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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

5 Ways to Prep Healthy Breakfasts Ahead of Time

Do your weekday mornings feel like a mad rush? Yeah, us too. Wake up, work out (sometimes), shower, dress, get the kids ready…oh, and have a balanced, healthy breakfast, too.

Sound crazy? It is possible, but to me, the only way to have even a shot at it is to do some advance prep. Don’t worry, we’re not going to crowd up your nights: a bit of easy work either on Sunday or during the week can set you up with nourishing breakfasts for days.

Try these 5 make-ahead tricks.

Hard-boiled eggs

Sure, eggs can make a quick breakfast—but sometimes even the 5 minutes it takes to make a scramble is too long. Instead, cook up a dozen eggs on Sunday and keep them in the fridge all week. Be careful to avoid overcooking the eggs; that leads to rubbery whites and that icky ring around the overcooked yolk. Luckily, perfect hard-boiled eggs are easy to make.

Gorgeous, farm-fresh eggs…

A photo posted by Beth Lipton (@cookiepie0402) on Jun 6, 2014 at 1:06pm PDT

RELATED: How to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs With a Spoon

Mini frittatas

If you’re looking for something jazzier than plain eggs, try baking up mini frittatas in a muffin tin. You can mix in chopped, cooked vegetables, cheese, herbs—anything you like. You can even make a variety within the same batch to please different family members. Take them out of the pan and store in a covered container in the fridge, then heat up one or two each morning.

Getting ahead for next week… Mini frittatas with broccoli, kale, red onion, garlic and feta. In the fridge they go, then just heat and eat for quick weekday breakfasts. #healthybreakfast #vegetables #kale #healthsupportive #healthy #instafood #instaeats

A photo posted by Beth Lipton (@cookiepie0402) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:44am PST

Quality grains

Oatmeal is the king of breakfast grains, but other whole grains can make delicious hot cereals, too. Make it super-easy by prepping a big batch of a grain on Sunday. Store it covered in the fridge all week, and take out ½ cup to 1 cup at a time to whip up something quick. (Quinoa, brown rice, and millet work especially well.)

Warm it on the stove mixed with some milk (dairy, almond or coconut), cinnamon, and a little maple syrup, then top with a chopped apple or sliced banana. Heartier and lower in sugar than instant oatmeal, and way more interesting. Bonus: Those pre-made grains can help you put together a quick dinner, too. Can’t imagine anything other than oatmeal in the a.m.? Overnight oats and baked oatmeal are great options.

World's easiest breakfast: Overnight oats. Mixed 1/3 cup rolled oats with 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, pinch of sea salt and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Covered and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, added chopped apple, a spoonful of almond butter and a little more cinnamon. Tasty and hearty! #healthybreakfast #breakfast #oats #overnightoats #vegan #healthsupportive #vscocam

A photo posted by Beth Lipton (@cookiepie0402) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:19am PST

RELATED: Oatmeal Recipes for Every Day of the Week

Pre-measured smoothies

Smoothies are a fantastic quick breakfast, and all you have to do is toss everything in a blender, right? Well, even that can take up precious time in the morning. Make them lightning-fast by pre-prepping. Measure out your frozen fruits and vegetables and store in a plastic bag—just make a different one for each day. I tend to make my own mix of add-ins instead of using pre-made protein powder, so I prep that in advance, too (I use 2 Tbsp. hemp seeds, a small scoop of maca powder, a tsp. of cinnamon and sometimes 1 to 2 Tbsp. raw cacao, if I need a chocolate fix). In the morning, toss one fruit-vegetable mix, one powder mix, and some water or milk in the blender, blend and go.

Drank up this purple monster before heading to the gym this morning: frozen banana, frozen organic wild blueberries, an #alohadailygood pack, hemp and chia seeds, maca, and dates. #smoothie #chia #hemp #vegan #veganbreakfast #healthybreakfast

A photo posted by Beth Lipton (@cookiepie0402) on Aug 8, 2014 at 7:31am PDT

Leftovers

Breakfast doesn’t have to mean traditional breakfast food. Make a few extra portions of dinner, keep it in the fridge, and warm it up in the morning. I’ve done this with my spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs, salads (store the salad and dressing separately so it doesn’t get soggy), soups and stews, and casseroles. Even a fruit crumble—have it with a dollop of plain yogurt instead of ice cream, and suddenly it’s breakfast.

