The WannaBuddy Blog: 2013

The Tongue Patch Diet

Losing weight is difficult, and normally requires a lot of self control. Until recently, people who wanted to lose weight quickly without testing their self control were limited to having their jaw wired shut. That drives rapid (albeit unsafe) weight loss, but also limits speaking and breathing. Now we have a new method to enforce diet restrictions without losing control of the jaw. The downside? Your tongue will really take a beating!

Dolvett Quince is a fitness and diet guru. You might recognize him from the TV show “The Biggest Loser” where he has led his team to weight-loss greatness four seasons in a row. He believes that weight loss isn’t complicated and recently touted his plan on the Dr. Oz show. Here is how he says you can lose two dress sizes in three weeks.

No, this is not an article on coping with your more interesting family members. Instead, this is a review of some interesting research on the benefits of eating nuts. Yes, eating nuts. Every day. Boom! Nuts will extend your lifespan!

Did your cut get infected? Take a pill. Respiratory infection? Take a different pill. Sinus infection, there’s a pill for that, too. But there is bad news coming to light: all those pills are becoming obsolete and there’s very little anyone can do about that.

Is that bagel making you forgetful? Does that pasta lead to dementia? Are you depressed by your dumplings? According to Dr. David Perlmutter, this is exactly what is happening.

There are a lot of fad diets that make the rounds. Most are ineffective. Many are dangerous. Once in a while, a diet comes along that is, to use a technical term, Cotton Picking Nuts. The Cotton Ball Diet deserves this moniker and possibly a Public Service Announcement warning of its dangers.

Dr. Oz is no stranger to diet recommendations. Many of the diets that are featured on his TV show are pretty extreme. Some of them are the answer to everyone’s prayers one week and the worst idea in the world the next. So it shouldn't be too surprising to see that Dr. Oz has selected six diets so extreme that they deserve a special level of shame. Ready? Here they are.

Do you want to lose weight, help your internal organs, avoid cancer and dementia and maybe kick those diabetes pills? Oh, and you get to drink the occasional glass of wine? The Mediterranean Diet has all of that and more.

Many of us are fighting high cholesterol. In many cases this fight is limited to adjusting our diet and exercise. A smaller number of us take medications, typically a drug selected from a group of drugs called Statins. New guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend that far more of us jump on that statin train. Here’s why.

Losing weight! It can be the toughest challenge on earth. Everyone seems to have their own idea of the “perfect diet” and the “ideal workout” but no two ideas are alike and none of them are very much fun. So it is not surprising that there is a lot of interest in skipping all the deprivation and sweating and instead take a pill to lose weight. But do they work? And what is the best diet pill?

Walk into any health food or nutrition shop and you will be amazed at the variety of vitamins and supplements for sale. Ranging from tiny vials of rare flower pollen to massive jugs of mystery powder, it can seem that there is a supplement for any goal, a cure for any issue. Since supplements are not strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, it falls on the buyer to beware of ineffective or dangerous products. A new report indicates that one supplement is not only mislabeled, but actually dangerous.

Drinking sugar-flavored sodas can crush any diet. A single can of Coke has 140 calories! In response, many of us have switched to diet sodas. Just one calorie! Zero calories! Soon some clever vendor will claim negative calories in their soda. So why shouldn't we all guzzle all the diet soda we can find? It turns out that there are some serious side effects to consider.

Some foods just don’t get the respect that they deserve. Blame a poor publicist, or maybe a pattern of childhood bias. Here are five under-appreciated foods that can really boost your health quotient.

Society loves a flat stomach. Men and women alike are striving for washboard abs, putting themselves through nearly every indignity in their quest. It turns out that many of us are unwittingly sabotaging ourselves. Here are five things to tips to follow if you want a shot at that swimsuit-ready belly.

So often, we are fixated on eating less and losing weight, ignoring the long-term impact to our health. Did you know that you can tweak your diet to help you live longer and look great into your golden years? Just eat your way through this rainbow of beneficial foods!

Our bodies are made out of water. In fact, more than half of our body weight comes from water, and losing a mere 2% of our water content makes us thirsty. Given that we are made out of water and our world is mostly water, what could be more natural than to craft a diet plan around water?

A cancer diagnosis is no laughing matter. Modern medicine has made great strides in treatment, but long-term survivability has many factors. One surprising factor that can greatly impact surviving cancer: marriage. A new study finds that married people have a much better chance of surviving cancer than their single brethren.

