Hungry again? Why Winter's Appetite is Hardier

Is your appetite harder to control in cold weather? Find out why cold weather makes us hungry – and how to cope. - Colette Bouchez


For most of the US, the weather outside is just frightful . But the food inside ...delightful!

If that's the tune that's been running through your mind these days, you're not alone. As temperatures plummet experts say our appetite increases – and so can our waistline.

"Studies indicate that we do tend to eat more during the winter months, with the average person gaining at least one to two pounds – and those who are already overweight likely to gain a lot more, ” says Rallie McAllister MD, family practice medicine specialist from Lexington, Kentucky.

But what is about falling temperatures that urges us to eat more?

One reason is that food performs the simplest of winter functions: It helps keep us warm.

"Simply put, when outdoor temperatures drop, your body temperature drops and that is what actually sets up a longing for foods that will warm you quickly,” says Kristin Herlocker MS, RD, a nutrition expert with Diabetes Centers of America in Houston, Texas.

In short she says shivering triggers a self preservation mode that sends our body a message to heat up fast! And while technically, any food – including fruits and vegetables - will boost our metabolism and help create the extra heat we crave, for most folks it’s the traditional comfort foods that come to mind when it’s cold.

“When our body gets cold our brain hears ‘ Bring on the Mac & Cheese’ – it’s partly cultural, partly conditioning and partly just an excuse to eat more of the foods we really love,” says Barrie Radbill, MS, RD, a New York City nutritionist.

The Dark Days Of Dieting

While for some it's the falling temperatures that set their appetite in motion, for others it's the decrease in sunlight that increases the need to feed. The reason is a brain chemical dysfunction known as SAD or seasonal affective disorder – a type of depression that occurs in a response to a lack of sunlight. So what’s the link to an increased appetite?

“People who are affected with SAD have lower blood levels of serotonin – not surprisingly, those carbohydrate-rich foods give us a serotonin rush, so for many people winter food cravings are a way of self-medicating - as the days get shorter the need for these ‘carbo-rich comfort foods’ increases,” says McAllsiter.

Moreover, experts say that the early winter sunsets combined with the cold weather means many folks simply stay indoors more this time of year – and that often means we feel isolated and, usually more hungry.

Complicating matters further : Winter often provides lots of excuses for moving less. Not only do shorter days and colder weather cut our outdoor time by several hours –- in many locations the temperatures, as well as other weather related factors like snow and ice, make our chosen fitness activities, like walking or running, more difficult.

Since exercise helps increase serotonin levels, McAllister says the lack of activity can have a direct influence on how much we eat.

"If we're eating more and working out less, there's no place for our weight to go but up!" she says.

Taking Control of Your Winter Appetite: What To Do

While cold winter weather may be encouraging us to eat more, experts say we don’t have to lose control of our appetite in the process. Here are 5 ways to get some winter comfort without packing on the extra pounds.

1. The colder the temperatures the more you need to snack . But if you make it a high protein, high fiber snack you’ll rev up your body’s heat mechanism quickly and remain warmer longer. And that means you’ll not only burn more calories, you’ll also have a less of a drive to eat more often.

2. Create Low Cal Comfort Foods – If you know that nothing take the chill off your bones like comfort food, look for ways to cut the calories and still get that warm and cozy feeling. Try a bowl of vegetable soup instead of a high fat chicken noodle, make your cocoa with non fat milk, try Mac & Cheese with no-fat cheese – be creative in finding ways to make feel-good food less fattening.

3. See The Light – If you definitely find yourself more hungry on dark, gloomy days talk to your doctor about light therapy.. It’s a way of using artificial light to increase serotonin levels – and reduce your appetite.

4. Exercise Your Daily Life – If you can’t outside to do your regular workouts – or even if the weather keeps you from getting to the gym – put more activity into your daily living. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, march in place while you’re sorting the laundry or doing the dishes, or clean out the closet/basement/garage instead of curling up with your favorite DVD movies every night. The more you move the warmer you will feel and the less hungry you will be.

5. Give out a lot of hugs. If it’s comfort you’re seeking, our experts say hugging is a great way to fill you up without filling you out. Instead of turning to comfort food to feed your winter appetite, hug your kids, your spouse, your dog or cat – or visit an orphanage or senior center, where hugging is a premium! You’ll feel warm and fuzzy all over- and you’ll eat a lot less!