A very Brooklyn breakfast: Kale, red pepper and toasted quinoa scramble. #breakfast #healthy #healthsupportive #vegetarian #instafood #healthybreakfast #kale #quinoa

A photo posted by Beth Lipton (@cookiepie0402) on Oct 10, 2014 at 9:58am PDT

RELATED: The 20 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast

Why Most Vegetarians Go Back to Eating Meat

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If you’ve ever tried and failed at cutting out meat, you’re not alone: Turns out 84% of vegetarians and vegans revert back to their omnivorous ways, according to a new study by the Humane Research Council. More than 50% said they went back to eating meat within a year.

Why are so many vegetarians and vegans giving up? Though more than half of former veg-only eaters said their main motivation was health, they had plenty of reasons for calling it quits: Many (63%) said they didn’t like that their lifestyle made them stand out. Lack of community also played a role; 84% reported that they were not active in vegetarian or vegan clubs or organizations.

RELATED: 25 Healthy Recipes for a Vegetarian Feast

I cook of vegetarian and vegan food—I studied at Natural Gourmet Institute culinary school, where the curriculum focused largely on a plant-based diet—and I post a lot of my concoctions on Instagram, so people are always asking me if I’m vegetarian.

But in fact, my approach is more flexitarian—that is, mostly vegetarian, but I do eat meat occasionally, as well as fish, eggs, and some poultry (though chicken isn’t my personal fave). Like my vegan friends, I’m very concerned about animal welfare and the environment, so I stick to humanely raised meat and always buy organic eggs and dairy. Similar to my Paleo pals, I’m careful to avoid processed foods and steer clear of refined sugar as much as possible. And in line with the much-lauded Mediterranean diet, I tend to load up my plate with fresh produce, enjoy lots of fish, and am not shy with the good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

RELATED: 43 Vegetarian Recipes We Love

Flexitarianism to me is the best of all worlds. I love vegetarian food and enjoy the challenge of cooking it as many ways as I can (bonus points if I can get my carnivorous friends to gobble it up it, too). But if I go to a friend’s house, or a special restaurant—or if I’m just craving a burger—there’s no guilt. Why back yourself into a corner if you don’t have to, especially where food is concerned?

If you’re interested in exploring recipes and more information about lessening—but not necessarily eliminating—your meat eating, here are some books to get you started (they would all make great gifts, too):

RELATED: 10 Reasons To Try A Vegetarian Diet

t by Dawn Jackson Blatner ($15, amazon.com)

by Peter Berley ($15, amazon.com)

by Mark Bittman ($13, amazon.com)

by Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond ($17, amazon.com)

You can also simply start adding more vegetarian recipes to your weekly meal lineup, or try Meatless Monday.

Photo: Courtesy Frankie Frankeny

Let’s face it, creamy pumpkin pie is always the star of the holiday dessert table. But if you’re so over that sweet squash already, consider whipping up an entirely different tantalizing treat that requires zero baking.

Pastry chef Yigit Pura knows a thing or two about sweets. In addition to owning his own shop, San Francisco’s Tout Sweet Patisserie, he’s also the winner of “Top Chef: Just Desserts.” So when it came time to create a dish that not only dazzles on a plate but also excites tastes buds, he instantly knew what to do: Soak plump cherries in dark, luscious wine.

“These wine-glazed cherries are so delicious you’ll be spooning them straight into your mouth from the pan,” explains Pura of his Bing cherries braised in Syrah and zesty star anise. “Ripe Bing cherries are juicy and sweet, and star anise has a natural deep licorice flavor that adds spice and balance to the sweetness of cherries.”

“Since most good Syrah wines are described as having cherry and anise notes, it is no wonder these three flavors marry well,” he adds.

The first step to making these cherries, however, is to resist the temptation to guzzle the Syrah straight from the bottle. Trust us, you’ll be glad you followed Pura’s drool-worthy recipe to the end, especially when you’re eating your glazed cherries atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Or you can just devour the cherries solo, if you want. (You always have the New Year to work out, anyway.)

Don’t let your goals fall by the wayside this Christmas. You can fit fitness in – no matter what, says Amanda Khouv.

It comes around every year, yet it sneaks up on us every time. The festive period is frantic and no amount of lists, diary entries and post-it notes seem to ease the chaos. Meeting up with old friends, attending office parties, Christmas shopping and getting work deadlines wrapped up before the festive break can all get pretty overwhelming – so overwhelming, in fact, that it can be tempting to postpone any workout plans until further notice.

