believe that the reason why Dane continues to ride is because he can, especially in ways that very few people in the country can or understand,' Hauenstein said. 'He is a student of the trail and of the natural order of things. I believe his major identity is traveling on horseback.'


After all, without his riding, what is he? A man without a home, without a spouse, without a child he can really call his own. Without much of anything at all.


About a month after our ride to the Mission, Hartwell was riding his horses north on Interstate 5 near Pismo Beach. Belknap had been kicked, and Hartwell spent a couple weeks letting her heal before they continued their journey. They plodded slowly along the highway. Drivers swiveled their heads as they sped past to watch the group.


Among the cars rushing by was a pickup truck with a Mexican native named Geraldo at the wheel. As Geraldo whizzed past, he wondered what this guy with three horses could be doing on the side of his road. Geraldo had aspirations of riding a horse from Central California to Mexico City, and his curiosity was instantly piqued. Without further thought, he made a U-turn and pulled up next to Hartwell.


Geraldo asked where Hartwell was coming from and where he was going, and then offered to buy him lunch. Over Santa Maria style BBQ, the first meat Hartwell had tasted since the Jack in the Box burger back in Lompoc, they talked about Hartwell's life and his horses. Geraldo invited Hartwell to stay at his home, where he had pens for the horses, and he introduced Hartwell to a man named Hans who lived at a ranch and was trying to get a contract to do equine therapy with prisoners in California. Hartwell had just recently started the expedition and hadn't expected to stay in Central California much longer. But the situation was pretty perfect, especially considering that Belknap was still recovering. He decided to stay there for a couple of weeks. Over pink lemonade at the ranch where Hans lived, the three men chatted about travel, relationships, and horses.


'Horses never cheat on you, they never betray you. They always love you,' Geraldo said, turning to Hartwell. 'Where do you go if you don't have the horses?'


'Gosh,' Hartwell said before thinking for a moment. 'I don't know.'


The conversation continued to what Hartwell's journey meant, and what it was like to abandon the material world. 'I can imagine people say [Hartwell] is a psychopath,' Hans said. 'He is a guy who doesn't want to deal with the real world. But then you have people who say maybe he's following his dream.'


Though he had started with the intention of riding up the West Coast, Pismo Beach ended up being one of Hartwell's final stops on his nearly two-decade horseback expedition. He met a woman online that he developed serious feelings for, and he realized that Belknap and Starlite might be ready to retire from the trail life soon. So, he left his horses with a friend in California and set off for Virginia to meet up with his new girlfriend. After a few weeks there, it became apparent that, for a number of reasons, the relationship wasn't meant to be. He told me that he had vivid nightmares about the horses, mostly about them getting loose or lost. Every day, he said, he felt sick with worry. But Hartwell didn't have the money to get home, and so he decided to travel down to Florida where he could do solo survival trips, perhaps by bike. He spent time there, bouncing around the homes of different friends he made along the way. Many of them were interested in nature or travel, and they all seemed spellbound by his stories.


Eventually, he made his way to the Smoky Mountains, where he said he was planning a new expedition. This time, without the horses. He was thinking about traveling by kayak from Washington to Alaska, and perhaps beyond. 'I need something different than the wilderness now,' he wrote. 'Been in the mountains a long time and my trails are starting to cross.'


But, not long after, he began posting a flurry of old photos from his rides on Facebook. Pictures from trips up through the mountains, of catching a wild stallion that entered his camp, and of riding through ghost towns. There was a photo of one of his horses wading through chest-high water, of all three roped in a line near a river, of Starlite with a red bandana strapped to her forehead. The Electric Horseman hasn't seen his last ride.



