Natural Health Tips

A HEAVY MISTAKE

Still can’t break your cheeseburger habit? Here’s more motivation: The heavier you are, the more dangerous fast food becomes, found University at Buffalo scientists in New York. After overweight diners ate 1,800 calories of fast food, their levels of inflammation were significantly higher than those of normal-weight adults who ate the same foods. During periods of high inflammation, your body produces less HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and more LDL and triglycerides (both bad cholesterols), raising your heart-attack risk. Curb this consequences by ordering smarter and cutting your drive-thru visits.

TACKLE TEMPTATION

Depriving yourself is no way to diet. That’s because avoiding snacks may sap your willpower, say Florida State University researchers. In their study, men with the lowest blood sugar performed the worst on tests that evaluated self-control. When your brain is deprived of its primary fuel (glucose), you struggle to stop eating, say the study authors. To control your cravings, keep your blood sugar steady by having a 200-calorie snack every three hours. It should contain 10 grams of protein and a mix of carbs and fat-like a slice of cheese with a pear. Sugar may be brain fuel, but that is not an excuse to inhale chocolates.

WHAT NOT TO LOSE

Warning: Shedding your gut may lead to smaller biceps, Scientist at Louisiana State University found that when overweight men cut 25 percent of their calories, a quarter of their weight loss came from muscle. So what’s a dieter to do? Protect your muscle by hitting the weights three times a week. In a West Virginia University study, this strategy prevented muscle loss even though men were taking in just 800 calories a day.

Fill it up. Silence your stomach’s growl University of Washington researchers recently studied how a high-fat, high-carb, or high-protein meal impacts ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. The verdict: A protein-packed steak helps keep you satisfied.

Spoonful of skinny, along with relieving intestinal problems, the probiotics in yogurt may speed weight loss. British scientists found that these active organisms boosted the breakdown of fat molecules in mice, preventing the rodents from gaining weight. The researchers still need to prove the finding in humans, but there’s no danger in downing probiotic-packed yogurt.