How to Run Your Fastest Mile Ever

Training for a 26.2? Not us. We’re aiming to run a single mile—super quick! And we aren’t the only ones: According to Bring Back the Mile, an organization that promotes this distance, there are more than 800 mile-long races in the United States—up from 600 five years ago.

Don’t scoff at the shorter span; it’s actually a real challenge. “The mile hurts,” explains Joe Holder, a Nike trainer and running coach in New York City, who notes that you need a combo of speed, strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination to really drop your time. “You start fast and end faster, and the acclimation period is much shorter due to the distance, so there’s no ‘easing into’ your target pace.”

Ready to go for speed? Try these tips from Holder, then scroll down for his exclusive six-week training plan.

RELATED: 15 Running Tips You Need to Know

Your Six-Week Training Plan

First, check out this cheat sheet to the types of workouts and runs involved.

Speed workout: You need to get fast, and speed-oriented workouts will get you there. On these days, workouts will include hill repeats and hitting the track.

Endurance workout: “Fast” can’t come without a quality aerobic base. “Endurance workouts will help you keep your stamina and resting heart rate at comfortable levels, helping to ensure you can take on the tougher workouts that a speed-focused session will provide,” says Holder.

Recovery workout: Proper conditioning and performance enhancement is not just about the hard workouts; recovery is also key. Rest, easy runs, and low-intensity days serve a purpose and are strategically placed. Use them to your advantage, reminds Holder.

Cross-training workout: No longer just a throwaway filler or a “maybe” workout, cross-training sessions are mandatory in this training plan. Strength, stabilization, muscular endurance, and mobility will take your runs to the next level, and cross-training sessions can help.

Easy run: A low-intensity run. You should be able to sustain a conversation fairly easy.

Base run: A run at your natural pace that you can sustain for a long time; meant to work on keeping your aerobic base and endurance.

Tempo run: A run focused on speed endurance, and sustaining a quick pace for a long period of time. It typically takes place right at the runner’s “lactate threshold,” or that moment where you feel it’s a little tough to keep going, but you actually can.

Hills: Hills are a great way to increase your aerobic power, foot speed, knee drive, stride length, and overall strength. The key is to find a hill with a moderate incline and use these workouts to increase your overall running prowess, says Holder.

Fartlek: Swedish for “speed play,” this run introduces different speeds in a workout and gets you used to the impact that changes of speed for various distances and times can have on you during a race as you go from fast to faster. “It’s a great way to work on mechanics and fatigue resistance,” explains Holder.

Track or interval workout: These speed-focused workouts are built of short- to moderate-length distances that then provide a break of active- or standing-recovery periods. These distances are curated in such a way to ensure the runner performs a high-quality workout and gets the proper fitness adaptions.

Striders: A drill following an easy run. It’s used to work on mechanics needed for quality speed performance while keeping the “bounce” and “spring” in your legs. Focus on quick foot turnover, as well as proper stride length. How to do it: At the end of an easy run, perform 6 to 10 80-100 meter strides where you work on your acceleration as you keep foot speed quick, and progressively open up your stride without diminishing foot speed. You should work up to no more than 75% of your maximum speed and be sure to include a progressive deceleration.

RELATED: Exercises That Help Prevent Knee Pain

Week 1

Sunday: Mile time trial
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3×1 mile at a 5K pace with a 2-minute jog recovery between each mile
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: 30-minute easy run with striders
Friday: Rest or cross-train
Saturday: 3 (800-600-400 meters) at a 10K, 5K, and mile pace, respectively. Take 90 seconds of rest between each, and 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.

Week 2

Sunday: Base run (35 minutes, 2-5 miles)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo run (2-3 miles, begin and end with 10 minutes at an easy pace)
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: 30-minute easy run with striders
Friday: Rest or cross-train
Saturday: 4×600 meters at a mile pace. Beginners should take a 300m jog recovery between each; intermediates, a 200m jog recovery; and advanced runners, a 100m jog recovery. Then, 3×200 meters at your goal mile pace with 90 seconds to 2 minutes of recovery between each.

