Health News

No real proof bacon can hurt sperm, so let your sex life sizzle

When news hit recently that eating bacon may be bad for your sperm, we were bummed. (After all, Men’s Health editors love bacon.)

But after digging into the actual research, we realized our BLTs (and swimmers) are probably safe — for now.

First, some background: Researchers at Harvard University recruited men who were having trouble getting their wives pregnant, then asked them questions about their diets. The guys who ate between 2.5 and 19.5 servings of processed red meat a week — including bacon, hot dogs, burgers and lunch meats such as bologna — had significantly more damaged sperm than men who ate less than that amount.

While the scientists can’t explain the link, they did rule out some of the dietary factors associated with eating processed red meats. “Neither total fat intake nor animal fat explained the sperm damage,” says study author Myriam Afeiche, Ph.D. (These 15 Facts You Didn’t Know about Your Penis will keep your member healthy and happy.)

In fact, because the survey couldn’t pin down a reason why eating bacon cheeseburgers correlated with sperm damage, you probably shouldn’t worry about your gonads just yet. “The results of this research are good for raising questions, but not providing answers,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., Men’s Health’s nutrition adviser.

That also means there’s no clear connection between processed meat and the infertility the couples in the study were suffering from. “(The researchers) were only looking at one measure of sperm health — not whether it prevents someone from getting pregnant,” says Men’s Health’s urology adviser Larry Lipshultz, M.D.

Until we know more, here’s what you can do: “Keep processed meat to a max of 20 percent of your weekly meat intake,” Aragon advises. So if you eat three 4-ounce servings of meat a day, you can eat up to 4 servings of bacon each week. And stock up on more seafood: The study found that guys who ate the most salmon, tuna fish, and bluefish had 34 percent more total sperm. (For more foods that strengthen your swimmers,

Source: nbc news

12 Ways to Younger-Looking Eyes

Eyes are one of the most prominent features of a person and because the skin around the eyes is delicate and more prone to creases, sagging, and puffy dark circles, it requires special care. New York Dermatologist and Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Cameron Rokhsar, M.D., lists the top eye care treatments and habits that can reverse signs of aging and create younger-looking eyes.

eye care treatments provide a wide variety of options for the everyday person who wants a refreshed and less-tired look that will last. Eyes are one of the first things to notice about a person, so it’s important to have bright and youthful eyes rather than tired-looking bags and wrinkles.

1.    Beauty Sleep Is Real

Wrinkles, bags, and crow’s feet don’t stand a chance against an adequate enough sleep and day-to-day skincare. Getting the right amount of sleep every night at regular intervals is essential to leading a long, healthy and productive lifestyle. “Beauty sleep” is not just an expression; it really is the key to beautiful, healthy skin that lasts. Sleep restores the skin’s natural balance and increases the effectiveness in skincare treatments. Skin automatically rejuvenates itself during sleep.

Not enough sleep leads to stress, which triggers the adrenal glands that create an over production of the stress hormone, cortisol. Once the hormone is released, it stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Stress creates a chain reaction that is recipe for bad skin. Clinical studies have proven stress is the common denominator of many skin problems.

When you don’t get enough sleep, not only are you tired, but you physically show the signs of sleep deprivation with puffy, under-eye bags and dehydrated skin. The ideal amount of consecutive sleep is 6 to 8 hours in order to allow the body to get through the 5 sleep stages. During these stages, the cortisol and insulin levels help produce more collagen. During the fourth stage, growth hormones surge and tissue repair occurs.

When a lack of sleep increases the levels of stress hormones, the body undergoes chronic stress, which leads to increased inflammation and subsequent acceleration of aging, and worsening of acne. Poor sleep habits can result in skin sensitivity and irritation. The skin gradually loses its ability to protect itself from all the chemicals, pollutants and dirt it comes in contact with everyday.

By avoiding caffeine 4 to 6 hours before bed, limiting alcohol and heavy meals before sleep, getting regular exercise, and developing a regular bedtime and morning wake-up call, even on the weekends, your skin will thrive in healthy glow. The skin on the eyelid is so thin and delicate it is one of the most noticeable aspects of the face, especially when skin isn’t treated right. As such a delicate part of the face, it needs these healthy lifestyle changes in order to flourish.

