STRESSORS INTERFERE WITH METABOLIC RATE AND INCREASE BLOOD INSULIN LEVELS

An interesting new study has found that increased stress levels take a toll on metabolic rate.  The recent study included 58 women, with an average age 53, who were asked about their stress levels the previous day and then given a meal that included 930 calories and 60 grams of fat. After the meal, participants’ metabolic rate was tested for 20 minutes of every hour for the next seven hours.   Researchers also measured blood levels of glucose, triglycerides, insulin and the stress hormone cortisol.  On average, the women in the study who reported one or more stressors during the previous 24 hours burned 104 fewer calories than non-stressed women in the seven hours after eating the high-fat meal -- a difference that could result in weight gain of almost 11 pounds in one year.  The women who had experienced a previous day stressor also had higher levels  blood insulin after the meal.  When there are excess levels of insulin nutrients are less likely to be used for fuel and more likely to be stored as fat.   

There is ample evidence that persons who are chronically stressed are more likely to have unhealthy weight gain.  Much of this gain has been attributed to emotional eating.  Previous studies have shown that when individuals are stressed they tend to crave foods high in carbohydrates and fat -- comfort foods.  While food choices often do become less healthy in times of stress, this study, though small, also demonstrates there is a direct metabolic cost to being stressed.    

What to do:  Knowing that stress interferes with our metabolism, it is all the more important to make healthier decisions in times of stress.   While we cannot always avoid stressors, we can work to make our food environment supportive.  By keeping healthy options available, we are more likely to ride out stressful times without resorting to poor food choices.  We can also work to develop non-food based coping strategies such as journaling, mindful breathing, and physical activity.

Adapted from articles available at:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_147297.html

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediaroom/releases/Pages/Stress-and-High-Fat-Foods.aspx

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140714100128.htm

Source:

Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Habash DL, Fagundes CF, Andridge R, Peng J, Malarkey WB, Belury MA. Daily stressors, past depression, and metabolic responses to high-fat meals: a novel path to obesity. Biological Psychiatry, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.05.018

COMBINATION OF CARDIO AND STRENGTH TRAINING MOST EFFECTIVE FOR DIABETICS' HEALTH

A new review of existing research finds that combined aerobic and resistance training, rather than either alone, is best for controlling both blood sugar and blood fat profiles among people with type 2 diabetes.  Researchers analyzed data from 14 experimental trials that included more than 900 people with type 2 diabetes. The studies looked at the role of aerobic or resistance training (such as weightlifting) in improving diabetics' health.

Compared with either aerobic or resistance training alone, a regimen that combined both types of workouts was more effective in controlling blood sugar, blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides), blood pressure and weight. Aerobic activity alone was more effective than resistance activity alone in improving metabolic parameters but certainly not as effective as doing a the combination of cardio and resistance work. 

Studies have consistently found that both forms of exercise are good for metabolic health but in different ways.  Resistance training builds muscles and thereby increases glucose utilization through increased muscle mass.  Aerobic training utilizes blood sugar to fuel activity and also appears to improve muscle cell's sensitivity to insulin for as much as 24-hours after the activity.  Insulin sensitivity is especially responsive to vigorous aerobic activity.

While researchers found that a combination of aerobic and resistance activity yields the best health results, they also stressed that there is significant evidence that any regular exercise regimen is helpful to diabetic health.  Unfortunately, a growing number of Americans, are not exercising at all.  In another recent analysis, U.S. government data from the last 20 years revealed that the number of women who reported no physical activity rose from about 19% in 1994 to nearly 52% in 2010 and the number of men not exercising increased from about 11% to about 43%.  Black and Mexican-American women showed the greatest decreases in reported exercise.  Over this same period, there were marked increases in adults' average body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight, with the most dramatic rise among women aged 18 to 39.

What to do:  If you have health problems, always consult your healthcare provider before increasing activity.  Then, get moving!  Work up to doing aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, at least 150 minutes per week and try to do strength exercises three times per week.  No time for exercise?  Americans watch, on average, 3 hours of television daily - make a push to swap up TV for activity and your health will improve.   

