How Exercise Fights Inflammation

From jogging to weightlifting, physical activity is good for you, in part because it helps your body fight inflammation.

Now, a new review explains exactly how exercise works to lower inflammation. Inflammation is the body's way of healing itself after an injury and protecting itself from infection; but chronic inflammation is linked with all kinds of diseases, from diabetes to heart disease. When you start exercising and moving your muscles, your muscle cells release a small protein called Interleukin 6, or IL-6, which appears to play an important role in fighting inflammation.

IL-6 has several anti-inflammatory effects, including: Lowering levels of a protein called TNF alpha, which itself triggers inflammation in the body. Inhibiting the signaling effects of a protein called interleukin 1 beta, which triggers inflammation that can damage the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. The biggest factor in determining how much IL-6 your muscles release is the length of your workout — the longer your workout, the more IL-6 is released, according to the review of relevant research.

For example, after a 30-minute workout, IL-6 levels may increase fivefold, but after a marathon, the levels may increase by a factor of 100, according to the review. IL-6 levels peak around the time you finish a workout, and then rapidly decrease back to pre-exercise levels.

A study published in 2003, and part of the new review, explored the role of IL-6 in reducing inflammation. In that study, the researchers injected participants with a molecule from E. coli bacteria that is known to activate the body's inflammatory response. The researchers found that, indeed, when they injected this molecule, there was a two- to threefold increase in levels of the inflammation-triggering protein TNF alpha. But if participants engaged in 3 hours of stationary cycling before the injection, they experienced an increase in their IL-6 levels, and they did not see a similar rise in TNF alpha. This study and others show that a single bout of exercise induces a strong anti-inflammatory effect that appears partly due to IL-6, the review said.

Still, the review acknowledges that IL-6 is likely not the only factor involved in exercise's anti-inflammatory effects. For example, studies have found that regular exercise increases levels of another protein, called Interleukin-15 (IL-15), in muscle cells. IL-15 appears to help regulate the accumulation of abdominal fat, with higher levels of IL-15 providing protection against abdominal fat buildup in mice, the review said. Since abdominal fat itself is thought to promote inflammation, reducing abdominal fat levels may be another way exercise fights inflammation, the review said. The review concludes that exercise should be used as part of the treatment for chronic diseases involving inflammation.

"Physical activity represents a natural, strong anti-inflammatory and metabolism-improving strategy with minor side effects, and should be integrated in the management of patients with chronic diseases," such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the review said.

Is it safe to exercise when having chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy can be notoriously difficult, not only emotionally but mentally and physically as well. Being diagnosed with cancer can come as a real blow to patients and their families. However, while rest and recuperation is needed, don't feel that you need to give up your former active lifestyle. Engaging in regular exercise can improve your strength and help your body build up its defenses against further infection.

People with certain types of cancer or having particular treatments may need to avoid some types of exercise and there are some situations where you need to take extra care. For example, people with stomach or other digestive system cancers or cancer that has spread to the bone should not do heavy weight training. If movement causes pain, rapid heart rate, and an increased shortness of breath avoiding or reducing physical activity is advised. However, exercise is not only safe and possible during cancer treatment, but it can improve how well you function physically and your quality of life, with some studies showing that it can help speed up recovery after treatment. Mr Jonathan Krell, consultant oncologist at Leaders in Oncology Care and one of London Medical Concierge's network of doctors gives advice on how best to stay active when going through chemotherapy.

1. Exercise can help Partaking in regular exercise increases muscle strength, joint flexibility, and general conditioning, all of which may be impaired by surgery and some therapies. Exercise is known to improve cardiovascular function and elevates your mood, offering a drug-free relief for feelings of depression when going through chemotherapy. Exercise also helps to control weight, and gaining weight during and after treatment can increase the risk of the cancer reoccurring.

2. Finding your own level is important Too much exercise can make you tired but so can too little. Therefore, finding your own level is important but you shouldn't push too hard. Research shows that exercise can help with the side effects of cancer treatment such as pain, tiredness and sickness and can also improve your mood, reduce anxiety and improve quality of life. More importantly, research into some cancers such as breast cancer shows that exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of a person's cancer coming back after potentially curative treatment. 

3. Build up gradually "If you are having treatment or have recently finished, it is fine to start exercising if you feel like it. How much you do really depends on how fit you are generally. If you've never done much exercise, you'll have to build up your level gradually. If you do too much one day, you may feel very tired and sore the next day. Something important to remember is that you don't need to feel that you always have to do more exercise than yesterday; little and often is more effective than lengthy workouts every day and some days you will have more energy than others.

4. Enjoy it "Each patient's exercise programme should be based on what is safe, effective and enjoyable. You should take into account the type of cancer you have, your cancer treatment, your stamina, strength and fitness level. What may seem like a small amount of exercise for a healthy person may be a lot for someone going through cancer.

6. Try half an hour "Try to do about 30 minutes of physical activity throughout the day, this can include walking, gardening and other general household chores, such as vacuuming, do these regular activities at a higher level of intensity in order for your fitness level to improve.

7. Mix it up As your fitness improves you'll be able to up the level of exercise and activities you do. You could try long walks, cycling, yoga or light gym work. Listen to your body and work at your own pace, and if you experience sickness, dizziness or pain stop exercising immediately. If your treatment is making you feel especially tired, try exercising for a shorter amount of time and at a lower intensity, or leave exercising until the following day instead.

8. But listen to your body Your fitness and energy levels will fluctuate throughout the different stages of your treatment cycle. For example, immediately after treatment you are likely to feel tired and unwell and it's advisable to stick to light exercising or leaving it until the next day. Studies have shown that exercising can improve your energy levels and help you feel less tired, but listen to your body, don't put pressure on yourself to exercise and do what you feel comfortable with."

Exercise Cure: Working Out Cuts Cancer Risk in Half, Study Shows

A landmark new research project, analyzing the medical records of about 70,000 cancer patients, provides the strongest evidence yet that exercise slashes the risk of dying from the deadly disease. In fact, cancer patients who exercise regularly are almost half as likely as non-exercising peers to die from the life-threatening illness, the study reveals.

