For years weight loss experts have said that if you want to lose weight, you need to cut down on your sugar intake. Most people can relate to that and react by buying less cupcakes, brownies and other sweets, but that isn’t where the problem lies. It’s the drinks that are sabotaging your weight loss plan.

The Evidence

It’s all about the soft drink. The term “soft drink” covers a lot of ground. It refers to any beverage with added sugar or other sweetener. This includes soda, fruit punch, all the “ades” including lemonade, sweetened drinks and sports and energy drinks.

Soda makers produce about 10.4 billion gallons of sugary pop each year. That’s enough for each American to have one 12-ounce can every day for 365 days (1 year).

Looking at the numbers, an average can of sugar-sweetened soda has about 150 calories, most of the calories are from sugar. That’s equivalent to 10 teaspoons of soda per day, every day for one year. Put away that much sugar and you’re likely to gain about 15 pounds!

Are Diet Drinks any Better?

OK, so you switch to diet drinks, problem solved…right? Hold on, not so fast. A recent study from the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that drinking diet sodas may help you shed a couple pounds, but may lead to heart attack or stroke.

The study followed 2,564 NYC adults 69 years or older for 10 years. During that time 591 men and women had a heart attack, stroke or died of cardiovascular causes. Daily consumption of diet soda was linked to having a 44 percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke.

Since there still needs to be more research on diet soda and long term affects, I suggest you take this information as a caution.

Weight Gain?

In other studies, researchers found that switching to diet or artificially sweetened drinks can reduce your overall caloric intake and promote weight loss. But, they also found another troubling side affect. Artificial sweeteners mix up the body’s and brain’s signals of what it needs to do when it tastes something sweet. Usually when your body tastes something sweet, it thinks “sugar” and sugar means energy. Your brain responds to sweetness with signals to eat more, then slow down and stop. But with artificial sweeteners comes low or no calories. This confuses your brain and it doesn’t know how to tell your body to react.

In a Purdue University study of rats, the rats that were fed food sweetened with saccharin, took in more calories and gained weight. But this doesn’t happen to everyone and it has yet to be proven that artificial sweeteners cause weight gain in humans. However, it does give you something to think about.

Alternative to Diet Drinks

Let’s face it, you have to take in less sugar in order to lose weight, and since drinking beverages is a big part of your diet, you have to be cautious of the calories you drink also. Diet drinks are ok, as a substitute for sugary drinks, but don’t bet the farm on them, they come with their own set of problems. So here are some low-cal and calorie-free options for you to incorporate into your diet that you can feel really good about.

Provided by the Harvard School of Public Health

1. Infused water (spa water)

You can find fancy flavored waters in the grocery store, including some that are free of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Spas also serve water that has been flavored with herbs, fruits, even vegetables. But you can easily make your own naturally-infused spa water at home. Try adding any of the following to a cold glass or pitcher of water:

• Sliced citrus fruits or zest (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)
• Crushed fresh mint or other herbs
• Peeled, sliced fresh ginger or sliced cucumber

2. Tea

Black or green, caffeinated or decaf, leaf or herbal, hot or cold, tea is an excellent choice for a calorie free beverage. Adding a teaspoon of sugar or honey only adds about 15 calories to the cup. Some teas taste sweet to the palate even without adding any sugar: Try Japanese roasted barley tea (Mugi Cha), fruit-flavored herbal teas (mango, blueberry), or teas that feature cinnamon, vanilla, or other “sweet” spices. Black and green teas are also rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, and other biologically active substances that may be good for health.

3. Coffee

Coffee is calorie free, as long as you don’t load it up with cream and sugar. Take a pass on the coffeehouse confections that are topped with whipped cream and drizzled with sugar syrup, since those can have upwards of 300 to 400 calories per extra-large cup. If you want to add one teaspoon of sugar to a plain cup of coffee, that’s no problem.

4. Sparkling water with a splash of juice 

Sparkling juices that are sold ready-made are often heavy on the juice, and may have almost as many calories as sugary soda pop. Instead, make your own sparkling juice at home with 12 ounces of sparkling water and just an ounce or two of juice. For a flavor twist, add sliced citrus or fresh herbs.

