Want a flat tummy? Avoid low fat foods

Trying to lose weight by adopting a low fat diet? Well, you may be committing the biggest mistake of your ''weight loss regime,'' says an Oz fitness expert. 

Celebrity trainer James Duigan, whose clients include model Elle Macpherson, said, "I see so many people trying their best and it's just not working because they don't understand that it's not fat that makes you fat, it's sugar and it's carbohydrates."

"You need a healthy balanced diet with fish and chicken and meat and vegetables and berries and nuts and things like that. (Low-fat diets) just don't work - it's not sustainable. You need to look at how you can keep yourself happy and healthy throughout your life," Stuff quoted him as saying.

Duigan, whose second book ''Clean & Lean: Flat Tummy Fast!'' is out, has suggested some small steps one can follow for a flattened stomach.

Don't overcook your food as you'll kill off or reduce the nutrient content. Try to make sure around 50 per cent of the food on your plate is raw. If you can stomach it, eat all your vegetables raw.

Don't buy cheap meat - organic meat is more expensive, but it also contains less toxic junk such as antibiotics. If you can afford only one organic thing make sure it's meat.
Don't eat foods that weaken your abdominal wall, as this will make it slack and lead to a protruding stomach. Foods that can weaken your abdominal wall often contain gluten.

Avoid sugar, in all its forms, as it fattens your mid-section.

Make sure you eat enough fibre. A lack of fibre will lead to inflammation in the bowel. Eat plenty of vegetables (ideally raw) and drink at least two litres of still, room temperature water every day.

Duigan has suggested having the occasional ''cheat'' meal, so you can eat a piece of cake or a brownie and actually help your weight loss.

"Feed your soul because you can't live your whole life in denial. And it helps the fat-burning process, it can boost your metabolism and get you leaner the next day. The key is to keep it to one meal," he said.

Another factor for a healthy lifestyle is reducing stress, he added. 

MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR CANCERS

What are the side effects of chemotherapy?

The common side effects include nausea and vomiting, loss of hair, stomach upset, kidney dysfunction, bone marrow suppression, tinnitus (abnormal noises in the ears) and high frequency hearing loss. Also lung disease and infertility may occur.

What is radiotherapy?

Radiotherapy involves the use of high-energy ionising radiation to cause DNA damage and ultimately cell death. Dose of radiotherapy is measured in Grays (Gy) – this represents the amount of energy deposited in the tissue. Radiotherapy is given in units called fractions over several day or weeks. To give the dose in one go is too toxic and would cause severe tissue damage and even death.  The area to be irradiated is referred to as the radiation field. This is always marked out on the skin before treatment and such markings often perisist after the treatment. Each tissue in the body has a particular tolerance to radiation. This limits the total dose that can be administered to that area.

How is radiotherapy delivered?

There are three major ways in which ionising radiation is delivered. External beam radiotherapy: This involves the use of a variety of machines to deliver external beam therapy. The source is at a distance from the body. Brachytherapy: In this the radioactive source is in or close to the area to be treated, or directly into the tumour. Radioactive isotope: This involves giving a radioactive isotope that is taken up by the target organ. Radioactive isotopes can be injected or given into a vein by an injection.

What are the side effects of radiotherapy?

The common side effects are skin diseases, nausea, lethargy, bone marrow suppression, dairrhoea, hair loss, lung fibrosis, kidney impairment and paralysis.

What is hormonal therapy?

Endocrine therapy (or hormonal therapy) is an important part of managing cancers whose growth is dependent on hormones, namely breast and prostate cancer. The aim of such treatment is to reduce the amount or effect of circulating sex hormones. Breast cancer Hormonal manipulation is used when the breast tumour is sensitive to circulating oestradiol i.e when it is positive for oestrogen receptor. Prostate cancer The growth of prostatic carcinoma is under the control of male sex hormones. Hence, the aim of hormonal therapy is to reduce testosterone levels or prevent it from binding to the androgen receptor.

