Diet and Exercise Benefit People With Heart Failure

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Lifestyle changes that include a healthy diet and regular exercise appear to improve heart function and exercise capacity in people with a particular form of heart failure, a new study reports.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is a form of heart failure that’s on the rise. It most often affects overweight and obese older women. This type of heart failure leads to fatigue and shortness of breath during activities, which can affect the ability to exercise, according to the study authors.

The study included 100 obese older people with HFPEF. The randomized clinical trial was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine led by Dr. Dalane Kitzman divided the participants into four groups: diet alone, exercise alone, both diet and exercise, and a control group who didn’t get any treatment.

After 20 weeks, assessments of the patients’ peak exercise oxygen consumption revealed that those in all three treatment groups saw improvements in their ability to exercise. The patients treated with both diet and exercise however, had nearly twice the improvement in their oxygen consumption, the study showed.

In addition to boosting their tolerance for exercise, the study also revealed that diet and exercise reduced the amount of fat cells within the leg muscles, which can improve heart failure patients’ exercise capacity.

More research is needed to investigate the effects of diet on muscle mass, the study’s authors said, but their findings support a treatment approach for heart failure that includes diet and exercise.

The results were published online Jan. 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More information

The American Heart Association provides more information on heart failure.

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Antifungal for Yeast Infections Tied to Miscarriage Risk

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A well-known antifungal drug used for vaginal yeast infections may be linked to a slightly increased risk of miscarriage, according to a study of more than 1.4 million Danish pregnancies.

Of the more than 3,300 women who took oral fluconazole (Diflucan) in the 7th through 22nd week of pregnancy, 147 had a miscarriage, compared with 563 miscarriages among the more than 13,000 women who did not take the drug, the researchers found.

“From our study, we can only see that women who have been treated with oral fluconazole more often experience miscarriages than untreated women and women who used a topical [vaginal] antifungal,” said lead researcher Ditte Molgaard-Nielsen, an epidemiologist at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen.

However, the study cannot prove that fluconazole causes miscarriages, she added.

“Our findings cannot precisely show whether fluconazole causes miscarriage. We cannot rule out that fluconazole-treated women differ from untreated women in ways that are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage,” Molgaard-Nielsen said.

She added that until more data are available on the association between fluconazole and the risk of miscarriage, the drug should be prescribed cautiously to pregnant women.

The report was published in the Jan. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Vaginal yeast infections are common during pregnancy. In the United States, it is estimated that 10 percent of pregnant women will develop one. Treatment is either a topical antifungal cream or the oral drug fluconazole, Molgaard-Nielsen said.

“Topical antifungals (vaginal suppositories) are first-line treatment for pregnant women, but a small number of pregnant women receive oral treatment with fluconazole, for example in cases of recurrence, severe symptoms, or when topical treatment fails. But oral fluconazole may also be used as first treatment by personal preference,” she said.

Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said that fluconazole is the only oral drug used to treat yeast infections.

“Women who are trying to become pregnant or who are pregnant should avoid fluconazole,” Wu said. “For these women, a topical medicine is the preferred treatment.”

The researchers also looked at the association between fluconazole and stillbirth. Although fluconazole was tied to an increased risk of miscarriage, it did not significantly increase the risk of stillbirth, Molgaard-Nielsen said. Among the more than 5,300 women who took fluconazole from the 7th week of pregnancy to birth, 21 had a stillbirth, compared with 77 stillbirths among the more than 21,500 women who did not use the drug.

“Although the risk of stillbirth was not significantly increased, this should be investigated further,” she added.

For the study, Molgaard-Nielsen and colleagues collected data on more than 1.4 million pregnancies from 1997 to 2013. They compared women who used oral fluconazole during pregnancy to those who didn’t.

Dr. Jill Rabin, the co-chief of the division of ambulatory care at the Women’s Health Programs-PCAP Services at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y., said she prefers using topical treatments for yeast infections because of the side effects of fluconazole, such as flu-like symptoms.

