HEALTH ALERT: Energy Drinks Affect Heart, MRI Scans Show

Energy drinks may provide a bit too much of a boost to your heart, creating additional strain on the organ and causing it to contract more rapidly than usual, German researchers report.
Healthy people who drank energy drinks high in caffeine and taurine experienced significantly increased heart contraction rates an hour later, according to research presented Monday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago.
The study raises concerns that energy drinks might be bad for the heart, particularly for people who already have heart disease, said Dr. Kim Williams, vice president of the American College of Cardiology.
"We know there are drugs that can improve the function of the heart, but in the long term they have a detrimental effect on the heart," said Williams, a cardiology professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine, in Detroit.
For example, adrenaline can make the heart race, but such overexertion can wear the heart muscle down, he said. There's also the possibility that a person could develop an irregular heartbeat.
Source: WebMD
Genes, Air Pollution Combine to Increase Autism Risk
Children with a particular gene variant who are exposed to air pollution appear to be at a higher risk of developing autism, according to researchers from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC).
Drawing on results of previous studies that have shown associations between air pollution and autism, and between autism and the MET gene, the researchers say their new study reveals that the combination of these factors increases the risk of autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to problems with social interactions, communication and repetitive behavior.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that more children than ever before are being diagnosed with ASD, estimating that one in 88 children are affected.
There is currently no cure for ASD, and there are still many unanswered questions about what causes it, but the researchers say that "genetics are an important contributing factor."
Daniel B. Campbell, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the study's senior author, explains: "The MET gene variant has been associated with autism in multiple studies, controls expression of MET protein in both the brain and the immune system and predicts altered brain structure and function. It will be important to replicate this finding and to determine the mechanisms by which these genetic and environmental factors interact to increase the risk for autism."
Source: Medical News Today
Gene Mutation May Explain Heart Disease Risk Among African-Americans
A genetic mutation associated with an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other health problems is common in Africans and people of African descent worldwide, according to a new study.
The findings may help explain why Africans and people of African descent are more likely to develop heart disease and diabetes than many other racial groups, the Weill Cornell Medical College researchers said.
The mutation in the ApoE gene is linked to increased levels of triglycerides, which are fats in the blood associated with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
The researchers' analysis of worldwide data revealed that the "R145C" variant of the ApoE gene is found in 5 percent to 12 percent of Africans and people of African descent, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa. The variant is rare in people who are not African or of African descent.
"Based on our findings, we estimate that there could be 1.7 million African-Americans in the United States and 36 million sub-Saharan Africans worldwide with the variant," study senior author Dr. Ronald Crystal, chairman of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell, said in a college news release.
On average, African-Americans with the mutation had 52 percent higher triglyceride levels than those without the variant, according to the study, which was published online November 18 in the American Journal of Cardiology.
"The prevalence of the ApoE mutation may put large numbers of Africans and African descendants worldwide at risk for a triglyceride-linked disorder," Crystal said. "But we don't yet know the extent of that risk or its health consequences."
"Inheriting this genetic variant does not mean a person is going to get heart disease and other diseases," he said. "It increases their risk, and screening for fats in the blood -- both cholesterol and triglycerides -- as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important."
Source: MedicineNet

13 Tips For Guaranteed Weight Gain

So you’re a skinny nerd

In the
fitness world you’re called a
“hardgainer.” You weigh 125 lbs.,
you eat whatever you want, and
you still can’t gain weight.  You’re
ready to bulk up, build some
muscle, and get strong like a
mofo…but you have no freaking
cue what you’re doing. Luckily,
you’ve found this site, and I’m
here to help (I used to be a skinny
guy too).
Here are 13 tips for you to get
started:

1. Eat a lot – This sounds much
easier than it really is.
Whatever you’re eating now,
you should probably double
it. If you eat three meals a
day, instead eat six. You
need to be eating every 2-3
hours, and each meal needs
to be the size of a normal
meal. This is going to be
difficult for a few weeks,
because you’ll often have to
force yourself to eat even
when you’re not hungry. 500
extra calories a day = 1 extra
pound gained per week .
Whatever you’re eating now,
add an additional 1000
calories (spread throughout
the day), and you’ll put on 2
lbs a week. Not just any
calories though…

