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وزارة الرى مسابقة 2012 للعمل بالرى والادارات المركزيه بالمحافظات

2012-01-27T15:43:00.000+02:00

مسابقة وزارة الرى لعام 2012 وظائف الرى

تابع الروابط بالاسفل لتشاهد المسابقه ولتعلم الشروط وكيفية التقدم للمسابقه
https://sites.google.com/site/egypy2010/sa/21

مسابقات وزارى الموارد المائيه والرى مسابقةوزارة الرى لعام 2012 لسنة 2012

مسابقة وزارة الرى للعمل بادارات الرى وعنوايين الادارات المركزيه والاستفسارات حول المسابقه

تابع الروابط بالاسفل لتشاهد المسابقه ولتعلم الشروط وكيفية التقدم للمسابقه

https://sites.google.com/site/modah2011/q/msabqte-wzarte-alry

مسابقة وزارة الموارد المائيه والرى 2012

IPhone :Sphero - IPhone Controlled Playful Ball

2012-01-04T20:16:00.001+02:00

IPhone :Sphero - IPhone Controlled Playful Ball

Orbotix Sphero robotic ball with customizable LED light can be controlled via iPhone or Android smartphones using Bluetooth with the help of an app. The Sphero has 50 feet control range and it has induction charge system that takes the power from smartphones. The boost mode makes it able to go through obstacles. Lots of fun for little kids and your cats. BUY it here | $129.99
http://www.thodio.nl/english/contact

scroll down for pricing, more info and bigger images...

Quotes:

"I expected something good but the sound is just perfect, I've got 2 80Watts home audio speakers pluged on a amplifier, with an already very good quality but your box beat them on the punchy aspect, the gradings are just perfect, it slaps you in the face, and no vibrations, every detail is over-clean, you're a Dutch magician" -Charles D. from France

"I received my A-Box about a week ago. I love it! Great design, great sound. Can't wait to hit the beach with it this summer! Thanks again for the great product" -Joseph P. from the US

"The sound is amazing!!!!! I have no idea how so much sound can come out of such a small box!! and a metal one at that!! Absolutely fantastic job mate! Worth every penny. Well done sir" -Jose R. from the US

"As you go through life, you hope to get an honest shake. Very few times are you surprised when you get more. This is one of those times!" -Greg C. from the US

the newest addition to the thodio arsenal, the A-BOX. straight from the army, an original ammobox with a design from the fifties. so good its still in use

the A-BOX is made of 1mm steel plate fortified from the inside with 6mm trespa and made as inert as possible with vibration dampening material to ensure a ridiculously good sound for a piece of metal

added to that are the high quality components of its luxurious brother, the iBox, for a crystal clear sound, even at high volumes. the A-BOX comes equipped with an integrated rechargeable battery like you would expect from such an outdoor ready product

the iPod/mp3 player can be connected on the outside of the A-BOX as well as the inside so you can listen to your tunes while running around with the A-BOX for example or just protecting your iPod from bullets and stuff

the A-BOX comes in 2 models: the light edition with 2 x 25 watts rms amplifier and woven glass fiber speakers (carbon color) this model will cost 350 euros but because of it's introduction the price will be 250 euros (339.00$) temporarily. and the heavy edition sporting 2 x 70 watts amplifiers and woven kevlar speakers (the yellow material used in bullet proof vests) this version will be selling for 475 euros normally, now for 350 euros (475.00$) intro price

both versions have indication lights in the bass tube which will indicate the status of the battery with white, orange and red colors. the heavy version however has an extra feat, indication lights behind the speakers which will warn against distortion when the unit is driven too loud. this gives a funky disco effect when driven slightly too loud

obviously, the A-BOX is not really bulletproof, why should it be? but the speakers are really made of kevlar, just not in the thickness required to protect anything from bullets

click this link for more, bigger high res photos

action movie!:

technical specifications:
material: steel
output power: 2 x 25 or 2 x 70 watts rms
dimensions : 30x15.5x19.5 cm (LxWxH)
weight : 6.4 or 6.9 kilos
rechargeable battery cycle: 15 hours
connectors 3.5mm jack: 1 x aux-in(female), 1 x aux-in/out (female)
included: 1 x battery charger (US orders come with US chargers), 1 x 3.5mm jack plug aux cable and a 1 year warranty
prices starting from :

light version 250 euros (US price $339), heavy version 350 euros (US price $475) order your A-BOX now

http://www.thodio.nl/english/contact

cars BMW i3 REx Houses Range-Extending Engine

2012-01-03T22:44:00.003+02:00

cars BMW i3 REx Houses Range-Extending Engine

BMW i3 REx is warming up in the garage for hitting the roads in 2013. Earlier, when BMW revealed i3, there was news that they would be working on a new variant which should be featuring a 600cc, two-cylinder engine pulled from its motorcycle line.

cars BMW i3 REx Houses Range-Extending Engine

The Bavarian company would be launching two editions of i3. When the standard model comes with an electric motor that resides at the back driving the rear wheels, the i3 REx comes with an additional small displacement petrol engine to the mix.

Though no official word is available on the specifications, we believe that the internal combustion engine should charge the batteries and thus offer a 100 mile driving range.

In a way, the system is similar to Chevrolet Volt. The difference is that it doesn’t feed any power directly to the wheels.

This REx model is expected to hit the market shortly after i3 gets released for sale in 2013.

cars BMW i3 REx Houses Range-Extending Engine

The concept model of i3 displayed a battery-powered motor rated at 170-horses (125 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb.ft) with the lithium-ion batteries. It is expected to offer a cruising range of around 120km to 160km (80-100 miles).

However, the i3 profile is a bit different from the concept model in terms of compact rear window between the B- and C-pillars and the suicide rear doors.

Anyway, the fans of roundel have to wait bit patiently to seat themselves behind its steering wheels. But seems it’s worth a waiting. Meanwhile, let us know what you think about the vehicle.

cars BMW i3 REx Houses Range-Extending Engine

cars Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept is Greener and Sports an Aggressive Visage

2012-01-03T22:07:00.000+02:00

cars Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept is Greener and Sports an Aggressive Visage

Deciding to conquer hearts, Nissan has come up with a new and improved Leaf Nismo that is basically an eco friendly ride, but with highly equipped interiors and of course an aggressive look.

The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC is designed and constructed as a real racing machine, starting with its full carbon fiber monocoque bodywork. The three-piece bodywork includes removable front and rear sections, fixed windows, LED headlights and taillights and adjustable rear wing.

cars Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept is Greener and Sports an Aggressive Visage

Building on the unique exterior styling of the production Nissan Leaf, the 2-door race version was created by Nissan Global Design Center in Japan. A special 4-coat Pearl White paint with blue Nismo/Zero Emission graphics completes the exterior.

Dimensionally, the race car features a 3.9-inch shorter wheelbase that is 0.8 inches longer and 6.7 inches wider than the ordinary model. The most dramatic difference is in the height as the Nismo RC is more than a foot (i.e. 13.8 inches) lower than the Nissan Leaf. Ground clearance is limited to 2.4 inches, compared to 6.3 inches for the road going car.

cars Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept is Greener and Sports an Aggressive Visage

And, at 2,068 pounds, the race car weighs in at about 40 percent less than the production vehicle. Unfortunately Nismo has left the Leaf’s 80kW (107 bhp / 109 PS) electric drive train alone.

But they are quick to point out the instant supply of full torque (280Nm / 207 lb-ft), acceleration time of 0-100kph in less than 7 seconds and a top speed of 145 kph (90 mph) are quite appreciable.

cars Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept is Greener and Sports an Aggressive Visage

cars Mitsubishi EV Production to Move Up

2012-01-03T21:58:00.000+02:00

cars Mitsubishi EV Production to Move Up

As far as Mitsubishi is considered, users of their vehicles shouldn’t be in a dilemma regarding the issue of when will the next cars from Mitsubishi launch. Mitsubishi President, Osamu Masuko said there won’t be any issues as they will be launching the Mirage EV as soon as possible and will be out for sale by 2013.

In the course of time, the first examples of the EV car will start deliveries in four states (California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii) in early 2012. The reason for the advanced roll-out schedule is that Mitsubishi dealers are clamoring for it, Masuko said during the Tokyo Motor Show.

This is really no surprise, since Mitsubishi is promoting the car through Facebook and clever TV ads. Masuko also said that Mitsubishi will introduce a second small EV, this one based on the Mirage, to the U.S. in the middle of 2013.

Meanwhile, in Norway, the round i-MiEV (as it is known overseas) is selling quite well, moving 1,000 units there. The i-MiEV is perfectly pleasant for cruising around town.

Power comes from a 330-volt, 16-kWh battery pack mounted under the rear cargo bay that develops 63 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. The i-MiEV is not quick, but when you consider it only weighs 2,376 pounds, the electric key car is perfectly capable of keeping up with full-sized American autos.

As there’s only a single gear, torque is delivered instantly off the line, so there’s a smooth rush of power as soon as you step on the go-pedal.

The i-MiEV uses a rear-wheel-drive configuration, too, so there’s never any unwanted liveliness from the front wheels. It’s smooth and quiet while being plenty powerful, and the driving experience is wholly unique.

cars Fisker Karma Battery Issue Confirmed by A123

2012-01-03T21:14:00.000+02:00

cars Fisker Karma Battery Issue Confirmed by A123

Battery maker A123 has said that batteries they had supplied to Fisker Automotive for their Karma range-extended luxury sedans might have wrongly aligned hose clamps for the cooling system, which could cause coolant to leak and cause electrical short circuit.

The problem will be affecting only cars less than 50 in number, as only 50 of them were delivered. Fisker Karma, a plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan, after missing its initial late 2009 launch and going through re-schedules several times, had the first deliveries happen in the U.S. during late July 2011. Delivery to retail customers began in November 2011.

In December 2011, the pricing in the US for the car was $102,000 for the basic model and US$116,000 for the high-end model. The Karma is technically a series hybrid, driven by a pair of electric motors totaling 403hp that get their power from a 22 kWh lithium ion battery supplied by A123 Systems, or a 175 kW generator spun by an efficient, 2.2L gasoline engine.

The Karma’s two 201 brake horsepower (204 PS) motors produces 1,300 Newton meters (960 ft-lb) of torque, more than the Bugatti Veyron at 1,250 Nm (920 ft-lb). The Karma features a 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed and is capable of reaching 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in 5.8 seconds.

A123 Systems develops and manufactures advanced lithium-ion batteries and battery systems for the transportation, electric grid and commercial markets. We guess the battery problem will soon be fixed by the battery manufacturers themselves.

Air-less Bridgestone Air-less Recyclable Tires Unveiled inTokyo 2011/2102

2012-01-03T20:55:00.000+02:00

Air-less Bridgestone Air-less Recyclable Tires Unveiled inTokyo 2011/2102
Close on the heels of the introduction of airless tires by Michelin, Bridgestone has now come up with the airless models which are 100 percent recyclable. Michelin had recently introduced their airless tires under the trade name Tweel, which is the trend setter of the variant. The material used by Bridgestone for the concept is flexible, durable and recyclable.

Bridgestone Air-less Recyclable Tires Unveiled inTokyo 2011/2102

The new variant of automobile tires has a lot of advantages like; you don’t have to fear a highway blowout or a puncture in the midst of an excursion. Bridgestone introduced their product in Tokyo Motor Show recently. The model features a mesh of spokes that are made of thermoplastic resin.

Air-free tires are safer, less wasteful and environment friendly in comparison with conventional pneumatic tires. Pneumatic tires have a chance to incur puncture, in which case it is irritable to continue your pleasure trip.

Bridgestone Air-less Recyclable Tires Unveiled inTokyo 2011/2102

Moreover, the thermoplastic resin can be recycled back into a new tire, eliminating the risk of safer decomposition. It saves room for a spare tire and increases the baggage space.

