Healthnotes Newswire (January 29, 2009)—What if keeping your figure was as simple as going for a walk? A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes, “Walking through adulthood may attenuate the long-term weight gain that occurs in most adults.” This is great news, considering how accessible walking is for most people.

The new study examined the relationship between the amount and frequency of walking—summarized by a “walking score”—and weight gain over a period of 15 years in 5,115 people who took part in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. A walking score of “0” was given to those who didn’t walk for exercise at all, while a score of “144” was given to people who regularly walked for four or more hours per week (about one half hour per day).

Tell the pounds to take a walk

The researchers found that the more people walked, the less weight they gained over the years—an inverse relationship between walking and weight gain. The association was strongest for women who were overweight at the start of the study; in this group, women with the highest walking scores gained 8 kg (almost 18 lbs) less than women with the lowest scores.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that healthy adults under age 65 get at least 30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise, five days per week. If you’re looking to lose weight, 60 to 90 minutes, five days a week might be necessary. During moderate-intensity activity, your heart rate will rise and you’ll break a sweat, but you will still be able to carry on a conversation.

Physical activity tends to decrease with age, with reports of declines of around 50% between the ages of 18 and 37. Walking is a simple way to achieve the recommended 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. “Adding between two and four hours of walking per week are clearly achievable targets,” said the study’s authors.

Keep up the good walk

Don’t sweat it: To maintain and keep a healthy weight, you don’t have to do all your walking in one stretch. Three 10-minute brisk walks will have the same effect as a 30-minute stint, making it easier to reach your exercise goals.

Take a friend: Make a regular walking date with a friend to help keep you motivated, especially in the colder winter months.

Invest in a pedometer: This simple device that counts your daily steps can keep you on track for reaching your daily 10,000 steps—the equivalent of walking a total of about five miles per day during your daily exercise and other activities.

(Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1–V8)

 As subscribed to by Valley Natural Foods.

 As subscribed to by Valley Natural Foods.

Healthnotes Newswire (January 15, 2009)—More research supports the recent revelation that drinking wine can help boost levels of heart healthy fatty acids found in fish,* adding another piece to the puzzle in our understanding of the protective effects of alcohol on heart disease. The new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, takes an in-depth look at this “fish-like effect” of moderate drinking.

While it’s not completely understood how alcohol helps protect against heart disease, it is known to raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels, decrease inflammation, and help thin the blood. Now it looks like it may also increase levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)—fatty acids found in fish, which are protective against heart disease and stroke. “Converging data suggest that the marine omega-3 fatty acids could be one of the mediators of the protective effect of moderate drinking,” said the authors.

The new study looked at the dietary and alcohol consumption habits of 1,457 men and women from different regions of Europe to see if alcohol intake was related to blood levels of EPA and DHA.

Drink to your health

In women, levels of both fatty acids went up with increasing alcohol consumption; in men, only EPA levels increased. When the researchers compared the effects of different types of alcohol, they found that only wine led to this increase; beer and spirits did not appear to raise EPA and DHA.

Drinking wine may help protect against heart disease, but don’t assume that more is better. Consuming large amounts of alcohol can actually break down healthy fatty acids, undoing the positive effects of drinking.

While there is no uniformly accepted definition, most health professionals agree that 4 to 14 drinks per week is “moderate drinking.” (One drink is considered one 12-ounce beer with 4.5% alcohol content or one five-ounce glass of wine with 12.9% alcohol.) Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer (at one or more drinks per day), and can lead to dependence and other health problems. These factors have to be weighed when making a decision about what and how much to drink.

Tips for a healthy heart

• Eat right. Diets rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and fish help keep cholesterol levels and blood pressure in check.

• Stay trim and active. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week to help lower blood pressure, raise healthy HDL cholesterol levels, and maintain a healthy weight.

• Get your zzz’s. People who get at least eight hours of sleep each night are less likely to develop risk factors for heart disease.

• Don’t smoke. Smoking increases heart disease risk; quitting smoking now can help undo the damage.

• Calm down. Practicing yoga and meditation three or more times per week can lower the risk of heart disease.

