is high protein diet safe?

There is an increasing concern over the ill-effect of taking protein supplements among generally health conscious people, who swears off carbs but welcomes a larger portion of protein into their diet. Anecdotal experiences have reported kidney failures and kidney stones affecting those who consumes a huge amount of protein. This causes some anxiety as whether one should start taking protein supplements at all.

As a rule of thumb before we continue, balanced and fresh whole food is always preferred to popping supplement pills and nutrition shakes. Now that I've made clear my obligatory health message, we can discuss high protein diet with better conscience.

People consume high protein intake mainly for 2 reasons. Firstly as a body building supplements for the bodybuilders, and secondly, though with varying results, as a weight loss regime. High protein diet is defined as a daily consumption of greater than or equal to 1.5 g/kg/day. That means, for a person weighing 75kg, he would have to eat slightly more than half a kilo of chicken breast a day.

A study was done to review the existing evidence regarding the effects of protein intake on kidney function with particular emphasis on kidney disease. The findings have shown that while high protein intake may worsen the kidney function of those with pre-existing kidney problem, it did not affect those with normal and healthy kidneys, even when one has risk of kidney disease such as high cholesterol level, high blood pressure and obese.

With regards to kidney stone, the study also found that it is not likely that diet alone causes stone formation, rather, metabolic abnormalities is the bigger culprit.

The study concluded that at present, there is no sufficient proof that high protein diet causes deterioration of kidney function in an otherwise healthy individual.

However, since a compromised kidney function may not be symptomatic in the early stage, it is always recommended that you have your kidney health checked and consult your doctor before getting that tub of whey.

The normal kidney test parameters are as follows:

1. Urea (3.0-8.0 mmol/L)
2. Creatinine Female (0.04 - 0.11 mmol/L)
3. Creatinine Male (0.04 - 0.13 mmol/L)
4. Estimated GFR (>60 mL/min/1.72m²)
5. Urine protein (<30mg/day)

• Urea is a nitrogen-containing substance normally cleared from the blood by the kidney into the urine. Diseases that compromise the function of the kidney often lead to increased blood levels of urea.
• Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. It is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys, which then filter out most of the creatinine and dispose of it in the urine. Elevated creatinine level signifies impaired kidney function or kidney disease.
• Glomerular filtration is the process by which the kidneys filter the blood,removing excess wastes and fluids. EGFR is the best test to measure your level of kidney function and determine your stage of kidney disease.
• Being tested positive for urine protein means the presence of an excess of serum proteins in the urine. However, there is a basal level of urine protein that can occur below 30 mg/day which can be considered non-problematic.

Once you have have a normal kidney function baseline you may start on protein supplements with your doctor's advice, but do keep your kidney function in check during your yearly medical check-up. If you're not already doing it, now would be a good time to start.

For those interested to read the paper:

Dietary protein intake and renal function 

William F Martin, Lawrence E Armstrong and Nancy R Rodriguez 

Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:25 

Abstract

Recent trends in weight loss diets have led to a substantial increase in protein intake by individuals. As a result, the safety of habitually consuming dietary protein in excess of recommended intakes has been questioned. In particular, there is concern that high protein intake may promote renal damage by chronically increasing glomerular pressure and hyperfiltration. There is, however, a serious question as to whether there is significant evidence to support this relationship in healthy individuals. In fact, some studies suggest that hyperfiltration, the purported mechanism for renal damage, is a normal adaptative mechanism that occurs in response to several physiological conditions. This paper reviews the available evidence that increased dietary protein intake is a health concern in terms of the potential to initiate or promote renal disease. While protein restriction may be appropriate for treatment of existing kidney disease, we find no significant evidence for a detrimental effect of high protein intakes on kidney function in healthy persons after centuries of a high protein Western diet.

caloric expenditure comparing pump, combat, rpm, step and running

Not your usual samba!

I happened to come across a paper that scientifically compared the energy expenditure to complete various aerobic classes to running at different speeds. For those of you who has a distaste for reading journals, here's my summary and (personal thoughts) on the paper.

1. BodyPump rates lower in calorie burn compared to BodyCombat, RPM, Step and running at about 8km/h.

2. The abstract does not mention duration of running that was compared to the aerobic classes, but assuming the time was standardised, it would be 55 minutes.

3. For running to be as effective in calorie burning as RPM, BodyCombat and Steps, the running speed has to between 8.05 to 8.37km/h for 55 minutes.

4. Logically, the heart rate can be increased more while doing BodyPump by carrying more weights, and since this study was done on women, guys, add on those plates to burn more!

5. Not too happy that they labelled BodyCombat as a dance >;o(

Here's the abstract of the said paper.

Journal of Strength Conditioning Research. 2006 Aug;20(3):593-6.

Analysis of the assessment of caloric expenditure in four modes of aerobic dance.

Rixon KP, Rehor PR, Bemben MG.

Center for Human Movement, University of Tasmania (Newham), Launceston, Australia.

