Food Picks: White vs. Dark Chicken Meat

Chicken Breast (8 oz.)

231 calories
43 g protein
5 g fat
0 g carbs
1.5 g saturated fats

Benefits:

A very low-calorie source of protein

Disadvantages:

Can be a little dry, a little boring

Dark Chicken Meat (8 oz.) (leg and thigh)

287 calories
38 g protein
14 g fats
0 g carbs
3.7 g saturated fats

Benefits:

Some find the moist texture more palatable than breast meat.

Disadvantages:

About 45% of the calories come from dietary fats.

Chicken breast is likely the #1 food in most bodybuilders’ nutrition plan, but is it the best food option? How does it compare to “fatty” dark meat, which many bodybuilders shun? MMI compared 8 ounces of roasted, skinless versions of white and dark chicken meat. Here are some of the facts we considered before reaching our conclusion:

• White and dark meat contain nearly equal ratios of saturated to healthy fat. Both have good ratios, deriving about 70 percent from healthy fats.

• Dark meat has more than double the fats (both healthy and saturated) of breast meat. However, saturated fats provide raw materials to help increase crucial hormones such as testosterone.

• Dark meat derives about 50% of its calories from protein; white meat derives about 75%.

When you want more protein on a restricted-calorie diet, breast meat is the clear winner; when you want more calories from a food that’s more than 50% protein (and almost 50% fats), opt for dark meat. When you want to strike a balance, mix breast and dark meat.

Winner:

Chicken breast (by a beak … er, nose)

Over-hyped solution for enlarged prostate

Men, beware this new over-hyped solution for enlarged prostate

Gentleman, there’s a new enlarged prostate “solution” in town. And the sales-blitz — aimed directly at your crotch — has begun.

But this is one bandwagon you want to steer clear of. Trust me, it’s the last place you want to be when the wheels come flying off and the engine explodes.

About a year ago the FDA approved a new procedure designed to open up the flood gates for men with a weak urine flow due to enlarged prostate. The system is called prostatic urethral lift, or PUL. But your doctor has a snappier name for it: UroLift.

According to its manufacturer UroLift offers a “minimally invasive method” to treat enlarged prostate while preserving sexual function.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Well not so fast. Even a mild description of the actual UroLift procedure is guaranteed to have you squirming in your seat. A doctor guides a tiny scope through the tip of the penis, down through the urethra, and then attaches polyester implants around the prostate to draw the gland away from the urethra.

Minimally invasive? In WHOSE world?

With the pressure off, urine is now supposed to flow naturally. But for 10 percent of the guys in one trial, the procedure tanked. After putting up with the cringe-worthy procedure they STILL needed additional treatment.

And some of them may still have had one of Urolift’s supposedly “minor” side effects to look forward too: urinary urgency and the inability to control urine. Talk about jumping out of one water closet and into another!

Other side effects included burning with urination, blood in the urine and pelvic pain.

Let’s face it — the first couple thousand guys who hop up on the table and let the doc have at it are volunteering to be Urolift guinea pigs. And we won’t know for years what the long term consequences — or benefits — of this procedure will be.

But there’s one tried and true treatment that’s been proven to relieve enlarged prostate and improve urine flow. Dr. Wright has found that a simple deficiency of zinc and essential fatty acids is the culprit behind many cases of enlarged prostate.
In these cases, symptoms can be erased with diet and supplements. Other men find significant relief when the zinc and EFAs are combined with additional supplements, including vitamin E and saw palmetto.

- See more at: http://wrightnewsletter.com/2014/11/21/enlarged-prostate-procedure-a-boatload-of-trouble/#sthash.wk9VrwAI.dpuf

5 Reasons to Exercise That Aren’t Weight Loss

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE UP THE GYM

Despite conventional calorie-burning wisdom, some people appear to not lose weight when they exercise, says a new study published inThe Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. In fact, some actually gain weight, and it’s not all muscle mass.

