Category: Uncategorized

Why Breaking the Bulge is so Hard

There have been many studies over the years as to why it is apparently so tough for some people to lose weight.  But now, new research is indicating that those who are losing the battle shouldn’t feel so bad.  Apparently, they might not be 100% to blame.  In theory, our taste-buds did originally crave healthy food, but over the years have been genetically-engineered to crave high fat, sugar and calorie foods.  In other words, the problem is, we’ve created foods that taste better than nature’s so it has become tougher to market cucumber than a bucket of popcorn.

This leads to greater problems as unhealthy foods can be extremely addictive.  One study even showed that when rats were given processed foods regularly, their brain chemistry changed and they became obese, losing the capacity to determine when they were hungry and refused healthy food.

Good News for Bulge Battlers

It’s not all doom and gloom though for those battling the bulge.  It is possible to become “addicted” to healthy foods once you eat lots of them and quit with the unhealthy ones.  For example, Marcia Pelchat, a food psychologist, gave test participants a low-fat drink that wasn’t so tasty and after drinking it for a while, they enjoyed it.  So if you don’t initially like tomatoes, try eating them every day for a couple of weeks and see if your taste-buds adapt.

Like any habit, eating unhealthily takes time to change.  But if you keep at it, there is a way to become a healthy eater and win the battle against the bulge for good.

Why Fat People are Fat

…They’re Not Eating Too Much

People usually presume that fat people are that way because they are eating all the time.  Therefore getting thin should be easy – just don’t eat as much.  But clearly that’s not the case as obesity in the western world wouldn’t be such a problem if it were.  Indeed, findings published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (November edition), indicate that fatties are consuming LESS than their svelte counterparts. 

The research was conducted by studying 257 overweight and regular-weight adults between the ages of 25 to 47.  The overweight adults ate around three meals and one snack a day, totaling over 2,000 calories.  As well, they didn’t engage in that much exercise.  On the other hand, the adults in the group who were not overweight, seemed to eat and exercise more often.  Some people in the group lost weight during the course of the study and even these individuals munched more often than the overweight individuals.

The people on the study who lost weight were found to be eating quite a few snacks per day with their total calorie input being 1,800; those who stayed at the same weight were eating around 1,900 calories a day. 

Thus overall, the research indicates that eating more often is good recipe for weight loss/ maintenance.  But why this was the case, the researchers didn’t know.  As well, a nutrition and dietetics assistant professor from Marywood University, and lead researcher, Dr. Jessica Bachman pointed out, “most of the research has shown that people who eat more frequently have a lower weight.”

As well, it was found that those who lost weight were exercising more (burning around 3,000 calories a week). The overweight individuals on the other hand, only burned about 800 calories in the same time frame.

 

An Interview With Peter Pan Prequel Star Charlie Rowe

Last night, Part I of the new Peter Pan prequel “Neverland” was aired on SyFy, with Part II scheduled for 8pm tonight. The prequel takes place in the alleys of London, the raging Caribbean seas and the imaginary world where time has no meaning- Neverland. Starring Charlie Rowe as Peter Pan, Rhys Ifans as (Captain) James Hook, Keira Knightley as the voice of Tinkerbell and Bob Hoskins as Smee, the film brings new depths to J.M. Barrie’s classic.

In an interview with The Deadbolt, actor Charlie Rowe shared his personal experiences and thoughts on the film, his fellow cast members and creating Neverland.

The Deadbolt: How does this story set up as compared to the famous Peter Pan?

Charlie Rowe: Well, obviously it’s a prequel to that story. It sets in stone what happens in the original. So it describes how Hook loses his hand, how Peter learned to fly, and how they get to Neverland.

The Deadbolt: Since much of the special effects were added in later, how much of Neverland did you have to create in your own imagination?

Rowe: 85% of it was green screen. So a lot of the film we did just imagining what would be there, what the creatures would look like. But obviously we did have Nick, the director, helping us. He had his own images of what it would look like. We had an alligator with eight legs on it, the mountains, and the white woods, so we sort of knew what it would look like, relatively. When we came to watch it, he really made that into reality.

