David Beckham is best known around the world as a soccer/football player
though he also has a busy personal life.
In addition to being a husband and father he’s a spokesman,
model and sometime actor.
If you want to get a body like David Beckham, read on.
Step 1 - Follow a diet that’s low in carbs. Beckham cut out carbs and saw his body immediately start toning up.
Step 2 - Drinks as much water as possible every day, while also cutting out soda and coffee. The soccer star avoids drinks full of sugar like most sports drinks and instead sticks to water.
Step 3 - Head to the soccer field. Running up and down the soccer field can burn hundreds of calories quickly and Beckham has learned that it’s the best workout.
Step 4 - Hit the weight room. Push ups, chin ups and working out with free weights will get you the same ripped arms as David Beckham.
Tips & Warnings:
Involve the kids in a quick backyard game of soccer. The running around will be a quick workout that you’ll never forget.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
How to Get a Body Like David Beckham
Madonna opens 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour in Britain
U.S. singer Madonna performs with a video of Kanye West behind on the opening night of her "Sticky & Sweet" tour at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff August 23, 2008. Madonna kicks off her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday, the latest test of her enduring appeal just a week after her 50th birthday. The US star played hits including "Like A Prayer", "Into The Groove" and "Hung Up" at the giant Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on the first night of the 49-date tour. The show, promoting her latest album "Hard Candy" which has hit number one in 27 countries, was watched by her British film director husband Guy Ritchie and three children and split into four sections. To screams from fans, Madonna took the stage in a one-piece black sequinned outfit by French fashion house Givenchy for the first part, known as "pimp", a homage to gangster chic from the 1920s to now. She then revisited New York in the early 1980s -- where she arrived aged 20 with just 35 dollars in her pocket before hitting the big time -- for the "old school" section of the show featuring songs including "Music" and a dance-off on stage.
Next came "gypsy", inspired by Romanian folk music and dance, and the finale, "rave", influenced by far eastern culture. The show featured eight costume changes, 16 dancers, a 12-piece band and a million pounds (1.3 million euros, 1.9 million dollars) worth of Swarovski crystals. The tour continues in Nice, southern France on August 26 before heading to the rest of Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. It wraps up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on December 18. Madonna's last tour, 2006's "Confessions", was reportedly the top earning show ever by a female artist, grossing nearly 200 million dollars. The star, who spends much of her time in Britain, celebrated her 50th birthday in low-key style on August 16.
Her eight-year marriage to Ritchie has come under heavy press scrutiny in recent months amid rumours they are about to split, denied by the singer's representatives.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
How to Romance Your Partner and Keep Your Love Alive and New
Romance is when you do something to express affection in an unexpected but meaning way. Is romance missing in your relationship? Here are simple, inexpensive ways to show your partner love and add romance to your relationship. Use romance to make your relationship stronger, remember it doesn't have to take a lot of time or money sometimes the simple things mean the most. Practice romance everyday and keep your relationship alive and new.
Things You’ll Need:
picnic basket
blanket
car
flowers
candles
bathtub
paper
pen
fireplace
greeting card
camera
DVD or VHS movie
wine or champagne
shrimp, crackers & cheese, strawberries, grapes or cherries
newspaper
music
Step 1 - Take a day trip, pack a picnic lunch and relax on a blanket.
Step 2 - Go to a drive-in movie or if your neighborhood has movie night under the stars, take a blanket and go watch the movie together.
Step 3 - Prepare the bathroom with flowers and candles and take a bath together washing each other slowly. You don't have to have a giant jacuzzi tub to do this.
Step 4 - Write your partner a love letter.
Step 5 - Listen carefully to things your partner mentions or likes; buy small gifts and hide them in different places where he/she will find them like a desk drawer, the kitchen drawer, a pocket, etc.
Step 6 - Light candles and the fireplace and have an indoor picnic on the floor by the fireplace.
Step 7 - Make a shadow box of your first date or the first time you met.
Step 8 - Send a "I Love You" or friendship card everyday for a week.
Step 9 - Write a love message on the bathroom mirror with lipstick.
Step 10 - List 100 reason why you are in love with your partner.
Step 11 - Go for a walk in the pouring rain on a warm summer night.
