San Diego Chiropractors Review Research That Debunks The Legendary Fat Gene
Published February 21, 2012 | 
British scientists examined 300 people who became severely obese at a young age. This research was done to determine whether a faulty gene was involved that may have caused them to become obese. Researchers were looking specifically at the gene in charge of the leptin receptor. Leptin is a hormone in the body that controls appetite and can influence how much we feel like eating. It has been formerly implicated in animal obesity studies.
Scientists examined the obese study participants to see whether this so-called obesity gene was disturbed in any way. They found that only 3 percent of people had an abnormal leptin gene — indicating that leptin is probably not a factor for most obese people. And scientists in New Zealand are dispelling the common myth that obesity is caused by “bad genes.”
In what is referred to as a breakthrough discovery, scientists from Auckland University’s Liggins Institute have discovered that genetic pre-disposition to obesity can be reversed through good nutrition in early childhood. Their research shows that when a mother is undernourished, her child’s body is pre-set to cope with a life of scarcity-the energy-dense fast food diet of the Western world results in children who are likely to become fat.
In lab exams, newborn offspring from both well-fed and undernourished rats were given leptin, a hormone that signals to the body when it has eaten an adequate amount. When they became adults, the long-term effects were calculated by looking at genes that regulate metabolism in the liver. Rats from well-fed mothers reacted to leptin in the opposite way to those from malnourished moms.
The researchers urge mothers to eat a more balanced diet (with the right amounts of protein and vitamins) during pregnancy. However, if the fetus is undernourished in the womb, the long-term effects can still be corrected through good nutrition.
So what’s the final conclusion on all of this? Is it our genes that make us easily gain weight which leads to becoming overweight or even overweight or is it our behavior that shapes our bodies? The most likely correct answer is that it is both. You are born with a set of genes you cannot change throughout life. Some people can eat and eat and never gain even a pound. Others can’t. But as the recent research is showing, you have much more control over the final outcome than most people are willing to take credit for. No matter your genetic make-up, you can choose to eat properly and exercise. And this can keep you healthy.
Learn more about chiropractic care. Request a free report and video where you can find out all about decompression therapy and what it can do for you.
Posted in Health | 
diet, dietitian, disease, fat, Health, medicine, Michael Pritsker, New Century, nutrition, nutritionist, obese, Overweight, registered dietitian, Weight Loss | 
Leave a commentThyroid Hormones – The Basics of How They Work
Published December 18, 2011 | The thyroid controls metabolism all over the body, and its importance cannot be understated. Without adequate performance, individuals may experience weight gain, poor nails, dry skin, fatigue, memory problems, and low body temperature. Women may experience hair loss and potentially blood clots from insufficient thyroid hormone production. It is the thyroid hormones which control calories being burned for energy production.
Two thyroid hormones are produced by the body. One is T4 (thyroxine), and the other is T3 (triiodothyronine). The thyroid gland makes and releases T4, but interestingly this hormone doesn’t perform many tasks. T4 goes in the blood to the liver, and that organ turns it into active T3.
When looking at thyroid hormone levels, a significant amount of medical doctors only test for T4. Interestingly, if a person tests normal for T4, it does not exclude the possibility of being hypothyroid. If a problem exists converting T4 into T3, a problem can ensue with proper metabolism.
Most commonly, prescribed meds for hypothyroid treatment are T4 medications. So if the patient is having a conversion problem from T4 to T3, the T4 medication will not address the issue. There are traditional medications that may slow down the conversion from T4 to T3 such as with cholesterol lowering statin drugs. These types of drugs lower the levels of coenzyme Q-10 which assists in the conversion of T4 to T3.
Beta blockers may cause the same problem, blocking conversion of T4 to T3. Interesting how treating one problem may lead to another significant one.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is the one physicians usually check for with lab testing. TSH is not produced by the thyroid. It is made by the pituitary gland and secreted into the bloodstream in response to detecting low thyroid levels.
If the lab shows a high TSH above normal, essentially what that means is one “needs thyroid”. When patients have high TSH, individuals are usually treated with thyroid meds to reduce the lab values to normal.