Entities 0 Name: Hartwell Count: 109 1 Name: Hauenstein Count: 14 2 Name: Gretchen Count: 7 3 Name: Geraldo Count: 6 4 Name: California Count: 6 5 Name: Belknap Count: 5 6 Name: Arizona Count: 4 7 Name: Dane Count: 4 8 Name: Electric Horseman Count: 3 9 Name: Southern California Count: 3 10 Name: Lompoc Count: 3 11 Name: Hans Count: 3 12 Name: Central California Count: 2 13 Name: Jack Count: 2 14 Name: Pismo Beach Count: 2 15 Name: Dane Hartwell Count: 2 16 Name: Little Snowy Mountains Count: 1 17 Name: Mexico City Count: 1 18 Name: Sierra Nevada Count: 1 19 Name: Bakersfield Count: 1 20 Name: Minnesota Count: 1 21 Name: New Mexico Count: 1 22 Name: Animal Control Count: 1 23 Name: Dane Hartwell Hartwell Count: 1 24 Name: Michigan Count: 1 25 Name: St. Benedict Count: 1 26 Name: Smoky Mountains Count: 1 27 Name: Virginia Count: 1 28 Name: Oregon Count: 1 29 Name: Santa Maria Count: 1 30 Name: Montana Count: 1 31 Name: Los Angeles Count: 1 32 Name: Nintendo Count: 1 33 Name: Baby Count: 1 34 Name: Flint Count: 1 35 Name: Flagstaff Count: 1 36 Name: Yavapai County Sherriff 's Office Count: 1 37 Name: Rimrock Count: 1 38 Name: North Dakota Count: 1 39 Name: Mission Purisima La Concepcion Count: 1 40 Name: Karin Hauenstein Count: 1 41 Name: Florida Count: 1 42 Name: Alaska Count: 1 43 Name: United States Count: 1 44 Name: Pacific Crest Trail Count: 1 45 Name: Sundown Baby Count: 1 46 Name: Orange County Count: 1 47 Name: General Motors Count: 1 48 Name: South American Count: 1 49 Name: DSLR Count: 1 50 Name: Cascade Count: 1 51 Name: Washington Count: 1 52 Name: Las Vegas Count: 1 53 Name: West Coast Count: 1 54 Name: Mission La Purisima Concepcion Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1twFXoQ Title: Improve your cycling in just seven days Description: No matter what your level of cycling, we've got a great seven-day plan for you! Future Publishing View Thumbnail Gallery Whether you're taking your first pedal strokes, riding to work or using cycling to shed a few pounds, you need some structure to your riding week. Why?

Beware, low fat or diet foods can have more calories than regular food

Do you often opt for low-calorie food to shed some extra kilos? This may stun you: New research reveals some low-fat foods actually have more calories than regular food - owing to added sugars.


Even low-fat bread can have more calories than regular ones, the research showed. 'Low-fat foods do appear on average to help reduce calorie intake. However, appropriate food choices may still require reading nutritional information on the food labels, as 10 percent of low fat foods still have more calories and 40 percent have more sugar, than their regular fat counterparts,' explained Matthew Capehorn from Rotherham Institute for Obesity.


During the study of 62 supermarket products, 10 percent of low-fat foods analysed had more or the same calories than the regular fat version. Substituting sugar for fat in diet or low fat foods has been done for a long time and many people will have been fooled into buying them thinking they were improving their health, Capehorn added.


'The message for people is to read the labels and do not assume that low fat or diet foods are lower in calories,' he added. The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria.


Source: IANS


Entities 0 Name: Capehorn Count: 1 1 Name: Sofia Count: 1 2 Name: European Congress Count: 1 3 Name: Matthew Capehorn Count: 1 4 Name: Rotherham Institute for Obesity Count: 1 5 Name: Bulgaria Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1nNUf4E Title: Weightwatchers Is Actually Keeping People Fat Description: Weightwatchers bread and cheese contain more calories than standard own brand alternatives despite claims from the company that its products aid slimming, a study has found. Researchers found that one in ten so-called 'low fat' foods contained the same or more calories than their standard equivalents, warning shoppers to check the labels.

Beware, low fat or diet foods can have more calories than regular food

Do you often opt for low-calorie food to shed some extra kilos? This may stun you: New research reveals some low-fat foods actually have more calories than regular food - owing to added sugars.


Even low-fat bread can have more calories than regular ones, the research showed. 'Low-fat foods do appear on average to help reduce calorie intake. However, appropriate food choices may still require reading nutritional information on the food labels, as 10 percent of low fat foods still have more calories and 40 percent have more sugar, than their regular fat counterparts,' explained Matthew Capehorn from Rotherham Institute for Obesity.


