Small lifestyle changes ‘lower type 2 diabetes risk’

Modest lifestyle changes in diet and activity by South Asian families improve their chance of losing weight to lower their risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study.

Making moderate improvements could help to improve their health and wellbeing, an Edinburgh clinical trial has found.

The Edinburgh University study was carried out in their homes as opposed to hospital clinics.

It is the first of its kind in the UK to focus on South Asian cultures.

Patients lost weight and reduced their hip and waist measurements and there were indications they were less likely to become diabetic by the end of the trial, which focused on people of Indian and Pakistani-origin.

Researchers said ethnic background and culture played an important role in shaping attitudes and behaviours towards diet and exercise.

National guidelines show South Asian people place strong emphasis on family life and eating together.

Body mass index

From a young age, South Asians are said to be sensitive or at risk of health problems linked to obesity.

Men from Pakistani and Indian communities are three times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than the general population, despite having similar body mass indexes, scientists said.

The three-year trial monitored 171 people of Indian and Pakistani background living in Scotland who were already at high risk of diabetes as shown by blood tests done at the start of the trial.

Participants were given detailed advice by dieticians and offered culturally-appropriate resources to help them manage their weight through diet and exercise.

At the same time, control groups were given basic advice, which was not culturally specific.

Professor Raj Bhopal, from Edinburgh University’s centre for population health sciences, said: “These differing approaches show us that a more family-centred strategy, with culturally tailored lifestyle advice, can produce significant benefits to people’s health through weight loss.”

The trial is published in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Source: Pakistan Today

New genetic marker to predict bird flu severity

Australian scientists Tuesday said they have discovered a genetic marker that can accurately predict the severity of the H7N9 avian influenza.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne claimed that by using genetic markers to blood and lung samples, they discovered certain indicators that signal increased susceptibility to this avian influenza, a statement said.

Katherine Kedzierska, associate professor at the department of microbiology and immunology at the university, said that being able to predict which patient will be more susceptible to the emerging avian influenza strain will allow experts to better manage the disease.

“Higher than normal levels of cytokines (a type of protein), driven by a genetic variant of a protein called IFITM3, tells us that the severe disease is likely,” Kedzierska said.

“We call this a Cytokine Storm and people with the defective genetic variant of the protein IFITM3 are more likely to succumb to severe influenza infection,” she added.

Peter Doherty, a lead author of the study, said predicting how avian influenza works in individuals has implications for the management of disease and the resources on our health system.

Source: Business Standard

Top five health benefits of pomegranate

One of the oldest known fruits, Pomegranate has been revered as a symbol of health, fertility and eternal life. This antioxidant rich fruit with a brilliant red hue is packed with several health benefits.

Pomegranate juice is heart-healthy: Pomegranate juice packs a high antioxidant potency punch and protects against heart attack and stroke. Pomegranates are known to help prevent plaque from building up in your arteries and reverses previous plaque buildup.

Maintains blood sugar: Since the fruit is moderate in calories and contains no cholesterol or saturated fats,it is suggested by nutritionists in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs.

Fights breast cancer: Studies show that pomegranate juice destroys breast cancer cells .The juice helps eliminate free radicals from the body and inhibits the growth and development of cancer and other diseases.

Maintains blood pressure: Pomegranates also reduce high blood pressure. The juice of this fruit reduces lesions and the inflammation of blood vessels in heart patients. It is a natural aspirin, which keeps the blood from coagulating and forming blood clots. It even acts as a blood thinner allowing for an unrestricted flow of blood through the body.

Pomegranates keep you young: Pomegranate juice is highly revered as a longevity treatment. Pomegranate helps in the regeneration of cells in the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin. It has an ability to hasten the process of healing of wounds. It also helps to sustain the regeneration of the skin cells and prevent hyper pigmentation and occurrence of dark spots.

Source: inagist

Flu Vaccine Works Better for Women: Study

The flu vaccine is generally less effective for men than for women, scientists said in a study Monday, tracing the effect to higher levels of testosterone that curb the immune response.