If individuals are experiencing symptoms or signs like increased cholesterol, weight gain, brittle or dry hair, poor memory, etc, then thyroid testing should appropriately include Free T3, Free T4, and TSH.
When treating hypothyroid, one must evaluate not only the lab test values, but also put it in context with the patient’s clinical symptoms. There are T4 medication, T3 medications, combination medications, and also medications are available from compounding pharmacies.
Want to find out more about Phoenix weight loss programs, then visit Phoenix Integrative Medicine’s site on how to choose the best naturopathic doctors in Arizona for your needs.
Posted in Health | disease, endocrine, Health, hypothyroid, medicine, obesity, pituitary, thyroid | Leave a commentWalking as a Simple Step To Getting in Shape
Published December 8, 2011 | Reducing your weight and getting in shape is what most people want. Needless to say because of people’s jobs and also their stressful life, finding the time to look after themselves is hard. Yet there are some basic steps you can take to start getting into shape with only a limited amount of spare time on your hands
One thing you really should try is going for a walk after dinner. Not surprisingly, by taking walks following dinner you will end up burning off the particular calories from your meal in addition to toning up a little bit.
The evening walk is just the beginning of starting an exercise routine. Many individuals have a dog and they just let the dog in to the backyard several times each day. Even though the yard is fantastic for a dog, you might like to begin taking him for walks as a substitute. Your pet will cherish the fact that you have chosen to spend time with him and you will also be getting into shape.
For people who are employed in an office and have a desk job you will probably want to try getting up and away from your work space every hour or so. Or if you’re able to, take a walk around the building a couple of times each day. A fantastic thing about taking these walks during the day is your day will move a lot more quickly.
Make use of your imagination and imagine new and various different ways to take walks. If you want something from the store and the store is just a block away, try walking. This does not mean that you should drive even if the store is a number of blocks away, if you’ve got the time walk.
Additionally getting a better night’s sleep is an additional benefit of walking. One more excellent effect of walking is you will see that you will have a little more energy everyday. Needless to say you don’t want to end there. One thing you ought to do is to keep making your walking distance more each day.
As soon as your walking about a mile or so per day you will notice that your sleeping has improved and maybe even toning up a little. Moreover, you will find that you have got more energy everyday and no longer feel sloth-like. Obviously you don’t want to stop there. Something you ought to do would be to keep making your walking distance further everyday.
To be able to get into shape you don’t need to start exercising every single day for hours on end or even wind up depriving yourself. The key to your success will be to do little things that will accumulate. Get started with walking after which you can include other little things in every week or so, and you’ll attain your fitness goals.
Unable to sleep? Don’t jeopardize your health with habit-forming sleep aids. Discover natural sleeping aids proven to help you sleep with no side effects.
What You Need to Know About Diet Plans
Published December 7, 2011 | There’s certainly no shortage of diet plans, as you can find lots of books, programs, websites, etc., all claiming they have the best way to lose weight. Fundamentally, you just need to pick a diet and commit yourself to it. This will demand strict control in order to achieve a satisfying outcome. Here’s a quick introduction to some of the more popular diet plans.
A very well like diet is the Caveman Diet, or the Paleo Diet, which has been around for quite some time. Back before junk food was invented people ate much healthier, which is the basis of this diet. For many people this isn’t an easy task, as you have to stop eating nice tasting junk foods that are easy and convenient.
If that wasn’t enough, you even have to stop eating most grains, as the Paleo Diet is taking us back to the pre-agricultural period! On the other hand, you can eat vegetables, fruits seeds and animal products, including meat, though it should preferably be from natural sources. Not everybody will cope with this diet, so it’s a good idea to do some more research on it before you dive into it.
Detox diets, or ones that cleanse your system, are a great way to lose weight because they help you remove toxins from your body. Products such as Natural Cleanse and Master Cleanse are names commonly associated with juicing diets. Losing weight is a byproduct, however, of using these products because they are usually taken to maximize your health.
Some people believe that a raw foods diet is not only the best way to lose weight, but also the healthiest way to eat. You eat no cooked foods with this diet. You can, however, eat a wide variety of seeds, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. But not everyone will try this rather extreme diet. Some people who have tried the raw foods diet found they feel better, have more energy, and have lost weight.
For quite a few dieters, the spotlight is on cutting back of fat. There are many low fat diet plans, and if you choose one you have to be careful about eating a healthy and balanced diet, which includes some fat. You need to absorb some degree of fat for a healthy diet; a good way to achieve this is to use nutritious oils such as olive, flaxseed and fish oils. One example of a good source for healthy fat would be nuts and legumes.
Some people feel better on a vegetarian diet, while others feel run down. When you pay attention to how various foods make you feel, you will be better able to determine the right type of diet for you. We’ve looked at some diet plans and their benefits and drawbacks.
This quick overview just touches on a few of the diets that are accessible. Each and every day, new dieting programs are released on the market. It’s best to keep in mind the basic rules of healthy eating, sensible portions and regular exercise, as these will serve you well no matter what diet plan you decide to follow.
A good diet plan cannot only help you lose body weight, but it can also help you lose face fat too. To achieve the best results, you’ll need to add some face exercises to the mix.
Posted in Health | advice, beauty, Conditions, disease, esteem, exercise, Fitness, Health, Hobbies, medical, obesity, self, Weight Loss | Leave a commentShedding Those Extra Pounds May Help You Feel Good About Yourself
Published December 2, 2011 | Fat loss could be important in several ways. Every now and then folks want to lose weight for aesthetic reasons, sometimes it’s for health reasons and sometimes it’s a mix of both. It requires a lot of determination and sacrifice but ultimately it’s all worth it. Read on to find out why weight loss can have life changing effects.
The first motive to slim down is the body image. A person who wishes to feel good about who they really are will find that difficult if they think they are too fat. If you’re one of these people then this could be a good enough reason for you to slim down. You can stay as you are or choose to do something about it. Wouldn’t it be good to look in the mirror and think ‘yeah, I like how I look!’ or to walk to the beach without thinking terrible thoughts about yourself? In terms of getting rid of some weight, this is one of the major factors in order to do so.
Self-assurance can also be a great motive and a strong self-image. If you’re fat you will probably be incredibly self-conscious and believe everybody is looking at you, when in fact that’s not the case. You may have low self-esteem and will not be exceptionally self-confident. Reducing weight may help you feel more certain in yourself as a person, which is a superb feeling.
Following on from this, you may feel stronger because of losing weight. Performing exercise will develop your muscle mass, especially if you’re performing weight training as well. Some of the things you may have missed out on in the past all of a sudden become something you can do. You will feel you are able to keep going where once you were weary and it is because you’re feeling so strong. You won’t feel so exhausted, so rather that let your young ones play on their own, you’ll have the energy to join in.
The strain on your vertebrae and bones generally will be less because you have lost weight. What would it be like if your back had the burden of a large bag on it each day. You would get a bad back and be out of breath the entire time. Everything you do gets better when you lose weight. There are health concerns like diabetes and high blood pressure, which can be associated to the need to lose fat and in order to reduce the danger of these. These kinds of health issues can decrease the length of your life. Endurance is usually the good thing about changing your diet and working out.
Bear in mind that weight reduction is for those who ought to as it will also be harmful to be emaciated. It is a good suggestion to receive medical advice if you’re fat to ensure that the correct change of diet and workout plan may be recommended. If you’re merely a bit heavy then you can merely search around on the Internet for advice with diet and training. You now know the reasons to slim down and the way it would likely enhance your lifestyle.
What if you simply can’t afford or want facial liposuction? If that identifies you, you must take a look at face exercises.
Posted in Health | advice, beauty, Conditions, disease, exercise, Fitness, Health, Hobbies, medical, obesity, self esteem, Weight Loss | Leave a commentWise Strategies To Lose Weight Rapidly
Published December 1, 2011 | We all know just about everybody wants to lose weight quickly with very little pain as possible. You will find so many different programs out today for fast weight-loss that it can make your head spin. No matter what, you absolutely need to find an overall method that works best for you and is safe. Once you come across something that seems to have a good effect with your unique system, then that should produce good results for you. But do consider that you need to help the solutions do their job. All things considered, that is the key to enduring changes so you avoid riding the roller coaster over your weight.
