Lose Weight with Yoga

October 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Yoga… it means union of mind and body, and you probably know what sets it apart from stretching or calisthenics: the deep and distinct connection with your breath. Did you know, though, that even gentle yoga can help with weight loss?

Yoga… it means union of mind and body, and you probably know what sets it apart from stretching or calisthenics: the deep and distinct connection with your breath.

Did you know, though, that even gentle yoga can help with weight loss? Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showed that regular yoga practice helped:

prevent middle-age spread in people of healthy weightpromote weight loss in those who were overweight

Along with colleagues, Dr. Alan Kristal, a professor of epidemiology at the Hutchinson Cancer Center, developed a study that looked at yoga’s effect on people’s eating habits (and therefore on their weight). The researchers first developed a questionnaire or feedback form, which determined how mindful and focused each participant was while eating. By filling out the questionnaire, participants could see when they were eating while distracted, eating despite already being full, or using food to mask emotional distress.

All the participants were physically active, following regimens that included walking for at least 90 minutes per week, and one group regularly practiced yoga.

Simply put, what the scientists found was that a consistent yoga practice was strongly associated with mindful eating. In fact, the study found that yoga–regardless of whether it was practiced vigorously or not–was the only physical activity consistently associated with attentive eating.

So what’s so great about mindful eating, you ask? The researchers explained that the people who ate mindfully were aware of why they were eating and were thus more apt to stop eating when they were full; that is, focused eaters tended to eat because they were hungry and not because they were trying to mask anxiety or depression. The yoga participants also weighed less, had lower body mass indexes, and were less likely to be obese than were the subjects who were not as mindful while eating. (In fact, the lower a participant’s BMI was, the higher was his or her awareness rating on the questionnaire.)

I’ve mentioned in the past that if you’re eating mindfully, chances are you’re eating more slowly. And if you’re eating slowly and paying attention to what you’re doing, you’re going to be more apt to notice when you’re feeling full–your brain gets the stomach’s signal of fullness more promptly when you’re paying attention.

This study is one more vote for including yoga in weight-loss programs, over and above its ability to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

Here are a couple of resources I recommend to clients who ask me how they can get started with the practice of yoga:

To find a yoga class. Go to YogaFinder.com to find teachers in most nations of the world. The United States is listed as “USA,” in the last column to the right.To find yoga poses with specific therapeutic benefits. Go to the Yoga Journal Web site and run your cursor over the “Poses” heading at the top. In the drop-down menu that appears, click on “Therapeutic Focus.” There you’ll find a list of about 20 ailments or symptoms; click to see illustrated poses that might help alleviate them. (Note: Please also pay attention to any “Contraindications,” which are also listed for each pose.)Yoga DVDs for beginners. A DVD series with the unfortunate title of “Yoga for Dummies” happens to be a great teaching device. It shows plenty of modifications and alternative poses. Another good one for beginners is “AM/PM Yoga” from Gaiam, with Patricia Walden and Rodney Yee. For a sample of moves, try these Everyday Yoga with Rodney Yee videos on Y! Health.

View the original article here

Posted by Valen | Filed Under healthy weight loss

High Fat Intake Might Decrease Muscle Mass

October 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Animal studies have shown that a diet high in fat can keep muscles from growing bigger during exercise. Not good.

In the study, from the University of California at Davis, male mice were fed either a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet or a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet for 14 weeks. One group of mice was engaged in progressive resistance exercises during the experiment while another group did not. Of the mice that exercised, the muscles of those fed the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet grew significantly larger than did the muscles of mice fed the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.

When their muscle tissue was analyzed, the mice eating the high-fat diet were found to have lower levels of something called polysomes, clusters of small organelles found in all cells and involved in the synthesis of proteins—or muscle. One of the researchers, Gabe Mirkin, MD, has an e-newsletter in which he elaborates on possible mechanisms behind the study’s findings, as well as on the implications for humans. Mirkin says

A diet high in saturated fat (including fatty meats) seems to “turn on” the body’s immune system. I take this to be referring to the body’s negative inflammatory response to unhealthy dietary components such as saturated fats in fatty meats. This inflammation apparently keeps muscles from being as healthy as they can be.Eating a diet high in saturated fat also seems to inhibit your body’s response to insulin, so that your muscles may not heal properly after intense workouts. Perhaps Dr. Mirkin is alluding here to insulin’s tissue-building or “anabolic” properties, so that the decreased availability of insulin inhibits healing.

I believe that this study gives you yet another reason to limit fat, especially saturated fat, in your diet. Not only is saturated fat linked to a higher risk of heart disease, but now it also appears to prevent or slow the accumulation and maintenance of healthy muscle mass. And since muscle burns more calories, even at rest, than does fat tissue, this loss of muscle mass would make it harder to lose weight and keep it off.

Bottom-line:

Avoid or limit saturated fats (e.g., butter, fatty meats, whole milk, high-fat cheeses, bacon). Consume healthy fats in moderation (e.g., olive oil, olives, canola oil, and nuts). Include healthy fats like omega-3s, which are found in salmon and sardines. They help fight inflammation and might help with your muscle-building efforts as well!

View the original article here

Posted by Valen | Filed Under healthy weight loss

A “Hot” New Way to Lose Weight

October 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Capsaicin–the substance in chili peppers that makes them hot–might be an effective way to fight obesity. Laboratory research now suggests that capsaicin may lower fat levels in the blood and shrink adipose (aka fat) tissue.

Jong Won Yun and colleagues at Daegu University (Korea) report that capsaicin might ignite specific protein changes in our bodies that can cause weight loss and fight the accumulation of fat.

Intriguing animal studies

The researchers fed high-fat diets with or without capsaicin to laboratory rats and found that the weight of fat tissue in the capsaicin-fed rats dropped significantly. The scientists also found that at least 20 of the principal proteins in the fat tissue of the capsaicin-fed rats–proteins whose main “job” is to break down fat–underwent healthy changes.

Through the microscope, the researchers could see that the lipd droplets within the fat tissue of the rats fed capsaicin had shrunk in size. This suggested, they said, that capsaicin could significantly inhibit the accumulation of fat.

The scientists still don’t know how capsaicin works its magic, but all of these findings have led the researchers to speculate that capsaicin might have anti-obesity effects.

My impressions of this study

If you like hot peppers, and they like you, consider adding them to your diet at least several times a week. Try them in salads, soups, and chillies.Even if research proves that capsaicin can counter some of the weight gain associated with a high-fat diet, please don’t be tempted to eat more fat. Stick to a low-fat diet whether you eat hot peppers or not. “Low fat” here means lean protein such as fish and skinless chicken.Don’t forget vegetarian proteins such as tofu and edemame.

Last, an aside: If you have arthritis pain and are looking for a natural or plant-based treatment, ask your doctor if capsaicin creams might be for you.

View the original article here

Posted by Valen | Filed Under healthy weight loss

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