It has long been known that men are more vulnerable than women to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, but scientists have never been able to clearly explain why.

It was also known that men don’t respond as strongly as women to vaccines against yellow fever, measles and hepatitis, said the authors of the study, which appears in this week’s Proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences.

The new research, using samples from 34 men and 53 women, suggested that the cause could be traced to testosterone: only men with higher levels of the sex hormone demonstrated the lower antibody response to the flu vaccine.

Among men with lower levels of testosterone, the immune response was “more or less equivalent to that of women,” said a statement from Stanford University, whose researchers collaborated with others at the French governmental research organization INSERM for the study.

Previous studies on animals and in cell-culture experiments had previously suggested a link between testosterone and immune response, which creates inflammation as it battles the invasion of a pathogen.

This latest study doesn’t indicate a direct link between testosterone and the lowered immune response. Instead, the immune system’s reaction was reduced by the activation of a group of genes that are also linked to a higher level of testosterone, explained Mark Davis, immunology professor at Stanford University.

The researchers also considered an apparent evolutionary paradox — wondering how natural selection could favor a hormone responsible both for characteristics such as strength and a taste for taking risks, and for weakening the immune system.

They speculated that in prehistoric times, men’s roles as hunters and warriors tended to expose them to more wounds and resulting infections.

A decent immune response to these infections is an evolutionary advantage, but an overly abundant one — which can occur in certain diseases including some virulent forms of the flu — could prove more dangerous than the pathogen itself, they said.

Thus, perhaps men with less aggressive immune responses tended to be better able to survive, the researchers said.

Source: News Max health

10 Ways to Relieve Stress Naturally

Your misplaced wallet. A dead car battery. Stress is a thug we encounter almost hourly. The question is, do you have what it takes to stand up to the bully? If you’re like most people surveyed last year by the American Psychological Association, you may be losing the good fight: Sixty percent said stressful situations left them irritable, 53 percent felt fatigued, and 52 percent were unable to sleep at night.

Stress takes a toll on more than just your mood. All that tension puts a whammy on your waistline, thanks to the stress-related hormone cortisol, which rises during anxiety-inducing events and makes you crave fatty, sugar-packed foods. Those excess calories are more likely to be stored in the gut as visceral fat, the type that’s been linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal cancers. Visceral fat also increases the production of cortisol, perpetuating the cycle (as if you need any further assistance).

Moreover, “chronic stress releases cytokines and C-reactive protein in your body — dangerous molecules that cause inflammation and put you at greater risk for developing arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and other chronic diseases,” says Evangeline Lausier, MD, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

You’re probably thinking, So, what do I do now? First of all, don’t wig out. Arm yourself with these natural approaches to de-stressing your mind, body, and spirit.

How to De-Stress Your Mind

1. Change Your Attitude
“Some people find riding a roller coaster to be extremely stressful; others find it thrilling. It all depends on your perspective,” explains Paul J. Rosch, MD, clinical professor of medicine and psychiatry at New York Medical College. Say you’re about to run your first half-marathon and your stomach is in knots. The goal is to switch your “Oh, no!” thinking to “Bring it on!” bravado. Easier said than done, for sure, but know this: Short stints of stress are actually good for you because they maximize performance. Blood pressure rises and digestion of food slows, allowing your body to summon the energy to combat the anxiety-inducing situation. If changing your mind-set isn’t working, try this: Decide it’s okay to feel anxious as you hover at the starting line. One recent study found that people who learned to identify and acknowledge stressful thoughts and think them through showed notable improvements in their inner calm.

2. Find Your Zen Zone
Have a big presentation to make? Scared you’ll flub your number? Try this before venturing into the conference room: “Close your eyes. In a quiet area, settle into a comfortable position. Relax every muscle, starting with your toes and moving upward,” Dr. Lausier says. “Focus on your breathing. With every inhale, sink deeper into your body. As you exhale, imagine tension leaving your muscles.” Feel better? Congratulations, you’ve just performed a body scan, a meditative exercise that helps you be hyperaware of where your body is holding stress, so you can physically let go of your worries. Additional mindfulness-based stress-reduction techniques, such as deep breathing and gentle yoga, have been shown to ease anxiety as well. Our fave yoga move: child’s pose.