The airless tire showcased by Bridgestone at Tokyo Motor Show is nine inches in diameter, and has a capacity to support a weight of 150kg, according to the company.

Overall, the product is convenient for your daily activities, apart from the fact that the spoke needs special protection from getting objects lodges in it. Until now, the company has been testing the tire in one seat vehicles, and they would soon scale up the technology to commercial stage.

Bridgestone Air-less Recyclable Tires Unveiled inTokyo 2011/2102

Chesapeake Bay gets a flexible diet 2012

2011-11-04T06:44:00.002+02:00

Chesapeake Bay gets a flexible diet 2012

Spend our money more wisely.

I think that’s what the average person wants from government. We’re not extremists. We don’t want government spending indiscriminately on programs that don’t work, nor do we want government indiscriminately slashing spending in a way that only makes our problems worse. We want leaders who are good with money — our money.

That’s why we’re so disappointed with some officials (perhaps the minority) who are condemning a plan to put the Chesapeake Bay region under a “pollution diet.” All six bay states have agreed that a further reduction in pollution entering creeks, rivers and the bay is important, and they have laid out plans to meet the diet. It is now up to local governments to decide how they can help. If local leaders choose wisely from a menu of diet options, rather than rejecting the diet completely, they can save us significant amounts of money.

Topics

Chesapeake Bay

Local Government

Fishing
See more topics »
Here’s one example. Currently, taxpayers subsidize sprawl development — often large houses on former farmland far away from shops, schools and other services. We pay for the public roads and other public facilities that have to be improved to accommodate that remote, rural development. Maryland could save $15 billion over the next 25 years if it developed more wisely and encouraged construction closer to towns, according to the University of Maryland National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education.

Smart growth is on the diet menu.

Chesapeake Bay gets a flexible diet 2012

Here’s another example. Local governments and homeowners still are adding up costs from recent floods. Big storms will always cause damage, but we’ve made flooding worse by paving the landscape. We can help reduce it by improving the system of pipes, gutters and retention ponds that drain water after a storm. That will mean reduced property damage from flooding, reduced cleanup costs from sewer overflows and lowered costs for drinking water.

Homeowners, for instance, could save between $6,700 and $9,700 per acre in property damage from a significant (but increasingly more frequent) storm if modest efforts were funded to slow runoff upstream, according to a study of a Chicago suburb by the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.

Success stories abound of cities and counties around the Chesapeake Bay region spending money wisely to reduce and treat runoff to reap ecological and economic benefits. Virginia Beach reduced the amount of contaminated runoff into Lynnhaven Bay, Broad Bay and Linkhorn Bay. Water quality improved so much that Virginia authorities lifted a ban on harvesting shellfish in more than 1,400 acres.

In Western Maryland, federal, state and local governments, along with community volunteers, teamed up to stabilize and protect George’s Creek in from erosion and agricultural runoff. The work eased downstream flooding, stopped 2,200 tons of sediment a year from entering the stream, and brought back central stonerollers, rosyside dace and other fish species to the creek.

Stormwater management is on the diet menu.

Chesapeake Bay gets a flexible diet 2012

Without a doubt, there will be short-term costs in every county to meet the diet. The heart-healthy section of a menu is not free. But various local governments have found creative ways to get the job done at reasonable cost. In the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, for instance, officials originally came up with scary estimates for their stormwater management costs, but they cut that estimate by 60 percent using cost-effective strategies such as street sweeping, restored wetlands and special landscaping. Every locality is different, but savings can be discovered everywhere.

The important thing to remember is that local elected officials will make their own choices about how to meet the pollution diet. No one will dictate their strategies. They can, and should, select cost-effective measures that meet their community’s needs.

Chesapeake Bay gets a flexible diet 2012

We’ve made significant progress in improving the water quality in our rivers and streams. We’re more than halfway to the goals we set 20 years ago for a restored Chesapeake Bay. But dead zones, sewage overflows and beach closings that dominated the headlines this summer demonstrate that we have a long way to go. The pollution diet is a solid plan to finish this important work.

Obviously, nobody should be told they have to diet in their personal life. But government has the responsibility to protect our health and welfare. State and county governments throughout the region have agreed that safeguarding our water is a critical government function. A commitment to clean water will produce jobs in the seafood, tourism, construction and recreational fishing industries. Most importantly, it will pay off in healthy families.

Kim Coble is the Maryland executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. This article is distributed by Bay Journal News Service.

Different Ways to Cook Artichokes 2012

2011-11-04T06:42:00.004+02:00

Different Ways to Cook Artichokes 2012

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is a widely eaten vegetable, especially in Europe and Northern Africa, with the leaves and heart of this veggie being consumed. Artichoke is very high in antioxidants; research says that its antioxidant content is one of the highest among vegetables. It’s the leaves that pack in the major health benefits as compared to the heart. The leaves aid in relieving indigestion, increasing bile flow which is beneficial in the digestion of fat, and reducing cholesterol. With low calorie content and high fiber, this is one vegetable you must add to your diet. And it’s not difficult to cook too. It can be fried, steamed or boiled (whole), grilled, used to make dips, and salads, or even chopped and used as stuffing in main dishes. Let us see how to cook artichokes in different ways so you can reap the health benefits of this wonderful vegetable.

Selecting and Prepping the Artichoke

Pick an artichoke that is green and feels heavy with compact leaves that are densely packed together. You may find dark, blister-like spots on the leaves which can be caused by frost. But these are harmless, and in no way alter the taste and freshness of the vegetable. Do not buy artichokes that have a tinge of purple, as purple leaves imply that the artichoke is old and over-ripe.

Wash the artichoke thoroughly to get rid of any dirt that may be stuck between the leaves, then snip off the stems, such that the artichoke should be able to stand upright. Then cut an inch off the tip of the veggie. The outer leaves of an artichoke bear thorny tips, so carefully snip off all the spikes. Rub the leaves with lemon juice to prevent browning. Using your fingers separate the leaves. Pull out the bunch of purple leaves in the center of the artichoke to reveal the choke, which is covered with fine fuzz. Take a melon scooper and scoop out the choke. Rub lemon juice over the prepared artichoke so it does not turn brown.

Easy Ways to Cook Artichokes

Different Ways to Cook Artichokes 2012

Boiling
Add water to a pan and bring to a boil. Place the artichoke upright in it, lower the heat, and let the water simmer. Typically, an artichoke cooked this way should be done in 30 to 45 minutes. To ensure the artichoke stays fully immersed in water, cover the pan with a lid. Add a dash of salt or grated lemon zest to the water to retain the color and flavor of the artichoke. Alternatively, add a few cloves of garlic to the water for added flavor. To check if it is done, insert a knife near the stem. It should slide in easily. Before eating, place the artichoke upside down on a paper towel to drain off excess water.

Steaming
Bring water to a boil in a steaming basket, to which salt and lemon juice have been added. Place the artichokes stem side down on a rack and place the rack in the basket and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for 45 minutes, or till the artichokes get cooked. Keep an eye on the water level, if it gets too dry, add more water. Before consuming them, drain off excess water by placing them on a paper towel.

Grilling
You can grill artichokes that have been previously steamed or boiled. Take a pre-cooked artichoke and slice it lengthwise. Rub olive oil over it. Place the artichoke on the grill and cook till it reaches the desired level of crispness, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes. Rotate a couple of times so they are evenly grilled. Grilling imparts a delicious smoky flavor to the artichokes and grilled artichokes taste best when served with dips and mayonnaise.

Microwaving
Wrap a freshly washed artichoke in a microwave-safe plastic bag and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending upon the size of the artichoke and power of your microwave. If you do not have a plastic bag, take a microwave-safe bowl and add a little water and a few drops of lemon juice to it. Put the artichokes in the bowl, stem side up, cover with a lid and microwave. Do not secure the lid tightly. In either case, turn the artichoke once halfway through the cooking time.

Different Ways to Cook Artichokes 2012

Baking
Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Rub olive oil and lemon juice all over the artichoke, including between the leaves. Sprinkle salt and pepper over it. Take an aluminum foil and wrap the artichoke in it and place on the oven rack. Baking should take approximately an hour. It tastes good when topped with melted butter or dipped in hollandaise sauce.

A little time and effort in the preparation is required for cooking artichokes, but their flavor compliments a variety of foods. Did you know that artichoke is also used to prepare tea? Yes! Take 8-10 leaves, chop them, and add them to 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Brew for 5 minutes. Strain the leaves. If you like it sweet, add honey or sugar to the tea. This herbal tea is supposed to be beneficial for the liver. For your next meal, cook artichokes using any one of the methods mentioned above before using them in a dish, or try to come up with your own innovative recipes involving artichokes. Add chopped artichokes to pasta and risotto or use them in an omelet and scrambled eggs, the list is endless.

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer 2012

2011-11-04T06:41:00.002+02:00

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer 2012

Solo GI Smart Energy Bar

“If we are to slow the growth of Diabesity, we need to modify the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to encourage consumers to consider the blood sugar impact equal to the nutrient content when choosing a food or beverage.”

Saul Katz

Kelowna, British Columbia (PRWEB) November 01, 2011

USDA’s interest protects that of Industry — not the American public, conclude leading researchers Water C. Willett, MD, PhD, and David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD in their article, “The 2010 Dietary Guidelines — The Best Recipe for Health?” published in the prestigious peer-reviewed The New England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 26, 2011; pp 1563-1565). Saul Katz, Founder and CEO of Solo-GI Nutrition, inventor of the popular SoLo GI® Bar and pioneer in raising awareness of how low-GI foods positively impact health, is in full agreement.

The two leading authorities from Harvard School of Public Health and the Childrens Hospital in Boston chastised the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for pandering to “agro-industrial interests” in the creation of the newly developed 2010 Dietary Guidelines, in a closed-door process that relied on “outdated and flawed studies.”

The authors point out that the USDA bowed to “big food” thereby compromising the health of Americans and particularly those most reliant on government programs. The authors argue that while directing Americans to limit the fat content of their diet is commendable, the Dietary Guidelines promote the increased consumption of carbohydrates without however distinguishing between high glycemic (high GI) refined starches and low glycemic (low GI) carbohydrates proven to be more healthful. The USDA missed an opportunity, state the authors. Notwithstanding the current administration, motivated by First Lady Michelle Obama’s personal campaign against childhood obesity, because the Dietary Guidelines dictate government programs, “the diets of millions of Americans who participate in school-lunch programs remain loaded with refined carbohydrates in an effort to reduce fat as a proportion of total calories….”

The authors state that, “The original Food Guide Pyramid, which encouraged substituting grain products for dietary fat (irrespective of their nutritional quality), may have inadvertently contributed to epidemics of metabolic syndrome and related chronic diseases by increasing refined-starch consumption.” The new MyPlate depiction of Dietary Guidelines“ is inherently constrained, most notably by failures to distinguish between whole grains and refined grain products.”

The researchers point out that, “Although eating of whole grains is encouraged, half of recommended grain intake may be in the form of refined carbohydrates, which provide many unneeded calories and cause adverse metabolic consequences.” Citing a 2008 meta-analysis of observational studies of Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Chronic Disease Risk,1 “the quality of carbohydrates , as characterized by their glycemic index, is dismissed as unimportant, whereas we believe the evidence strongly suggests the opposite.”

The authors rebuke the USDA for not paying proper attention to the Glycemic Index, a now globally recognized and utilized tool that could help address the growing worldwide epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The Glycemic Index is the only scientific measure of how fast and how high a carbohydrate containing food raises blood sugar, the lower and slower the better. The culprit, refined grains and processed carbohydrates, rank high on the Glycemic Index because they are easily digested and cause a rapid and significant rise of blood sugar and insulin levels. In contrast, low-GI foods, such as the Solo GI® Low Glycemic Bar, are formulated and clinically validated to have a much more gradual and healthy effect on blood sugar, raising it more slowly which is better for managing weight, sustaining energy and disease prevention.

