Drinking Milk Helps Weight Loss

We've got all sorts of things for weight loss: pills, diet books, surgery, and even vibrating machines you strap around your belly. But, who would have thought the answer would be as simple as drinking milk.

A new study claims consuming milk and calcium helped people lose more weight, regardless of diet.

But, before you go out and buy your own personal dairy cow, take a look at who sponsored the study.

Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, experts found study participants (300 overweight men and women, ages 40 to 65, on either a low-fat, Mediterranean, or low-carb diet) with the highest dairy calcium intake, 12 ounces of milk - equal to 580 milligrams of dairy calcium - lost 12 pounds at the end of two years, regardless of the diet style.

On the flipside, people with the lowest dairy calcium intake, 150 milligrams of dairy calcium, about half a glass of milk, only lost seven pounds.

The magic might not just be in the milk or the calcium. The researchers say vitamin D levels were higher in the people who lost the most weight. Vitamin D is a nutrient that acts like a hormone, and helps facilitate calcium absorption. Other sources of vitamin D include fatty fish like salmon and algae supplements.

But, the research has a fatal, and sadly all too common flaw, it was supported by the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Research Foundation, i.e. a fad diet company. Atkins advocates a high-fat diet for weight-loss, eating foods like bacon, steak, eggs, and of course milk, so you've got to raise an eyebrow. It's the same as a cigarette maker backing research that claims inhaling tobacco smoke actually improves lung health. Fail.

When a fad diet, activist group, or pharmaceutical company sponsors a study the findings can't be trusted. It's like a mafia don buying a judge.

Image credit: [ henning ]

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Belly Fat Cure

The Belly Fat Cure by Jorge Cruise has found its way to the New York Times Best Seller List, and is one of the latest diets hoping to appeal to the millions of people who struggle with obesity.

Jorge Cruise is also the author of the popular 3 Hour Diet, which instructed dieters to eat every three hours to lose weight.

So, what does Cruise's new diet promote in order to help dieters lose belly fat and the promised "4 pounds a week"?

The basic premise of Jorge Cruise's new diet is based on keeping insulin levels regulated in the body. The Belly Fat Cure states that high insulin levels cause the liver to turn sugar into fat, which ultimately gets stored in the belly.

If a dieter wishes to keep insulin levels within a healthy range he/she must get rid of simple sugars from the diet. Jorge says that The Belly Fat Cure isn't about counting calories, but about paying attention to what kind of calories are being consumed.

Jorge claims that eating less and exercising more doesn't work, and he guarantees if the dieter sticks to his plan "to the letter", he/she will lose 4 pounds a week, and results will be "almost instant".

Cruise offer's prospective dieters a free 7 day plan and promises to be with the dieter every step of the way.

Breakfast 2 or 3 eggs any style with one slice of whole grain toast with a pat of butter or cream cheese. A cup of coffee with cream or half and half; but not milk, its full of hidden sugarSnack LunchSnack Dinner Salad with baby spinach, grilled chicken, crushed black pepper, and olive oil dressing. A side of either broccoli or zucchini, sauteed in butter and topped with melted mozzarella.Dessert Decaf espresso with a dollop of heavy whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon and sweetened with a packet of stevia.While cutting out simple sugars isn't really anything new, and has been shown to be effective in helping people not only lose weight, but to have better health as well, many of Cruise's claims in The Belly Fat Cure aren't based on solid research, and are more or less marketing hyperbole.

Statements such as "results are almost instantly", "eating less exercising more doesn't work", as well as "flavoring each of your three main meals daily with a pinch of salt will also aid in digestion and accelerate your weight loss", are simply not factual.

I signed up for the 7 day sample plan, which was really just a ploy to get me on Cruise's mailing list. It contained very little information, apart from a couple days worth of menus that to me seemed to be quite high in saturated fat, and was designed for a 40 year old woman, which I am not.

