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In this edition of EmpowHER's, "HER Week In Health", for the week of November 18, 2011, Bailey Mosier discovers a healthier option than sugar for that afternoon pick-me-up. We'll also learn why women are overwhelmingly more prone to broken heart syndrome than men, and finally we learn of some other temptations that might be keeping you from achieving your weight loss goals over Thanksgiving weekend.
Hi, I’m Bailey Mosier. This is EmpowHER’s HER Week in Health.
It’s 3 p.m., you’re sitting at your desk and struggling to stay awake. In this week’s edition we’ll learn why a quick sugar fix may not be the proper pick-me-up. We’ll also learn that women are overwhelmingly more prone to broken heart syndrome than men. And if you’re thinking of ditching your diet for Thanksgiving, researchers say turkey and dressing aren’t the only temptations keeping you from achieving your goals.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that protein – not sugar – activates the cells responsible for keeping us awake and burning calories. Researchers studied the affects of different nutrients and found proteins had the most affect on regulating wakefulness and energy expenditure.
Researchers say these findings further our understanding of obesity and sleep disorders and that having protein – versus carbohydrates or sugar – will tell your body to burn more calories of those consumed.
So if you’re looking for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, a hard-boiled egg may better serve your interests than a trip to the soda machine.
Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition brought on by extreme physical or emotional stress and according to researchers from the University of Arkansas, it occurs 7.5 times more often in females than in men.
Symptoms mimic a heart attack and trigger chest pain, shortness of breath, an irregular heartbeat and generalized weakness…often resolving itself within a week.
Doctors can’t say for certain why women suffer from the disease more than men although hormonal differences and variations in coronary arteries may be part of the reason. Researchers say that the fact that doctors are able to study gender differences in the heart is a tremendous thing because just 10 years ago, this kind of research would have been unusual and rare.
In an article titled “Free Will and the Obesity Epidemic,” researchers from Cornell tell us we are slaves to our environment and that our overindulgence is due to factors out of our control.
The team analyzed hundreds of articles on eating behavior and found forces such as cheap food prices, ease of access to unhealthy food, large package sizes and seeing others dining out are all strong stimulants influencing the obesity epidemic in the U.S.
The researchers suggest that the government step in and make low-calorie foods cheaper and for individuals to chart their eating habits to become more aware of unconscious eating.
So while we may ultimately decide what we put in our bodies, there are a lot of outside forces making it evermore difficult to stick to our healthy-eating and dieting goals.
That wraps up your EmpowHER HER Week in Health. Join me here at EmpowHER.com every Friday for the latest in women’s health.
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