In their article about the newest food guidelines, Willet and Ludwig boldly assert that “A clearer message would be that Americans must reduce the consumption of red meat, cheese, butter, and sugar, but that message would have offended powerful industries.“

Concurring with these internationally recognized authorities, Katz explains why the food industry leaned so heavily on the USDA not to distinguish the good low GI carbohydrates from the problematic refined starches; “The agro-food industrial complex has a vested interest to continue the consumption of refined (high glycemic) carbohydrates, notwithstanding their contribution to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, gout and dental caries. For example, clinical studies evidencing the benefits of low glycemic foods, such as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study by the author Dr. David Ludwig at the Children’s Hospital in Boston using the company’s Solo GI® Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars in a study with Obese Pregnant Woman evidenced that a low GI diet is better for both the mother and infant than the conventional low fat diet.2 A second clinical study by the NIH using Solo Gi® Bars with children with Type 1 diabetes also evidenced positive results.3 Marian L. Neuhouser, PhD, RD, of the Cancer Prevention Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and lead investigator in an NIH funded clinical study using Solo Gi® Bars concurs, “Whole grains and other foods with a low glycemic index are beneficial and an important component of a healthy diet. Not all carbohydrates are created equal; those with a low GI should selected over those with a high GI and little nutritional value.”

Katz continued, “’big food’ prefers to push processed carbohydrates as they have not incorporated low GI into their product development process. They would compromise their revenue stream if they educated the public to properly choose low-GI over high-GI food choices. If one was cynical, they might believe that big food prefers the status quo perpetuating the viscous spike, crash and crave cycle, caused by high glycemic foods and beverages, notwithstanding their established contribution to these inter-linked epidemics.”

Katz further elucidates that the USDA is a politically driven body charged with creating and implementing public policy. In doing so, it must carefully weigh the interests of the agriculture industry as well as that of public health and herein lies the art of compromise, putting millions of people at risk for developing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease against the interest of the agricultural and food industries. “Drs. Willett and Ludwig support our staunchly unwavering belief that when it comes to public health — and the ability to prevent the onset of these disease states — compromise is not only wrong, it is unsound and unacceptable. Compromising on the side of big business makes the USDA an accomplice endangering the health of millions.”

He concludes, “for those paying attention, Drs. Willett and Ludwig point out the problem and offer a sensible solution. We need to raise the bar in the food industry, and teach consumers a very simple, logical practice: it is not about ‘no carb’ or ‘low carb’ it’s about ‘smart carb’ and ‘slow carb,’ which is why the authors place so much emphasis on the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index can be instrumental in helping industry to develop responsible products that become part of the solution instead of compounding the problem. Expanding upon the authors sentiments, if we are to slow the growth of Diabesity, we need to modify the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to encourage consumers to consider the blood sugar impact equal to the nutrient content when choosing a food or beverage.”

About SoloGI® Nutrition Inc.

Solo GI Nutrition is at the forefront of the low GI – blood sugar management movement. Solo Gi® Bars were developed in collaboration with the inventors of the Glycemic Index at the University of Toronto. Each Solo GI® Bar is clinically validated and listed on the International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values.4 Solo GI® Bars were ranked among the Top Ten Best Choice Snacks by the Children’s Nationwide Snackwise Program against 750 snacks rated. The bars have become a benchmark in the scientific community having been used in several independent low GI studies by leading scientific institutions. 2,3 Solo GI® Bars are used by numerous professional sport teams and elite athletes for sustained energy, optimal nutrition and exceptional taste.

1. Barclay et.al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008;87:627-37).

2. Glycemic Load and Infant Birth Weight in Pregnant Overweight/Obese Women; David Ludwig, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital Boston,AJCN. First published ahead of print October 20, 2010 as doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.30130. The study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the Thrasher Research Fund; the National Institutes of Health; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the New Balance Foundation

3. The Effect of a Low-Glycemic Diet VS a Standard Diet on Blood Glucose Levels and Macronutrient Intake in Children with Type 1 Diabetes. NIH study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Assoc. 2009;109:303-307.

4. Diabetes Care; First published ahead of print, online October 3, 2008; International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008; Fiona S. Atkinson (RD), Kaye Foster-Powell (RD), Jennie C. Brand-Miller (PhD), Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

For more information or to request a photograph or samples, please contact info(at)solo-gi(dot)com.

Contact: Saul Katz, President

Solo GI Nutrition Inc.

250-681-4551 (PST)

skatz(at)solo-gi(dot)com

HCG Diet News: The HCG Diet Plan Works Better With New Diet Guide That Allows 2012

2011-11-04T06:40:00.005+02:00

HCG Diet News: The HCG Diet Plan Works Better With New Diet Guide That Allows 2012

HCG Diet Fat Release With Tablets And Chocolate

The Fat Release System HCG Diet Plan works better when dieters are allowed to eat the company’s Free Healthy Dark Chocolate during their HCG Diet

(PRWEB) November 02, 2011

The Fat Release System HCG Diet provided by True Healthy Products now allows their HCG dieters to eat the companies Free Healthy Dark Chocolate with their diet. The company started offering it’s healthy dark chocolate “The Doctors Chocolate” over a year ago with their HCG Diet program and dieters are reporting back that eating the chocolate has been a huge component that helps them be successful.

The company offers the Fat Release System new HCG Chocolate Diet guide for free at their web site: http://www.fatreleasesystem.com

The HCG Diet has been around for over 50 years and is a diet you must follow strictly to get results. True Healthy Products, creators of the Fat Release System couples its HCG Diet with healthy dark chocolate to make dieting just a bit easier. Most people will fail when dieting as they have trouble fighting sugar cravings, the company’s healthy chocolate is a safe way to satisfy the craving and keep you on track with the diet.

When thinking of chocolate you may think how can eating chocolate be an appropriate food to consume on a diet, but the diet friendly chocolate referred to in this program, The Doctor’s Chocolate, is known to actually help you lose weight.

Kristy form Florida reports back to the company, “This diet is unique because it allows you to eat the chocolates while on a diet that allows a variety of nutritious foods. It is very easy to stick with and it works. I lost 18 pounds and have been able to keep it off”.

Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby, creator of the chocolate claims that it helps with appetite suppression, is an all natural stress and tension reducer, increases mental alertness and focus, lowers PMS irritability, promotes improved personal relationships and reduces sugar cravings. The chocolate has 20 calories and 3 carbohydrates per serving, tastes like luxury chocolate, and is diabetic safe.

The company also used this healthy chocolate in their post HCG Diet “The Simple Chocolate Diet”. It is a simple eating and nutrition plan to healthy long term eating.

This program is simple and easy for anyone to implement. The diet plan is free and can be found at: http://www.simplechocolatediet.com

True Healthy Products is an all natural nutrition company offering a wide range of products from healthy dark chocolate, HCG diet programs, all natural sports nutrition products, organic skin care and whole food vitamin supplements.

To learn more about the Fat Release System, Simple Chocolate Diet and other nutritional products that are all natural and truly good for you visit: http://www.truehealthyproducts.com

Toll Free: 888-400-2920

2460 N Courtenay Parkway, #210

Merritt Island, FL 32953

USA

Is Scarlet Fever Contagious? 20122

2011-11-04T06:40:00.001+02:00

Is Scarlet Fever Contagious? 20122

Outbreaks of scarlet fever have reduced considerably over the last few decades, and now, most of the cases of scarlet fever reported are not severe and can be treated within a couple of weeks, at the most. The more severe cases are becoming rarer. What exactly is this scarlet fever? How is it caused? And is it contagious? The following paragraphs will solve these doubts.

Scarlet Fever – An Overview

Scarlet fever was a really serious disease till just a few decades ago, when the first preliminary vaccine was developed in 1924, by a husband-wife duo – Gladys and George Dick. Then came penicillin in the 1940s. Till then there were many fatalities due to this disease. There have been quite a few epidemics of scarlet fever throughout history, with some of the worst epidemics being recorded between 1735-1740 in New England, 1764 in Boston, 1787 in Maine, 1861-1862 in Fredericksburg, and 1908 in New York. This disease, caused by the streptococcal bacteria, is contagious from the time one contracts it, to 24 hours after the treatment has started. Its symptoms include-

sore throat
swollen red tongue
fever
chills
pinkish red rash all over the body
muscle aches
abdominal aches
headaches
Scarlet fever is common in children, but rare in adults. The treatment for scarlet fever is generally antibiotic, which can cure the fever in a week’s time, though it still takes around 3 – 4 weeks for the rash to disappear completely.

Is Scarlet Fever Contagious?

Scarlet fever is highly contagious. As soon as a person contracts scarlet fever, the person becomes contagious to those around him. The bacteria causing scarlet fever reside in the throat, mouth, nose, or on the skin. Scarlet fever usually spreads through water droplets expelled by the affected person, when he coughs or sneezes, and also through his saliva and mucus. When dealing or interacting with a person affected with scarlet fever, it is best to wear a mask so that you do not breathe in the water droplets. Also, avoid using the same utensils as the affected person, to avoid contracting the illness by coming in contact with his saliva.

The infected person may take anywhere between 2 – 6 days to develop the fever. Once the treatment starts, the person is still considered contagious for the next 24 hours, after which the fever is brought under control, and is no more contagious. However, if treatment is not sought, the person can remain contagious for 2 – 3 weeks or even more, depending on whether he has a mild or severe case of the fever. After the treatment has begun, the patient is advised to avoid visiting public areas such as gardens, schools, etc., where he/ she will come in contact with other people, and possibly spread the disease. The patient may have to be quarantined for a couple of days, if the case is severe.

Antibiotics act quickly to make the infection noncontagious, however, the patient has to be careful till the day after his treatment has started, and avoid contact with other people as much as possible. The course of the antibiotics has to be completed even though the fever may start to subside in just a day or two. Stopping the course midway may cause a relapse. When dealing with other people while still contagious, the patient must follow some precautions like sneezing and coughing into a handkerchief, and using a separate set of utensils, so that he does not infect others.

Simple measures will help in avoiding the spread of the bacteria causing scarlet fever, and if these are followed properly, then the chances of contracting the illness from someone are reduced greatly. Make sure the patient gets proper medical attention as soon as possible after the symptoms show, so that he remains contagious for a lesser amount of time, and recovers faster.

Children on Diets?: Healthy Eating 2012

2011-11-04T06:37:00.002+02:00

Children on Diets?: Healthy Eating 2012

From Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig – Southbeach to Atkins … diets are big business. According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Americans spend more than 40 Billion dollars a year on weight loss programs and products.

But what about our children? Should *they* ever be put on a diet?

“No. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” said local mom, Carol Weller.

“I think diet and fat are not words that are appropriate at that age,” said local mom, Angela Amico.

Doctor Jim Ed Martin is a pediatrician at Professional Park Pediatrics in Tallahassee – and says adults should watch their words when it comes to children and weight.

“I think anything that centers on image and how you’re supposed to look or putting some sort of qualification on how good of a person you are or what you can do with your life as a result, those things are bad,” said Jim Ed Martin, M.D., Pediatrician.

But he says the foods a child eats and his or her weight *is* an issue that often needs to be addressed, one way or another.

“I’ve definitely told parents that a child medically needs to lose weight and a child’s diet needed to be adjusted,” said Dr. Martin.

So what exactly should our children be eating from day to day?
According to the Department of Agriculture’s new My-Plate Guide – children need Fruits, Veggies, Grains, Protein and Dairy, with at least half of their plate being filled by the first two.

Over at Tom Brown Park, we found Terria McKinney’s Pre-K class enjoying lunch outside with many healthy foods.

“They need a well-balanced lunch to stay focused in the classroom,” said Terria McKinney

Nutritionist Amy Magnuson says, children are very good at self-regulation, but that internal indicator is often suppressed as additional factors come into play.