Adapted from articles available at:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_147121.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_147192.html

http://www.medicaldaily.com/diabetes-management-use-aerobic-and-resistence-training-combination-exercises-more-effective-either

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140707134243.htm

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-lack-of-exercise-linked-to-rise-in-obesity-20140707-story.html

Sources:

Schwingshackl L, Missbach B, Dias S, König J, Hoffmann G. Impact of different training modalities on glycaemic control and blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Diabetologia, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00125-014-3303-z

Hannley PP. Move more, eat less:  It’s time for Americans to get serious about exercise. The American Journal of Medicine, 2014; DOI:10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.05.026

Ladabaum U, Mannalithara A, Myer PA, Singh G. Obesity, abdominal obesity, physical activity, and caloric intake in U.S. adults: 1988-2010. The American Journal of Medicine, 2014; DOI:10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.02.026

ALL ABOUT HEALTHY GUT BACTERIA: PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, AND YOUR MICROBIOME

Making themselves at home, inside your intestinal tract, are some 100 trillion living microorganisms. These gut bacteria, collectively known as your “microbiome,” are so abundant that they outnumber all the cells in your body by 10 to one.  The 400+ different strains of bacteria that inhabit your gut help you digest food and are essential in synthesizing essential nutrients including vitamins K, B12, thiamin and riboflavin. They also defend against infections caused by harmful bacteria.  But the function our microbiome goes beyond that of the digestive system.  Emerging research suggests that our microbiome has  a wide-ranging impact on our early development, our behavior, our susceptibility to disease and our ability to recover from disease. Imbalances in our gut bacteria appear to play a role in everything from diarrhea and stomach upset to conditions such as allergies and asthma, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mood disorders, acne, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease and auto-immune disorders.  The more we learn, the more clear it becomes that maintaining a healthy gut bacteria is crucial to our overall health. Here's some things you can do to support your resident microbes.

Eat foods that contain probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that are either the same as or similar to the ones found naturally in your gastrointestinal tract. You can help replenish your beneficial bacteria by eating probiotic dairy foods such as yogurt, frozen yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk. Many fermented foods, such as miso, tempeh, and kimchi also contain probiotics.  Some yogurts such as Activia and DanActive have added probiotics but these are not necessarily better than other yogurts.  All yogurts, even those made from dairy substitutes such as soy or almonds, are made with live active bacteria.  The strains used in the product are always listed, usually with the ingredients.  Products made with a greater variety of bacterial strains may offer more probiotic benefits.

Feed your probiotics some prebiotics. Prebiotics are high-fiber foods that feed the good bacteria in your intestines and help them to flourish. Give your probiotics something to chew on by eating food sources rich in soluble fibers and digestion-resistant starches.  Some of the best sources of prebiotics are oatmeal, barley, cooked root vegetables, onions, garlic, beans, avocados, dark leafy greens, bananas (especially green bananas), chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), and asparagus.

Use antibiotics only when prescribed.  Antibiotics help to kill disease causing bacteria and can be life saving when you have a bacterial infection.  Unfortunately they also kill the healthy bacteria in our system.  Many people take antibiotics when they are sick even though most colds are caused by viruses.  Only take antibiotics when they have been prescribed by your physician.  When you do take antibiotics, it is a good idea to emphasize yogurt in your diet to help restock the healthy bacteria.  You may also want to take a probiotic supplement after a course of antibiotics.   

Consider a probiotic supplement. Talk with your physician or dietitian about whether a probiotic supplement is right for you.  If you suffer from recurring diarrhea or antibiotic-associated diarrhea or vaginal yeast infections, a probiotic supplement may very well help. There is also substantial evidence that gastrointestinal symptoms, such as those associated with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and pouchitis, are helped by probiotic supplements. 

Look for a probiotic supplement that has at least 1 billion CFU's (colony forming units) and that contains a variety of bacterial strains.  The potency of products diminishes over time so check the expiration date.  Products that are refrigerated and packaged in dark glass are likely to be best preserved.  At home, store you probiotics in the fridge, even if they were not refrigerated at the store.  Taking probiotics with food, especially foods that are not acidic such as diary may help them survive the acidity of the stomach.  There are many different types of healthy bacteria and certain strains appear to help with certain conditions.  The  following list is a brief guide to some of the best strains of some different conditions.

