Dieting

Avoid Metabolic Syndrome

The Mediterranean Diet + Nuts

A Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, fish, olive oil, and grains, is associated with everything from weight loss to a reduced risk of Parkinson's and heart disease. Now, new research shows that people with metabolic syndrome--a condition characterized by high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar and excess belly fat--can reduce these symptoms by adding an extra serving of mixed nuts to the healthful regimen. In a large study, Spanish researchers instructed people at high risk of heart disease to follow the diet with slight variations. Among the group that added 30 g of nuts, the incidence of metabolic syndrome decreased about 14% within a year (as opposed to, say, a 6.7% decline in those who added a little more olive oil). Researchers believe the fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids in the nuts helped regulate insulin, blood pressure, and inflammation.

Healthy snack attack: Participants in the study ate about five walnuts, five hazelnuts, and five almonds daily. Kathy McManus, RD, director of the department of nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, recommends eating the same amount (approximately 1 ounce) to take the edge off late-afternoon hunger. Sprinkle the mixture over Mediterranean diet-friendly yogurt, hot oatmeal, or a small salad.

Italian researchers reported that a small square of dark chocolate daily helps prevent inflammation of the heart and ultimately heart disease. Researchers said that only 0.23 ounces a day is the ideal amount. Just a little bit of "healthy" chocolate can help improve your health.

TRU Chocolate is rated 3,040 in ORAC (9 servings of fruit and vegetables in anti-oxidants), and has bitter melon, which is known to normalize blood sugar, Noni, ellagic acid (from pomegranate, which lowers the risk for Alzeheimer's disease and prostate cancer), citric extract, and green tea. This "Absolutely Health Chocolate" is certified Kosher, organic, and safe for diabetic, obese children as well as adults by The National Research Laboratory. It's glycemic index is 7.

Suppressing appetite and your desire for sweets, it even causes weight loss when eaten before each meal. With the safe, natural sweetner Xylitol, it has no weight gaining, cavity causing sugar, which makes it great for oral hygiene and cavity prevention. It even helps clear up your skin, strengthen your bones and "brighten up your day!"

Green Tea + Lemon

In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke. Researchers attribute the protective effect to catechins, powerful antioxidants. Trouble is, less than 20% of these relatively unstable compounds survive digestion. To get more out of every cup, squeeze in some lemon juice. The vitamin C in lemons helps your body absorb 13 times more catechins than it can obtain from plain tea alone, according to a Purdue University study.

Sip to your heart's content: With the catechin boost from vitamin C, you can help your heart by drinking just one or two cups daily. If lemons make you pucker, squeeze in some orange, lime, or grapefruit juice; they increase antioxidant absorption, too, though to a lesser extent. Just skip the milk--it actually interferes with absorption--and stick to freshly brewed tea, hot or iced. The catechins in ready-to-drink bottles are ineffective.

Exercise + Music

Twenty-one minutes of exercise is all it took to lift the moods of cardiac rehabilitation patients in an Ohio State University pilot study. But when participants listened to Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons on headphones, they performed significantly better on a verbal fluency test afterward. Researchers believe exercise boosts cognitive performance by stimulating the central nervous system, and the addition of music may help organize thoughts.

Move and groove: Though researchers haven't explored whether these findings can be generalized to apply to healthy adults, it can't hurt to exercise with your MP3 player. Stick to the same routine the study participants followed--gradually increase the slope and speed on your treadmill every 10 minutes until you can speak only in short sentences (walk for a minimum of 21 minutes). And listen to the music of your choice; any genre should work just as effectively as classical.

Caffeine + Cardio

Research shows that caffeine and exercise both have anticancer properties. Combined, they offer powerful protection against skin cancer. In research on animals exposed to UVB radiation, Rutgers University scientists learned the pairing increased the animals' ability to destroy skin cancer cells by up to 4 times. Allan H. Conney, PhD, the director of the laboratory for cancer research at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, suspects that caffeine inhibits ATR-1, a genetic pathway that prevents damaged cells from self-destructing. Both caffeine and exercise also decrease tissue fat, which research shows helps cells deconstruct.

Have a cup, then walk: Drink a strong cup of coffee an hour before exercise, recommends Monique Ryan, RD, a registered dietitian and author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes. (If your blood pressure is elevated, skip the caffeine.) Caffeine can also increase endurance and delay fatigue--helping you walk longer and stronger. Just don't forget the sunscreen.