Week 3

Sunday: Base run (40 minutes, 3-6 miles)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Fartlek (5 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 5 minutes at a 5K pace, 4 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 4 minutes at a 5K pace, 3 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 3 minutes at a 5K pace, 2 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 2 minutes at a 5K pace, 1 minute at a half-marathon pace, 1 minute at a 5K pace)
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: 30-minute easy run with striders
Friday: Rest or cross-train
Saturday: 1 mile at a 5K pace, 2 minutes rest. 3 (400-300-200 meters) at your goal mile pace, with half of each distance jogged as recovery. 2-minute recovery between sets, 90 seconds between reps. 3×200 at a fast pace (faster than mile pace), followed by 90 seconds of recovery.

RELATED: This Is the Secret to Burning More Calories on Your Run

Week 4

Sunday: Base run (45 minutes, 3-7 miles, with the last 10 minutes fast)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Hill repeats 3×90 seconds at a 5K pace, 3×60 seconds at a 5K pace, 3×20 seconds faster than your mile pace. Take 3 minutes of rest between sets, 2 minutes of rest between reps.
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: 30-minute easy run with striders
Friday: Rest or cross-train
Saturday: 2 (4×400 meters) “buildups”: First 200 at your goal mile pace, last 200 at a slightly faster than goal mile pace. Take 1 minute of recovery between reps and 2 minutes of recovery between sets.

Week 5

Sunday: Base run (50 minutes, 4-8 miles, with the last 15 minutes as a fast finish)
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Fartlek with progression run to finish (2.5 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 5 minutes at a 5K pace, 2 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 4 minutes at a 5K pace, 1.5 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 3 minutes at a 5K pace, 1 minutes at a half-marathon pace, 2 minutes at a 5K pace, 30 seconds at a half-marathon pace, 1 minute at a 5K pace). Then take a 1-mile progression run to finish, beginning with a 10K pace and finishing with a mile pace for at least the last quarter mile.
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: 30-minute easy run with striders
Friday: Rest or cross-train
Saturday: 1×800 meters at your mile pace and a 2-minute recovery. 6×200 meters at your goal mile pace with a 1-minute recovery between each.

Week 6

Sunday: 35 minutes, 2-5 miles
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Tempo run, 2 miles (begin and end run with 10 minutes of recovery at an easy pace)
Wednesday: Cross-train
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 20-minute easy run with striders
Saturday: Mile time trial

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Help! Why Did I Suddenly Stop Losing Weight?

Image: Courtesy of Pond5

Things were going well. You’d get on the scale and do a little happy dance of victory every time you shed a pound or two. But now you’re stuck. The number isn’t going anywhere—even though you feel like you’re still eating right and hitting your sweat sessions hard. Yup, you’ve hit the dreaded weight loss plateau.

The good news: This is a normal part of weight loss. “There’s the honeymoon phase where dieters experience almost instant weight loss,” says exercise physiologist and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Jim White. “Dietary changes, water weight, and initial motivation to exercise help you slim down at first.” But after that, things might not be quite so easy. (Sorry!) Here are five reasons that number on the scale might not be going anywhere—for now.

RELATED: 9 Weight Loss Success Stories You’re Going to Want to See

5 Reasons You’ve Hit a Weight Loss Plateau

1. The same thing isn’t working anymore.
You’ve gotten into a workout groove—but that might be the problem. It’s time to mix it up from your usual dumbbell exercises or barre class. Doing a variety of exercises decreases boredom, keeping you engaged and excited to sweat. Not to mention that it’s good to challenge your muscles in new ways, working your body from different angles, White says. Plus, it’ll help if you step your go-to workouts up a notch, too. “Going higher intensity is the key to busting a plateau,” says White. After all, if you’re going to work out for 30 minutes, why not work out hard? That means playing singles versus doubles tennis; doing a fast-paced weight circuit versus single machines; or running faster than your usual pace.

RELATED: Exhausted? Here’s How It Can Sabotage Your Workouts

2. Your diet is in a rut.
When you make chicken your go-to dinner night after night, you’re bound to get bored. And that can backfire into mega cravings. When you eat a varied diet—chicken and broccoli one night, a loaded, baked sweet potato the next, and yummy beef stew after that—you’ll get a variety of nutrients and flavor profiles. That means you might actually you’ll look forward to those healthy meals. (Rather than wanting to supplement dinner with a bowl of ice cream.)