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

New Food Ingredient Said To Reduce Alzheimers Risk

Can you eat your way to a better memory? A slew of new studies say “yes” – plus now a biotech firm says it has the ingredient that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Here’s what you need to know ...
By Colette Bouchez

Who doesn’t want to remember more - like where you parked the car, put the keys, left the kids? Well if one biotech firm is right you may be able to give your memory a boost while protecting against memory-robbing diseases like Alzheimer’s and even dementia. And it may take nothing more than adding a simple ingredient to your diet.

According to Washington-state based company Advana Science, a new plant –based compound promises to reduce the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain – a type of protein build up that is believed to be a leading factor in the development of Alzheimer’s and other memory-robbing diseases.

"After 12 years of research and over 40 patents, we are excited about this natural compound that not only stops the formation of toxic protein aggregates and fibrils, but also helps minimize the damage that the body's inflammatory response causes when it unsuccessfully attempts to break up these deposits,” Peter Leighton, CEO of Advana Science recently told industry newsletter Nutra-Ingredients USA.

While the company declines to name the specific ingredient that’s causing all the excitement, they do say they have identified a group of about a dozen molecules found in a natural herbs, each of which has significant anti-amyloid protein activity – with one compound in particular having extraordinary effects.

What’s more they say the compound can be easily added to a number of foods giving consumers a dietary health boost without even trying.

Although most of the studies done thus far have been on animals, they have yielded impressive results, including an 82 percent reduction in the memory-robbing plaque formations in the brain – and an increase in memory.

The new ingredient is expected to make it to market – in a variety of foods – by about mid 2009.

Start Protecting Your Memory NOW!
In the meantime, you can get a dietary-jump on protecting your brain by adding a few memory-boosting nutrients already available to your daily diet.

In one study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers found a new grape seed extract was able to reduce the buildup of plaque from beta-amyloid proteins in the brain – and keep additional plaque from forming. Besides eating grapes you can purchase grape seed oil and use it for cooking and baking.

You can also try adding a glass of pomegranate juice to your daily diet. Studies have found it too contains anti-amyloid properties. According to researchers at Loma Linda University in California, a glass a day is all that’s needed to significantly reduce the risk of plaque build-up linked to Alzheimer’s.

Meanwhile a multi-ethnic study conducted by Columbia University found that a diet high in cereals, wine, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, fish and olive oil may cut the risk of Alzheimer’s through high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols, a type of protective nutrient that helps reduce inflammation.

All this is very good news for women over 40 since, with the decline of estrogen also comes a decline in memory. While some of those memory skills will come back once your body adjusts to new and lower estrogen levels, without some effort on your part, memory decline may be more permanent.

And, in fact, studies show the incidence of memory related disorders is on the rise. In predictions published in the journal Lancet in 2005, it was estimated that by the year 2040 over 80 million people will be stricken with dementia-related diseases. Currently about 24 million people are affected. The new anti-Alzheimer food ingredient is expected to make its way to the marketplace as early as spring 2009.

You might also enjoy reading:
French Fries: 5 Ways To Make Them Healthier
Herb May Boost Memory Loss

Or visit RedDressDiary.com - the source for health, beauty, life & style for fabulous women over 40~!

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Crisis: Could YOU Survive A Plane Crash...or Worse?

This week a plane went down in New York’s Hudson River and miraculously all 155 passengers and crew survived. But could you survive a similar – or worse – crisis? Here’s what you need to know - By Colette Bouchez

When the news of Thursday’s plane crash into New York’s Hudson River hit the airwaves, there wasn’t a New Yorker alive – myself included - who didn’t reflect back to that frightening day in September 2001 and the crisis that changed the world.

But unlike the tragedy of September 11th, this catastrophe had a much less somber ending.

In what is being hailed as the “Miracle on the Hudson”, miraculously all 155 passenger and crew members not only survived, most walked away from the crash on their own two feet.