“Based on what scientific research tells us, if cancer patients exercise regularly they will significantly improve their health and well-being, potentially improving their longevity,” lead researcher Dr. Prue Cormie tells Newsmax Health. Cormie, a principal research fellow at the Australian Catholic University’s Institute for Health and Aging in Melbourne, Australia, conducted the study with Dr. Kathryn H. Schmitz.at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She says she hopes the findings, published in the journal Epidemiologic Reviews, “will help inspire people with cancer to start exercising” and encourage doctors to “prescribe” physical fitness the way they would medication to treat cancer. “The real novelty and impact of this work comes from the fact that it is the most comprehensive analysis of the available data,” she explains.

“This research has established exercise as an effective medicine that can be prescribed to counteract the adverse effects caused by cancer treatments and reduce the relative risk of cancer death or cancer recurrence.” Cormie adds that the research suggests it doesn’t matter what type of exercise people do. Walking and lifting weights have been shown to be particularly beneficial, but other forms of exercise are also beneficial. To reach their conclusions, Cormie’s medical scientists analysed 100 studies worldwide to confirm key findings showing death rates among cancer patients who exercise regularly plunged by almost half — up to 44 percent — compared with those who didn’t.

The researchers excluded studies that didn’t differentiate between deaths from cancer and other causes. They also took into account other factors that might contribute to the differences. In addition to cutting cancer deaths, exercise was linked with a lower risk — up to 35 percent — of cancers recurring. Physical activity also reduced the impacts of side effects from chemotherapy and other treatments. Cancer death risks were also “significantly lower” for those who engaged in the highest levels of exercise, compared to those who did were not as physically active.

“The findings of this review support the view that exercise is an important adjunct therapy in the management of cancer,” the researchers concluded. “Compared with patients who performed no exercise, patients who exercised following a diagnosis of cancer were observed to have a lower relative risk of cancer mortality and recurrence and experienced fewer adverse effects. Dr. Kathy Chapman, chairwoman of Cancer Council Australia’s nutrition and physical activity committee, suggests the landmark study should change the way doctors care for cancer patients. "This study confirms the importance of recommending exercise to people with cancer,” she says. "The evidence has been building over the past 10 years that exercise should be an adjunct to regular cancer treatment — especially for people with bowel, breast and prostate cancer.

People with cancer who incorporate exercise into their lifestyle have better overall survival rates and also experience better quality of life. Exercise has been shown to be beneficial in alleviating fatigue, a common side effect of cancer treatment.

How Can I Lose Weight? Best Diets Evaluated!

U.S. News evaluated 38 of the most popular diets and identified the best. Find which top-rated diet is best for your health and fitness goals.

Best Diets Overall
#1 DASH Diet
#2 Mediterranean Diet
#3 MIND Diet

Best Weight-Loss Diets
#1 Weight Watchers Diet
#2 Jenny Craig Diet (tie)
#2 Volumetrics Diet (tie)

Best Commercial Diet Plans
#1 Acid Alkaline Diet
#2 Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Diet
#3 The Fast Diet

Best Diabetes Diets
#1 DASH Diet
#2 Mediterranean Diet (tie)
#2 Vegan Diet (tie)

Best Diets for Healthy Eating
#1 DASH Diet
#2 Mediterranean Diet
#3 MIND Diet

See the complete list

Research Found the Quickest, Least Painful Way to Up Your Cardio

What are your most common reasons for missing your workout? Too busy? No money for a gym? No equipment? Too complicated? Too hard? We have good news—and not only do you not need to buy anything from an infomercial, but there's hard science showing it really works. What is this miracle workout? It's as simple as going up stairs.

Doing just a few minutes a day of intense stair-climbing offers many of the same heart-healthy benefits as taking a class at the gym or jogging around the block, according to a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. And you don't even need a fancy stair-climber machine—any old staircase will do.

Researchers recruited healthy but sedentary women to run up and down a staircase for short bursts—the first group did three sets of 20-second stair-climbing and a second group ran up and down the stairs for 60 seconds. Including a brief warm-up and cool-down, the women spent less than 10 minutes a day (about 30 minutes per week, total), exercising. Yet even though they worked out very little, they still experienced significant cardiovascular and respiratory improvements, the researchers found. It may sound too good to be true, but there's a lot of science to support this type of short-but-intense training.

The secret? Stair-climbing is a particularly effective form of interval training. High-intensity interval workouts have been a fitness darling for decades, offering a wide variety of health benefits. But previous research has tested interval training on equipment like treadmills or stationary bikes—which is great, if you have them. This new study, however, proves that the ordinary staircase going down to your basement or behind your office is every bit as good, not to mention way cheaper and easier to get to. Finding an hour to go to the gym, change, wait for equipment, exercise, shower, and drive home again is daunting for many people.

But who doesn't have two minutes to take a quick sprint up the stairs in between laundry trips? "Stair-climbing is a form of exercise anyone can do in their own home, after work, or during the lunch hour," said Martin Gibala, Ph.D., lead author and a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University, in a press release. "Interval training offers a convenient way to fit exercise into your life, rather than having to structure your life around exercise."

Exercise better than drugs for cancer fatigue

Cancer patients may ease fatigue more effectively with exercise and psychotherapy than with medication, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data from 113 previously published studies involving more than 11,500 cancer patients with fatigue. Patients were randomly assigned to treat their exhaustion with exercise or psychotherapy, or both, or with drugs. Exercise and psychotherapy were associated with a 26 percent to 30 percent reduction in fatigue during and after cancer treatment, the study found.

Drugs, however, were tied to only a 9 percent decline in fatigue. "Patients need to try exercise or psychotherapy before they reach for a pharmaceutical," said lead study author Karen Mustian of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. Cancer-related fatigue is common and may be tied to the effects of tumors or treatments, researches note in JAMA Oncology. Unlike other types of exhaustion, just getting more sleep or giving aching muscles a break from strenuous activities can't address fatigue associated with tumors. Fatigue tied to cancer can persist for years and may be worsened by other cancer-related health problems like depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and pain. It's not clear why exercise and psychotherapy may be more effective than drugs, Mustian said by email.