2.    Eye Cream Maintenance

Since eye skin is the thinnest skin on the body, it has the best opportunity for skin absorption of cream with rejuvenating effects. Creams are best absorbed by eyelid skin, however it is important to make sure that they contain the right ingredients for optimal eyelid skin health. Among key ingredients to look for are retinol, vitamin C, and growth factors.

As the body ages, the skin loses collagen, an important foundational protein. Retinol, is essentially vitamin A which works as an effective cell-communication ingredient and stimulates new collagen production. Retinol is an ingredient to look for when shopping for eye creams, along with vitamin C and growth factors. Vitamin C has many benefits for the body’s overall well-being, but the skin in particular reaps many rewards from Vitamin C’s power to slow down free-radicals, which are the unstable molecules that damage collagen and cause skin dryness. Growth factor products are another formidable skin care ingredients that have the ability to drive repair and new skin cell growth that has been overexposed to UV rays. Crow’s feet are eye wrinkles that should be treated with care because of the fine lines that form overtime from sun damage and squinting. Having a quality daily eye cream can help keep the delicate skin around the eyes younger and healthier looking for longer.

3.    Cover Up: Sunglasses

Think sunglasses are just to help stop squinting? They do more than that; they protect the thinnest skin on the body, which is more susceptible to harmful ultraviolet rays (UV). The wrinkles that form around the eyes are fine and can easily sag below and above the eye. Protecting eyes from sun damage should be a priority, regardless of the type of skin tone, ethnicity, or eye color; although people with lighter eyes typically have lighter skin with less pigment, and thus experience sun damage easily.

Choosing eyeglasses with UV protection should be a top priority. It is crucial to protect the eyes, especially during peak sun hours of 10am to 4pm, in order to avoid eyesight damage, as well as sun damage to the delicate eyelid skin. Choose sunglasses with 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB ray protection. Different UV rays are specific wavelengths of light that emit their own sun damage at varying degrees. The color or shade of the lens’ darkness actually has nothing to do with the level of protection, so instead just focus on the percent of UV blockage.

4.    Puffy Eyes? Limit Salt Intake

Nearly everyone has woken up with swollen and puffy eyes that cannot be treated with a simple cream. In order to have younger looking eyes it’s important to not only pay attention to sleep and stress, daily skincare, and eyewear, but to avoid a high sodium diet that may result in puffy, tired looking eyes.

Dr. Rokhsar suggests patients avoid salt during dinnertime because a salty meal right before bed will only make puffy eyes worse. The body needs salt, just not so late at night. Kidneys control water retention and release, and when there is a high level of salt, the kidneys will retain water in response, which results in bloating. The skin under the eyes are so thin, that once sodium levels are high and the body is at rest in the horizontal sleep position, the water will pool beneath the eyelids. By morning time there is a noticeable puffiness beneath the eyes because gravity redistributes water when lying flat as a direct result of the high-salt intake.

5.    Dark Under-Eyes Circles

Dark circles are another tired-looking feature nobody wants, and is often difficult to cover up with makeup. The claims that one cream can completely cure a person of dark under-eye circles are misleading because there are multiple causes for dark circles.

Some treatments are lifestyle changes such as more sleep, a healthier and well balanced diet, and to quit bad habits such as smoking. Smoking causes vascular, blood vessel, problems that can make the dark under-eye circles more prominent. Vascular congestion can appear purple and may be associated with allergies; although it is significant to understand that some people are just born with more vessels than others beneath their eyes. Certain ethnicities are prone to dark under-eye circles, predominantly seen in Indians and Hispanics. But everyone inevitably ages, and with that comes the loss of fat pads beneath the eyes, accentuating aging eyes.

Under-the-eye hollowness then appears and creates a dark, unsightly shadow.

Another important cause of under eye circles is allergies or eczema. Rubbing the eyelid skin can cause darkening of the eyelids. Avoid scrubbing washes on eyelids. If a patient has seasonal allergies and suffers from itchy eyes, the daily intake of an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Zyrtec or Allegra may be the right answer.