In Cruises automated email he claims to be with me every step of the way, yet when I replied to his email with a question, it instantly bounced back saying email quota was exceeded.

Although Cruise is a pretty savvy marketer of his products, by getting attention from Oprah and Dr. Oz, his Belly Fat Cure teaches nothing new and actually encourages dieters to consume high amounts of saturated fat and salt. Not to mention the widely disproved notion that belly fat can be targeted by a certain diet or certain exercises.

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Interview With Ben Davis: "My 120 Pound Journey"

In January of 2009, a young man by the name of Ben Davis had had enough. He was 358lbs, and his weight was taking its toll on his health and his personal life. Then one day he started to run...

If you haven't seen this incredibly inspiring video, do yourself a favor and watch it. Then watch it again, and share it with others. Ben Davis' journey is a true testament of the human spirit and what one can accomplish with dedication, hard work (and some nipple band aids!)

Here's the video:

Determined to get into the head of such a determined and fearless human being, I caught up with Ben Davis, and had the privilege of picking his brain about his amazing journey.

MH: Hello Ben!

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time out to do this.

BD: It's my pleasure; I'm honored.

MH: I was really struck by the line in the video that says "and then I got inspired". Was there a moment/event/epiphany that occurred that sparked you into action? Describe if you can what the turning point was.

BD: There was absolutely a moment for me. It was Christmas of '08. I was spending the break with my grandmother in Massachusetts. She's always been a big supporter of me, but has always been concerned with my health and obesity. Throughout my life, she had always offered me advice and tips on how to become healthy, but where I appreciated it, I had also always kind of dismissed it. Then, this particular Christmas, in one of our many conversations she just asked me if I was happy. At the time, I just nonchalantly told her I was. Later that night, though, I started to think about it, and realized I wasn't happy. I also had the luxury of being able to pinpoint my sadness to my obesity.

So the next morning was Christmas and, being the irresponsible grandchild, I hadn't gotten her a gift. I woke up early and made the website. I wrote the address on a card for her and told her it was my commitment to her, that it was finally time to get my life together. She loved it.

MH: When you decided you were going to start running, did you have a specific goal in mind? Did you ever imagine when you started this journey less than 2 years ago that you would have undergone such a drastic transformation?

BD: There wasn't really any goals at first other than, "lose weight, get fit." But I knew running would be a means to that end, so my brother, Jed, and I signed up for a 5K to kind of kickstart us and give us something to work towards. He had about 50 pounds to lose (and has, by the way) so it was a perfect time for us both to be getting our act together.

But finishing the 5K 17 days later lit a fire in me. I loved the race atmosphere and loved seeing my times improve, so I never looked back.

MH: People start these kinds of endeavors all the time with the best of intentions, but very few of them accomplish what you did. What was it that kept you going, Ben?

BD: A few things, actually. First of all, the fear of going back to the dark place of depression. I knew how sad I was back then and never wanted to go back. I actually wrote a letter to my future self on the blog. It basically said, "Dude, if you're thinking of giving up, just remember, you've never been as happy as you are now. Keep going." And any time I would have a bad run or eat bad for a week, I would remember that letter and keep going.

Second thing was the running scene and the constant races. Having races and goals for those races really keeps the motivation up. I probably wouldn't have been successful if I had gone in just trying to have random workouts each day. With races, you're always kind of on a set schedule, training wise, and always wanting to improve your times, so you're always motivated to keep hitting the track.

MH: You've accomplished such an amazing feat to this point. What are some of your personal and athletic goals for the future?

Being bigger, I'm not really built for speed. I'm more into the long distance, endurance stuff like triathlons and long road races, so my goals are more marathonish type things. Of course, it would be fantastic to run a marathon in all 50 states. That's one of our big goals. More Ironmans, no doubt. And recently we've been toying with the idea of a 100-miler, but nothing set on that. The main goal, though, is to keep going. Just keep doing it. If nothing else, just make sure to stay with it.