Children on Diets?: Healthy Eating 2012

“Kids are typically mindful eaters which means they know when they’re hungry and they know when they’re full and it’s really not until we get involved or society gets involved or other pressures that push them to not eat when they’re hungry or to overeat when they’re full,” said Amy Magnuson, Ph.D., Health Promotion Director and Nutritionist at Florida State University.

Those pressures can in turn lead to issues with image, self esteem and even proper growth during the early and adolescent years.
So how can parents keep their children at a healthy weight *and* in a healthy frame of mind?

“Being a good role model is probably the most important thing a parent can do,” said Magnuson.

Posted in Diet programs | Tags: Diet programs, plan diet | No Comments »
How to Make a Moist Cake
November 2nd, 2011 | Author: admin

We all know how simple it is to bake a cake, whether you bake it from scratch at home or use a premixed cake product. But baking a cake that retains its moisture and remains soft on the inside is a skill that must be learned with time. A cake may taste good, but if it’s crumbly and hard, there’s absolutely no fun eating it. So then, how do you bake a moist cake? The answer lies in using the right blend of ingredients baked at the right temperature to get a cake that’s moist to the core. And this comes with a lot of practice. There is no single recipe that will yield the best results. And that’s because ingredients, cooking styles, and even ovens vary. What works best for one baker might not give the same result for another. You may need to bake several times in order to get that perfect recipe. So here are a few tips that will up your chances of baking a rich, moist cake.

Suggestions for Baking a Moist Cake

The ingredients you use and their proportions make a big difference to the texture of the cake. More the content of fat and sugar, the more moist your cake will turn out to be. So add more sugar, and an extra dollop of oil to your cake. If the recipe you follow asks you to add 1 cup sugar, add an extra ⅓rd cup. Oil works best as it retards the production of gluten, which can strip a cake of its moisture leaving it dry and crumbly.
The flour and eggs provide the protein which aids in setting up the cake batter. Egg whites, in particular, can make the cake lose its moisture. To avoid this, separate the egg white from the yolk and discard it.
Do not use margarine in place of butter. Butter contains more fat, which is required for a moist cake.
Other popular moistening ingredients you can use are applesauce, sour cream, and mayonnaise. But don’t be too generous with these, or you may end up with a soggy mess.
Often, a pudding mix will help the cake become more moist. Add pudding mix to the cake batter and you will have a cake that’s nice and moist.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly to produce a smooth batter. Make sure that everything is fully assimilated into the batter, since this will make sure that your cake turns out as moist as you want it to be.
Use aluminum pans for baking your cake, which are best suited for use in ovens since the cakes will have a nice, golden-brown crust. Liberally coat the pan with a baking spray and flour to avoid the cake from sticking to it. Always place the pan in the center of the oven.
The baking process is another important factor which decides whether the cake will be moist or not. Buy an oven thermometer to check the oven temperature when you bake the cake. Insufficient baking will result in a cake with a molten center inside, and overbaking will leave you with a cake that’s dry and hard.
If you do not plan to eat the cake immediately, cover or wrap it and store it in the refrigerator so it does not dry out.
If you want to moisten a cake that’s crusty and dry, add sugar syrup to it. To make the sugar syrup, add ½ a cup of sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice (use one orange) to one cup of water and boil this mixture till the sugar dissolves completely. Once it cools, drizzle this syrup over the dry cake, and you will have a cake that’s delicious and super moist!
Recipe for a Moist Cake

Children on Diets?: Healthy Eating 2012

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1⅓ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
A box of instant pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
Nonstick cooking spray
Method
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, pudding mix, and baking powder. In a smaller bowl, beat the egg yolks and add to the dry mixture. Add the butter and oil and whisk all the ingredients well, ensuring that the cake mix is not lumpy. But be careful not to overwhisk, as this might cause the cake to turn dry and brittle as it cools down. Preheat the oven for a few minutes till you reach the desired baking temperature of 350°F. Grease a pan with the nonstick cooking spray and then sprinkle flour on it. Pour the cake mix into the pan and bake it for half an hour at 350°F. Monitor the oven to check if the cake is set. To test if the cake is done, insert a toothpick into it. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Children on Diets?: Healthy Eating 2012

This is one of the easiest moist cake recipes you can try out. But as mentioned earlier, it might take you a few tries before you hit on the right recipe that yields the right kind of moist cake you want. Be prepared to land up with cakes that will be either too hard because you overbaked, or with a mushy center as a result of improper baking. Unless you bake a lot, you will not know what things you need to modify to get a cake that’s soft inside. After all, practice makes perfect!

How to Prevent Tonsil Stones 2012

2011-11-04T06:36:00.002+02:00

How to Prevent Tonsil Stones 2012

Clinically termed as tonsilloliths, tonsil stones are calcified structures that develop in the tonsils. Tonsils are situated at the back of an individual’s throat. There are two tonsils in the human body which are placed in pocket-like structures. The crevasses in these tonsils are places where tonsil stones develop. Bacteria, food material, mucous and dead cells get trapped in the nooks of tonsils and eventually harden which, upon calcification, appear as white stones. Tonsil stones commonly occur in individuals suffering from chronic tonsillitis or frequent bouts of tonsil inflammation. Like any medical condition, tonsil stones affect the well-being of individuals. Bad breath, sore throat, tonsil inflammation and difficulty in swallowing are associated with this condition which can hamper daily activities to a great extent. Next section of this article deals with measures on how to prevent tonsil stones from developing in the oral cavity.

Prevention of Tonsil Stones or Tonsilloliths

✓ It is extremely important to maintain good oral hygiene to prevent the formation of tonsil stones.

✓ Brushing teeth twice daily and if possible, after every meal, helps in the removal of clogged food particles and other debris that get accumulated in the teeth crevices. This also prevents the growth of bacteria in the mouth which is responsible for producing bad breath associated with tonsil stones.

✓ Generally, brushing is not sufficient to remove plaque deposited in and around the teeth. To achieve complete plaque removal, flossing daily or at regular intervals is also required.

✓ Scraping of tongue after brushing must be done to remove sulfur-producing anaerobic bacteria that reside beneath the tongue surface. These bacteria produce volatile sulfur compounds which, along with accumulated debris in the tonsils, result in tonsil stones.

✓ Gargling four times daily can help in keeping the mouth bacteria-free all through the day and prevent bad breath. An alcohol-free mouthwash or a simple salt-water gargle can serve this purpose.

✓ Oxygenating toothpaste and mouthwash can help individuals who have recovered from tonsil stones in controlling excessive bad breath which they develop due to this problem.

✓ Increasing the intake of water is necessary for preventing tonsil stones, as drinking water frequently keeps the mouth moist and flushes out trapped food particles.

✓ Consumption of beverages like tea, coffee, aerated drinks , which have significant sugar content, must be reduced as they contribute in bacterial growth which may result in tonsil stones.

✓ Alcoholic beverages must be avoided, first, because they are not good for overall health of an individual and second, because they cause excessive drying of mouth which may either cause bad breath or increase its severity in individuals already suffering from tonsil stones.

✓ Smoking is injurious to health and can increase the chances of developing diseases in the oral cavity. Therefore, it is better to quit smoking to avoid these dangers and have fresh breath.

✓ Food must not be consumed at least one hour before sleeping at night, as food particles can get trapped in the nooks of tonsil and lead to stones.

✓ Dairy products enhance the formation of tonsil stones as they are high in calcium content and promote mucous formation, these two being major components of tonsil stones. Limiting the intake of milk and milk products is therefore a solution to this problem.

People who are highly susceptible to tonsil stones, like those suffering from tonsillitis, may still develop this problem. Small stones are usually removed using a Waterpik water jet or a blunt object along with a cotton swab. This has to be done very carefully and gently so that no harm is caused to the tonsils. A dental irrigator is also a safe and easy way to get rid of tonsil stones. Besides these, doctors prescribe specific mouthwashes that have the ability of dissolving such stones. When none of these methods work, surgical removal of tonsilloliths becomes necessary. Consultation with a physician is necessary when taking up any of these preventive measures, as he is capable of analyzing what is fit for an individual. These preventive measures greatly reduce the chances of tonsil stone formation and the unnecessary suffering that comes along with it.

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

2011-11-04T06:35:00.001+02:00

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

Thank you. (Operator Instructions) And we’ll take our first question from Greg Badishkanian with Citi. Please go ahead.

Gregory Badishkanian – Citi

Great. Thanks. Really interested to hear a little bit about 2012 to the extent that you can; how big of a part of kind of the innovation is going to be kind of celebrities versus changes in the product? Which is going to be you think more innovative?

Joseph Redling

Well I think, Greg, it’s going to be a combination of the two. This is probably the most significant reformulation of our program that we’ve done I would say since Nourish back in 2005 before I was even in the company. But equally important we believe to communicate that type of newness and innovation, a new credible face is really important and we’re very, very excited about the individual we have as our new brand ambassador for women and also for men. So we think they’re really equally important. The whole idea is to have a product that has new news that attracts a much broader segment of consumers and to have marketing that’s very compelling. We believe when you put a new iconic face on the brand like we’re planning to do it could have a pretty significant impact.

Gregory Badishkanian – Citi

When will all that hit? Is that going to be kind of late December, early January or…?

Joseph Redling

Yes. We’ll be launching for the 2012 diet season.

Gregory Badishkanian – Citi

Good. And maybe just a little more color on the investment. So, I think it’s – you had mentioned in the press release it looks like it’s about $0.11 in the fourth quarter. So, the investment – that’s not advertising on TV. That’s things that go behind it so that when you launch it next year it’s ready to go, right?

Joseph Redling

Exactly right. It’s really the costs related to securing the new brand ambassadors and all of the production costs that go along with that, which obviously when you have a new spokesperson and a new product those costs are much higher than they would be in a normal year.

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Gregory Badishkanian – Citi

Right. So, last year they were, I imagine, substantially lower than the $5 million…

Joseph Redling

I would say they were sub a million.

Gregory Badishkanian – Citi

All right. Okay. Very substantial. Good. And just kind of looking at – it’s a tough macro. It’s roughly a $300 purchase, so I know that people view it as a discretionary purchase, even though it’s only like $10 a day or something like that. So, how much do you think has to do with that? And was there any – did you notice as you did your competitive analysis, was that – did that have any part to play in terms of maybe the softer sales environment that you’re seeing?

Joseph Redling

It’s a good question. I think we’ve been out there, Greg, very aggressively on pricing. We really plan to go into Q3. We finished the second quarter relatively strong. We had a very – encouraging first couple of weeks of July, which is typically the indicator for the rest of Q3. And we literally saw a very immediate decline as we got into that third and fourth week of July, which led right into a very depressed August.

We had planned to move our pricing back up after the promotions in Q3 and went immediately back to very aggressive price promotions in the third quarter and still kind of fell on deaf ears even with low pricing. So, we were out there with sub $250 price points. So, we didn’t think that there was any need to go lower. We just thought in that environment when consumer confidence dipped so dramatically we just felt that consumers just came out of the market, which lead us to really manage our marketing spend down.

Gregory Badishkanian – Citi

Right. Right. Good, okay. Thanks. Appreciate that.

Operator

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

And we’ll take our next question from Gary Albanese with Auriga.

Gary Albanese – Auriga

Thanks, guys. How much of the top line disappointment is really a continued carry over from the first quarter? You started the – I think you said before you started the year a little weaker, picked up momentum and then it fell off. Is it still the same sort of feeling that you’re getting from the first quarter?

Joseph Redling

Well we clearly – the first quarter was sort of the tale of two chapters. It was a very, very bad January and then a comeback February and a stronger March, actually. We actually grew new customers in the month of March despite the intense competition in the category. What’s affecting us now, Gary, your point is obviously our program revenue quarter-by-quarter is less as you bring in less new customers even though we were very efficient in Q2 in terms of how we acquired customers. We were bringing in – our new customer counts were not growing. We were just optimizing in the quarter for profitability. So, we do have less on-program people moving into the third quarter from Q2, but what really affected us was really the new customer adds really fell off as we moved into August.