Another factor: The diet changes that helped you lose weight in the beginning may be unrealistic and too strict. “Sure you’ll lose weight when you don’t eat a lot of bread, rice and pasta, but a lot of times that’s not sustainable,” says White. “You’ll lose weight but also lose your motivation and [you won’t] get enough nutrients for energy.” So when you decide to make a big change to your diet (like going sugar or wheat-free), ask yourself: Can I do this forever? If the answer is no, rethink your plan.

RELATED: 20 Meal Prep Tips from the Best Preppers We Know

3. The little things are bringing you down.
Sometimes it’s what you don’t pay attention to that really makes a difference in your diet, says White. The two creamers in your coffee, plus the crackers with dip you sampled at the grocery store, combined with that half of a cookie you ate at work could really add up. “Separately, these don’t seem like that big of a deal, but together they’re 300 to 400 calories, and that can stall your weight or cause weight gain,” he says. White calls these “calorie creeps.” Fight ‘em off by pay attention to the little bites that add up big—tracking your eats with an app like MyFitnessPal can help you pay heed.

RELATED: 12 Things Nobody Told Me About Losing Weight

4. You’re getting too much of a good thing.
Peanut butter, avocado, walnuts. These are all are great sources of healthy fats, which you’ve been told time and time again to add to your diet. But they’re not free calories. “Too much of a good thing is just that,” says White. “Nuts are better than a doughnut, but you could be thinking you’re eating well but consuming too many calories,” he says. So practice good portion control—whether you’re eating brownies or pistachios. (Here’s what 200 calories of nuts looks like.)

RELATED: Eat Fat, Lose Weight: The Anti-Hunger Diet

5. You’re eating what you’re burning.
“I’ve seen people walking on the treadmill for 45 minutes drinking Gatorade,” says White. “You’re like a hamster on a wheel, consuming the same calories you’re burning.” The whole reason you’re busting your butt at the gym, on the road or in spin class is to create a calorie deficit. Eating or drinking too many calories during a workout, or rewarding yourself with too many treats after (I deserve this large smoothie!), can cause a plateau.

Rather than going to the other extreme and starving yourself during or after a workout, you want to eat for your sport, White says. Light exercise? You’re good with H20 to power you through. Going on an intense and sweaty run? Afterwards, reach for complex carbs to replenish lost glycogen in muscles. Got a big weightlifting workout on tap? Fill up on high-quality protein post-workout. Before you know it, you’ll be back on the fast track to weight loss.

This article originally appeared on Life by Daily Burn.

More from Life by Daily Burn:

5 Low-Calorie Snacks That Will Fill You Up

The Truth About How to Lose Belly Fat

21 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram

 

Life by Daily Burn is dedicated to helping you live a healthier, happier and more active lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength or de-stress, a better you is well within reach. Get more health and fitness tips at Life by Daily Burn.

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Certain Biopsy Method Tied to Better Outcomes After Kidney Cancer

THURSDAY, March 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A type of lab test called a “core-needle biopsy,” performed on tissue taken from a mass on a kidney, may be better for certain kidney cancer patients, new research suggests.

The study involved people with a renal (kidney) cell carcinoma — the most common type of kidney cancer in adults.

Researchers led by Dr. Rosaleen Parsons, of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, noted that incidence and death rates of the disease have climbed in recent decades.

But they added that so-called “image-guided” core-needle biopsy of kidney masses is increasingly being used to determine the best treatment approaches for individual patients.

In their study, Parsons’ team researchers tracked outcomes for patients who collectively underwent 374 kidney mass biopsies between 1999 and 2015.

Core-needle biopsy — meaning that a tiny amount of tissue is removed using a hollow needle — was performed in 65 percent of patient biopsies, and 41 percent of those patients also had surgery for their kidney cancer.

According to the study, core-needle biopsy led to accurate diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma in 94 percent of patients who had surgery.

These biopsies also identified benign tumors in 11 percent of patients who could then receive ongoing monitoring — instead of unnecessary surgery, the researchers said.

“These findings showed that renal mass biopsy is effective in evaluating renal masses,” and should be used to help guide treatment decisions, Parsons, chair of diagnostic imaging at Fox Chase, said in a center news release.

