Colette Bouchez On Health, Beauty, Style , Attitude for Fabulous Women Over 40!: d weight loss tips

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Get Into Your Skinny Jeans With Calcium - Vitamin D Supplements!

A new study says those calcium and vitamin D supplements may do more than just strengthen your bones - they could help you lose weight too! Here's the big skinny on getting into those skinny jeans!

By Colette Bouchez

Whether you’re struggling to lose those last 10 pounds – or facing up the task of tackling a 50 pound loss or more – take heart. Brand new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that boosting your intake of both calcium and vitamin D may be your ticket to skinny jeans!

In research conducted at Ben-Gurion University in Negrev Israel doctors discovered that dieters who had a modest calcium intake of just 580 mg daily, and maintained a blood level of vitamin D around 30 nanograms per milliliter were able to naturally and easily lose more weight over a two year period of time than those lower levels of both.

“Our study suggests that both higher dairy calcium intake and increased serum vitamin D are related to greater diet-induced weight loss,” wrote the researchers, led by Danit Shahar from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

This new study tosses a bit more fuel on the fire burning around the idea that calcium-rich dairy products can help you lose weight. Indeed, numerous studies have shown that increasing your intake of dairy based products while dieting could make weight loss easier.

But while many dairy products, particularly full fat milk, ice cream and cheeses do indeed offer high levels of calcium, and some, like fortified milk also offer increased vitamin D, the high fat content can have some health concerns. This includes not only an increased risk of heart disease, but possibly an increased risk of estrogen-sensitive cancers for women.

And, in fact, since hormones are stored in fat, cattle which are given hormones such as estrogen (and many are) will yield a dairy product that could, for some women, increase some health risks.
And some believe that’s too much of a trade – off for losing a few extra pounds.

But if, in fact, the weight loss was tied not to the dairy products, but the calcium and vitamin D these products provide, at least theoretically, you should be able to gain the benefits without the risks by simply taking these nutrients in supplement form.

And that in fact is what one study published earlier this year has found. Reporting in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, doctors found that patients who consumed calcium supplements containing between 1,400 and 1,500 mg daily - with or without vitamin D3 – were able to better control that dangerous “belly fat” seen in the lower trunk and develop higher muscle mass in this same area.

That said, an earlier Canadian study found that the weight-loss benefits of calcium supplements in women may be limited to those who are calcium deficient – and that no additional weight loss benefits will be derived if you’re calcium levels are already up to speed.

So, what’s a gal to do? As with all things in life, moderation could be key. If you’re not taking calcium supplements then certainly you should talk to your doctor about adding at least 1,000 mg per day in conjunction with Vitamin D.

As to adding dairy products to your weight loss diet, experts say if you stick to low-fat varieties such as low fat yogurt, milk or cheese, and limit your intake to no more than 3 to 4 servings per day, you can gain the benefits without dramatically increasing any health risks.

Also remember you can get calcium from sardines, pink salmon, soy beverages, oatmeal, kale and fortified beverages such as orange juice.

FOLLOW-UP To BONIVA'S BIG OOPS! Several weeks ago we published "Boniva's Big Oops" - wherein we pointed out that the makers of the osteoporosis drug Boniva suggest spinach as a way to increase calcium intake naturally - even though this goes against what most nutritionists recommend. Because spinach contains oxalic acid -which interferes with your body's ability to absorb calcium big time - spinach is not a good choice to increase bone health. In fact, adding it to your diet may actually reduce the amount of calcium you are able absorb from other calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese or yogurt. Since the article appeared we heard from hundreds of you who pointed out that not only are Boniva's erroneous ads still running on TV, but that these same ads advocating spinach as a calcium-rich food have even appeared in the WebMD magazine and on their website - where we all know the docs and nutritionists on staff know better.

So...if the Boniva folks don't think enough of your health to make the change in their ads and give you the correct dietary information to stay healthy, maybe you should think twice before accepting a prescription for this drug- who knows what else they are wrong about? Either way, talk to your doctor - she'll know what's best for you. And never stop taking a prescription drug unless you check with your doctor first.

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Study: Eat This & Burn More Fat !

A new study shows a common salad ingredient could be the key to weight loss. Here’s how to eat away the pounds! - By Colette Bouchez

If you’re old enough to remember platform shoes (the first time around :), disco balls and KC and The Sunshine Band, then you probably also remember one of the hottest weight loss crazes of the 1970's - The Vinegar and Lecithin Diet.

This one combined lecithin supplements, with a spoonful of apple cider vinegar after every meal - and was once touted as the fat burning revelation of the decade. Of course it soon went the way of pretty much all other fat burning revelations : It was replaced by the next big thing.

But if a brand new study is right, then dig out those KC albums and put on your dancin' shoes: That 1970’s weight loss craze may have actually have some merit.

Indeed, a group of Japanese scientists now say that a compound found in vinegar – a natural chemical known as acetic acid – may, in fact, actually help you burn more fat!

In fact, experts say that although the study was conducted on mice, results are so impressive they believe that not only can it translate to humans, it might eventually elevate plain old every day white vinegar to a high status among the few weight loss aids shown to really work.

“We intend to perform further clinical studies to confirm fat pad reduction and energy consumption enhancement by vinegar intake. Moreover, we will investigate the effect of acetic acid on fatty oxidative activation in other organs, particularly skeletal muscles,” wrote the researchers in the latest edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

In the study three groups of mice were fed a diet consisting of at least 50% fat. One group received supplementation of 1.5 percent vinegar (high acid), one group received .3% vinegar (low acid) and the third group received plain water.

The result: By the end of the study the mice taking both the high and the low acid vinegars gained about 10% less body fat than the mice who had no vinegar. This, say researchers, indicates that even a little vinegar may do the trick when it comes to fat burning potential.

How Salad Makes You Thin

Since almost the beginning of lettuce-growing time, doctors have known that eating a lot of salads can help you maintain your weight. One reason has to do with the low calorie- high fiber content of salad greens, most of which can help you feel full longer after a meal.

Moreover, if you start your meal with a salad, and give your appetite 10 to 15 minutes before eating your next course you’re likely to eat less – simply because the salad will help your stomach feel fuller on less.

Now, however, experts say that adding a douse of vinegar to your greens actually works to influence genes directly linked to the body's ability to burn fat. Moreover, the acid in the vinegar also works to increase activity of heat generating proteins -also key to the fat burning process.

It short, vinegar “turns up the heat” so your body burns fat faster!

Interestingly, previous studies on a concept known as "thermogenics) have shown that other hot foods, including chilli peppers, also appear to increase fat burning by turning up our metabolic heat. In fact there are some super models I know that won’t eat a bite of food unless it’s smothered in a spicy red pepper! Some have been known to follow every meal with a " pepper and water chaser". ( But don't try this at home unless you're already used to eating very spicy foods since they can be hard on the mouth and tongue and cause extreme gastrointestinal upset or other problems.) ( And if you're already suffering from hot flashes, hot spicy foods definite will make the hot flash worse!).

In addition to the new study on vinegar, previous research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2005 has shown it may also reduce appetite and cut cravings that are linked to spikes in sugar that occur after eating. In this instance it may be particularly helpful to those suffering with insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes.