Daily Health News Blog

Small easy changes can lead to sustainable weight loss and healthier eating habits Previous research conducted by Dr. Brian Wansink through the Food and Brand Lab has shown that making small easy changes to our eating habits on a consistent basis can lead to sustainable weight loss. The challenge lies in figuring out which changes work for each individual and how to stick with them long enough to make them second nature. To find answers to these questions, Cornell University researchers launched the National Mindless Eating Challenge (NMEC), an online healthy eating and weight loss program which focused on simple eating behavior changes, instead of dieting.

There’s no magic fix for being overweight—no diet pill, supplement, or crash diet. But one promising approach to weight loss has been to identify factors that promote satiety, the feeling of fullness. If you feel full longer, you are less likely to overeat later, yet not feel deprived. In some cases, you may even be able to eat  more and still lose weight. Perhaps more important than any individual food or food component in increasing satiety is choosing foods that are low in “energy density.” First promoted by Dr. Barbara Rolls at Pennsylvania State University, the concept of energy density is the basis of her  Volumetrics Eating Plan  and has also been incorporated into other popular diets. According to Dr. Rolls, many studies show that lowering the energy density of a diet can lead to a decrease in food intake. How it works Since people tend to eat roughly the same amount of food a day, regardless of calories, eating foods that are low in energy density allows you to fill up

Hypertension named 'public health enemy No. 2' In many cases, high blood pressure has no symptoms, which could be why more than half of the 67 million Americans who have hypertension are doing little or nothing to control it. CDC Director Thomas Frieden has labeled high blood pressure "public health enemy No. 2." It's right behind tobacco. High blood pressure is defined as a reading greater or equal to 140/90. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. Moderately high blood pressure is 120 to 139 over 80 to 89. In hypertension, blood flows through your arteries with too much force. It stretches arteries past their healthy limit, causing microscopic tears, says the American Heart Association. Scar tissue that forms to repair the tears traps plaque and white blood cells, which can lead to blockages, clots and hardened or weakened arteries, according to the AHA. Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the first and fourth leading causes o

Do highly stressed or angry people get more ulcers and backaches? Maybe, maybe not. People who develop these problems have a wide range of personalities and habits; some are very stressed, others are calm and contented. What about cancer and heart disease? Some studies suggest that pessimists or introverts are at higher risk, others that optimists or extroverts are no better off. Research into the relationship between personality traits and disease has created a lot of shifting ground over the years. Why the confusion? First, “personality types” are constructs by researchers and don’t necessarily correlate well with the real world. What’s more, dozens of overlapping traits, in various permutations, have been studied. There are countless ways to measure them, plus many theories of personality that use different terms and concepts. Most people don’t fit neatly into one type and may change over time. And just because there may be a link between a personality trait and a disease do

Sodium, found outside cells, and potassium, found mainly inside cells, are minerals that work together to maintain fluid balance in the body. They are also involved in the regulation of muscle contractions and nerve transmissions and play an important role in controlling blood pressure. Here is some advice on lowering sodium and increasing potassium in your diet. 1.  Consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium a day  (approximately two-thirds tsp of salt). While this recommendation previously applied only to those with hypertension (with 2,300 mg of sodium as the goal for the general public), the benefits of this lower limit for all individuals have been recognized. 2.  Don't add salt to foods.    3.  Shop for fresh foods rather than processed foods  that are high in sodium. For instance, choose fresh or frozen vegetables over the canned variety. 4.  Eat more meals at home , where you have more control over the sodium content of your food. 5.  Flavor foods with herbs, spi

If you have a regular prescription to fill you might be surprised to learn that you can now buy medicines online. Shipped right to your mailbox, getting your prescription drugs online is convenient and inexpensive. However, there are some common pitfalls that you should avoid. These include scammers, disreputable companies, and simple misunderstandings about how your products will arrive. Read on to learn the common pitfalls and successfully avoid them the next time you're shopping: Licensed Pharmacies Only! There are many pharmacies online that claim to be legitimate, reputable companies and many of them are. To be sure you're only dealing with good companies look for their license. Usually this will be at the bottom of the page somewhere, close to where the address of the company is located. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean your drugs will come that location, simply that the company is based there. It is a common practice for companies to use third-p

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows how difficult it can be. Unfortunately, many times those who should support us the most, our family, make it even harder to succeed. No matter what the reason, family members can sabotage our weight loss goals without us even realizing it. They may sound like loving comments, but if you hear these lines, be aware and walk away. I Love You Just the Way You Are This line is killer. It implies that we don't love ourselves the way we are and that we are losing weight just to make them love us more. With health and self-esteem issues on the line, other people's opinions may be far down the list of reasons why you want to lose weight. The unspoken question behind this statement is, "Will you love me just as much if I change and get healthier?" You should have a frank discussion about this topic with your loved ones as soon as you begin your weight loss journey. You Deserve This One Treat This usually happens on holidays,