However, the researchers did find that renal mass biopsy led to inaccurate classification of tumor stage (how advanced the tumor was) in 37 percent of patients who had surgery, putting them at risk for under-treatment. Also, 30 percent of patients who had biopsies and then surgery potentially had low-risk tumors, which means they may have been better off receiving ongoing monitoring instead of surgery.

The study is to be presented March 17 at the annual meeting of the Society of Abdominal Radiology in Hawaii. Experts note that findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on kidney cancer.

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Here’s the Mani That Will Be Trending This Spring

Photo: Getty Images

Sick of crazy nail shapes and outrageous nail art? You’re in luck: “Spring 2016 is all about subtle sophistication,” Choi says. “I’m loving the fresh take on pastels. Instead of sheer, they’re chalky, opaque shades—sky blue, grass green—that give a slight contrast to skin.”

And if you want to try a design, keep it simple. Choi recommends negative-space nail art—where you leave a V empty at the moon of your nail and apply color to the rest. You could also try the “wing” manicure: “It looks really plain, but pops,” she says. “To clean up the lines, dip a pointy Q-tip in polish remover.” And while a French manicure with a thick white tip is outdated, Choi says you can give it an edgy update with a gray base and thin white line.

RELATED: 10 Surprising Beauty Uses for Coconut Oil

For more unique nail art ideas, Choi turns to master painters: “I love to design based on modern art,” she says. “I get so much inspiration from Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock, and Matisse. To mimic that kind of abstract look, dip the tip of a mascara brush in nail polish and dab, dab, dab.”

And when it comes to picking a color, don’t gloss over this piece of advice: “Some colors make your skin look dead right away,” she says. “You have to test the polish on your nail, not just hold the bottle near you.”

Jin Soon Choi’s polish picks:

Marc Jacobs Beauty Polish in Surrender Dorothy ($18; sephora.com)

“When Marc Jacobs used this glittery shade at his spring show, it broke all my rules—and worked.”

RELATED: 29 Expert Beauty Tricks Every Woman Should Know

Jin Soon Top Gloss ($18; nordstrom.com)

“Unless you want to have an intentionally messy look, topcoat is essential. It gives your nails a glossy finish and extends the life of your polish.”

Michael Kors Nail Polish in Hint ($18; macys.com)

“A shade doesn’t need to be dramatic to have impact. This beige was used on models at the Michael Kors show.”

RELATED: 13 Everyday Habits That Age You

Jin Soon Choi is a celebrity manicurist with an eponymous nail-care line and the founder of the Jin Soon Natural Hand and Foot Spas in New York City. She created the nail looks for the spring 2016 runway shows of Vera Wang, Tibi, and Marc Jacobs. Her clients include Taylor Swift, Drew Barrymore, and Anne Hathaway.

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This Non-Toxic Anti-Aging Serum Transformed My Skin

Photo: sephora.com

When it comes to the products I use on my face and body, I’m all about all-natural. I avoid phthalates and parabens and sulfates, I skip anything fragranced, and I look for lotions, soaps, and other products that have the fewest ingredients possible.

But there are some areas of skincare where it’s close to impossible to find natural alternatives. Anti-aging is one of them. All the firming creams and retinol wonder products seem to be formulated with fragrances and dyes and parabens and other things I prefer not to mess with. And while in theory I love the idea of just slathering everything with coconut oil, once you reach a certain age you start to want to break out the big guns, you know?

Enter my new hero, our beauty director, Ilana. She knows all about my preference for natural products, and has spent many an hour patiently listening to me obsess about my (non-existent, but they could appear ANY DAY) neck wrinkles. One day she handed me a bottle of Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum ($90; sephora.com) and said, “You will love this.”

Reader, I loved it. Let’s start with the fact that it has no parabens, no phthalates, and no fragrance of any kind—including essential oils, which many natural products include but which can be irritating if you have sensitive skin. (On their website, Drunk Elephant provides a long list of other fishy ingredients they refuse to use.) Technically, it’s not all-natural, since there are synthetic ingredients, but the company’s goal is to make their products healthy, non-toxic, and non-irritating. And since it’s “safe” rather than “natural”—that’s my real priority—that’s fine by me.

None of that would matter, though, if the stuff didn’t work. Here’s what happened: I started using the serum back in November. (The first time I used it it tingled a little bit, but I haven’t had any tingling or irritation since.) Two weeks passed. Then, within the space of one week, I had three separate people compliment me on how amazing my skin looked. One male friend actually asked me if I had just gotten a facial. Ilana told me I was “glowing.” Yes!

