Diet

You swear it's true: Certain foods seem to make you fatter, regardless of how many calories you eat. Until now, however, nutritionists have denied such a theory, claiming that calories, not food, are the reason why people gain weight. As it turns out though, they may be wrong. In a new study conducted by Harvard University, researchers say that having a genetic predisposition to obesity--something that affects a small percentage of the population--makes you twice as likely to have a…
read more

Eat less, live longer? As absurd as this sounds, it's the claim now being made by Australian researchers, whose work was recently published in the journal BioEssays. Researchers didn't come to the conclusion by conducting a study, however--it's a theory they developed after observing how calorie restriction affected laboratory mice. "This effect has been demonstrated in laboratories around the world, in species ranging from yeast to flies to mice," says Dr. Margo Adler, an evolutionary biologist at the University of…
read more

Love sipping on a cool margarita? Turns out doing so could now have health benefits, according to a new study presented at the annual American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting in Dallas, TX. The research, which was carried out by researchers in Mexico, says that agavins, sugars derived from the agave plant, helped prevent diet-induced obesity in laboratory mice, as well as lower their risk of type 2 diabetes. Agave is an ingredient commonly used to sweeten alcoholic beverages, such as…
read more

Consider this stating the obvious: Living near fast food restaurants makes you more likely to eat unhealthy food. But that's just what researchers uncovered in a new study published in the British Medical Journal--a study winch shows that it too could also make people obese. Now researchers say this study shows that gaining weight isn't simply the result of bad habits--living in certain environments may now also be to blame. "Neighbourhood food environments (“foodscapes”) have been labelled “obesogenic” when they…
read more

Feeling fat and sluggish? If you trust your local naturopath, it's not because you're actually fat--instead, it's the result of a build-up of toxins. As for how to get rid of them, the methods vary in its extremes: Some recommend water fasting for several days, whereas others, like controversial personal trainer Tracy Anderson, recommend a low calorie diet filled with organic produce and fruits galore. But now one person says there's a better way to cleanse: By eating ice cream.…
read more

The news isn't good: Dementia is expected to increase by 40 percent by 2025. Yet preventing this age-borne illness is easier said than done, according to the Alzheimer's Association. "While ambiguity about the underlying cause of death can make it difficult to determine how many people die from Alzheimer's, there are no survivors," writes the Alzheimer's Association. "If you do not die from Alzheimer's disease, you die with it. One in every three seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia."…
read more

We've heard the same story for years: If you want to reduce your risk of heart disease, eat a diet low in saturated fat. But is this advice actually true? In a new editorial published in the health journal Open Heart, Dr. James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist for the Saint Luke's Health System, says that the research this recommendation is based on--a study dating back to the 1950s--is most definitely "flawed." "The vilification of saturated fat by Keys began…
read more

You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but just three years ago her health was in shambles. Living a fast food, hard partying lifestyle, 25 year old Loni Jane Anthony knew her health was headed down a rocky path, yet didn't know what to do. For help, she turned to doctor Doug Graham, whose controversial 80/10/10 Diet--a low fat diet which only allows raw fruits and vegetables--was increasing in popularity. Then, she took to Instagram to record her journey…
read more

Want a faster way to lose belly fat? Your best bet may be the Paleo Diet, according to researchers from Umea University in Sweden. Tracking a total of 70 overweight women, researchers say that those who chose a Paleo diet over a low-fat diet lost significantly more weight and belly fat. Now that's a good reason to get back to your ancestral roots. "Short-term studies have suggested beneficial effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet (PD) on body weight and metabolic balance,"…
read more

Want a flat stomach? Instead of doing crunches, do this instead: Have an ounce of coconut oil. Believe it or not, new research from Brazil says that adding a ounce of this to your diet significantly reduces fat around the abdomen in just 12 weeks. The study was published in the health journal Lipids. "The fat in coconut oil--a form of saturated fat known as MCT (medium chain triglycerides)--is among the healthiest fat in the world," says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.…
read more