Staying fit throughout the holidays not only helps to keep you in shape, but exercising will actually make you more productive, give you way more energy /and/ help you de-stress – all of these things make for a far more efficient and enjoyable party season. Like the sound of that but not sure how you’re going to fit it in? Here are eight ways to squeeze in a workout.

Fast classes

Health clubs and gyms know what we’re going through balancing a million things at once and barely having time for a lunch break some days. That’s why Virgin Active (virginactive.co.uk) runs fast classes: group exercises classes that last no longer than half an hour while promising to give you a workout that feels way longer. Check out twentyfour – a fat-burning session that gets you twisting, pushing and pulling in every direction while boosting metabolism and raising the heart rate.

Late-night affair

There’s nothing worse than rushing to the gym for a quick in-and-out session and being faced with a crowded gym floor, shower queue or sparse equipment. This kind of session involves weaving through people, wasting time trying to find a decent spot and waiting around for the dumbbells you want or the squat rack to free up. So, if your schedule allows for it, choose the absolute least busiest times, like late at night. You’ll get your pick of the kit, shower cubicle and mat space. No dilly-dallying. No fuss. No wasted time.

Cardio, meet strength

For the next few weeks, forget about separating cardio and strength days. Spin Mondays, leg Wednesdays and circuit Fridays can wait – over the party season there’s no reason why you can’t get your cardio and strength fix in one swift session. Creating a cardio workout using resistance exercises with little rest between sets means you’ll tick both boxes, so get moving with box jumps, mountain climbers and jumping lunges for now. Check out our tips in our ‘Make cardio your strength’ box.

More, but less

However many times you usually exercise, cut it. Switch from five to three sessions a week without sacrificing any of the effects by taking it up a couple gears when you /are/ working out. Thinking quality over quantity could save you precious hours, and is as easy as modifying your moves. Turn squats into squat jumps, press-ups into press-up renegade rows and runs into sprint sessions. Cut rest periods, opt for supersets and incorporate warm-ups into sets, too.

Make your commute count

Currently taking the bus, train or car to work? Get yourself a decent backpack, a good pair of trainers and run or cycle instead. Not only will you be getting your workout done and dusted before you even start the day, but you’ll also be unleashing that eco warrior within. The environment, as well as your schedule, will thank you for it.

Keep it in the bedroom

No, not that! We’re talking, wake up, work out, get ready and go. Sounds too easy, doesn’t it? Well, why shouldn’t it be? There are plenty of ways to work out at home and if you complete a quick and intense bodyweight workout in your bedroom before you even take your morning shower, you’ll barely notice the dent in your day. Burpees by the bed, anyone?

Social affair

Around Christmas time, when everyone’s struggling to keep up with their schedule, for some reason we all think it’s a great idea to make loads of social plans, too. Not just with our best mates and families but with old friends for reunions. It doesn’t make sense, but we’re all guilty of it. So why not make your social events exercise-related? You could all go for run together, try a new class (great for a talking point afterwards, too) or hit the gym. Double whammy or what?

Make life harder

Yep, you read that right. Do exactly what you normally do every day but make it more difficult. The lift should become a stranger, while the stairs an acquaintance, shopping trolleys should be abandoned for your new best friend, the basket, and don’t you even think about driving a walkable distance. All of these switch-ups will get you burning calories while barely affecting your time.

Recover on-the-go

Refuelling and replenishing your muscles after a tough workout is essential. Not only does muscle growth encourage a boosted metabolic rate and in turn fat burn, but you also need your hard-working muscles to repair in time for your next session. Getting post-workout nutrition isn’t rocket science, but making it quick and convenient can be tricky. Check out our favourite instant ways to recover after exercise.

1. Maxinutrition Protein Milk

Mixing up a protein powder with water in a shaker isn’t exactly taxing or time-consuming, but this little ready-to-drink protein shake is even speedier. It boasts 20g of skimmed milk protein full of BCAAs and tastes pretty darned good, too.

£15.99 for 8 bottles, maxishop.com

2. Quest Nutrition Bars

Not only are these delicious bars packed with protein, but they’re also genuinely low in sugar and high in fibre. The best bit? They come in flavours like apple pie, banana nut muffin and cinnamon roll. So good.

£24.99 for 12, themphmethod.com

3. MuscleFood British Grass Fed Beef Jerky

For a proper savoury snack that’ll actually do your body good post-workout, keep a packet of this protein-rich jerky in your gym bag. It’s full of flavour and will keep hunger at bay until your next meal.