The skin on my face and neck feels and looks smoother and firmer. And I noticed that I didn’t need to use nearly as much moisturizer as usual through the winter months—I’d pat on just a single drop of my favorite face oil every other night (after the serum dried)—and never had any of the usual winter tightness or flakiness. I wear less foundation, too; my skin tone is so much more even, I don’t need it.

True, this stuff isn’t cheap. But one $90 bottle lasted me four whole months—and am I willing to spend $270 a year to look like I just got a facial, without slathering endocrine disruptors all over my skin? You bet I am.

To buy: $90; sephora.com

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The High Price of Untreated Insomnia

THURSDAY, March 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Most people appreciate the value of a good night’s sleep. But a new review has put a dollar amount on untreated insomnia in the United States, and found that it costs about $100 billion a year.

The researchers said that providing drug and behavioral therapies for untreated insomnia could lead to significant health care savings.

About one in five U.S. adults has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, according to report author Emerson Wickwire. He is an assistant professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he also directs the Insomnia Program.

Wickwire and his colleagues reviewed previous research and found that the estimated economic cost of insomnia ranges from about $28 billion to $216 billion. That toll is due to factors such as poorer workplace performance, higher accident risk and greater use of health care services.

Even though there are highly effective treatments, many people with insomnia never get treated, the investigators said.

“People don’t seek care in part because they’re uncomfortable acknowledging it’s a problem, or they don’t realize it’s a problem or that effective treatments are available,” Wickwire said in a university news release. “And, of course, there’s a gross lack of awareness among health care providers as well,” he added.

Another problem is limited access to care.

“Payers, such as health insurers, have historically underfunded insomnia treatment, in part because they have not been sure what the payoff is,” Wickwire said.

The researchers reviewed 10 studies that assessed the cost-effectiveness of drug and behavioral treatments for insomnia, and found that they reduced the use of health care services for the disorder.

Commenting on the study, Dr. E. Albert Reece, vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland, said that “cost-effectiveness is a key part of current health care research. This timely review presents information that may help policymakers determine the most effective, most efficient ways to improve the quality of sleep, which is a fundamental health requirement.”

The study was published online recently in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about insomnia.

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Smoothing the Transition to Daylight Saving Time

THURSDAY, March 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Be prepared to lose a bit of sleep this weekend with the switch to Daylight Saving Time, but one doctor offers some tips for a smooth transition.

The change takes place at 2 a.m. Sunday, when clocks “spring forward” one hour.

“It’s well known that a small shift in time can have an impact on our body clock and our health, and the time change may cause sleepiness and fatigue. When time shifts, remember your body has a clock, too,” said Dr. Yosef Krespi, director of the Center for Sleep Disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Krespi said the one-hour change should make little difference to the young and healthy. But sleep-wake cycles change as people age, so the older people are, the more likely they are to struggle with the time adjustment.

“Individuals with pre-existing sleep conditions such as insomnia or sleep apnea will have even more difficulties in adjusting to the change,” he said in a hospital news release.

Research has found that heart attacks, traffic crashes and workplace accidents increase just after the switch to Daylight Saving Time. Disturbances in sleep patterns associated with the change can also affect performance, concentration and memory, Krespi added.

“The impacts of Daylight Saving Time are likely related to our body’s internal circadian rhythm, the molecular cycles that regulate our brain when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy,” Krespi said.

Most people should be able to adjust to the change within a day or two, he said, offering the following suggestions:

• Adults should wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual on each of the several days before the time change and avoid napping this weekend. On Saturday, get some exercise around midday instead of later in the day, because exercise helps advance your body clock.
• If possible, spend at least an hour in sunlight on Sunday to help your body clock adjust to the time change. Limit heavy eating and avoid complicated tasks — such as computer, tablet or other electronic device use — for at least an hour before bedtime.
• Avoid stimulating substances such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine — found in coffee, tea, chocolate and some pain relievers.
• If you feel sleepy after the clock switch, take an afternoon nap, but only for 30 minutes or less.
• Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, dark and free of distraction for the best possible sleep.
• Cut infants’ and toddlers’ nap times by about one-third over the weekend to prepare them for a bedtime that might otherwise feel too early. If young children go to bed late because of the time change, let them get their normal amount of sleep in the morning.

