Posts by: Zero to Hero Fitness!

Normally, eating a low-carbohydrate diet is considered one of the best ways to reduce diabetes symptoms. New research from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School are challenging these claims, however. According to the study, now published in the December issues of JAMA, overweight or obese adults who ate a diet low in glycemic foods and carbohydrates did not improve symptoms associated with diabetes--including insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and lipid levels. Worse yet, it didn't decrease their risk…
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To lose weight, some of us skip our main meals--such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. According to new research from the University of Eastern Finland, however, doing so now is associated with a higher risk of obesity. Aino-Maija Eloranta, MHSc, who presented the results earlier this month at the University of Eastern Finland, says that children who skipped eating meals were more likely to have excess body fat, putting them at risk of obesity later in life. Worse yet, it…
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When it comes to work, we usually don't get to choose our hours--thank bosses for that. Unfortunately, what we can't control--whether we work the day or night shift--could spell trouble for our waistlines, according to new research. A new study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers reveals people who work the night shift end up burning fewer calories than people who maintain a normal work schedule--causing them to pile on more weight. Obviously, that's not a good thing if you're…
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You're trying to lose weight--but persistent hunger pangs make it hard to stay on track. Is there truly a way to stop it? According to a new study from the University of Southern California, there is--by avoiding a common, everyday sweetener. Dr. Kathleen Page, who led the new study, reveals that fructose--commonly used in the form of high-fructose corn syrup--suppresses a part of the brain that controls appetite, making it harder to stop eating. It also affects the part of…
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It's a dream some women share: Having a slim, tanned Victoria's Secret Angel body. However, few ever attain this goal--and that's because they don't have access to the man behind these models' bodies. Earlier this week, Dr. Charles Passler--the man behind Adriana Lima's Victoria's Secret body--revealed his tricks to helping models slim down fast. And although some cynics assume it's just a fancy recipe for starvation, Passler insists it's more complicated--and healthier. "Most people’s problem is that they don’t exercise…
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Normally nutritionists say it's a bad idea to eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates. Now that recommendation may soon change, according to a new study from McGill University. According to researcher Luis Agellon, mice on a refined carbohydrate diet who were given a potato extract gained 9 fewer grams of weight compared to those who skipped the extract--something which researchers credit to its high amounts of polyphenols, types of plant-based antioxidants. The research is published in Molecular Nutrition &…
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Have type 2 diabetes? One North Dakota doctor says there's a simple way to stop it. The solution? Starving yourself--by eating fewer than 1000 calories. According to Dr. Spencer Berry, a medical director of Medical Weight Loss Specialists in Fargo, North Dakota, he's developed a diet that whittles your calories down to a mere 800 calories per day--and apparently, it works. "The KE diet provides only proteins, fats and micronutrients and no carbohydrates or sugars, so your body goes into…
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To live a longer life, health experts recommend avoiding cigarettes, exercising daily, and keeping your weight under control. New research suggests there's now another way to lengthen your lifespan, however--if you're a woman. According to a new study in the British Medical Journal, women who ate a diet modeled after the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes healthy oils, fish, and vegetables, lived at least 1.5 years longer than women who didn't follow a similar diet plan. As for the reasons why,…
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Trying to lose weight? Instead of checking your calories, try checking something else instead--the clock. A new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism reports that mice whose food intake was restricted to 8 to 12 hours per day instead of having food available all day long reversed their risk of obesity--despite no changes in their caloric intake. Better yet, it reversed something else: Type 2 diabetes. "We found that animals fed within a window of 8 to 12 hours…
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