The Deadbolt: Do you feel a special connection to Neverland as an actor since you had to create so much of it in your imagination?

Rowe: Well, I feel that the world that’s on the camera, the one that you see, it’s sort of my world, really. It’s what Nick and I both saw. It’s how we describe Neverland. So yeah, I suppose so.

Staying Healthy and Slim Over Christmas

So many people seem to totally break their diets over the Christmas and New Year holiday season.  It’s such a shame as they may have put months of hard work into meal planning, diets, and exercise, and then, come Christmas, it all seems to go out the proverbial window.  So what can one do to prevent this from happening, yet still enjoy the holiday season?  According to registered dietician April Kneifel, who works at Curves International Inc., (the women’s sensation for quick-changing exercises), says it is not necessarily the actual food, but rather the amount that ends up being problematic.  She thus suggests a very easy change to implement: the use of a smaller plate as if there is less room on the plate, there is less food to go on it!

Another easy-to-implement suggestion comes from a nutrition instructor who works for South University Online Programs, Rose Giordano, suggested just not keeping the junk at home.  If you know you cannot avoid it, make sure it doesn’t come into your house, she says.  In addition, there are ways to keep eating your favorite foods but just modify the recipe to lower the calorie and fat content.  As well, at parties over the holidays, first fill up on the veggie platters and then move on to the other stuff – that way you’ll probably be too full to eat anything else!

So don’t break all that hard work just because you’re getting into the holiday spirit.  Enjoy your Christmas vacation, but do it in a healthier way.  It really is possible.

Building Erected Upside-Down Intentionally

India is now privy to an upside down building…that was built that way intentionally near New Delhi!   The Caracella Club forms part of a new development in Indirapuram, as well as the new Orange County.  It was constructed by the Meriton Group which took its inspiration from the WonderWorks inverted amusement parks that are in Tennessee and Florida, in America.  It is all about the ‘wow’ factor, and is filled with extreme experience zones including: sound and light; laser tag; disaster and more.  As well, it is going to be a great place for locals to socialize and hang out, but of course, with that bit of extra pizzazz. And of course, it’s bound to draw in the tourists – hopefully in no time at all it will become one of the city’s “must-see places” – and more visitors will start flocking to Indirapuram,that currently does not attract all that many people.  Well, now it has something “attractive,” or at least an interesting conversation piece.

Ronald McDonald Is No Longer My Friend

 

“Happy” Meals Sadden Kids?  Not for 10 Cents!

It’s like taking a candy from a kid…but in this case it’s a toy.  Well, it could be, now that the McDonald’s chain is set to charge for the toy that they put in the “Happy Meal.”  It’s not quite the company’s fault though and it does not look like this will be happening nationwide. 

The issue is that there is a law in the city of San Francisco that bans putting toys in kids’ meals that are deemed to be unhealthy (which means they have a high fat, salt and sugar content, aka the McDonald’s Happy Meals).  This law goes into effect tomorrow. 


Cleverly however, McDonald’s has a plan.  The way it is “dealing” with the issue is by charging customers for the addition of the toy (so it doesn’t break the law about being a free toy). Actually, it’s not as bad as it sounds as the charge will be pretty negligible… 10 cents!

San Francisco Making the Most of It!

Actually what is going to end up happening is that the way San Francisco is going to get around the law is to ultimately produce MORE smiley faces!  Because of the ban – and given what Scott Rodrick (owner of 10 out of the 19 franchises in the city) is doing to work within the law to enable kids to still get their toy – the money will be used to help construct a new Ronald McDonald House which will probably temporary housing for families with sick children.  This will be built at the new UCSF Hospital that is currently being erected on the Mission Bay campus.

So indeed it seems that every cloud has a silver lining.  Kids will still be thrilled with their “Happy Meals” and parents for sure won’t mind basically donating 10 cents to a really good cause so that they can get a toy as well.  It’s a win-win for everyone!