6.    Thermage To Tighten Eyelids

One of the most well known treatments for tightening and lifting the eyelid, reducing fine wrinkles above the eye and reduce hooding eyelids that characteristically droop, is Thermage. Thermage uses radiofrequency technology to deliver heat into the lower layers of the skin and tighten internally. The skin lifts and smoothes out wrinkles to renewal facial contours. Immediately after treatment, the skin may feel tighter, smoother and appear more youthful, and will increasingly tighten overtime because of the progressive collagen production. Results can last two years or longer depending upon the patient’s natural aging process.

7.    Fraxel Eyelid Tightening

Fraxel, a fractional laser treatment, can be used to gently resurface eyelids gradually and can be used in addition to filler or surgical treatments. This laser therapy is the most innovative approach to laser skin treatment by resurfacing the skin 15 to 30 percent each session. Just one treatment Fraxel can reverse up to 10 years of eye aging. Microscopic columns of treatment are administered along the desired sections of skin which stimulates collagen production, the protein responsible for tightening and structuring the skin.

Results are usually seen within one to two weeks post treatment, and there is virtually no downtime because no invasive surgery was necessary. Aside from eyelid tightening, the Fraxel laser is also an effective treatment for fine lines, wrinkles, surface scarring, sun spot pigmentation and sun damage.

8.    Ulthera For Upper Eyebrows

Ultherapy is FDA approved for nonsurgical brow lifts, which is an effective way to smooth out and tighten the skin around the eyes to achieve a natural, young looking set of eyes without turning to surgery alternatives. Ulthera uses ultrasound technology to tighten skin by thermally heating deep layers of the skin, which stimulates new collagen production. With new and healthy collagen, the skin will tighten and strengthen the foundational layers of the skin, ultimately smoothing skin from the inside out.

When Ultherapy lifts the brow and opens up the eyes, it reduces the excess skin that rests on the lids. This non-surgical alternative creates and maintains a more youthful appears in one 30 to 60 minute procedures that provides patients the ability to forgo invasive eyelift surgery.

9.    Fillers: Belotero and Restylane Around The Eyes

Injectable fillers are effective ways to smooth the skin around the eyes and provide subtle, natural looking volume to correct hollow eyes. Belotero is specially designed to diminish both fine lines around the eyes and the upper lip. It’s one of the newest fillers released onto the market that can provide volume while simultaneously hydrating the skin.

Another effective non-surgical eyelift treatment utilizes Restylane’s ability to create a fuller lower eyelid while filling in lines and folds. This cosmetic dermal filler’s key ingredient is hyaluronic acid, a natural sugar found in the body. Because it is naturally produced, there is no chance of an allergic reaction, which also makes it biodegradable. The body will naturally break down the filler substance within six to nine months post injection. The whole procedure takes 10 minutes and is injected into the lower eyelids in order to rejuvenate its appearance and restore volume for sunken eyes.

In order to ensure that eye-restoration is fully addressed, volume, texture, and excess skin must all be taken into consideration when choosing to correct baggy eyes. Often times, surgery is not necessary to remove excess skin around the eyes, however the tightening of skin is an effective approach to supplement Restylane.

10.    Get Rid of Crow’s Feet With Dysport and Botox

Patients often complain about the crow’s feet that appear along their eyes from years of smiling, laughing and squinting. Similar to the effects of fillers, which tighten and smooth the skin, Botox and Dysport provide the patient with similar results. Dysport and Botox share the same active ingredient, botulinum toxin A, a neurotoxin that simply immobilizes the nerve’s messages and stops the muscle contraction from happening. The repetitive muscle contraction, whether it be squinting or laughing are what cause the lines around the outside of the eyes. Botulinum A blocks the nerves that cause unnecessary micro movements of the muscles, which stops the crow’s feet wrinkles from happening.

The nerves won’t lose their ability to contract muscles; instead it will just stop the face from making micro-movements. When micro-movements are made throughout the face, they begin to form fine lines and hard to treat deep wrinkles. Results of a tighter and smoother skin around the eyes generally begin to show 24 hours to five days after injection. These wrinkles are indicators of older age, although recently younger people are taking steps towards avoiding the development of wrinkles all together by using Botox or Dysport.

