Heart health: Regular physical activity is important to maintain your heart health

Diet plays an important role in terms of determining your heart health and risk of heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, a healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons to fight cardiovascular disease. It is no rocket science. You just have to start making healthier food choices and give up sedentary lifestyle habits like regular drinking or binge drinking, smoking, sitting more and moving less, not exercising and regularly eating deep fried and junk food. In this article, we are going to talk about diet and lifestyle recommendations that can help prevent heart disease and heart attack.

Regular physical activity is important for a healthy heartPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Simple Lifestyle Modifications To Lower Your Heart Disease Risk

Eating the right kind of nutritious food is required to keep your heart healthy. Your daily diet should include carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre to provide you with complete nutrition. If you want to lose weight, you try intermittent fasting and portion control.

Apart from including these foods in your diet, you need to cut down on saturated fats - which is in abundance in deep fried foods, packaged foods, red meat, diet soda and sugar-sweetened beverages - to reduce risk of heart disease. For keeping your blood pressure under control, you need to also cut down on sodium intake. Reducing intake of salty foods is important to reduce risk of heart attack.

Avoid intake of junk food for a healthy heartPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Alarming Signs And Symptoms Of Clogged Arteries; Know Prevention Steps

1. Make sure that majority of your diet includes home-cooked, naturally available food. Rujuta believes that anything that comes in a packet is not healthy for you.

2. Fibre-rich whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat, graham flour, whole oats, whole grain barley and oats, should be a part of your diet.

3. Include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in your diet for heart health. These include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines. Walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, kidney beans and soya bean oil are also rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Also read:Vitamin E: Good For The Heart And Many Other Health Benefits; Know The Best Sources And Ways To Consume It

4. Avoid foods that give you trans fats and saturated fat.

5. Practice moderation when drinking alcohol, preferably quit it. The sooner you quit, the better it is for your heart health.

6. Quit smoking. It can increase risk of cancer and also elevate blood pressure - which directly impacts blood pressure.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Heart Health: Follow These Diet And Lifestyle Tips To Reduce Risk Of Heart Attack - NDTV News

Nick King had been overweight since his teens. As he grew into adulthood, the extra pounds came with himespecially once he was out of school and working. Now a 46-year-old lawyer living in London, United Kingdom, he drank a lot socially because of his work. Though he stayed active through swimming, he made bad choices in his diet, and work travel killed any chance at consistent, healthy eating.

Over the past twenty years, he never really weighed himself. He just felt unhealthy. At my heaviest I was lethargic, depressed, pretty unhappy, he says. I had no energy for my kids. Then he cracked some ribs during a business trip, which left him even more inactive. I had limited energy and was pretty depressed, he says. It was affecting my family life in a pretty serious wayIm not sure how they put up with me.

His heaviest, it turned out, was 275 pounds. His body fat was over 45 percent and he had a 51-inch waist. I want to be a positive role model for my kids, he says, and I wasnt. So I knew I had to act.

He started training with UP Fitness. Three days a week, scheduled around his job, he worked out with weights and resistance, along with high intensity interval training (HIIT). They started with moving the large muscle groupsleg presses, chest presses, lat pull downsand then worked into hitting less prominent muscles. But he also targeted his daily routines: he started walking more, aiming to hit 10,000 steps a day. Working in some long-distance swimming events (10 to 14 kilometers) two or three times a week helped increase his calorie deficit.

King also completely cut out drinkingwell, other than some special occasions and work events, where he kept his alcohol consumption in check. He had a high-protein, low carb diet, mixing meat and fish with fresh vegetables and salad. (Lunch, for example, might be chicken salad and a king prawn stir fry.)

In 44 weeks he lost 115 pounds. I have never felt or looked better, he says. Physically I am a different person. I just completed a swim in a relay across the English Channel, and I regularly run and work out or exercise. His family is happy not just that hes dropped the weight, but that, as he puts it, his outlook as changed. I suspect I am a happier person to be around, he says. He feels more balanced, happy to trade being inside at a bar for outdoor activities. Work colleagues whove always known him as overweight are still adjusting to his new shape.

His step is to build some more muscle mass. Hes still swimming, having just done an English Channel relay, and hes looking forward to an upcoming 40-kilometer event. He credits his trainer with holding him accountable for his progress and getting him to this place. It was the best decision I made, he says. I feel great and the results are more than I could have hoped for.

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How Swimming and HIIT Training Helped This Guy Lose 115 Pounds and Get Fit - menshealth.com

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The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends

It's pouring down andgetting dark at 6am. Meaning only onething:winter is coming.

Want to know how London's top trainers keep themselvesstrong and healthy throughthe gloom?

Preparation is key, as is hot yoga, a sprinkling ofboxingclasses, power walking, batch-cooked chunky veg soup, bowls of morning porridge and a good wake-up light alarm clock.

In a final salute to summer, here's howhow to eat, train and be well as the nights draw in.

