With a headline like that, you may think twice before picking up a bag of potato chips. Yet not only are chips a source linked to an increase in cancer risk, but so too are sweet biscuits, certain breads, rolls, toast, or most fried, roasted, or grilled foods - all which contain the carcinogen acrylamide. This substance can be contained in certain foods, but also the result of those types of preparation methods. Grilling has long been known to create carcinogenic substances that can be detrimental to good health.

A study of more than 60,000 post-menopausal women has linked the chemical - produced when sugars and amino acids are cooked at temperatures greater than 120 degress - to ovarian and endometrial cancers. The Dutch report examined data from the Netherlands Cohort Study, which involved 120,000 people aged 55-70 years, about 62,000 of them women.

Here's the kicker. After 11 years, the group was analyzed and those who had consumed high levels of acrylamide, that is 40 milligrams a day or the equivalent of what is in one pack of potato chips, were twice as likely to develop ovarian or womb cancer as those who ingested a smaller amount. These findings were published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.

Since the study was performed prior to 1997, the consumption of foods like french fries and other similar foods has increased, and therefore would be safe to conclude that the risk of these cancers has gone up even more!

Bottom line: If you're eating a healthy diet, one that contains more raw foods and unprocessed foods than anything else, then you're not going to have to worry about levels of acrylamide in your system. It's one thing you shouldn't have to worry about when it comes to your health - and that is preventable conditions based on what foods and beverages you consume. So stick to mainly water, fruits, vegetables, fish, 12 grain breads, and organic foods if you can. You'll be glad you did in the years to come.

HWI

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Almost everyone seems to know someone who has a child on Ritalin. As you may know, use of Ritalin doesn't come without risk. As with any drug, there are unwanted side-effects that can occur. Even with the research and studies showing such promising results for children with Attention Deficit Disorder, all drugs come with side-effects and can even be life threatening. 

While this author doesn't necessarily agree that Ritalin is the answer to ADD, the drug companies have certainly capitalized on the deficit children seem to be in.  But I think that "deficit" comes from the lack of physical activity - the kind away from a computer or TV.  Getting out and observing those things that are not digital is such a key to having a calmer and more focused mind. This is not research, but just common sense, that tells us the TV and computers and cell phones are electronics that put the eye and brain's focus no more than 3 feet away.  When you can put the focus on natural things that are beyond the world that exists within 10 feet of your being, you take on a picture of the world that is much greater than the many minute details that can be consuming to the brain. It is our opinion that the calming effect to the mind and possibly the attention disorder can be helped by this approach.

According to the Medical Observer, "children who use Ritalin for a long period of time could be more at risk of deliquency and substance abuse." For this reason they suggest 'taking a break' from the drug after 3 years, because "the more days of prescribed medication, the more serious the risk."

It is the opinion of The Health & Wellness Institute that a diet that is deficient in proper nutrients - i.e. fruits and vegetables - and filled with stimulants like sugar and caffeine, will also contribute to the symptoms of those diagnosed with ADD.  This evidence is shown in studies where children were put on a healthy diet and after a year the results showed better grades, less conflict, less absences, and more participation in school activities. While there may not be a direct relationship between the two, there should be at least some logical deduction that diet plays a big role in the health of the mind and therefore should provide noticeable benefit to those with ADD.

Bottom line: a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and without processed foods, high amounts of sugars - i.e. soft drinks or fruit drinks - and even including some regular exercise, will always be beneficial to anyone, no matter what condition they may be diagnosed with.

HWI

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

There is always debate about what diet is healthy and which one work best - is Atkins safe, is low-carb better, are carbs the enemy, what food combinations work, is low-fat better? The questions are endless, and the solutions seem to be even more so. However, there is one truth about a healthy diet that rings true throughout the diet community, and that is that simple sugars are the enemy. That is, sugar is so prevalent in so many foods and drinks that it is hard for most people to get away from consuming too many. And with sugars like high-fructose corn syrup you're sure to lose on all levels - bad calories, unhealthy, and too many easily consumed. Here's more about how sugar can creep into your diet --

A bran muffin and a flavored coffee drink are not unusual choices for a breakfast on the run. But along with fiber and caffeine, you may be getting something you hadn't bargained for: a day's worth of added sugar in just one small early morning meal.

We shouldn't consume more than 40 grams -- about 10 teaspoons -- of sugar a day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet, said Andy Bellatti, a graduate student at New York University's department of nutrition and food studies who blogs about diet and health at Small Bites. "It's very easy, though, to go way above that because that's basically one can of soda," Bellatti said. "So although 10 teaspoons sounds like a lot, it's actually not really that much."