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy stimulates the immune system to build a response to the tumour. Interferons are naturally occurring proteins produced in response to viral infections. Three interferons are known to exist alpha, beta, and gamma. Only interferon alpha is used in treatment of cancers. The adverse effects are fluid retention, multi organ dysfunction, bone marrow and liver toxicity and fatigue.

What are the different mode of treatments for cancer?

Non-surgical or medical treatments for different cancers include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy and immunotherapy

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy or cytotoxic agents are drugs, which interfere with cell division. They prevent cells from multiplying. They are non-selective and will affect any cell which is rapidly dividing, whether it is cancerous or non- cancerous. Cytotoxics are usually given in combination or with drugs which interfere with replication at different phases of the cell cycle. This improves their effectiveness and reduces the likelihood of the development drug resistance. Chemotherapy is given every 21 to 28 days to allow recovery of the bone marrow. Each treatment is called a cycle and usually a course of chemotherapy involves a number of cycles. The toxicities of each agent given in combination should not overlap.

Preventing dehydration

Try to avoid the sun in the middle of the day or at noon. Use an umbrella to protect yourself from direct sunlight.

Drink water and fresh fruits juices, rich in Vitamin C, at regular intervals on hotter days.

Avoid taking alcohol and caffeinated beverages such as coffee and soft drinks as these aggravate the effects of dehydration.

When you exercise, be sure that you drink plenty of water before, during, and after.

On those warmer days, take plenty of breaks from your daily activities to get in the shade and drink plenty of fluids.

Coping with fussy eaters

Serve food that is fresh and presented in an attractive way.

Create a mealtime that is pleasant and relaxed.

Talk about food; this may encourage a child to eat.

Whenever possible, allow children to choose from one or two items on the menu (for example, a choice of peas or carrots for vegetables).

Give your child the same food you eat.

Preventing angina pain

Angina (also called angina pectoris) is chest discomfort, caused by reduced oxygen supply to the heart muscle, in relation to its needs.

A regular exercise programme under the doctor's supervision can prevent angina.

A supervised weight-loss programme in over-weight persons also reduces the chances of angina.

Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and avoid foods high in fat and cholesterol.

The blood pressure should be checked regularly and kept as close as possible to 120/80mmHg.

Get relaxed sleep at night.

Always carry the medicines prescribed by the doctor along with the prescription.

Follow-up regularly with the doctor.

Avoid stress.

Diabetics at risk for second stroke

After suffering a first stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), people with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of having another stroke or a heart attack. But, aggressively lowering cholesterol can help reduce that risk.

Previous research has shown that type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risks of both stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). Metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance identifies individuals at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and is also associated with an increase in stroke and cardiovascular disease.  Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol that increase the odds of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Researchers in the United States analysed data from the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction of Cholesterol Levels Trial, which was designed to look at whether taking high doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins would reduce the risk of having a second stroke or TIA. The trial did find that lowering cholesterol reduced the likelihood of another cardiovascular event in patients with recent stroke or TIA. In their secondary analysis, the researchers also looked at the risk of having another stroke or a heart attack among diabetics and people with metabolic syndrome and whether statin treatment could reduce that risk.

Of the 4,731 people in the trial who had had a stroke or TIA, the researchers identified 794 diabetics and 642 with metabolic syndrome. Compared with non-diabetics, people with diabetes were more likely to have another stroke, TIA or other cardiovascular event. They were also more likely to need an angioplasty to open blocked arteries, it was found. However, people with metabolic syndrome were not at greater risk of another stroke or TIA or cardiovascular event but were at higher risk of needing an angioplasty. Treatment with the statin did significantly reduce the risk of these events in participants with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

The study results confirm earlier findings but highlight the differences in risks between diabetes and metabolic syndrome while pointing out that statin use is protective in such patients.

The King’s Speech: Overcoming stammering

The unprecedented Oscar success of 'King's Speech' has brought much world attention to the baffling speech problem of stammering. In the movie it is Duke of York (the king-to-be of England) who stammers. Through strong but subtle strokes of direction, the film manages to bring out the frustrations experienced by those of us who stammer in our increasingly verbal world.

In the movie, Albert, the Duke manages to overcome his speech impediment through some very unusual speech therapy.