The study, by Arizona State University in Phoenix researchers, looked at 81 sedentary, overweight women who exercised three times a week for 30 minutes in a lab. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that some women lost weight while others gained weight. But when they tried to identify what was causing the differences, they couldn’t come to any conclusions. “In reality, most people do not achieve or sustain weight loss, no matter what method they try,” wrote New York Times writer Gretchen Reynolds on Wednesday.

Basically, major bummer. But there are many other reasons to exercise besides trying to shed a few pounds, and they’re equally important for your health:

1. Memory Loss: Chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances are a couple of factors that can play a part in memory loss, and exercise can help both. Exercise promotes better blood flow through the body, and the brain works better with a healthy blood supply. For example, a 2012 study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showed that people who spent time on a stationary bike had better memory recall than those who were sedentary.

2. Stress: Exercise has long been prescribed as a way to burn off steam and relax. It’s even recommended as a way to fight depression. How? Exercise keeps the brain occupied, and keeps the stress hormone cortisol in check which can lower symptoms for anxiety and restlessness, according to The Exercise Cure, by sports medicine physician Dr. Jordan Metzl. After a rough day at work or before a big exam or interview, even just a walk around the block can ease nerves.

3. Fatigue: It may sound counterintuitive, but working out can actually make you less tired than skipping the gym. A 2007 University of Georgia study showed that sedentary people could lower their fatigue by 65% if they started engaging in regular low intensity exercise. Increasing energy through exercise is also a safer and cheaper alternative to turning to quick fixes like energy drinks.

4. Cardiovascular disease: Getting regular exercise does the heart some good. In a 2012 study, researchers found that people who partook in moderate intensity exercise like brisk walking compared to leisurely walking reduced their chances of developing risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. The effect might be related to exercise’s benefits on lowering inflammation in the body.

5. Lower back pain: Back pain is a very common ailment, and studies have shown that the right kind of exercises like strength training can lower pain. Exercise is also one of the simplest ways to protect your body from future injuries.

By Alexandra Sifferlin

The Six Benefits Of Eating Oatmeal

Eating a bowl of oatmeal each morning is the perfect way to start your day off right. This article will explain the six benefits of eating oatmeal and ways to make it taste delicious.
First off, the oatmeal discussed here is not the instant kind that comes in the different flavors- these are full of sugar. The real stuff is the plain oat flakes from Quaker Oats or a similar brand.




The benefits of oatmeal are due to the fact that it's made from oats and oats are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

According to the American Cancer Society:

1. Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

2. Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad; HDL is good.

3. Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occurs following a meal.

4. It has been found that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the United States.

5. The phytochemicals in oat may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein.

The difference between insoluble and soluble fiber, besides the foods that they come from, is what they do in your body.

Insoluble fiber's main role is that it makes stools heavier and speeds their passage through the gut, relieving constipation. Soluble fiber breaks down as it passes through the digestive tract, forming a gel that traps some substances related to high cholesterol, thus reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Oatmeal has a pretty bland taste which makes it hard for the average person to consume every morning. Here are ways you can make it taste better.

1. Make the oatmeal with milk instead of water. This will also add calcium and more protein.

2. Add Ste-via powder to the oatmeal. It will naturally sweeten up the taste without adding sugar.

3. Stir in your favorite-flavored protein powder to it after it's been cooked. This gives the oatmeal a pretty good taste plus it adds protein. Combine this with using milk and you'll have a meal that is high in fiber, calcium and protein!

4. Add fruit such as blueberries to the oatmeal.

You should aim to eat roughly 1 cooked cup of oatmeal each morning for optimal health benefits. And play around with the above preparation suggestions until you find a taste that you fall in love with.

Your heart and body will thank you for it!

Ice, or Not to Ice

Things are changing with respect to the use of cryotherapy in acute injuries, and the way we use ice in physiotherapy practice. There has been some very good research done over the past decade or so indicating that RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation), or PRICE (protection,Ice, Compression, Elevation) may not be as effective as we once thought in the acute stage of injury. There have been several articles published that help explain the move away from significant cooling.

The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury

Ice and modern sports physiotherapy: still cool?

PRICE needs updating, should we call the POLICE?