More information

For more about sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation.

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5 Things People With Sensitive Skin Should Never Do

Photo: Getty Images

Sensitive skin? Here are five skincare habits to avoid to prevent rashes, breakouts, and irritation.

1. Using old products

Lots of skin-care essentials, including sunscreen, contain active ingredients that break down over time or when exposed to the sun, making them more apt to cause an allergic reaction. Not sure if something has expired? Be safe and spring for a new bottle.

2. Steaming skin

When showering or washing your face, use warm or cool water. Very hot temps strip the skin barrier, so you become more vulnerable to irritation.

RELATED: 10 Anti-Aging Products Women Swear By Outside the U.S.

3. Catching too many rays

You can be exposed to harmful UV rays in the car or even at a desk in a windowed office. Use a sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium oxide, which are less likely to irritate the skin than chemical blockers.

4. Overdoing it on makeup

Stick with the basics and the least irritating products: Powders, pencils, and silicone-based foundations get the all clear, and ebony mascara and eyeliner tend to be the least allergenic.

RELATED: How to Treat a Sunburn

5. Loading up on scented deodorant

Washing your clothes with perfumed detergent keeps them perpetually scented—and bothersome if you have allergies. Choose soaps labeled “fragrance-free,” such as All Free Clear Liquid Laundry ($11; target.com), which has the National Eczema Association’s seal of approval.

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Half of Americans’ Calories Come From ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More than half of the average American diet is composed of so-called ultra-processed foods, a new study finds.

And these foods make up 90 percent of the excess sugar calories that Americans consume, the researchers reported.

Ultra-processed foods are concoctions of several ingredients, including salt, sugar, oils and fats. They also contain chemicals not generally used in cooking, such as flavorings, emulsifiers and other additives designed to mimic real foods, the researchers said.

“Decreasing the consumption of ultra-processed foods may be an effective way of reducing the excessive added sugar intake in the U.S.,” said lead researcher Euridice Martinez Steele. She’s from the department of nutrition in the School of Public Health at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Ultra-processed foods include sodas, sweet or savory packaged snacks, candy and desserts, packaged baked goods, instant noodles and soups, and reconstituted meat products, such as chicken and fish nuggets, she said.

By contrast, “processed” foods are foods made with added salt, sugar or other substances normally used in food to unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as canned foods or simple breads and cheese, the study authors said.

Too much sugar increases the risk for weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay, Steele said.

“There is one relatively simple way to avoid excessive added sugar — not replacing real food, such as minimally processed foods and freshly-prepared dishes and meals, with ultra-processed food and drink products,” she said.

In other words, drink water, pasteurized fresh milk and freshly squeezed fruit juices. And, don’t drink soft drinks, sweetened milk drinks and reconstituted, flavored fruit juices.

People should avoid products that don’t require preparation, such as packaged soups, instant noodles, prepared frozen dishes and sandwiches, cold cuts and sausages, ready-to-eat sauces and cake mixes, Steele said.

The report was published online March 9 in the journal BMJ Open.

The researchers reviewed information from more than 9,000 people. They all took part in the 2009-10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Study volunteers provided information about their diets.

The researchers found that added sugars make up more than one in five calories in the average ultra-processed food product. That’s as much as eight times higher than the calories from added sugars found in other foods, Steele said.

The recommended upper limit of calories from sugar is 10 percent of daily calories, the researchers noted. In people who ate the most ultra-processed food, more than 80 percent exceeded the upper limit of sugar.

Only people who ate the least ultra-processed foods had below the recommended levels of sugar, the researchers said.

“What many consumers do not realize is that added sugars come in many forms in many highly processed foods that include desserts and sweets, but that also include foods like sausages, cereal bars, ketchup, French fries, salad dressings and frozen pizzas,” said Samantha Heller. She’s a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City.

This survey highlights the extraordinary amount of ultra-processed foods in the American diet, and the over-the-top amount of sugar and salt and fat found in these foods, she said.

One serving of a frozen French bread pizza contains 830 milligrams of salt, four different kinds of added sugars, trans fats and 21 grams of total fat, Heller pointed out.