Rabin said that all vaginal yeast infections are not the same and treatment needs to be targeted to the specific type of infection.

Moreover, symptoms that appear to be a yeast infection may be something else, she added. “Women should not assume that if they have a discharge and an itch that it is a yeast infection,” Rabin said.

Rabin cautioned against trying to treat these symptoms with over-the-counter drugs. “Women should not try to treat themselves, especially if they are pregnant,” she said. “You want to call your doctor, not Doctor Google.”

More information

For more on vaginal yeast infections, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Some Families Carry Shared Risk of Cancer, Twins Study Shows

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A new study of twins has shed light on the shared roles of genetics and environment in determining a person’s risk of cancer.

Having an identical twin diagnosed with cancer increases the other twin’s risk of developing not just that type but any form of cancer, said lead researcher Lorelei Mucci, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

This suggests that some families carry a shared increased risk for any type of cancer, based on their genes, she said.

“Different cancers may share an inherited susceptibility based on genetic factors,” Mucci said. “This is an area that we’re just learning about.”

However, the influence of genetics varies widely depending on the type of cancer, Mucci added.

For example, testicular, skin and prostate cancers were shown to be influenced strongly by genetics, while lung, colon and rectal cancers appeared to be driven largely by environmental factors, she said.

The study involved more than 200,000 twins, both identical and fraternal, who hailed from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. These twins are part of the Nordic Twin Study of Cancer, and were followed an average 32 years between 1943 and 2010.

Researchers compared identical twins with fraternal twins because identical twins share 100 percent of their genes, Mucci said, while fraternal twins are just like ordinary siblings and share on average about half of their genes.

About one-third of the participants developed cancer during the study, and researchers found that, overall, twins are not more likely to develop cancer than the general population, Mucci said.

But when one identical twin developed any cancer, the other twin carried a 14 percent increased cancer risk compared with the general population, the researchers found.

By comparison, a fraternal twin’s cancer risk increased only 5 percent if their sibling was diagnosed with cancer.

These findings demonstrate that “cancer is not only due to genetics or environment alone but is due to a combination of the two,” said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology for Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“If cancer was simply genetic, identical twins would be affected by cancer equally,” Bernik added. “Although there was an increased risk of cancer amongst identical twins, there was not a 100 percent correlation, indicating that environmental factors also play a part in the development of cancers.”

To delve deeper into that question, the researchers looked at 23 different types of cancer and compared how genetics influenced risk in each.

Overall, the researchers estimated that about 33 percent of cancer risk is inherited from genes.

Some specific cancers carried a tremendous additional genetic risk, however. For testicular cancer, researchers found that a man’s risk of developing this disease was 12 times higher if his fraternal twin developed it, and 28 times higher if his identical twin developed it.

The investigators also found a very strong role of genetics in melanoma (58 percent), prostate cancer (57 percent), and skin cancer (43 percent).

In other cancers, the study found that genetics played a mild to moderate role: ovarian (39 percent), kidney (38 percent), breast (31 percent), and uterine (27 percent).

Finally, researchers identified a set of cancers in which genetics play a very small role. These include lung cancer (18 percent), colon cancer (15 percent), rectal cancer (14 percent), and head and neck cancer (9 percent).

This study is the first to provide family risk estimates for these cancers, the authors said. The research is published in the Jan. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers hope these findings will help doctors counsel patients on the sources of their cancer risk, particularly if they have a family member who has developed cancer.

“Genetic factors, unfortunately, we cannot change, but there are many lifestyle factors we can change to lower one’s risk of cancer,” Mucci said. “If you have a brother who developed lung cancer, even though your risk is higher, you can still lower your risk by quitting smoking.”

More information

For more on genetics and cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

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Aspirin May Decrease Death From Prostate Cancer, Study Finds

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Men who take aspirin regularly may have a lower risk of dying from prostate cancer, a new study suggests.