"We do not know for sure why exercise works, but some research is beginning to suggest it is due to anti-inflammatory effects and also improvements in physical function - cardiovascular, pulmonary and muscular," Mustian added. "In terms of psychotherapy, the most beneficial form was group therapy that used a cognitive behavioral approach to educate patients, help them to change the way they think about fatigue and managing it, and adopting behaviors to help alleviate it." Most participants in the studies were female, and almost half of the studies involved women with breast cancer. Age, gender, cancer type and forms of exercise didn't appear to influence how effective exercise or psychotherapy was relative to medications, researchers found.

Overall, the analysis included 14 drug studies, mostly looking at stimulants or drugs designed to promote wakefulness. Among the 69 evaluations of exercise, most looked at aerobic activity alone or in combination with other types of movement. Of the 34 psychological interventions tested in the studies, most involved therapies focused on behavior and education. One benefit of the current study is that researchers were able to pool the data from several individual research efforts that were, alone, too small to draw meaningful conclusions about the relative advantages of different treatments, the authors note. Limitations include the varied designs in the studies, which made it difficult to assess how factors such as race, education, income or other demographic differences might have impacted the results, the researchers also point out.

Even so, the findings confirm previous research on interventions to ease cancer-related fatigue, Dr. Jens Ulrich Rueffer, head of the German Fatigue Society in Cologne, said by email. "We already knew that exercise and/or psychological interventions were beneficial for treating cancer-related fatigue," said Kerry Courneya, a researcher at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada. "What we learned from this new meta-analysis is that exercise and psychological counseling are roughly equal in their benefits for cancer-related fatigue," Courneya, who wasn't involved in the study, added by email. "And both appear superior to current pharmaceutical treatments."

Cardio vs. weights: Which is actually better for weight loss?

For decades, conventional wisdom (and Jane Fonda) said cardio was the best exercise for weight loss. Then strength training muscled its way into the spotlight as the must-do move for revving your metabolism and losing weight in your sleep, prompting many exercise enthusiasts to join #TeamNoCardio.

So a few years ago, Duke University researchers took to the lab and conducted the largest study of its kind to compare the two and get an answer once and for all. After 8 months of tracking 119 overweight and previously sedentary volunteers while they performed resistance training, aerobic exercise, or a combination of the two, the clear winner was ... aerobic exercise. By a lot. The cardio group lost about 4 pounds while their resistance training peers gained two. Yes, the weight gain was attributed to added lean mass.

However, that muscle mass didn't lead to any meaningful fat loss over the course of the study. In fact, the aerobics only group shed more than 3½ pounds of fat while the lifters didn't lose a single pound despite the fact that they actually exercised 47 more minutes each week than the cardio group. Not surprisingly, the cardio-plus-resistance group improved their body composition best -- losing the most fat while adding some lean mass.

But they also spent twice as much time in the gym. It's simple math, says study co-author Cris Slentz, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University. "Minute per minute, cardio burns more calories, so it works best for reducing fat mass and body mass." That's not to say that you shouldn't lift weights, especially as you get older and start losing muscle mass, he notes. "Resistance training is important for maintaining lean body mass, strength and function, and being functionally fit is important for daily living no matter what your size."

For the biggest fitness gain/weight loss bang for your exercise buck, combine the two, doing your strength training first and finishing off with your cardio. An American Council on Exercise study on exercise sequencing found that your heart rate is higher -- by about 12 beats per minute -- during your cardio bout when you've lifted weights beforehand. That means more calories burned. It's also important to remember one essential fact about exercise and weight loss, says Slentz. "Exercise by itself will not lead to big weight loss.

What and how much you eat has a far greater impact on how much weight you lose," he says. That's because it's far easier to take in less energy (calories) than it is to burn significant amounts and it's very easy to cancel out the few hundred calories you've burned working out with just one snack. Where exercise appears to matter most is for preventing weight gain, or for keeping off pounds once you've lost weight, says Slentz. "Exercise seems to work best for body weight control," he says. The National Weight Control Registry, which since 1994 has tracked more than 10,000 people who shed an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for at least five years, would agree. Ninety percent of successful weight loss maintainers exercise for about an hour a day and their activity of choice is cardio, simply walking.

Exercise Does Not Prevent Lymphedema in Breast Cancer

The authors found that 31% of the patients wore the sleeve about 75% of the time. Forgetting to wear the sleeve and discomfort were the most frequently cited barriers to its use. For exercise, 55.4% of the patients performed stretching exercises one or more times a week; 47.4% performed strengthening exercises; and 48% performed stretching and lymph flow exercises. Being "too busy" was the most common reason for not doing the exercises.

The attitudes toward exercise were either neutral or favorable. For quality of life, the education-only group experienced a larger decrease in breast cancer anxiety compared to the education-and-exercise group (from baseline to 12 months, P = .04; to 18 months, P = .04). Not surprisingly, Dr Paskett noted, lymphedema status did affect quality of life. At 18 months, scores on the FACT-Band 4 lymphedema subscales were worse for those with lymphedema than those without it (P = .002). Strength Training No Longer Taboo In a discussion of the paper, Ann Partridge, MD, from the Dana Farber Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, commented that these results are disappointing and that they could perhaps be explained by several hypotheses.

One is that the wrong type of exercise may have been used. "Maybe it was not the type of exercise that would benefit these patients," said Dr Partridge. "The physical therapists could have been more focused on range of motion and less on cardiovascular and strength training," she explained, adding that when this study was initiated, strength training was considered somewhat taboo for this population and that that view changed during the study period. Since this study began, research on the use of gradual strength training for breast cancer patients has been published, Dr Partridge pointed out. "These results suggest that not only is progressive weight training not bad for these patients, but it can also improve exacerbation of lymphedema. The study didn't look at prevention, but exercise did not cause it to occur."

