Diet and fitness scoop #1: A little candy is dandy for your waistline.
People who eat chocolate and other guilty pleasures weigh less than folks without a sweet tooth. They also have smaller waists, a surprising recent study published in Nutrition Research has found.<\/p>\n
The study, which surveyed more than 15,000 adults, also discovered that candy eaters have fewer risk factors for high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome (a condition that increases your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes).<\/p>\n
Researchers didn\u2019t give a reason for the results, but said it\u2019s possible candy eaters exercise more to make up for their indulgences.<\/p>\n
Plus, candy fans ate an average of only about 1.3 ounces of sweets a day \u2013 roughly the size of one square of chocolate.<\/p>\n
An ounce of chocolate only has about 150 calories, but most popular candy bars contain 2 ounces or more. If you crave chocolate, go for small, \u201cfun size\u201d bars. Or boost your nutrition with a square of lower-sugar, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe important message here is that size \u2013 especially when it comes to calorically dense foods like candy \u2013 does matter,\u201d notes Caren Tishfield, R.D., a New York-based dietitian.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #2: Blueberries can shrink fat cells.
Blueberries may help you shed weight by preventing fat cells from growing, a recent study from Texas Woman\u2019s University has found.<\/p>\n
Graduate student Shiwani Moghe added blueberry polyphenols (antioxidant compounds extracted from the fruit) to fat cells cultured from mice, and found their fat content dropped by 27%-73%.<\/p>\n
Because lab tests don\u2019t necessarily translate into real-world results, Moghe plans future tests to determine if blueberries have fat-fighting power in humans.<\/p>\n
Earlier research has shown that they may strengthen your immune system and help reduce cholesterol.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #3: Tangerines pack a fat-fighting punch.
Next time you splurge on a fatty meal, finish it off with a tangerine.<\/p>\n
A pigment found in tangerines may ward off excess body fat and protect against high levels of cholesterol, insulin and arterial plaque, according to a 2011 study published in the journal Diabetes.<\/p>\n
Researchers fed mice a diet enhanced with a flavonoid (plant compound) known as nobiletin. Even when they consumed large amounts of fat and sugar, the mice showed no spikes in cholesterol or weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobiletin is found in most citrus fruits, but its most abundant source is the tangerine,\u201d says study author Murray W. Huff, Ph.D., professor of medicine and biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther studies have demonstrated that nobiletin and other flavonoid-rich foods are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease,\u201d he adds. \u201cBut we were surprised at nobiletin\u2019s effect on obesity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The study used a purified form of nobiletin, which is only available for research purposes \u2013 so right now there\u2019s no way to know how many tangerines it would take to obtain similar anti-obesity effects, Huff says. Most nobiletin is found in the peel and pith (the bitter white part underneath).<\/p>\n
Human studies are still several years away, Huff says. Until then, eating the orange, juicy fruit couldn\u2019t hurt. (Check with your doctor first if you\u2019re on prescription medicine.)<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #4: The great movie popcorn caper.
There\u2019s nothing more comforting than digging into a bucket of warm, buttery popcorn while watching the latest blockbuster. But just because you\u2019re eating in a dark movie theater doesn\u2019t mean the fat and calories disappear.<\/p>\n
In April 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new rules requiring chain restaurants and other food vendors to post calorie counts for their dishes. Escaping this policy: movie theater snack stands (because a theater’s primary purpose is entertainment, rather than food sales, the agency said).<\/p>\n
So how much fat and calories are in those theater snacks?<\/p>\n
The average small-size movie popcorn has 400 calories and 25 grams of fat \u2013 without added butter or butter-flavored topping. A medium popcorn-and-soda combo at some chains can have as much as 1,600 calories, nearly an entire day\u2019s worth for women 31-50.<\/p>\n
So some local governments, including New York City\u2019s, have passed their own laws requiring movie theater chains to post calorie info.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #5: For some women, food really is addictive.
Compulsive eaters show brain activity similar to that of alcoholics or drug addicts, Yale University researchers have found.<\/p>\n
The recent study, to be published this summer in Archives of General Psychiatry, is the first to make a connection between compulsive eating and brain patterns using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.<\/p>\n
The participants \u2013 all of whom were women \u2013 were first rated according to the Yale Food Addiction Scale, which measures criteria such as withdrawal symptoms, loss of control and continued use despite negative consequences.<\/p>\n
When those who scored high on the addiction scale were shown photos of a chocolate milkshake, activity increased in the parts of their brains that cause cravings and decreased in the areas responsible for self control.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was surprised by the strength of our findings, because we had excluded all potential participants with a clinical level of eating disorders,\u201d the study\u2019s lead author, psychology doctoral student Ashley N. Gearhardt, tells Lifescript.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the science keeps building, overeating might be eventually considered [like] alcoholism and drug dependence,\u201d Gearhardt adds.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #6: Eat an egg-white omelet now to fend off hunger later.