11.    Latisse For Longer Lashes That Last

Having long eyelashes can give the appearance of more youthful and attractive eyes. There are hundreds of different ways to appear to have longer lashes. Fake eyelashes with messy glue, makeup tricks, curlers, diets, transplants, and over-the-counter drugs, are all inconvenient methods that could be avoided.

Latisse is the first and only FDA-approved prescription treatment for eyelashes. The results are thicker, longer and darker lashes with a simple treatment application. Beautiful actress and model Brooke Shields uses Latisse for longer, fuller lashes because of its effectiveness. It is not only a safe alternative to the chaos of other methods, but it is also delicate to the sensitive surrounding area. Latisse is applied to the base of the upper lashes and is clinically proven to be highly effective in almost 80 percent of patients.

Patients that dab Latisse on their top lids each night before bed will start to see longer lashes after 4 weeks and full results are achieved in 16 weeks. The medication will automatically spread to the lower lashes when you blink.

12.    Blepharoplasty: The Surgical Eyelift

When non-surgical treatments do not provide the patient with the results they desire, Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery is an effective route to achieve cosmetic goals. The procedure is performed by making tiny incisions in the eyelid and under the eye. Any excess fat is removed, the skin is then tightened and sutures are secured. Removal of the under eye fat pad will significantly decrease any puffiness around the eye, which results in a brighter and wider eye appearance. Eyelid surgery can correct droopy upper eyelids, also known as hooded eyes, but does not remove dark circles or lift sagging eyebrows, each of which can be treated separately.

A surgical eyelift is considered a minor surgery and can be performed while the patient is under local anesthesia or IV sedation. A combination of eyelid tightening, skin and fat pad removal can be performed on either the upper, lower eyelid or both

Source: pr web

 

New Drug Combination Causes Cancer To ‘Eat’ themselves

Turning cancerous cells into cannibalistic cells may be an oncologists best bet for treating a wide variety of tumors. In a study from the Virginia Commonwealth University, researchers have determined that a new drug combination can cause cancer cells to “eat” themselves without harming surrounding tissue. The treatment was shown to be effective in cancers of the colon, liver, lung, breast, brain, and kidney.

Published in the journal Molecular Pharmacology, the study sought to determine whether a combination of the drugs sorafenib and regorafenib can combine with so-called PI3K/AKT inhibitors to achieve a broader, more pronounced effect. Co-author Andrew Poklepovic said in a press release that although further research is necessary, the current findings set the stage for a promising phase 1 clinical trial.

“It is still too premature to estimate when a clinical trial will open to further test this drug combination therapy, but we are now in the planning phase and encouraged by the results of these laboratory experiments,” he told reporters.  “We are also encouraged by the fact that the drugs used in this therapy are either already approved by the FDA to treat certain cancers or are currently being investigated in other clinical trials.”

According to the researchers, sorafenib and regorafenib attacks the tumor growth by blocking the production of enzymes called kinases, which play a crucial role in the proliferation of cancerous cells. Essentially, the new drug combination broadens this effect by adding another class of kinases inhibitors called PI3K/AKT inhibitors. As a result, many cancer cells “starve,” and the tumor growth can no longer be sustained.

“We know that there are certain cellular processes that are frequently dysregulated in cancers and important to cell proliferation and survival, but if you shut down one, then cells can often compensate by relying on another,” said senior author Paul Dent of the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center. “We are blocking several of these survival pathways, and the cancer cells are literally digesting themselves in an effort to stay alive.”

The study represents the latest attempt to identify a new, reliable method of action for cancer drugs. In a similar research effort published earlier this year, scientists at Oregon State University described how a new type of nanotechnology can improve the efficacy of cytotoxic therapies by heating up cancerous cells. Hopefully, both studies will help oncologists and pharmaceutical researchers develop novel ways to treat the disease that currently kills over 500,000 Americans each year.

Source: Medical Daily

 

Simple ways to lose belly fat after pregnancy

Want to cut belly fat post-pregnancy? Choose fresh food over refrigerated one, don’t consume the same kind of dish everyday and chew well, says an expert.