Another hypothesis is that confounders may have affected the results. "Even though this was a randomized study, it could have been unbalanced," she said. "They tried to prevent contamination, but we all know that unless you are testing a novel, targeted therapy that you can only get in the cancer center, it is difficult to prevent this." For example, patients can go out and exercise, or they can see a physical therapist. "I think the researchers have collected those data on the patients who were not in this intervention, so we may have more information on that," she said. There are also unmeasured confounders. "One of the biggest predictors of lymphedema is the receipt of radiation to the breast and axillary region," Dr Partridge emphasized. "I should say that it was measured, but the impact has not yet been analyzed." The quality of life data showed that the women in the intervention group experienced more anxiety than the control patients. "Were they upset because they were not adherent, for example?" she questioned. "This really highlights the need for rigorous evaluation of interventions before we adopt them into clinical practice."

Breast Cancer Survivors May Knock Out Lymphedema by Weightlifting

Though stigmatized for a long time, more women are finally starting to come into the world of weightlifting, which offers numerous health benefits – especially for survivors of breast cancer. A recent study published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer found that it may prevent, or even reverse, lymphedema, a common side effect in patients with breast cancer.

Researchers at Florida State University looked at 27 women who finished primary breast cancer treatment. These women took part in a supervised exercise program that consisted of resistance training twice a week for six months to see what kind of effect this type of exercise would have on lymphedema. “There were only a couple of ladies who had some swelling in their arms,” Lynn B. Panton, Ph.D., FACSM Professor Department of Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences at FSU and author on the study, said in an interview with CURE.

“In some ladies, it showed that there was a decrease in the swelling.” The full-body regimen included various machine-based exercises of two sets of eight to 12 repetitions. When a participant used the same weight for 12 repetitions two sessions in a row, she would move on to a heavier weight. Arm circumference was measured at baseline and then every two weeks throughout the study. At the start of the study, three women had pre-existing lymphedema and two of them wore a prescribed compression sleeve to every workout session. No signs of exacerbation were found in all three of the women, and no participant experienced any lymphedema-related adverse events. Panton noted that some of the women were apprehensive about starting an exercise that included weight training.

Not only is there a stigma around women lifting weights – especially for older patients – but doctors also caution patients not to do any upper body exercise for six to eight weeks after surgery. “But then nobody really said, ‘OK, now you’re free to do whatever exercise,’ and a lot of the time, these ladies are scared to do something with their upper body,” Panton said. “And still, there is a stigma for a lot of women with strength training. I wish they would all do it because it’s so beneficial.”

Besides its role in mitigating lymphedema complications, resistance training also proved to help with osteoporosis, a common side effect seen with cancer treatments, and the onset of menopause, as well as overall functionality and quality of life. “It’s huge. The women said that they could do things that, even before surgery, they hadn’t been able to do,” Panton said, citing examples such as carrying groceries and picking up grandkids. “It’s an empowerment and it gives them that self-esteem. The body image improves, too, which is so important.”

Most of the exercises that the women did on the study can also be done with free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, though patients should be especially cautious if they choose this route—making sure they have the proper technique and balance to safely perform each movement. And, as with any exercise regimen, it is important that patients and survivors speak with their medical team and get their doctor’s clearance before starting resistance training. Even if this type of exercise is not right for some patients, getting out there and moving – in whatever way possible – is key, Panton said. She and her team look to study the results of body weight and impact exercise in the future. 

“Any exercise is important,” she said. “Even for patients who are currently dealing with treatment—if they could at least get out there and do some physical activity, I know it’s difficult, but they do so much better in the long run.”

Daily movement can come in a number of ways, whether it’s reaching a certain number of steps, a gym class or even just rising from your desk at work.

And here’s a new option to add to your routine: A seven-minute, heart-pumping workout you can do virtually anywhere.

Hannah Bronfman, founder of the wellness site HBFit.com, breaks down the full-body routine in the video.

All you need is comfortable clothing, enough space to move around and a mat if you would prefer. Bronfman guides you through the movements, which include jumping jacks, side kicks and a bit of abdominal work to break a quick sweat. Movement does wonders for your body and your mind: It can help you cope with stress and potentially reduce the risk of heart disease and even improve self confidence. And now you can reap those benefits in under 10 minutes. Need we say more?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-7-minute-workout-you-can-do-anywhere_us_586e7f1be4b099cdb0fbd5fa

The 7 Most Intriguing Diet and Weight-Loss Findings of 2016

Fat-filled diets and hunger-curbing injections may sound like fads, but in 2016, new research suggested that such interventions could have health and weight-loss benefits. Here are seven studies from 2016 that highlight some of the most intriguing diet and weight-loss findings of the year

Dieting actually improves your mood.

Think you'll be "hangry" if you go on a diet? Think again: A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that when people who were normal weight or overweight (but not obese) cut calories, they slept better, were in a better mood and had better sex lives. In the study, researchers looked at 220 people who were divided into two groups: a calorie-restricted group advised to cut their daily calorie intake by about 25 percent, and a control group that received no dietary advice. Researchers tracked the participants for two years, asking them to periodically fill out questionnaires about their mood, quality of life, sexual function and sleep. "We found that normal-weight and mildly overweight people who wish to lose weight need not worry about decreased quality of life," Corby Martin, director of the Ingestive Behavior Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana and the lead author of the study, told Live Science in May. Instead, "they can actually expect to feel better," Martin said. Another benefit? The participants in the calorie-restricted group lost an average of about 17 lbs. (8 kilograms) over the two-year period, compared with almost no weight change in the control group.

There could be an exercise "sweet spot" for losing weight.

What's the optimal amount of exercise to do if you want to lose weight? A study published in the journal Current Biology may provide some clues: Researchers found that people who engaged in moderate levels of physical activity burned about 200 more calories per day than those who had the lowest levels of physical activity. However, strikingly, the people who were the most physically active burned, on average, the same number of calories as those who were moderately active. This may be because the body adapts to higher levels of activity, study author Herman Pontzer, an associate professor of anthropology at the City University of New York, told Live Science in January. Exercising a lot may actually prompt the body to make adjustments to adapt and actually keep its energy expenditure at the same level as it does when exercising less, the researchers concluded. 

Injections of tiny beads could promote weight loss.

