Farewell to 2012, Fun Fad Diets Courtesy of ABC News

Every year has a new diet or (20) to follow.  Does anyone remember the sad part of the last decade when no one ate bread?  Oh, wait, we're all gluten-free again.

Here is 2012's round up:

hCG diet: inject yourself with this pregnancy hormone and eat 500 Calories a day (roughly the equivalent of a Big and Tasty from McDonalds).

Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition diet: Why eat food when you can just have a feeding tube?  Clinical dietitians take note!

Sensa: Shake a little on your Krispy Kreme and the pounds just fall off...

Baby Food Diet: Eat about 10-14 jars of baby food...

Gluten-Free:  Celebrities, 'nutritionists', and a few famous doctors touted cutting out bread, pasta, and their contemporaries...

Raspberry Ketones: These little beauties promoted by Dr. Oz for their fat burning properties, they also pushed a healthy diet and exercise.  What really worked?

What are some of your favorite fad diets?  Thoughts on what might be big in 2013?

Don't forget your kale juice!

From ABC news: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/slideshow/fad-diets-2012-18010078#.UNM8eT1J69Q.twitter


Gina Lesako RD, LD is the SCAN blog coordinator (those interested in writing for SCAN can email her directly at glesako@gmail.com, resolve to increase your online exposure).  

She can also be found blogging at http://dietitianseatchocolatetoo.blogspot.com/).  Find her on SCAN: http://www.scandpg.org/dietitians/15720/

Shake It Up: The Pepper Post

A typical 1980s supermarket might have had maybe 15 different kinds of spices.  Fast forward to the spice aisle of today where you might find anything from wasabi to harissa.  Pepper just sounds...boring.

A recent article in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry shows that pepper blocks the formation of NEW fat cells.  A compound called pipeline disrupts fat building genes.

No amounts have been verified at this time as to effective levels, but it's just another great reason to put the salt shaker down. 

Read more here: 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120504/black-pepper-may-help-fight-fat


Gina Lesako RD, LD is the SCAN blog coordinator (those interested in writing for SCAN can email her directly at glesako@gmail.com, resolve to increase your online exposure).  

She can also be found blogging at http://dietitianseatchocolatetoo.blogspot.com/).  Find her on SCAN: http://www.scandpg.org/dietitians/15720/

Fatty Liver Sufferers May Find Relief With Soy Protein

Hong Chen, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois has been able to demonstrate how soy protein potentially has the ability to decrease fat accumulation and triglycerides in the livers of patients with obesity.  Soy protein is able to partially restore the function of a key pathway in the liver.

The team presented their findings this past April at the annual American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Chen reported, "Almost a third of American adults have fatty liver disease, many of them without symptoms… obesity is a key risk factor for this condition, which can lead to liver failure."

One of the liver’s functions is to metabolize fat.  In those with obesity, the liver ends up with excess fat.  The liver function can be compromised. 

Sources of soy protein are tofu, edamame, yogurt, and soy milk are able to assuage some stress on fatty livers.

For additional information on this story, see the link to Science Daily here.

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Gina Lesako RD, LD is the SCAN blog coordinator (those interested in writing for SCAN can email her directly at glesako@gmail.com).  She can also be found blogging at http://dietitianseatchocolatetoo.blogspot.com/).  Find her on SCAN: http://www.scandpg.org/dietitians/15720/ 

Want to blog for SCAN, increase your blog or website's traffic?  E-mail Gina at glesako@gmail.com.

Is Weight Loss Surgery A Good Option In The Diabetes Fight?

Weight loss in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes is encouraged by the medical profession when the patient is overweight or obese, less fat means less insulin to worry about, right?  In a recent New York Times article investigated previous studies and emerging research on this topic.  In March, a previous article in the paper discussed weight loss surgery as an effective treatment option.  These studies followed subjects for less than two years and were quite small.   

According to the journal Obesity Surgery, 1,000 diabetics were tracked for ten years.  While diabetes in these patients "went away" for a period of time, the disease still came back (even in the patients that didn't regain any weight post surgery).

"The researchers found that three factors were particularly good predictors of who was likely to have a relapse of diabetes."

Those most likely to have a relapse of the condition had poor blood sugar control, had diabetes for a period of time (years were not specified), and were taking insulin.  

“But almost universally, patients lose weight after weight loss surgery, and that in and of itself may have so many health benefits.”

Source:

O'Connor, Anahad. "Weight Loss Surgery May Not Combat Diabetes Long-Term." Well. The New York Times, 11 2012. Web. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/weight-loss-surgery-may-not-combat-diabetes-long-term/?ref=health>.