Capital-based Rita Bakshi, gynaecologist at the International Fertility Centre, suggests how to get back in shape post delivery:

– Fresh fruits: When you eat fruits, remember not to refrigerate them for a long

– Freshly cooked food: Try having food that doesn’t include artificial preservatives and cut down on processed foods

– Seasonal vegetables: Seasonal vegetables and fruits are not only good for your body, but also bring about variation in your diet. Do not eat the same food every day as it is unhealthy. But don’t overeat

– Head for the park: Your body requires some time to get back to normal so the best advice would be to get started with general exercises beginning with brisk walking. Also, it is important to take your doctor’s advice before starting any workout regimen.

– Yoga: The right yoga asanas, pranayama will help you lose weight earlier than you actually thought. Join a yoga class and start with basics. It is good for physical and mental health

– Chew food: Chewing your food is equally important when you trying to get back to shape. It is a good mouth exercise.

Source: Zee News

Dragon fruit: A delicious health sensation

Not only does it look extraterrestrial, but it also has the name Pitaya, which is certainly strange. The thick, fleshy protrusions off the skin suggest that perhaps it can swim, or maybe even fly. Over the past couple of years it has shown up in grocery stores, seemingly out of nowhere. What in the world is that thing? Most people don’t know what it is or what to do with it.  And the name? Dragon fruit! How exotic.

Native to Mexico, Central and South Americas, dragon fruit is widely cultivated and highly popular in Southeast Asia. There, it is quite common and found in virtually every market in season. I first encountered this strange and luscious edible plant at a gas stop a few hours out of Kuala Lumpur at a fruit stand. I stood staring at the display for a couple of minutes before giving it a try. The one I ate was deep reddish purple inside. But the inside flesh of other cultivars of dragon fruit might be white, yellow or blue. Mysterious. After cutting the fruit into quarters, I bit in deeply. Instantly I was swooning from the mildly fragrant, juicy consistency. Dragon fruit is really something.

Recently at a hotel breakfast buffet in Hong Kong I took a second swipe at dragon fruit and was every bit as impressed as the first time, though my experience was tamer than standing out in the hot Malaysian sun with juice dripping down my fingers. Once you cut through the somewhat odd outer skin, the interior appears shot with poppy seeds. The tiny little black seeds are slightly crunchy, and the delicate flesh has one of those tastes that lingers in the mind long after the fruit is gone.

So what is this mysterious new food that is appearing in more supermarkets? Dragon fruit comes from a cactus. The plant is low in calories, a source of beneficial dietary fiber, and rich in vitamin C, a few of the B vitamins and antioxidants. Dragon fruit is a delightful addition to the diet, offering an entirely new flavor reminiscent of some melons and a good source of vegetarian omega 3 fatty acids.

You can eat all the dragon fruit you want with impunity. It’s never going to put on pounds, and because it’s low in sugar, it won’t mess up your blood sugar either. Except for the fact that you might need to dig one or two seeds out from between your teeth with a toothpick when you’re done eating, dragon fruit is near perfect.

Of the cultivars of dragon fruit, the one with the reddish interior is the most nutritious. This type is unusually high in very potent antioxidants, including the purplish anthocyanins, and catechins and epicatechins, which are also found in green tea. While all the types of dragon fruit are good for you, the red ones also impart very significant protection to the cells in the body and are also anti-inflammatory. They are also rich in lycopene, which is beneficial for the prostate.

In today’s supermarkets, fruits, vegetables and various foods previously undreamed of now occupy the shelves, right alongside the familiar staples of our childhoods. In this mix, dragon fruit appears, offering a look that provokes conversation, flavor that isn’t unparalleled by other foods, and health benefits galore. Try dragon fruit for yourself, and you’ll likely become a convert

Source: healcon

Foods gout sufferers should avoid

Gout is a form of arthritis and it affects more people than you think. In fact, one in 200 Americans suffers from the severe joint pain associated with the condition.