During the study of 62 supermarket products, 10 percent of low-fat foods analysed had more or the same calories than the regular fat version. Substituting sugar for fat in diet or low fat foods has been done for a long time and many people will have been fooled into buying them thinking they were improving their health, Capehorn added.


'The message for people is to read the labels and do not assume that low fat or diet foods are lower in calories,' he added. The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Sofia, Bulgaria.


Source: IANS


Entities 0 Name: Capehorn Count: 1 1 Name: Sofia Count: 1 2 Name: European Congress Count: 1 3 Name: Matthew Capehorn Count: 1 4 Name: Rotherham Institute for Obesity Count: 1 5 Name: Bulgaria Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1nNUf4E Title: Weightwatchers Is Actually Keeping People Fat Description: Weightwatchers bread and cheese contain more calories than standard own brand alternatives despite claims from the company that its products aid slimming, a study has found. Researchers found that one in ten so-called 'low fat' foods contained the same or more calories than their standard equivalents, warning shoppers to check the labels.

Jumat, 30 Mei 2014

Gluten

Gluten-Free Diet Is Good For Everybody? Most People Think So

By Rebekah Marcarelli r.marcarelli@hngn.com | May 30, 2014 04:42 PM EDT



Consumers tend to believe a gluten-free diet is healthy for everyone.


Only 11 percent of household in the United States are gluten-free, but about one in four consumers think the diet would be healthy for anybody, an NPD Group news release reported. Consumers also tend to think a gluten-free diet is too expensive and bland.


Researchers found that only about 25 percent of people that follow a gluten-free lifestyle have celiac disease or other clinical gluten sensitivities. Many consumers believe this type of diet can have a cleansing effect and improve digestive health.


'There is clearly a segment of the population who avoids gluten for reasons other than gluten sensitivity or disease, providing a greater opportunity for food manufacturers and retailers,' Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst, said in the news release. 'Food marketers should pay close to attention to all of the reasons for a gluten-free diet and connect the reasons with appropriate messages in order to better target your audiences.'


About half of all consumers say that they would not be willing to forfeit taste in order to maintain a gluten-free diet. The most prevalent reason consumers had for not going gluten-free was that the products were too pricey.


'Careful consideration of pricing compared to alternatives that contain gluten will be of particular importance to the success of most gluten-free products, especially in the current economy,' Seifer said. 'Continued improvement of the taste of gluten-free products will also be important in order to keep consumers purchasing in the gluten-free space.'


Gluten can be extremely harmful to those suffering from celiac disease. The condition is an immune reaction a protein that can be found in 'wheat, barley and rye,' Mayo Clinic reported.


Symptoms of the illness include: 'Anemia, usually resulting from iron deficiency; Loss of bone density (osteoporosis) or softening of bone (osteomalacia); Itchy, blistery skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis); Damage to dental enamel; Headaches and fatigue; Nervous system injury, including numbness and tingling in the feet and hands, and possible problems with balance; Joint pain; Reduced functioning of the spleen (hyposplenism); Acid reflux and heartburn,' Mayo Clinic reported.


Featured Video : Vice President Biden Remarks on Ukraine



Regular white bread eaters are more likely to be overweight.


Entities 0 Name: Mayo Clinic Count: 2 1 Name: Ukraine Count: 1 2 Name: Rebekah Marcarelli Count: 1 3 Name: NPD Group Count: 1 4 Name: NPD Count: 1 5 Name: United States Count: 1 6 Name: Biden Count: 1 7 Name: Darren Seifer Count: 1 8 Name: Seifer Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1oBIxfs Title: Going gluten-free because everyone else is? Description: Food makers often profit handsomely by selling products that are missing something. In this case, what's gone is gluten. Sales of gluten-free food and beverages are expected to hit $15.6 billion in 2016, a gain of about 48 percent since 2013, as food manufacturers respond to the growing demand from consumers who are convinced that the naturally occurring protein found in wheat an other grain products is to blame for a myriad of health woes.

In this week's issue: Contractors' Crash Diet


Building a business around federal contracts used to be a great thing: it meant steady revenue, predictable cash flow and even an edge over competitors. But a year after sequestration gutted federal defense budgets, many federal contractors are struggling with smaller slices of a shrinking revenue pie.