Abstract

Aerobic dance has been purported to help with weight management; however, it is not known if various forms of dance are as effective as traditional modalities. This study estimated energy expenditure by heart rate for 28 women participating in 4 modes of aerobic dance (Bodycombat [i.e., TAEBO]; Pump; Step; and RPM [i.e., spinning]) compared to 2 running speeds. Pump had significantly (p < 0.01) lower energy expenditure (8.0 +/- 1.6 kcal.min(-1)) compared to the other classes (RPM: 9.9 +/- 1.9 kcal.min(-1); Step: 9.6 +/- 1.8 kcal.min(-1); and Bodycombat: 9.7 +/- 2.0 kcal.min(-1)) and running at 8.05 km.h(-1) (9.16 +/- 1.53 kcal.min(-1)). Also, Step (p < 0.01), Bodycombat (p < 0.01), and RPM (p < 0.01) had significantly higher caloric expenditures than running at 8.05 km.h(-1) but significantly lower than running at 8.37 km.h(-1) (10.30 +/- 1.72 kcal.min(-1)). In conclusion, RPM, Bodycombat, and Step aerobics were equally as effective as jogging between 8.05 and 8.37 km.h(-1), and they met American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for weight modification and maintenance. Additionally, heart rate assessment provided a quantitative method for estimating energy expenditure and the effectiveness of different aerobic programs.

your enemy within: the visceral fat

In the year 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognised obesity as a global epidemic. Just about 10 years after that, WHO has released the statistics that 1.5 billion adults (aged 20 and older) were overweight; and of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.

Being fat used to be determined by just how heavy a person is, however, health scientists have come to recognise that body fat, instead of body weight, is the key to evaluating obesity. This is one basis that points out the irrelevance of BMI in predicting level of obesity, for example, among people who are muscularly built.

The body fat content depends on the volume of fat tissue, or adipose tissue and it can be found under the skin (subcutaneous fats), in between muscles (intramuscular fats), in the breast, and in the spaces between the intestines and abdominal organs (visceral fats). The main function of adipose tissue is as reservoir for lipids, which can be burned to release energy when the body needs it, and as protection from excessive blood sugars by storing it after conversion by the liver.

Most of us pinch the flab of skin over our tummy and be annoyed by how fat we are. Subcutaneous fats may cover up our muscle definition, but truly it is not much more than just a cosmetic concern. It is just literally skin deep, and the true enemy, the visceral fats, lie deeper than that. High visceral fat level is associated Type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and colorectal cancers. Although subcutaneous fats and visceral fats may grow proportionately, current medical knowledge links diseases more to visceral fats.

In this case, callipers reading on your triceps or thigh skin folds won't tell you how much visceral fats you have. Body fat analysis can be done with elaborate and complicated measuring techniques such as underwater weighing and X-ray absorptiometry. However these measurement can be as cumbersome as they are tongue-twisting. One approximating calculation that gives off a fairly representative measurement of body fat content, is by using bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) machine.

In BIA, a very low electrical current is sent through your body via your feet. The current should be harmless and too low to be felt. The mechanism of BIA calculation is complex, but can be simplified for our simple understanding.

Water lets electrical current through with little resistance, compared to fat. So if the machine reads high resistance, it will compute higher fat content for your body. Bear in mind also that when you are over hydrated, the machine perceives less resistance going through your tissues, therefore computing less fat content. The scales use this data, together with personal data you enter such as your height, age, sex and fitness level, to calculate your body-fat percentage using a formula corrected to reflect the general population.

However, some BIA machines warn against use for people with pacemakers as the scales' electrical current could interfere with the pacemaker. Many also warn the readings can be unreliable for children, athletes and bodybuilders, people with metal plates or screws in their bodies and pregnant women.

One machine that I am familiar with is the TANITA Body Composition Machine. On the print out, such as the one above (obviously not mine, hehe), look at the Visceral Fat Rating. For TANITA, it uses its own rating system from 1-59. Healthy visceral fat rating is from 1 to 12, while 13 and above is undesirable. Look also at the Fat Percentage, where a healthy fat range differs from men to women, and a desirable range is given. Take special note of the TBW (total body water) percentage, that may change the reading of your body fat composition. Compare body fat readings only when the total body water percentage is roughly similar. On that note, you should also compare readings at almost the same time of the day, or consistently before or after your workout because after you sweat out, the body water content may differ.

Fretting about weight-loss is so yesterday. You should strive for fat loss instead. Work on decreasing the total body fat and improving the visceral fat rating! The scary fact is: you don't have to look fat to be viscerally fat! Check your total body fat percentage and visceral fat rating to be sure. Is it possible to reduce visceral fat? Of course it is, however, no amount of crunches and sit-ups may help you do just so. 

Step 1

Get a healthy nutrition plan. Work with your doctor or your fitness trainer to design a nutrition plan for you that focuses on improving your health and helping you to lose weight. Remember, eating healthily and cleanly is the only method that will work!

Step 2

Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, which helps you lose and manage your weight. A weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight can help reduce visceral fat stores. The only way to reduce visceral fat stores is to burn more calories than you consume. Engage in physical activity such as circuit training, brisk walking, biking and any activity that gets your heart rate up.

Step 3

Stay motivated. Don’t expect to lose weight overnight because you didn’t gain it quickly. Fat loss takes time and don't lose your sleep over it. Literally! Getting the right amount of sleep helps. In one study, people who got six to seven hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat over 5 years compared to those who slept five or fewer hours per night or eight or more hours per night. Sleep may not have been the only thing that mattered -- but it was part of the picture.

Step 4

Stop practicing unhealthy lifestyle habits. Stop smoking, drinking, being inactive, and eating high-fat, processed foods. Choosing healthier lifestyle choices will improve your quality of life and will show up in inches lost. According to the Journal American Medical Association, just a modest amount of weight loss will improve your visceral fat stores and other medical complications you have. Use that as motivation to stick with your eating and exercise program.

References:

TANITA - FAQ

WebMD - Truth About Belly Fat

http://www.livestrong.com/article/173780-how-to-burn-visceral-fat/

do these today to kick out Monday blues...