Step 12 - If your partner travels pack several sexy, tasteful photos of you in his suitcase.
Step 13 - Plan a surprise getaway to a 4-star hotel or a bed and breakfast. Let your partner know what to pack but keep the destinations a surprise.
Step 14 - Plan a movie night in bed, light candles and serve shrimp, crackers & cheese, wine or champagne, strawberries, grapes or cherries.
Step 15 - Dress up and slow dance in the living room to candle light.
Step 16 - Call your partner's voice mail and leave a romantic song as the message like "I just called to say I love you" by Stevie Wonder.
Step 17 - Make your partner a handmade card just because.
Step 18 - Make your partner a handmade present.
Step 19 - Get up early on Sunday morning, go for a walk with your partner, come back and sit on the porch or the deck and have breakfast and read the Sunday newspaper together.
Step 20 - Read erotica out loud to each other you never know where that can lead.
Step 21 - Trace a message like "I love you" on your partner's back with your index finger.
Step 22 - Return to the place where you met or where you had your first date for each anniversary.
Step 23 - Plan a romantic evening with dinner, candlelight, roses, soft music and make a trail of rose petals leading to the bathroom for a bath or shower together and another trail of rose petals leading to the bedroom.
Step 24 - Send your partner flowers to their jobs or home for no reason.
Step 25 - Turn on quiet music, light candles and take turns massaging each others feet, body and scalp.
Step 26 - Pretend you and your partner just met and court them. Do the same things you did to impress them when you first met.
Step 27 - Spend time every day cuddling and snuggling without it leading to sex. Do this before you get out of bed each morning or just before going to sleep at night.
Step 28 - Have a joke night where you spend time telling each other jokes and laughing out loud. Laugh until it hurts. This can be a lot of fun.
Step 29 - Write a poem or rap song together and then take turns reading it or rapping.
Step 30 - Pray together. Have morning devotion together or read the entire bible together one day at a time.
Tips & Warnings:
Remember a man's idea of romance might be different than a women's so a lot of things on this list might not work for your relationship. In some cases you might have to compromise and do what your partner enjoys even though you might not enjoy it as much.
How to find true love on the internet
When you think that you can only find love by locally dating " Think Again".
Things You’ll Need:
• Personal computer, or local library
• A email account
• A very open mind and heart
Step 1 - First, You would need to determine if your ready to get back in the game. Whether it be dating locally or finding love through the world wide web. It's like the yellow pages let your fingers do the searching.
Step 2 - Stop thinking! No! Really Stop thinking! you can't find love over the internet if you have doubts starting out. Have an open mind and explore all the possibilities even if it means stepping out of your norm.
Step 3 - Select a quiet space to yourself that you and your new friends can let your imagination run wild and explore.
Step 4 - Make your family and friends apart of your new way of searching for love. Make sure they have your happiness in their best interest; even if they think your mad out of your mind to search for love on the internet. follow your intuition and start surfing.
Step 5 - When that special friend request pops in your inbox. OPEN IT!!! for it might be that one click that opens your heart for a lifetime.
Step 6 - Purchase a comfortable chair that you can sit for hours at a time, because once you've found that special friend you would be chatting back and forth for hours as if your in high school again. Go ahead! Embrace the feelings of butterflies it's quite nice.
Step 7 - Check you pulse and make sure you breathing. It's very important!
Step 8 - Stretch your hands ,face, and abdominal muscles, because you would be doing alot of smiling.
Step 9 - If searching the net doesn't find you that one true love, look on the bright side and keep surfing. I know you would find that perfect wave. Keep stepping out of your box and exploring. You might make connections that might lead you to your one true love.
Tips & Warnings:
• Have fun, but don't get carried away ok!.
• Make sure you ask all the right questions to find out all you can.
• Make sure you don't spend all you time on the web. Your family and friends could feel left out.
• Last....... more investigation!
• Screen carefully, the net can be very dangerous and unsafe.
How to Have a Happy Love Life
When you first fall in love, it can feel like your entire life is in harmony. You feel totally connected to the other person and you want to spend every waking moment with him or her. You haven't yet noticed the other person's flaws and it's as if the sun rises and sets with this new love in your life. Unfortunately, this phase doesn't last. The newness eventually wears off as reality sets in. The good news is that with the right mindset and attitude, you can keep the magic in your relationship.