“We found that regular aspirin intake after prostate cancer diagnosis decreased the risk of prostate cancer death by almost 40 percent,” said lead researcher Dr. Christopher Allard, a urologic oncology fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

However, he added, “It is premature to recommend aspirin for prevention of lethal prostate cancer, but men with prostate cancer who may already benefit from aspirin’s cardiovascular effects could have one more reason to consider regular aspirin use.”

The findings were presented Jan. 4 at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in San Francisco.

Since this was an observational study, no one can draw a direct cause-and-effect link between aspirin use and risk of death from prostate cancer, said Dr. Sumanta Pal, an ASCO expert and an oncologist at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif.

“These studies are certainly thought-provoking, but are best followed by formal clinical trials where we compare use of aspirin to either no treatment or perhaps a placebo,” Pal said.

Still, Allard speculated that aspirin’s ability to suppress platelets in the blood — which is why aspirin can cause bleeding as a side effect — might help explain how aspirin could prevent the lethal progression of prostate cancer.

“Platelets probably shield circulating cancer cells from immune recognition,” he said. “By depleting those platelets, you’re allowing the immune system to recognize the cancer.”

Allard added that aspirin likely helps prevent the cancer from spreading to other areas of the body, such as the bone.

In the study, men without a diagnosis of prostate cancer who took more than three aspirin tablets a week had a 24 percent lower risk of getting a lethal prostate cancer. However, aspirin didn’t affect the overall likelihood of being diagnosed with prostate cancer or even high-grade prostate cancer, Allard said.

Among men with prostate cancer, regular aspirin use after diagnosis was associated with a 39 percent lower risk of dying from prostate cancer. Use of aspirin before diagnosis didn’t have a measurable benefit, the researchers said.

The study included information from more than 22,000 men in the Physicians’ Health Study. The study began in 1982 to test the benefits and risks of aspirin and beta carotene in the prevention of heart disease and cancer.

Nearly 3,200 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer over the almost three-decade study. Just over 400 men developed lethal prostate cancer. Lethal prostate cancer was defined as either death from prostate cancer or the spread of prostate cancer to other organs.

Allard said men thinking about taking aspirin regularly for any reason should consult their doctor to discuss individual risks and benefits.

Another study from the same meeting suggests that an experimental new blood test can be used as a “liquid biopsy.” This test can then help determine the best medicines for prostate cancer patients.

Solid tumors shed cancer cells into the bloodstream. This test uses a computer to analyze the appearance of those cells, said lead researcher Dr. Howard Scher, chief of the Genitourinary Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Patients with circulating cancer cells that varied widely in appearance didn’t respond well to hormone therapy, and survived for shorter lengths of time on average, the researchers said.

“It’s remarkable that a blood test could help us profile cancers in real time, gleaning insights that directly affect patient care decisions,” Pal said. “Eventually, we may be able to spare some men with prostate cancer the significant side effects of hormone therapy.”

Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on aspirin and cancer.

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Poor Circulation in Brain Linked to Psychosis in Alzheimer’s Patients

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Psychosis, including delusions and hallucinations, affects about half of Alzheimer’s disease patients. And researchers have set out to clarify the link between these two conditions.

Canadian researchers said they found that cerebrovascular disease — a group of conditions that restrict the circulation of blood to the brain — appears to play a significant role in psychosis for those with Alzheimer’s.

About 19 percent of people with Alzheimer’s living in the community (rather than in a nursing home) have delusions. Another 14 percent have hallucinations, the researchers said.

Psychotic symptoms among people with Alzheimer’s can cause added burdens on loved ones and caregivers. These symptoms can also speed up the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the study authors explained.

For the study, the researchers analyzed autopsy data from more than 1,000 people who had been treated at 29 Alzheimer’s centers in the United States between 2005 and 2012. An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can only be confirmed after death by autopsy.