5. Fresh fruit coolers

Store-bought or cafe smoothies are marketed as “health” foods, but they are often loaded with sugar and high in calories—some have upwards of 300 calories in a 12 ounce serving. Try making a refreshing fresh fruit cooler instead. There’s no added sugar, and just a small amount of fruit, so this drink is only about 18 calories for each 12-ounce glass.

• 1/2 cup of ice
• 3/4 cup of sugar-free sparkling water
• 1/3 cup of melon or berries
• Chopped mint leaves or citrus slices (optional)

Place ice, sparkling water, and fruit in a blender. Blend until slushy, pour into a glass and garnish with mint or citrus slices. Serves 1.

6. Low-sodium broth or miso

There’s no rule that says we must satisfy our thirst with something sweet. Low-sodium broth can give your body the fluid it needs, and can be a savory and satisfying alternative to a sweet drink. The healthiest choice: Look for a broth that has less than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving. Miso, the Japanese fermented soybean paste, can be quite salty, so look for lower-sodium varieties and use it sparingly.

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Eating fish makes your brain better, faster and stronger, according to the results of a recent study published in Neurology.

The study measured omega-3 fatty acid levels in the red blood cells of 1,575 older people whose average age was 67. The study participants did not show signs of dementia, were evaluated for mental function and underwent MRI scans.

Researchers said the results showed that participants whose diets contained low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish, such as docosahexanoic acid (DHA) are more likely to have memory problems.

“People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about two years of structural brain aging,” says researcher Zaldy S. Tan, MD, MPH, of the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research and the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Since previous studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation, which helps in the fight against Alzehimers dementia, this new research opens the door for more research on how including fish in your diet can help fight against this dreaded disease.

In addition, for people who aren’t suffering from dementia, including fish as a diet staple has shown to increase brain function, visual memory, processing and abstract thinking.

You no longer have to dread getting older and losing your memory, you can do something about it and maintain a better quality of life.

Other Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy

Get Moving: “The best advice I can give to keep your brain healthy and young is aerobic exercise,” says Donald Stuss, PhD, a neuropsychologist and director of the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. Exercise helps to ward off mental decline and it may even help to restore memory. Numerous studies on animals have shown that aerobic exercise leads to more blood supply, nutrients and oxygen getting to your brain to help it function better.

Eat Better: Remember, what you feed your body, you feed your brain. Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants that help to neutralize the harmful free radicals that break down the neurons in your brain. Eating good, nutritious food helps to keep your brain in tip-top shape, plus ward off other diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Don’t Stress: I know it’s easier said than done, but constant stress wreaks havoc on your body and your brain. You’re always going to have some form of stress in your life and not all stress is bad. But when it’s constant and uncontrolled, you’re asking for problems. Physical exercise is a fantastic destressor. Try out a Yoga or Pilates class or sign up for some meditation sessions. You’ll feel and look better and your brain will thank you by functioning better.

Laugh More: Don’t roll your eyes, laughter really is good for you. It stimulates the parts of your brain that use the “feel good” chemical messenger dopamine. Laughter is something you can do over and over and over and it always leaves you feeling good. You may even want to try out Laughter Yoga.

Keep your brain healthy, wise and strong with Lee Haney’s Omega 3: Mega EPA DHA. It increases your intake of omega-3 fatty acids ahd helps to reduce inflammation, which has been associated with Alzehimers dementia. You’re never too old to start taking care of your brain,

Learn Something New: Your brain is highly adaptable. If you ask your brain to lean, it will oblige. Learning new things helps to slow down typical brain aging and may even treat dementia. “Your brain is a learning machine,” says Michael Merzenich, PhD, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. “Anything that closely engages your focus and is strongly rewarding,” says Merzenich, will kick your brain into learning mode and necessarily notch it up. For his part, Merzenich, 64, has “4,000 hobbies,” including a wood shop and a vineyard. With dedicated practice, you can train your brain to act like it did when you were younger.

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The search for healthy, organic products just got more confusing. A study of organic brown rice syrup just concluded that products containing this sweetener are a source for the toxin arsenic.

Organic brown rice syrup is used in organic and gluten-free foods as an alternative to high fructose corn syrup. It’s made by steeping brown rice with a special enzyme preparation where the whole brown rice grains are converted to a smooth-flavored, sweet liquid extract. This causes the syrup to dissolve into your bloodstream easily, which helps to control blood sugar spikes.