Dieting is frustrating. No doubt about that. But many of us are doing things that undermine our diet, sap our energy and ultimately lead to abandoning the diet. Without realizing it, we are ensuring the failure of our diet. Here are five of the worst culprits:

There seems to be a new diet book published every day. At the same time, obesity is a growing problem with no sign of relief. Why don’t these wonderful diets have any impact on our nation’s waistline? New research seems to indicate that dieting without lifestyle change is a waste of perfectly good chocolate.

Tamarind spice is delicious! Now Dr. Oz says that tamarind rind can burn fat and help you lose weight? Plus, garcinia cambogia, as it’s called, seems to help improve your mood, help you sleep and lets you avoid emotional eating. What’s not to like?

A new diet fad is making the rounds. The M Plan promises to make you skinny in 14 days, taking away fat only around your waist and hips, leaving your bust alone. Just eat mushrooms every day and see a slimmer you in two weeks.

It is hard to lose weight, that’s for sure. It seems that nothing really helps shed those extra pounds. There is new research that offers hope from an unexpected area: bacteria. It may be possible to lose weight through a small change to our diet and an equally small change to our stomach bacteria!

Yet another diet has enjoyed its 15 minutes of fame on the Dr. Oz Show. Holistic medicine advocate Lyn-Genet Recitas recently discussed her book, “The Plan” with Dr. Oz, explaining how we are eating the wrong foods and suffering health issues and weight gain as a result. By eliminating these “healthy” foods we can lose weight and live a happier life.

“To sleep: perchance to dream” as Shakespeare said, can sometimes be an elusive goal. Modern life makes getting enough sleep challenging. The health benefits of adequate sleep are compelling. But when we actually get some pillow time, may times we can’t seem to drift off. What can we do? Here are five solid tips from sleep experts for improving your odds.

Good oral hygiene pays many dividends. A bright smile, sound teeth, fresh breath, these are all good things. New research has found yet another benefit: reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Modern life isn't easy. Every moment of every day puts something in your path that can cause stress (if you let it). You can’t make the world leave you alone, but you can change the way you react so that you don’t get so stressed. Here are some tips.

The transition to college is challenging on so many levels! More freedom, more responsibility, more choices. These choices include decisions about food and exercise, sometimes with negative results. The fabled "Freshman 15" can strike with amazing swiftness. We saw this infographic on a fun site called TheBestColleges.org and couldn't wait to share it.

It’s no secret that having school-age children is hard on your health. As we shop for new backpacks, pencils and that special “first day” outfit, don’t forget to buy some hand sanitizer. Back to school also means back to sick days. Can anything be done?

It is a great day, America! Coffee, the nectar of the morning, has yet another benefit thanks to science. We already know that coffee reduces oral cancer risk and extends our lifespan. A new research study out of the Harvard School of Public Health shows that it can reduce depression and substantially reduce the risk of suicide.

It is hard to criticize mothers. Everything that they do, including that whole “creating life” thing, is a wonderment. There are a lot of studies on the effects of a mother’s diet on the unborn baby, but a new research report shows that some dietary deficiencies can take generations to show their full impact.

Prostate cancer is nearly inevitable for men. Many doctors believe that ALL men will get prostate cancer, if they live long enough. The only good news is that most prostate cancers grow so slowly that they do not require invasive treatment. A new research project has found that intense exercise can slow the (already slow) growth of prostate cancer cells.

Celebrated actor Hugh Jackman will do whatever it takes to prepare for a role. To transform himself into Jean Valjean of “Les Miserables” fame, he starved himself and even cut his water intake to appear emaciated for some of the scenes. He then had to bulk up and become the muscle-laden Wolverine in a few short months. That begs the question: what does a wolverine eat to end up with such a physique?

There’s a new super food in town: coconut oil. This wonderful extraction from the humble coconut can do wonders for our body, both inside and out. Dr. Oz has recently touted coconut oil as a way to avoid illness, lose weight and enjoy younger looking skin. Here’s what you should know:

Breakfast is one of those difficult topics. There are believers on both sides of the issue. Some people believe that it’s the most important meal of the day. Others swear that skipping breakfast is their only hope for weight control. Rarely can these two camps find common ground. A new report from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that skipping breakfast can be bad for your health.