The method of application of cryotherapy may also play a role. In one article, an intermittent application of cryotherapy (10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, then 10 minutes on again – then left off for 2 hours. When compared to the 20 minutes on, 2 hours off regime, the intermittent application group had less pain on activity than the continuous group. Also, some suggest that cooling with elevation and compression (i.e. with a cryocuff-type device) may be better than colder crushed ice application.

The use of cryotherapy for pain control can still be effective – if the primary goal is to reduce pain. However the application need not be too long – 5 to 10 minutes is often sufficient to decrease acute pain.

Many of us were taught that ice was the best thing to use in acute injury, and that many still hold that belief. However there is enough evidence today to suggest we move cautiously away from significant cooling, to more moderate cooling, at the most appropriate time, and using the most appropriate methods.

Osteoporosis! Seven, must-have nutrients to keep your bones strong!

When it comes to the debilitating disease, osteoporosis (porous bones), many individuals are advised to take vitamin D and high doses of calcium. As one who had to diagnose issues with commercial aircraft avionics and ground based radar systems, I was trained to consider every link in the chain. With this in mind let us consider a few additional links in the chain for bone health.

- Magnesium activates vitamin D to absorb calcium. It is also one of the building blocks for bone structure and density.
- Vitamin D gives you the ability to absorb large amounts of calcium.
- Calcium is a core building block for bones, teeth, and other tissues.
- Vitamin K2 activates proteins that bind calcium to your bones, and protects your arteries from hardening due to calcium buildup.
- Potassium is directly associated with bone mineral density, yet most people consume less than half of their daily requirement. You need roughly 4000 mg every day. If you drink a lot of water and/or exercise intensely, you need even more (low sodium V8 and coconut water are packed with potassium).
- Zinc has a restorative effect on bone loss and increases bone mass.
- Taurine enhances bone tissue formation and retards bone loss.

Give your body the raw materials it needs to keep you healthy and strong for decades to come.

5 Common Food Labels and What They Mean

I’ve been at this for over 5 years now, and even I still get confused about what food labels mean!  And I have to wonder sometimes too – are they true?

So I did some research to find out for myself if all-natural, organic and calorie-free mean what they claim.  The now age-old debate over gluten rages on, but I explored that label too plus I threw in whole grain for the non gluten-free folks.

All-Natural: This term does not mean free of artificial ingredients, healthy or made without GMO’s.  Surprised?  So was I!  You’re basically taking the company at face value when they claim to be all-natural as there are no official regulations by the FDA or Department of Agriculture for what can and cannot be labeled as such.  It’s important to read ingredients in this case, as something one company considers natural you might not, which is especially important when trying to lose weight.

Organic: Food can be made conventionally or organically, meaning it’s grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or anything else toxic.  For meat, poultry and eggs, it means no antibiotics or growth hormones are administered to the animals.  There are ongoing debates over whether organic food has any merit over non, but one thing to remember is that organic does not mean low calorie!  As always, read nutritional labels.  The USDA does regulate what organic means, and to find out more, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop.

Calorie-Free: Foods labeled calorie-free can and often times do have up to 4 calories per serving.  Zero-calorie nonstick sprays, no-calorie sweeteners, calorie-free dressings – you get my drift.  Products like these can legally claim to be calorie-free while still containing calories!  The same holds true for fat-free and sugar-free by the way. 

Gluten-Free: Gluten-free is one of the most popular terms on the market today, and with good reason considering about 75% of the population are celiac or gluten intolerant.  (I have my hand raised on this one!)  But it doesn’t necessarily mean diet-friendly like most people mistakenly think.  According to a Mintel study, 27% of gluten-free consumers eat gluten-free because they think it will help them lose weight!  When it comes to labeling though, this one’s dead on.  No gluten here.

Whole Grain: Providing you swing the other way when it comes to gluten, this category is for you!  However, the government does not have regulations in place for what defines a whole grain.  And, even if it claims to, just because a product has them doesn’t mean it has a lot of them.  To help out, the Whole Grains Council created an official packaging symbol called the Whole Grain Stamp that helps consumers find real whole grain products.  A 100% stamp indicates there’s a full serving of whole grains in each serving.