Things You’ll Need:
• Love
• Compassion
• Understanding
• Good Listening Skills
Step 1 - Decide that you are going to have happy relationship. Anything that you ever do will begins with a thought. Visualize yourself and your partner in a happy and healthy relationship.
Step 2 - Handle conflict in a loving way. Every couple has disagreements. The way you handle them will help determine the success of your relationship. Don't insist on being right. Instead, focus on understanding your partner's point of view and be a good listener. This will help keep your partner from becoming defensive and he or she will appreciate being heard.
Step 3 - Be responsible for your own happiness. Understand that it's not your partner's job to make you happy. In the early stages of your relationship, your partner may feel flattered to know that you depend on him or her for fulfillment, but after a while, they will feel drained and suffocated. True happiness comes from within. Be your own source of happiness and that will make your relationship much sweeter
Step 4 - Don't be consumed by jealousy. This can do serious damage to a relationship. The poet Maya Angelou once said that jealousy is like salt. In small amounts, it can add spice to a relationship but too much is unhealthy.
Step 5 - Don't take your partner for granted. Remind yourself why you fell in love with this person in the first place. Focus on your partner's positive attributes and remember that no one is perfect.
Tips & Warnings:
• Spend quality time alone with your partner.
• Compliment your partner.
• Be supportive of your partner.
• Don't dwell on previous disagreements. Let them stay in the past.
• Don't nag your partner.
How to Keep Your Boyfriend Happy
Step 1 - GIVE HIM SPACE! If you do not give somebody air, how can they breathe? If you are dating somebody that has never had a serious relationship, or have been dating the same person for years, they are going to need their space. HE NEEDS TIME TO BE A MAN! Let him play some ball with his friends, go to the bar without you, be alone for a while! If you cannot give him time alone without trusting him, you should not be dating. How can let him live and enjoy his life without trusting him?
Step 2 - KEEP IT SIMPLE! Guys do not want to know every little detail about how your day went and how struggled with your hair all morning and how somebody is driving you crazy. After a long day of work all that they want to hear is that you love them and that everything is ok. Why add more stress to his life? It only leads to fights, and yelling.
Step 3 - ITS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! A relationship takes 2. This means you have to give a little to get a little. Stop complaining just because he did not add enough sugar to your tea! So what if he rented a movie that you do not approve of. He has the right to his own opinions as well.
Step 4 - DON'T TRY TO CHANGE HIM! If you love him, you have to love him for who he is. Stop buying him clothes that he will not wear, don't make him tattoo your name on him if he is against tattoos. Don't buy him on a veggie diet if he loves meat. He needs to know that you love him for who he is or he is going to become insecure.
Tips & Warnings:
Never forget to let him know that you love him, and you do not have to tell him every 2 minutes. If he does something that does not make you happy, and then you yell at him, be sure to say "I love You" shortly after. It take 10 compliments to make up for one insult.
How to remind your boyfriend/husband that they're special
6 ways to remind your boyfriend/husband that they are special.
Men like to be pampered too.
Things You’ll Need:
• Time
• Desire
Step 1 - Send him a simple text message saying "I Luv U" ,or "I'm thinking about you".
Step 2 - Bring him lunch. Deliver it with a special note card attached.
Step 3 - Get 1 red balloon. Write (black marker) a special note on it and attach it to the steering wheel of the car (so he see's it when it gets in). Total surprise.
Step 4 - Take a seductive picture wearing black lingerie and holding (or biting a black rose). Send it to his cell phone, with no text attached. If he calls, or text you back, just ignore the fact that you send the pic (you don't know what he's talking about). Later that evening surprise him by wearing the same lingerie you had on, and just seduce him. The next day, place the black rose on the seat of his car with a note attached saying something special, such as "you're wonderful,#1,I Love You"...ect
Step 5 - Give him a foot massage with vanilla or banana scented massage cream.
Step 6 - Pack his bag and have him meet you at the airport or in the driveway (give no further information). Surprise him with a special trip for two.