In a small study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's annual meeting this year, researchers described a new procedure that may curb feelings of hunger and promote weight loss. In the procedure, called bariatric arterial embolization, microscopic beads are injected into the blood through a tiny nick in the wrist or groin. The beads travel to a part of the stomach called the fundus, where they decrease the amount of blood flow to that area. The fundus produces most of the body's ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone, so by decreasing blood flow to the area, the procedure may limit the amount of ghrelin the fundus secretes, the researchers said. Study lead author Dr. Clifford Weiss, director of interventional radiology research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, noted in a statement that the doctors who completed the study are excited about the possibilities the procedure offers. Compared to weight-loss surgery, this procedure "is significantly less invasive and has a much shorter recovery time," he said. 
However, the findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and much more research will be needed to confirm the procedure's safety and effectiveness.

Eating fat doesn't make you fat.

A study published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology found that men and women who followed a high-fat, Mediterranean diet that was rich in either olive oil or nuts lost more weight and reduced their waist circumference more than people who were instructed to reduce their fat intake. In the study, researchers used data gathered over a five-year period on people in Spain, as part of a study that examined the effects of the Mediterranean diet on heart health. The study included almost 7,500 older adults who were instructed to follow one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet with at least 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil each day, a Mediterranean diet with at least three servings of nuts each week, or a control diet in which the participants were advised to generally avoid consuming fat. After five years, the people in both the olive-oil group and the nut group lost more weight than the control group, and also greater reductions in their waist circumferences when compared with the control group. The key takeaway is that neither fat-rich diet led to weight gain or increases in weight, lead study author Dr. Ramon Estruch, an internal medicine physician at the University of Barcelona in Spain, told Live Science in June.

Plant protein may keep you full longer than meat does.

A recent study published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research found that plant protein may be more effective than animal protein at making you feel full and helping you eat less at your next meal. In the study, 43 young male participants ate one of three different breakfast meals, on three different days, each two weeks apart. The first was a high-protein meat patty with a potato mash, the second was a high-protein legume patty with a split-pea mash, and the third was a low-protein legume patty with a potato mash. (Legumes are a plant group that includes beans and lentils.) The men reported feeling fuller after eating the high-protein legume-patty meal than they did after eating each of the other two meals. In addition, the participants who consumed the high-protein legume patty consumed 12 to 13 percent fewer calories at lunch compared with when they had consumed either of the other two patties for breakfast, senior study author Anne Raben, a professor of obesity research at the University of Copenhagen, told Live Science in November. One reason for this may have been the higher amount of fiber in the high-protein legume patty, the researchers noted.

Probiotics help lower blood sugar levels.

Consuming probiotics may help decrease blood sugar levels, according to a small study from Canada. In the study, some people who were following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is recommended for people with high blood pressure, were asked to eat probiotics as well. The people who consumed probiotics over the three-month study period had a larger average decrease in several measures of blood sugar levels than the group that only followed the DASH diet and did not take probiotics. Although more research is needed, the findings suggest that adding probiotics to the DASH diet could help protect against diabetes, said the study's author, Arjun Pandey, a researcher at the Cambridge Cardiac Care Centre in Ontario. One possible explanation for the findings may relate to a compound called butyrate, which is produced in the gut by certain bacteria and plays a role in insulin sensitivity, Pandey told Live Science in November. Increased levels of butyrate may lead to higher insulin sensitivity, thus leading body cells to absorb sugar from the blood more efficiently and, in turn, decrease blood sugar levels, he said. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions annual meeting in November and have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Working out before breakfast may help you eat less.

If you're looking to lose weight, try working out before breakfast: A small study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism suggests that skipping breakfast before your workout may help you consume fewer calories throughout the day. In the study, 12 physically active, young white males were assigned to one of two groups: One group was given oatmeal and orange juice for breakfast, and the other group was given no breakfast. At 10 a.m., the men ran on a treadmill for an hour. Then, the men were given food to take with them and were instructed to eat as much as they wanted for the rest of the day. The researchers measured the amount of food left over. After one week, the men repeated the experiment, but the groups were switched. The researchers found that the men consumed many more calories overall on days when they ate breakfast before exercising: The participants consumed an average of 4,500 calories on days when they ate breakfast before exercising, but an average of only 3,600 calories on days when they fasted before exercising, the study's lead author, Jessica Bachman, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, told Live Science in October. Most of these calories were consumed in the evening, Bachman added. However, the study looked at a very small, homogenous group, so the researchers cautioned that more studies are needed to confirm the findings and apply them to different groups of people.

This Is the Best Workout for Women

When it comes to exercise, the aerobic kind steals all the glory. All of the fun ways to sweat can help you get the government-recommended 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week, like swimming, volleyball, brisk walking—anything that speeds up your blood flow and breath. Less appealing is the other, more neglected kind: strength-training.

While about half of Americans meet the goals for aerobic exercise, only 20% do the recommended muscle-strengthening activities that work major muscle groups. Women, especially, tend to shy away from it. But they neglect it at their own peril. Strength-training significantly lowers the risk for type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, finds a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Scientists (and anyone else who’s ever pumped some iron) have long known that strength training makes muscles bigger.

It also protects bones by increasing their density, an important perk for aging women. But more recent evidence shows that it also reduces BMI, which improves how the body uses insulin. A bigger muscle also means that glucose can get around the body better. The researchers wanted to see if the lesser-known benefits of strength training, like these, actually influence a person’s risk of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Using data from the Women’s Health Study, they followed nearly 36,000 older women who ranged in age from 47-98.

The women filled out questionnaires yearly from 2000-2014 about their health and exercise levels, and one question asked women to estimate how much weight lifting/strength training they’d done per week in the past year. The researchers tracked which of the women got cardiovascular disease—including events like heart attack and stroke—and type-2 diabetes. Whether a woman did these muscle-strengthening exercises or not predicted much about her health.

“Women who reported participating in any amount of strength training were more likely to have a lower BMI, more likely to engage in healthy dietary patterns, and less likely to be a current smoker,” compared with women who avoided it, the authors write. Strength training was also linked to a woman’s risk for the two conditions. Those who said they did any amount of strength training had a type-2 diabetes risk 30% lower and a cardiovascular disease risk 17% lower than those who did none, even after the researchers controlled for other variables like age, vegetable and fruit intake and physical activity.