Seems like many people have been trained to eat “three squares a day,” and all three of them have a tendency to be ‘super sized’ gut busters. The type of heavy meal that makes you feel like hitting the couch for a nice snooze. Well, now many of us know, thanks to various investigation, that the best approach is to spread the meals out throughout the day. Be aware to the size of the portions, and it would be a great idea if the food was nutritious.
One other crucial habit is to end your meal prior to you get that “full feeling.” There is approximately a 15 minute delay going on there.
Bottled water sales have been booming for well over ten years, and people are actually consuming it for health reasons. Essentially, drinking water is a very well known key to helping you lose weight. Maybe you are very much conscious of the dangers of consuming sugary sodas. You can learn a great deal of information online about why you ought to drink large amounts of water. You can keep your body clear of damaging toxins simply by drinking plenty of water each day. If you drink water during the day, it will give you a natural full feeling which will help reduce the desire for unhealthy snacking.
We also all know about the significance of working out. But that’s not our key point, at this time. We will advise you to take a varied approach with what you do for exercising. A lot of people tend to get tired with the same exercise routines. When that occurs, then people with good reason begin to ignore the whole thing altogether. The easy remedy is to make a basic program that includes a number of work out methods you like to do. Stay away from neglecting the simple act of walking with perhaps some pep in your step since it is actually helpful. Something like that will break it up for you and work distinct muscle groups.
These are just several excellent methods to get your body metabolic process up, establishing healthy practices and lifestyles and getting the weight off your body ASAP. Take it one step at a time, and before you know it you will see great success toward your targets. Do take care that you do not slim down too fast because the usual result is to quickly get it back.
Click Here if you are sick and tired of losing weight fast and easy programs that do not work? If you looking for healthy tips for losing weight, then simply go to http://www.planforfatloss.com to get all the answers.
Posted in Fitness | advice, Conditions, diet, disease, Drink, exercise, Fitness, Food, Health, lose weight, medicine, obesity, tips, Weight Loss | Leave a commentQuickly Boost Your Metabolism in 6 Easy Steps
Published November 9, 2011 | One of the best methods to burn fat and trim inches away is to speed up your metabolism. If you discover, realize and put into practice all the distinct methods that you can enhance your metabolism you’ll notice the benefit. So long as you want to accomplish this goal you have to use a organic approach. That comprises of adequate diet, exercise regimen and even nutritional supplements. Within the rest of this document I really hope to put out a method to bring your fat burning capacity to exponetial levels
Green Tea Leaf – Green tea has dependably been shown as one of the most effective approaches to burn the weight off. Frequent experiments have confirmed this to be the situation. The special ingredient in this powerful potion is EGCG. Moreover EGCG has uncountable other health improvements. An especially fantastic extra benefit from drinking green tea is clarity of mind.
Cold Water – Aside from the fact that your physique is predominately characterized by water, enjoying it freezing cold also boosts your metabolism. This is due to your body needs to work harder to heat up the cold water and make use of it. This results in a thermogenic effect in the body.
Dishes That Enhance Metabolism – Among the most predominant food items that enhance metabolism are: dukka nuts, almond, salmon, blueberries, capsicum pepper, and cinnamon. The more you add these foods to your eating plan the better improvements you’ll see yourself having
Boost Metabolism Supplements – From time to time you need to take your calorie burning one stage further with a bit of an extra boost. Personally, I like to use natural metabolism boosters that could carry you that extra mile.
Hasten Up Metabolism Products – At times you should take your fat burning capacity one stage further with a small added enhancement. Personally, I like to choose herbal metabolism boosters that will carry you that extra mile.
Thyroid Boost – Perhaps the most vital gland in the body system for managing fat burning capacity is your thyroid. It retains homeostasis and determines whether or not to kick your metabolism to the next dimension. Folks that have symptoms of thyroid problems may very well have a more tricky experience losing excess pounds. Thankfully there are many whole foods that assist the thyroid. A number of these meals include seafood (trout, tuna ) and nuts (walnuts most notably).