Many of us have a sweet tooth. In some cases that comes with a tendency to gain weight. Related? Maybe so. In desperation, we often replace sugar-sweetened foods and beverages with artificially-sweetened equivalents. That’s better for us, right? Well, possibly, but possibly not.

Omega-3 fatty acids get a lot of positive press. They are credited with delivering many health benefits, including reducing heart disease, avoiding diabetes, slowing the aging process and fighting off Alzheimer ’s disease. Just when you thought it was safe to pop that omega-3 pill, new research is published that connects omega-3 supplements with cancer.

The Okinawa Diet

It sounds too good to be true: eating the Okinawa Diet will promote weight loss and give you a longer life. But get out your calculator, because you are going to get very familiar with a new term: calorie density. Ready?

Decades ago, it was noticed that people in southern Japan tended to live a long time. Not only did most of them live into (and past) their 90’s, they were in good health their entire life. Curious scientists studied their culture and came away with some interesting findings. Now these findings are encapsulated in a diet, called the Okinawa Diet.

Three new(ish) supplements are getting a lot of press lately. Each of these supplements has a long list of claimed benefits, and even some research to back up those claims. Here’s what you should know.

Dr. Arthur Agatston was recently on the Dr. Oz show to reinforce his South Beach Diet concept and add in a few new tips for easy weight loss. The two doctors repeatedly promised viewers that they could lose 13 pounds in 2 weeks, just by following a few guidelines. Here’s how to do it.

Is it hard to find an hour to work out? Has your busy schedule forced you to skip those 30 minute daily walks that your doctor recommended? Don’t despair! New research shows that you can get a life-changing improvement in your fitness level with only a five minute daily workout!

Ah, the joys of sleep! For such a wonderful activity, why don’t we spend more time practicing it? It seems that we never get enough sleep, but why worry? Sleep is just a pleasant waste of time, right? Recent research shows that lack of sleep can have profound and long-lasting impacts on our health.

Remember when you were told, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away?” When did we start to substitute a pill for the apple? It seems that every tenth page of any magazine is a full-page ad for some vitamin or supplement. Is our diet so truly deficient that we need pills to make up for some sort of nutritional shortcoming?

Attention runners! Is the summer heat cutting into your run? Are you getting tired sooner, now that temperatures are soaring? Maybe you should include a slushy in your pre-run rituals.

It seems that there is a pill for everything. That is certainly true when it comes to weight loss. There have been dozens of “miracle” pills over the years. They all promised great things, but most of them delivered far less, and many of them turned out to be harmful. After more than ten years without a new prescription diet pill, the FDA approved not one, but two new pills for weight loss. Now both of them are on the market and available.

A news story has been making the rounds, comparing the effect on dental health from drinking diet soda with using meth. While we all like a good horror story, the facts just don’t add up. It turns out that the “study” that launched all this press was limited to a few individuals, none of whom had visited a dentist for decades. But that does raise the question: how damaging are today’s popular beverages? Turns out there are scientific answers available!

Most of us learn to count to 100 in first grade. Now we have a diet that involves counting to 100 and losing 18 pounds in two weeks. At least that’s the claim made by the diet's creator. What’s the catch? Sugar is the sole focus of this diet. Those of us with a sweet tooth – beware!

Are you a snacker? The kind of person who’s always within arm’s reach of a potato chip or maybe a cookie? Is it possible that this behavior is making it difficult for you to lose weight? What if you restricted your eating to just 8 hours out of the day? As for the rest of the day (and night)? Nothing by mouth. This is the underlying concept behind the 16/8 Diet. Fast for 16 hours, then eat for 8.

Stroll down any grocery store yogurt isle and you will be bombarded by wild claims about each yogurt’s amazing probiotic ingredients. To believe the claims, one ounce of probiotic-laden yogurt can extend your life, cure baldness and maybe help you win the lottery. Is there anything behind this probiotic craze?

Yeast is wonderful, right? It makes bread rise. It makes beer and wine possible. So what’s not to like about yeast? It turns out that too much yeast in your body can produce exhaustion and a variety of illnesses.

Losing weight is easy right? You just eat less, maybe exercise more, and the weight falls off. Oh yeah, that isn't reality. Food cravings crop up the instant you start to cut back. Before you know it, you are eating a slice of cake over the sink and telling yourself that you can start another diet TOMORROW! Dr. Oz has a new idea: dopamine can deal with those powerful cravings, making dieting easier and more effective.

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