2. Eat a lot of good things - You
need to eat a ridiculous
amount of calories (probably
3500+ per day) if you want to
gain weight, but you want to
make sure most of those
calories are GOOD calories.
You could easily get 3500
calories eating Taco Bell and
Twinkies, and drinking
Mountain Dew, but that will
just make you fat. If you
want to build muscle, you
want to eat healthy calories
that are loaded with good
protein, good carbs, and
healthy fats…which brings me
to my next point:

3. Protein = building block for
your muscles. Chicken, fish,
meat, eggs, milk, almonds,
peanuts. Eat lots of this stuff,
all the time. Read more
about protein

4. Carbs will help you put on
weight, but it won’t be
muscle – pasta, brown rice,
wheat bread, oatmeal, etc.
will help you put on weight,
but a lot of that weight will
be fat. Every meal should
have vegetables and fruit. If
you just eat protein, your
body will resort to using it for
energy rather than building
muscle. I learned this the
hard way in college; four
years of exercising and three
protein shakes a day got me
NOTHING. Unless you’re
eating tons of good fats
(almonds FTW), good carbs
(fruits and veggies), and
protein, you won’t be gaining
weight.

5. Keep track of everything you
eat - Sign up for a site light
dailyburn.com (it’s free),
input your stats and start to
track every one of your meals.
It will tell you if you’re eating
enough calories, enough
protein, and enough carbs.
This site has helped me put
on 15 lbs since last fall.

6. Compound exercises are
your friend– Concentrate on
complex, compound exercises
that recruit as many muscles
as possible: bench presses,
dumbbell presses, squats,
deadlifts, pull ups, chin ups,
and dips. Do these exercises,
and concentrate on lifting as
much weight as possible.
Don’t worry about triceps
extensions, shoulder shrugs,
bicep curls or crunches.  All
of the compound exercises
listed here use every muscle
in your body, and when you
overload your body with
calories and protein, those
muscles will grow. Don’t
worry about isolation
exercises until you’re up to
your goal weight and ready to
tone down. Read about
squats here , deadlifts here,
and pull ups here.

7. Appearance is a consequence
of fitness – This is the
mantra of the actors of who
trained for the movie 300 –
would you be okay looking
like a Spartan?  Concentrate
on being really strong and
lifting heavy weights, and your
body will follow suit. It
doesn’t matter if you can only
bench press 10 lb dumbbells
right now. Wherever you’re
starting out, concentrate on
being stronger each and every
time you exercise. Push
yourself, get stronger, lift
more, and before you know it
you’ll be ripped.

8. When exercising, keep your
rest between sets to a
minute or less, and don’t do
more than 12 reps in a set –
Keep your range of reps
between 6 and 12, and try to
keep the time you rest
between sets to a minute or
less. Example: incline
dumbbell chest press – 12
reps of 50 lbs, wait a minute,
10 reps of 55lbs, wait a
minute, 8 reps of 60 lbs.

9. Let your muscles rest - never
exercise the same muscle two
days in a row. Your muscles
get rebuilt (larger) during
your days off, so never
exercise the same muscle
before it’s ready.  I usually
wait at least 48 hours before I
hit the same muscle again.

10. Sleep – you need to be
getting 8-9 hours of sleep
every night for maximum
gains.  Your body is doing
nothing but lying there and
building muscle while you’re
sleeping. If you are only
getting 6 hours or less, you’re
not going to get all the
benefits of your exercising
and diet. I know it’s tough,
but those 3AM raids on
Runnyeye need to be put on
hold for a few months. SLEEP.

11. Cardio is your enemy –
Running long distances isn’t
going to help you. If you’re
going to run, do sprints or
run up a hill. Think about it:
would you rather look like a
sprinter or a marathon
runner?  Keep your distance
cardio to a minimum if you
want to put on some pounds.

12. Make it part of your routine
- It’s okay to skip a workout
here and there, but it is NOT
okay for you to skip a meal if
you’re serious about weight
gain. You need to be always
eating. It sucks, it’s
practically a full time job, but
it’s what you have to do. Eat.

13. Realize you will put on some
fat – with all of this eating,
you are going to be putting
on some fat along with your
muscle. That’s okay! Figure
out what your goal weight is,
and then add another 5-10
lbs on top of it. Once you
get to that weight, cut back
on the carbs in your diet, do
more sprints, and keep
exercising: you’ll shed the fat
quickly and be left with a
killer figure. Eat all the
vegetables you want, but cut
back on breads, pasta, rice,
and oatmeal.

source: CAMPUSPEEPS

TIPS to GAIN WEIGHT FAST

You are going to have to eat far more than before if you want to gain weight. Since body composition is 80%
diet, you are going to have to stuff yourself. You need to provide lots and lots of proteins for those hormones
to synthesize.

