Healthy Diets Information

Lot’s of people drink coffee. In fact, you’d be right to think that 50% of people do. All you have to do is walk up to someone you’ve never met and tell them something about themselves and be right more than 50% of the time? If you do, all you have to do is tell them they drank coffee today. More than half of Americans drink coffee every single day.

According to CBS news, “After oil, coffee is the second most valuable commodity in the world. Over 50 percent of Americans drink coffee every day at about three to four cups each. This amounts t more than 330 million cups a day and counting.” Many people use coffee as a crutch to wake up every day. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “I’m worthless until I have my first cup.”

It’s also common to see people drink coffee before they work out. If you’ve spent any time in gym, you’ve probably seen people actually drinking coffee during their workout! But is all this coffee drinking good? The answer is yes and no. A recent U.S. News and World Report article claims caffeine could be an asset to your workout. The article states, “Yes, a caffeine kick could be a valuable addition to your pre-exercise routine, delaying muscle fatigue and keeping you focused and energetic.”

Then it goes on to warn, “You don’t want to overdo it, though. Sleep problems, headaches, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, or maybe even a heart attack can result.” WOW! We’re not sure the benefits outweigh the risks.

Just understand the bottom line. Caffeine is a drug and ALL drugs have side effects. Many people make the mistake and believe if something is “natural,” then it is safe (or at least safer than a drug). Snake venom is natural. So is Mercury. Some of the most toxic substances known to man are natural. So, the big question for you is: do you really think it is a good idea to use a stimulant every single day of your life? It is entirely up to you.

A team of British scientists examined 300 people who became severely obese at a young age, to determine whether a faulty gene was involved. Researchers were looking specifically at the gene in charge of the leptin receptor. Leptin is a hormone that controls appetite and can influence how much we feel like eating. It has been previously implicated in animal obesity studies.

Scientists examined the overweight study participants to see whether this so-called fat gene was disturbed in any way. They found that only three percent of people had an abnormal leptin gene. This indicated that leptin is probably not a factor for most overweight people. Scientists in New Zealand are dispelling the common myth that obesity and being overweight is caused by bad genes.

In what has been referred to as a breakthrough discovery, scientists from Auckland University’s Liggins Institute have discovered that genetic pre-disposition to being overweight can be reversed through good nutrition in early childhood. Their research shows that when a mother is undernourished, her child’s body is pre-set to cope with a life of scarcity. The energy-dense fast food diet of the Western world results in children who are likely to become fat and sometimes obese.

In lab exams, newborn offspring from both well-fed and undernourished rats were given leptin, a hormone that signals to the body when it has eaten an adequate amount. When they became adults, the long-term effects were calculated by looking at genes that regulate metabolism in the liver. Rats from well-fed mothers reacted to leptin in the opposite way to those from malnourished moms.

The researchers urge mothers to eat a more balanced diet. This includes the right amounts of protein and vitamins during pregnancy. It has been found though that if the fetus is undernourished in the womb, the long-term effects can still be corrected through good nutrition.

So what’s the final word on all of these finding. Is it our genes that make us easily gain weight which leads to becoming overweight or even obese or is it our behavior that shapes (and sculpts) our bodies? The most likely correct answer is: BOTH. You are born with a set of genes you cannot change. Some people can eat and eat and never gain a pound. Others can’t. But as the recent research is showing – you have much more control over the final outcome than most people are willing to take credit for. No matter your genetic make-up, you can choose to eat properly and exercise. To find out more health advice, visit New Century Spine Centers in San Diego.