MH: Lastly, what message do you have for people out there who may find themselves in a situation similar to yours of 2 years ago?

BD: My four commandments!

1. Be public
If you keep this to yourself, it will be easy to quit. The thing about having a health problem/addiction, is that the natural impulse is to hide it and keep it secret that you're trying to better yourself. But, it's also easier to quit if it's just you that knows about it.

And here's a secret: Unlike some addictions like alcoholism or drug use that are hideable, obesity is different. People know you're obese. It's not your little secret; you're not fooling anyone (no matter how much black or vertical lines you wear). So if you want to change, tell people. It seems embarrassing, I know. And it's hard, but you'll find that the people that love and care about you are going to be excited for you.

2. Get involved in something official
The feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself will keep you motivated to keep going. Join a local fitness movement (running club, cycling group, weight watchers, etc...) If you have a group of people with likeminded goals, you'll keep coming back. As a bonus, if you join a running club, you'll have official races (Crazy scary, at first, but really no big deal) that you can work toward to keep you having goals. Get involved. You won't regret it.

3. Do something that you enjoy
Running isn't for everyone, so don't do it if you don't want to. Do you enjoy rollerblading? Good. Do that, but do it enough for it to work. Love cycling? Perfect. Did you swim in high school and kind of wish you could get back into it? Great.

If you hate what you're doing, you won't be doing it for very long. If I had said at the beginning, "I'm going to get really freaking good at doing the elliptical," BenDoesLife would have lasted two weeks. Find something that works for you and kill it. You can do it.

4. Be a smarter eater
And I don't mean you have to find a popular name-brand diet thing. If you want to, fine, but they aren't for everyone. But you have to eat better and, more importantly, smarter. Are you and your friends going out for pizza? Ok. Have two slices instead of seven (which was my number of choice.) Want something easy for breakfast? Toast an English muffin rather than a Pop-Tart.

And, if nothing else, learn portion control. Our portion sizes are completely out of whack these days, and what you think is a small meal is probably still more than you should be eating. It's going to take a month or two before you're used to the smaller portions but you'll get there, and it's imperative that you do. Give it time.

MH: Well, Ben I'm sure I speak for many when I wish you a very heartfelt congratulations and all the best in your future pursuits.

Be sure to check out Ben's blog - documenting his continuing journey and sharing thoughts, tips and other musings.

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Poll: Hugh Jackman May Bulk Up Vegan for Wolverine II

A few weeks ago our weekly poll focused on how a vegan diet almost killed Angelina Jolie.

Now it's been reported that Hugh Jackman is considering using a vegan diet to bulk up for his next movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine II. If a vegan diet almost "killed" Angelina will it produce a ripped, fierce, yet vegetarian wolverine?

In a recent interview with VegNews, Brendan Brazier, (a vegan nutritionist, athlete, author, and founder of vegetarian based Vega), said that he has been working with Jackman to prepare for his up coming movie.

Although the Wolverine bulked up eating a lot of chicken for his previous movie, Jackman has since switched to a mostly vegan diet for environmental and health reasons. Brazier isn't certain if the actor will go completely vegan for his bulk up, but will most likely be primarily vegan.

Will a vegan diet contain enough protein to produce the muscular Wolverine we saw in the first X-Men Origins movie or will we see a punier version in Wolverine II ?

What do you think? Participate in the poll and comments below.

Can a vegan diet be used to produce bulky muscle mass?