How to gain weight: Eat healthy fats

Eat plenty of healthy fats. Eat your egg yolks, meat with animal fat, coconut oil, and other healthy fats.

Increase caloric intake - of the healthy kind ofcourse. So those bananas count well here.

How to gain weight: Increase protein intake

Never let your protein intake go lower than 1g/lb of body weight when you are aiming to add long-term
muscle. It\'s the building block of muscle, and your body is going to be starving for it.

How to gain weight: Foods that help you gain weight

Whole eggs: It is economical and loaded with protein, vitamins A,D, E and good cholesterol.

Butter : Butter is linked with long term weight gain. Intake of butter should be in moderation, as regular
consumption of butter is bad for your heart.

Tuna: The vital fatty acids in tuna contain a host of healthy fats, which not only aid in weight gain but also
help in maintaining physical well-being.

Natural fruit juice: A healthy and nutritious way to gain some pounds, sip 100-per cent fruit juice that\'s
full of sugar and added nutrients.

Whole wheat bread : You can eat healthy and pack on pounds at the same time by eating whole wheat
bread which accounts for approximately 69 calories per slice.

How to gain weight: Food rich in good calories

Peanut butter - Spread - soft, salty peanut butter on bread. It gives you approximately 192 calories plus it is
extra high in protein.

Energy bars - It is loaded with good-for-you nuts and oats. One bowl packs around 500 calories, which is
healthy as well as yummy for breakfast.

Cheese - One serving of cheddar cheese packs a good 69 calories. Cheese is concentrated milk, so it is high in
protein and calcium, fat, cholesterol and cheese calories.

Oil - Adding extra fat to your food is an easy way to add calories, choose olive oil, canola oil, etc. which is
good for your health and will add those much needed calories too.

Banana - One banana contains approximately 100 calories. Not only are bananas rich in carbs and nutritious,
they\'re also great for workout fuel.

How to gain weight: Daily tips to gain weight

Include three- four servings of fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. It is best to consume fruits in their
natural form to get all the nutrients.
Make sure you get enough rest.
Instead of stocking up on chocolate as glucose boosters, try high-fibre, low sugar oat bars. These take care of
your cravings.

Oats: A bowl of oatmeal is the perfect nutritious breakfast. It is high in fiber, and it also provides the body
with vital nutrients.

Yogurt: The healthy fruit-flavored, fatless yogurt can give you as much as 118 calories. Include it in your daily
diet for quick weight gain.

How to gain weight: Dietary supplements for gaining weight

Supplements should be taken only in consultation with a doctor/ dietician, only if required in case of nutrient
deficiencies. How your body processes these supplements depends on what your body\'s needs are. The
supplements that are usually associated with weight gain needs are usually carb-enriched supplements.
The same thumb-rule of focusing on your body\'s needs before buying supplements, applies to vitamin and
mineral supplements as well. Excess of multivitamins can cause hypervitaminosis leading to various problems
as diarrhoea, vomiting etc.

How to gain weight: Food habits that help you gain weight

Chew the food properly to improve digestion. Avoid excessive intake of beverages such as coffee and tea
immediately after meals, as this hinders the absorption of minerals like iron. Keep a track of your weight gain
as this is essential; it is healthy to increase approximately 5 to 6 kgs weight per month.
Cook smartly, using a wide variety of food choices that are beneficial for health. Use a variety of fruits and
vegetables to make salads, and rely on healthy appetisers (ex: Amla pudina chutney).

How to gain weight: Unhealthy habits for gaining unhealthy weight
- Lack of sleep may be making you fat
- Eating in the car
- Eating in front of the TV
- Food rut - eating the same thing day in and day out
- Finishing everything on your plate and peer pressure
- \"Coffee shopping\" or for some of us it is the \"meet up for a drink\"
How to gain weight: After gaining the right weight
The right combination of healthy food, exercise, right breathing, rest and sleep go a long way in a happier and
healthier you. Once you\'ve gained the right amount of weight that you desire to gain, you\'ll realise that your
naturally thin body will look far more toned and curved at the right places, than you ever thought possible!