£2, musclefood.com

Make cardio your strength

Fat loss expert Dave Fletcher (theodysseyway.co.uk) explains how to make your cardio and strength workouts a match made in heaven.

1. Try a circuit of low-rep exercises with little rest to keep the heart rate up. This is the best way to maximise fat burn within a single workout.

2. Perform big, compound movements like squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses and press-ups. Now is not the time for bicep curls.

3. Do heavy reps to stimulate your fat-twitch muscle fibres, which will help to boost metabolism.

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By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Running more than 15 miles a week may reduce the risk of dying from Alzheimer’s disease, new research suggests.

Walking can help, too, if the amount of energy expended is equivalent to running more than 15 miles weekly, the study found.

“Exercise seems to prevent the shrinkage [in the brain] that occurs with age,” said study researcher Paul Williams, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif. And preserving brain volume may be why vigorous exercise helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s death, according to Williams.

Williams’ study also found that taking cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins was linked to reduced risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease, as did eating three or more pieces of fruit daily.

However, this study was only able to find associations between all of these factors and the risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease. The study wasn’t designed to prove whether or not running, walking, eating fruit or taking statins caused a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study was published online recently in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

About 5 million Americans age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease, which causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The study included more than 153,000 runners and walkers who have been participating in the National Runners’ and Walkers’ Health Studies. Men and women were recruited for the studies beginning in the early 1990s.

Williams followed them for an average of almost 12 years and tracked the number who died of Alzheimer’s disease. Over the follow-up, there were 175 deaths from Alzheimer’s disease.

In the study, those who ran more than 15.3 miles weekly had a 40 percent risk reduction in death from Alzheimer’s. Running between 7.7 and 15.3 miles was linked with a 25 percent risk reduction, but Williams said that finding wasn’t statistically significant.

The amount of running needed to lower risk substantially is about double the current exercise recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC exercise guidelines are equivalent to running 4.6 to 7.7 miles a week, according to Williams.

Walking to expend energy equivalent to a 15.3-mile run was also linked with risk reduction, Williams found. However, walkers have to walk about 50 percent further, walk briskly (equivalent to running a 12-minute mile) and put in more exercise time, according to Williams.

When looking at diet, the study found that those who ate three or more pieces of fruit a day had a 60 percent lower risk of death from Alzheimer’s, compared to those who ate less than a piece of fruit daily. Williams said he doesn’t know if this is due to just the fruit, or if the fruit is a sign of other healthy habits, such as an overall healthy diet.

Those who took statins, which have been linked with lower Alzheimer’s disease risk in other studies, had a lower risk of death from Alzheimer’s by 40 percent, Williams found.

Future study is needed, Williams said. He expects that further research will find the risk of death associated with statins and fruit declines with a longer follow-up.

The findings about running and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s death echo some previous studies, said Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association.

One of the strengths of the new research, she said, is the large numbers. However, because the participants are exercisers, they are not representative of the general population, many of whom don’t exercise, she said.

More information

To learn more about Alzheimer’s, see the Alzheimer’s Association.

Photo: Getty Images

Planning to hit the mall this weekend in search of the perfect holiday present? Researchers at Cornell University found that gifting an experience makes people happier than spending money on things like clothes or electronics.

Both the giver and the receiver feel more socially connected—and thereby happier—when the present is an experiential one (like yoga classes) rather than a material item (like yoga pants), according to Amit Kumar, a doctoral candidate in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. Kumar is the co-author of two review papers on material and experiential purchases set to publish in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in January.

“One of the reasons people give gifts in the first place is to connect with the person they’re giving the present to,” Kumar said in a press release. “Spending on doing is much more likely to foster feelings of connectedness than spending on having.”

Think about it: whether you’re part of the gifted experience or not, you and the recipient are going to talk more about it afterward than you would if you’d got that person something like a bracelet. Kumar says this, in turn, can make people want to forge an even stronger connection.

Not sure what to get? Kumar’s review found that the price of an experience matters less than the price of a “thing,” so you can go big or small and reap similar benefits. Here are a few options:

Gift a manicure date so you and a friend or family member can catch up. Around $40 for two people.
A massage will help a friend relax after the holidays (or flush their CrossFit-toned muscles). Between $50 and $125 for an hour-long session, depending on the spa.
Help someone fly with a class at the Trapeze School New York. The school has locations in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, D.C. and Chicago. Classes cost $55 each.
Take your quinoa-loving bud to Sur La Table’s Healthy, Flavorful Cooking class so you can learn how to make it yourselves. Price is $69 per person with locations all over the country.
Dance all night long with tickets to Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour. Starting around $110 on Stubhub for New York City, with dates across the U.S.
Pick up the tab for something you know they buy each month, like a bundle of Flywheel classes. Prices vary by location.
Plan a relaxing vacation. Join Health editors for a weekend at Canyon Ranch Resort in Lenox, Massachussets, for spa treatments, cooking demos, fun group workout classes, and more. Rates start at $1,390.