The key for both of us is prepping gym kit the night before. If I'msuper organised Ill put it on the radiator the night before so its toasty when you wake up.

Add more warm meals in. Porridge for breakfast is always a winner. Magnesium, vitamin D and cod liver oil supplements are really helpful to feel more energised and alert.

I use it as an opportunityto do sprints on the treadmill in a gym, as I tend to do longer endurance runs in the summer. Its easy to want to hibernate and curl up in the warm. Fight against it and do a work out that will get you warm. Anything high intensity is great for this but I also love a hot yoga class in the winter.

Also wrap up warm and get outside whilst its still light! It doesnt have to be a full blown work out or run - even a long power walk will do - just something to get you some fresh air and some natural vitamin D.

In winter I tend to focus on getting strong, with less cardiovascular work. Then as spring arrives, I decrease the strength workand start the cardio and metabolic conditioning work ready for long hikes and mountaineering.

This is what most athletes will do, they'll spend the winter building strength, doing non specific training to their sport, then as competition season approaches they start to get more specific.

In terms of diet, I try to eat seasonally and locally. So, in autumn/winter in the UK I eat more apples, beetroot, brusselssprouts, carrots, celeriac, celery, chestnuts, chicory, kale, leeks, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, potatoes, pumpkin, red cabbage, swede, swiss chard, turnips, watercress, winter squash.

In the colder months I tend to do most of my exercise indoors so I reduce any sessions such asHIITworkouts and running outside. My indoor sessions will then mostly consist of weight training and boxing. As a result, I want to make sure I also get outside as and when I can to ensure I get fresh air so I'll wrap up and try and walk whenever possible.

I love using the winter months to batch cook warming dishes such as homemade soups and stews. I love a homemade root veggie soup with chunky veg and will cook big pots and freeze it for a yummy post workout warming meal.

Just becausethe seasons change doesn't mean your workout has to.My training remains consistent even when the days get colder and darker, but I tend to bring my workouts indoors, my style of training (TheFramptonMethod) fortunately doesn't require any equipment - just objects around the house - so I'm not restricted.I domake myself train earlier on, as soon as I start to feel the slump, a few minutes into my routine and I'm wide awake again.

When it's really cold I'll get my body moving to warm up my limbs properly before starting my workout, even before doing stretches. I'll stand on one leg with my eyes closed for 60 seconds on each side, sit in squat position for two minutes and side lunges (getting the butt as low to the ground as I can).

I love a couple of high intensity workouts a week but whats more important to me is the low intensity workouts that are kind on the body whilst strengthening and lengthening the body from head-to-toe, my method, Kind by KG, is therefore my go-to. But I do love some hot yoga, when Im as cold as ice.

Warm food is all my body craves when its cold outside. Bye-bye smoothies and salads, and hello to oats, soups and stews. My digestion thanks me for it too as I do tend to work better with warm foods (as I learnt through Ayurveda).

My Lumie alarm clock is my saviour.Waking up when its pitch black outside to the sound of your iPhone alarm is horrid. Itslowly starts to light up 20 minutes before my alarm is set to go off. Which means by the time itmakes its gentle bird tweeting alarm I feel ready to wake up and jump out of bed. Its a game changer!

More here:
Simple swaps to make to your diet and fitness routine as the weather gets colder - Evening Standard

It has been a good summer with holidays, eating out at restaurants, overindulging here and there, relaxing and nights out.

I dont regret any of it, and thankfully have stepped away from the times I would be harsh on myself and feel guilt for how much Ive eaten or exercised, but Ive noticed my physical strength drop from what it was and my fitness levels decrease so Im ready to get back to my regular fitness routine.

But Ive been procrastinating about returning to the gym as it feels daunting after a break. The question that has been occupying my mind in recent weeks is: what is the best way to get my fitness back on track after the summer?

I dont want to fall back into my old ways of fad diets, detoxes or looking at exercise as a punishment to balance the holiday time. In previous years around this time of year I would feel very motivated to follow an extreme programme with an all or nothing attitude for a few weeks, I wouldnt be happy with a workout unless I had doms (delayed onset muscle soreness) with a constant feeling of deprivation from following a quick fix diet with a big drop in calories then give up after a few weeks and go the other extreme to the diet leading to weight gain and feeling horrible.

Im more than 60 per cent of the way there in my weight-loss goal of 5st 6lb (34.5kg) goal and Im enjoying doing it (mostly) and giving myself time to adapt to new habits. Overall, my fitness and strength has been steadily growing over the last year, and the weight-loss goal has drifted into the background as Ive felt healthier and stronger, replacing my destructive habits step by step.

The more success Ive had with making new habits part of my daily life, the less effort Ive had to make to be healthier as it becomes part of my normal routine and lifestyle. As I keep being reminded that Christmas is about three months away, which will be another break, now is good time to learn ways to make it easier to get back to my regular fitness routines after holidays, and make some new fitness and health goals.

Thinking of starting from the beginning with my fitness after a break is demoralising and demotivating, and I want to be realistic about where I can start and realistically what progress I can aim for.

