The Role of Muscle in Weight Loss

Trainer: Dr. Michael Colgan

With so many people who would like to lose weight, there is a great need for health professionals to properly guide these people through the process. Dr. Michael Colgan, world-renowned research scientist, has provided nutrition and training programs for thousands of people, and is director of his eponymous Colgan Institute, a consulting, educational and research facility concerned with the effects of nutrition and exercise on athletic performance, along with prevention of chronic degenerative disease, and prevention of degeneration of the brain. Listen in as he discusses the importance of retaining lean muscle mass while losing weight, and why muscle just might hold the secret to successful and healthy weight loss for anyone embarking on the journey.

 

Low-Glycemic Diet Improves Inflammatory Profile in Overweight and Obese

Eating low-glycemic foods such as whole grains and fiber-rich fruits may reduce markers of inflammation in overweight and obese people, according to new study

Results of a new study suggests that a low-glycemic diet — rich in foods containing carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream — significantly lowered markers of inflammation and also increased a hormone that helps in regulating the metabolism of sugar and fat.

The study, which be published in the February issue of the Journal of Nutrition, randomized 80 healthy men and women to a controlled feeding trial. Half of the participants were normal weight and half were overweight or obese.

The researchers, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, found through subjects’ blood samples that C-reactive protein, a biomarker of inflammation, was reduced by about 22 percent among the overweight and obese subjects who followed the low-glycemic diet.

“This finding is important and clinically useful since C-reactive protein is associated with an increased risk for many cancers as well as cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., R.D. “Showing that a low-glycemic-load diet can improve health is important for the millions of Americans who are overweight or obese.” Continue reading →

Fish Oil Adds Muscle Strength in Older Women

New research shows that fish oil supplementation combined with strength training improves muscle function in older women

The benefits of strength training are widely known, but now it looks like a strength training regimen supplemented with fish oil may be even better. Findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest that people who consume a daily supplement containing 2 grams of fish oil in combination with strength training experience improved muscle function.

The study, reported to be the first of its kind, shows the combined benefits of fish oil and strength training on muscle function in a group of older women. These women were randomized into one of three groups with each group receiving strength training: strength training alone, strength training plus fish oil supplementation, and a group that started taking the fish oil 60 days prior to beginning the strength training regimen.

After 90 days of strength training three days a week, all women had improved muscle strength, but for those women who supplemented with fish oil these effects were even more pronounced. Continue reading →

Five Ways To Keep a New Year’s Resolution with Isagenix

With the New Year underway, Isagenix has the tools to help you reach your health and fitness goals for 2012

With the start of the new year, our thoughts are on weight-and-fitness resolutions. The truth is, according to statistics, that about half of us will set health goals for ourselves, but almost all (90 percent) of us will get off track to achieve them by Valentine’s Day.

So, what will make the difference in 2012? Hard work and dedication are an obvious part of the answer, but consuming products and following systems that are nutritionally sound in design offer a convenient path to glory.

As 2012 kicks into gear, it’s worth taking a moment to remind how easy it is to stick to good health habits when the following tools offered by Isagenix are in place to help you along. In 2012, why not resolve to adopt any or all of the following? Continue reading →

Elderly Can Keep Aging Brains Sharp with Omega-3s and Vitamins

Elderly slow brain decline with a diet high in omega-3s and vitamins and low in trans fat, study finds

Wisdom may come with age, but with each passing year many of us will have the reasonable worry of eventually losing our thinking skills and memory. Can nutrition guard the mind and keep it sharp with age?

A new study published in Neurology suggests that, yes, a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E, and B vitamins can slow down the brain’s gradual reduction in size that is associated with learning and memory problems.

A diet high in trans fat, conversely, could worsen brain shrinkage. Trans fats effects on the brain are likely because of their harm to cardiovascular health.

The study evaluated blood nutrient levels of 104 healthy participants with an average age of 87, who had few risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease. The subjects took tests for memory and thinking skills. The researchers also measured brain volume on 42 of the subjects using MRI scans. Continue reading →