Community Magazine March 2009

102 community magazine To • Your • Health Get leanWitHWatermelon Juice? Arginine, an amino acid, was found to reduce fat in obese rats who are dieting, a discovery that could help fight human obesity. The research was conducted by Texas AgriLife, and was published in the Journal of Nutrition. Rats were fed both low and high-fat diets, and Arginine supplementation for 12 weeks decreased the body fat gains of the rats on both kinds of diets. The treatment did not have any long-term adverse effects on either group. Arginine-rich foods include seafood, watermelon juice, nuts, seeds, algae, meats, rice protein concentrate and soy protein isolate. The researchers sug- gest that the supplements may increase lean tissue growth. In an earlier study, the supplement reduced fat growth and increased muscle gain of pigs without affecting their overall weight. neWrecommendationsHatcHed for eGGs Too many eggs in your diet are bad for your health and cho- lesterol, right? Maybe not. The British Nutrition Foundation’s Nutrition Bulletin says that this fear is outdated and incorrect. Researchers noted how eggs can play a key role in providing important nutrients in a good diet. While elevated blood choles- terol levels increase the risk of heart disease, only around a third of the cholesterol in the body comes from diet. Other factors such as smok- ing, weight and physical activity can influence blood fat, cholesterol levels and heart disease risk. Two years ago, The British Heart Foundation (BHF) dropped its suggestion to limit egg con- sumption to three a week because of new evidence. artHritis tHeraPies tHat don’t (anddo) WorK Two thirds of supplementary treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (inflamed joint lining) and a fifth of treatments for osteoarthritis (breakdown of cartilage tissue in joints) were found to be inef- fective, says a study from The Arthritis Research Campaign. Inflammation results when the unprotected bones of the joint begin to rub together, most commonly in the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. The ineffective remedies included: antler velvet pow- der, blackcurrant seed oil, collagen, eazmov (a herbal mixture), feverfew (herb), flaxseed oil, green-lipped mussels, homeopathy, reumalex herbal mixture, selenium, the Chinese herb tong luo kai bi, vitamins A, C and E, and willow bark. Fish body oil, by contrast, was found to be a very effective remedy. Capsaicin gel proved most effective in relieving pain and joint tenderness for osteoarthritis. Serious safety concerns were noted regarding the traditional Chinese medicine thunder god vine, used for treating fibromyalgia (another joint pain condition). cast tHat sPrain Conventional wisdom advises keeping a sprained ankle mov- ing to help it heal. But research cited in the British journal The Lancet found that healing occurs faster with a plaster cast, and that a 10-day below-knee cast is more effective in the long-term than standard treatment with a tubular bandage. In fact, the research showed that the tubular was the worst treatment pos- sible. The second best treatment was an Aircast brace, which limits ankle move- ment. The Bledsoe boot, another type of brace designed to restrict ankle movement while allowing patients to walk - was no more effective than a tubular bandage. effectiveWeiGHt loss tiPs: avoid common Pitfalls too mucH too soon : Fat loss takes time. You can’t rush it—plain and simple. An unrealistic time frame will only discour- age you and may cause you to drop the diet in frustration. no carBs Past midday : Do not con- sume any carbs in the second half of your day. For example, if you get up at 8 am, stop eating carbs at 4pm. Plan and PrePare: Plan your meals for the following day the night before, and make sure you have all the necessary ingredients. Lack of planning will leave you with nothing to eat...and then you’ll grab whatever is available, which is usually fattening. eXercise reGularly: Exercise burns fat. I suggest doing some type of cardio workout 30 minutes a day, four times a week. This can include walking, biking, running, swimming and the like. Morning exercise on an empty stomach yields the best results. WeiGHt traininG: Weight training makes you feel good–and look good, while also increasing your metabo- lism to help burn more fat. avoid rePetition: Varied exercise routines will elimi- nate boredom and keep you from quitting. It also causes the body to adapt to efficient functioning at whatever type of exercise you are doing. Persistence: Whatever you do– don’t give up. You will regret your failure a couple of months down the road. If you are frustrated over not losing weight, try something different, and try to make it fun. MIKE’S COR Michael Cohen (Body by Mike) has over 35 years of health and fitness experience. NER