We received this email from a viewer:

Dear Dr. Manny,
I’ve heard that eating cherries can help people who suffer from gout, but what foods should we be avoiding?
Thanks,
Tim

Gout can cause sudden attacks of pain in the joints of the feet, ankles, knees and even the hands, but it’s most commonly felt at the base of the big toe. And it’s true, cherries can help reduce inflammation in the body, so they may help when it comes to managing gout flares.

A buildup of uric acid in the joints causes gout and flares can last for days or even months. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines, which are substances that are found naturally in the body, and in certain foods. As a result, the foods you eat can play a key role in managing your pain.

Try to avoid or limit your intake of certain foods that are high in purines including:

  • Fish and other seafood
  • Whole grains
  • Sugars and high-fructose corn syrup
  • Beer
  • Certain vegetables like asparagus, spinach, lentils, cauliflower and peas
  • Red meat and poultry

However, some foods help protect against gout, including low-fat dairy, complex carbohydrates, coffee and citrus fruits.

Source: Fox News

Doctors discover new ligament in the human knee

The discovery explains why ACL-treated patients continued to experience a “pivot shift” of the knees

Two doctors at University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium have discovered a new ligament, the anterolateral ligament, which has been linked to anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly known as the ACL.

Building on work done by a French surgeon in 1879, Dr. Steven Claes and Dr. Johan Bellemans discovered the ligament in the front of the knee, and detailed their findings in the Journal of Anatomy.

Using macroscopic dissection techniques, the two doctors studied 41 cadaveric knees and found the ALL in all but one knee.

ACL tears are common in athletes playing sports with high demands on the knees, such as soccer, basketball and football.

Even after successful surgery, some patients with repaired ACLs continue to experience buckling of the knee during intense physical activity.

In the past, this “pivot shift” confused doctors, leading them to suspect that some part of the equation was unknown. With the discovery of the ALL, continued pivot shifts following ACL repair can be explained.

The discovery could signal a breakthrough in the treatment of ACL tears and further knowledge about the human body.

Source: UPI

Robot Detects Breast Cancer With Space-Grade Tech

The same technology designed for huge robotic arms that help astronauts in space is being brought back to Earth to do some heavy lifting in cancer treatment — in the form of a surgical robot. Its inventors say the robot could take breast biopsies with remarkable precision and consistency.

 The new machine is called IGAR, which is short for Image-Guided Autonomous Robot. NASA officials say it descends from a long line of robotic arms built for the Canadian Space Agency, such as Canadarm, which helped build the space station, service satellites and sometimes gave astronauts a lift during spacewalks, and Dextre, a maintenance robot on the space station. (This specific tech was developed by the British Columbia-based aerospace and communications firm MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.)

IGAR works in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that can help doctors see potentially harmful mass in the breast. Currently, MRI is used to examine areas of the breast found on mammograms to be suspicious. With special software, a radiologist could tell IGAR which area to target with a needle-based biopsy device, or similar tissue-removing tool. [6 Foods That May Affect Breast Cancer Risk]

The space-inspired robot works with enough precision to insert the needle within about 0.3 inches (8 millimeters), of the suspicious lesion with a high degree of accuracy, said Dr. Mehran Anvari, chief executive officer and scientific director at Canada’s Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation.

Anvari said IGAR will improve sampling, reduce the pain of the procedure, save time and, as a result, save money.

“It also will allow all radiologists to perform this procedure equally well, regardless of the number of cases per year and move the site of treatment from operation room to radiology suite for a significant number of patients,” Anvari explained in a statement from NASA.

Dr. Nathalie Duchesne, a breast radiologist at the Hospital Saint-Sacrement in Quebec City, will be performing the first of three clinical trials with IGAR. She, too, said she believes the surgical robot will make breast biopsies more consistent across different doctors, patients and types of lesions.

I’ve been teaching MRI-guided breast biopsy for years and there are many steps in the procedure that are operator-dependent,” Duchesne said in a statement. “These steps may prevent good sampling of the lesions if it’s not done properly. I believe IGAR will take care of this. It will subsequently decrease the time of the exam, ensure good sampling and increase patient’s comfort during the exam.”