While the heroic –and not to mention incredibly skilled – efforts of the pilots are being credited for the “miracle” , experts say the other 153 passengers and crew members also played a role in turning tragedy to triumph. It was, say experts, their clear, cool heads that allowed everyone to get off the plane and escape to safety in record speed.

But what if you were on that plane? Or in any other situation that put you in harm’s way.
Could you survive – and maybe even lead others out of danger?

Experts say that key to getting out alive is the ability to react in the present moment – and not fantasize or catastrophize the situation at hand.

“This does not mean you aren’t aware of the consequences of what is going on, it just means that you don’t have any pre-conceived notions about those consequences,” says Anie Kalayjian, a disaster expert and professor from Fordham University in New York City.

If we can keep ourselves from focusing on what could happen, says Kalayjian, we are better able to focus on what IS happening. And that, she says, can often mean the difference between life and death.

So can the ability to act quickly without second guessing ourselves.

“There is not time to agonize over what is right and wrong - those who function best in a crisis are those who can be comfortable with ambiguity in a heightened sense," says Nick Ladany, PhD, Professor of Counseling Psychology, chairperson, Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Philadelphia, Pa.

Also at the core of crisis survival: A solid value system and purpose to your life.

“Surviving a crisis is often a matter of strong will and purposeful will - Niche says if you have a why to live you can live with any how – but you must have a purpose because that is what can keep you alive," says Kalayjian.

Is Survival in Your Genes?
While some of these characteristics are clearly inbred into our DNA, experts also say that how we react to a crisis is more often rooted in what we learn as children, watching how our own family members react in a variety of situations, including crisis.

So if your folks were anxiety-ridden and prone to panic even small things went wrong, you might also grow up responding to crisis in a similar way. Moreover, the bigger the crisis, the more exaggerated your response is likely to be.

The good news is you can change that behavior and in the process learn how to save your own life.

"People with all kinds of personalities can develop good skills, strengths, and abilities for coping with disasters, crisis, and emergencies – it takes practice and learning but it can be done," says Al Siebert, PhD, Professor (retired) Portland State University, and , founding director, www.ResiliencyCenter.com.

Kalayjian agrees: “Dealing with crisis is somewhat of a learned response.”

So where do you begin unlearning the negative behaviors and boning up on your survival skills?

Experts say any type of disaster training can help – even something as simple as taking a first aid course or learning CPR. Indeed, anything that can sharpen motor skills and awareness will give you an added sense of confidence and an edge in the face of a real disaster of any kind.

What can also help: Preparing yourself emotionally for the idea that sometime something might happen that is out of your control. While you needn’t dwell on doom every time you walk out your front door, Kalayjian says simply accepting the fact that much of life is not within our control means you are far less likely to panic when control must be surrendered.And being able to do that might just save your life.

At the same time Ladany reminds us that when looking to find a leader during a crisis, never confuse confidence with competence.

"There are plenty of people who sound like they know what they are talking about but in reality couldn't think their way out of an unlocked room," he says.

Ultimately, experts say it’s always best to rely on your own common sense and to remain flexible and ready to change course in an instant.

The best advice, says Kalayjian: “Stay in the moment, and believe that you can survive.” And you will survive.

You might also enjoy reading:
Attitude May Affect Breast Cancer Risks
Stress Getting Under Your Skin? Here's What Can Help!

For more tips on surviving life's crisis big and small visit RedDressDiary.com - The Source for Fabulous Women Over 40!

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Dieting: Easier in 2009 Thanks To New Secret Ingredient

If life is a constant struggle between the foods you love and the pounds you gain there’s good news. A new way to make high fat foods healthier promises to revolutionize the diet food industry and how we lose weight. – Colette Bouchez

If you’re struggling with a blossoming spare tire or that over-40 bulging belly you’re not alone. Indeed millions of Americans feel your pain – and share the daily struggles between appetite and waistline.

But that battle is about to get a little bit easier in 2009, with a brand new natural ingredient designed to reduce fat content by as much as 75% in some of the most tempting and fattening of all foods – cakes, pies, muffins and other baked goods.

What’s more, that ingredient comes from one of the most unlikely sources – tapioca starch.

Yup, that same ingredient that was the basis for all those yummy puddings you ate as a kid is the secret ingredient that could just save your mid-age waistline - and even your heart health – as it replaces traditional fats and oils in otherwise high calorie baked goods.