The research team — led by Dr. Corinne Fischer from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto — said that 890 of the study patients had been clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease while still alive. Of those, nearly 730 had Alzheimer’s that was confirmed by an autopsy, according to the report published Jan. 5 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The autopsies revealed that those with confirmed Alzheimer’s who had been diagnosed with psychosis didn’t have more physical evidence of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains (such as protein deposits).

Instead, the researchers were surprised to learn that risk factors linked to blood vessel problems — such as high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking history — appeared to be strongly related to psychosis.

Because researchers haven’t known the underlying reason for psychosis in Alzheimer’s patients, they’ve been limited in how well they can treat the issue, the study authors explained in a hospital news release.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about Alzheimer’s disease.

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Report: DASH Diet Best Overall Eating Plan

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For the sixth year in a row, a panel of health experts has named the heart-healthy DASH diet the best overall eating plan, according to U.S. News & World Report‘s 2016 Best Diets ranking.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was designed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels by limiting fats, red meat and sugar in favor of healthy grains, poultry, low-fat dairy and nuts, the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says.

“Our rankings put hard numbers on the belief that no one diet is ideal for everybody, but the best food plans overall are sustainable,” Angela Haupt, senior health editor at U.S. News & World Report, said in a news release from the media company.

Every year, U.S. News & World Report asks experts to rank various diets to help the tens of millions of dieters in the United States and around the globe make informed dietary decisions that can help them achieve healthier lifestyles.

The panel of experts — including nutritionists and doctors specializing in diabetes, heart health and weight loss — scored each diet for short-term and long-term weight loss. They also considered how easy each diet was to follow, as well as safety and nutritional value.

“Besides the rankings and data, each diet has a detailed profile that includes how it works, evidence that supports or refutes its claims and a nutritional snapshot — tools that, along with the advice of a physician or nutritionist, can help consumers invest in diets that suit their lifestyles and further their health and wellness goals,” Haupt said.

The panel evaluated 38 of the most popular or trendy diets this year. After ranking them in nine categories, the experts found the MIND diet tied for second place for best overall diet with the cholesterol-lowering TLC diet. The MIND diet includes some features of the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet, such as high consumption of fruits, vegetables and fish, but focuses on foods that promote brain health.

The MIND diet ranked first in the “Easiest Diet to Follow” category in a three-way tie with Weight Watchers and the Fertility diet, which asserts that certain dietary changes can boost fertility.

The Fertility diet, which calls for the elimination of trans fats, also ranked as the best diet for diabetes, the report revealed. The Biggest Loser diet and the DASH diet came in second and third, respectively, in the diabetes category.

The DASH diet scored highest when it comes to healthy eating, followed by the TLC diet. The Mediterranean and the MIND diet tied for third place in this category.

The Weight Watchers diet ranked highest out of all weight-loss diets but tied with the Mayo Clinic diet as the “Best Commercial Diet.”

When it comes to speedy weight loss, the HMR program and Biggest Loser diet shared the top ranking, followed by the Atkins diet in second place and Weight Watchers in third.

On the opposite end of the list, the Whole30 diet — a 30-day program that bans processed foods, legumes, grains, dairy, alcohol and added sugar — ranked as the worst overall diet on the list, the new report said.

The Raw Food diet and low-carb Atkins diet also scored poorly overall and ranked low in categories like “Best Diets for Healthy Eating.” The Raw Food diet was also considered the most difficult diet to follow, though it was one of the top ranked weight-loss diets, the panel found.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about healthy eating for a healthy weight.

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Talk Therapy to Tackle Fear of the Dentist

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Many people are familiar with the fear that can precede a visit to the dentist, but new research shows that talk therapy can help when that anxiety becomes a crippling phobia.

In the study, British investigators tried an approach called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a short-term treatment typically involving six to 10 sessions.

“CBT works by providing individuals with skills to address their fear,” said lead researcher Tim Newton, a professor of psychology at King’s College London Dental Institute.