*See Healthnotes Newswire 28 February 2008.

(Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1–9)

By Jane Hart, MD

Healthnotes Newswire (January 8, 2009)—Everyone knows that sleep has important mental and physical benefits, and now new research suggests that getting more than eight hours of sleep per night may reduce the risk of developing calcium deposits in the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries) that can lead to heart disease.

Calcium deposits, or calcifications, in the coronary arteries are more common in people who have other risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, and in people over age 65, men, and people who smoke. These calcifications are a significant risk factor for heart disease, which can cause heart attacks and even death. With this new study, getting enough sleep joins the standard recommendations for healthy diet, exercise, and treating chronic conditions such as high blood pressure that are associated with heart disease.

Get more than six hours of sleep each night

Prior studies have shown that a lack of sleep can lead to chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even obesity. This new study examined the association between sleep duration and coronary artery calcification.

In this study 495 healthy, middle-aged participants were monitored for calcification of their coronary arteries through computed tomography (CT) scanning twice over a five-year period and participated in sleep studies that examined the quantity and quality of their sleep.

Results showed that longer sleep duration is associated with a lower incidence of coronary artery calcification. People who slept less than six hours per night were more likely to have calcifications than people who slept more, and people who slept more than eight hours per night were least likely to have calcifications. Even one hour more of sleep decreased the risk of calcification by 33%.

Diane Lauderdale, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Studies at the University of Chicago, comments: “This study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that there may be subtle but important health consequences to routinely sleeping very short durations, such as less than six hours per night.” Further research is needed to understand the role of sleep on preventing or contributing to heart disease.

Heart disease prevention tips

• Don’t smoke: Smoking significantly increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks as well as other chronic diseases such as lung cancer.

• Maintain a healthy weight: Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. If overweight or obese, losing weight may help prevent or improve these conditions.

• Prevent and manage related conditions: High blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol are all risk factors for heart disease, so it is important to know your blood pressure and your glucose and cholesterol levels. If they are high, seek treatment by a physician.

• Exercise regularly: Exercising 30 minutes or more on most days of the week may significantly decrease the risk of heart disease.

• Eat a balanced diet: A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes with a moderate amount of poultry and fish may help prevent and improve chronic diseases such as heart disease.

• Get seven hours of sleep or more a night: A good night’s sleep appears to be more important than previously realized, as a lack of sleep may lead to chronic disease.

(JAMA 2008;300:2859–66)

Copyright © 2008 Aisle7. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Aisle7 content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Aisle7. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Aisle7 shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Aisle7 and the Aisle7 logo are registered trademarks of Aisle7.

Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD, an author, speaker, and internationally recognized expert in chronic disease prevention, epidemiology, and nutrition, has taught medical, nursing, public health, and alternative medicine coursework. She has delivered over 150 invited lectures to health professionals and consumers and is the creator of a nutrition website acclaimed by the New York Times and Time magazine. Suzanne received her training in epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health at Ann Arbor.

Copyright © 2008 Aisle7. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Aisle7 content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Aisle7. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Aisle7 shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Aisle7 and the Aisle7 logo are registered trademarks of Aisle7.

Healthnotes Newswire (December 24, 2008)—Dark chocolate has gotten lots of attention in recent years for its antioxidant effects. However, milk chocolate, which is the more widely available form, doesn’t share those good effects, and eating too much of this fatty favorite may contribute to obesity. So for those who are watching the waist, we have good news: resisting the urge might be as simple as a walk around the block. As little as 15 minutes of brisk walking can help take your mind off the sweet stuff, while giving your body a calorie-burning energy boost.

What do you crave?

Food cravings are thought to be a key cause of obesity, and they are often to blame for people falling off the diet wagon. Chocolate—boasting an abundance of addictive substances—is one of the most commonly craved foods.

People report feeling better after eating chocolate—but fortunately exercise can also have this positive effect on mood. In the first study of its kind, UK researchers looked at the influence of exercise on chocolate cravings. The 25 people who took part in the study that was published in the journal, Appetite, were daily chocolate eaters who agreed to abstain from eating chocolate for three days before the study began.