Though the World Health Organization recommends that added sugar should make up no more than 10 percent of our daily caloric intake, the average American eats about double that. A muffin could have 11 teaspoons of sugar added, and a grande vanilla latte at Starbucks has about seven teaspoons. Read more...

Final note: do yourself a favor and avoid products that have sugar, except for fruits and vegetables. Even with a good effort you'll find that you're getting some in foods and drinks that you didn't expect.

HWI

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

What happens after the fat pants are gone?

Some are surprised to discover the struggle doesn't end when they hit their goal weight. While the outside world sees a slimmer body, their personal body image often remains distorted. Katz remembers the pain of standing out in a crowd as “the fat one.” As a result, she regularly feels the nagging worry of “Will I gain it back?”

For all the celebration over people who lose massive amounts of weight, diets usually fail in the long run, studies show. A recent weight-loss maintenance study from Duke University found that after losing an average of 18.7 pounds over six months of diet and exercise, most dieters regained an average of nine pounds over the next 2 ½ years. Up to two-thirds of dieters gain back most of the weight they lost, according to an analysis of 31 diet studies released by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles last year.

What dieters often don’t realize is, while they can relax a little about how much they eat, they have to remain vigilant. The worst mistake dieters who have lost a lot of weight make is to think that they're "done," and that they no longer have to choose their food wisely and responsibly.

Whether you’ve lost 10 pounds or 100 pounds, there’s a greater chance of keeping it off if you incorporate better habits into your lifestyle, instead of radically changing it as many diet plans promote.

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I guess this really sums up the big differences from my approach that has successfully helps so many men and women across this great nation, is that I do to lie to them so that they will like me, rather I am honest with the and tell them that if they want to lose weight and keep it off some things about their daily habits, choices and actions do need to be changed forever--not just for awhile!

People be they "big losers" from a TV show that were put through "torturous" workouts for up to 10 hours day now have to go back to their real jobs, their real life, their friday night routine and I don't think Jillian stays to kick their butt day and night if they slip up.

Should be interesting to see what happens nest. Probably going to mean a few pounds creeping on--but it doesn't have to. Do the gradual slow way, the Vice Busting diet way and you can stay forever the biggest loser!

From NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” to TODAY’s “Joy Fit Club” and Jenny Craig commercials, there’s no shortage of promotions for people who have transformed themselves by losing 100-plus pounds through diet and exercise programs. “ I am a whole new woman," Ali Vincent, who lost 112 pounds and this week became first female winner of the hit show “Loser,” told TODAY.

She must continue to adhere to healthy choices and commit to a healthy lifestyle in order to truly be successful. A lifetime comitment of health is what it's all about.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Statistics show that most people watch 3 hours or more television per day on average, and with so many food advertisers seen on TV, it's no wonder that a dieter will have a difficult time resisting.  There are a few things going against the dieter with this scenario - 1) sitting for too many hours doing nothing; 2) watching ads that appeal to the palette, and are high-calorie, unhealthy foods or beverages; and 3) grabbing one of these foods and going back to the TV.  All of this ads of to more calories than needed, and too little physical movement. Unhealthy calories and too many of them and no exercise - a perfect combination to create an epidemic. Here's more about advertisements and how dieters see them effecting their efforts --

More than 80% of people believe junk food advertising is making it difficult to feed children a healthy diet, according to research. The survey for consumer watchdog Which? found 84% of consumers want the Government to do more to control the marketing of unhealthy food to children. The survey also revealed 83% think irresponsible advertising is making it harder to encourage children to eat healthy food.

Which? said rules governing junk food advertising on the internet and on packaging were weak or non-existent, while current regulations for television advertising did not apply to the programmes most watched by children. A Bill to introduce robust restrictions on unhealthy food advertising to children is due for its second reading in Parliament next week. It aims to introduce a 9pm watershed for junk food advertising and protect children from other forms of marketing. Read on...

Final note: This is not an issue that should be taken up by the government, but instead an effort should be made to get "dieters" off their duff and doing something other than sitting.  While ads may be a problem, the true problem is the quality of foods that are being made and allowed on TV.  These foods should be banned. Let the ads go on, just get rid of these ridiculously unhealthy foods, period.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

Our fear of a dwindling healthy food supply from the environmental contaminants and soil depletion may now be trumped by the FDA. Yes, the FDA may actually take care of compromising the quality of our best sources of nutrients by demanding they be irradiated before being put on shelves and tables for consumers.