Not surprisingly, adding in aerobic exercise helped drive both risks down even more. Those who did at least 120 minutes a week of aerobic exercise and some strength training had a type-2 diabetes risk 65% lower than women who didn’t do either. More research is needed to determine the optimum amount of strength training for women and men to reduce their risks.

But the study suggests that both kinds of exercise impart unique benefits—and that strength training has some serious scientific weight to it.

The TRUTH about yo-yo diets: Losing and regaining weight rapidly can make your hair fall out, and harms the heart more than obesity

Losing weight rapidly, only to pile it all back on again — yo-yo dieting — is a trap many fall into; a survey in 2014 found 60 per cent of yo-yo dieters will try up to 20 diets in their lifetime. And you don't have to be losing and gaining huge amounts of weight to be a yo-yo dieter (it can be as little as between 7lb and 1st), but the weight gain and loss occurs over weeks and months, rather than years. This way of dieting has been blamed for a range of health issues including hormone imbalances and osteoporosis.

A study presented last week at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions found it could also harm the heart — and the risk increases the more often you try and fail to keep weight off. 'This is particularly worrying since we know many yo-yo dieters have been on multiple failed diets, each time regaining more weight than they lose,' says Rebecca McManamon, of the British Dietetic Association. Studies show the body strives to maintain its weight at a 'set point'. 'The body will protect itself against weight loss during a period of calorie restriction, which is probably an evolved protection mechanism, says Rebecca McManamon.

It also means people don't suddenly gain weight if they overeat for short periods. 'However, in protracted periods of starvation, weight loss does occur and your body gets used to functioning at a lower energy level,' she explains. 'Unfortunately, this resets the metabolism so when you start eating normally again, you will put on weight more quickly.' (Intermittent fasting, as in the popular 5:2 diet, when people fast for two days and eat normally for five, is thought to be too short a period to kick start 'starvation mode'.) Muscle loss is another problem.

We need muscle to burn calories. 'When the intake of calories drops below a certain level, the body will start to digest your muscle cells as well as remaining body fat to make energy,' says Kathryn Freeland, a personal trainer who runs Absolute Fitness in London. 'Less muscle mass can slow down metabolism even further, compounding the problem of rapid fat gain when you start to eat normally again.' In the latest study, presented last week, researchers from the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island analyzed data from 158,000 women over 50. Over 11 years, the women of normal weight who admitted to yo-yo dieting more than four times, were three-and-a-half times as likely to die from a heart attack than women whose weight stayed stable, even if they were obese.

Dr Somail Rasla, lead author of the study, says gaining weight as part of yo-yo dieting increases heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which do not fall back to normal when weight is lost again. If these cycles keep repeating, these health problems worsen over time, putting strain on the heart. Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, says the findings seem to back up previous studies linking yo-yo dieting to cardiovascular disease. Yo-yo dieting increases inflammatory markers in the blood which are associated with lots of diseases, including arthritis. Yo-yo dieting has one obvious effect — constantly losing and regaining weight can leave permanent stretch marks and sagging and drooping skin. 'This depends on how much weight you gain and lose, how often and also your age and the elasticity of the skin, but it is a common issue,' says Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist in Harley Street, London. Older women with less elastic skin will be more prone to sagging.

Quick weight gain followed by rapid weight loss puts more strain on skin than gradual weight change. Restrictive diets can also affect the plumpness of the skin, as a lack of protein in the diet can affect the production of collagen, which gives skin its firmness. Famine followed by feast can disrupt the release of hormones from the pituitary gland which drives the menstrual cycle, stimulating the ovaries to produce eggs. If a woman rapidly loses weight this process shuts down because the body goes into starvation mode and concentrates its resources on vital functions, which don't include reproduction, says Gillian Lockwood, a consultant obstetrician, gynecologist and fertility expert based in the Midlands. Unfortunately, according to Dr Lockwood, many overweight women who want IVF on the NHS are told that they have to lose weight in order to qualify for the free treatment, and this can encourage crash dieting. 'If a woman is 6lb overweight, it will take her a year or more to lose that safely, but many women and their partners feel a sense of urgency. 'Not surprisingly, they may dramatically cut their calorie intake, sometimes down to 400 calories a day.'

And women who rapidly lose weight to reach the necessary BMI have very poor outcomes when it comes to getting pregnant, as the IVF is unlikely to work. This applies only to crash dieters. Yo-yo dieting does seem to affect bone density, although the jury is still out as to whether yo-yo dieting or periods of restrictive dieting is the problem. Our bone is constantly being broken down, absorbed into the body and replaced. A recent U.S. study found that women whose weight fluctuated had increased bone resorption when their weight fell, which was not replaced when they regained the pounds. Feasting periods do not make up for bone loss in the fasting times. Trichologist Anabel Kingsley says yo-yo dieting is a common cause of poor hair conditions and hair loss: 'One of the first things we always ask is about people's diet, which is fundamental to healthy hair. 'Yo-yo dieters are stressing their hair.' She says that, at any one time, 90 per cent of head hair is in a growth phase and just 10 per cent is in the resting phase, when it sheds. 'Restricted calorie intake pushes more hairs into the shedding phase because the hair follicles have fewer nutrients to sustain them.' Rapid weight gain also disrupts normal hormone levels and stresses the hair follicles.

'People on restrictive diets are not getting enough key minerals and vitamins such as calcium to keep their teeth and gums healthy,' says Mervyn Druian, of London Cosmetic Dentistry. 'Yo-yo dieters are more prone to gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss.' Those who have dramatically cut back on eating also produce less saliva, which is triggered by the chewing action, which helps protect the teeth from acid attack. On the weight gain cycle, people who eat a high carbohydrate diet are at risk from tooth decay. 'Bacteria in the mouth thrive in these conditions and release acid in larger quantities,' adds Dr Druian. Studies have suggested there may be a correlation between yo-yo dieting and some cancers.