How to De-Stress Your Body
3. Get a Rubdown
It’s four months into the new year, and you’re still carrying the 20 pounds you resolved to lose. Negative self-talk will get you nowhere. Instead, head to the nearest spa for a massage. When stressed-out ER nurses received twice-weekly chair massages, their tension levels dropped significantly, according to researchers at Griffith University in Australia. Go to massagetherapy.com to find a practitioner in your area.

4. Move It!
The endorphins released during workouts make you feel great! The proof: Volunteers who signed up for a three-month stress-management course that included hourlong workouts of walking, jogging, and dancing not only lowered their cardiovascular-disease risk but also eased their anxiety and depression. Dodge your next stress attack by taking the dog for a run. Or crank up your Beyonce CD and shake your hips like a backup dancer.

5. Make Time for Tea
Brits appear composed for a reason. It turns out that people who drink black tea have lower cortisol levels compared with those drinking a tea substitute. Our advice: Brew, steep, and sip up, but skip the scone.

6. Canoodle with a Labradoodle
Researchers at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York found that pet owners have higher heart-rate variability (the greater the variability, the better the heart is able to respond to varying demands) compared with that of non-pet owners. Moreover, recent studies have found that people with pets have lower blood pressure than the rest of the population. One explanation: Pets provide constant companionship and unconditional affection.

How to De-Stress Your Spirit
7. Confide in Your Journal
Why is it that every time you feel stressed someone tells you to jot down your feelings? Well — because it works! Writing about a traumatic event, and what you plan to do about it, reduces levels of anxiety, according to researchers at the University of Amsterdam.

8. Hang with Happy People 

Like your friend with an infectious laugh or your buddy who can belch the entire “Star-Spangled Banner.” Our happiness is contingent on how connected we feel to a network of positive-thinking friends, finds a new study. “If someone you have direct contact with is happy, it increases the likelihood that you’ll be happy by about 15 percent,” says James H. Fowler, PhD, an associate professor of political science at the University of California at San Diego and principal investigator for the study.

9. Draw, Paint, Dance
No one is saying you have to be Basquiat by day and Alvin Ailey by night — just do your own thing. “Artistic activities may reduce stress because you’re able to access the creative part of your brain to express your thoughts and feelings rather than relying on words, which most of us usually do,” Dr. Lausier says.

10. Listen to Music
Ever notice how your dentist cranks up Chopin before jackhammering your gums? Rest assured, he’s only trying to help. Studies show that playing music can reduce perceived psychological stress. Now that’s reason for an encore!

Source: Yahoo shine

Christmas: The deadliest day of the year?

More people die on Christmas than any other day of the year, Medical Daily reported.

In the 1970s, researchers discovered this phenomenon after they began studying death trends throughout the year. A wide array of causes seem to contribute to the trend of Christmas Day deaths including understaffed hospitals and an unwillingness by people to bother their relatives for a ride to the doctor’s office.

Death by cardiac disease, respiratory diseases, endocrine/nutritional/metabolic problems, digestive diseases, and cancer – the five most common causes of death – see an overall increase during this time of year, Medical Daily reported.

One study from the University of California San Diego examined hospital workforces around the holidays and discovered that Level 1 trauma centers often carry less than a full staff, and have less experienced professionals on hand during the Christmas holiday.

“Those are the cases where seconds make a difference, and you may see a real difference between the response of a junior and senior member of staff,” study author David P. Phillips said.

One optimistic note: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said suicide deaths don’t increase the same way deaths from other factors do around the holidays.

Source: Fox news

McDonald’s employee website warns workers away from its fast food

In a strange bit of hypocrisy, McDonald’s internal employee website advises workers not to eat a fast-food cheeseburger and fries—pointing out that a subway sandwich is a healthier choice when eating out. The content was provided by a third-party vendor, according to CNBC which first reported on the site.