In case you don't know, the idea behind irradiating food - or any item for that matter - is to sterilize it. That means all live pathogens that may be present on that item is put in check so that it can't take hold in your body or some other living organism. Big problem here. The way we improve our immune system's ability, function, and strength is not just by consuming healthy foods. Believe it or not, we also need to be exposed to certain things so that our immune system builds up defenses. Not everything, but some things. Vaccines are an artificial way of exposing the body and although there is debate on that issue, it still holds true. The immune system is like an army of fighters. But they need to be trained, need not be complacent thinking everything is fine, and is and will always be fine. 

However, without some bacteria and certainly without the optimal amount of nutritional value provided by the fruit or vegetable, the body won't have either to support the immune system. Here's more as reported on NaturalNews.com --

There's a new plot underway to sterilize your food and destroy the nutritional value of fresh produce. The players in this plot are the usual suspects: The USDA (which backed the "raw" almond sterilization rules now in effect in California) and the American Chemical Society -- a pro-chemical group that represents the interests of industrial chemical manufacturers. The latest push comes from USDA researchers who conducted a study to see which method more effectively killed bacteria on leafy green vegetables like spinach.

To conduct the study, they bathed the spinach in a solution contaminated with bacteria. Then, they tried to remove the bacteria using three methods: Washing, chemical spraying and irradiation. Not surprisingly, only the irradiation killed nearly 100 percent of the bacterial colonies. That's because radiation sterilizes both the bacteria and the vegetable leaves, effectively killing the plant and destroying much of its nutritional value while it kills the bacteria. Read on...

Bottom line: our food supply and it's quality is one of the most, if not the most, important part of supporting the health of mankind. Without proper nutrients from fruit and vegetable sources, we risk even poorer health, more sickness and disease. Support the effort to maintain and even improve the quality of the fruits and vegetables in our food supply. Contact your local and state representatives expressing your concern!

Note: If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Dangerous diet products are causing problems amongst dieters who seek an easy solution. Everything from headaches, stomach aches, and illness have been reported from people using them. In particular, a new "formula" has made the news because of the many reactions that unsuspecting weight loss seekers have experienced. Here's more --

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week reported the recall of Total Body Formula in tropical orange and peach nectar flavors and Total Body Mega Formula in the orange/tangerine flavor.

Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said the products were sold in Louisville, Owensboro and Middlesboro, as well as 14 other states. It was not sold in Indiana.

Total Body Formula products are sold in 8-ounce and 32-ounce plastic bottles, while Total Body Mega Formula is sold only in 32-ounce plastic bottles. Both are distributed by Total Body Essential Nutrition of Atlanta, which voluntarily recalled them.

According to the FDA, the Florida Department of Health reported that 23 people suffered serious reactions to the supplements. The federal agency is now investigating a report that consumers in Tennessee experienced similar problems. read on...

Comment: You can't achieve good health from a bottle. You can support good health with products that are in a bottle - if they're natural, not synthetic or processed, or contain dangerous stimulants. But you face more dangers with products that make claims of weight loss when all you're supposed to do is drink a liquid or pop a pill. Good health starts with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Are we really going to spend billions of dollars in research and global climate detection equipment and prevention measures because we're worried about the temperature of the Earth going up? We'll all be dead before these apparent climate changes have even the slightest effect on the health of mankind. Unless, of course the health effects are on the mental state of the people who are capable of starting nuclear war or terror (on that basis, maybe there is some truth to this hypothesis). The money that we are potentially looking at allocating for climate management is not justified considering the risks from so many other threats to the health of mankind, or even the existence of life on Earth. Although this may have truth to it, "selling" this to the public may just not fly.

The real threat, aside from those who seek to eliminate large populations of citizens through radical methods, is the health of the Earth's food supply - referring to the soil and the products that we consume that are raised or grown. Moving to processed foods that are so abundant in the marketplace, only eliminates the thousands of nutrients (phytonutrients) that are so important to the health and well-being of indviduals. These nutrients may be shrinking in numbers because we are making them extinct through "new technologies" and "food manufacturing techniques" or even "genetically modified seeds" (corn, specifically - thank you Monsanto!)

The best approach for saving the health of our planet is focusing on the diet of it's inhabitants. Caring for the land and the fruits, vegetables, and other plants grown is a sure way to support good health. With so many people seeking weight loss and dealing with obesity, and the other extreme being those dealing with no food sources at all, this can't be an issue that is taken lightly. Universal Health Care? Ethanol-based fuel? Forget it! How about going back to the roots of good health, literally - the soil, the land.