Over the last 3 centuries, researchers have tried to understand why stammering occurs and what can be done to 'cure' it. Up until the 19th century, the causes were attributed to everything from the devil upwards. During the 20th century, the focus shifted from calling stammering a disease and instead looked at it as a psychological condition which was caused by behavioural and environmental influences and as such, needed to be handled through psychological readjustments. Counselling became important. Confidence building and overcoming fear was the focus of most speech therapy programmes.

But the causes of stammering and its treatment have remained only a partially solved jigsaw puzzle.

Consider the questions:

1. It affects mostly the first-born male child. 90% of all those who stammer are male. 65% have a family history of stammering. So is it genetic? Is there a ‘stammering’ gene?
2. People who stammer are generally above average in intelligence and many are rated high in their academic and professional performance. So does it afflict only those  with high IQs?
3. Even those with severe stammering can sing fluently without any speech blocks. So does it have to do with rhythm?
4. Most persons who stammer can speak fluently when alone or in comfortable company but lapse into stammering in stressful situations like interviews, presentations or on the telephone. Does fear play a role?

Having worked with young adults who stammer for over 25 years, chaperoning many up the slippery road to speech fluency, I, like many of my colleagues, have taken my cases through a gamut of therapies – many standard ones and some not so.

The problem with trying to overcome stammering is not so much in attaining increased speech fluency, as it is in maintaining and stabilizing the achieved change. Most cases show significant improvement during the initial phases of therapy but gradually lapse back into their old habit once the new-ness of the therapy practice wears off, and the initial euphoria abates. To be able to speak fluently in any situation is a fantasy goal in the mind of the person who stammers. There is tremendous glamour attached to the attainment of speech fluency. Such a point of view, although understandable, needs to be discouraged, since fantasies are thrilling and all thrills are emotionally de-stabilizing.

All our actions, including the act of speech, are neuro-muscular in nature. The brain emits electro-chemical signals that travel through the nerves and ‘order’ the required muscles to execute specific movements. The smooth transmission of these electro-chemical impulses signals can become disturbed when the mind is thrilled or excited. Stammering is a condition which feeds on emotional upheavals (another name for ‘thrills’).

Most persons who stammer are so desperate for fluency that they will do just about anything to get it. It is this very desperation that takes the goal farther away.

When someone who stammers says to me that he is ready to work very hard for fluency, my advice to him is to not use any will-power for fluency. He is encouraged not see his self-therapy as an endurance test.

Good, fluent speakers are masters of timing. They know how to operate their speaking machine most effectively with the least effort. Their system ‘knows’ how to synchronize the flow of their thoughts; how to optimize breathing patterns so as to support a powerful delivery; how to easily move their tongue and lips to facilitate good articulation. Effective therapy to overcome stammering must focus on developing these skills.

That would involve a daily routine of practice with timing of delivery, pausing, loudness modulation, changing of mouth dynamics’, etc. Regularly, the person who stammers has to practice at honing this skill.

When his speech becomes fluent (as it often does with this approach of ‘non-doing’), the person is encouraged to take this success in his stride. He is encouraged not to jump with joy every time he is fluent. He should try not to succumb to a feeling of achievement. He has to de-glamorize his speech progress and take it as an everyday, non-thrilling fact of life. The stammering behaviour is thus denied the emotional sustenance it needs to stay alive.

Over the years, a person who stammers has inevitably devised many strategies to deal with his speech problem. Avoiding certain situations, replacing words which begin with ‘difficult’ sounds, etc. are typical. But now, as he begins to become more fluent, new psychological strategies need to be developed. Where once his ‘mind’ was engrossed in handling his stammered speech, the person now has to help himself develop a mind-set to deal with his newly acquired speech fluency.

'Speech is the mirror of the mind' and a mind constantly concerned with not stammering will actually trip into dys-fluency more often.

The ultimate goal, really, would be to reach a state of mind which is not so desperately concerned with either stammering or not stammering. And this need not be an event set sometime far-away into the future. Enlightenment can happen in an instant!. As it did with Albert, Duke of York, when he delivered his speech accepting to become King of England.