SOURCE CAMPUSPEEPS

Obama Defends Healthcare 'Legacy'

President Barack Obama has defended his healthcare reform law, known as Obamacare, describing it as a legacy to be proud of.
In a TV interview, Obama accepted that problems with the website had affected his popularity, but said every president went through rough times.
Obamacare was intended to extend health insurance coverage to some of the estimated 15% of Americans who lack it, reports the BBC.
The government has set a 30 November deadline to overhaul the website.
Obama said his priority now was to make sure the website worked.
As the deadline approached, the controversial HealthCare.gov site was taken down on Friday night for an 11-hour period for maintenance and upgrades to the software and hardware systems. It was due to go back online at 0800 EST (1300 GMT) on Saturday.
In an interview with ABC News, President Obama said he still believed his Affordable Care Act would make good on his manifesto promise to deliver affordable health care to Americans.
"I continue to believe and [I'm] absolutely convinced that, at the end of the day, people are going to look back at the work we've done to make sure that in this country you don't go bankrupt when you get sick, that families have that security," said President Obama.
"That is going be a legacy I am extraordinarily proud of."
Obamacare has come under constant fire from Republican party critics and many private health providers, who say it is too expensive and an unwarranted intrusion into the affairs of private businesses and individuals.
But opposition intensified after a succession of technical glitches accompanied the launch of HealthCare.gov in October.
Only 27,000 people were able to use the website to sign up in the first month, and there is still a backlog of Americans attempting to meet the deadline of 23 December to be guaranteed cover from 1 January 2014.
According to an ABC News-Washington Post poll released last week, the president's job approval rating fell to 42%, down 13 percentage points this year and 6 points in the past month.
But Obama said he was used to difficult periods in his presidency.
"The good thing about when you're down is that usually you got nowhere to go but up," he said.
The problems with the website have forced Obama to apologise for "fumbling the ball" by not delivering a more successful launch, while Republicans have accused the president of breaking his promises.
Seated alongside his wife Michelle, Obama referred to criticism that he had appeared not to be aware of the extent of problems with the website, which his administration has promised to deal with by the end of November.

Weight Loss & Breakfast: EGGS ARE BETTER

Need to lose a few pounds?

Try this…

Tomorrow morning, instead of wolfing down a bagel as you run out the door, scramble up a few eggs with some cheddar cheese and black forest ham. According to a bunch of new studies, this high protein breakfast will help you manage your hunger while also reducing the amount of calories that you pack away throughout the day.
The Science University of Conneticut researchers found that adult men who consumed eggs for breakfast:

consumed fewer calories following the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast consumed fewer total calories in the 24-hour period after the egg breakfast compared to the bagel breakfast reported feeling less hungry and more satisfied three hours after the egg breakfast compared to the bagel
breakfast This study was presented at Experimental Biology 2009. This research builds upon previous work by Dr. Fernandez which showed how the cholesterol from egg yolks improves the level of good (HDL) cholesterol.

A second study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, concluded that eating eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped overweight dieters lose 65 percent more weight and feel more energetic than dieters who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories and volume.
And if that isn’t enough proof, you can check out this study which showed that getting your protein
with breakfast was more effective at controlling hunger.

But what about the cholesterol?

For years, we have been told to avoid eating too many whole eggs. We’ve been warned by the experts
that the cholesterol found in those egg yolks are going to clog our arteries.
Maybe the experts are wrong.

New research (presented at Experimental Biology 2009) out of the University of Florida State
examined the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as body mass index,
serum lipids and levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and the degree to which these
factors are influenced by dietary intake of fiber, fat and eggs.

The study found:

no relationship between egg consumption and serum lipid profiles, especially serum total cholesterol, as well as no relationship between egg consumption and hs-CRP a positive correlation between dietary trans-fat intake (the margarine on your bagel) and CVD risk factors, as well as a negative correlation between fiber and vitamin C intake and CVD risk factors (6) In additional research presented at
Experimental Biology, investigators with Exponent, Inc. evaluated egg consumption data from the NHANES III Follow-Up Survey to determine the association between egg consumption and heart health. The researchers developed a statistical model which showed:

no increased risk of death from coronary heart disease with increased egg consumption a reduced risk of mortality among men who consumed one to six eggs/week compared to less than one egg/week
a significant reduction in risk of stroke among women who consumed one to six eggs/week and one or more eggs/day So, while I am not advocating that you chug back a dozen raw eggs at breakfast a la Rocky, I am suggesting that you replace your morning toast with an omelette. Your shrinking love handles will thank you.