I turn to strength and condition coach Cill OConnor, who helped me previously keep training through a minor injury, for advice on the best way to get restarted.

The first few workouts back should be light so that you can develop good lifting technique and not cause any unnecessary soreness, he says. You will have lost a lot of your strength and fitness. Dont expect to be able to lift the same amount of weight you could when you were training consistently.

However, our bodies can regain prior strength and fitness levels much faster than it took to build them initially. If you train intelligently, it wont take long to get back to where you were.

OConnor explains I am not alone is abandoning much of my normal fitness habits during the summer but says even one workout a week can maintain strength.

Fitness takes quite a while to build, but it also degrades very quickly if you dont keep it up. Its not worth taking a whole summer off when you could just do one workout a week and maintain most of your fitness, he says. You definitely dont have to put in a huge amount of effort to regain your fitness. Whats most important is consistency and training at an intensity that allows you to do a little more each session.

OConnor says one of his tips would be to set realistic goals and making them more performance-oriented, such like getting a first pull-up or proper push up before the end of the year, can help with motivation.

Be honest with yourself if last time didnt work out perhaps you were either doing something you dont enjoy, or you did too much too soon, he says.

People could save themselves a huge amount of frustration and effort in trying to regain lost fitness if they just implemented maintenance sessions into their holidays. Just once per week can be enough to keep most of your strength and fitness and save you from going back to square one.

Its a good reminder for me that even one session a week can make a difference and make my life easier in the long run. Step one for getting back on track for me was getting my weekly food shopping done to return to the habit of making my own meals. Step two was to end my procrastination and get back to working out. I sheepishly walked back into the gym but after a few minutes into the class Id forgotten about being self-conscious and any worries I had about working out disappeared.

I took OConnors advice and started with light weights, which was a bit frustrating to not be where I was with my fitness, but it felt great to be back and it reminded me how much I enjoy training.

It was my decision to take a break and now I needed to be patient and more compassionate to my body and mind to build myself back up and improve. I need to make regular workouts a priority as they make me feel good and healthier. In just a week back, it had reignited an excitement to push myself out of my comfort zone again in terms of fitness.

Ive decided to stay away from the weight scales for now. Im confident weight loss will happen but its not my focus. Ive finally signed up for a 5km run, made new strength and weight-training goals, and will give more focus on flexibility and stretching exercises.

Rachel Flahertys column is about getting fitter and healthier

Contact Rachel on Twitter@rachelfl,Instagramor emailrflaherty@irishtimes.com

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My weight loss goal has drifted into the background as Ive felt healthier and stronger - The Irish Times

Can kindness, love and a strong sense of community actually make you healthier and happier? Research says that it does. A 1978 study looking at the link between high cholesterol and heart health in rabbits determined that kindness made the difference between a healthy heart and a heart attack. Kelli Harding, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, revisits that research and other ground-breaking discoveries in her new book, The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness. She joined the Knowledge@Wharton radio show on Sirius XM to talk about the intangible factors behind good health and how a little kindness can go a long way. (Listen to the podcast at the top of this page.)

An edited transcript of the conversation follows.

Knowledge@Wharton: As you were researching your book, what did you find about the role that positive emotional connections play in good health?

Kelli Harding: As a physician, I was completely shocked. Most of us, when we think about health, we think about diet, exercise, sleep, the occasional trip to the doctor. But its really quite striking because there are decades of evidence that show that, in fact, probably the biggest contributor to our health is our relationships.

Its one of those things that, as a doctor, you see every day. The way that I got interested in this is I kept seeing patients who would defy their diagnoses somebody with a really serious illness on paper looks terrible, but then you meet them in person, and theyre doing pretty well. Theyre living their lives to the fullest, and even though they have an illness, theyre still thriving in many respects.

The flip side of that was seeing patients all the time with what are treatable diseases or conditions, but theyre still not doing well. Or people for whom medically everything checks out, but they just feel really lousy or have pain that cant quite be explained. Thats how I got interested in this. The data shows that while quality medical care is absolutely critical, access to it probably only accounts for about 10% to 20% of our health. That made me wonder, what else is out there thats contributing?

Knowledge@Wharton: Theres a lot of territory still to cover, correct?

Harding: Absolutely. Genes definitely play a role, but what was so shocking to me is that theyre not as fixed as you think. Lifestyle is important, but again it comes back to our relationships. What were talking about is how were treated on a day-to-day basis in all the different areas of our lives from our homes to our schools to our communities and neighborhoods, to our workplaces and our broader community.

Everyone knows its important to have a good doctor, but its also important to have a good manager and to give people the skills that they need to be good managers.

Knowledge@Wharton: Do you think most people make this association between good health and positive emotions?

Harding: I would say absolutely not, and I think thats the thing. Weve been defining health very narrowly in this country, which helps explain why were not doing as well as we could. When you step back and look at the big picture, we spend a fortune on medical care in this country far more than other countries per capita. But were not getting the health results we want. Were practically not even on the same graph.