“Another, more nefarious and insidious problem lurks in these foods as well,” she said. “Ultra-processed foods are chemically designed by the food companies to induce cravings for those foods, and sugar, fat and sodium are a big part of those formulas.”

The only way to break the chemical food cravings, and slash the intake of chemicals, calories, added sugars, fat and sodium, is to make more food at home from scratch, Heller said.

“If you made your own homemade French bread vegetable pizza, which would not take much time, you would use about 15 unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients, compared with the more than 60 ultra-processed ingredients and chemicals in the frozen food version,” she said.

Homemade pizza would likely have almost no added sugar, a fraction of the salt, no trans fats and much less fat overall, Heller said.

“You will also know exactly what’s in the dish you and your family are eating for dinner tonight,” she said. “A bit of planning and a pantry stocked with healthy foods goes a long way to saving time, money and, more importantly, your health.”

More information

For more information on a healthy diet, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Another Neurological Disorder Tied to Zika

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The list of neurological disorders potentially associated with the Zika virus continues to grow, health officials reported Wednesday.

Writing in the March 9 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, French researchers described the case of an unidentified 81-year-old man who had been in fine health before becoming feverish and then comatose while on a cruise in the South Pacific.

An MRI scan and a test of spinal fluid indicated he was suffering from meningoencephalitis, an infection and swelling of the brain.

The elderly cruise ship patient was admitted to an intensive care unit, where doctors were able to make a tentative diagnosis of Zika infection. Within several days, his condition began to improve without treatment, and 17 days after admission to the hospital he was removed from intensive care. By day 38, he was fully recovered, the investigators said in their report.

Previous research has suggested that the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus also appears to be linked to microcephaly, a birth defect that causes babies to be born with unusually small heads and underdeveloped brains. The virus has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an immune system disorder that can occasionally lead to a fatal form of paralysis.

The virus is suspected of causing the epidemic that began last spring in Brazil, where there have been more than 5,600 suspected or confirmed cases of microcephaly. And the virus is spreading in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The man’s story and his recovery would seem to reinforce doctors’ belief that Zika is most dangerous to a pregnant woman and her fetus. Only one out of every five people infected with Zika show any symptoms, and even those who fall ill usually do not suffer severe symptoms, U.S. health officials have said.

Nonetheless, the World Health Organization said in the NEJM that, despite the lack of proof linking Zika virus with neurological disorders, “the severe potential risks demand decisive, immediate action to protect public health.”

The WHO recommends such preventive measures as intensive mosquito control; personal protection against mosquito bites; appropriate medical care for all patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome; and proper care for women before, during and after pregnancy.

The United Nations-affiliated agency is also calling for prevention of Zika virus infection through blood transfusion or sexual contract, which seems more likely than had been previously thought.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned pregnant women to refrain from unprotected sex with a partner who has traveled to a Zika-affected region.

For pregnant women, the CDC has this advice:

• Consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing,
• If you must travel to or live in one of these areas, talk to your health-care provider first and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites,
• If you have a male partner who lives in or has traveled to an area where Zika transmission is ongoing, either use condoms the right way, every time or do not have sex during your pregnancy.

The Zika virus has now spread to over 32 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. The WHO estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year.

Last week, researchers reported that the Zika virus may cause the birth defect microcephaly by targeting certain brain stem cells and stunting their growth.

Laboratory studies indicated that Zika can infect a type of neural stem cell that gives rise to the cerebral cortex of the brain, researchers reported in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Worse, Zika appears to hijack these cells, using them to churn out new copies of the virus and spread more rapidly, the researchers reported.

According to the researchers, the Zika virus flourished in lab dishes containing these stem cells, causing either cell death or disruption of cell growth.

“Although our study hasn’t provided a direct link between Zika virus and microcephaly, we identify the direct cell targets of the virus and we show the virus can affect cell growth,” said study co-author Zhexing Wen, a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The new findings “provide a potential mechanism [for] how a Zika virus infection can lead to poor brain growth and, therefore, microcephaly,” said Dr. Sallie Permar, director of Duke University’s Laboratory of Neonatal Viral Pathogen Immunity, in Durham, N.C.

More information

For more on Zika virus, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To see the CDC list of sites where Zika virus is active and may pose a threat to pregnant women, click here.

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