Monday is here again. I don't really know since when everybody started to hate Mondays so much, but I have a feeling that Garfield started it. Granted, it's the first day of the week and everybody is having weekend withdrawals. Well, Keep Calm and Do These to help ease the Monday stings.

1. Sweat To Smile. 

Exercise may be as effective at relieving mild to moderate depression as the antidepressant Zoloft, reveals a study from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. “Physical activity stimulates the feel-good chemical dopamine, which increases our sense of well-being,” explains Stephen Ilardi, Ph.D., author of The Depression Cure (Da Capo Press).

A little stressed out? Of all of the things you can do to bring on calm, aerobic activity may be most effective. Studies show that workouts counteract stress-related memory loss by speeding up production of new nerve cells in the hippocampus, the brain's memory processing center. 

What's the best aerobic workout, you may ask. The best aerobic exercise is always the one that you love. For me, BodyCombat works the best. For some others, it's weight-lifting, yoga, anything that breaks out that sweat, really. 

2. Go Fishing. Well, not literally.

"The omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish help the brain respond to signals from the mood chemicals dopamine and serotonin," Ilardi says, adding, "The antioxidants and flavonoids in colorful fruit and veggies work in combination with omega-3s to protect the brain from harmful inflammation that can trigger depression." 

How you cook the fish can definitely affect how good it is for you. Grilling, broiling, poaching and baking all preserve salmon's healthy fats. Deep-frying, however, might cancel out salmon's benefits by increasing the amount of unhealthy fat it contains. Smoking the fish doesn't affect omega-3s, but it does add nitrites; studies indicate a link between the chemicals and stomach cancer. But salmon doesn't need to be fried or smoked to taste great.

I don't care so much about the science behind it, but sashimi will always make me smile. Now, who's in the mood for Japanese?

3. F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Research from the University of Chicago suggests that having a close circle is critical; people who are lonely have increased levels of depression. 

A study in the American Journal of Health and Behavior reports that socializing with friends can have as positive an impact on health as quitting smoking, working out or eating right. 

Curling up on the couch with a pal can be restorative, too. "A friendly touch puts the brakes on the brain's stress-response signals," Ilardi explains. Give someone you love a hug. 

Even on a busy Monday rush hour you still have to eat, right? Plan for a quick bite with your buddy. A short break at JuiceWorks, or a sandwich at Subway works great. You don't have to unload your inner turmoil onto your friend, just the simple get-together works miracle on that foul Monday moods. 

source: 6 Ways to Rid Those Moody Days — And They Don’t Involve Drugs!

do these today to combat stress...

Being stressed and tired (and sometimes skipped meals) used to be the signs and symptoms of a person who is extremely hardworking and dedicates his whole conscious moments to his job. At least he wants his boss to think so. But today, tiredness is not a fashion statement anymore, and the star employee is a powerhouse of energy who is alert and active the whole time, ever ready to face challenging situations at work as well as juggle personal life and still have time to frequent the gym and be in shape. How does he keep the clutters in his head in check? Here are 3 tips to start with.

#1. Breathe Easily

“Breathing from your diaphragm oxygenates your blood, which helps you relax almost instantly,” says Robert Cooper, Ph.D., the San Francisco coauthor of The Power of 5 (Rodale Press, 1996), a book of five-second and five-minute health tips. Shallow chest breathing, by contrast, can cause your heart to beat faster and your muscles to tense up, exacerbating feelings of stress. To breathe deeply, begin by putting your hand on your abdomen just below the navel. Inhale slowly through your nose and watch your hand move out as your belly expands. Hold the breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly. Repeat several times.

One activity that helps tremendously in breathing exercise that I've discovered through experience, is yoga. Not only that it benefits through stretching and relaxes the muscles and softening the joints, I found that by doing yoga frequently, it makes me calmer and more composed, thinking clarity is better and I don't get irritable or annoyed easily. Must be all that oxygen in the brain.

#2. Try Tea

By now most of us know about the calming properties of chamomile tea. But a steaming cup of catnip, passionflower, skullcap or kava kava also work, according to Dr. Duke. Whether you use tea bags or loose tea (one teaspoon of tea per cup of boiling water), steep for about 10 minutes to get the full benefits of the herbs.

I don't doubt the calming and health effect of herbal tea, but for me, it is the mind associating tea drinking to relaxing environments. Coffee would do it better in my case. I enjoyed the days when I can just sink into the sofa, with soft jazz playing in the back ground, and sipping on a mug of hot mocha. So when I'm stressed an need to chill a while, just by holding a 3-in-1 mug of coffee in my hands, and closing my eyes for 10 minutes will bring me back to that moment of calm and comfort. 

#3. Soak it Up

“When I have the time, nothing is more stress relieving for me than a hot bath,” Dr. Weston says. “But when I don’t have time, I do the next-best thing: I wash my face or even just my hands and arms with hot water. The key is to imagine that I’m taking a hot bath. It’s basically a visualization exercise, but the hot water makes it feel real.”

Beggars can't be choosers. Not many of us have a bath tub at home, but most of us do, however, have a swimming pool in the condo that we never seem to utilize. We might be tired from gym or burdened by stress from work and the last thing we (most of us anyway) want to do is to go do laps in the pool. Don't have to swim, just dip! Let yourself float in the water and listen to your own breathing. I promise, it will totally rejuvenate your soul!

source: Stress Management Tips from the Experts

chewing the fat on ... fats

For the longest time, fats and oils food groups have been villainized by health professionals and fitness enthusiasts because of its association with weight gain and obesity, and subsequently diseases such as heart attack and high blood cholesterol and diabetes. However in the more recent years, heatlh professionals have started to preach a more holistic approach to nutrition, underlining the importance of including proportionate amount of healthy fats in the meals rather than obliterating it from our foods.

