What is better for Wt. loss;Cutting calories or Execrcise.

Cutting calories through dietary changes seems to promote weight loss more effectively than does exercise and physical activity. But physical activity also is important in weight control.
The key to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
For most people, it's probably too difficult to eliminate the amount of calories through exercise that you could through dieting. That's why cutting calories through dieting is generally more effective for weight loss. But doing both — cutting calories and exercising — can help give you the weight-loss edge. Exercise can help burn off even more calories than just dieting.
Exercise also is important because it can help you maintain your weight loss. Studies show that people who lose weight and keep it off over the long term get regular physical activity. If you lose weight by crash dieting or by drastically restricting yourself to 400 to 800 calories a day, you're more likely to regain weight quickly, often within six months after you stop dieting. Getting regular exercise also can help prevent excess weight gain in the first place.

Dash Diet:Tips for dining out

The DASH diet is an approach to healthy eating that's designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure (hypertension). The DASH diet encourages you to reduce the sodium in your diet and eat a variety of foods rich in nutrients that help lower blood pressure and offer numerous other health benefits. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.
But what happens when you'd like a night off from kitchen duty? Keeping these simple tips in mind, you can dine out and still follow the DASH diet.

Cut back on salt

A key feature of the DASH diet is cutting back on salt. Because salt often enhances flavor, it typically gets heavy use in restaurant meals. So when dining out:

• Ask that your food be prepared without added salt, MSG or salt-containing ingredients.
• Be alert for ingredients, cooking styles and labels that suggest an item may be high in salt. For example, watch out for foods that are pickled, cured or smoked, or dishes that contain soy sauce or broth.
• Don't use the saltshaker.
• Limit condiments that are high in salt, such as mustard, ketchup, pickles and sauces.
• Opt for fruits and vegetables instead of salty appetizers.

Reduce unhealthy fats

The DASH diet promotes foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. To reduce unhealthy fats when dining out:

• Ask that your food be prepared with olive oil, rather than butter or other less healthy fats.
• Request oil and vinegar rather than salad dressing, or request salad dressing on the side.
• Trim visible fat off meat and poultry. Eat only a portion that's about the size of a deck of cards, since even very lean meat and poultry still contain fat.
• Select foods prepared with healthier cooking techniques, such as steaming, grilling, broiling, baking, roasting, poaching or stir-frying.
• Order fruit and steamed vegetables without butter or sauce.
• Choose steamed or broiled fish and ask for lemon and fresh herbs for seasonings.

Take care with all courses

It's not just the entree that can sabotage your efforts to stick to the DASH diet. Beware of drinks, appetizers, and even soups and salads — some may be unhealthier than you think:

• Choose water, club soda, diet soda, fruit juice, tea and coffee. If you want an alcoholic beverage, stick to moderation.
• Choose appetizers that feature healthy vegetables, fruits or fish.
• If you want a salad, order fruit salad, tossed greens or spinach salad, without added cheese, eggs or meats, and with dressing on the side.
• If you don't want to skip the bread course, ask for whole-grain bread, rolls or breadsticks. Then stick to one piece, preferably unbuttered.
• If you want a dessert, choose fresh fruit, sorbet, sherbet, fruit ice, meringues or plain cake with fruit puree.

Avoid oversized portions

The DASH diet recommends specific serving sizes. But if you've eaten in restaurants in recent years, you know that portions are often heaping. To avoid overeating:

• Ask for the lunch portion, even if you're eating dinner.
• Substitute an appetizer for an entree.
• Split a meal with a companion.
• Put half the meal in a takeout container before you start eating.

Be cautious with fast food

Fast-food restaurants can be dietary danger zones. But with these tips, you can occasionally enjoy a fast-food meal while sticking to the DASH diet:

• Ask for no added salt.
• Get familiar with the restaurant's nutrition information, either on-site or online.
• Opt for healthier fare, such as a plain, single hamburger (lower in sodium than a chicken or fish sandwich), whole-wheat bread, low-fat milk and yogurt.
• Stick to regular size or even children's meals.
• Be cautious about fast-food salads, which often have unhealthy extras, such as cheese and dressing.
• Choose items that are grilled, broiled or steamed. Avoid those that are fried or battered.
• Choose healthier side dishes, such as baked potato or fresh fruit.

Dine and DASH

It's getting easier to make healthy choices when dining out. Most restaurants recognize that many people are trying to follow healthier diets, such as the DASH diet. Many now use icons on menus to identify low-fat items, or they list healthier fare in a special section. Many also accept special requests to prepare a dish with less fat and salt.

