Why brown fat is 'good' in the fight against obesity 28 July 2012Last updated at 20:27 ET By Philippa Roxby Health reporter, BBC News White fat is the 'bad' stuff which stores energy rather than burning off calories What produces 300 times more heat than any other organ in the body? Scientists have discovered that this type of fat is a good thing because it produces lots of heat by burning calories. Unlike white fat, which clings to our hips and expands our ageing waistlines, brown fat keeps the weight off. And that's why the race is on to find out more about brown adipose tissue, also known as brown fat, and how humans could use it to our advantage. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote If we activate brown fat, we can eat more and not gain weight” End QuoteProf Sir Stephen BloomImperial College London When we're born we have lots of brown fat in our bodies, wrapped round the central organs to keep us warm, to help us adapt to life outside the womb. As we grow, however, the brown fat content of our bodies decreases. In the neck Sweaty bodies
Dieticians say extra protein can do more harm than good By Rick Kelsey Newsbeat reporter There is a warning that gym supplements are often doing more harm than good to people using them. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says high levels of additional protein can cause side-effects, which can include nausea as well as kidney and liver damage. It wants clearer warnings about what is in the powders and tablets. Manufacturers say consumers are well protected with only 11 reported reactions in 11 years. Jane Griffin is a former British Olympic dietician and speaks for the BDA. "The more protein in your diet the more you have to get rid of," she said. "People who have these high protein diets are now running into problems with their kidneys because of the amount of protein they must get rid of." The body needs protein for muscle growth and many gym-goers use it to try to get bigger quickly. Gym supplements come under food law, so although they have to be labelled properly what is in them can vary. DMAA warnings Continue reading the main story
Mike Dolce: Belfort Kicks 'Bodybuilder' Diet to Curb Read on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles on proper nutrition from the biggest names in mixed martial arts...this week, Mike Dolce discusses the Vitor Belfort diet Vitor Belfort When it comes to nutrition for fighters, one authority towers above all others: Mike Dolce. The Eating-for-Performance expert is currently masterminding the diet of knockout artist Vitor Belfort, who challenges UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones on Sept. 22 in Toronto. Dolce, who has been working with Belfort for nearly two years, discusses changes he recommended to the Brazilian’s eating habits and why Belfort (normally a middleweight) did NOT try to bulk up for this fight despite jumping up a weight class. What’s more, you will not want to miss Dolce’s impassioned analysis of why he feels Belfort – despite being cast as a sizable underdog -- is destined to once again don UFC gold around his waist. Joining Forces with Vitor: Dolce: I’ve worked with him since December 2010.
What caused the obesity crisis in the West? 13 June 2012Last updated at 07:25 ET British people are on average nearly three stone (19kg) heavier than 50 years ago, but who or what is to blame? Jacques Peretti (pictured above) investigates. Contrary to popular belief, we as a race have not become greedier or less active in recent years. "Genetically, human beings haven't changed, but our environment, our access to cheap food has," says Professor Jimmy Bell, obesity specialist at Imperial College, London. "We're being bombarded every day by the food industry to consume more and more food. "It's a war between our bodies and the demands our body makes, and the accessibility that modern society gives us with food. One of the biggest changes in our modern diet stems back to the 1970s when US agriculture embarked on the mass-production of corn and of high-fructose corn syrup, commonly used as a sweetener in processed foods. According to nutritionist Marion Nestle, this paved the way for obesity. Weight gain Continue reading the main story
The Iceman Grubeth Welcome to the UFC Fit weekly series of articles on proper nutrition & fitness from the biggest names in mixed martial arts...this week, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell There was a time early in his MMA career, Chuck Liddell admitted, when Mountain Dew and Fruity Pebbles were his idea of The Diet of Champions. But, rest assured, Liddell wasn’t consuming cartoon character cereal and soda pop when he won and defended the UFC light heavyweight title. In this interview, the UFC icon discusses his past and present diet, how he’s been keeping busy since bidding adieu to the Octagon, and his pursuit of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. WHAT ARE YOU EATING THESE DAYS CHAMP? I don’t drink soda very often. I eat a lot of organic stuff – my wife buys a lot of organic stuff. I was averaging probably about 4,500/5,000 calories a day, so I had to eat a lot of calories. When I first started my MMA career I worked with some guys for strength and conditioning. Yeah.
When you eat beats what you eat in staying healthy - health - 18 May 2012 Preventing obesity may be down to timing, in mice, at least. Mice allowed meals only within an 8-hour period were healthier than those that munched freely through the day, even when they consumed more fat. A link between obesity and the time you eat meals makes sense, says Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, as food choices generally get less healthy as the day progresses. Breakfast may include healthy fruits and grains, but late-night snacks are more likely to involve high-fat ice cream or high-calorie alcohol. Furthermore, research has shown that our internal clocks are closely tied to our metabolism; disrupting them can cause weight gain and diabetes. Panda and colleagues fed two groups of mice a high-fat diet. Three months later, the weight of mice on the all-day, high-fat diet had increased by 28 per cent. Panda reckons the shortened feeding period gives metabolic systems longer to perform their function uninterrupted by a new influx of nutrients.