In fact, the new ingredient, known as N-Dulge FR, promises to revolutionize what we think of in terms of fattening foods.

“"Our new ingredient offers a solution, meaning customers don't have to compromise on the eating enjoyment they associate with cake. Plus, by reducing the use of butter by up to 75 per cent, bakery manufacturers can achieve more significant fat reduction than has previously been possible,” said Alison Knight, the European technical development manager for National Starch Food Innovation, the Manchester, England company who developed the new ingredient.

In addition to removing a huge chunk of the fats in the recipe, N-Dulge FR also offers up a 30% reduction in calories, without losing the texture and consistency of a high –fat recipe.

The Fat Replacement: How It Works

With more than 18 months in developmental testing, this new ingredient is a combination of dextrin (a group of water-soluble low molecular weight carbohydrates from starch) and other components of the starch itself.

And while there is a processing procedure involved in creating the new fat replacement, because there is no chemical change on a molecular level, the ingredients are still considered natural. Even more important, there shouldn’t be any unexpected surprises in how the body accepts or digests the fat replacement.

This is key for anyone who had problems with previous fat replacers like olestra, which can cause a more rapid food transit in some people, leading to diarrhea.

The Taste Test: And A Big Surprise

While the science behind fat replacement may be impressive, it doesn’t mean much if ultimately, it tastes like you’re eating the box and not the cake.

The good news here: In a series of blind taste tests conducted by the company, most of the testers found they were unable to differentiate between the control cake ( baked with traditional fats) and the low-fat varieties baked with the new fat substitute.

What’s more, even though all of the cakes were baked on the same day, in the same ovens, only hours apart, most of the tasters indicated they preferred the cakes made with N-Dulge FR over traditional butter-baked cakes, including pound cakes, citing better taste, texture, springiness and volume in the low-fat varieties.

In fact, 40 percent of the testers were convinced that the control cake made with butter was really the low fat cake, indicating the taste and texture of the "real" cake was inferior!

Cakes , Muffins & Cookies: Not A Low Fat Grand Slam

Although the new ingredient works well in cakes, particularly yummy and uber fattening pound cakes, the bad news is N-Dulge FR isn’t equally as successful in all baked goods.

Indeed, when tried in muffin recipes, so far only 30% of the fat can be replaced without significantly altering the taste. Although the company adds that on an individual basis, there may be some muffin recipes where up to 50% of the fat can be replaced without affecting taste or texture.

Moreover, if those luscious, thick, soft-baked cookies are the only goody that fills your sweet tooth, you may have to wait a while before your snack ship comes in. When N-Dulge FR was tried in cookie recipes, a 30% reduction in fats was the max, or the end result, according to tasters, was a bit like “cookie rocks”.

So why does it work so well to replace fat in cakes and not in all baked goods? It seems it all comes down to the cake-making process, which is simply easier to alter then other baked goods.

“It is a lot easier to get a good cake than a good muffin with a light, airy texture,” said Knight.

N-Dulge FR will be making its way into many commercially made European baked goods starting almost immediately. It may take a bit longer to make it to the United States, but you're likely start seeing these yummy treats hit US store shelves sometime in 2009.

You might also enjoy reading:
Yogurt: The New-Old Wonder Food
The Supplement That Curbs Your Sweet Tooth Naturally

Or visit www.RedDressDiary.com - The Source for health and beauty news for fabulous women over 40!

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Chocolate - The New Botox:? Antiaging Skin Care 2009

Looking younger is now easier than ever with a bumper crop of new skin care ingredients designed to take years off your appearance without setting foot in a doctor’s office! - Colette Bouchez

If you’re hoping to head into 2009 looking younger and better than ever, you’ll be happy to hear you can do it – without setting a foot into your doctor’s office.

And it’s all thanks to a bumper crop of new skin care ingredients that are more advanced than any of us ever dreamed possible!

In fact, in the not so distant past, the best we could hope for was a temporary improvement in how we looked, with almost no lotions or potions offering a lasting effect. But as we head into 2009, expect to see more and more products that not only help you look younger for the moment, but also have some true staying power. Some may even reverse the signs of aging damage that have already occurred!