One theory is that it may lead to a reduction in the number and effectiveness of immune cells, which are the body's initial line of defence against tumour cells. A 2004 study showed a reduction in these cells the more times post-menopausal women lost weight.

Lymphedema and the Desk Job

The lymphatic system is twice the size of the cardiovascular system yet does not have it’s own pump (the cardiovascular system has the heart). So, the lymphatic system relies on help from outside sources: this help primarily comes from muscle movement that pushes the lymph through the body and gravity (when used to your advantage) encourages lymph fluid to be drained.

There are three major negative effects on lymph fluid flow when sitting at your desk job:

1. Creates blockages: One of the largest collections of lymph nodes are found in the groin. When you sit, the lymph nodes in your groin are compressed and a bent hose effect inhibits the flow of lymph fluid from the legs to the stomach (you know when you bend a hose and the water stops flowing? this is a similar idea).
2. Gravity, gravity, gravity: When you sit, gravity works against any chance your lymph fluid had at getting from your toes to your stomach.
3. Prolongs immobility: This last one is quite simple–when you’re sitting, you’re not moving. The move you move, the more you help lymph fluid flow through your body.

Here are some tips to combat this problem:

Walk

An easy way folks can include more activity in the workday is by walking—take the long way to the printer, meander to a coworker’s desk instead of emailing, or hold the meeting out outside the boardroom.

Sit on a stability ball

Sitting on a stability ball, instead of in an office chair, can be an easy way to increase activity. To sit balanced on the ball (instead of rolling and wobbling around), people need to engage their core muscles. While people are sitting on the ball, they are working on their abs, explains Geier.

Take a stand

Standing desks keep employees on their feet, instead planted in their chairs. Even if your office doesn’t have standing desks, get on your feet to work. Take a phone call and walk around the office or stand when reading emails.

Find an excuse for the stairs

Simply taking the stairs to and from your office every time you leave can have a real impact on your activity level, he adds.

Use the stairs in your office as a quick way to work out—if you have a few minutes walk up a few flights and then back to your office.

Exercise may be among best ways to help prevent colorectal cancer

DR. PAUL MACKAREY

In 2000, President Bill Clinton dedicated March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, in an effort to increase public awareness of the facts about colon cancer — a cancer that is preventable and treatable, and has a high survival rate.

Regular screening tests, expert medical care and a healthy lifestyle, which includes a proper diet and exercise, are essential for prevention. Several studies have demonstrated that exercise can also help prevent colon cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 136,830 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2014. Of these, 50,310 men and women will succumb to the disease. It is the second-leading cause of U.S. cancer deaths for men and women combined.

The good news: Incidence and mortality rates are dropping nationally and in Northeast Pennsylvania. The bad news: NEPA still has increased incidence and mortality rates compared with the national average.

Studies show that prevention of this disease is multifaceted. It includes engaging in daily exercise, eating a low-fat diet with little red meat, avoiding smoking, drinking in moderation and having regular colonoscopy screenings.

Early detection is the key to survival. Death from colorectal cancer can be eliminated if caught at the earliest signs of disease. Colorectal cancer progresses very slowly, usually over years. It often begins as noncancerous polyps in the lining of the colon. In some cases, these polyps can grow and become cancerous, often without any symptoms.

But some symptoms may develop: blood in the stool, changes in bowel movement, feeling bloated, unexplained weight loss, feeling tired easily, abdominal pain or cramps and vomiting. Contact your physician if you have any of these symptoms.

The risk increases with age, as 90 percent of those diagnosed are older than 50. A family history of colon cancer increases risk. Also, those with benign polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease are at greater risk and should be screened more frequently.

Here’s a look at some prevention keys:

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the most accurate screening test for detecting polyps and colorectal cancer. A long, thin, flexible tube with a camera is used to visually examine the lining of the colon. Polyps can be removed at the time of the exam if necessary. Most people should have this test starting at age 50, although high-risk populations — those with genetic predisposition or inflammatory bowel disease — may begin at age 40 to 45, or even younger.

Diet and nutrition

Diets rich in fiber are generally considered beneficial for overall health, including colorectal health. Limit high-fat foods, especially from animal sources. Limit red meat and dairy. A diet consisting of fish, fruit and vegetables is valuable. Some researchers theorize that Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage may trigger a chemical process to turn on a gene to suppress tumors. Sunlight and vitamin D are thought to be important, too.

Lifestyle and habits

Smoking and excessive alcohol use increase risk for colorectal and other forms of cancer. Stress and anxiety can be cancer triggers.

Exercise

While there have been many studies about the benefits of exercise for colon cancer, none have been more encouraging than a recent study from the Hutchinson Cancer Institute in Seattle. Patients with abnormal cells on the lining of their colons, as found by colonoscopy, demonstrated positive changes and reversal of these cells after engaging in four hours of exercise per week for one year. Some studies have shown that exercise can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 50 percent.

How can exercise prevent colon cancer?

The intestine works like a sewage plant, recycling the food and liquid needed by your body. But it also stores waste before disposal. The longer the wastes remain idle in your colon or rectum, the more time toxins have to be absorbed from your waste into the surrounding tissues. Exercise gets your body moving, including your intestines. It stimulates muscular contraction, called peristalsis, to promote movement of waste through your colon.

Exercise to prevent colon cancer does not have to be extreme. A simple increase in daily activity for 15 minutes twice a day, or 30 minutes once a day, is adequate to improve the movement of waste through your colon. This can be simply accomplished by walking, swimming or biking, or playing golf, tennis or basketball.

For those interested in a more traditional exercise regimen, perform aerobic exercise for 30 to 45 minutes four to five days per week, with additional sports and activities the rest of the time. For those in poor physical condition, begin slowly. Start walking for five to 10 minutes two to three times per day. Then, add one to two minutes each week until you attain a 30- to 45-minute goal.