After the sessions, which focused on replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, the patients took away a set of skills to help tackle their anxiety, Newton explained.

“We discuss with them when we discharge them the fact that their anxiety [about dental visits] will come back, but that they know what to do — don’t avoid, take gradual steps and challenge those thoughts,” he said.

Newton and his colleagues evaluated 130 men and women, average age 40, who all participated in therapy sessions led by a psychologist. About three-quarters were so fearful they had full-fledged dental phobia; the others had anxiety about some aspect of dentistry. Fear of injections and the drill were the most common worries mentioned.

After the therapy, 79 percent of the patients went on to have dental treatment without the need for sedation. Another 6 percent had treatment, but needed sedation. The other 15 percent either withdrew from therapy or were considered not suitable to start therapy due to other issues, the study authors said.

The findings were published recently in the British Dental Journal.

In a previous study in the same journal, Newton and his team found that those with dental anxiety were less likely to visit the dentist and more likely to have cavities and other oral health problems than those who saw a dentist regularly. The researchers also found women more likely than men to fear dentists.

During therapy, patients learned how to identify their fear-related thoughts and replace them with more helpful thoughts. They were armed with information to challenge the unhelpful thoughts. They also learned techniques to cope with the anxiety that is likely once they arrive at the dental office, such as practicing controlled breathing and muscular relaxation, and gradually exposing themselves to what they fear, the researchers said.

The impact of talk therapy has been shown to be long lasting, said Peter Milgrom, a professor of oral health sciences and pediatric dentistry at the University of Washington, in Seattle. He was formerly a visiting professor at King’s College Dental Institute and helped to set up the unit that introduced using cognitive behavioral therapy instead of relying on sedation, he said.

He also co-founded the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington. “We have used the same techniques in our Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington for more than 35 years now,” he said, “and the results [Newton] is obtaining are quite similar to ours.”

Milgrom sees therapy as “much more effective than relying on drugs alone [to treat anxiety], because the focus is on teaching patients skills and ways of thinking that profoundly impact how they feel and act,” he said.

Among the techniques are distraction, which can include exposing fearful patients to music and stories. Although the training is long lasting, Milgrom said, fear can return and some may need more coaching later. The degree of fear may depend on whether the person is primarily afraid of the dentist or has other psychological problems, he said.

More information

To learn more about coping with dental anxiety, see the American Dental Association.

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38 Popular Diets Ranked From Best to Worst

Photo: Getty Images

Happy New Year’s resolution time! Are you looking to change up the way you eat? Well, you’re not without choices, that’s for sure.

With so many diet plans out there, each promising their own version of better health, weight loss, or both, it’s difficult to know which ones will actually help you reach your 2016 goals. Luckily, just in time for your resolution, U.S. News & World Report released their annual “Best Diets” rankings today.

RELATED: 57 Ways to Lose Weight Forever, According to Science

And the best diet overall is… the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), for the sixth year in a row. The diet, which was originally developed to help people lower their blood pressure, focuses on a combination of low-fat, low-sodium, and plant-based meals. And U.S. News isn’t the only one backing DASH; The plan has years of scientific research on its side as well.

The magazine named their No. 1 after identifying 38 popular diet plans and having a panel of nationally recognized nutrition and health experts rate each diet in seven categories: how easy it is to follow, its ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, its nutritional completeness, its safety, and its potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease.

Once each had expert rated the diets on a scale of 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest), the magazine used the scores to create a ranked list for “Best Overall,” as well as a more focused list for various categories, like the “Best Heart-Healthy Diets,” “Best Plant-Based Diets,” and “Easiest Diets to Follow.”

RELATED : How Healthy Is Your State? All 50, Ranked From First to Worst

Although the No. 1 spot wasn’t a surprise this year, it’s not because the magazine didn’t look at new plans. The rankings added three fresh options to the mix: The MIND diet, Whole30, and the Fertility Diet.

