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8 in 10 Americans Want Less Nicotine in Cigarettes: CDC

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No matter the age, race, gender, education or income level, most Americans favor forcing tobacco companies to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes to make them less addictive. That’s what researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found when they surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. “Cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products are responsible for the overwhelming burden of death and disease from tobacco use in the United States,” said Corinne Graffunder, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “Lowering nicotine levels in cigarettes could help current smokers quit and make it less likely for future generations to become addicted to these products,” Graffunder added in an agency news release. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States and causes about 480,000 deaths each year. About two-thirds of adult smokers want to quit smoking, but less than 10% of smokers manage to quit each year, mainly because of the nicotine in cigarettes, according to the CDC. The findings were published online July 11 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels is one of several possible ways to reduce smoking, according to the 2014 U.S. Surgeon General’s report. In March 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it would seek public input…  read on >

When You Time Your Workout May Be Key to Staying Slim

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Losing weight is one thing, but keeping it off is another. Now, a new study suggests that exercising at the same time each day is key. The research, on 375 adults who maintained a weight loss of 30 or more pounds for at least a year, showed that consistent timing of exercise was linked with higher physical activity levels overall. The most common time to exercise? Early morning. “As long as you’re consistent, the time of day doesn’t seem to really matter. The best time to exercise is when you can exercise,” said study author Dale Bond. He’s a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School in Providence, R.I. “Our speculation … is that in order to maintain a large weight loss over a long period of time, behavioral consistence is key,” Bond added. “But in terms of higher physical activity levels, it might be that exercising at the same time each day fosters a habit. You don’t have to think about it — it’s like brushing your teeth. You just do it.” Nearly half of American adults surveyed between 2013 and 2016 said they’d tried to lose weight during the prior year, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. But 2010 research indicated that only about one in six Americans who has ever been overweight or obese…  read on >

Health Tip: Foods With Lactose

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(HealthDay News) — Intolerance to lactose, if present at all, varies from person to person, the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says. For many, symptoms can be avoided by reducing the amount of lactose consumed in dairy foods or beverages. But first you have to know that lactose is in the food you’re about to eat or drink. The agency mentions these ingredient “buzzwords” that indicate the presence of lactose: Milk. Lactose. Whey. Curds. Milk by-products. Dry milk solids. Nonfat dry milk powder.

How to Find Your Best Exercise Style

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Are you trapped in an exercise routine that’s good for your body, but isn’t motivating your spirit? It’s time to find your exercise style. One way is to make a list of the pros and cons of the exercise options that are most convenient for you and that you really like. For instance, exercise classes offer a lot of variety, but if the commute is too long or you’re uncomfortable in a group, the negatives could outweigh the positives, and you might be better suited to working out at home. On the other hand, if it takes a trainer to push you beyond your comfort zone and lots of equipment to motivate you to strength train, working out at a gym might be the right style for you. Here are some other helpful considerations. If you like to stick to a set schedule, you want a routine that works with your everyday life. That might be early morning fitness classes or a post-dinner workout in a home gym. If you’re highly motivated to reach fitness goals and maximize your workout time, consider the one-on-one advantages of working with a trainer who can personalize a fitness plan and adjust it as you reach new goals. If you like the social aspect of fitness, you might like to join a walking group or tennis club to combine…  read on >

A Healthy Twist on a Classic Eggplant Recipe

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Eggplant is a high-fiber food that will leave you feeling satisfied and well-nourished. Most people think of the classic purple-colored vegetable, but eggplant comes in many varieties, colors and even shapes. All are perfect for a lighter take on a classic eggplant dish that your whole family will love. One secret to making this Italian standard healthier is using a skillet technique to cook the eggplant. This limits the amount of oil it will absorb. The slices won’t be greasy, and the dish will have fewer calories. Lighter Eggplant Parmesan 1 1-pound eggplant, sliced into half-inch rounds 1/4 teaspoon salt Non-stick cooking spray 1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta 1 egg 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 2 cups fresh or jarred marinara sauce, divided 2 cups grated part-skim mozzarella, divided 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt. Set in a colander for 30 minutes to release some of the vegetable’s moisture. Rinse and pat the slices dry. Coat a large, heavy skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the pan over medium heat and add a few of the eggplant slices. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook two to three minutes until the slices brown. Lightly spray the tops of the slices with cooking spray and flip them. Cook another two to three minutes, until browned.…  read on >

