November 2005 Archives

With the holidays right around the corner, people are gearing up for one last battle of the bulge before “goodie season” settles in. But fasting, living on lettuce leaves, or excluding entire food groups won't cut it in the long run, because it's just too hard. And the slowed metabolism, bingeing, and self-recrimination that follow can make a weight problem even worse. Losing weight and shaping up for good depends on making some serious (but not unpleasant!) lifestyle changes:

Recent studies have shown that diet beverages can actually lead to weight increase instead of the hoped-for weight loss. In short, diet drinks are not a very good addition to your diet. You may be thinking that you are cutting your sugar intake, which can lead to rotten teeth and a rotten physique, however, recent nutritionists have suggested that the diet-coke craze is getting out of control and that people are confusing the beverages with actual dieting. The hollow calories consumed in them are tricking our bodies into thinking they are getting full, and the body does not like to be tricked.

One common misconception about diet soda is the idea that drinking one gives you the green light to eat a bunch of junk. Just because you have a diet soda does not mean that you can scarf down a Big Mac. Drinking a diet cola does not substitute for actual dieting. It simply reduces some sugar and caloric intake during a meal. The amount of calories in a diet soda compared to a regular drink, zero rather than 150, is not big enough to allow you to pig out on a mountain of other junk food instead. People are ridiculous when it comes to "making up" the calories they have saved by drinking diet coke. It is absurd to walk into a fast-food joint, order a large cheeseburger, fries, a milkshake and then decide to add a little variety to the meal with a small Diet Coke. Does anyone see the problem with this? Americans need to get it through their heads that diet soda does not equal diet solved

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that interferes with the normal functions of the large intestine (colon). It is characterized by a group of symptoms — crampy abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.

IBS itself is not a disease. As its name indicates, it is a syndrome — a combination of signs and symptoms. But IBS has not been shown to lead to any serious, organic diseases, including cancer. Through the years, IBS has been called by many names, among them colitis, mucous colitis, spastic colon, or spastic bowel. However, no link has been established between IBS and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Volleyball Australia and Herbalife Ltd.(through its Australian subsidiary Herbalife Australasia Pty Ltd) jointly announce a sponsorship agreement that makes Herbalife the Official Nutrition Sponsor of the 2005/6 Vodafone Beach Volleyball Tour, Australia's premier beach volleyball series.

Herbalife Ltd. announces the launch of a comprehensive heart health product portfolio based on clinically-studied ingredients shown to support overall heart health.(a)

A key ingredient is Neptune Krill Oil (NKO(R)), harvested from krill, a tiny shrimp-like crustacean in the Antarctic, that contains a combination of Omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids and antioxidants. A recent clinical study published in the "Alternative Medicine Review" (12/2004) found that NKO(R) helps support healthy cholesterol levels. Other heart-healthy ingredients in the line include plant sterols, which have been shown to reduce LDL and total cholesterol; Omega-3 fatty acids; and amino acids to boost the production of nitric oxide in the body.(a)