Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
How to Trick Your Brain into Eating Less, According to an Expert in 'Gastrophysics'
from Weight Loss - Health.com http://ift.tt/2wrc3vJ
via IFTTT
Can a DNA Test Really Pinpoint Your Perfect Diet and Workout? Here's What Science Says
[brightcove:4639738292001 default]
It sounds either too good or too futuristic to be true: With a swab of the inside of your cheek, you can find out the answers to questions that plague us all: Why can't I lose weight? Why can't I sleep? What exercises should I do for a perkier butt?
This is the claim from a new crop of so-called lifestyle DNA tests—genetic tests that, rather than estimate your risk of developing various diseases, provide clues regarding your nutrition, fitness, sleep, even your taste in wine.
In July, lifestyle DNA tests inched closer to mainstream with the launch of Helix, a first-of-its-kind marketplace for personal genome products: For $80, Helix will use a saliva sample to sequence your entire genetic code. (Unlike other at-home DNA tests, Helix looks at all 22,000 of your genes, not just specific gene variants.) Then you can pay for analysis of your results through products designed by third-party vendors that partner with Helix.
The idea is to enable users to get even more info out of their DNA sequencing, explains James Lu, MD, PhD, one of Helix’s co-founders and its SVP of applied genomics. Accessible genetic data can make insights you’re already tracking–say, on a calorie-counting app, or fitness wearable–even more salient. "It's the next layer of information people have about themselves," he says.
RELATED: 25 Exercises You Can Do Anywhere
Helix users have 33 products to choose from. There's SlumberType, which promises to unlock how your DNA affects your sleep. Muscle Builder offers to reveal "your genetic response to exercise," and provide a 12-week "genetically-guided" training plan. And EmbodyDNA, by popular weight-loss app Lose It!, recommends slimming foods based on your genes.
The products, which range from around $25 to a couple hundred bucks, comb through your genome looking for markers linked to specific traits. (For each analysis you purchase, Helix only provides access to the portion of your genome that’s relevant.) For example, you might have a genetic marker common among night owls, or people with higher BMIs. Knowing you’re predisposed to a late bedtime might be extra incentive to cut back on caffeine, explains Dr. Lu; or knowing you’re predisposed to a high BMI might make you think twice about having bacon at brunch.
If that doesn't sound like the quick fix you were expecting, that’s because there is "no magic DNA pill," Dr. Lu says. Instead, he sees Helix as a source of extra insight into your wellbeing that can help you make healthier decisions.
In fact, many of the recommendations you'll get through Helix are based on more than your genes alone. Take, for example, Wine Explorer: For $30, the product will suggest bottles "scientifically selected based on your DNA." But Wine Explorer also asks questions about your wine preferences to learn more about other factors that influence taste beyond your genes. Dr. Lu compares the product to Netflix. "Wine Explorer builds a profile based on genetic markers, and then when you get wine, you rate them, which helps it make better predictions over time," he says.
RELATED: 14 Fad Diets You Shouldn't Try
Suggestions for the best diet or exercise routine for you may also not be as genetically tailored as you'd hope. For starters, research shows genetics often play only a small role in the effects of diet and exercise, explains Erica Ramos, the president-elect of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. "When studies see a difference between a group with a genetic variant and [a group] without it, pounds lost or muscle built tends to be on a fairly small range," Ramos says.
It seems your behavior matters a lot more than your DNA in these instances. Based on your genes, "there might be a slightly higher chance you'd lose weight with a certain type of diet, but that doesn't mean you couldn't gain weight on it if you're eating more than you're burning," explains Ramos, who is also a clinical genomic specialist at Illumina, a research company backing Helix.
She says the recommendations through Helix aren't meant to be a specific plan for execution, but rather a guide: "As we get more insight into the little things that impact us, I think the hope is we’ll be able to see what we can tweak to be happier and healthier."
To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the HEALTH newsletter
Joann Bodurtha, MD, a professor of pediatrics and oncology at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, adds that diet recommendations based on genetic testing are probably not individualized enough yet to be helpful. For example, she says, "most people will benefit from eating a Mediterranean diet," and it's tough to tell if the eating plan benefits those with a certain genetic marker more than than those without the marker.
Yet another caveat to the science behind lifestyle DNA tests: Some of the research used to formulate recommendations was done on very specific populations. Research in Olympic athletes, for instance, suggests that there are genetic characteristics of the muscles that might predispose someone to be a better sprinter than a long-distance runner—but we don’t yet know how those findings apply to those of us with less ambitious fitness goals, Dr. Bodurtha says.