19 Totally Doable Ways To Actually Keep The Weight Off

1. Focus on where you are now and how far you’ve come.

2. Set some creative food goals that have nothing to do with weight.

3. Set one simple health-related goal each month.

4. Or, each month focus on two of the following: diet, exercise, and alcohol.

5. Eat healthily 80% of the time (and don’t feel bad the other 20%).

6. Don’t spiral because of one day of overeating.

7. Put vegetables in EVERYTHING.

8. Compete with friends or family to stay active.

9. Have a hearty breakfast, a medium-sized lunch, and a light dinner.

10. Don’t let your routine get boring in the name of maintaining your goal

11. Eat slowly and savor your food.

12. Make going to the gym basically part of your work day.

13. Or use your workouts to legit train for…life.

14. Evaluate your progress by how you feel and how your clothes fit.

15. Only ‘cheat’ if you’re going to enjoy it and NOT feel guilty about it.

16. Expect some fluctuation with your weight; it’s totally normal.

17. Jot down what you eat — and how you feel — in a journal.

18. When there’s an actually really special treat around, go ahead and eat it.

19. Or just make dessert a part of your daily routine.

Exercise and Lymphedema

Don't let lymphedema slow you down! Stay active and always wear your compression garments while you exercise. Staying physically active has many benefits. It stimulates the flow of lymph fluid and reduces swelling. It also helps keep your joints flexible, strengthens your muscles and improves your posture. Swimming, walking, stretching and yoga are great exercise options.

Which exercise helps you keep your swelling down?

What Is the 'Best Diet' for You?

Angela Haupt

What makes a diet best? In Best Diets 2016, the latest set of exclusive rankings from U.S. News, the DASH diet beat out 37 others, including Atkins, Jenny Craig and Slim-Fast, to win the "Best Diets Overall" crown. Among the 17 commercial diet programs marketed to the public, Weight Watchers and the Mayo Clinic Diet came out on top. (Our methodology explains how.) We also ranked the diets on likelihood of weight loss, ability to prevent and control diabetes and heart disease, healthiness and how easy they are to follow.

Our analysis puts hard numbers on the common-sense belief that no diet is ideal for everybody.

Take DASH, the Best Diets Overall winner. It wasn't created as a way to drop pounds, but as a means of combating high blood pressure (it stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The federal government, which funded the research behind DASH, doesn't even call it a diet – it's an "eating plan." If losing weight is your No. 1 goal, a diet in our Best Weight-Loss Diets rankings would be a more likely choice. Or if you have diabetes, you might want to look especially hard at Best Diabetes Diets.

That's why we're giving you lots of tools. Each diet was scored by a panel of experts in short-term and long-term weight loss, on how easy it is to follow, how well it conforms to current nutrition standards and on health risks it may pose – plus its soundness as a diabetes and as a heart diet.

Besides the rankings and data, each diet has a detailed profile that tells you how it works, what evidence supports (or refutes) its claims, a nutritional snapshot – right down to daily milligrams of potassium – and, of course, a close look at the food you'd eat, with photos. All of it is reliable and easy to understand.

These tools will be at least a start at helping you, your mother, your brother – whomever – find that elusive perfect-for-me diet. Once you've whittled down your eligible diets to a few, consider your personality and lifestyle. If you're a foodie, you probably won't be happy with a plan built around frozen dinners, such as Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, or mostly just-add-water meals, like Medifast. If cutting carbs will make you cranky and resentful, you'll want to stay away from low-carb diets such as Atkins and South Beach.

Then think about what did and didn't work the last time you were on a diet. Was it too restrictive? Lots of diets we covered don't consider any food off-limits. Didn't provide enough structure? Some plans will tell you exactly what to eat and when.

With any diet, ask yourself: How long can I stay on this? No matter how good it looks – or how good it might make you look – if you can't stick with it in the long run, you'll be right back where you started after a couple months.

And consider physical activity – an important component of any healthy lifestyle. Does your plan lay out a specific exercise program, or are you on your own?

The questions are endless. Right now, you may have no idea what will or won't work for you. That's what we're here for. We're not going to tell you what diet you should be on, but we can help lead you to a winner – the Best Diet for you.

Here's which diets came out on top in the nine different ranking lists:

Best Diets Overall

1. DASH Diet

2. MIND Diet (tie)

2. TLC Diet (tie)


Best Weight-Loss Diets

1. Weight Watchers

2. HMR Program


Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets

1. Biggest Loser (tie)

1. HMR Program (tie)


Best Diabetes Diets

1. Fertility Diet

2. Biggest Loser (tie)

2. DASH Diet (tie)


Best Heart-Healthy Diets

1. Ornish Diet

2. TLC Diet


Best Commercial Diet Plans

1. Mayo Clinic Diet (tie)

1. Weight Watchers (tie)


Best Diets for Healthy Eating

1. DASH Diet

2. TLC Diet


Easiest Diets to Follow

1. Fertility Diet (tie)

1. MIND Diet (tie)

1. Weight Watchers (tie)


Best Plant-Based Diets

1. Mediterranean

2. Flexitarian

Marvel Comics is honoring influential women athletes and figures by turning them into superheroes.

What do you get when espnW IMPACT25 honorees Carli Lloyd, Lydia Ko, Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey and Misty Copeland join forces with Ms. Marvel, The Black Widow, Thor, She-Hulk and Medusa? A #SUPERSQUAD, that's what. And below, see more original renderings as Marvel artists turned our illustrious list of 2015 Influencers and Athletes into super versions of themselves. ‪#‎CarliLloyd‬ ‪#‎girlpower‬ ‪#‎SimoneBiles‬

Gentle Strength Training Can Improve Lymphedema

Looking for a great exercise program for lymphedema patients with stable lymphedema? Strength training can be beneficial for lymphedema because it will allow you to perform daily activities with less effort, possibly preventing injury and subsequent swelling.

If you want to start a strength training program, first talk to your doctor and always follow general safety principles listed below.

-Always wear your compression garment if you have lymphedema. If you are “AT RISK” of lymphedema it may be beneficial to wear a compression garment.

-Start with a moderate weight and work with a personal trainer

-Allow adequate rest intervals between sets

-Avoid constrictive clothing or weights that wrap tightly around an extremity

-Maintaining good hydration

-Avoid extreme heat or overheating

-Never exercise to the point of pain