By Craig Ballantyne

Early in my career, I attended a lot of nutrition research conferences. And it seemed like no seminar was complete without the requisite symposium on the role of soy protein in building better bones.

I was always skeptical of those claims - and now there’s a study that challenges them.

European researchers studied 237 early-post-menopausal women (average age of 53). For one year, the women consumed a soy product diet (providing 110 mg of isoflavones) or a control diet without soy products. The results showed that, contrary to popular belief, the soy isoflavones did not improve the women’s bone mineral density.

Instead of soy, I recommend good old-fashioned weight-bearing exercise to improve the strength of your bones. At the very least, every woman should have a daily walking program. In addition, women should perform at least two total-body resistance-training workouts per week.

Not only will this improve your bone mineral density, you will also get stronger. And strength and muscle mass can help reduce your risk of falling as you age.

[Ed.Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system.]

~ Copyright 2008 ETR LLC

By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS

“People who already drink a lot of coffee don’t have to feel ‘guilty’ as long as coffee does not affect their daily life.” So says Harvard researcher Frank Hu, MD. In fact, he adds that folks with a coffee “habit” may actually benefit from it in the long run.

At least six research reports show that people who drink coffee are up to 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s, have a 25 percent drop in their risk for colon cancer, an 80 percent drop in their risk for liver cirrhosis, and an almost 50 percent lower risk for gallstones. Not only that, research from Harvard shows that drinking six or more cups of java cuts the risk for Type II diabetes by 54 percent for men and 30 percent for women.

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When you enjoy good cooking, you often think of all the calories that must be in the dish. After all, you’ve got to keep an eye on your waistline, right? Well, the fact is, you can have your cake and eat it too! Low calorie recipes, carefully selected, taste every bit as good as the fattening versions. If you want to be trim, follow these tips for a delicious diet without guilt.

When you want to lose weight, the absolute bottom line to success  is keeping track of the total number of calories you take in each day.

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Can’t live without caffeine, can you? Most adults around the world consume caffeine every day, in coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate. And we continue to hear about new studies - some warning us to stay away from caffeine and others glorifying its benefits.

So what is the truth?

A scientist from the UK reviewed 41 caffeine studies from the last 15 years. Most of the studies found that low to moderate caffeine intake - less than 400 mg per day (the equivalent of no more than eight cups of tea or four cups of ordinary coffee) - improved alertness and mental performance. Studies also found that up to 400 mg of caffeine per day did not cause dehydration, which is thought to be a common side effect of caffeine intake.

But beware of mega-coffee! Find out exactly how much caffeine is in your so-called “cup.” For example, a “tall” Starbucks beverage can range from 75 mg of caffeine (Cappuccino) to 150 mg (Caffe Americano) to 260 mg (regular coffee).

The way you cook may be just as important to your health as the food itself.

“Advanced Glycation End Products” (AGE) is a class of toxins that have been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, vascular and kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s. And they are absorbed into your body when you eat animal products cooked or processed at high temperatures. (Think grilling, frying, smoking, or broiling, as well as pasteurizing.)

A recent study published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences evaluated 172 healthy men and women in two age groups - a younger group (between the ages of 18 and 45) and an older group (between the ages of 60 and 80). The researchers wanted to determine how age and diet influences the accumulation of AGE in the body.

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By Shane “The People’s Chemist” Ellison

You gotta love your liver. It’s the chief organ responsible for allowing you to “toss a few back” and enjoy your wine buzz without getting sick. It also protects you from many toxins. Unfortunately, it’s not invincible. When the liver is bombarded with too many toxins, it gets hard and stops working.

Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S…. and it goes virtually unnoticed. So does its simple cure… which you can find on the shelf at your local drugstore: milk thistle.

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Be Heart Healthy With Aerobic Activities

The health benefits of physical activities are well known. However, uncertainties exist over the intensity, duration and types of physical activities required for health promotion and maintenance. Answers are now available from experts gathered by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. In a recent joint publication, experts from the two colleges announced updated recommendations for physical activities.

The updated recommendations apply to healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years of age. It specifies how adults can engage in regular physical activities to promote and maintain health, as well as to reduce the risk of chronic diseases (eg. hypertension, diabetes) for longer survival.
The promotion and maintenance of heart health evolves around the aerobic activities. Activities which increase heart rate and breathing results in conditioning of the cardio-respiratory systems. When performed on a regular basis, such aerobic activities promote cardiovascular fitness, reducing the risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

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