Gary Albanese – Auriga

Okay. And going into next year with the marketing spend – it has been a point that to keep the costs low to maximize – your margins in the environment. But how are we supposed to look at this going into the first quarter relative to like the prior year?

Joseph Redling

I mean, our approach is going to be – we have the capability to change our pricing on the fly obviously. So obviously we have a new product, we think we’re going to have pretty compelling marketing. You would typically in a normal environment say it’s a great opportunity to move your gross margins up. Obviously, we’re moving into another tough economic period.

We’re much more confident with the product and the marketing we have gearing up than were last year, but we’re going to be very flexible on the pricing component as we move into January. I mean we would love to have enough demand to move those gross margins up. We’re going to track that as we get into that diet season literally right after Christmas and test the market for how much room we have to move those prices up. But if we can drive demand with low pricing with a compelling new marketing message we may opt for that if that’s the best option for us at the time.

Gary Albanese – Auriga

Okay. Is there anything new to report on the medical side…?

Joseph Redling

We actually – we have a pilot going on in test markets as we speak where we’re taking the programs that we’ve researched over the summer and we actually launched marketing activities in specific markets reaching out to health care professionals. That would run through the end of this quarter. We plan to obviously scale that and expand that as we move into 2012.

The other news on the medical front is we have the final results of our multiple clinicals that are being publicized in the next week or so. And results of those are very positive on the diabetic front, our clinical with Temple and Penn have reinforced the credibility of our diabetic product and the effectiveness of it. We’ll have additional claims – additional clinicals that are completed, which will be very, very important as we message to health care professionals. As you add multiple clinicals to your evidence base, you really drive a higher level of credibility with the program. And we think our adoption on the health care side will be accelerated because of that, so that’s really good news that we have. So, we’re hoping to leverage that as we move into 2012.

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Gary Albanese – Auriga

Okay. Thanks, guys.

Operator

And we’ll take our next question from Mitch Pinheiro with Janney Capital Markets.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Hey. Good afternoon.

David Clark

Good afternoon.

Joseph Redling

Hi, Mitch.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

So what would you say your average pricing or promotional discount was in the quarter? So, if you were down 29% in sales, how much of that was price driven?

Joseph Redling

Our average sales prices was down about $50. So, our average – what we call our ASP, average sales price per order, was just about $250 where it typically it’s $280. So, maybe about – was it $30 bucks – $30 below where we would typically be.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Was that the same – that’s about the same level as it was in the second quarter?

Joseph Redling

Yes. Actually second quarter might have been a little bit lower. We were doing 50% discounts on that. We had anticipated that we’d actually bring those prices up in third quarter, and we were unable to do that in the environment we found ourselves.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Okay. On the GA side, I mean pretty low GA. I mean are you down to the bone here on GA? Will you have to sort of reinvest there should business pick up in next year?

David Clark

Well, we would hope, honestly, because our GA is largely variable because, as you know, 500 to 600 people that work at Nutrisystem are in the call center. And that call center staffing is based on customer demand. So, yes, I mean if we start to see growth, we’ll invest some GA as we have in the past.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Okay. And when it comes to your new celebrity spokespeople, typically in the past I was under the impression that there was little upfront retainer payments. Is this something new? Or is it the fact that this is typical being that you have a brand new spokesperson, and obviously A-list. Is that just the way it works now?

Joseph Redling

Yes. As you move up the food chain, compensation programs change. So, typically in the past when you look at the type of folks that have been in the category, they’ve been B to C level kind of people outside of Nutrisystem and in other categories. Typically for us, when you’re going after someone and this is a very strategic approach for us. This was an outreach to a person who really was at the top of our list. And to be honest, we didn’t believe there was a high probability. But we really leveraged all the resources. We really believe strategically that this was a real transformational type of person that could really re-launch the brand. So, when you get to that level, there are different types of compensation schemes you have to manage through.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

And so this upfront – these upfront – the retainer it’s expensed here predominantly in the fourth quarter, there’s nothing more that gets expensed going forward?

Joseph Redling

There’s a piece of that extend beyond the first year of the agreement. The majority of this is really related to production and development of creative supporting the new celebrity.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Okay. And when do you, I may have missed it, but when will we learn of these people?

Joseph Redling

Soon.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Okay. So, soon. That’s good enough. With regard to new products in the retail channel, how – what type of distribution do you expect? Is this drug and grocery, food, drug and mass? And if so, how much reach do you expect to get?

Joseph Redling

That’s the final stage of our process, Mitch. So, we are evaluating those options right now. There are multiple ways to pilot retail. We are in discussions with the core retailers of who would be really significant in making this a significant business. Obviously, as we look at entering a channel we want that channel to have scale, but we also – we wouldn’t be doing it if we thought it was an insignificant effort. We think it’s a very significant channel for us.

The question we’re managing through now is the timing of that launch and the scale from when you start to what you expect to have within 12 months. We’re working with our partners and advisors on the retail side to help us manage through and navigate the best way to enter these markets strategically. In other words, do you launch at kind of a full distribution right out of the gate? Or do you work with specific partners to get yourself seeded and embedded in merchandise properly before you roll out? So, those are all the aspects of our last stage of this plan as to locking down on what the strategic merchandising plan is and then we can move to execution.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

When do we learn more about that?

Joseph Redling

We’ll have more news on that probably towards the end of the year or early in Q1.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Okay. And then as you look at these products how do you think about cannibalization versus your core programs?

Joseph Redling

That’s a great question. It’s primarily why we’ve spent as much time as we’ve had evaluating this opportunity. As you know, we’ve been working on this for 18 months plus now. And one of the most important things for the management team was to make sure that whatever we do in the retail channel is actually complementary to what we do in Direct and actually could help feed the Direct business. So, the way we think about – if you think about our Direct business being related more toward an accelerated structured weight loss position. You’re eating every meal. It’s all about weight loss. It’s effective weight loss. It’s very restrictive. It’s 28 days. That’s a segment that we’re serving today.

We think retail is much more along the lines of flexible weight management, to give people the opportunity to choose products on an individual one item basis to fit into their own lifestyles for weight management. Not necessarily eating five of our products every day to lose weight, but actually competing in the aisle for share of wallet for people that are just looking for better, healthy choices on healthy snacking and specific meal occasions. So, we do think it’s complementary.

We believe that it’ll provide the opportunity to create a tremendous amount of trial for our products. We believe these products will be very, very high quality products, highly nutritious products that will compete very well in the space that it stands today and we think that ecosystem will help add fuel to both the Direct business and will allow to promote our Direct customers to go to retail as well. So, we’ve really spent a lot of time thinking through how these two businesses would be complementary.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

And does – will you be offering the same products at retail on your website?

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Joseph Redling

Right now the products that we’re thinking about for retail are not the same products that we have in our Direct business. There are different formulations of products. Obviously, having those available for our customers is a pretty easy thing for us to do. A lot of that will depend on where we come out on the merchandizing strategy.

Mitchell Pinheiro – Janney Capital Markets

Okay. All right. Well thanks for the color. Appreciate it.

Joseph Redling

Thanks.

Operator

And we’ll go next to Anand Vankawala with Avondale Partners.

Anand Vankawala – Avondale Partners

Hey. Just have a quick follow-up question. So, regarding your ASPs, if you kept discounting the same between Q2 and Q3 due to the environment, but yet you saw an incremental rise in the ASP between Q2 and Q3, just trying to figure out what exactly is different. Was there a shift in mix? Or did you see more in frozen?

Joseph Redling

Yes. I mean we were doing 50% off in Q2 so we actually had a lower ASP on the first order. What happens there in the quarter depends on timing, right. So, for example, the customers that were getting 50% off in June that was a very low ASP. That was a hundred…

David Clark

$156.

Joseph Redling

$156. The customers that got it in May it was 50% off their first order then that averaged over two orders. So, overall, our ASP was lower in Q2 than it was in Q3.

Anand Vankawala – Avondale Partners

Okay. And then currently just what kind of discounts are you running right now relative to Q3 I guess?

Joseph Redling

I mean we’re – I guess that our ASP is coming in just under about $250. It’s more like a $100 off versus 50% off.

Anand Vankawala – Avondale Partners

Okay. Perfect. Thanks.

Joseph Redling

You’re welcome.

Operator

And we’ll take the next question from Kurt Frederick with Wedbush Securities.

Kurt Frederick – Wedbush Securities

Hi. Thanks. I was wondering on the new marketing campaign you’re doing for this diet, what would be the mix as far as online or TV ad? Is it going to be similar to what you’ve done in the past?

Joseph Redling

Yes. Media, obviously we’re going to engage in all channels as we have in the past. We think that obviously the Web when announcing a new product and a new spokesperson or spokespeople, in addition to the people we’ve had, provides a great opportunity to use social and Web. And we’re going to be leveraging that. As well as, as you can imagine, the PR angle of this; we have quite a bit of new news with not only a new product, but, you know, just a very impressive stable of brand ambassadors, some that have been with us for five years, and some that are relatively new.

So we have a sustainability message and an aspirational new spokesperson message, so that those are all very important. But at the end of the day, our business is still driven. The engine is still broadcast, cable and television and that visible message to create excitement and demand, so we’ll still be leveraging that to the fullest extent.

Kurt Frederick – Wedbush Securities

Okay. And then on the new products, is the margin profile consistent with your current offering?

Joseph Redling

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Yes. Gross margins will be similar based on what our retail price will be. There was some added cost to the product on some of the food components that we’re adding, but overall it’s going to be relatively pretty close to where we are today.

Kurt Frederick – Wedbush Securities

Okay. And then just I was wondering on the share repurchases, as you haven’t done any in the last couple quarters. You have a big share repurchase out there. You have a lot of cash. Stock price is a little depressed. I was wondering if there’s any reason why you wouldn’t be out over the next few weeks to be active.

David Clark

You know we are opportunistic around share repurchases, but a lot goes into it in terms of what we’re looking at from an inventory build; what we’re looking at in terms of expenses in the quarter. So look, the last time we had a $300 million share repurchase authorization, we spent $244 million over a two plus year period. And that’s the reason we authorized another $150 million. The Board and management are committed to returning cash to shareholders. We’ve got a $20 million dividend payout every year, and we’ll use share repurchase as we see fit.

Kurt Frederick – Wedbush Securities

Okay. That’s it from me. Thank you.

Operator

(Operator Instructions) We’ll go next to Ross Berner with Weintraub Capital.

Ross Berner – Weintraub Capital

Hey, guys. Quick – a couple quick questions for you. First what gives you confidence that the business is more stable than appearances would give, given that the lower revenues come down the more you reduce GA and marketing spend; the more marketing spend comes down, the more revenue and top line comes down. So how do you know that we’re now like in a kind of a negative circular spiral?

Joseph Redling

Yes. I mean we’ve seen pockets of growth. We’ve seen, if you look at February, March, May, June, we actually performed pretty well in the face of really intense competitive pressure. So we’re able to see those businesses come back when we have seen losses. When there is this dramatic decline in consumer confidence, I mean we literally were having bets around here about how low it would fall in August because we saw such a clear indication.

And some of that is just a shocking period for consumers. And then that normalizes. Then it gets – then you’re back out in the market. But you have these periods that seem to shock the consumer market and keep it a little bit of – there’s a lot of volatility in that – during that period of time. And then over that period, as you’d extend that into a couple more months, they seem to normalize. The problem that we have with Q4, there’s just no demand there. So there’s not – it’s not like we can bring – do anything and bring it back.