When you look at the decades of public health data, its probably because were really doubling down on the medical care and not investing in our social world the way that we could. That being said, medical care is important, but we also need to rethink about how were supporting people out in the community. As a doctor, you can fix the body, you can fix the leg, you can fix what the problem is and still fail the patient. We need to be talking about a much broader understanding of health that involves these day-to-day interactions.

Just to give you an example because I know that there are probably a lot of CEOs or managers listening to this but studies have shown that the strongest predictor of a mans death from heart disease isnt cholesterol or blood pressure. Its his job. Or her job. Everyone knows its important to have a good doctor, but its also important to have a good manager and to give people the skills that they need to be good managers.

Knowledge@Wharton: Do you think that integrating this approach in medicine could address some of the economic questions of health care?

Harding: Oh, absolutely. Its easy to get sidetracked with the razzle-dazzle of biomedicine, and we need to invest in research and all those good things. The other side of this is there are really low-cost interventions that are community based that can have huge impacts on peoples health down the road. In the book, I joke about how we talk about being tough on crime, but we really need to be gentle on new moms and families. We need to provide support from the beginning of life to try to help people along and also help buffer the stresses that may come.

Knowledge@Wharton: In terms of interventions, youre talking about even at the local level of how government interacts with its citizens, right?

Harding: This is what I find really exciting, because we can all sit around and talk about how wed wish the system would change, but this is something that every person whos listening can do something about. That is incredibly empowering. It comes down to the support that were getting and all these different factors. The hug you give your child or your spouse when you walk out the door makes a difference, and not only with them. Theres this really exciting science of epigenetics and telomere research that shows that loving actions actually change our physiology. The rabbit study that was just the tip of the iceberg, just the beginning of the studies.

Knowledge@Wharton: Can you tell us about the rabbit study?

Harding: The rabbit study was this groundbreaking study. Whats so fun as a scientist is that the most interesting findings are often accidental. This was a true accidental finding. It was back in the late 1970s when there was this question of does a high-fat diet affect your heart health? Robert Nerem was doing this very straightforward experiment involving genetically identical rabbits, giving them all high-fat diets. When it came time to look at the health of the rabbits, he noticed there was one group that was just doing particularly well. He couldnt figure it out and thought they had done something wrong with the study. They looked around and realized what was different about that one group is that there was a researcher that wasnt just giving the rabbits kibbles. She was actually picking them up. She was petting them. She was talking to them. She was giving them love and kindness.

What they did as good researchers was, one, they paid attention. To their credit, that was at the time kind of paradigm-shifting, that they paid attention to social environment. They felt the data was just too striking to ignore, so they replicated it. They got the same findings. They published it in Science, which is a very prestigious journal. And like many studies, it sat on a shelf for many years. Thats why I really felt it was so important to highlight that study because it really embodies so much of the work that has been done subsequently.

Knowledge@Wharton: In the book, you also discuss loneliness, which the medical community is looking at more and more. How does loneliness impact health?

Harding: Loneliness kind of comes in two flavors. Its the number of connections you have, and then its also how connected you feel to others. Elvis used to have this saying that hed feel lonely in a crowded room, which is an example of the second one. The thing is, loneliness is as significant a health risk as well-established factors, such as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, heavy alcohol use, even high blood pressure and obesity.

Its amazing, though, because for most of us, our experience going to see the doctor is that they may ask how many drinks we have, how many cigarettes we have. But how many times do they ask, When did you last call a good friend? When did you meet someone for dinner or coffee? Those connections are quite critical. We need to start talking about them seriously. Thats why it felt so important writing The Rabbit Effect and making sure that information is in the hands of all of us, because were making a difference. Once were empowered with that knowledge that loneliness is not good for our health, we can actually start doing things within our circle of influence to make things better for other people.

Loneliness is as significant a health risk as well-established factors, such as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, heavy alcohol use, even high blood pressure and obesity.

Knowledge@Wharton: What is the impact of the high divorce rate here in the United States?

Harding: Whats happening in our homes is a big piece of this. There are studies that show that being married is health-protective if its a happy marriage. And there are other interesting studies showing that healthy, positive relationships and marriages can reduce pain if the relationship is strong.

I think the challenging part is it sounds all good and nice to say, Well, just be kind, and everything will be fine. But being kind is a practice, and its hard. It involves having to learn to navigate conflict, and conflict comes up many, many times a day. Part of it is also recognizing its a practice and then building our skillset, because we have to be doing a better job of this.

Knowledge@Wharton: How does education play into this?

Harding: The education data for me was mind-boggling on two fronts. The statistics say that for every one life saved by biomedicine, it seems as though education saves eight. Just to put that in perspective, not finishing high school is the equivalent of a lifetime of smoking. We dont talk about that when we talk about education. For all the teachers out there, you dont always think of yourself [as playing] a health role, but youre actually boosting the health of your students.

