Diet is one of the major risk factors for cancer in Western societies. But it’s not just about what we eat too much of. It’s also about the foods we should learn to add to our table every day.

In his $40M laboratory at the University of Montreal, Dr. Richard Beliveau used to test new drugs that may help treat cancer. One day, tugged by children with leukemia who stopped him in the corridor of the hospital to ask if he had something new for them to use, he started experimenting with simple food extracts. Beliveau discovered that many simple food extracts had anticancer properties as powerful as many of the drugs he had been testing for the past 30 years.

Lenny, one of his friends, learned that he had pancreatic cancer. His wife begged Beliveau to help her design an anticancer diet. She fed Lenny, every day, three times a day, with foods that all had been tested for their anticancer properties. Lenny lived five years beyond his prognosis.

Today, the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the largest cancer research institution in the world, is also exploring this avenue. Long used in Ayurvedic medicine in India, the common spice turmeric (one of the main spices in curry) has been found to contain the most potent natural antiinflammatory ever described — the molecule “curcumin.” Researchers at MD Anderson have shown that it inhibits cancer growth by not only reducing inflammation (necessary for invasion of neighboring tissues) but by inducing cancer cell death (“apoptosis”), slowing down the growth of new blood vessels necessary for tumor expansion (“angiogenesis”), and increasing the efficacy of chemotherapy. This research was recently reviewed in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2008).

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute (which awards the Nobel Prize) in Sweden have also shown that the polyphenols of green tea inhibit the progression of cancer. It can increase, too, the efficacy of radiotherapy. Women in Japan who drink more than three cups of green tea per day reduce their risk of breast cancer relapse. Men reduce their chance of seeing prostate cancer advance to a dangerous stage.

Eating at least five fruits and vegetables per day contributes greatly to the reduction of cancer risk.

The World Cancer Research Fund confirmed in its October 2007 report that 40 percent of cancers could be avoided with a more adequate diet and a bit more physical activity. And that these same lifestyle choices should be an integral part of any treatment of cancer. It stated as a goal no more than 12 ounces of red meat per week. The current American diet is close to 11 ounces per day.

The single most important feature in an anticancer diet is to reverse the proportions of a typical American meal: Make the core of your plate vegetables (and fruits), and use meat only to enhance flavor. Legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc.) and soy (tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame etc.) offer the same proteins as meat but combined with cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

It’s also important to replace desserts (refined sugar) with fruits as often as possible. Berries, for example, contain anthocyanidins that directly help kill cancer cells and reduce the growth of abnormal blood vessels. Tangerines and their special flavonoids also act against cancer cells. All brightly colored fruits contain flavonoids that contribute to slowing down cancer growth. Agave syrup (which does not raise blood sugar or insulin) is a wonderful way to replace sugar for those who can’t do without the sweet taste.

All omega-6 oils (soybean, corn, sunflower) should be reduced or eliminated and replaced with olive oil, canola oil, or flaxseed oil. Omega-3 butter or margarine is also acceptable.

Animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) should be grass-fed or labeled “omega-3 rich,” and preferably organic so as to avoid growth hormone (that can stimulate cancer cell growth too).

Organic vegetables and fruits are preferable to nonorganic, but, as Dr. Beliveau likes to point out, “it’s better to eat broccoli with a few residues of pesticides on it than to not eat broccoli.”

And benefits from an anticancer diet are immediate. Within months, we can see our blood sugar go down, our waist thinning, our blood pressure improve, and we feel more energetic and less afflicted by little pains of life we had started to take for granted such as heartburn and joint pains… It’s not just about cancer. It’s about nourishing life in us.

Copyright 2008 David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD

A group of sedentary and overweight older people placed on a four-month exercise program not only became more fit, but burned off more fat, compared to older sedentary people who were placed on a diet but did not exercise.

The new study also showed that when older people diet without exercising, they lose more lean muscle compared to those who exercise, said senior researcher Bret H. Goodpaster. When they combined weight loss with exercise, it nearly completely prevented the loss of lean muscle mass. The results are important because older people tend to lose muscle mass as they age and too much muscle loss may interfere with activities of daily living.

The study, “Separate and combined effects of exercise training and weight loss on exercise efficiency and substrate oxidation,” appears in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology, published by The American Physiological Society. Francesca Amati, John J. Dube, Chris Shay and Goodpaster, all of the University of Pittsburgh, carried out the study.

Study looks at exercise efficiency

The researchers wanted to know the best way to get better (more efficient) at completing a defined exercise task. In particular, they wanted to know if greater fitness could be achieved through exercise training, weight loss (through dieting), or both. In addition, they wanted to know which fuel source the body would draw upon, carbohydrates or fats, under these different conditions.

The 64 participants were 60-75 years of age and were either overweight or obese. All of the participants were sedentary at the outset of the study. The researchers divided the participants into three groups:

• exercise only
• diet only
• exercise plus diet

Those who exercised could either walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bicycle, although most chose to walk. The dieters reduced their caloric intake to achieve a 10% weight loss by the end of the four-month study period. The final group combined both the daily exercise and the diet.

