PETER'S PRINCIPLES - Dec 24-28, 2007
Francis from Milford emails-asking what she can do to stay on track over the holidays with all that delicious holiday food?
Many people don’t realize a piece of pie here, a tumbler of egg nog there- then add cookies you could be eating an extra 200 calories a day-which also means you could pack on an extra two to three pounds! Ouch! Here are some tips to help you avoid the holiday weight gain. First-be chosey! Don’t eat everything at the holiday buffet, pick out a couple of your favorite things. Next-take 10- take a ten minute break before going back for seconds to give your brain a chance to catch up with your stomach. Third-stand away from the food table at parties, you’ll be less likely to nibble. And finally don’t go out on an empty stomach-that’s just a receipe for disaster. Remember drink and eat in moderation and try to stay on your exercise routine. It’ll make your holidays brighter!
Stephanie from Troy emails-she had a baby a couple months ago, she’s
been working out and eating right, but is there anything else she can do
to lose that extra baby weight?
Stephanie, I know this may be hard to do with a new baby, but get some
sleep! That’s right, researchers studied almost a thousand mothers with
new babies. They found the mom’s who slept five hours or less a day when
their babies were six months old, were three times more likely to keep
on an extra 11 pounds one year after giving birth. The women who slept
seven hours a night or more lost more weight. So the more sleep the
better!
Nancy from Bellevue emails-her grandson is very overweight-should she be
concerned?
Nancy, yes you have a good reason to be concerned. Researchers followed
more than 270 thousand children as they grew up. They found the more
overweight a child was between ages 7 and 13, the greater the risk of
heart disease in adulthood. Many of these children don’t lose weight as
they grow older and end up being overweight adults. Obesity puts
children and adults at risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and
bad cholesterol-all are risk factors for heart disease. It’s time to get
our children up off the couch and out exercising!
Tom from Waterford emails, he says as he gets older he’s having a hard
time remembering things. Is there anything he can do to boost his
memory?
Tom, you may want to add some fish to your menu. Researchers studied more
than 2 thousand men and women. They found those who frequently ate fish
scored better on memory, visual conception, motor skills, attention,
orientation and verbal fluency tests. Experts say the more fish the
study participants ate, the bigger the benefit. They believe it’s the
omega 3 fatty acids in the fish that are good for the brain. But they
are now doing more research to see if there are other nutrients in fish
which are helpful.
Frank from Madison Heights emails, his doctor wants to repeat a prostate cancer test because his weight may be affecting the results. Is that possible?
Frank, it could be. A new study finds doctors reading the results of blood tests may be fooled into thinking obese men are disease free. Researchers studied more than 14 thousand men who had undergone treatment for prostate cancer. They found those with a high body mass index had a higher blood volume and lower psa concentrations-which is used to detect prostate cancer. The concern is some men could have a total amount of psa in their blood to signal prostate cancer, but since obese men have so much more blood-doctors are getting a false negative reading. Men this is another reason to shed those extra pounds and get on a nutrition and exercise plan.