Another piece of this might be that education is also often linked to what we feel is a purpose or a calling. This is where the data gets super cool, and [shows] how our social world gets under our skin. Theres now increasing evidence that having a life purpose, feeling optimistic all those things actually can prolong telomeres, can help us live longer and help us live better even when illnesses do come.

Being kind is a practice, and its hard.

Knowledge@Wharton: The hope is that youre also reducing stress levels, correct?

Harding: Yes, and I talk about that in the later part of The Rabbit Effect. The interplay between the hidden factors in our lives our physical and mental health is probably mediated by the stress response. Stress is just a natural part of life.

But how can we learn to roll with things better? The really great thing is that its not fixed. We can absolutely use techniques to improve [our response], and we can help offset the stress in other peoples lives like by hugging someone. Positive interactions like that are plenty, and they reduce stress; they boost the immune system.

Spending time in nature boosts the immune system. People in hospitals who are exposed to a garden recover a day faster. They require less pain management, less intervention from staff. There are all these really amazing things that we can do that are low-cost, and that seem to have a really great health boost.

Knowledge@Wharton: Fairness is another element that you tackle in the book. I dont think anybody believes that our society, our culture, is fair 100% of the time.

Harding: Fairness is a major predictor of health. I do go into that because I think as a society there is a lot of conversation around overt unfairnesses. But there are these microaggressions, these things that happen over time. You can even Google microaggressions and just look up examples of them. Theres a great website that was started by somebody at Columbia and managed by students, and it shows these tiny little events that happen during the day, but they have a cumulative health effect. Its pretty fascinating. Its sort of like death by a thousand paper cuts, and it can happen in a variety of ways.

Whats encouraging is that we can all become more aware of our biases and try to be kinder to other people by not adding to those paper cuts, essentially. For instance, we have the medical students at Columbia take an online test where you can look implicit bias. The most important takeaway from those tests is just the idea, Well, maybe I have some assumptions and actions that Im not even aware that Im doing.

You can probably toss out your human [resources] manual and just rewrite it as, Be kind.'

Knowledge@Wharton: You start the book asking an interesting question: What are we missing in medicine? What are the missing components in medicine that could help tackle these issues?

Harding: Thats the million-dollar question thats been driving my career, and I think it comes down to kindness. It really comes down to thinking about how were treating each other, both on an individual level and how were treating each other as a society. Its all those social dimensions of health that we are not talking about in the hospital.

People who work in health care are at high, high [risk] of burnout, and I think part of it is because were aware that were not addressing this. It feels overwhelming to put that responsibility just on the health care system alone. This is really all of us. Its treating each other with dignity and learning to navigate conflict in a way thats about supporting people and not tearing them down.

Its keeping in mind those relationships. Again, going back to the CEOs who are listening, were so focused sometimes on the bottom line, and we need to be looking at the process and the people involved. You can probably toss out your human [resources] manual and just rewrite it as, Be kind. We need to be kind to people in our schools, in our workplaces and all of these different capacities.

When youre driving on the road, be kind. You never know what somebody else has going on. We can learn to be more empathetic towards one another, and boy, do we need it right now.

Continue reading here:
Why Kindness Is the Key to Improved Well-being - Knowledge@Wharton

TV fans will recognise Jeremy Clarkson for presenting the BBCs Top Gear from 2002 to 2015. He left the show under a cloud of controversy, and now fronts Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour with Top Gear alumni and BFFs Richard Hammond and James May. This year, he returned to TV screens as the host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. While he has an extensive TV career, Jeremy has caught attention for something else recently. The 59-year-old managed to lose an impressive two stone.

How did he do it?

Jeremy revealed that hed managed to slim down by changing his diet, with the TV star crediting one particular food - lettuce.

He said: Speaking to journalists from the Sun he said: I had salad for lunch and water.

But I had a salad nicoise and a glass of water. I lost two stone last year.

Alongside diet, Jeremy upped his fitness regime, and incorporated more exercise into his diet.

By swapping his love for cars for a love of cycling, Jeremy managed to shed the pounds.

"I went on a gap year to Indochina. They just have a better diet out there. Plus I had a bicycle rather than a car, he revealed.

Jeremy cycled three kilometres a day during his trip, which contributed to his slimmer physique.

He continued: Where I was staying was separated from the small town by a mountain.

"It was only three kilometres and I cycled every day.I said, I cant have a drink unless I cycle into town. I wanted to get fit.

However, he revealed that he may have suffered some injuries due to not having the right riding accessories.

Nevertheless, Jeremy doesn't seem too keen about the exercise after plans for cycle lanes in London which were going to destroy many trees.

In his recent YouTube podcast, the motormouth presenter raged: These are trees that the Mayor of London wants to pull down to make way for a cycle lane.:

The man is obviously deranged, you cant pull trees down so you can cycle," he added.

Britains Got Talent star Declan Donnelly might be jumping on the weight loss bandwagon like Jeremy, after being inspired by his pal Simon Cowell.