Now the question is: what is healthy and what is not healthy? We are bombarded by words such as cholesterol-free foods, trans-fats, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, poly-monounsaturated fat and all that tongue twisters; what are they actually?

Okay, lets first get to basic, and try to understand the story of fats from the beginning. We'll just discuss the components that are relevant to dietary fats and fats found in our blood, so as not to confuse ourselves even more.

Fat consists of a few groups of chemical compounds in the family of lipids. The main types found in our foods are the glycerides, phospholipids and sterols. More often than not, these groups present together in our food.

For the purpose of this discussion, let's imagine that glyceride is a wooden box, phospholipid is a metal box and sterol is made of plastic. In each of these boxes, there are crayons and coloured pencils. Some of these are short and some are long. 

So far so good with your imagination?

Okay, let's continue. You want to draw a pretty picture using the colours from all the boxes. You must use both the crayons and the coloured pencils, but as much as possible try to use the crayons because the pencils are sharp and may hurt you when you use it. You may use the crayons as much as you like, but don't use a sharpener to sharpen the crayons or else you may hurt yourself too. There are times when you'll need to use a marker pen, and since it is not available in your box, you need to borrow someone else's marker pen for your drawing.

Some of you might get dizzy already, but bear with me while I explain. The crayons are types of unsaturated fatty acids while the pencils are saturated fatty acids. Saturated or unsaturated state of the fatty acids depends on the chemical structure of the acid and has nothing to do with volume or quantity of the fatty acids in the food. Studies have shown association between excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids (or commonly just called saturated fats) with diseases such as high blood cholesterol, heart problems and certain cancers. Note the key-word here being: excessive.

Now back to the colours. While the unsaturated fats being portrayed by crayons, there is a caution for using the sharpener to sharpen the crayons. Now this is where it gets a little bit more tricky. Chemically, the unsaturated fatty acids are divided into the cis- configuration and the trans- configuration. In our crayon analogy, the cis- are the normal crayons, while the trans- are the sharp pointed crayons. 

Comparatively, the trans- configuration is more stable; however, in nature, most of the unsaturated fatty acids exist in the cis- configuration. It is possible to convert the cis- fatty acids into trans- fatty acids (or trans fats) through a process called hydrogenation. This process stabilises oil resulting in higher melting point and ability to stay as semi-solid in normal environmental temperature. This discovery was an important breakthrough with huge economic implications. Vegetable oils can be hygrogenated to become margarine, which is cheaper and lasts longer than animal fats (butter or ghee). The problem: trans- fatty acids may behave like saturated fats, and may be associated with diseases such as high blood cholesterol, heart problems and certain cancers.

Now we come back to the analogy of the containers. The wooden box, the metal box and the plastic box each carries their own mix of crayons and coloured pencils. Just as the glycerides, the phospholipids and the sterols carry their own chains of fatty acids, and it could be a mixture of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. The crayons and the coloured pencils may be the same, but since the boxes are made of different material, the function could differ from one another.

The glycerides, or specifically triglyceride, is the main currency in conversion of adipose fat into glucose and vice versa in our body. The phospholipids makes up the structure of all our cell membrane while the sterols (or cholesterols) also are essential component of the cell membrane, involved in the production of hormones, bile acids and vitamin D. The glycerides is the commonest form of lipid group found in animal fats and vegetable oils.  Foods that are rich with phospholipids are such as soy, sunflower seeds, chicken egg yolk, cow milk and fish eggs. Major dietary sources of cholesterol include breast-milk, cheese, egg yolks, beef, pork, poultry, fish, and certain crustaceans such as prawns.

Remember the marker pen that you need to borrow from someone else? That's a fatty acid called essential fatty acid (Omega-3 and omega-6), dubbed as "essential" because it cannot be produced by our own body and hence it is essential to get it via dietary source. Essential fatty acids are important in normal body function and health maintenance and not so much in the energy metabolism. Some of the food sources include fish and shellfish, flax seed, hemp seed, soy oil, canola oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leafy vegetables, and walnuts.

Gone are the days of extremely low-fat diets. We realise now that a complete nutrition, and that includes a healthy proportion of fat, is important for maintenance of health and normal body function. That doesn't mean you now can chow down three plates of charkueyteow or snack on fried chicken skin from the pasar malam! According to dietary experts, adults should get 20 to 35 percent of their total daily calories from fats and also try to reduce the intake of saturated and trans fats while replacing those unhealthy fats with beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. 

Eat proportionately, eat healthily!

reference: www.webmd.com

3 health tips to do today...

#1 chatting makes you smart

Engaging in casual conversation with others may help keep you as sharp as doing a word puzzle, according to some studies. Just 10 minutes of daily chatter appears to improve mental function and preserve memory. Need to reply to a friend in Whatsapp chat? Dial his/her number instead, and talk. Friends love pleasant surprises, trust me!

#2 wasabi for your pearly smile

In addition to following good dental hygiene, you can help prevent cavities by adding more shiitake mushrooms and wasabi to your diet. Both foods contain compounds that help fight the bacteria that cause plaque and cavities. Sashimi buffet anyone?