Eldan is known for his posts and expertise on mind enhancers and excess fat burners. Learn,grow and achieve your goals at his site.
Posted in Fitness | Conditions, diet, disease, exercise, Family, Fitness, Health, metabolism, obesity, Weight Loss | Leave a commentNew Research Suggests That Having Obese Friends May Make You Obese Too?
Published October 19, 2011 | As a chiropractor in the San Diego area, I deal with many patients who are overweight. New research suggests being obese may spread through social networks like a malicious virus. And more importantly, your friends can even live hundreds of miles away! The surrender slogan for many overweight and obese individuals for years has been I can’t help it – it’s in my genes. And who could blame these overweight individuals? Even many doctors and researchers believed your ability to lose weight or pack on pounds was primarily a function of your genetic make-up.
If you were dealt a bad genetic hand, your fate was to be fat and overweight. New information shows that this might not be the case. Be very careful who you befriend as it may cause you to become overweight. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the obesity epidemic could spread like a virus through social networks. When a person becomes overweight, his friends and siblings are likely to gain weight as well in the long run.
The researchers evaluated a network of 12,067 people who underwent repeated measurements over a period of 32 years. They found that when a person becomes obese, the chances that a friend will become obese increase by 57 percent. Siblings of obese people have a 40 percent increased risk of obesity, and their spouse’s risk increased by 37 percent.
On average, having an obese friend made a person gain 17 pounds, which put many people over the body mass index (BMI) measure for obesity. Female friendships did not seem to be impacted by obesity. But the chances that a man might gain weight from having a fat pal doubled for so-called mutual friends — friends who both listed each other as buddies.
“There is an important implication here for a broadening perspective on treatment for obesity,” said Dr. Nicholas Christakis, the study’s lead author. “Attitudes are changing about what constitutes an acceptable body size, more so than a sharing of behaviors. “We don’t think that this is the only cause of obesity. This is adding one additional factor or explanation.”
One big question raised by the study was, “why didn’t having obese friends affect the women’s weight?” “There is a strong social bias for women towards thinness,” said Dr. Robert Kushner, President of the American Board of Nutrition Physician Specialists. “Social norms may trump social networks here. Guys don’t have the same social pressure. Men may be more influenced by their friends.”
Other diet experts agree that the inner workings of male friendships may have a lot to do with weight gain. “Current social stigma against obesity is greater among women, and women jointly discuss weight and support each other in dieting and exercising,” said Jeffery Sobal, a Professor of Nutritional Science at Cornell University. “Men may engage in joint activities that increase weight, such as consuming more calories or spending time in sedentary activities.”
And here’s something interesting reported by researcher James Fowler of Harvard University and Nicholas Christakis of the University of California in the city of San Diego. They say it is plausible that areas of the brain that correspond to actions such as eating food may be stimulated if these actions are observed by others.
Social ties seem to play a surprisingly strong role, even more than genes are known to do. Obesity, they state, is “socially contagious” and, remarkably, the researchers found that to be true even if your loved ones live far away. “We were stunned to find that friends who are hundreds of miles away have just as much impact on a person’s weight status as friends who are right next door,” said Dr Fowler.
Despite their findings, the researchers said people should not sever their relationships. “There is a ton of research that suggests that having more friends makes you healthier,” Fowler said. “So the last thing that you want to do is get rid of any of your friends.” Clearly, this study shows the importance of behavior in weight gain overshadowing genetic make-up.
Learn more about diet. Stop by New Century Spine Centers where you can find out all about healthy diet and what it can do for you.
Posted in Health | chiropractic, Chiropractor, diet, disease, fat, Health, hollywood, medicine, Michael Pritsker, nutrition, obesity, steroids, weight gain, Weight Loss, zone | Leave a commentThe Connection Between Depression And Obesity In The United States
Published October 13, 2011 | The experts are at sixes and sevens about linking obesity and depression and there is widespread disagreement when it comes to establishing cause and effect. There is however general agreement that a lack of exercise and eating far too much junk food represent the main causes of obesity. However, there is disagreement about whether it is obesity that leads to depression or depression which causes obesity.