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Would This Amount of Exercise Be Considered "Moderate"? [Forum]

today I did a "guts, butts, and thighs" class

It felt like a pretty good workout, but I'm in shape so I wasn't sure, I did hear others say how much it made them sore but idk if I will be feeling that.

the class was an hour and afterward I talked to the instructor and asked her how many calories she estimated it burned. she said of course it depends on weight, which I know, but she she estimates it around of 600 because it is an anaerobic class which mixes cardio and strength.

after the class I ran 3 miles, 2 were a jog and 1 was a six minute mile

then i did some more ab workouts and a little more leg workouts for about 20 minutes

would you consider this moderate exercise or hard exercise?

this will probably only be 1 day a week cause the class is only one day a week

tomorrow I will probably run about 5 miles and do about 30-45 min of strength training

wed. i have a soccer game for an hour

thursday: will be a cardio kickboxing class for an hour then probably run 2 miles, then a hip-hop class
after i will do strength for 30 min

fri-sat are usually breaks
but i might go to a club where i dance for at least 2 hours nonstop and thats gotta be some exercise

and another day i'll probably go for a 3-5 mile walk

but overall the weekends are rest days

the main point is would you considerate my exercise moderate or heavy?

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Can I Lose Weight With ME/CFS? [Forum]

Six months back I was diagnosed with ME/CFS. I am lucky enough that it has not left me bed ridden. I am increasingly aware of those things that make me worse. However, if I do not any exercise I am prone to melancholia, for this reason it is really important that I get out regularly. Also, being laid up in bed for 6 months means I have put on more weight than I had already gained. ME sufferers often need to eat more.

I am really struggling as I do not want to put weight on anymore but have no real means of losing it. I go out for walks as my way to lose it but feel that it is never really going to happen for me.

My diet is pretty simple, I eat muselli for breakfast (with juice not milk), protein based food with vegetables at lunch time and carbohydrate meals with vegetables in the evening.

Does any one have any suggestions on how else I can lose weight? Based on my ability to walk between 3 - 5 miles a day how long will it take, and will I even manage to lose weight?

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The Children's Fitness Manifesto

We have a fight on our hands.

A fight to reclaim a physical culture, that I fear has become lost on this current generation. A task of this magnitude requires a basic understanding of the needs of children from an inspirational, developmental and physical perspective.

The following is a bullet-point primer on some philosophies of children's fitness, and how we can help reclaim the health of our youth through activity.

The ultimate goal with any children's fitness initiative is to instil a joy for activity that will carry on into adulthood. One of the most important things we can provide children is the importance of relishing the process.The central nervous system develops spontaneously, but is also formed through the right kind of activity. There are critical and sensitive periods of neural development that are dependant on physical activity.Children get better at moving through opportunity, experience, reward, guidance and proper stimuli. For young children (under 9), fun and play should be the centerpiece of activity. It shouldn't feel like "work". That said, there should be an element of fun at any age.Trying to teach complex skill or designing "plays" makes no sense for children under the age of 6, as they are egocentric. Imposing sets and reps on young children is a form of deprivation of play.Machines are not safer - learning how to move properly is.Slowly introduce rather than force activity on children.Creating inclusive environments are vital to the enjoyment for all.Incorporate variety: Vary the stimulus, including the terrain, situation or the activity.Repetition (within the context of variety) is a good thing. Children need repetition to build familiarity - which begets mastery - which builds confidence. Early sport specialization is detrimental to the overall physical and mental wellbeing of most children. For 6-9 year-olds: This age group should be focused on discovery - put value in the attempt (don't correct form). Incorporate basic skills such as running, climbing, crawling, skipping and jumping. As children progress in age and physical/emotional maturity, add technical skills as needed. There is no such thing as "good" or "bad" coordination. Coordination is a multi-faceted concept that includes balance, spatial awareness and rhythm, to name a few.It's ok for children to fail and yes even cry - this builds resilience and adaptability. Children don't need to be relegated to one emotion. (Note: this doesn't mean we try and "make them cry", it just means that children get frustrated sometimes and we need to tell them it's ok to feel that way).Seize every opportunity you can to get out and be active with your children. Take walks, bike rides, swim or play a sport with them.

Special thanks to the International Youth Conditioning Association and Dr. Kwame Brown for the resources.

Image Credit: geowillis

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