Simon Cowell recently revealed that hed lost an incredible 1.5 stone after going vegan, and after seeing his incredible results, dad-of-one Dec - to Isla, one - might be following in his footsteps.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Star, Dec said: Simons looking good. Hes gone all vegan.

Vegan shepherds pie, vegan sausages, whats that about?

Is that the secret? Ill have to look into that!

Here is the original post:
Jeremy Clarkson weight loss: How The Grand Tour star lost two stone - what did he eat? - Express

Learn how the nations big-data health research program will enable you to provide more targeted care to your patients.

In the coming years, you may be able to tailor more precisely the care you provide to patients with prediabetes or diabetes, compared to how you practice today. The specific guidance you give to a patientregarding diet, exercise, glucose monitoring, and medicationcould be shaped by that persons genotype, lifestyle, environment, and a wealth of other data points to which you will have access.

This ability to apply precision medicine in diabetes care is one of the many outcomes promised by the National Institute of Healths All of Us Research Program. Targeted management of many diseases, including diabetes, is the ultimate goal of the All of Us Research Program.

All of Us aims to improve health care through big-data science. It is designed to do for all diseases what the Framingham Heart Studyhas done for prevention and treatment of heart disease. Framingham, an ongoing observational study of around 5,200 people begun in 1948, was instrumental in uncovering the cardiovascular risks to heart disease. The study findings have helped contribute to a major decline in the diseases occurrence over the past decades.

All of Us is similar but will be 40 times bigger, with a much more diverse participant community, and with more investigative tools available to researchers. The plan is to recruit 1 million or more people from all walks of life across the United States who will complete surveys, agree to share their electronic health records (EHRs) with the program, and provide physical measurements and biosamples. Some participants also may be asked to complete diet diaries or wear digital electronic devices to provide continuous health data, such as data on physical activity, heart rate, sleep patterns, and more. The information provided by each participating individual in All of Us will become part of the database, with obvious personal identifiers removed to protect privacy, and could potentially contribute to thousands of medical studies and thousands of medical advances.

Already, more than 253,000 people have joined the program, of which 193,000 have completed the first research protocol. Participants will be followed for 10 or more years to provide a longitudinal perspective on health and disease.

Below are answers to questions you may have about All of Us.

What does have to do with diabetes prevention and treatment?

In a May 6 mini-symposium marking the first anniversary of All of Us, NIH Director Francis Collins envisioned the specific, diabetes-related impact of this national research project:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 30 million Americans, or almost 10 percent of our population, have type 2 diabetes, and another 84 million have prediabetes. With the All of Us dataset of 1 million participants, we may expect about 90,000 of those participants to have diabetes and as many as 300,000 to have evidence of prediabetes.

With access to their electronic health records, researchers may be able to explore early signs and symptoms and compare the effectiveness of various prevention strategies. Since All of Us will also pull in environmental data linking to national databases, researchers can look into the environmental risk factors for diabetes. And with the genomic data available, a better understanding of the genomic factors that confer risk should also emerge.

Given the depth and breadth of data that will emerge through All of Us, researchers may uncover all sorts of valuable information that could be applied to diabetes prevention and treatment. In fact, says Dr. Collins, Im willing to predict that we will be able to demonstrate that what we currently call type 2 diabetes will actually turn out to be made up of several subtypes, each with different factors for vulnerability and resilience, and with different responses to treatment.

How will All of Us benefit participants who have prediabetes and diabetes?

Everyone who participates will have access to their own data. All of Us will make available counselors to help participants make sense of the genomic data. Participants also will be able to see aggregated results from across the program in the newly released Data Browser, such as the collated results of surveys, so they can compare their own status to others like themselves or to the whole population.

All of Us is designed as a learning health system, where research knowledge is put into practice, and vice versa. This means that participants can make use of their own and comparative research data to become more proactive in their own care. For example, they can choose to share this information with their health care professionals to devise a more individualized plan to prevent or manage their diabetes.

Furthermore, participants may be invited into follow-up studies through which clinical researchers test interventions to prevent, detect, and treat diabetes, for example, clinical trials on the artificial pancreas. In this way, participants will obtain the benefits of participating in clinical trials while also advancing scientific knowledge about diabetes.

Will All of Us address disparities in diabetes occurrence and outcomes?

Like most diseases, diabetes disproportionately affects people from racial and ethnic minority groups and people with lower educational status. Furthermore, these same groups historically have not been as involved in clinical research for a number of reasons, including lack of access to the health care system, logistical difficulties in accessing study sites, cultural dissonance between prospective participants and researchers, and distrust stemming from the past abuse of participants in research studies, such as the Tuskegee experiment. Disparities in research involvement mean that results and treatment protocols are skewed toward the groups of people, for example male, white, middle-aged, higher income, higher education, who have received more study.

All of Us has been specifically designed to overcome barriers to clinical trials participation. Through partnerships with more than 100 health provider organizations, pharmacies, and other entities, weve been actively engaging people from historically underrepresented populations. And weve had success. Of the people already enrolled, more than 80 percent are from communities underrepresented in clinical research and more than 50 percent belong to a racial or ethnic minority group.