The McResource Line site—which can be accessed by the public after registering online—appears to steer McDonald’s employees away from eating where they work, though it doesn’t name the actual establishment.

“In general, avoiding items that are deep fried are your best bet,” the site advises on a page devoted to fast food tips. “Healthier choices include sandwiches that can be loaded with vegetables. Limit the extras such as cheese, bacon, and mayonnaise. Eat at places that offer a variety of salads, soups and vegetables to help maintain your best health.”

The site acknowledges efforts by fast-food chains to improve the nutritional quality of their food in recent years by, for example, banning partially hydrogenated oils full of trans fats. But, it also says, “even with these changes, it is hard to eat a healthy diet when you eat at fast-food restaurants often. Many foods are cooked with a lot of fat, even if they are not trans fats.”

McDonald’s spokesperson Lisa McComb told me via email that “reporting is inaccurate” concerning the website and that the “site does not advise against fast food.”

McDonald’s issued this statement: “Portions of this website continue to be taken entirely out of context. This website provides useful information from respected third-parties about many topics, among them health and wellness. It also includes information from experts about healthy eating and making balanced choices. McDonald’s agrees with this advice.”

The company is correct about the website including a lot of other health information beyond fast-food. In fact, I was only able to find two pages devoted to fast-food advice. But the advice, in my opinion, wasn’t taken out of context and makes it pretty clear that people should limit their intake of fast-food from burger joints.

“In general, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease must be very careful about choosing fast food because of its high fat, salt, and sugar levels,” the site says. It warns against ordering chicken that’s breaded or fried—bye bye McNuggets—and a host of caveats when ordering a hamburger advising that “a single, plain meat patty without the cheese and sauces is the best choice. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Limit how many French fries you eat. Ketchup contains a lot of calories from sugar.”

McDonald’s said in its statement that they “introduced oatmeal, grilled chicken, egg whites and real-fruit smoothies” for a “variety of balanced menu choices.” I just wonder how many customers are actually passing up the Egg Mcmuffin and Big Mac for oatmeal or a piece of grilled chicken. Maybe, at least, some employees are.

Source: boston

14-pound baby born to Florida couple

The third baby may very well be the last for a north Florida couple.

Son Isaiah Lawrence Johnson was born Friday at Gainesville’s UF Shands Hospital, weighing in at a whopping 14 pounds 7.6 ounces. He was 22 ½ inches long.

Mother Nicia McNelley told the Gainesville Sun it seemed like it “took forever to get him out.”

The baby was born by cesarean section, seven days before his due date. The mother and baby are expected to leave the hospital Monday, just in time for Christmas.

McNelley and Quinta Johnson have two other children, but Isiah was their largest baby — by far.

They live in nearby Keystone Heights.

Source: abc local

Mother has Christmas wishes for family after her 2 years death

The wife and mother of four wanted three requests fulfilled when her husband found a life partner.

This holiday season, a local radio station has helped carry out the final wishes of a wife and mother of four in Des Moines, Iowa, who passed away two years ago at 46, CNN and the Des Moines Register report.

When Brenda Schmitz was dying of stage 4 ovarian cancer, she addressed a letter to Star 102.5 FM’s Christmas Wish program in August 2011 and instructed an anonymous friend to give it to the station only when her husband, David, found a new wife who would help raise their four sons.

A few months ago, David asked Jayne Abraham to marry him. A week-and-a-half ago, the station received the letter, and on Dec. 19, host Colleen Kelly broadcasted Schmitz’s three requests: a spa day for David’s fiancé, a “magical trip” for the whole family, and a night out “full of drinks, food and fun” for the nurses and doctors who took care of Brenda and all of the other cancer patients at Mercy Medical Center. Full text of the letter is embedded on the Des Moines Register‘s website as well.