#3 drown your headache

To treat an acute migraine, drink a full glass of water -- dehydration can trigger headaches. Even if you need to take a medication for the pain, put on a blindfold, then lie down and breathe deeply. This often helps the pain pass more quickly.

source: www.wholeliving.com

a nasty gut feeling...

Stomach flu is usually described as a condition where a person complains of stomach discomfort with nausea or vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes accompanied with bloating and gas. It ranks among the commonest reasons for absence from work or school, and almost everybody would have experienced it before. Despite the name, stomach flu is not caused by flu infection of the stomach.

Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE) noun, pathology.

An acute (sudden onset between 1-48 hours) inflammation (-itis) of the stomach (gastro-) and intestinal (entero-) wall.

There are different reasons for diarrhea and vomiting, although the symptoms are usually brought about by an inflammation of the stomach and intestinal wall, known as gastroenteritis. This inflammation causes the digestive system and the absorption process of your food to become deranged, resulting in soft or watery stool. Improper digestion of food also causes excessive gas production causing bloatedness, belching and discomfort from the stretching of your gastrointestinal wall. The upper digestive system will sometimes work backwards through a process called anti-peristalsis to forcefully push out the contents of the stomach causing vomiting.

In a society that prides itself with its variety and abundance, and love for food, it is not surprising to find that the commonest reason for AGE might be food poisoning. Food poisoning occurs when food or water contaminated with harmful microorganism, bacterial / fungal toxins or other harmful chemicals is eaten or drunk. 

The bad news about AGE is that it may cause dehydration through excessive water loss from diarrhea and vomiting. During the acute purging stage it disturbs daily activities and leaving one fatigued from dehydration and inability to tolerate food. However, the good news about most AGE (caused by viral infection of food contamination) is that it is self-limiting, meaning it will eventually go away within a few days even without medication. You should, however, get medical attention if the diarrhea is increasingly worsening or does not show any improvement after 5 to 7 days, if there's noticeable blood in the stool of if it's accompanied by high fever.

The main treatment for AGE both for adults and children is management of hydration. For adults, during the active vomiting and diarrhea, it is advisable to take only clear fluids or nutritional fluids such as tea or Milo. Stop eating solids especially spicy or oily foods, until the diarrhea or vomiting subsides. There is a common advice to avoid dairy products when having active diarrhea. This is true for people who has lactose intolerance (in which case the diarrhea may be caused by consuming milk in the first place), but for people who are not usually intolerant to lactose, diluted warm milk may be beneficial to provide energy and hydration. Just make sure the milk is pasteurized.

A trip to the doctor's clinic may bag you a regime of medication, other than the necessary medical leave certificate. Generally, antibiotics are not prescribed for diarrhea, unless the symptom is unusually prolonged, and there's a suspicion for nasty bacterial infection in the gut. 

1. Charcoal tablets may be prescribed at early stage of food poisoning to absorb the toxin and contaminants from ingested food. It may also reduce bloating and gassiness. 
2. Antimotility medication (antidiarrheal) such as Diphenoxylate/Atropine or Loperamide may be prescribed to passify the over-active intestinal movement and reduce diarrhea drastically, especially if you need to be mobile and there's an important meeting you cannot miss. 
3. Antiemetics (anti-vomiting) such as metoclopramide or dimenhydrinate can be given to reduce vomiting and the sensation of nausea. 
4. Hyocine tablet is a relaxant prescribed to reduce the cramps and churning sensation of your stomach and guts. 
5. Oral rehydration solution is prescribed to replace the lost salts or electrolytes from your system through excessive vomiting / diarrhea and to encourage more fluid intake.

Studies have shown that taking yogurt may help and cut down symptoms by up to 2 days. Opt for low fat yogurt if you're not lactose intolerant and make sure it's stated "live culture" on the packaging, not just "made from live culture" for it to be effective. 

do you bant?

Diet, diet, diet. That's the one thing that makes or breaks any effort to lose weight. Countless regime has been formulated and all carried their own promises of making you into a lean and slender, magazine cover material.

The Internet is saturated with fad diet entries, that a google search of the words fad+diet will return 5.5million, and believe me, it is still growing at exponential rate! Fad diets are defined as "a nutritional regimen, generally of an extreme nature, intended to produce results more quickly than a traditional diet-exercise combination; often of a dubious nature." (Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012)

In 1974, an article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Food Faddism: a challenge to nutritionists and dietitians by McBean and Speckmann) listed 3 categories of food fads:

1. A particular food or food group is exaggerated and purported to cure specific diseases.
2. Foods are eliminated from an individual’s diet because they are viewed as harmful.
3. An emphasis is placed on eating certain foods to express a particular lifestyle.

Food fads might have gotten more popular in the recent 50 years or so, but the first documented fad diet was evident from as early as the mid 19th Century, when a man called William Banting printed his weight-loss success with a regime of diet that limited intake of refined and easily digestible carbohydrates. The pamphletes were so popular, it was reprinted several times and the question "Do you bant?" was the rave of the moment, equivalent to our modern day "Are you following a Diet?"

While some researches conclude that low-carbohydrate diets are a "feasible alternative recommendation for weight loss", restrictive diet programmes for weight reduction by food groups restrictions are never meant as a life-long adjustments to the way we eat. Instead, there are a few other factors we may need to consider adjusting, not just the type of food alone:

1. The portion size of a meal
2. The timing of a meal

Some of us might have picked up the habit of looking at the nutritional table of food products, take a glance at the calories column and judge whether or not it justifies itself for consumption. A quick glance at a caramelized popcorn box, shows 122kcal per serving. Harmless, you'd think, 10 minutes run at 7km/h on the treadmill will take care of that. But one may overlook the fact that a standard portion for popcorn sold at the cinema is 85 oz, not 1 oz.