NASA officials say IGAR could also be used to assist doctors in lumpectomies, a surgery that removes only the tumor and part of the surrounding breast tissues, as opposed to a mastectomy, in which the breast is removed. Some tumors might require a lumpectomy because they cannot be detected with ultrasound and X-ray mammography. Researchers say IGAR could be used deploy a tiny radioactive seed near the area of interest during a biopsy, which could later located with a detector, allowing the doctor to identify and remove the lesion.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that 232,340 American women and 2,240 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, and that about 39,620 women and 410 men will die of the disease this year.

 

Source: Yahoo News

Tips to drink smart while dieting

As a dietitian and as someone who enjoys socializing over cocktails, I believe that you don’t have to give up alcohol just because you are trying to lose weight. This is supported by research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that found that light to moderate drinkers actually gain less weight over time than teetotalers, and they also have a lower chance of becoming overweight or obese.

I know this from experience working with my clients who consistently lose weight without abstaining from alcohol. Instead of asking them to cut out alcohol, I help them learn to drink a bit smarter by avoiding unnecessary calories.

Lighten your usual drink

It’s easy to order a less caloric version of your usual drink. For example, have vodka, tequila or other spirits with zero-calorie club soda and a splash of juice instead of an 80 calorie cup of tonic. For the nearly the same calories, you can relax over two rum and Diet Cokes or have one specialty cocktail, such as a cosmopolitan.

Make yours a spritzer

Do like the Europeans and have a wine spritzer (half wine, half club soda) that’s refreshing and waist-friendly at about 50 calories a glass.

Beware of mixed drinks

A single margarita or other sugary cocktails can pack anywhere from 450 – 600 calories! Opt instead for tequila with a splash of juice and a wedge of lime, or order a drink made with light vodka in your favorite flavor mixed with zero-calorie soda water.

Sip wine and spirits

Your best bet for low-cal drinking is wine and spirits, because these contain about 90 calories per drink.

Pace yourself

If you plan to have only one drink, order one that you will linger over. For example, a martini is practically straight liquor, but shaken with ice and an aromatic splash of vermouth, it is a reasonable 160 calories per 2.5-ounce glass. If you expect to have more than one cocktail, try alternating with a glass of water or seltzer with a wedge of lemon or lime.

Source: topix

A boy born without a brain dies after three-year

A three-year-old Colorado boy born without a brain has died after living what doctors called a miracle life.

 Nickolas Coke suffered from a rare condition known as anencephaly, meaning he was born with only a brain stem.

While most children with this condition die shortly after their birth, Nickolas far exceeded that sentence.

“Nickolas Coke suffered from a rare condition known as anencephaly which meant he was only born with a brain stem

Children with the very rare condition are considered unable to think or have emotions

His family believed he was growing both physically and mentally”

Surviving on little else than pain medication, Nickolas lived what his family called an incredible life.

‘He was never hooked up to any machines, no tubes, no nothing,’ Sherri Kohut, Nickolas’s grandmother, told KOAA in Colorado.

‘He taught us everything, he taught the love, how to be family. He taught us everything.’

Kohut, who was with Nickolas when he died, said the boy stopped breathing after having difficulties doing so all morning.

Medical officials attempted to revive him using CPR, but after three failed attempt, he was pronounced dead.
‘They told us “no more, let him go”,’ Kohut said. ‘So he died at 12:40 Peacefully.’

Nickolas was apparently in good spirits just days before his death. Recent photographs posted on Facebook show the boy smiling and laying in a pumpkin patch.

‘He was laughing because he thought it was funny that we couldn’t get him to stay still enough to roll off the pumpkins,’ Kohut said.

The family made an effort to get Nickolas out as much as possible, taking him on trips to the zoo and going camping.

 Anencephaly occurs in about 1 in every 10,000 births, according to the National Center of Biotechnology Information. 

Children with anencephaly are considered unable to think or have emotions.

Without a brain, Nickolas couldn’t speak, eat or walk and frequently suffered from debilitating seizures.

Still his family believed the boy was growing both physically and mentally.

‘He was our hero because he showed the strength if I can do this anything can be done,’ Kohut said.

‘He will always be remembered.’
Source: Daily Mail