The other thing that kind of ran out on us was we’ve been using price promotion all year. I think our runway just ran out on us. I mean we really didn’t see the response that we saw in the first four or five months of the year once we got into this more challenging demand period. We seem to be back to what we saw in 2009, which was they just weren’t interested, regardless of the price. We don’t think that’s a sustainable marketplace. And what we’re trying to do is make sure that even in a tough economy, there’s evidence that new product, new marketing generates a lot of new interest from outside of your core.

People that – a lot of our customers right now that we’re generating orders from are people that have been with us before. They’re waiting for a good deal. We’re not – we don’t have a lot of opportunity right now to attract that new customer to Nutrisystem because we don’t have the compelling new news to get them to reconsider us or to consider us for the first time. So, we feel that the category, new matters in the category; always has, always will. We think spokespeople really matter as well to get people to consider the product. And as long as your innovation in your new product is real, that it’s not just a marketing spiff, it’s real product innovation, which we believe we have, I think you have the opportunity to really impact your demand flow.

Ross Berner – Weintraub Capital

Joe. And my next question is we’ve really liked you guys, Joe and Dave, we like you guys. You’ve done a really good job in a tough environment managing to the bottom line and keeping costs in check. And we certainly understand that this is a difficult environment. But along those same lines, at certain times we’ve seen some of your competitors show some pretty significant progress at various points in time.

There is a little bit of a waiting for (inaudible) element for the company at this point, the D product in partnering with an HMO and selling into the retail channel and new products and just a re-energizing of the brand in general. So, there’s always been something that’s always going to – it’s always sort of put out there. And yet despite that fact you guys can still generate $50 million to $75 million of EBITDA and CapEx that’s normalized at the low like under $10 million. So, the free cash flow is significant. You can do $40 million to $50 million in free cash flow even at these trough levels.

I guess the question I have as a shareholder is, is it time maybe to look for options to sell the business? Is there a better way that we can monetize the free cash flow nature if that is sustainable at those levels? It’s not meant to be a confrontational question. I just want to hear your answer.

Joseph Redling

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Yes. I don’t take it that way at all, Ross. I appreciate your frankness. I think, listen, we’re all – all of management, especially me and David, we’re really committed to shareholder returns. And if there is – we’ll look at any way to generate incremental shareholder returns for our patient shareholders. We know there’s been a lot of puts and takes to this business over the last couple of years in difficult economies. And we know that a lot of our shareholders have been very patient. We think our dividend helps with that in terms of providing a pretty good yield while you wait for us to try to get the revenue growth going again.

This has really been – this last, I would say eight months to a year have really been a very big focus on changing the way we look at the business. We recognize that to wait for the core business to come back at the levels it once was is probably not realistic. That we have to diversify, expand. We have a great brand. We have talked about retail quite a bit, but we are progressing, pushing that ball forward. Every single quarter we’re making progress and we do expect that that could be a compelling channel for us. Diabetic was – is still a great business for us. And we recognize that to move that business along you need to have more credibility in the healthcare space.

So, these are all initiatives, and revitalizing the core has been one of the most important components of that that are really necessary. And we’re very focused on it. So, we know that this is sort of a wait and see. We understand that. This is kind of show me time. And we believe that we have a lot of the stars aligned despite the macro challenges that we’re looking at moving ahead that we have a very good chance to get this business back on track in 2012.

Operator

And at this time, that does conclude today’s question-and-answer session. I’d like to turn the call back over to you, Mr. Crivelli for any additional or closing remarks.

Joseph Crivelli

Thank you and thanks everyone for joining us today. If you do have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to call the Nutrisystem IR hotline at 610-228-2100. We look forward to speaking to all of you in the near future. Thank you.

Operator

And that does conclude today’s conference. We do thank you for your participation.

Posted in Diet programs | Tags: Diet programs, plan diet | No Comments »
Lychee Allergies
November 3rd, 2011 | Author: admin
Lychee is a tropical and subtropical fruit cultivated around the world but native to China and Southeast Asia. It is an exotic fruit that is becoming popular in Western diets. For this reason, documented cases of lychee allergies are few, new and rising. You can develop an allergic reaction to lychee from consuming raw, fresh or canned varieties of the fruit. Lychee allergies are anaphylactic reactions, which involves the immunoglobulin, IgE, specific to the lychee, although in certain cases of the allergy no lychee-specific IgE was detected.

NutriSystem’s CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Tests for Lyme Disease Tests for Lyme Disease

2011-11-04T06:33:00.003+02:00

Tests for Lyme Disease Tests for Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is common in parts of Eastern United States, and this tick-borne disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of deer ticks. Deer ticks are vectors of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Symptoms include, tiredness, headache, and in some cases flu-like symptoms like fever and depression. Over 80% of patients develop a skin rash known as erythema chronicum migrans, which appears as a painless, red, rash, typically in the form of a bull’s-eye. The innermost circle turns dark red and the skin turns thicker and may feel warm to touch. If not treated on time, the disease may progress and can cause numbness in limbs, facial paralysis, joint pain, memory loss and, in severe cases, meningitis. If detected early, antibiotics are used for its treatment.

Testing for Lyme Disease

Antibody Testing
When an individual gets infected by the bacteria, the human body takes a while to actually begin producing antibodies against it. Once produced, these antibodies stay in the human body forever. These are referred to as immunoglobulin M (IgM), and it can take a few weeks before these are detectable by pathological tests. Hence individuals who are in the early stages of Lyme disease may not show positive test results. In most cases, people who have been infected with Lyme disease for more than a month may have positive test results. There are mainly three types of tests carried out to screen Lyme disease.

IFA (Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay)
This is a test that analyzes and detects Lyme disease antibodies.

ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Serologic Assay)
One of the fastest and most common way to identify the presence of antibodies against Lyme disease. This is a more reliable testing method for Lyme disease as compared to IFA.

Western Blot Test
This test yields more specific results than the tests mentioned above. It is carried out to confirm the findings only when any of the above tests have yielded positive (even borderline positive) results.

Tests for Lyme Disease Tests for Lyme Disease

Test Results
Negative test results for antibody testing can mean that the human body has not made antibodies to fight off the infection, which is possible in early stages of Lyme disease. It might also mean that the level of antibodies is too low for the test to detect. Individuals who had taken antibiotics for this disease may also have negative blood test results. Some people who have undergone ELISA testing may have a false-negative result. This can happen if the individual has been infected with the bacteria from a different region than the one where the ELISA test has been carried out.

In case of positive results, the findings may conclude that the individual is infected with Lyme disease if antibodies are detected. This can also signify that the person is currently suffering from the disease, or had suffered from it in the past. Sometimes, results show a false-positive test, which means that the test shows the presence of antibodies, but these are not for Lyme disease, but other bacterial or viral diseases. In case of a positive test result, PCR testing is usually done which confirms the presence of this disease.

Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing
This test detects the presence of DNA of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. This test is carried out for a patient who is suffering from Lyme disease, and who has not recovered from it even after antibiotic treatment. But there are limitations to this test. The test can be expensive and requires the use of ultramodern testing equipment and technical expertise. Standard testing procedures have not been developed yet, and the chances of false-positive test results is therefore, high.
Tests for Lyme Disease Tests for Lyme Disease

Skin Culture Test
In this test, a tissue sample collected from the infected individual is screened for the presence of bacteria. But this procedure takes a few months and hence, is carried out rarely.

All these tests are carried out using blood sample that is collected from a vein in the arm, or by collecting cerebrospinal fluid using lumbar puncture. Even though PCR actually detects the presence of bacteria, other tests are usually carried out more often, even though they only detect the presence of antibodies. This is calculated in terms of titers, higher titers signify the presence of an infection, but lower titers cannot be relied upon if the level of antibodies present is too low.

Lyme disease is usually treated with a dose of antibiotics, and patients treated in the early stages of an infection can get cured completely. But the best way to prevent this disease is to avoid tick bites. If you live in a tick-infested area, wear covered clothing if you enter a wooded area filled with tall grass and plants. Spray insecticides in your garden, trim overgrown weeds and mow the lawn. Most symptoms of Lyme disease can be confused with symptoms of other ailments as well, so in case you develop any of them, seek prompt medical advice to prevent the condition from worsening.

Popular Diet Schemes & Their Effects

2011-11-04T06:32:00.001+02:00

The Landing of Newport Beach Integrates Nutrition into Addiction Treatment Program 2011
Popular Diet Schemes & Their Effects

DASH Diet

The DASH diet — dietary approaches to stop hypertension — controls high blood pressure, reduces bad cholesterol and lowers your risk of heart attack. Two studies examined subjects following the DASH diet, which is a healthy diet that emphasizes low-fat dairy, fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found the participants in their study lowered their risk of developing high blood pressure by 53 percent and one-third met a goal of eating nine or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that participants in their study reduced their risk of having a heart attack by 18 percent, reduced bad cholesterol by about 8 percent and reduced systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg.

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer

2011-11-04T06:29:00.003+02:00

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer

USDA does not support public health interests, says Solo GI Nutrition CEO Saul Katz

Newswise — Kelowna, British Columbia — USDA’s interest protects that of Industry — not the American public, conclude leading researchers Water C. Willett, MD, PhD, and David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD in their article, “The 2010 Dietary Guidelines — The Best Recipe for Health?” published in the prestigious peer-reviewed The New England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 26, 2011; pp 1563-1565). Saul Katz, Founder and CEO of Solo-GI Nutrition, inventor of the popular SoLo GI® Bar and pioneer in raising awareness of how low -GI foods positively impact health, is in full agreement.

The two leading authorities from Harvard School of Public Health and the Childrens Hospital in Boston chastised the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for pandering to “agro- industrial interests” in the creation of the newly developed 2010 Dietary Guidelines, in a closed-door process that relied on “outdated and flawed studies.”

The authors point out that the USDA bowed to “big food” thereby compromising the health of Americans and particularly those most reliant on government programs. The authors argue that while directing Americans to limit the fat content of their diet is commendable, the Dietary Guidelines promote the increased consumption of carbohydrates without however distinguishing between high glycemic (high GI) refined starches and low glycemic (low GI) carbohydrates proven to be more healthful. The USDA missed an opportunity, state the authors. Notwithstanding the current administration, motivated by First Lady Michelle Obama’s personal campaign against childhood obesity, because the Dietary Guidelines dictate government programs, “the diets of millions of Americans who participate in school-lunch programs remain loaded with refined carbohydrates in an effort to reduce fat as a proportion of total calories….”

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer

The authors state that, “The original Food Guide Pyramid, which encouraged substituting grain products for dietary fat (irrespective of their nutritional quality), may have inadvertently contributed to epidemics of metabolic syndrome and related chronic diseases by increasing refined-starch consumption.” The new MyPlate depiction of Dietary Guidelines“ is inherently constrained, most notably by failures to distinguish between whole grains and refined grain products.”

The researchers point out that, “Although eating of whole grains is encouraged, half of recommended grain intake may be in the form of refined carbohydrates, which provide many unneeded calories and cause adverse metabolic consequences.” Citing a 2008 meta-analysis of observational studies of Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Chronic Disease Risk,1 “the quality of carbohydrates , as characterized by their glycemic index, is dismissed as unimportant, whereas we believe the evidence strongly suggests the opposite.”

The authors rebuke the USDA for not paying proper attention to the Glycemic Index, a now globally recognized and utilized tool that could help address the growing worldwide epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The Glycemic Index is the only scientific measure of how fast and how high a carbohydrate containing food raises blood sugar, the lower and slower the better. The culprit, refined grains and processed carbohydrates, rank high on the Glycemic Index because they are easily digested and cause a rapid and significant rise of blood sugar and insulin levels. In contrast, low-GI foods, such as the Solo GI® Low Glycemic Bar, are formulated and clinically validated to have a much more gradual and healthy effect on blood sugar, raising it more slowly which is better for managing weight, sustaining energy and disease prevention.

