Welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. As always you can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

I have heard a lot about this before and I have even personally seen this work for a few of my relatives. While the mechanics of the phenomenon still continue to baffle me, study after study continues to find some truth behind the assertion: Low calorie diets can indeed help you live longer, fuller lives! MSNBC says Some try extreme calorie restriction for long life and it does seem to work.

Know by such names as The Longevity Diet or The Anti-Aging Diet, Calorie Restriction is as simple as the name suggests: reduce your calorie intake by about 20-25%, while at the same time ensuring you are getting all your required vital nutrients and live to a ripe old age. Typically, what goes out first in the 20-25% is the fluff - those fillings that don’t really contribute much to our well-being or growth (think empty calories) including sugar, saturated fats, red meats and whole dairy.

While longterm studies have not ratified this technique, several short-term ones show promise in the premise!

A one-year study published in the July 2007 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism compared the effects of an extremely low-calorie diet and exercise on coronary heart disease risk factors in lean and overweight middle-aged adults. Both calorie restriction (consuming 20 percent fewer calories) and exercise (expending 20 percent more calories) lowered bad (LDL) cholesterol, raised good (HDL) cholesterol levels and improved insulin resistance, but only calorie restriction led to significant declines in risks associated with heart disease and heart attacks.

A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in 2004 found that people who restricted calories by 30 percent for an average of six and one-half years had lower total and LDL cholesterol, higher HDL cholesterol, and lower triglycerides than those who followed a typical American diet. [MSNBC]

As long as such calorie-restriction does not turn into an obsession, become a psychological nightmare (think anorexia) or taken to extreme levels (especially for people who already have a low fat-percentage to begin with), scientists seem to agree that certain tangible benefits can be had from Calorie Restriction.

Dieters who restricted calories for 12 months had lower muscle mass and a reduced capacity to perform exercise compared with those who lost similar amounts of weight from exercise alone, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in February 2007. CR-induced weight loss (but not exercise-induced weight loss) was associated with reduced bone mineral density at the hip and spine (high risk areas for fracture), another study published in Archives of Internal Medicine in March 2007 found. [MSNBC]

Keeping things in perspective and moderation - if only it were as easy as saying it!

After you’ve thrown out all your large-sized plates, read the week’s top health and fitness stories:

1. Obesity rates troubling in HIV population: Many who have HIV, but not full-blown AIDS, are struggling with obesity, which has overtaken “wasting syndrome” as the top concern.
2. Diet Plans’ Heart Health Compared: The Ornish diet is the best weight loss plan for heart health, say researchers who compared eight popular diets.
3. Think big to avoid a heart attack: If you really want to prevent cardiovascular disease, you need to make long-term changes to your overall diet and find a way to lose the excess pounds.
4. Some try calorie restriction for long life: People who follow Calorie Rrestiction claim that cutting calories, which leads to weight loss and a slower metabolic rate, can lengthen the human life span as well.
5. Randy Jackson Takes Aim at Diabetes: “Diabetes snuck up on me. I didn’t know I had it, and it was a huge wake-up call to get my health together,”
6. Microsoft launches personal health care site: From the consumer’s point of view, Microsoft’s HealthVault site is part library, part filing cabinet and part fax machine for an individual or family’s medical records and notes.
7. Modest Weight Loss Cuts Hypertension: Got high blood pressure? If you’re overweight, modest weight loss might bring your blood pressure down to normal.
8. High Health Costs? Blame Your Bad Habits: It may be Americans’ own habits that are driving health care costs in the United States.
9. Six of the Worst Workout Habits: Simply going to the gym doesn’t guarantee you’ll have a great workout.
10. The Eight Most Fattening Foods of Fall: The leaves start turning, the wind gets cold, and all you want to do is curl up with delicious but heavy autumn treats.
11. A Smart Diet Is Good for What Ails You: Foods from avocados, barley and beans to nuts, oatmeal and soy to control the high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels that are ticking time bombs for heart disease.
12. Chronic Disease Costs “Staggering”: A report released Tuesday concludes that chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease are costing the American economy a whopping $1.3 trillion per year.
13. No weight gain for obese pregnant women?: Obese women can gain little or no weight during pregnancy — and even lose a few pounds — without harming their babies
14. Twice as many obese in U.S. as Europe: Nearly twice as many U.S. adults are obese compared to European, a key factor leading Americans to suffer more often from cancer, diabetes and other chronic ailments
15. Count your calories: Good calories come from foods without sugars or easily digested carbs - meat, fish, cheese, non-starchy vegetables. Bad calories come from foods that overstimulate insulin secretion - bread, potatoes, pasta, sugar, tropical fruits.
16. Omega 3 fatty acid reduces type 1 diabetes: U.S. researchers say dietary omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of developing diabetes in children who are genetically at risk for the disease.