Were deliberately building a geographically dispersed consortium of partners so that everyone who chooses to participate can be within reasonable traveling distance to a partner center where measurements and samples can be taken. In-home visits, mobile clinics, and other means are also being engaged to make it possible for every willing person to participate.

But one of the most important ways that All of Us is designed to be more inclusive is through the programs transparency. Since the inception, participants have been partners in planning and governance to ensure that everyones involvement is respected and ethically protected. Too often, people participate in studies and never learn what the point was, what was learned, or even what was discovered about their own particular health or disease condition. Thats not the case with All of Us. This isnt research done to participants, its research shaped by participants and fully shared with them.

How will All of Us change diabetes research?

We cant yet predict all the ways in which this project will affect diabetes research. However, it seems certain that the number and variety of projects will increase exponentially, and that more research will emerge from clinicians in the field, like you. For example, through the programs Research Hub, it will be relatively simple for health care professionals to obtain data to apply to research questions that arise in their clinical practice. This is how a learning health system should workthe research will influence your practice, but your practice will also influence the research.

Data will be available in two ways, with multiple protections in place to ensure the privacy and security of individual-level data. The Public Data Browser provides snapshot summaries of participant population characteristics and aggregate data on measurements, medications, and procedures. You can use this overview information to think about a research question youd like to explore. And in a few months, All of Us will launch its Researcher Workbench, which will provide access to actual data sets plus tools that allow for filtering, segmenting, and analyzing this information. Thats when researchers at all levelsacademic scientists, clinicians like yourself, and even the nonprofessional scientists among your patientscan begin to make use of this data to find new ways to prevent and treat diabetes.

An FAQ page provides more information on how youll be able to conduct research using All of Us data. You can also subscribe to get updates.

How can health care professionals support diabetes research through All of Us?

We hope that every health care professional, including those of you in diabetes practice, will encourage your patients to joinAll of Us as participants and as citizen scientists, and that you yourselves engage as both participant and researcher in this amazing national project.

Go here to see the original:
What Health Care Professionals Should Know About the NIH All of Us Program - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

The contraceptive pill changes who you fancy, what you wear and even whether you decide to apply fake tan, a new book claims.

As doctors called for wider availability of birth control to mark World Contraception Day on Thursday, US psychologist Dr Sarah E Hill explained how the daily tablet affects women.

She said for those who are not on the pill, their menstrual cycle is divided into two halves pre-ovulation and post-ovulation.

During the pre-ovulation period the body prepares for conception with the hormone oestrogen dominating.

Afterwards, progesterone dominates, preparing the body for the possibility of embryo implantation.

These hormones mean that before ovulation, oestrogen helps women feels flirtatious, sexier and more interested in attracting a man to make conception possible.

Specifically, women are attracted to tall, symmetrical men with deep voices who exude confidence and ambition.

This is because these qualities indicate high levels of testosterone and good health, which is more likely to result in successful pregnancies, Prof Hills new book, How The Pill Changes Everything said.

In contrast, progesterone dominates after ovulation.

During this time, women are more attracted to men who will be good providers and are more turned on by intelligence and financial stability in a bid to provide for the embryo that might be growing in their bodies.

But being on the pill means hormone levels remain constant, with progesterone dominant throughout the cycle.

This is designed to prevent pregnancy but also means that women on the pill are often not interested in sex and are more attracted to stable providers throughout the cycle.

Being on the pill also means women are less interested in making themselves look attractive.

This means it can change her preference in clothes, diet, exercise, beauty products and even whether she wants to apply fake tan.

But in the last decade, a number of other Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) options have become available. These include implants, hormone-based coils and copper [non-hormonal] coils.

A number of advocacy groups have been lobbying Health Minister Simon Harris to make LARCs easily accessible.

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A national doctors group called on the Health Minister to ensure all options are available, as his department develops a new State scheme.

The Southern Task Group on Abortion and Reproductive Topics said failure to introduce an initiative that delivers full choice of easily accessible and affordable contraception as part of Budget 2020 would represent a significant setback to the recent progress in womens healthcare.

Spokeswoman Dr Liz Barry said: It is becoming very clear to us that cost is proving a substantial barrier to accessing contraception, leading to the initial crisis pregnancy and inadequate follow-up contraception afterwards.

We feel it is anachronous that the State is providing free termination of pregnancy care and not free contraception.

See the article here:
The contraceptive pill can influence who you fancy and what you wear, new book claims - Irish Mirror

Strictly Come Dancing's new series kicked off in style last night as the the starry line-up performed their routines for the first time.

Among them was athlete and double Olympic gold medalist James Cracknell .

James, 47, is no stranger to physical challenges, and continues to challenge himself beyond his distinguished rowing career. Ahead of Strictly, he's shown a remarkable weight loss as he'll hope to triumph in the show's 17th series.

He's rowed the Atlantic with pal Ben Fogle , run the London Marathon in three hours and became the highest-placed Briton to complete the gruelling Marathon des Sables across the Moroccan desert.