However, eating foods that contain this “sweet liquid” as a main ingredient could expose you to more arsenic than the U.S. government allows in drinking water. The problem is the rice and how arsenic gets into it.

Arsenic and Rice

Arsenic is both colorless and tasteless; it’s naturally present in the environment and easily dissolves in water, but once it gets in the soil, it can stay there for years. Rice is particularly vulnerable to contamination with arsenic because it is grown in water. Arsenic gets into the rice and is stored in the darker outer layer call the germ. Brown rice contains higher levels of arsenic than white rice because the outer layers are stripped from white rice in processing. But leaving the outer layers intact is actually what makes brown rice a healthier alternative than white rice.

Long term exposure to arsenic in drinking water has been linked to cancers of the bladder, liver, skin, prostate and lungs, along with increased risk for heart disease. Arsenic exposure in young children has been linked to lower IQs and reduced brain function.

Study Results

Researchers at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire tested 17 brands of baby formulas, 29 cereal bars and three energy shots and three organic brown rice syrups. Products that did not list organic brown rice syrup as the main ingredient were low in arsenic levels. Most of the arsenic was detected in the bars and energy bars and was the inorganic kind, believed to be the most toxic.

As reported by ABCNews.com, “There’s been quite a lot of press on arsenic in rice in the past six years, but less so on the rice products,” says researcher Brian P. Jackson, PhD, director of trace metal analysis at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. He went on to say that as Americans consume more rice-containing foods, they’re unknowingly ingesting more arsenic, he cautioned. He pointed out that they’re buying more organic packaged foods, more gluten-free products made from rice instead of wheat flour, and choosing foods sweetened with organic brown rice syrup because of the buzz they’ve heard linking high-fructose corn syrup and obesity.

Organic  Foods are Not Always Safest

Concerns for You

If you eat foods that contain organic brown rice syrup every once in a while, you probably don’t have anything to worry about, since your body can clear a single, small dose of arsenic in a few days. But if you are an athlete or fitness enthusiast and consume energy bars or gels regularly, you could have issues.

In addition, if you are giving your baby organic formula, you also have need to be concerned. Jackson suggests that parents hold off on feeding babies and toddlers formula that contains brown rice syrup as a sweetener until arsenic levels in products are regulated.

“There’s no perfect advice,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch, a consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C.Lovera. “There’s no one thing people can do.” But she said, the surprising presence of arsenic in packaged foods give people a chance to ask themselves, “How many foods do I need to eat that are processed with ingredients I don’t really know that much about?”

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A recent study published in the Arthritis Care & Research report found that over 40 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients live a sedentary life. This finding is significant because these patients are already at risk for heart disease and their inactivity adds to that risk, stated Dr. Waseem Mir, a rheumatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

The study followed 176 patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged 18 and older who participated in a trial that assessed the effectiveness of physical activity.

Previous recommendations from medical experts consisted of medication and rest, but now researchers are saying that physical activity is the key to keeping joints flexible, improving balance, gaining strength and reducing pain. “Our results suggest that public health initiatives need to address the lack of motivation to exercise and to promote the benefits of physical activity to reduce the prevalence of inactivity in those with rheumatoid arthritis,” said lead researcher Jungwha Lee, an assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

The issue lies in convincing patients of the need to get moving, since 53 percent of the study participants were inactive and 49 percent didn’t even think that exercise would benefit them anyway. Since 1.3 million people suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S., there is definitely a need to get the word out about the benefits of physical activity in improving their daily lives.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis or RA, is a form of inflammatory arthritis and is also an autoimmune disease. The immune system, in patients with RA, attacks the body’s own tissues, specifically the thin membrane that lines the joints. As a result, fluid builds up in the joints causing pain and inflammation. This reaction is systemic which means that it can occur throughout your body. There is no cure and in some people it gets worse over time, while others experience long periods of remission. Early diagnosis combined with aggressive treatment is the most effective way to put the disease into remission and avoid joint destruction, organ damage and disability.

Why exercise helps those with RA

• Exercise can help to reduce overall pain caused by RA and also help to build muscle strength.
• Regular exercise helps to keep your bones strong. This is important, especially if you take steroids, because thinning bones can be an issue with RA patients.
• Regular exercise will improve your ability to function and be more independent in your daily activities.
• Exercise makes you feel better and gives you coping skills to help you deal with the issues caused by RA

Which exercises are best?