How to charm and spoil a man
Are you wondering how to keep the romantic spark lit in your relationship?
Charm your man with these simple ideas.
He will feel appreciated, pampered, and even spoiled.
Things You’ll Need:
• A husband/boyfriend
• Thoughtfulness
• Creativity
Step 1 - 
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and it couldn't be more true. I seduced my amazing husband with homemade lasagna. Whatever your killer recipe is, now is the time to use it. If cooking doesn't work for you, find the BEST chinese or take out place in town and serve it up on nice dishes.
Step 2 -
Be thoughtful and creative. Watch the sun come up together. Breakfast in bed with the morning paper is always a great way to spoil your man. You can also try to find out more about whatever his interests are - sports, politics, computers, etc. Learn how to appreciate watching sports is a great idea, but if you're not into that, try step 3 instead.
Step 3 - 
Suggest to host a couple of his friends over to watch the game, and you make some snacks and leave them alone. Have lots of cold beer on hand, and believe me -- he will LOVE this!
Step 4 - 
Put yourself in his shoes. How would you feel after a long day at work, mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, etc? Find ways to show your appreciation for everything he does for you.
Tips & Warnings:
• Keep a cold beer in the fridge.
• Find out what his favorite kind of cigar, and then have some stored away for special occasions.
James Lavelle moves into film with "X-Files" credit, and new album
British DJ James Lavelle, creator of hit electro act UNKLE, has set his sights on silver screen success with a cinematically-inspired new album as well as a contribution to the just-released "X-Files"- the movie. Lavelle has worked with some of the top names in music, from Radiohead's Thom Yorke to The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft, and is also known as creator of the seminal record label Mo'Wax.
Now the DJ is set to reach a new audience with his reworking of the theme for "X-Files", the hit TV-series turned into a film. The latest direction for the 33-year-old, whose commercial success has never matched the respect he commands among his peers, came after a personal request from "X-Files" creator Chris Carter.
"Film has always been quite influential for me but I won't work with a film just for the sake of doing it," the Oxford-born artist told AFP.
As a self-confessed sci-fi geek, Lavelle claims to have seen every episode of the show and was more than keen to provide the remixed theme and an old UNKLE track, "Broken," for the end credits. The film, which opened in Europe at the end of July, stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in the roles of FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they continue their investigations into the paranormal.
Its release coincides with the release of Lavelle's new album "End Titles..Stories for Films," which features Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, and includes tracks written for "Odyssey in Rome," a documentary about cult Hollywood director Abel Ferrera, who also appears on the album.
Lavelle says however that he has no plans to focus full-time on writing cinematic scores, but stresses he enjoys the challenge of composing.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Meet Your Pinoy Idol!
After eight months of grueling eliminations and challenges, the search for the very first Pinoy Idol is over. Pinoy Idol held its Performance Night Finale on August 17, 2008 at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Each of the three remaining contenders performed three songs, one personally chosen by the contestant, one by one of the judges and one by the contestant's favorite mentor. Gutierrez hosted most of the program while joining him in the sidelines were Rhian Ramos and Karylle. Each song was performed with Tan's band and the group The Opera as back-up singers, just as always. They were also joined in each of two joint performances by Basil Valdez and Regine Velasquez. The bands Freestyle, South Border, Cueshé, and Itchyworms also have performances of their own.
In an unusual instance, the judges held off their comments for each of the finalists' performances until after the last performance of the last finalist. Each of the three judges told one of the three finalists about his comments on the performances as well as those of the other judges.
The next night at the same venue, the star-studded results show was held, headlined by Bautista, Chaves, and Espina together with the rest of the Top 24, performing together with Hajji Alejandro, Jett Pangan, Luke Mejares, Verne Varga, and Duncan Ramos. The third placer was immediately announced soon after with Chaves shut out of the final two, leaving Bautista and Espina in the running for the title.
There were also performances by the bands Pupil, Callalily, and Rivermaya.
For their final performance before the announcement of the winner, Bautista and Espina each performed an original composition "To You" by resident judge Alcasid and with the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus as back-up choir.