Skipping breakfast primes the brain to seek out fat 17 October 2012Last updated at 06:45 GMT By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Should breakfast be the start to every day? Brain scans show that skipping breakfast makes fatty, high calorie foods appear far more attractive later in the day, according to researchers. Scans of 21 people showed the brain was more attracted to food if breakfast was missed so people had more food at lunch. Scientists said it made losing weight challenging as missing meals made calorific food even more appealing. Nutrition experts say breakfast is known to take the edge off appetite. However, researchers were curious about what happened inside the brain to alter the food people choose to eat. Scans Twenty one people, who were all normal weight, were shown pictures of calorie packed foods while they were positioned in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at Imperial College London. The researchers said skipping breakfast created a "bias" in the brain in favour of high calorie foods.
The Renzo Gracie Diet Read on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles on proper nutrition from the biggest names in mixed martial arts...this week, Renzo Gracie Renzo Gracie This week we highlight the diet of Renzo Gracie, easily one of the most eloquent speakers and widely respected gentlemen in the fight game. Before we dive into the interview, I’d like to share a few observations about the 45-year-old New York City transplant, whom I first met nearly a decade ago at the 90th birthday party of his grand uncle, legendary BJJ pioneer Helio Gracie. If you’ve ever met the perpetually positive Brazilian, you know that a light, an undeniable glow, shines on Renzo wherever he goes. I remember a few years ago talking with Dana White about Marc Ratner, the remarkably even-keeled UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs who never loses his cool and amazingly – despite many decades in the professional fight game – has no known enemies. Many people say that a rattlesnake tastes like chicken.
Nutrition's Ultimate Guinea Pig: The Middle-Aged Athlete Read on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles on proper nutrition... This week’s nutritional column kicks off with a twist. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing some of sport’s finest in this space (such as Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, Mike Dolce, Forrest Griffin, Tito Ortiz, Demetrious Johnson, vegetarian Aaron Simpson and a host of others). I have diligently studied these men -- who I consider to be the hardest working athletes in the world -- and the dietary decisions fueling their pursuit of peak performances. Picking their brains is a passion of mine. Yet some of my reasons for sponging as much nutritional (and other) knowledge as possible from these Alpha Males are, quite frankly, entirely selfish. You see, I am 40 years old. It’s a mixed bag, folks. I was around in the early 2000s when Randy Couture was still blowing minds and ragdolling men 15 years his junior. Nobody interviewed Couture without bringing up age-related questions.
George Lockhart - Managing Diets for Rory, Easton, Assuncao Read on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles on proper nutrition from the biggest names in mixed martial arts...this week, George Lockhart One thing we know about George Lockhart – the guy ain’t lazy. He’s crammed a boat load of professions into his 29 years. A married father of three, Lockhart is also lead instructor at Brian Stann’s Warrior Legion Gym in Atlanta. I’ve worked with each of them a long time. The weight cut for Rory is a joke. An hour before Rory goes to the gym he’ll have some Kefir (fermented milk probiotic), which is nothing but protein and probiotics, some berries, and a little flaxseed oil. Avocado, greens, spinach, quinoa. Right before Rory goes to bed, during fight camp, he might eat 1 or 2 tablespoons of almond butter. One big thing we give fighters is fermented milk, Kerif, because it’s got a digestive enzyme. Sodium bicarbonate, which is basically baking soda, is a leading supplement I recommend to increase endurance.
Food allergy and intolerance self-diagnosis 18 March 2012Last updated at 02:25 GMT By Sheila Dillon Presenter, Radio 4's Food Programme Peanuts can cause those allergic to them to go in to shock The number of people who believe they have a food allergy or intolerance has risen dramatically in the past few years, experts say, with up to 20% of the population now believing they are affected in some way - but how many really have a medical condition? Hairdresser Jane Delaney, who is 21, believes she is one of the thousands of people with a food intolerance. "I'm trying to get a test at the moment to find out if I am lactose intolerant or something along those lines, because I have a problem with my diet… with diarrhoea or constipation. "It's just mad, like takeaways, chicken and chips… you don't know what they're cooking things in, and whether they are putting things in they shouldn't be. "If I cook everything I make from scratch, so I know what's in it, that's a lot better." Continue reading the main story Find out more: Allergy facts:
Are spices good for your health? 26 December 2012Last updated at 01:16 By Hannah Briggs BBC Food Spices have been revered for their health benefits throughout history. But can they cure a hangover or help shift those extra Christmas pounds? Whether you're grating nutmeg into your speculaas (Dutch spiced shortcrust biscuits) or sprinkling some cinnamon into your Glögg (a Norwegian version of mulled wine), adding a touch of spice is an easy way to make food and drink more appetising. According to Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient belief system in Hinduism, spices can be warming or cooling and are used to affect the balance of the digestive system. "They act as a stimulus to the digestive system, relieve digestive disorders and some spices are of antiseptic value," explains Dr Krishnapura Srinivasan, a scientist at the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, India. It is not surprising that spices have become associated with dieting. But the results of the month-long clinical trial were negative. “Start Quote