Exercise increases efficiency, burns more fat

The researchers measured how many calories the participants expended during a set work load on a stationary bicycle at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. They found that the:

• Exercise group expended fewer calories (became more efficient) on the exercise task at the end of the study compared to the beginning.
• Exercise group drew more on fat stores as the source of their body’s fuel.
• Diet-only group did not gain efficiency in performing the exercise task, even though they weighed less at the end of the experiment.
• Diet-only group’s weight loss resulted from a loss of both muscle and fat.
• Exercise plus diet group was the most efficient at the exercise task at the end of the experiment. This shows an additive effect of both dieting and exercise, but most of that benefit was due to exercise.
• Exercise plus diet group, like the exercise-only group, drew more on fat stores as an energy source.

“The take-home message is that, even among older people and during a fairly short period of time, exercise produces metabolic changes that require the expenditure of fewer calories during physical activity,” Goodpaster said. Exercise also allowed older people to more preferentially burn fat, which may be healthier metabolically.”

Source: sciencedaily.com

Eating a diet that provides the right amount and types of calories (energy) to maintain all the body’s systems is considered a balanced diet. There are three basic rules to the perfect diet: Don’t skip breakfast because it really is the most important meal of the day; eat at least three meals a day because anything less will lower your metabolism; attempt to eat food from every food group at every meal because you will ingest an adequate amount and better quality of calories.

The perfect diet consists of the types of food you learned about in the food pyramid in fifth grade. The pyramid has six food groups, each providing one or more of the three nutrients needed for survival and to build the perfect diet.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. The two main forms of carbohydrates are simple (sugars) and complex (starches). Fiber also falls under the umbrella of carbohydrates. There are four calories per every gram of carbohydrates. Carbs can be found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and beans.

In a balanced diet, roughly 60% of your calories should come from carbs. The average man between the ages of 19 and 30 needs 1,200 calories per day. Active men can add about 300 carb calories to their daily intake. The majority of the carbohydrate sources are healthy. Fruits and vegetables contain both fructose and fiber. Dairy products have carbohydrates as well as calcium. Whole grain or multigrain breads, multigrain cereals, brown rice, pasta, and beans and legumes provide fiber, B vitamins and tend to have low glycemic levels. They are broken down into glucose at a slower rate and prevent spikes in blood sugar and the mid-afternoon slump that happens when you’re coming off that sugar high.

Refined sugars have no nutrients, but contain calories; limit them in a well-balanced diet. If possible choose brown sugar or honey.

A balanced breakfast: To follow the perfect diet, start your day with a bowl of oatmeal made with low-fat or 2% milk, sweetened with low-sugar fruit preserves and chunky peanut butter.

Fats

Fat is essential for survival. It makes up the cell walls and is needed to transport and absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. A little goes a long way when it comes to fats in the perfect diet; 15% to 20% of your daily calories should come from fat. There are nine calories per gram of fat, twice the calories from one gram of carbs, which is why too much fat and not enough exercise can lead to weight gain. Fats are an important energy source during exercise, but not the first choice. The main source of fat on a balanced diet should be unsaturated fat. Saturated fats are found in meat, eggs, milk, and cheese. Butter, margarine, coconut oil, palm oil, and Crisco are all examples of saturated fat. If it’s solid or very thick in its natural state, it will leave fatty deposits in your arteries and colon.

Cholesterol is another essential fat and is produced in the liver. It is used for cell and hormone production. Cholesterol is found in meat and dairy products. Ingesting too much saturated fat can also raise cholesterol levels. Choose olive oil or canola oil and eat leaner cuts of meat. Fish contains the healthy fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. A hunk of salmon, a tuna steak, tilapia, or mahimahi are meaty fish that are good sources of unsaturated fat and they’re satisfying as well.

Fat tastes good – that’s why we eat it, but it should be consumed in moderation. That’s the key to a balanced diet. Be wary of low-fat products; the fat is usually replaced with sugar to maintain flavor. Always remember to check the labels. Eat the «regular» versions of foods and just watch your portions.

A balanced lunch: A sandwich is a portable way to get a balanced meal. On 7- or 12-grain bread, have tuna fish, chicken or turkey breast, Gouda cheese, mesclun greens, and honey mustard.

Protein

If there’s ever a time men sit around and talk about their diets, protein surely comes up – how much protein they eat, the best protein shakes to drink after a workout, the best protein powder, etc. Yes, protein is important in following the perfect diet because it builds and repairs tissue. Everything from your skin, hair, nails and, of course, your muscles are made up of protein. Just like fat, however, you can have too much of a good thing.

