Cut Down On Your Our Calories To Look Younger And Live Longer

Washington, July 4 (IANS) Cut those calories out - and look younger and live longer. That’s what the latest research says. While not much is known about how curbing calories affects aging, researchers working with mice found it decreases a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine (T3) which, in turn, slows metabolism and tissue aging.

The new study, by scientists at Saint Louis University, found that even reducing 300 to 500 calories daily, had a similar biological effect on humans and, therefore, may slow the aging process.

“Over recent years, there has been a huge amount of debate about whether calorie restriction slows the aging process in humans,” said Edward Weiss, co-author of the study.

“Our research provides evidence that calorie restriction does work in humans like it has been shown to work in animals. The next step is to determine if this, in fact, slows age-related tissue deterioration.

“The only way to be certain, though, is to do a long-term study.”

In the study, Weiss, to determine if calorie reduction would lower T3 levels in humans, recruited volunteers to lose weight through exercise.

Volunteers were in good health and comprised sedentary, non-smoking, 50- to 60- year-old men and post-menopausal women with average or slightly above average body mass index (BMI) values.

Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three groups — a calorie-restriction group, an exercise group or a control group — and followed for one year.

Volunteers in the calorie restriction group lost weight by reducing their daily calorie intake by 300 to 500 calories per day. Volunteers in the exercise group maintained their regular diet and exercised regularly.

Volunteers in both the calorie-restriction and exercise groups experienced similar changes of body fat mass. However, only volunteers in the calorie restriction group also experienced lower levels of the thyroid hormone.

Because it also slows metabolism, Weiss warned that calorie-restricted weight loss could make people more prone to weight gain over time.

On the other hand, people who lose weight through exercise are not as likely to gain weight back if they quit exercising. The key to maintaining a healthy weight, Weiss said, is keeping a consistent diet and exercising regularly.

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How Do I Stop Over-eating And Live Longer?

How Do I Stop Overeating…and Live Longer?

Have you ever eaten a big meal and then felt really hungry an hour later? I know this feeling and it always comes during holidays when I am not eating my normal diet. I am chronically hungry and feel that no matter how much I eat, I could eat more. The food that I am normally craving is not fruit or nuts…it is generally heavy food like bread, biscuits or potatoes. Some people crave sugar.
What is happening in our bodies when we feel this way explains what research continually shows as the number one cause of aging? In Nigeria today, the average life span of men is 45years. This is as a result of certain types of food we eat, lack of exercise and sometimes overeating (the wrong food).
Food that Quickly Turns to SugarCarbohydrates are foods that turn to sugar inside the body. The carbohydrates that create the highest amount of sugar very quickly are called high glycemic and are sugar (obviously), and carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potato, and rice. Other foods such as fruit, vegetables (apart from potatoes), nuts and lentils turn to sugar very slowly and are called low glycemic.
Each time we eat a big bowl of pasta, a couple of slices of toast or some sugary foods, there is a surge in the blood sugar level. The body panics “I’m not supposed to be dealing with this type of food. What is going on?” You see, our bodies are not built to consume high glycemic foods…they have only been around for a short period of time relative to our evolution.
A vital hormone called insulin is secreted by the pancreas and encourages the sugar in the blood to move into the cells so that it does not harm the body and so that it can be turned into energy. Because the pancreas is worried that there is this unnatural amount of sugar, it releases loads of insulin, so the blood sugar is now excessively low.
Now the body is worried because there is no sugar around, so it thinks that it is not going to have any energy. Other sugar raising hormones are called upon to compensate, and so are we. This is when our bodies begin to scream “give me some sugary food to get my blood sugar up again.” This is why I was dying for some carbohydrates after just finishing a huge meal an hour before. How do I stop overeating? Cut out high glycemic foods that make us addicted to the sugar rush. And this ridiculous amount of sugar eventually turns into fat.