For some companies, however, it's just the beginning of a new business model. In this week's edition, Dennis Domrzalski talks to a few CEOs who are turning lemons into lemonade in the government contracting world.


Our reporters covered lots of other stories, too.


Reporter Dan Mayfield reported on the brewing concern over the future of Intel Rio Rancho after the fab's general manager, Kirby Jefferson, stated that the facility's volumes will 'roll off' in two years. Reporter Dennis Domrzalski reported this week that emergency room visits aren't going down locally despite predictions of a rush to medical care after the passage and implementation of the ACA. Domrzalski looks into the disconnect. Nob Hill is getting reading for some interesting development projects this summer. Reporter Damon Scott offers a great overview of the projects and who is involved.

Also this week, editorial researcher Vasudha Tiwari created a list of the largest government contractors in New Mexico and the largest defense contracts.


To see all this and much more from this week's edition, click here.


To subscribe to the weekly edition, click here.


Want Albuquerque news in your inbox? Click here to sign up for our email newsletters.


Entities 0 Name: Dennis Domrzalski Count: 2 1 Name: Vasudha Tiwari Count: 1 2 Name: ACA Count: 1 3 Name: Intel Rio Rancho Count: 1 4 Name: Nob Hill Count: 1 5 Name: Kirby Jefferson Count: 1 6 Name: Albuquerque Count: 1 7 Name: Dan Mayfield Count: 1 8 Name: Damon Scott Count: 1 9 Name: Domrzalski Count: 1 10 Name: New Mexico Count: 1 Related Keywords 0 Name: domrzalski Score: 30 1 Name: click Score: 13 2 Name: contractors Score: 12 3 Name: reporter Score: 11 4 Name: contracts Score: 11 5 Name: edition Score: 11 6 Name: dennis Score: 11 7 Name: vasudha Score: 10 8 Name: tiwari Score: 10 9 Name: nob Score: 10 authors 0 Name: Tina Orem Url: http://ift.tt/1iACYX6 Media Images 0

5 Healthy Food Pairings to Supercharge Your Diet

Batman and Robin; Regis and Kelly. Like all good duos, be they heroes or TV personalities, each complement the other oh-so-well. Surprisingly, the same holds true for food. While some ingredients are perfectly healthful on their own, they're nutritional gangbusters when combined with the right sidekick. 'Pairing foods can help us obtain a synergy from their various nutrients, and it's the whole reason we push for a varied diet,' says Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, LDN, and owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition. 'All of those elimination and restricted diets out there aren't ideal when it comes to being healthy,' she says.



When seeking out ideal food pairings, also consider the antioxidant and phytochemical content, which can provide an added boost, says Ilana Katz, MS, RD, CSSD and founder of Optimal Nutrition for Life. Here, we highlight five of our favorite (but not the only) food pairs, along with recipe ideas that integrate them best.


Better Together: Healthy Food Pairings 1. Tomatoes and Avocado

Why pair? To reduce inflammation If you're a Mexican food lover, combining tomatoes and avocado may be a no-brainer. The good news is that the healthy fat in avocados is believed to help the body absorb more lycopene, the antioxidant compound that gives red, orange and yellow produce its hue. Research from Ohio State University found that when avocado was added to salsa, people absorbed more than four times the amount of lycopene than from salsa without avocado. What makes this pair a winning combo? Increased consumption of lycopene plays a role in the cancer prevention, inflammatory diseases, and age-related illnesses such as cataracts. 'Cooking the tomatoes also enhances the nutritional effects,' says Katz.Get fresh: To reap the benefits of this twosome, chop up this simple avocado and tomato salsa. Or, use the ingredients to revamp a traditional Caprese salad (replacing the mozzarella with avocado). You can reap similar benefits by adding olive oil to tomatoes as well, adds Katz.


2. Green Tea and Lemon Juice

Why pair? For greater antioxidant absorption Yes, drinking green tea with fresh lemon makes your taste buds happy, but adding lemon juice also improves the health benefits, according to researchers at Purdue University. A study in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that adding citrus juice to green tea increases the body's ability to absorb the tea's antioxidants (catechins). Since the antioxidants found in tea prefer the acidic environment of your stomach, adding lemon juice can increase the amount of catechins the body extracts up to six times. Bonus: Some of tea's compounds, including oxalates, can inhibit iron absorption from foods, but lemon reduces the effect.Drink up: Start your morning by steeping tea for one to three minutes (if they're left in for too long, bitter compounds are released). Then, add as much lemon juice as you like (the more you add, the better).