One amazing lady was proclaimed winner of the prestigious Pinoy Idol search. From thousands of hopefuls from all over the country, Gretchen Espina who hails from Biliran province, won the nation’s heart by garnering the most number of text votes, and thus becoming our first Pinoy Idol. Aside from the title, Espina received P1 million, a condominium unit, a brand new car, a recording contract with Sony BMG Music Philippines, and a television contract with GMA Network.
To date, Valdez and Cueshé were the only acts so far that have performances in both Philippine Idol grand finals shows. They, Alejandro and Mejares were also the only ones to appear in both Philippine Idol shows per se as Alejandro and Mejares appeared as guest judges in Philippine Idol.
For more information log on to: http://www.igma.tv/pinoyidol/
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Young People Who Sleep Less Have More Risk Of Being Overweight
Young people who sleep less may be more likely to be overweight, especially if they spend less time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, according to a report released on August 4, 2008 in Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
The obesity epidemic in the United States is well recognized, and has been occurring even in children. According to the background information in the article, the obesity rate in children between 6 and 11 years old has more than tripled in the last 30 years, and about 17% of the adolescents in the population are classified as obese or overweight presently. Obesity is generally caused by an uneven caloric intake and energy use balance, but there are many factors that could potentially affect obesity that are not well understood. Previously, an association has been suggested between fewer hours of sleep and a higher body mass index (BMI) in both adults and children.
To investigate this relationship in children, Xianchen Liu, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and colleagues studied a total 335 children between the ages of 7 and 17 years. The subjects were observed using polysomnography for three nights in a row. Once sleep time, time spent in REM sleep, the time it took to fall asleep and other variables were observed, they were compared to a BMI calculation made using weight and height.
The researchers found that 14.6% of participants (49 youths) were at risk for becoming overweight, while 13.4% (45 youths) were already overweight. Comparing these children with those who had normal weights, the higher weight children slept approximately 22 fewer minutes per night. Additionally, their sleep efficiency, defined as the percentage of time that the subject remained asleep, was lower, their REM sleep time was shorter, they had less REM activity even in REM sleep, and took longer to reach their first REM sleep periods.
In all, one hour less of total sleep was associated with twice the risk of being overweight. Having one hour less of REM sleep was associated with three times the risk.
The authors note that there are many possible explanations for this association: "Although the precise mechanisms are currently under investigation, the association between short sleep duration and overweight may be attributed to the interaction of behavioral and biological changes as a result of sleep deprivation." For one, hormone levels may fluctuate differently when someone experiences loss of sleep, which could affect hunger. Additionally, the fatigue associated with sleep loss could lead to fatigue which reduces the amount of exercise experienced, thereby reducing the energy expenditure of the person.
The authors conclude that by improving sleep in this age group, some of the obesity experienced in this age group might be mitigated. "Given the fact that the prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents continues to increase and chronic sleep insufficiency becomes more prevalent in modern society, family- and school-based sleep interventions that aim to enhance sleep hygiene and increase sleep duration may have important public health implications for the prevention and intervention of obesity and type 2 diabetes in children," they say. "Furthermore, our results demonstrate an important relationship between REM sleep and high BMI and obesity, suggesting that the short sleep"obesity association may be attributed to reduced REM sleep time and decreased activity during REM sleep."
Men's health News From Medical News Today
Eating Eggs Boosts A Healthy Weight Loss Plan
A study published online in the International Journal of Obesity shows that eating two eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories. [1] This study supports previous research, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which showed that people who ate eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied and ate fewer calories at the following meal. [2]
"People have a hard time adhering to diets and our research shows that choosing eggs for breakfast can dramatically improve the success of a weight loss plan," said Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor in the laboratory of infection and obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a campus of the Louisiana State University system. "Apparently, the increased satiety and energy due to eggs helps people better comply with a reduced-calorie diet."
Significant Weight Loss Related to Egg Breakfast
Compared to the subjects who ate a bagel breakfast, men and women who consumed two eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet:
- lost 65 percent more weight
- exhibited a 61 percent greater reduction in BMI
- reported higher energy levels than their dieting counterparts who consumed a bagel breakfast [1]
The egg and bagel breakfasts provided the same number of calories and had identical weights (energy density), which is an important control factor in satiety and weight loss studies.