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By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) — The heart disease and diabetes that often accompany obesity may rob people of almost a decade of life and close to two decades of a healthy life, Canadian researchers report.

“Not only is excess body weight associated with a significant reduction in life expectancy, but with an even greater reduction in healthy life years,” said lead researcher Dr. Steven Grover, a professor of medicine at McGill University in Montreal.

“While losing weight or exercising regularly is not easy for many of us, the potential benefits are huge,” he said.

For example, Grover said, a modest reduction in weight of about 10 pounds and as little as 30 minutes of daily physical activity most days of the week have been proven to reduce the risk of developing diabetes by as much as 60 percent.

“The potential benefits of losing weight and exercising in preventing a heart attack or stroke are also substantial,” he said.

“Appreciating the impact excess pounds has on our life expectancy and healthy years of life will hopefully provide health professionals with a new diagnostic measurement to motivate some individuals to make healthy changes to their lifestyle,” Grover added.

While the study found an association between obesity and life span, it did not prove that obesity shortens life.

The report was published in the Dec. 5 online edition of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Edward Gregg is chief of the epidemiology and statistics branch in the division of diabetes translation at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and author of an accompanying editorial in the journal. He said, “Obese people, and particularly very obese people, have such a large increase in diabetes that it means that the average obese person will spend a very large portion of their life with diabetes and with other chronic conditions.”

At the same time, there is some good news, he said. “There has been progress in reducing death rates from heart disease, and there is good evidence that lifestyle changes and regular preventive care can reduce diabetes, heart disease and the disability that follows,” Gregg said.

For the study, Grover and his colleagues used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2003 through 2010 to create a computer model to estimate the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease in adults of different body weights.

The researchers analyzed the role played by being overweight and obese on life expectancy and the loss of years of a healthy life among adults ranging from 20 to 79 years of age. The researchers compared these people with normal-weight individuals.

Grover’s team estimated that overweight people could lose between 0 and 3 years of life expectancy, depending on their age and sex.

Among obese people, the investigators found, life expectancy was cut by 1 to 6 years, and among the very obese by as much as 8 years.

The negative effect of being overweight or obese on life expectancy was greatest among younger people and decreased with age, the researchers found.

Moreover, being overweight or obese reduced the number of years people lived without the burden of heart disease or diabetes.

For very obese men and women in their 20s, their years of living free from diabetes or heart disease were cut by about 19 years, the researchers reported.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, said obesity is known to heighten the risk for all of the major chronic diseases, notably heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

“Reversing and preventing obesity would translate directly into the addition of life to years, and of years to life,” he said.

More information

For more on obesity, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Cajun Turkey, Asparagus & Brie Cheese Omelet

This is a Gluten Free Recipe

Makes 4 servings 4

Prep time Under 15 minutes PT15M

Total time Under 30 minutes PT30M

Nutritional Information

Calories	170	Fat	16g
Protein	20g	Cholesterol	45mg
Carbohydrates	6g	Sodium	600mg
Fiber	2g	Saturated Fat	5g
Sugars	3g

Ingredients

2 cups egg substitute or 8 eggs, beaten

6 ounces sliced JENNIE-O® Cajun Style Turkey Breast, from the service deli

4 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced

1 pound asparagus, blanched or lightly steamed and cut into 1½-inch pieces

green onions, if desired

Directions

Lightly coat skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-low heat. Pour ¼ of eggs into pan. Cook, lightly scrambling and lifting eggs with spatula to allow liquid eggs to flow under set eggs, 2 to 3 minutes or until eggs are set.

Layer turkey, cheese and asparagus over half of omelet. Fold other half of omelet over filling, turn out onto serving plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Garnish with onions, if desired.