The study began by having the people walk briskly for 15 minutes. After a brief rest, they took a mental challenge test (meant to be a stressor that could increase the desire for chocolate); this was followed by a chocolate cue, where they chose a chocolate bar and unwrapped, but did not eat it. As a control condition, the people sat quietly for 15 minutes, followed by the mental challenge test and chocolate cue.

Exercise satisfies the urge

Chocolate cravings were significantly lower than the baseline levels for at least ten minutes after taking a walk. “Given that feeling lethargic, fatigued, and having the need for an energy boost has been associated with the consumption of high-energy foods, the present study highlights the importance of short bouts of physical activity as a substitute for other mood regulating behaviors such as sugar snacking,” the study’s authors commented.

• When you feel an urge to snack coming on, opt for a quick walk instead. Studies have shown that even small amounts of exercise, when combined with slightly lower caloric intakes, can add up to big health gains. Be sure to keep tasty but healthy snacks on hand in case walking is not possible or you need a blood sugar boost.

• Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. As you build muscle mass, you’ll burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. Mix it up: walk more places, try a new sport, look for new ways to incorporate movement into your lifestyle, so that you receive some cross-training benefits even on days you don’t make it to the gym or your bicycle seat.

• Give green tea a try. Loaded with antioxidants and just a small amount of caffeine, green tea is a natural pick-me-up that can also help raise metabolism.

(Appetite 2009;52:155–60)

Healthnotes Newswire (December 11, 2008)—If you’re trying to decide which diet to choose after the holidays, here’s some food for thought: following the new Healthy Eating Pyramid could be your best bet for heart health and diabetes prevention.

The key to any successful diet plan is to lose the weight and keep it off. A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared three diets to see which was best for preventing weight regain after dieting, and how they stacked up against some serious diseases.

Losing the weight

In the study, 131 overweight men and women in their late twenties were put on a low-calorie diet for eight weeks; after they had lost at least 8% of their body weight, they followed one of three diets for another six months:

• The new Healthy Eating Pyramid diet, consisting of moderate amounts of fat (35 to 45% of total calories), with most fat coming from monounsaturated fatty acids like those found in olive oil.

• A low-fat diet (20 to 30% of total calories), in accordance with the USDA Food Pyramid.

• A control diet, in which about 35% of the total calories came from fat.

People in all of the groups regained weight after six months, but the low-fat and Healthy Eating Pyramid diets led to less body fat gain than the control diet. What’s more, people who followed the Healthy Eating Pyramid diet had fewer risk factors for heart disease and diabetes than people in the other groups.

Getting to know the new Pyramid

The Healthy Eating Pyramid was developed by faculty from the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and is based on independent (not funded by the food industry) scientific evidence about food and health:

• The foundation of the new Pyramid is daily exercise and weight control.

• The next tier emphasizes eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and oils (like olive and sunflower oils), and whole grains, followed by lesser amounts of beans, tofu, nuts, seeds, poultry, and fish.

• On the next level, 1 to 2 servings of low-fat dairy or a calcium and vitamin D supplement is recommended.

• Finally, refined grains (white bread and pasta, for example), potatoes, sugary drinks and desserts, salt, red meat, and butter are in the uppermost tier, representing the smallest part of the ideal diet.

Keeping it off

The authors of the new study pointed out, “The favorable effects of a low-fat diet and of the new Healthy Eating Pyramid may not turn out to be very important if the weight is eventually regained. The real challenge is to maintain body weight loss and to prevent subsequent relapse.”

Dr. Clara Barnett, a New York City–based physician specializing in weight loss management, offers this advice to help shed those pounds for good, “Focus on ways to regulate blood sugar. An effective and simple way to do this is to eat a high protein breakfast with some complex carbohydrates. I find that patients who follow this eat less at each meal, have fewer sugar cravings, and enjoy consistent energy throughout the day; late night munchies also seem to become a thing of the past. An ideal breakfast is poached eggs with a piece of sprouted grain bread, oatmeal with unflavored protein powder, or a protein smoothie with berries.”

(Am J Clin Nutr 2008;88:1232–41)