The MIND diet, which is said to help keep your brain young, combines the DASH and Mediterranean diets with an emphasis on research-backed “brain-foods.” Unsurprisingly, this combo of two successful diets performed very well in the U.S. News ranking, landing the No. 2 slot on the list of Best Diets Overall.

However the very popular Whole30 diet, which requires adherents to cut all processed foods, legumes, grains, dairy, alcohol, and added sugar for 30 days, came in 38th place, aka dead last, in the “overall” category, following suit with other trendy diets that have come before it (like the Dukan Diet). Whole30 came in at No. 37 (of 38) when ranked for helping with weight loss, diabetes, or heart disease, and landed the No. 17 spot on the magazine’s “Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss” list.

Meanwhile, The Fertility Diet, which claims certain diet changes can help you get pregnant faster, was named the best diet for diabetes, mainly due to its ban on trans fats. (How’s that for a surprise?)

RELATED: 16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

“Our rankings put hard numbers on the belief that no one diet is ideal for everybody, but the best food plans overall are sustainable,” Angela Haupt, senior health editor at U.S. News, said in a press release. “Besides the rankings and data, each diet has a detailed profile that includes how it works, evidence that supports or refutes its claims and a nutritional snapshot—tools that, along with the advice of a physician or nutritionist, can help consumers invest in diets that suit their lifestyles and further their health and wellness goals.”

Before you jump on the latest diet bandwagon, check out the full list below, ranked from best to worst. Your waistline will thank you!

Best Diets Overall

1. DASH Diet
2. MIND Diet
2. TLC Diet (tie)
4. Weight Watchers
4. Mayo Clinic
4. Fertility
4. Mediterranean (tie)
8. Volumetrics (tie)
8. Flexitarian
10. Jenny Craig
11. Biggest Loser
11. Ornish (tie)
13. Vegetarian
13. Traditional Asian (tie)
15. Slim Fast
15. SparkPeople
15. Anti-Inflammatory (tie)
18. HMR
18. Flat Belly
18. Nutrisystem (tie)
21. Vegan
21. Engine 2
21. South Beach
21. Abs (tie)
25. Eco-Atkins
25. Zone
25. Glycemic-Index (tie)
28. Macrobiotic
28. Medifast (tie)
30. Supercharged Hormone
30. Acid Alkaline (tie)
32. Fast
32. Body Reset (tie)
34. Raw food
34. Atkins (tie)
36. Dukan
36. Paleo (tie)
38. Whole 30

Looking for a more targeted plan? Here are some highlights from U.S. News’ more specific lists:

For Weight Loss

1. Weight Watchers
2. Biggest Loser Diet
3. Biggest Loser Diet
3. Jenny Craig
3. Raw Food Diet (tie)

Easiest to Follow

1. Fertility Diet
2. MIND Diet
3. Weight Watchers

For Heart Health

1. Ornish Diet
2. TLC Diet
3. DASH Diet

Best Plant-Based Diets

1. Mediterranean Diet
2. Flexitarian Diet
3. Ornish Diet

For Fast Weight Loss

1. Biggest Loser Diet
1. HMR Program
3. Atkins
3. Weight Watchers (tie)

For Diabetes

1. Fertility Diet
2. Biggest Loser Diet
2. DASH Diet (tie)

For Healthy Eating

1. DASH Diet
2. TLC Diet
3. Mediterranean Diet
3. MIND Diet (tie)

Best Commercial Diets

1. Mayo Clinic Diet
1. Weight Watchers (tie)
3. Jenny Craig

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7 tips for workout success

WH&F head trainer Nikki Fogden-Moore shares her tips for workout success.

1.    Find exercises you love
2.    Mix up the order of things
3.    Take your gym outdoors
4.    Bring a friend and put an interval timer on your phone
5.    Pump up the sounds
6.    Be grateful that you’re able to plan and create the body and the life you want. Gratitude for where you are at now is integral to getting to where you want to be. If you are constantly telling yourself you’re not fit, healthy and happy enough, it will manifest. Focus on the positive.
7.    REALLY commit to a healthy mind as well as a healthy workout regime.