ENERGY DRINKS AND HEART RISK

Energy drinks may raise blood pressure and prolong QT interval(in the ECG) increasing the risk of sudden cardiac death.

In a meta-analysis by Sachin A. Shah at University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif, with a pooled analysis of 93 people who consumed energy drinks, the QT interval on an ECG was significantly prolonged by 10 ms. The threshold level of regulatory concern is around 5 ms.

In another pooled analysis of 132 people by the same group, researchers found a significant increase in systolic blood pressure by 3.5 mmHg that was associated with the consumption of energy drinks.

Doctors are generally concerned if patients experience an additional 30 ms in their QT interval from baseline. QT prolongation is associated with life-threatening arrhythmias.

That energy drinks can prolong the QT and lead to sudden cardiac death, warrants further investigation.

Half of the energy drinks on the market are consumed by adolescents and young adults.

Most energy drinks have caffeine. Drinks such as Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, and AMP have three times the amount of caffeine as colas. A 16-oz. can of Monster Energy, for example, contains 160 mg of caffeine, which is almost as much as five cans of soda.

SOYA MILK--ANSWER FOR INDIA WHERE 68% MILK IS ADULTRATED

Over 68 per cent of milk inIndiadoes not conform to the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India as per the govt. in a statement to Supreme Court.

According to the FSSAI’s 2011 survey, the most common adulterant was found to be the addition of water, and the main reason for deviation from the standards was addition of glucose and skimmed milk powder.  Addition of water will reduce the nutritional values and if contaminated can cause health hazards. It also found that in some samples, detergent was mixed.

A PIL alleged that synthetic and adulterated milk and milk products are prepared using urea, detergent, refined oil, caustic soda and white paint which, according to studies, are “very hazardous” to human life and can cause serious diseases like cancer.

These adulterants are hazardous and cause irreversible damage to the organs. As per ICMR detergents in milk causes food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications. Other synthetic compounds cause impairments, heart problems, cancer and even death. The immediate effect of drinking adulterated milk with urea, caustic soda and formalin is gastroenteritis but the long term effects are known to be far more serious.

The health answer is to shift to soya milk, During festive season, especially Diwali as non adulterated milk is often used to prepare sweets it is impossible to get pure milk to drink. At least during these days it is safe to shift to soya milk.

Some facts about soya milk

1, Soy milk (also called soya milk, soymilk, soybean milk, or soy bean juice and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage) is a beverage made from soybeans.

2.  It is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water.

3. Soy milk contains about the same proportion of protein as cow’s milk: around 3.5%; also 2% fat, 2.9% carbohydrate, and 0.5% ash.

4. Soy milk can be made at home.

4. The coagulated protein from soy milk can be made into tofu, just as dairy milk can be made into cheese.

5. The American Academy of Pediatric sconsiders soy milk a suitable alternative for children who cannot tolerate human or cow’s milk, or whose parents opt for a vegan diet.

6. It is associated with a reduction in low-density lipoprotein (“bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides.

7. It is good for women undergoing menopause.

8. Soy affects bone mineral density.

9. Gout sufferers limit consumption of soy products.

10. It is good for the health of the thyroid gland.

SLEEPLOSS CAN THREATEN YOUR HEALTH

Many people do not realize that lack of sufficient sleep can trigger mild to potentially life–threatening consequences, from weight gain to a heart attack. Recently I came across an article in the Harvard Health Newsletter (Health Beat) and thought of sharing the information with you all.

Viral infections: Anecdotal evidence supports the belief that when you’re tired and run–down, you’re more likely to get sick. A 2009 study in Archives of Internal Medicine provides some proof. Researchers followed the sleep habits of 153 men and women for two weeks, then quarantined them for five days and exposed them to cold viruses. People who slept an average of less than seven hours per night were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours.

Weight gain: Not getting enough sleep makes you more likely to gain weight, according to a 2008 review article in the journal Obesity that analyzed observations from 36 different studies of sleep duration and body weight. This association is especially strong among children. Lack of sufficient sleep tends to disrupt hormones that control hunger and appetite, and the resulting daytime fatigue often discourages you from exercising. Excess weight, in turn, increases the risk of a number of health problems.

Diabetes: A 2009 report in Diabetes Care found a sharp increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes in people with persistent insomnia. People who had insomnia for a year or longer and who slept less than five hours per night had a three–fold higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those who had no sleep complaints and who slept six or more hours every night. As with overweight and obesity (which are also closely linked to type 2 diabetes), the underlying cause is thought to involve a disruption of the normal hormonal regulation of the body due to inadequate sleep.