Here are some examples of healthy portion size, taken from WebMD:

• A cup of fruit should be no larger than your fist.
• One ounce of meat or cheese is about the same as the size of your thumb from base to tip.
• Three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry (a normal serving) is about the size of your palm.
• One to two ounces of nuts equals your cupped hand.

You must have heard of the adage: eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. A study published in the journal Obesity, has concluded that timing the caloric size of your meals in a day is important for weight loss. The research divided  2 groups of obese women, both given the same total caloric intake per day of 1400kcal. In the first group, breakfast was 700kcal, lunch 500kcal and dinner 200kcal, while the second group was given breakfast of 200kcal, lunch 500kcal and dinner 700kcal. The types of food was same for both groups, and their weight changes were measured after 3 months.

Both the groups showed weight reduction at the end of the 3 months, because of the restricted caloric diet (1400kcal/day) but the first group showed greater weight loss and weight circumference reduction. Other than weight and size drop, the heavy breakfast group also showed:

1. significant drop of fasting glucose
2. greater drop of cholesterol level
3. greater level of satiety score (less hungry throughout the day)

So it might pay to have your main meal on the early side. However, don't lose sight of the fact that what works in the long run is cutting calories by portion control and not so much on food group restriction. 

Eating clean with the right portion and being more physically active, is the only diet that will work!

The best diet is not a diet at all but a way of life that includes food you enjoy, exercise, and healthy habits. Here are some tips to kick start a portion controlled clean eating habit, and physical activities:

• Eat a variety of foods -- lean protein; complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and "good" fats, like omega-3 fats from fish and monounsaturated fats from avocados, nuts, and olives or olive oil.
• Say NO to bad fats: minimize how much saturated fat you get from animal sources, and eliminate trans fats from the fried foods, snacks, and fast food products you eat.
• Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Choose different colors of fruits and vegetables to ensure optimal nutrition.
• Be careful about portion sizes. If you must have seconds, serve yourself vegetables.
• Exercise at least 150 minutes each week with a moderately intense activity like brisk walking. This can be divided into smaller blocks of time. For example, you could do a brisk walk for 10 minutes three times a day for five days to reach 150 minutes.  
• Clean out the kitchen and eliminate all junk food. Toss out high-calorie, high-fat, sugary foods that will tempt you to overeat -- chips, cookies, crackers, ice cream, candy bars, and the like.
• Fill your kitchen with lean protein, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, good fats, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently. Five to six per day may be best. Space your meals every three to four hours throughout your day. Try taking low fat cheese and whole grain crackers to school or work for a snack, or eat a tablespoon of peanut butter with one slice of whole grain bread. Find foods that are healthy and that keep you full.
• If you like lots of food on your plate, fill up with a large salad and a super serving of green beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, or other low calorie vegetable.
• Snack on berries. Dark berries (blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries) are rich in healthy antioxidants. They are also low in calories and fat and high in fiber.
• Avoid "empty calories" including sugar-containing sodas and fruit drinks.

Reference:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-truth-about-fad-diets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieting

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957

arteo's preferred cardio workout: BodyCombat

I'm a self confessed Combat junkie and I am proud to admit that if I don't get my Combat fix for a few days, I'll get all the withdrawal jitters and restlessness. As a tribute to this programme that I am so thankful for in helping me shed pounds, here's an excerpt from the LesMills website about BODYCOMBAT™

LesMills BODYCOMBAT™

This fiercely energetic program is inspired by mixed martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai. During this ultimate warrior workout, you'll strike, punch, kick and kata your way through calories to superior cardio fitness. 

Duration

55 minutes

Average Calorie Burn

737 kcal

Benefits of joining BODYCOMBAT™:

• Gets you fighting fit and looking ripped
• Improves heart and lung function and reduces the risk of heart disease
• Tones and shapes key muscle groups
• Maximizes calorie burn during and after your workout
• Develops co-ordination and agility of a mized martial arts warrior
• Teaches you the moves of an elite martial arts expert
• Improves bone density
• Improves posture, core strength and stability
• Builds self-confidence, strength and power
• Keep pushing your limits with quarterly new releases

The Group Effect

Working out in a group gives you the confidence and support you need to unleash yourself - to enjoy your experience so it becomes addictive! Group exercise suits all fitness levels, no matter how fit you are. You'll gain strength from exercising with others and you'll motivate each other to work harder, and push yourself just a little more.

Visit the LesMills Webpage here.

home made baby butter-head lettuce salad with orange and balsamic dressing

I first had a taste of orange dressing salad with crispy duck at Canoodling Restaurant and fell in love with it. Here, I've tried to replicate that delicious salad by using stuffs I have in my fridge. In this version, I've taken out the olive oil and put in chia seeds for my dose of Omega-3 instead. Try to increase the portion and have a big bowl, because believe me, just one serving will keep you wanting for more.

• 1 head baby butter-head lettuce
• 1 medium sized orange
• 1 slice chicken ham (35g)
• a dash of balsamic vinegar
• a sprinkle of raisin
• a sprinkle of sunflower seeds
• a sprinkle of chia seeds

Slice chicken ham into strips. Wash the lettuce and spin dry. Cut the orange into half, squeeze the juice out of one half, and dice the other half into chunks. Mix the orange juice with a dash of balsamic vinegar. Toss the lettuce, orange chunks, raisin and chia seeds in a big bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Dive in.