Makes 4 servings 4

Prep time 10 minutes PT10M

Total time Under 30 minutes PT30M

Nutritional Information

Calories	100	Fat	2g
Protein	12g	Cholesterol	30mg
Carbohydrates	10g	Sodium	790mg
Fiber	2g	Saturated Fat	0g
Sugars	6g

Ingredients

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

8 ounces diced JENNIE-O® Homestyle Tender Browned Turkey Breast, from the service deli

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup pea pods, partially cooked

1 carrot, grated

3 green onions, chopped

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Directions

In small bowl mix mayonnaise, soy sauce and ginger until smooth; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine turkey, red bell pepper, pea pods, carrot and green onion. Add mayonnaise mixture: stir to combine. Serve on lettuce cover platter.

Why Couples Should Make New Friends Together

Photo: Getty Images

Add this to the long list of things couples should do together: make friends.

According to a new study published in the Personal Relationships journal, couples felt closer to each other when they made new friends together.

The study, led by Keith Welker PhD, used about 150 couples and split them into two groups. People in the first group had to answer increasingly probing questions about themselves like, “If you could go back in your life and change any one experience, what would it be and why?” according to New York magazine’s Science of Us blog. The other group consisted of couples who answered small talk questions. Some of the participants were paired with other couples, while some completed the task with their partner.

The result: Partners who revealed personal details in front of another couple reported feeling more warm and fuzzy toward each other afterward than any other group. It’s possible that making new friends, rather than acquaintances, helps you see your partner in a different way. “The creation of couple friendships may be an additional way to reignite feelings of passionate love in romantic relationships,” the authors wrote in the abstract.

So if your relationship could use a boost, you might want to hang out with another couple once in a while.

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TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — There are hints in a new study that eating the much-lauded Mediterranean diet may help boost longevity.

Researchers found that the regimen — rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish and olive oil — appears to be associated with longer telomere length, which are indicators of slower aging.

Telomeres are located on the ends of chromosomes — much like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces. According to geneticists, telomeres prevent chromosomes from fraying and scrambling the genetic codes they contain. These bits of genetic material naturally shorten with age, but they tend to shorten more slowly in healthy people.

Shorter telomeres have long been associated with a greater risk of age-related diseases and a shorter life span, experts say.

The new study was led by Immaculata De Vivo, an associate professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston. Her team looked at data from more than 4,600 participants in the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study, which has been tracking the health of U.S. nurses since 1976.

The participants were given a score of 0 to 9 on how closely they followed a Mediterranean diet, with a higher score indicating greater adherence to the regimen.

After adjusting for other factors, the researchers concluded that telomeres aged more slowly for every point a person went up on the scale.

However, the intake of individual food items in the Mediterranean diet was not associated with telomere length, which shows the importance of overall eating patterns on health, De Vivo’s team said.

“To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study specifically addressing the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and telomere length in healthy, middle-aged women,” the researchers wrote. “Our results further support the benefits of adherence to the Mediterranean diet for promoting health and longevity.”

According to De Vivo’s team, prior research has linked the Mediterranean diet with better heart health, as well as a lowered risk for chronic disease and death.

The study, published Dec. 2 in the BMJ, was not designed to prove that the Mediterranean diet slowed the shortening of telomeres; it could only show an association.

Still, one cardiologist said the findings make sense.

“Telomere length has been associated with aging — with longer telomere length, there has been association with slower aging, and with a longer life expectancy,” said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of Women and Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

She noted that unhealthy habits might have the opposite effect on telomeres, however.

“Shorter telomeres are associated with obesity, cigarette smoking and the consumption of sugar,” Steinbaum noted. On the other hand, “the Mediterranean diet is filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods in the form of fruits, vegetables, legumes,” she said, and “there is an association with longer telomeres.”

More information

The American Heart Association has more about the Mediterranean diet.

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Credit hip thrusts for getting Megan Fox back into her pre-baby shape. “They helped lengthen (i.e., flatten) her abs and hip flexors, while strengthening her hip extensors, back, glutes and hamstrings,” says her trainer, Harley Pasternak.

Lie faceup on the floor with knees bent, heels on top of a bench, arms extended out to sides (A). Engage abs, squeeze glutes and slowly press hips up toward ceiling, forming a diagonal line from knees to shoulders (B). Hold for 1 count; lower back to start. Do 3 sets of 20 reps twice a week.

look-like-megan-fox

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By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) — An experimental vaccine designed to stop breast cancer in its tracks appeared to be safe in a preliminary trial.

Fourteen women with breast cancer that had spread were injected with a vaccine that targets a specific protein, known as mammaglobin-A, that is found in high amounts in breast tumors.

Although the study was small, the findings suggest that the vaccine may also boost a patient’s immune response and help slow disease progression.