• Stretching: Stretching improves flexibility and is simple and easy to start.
• Strength training: Resistance exercises with or without weights strengthen your muscles and increase the amount of activity you are able to do pain-free.
• Aerobic: Aerobic workouts improve cardiovascular fitness, make your heart and blood vessels healthier and help to improve your mood and overall well-being.

Which exercises to avoid?

• Try to avoid jogging, running and heavy weight lifting. These movements tend to put too much stress on the joints.
• These exercises can be incorporated into your workout program gradually, as you feel up to it.

Next steps

• Before you begin any exercise program, speak with your doctor first and discuss your plans.

Then meet with a qualified health care or fitness professional to make sure you are incorporating the right moves and maintaining proper form.

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Walmart, the largest food seller in the United States, is starting a ripple effect in the grocery industry. Recently, they announced they are ready to begin rollout of their “Great for You” program.

The “Great for You” program is one more tool in Walmart’s efforts to show consumers that they can make healthy, low-cost choices for food to feed their families. The designation that a food has made it into the program is a prominent green and white logo. Consumers can be assured that products that sport the logo meet Walmart’s standards that regulates the amount of total saturated and trans fats, added sugars and sodium levels a product can contain. Fresh fruits and vegetables and lean cuts of meat qualify, as do brown rice and 1 percent milk. After a lengthy debate, eggs are also included in the program.

“There are no candy bars,” said Andrea Thomas, the company’s senior vice president of sustainability.

The logo also appears on 20 percent to 25 percent of Walmart’s Great Value brand food. Brand name foods and some of Walmart’s own Marketside items may also qualify for the program.

This move will help consumers to make informed choices about what foods to put on their family’s tables. The ability to make more healthy choices is “a key piece of solving childhood obesity,” says First Lady Michelle Obama, who was on hand at the unveiling of the program in January 2011.

In their efforts to continue to keep prices low, Walmart will introduce new packaging that contains the seal of approval as the old packaging runs out.

Image Source: Google

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Last week the announcement from Susan G. Komen that they would cut off funding to Planned Parenthood (a $93 million decision) put the world on notice and the Internet on fire. Tweets, Facebook posts, blog posts and other social media postings topped the trending topics daily. And don’t discount traditional media and other advocacy groups, they all had a say.

Luckily for them, the founder, Nancy G. Brinker, came to her senses, admitted the organization’s mistake and retracted their decision. You could hear the sigh of relief being uttered. I am certain that neither the decision to make the announcement nor the decision to retract it was easy. I am also certain that they felt they were on the right track to success…that is until they were faced with the sobering truth.

What about you? Are you able to admit your mistakes, especially when it comes to your diet program? You’ve been on this rollercoaster a while; you lose weight, then you gain it back. Haven’t you figured it out by now that what you’re doing just isn’t working?

There are repercussions that your body suffers for that weight loss/gain cycle that you’ve been putting it through. Just as Komen found out that there are repercussions for making suck a decision when Karen Handel, the Komen executive that was behind it all, stepped down as a result of all the controversy she caused. Brinker said she wished her well in her “future endeavors,” which is always a sign of “we’re being nice and allowing you to step down, but you’re really FIRED!”

Never the less, you have to take control and take responsibility for your decision to stay on the plan that’s not working. Now is the time to get off the rollercoaster and onto something that really does work for you.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Use What Worked. Figure out what worked and what didn’t work with the plan that you were on. If something worked, keep it, if not, out it goes.

2. Set Your Goals. How much weight do you want to lose? Set incremental goals as well as big goals. If you want to lose 50 pounds as the big goal, then break that down into “10 pounds at a time goals.”

3. Set a Deadline. Think of when you want to have this weight off and mark it on your calendar. (The most effective rate for weight loss is ½ to 2 pounds per week) With a 2 pound a week mark in mind, figure out have many weeks it will take to reach your goal, then set the date and send out the invitations to your reveal party.

4. Get Started. Nothing happens until you start doing this so get moving.

Let me know how it’s going. I’ve got my eye on you! For some extra help, download my Say No to Yo-Yo Dieting Gift pack.

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