Total calorie 114kcal, carbohydrate 18g, protein 9.4g, fat 2g

Without chicken ham: calorie 89kcal, carbohydrate 16.5g, protein 2.4g, fat 1.3g

いただきます

to change, or not to change?

 This is the second installment of the write-up on trans-theoretical model on health seeking behaviour, where we will be discussing the pre-contemplative and the contemplative stage. 

Earlier, we visited the 3 general body types, or somatotypes, and learn that we are most likely somewhere in the spectrum between these 3, rather than purely endomorpic, mesomorphic of ectomorphic. Knowing your somatotype should help you in setting your realistic goal for change.

Then, we will be discussing the stages of change. Classically there are 5 stages of change namely the pre-contemplative, contemplative, preparation, action and the maintenance stage. We will also be looking at a model devised by a leadership guru, Dr John Kotter. His model describes 8 stages and mostly used in a business administrative setting, but also can be applied on a more personal level, to understand what you are going through.

I reckon, that if you're reading this, you're probably already in the contemplative stage, since a person who is in a pre-contemplative stage wouldn't be aware of the need to change, and has not weighted the pros and cons, usually underestimating the pros and overestimating the cons. Kotter's equivalent to pre-contemplative and contemplative phase is the establishment of urgency stage, where a person learns to identify threats of status quo and explore the opportunities for improvement.

A pre-contemplative person often believes that he has no need to change his current behaviour, or even if he does, he would presume that he has no control over it. This may be because lack of empowerment from his surroundings, poor understanding that the current behaviour is damaging or do not see the ill consequences of current behaviours.

It is easy to picture a guy that is nonchalant about his health behaviours as a obese, sedentary, burger chomping, cola gulping person, or a man ordering the third pint of beer, smoking his second pack of cigarettes and that's his 5th night in the pub that week. Yet, an average looking person working 8 hours a day, commuting 2 hours, eats out for convenience, spends few more hours at home finishing work or watching TV or surfing the Internet may not be a suspect for a stroke waiting to happen, but he may not be the role model of health and doesn't necessarily mean that he doesn't have to change anything to better his health too.

No amount of direct marketing or persuasion may change a person in a pre-contemplative stage, who himself is not ready for change. The approach to help them may be through passive absorption of information, through positive environment, overhearing health facts (or probably the best way to jump start a person's behaviour change -- through fear -- i.e. near death survival etc.) But don't quote me on the last bit :o)

A few questions to help a pre-contemplator to change:

• How do you recognise that you have a problem? 
• Have you ever tried to change this behaviour in the past? 
• What would have to happen for you to consider your behaviour a problem?

If a person starts to have these questions in mind, and perhaps considering a need to change, this phase is called the contemplative stage. At this stage, one becomes more aware of the benefits of making a healthy change as the pros begin to level or outweigh the cons. 

In my case of trying to lose weight, one struggle I had was the conflict between self-love and the need to change what I don't like about myself. At one hand, friends who know my self-image issue helped by accepting myself in a positive way. Positive self-valuation and acceptance, I admit is very important for my own mental well-being, but there are more evaluated benefits for me to "not like" what I see in the mirror at that moment, and strive to achieve a healthier body weight, better exercise stamina and endurance, and perhaps as a side effect, I would love to see and be that chap in the mirror. So change, I must!

Next: So I'm ready to change, now what?

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transtheoretical_model

http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/ss/behaviorchange.htm

getting ready, is an accomplishment...

I'm not fat, I'm just big boned

I have a t-shirt that says that.

To a certain extend, that is true. The built of a person depends on his skeletal structure, and also his muscular and fat and pretty much everything else to compose his stature.

The purpose of this write-up is to explain the categorisation of human body type, loosely classified into 3 somatotypes: endomorphs, ectomorphs and mesomorphs. Bear in mind that this categorisation does not scale a person into what is good or bad, but merely a description of types. Not any of the somatotypes are better or worse than another. Knowing your somatotype also helps you to make realistic target, especially when you workout to improve your appearance which will lead to a feeling of better well-being and health.

An endomorphic person is generally stocky, with a large round body, a short thick neck, short arms and legs, and with a tendency to store body fat. Generally, extreme endomorphs rate poorly on physical fitness tests and so make poor athletes in sports that require agility and speed. Still, it is possible that someone who is rated as an endomorph can modify their rating though diet and exercise to improve on physical performance and sports. With proper training, it is relatively easier for endomorphs to pack on muscle mass.

A mesomorphic person would be strongly built, with broad muscular chest and shoulders, muscular arms and legs, and relatively little body fat. An example of a mesomorphic person in the sporting world would be a typical weightlifter or shot putter. In general, mesomorphs rank high on strength, endurance, power and agility.

An ectomorphic person would generally be tall and thin, with a narrow body, thin arms and legs, little body fat and wiry muscles. They are the ones usually seen doing catwalks on fashion shows. An example of an ectomorphic person in the sporting world would be a typical long distance runner or basketball player. In general, ectomorphs rank high on endurance, flexibility and agility. 

It is important to remember that somatotyping is expressed as a sprectrum rather than clear-cut entities, and the majority of the population would have a mixed trait of the forms. The expression of somatotype gives a 3-digit code x-y-z, x being endomorphy rating, y for mesomorphy and z for ectomorphy. The rating ranges from 1 to 7, where 7 is the strongest expression of that particular attribute and 1 being weakest.

Though it is fairly unnecessary to know, the calculation of somatotype numbers takes into consideration these parameters, and computed using a formula.