Diarrhea from antibiotic usage

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
• Saccharomyces boulardii
• Streptococcus thermophilus
• Bacillus clausii
• Lactibacillus acidophilus

Irritable bowel syndrome

• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
• Saccharomyces boulardii

Weakened immunity

• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Lactobacillus salivarius
• Bifidobacterium bifidum

Lactose(dairy)  indigestion

• Lactobacillus bulgaricus
• Streptococcus thermophilus

KEEPING INDOOR TEMPS LOWER INCREASES METABOLISM-BOOSTING BROWN FAT

A new small study has found that keeping indoor temperatures lower increases adults’ levels of healthy brown fat.  Brown fat is a specialized type of fat that is very metabolically active and helps to generate body heat.  Brown fat is plentiful in babies but adults have very small amounts.  Prior research has found that persons with greater levels of brown fat are less prone to developing obesity and diabetes.  This small study is one of the first to show that adults are capable of growing additional brown fat and that cooler indoor temperatures stimulate its growth while warmer temperatures cause the loss of this beneficial type of fat.

In this study, 5 healthy men lived in a temperature-controlled environment.  During the day they lived their normal lives but at the end of the day they returned for at least 10 hours to the climate controlled environment.  Temperatures were kept at 75°F during the first month, 66°F during the second month, and then back to 75°F during the third month, and finally up to 80.5°F during the fourth month. Researchers assessed brown fat levels using CT scans, as well as muscle and fat tissue biopsies.   They found that brown fat levels rose by 30-40% during the cool second  month, returned to original levels in the third month, and then fell below original levels in the warmer fourth month. 

Another important result was that participants’ insulin sensitivity (the amount of insulin the pancreas needs to produce to bring blood sugar levels down after a meal) improved as amounts of brown fat increased.  This is a key result because as the body’s cells become insensitive to insulin, diabetes develops.

What to do:  Research in the US indicates that over the last couple decades, target indoor temperatures have risen approximately 6°F.  While this was only a small study, consider keeping indoor spaces cooler. So, to give your metabolism a little boost, turn down the heat and turn up the air conditioner!

Articles adapted from:

http://consumer.healthday.com/diabetes-information-10/misc-diabetes-news-181/cooler-indoor-temps-may-help-good-fat-grow-689073.html

http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2014/06/18/db14-0513.abstract?sid=a1948b2f-f658-48a3-abb8-5e0800df8451

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140622142228.htm

Source:

Lee P,Smith S, Linderman J, Courville AB, Brychta RJ, Dieckmann W, Werner CD, Chen KY, Celi FS.  Temperature-acclimated brown adipose tissue modulates insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes, June 22, 2014 DOI: 10.2337/db14-0513

EVEN WITHOUT WEIGHT GAIN, DIET HIGH IN SUGAR INCREASES BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHOLESTEROL

A recent review of existing studies on sugar consumption and heart health finds that regular consumption of too much sugar and other added sweeteners increases the risk of high blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol, even when individuals maintain a healthy weight. 

These findings corroborate results released earlier this year that were based on data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which tracks over 31,000 Americans.  For this current review, researchers pooled the results of  all international studies done comparing the effects of higher versus lower added sugar consumption on blood pressure and lipids.  They found 37 trials reporting effects on lipids and 12 reporting effects on blood pressure.

The review concluded that as long as caloric and carbohydrate intake were kept the same, consuming a higher  percentage of calories from sugar did not contribute to more added weight.  But, eating a higher percentage of calories from sugar did result in significantly higher blood pressure levels and cholesterol levels.    So, even when consuming a sugary diet does not result in weight gain, it does increase one's risk of heart disease. 

What to do:  Avoid added sugar as much as possible.  Even at a healthy weight, a daily 20-oz serving of soda alone puts you over the limit of sugar intake.  Beware not only of foods we typically think of as sweets.  "Healthy foods" such as granola bars, cereal, sauces, canned & dried fruit, and yogurt contain substantial amounts of added sweeteners.  

Source:

L. A. Te Morenga, A. J. Howatson, R. M. Jones, J. Mann. Dietary sugars and cardiometabolic risk: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of the effects on blood pressure and lipids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.081521

Articles adapted from:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11256097 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140515095633.htm

SINGLE EPISODE OF BINGE DRINKING CAUSES GUT LEAKAGE & IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPRESSION

While it has been well documented that chronic drinking increases gut permeability, a new study has found that even a single episode of binge drinking has this damaging effect.  Increased gut permeability negatively impacts health by allowing harmful bacteria to migrate into the small intestines where they produce toxins, called endotoxins.  Both the bacteria and the endotoxins travel into the bloodstream, compromising immune function and increasing inflammation in the pancreas, liver, and other organs.  Chronically increased endotoxin levels have been found to be one of the primary drivers of the development of alcoholic liver disease.  

Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08g/dL or above. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks for men, or four or more drinks for women, in about two hours.

In the study, 11 men and 14 women were given enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol levels to at least .08 g/dL within an hour. Blood samples were taken every 30 minutes for four hours after the binge and again 24 hours later.

The researchers found that the alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in endotoxin levels in the blood and evidence of bacterial DNA, showing that bacteria had permeated the gut. Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol levels and circulating endotoxin levels. Of the results, principle investigator Dr. Gyongyi Szabo stated, “We found that a single alcohol binge can elicit an immune response, potentially impacting the health of an otherwise healthy individual.  Our observations suggest that an alcohol binge is more dangerous than previously thought.”

What to do:  If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.  For healthy adults, that means up to one serving of alcohol a day for women and up to two servings a day for men.  A serving of alcohol is defined as 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits.  Typical portions of drinks often exceed these amounts so one glass may contain 2 servings or more.

Adapted from articles available at:

http://www.medicaldaily.com/binge-drinking-even-once-linked-gut-leakage-and-immune-system-effects-283072

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0096864

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/825506

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140515132212.htm

Source:

Bala S, Marcos M, Gattu A, et al.  Acute binge drinking increases serum endotoxin and bacterial DNA levels in healthy individuals. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (5): e96864 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0096864.

SHORT INTENSE EXERCISE BEFORE MEALS CONTROLS BLOOD SUGAR BETTER THAN EXERCISING MODERATELY ONCE PER DAY

Physical activity of any kind is known to lower and regulate blood sugar levels, because, unlike resting muscles that must respond to insulin in order to take up sugar from the bloodstream, contracting muscles take up glucose to fuel their efforts without the action of insulin.  But is it better for blood sugar regulation to exercise in one long bout or to break up the activity throughout the day? A recent small study found that multiple, brief bouts of exercise which include high intensity intervals control blood sugar better than a single long moderate workout. 

In this new study nine adult men and women with pre-diabetes were evaluated for 24 hours after completing each of three different exercise treatments.  On one occasion participants walked on a treadmill at a moderate pace for 30 minutes, finishing half an hour before dinner. On another day volunteers broke their workouts into 12 minute segments before breakfast, lunch and dinner. During the 12 minute workouts, participants alternated between walking as fast as they could for one minute with walking slowly for one minute.   In the final session, participants again completed three walking intervals, but these were interspersed with a minute of high-intensity, upper-body resistance training using stretchy bands.

Researchers found that after the 30-minute walk, while subjects after dinner blood sugar was lower than when they had not exercised, their blood sugar after meals on the following days was no different than if they had not exercised.  However, when participants completed the triple workout days, their post-meal blood sugar levels the next day were lower than baseline.

Breaking up exercise into multiple short intense sessions throughout the day appears to also be more effective for controlling blood pressure.  For example, a 2012 study of hypertensive participants found they achieved better blood pressure control if they completed three 10-minute walks rather than one 30-minute stroll.  Moreover, the amount of continuous sedentary time one spends has been found to be a risk factor for chronic disease regardless of physical activity, so to the extent that short bouts of exercise break up sedentary time, they are advantageous.  

What to do:  Of course always check with you doctor before starting an exercise routine.  But, health permitting, all physical activity, whether long or short duration, moderate or high intensity is good for us.    And, this study points out that exercising in small bursts throughout the day is an effective fitness strategy.  So, even if you cannot devote a block of time to exercise, short bouts can make a meaningful difference.  Exercising near meals with short intervals of high intensity is especially effective in improving blood sugar.  If your Doctor feels you are healthy enough for vigorous activity, exert yourself to the point that the exercise feels like about an eight or so on a scale of one to 10. Maintain that level of exertion for a minute; slow down for a minute; and repeat several times.  Stairs or standing knee/leg lifts are good ways to get intense activity in when on the go.  If that level of intensity is not appropriate for you, moderate short segments of activity are also helpful.

Adapted from articles available at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140508192458.htm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/exercise-snacks-to-control-blood-sugar/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/bursts-of-exercise-may-help-blood-sugar-control/article18745761/

Source:

Francois ME, Baldi JC, Manning PJ et al. ‘Exercise snacks’ before meals: a novel strategy to improve glycaemic control in individuals with insulin resistance. Diabetologia, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00125-014-3244-6