If you\u2019re trying to lose weight, be sure to eat plenty of lean protein.<\/p>\n
Adding higher amounts to three moderate-size daily meals can help you feel fuller while eating less, according to a recent study in the April 2011 issue of Obesity.<\/p>\n
Eating smaller, more frequent meals had no effect on appetite, Purdue University researchers found.<\/p>\n
Lean protein sources include chicken breasts, lower-fat cuts of beef or pork, egg whites, reduced-fat tofu, and reduced-fat or fat-free dairy products.<\/p>\n
People often eat inadequate amounts of protein at breakfast or lunch, leading to greater hunger during the day, the researchers noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cProtein should play an essential role in any weight-loss plan,\u201d Tishfield says. \u201cIt not only increases satiety, it helps stabilize blood sugar levels and reduces cravings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #7: Are you talking yourself fat?
Female college students who regularly talk with friends about being fat are more likely to be unhappy with their bodies, according to an article in a recent issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly. They also have more unrealistic body ideals than other women.<\/p>\n
But it turns out that most young women gab about weight issues, whether or not they\u2019re actually overweight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was surprised how common it was for college women to engage in \u2018fat talk,\u2019\u201d says researcher Rachel Salk, a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<\/p>\n
She defines \u201cfat talk\u201d as \u201cwomen expressing dissatisfaction with their own bodies among a group of peers.\u201d A staggering 93% of young women indulge in it, Salk found.<\/p>\n
She recommends that when women think about their bodies, they make a conscious effort to focus on positive attributes such as health, strength and endurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to exercise more or change your eating habits, focus on doing so in order to be healthier,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #8: Anemia can strike even after you stop having periods.
If you\u2019ve gone through \u201cthe change,\u201d you still need to get adequate amounts of dietary iron and other nutrients, according to a new report in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, you risk anemia \u2013 an abnormally low red-blood-cell count that decreases the blood\u2019s ability to carry oxygen throughout the body.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeft untreated, anemia can lead to more significant problems, such as heart and breathing issues,\u201d says the study\u2019s lead investigator, Cynthia A. Thomson, Ph.D., RD, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson.<\/p>\n
Thomson recommends eating plenty of foods high in anemia-preventing nutrients like iron, folate and vitamins C and B12 \u2013 such as lean beef, fatty fish, fortified cereal, and fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #9: Exercise outdoors \u2013 you\u2019ll feel better.
An outdoor workout will give you more benefits than sticking to the gym, a 2011 British research review suggests.<\/p>\n
Outdoor exercisers had increased energy, greater improvement in mental well-being, and better socialization, say researchers at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter, who examined a number of studies on outdoor and indoor exercise regimens.<\/p>\n
They also found that people who exercised outdoors were more likely to stick with it than those who exercised inside.<\/p>\n
Diet and Fitness scoop #10: Have the heart of a 20-year-old when you\u2019re 70.
Heart muscles in elderly people who\u2019ve exercised regularly throughout adulthood can be at least as healthy as the hearts of sedentary younger people, a recent study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has found.<\/p>\n
The research, presented at the 2011 meeting of the American College of Cardiology, was the first study that looked at the long-term effects of exercise on heart mass.<\/p>\n
When people are inactive, heart mass diminishes steadily over time, the study suggests. But people who exercise several times a week can maintain their heart mass or even boost it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny exercise that increases the work of the heart will be helpful,\u201d notes cardiologist Benjamin Levine, M.D., director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, who headed the study.<\/p>\n
But if you want a stronger heart, you\u2019ll have to put in the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommitted exercise 4-5 times a week is sufficient to get the most benefits,\u201d Levine says. \u201cBut casual exercise 2-3 times a week probably isn\u2019t enough to alter the structure of the heart and blood vessels.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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Learn how candy can shrink your waistline, which two fat-fighting fruits you\u2019ll want to add to your plate, the low-calorie food that keeps you full all day, shameful secrets of movie popcorn, why you really could be addicted to eating and the dangers of \u201cfat talk.\u201d Plus, get more up-to-the-minute science news from the world of nutrition, diet and fitness\u2026 Diet and fitness scoop #1: A little candy is dandy for your waistline. People who eat chocolate and other guilty pleasures weigh less than folks without a sweet tooth. They also have smaller waists, a surprising recent study published in Nutrition Research has found<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-420406","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"\n