High blood pressure: Researchers involved in the diabetes study also evaluated risk of high blood pressure among the same group of people, which included more than 1,700 randomly chosen men and women from rural Pennsylvania. As described in a 2009 article in the journal Sleep, the researchers found the risk of high blood pressure was three–and–a–half times greater among insomniacs who routinely slept less than six hours per night compared with normal sleepers who slept six or more hours nightly.

Heart disease: A number of studies have linked short–term sleep deprivation with several well–known risk factors for heart disease, including higher cholesterol levels, higher triglyceride levels, and higher blood pressure. One such report, published in a 2009 issue of Sleep, included more than 98,000 Japanese men and women ages 40 to 79 who were followed for just over 14 years. Compared with women who snoozed for seven hours, women who got no more than four hours of shut–eye were twice as likely to die from heart disease, the researchers found.

Sleep apnea is a common cause of poor sleep, a life–threatening condition in which breathing stops or becomes shallower hundreds of times each night also increases heart disease risk. In the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study, people with severe sleep apnea were three times more likely to die of heart disease during 18 years of follow–up than those without apnea. When researchers excluded those who used a breathing machine (a common apnea treatment), the risk jumped to more than five times higher. Apnea spells can trigger arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), and the condition also increases the risk of stroke and heart failure.

Mental illness: A study of about 1,000 adults ages 21 to 30 found that, compared with normal sleepers, those who reported a history of insomnia during an interview were four times as likely to develop major depression by the time of a second interview three years later. Two studies in young people–one involving 300 pairs of young twins, and another including about 1,000 teenagers–found that sleep problems developed before a diagnosis of major depression and (to a lesser extent) anxiety. Sleep problems in teenagers preceded depression 69% of the time and anxiety disorders 27% of the time.

Mortality: In the Japanese heart disease study (described above), short sleepers of both genders had a 1.3–fold increase in mortality compared with those who got sufficient sleep. According to a 2009 study of 6,400 men and women whom researchers followed for an average of eight years, severe sleep apnea raises the risk of dying early by 46%. Although only about 8% of the men in the study had severe apnea, those who did and who were between 40 and 70 years of age were twice as likely to die from any cause as healthy men in the same age group.

It is clear that getting enough sleep is just as important as other vital elements of good health, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and practicing good dental hygiene.

In short, sleep is not a luxury but a basic component of a healthy lifestyle.

EAT LESS TO AGE LESS

Adhering to a calorie-restricted diet over the long term ameliorates the normal age-related decline in diastolic function of the heart in healthy, non-obese adults.  The cardiac beneficial effects of caloric restriction are mediated by reductions in blood pressure, systemic inflammation, and myocardial fibrosis as per a study published in January issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

It is the first study in humans that strongly suggests that calorie restriction may delay primary aging. Calorie restriction has previously been shown to slow aging and increase lifespan in small mammals. Dr. Fontana, fromWashingtonUniversityinSt. Louis, performed Doppler echocardiography and measured inflammatory markers in 25 healthy adults who followed a severely calorie-restricted, nutritionally balanced diet for an average of 6.5 years. Results were compared with those from 25 matched control subjects consuming a typical Western diet.

The calorie-restricted diet consisted of roughly 1,671 kcal per day derived approximately 23% protein, 49% complex carbohydrates, and 28% fat (including 6% saturated fat). The Western diet consisted of roughly 2,445 kcal per day made up of about 17% protein, 52% carbohydrates, and 31% fat (11% saturated fat).

The calorie-restricted diet included at least 100% of the recommended daily intake for all nutrients, and it was lower in salt than the Western diet.

People who followed a severe calorie-restricted diet but with optimal nutrition had a younger heart in terms of diastolic function, which is a well-accepted marker of primary aging because, independently of disease, as you get older your diastolic function gets worse and worse.

Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower in the calorie-restricted group (102/61 vs. 131/83 mm Hg), as were levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein, TNF-α, and TGF-β₁.

‘Eat less to live more’ has its origin in Vedas. The Ayurvedic text from Atharvaveda defines the limit of food intake in a particular meal. It says one should not eat more than what can be accommodated in an outstretched palm.

Understanding Buddha Nature: The Doctrine of Good Karmas

Understanding Buddha Nature: The Doctrine of Good Karmas