Despite the fact that it is difficult to establish a link between obesity and depression, simply because there are so many forms of depression, one study between 2005 and 2006 did conclude that there was a link between obesity in women and depression. If one takes the study data however and views it against the wider picture of depression and obesity it really is not easy to see just what sort of a connection was really established.
There are a great many problems which these two disorders together bring to us as a society. Typically treated with a wide variety of expensive drugs, depression means dependence on medication for millions of Americans for years at a time. The economic impact is significant when you take into consideration that Americans are spending billions of dollars annually on antidepressants. The cost of obesity is almost enormous and this of course is not simply in terms of the cost of such things as weight loss surgery and follow-up medical treatment following surgery.
Even though we have not really been able to establish a form connection between obesity and depression the two conditions are a powerful force in combination and you cannot help but wonder what effect they are going to have on us as a society a few years from now. Setting aside the cost for example we must ask just how they are going to impact our lives personally.
There can be little doubt already that with millions of Americans already clinically depressed or obese (or indeed both) we must now all know somebody who has at least one of these two conditions. Not only is that particular individual affected, but that person’s family, friends and associates are also affected. Depression can lead to suicide, as well as a whole slew of side effects from the very medicine that patients take to treat the illness. How can we overcome the snowball effect of these two far-reaching yet somewhat preventable diseases?
Experts disagree about the best course of action but treatments are available and sufferers must decide for themselves how they wish to tackle their particular problems. Despite this, the combined effects of obesity and depression will lead us into real trouble if we are not careful. As a society therefore we must come up with a plan to deal with these conditions before they swamp us.
Check out our ever-growing range of obesity articles covering such matters as the connection between obesity and fast food and problems with obesity.
Posted in Weight Loss | Depression, depressive illness, disease, Health, obesity, Weight Loss, weight problems | Leave a commentStudy Finds That Childhood Obesity is Linked To Health Habits
Published September 12, 2011 | According to an article in Science Daily, the study suggests unhealthy habits are feeding the childhood obesity trend. “For the extremely overweight child, genetic screening may be a consideration,” says study senior author Kim A. Eagle, M.D., a Cardiologist and a Director of the U-M Cardiovascular Center. 1,003 Michigan 6th graders were examined, obese children were “more likely to consume school lunch instead of a packed lunch from home and spend two hours a day watching TV or playing a video game.
Childhood obesity has TRIPLED in the U.S. in the last 30 years, and obesity among U.S. children ages 6-11 has gone from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. “For the rest, increasing physical activity, reducing recreational screen time and improving the nutritional value of school lunches offers great promise to begin a reversal of current childhood obesity trends.”
Obesity, Television and Food Choices
Forty-five percent of obese students ate the school provided lunch, but only 34 percent of non-obese students ate school lunch, leading to the belief that packing a lunch has enormous health benefits. According to the Science Daily article, researchers found that 58 percent of obese children had watched two hours of TV in the previous day, compared to 41 percent of non-obese children.
Significantly less obese kids exercised on a regular basis, performed physical education classes, or were a member of a sports organization. In the study, 15% of the students were obese, but almost all had unhealthy habits in them. Over 30% drank regular soda within the previous day, less than 50% remembered eating 2 servings of vegetables in the similar time period, and only 30% said they exercised for 30 minutes for 5 days during that week that they analyzed.
Exercise is Always the Key
One of the biggest take home messages (besides realizing that it’s habits making us overweight — not just our genes) is that almost all the students can drastically improve their diet and exercise, not just the 15% who are obese. According to the American College of Preventative Medicine, heart disease and diabetes are two of the most common preventable chronic diseases. Both have their preventable causes in what we eat and how much we exercise, and both start from the habits we obtain in childhood. As adults, we can change these habits any time we want and live a longer and healthier life just about instantly, but children need guidance to make the same healthy choices.
Posted in Health | 92108, children, chiropractic, Chiropractor, diet, disease, Health, medicine, Michael Pritsker, obesity, Overweight, San Diego, teen | Leave a comment