“I don’t want to oversell this,” cautioned study co-author Dr. William Gillanders, vice chairman for research in the department of surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “This is a small clinical trial. But we can say confidently that the vaccine was safe,” he said.

“We can also say with confidence that we were able to generate an immune response in almost all the patients who were vaccinated,” he added. “And there is preliminary evidence that the vaccine may have an impact on breast cancer progression. But that needs to be studied further to be confirmed.”

Gillanders and his colleagues reported their findings in the Dec. 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

The study authors noted that overexpression of mammaglobin-A is found in up to 80 percent of breast cancer patients.

The vaccine prompts a specific kind of white blood cell in the immune system to track this protein down and eliminate it.

The women in the study were classified as having “advanced” disease. This meant they had prior exposure to chemotherapy, a process known to undermine a patient’s immune function.

That said, none of the patients had undergone chemotherapy in the month leading up to vaccination.

The team found that side effects from the vaccine after one year were minimal, and included rashes, tenderness and mild flu-like symptoms.

What’s more, by the one-year mark roughly 50 percent of the patients showed no sign of disease progression, the investigators found.

By comparison, only 20 percent of a similar group of 12 patients showed no signs of disease progression one year out, according to the study authors.

Even though the researchers stressed the need for a larger, longer study, they theorized that if the vaccine were given to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who had not yet been exposed to chemotherapy, the vaccine might prove even more effective at halting disease.

“This trial wasn’t really designed to look at this question, which makes it difficult to interpret the results so far,” Gillanders noted. “But there’s been a lot of interest in the development of a prevention vaccine for breast cancer and other cancers. And this work confirms the promise of such a strategy.”

Dr. Courtney Vito, a breast surgeon and assistant clinical professor of surgical oncology with the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif., suggested the vaccine approach “makes a lot of sense and is very promising.”

Vito explained that “our bodies all, at one time or another, have probably had a cancerous cell somewhere. It’s just an error in cell replication when the DNA doesn’t get copied correctly. Our cells have their own machinery, or ‘kill switches,’ to self-destruct if there’s a problem in replication. However, sometimes this mechanism fails. The next line of defense is for the immune system to recognize a sick or cancerous cell and destroy it,” she said.

“Tumors occur when the single cancerous cell escapes destruction by self-death and then also the immune system,” Vito said. “Once it evades those systems, it can replicate quickly, producing a tumor, and then, with time, it can spread to other parts of the body,” she noted.

“Ramping up the immune system specifically against breast cancer cells is really just augmenting nature’s own lines of defense, possibly without the side effects of drugs like chemotherapy, which is what this trial showed,” Vito added.

The findings are “exciting,” said Sarah Hawley, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor.

“The preliminary finding that the vaccine improved progression-free survival in patients with metastatic cancer [when the disease has spread to other parts of the body] is especially exciting because of the lack of good treatments for metastatic breast cancer,” Hawley said.

“If the authors can replicate this result in future trials in metastatic and non-metastatic or newly diagnosed patients, this will represent an important direction for the field of breast cancer treatment research,” Hawley concluded.

More information

Visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute for more on cancer vaccines.

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I noticed my hands have been shaky lately. Is something wrong?

Most likely, no. Everyone has a slight unsteadiness in the hands, which is called physiologic tremor. These normal vibrations can sometimes worsen, however, if you‘re downing too much coffee or are extra stressed (blame adrenaline). Skipping meals and taking certain types of medication may also exacerbate the shakes.

It’s also possible you have essential tremor, a harmless (but frustrating) condition that can show up in your 40s and 50s. About half of the people with this problem—linked to miscommunications in the brain—have a family member who has it. Prescription medications can help, but many people do fine without them.

Rarely, tremor can be the first sign of a neurological disorder, like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis. If you‘re jittery when your hand is at rest and you notice balance or coordination problems, see your doctor for a neurological exam. Barring a serious issue, your only Rx will be to get a grip on stress and cut back on your java intake.

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Shrimp cocktail is on practically every holiday menu, but many of my clients aren’t sure if they should avoid shrimp or dig in. If you’re a seafood eater and you enjoy these crustaceans, either chilled or in hot dishes, here are seven things you should know.

They’re low in calories

One medium shrimp provides about 7 calories, which means a dozen add up to less than 85 calories—roughly 15 less than a 3-ounce chicken breast (about the size of a deck of cards in thickness and width). One jumbo shrimp, the type often served in shrimp cocktail, contains about 14 calories, and a teaspoon of cocktail sauce provides 5, so three jumbo shrimp, each with a teaspoon of cocktail sauce as an appetizer, adds up to less than 60 calories, about 10 less than just one pig in a blanket, and 20 less than two mini empanadas or two mini quiche.