Psssst...a bonus tip that always works:
Add your focus for each session so you go in with a game plan. The exercises can all be the same but it’s your approach and attitude towards the session that will make the difference!

Image by: Sam Frysteen

Read on for more workout tips to become the best version of yourself.

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People May Eat More of a Food That’s Labeled ‘Healthy’

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Words matter when you’re trying to eat right, new research suggests.

People tend to overeat when they’re consuming food that’s been labeled “healthy,” undermining their own efforts to improve their diet, the study found.

People order larger portions, eat more and feel less full when they’re consuming food that’s been portrayed as “healthy” in its packaging, according to a report published recently in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

“It’s quite ironic. The more we put out foods that are labeled healthy, we could be abetting the obesity epidemic rather than combatting it,” said study author Jacob Suher, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.

People appear to overeat “healthy” food because they subconsciously consider it less filling, Suher and his colleagues found.

But they also found that this effect could be counteracted if people are told that a healthy food is “nourishing” — a word that appears to indicate the food is more filling.

“The word ‘nourishing’ brings up another unconscious intuition that seems to override the one attached to the word ‘healthy,’ ” Suher said.

Registered dietitian Joy Dubost said the study shows the power of a person’s subconscious in shaping eating behaviors.

“When people say mind over matter, it really does seem to be a big factor,” said Dubost, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “What your perception is of the food you eat can be very different from how your body is responding to it. Clearly, we need to start addressing both the conscious and the subconscious in our messages about healthy eating.”

The new study took place in three phases. First, researchers asked 50 college students to look at pictures of healthy and unhealthy foods, and words associated with either “filling” or “not filling.” The investigators found that people associated unhealthy foods with the thought of feeling full.

Next, the research team conducted a field study in which it measured the hunger levels of 40 graduate students after eating a cookie that had been labeled as either healthy or unhealthy. Even though all the cookies were the same, students who were told they were eating a “healthy” cookie wound up feeling hungrier 45 minutes later than those who thought they were eating an “unhealthy” cookie.

In the last phase, 70 college students were presented popcorn that had been portrayed as either “healthy,” “unhealthy” or “nourishing.” The students were asked to order as much popcorn as they thought they’d need to not be hungry until their next meal, anywhere from one to 10 cups.

The researchers found that students ordered more and ate more if they’d been told the popcorn was healthy, compared with students who were told it was unhealthy. Those told the popcorn was “nourishing” ate less than those in the “healthy” group, but more than those in the “unhealthy” group.

The effect of the word “healthy” on food consumption held strong even for people who disagreed in a questionnaire that healthy foods are less filling, Suher said. That indicates that people’s response to the word is ingrained into their subconscious, and they react to it automatically, the study authors said.

There are a couple of potential explanations for why the word “healthy” has become associated with less filling, Suher said.

People tend to come up with extreme examples when provided the words “healthy” or “unhealthy,” veering either to salad on the one hand or pizza on the other, he said. These biases could influence a person’s eating habits.

Diners also might be subconsciously programming themselves to relate unhealthy foods to a feeling of fullness. “People are more likely to consume unhealthy foods to fullness, because they’re either served in larger portion sizes or are seen as tastier,” Suher said.

People need to be reminded that eating lots of even healthy foods can load a person up with excess calories and lead to weight gain, Dubost said.

Dubost added that she’d like to see follow-up studies that examine the effect of these words on the eating habits of other groups of people — middle-aged folks, the elderly or the obese.

For now, people who want to improve their diet might try associating the word “nourishing” with the word “healthy” when they’re food shopping or ordering at a restaurant, Suher said.

“Seek out foods portrayed as nourishing, and think of healthy foods as nourishing,” he said. “People appear to associate the idea of nourishment with being filling.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about eating a healthy diet.

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