She recommends considering lifestyle DNA tests with "a healthy dose of skepticism," especially any that offer to tell you exactly what to eat or how to exercise. She’s also concerned that they might serve as a distraction, and lead people to ignore more established markers of poor health. "You don’t want somebody saying, 'I'm out of breath and my fingers are turning blue, but my DNA test told me I wasn't likely to have a heart attack.'"
That said, Dr. Bodurtha recognizes that DNA tests are exciting (who isn’t at least a little curious?!) and that the field is progressing fast. "If they help you exercise more, or be a little more attentive to your diet, they fall into the 'Do No Harm' category," she says.
Bottom line? As long as you know what a company is doing with your genetic information (that means reading the privacy regulations, even though it won't be fun); you have an easy-to-understand explanation from the company about what your results can and can’t tell you; and you’re ready to face the sometimes surprising results ("You have a half-brother!"), it probably won’t hurt for curious folks to give lifestyle DNA tests a try.
from Weight Loss - Health.com http://ift.tt/2vgwzR1
via IFTTT
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Monday, July 31, 2017
From 'Sketti to Skinny: Mama June's Eye-Popping Weight Loss Journey in Photos
from Weight Loss - Health.com http://ift.tt/2vZgmy6
via IFTTT
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
How I Found My Feel-Great Weight—and Lost 63 Lbs.
Laura Kelly, 27, 5'3", from Melrose, Mass.
Before: 196 lb., size 8/10
After: 133 lb., size 4
Total pounds lost: 63 lb.
Total sizes lost: 2/3
Laura's wearing: Under Armour Geo Run Tank Top ($27; underarmour.com), Under Armour Fly-By Capri ($38; underarmour.com) and SpeedForm Gemini 3 running shoes ($130; underarmour.com).
I blame grad school for my weight gain. As a full-time student who was also working a part-time job and holding down an internship, I had no time to eat on a regular schedule, let alone make mindful eating a priority. Every night, I’d have a huge dinner and then go right to bed. By the beginning of 2015, my last semester, my bad habits had caught up with me. I didn’t realize how much so until I stepped on a friend’s scale and saw the number 196 staring back at me. I thought the scale was broken, but it wasn’t.
[brightcove:5423123415001 default]
Choosing better eats
For the next week, I didn’t know where to turn. At my cousin’s suggestion, I joined Weight Watchers. Though initially skeptical, I got hooked when the results came fast: I lost 15 pounds in the first month. I learned how to rein in portions and build balanced meals, which changed both what and when I ate. I turned to meals like overnight oats for breakfast and roasted veggies and hummus on whole-wheat bread for lunch, which kept me full throughout the day. No longer famished by dinner, I kicked the vicious cycle of going to sleep stuffed and packing on weight because of it. By May, I was down another 15 pounds.
RELATED: The 5 Best Strength Moves for Weight Loss
Amping up workouts
Since exercising earned me more Weight Watchers points, I upped my routine from twice-weekly Zumba and yoga classes to four workouts per week, adding in runs, barre classes, and personal training. While I never used to think my size messed with my workouts, the more I lost, the easier exercising became. Today I’m sweating regularly and eating clean to maintain my 135-pound frame. And as a Weight Watchers ambassador, I get to help others reach their goals. Knowing that my story inspires people to get healthy makes my low point and all my hard work feel worth it.
RELATED: 9 Science-Backed Weight Loss Tips
Laura’s get-fit crib sheet
1. Set a curfew. Gorging on a late dinner used to leave me feeling too full, so I wouldn’t have a meal until noon the next day. Now I try to finish my last meal before 8 p.m. to help keep my eating schedule regular and my portions in line.
2. Make a sweat date. My mom and I weight lift with a trainer one night a week. Not only is it a time for us to catch up, but showing up for each other keeps us accountable no matter what!
3. Master your cravings. When I need a treat, I reach for avocado or almonds first. Their healthy fats are satisfying enough to curb my need for sweets, so I’m less tempted to grab junky alternatives.
4. DIY comfort food. Rich in antioxidants and complex carbs, sweet potatoes are one of my favorite healthy foods to dress up. I top them with melted ghee and cinnamon to make them taste indulgent.
As told to Anthea Levi
from Weight Loss - Health.com http://ift.tt/2tQ8ss4
via IFTTT