In 2010, he suffered a devastating turn of events as he was almost killed by a truck in Arizona. James was attempting to cycle, row, run and swim from Los Angeles to New York in 16 days.

James puts his survival down to the helmet he was wearing, as a truck's wing mirror had hit him on the back of the head.

It left him brain-damaged, and he quickly coined the term "James Mark Two" because of the subsequent personality shifts.

He wrote: "The brain had acted like a bell's hammer, swinging forward and damaging the frontal lobes.

"This area controls personality, decision-making, planning, concentration and motivation."

The dad of three became aggressive and easily riled - his Beverley, who he's now split from, once described how he had almost throttled her.

He admitted to The Mail On Sunday that his son Croyde, 11, was reluctant to spend time with his dad.

James said: "He didn't want to be alone with me, which I understand.

"He did know his dad had been through a horrendous situation. But why would you want to spend time with someone who is like I was?"

Part of the problem was the damage caused to his pituitary gland, which produces the hormone testosterone. Now James has injections to help him.

He revealed: "Now I have to have testosterone injections every 12 weeks for the rest of my life, to get me up to normal level.

"I joked with the doctor, 'Does this mean I'll grow a big beard?' He reassured me and said, 'We're just bringing you up to normal.'"

James continued: "Apart from the physical side, low testosterone does affect mood, and confidence. I wasn't aware that my testosterone count was low - I thought my symptoms were all part of the brain injury - but since the injections, I am absolutely aware that I have increased energy levels, which is great and I'm more confident, so they have definitely been worthwhile."

Remarkably, James hasn't let the brain damage slow him down. He's still incredibly active, which could bode well for him on the Strictly dance floor.

In an interview with Your Healthy Living , he dished on his exercise and diet secrets that keep him in tip top shape.

When asked what the secret behind his high energy levels and motivation is, James replied: "Having a good breakfast is absolutely vital to keep you full and to maintain your energy levels.

"I always make sure that I start the day with porridge and some Oatein."

Since the accident, he's had to make some switch ups in his diet: "I take extra omega-3 now as well as acai berry and a beetroot supplement. I also take glutamine and potassium but I used to take those before the accident.

"I discovered acai berries when I was in Brazil and I think they're great. In terms of sports nutrition I like the ActiVeman range, which is why I'm one of their ambassadors."

Being active continuously isn't an issue for James, though his training has cut down. Most of his exercise now is running or cycling, or even hitting the gym.

On motivation, he likes to set goals in every physical challenge he undertakes: "I would recommend choosing a goal, whether that be an event that you want to take part in or a weight you would like to achieve."

More:
How Strictly's James Cracknell overcame brain damage with injections, exercise and beetroot pills - Mirror Online

With over 64percentof Britons looking at different and quick ways to trim down and become slimmer its always hard to decide what diet plan to trust.But lookingto those who have already gone through the transformation could be a great way to find a diet that is successful and it can also give you the boost of encouragement to get you started. Reddit user ExNihi10, has recordedanincredible 15st 6lb weight loss transformation online for everyone to keep track of.

Starting with a simple change in lifestyle, ExNihi10 followed a low 20g daily carb Ketofood planand incorporated light exercise into his daily routine to achieve a fantastic, life-changing transformation in one year.

With a starting weight of 25st 7lb, ExNihi10 managed to transform into a whole new, healthier person with an end weight of 9st 3lb.

In the post, The Reddit user explained that it was a low carb diet plan and change in lifestyle that helped him change his life for the better.

He said: On the 27 September [2018] I decided to change my life for thebetter.

I was shown the Keto way and it was difficult at first but the best lifestyle change Ive ever made!

I went from size 44 jeans that were [too] tight to currently wearing a loose size34.

"By changing my [work] shift pattern, getting on the Keto diet plan and incorporating walking into my dailyroutine, Ihave changed my life for thebetter.

Several other Reddit users commented on ExNihi10s progress with one claiming [He] looks like a different person, awesome progress!

What is the Keto diet?

The Keto, or also known as the Ketogenic Diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and other low-carb diets.

The Keto diet is an eating plan that drives your body into ketosis, a state where the body uses fat as a primary fuel source (instead of carbohydrates), says Stacy Mattinson, a motivational nutrition guru and healthy lifestyle blogger.

Many on the plan will eat less than 25 grams net carbs a day in order for their body to enter the fat burning ketosis state.

It is thought that once the body has reached ketosis,it burnsmore fat andhelpspeople get in shape much quicker.

On the plan the main foods you should be eatinginclude meat,fatty fish, eggs, butter and cream, cheese, nuts and seeds, healthy oils (such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut and avocado oil), avocados and low-carb veggies.

User ExNihi10stated that: "Determination and resilience is what will bring you success, [so] keepgoing.

"It's difficult at times, but worth it in the end."

More:
Keto weight loss: Man drops 15 stone in a year with a change in diet - what did he do? - Express