They’re protein-rich

In addition to their water content, shrimp are primarily made of protein. Three ounces of baked or broiled shrimp provides about 20 grams of protein, just a few grams less than that a 3-ounce chicken breast. Each jumbo shrimp provides about 3 grams, and contains very little fat and carbohydrate.

They provide key nutrients

Aside from protein, shrimp provide a pretty impressive array of nutrients. Four ounces steamed contains over 100% of the Daily Value for selenium, over 75% for vitamin B12, over 50% for phosphorous, and over 30% for choline, copper, and iodine. And while we don’t typically think of animal proteins as sources of antioxidants, shrimp contain two types. In addition to being a mineral that plays a role in immunity and thyroid function, selenium is an important antioxidant that helps fight damaging particles called free radicals, which damage cell membranes and DNA, leading to premature aging and disease. Another antioxidant, called astaxanthin, which provides the primary color pigment in shrimp, has been shown to help reduce inflammation, a known trigger of aging and disease.

They’re a common allergen

As a member of the shellfish family, shrimp are among the top allergens, which in addition to shellfish include milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy. Exposure to shrimp by those who are allergic to shellfish can cause a severe reaction, including life threatening anaphalyaxis. More mild reactions may include a stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy skin, hives, tingling in the mouth, abdominal pain, and nausea. A food allergy can develop at any age. If you think you may be allergic to shrimp, or any other food, see an allergist for testing right away.

Yes, they’re high in cholesterol, but…

The current guidelines from both the USDA and American Heart Association state that dietary cholesterol intake should be limited to no more than 300 mg per day, and three ounces of shrimp provides about half that amount. There are two kinds of cholesterol. The first is called dietary cholesterol, which is the cholesterol found in foods. Only foods from animals contain cholesterol, because the animals’ bodies produced it. The second kind of cholesterol is blood or serum cholesterol: this is the cholesterol inside of your body. Blood cholesterol is produced by your liver and released into your bloodstream.

If you eat animal-based foods, the cholesterol you absorb can also contribute to blood cholesterol. However, the impact of dietary cholesterol on blood cholesterol has been an issue of debate. Research shows that high intakes of saturated fat and man-made trans fat have the greatest impact on blood cholesterol. Shrimp is very low in saturated fat and doesn’t contain trans fat—unless it’s been fried or cooked in a way that adds trans fat. But if you already have high cholesterol, follow the advice of your doctor about dietary cholesterol. And for more on how to eat seafood healthfully, check out my previous post on 5 Healthy Cooking Tips for Fish.

Shrimp fraud is common

A recent report from Oceana found that 30% of 143 shrimp products tested from 111 nationwide vendors were misrepresented. For example, farmed shrimp was sold as wild or Gulf. This means you may be unknowingly eating shrimp produced in a farm that uses antibiotics, fungicides, and other harmful chemicals. Unfortunately there isn’t much you as a consumer can do about this, but for more info about choosing shrimp that is properly labeled, checkout out this handy resource from Seafood Watch.

Even wild shrimp may contain contaminants

A recent Arizona State University study analyzed 27 samples of seafood, including shrimp, from 11 countries. Researchers found detectable amounts of five different antibiotics, including in wild shrimp. This is a critical finding, since the use of antibiotics in food production has contributed to a rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria, a major public health concern.

Bottom line: nutritionally speaking, shrimp is a bit of mixed bag, and Americans eat more shrimp than any other seafood item. If you’re one of them the best advice is to know the pros and cons, enjoy shrimp in moderation, and do your best to shop for, prepare, and order the healthiest options. For more info check out 5 Rules for Buying and Storing Seafood.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass.

Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Her latest New York Times best seller is S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches. Connect with Cynthia on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Hard-boiled eggs

Mini frittatas

Quality grains

Pre-measured smoothies

Leftovers

Monday, December 8, 2014

Don’t let your goals fall by the wayside this Christmas. You can fit fitness in – no matter what, says Amanda Khouv.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Nutritional Information

Ingredients

Directions

Nutritional Information

Ingredients

Directions

Friday, December 5, 2014

They’re low in calories

They’re protein-rich

They provide key nutrients

They’re a common allergen

Yes, they’re high in cholesterol, but…

Shrimp fraud is common

Even wild shrimp may contain contaminants

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