Here’s some of the hot new ingredients and skin care technology trends you can look for in 2009:

1. Chocolate: The New Botox? We know that eating it makes us feel good, thanks to natural chemicals that work on receptors in the brain that, once stimulated can increase feelings of well being. Now scientists have found that these same “feel good” receptors are also present in hair follicles and nerve cells in the skin - and when stimulated by natural chemicals found in chocolate not only improve our mood, but have a muscle relaxing effect that may be similar to Botox. In one study a cocoa-based skin cream was applied twice daily for 28 days to the skin around the eye area - with a relaxation of wrinkles observed in 95 % of the test subjects. Expect to see chocolate – or more precisely cocoa – cropping up in everything from skin care to spa-quality body care relaxation products.

2. Nanotech Encapsulated Peptides - Sounds like something out of NASA, I know, but in plain talk this means a new technology that is able to “package” skin care ingredients into such tiny microscopic molecules (called nanosomes) they can reach deeper and penetrate further through layers of skin, allowing ingredients to get to where the damage - and the aging - first occurs. And that means ingredients can actually work to rebuild skin cells that have been destroyed by time and the environment. Among the most promising is nanospheres of collagen, the skin-plumping molecule that diminishes with age. Now, for the first time, collagen can be delivered deeply enough into skin cells to make a significant difference . Another ingredient making use of the nanospehre technology are peptides, molecules that help skin cells regenerate.

3. Peptides For DNA Repair - And speaking of peptides, that popular skin care ingredient of 2007 and 2008 will also be back in the headlines in 2009 in the form of PREVENTHELIA ™ (0.05% Diaminopropionoyl Tripeptide-33). This is a brand new kind of peptide ingredient that not only fights the harmful UV radiation effects of the sun, but also appears to protect and actually repair DNA damage already caused by sun exposure. Indeed, skin ages not only from the passing of years, but from what you do during those years – particularly your exposure to environmental factor such as pollution, cigarette smoke and the sun. These factors not only destroy collagen ( the fibers that keep skin plump and smooth) but also damage your DNA – the inner workings of each cell that can not only increase your risk of skin cancer but also cause skin to wrinkle and crease prematurely. Now this newest generation of peptides can not only fight skin aging that has already occurred, but also dig deep into your DNA and do a little repair work, reversing some of the signs of damage. Expect to see PREVENTHELIA ™ cropping up in a variety of brand name skin care creams and even some make-up.

4. Burdock Root, Turmeric and More Fruits - This past year the idea of using natural products to boost skin youth was the headline maker. In 2009 expect to see “natural” go to a whole new level with fruits, veggies and spices achieving some serious anti-aging effects. On the top of the list will be burdock root – which studies have shown has an enormous capacity to hold moisture in the skin, as well as help protect against chronic tissue inflammation and stimulate the body’s natural production of collagen. Also on the skin care plate for 2009: Blueberries, acai berries, Goji berries and baobag – all of which contain important skin vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids - essentials for anti-aging skin care. Among the spices making a big splash in the skin care ingredient category is turmeric. Expect to see it cropping up in hair care, sunscreens and anti-acne makeup and skin care.

5. Green Tea - We’ve seen it in moisturizers and even some make up. But in 2009 expect to see Green Tea emerging as a major sun screen ingredient. Indeed, a cache of new studies have shown that low concentrations of green tea used over a sustained period of time can offer significant protection from the photo-effects of the sun, helping to not only reduce cell damage, but possibly even excite some natural cell repair processes.

In other antioxidant news, researchers from L’Oreal USA working in conjunction with independent scientists from Dallas, Texas, have been studying the protective effects of a brand new natural ingredient known as phloretin . A plant phenol compound it is said to offer excellent protection against UV damage without any side effects. Expect to see it cropping up in sunscreens combined with vitamin C and ferulic acid.

To learn more about these and other new anti-aging skin care tips and tricks for 2009 visit www.RedDressDiary.com

You might also enjoy reading:
Anti Aging Cosmetics: Hope or Hype?
Avoid Anti Aging Skin Care Scams

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved.
In addition to US Copyright, the text of this RedDressDiary article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License. All formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license, and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.