In their article about the newest food guidelines, Willet and Ludwig boldly assert that “A clearer message would be that Americans must reduce the consumption of red meat, cheese, butter, and sugar, but that message would have offended powerful industries.“

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer

Concurring with these internationally recognized authorities, Katz explains why the food industry leaned so heavily on the USDA not to distinguish the good low GI carbohydrates from the problematic refined starches; “The agro-food industrial complex has a vested interest to continue the consumption of refined (high glycemic) carbohydrates, notwithstanding their contribution to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, gout and dental caries. For example, clinical studies evidencing the benefits of low glycemic foods, such as a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded study by the author Dr. at the Children’s Hospital in Boston using the company’s Solo GI® Low Glycemic Nutrition Bars in a study with Obese Pregnant Woman evidenced that a low GI diet is better for both the mother and infant than the conventional low fat diet.2 A second clinical study by the NIH using Solo Gi® Bars with children with Type 1 diabetes also evidenced positive results.3 Marian L. Neuhouser, PhD, RD, of the Cancer Prevention Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and lead investigator in an NIH funded clinical study using Solo Gi® Bars concurs, “Whole grains and other foods with a low glycemic index are beneficial and an important component of a healthy diet. Not all carbohydrates are created equal; those with a low GI should selected over those with a high GI and little nutritional value.”

Katz continued, “’big food’ prefers to push processed carbohydrates as they have not incorporated low GI into their product development process. They would compromise their revenue stream if they educated the public to properly choose low-GI over high-GI food choices. If one was cynical, they might believe that big food prefers the status quo perpetuating the viscous spike, crash and crave cycle, caused by high glycemic foods and beverages, notwithstanding their established contribution to these inter-linked epidemics.”

Katz further elucidates that the USDA is a politically driven body charged with creating and implementing public policy. In doing so, it must carefully weigh the interests of the agriculture industry as well as that of public health and herein lies the art of compromise, putting millions of people at risk for developing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease against the interest of the agricultural and food industries. “Drs. Willett and Ludwig support our staunchly unwavering belief that when it comes to public health — and the ability to prevent the onset of these disease states — compromise is not only wrong, it is unsound and unacceptable. Compromising on the side of big business makes the USDA an accomplice endangering the health of millions.”

He concludes, “for those paying attention, Drs. Willett and Ludwig point out the problem and offer a sensible solution. We need to raise the bar in the food industry, and teach consumers a very simple, logical practice: it is not about ‘no carb’ or ‘low carb’ it’s about ‘smart carb’ and ‘slow carb,’ which is why the authors place so much emphasis on the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic Index can be instrumental in helping industry to develop responsible products that become part of the solution instead of compounding the problem. Expanding upon the authors sentiments, if we are to slow the growth of Diabesity, we need to modify the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to encourage consumers to consider the blood sugar impact equal to the nutrient content when choosing a food or beverage.”

About SoloGI® Nutrition Inc.
Solo GI Nutrition is at the forefront of the low GI – blood sugar management movement. Solo Gi® Bars were developed in collaboration with the inventors of the Glycemic Index at the University of Toronto. Each Solo GI® Bar is clinically validated and listed on the International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values.4 Solo GI® Bars were ranked among the Top Ten Best Choice Snacks by the Children’s Nationwide Snackwise Program against 750 snacks rated. The bars have become a benchmark in the scientific community having been used in several independent low GI studies by leading scientific institutions. 2,3 Solo GI® Bars are used by numerous professional sport teams and elite athletes for sustained energy, optimal nutrition and exceptional taste.

Agri-Industry Vested Interests Exposed by Low Glycemic Index Pioneer

1. Barclay et.al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008;87:627-37).
2. Glycemic Load and Infant Birth Weight in Pregnant Overweight/Obese Women; David Ludwig, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital Boston,AJCN. First published ahead of print October 20, 2010 as doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.30130. The study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the Thrasher Research Fund; the National Institutes of Health; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the New Balance Foundation
3. The Effect of a Low-Glycemic Diet VS a Standard Diet on Blood Glucose Levels and Macronutrient Intake in Children with Type 1 Diabetes. NIH study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Assoc. 2009;109:303-307.
4. Diabetes Care; First published ahead of print, online October 3, 2008; International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008; Fiona S. Atkinson (RD), Kaye Foster-Powell (RD), Jennie C. Brand-Miller (PhD), Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

Additional information:
The Effect of a Low-Glycemic Diet vs a Standard Diet on Blood Glucose Levels and Macronutrient Intake in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines — The Best Recipe for Health?

Effects of a low–glycemic load diet in overweight and obese pregnant
women: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Diet Doc hCG Weight Loss Program Announces New Weight Loss Program That Avoids 2011

2011-11-04T06:28:00.000+02:00

Diet Doc hCG Weight Loss Program Announces New Weight Loss Program That Avoids 2011

Losing weight is a complex medical condition requiring the care of a weight loss doctor. Diet Doc can help anybody lose weight – guaranteed.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

Introducing a new medically, supervised weight loss program that avoids metabolism slow down associated with other diets. This process is sometimes called adaptive thermogenesis but can be better thought of as a metabolic slowdown in response to calorie restriction. Several hormones mediate this response, including thyroid, and adrenal catecholamines. Dieting at its simplest has been historically thought of as calories in versus calories out. Create a deficit of 500 calories a day and you should theoretically lose one pound a week (a pound of fat is 3500 calories). While this seems logical enough on paper, it doesn’t always play out for dieters, especially during the maintenance phase.

What seems to actually happen is the body becomes more efficient at what it does and therefore reduces the need for calories. This means BMR is less than predicted and the math which seemed so simple for the last few decades doesn’t work. When this happens the theoretical gap of 500 calories no longer exists and weight loss and weight maintenance becomes very challenging.

Diet Doc hCG Weight Loss Program Announces New Weight Loss Program That Avoids 2011

Most weight loss programs rely on a certain degree of calorie restriction for weight loss and none have any systems in place to account for any degree of adaptive thermogenesis or metabolic slowdown.

hCG weight loss programs, although calorie restrictive don’t trigger the same level of metabolic slowdown as other diets. Due to the effect of hCG on the hypothalamus, fat calories are made available in the blood stream making up the deficit allowing dieters to maintain the same levels on energy production. Diet Doc weight loss programs take it a step further by finding the caloric sweet spot through careful ketone management.

Diet Doc hCG Weight Loss Program Announces New Weight Loss Program That Avoids 2011

Diet Doc’s induction phase into the hCG weight loss program transitions quickly into ketosis, which helps avoid adaptive thermogenesis and the metabolic slowdown associated with it. Increasing the drastic calorie reduction from the original Simmeons protocol not only prevents the metabolic slowdown, but also eliminates the need for the typical 6 week break associated with other hCG programs. Dieters are able to do consecutive months with an average of around 2 to 3 months.

Free Online Diet Plans – Five Things To Keep In Mind 2011

2011-11-04T06:26:00.001+02:00

Free Online Diet Plans – Five Things To Keep In Mind 2011

Diet plans nowadays do not merely focus on achieving a slender body but on a healthy body as well. To get that slim and healthy body without the price tag of expensive diet programs, you can log on to the internet and find a variety of online diet plans for free.

Why an online diet plan?

This type of diet plan is usually free and is a most convenient, practical and cheap source of a healthy meal list. All you need is your computer and an internet connection to access diet plans which you can customize based on your needs.

Online diet plans gives more choices to people who may be allergic to certain types of food or who may have medical conditions which require a customized food list.

Most of the websites which offer free online diet plans have their own success stories. You can read them at your own pace and decide which online diet plan may be good for you. Some of the top online diet websites are the following:

- Ediets.com seems to be a reliable source of free online diet plans. It contains dietary articles about the latest techniques on losing weight. There are also testimonials or inspirational stories that will move you to act and not quit on your journey to a healthy lifestyle.

- Bellaonline.com is a site that houses a lot of free diet plans, as well as reasonably-priced paid plans that won’t put you out of budget.

- Weightlossinternational.com has a variety of free online diet plans that cater to different dietary needs. It gives related information and inspiring stories to motivate readers.

- Southbeachdiet.com is a site that introduces a “seven-day guaranteed diet — the south beach way”. You can try their free online diet plans to learn how the program works. Its premium program, if you decide to pursue it, is however quite expensive.

When you have chosen your online diet plan, you can start your diet program with the following things in mind:

Free Online Diet Plans – Five Things To Keep In Mind 2011

1. Do not skip meals.

Most people think that skipping meals is the best way to lose weight. It may be true that skipping meals may result in dramatic weight loss. This is, however, not a healthy way of dieting. An effective diet program is something that does not deprive you of eating and nourishing your body with the right amounts and kinds of food.

2. Never neglect your health.

Never neglect your health at the expense of starving yourself to death and popping every diet pill you can lay your hands on. Some people have a very shortsighted focus on losing weight without thinking of the long-term effects this could have on them. A different and perhaps better approach could be to remove the idea of losing weight and focus long term on maintaining a healthy lifestyle instead.

3. Don’t let your lifestyle run your menu list.

Most people who have hectic schedules don’t have the time to exercise or shop for healthy foods. Regular exercise and eating healthy is the basis of a healthy body and a balanced weight. You should give time to planning for a nutritious and tasty menu for the week. Cook the meals yourself to ensure that your food is low in fat and rich in the nutrients which your body needs.

4. Continue what you have started.

Free Online Diet Plans – Five Things To Keep In Mind 2011

Most people stop exercising or following their diet plans as soon as they have achieved their desired weight. However, the best way is to keep on living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and stick to a diet plan that you can you can incorporate into your lifestyle quite easily.

5. Don’t compare your diet program with other people’s.

Free Online Diet Plans – Five Things To Keep In Mind 2011

Everyone has a different response to diet plans. The diet program of a friend may not be the right diet plan for your body structure, present physical and medical conditions. It is always best to ask for expert advice – from your doctor, health practitioner or dietitian – before you start on a diet plan or program.

Free Online Diet Plans – Five Things To Keep In Mind 2011

Healthy Diet For Teenagers – Essential For A Long Healthy Life

2011-11-04T06:23:00.004+02:00

Healthy Diet For Teenagers – Essential For A Long Healthy Life Healthy Diet For Teenagers – Essential For A Long Healthy Life

If you have teenagers in your house or do a teen yourself, know what a healthy diet for teenagers looks like are an important piece of information. The most important aspect of a healthy diet for teenagers is that it is, in fact, healthy. While most people think fats are bad, a healthy diet for teenagers actually needs some fats as part of their diet. Healthy diet foods are essential for a long and healthy life.

Healthy and moderate eating gives you an active, slender, and naturally healthy body. Calorie requirements for teens vary just like they do for adults, but on average a teenage girl needs between 1,800 and 2,100 calories a day, while boys need between 2,200 and 2,700 calories daily. Secondly, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes-foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat and free of cholesterol-should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. When your body gets the food it needs, it can burn calories efficiently which results in weight loss.

Eat early, eat often

Think you can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your calorie limit. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and are packed with vitamins, minerals, protective plant compounds and fiber.

Eating healthy is a long-term lifestyle choice, something you are going to do for your entire lifetime. It depends on your lifestyle, your weight, your age and most importantly the state of your health.

If you have teenagers in your house or do a teen yourself, know what a healthy diet for teenagers looks like are an important piece of information. The most important aspect of a healthy diet for teenagers is that it is, in fact, healthy. While most people think fats are bad, a healthy diet for teenagers actually needs some fats as part of their diet.

Let’s take the weapons

There are many diets for teenagers to find out in the Diets like
- Lemonade Diet
- 1200 Calorie Diet
- Fat Smash Diet
- Thyroid Diet
- Vegetables Diet Or also the Atkins Diet has many Topics about Healthy Diets for Teenagers.