1. Sex, Age
2. Height and Weight
3. Biceps and Calf Girth  
4. Femurs and Humerus Breadth 
5. Triceps, Biceps, Subscapular, Supraspinale, Abdominal, Thigh, Calf and Suprailiac Skinfolds
6. Chest Skinfold and Forearm Girth - for Males
7. Gluteal/Hip Girth - for Females
8. Waist circumference

The most important thing about somatotyping, I'd like to stress again, is just to know what type of stature we have, and that should guide us towards a more realistic and achievable goal-setting. And remember, there are no good or bad somatotype.

Health and fitness goals should instead, focus on parameters that matters such as our body muscle / fat composition, visceral fat rating, cardiovascular endurance, progressive strength training and physical fitness. A good gym would have it's own programme to keep track of these parameters and advice its members accordingly.

Next most important question is perhaps: What is the reason you exercise?

referrences:

http://www.topendsports.com/testing/somatotype.htm

http://somatotypecalculator.blogspot.com/

weight loss: are you really ready for it?

I saw a fridge magnet once, that says:

I keep trying to lose weight, but it keeps on finding me.

I'm sure that tickles some of you. To some, it may pinch. More so us that really can associate with that sentiment. Weight (re)gain is a seriously sticky matter, and I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating that is.

Writing for this blog, I try not to associate with the issues personally because my intention is to simplify medical and health knowledge in a way that people who don't want to spend 5 years in medical school can still understand it. But this issue has been a personal struggle for myself, so bear with me.

The secret to weight loss is actually very simple. It's a short and mind-blowingly straight forward. Here it is:

Less Intake + More Activity = Weight Loss

Mind blowing isn't it? If only the body conforms to mathematical formulae, yes it is going to be easy. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the body is (much much) smarter than that, and there are going to be a thousand and one factors that come into play when it comes to body weight regulation. 

I have also been sucked into trying myriads of diet fads and magical pills that promises weight loss when I eat, when I don't eat, when I just drink, when I just eat certain type of foods, you name it, I've tried it. Perhaps short of stomach bypass surgery, yeah I've tried it all.

The only thing that will work, however, is also simple. It may be just as mind-blowingly straight forward, but executing it involves a lot of will power, mental preparedness, positive social environment, and a determination made of steel.

Clean Eating + Regular Physical Activities + Targeted Exercises 
= Healthy Weight Maintenance

I've replaced the word weight loss to healthy weight maintenance because the word "weight loss" can create an unnecessary stress to achieve an unreasonable weight goal. Every person might be created to have equal rights in many ways, but one thing that we'll never be equal is in our shapes and sizes. 

To start with, we are loosely classified into 3 large groups, based on our body frames: ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph (more about these later). If we were to aspire a body weight that is right on the dot based on our BMI, we'd all be mesomorph. Which is not logical.

First and foremost, we have to understand ourselves. How our body works and how our mind works. Over the next few entries, I will be discussing a method of understanding our own mental state and personal preparedness for behaviour change, particularly in the effort to lose weight and maintenance of health. Just as the title questioned: are we really ready for it? It may sound silly, because I cannot remember a day in my life that I didn't want to lose weight, but believe me, weight loss process takes more of mental readiness and will power than just a desire.

In a nutshell, I will be discussing the transtheoretical model of behaviour change (if you can't pronounce it, it's okay, read on, I'll break it down for you). This model was first developed more than 35 years ago (older than I am, believe it or not) from multiple theories in psychotherapy. Today it is one of the most dominant model used to discuss health behaviour change in the areas of depression / stress management, adherence to medication, smoking cessation and of course, weight management.

You may have seen the diagram above that explains the stages that people go through when making a behaviour change. We will be discussing the stages in the coming entries, and hopefully that may help you to assess your own preparedness for change, and deciding for a healthier lifestyle.

Stay tuned!

clean eating principles for dummies

Eating clean involves not only choosing the right foods to eat but also avoiding all of the junk foods and processed foods that are so readily available. The keys to good health and proper nutrition are in the following principles: 

Eat whole foods

Whole foods are foods that haven’t been tampered with, in the lab or the manufacturing plant. The foods you eat on this plan are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass-fed and free-range meats, low fat dairy products, unsalted nuts, and seeds.

Avoid processed foods

Processed foods are any food that has a label. A label means that more than one ingredient was used to make that food. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like whole grain pasta or natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your shopping basket.

Eliminate refined sugar

Refined sugar provides nothing but calories. Other sweeteners can be used, but with all the good foods you add to your diet, refined sugar really has very little place in the eating clean plan.

unless you're in Penang, then it's totally understandable... lol

Eat five or six small meals a day

By eating smaller meals throughout the day you can help rev up your metabolism and reduce the chance that you’ll eat some Funyuns rather than that whole grain cracker with nut butter and strawberries. You never get so hungry on this plan that you’ll feel deprived or feel the need to cheat.

Cook your own meals

Instead of buying meals in a box, cook meals from scratch. That’s not as hard as it sounds! Clean, whole foods need little preparation beyond chopping and sautéing to make satisfying, delicious meals your family will love.

Combine protein with carbs

When you do snack or eat a meal, make sure that meal is balanced. For the most satisfaction from your diet, and so you’ll be less tempted to eat junk food, combine protein with carbs or carbs and fat. This simple act will fuel your body and quash hunger pangs.

An excerpt from the Dummies series:

The Basic Principles of Eating Clean

By Jonathan Wright and Linda Johnson Larsen

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-basic-principles-of-eating-clean.html