Tag Archives: obesity

May 10 2012

tasty treats….just can’t get enough

As my wife can attest to, this little cup of heaven is one thing I can’t pass up. Even after two helpings on Thanksgiving, I will devour Blue Bell ice cream. Done and done.

But why keep eating when I’ve already satisfied my body’s nutritional needs? Recent research from the lab of Dr. Palmiero Monteleone at University of Naples SUN in Italy, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, shows that this pleasure eating stimulates reward systems in your brain to keep you coming back for more.

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Mar 21 2012

keep your muscles big and strong…while doing nothing

What a beast Popeye was.  No time in the gym, no real effort whatsoever.  Just pop a can of leafy greens and lookout.  Maybe you’re of his ilk, but personally, I have to put a little work towards attempting a stunning physique.

Perhaps that won’t be the case in the future, however.  Yet again, I present another bit of research in the vein of good ole’ exercise.  Dr. Andrew R. Judge’s team at the University of Florida has recently published their findings on the regulation of muscle mass in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Continue reading →

Mar 9 2012

maybe all we need in the fight against cancer is a little extra…

Dave Koechner in Waiting

If you’ve never seen the movie “Waiting,” you’ve done a true disservice to yourself.   You’re missing out on the inner workings of a crappy chain restaurant, a horribly hilarious coworker game, and, most importantly, I don’t know how you’ve made it until now without Dave Koechner’s sage advice, “Remember, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary…is that little extra.”

Seems like that little extra is just as important in other avenues in life, as evidenced by a paper published recently in Cell Metabolism by Dr. Manuel Serrano’s group.  His team in Madrid has discovered that mice with an extra copy of a cancer suppressing gene live longer, healthier lives with a lower cancer incidence.

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Feb 28 2012

fried goodness…not so good?

Fried Oreos

Life in Dallas presents no shortage of delicious deep-fried creations.  Hell, every year the State Fair of Texas comes around seemingly as an excuse to try to deep fry something new.  Beer, bubble gum, bacon, and my personal favorite – oreos.  Even just a night at the ever popular Plucker’s Wings (I wish I were getting paid.)  Gotta love the magic of breading and hot oil.

For some unbelievable reasons, my wife decided to give up fried food for the month of February.  Luckily, she’s almost done it, but she’s kept to it.  I don’t know how.  But maybe she realized something subconsciously that is just now being shown from recent research published in Food Chemistry.  Apparently, there are some lingering toxic compounds in some oils used for frying. Continue reading →