Teenagers still have a lot of growing to do, and they need a lot of nutrients to get them through all the schoolwork, dances, and football games, hanging out with friends, heartbreak and everything else that are part of being a teenager. Teenagers also need 6 to 11 servings of carbohydrates every day. In The Diet for Teenagers Only, Carrie Wyatt and Barbara Schroeder give teenagers the dietary weapons they need to fight back and make smart, independent decisions about nutrition. Written in a conversational, lighthearted voice, but filled with practical tips and must-have information, The Diet for Teenagers only is a breakthrough diet plan specifically tailored to fit teenage needs and lifestyles.

All diets are easy to follow and made just for teenagers. Teens need lots of calories and good nutrients, particularly calcium and iron, which are important for all the growth and development happening at this stage of life. Teenagers may need to vary their caloric intake based on their specific needs. Read on to know all about a healthy diet for teenagers. The Natural Health Library offers more than fifteen free, downloadable books and interviews on natural health solutions.

Healthy diet is not only about restricting self towards food which is unhealthy but eating a balanced diet which comprises of all the necessary nutrients which also includes adequate amount of water. An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases including: high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. It may be easier for such a person to transition to a healthy diet if treats such as chocolate are allowed; sweets may act as mood stabilizers, which could help reinforce correct nutrient intake. A healthy diet for teenagers is crucial to prevent various physical disorders associated with growth.

STOP NOW – this is your chance to change your Life, and go in another direction for Future!

Poor Weight Loss Advice – 10 Red Flags 2011/2012

2011-11-04T06:23:00.001+02:00

Poor Weight Loss Advice – 10 Red Flags 2011/2012

There’s a huge amount of weight loss advice and information out there. Much of it is of questionable value and some of it is quite misleading. This can even be the case for reports from seemingly legitimate scientific studies. So how do you sort out the wheat from the chaff when it comes to deciding who and what to believe?

Poor Weight Loss Advice – 10 Red Flags 2011/2012

1. Beware of the quick fix

Putting on weight is easy compared to losing it. As you did not put weight on overnight, do you really think you can lose it that quickly?

Many products and programs will lead you to believe that you can lose a huge amount of weight in a short time.

It’s true that you can lose quite a few pounds in the early weeks on a weight loss program. If you are very overweight, you will probably lose a lot of weight at the start. But it’s mainly water rather than fat. And that rate is not sustainable over the long term. So if you’re told you can lose more than a pound or two a week on a particular weight loss program don’t believe anything else they say either.

2. Too good to be true

If anything promises you can lose weight without changing what you eat or how much you move, then it’s either dangerous or pulling the wool over your eyes. HEALTHY weight loss is always the result of eating fewer calories (and usually better quality food) or taking more exercise or both.

3. A biased study

If a study supported by chocolate manufacturers emphasises the value of chocolate and downplays the downsides then don’t be surprised! Many “studies” are designed to show a product in a good light rather than to increase our knowledge of what works and what doesn’t.

4. Drawing simple conclusions

Weight loss is a complex issue and huge amounts of data will come out of any study using a sizable group of people. It’s difficult to isolate individual factors in a study because we all have different lifestyles, eating styles and exercise styles. If it were easy for us to keep to whatever regime was being studied, we wouldn’t have problems losing weight in the first place. People are difficult to regulate! If any study tries to draw simple “black and white” conclusions, it is likely to be trying to sway you (unscientifically) in a particular direction.

5. A tiny sample

If only a few people have been studied then it’s unlikely that the results can be sensibly extrapolated into the population as a whole. Thousands of people are needed in a study before a true pattern emerges.

6. Missing Evidence

Some ads quote doctors, whose medical school records or qualifications you can’t find any trace of or studies you can’t read about in any reputable scientific journals. Take these with a large pinch of salt especially if claims are made about miracle solutions you have to pay for. Do a little research before you buy.

7. Statements are refuted

With a little research online you can also often find leading scientists and scientific journals refuting some of the more dramatic claims from studies published in the media. Seek out the truth before you blindly follow advice in the popular press.

8. Animal testing

Just because something happens in mice, it does not follow it will happen in the same way for you. Also if a product has been tested with animals it’s unlikely to hit the general public for some years (if it ever does) due to the stringent testing new (legal) products need to receive. So do not hold your breath waiting for a solution in that way.

9. No control group

Any study carried out should have a parallel study with a similar group who are not practising the behaviour or using the product being studied. This is so that they can measure the differences in the two groups. The gap has to be statistically significant to point to any meaningful result. Otherwise a group being studied may show a result just because the members of the group are being monitored and assessed.

Poor Weight Loss Advice – 10 Red Flags 2011/2012

10. Dramatic statements

Studies sometimes show that particular foods are good for you or cause this or that disease and these are often reported with dramatic headlines in the newspapers. In truth all foods in moderation are probably OK so read between the lines and see how much of a particular food you would have to eat to have a problem, or to gain the benefit they are describing. These statements are often made to grab your attention in the headlines rather than to give you useful information.

So where should you go to get weight loss advice?

If you want good sound advice about losing weight, you can do a lot worse than follow the latest government guidelines about healthy eating and exercise. While they may not be perfect, there would not be a huge obesity problem in the Western world, if we all followed them.

The fact is we don’t even follow the simplest most straight forward advice, although most of us are already familiar with it. Advice about eating less fat, sugar and salt, increasing our intake of fruit and vegetables and taking 30 minutes exercise three times a week is ignored by most people.

So why oh why do we try and follow every mad study that comes along in the hope that it will have an answer? Follow the simplest advice first to see the most dramatic changes and then you won’t ever have to wonder if you are being told a weight loss fairy story.

The Meal Plan Diet Problem – What You Need to Know to Find a Truly Effective Program 2012

2011-11-04T06:22:00.001+02:00

The Meal Plan Diet Problem – What You Need to Know to Find a Truly Effective Program 2012

Being in the weight loss business for some time now I have seen many meal plan diets come and go. I have seen programs that promise “Fast” and “Effortless” weight loss and all come up short. Many meal plan diets remove food groups or substituting real food with diet bars or drink mixes. This is just not a realistic approach as you should not have to compromise on taste, quantity or quality. Proteins, Carbs and Fats are all essential parts of a balanced diet and none of these should be removed by any diet. Important fact to remember: sustainable weight loss is not eliminating things but the understanding of a balanced lifestyle approach and a proper diet that will lead you to your weight loss goal.

What do I mean by a proper diet?

There are a large number of meal plan diets available on the internet. Many are not what I would consider a balanced approach to weight loss. Let’s go over a couple well-known meal plan diets and why their approach is not affective.

1) Atkins Meal Plan Diet - The Atkins diet is very well known all over the world and many will give it a glowing review. I am not one of those people. I have had a few clients use this diet and many of them had limited success. As you not doubt know, the Atkins meal plan diet is designed to remove carbs from your diet. When this diet was originally introduced, it removed ALL carbs but today the diet targets what they call “bad carbs”. Ahh… bad carbs? As I stated earlier, carbs are an important part of a balanced diet approach and the removal of any from a diet can cause a imbalance thus leading to limited weight loss or worse weight gain.

The Meal Plan Diet Problem – What You Need to Know to Find a Truly Effective Program 2012

2) Nutrisystem Meal Plan Diet - This meal plan diet would not be too bad if it was not for a couple of issues but lets look at the positives first. There are a variety of meals to choose from including between meal snacks. You can plan your monthly meals and the food is delivered directly to your home. Now for the not so positive points. The food. When meat can be delivered to your home through the mail, it is not fresh. Dried foods are what the Nutrisystem supplies the most and anything that can spoil that is not dried is loaded with preservatives. Some of my clients have complained on the taste of the food being akin to cardboard. Some have even had troubles with the food delivery (received items not ordered or missing) and customer service is spotty at best. I am not saying you cannot lose weight with this meal plan diet but there are better tasting and cheaper alternatives available.

The Meal Plan Diet Problem – What You Need to Know to Find a Truly Effective Program 2012

There are other meal plan diets like Nutrisystem and they all have the same problem. You don’t learn how to lose weight. You are just ingesting calorie, fat or size reduced meals without understanding what your body needs to lose weight naturally and safely. You will continue to pay for the service as you become dependent on the meal program. Many that reach their weight target tend to regain that weight when they leave the program. Why? This is due the simple fact that they have not learned what is needed to have sustained weight loss. Cost is an issue for many but if you want to lose weight spending a little money on a truly balanced meal plan diet would be money well spent.

The Meal Plan Diet Problem – What You Need to Know to Find a Truly Effective Program 2012

Best best weight loss diet programs information, tips and advice. Stop searching - your answers are right here

2011-11-04T06:14:00.002+02:00

Best best weight loss diet programs information, tips and advice. Stop searching - your answers are right here

Information on best weight loss diet programs?
i am really concerned about how to put an effective weight loss diet program in place that would assure i don't spend money on drugs,weight loss pills

Best weight loss diet programs?
Best weight loss diet programs

Best weight loss recipes information, tips and advice. Stop searching - your answers are right here 2011/2012

2011-11-04T06:13:00.003+02:00

Best weight loss recipes information, tips and advice. Stop searching - your answers are right here 2011/2012

Any good weight loss recipes?
I want to loose my baby fat.

I need some weight loss recipes?
So I lost 7 pounds this week, im doing good, its just that im getting bored with what im eating. Basically what I have been doing is eating a vegetarian diet, and lots of fiber. I need new recipes and meal ideas so that I dont get so bored, and then go back to eating the crap I did before. List them if you have and recipes, thank you XD

Are there any weight loss recipes that actually work easily?
I tried many diet, but easily rebound, I lack of confidence...

Does anyone have any good weight loss recipes?
What are some good, healthy recipes for weight loss? I also don't like meat. I need some different ideas because I am tired of eating the same things every day. Thanks

Fast weight loss recipes and foods?
anyone know any?

What are some weight loss recipes for women?
weight loss recipes for women

Does anyone have any good weight loss recipes?
I want to be slimmer within a month, because I will be graduated very soon. All my family members are very fit.

Where can I find weight loss recipes?
Please, my parents don't know anything about making healthy foods. I need a website or something that can help me or my parents make simple healthy meals.

What are some website that are free for weight loss recipes and info?

La weight loss recipes?
could someone can share some recipes from LA Weight Loss?Any recipes from the program would help?

What are some good weight loss recipes (easy ones!)?
I'm going on holiday in 5 weeks and want to lose some weight flatten stomach beforehand. I cycle around 20 minutes a day getting to places . What are some yummy low calorie recipes that I could use that are relatively simple and I mean SIMPLE please I'm a student and will just end up being too lazy to make elaborate stir fries, or even follow diet plans that include too large an array of recipes that I can't afford or make . I'm a fan of chicken skinless salmon tuna etc. and most vegetables.Thanks a lot

Do you know where I can find weight loss recipes?
I am hoping to find a website with some tasty low fat low cal recipes that the whole family can enjoy. I am trying VERY hard to change my eatting habits. Any tips or tricks will help. If you know a good website send it this way THANKS

Weight loss recipes!!!!!!?
I'm trying to lose about 50lbs and want to eat healthy but every time i try magazines like muscle& fitnesher they have these crazy recipes w some ingredients i have never heard of. does anyone have some weight loss recipes they would like to share w me?

Can someone please give some advise as to weight loss recipe for a person living in west africa?
I am trying to loose weight but all recipes i come across online contain ingridents that are not easily available or are too expensive here in Nigeria. It is a bit difficult to find variety when the staple food around here is rice, yam, cassava and generally carbohydrate. All i get to eat is basmati rice someone said it has less starch, i hope its true , beans, vegetable and fruits, this is getting a bit boring. Breakfast is ok cos i have variety of cereal like oat, weetabix, all bran, fruit & fibre e.t.c. Dinner is usually soup or fruit or vegetable again . Am looking forward to some interesting menus to break the boredom that the diet has become