Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Short Sleep Duration Linked to Obesity in Children and Young Adults

Inadequate sleep in an important risk factor for obesity. Aliterature review of 71 studies by Danish researchers concluded that short sleep duration was linked to obesity in children and young adults, but the evidence was less clear in older adults. Several studies compared energy balance in subjects who slept normally with others deprived of sleep. The sleep-deprived groups gained weight.

Sleep loss causes an increased release of the hormone ghrelin, which boost appetite and slows metabolic rate. The resulting fatigue makes it more difficult to follow a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise. Poor sleep habits could be contributing to the obesity epidemic. Many factors cause sleep deprivation, so it is difficult to make generalizations based on large population studies.

(Obesity Reviews, 12: 78-92, 2010)
Red Juices:

You may be leery of getting too many calories from juice, but don't be with ruby juices like tart cherry and pomegranate. Science supports their health-promoting prowess: The anthocyanins from tart cherries help speed up muscle recovery after strenuous activity; and pomegranate juice's polyphenols help reduce oxidative stress in the body and hardening of the arteries.

No worries about these red juices creating a belly bulge- a four ounce serving is only about 80 calories.

Oxygenmag.com



Question of the Week:

Q: How much cardio should I be doing?

A: The amounts of cardio you should be do depends on
your goals. Are you trying to loose weight, maintain it or just improve cadio-respiratory health? These are the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) general recommended guidelines: For weight loss, do 250 to 300 cardio minutes per week; for cardiovascular health, do cardio between 3 and 5 times a week for 20 to 60 minutes. You accumulate these cardio in 10-minute workout bouts or more on most days of the week. In terms of intensity, ACSM recommends using a somewhat hard intensity.


Len Kravitz

"QUOTE OF THE WEEK"

" Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."



- Will Rogers