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Have a great weekend!

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Welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. As always you can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

I have always been skeptical of the efficacy of so-called “power” drinks, especially for school kids for many of whom the most strenuous activity of the day might be trudging through Phys. Ed. class.

And now the sugar has really hit the fan with Congress stepping in to set things straight at schools:

In an attempt to limit the sale of high-calorie sodas, candy bars and other snacks in schools, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has introduced a bill that would have the government set new nutritional standards for the foods and drinks that schools sell to students outside cafeterias. But just what those standards should be is the issue. [Washington Post]

Since there are already stringent laws in place about the sale of “full-sugar” or regular sodas, the focus is now on the “power drinks” that have suddenly risen in popularity during the last few years (heck there is even a “fitness-water” now!)

Nutrition experts contend that sports drinks are not as healthful as manufacturers claim. A 12-ounce bottle of Gatorade Rain contains 75 calories, 21 grams of sugar and 165 milligrams of sodium, compared with 150 calories, 40.5 grams of sugar and 52 milligrams of sodium in a can of Coke.

In April, the Institute of Medicine released a report urging that sports drinks be made available in schools only to student-athletes participating in more than one hour of vigorous activity. And a report from the University of California at Berkeley’s Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health warned that students who drink one 20-ounce sports drink every day for a year may gain about 13 pounds. [Washington Post]

Those statistics alone should be enough for some big changes to happen in our schools. Sure, the most active of our young athletes need all the nutrition and energy that science can offer. But Iam sure you would agree that for the majority of the kids - whose thumb muscles are the only ones getting any exercise as they SMS their way through the day - Gatorade sure is overkill.

More of the week’s top health and fitness stories follow:

1. 9 steps to a young and healthy heart: If you want to keep your heart ticking loud and clear for years to come, keep these things in mind.
2. Chocolate ‘aids fatigue syndrome’: A daily dose of dark chocolate may help reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, say UK researchers.
3. For Some, Diabetes Care Worse Than Illness Itself: For some people with diabetes, the burden of adhering to their daily care regimen nearly equals that of their diabetes-related health complications, a U.S. study finds.
4. Quit counting calories if it doesn’t add up: If you obsess over calories, you’re more likely to consume fat-free foods that are low in fiber, high in sugar and, ultimately, unsatisfying. The result? You never feel full, so you end up eating more.
5. Scottish obesity ‘just behind US’: Obesity levels in Scotland are the second highest in the developed world behind the USA, new statistics have revealed.
6. Junk Food, TV Driving Kids to Obesity: Today’s kids live in a world where it’s often easier to get a fast food meal than fresh fruit, where walking to school is the exception rather than the norm, and where they’re bombarded by ads telling them to eat more junk food and sugary beverages.
7. Heart disease linked to colon cancer: Patients showing signs of heart disease are at nearly double the risk of also having colon cancer, perhaps because unhealthy habits and inflammation are at the root of both, researchers said on Tuesday.
8. Omega-3s Guard Against Type 1 Diabetes: Youngsters at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes might be able to prevent the disease by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a new study suggests.
9. Should Drinks Like Gatorade Sport the ‘Junk Food’ Label?: Nutrition experts contend that sports drinks are not as healthful as manufacturers claim. A 12-ounce bottle of Gatorade Rain contains 75 calories, 21 grams of sugar and 165 milligrams of sodium
10. A Heavy Burden on Emergency Services: Extra wide beds, stronger toilets and special patient lifting devices are becoming more and more common in emergency rooms.
11. “Good” Cholesterol Earns Its Name: HDL cholesterol is often nicknamed “good” cholesterol, and a new study shows just how good HDL cholesterol can be for people with heart disease.
12. Strenuous Exercises During Early Pregnancy Linked To Miscarriages: Women who perform strenuous exercise and sports activity during the first phase of pregnancy are 3.7 times more likely to miscarry than their non-active counterparts, a Danish study has found.
13. Sally Squires - These Losers Never Quit: “The Biggest Loser,” the hit reality television show about weight loss, recently launched its fourth season on NBC by introducing 18 new — and very obese — contestants ready to shed pounds and perhaps win $250,000.
14. Dollars can motivate employees to diet: People will lose weight for money, even a little money, suggests a study that offers another option for employers looking for ways to cut health care costs.
15. Value of annual checkup questioned: The customary annual physical checkup at the doctor’s office may not be worth the time or money, researchers said on Monday.
16. Why are kids overweight? Take a look around: While too many calories and too little exercise explain how children become obese, the research looks at environmental factors that contribute to these behaviors, and suggests policy changes that could make healthy choices easier.
17. Calcium, extra weight protect women from bone loss: Women in early menopause who consume less calcium are at greater risk of osteoporosis than their peers who take in more of the mineral, Italian researchers report.

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