For active men, whose daily caloric intake is 3,000 to 3,500 calories, protein intake on a balanced diet should still be 15% to 20% (or 640 calories). Protein keeps you satiated, so it’s wise to have protein with every meal, but if you’re going to eat that 16-ounce steak on Monday you may want to ease off the protein for the next few days – that steak will provide 207 grams of protein, while a 190-pound man only needs a maximum of 86 grams of protein a day. That’s enough to repair muscles after a workout and keep skin and hair healthy. For your post-workout refueling, a smoothie with milk, banana, strawberry, mango, yogurt, and peanut butter is a good source of protein. Products like Muscle Milk are marketed as great sources of protein, but be sure to read the label for the fat content. Remember, fat and protein go hand-in-hand.

A balanced dinner: For dinner, a salad with sliced almonds or pecans, baby shrimp, black beans and cheese is a good choice for adequate protein.

Strive for perfection

Forget fad dieting; cutting out carbs and loading up on proteins alone may help you drop the pounds, but it’s not helping you build a balanced diet. A little bit of everything in moderation is key. So, fill your plate with greens, add some protein and carbs on the side for good measure, and indulge in a bite or two of fat once in a while – your body will thank you for it.

Source: AskMen.com

But following health scares, the slimming plan, which shunned most carbohydrates, fell out of favour.

Today, it’s back on the menu – only this time, with a side-order of bread.

The All-New Atkins Advantage diet is said to offer the same weight loss as the old programme – without the health worries.

Its controversial selling-point remains the same. The plan aims to take followers into a state of ketosis, where the body is starved of carbohydrates.

In this condition, the body breaks down its own fat as there is not a large enough carbohydrate intake. It is normally associated with anorexics or those with diabetes.

Although this makes shifting pounds relatively easy, it has unknown health consequences and has been criticised by dieticians.

Under the old plan, dieters could eat as much high-protein food such as red meat and cheese as they wanted, but most carbohydrates were banned.

However, the latest 12-week programme is split into four stages – and in each one, increasing amounts of carbs are allowed.

Written by U. S. authors Dr Stuart Trager and Collette Heimowitz, both affiliated with the firm Atkins Nutritionals, it includes an exercise recommendation for the first time.

Dr Trager said: «Yes, some foods are still off-limits in the earlier phases of the new diet. But there is room for healthy carbohydrates. The exercise plan means you can have a slice of bread with your salad if you do stick to the workouts.»

The rules advise slimmers to get the fat intake right, exercise, eat until they are full and include protein in every meal. For the first two weeks, dieters eat only 20g of net carbohydrates – carbohydrates minus protein – made up of foods such as seeds and berries.

In the period called «ongoing weight loss», this allowance rises to between 30g and 60g and includes carbs such as oatmeal, brown rice, wholegrain pasta and wholemeal bread.

Those who want to eat more carbohydrates just balance the increased intake with exercise.

When thin enough, it’s time for the «life maintenance phase», in which white bread, sandwiches and desserts can be introduced with about 120g of carbs a day.

However, it seems likely that the latest plan will come in for similar criticism to its predecessor.

Carina Norris, a dietician registered with the British Nutrition foundation, said: «Ketosis is not the normal way the body burns fat and we don’t yet fully understand what it can do to you.»

In 2005, an Oxford University study found the diet could damage the heart. Demand dropped after founder Dr Robert Atkins died in a fall in 2003, at 72.

A report showed he had heart disease and was clinically obese.

But a new study of 293 dieters has found the original Atkins Diet was safe and effective – but no better than conventional diets.

Scientists asked UK volunteers to follow one of four commercial diets, including Atkins. The Australian team found no difference in the amount of weight lost, Nutrition Journal reports.

Source: mailonsunday.co.uk

The world’s heaviest man a 43-year-old man from Mexico, is the heaviest people in Guinness Book of World Records. After reaching a peak weight of around 597 kg and being unable to leave his bed since 2001, Uribe lost considerable weight with the help of doctors and nutritionists, and by following the Zone diet.

Zone Diet reported on Manuel Uribe, the most famous case of Zone diet. After weighing in at around 560 kg (1234 lbs or over 88 stone) but within 2 years had lost about 184 kg. Under provision of Zone diet now he weights only 376 kg. Now ones may wonder what Diet zone uses to help clients loss weight successfully.

The Zone diet is a diet popularized in books by biochemist Barry Sears. He used the word «Zone» to describe the hormone balance in human body where insulin and glucagon level are neither too low nor to high, then specific anti-inflammatory chemicals. Sears claims that a 30:40 ratio of protein to carbohydrates triggers this effect. Sears claims that these natural anti-inflammatories are heart and health friendly.

Sears believed that caloric balance human body is more efficient and does not have to store excess calories as fat. The human body cannot store fat and burn fat at the same time, and he also believes it takes time to switch from the former to the latter. Using stored fat for energy causes weight loss.

Another factor of the Zone diet, Sears introduced in his later books, is an intake of a particular ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids.

Several Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Renee Zellweger, Cindy Crawford, Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods, and Tom Cruise, are believed to have followed the Zone diet strategies.

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