Star 102.5 FM and local businesses are fulfilling all three wishes and have booked the family a vacation to Disney World. As the Iowa newspaper reports, “David said he hopes the story can help other people who have lost loved ones to ‘know someone is watching out for them, giving them guidance.’”
Source: Time News Feed

Tech startups create virtual farmers markets

Sara Pasquinelli doesn’t shop at the grocery store much anymore. The busy mother of two young boys buys nearly all her food from a new online service that delivers to her front door _ but it doesn’t bring just any food.

The emerging tech startup specializes in dropping off items that Pasquinelli probably would only be able to find at her local farmers market.

Minutes after her weekly GoodEggs.com order arrived at her San Francisco home, Pasquinelli unpacked bags and boxes of finger limes, organic whole milk, kiwi fruit, beef short ribs, Dungeness crab and pastured eggs.

“I don’t even remember the last time I went to the store for anything other than bananas and string cheese,” said Pasquinelli, an attorney who started using the service about a year ago.

The San Francisco-based Good Eggs is among a new crop of startups using technology to bolster the market for locally produced foods that backers say are better for consumer health, farmworkers, livestock and the environment. These online marketplaces are beginning to change the way people buy groceries and create new markets for small farmers and food makers.

“It’s a new way of connecting producers with consumers,” said Claire Kremen, a conservation biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “The more alternatives people have access to for buying food outside the industrial agricultural regime, the better it can be.”

The Good Eggs website features attractive photos of offerings such as Hachiya persimmons, chanterelle mushrooms, grass-fed beef steaks, pureed baby food and gluten-free poppy seed baguettes. It also has pictures and descriptions of the farmers and food makers. Prices are similar to what shoppers pay at a farmers market, and customers can pick up their orders at designated locations or have them delivered for $3.99 _ usually two days after they’re placed.

“There’s this wave of entrepreneurship and creativity happening in the food world, and Good Eggs is all about bringing that high-quality production right to your door,” said CEO Rob Spiro, who co-founded the startup after he sold his last company, a social search service called Aardvark, to Google Inc. for $50 million in 2010.

Good Eggs offers more varieties of fruits and vegetables than most supermarkets, but the selection is limited to what can be grown and made locally, so you can’t buy bananas in San Francisco in December.

The service started in the San Francisco Bay Area last year and recently launched in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans. There are plans to expand into more markets next year.

The founders, Silicon Valley engineers, say they want to grow the market for local food that’s led to the proliferation of farmers markets and community-supported agriculture programs that deliver boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“There are a lot of people out there who want to eat locally, who want to support their local community, who want to support the producers who are doing things right, but it’s just not very convenient,” said Chief Technology Officer Alon Salant, who ran a software consulting firm before starting Good Eggs with Spiro.

The company is entering an increasingly competitive market for online grocery delivery. Major retailers such as Walmart and Safeway deliver groceries and Amazon launched its AmazonFresh service in San Francisco this month. Another San Francisco startup called Instacart allows customers to order groceries from local supermarkets and delivers in as little as an hour.

Good Eggs currently sells food from about 400 local producers that meet the company’s standards for environmental sustainability, workplace conditions and transparent sourcing of ingredients. Produce is usually picked one or two days before it’s delivered.

The startup is helping farmers such as Ryan Casey, who runs a small organic farm that grows more than 50 types of fruits, vegetables and flowers. His Blue House Farm in Pescadero, about 45 miles south of San Francisco, mainly sells its produce at farmers markets and through community agriculture programs, but Good Eggs makes up a growing share of business.

“They’re really good at marketing and finding people and connecting people with the food, which leaves me more time to do the growing,” said Casey, standing in a field of leafy greens.

Good Eggs has attracted enthusiastic foodies like Shelley Mainzer, who does nearly all her grocery shopping on the website and often emails producers with questions and comments.

After her weekly order arrived at her downtown San Francisco office, she pulled out organic cauliflower and Romanesco broccoli she bought from Blue House Farm.

“I can’t eat store-bought food anymore because it just doesn’t taste the same,” said Mainzer, who works as an executive assistant at a small investment bank. “You basically remember what things are supposed to taste like when you eat these fresh vegetables and fruits.”

Source: Journal Times