The researchers also found that blood lipids were not impacted during the two month study. They found that blood levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, did not vary compared to baseline cholesterol blood levels in subjects who ate either the bagel or egg breakfasts. These findings add to more than 30 years of research that conclude that healthy adults can enjoy eggs without significantly impacting their risk of heart disease.
New Emphasis on the Importance of High-Quality Protein
This study adds to the growing body of research which supports the importance of high-quality protein in the diet. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) published a special issue in May 2008, which contains nine articles that focus on the value of high-quality protein in the American diet. A major finding was that not getting enough high-quality protein may contribute to obesity, muscle wasting (loss) and increased risk of chronic disease. [3,4]
Jump Start the Morning with Eggs
Jackie Newgent, registered dietitian and chef, stresses the importance of obtaining adequate high-quality protein when advising consumers about weight loss. "Eggs are a good source of all-natural, high-quality protein, so they can help keep you satisfied longer, making it easier to resist tempting snacks," said Newgent. "Nearly half of an egg's protein, and many of the other nutrients, are found in the yolk, so make sure to eat the whole egg for maximum benefits."
Newgent suggests these nutrition tips for a successful weight loss plan:
- Manic Monday: Make a batch of hard-cooked eggs on Sunday, so you'll have all-natural, high-quality protein meals for your on-the-go schedule during the week. Plus, eggs are incredibly affordable. At an average of $1.93 per dozen (or $0.16 per egg), [5] eggs are one of the most affordable high-quality protein foods in the marketplace.
- In-a-Minute Morning Meal: In less than 60 seconds, you can prepare an egg breakfast to help jump start your day. Simply beat one whole egg in a microwave-safe mug then cook in the microwave oven on high for 60 seconds. Slide the egg onto a whole grain English muffin. Add flavor with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, salsa, or cheese. Serve fresh seasonal fruit slices, like peaches in the summer, on the side for a balanced meal.
Men's health News From Medical News Today
Scientists Identify Another Piece Of The Weight-Control Puzzle - Research Finds Role For GABA Neurotransmitter In Maintaining Energy Balance
Controlling body weight is a complicated process, as any frustrated dieter might attest. But as scientists continue to investigate the brain's intricate neurocircuitry and its role in maintaining energy balance, they are forming a clearer picture of the myriad events that lead to weight gain and weight loss.
In the August 10 on-line issue of Nature Neuroscience, a study led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) identifies another piece of this complex puzzle, demonstrating that the neurotransmitter GABA --one of the master communicators among neurons - plays a role in controlling energy balance.
"Body weight maintenance is made up of three basic stages," explains the paper's senior author Bradford Lowell, MD, PhD, an investigator in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at BIDMC whose laboratory is working to identify the specific neurocircuits responsible for controlling food intake and/or energy through functional neuroanatomical mapping studies.
"In the first stage, the brain receives sensory input from the body [including information provided by circulating hormones such as leptin and ghrelin and from fuels such as glucose and fatty acids]," says Lowell, who is also a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
In the second stage, he adds, the brain integrates this sensory information with cues it has received from the environment (such as aromas and other enticements) along with information gathered from the organism's emotional state. Then, in the final stage, the brain's neurocircuitry takes over, enabling the brain to make appropriate alterations in food intake and energy expenditure in order to maintain energy balance - and prevent weight gain and obesity.
Previous work had primarily focused on identifying the neuropeptides involved in this process. And indeed, this group of neurotransmitters often proves essential to maintaining energy balance - but not always.
"It is well known that AgRP [Agouti-related protein] neurons play a critical role in feeding and energy balance regulation," explains Qingchun Tong, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Lowell laboratory and the study's first author. "However, the deletion of AgRP and NPY [two neuropeptides released from the AgRP neurons] produces little metabolic effect."
An alternate theory proposed that release of the GABA neurotransmitter was mediating the function of AgRP neurons, an idea that had long been postulated but never examined.
To test this hypothesis, Tong and his colleagues generated a group of mice with disrupted release of GABA specifically from the AgRP neurons. As predicted, the genetically altered mice exhibited profound metabolic changes.