Sugary Sodas, Juices Tied to Higher Cancer Risk

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It’s long been known that sugary drinks help people pack on unwanted pounds. But new research suggests that sweetened sodas, sports drinks and even 100% fruit juice might raise your risk for some cancers. The study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but it found that drinking as little as 3 to 4 ounces of sugary drinks each day was tied to an 18% rise in overall risk for cancer. Among women, a similar consumption level was tied to a 22% rise in breast cancer risk, the French research team found. A spokesperson for the American Cancer Society (ACS) said the findings should give consumers pause, because obesity is a known risk factor for cancer. “A lot of the research on sugar-sweetened drinks and cancer has been tied to obesity,” noted Colleen Doyle, managing director of nutrition and physical activity at the ACS. “Across the board, it’s a good idea to reduce any sugar-sweetened beverage,” she advised. The new study was led by Mathilde Touvier, research director of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Paris. Her team collected data on more than 100,000 French men and women, average age 42, who took part in a national study. The participants answered questions about how much of 3,300 different foods and beverages they consumed each day, and were followed for up to nine years (from 2009 to 2018).…  read on >

No Amount of Running Is Too Hard on Your Heart

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Ultramarathons are grueling races that typically range anywhere from 30 to 100 miles, but new research suggests that even these distances don’t tax the heart unduly. “The good news is that while experienced runners pushed their heart limits during the ultramarathon, they did not show evidence of cardiac risk assessed through elevated biomarkers [such as cortisol levels],” said co-lead investigator Rodrigo Hohl. He’s a professor from the department of physiology at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil. In the study, researchers conducted blood tests on 25 participants in a 24-hour ultramarathon before and after the event. Eleven of them were experienced ultramarathoners who’d trained a distance of more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) a week over five years, while 14 were first-time ultramarathoners who’d previously run at least one regular marathon. After the event, the experienced runners were more likely than the first-timers to have elevated levels of blood biomarkers that measure heart health, but those levels did not pose a risk of heart damage. The experienced runners did have higher levels of cortisol. The higher levels in the experienced runners reflected the greater load on the heart, according to the authors of the study published recently in the journal Heliyon. “Experienced runners performed with greater intensity and speed, which placed strains on their hearts. Novice runners ran with less intensity, which…  read on >

More Evidence Fried Food Ups Heart Disease, Stroke Risk

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Check out the menus at any county fair — corn dogs, fried Oreos, even fried butter — and you’ll quickly see that Americans love fried foods. But yet another study suggests that it’s time to put that corn dog down. The study found that eating fried foods increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. And the more fried foods you eat, the greater your risk. People who ate fried foods one to three times a week had a 7% higher risk of heart attack and stroke compared to those who ate fried foods less than once a week. For those who ate fried foods daily, the risk jumped to 14% higher. Registered dietitian Dana Angelo White said she wasn’t shocked by the findings, because this isn’t the first study to report a connection between fried foods and poor health outcomes. “Eating small amounts of something fried isn’t the end of the world, but the more you eat of fried foods, the worse it is for you,” explained White, who wasn’t involved with the study. She’s an associate professor at Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn. Frying foods is a common method of cooking in the United States, the study said. Yet previous research has linked fried foods to chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure, obesity and high blood pressure. A study released…  read on >

Health Tip: Make Traveling Easier on Your Pet

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(HealthDay News) — Taking your dog or cat on a flight may be no cakewalk, depending on the differing requirements of the airlines and various destinations. That’s why it’s best to research these things before you leave, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To reduce travel-related stress for you and your pet, the CDC recommends: Get your pet used to its carrier before the flight. Secure flights with fewer connections and layovers. If your pet is allowed in the cabin, check in as late as possible. Walk your pet before leaving home and again before checking in. Consult your veterinarian.

Health Tip: Preparing a Better Dessert

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(HealthDay News) — Desserts don’t have to be off-limits for people who want to eat healthier, says Johns Hopkins University. When preparing desserts, choose baked-good recipes made with skim milk, low-fat cream cheese or yogurt. Using bananas and applesauce as add-ins can also cut down on unhealthy oils and fats. Additionally, the university recommends ensuring that your sweets contain lots of vitamins and fiber, to help avoid spikes in blood sugar.