3. Pasta and Vinegar

Why pair? To feel full longer and fight fat It happens to the best of us: We devour that plate of pasta, and we're hungry for more soon after putting down the fork. Interestingly, foods known for causing abrupt spikes and falls in blood sugar (we're looking at you, white bread, pasta and potatoes) seem to stimulate parts of the brain involved in hunger, craving and reward. The good news is that research from the European Journal of Clinical Nutritionshows that vinegar can help moderate these inevitable spikes in glucose and keep us feeling more energized. Vinegar has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity to high-carb meals in people with Type 2 Diabetes, and small amounts of vinegar (about two tablespoons) similarly benefit healthy, diabetes-free adults. Additionally, small studies find that vinegar may also help fight fat.Get cooking: Next time you create a cold pasta salad, include vinegar in the dressing. 'For a complete meal, combine vinegar and pasta with a protein selection, such as sliced chicken or black beans, to better control insulin levels,' says Sumbal.


4. Skim Milk and Banana

Why pair? For stronger bones You know dairy products are good sources of calcium. What you may not know: Foods containing high amounts of inulin - a type of fiber found in asparagus, leeks, onions, bananas, wheat and garlic - can help enhance calcium absorption. Combine the two, and calcium plus inulin create a healthy recipe for strong bones.Start sipping: This banana-oat protein smoothie recipe is a tasty way to get both of these ingredients in one place. 'Also make sure you're getting some vitamin D if you choose rice or almond milk,' says Sumbal. 'Add in chia or flax seeds; either will provide a healthy fat source and vitamin D.'


5. Fish and Red Wine

Why pair? To enhance heart health A satisfying piece of grilled fish paired with red wine? Yes, please! A study in Food Research International suggests red wine's polyphenols (the most abundant antioxidant in the body) protect omega-3 fatty acids from breaking down in the body. Enjoying a moderate amount of red wine (one glass for women and two glasses for men) with omega-3-rich fatty fish (salmon, trout, tuna or herring) may increase your body's omega-3 content, contributing to enhanced cardiovascular benefits. 'Both [ingredients] alone are great for heart health, but since each can potentially have lots of calories, abide by portion sizes,' Sumbal advises.Wine and dine: Grill, steam or bake four ounces of your favorite omega-rich fish, and limit yourself to a four-ounce glass of wine. Want even more nutritional bang for your buck? 'Cook your fish in a garlic type-sauce,' suggests Katz, as garlic's immune-boosting properties may also be enhanced when paired with red wine.


Life by DailyBurn is dedicated to helping you live a healthier, happier and more active lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength or de-stress, a better you is well within reach. Get more health and fitness tips at Life by DailyBurn. Entities 0 Name: Katz Count: 3 1 Name: Sumbal Count: 3 2 Name: DailyBurn Count: 2 3 Name: European Journal of Clinical Nutritionshows Count: 1 4 Name: Purdue University Count: 1 5 Name: Healthy Food Pairings Count: 1 6 Name: Food Research International Count: 1 7 Name: LDN Count: 1 8 Name: Regis Count: 1 9 Name: Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition Count: 1 10 Name: Lemon Juice Why Count: 1 11 Name: CSSD Count: 1 12 Name: Kelly Count: 1 13 Name: Ilana Katz Count: 1 14 Name: Ohio State University Count: 1 15 Name: Molecular Nutrition & Food Research Count: 1 16 Name: Optimal Nutrition for Life Count: 1 17 Name: Robin Count: 1 18 Name: Marni Sumbal Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1oMFGhe Title: A slacker's guide to losing weight without trying Description: By Carey Rossi Meticulous meal planning. Counting every calorie you consume. Spending an entire weekend cooking healthy meals for the following week. Finding even more time to exercise. Sure, these weight-loss strategies work, but they can be awfully time consuming. Enter our slacker's guide to weight loss.