"The mice with AgRP neuron-specific disruption of GABA release were lean, had higher energy expenditure and showed resistance to diet-induced obesity," says Tong. "We also found that these animals showed reduced food intake response to the hormone ghrelin. This suggests to us that the neurocircuit engaging GABA release from the AgRP neurons mediates at least part of ghrelin's appetite-stimulating action."
A series of studies to examine the function of glutamate and GABA release from other groups of neurons are currently underway as investigators continue to dissect the brain's neurocircuitry.
"As these new findings demonstrate, GABA release is an important component that mediates the function of AgRP neurons," says Tong. "Discoveries such as this will ultimately help us to design an efficient strategy to tackle the current epidemic of obesity and metabolic disease."
This work was funded, in part, by grants from the National Institutes of Health and support from the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.
In addition to Lowell and Tong, coauthors include BIDMC investigators Chian-Ping Ye and Juli Jones and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center investigator Joel Elmquist.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research facility of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks among the top four in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide. BIDMC is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit http://www.bidmc.harvard.edu.
Men's health News From Medical News Today
5 Tips to Get a Flat Stomach
- Did you you know that crunches and situps actually do NOT flatten your abs effectively?
- Did you know that there is a specific type of exercise that burns belly fat faster than cardio?
- Did you know that certain foods such as soy proteins, "diet" drinks, and others can actually increase your stomach fat?
More details in the article below.
5 Facts You MUST Understand if You Are Ever Going to Lose Your Belly Fat & Get Six Pack Abs
1. Many so-called "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits.
2. Ab exercises like crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are the LEAST effective method of getting flat six pack abs. We'll explore what types of exercises REALLY work in a minute.
3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat and uncover those six pack abs. I'll show you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.
4. You DON'T need to waste your money on expensive "extreme fat burner" pills (that don't work) or other bogus supplements. A special class of natural foods is much more effective. I'll tell you about these natural foods and their powers below.
5. Ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks... they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that "ab contraption"... they got their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition strategies.
Decisions Under Pressure: It's All In The Heart Beat
A person's heart rate can reveal a lot about how they make decisions when feeling stressed, a Queensland University of Technology academic says.
Economics Associate Professor Uwe Dulleck, from the QUT Business Faculty, said stress in the workplace wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because it was, in fact, a natural reaction that had been given a negative connotation.
Professor Dulleck is leading the Australian arm of a study that was awarded an Australian Research Council grant to study the effects of both positive and negative stress on workers' decision-making.
"The study will use heart rate monitors to measure the stress of people 'on the job' and in the controlled environment of an experimental economics computer laboratory as they interact and communicate," Professor Dulleck said.
"We will measure how much they are stressed in certain situations and whether that is positive or negative stress, this will be measured against how they behaved and what decisions they made - whether they made rational or emotional decisions."
Professor Dulleck said negative stress could be detected by measuring a person's heart beat and its variations over short intervals of time.
"If the heart rate varies, it shows that the body is relaxed with an activity and is feeling positive stress," he said. "In this case the body is more flexible to react to the demands of the situation".
"But if the variations are very limited it shows that the body is not at ease with this activity. This kind of stress hardens the body and makes it operate in a more regular way. In such situations, the body works more like a motor engine - highly efficient in some respects but also more likely to break if unexpected challenges arise.
"We are trying to find what effect this has on decision-making."
Professor Dulleck said study participants would be monitored as they played two games: a game of chance to see what kind of decisions they made when uncertain; and a negotiation game, both before and after socialising with their "opponent", to see what affect communication had on cooperation.
"We will also look at whether they took high or low risks in the game of chance, to learn about attitudes towards risk and whether an individual's worry is over losing money, or the risk of chance itself," he said.
Professor Dulleck said knowing what caused positive and negative stress in individuals and what effect this had on decision making would help businesses improve work for their staff and managers.
"Knowing how stress affects people's behaviour will help in designing training programs for employees as well as achieving a better work-life balance and avoiding burn-out syndromes," he said.
The study is being undertaken in conjunction with Associate Professor Benno Torgler and Dr Cameron Newton from the QUT Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, and three Austrian business partners; a human resources company, a construction company and a nonprofit organization.
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