While clean air, clean water, and nutrient-rich soil may certainly be under the influence of waste emitted by automobiles and big manufacturers, focusing on change for the purposes of controlling the temperature of the Earth may not be the angle that needs to be taken, even if there is truth to it. Change for the sake of saving our food supply and it's quality may be an easier "sell" to the public and one that will matter so much more than what could happen if the temperature of the entire Globe goes up a degree!? People don't understand nor do they probably care when they don't completely understand. Take away their food? They'll care!

Eat healthy. Live healthy. Choose fruits and vegetables as your main source of healthy nutrients.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Recommendations:If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

While we are so easily conditioned to modify or adopt new beliefs because of the millions of dollars spent on advertising, there are some important truths that tend to get lost amidst cloudy promotional campaigns. For decades, the suggestion that cholesterol is bad and the source for clogged arteries and heart attacks has been literally shoved in our face. Sure we hear about high levels of cholesterol, but does anyone remember that there is a positive use of cholesterol? In fact, it's not cholesterol that's bad, but the lipoprotein that is the problem, specifically of the low density variety.

While high cholesterol has had war waged on it all for the sake of profits for Big Pharma, there are some interesting studies that concluded there was actually no advantage to taking these drugs - statins in particular - over a "normal diet and enough exercise". With the dangerous side effects of statins, there seems to be more harm done than any possible benefit from their consumption. This report is offered on NaturalNews.com --

In an 8-year long heart study, researchers observed 10,000 people with high cholesterol levels. Half of them received a best-selling statin drug. The other half were simply told to eat a normal diet and get enough exercise. The results stunned the researchers. Although the statin drug did indeed lower serum cholesterol, this had no impact whatsoever on death rate, non-fatal heart attacks and fatal arterial disease. In other words, the statin-users had zero advantage over those who received no treatment at all. However, they had just spent eight years taking a costly drug with hideous side effects - risking liver failure, muscle wasting, even sudden death. Lowering cholesterol either through drugs or low fat diets does not lower the risk of developing heart disease. Read more...

The bottom line is that cholesterol is needed by the body and is an important part of the body's overall function and self-maintenance. A diet that is lacking in proper nutrition - fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based sources - is one that will increase the possibility of health problems. Same goes for lack of physical activity. Being overweight is the first and most obvious sign that potential health problems may be around the corner. So getting your diet and your fitness under control is crucial to your good health.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

While traditional methods of weight loss usually involve a bit of education about the type of meals to be prepared, the reason that certain foods are superior to others, and the time and frequency with which they are to be consumed, there is an easier way to get a meal plan. Medifast offers a meal plan that is not unlike conventional diets. With just a few adjustments from your normal meal selection, coupled with higher nutritional content, lower calorie content, and higher protein, Medifast is sure to provide not only great tasting foods that are healthy, but a cost effective and timely manner with which you can get started on your weight loss plan. While not only diets are alike, their focus is still on helping you achieve your weight loss goal. The foods that you eat are definitely the biggest contributing factor to your weight. The difficulty most Americans run into is not having some guidance as to what they should eat, and instead grab or drive thru what is nearest to satisfy a sudden hunger urge.

While the focus of a healthy lifestyle should not be on food, having a healthy meal plan in place will provide two immediate benefits. First, you can rest assured that the meals you are getting are going to satisfy your hunger. And second, you can be confident that by following the meal plan provided you won't have to fuss with unnecessary and unhealthy choices that permeate the marketplace - i.e. fast foods.  The added bonus is that once your plan is in place, you just follow it. There may be some refining to get the foods that you find satisfying to the taste, but by and large the selections available are nothing short of satisfying even the most particular palette.

Medifast is not the final answer to the obesity solution, but one very helpful tool to get you moving in the direction of better health and therefore a healthier weight. A diet may serve the purpose of weight loss, but a diet plan should be about fulfilling a need to develp a healthy lifestyle. In the end, the choices you make will determine your weight and your level of health.

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

The stigma behind most diets is that they are a unique way of eating that isn't typical of an average diet. The real reason a "diet" should exist is to allow an individual an easier plan to follow that is healthier than the way they eat now. In other words, a choice of healthy meals and items that are not so unique that the dieter can't wait to complete their goal and finish the diet. Unfortunately for most of those who seek weight loss, this mindset does not bring about lasting change. This is why a true diet plan should be appealing now and in the future. It may not be the exact way of eating that will be followed for years to come, but it should provide a foundation for healthy eating, and establish not only healthy habits but a knowledge and desire to continue choosing healthy items. When you start to believe in the lifestyle, you no longer will have to seek out a diet.  These same thoughts are shared by Review.com --