The Surprising Danger of Skipping Breakfast

You know that breakfast has plenty of benefits: It boosts your energy, curbs your midday cravings, and helps keep you at a healthy weight. But if you’re still skipping the first meal of the day, there’s another perk you’re passing up: Missing even one breakfast each week increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by 20 percent, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers from the Harvard University School of Public Health analyzed the eating habits and health outcomes of 46,289 women over the course of six years. At the end of the study, they found that women who skipped breakfast here and there had a 20 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those who ate it on a daily basis. The risk is even higher for full-time working women who missed their morning meal sometimes: 54 percent. The importance of a daily breakfast held up after the researchers adjusted the results to account for the effects of age, BMI, carbohydrate consumption, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and working status.

Another study of more than 3,000 men and women published in Diabetes Care found that eating breakfast frequently also lowers the risk of obesity and high blood pressure. That same University of Minnesota study revealed that only 35 percent of participants actually ate a meal every morning, though.

Why is eating breakfast so important to your health? Turns out, it’s all in the timing. “When you go to bed, your insulin level is flat—not too low, not too high,” says lead study author Rania Mekary, PhD, research associate at the Harvard University School of Public Health in the department of nutrition. When you don’t ‘break the fast’ in the morning, your insulin level drops—so when you have lunch later in the day, it’s more likely to spike, then crash again.

Over time, this constant flux in insulin levels can cause your body to build up an insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, you can cut your risk significantly by sticking to a daily breakfast schedule. You should aim to eat within an hour or two of waking up, says Mekary—and coffee or tea alone won’t cut it.

While even unhealthy breakfasts were better for lowering diabetes risk than no breakfast at all, researchers found the best outcomes resulted from daily breakfasts that were low in sugar and high in nutrients like fiber and protein.

Need some morning meal motivation? Try one (or more) of these tasty, healthful recipes:

Oats-Almond Mixed Berry Crisp

Photo: Kana Okada

Fruit and Spice-Cut Oatmeal

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Minted Honey-Lime Fruit Salad

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Double Tomato and Turkey Bacon Omelette

Photo: Mitch Mandel

Soy Milk Berry Smoothie

Photo: Kurt Wilson

photo (top): Lifesize/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
10 Healthy Breakfast Recipes
Tasty Breakfast Treats
Oatmeal Recipes That Will Change Your Life Before 8 am

javahut healthy feed

The Danger of Eating Too Much Red Meat

The next time you’re trying to decide between a burger and a chicken club, you might want to keep this in mind: Eating too much red meat might boost your risk for type-2 diabetes, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed three studies that included food frequency questionnaires and health data from more than 149,000 men and women in the U.S.  Compared with a control group that didn’t change their red meat intake at all, participants who increased their red meat consumption by more than half an additional serving per day had an increased risk of developing Type-2 diabetes by 48 percent over four years. On the other hand, those who cut back on red meat by at least half a serving per day had a decreased risk of 14 percent.

Since this was an observational study, the authors didn’t examine why the link may exist, says William Evans, PhD, head of the Muscle Metabolism Unit at GlaxoSmithKline and author of the commentary that accompanied the study. One possible explanation: Since some cuts of red meat are high in saturated fat—which previous studies have linked to heart disease and increased insulin resistance—eating more of it could be to blame, says Evans.

As a good rule of thumb, less than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake should come from saturated fat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other foods that contain the harmful fat include whole milk, high-fat cheeses, and anything loaded with butter, says Evans.

If you’re feeling majorly bummed right about now, there is some good news: You don’t have to give up red meat altogether. Leaner portions of it, like sirloin or round cuts, contain less saturated fat. So when you’re in the mood for something other than chicken and fish, you’re better off sticking with one of those—at least most of the time.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
6 Reasons to Eat Less Meat
Assess Your Diabetes Risk in Five Minutes
The Healthiest Meats & Seafood

javahut healthy feed

The Danger in Googling Your Symptoms

Do you visit Dr. Google more than you do your MD? You’re not alone. In the past year, about 35 percent of Americans have gone online to diagnose themselves or others, according to a new survey from The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

While 41 percent of survey respondents said that a medical professional confirmed their self-diagnoses, more than one in three never followed up with a clinician for a second opinion. And another 18 percent learned their self-diagnoses were wrong after visiting a professional, according to the survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults. While study authors say the purpose of the survey was to determine who looks for health information online, medical experts are concerned what the findings mean for patients’ mental health.

“Every person is about four websites away from deciding they have cancer and are going to die,” says Rahul K. Khare, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “There is just so much bad information on the Internet.”

While searching to see if your sniffles match the symptoms of the cold or of the flu, wandering the web can fuel a sort of Internet-enabled hypochondria, dubbed “cyberchondria.” Unfounded anxieties over common health symptoms are becoming increasingly common as more people visit the Internet instead of the doctor, says Khare, who has treated patients who—after experiencing common symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes—Google their symptoms and convince themselves they have cancer. One patient even reached a self-diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he says.

Still compelled to log on? Follow Khare’s tips for safe self-diagnosing:

Search Trusted Websites
Any quack with an Internet connection can build a website. Make sure the sites you visit for health advice are reputable and vetted by medical experts. Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and The Centers for Disease control and Prevention all have legit and easy-to-find information for self-diagnosers, he says.

Don’t Peruse for Pleasure
Sure, medical pages about obscure fungal infections can feed a sort of morbid curiosity, but when it comes to self-diagnosing, keep your searches targeted and don’t wander, Khare says. Only research the symptoms that you actually have and log off as soon as you find your answer.

Double Check Your Diagnosis
“The last thing people should do is worry for no reason,” Khare says. If online information has you nervous, visit your doc immediately. Share the diagnosis you found online and don’t leave until your concerns are addressed, he advises.

photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Cold or Flu: Can You Tell?
Beware of Quack Doctors
The Best OTC Medicines

Discover surprising walking tips, tricks, and techniques to melt fat fast and get a tighter, firmer butt with Walk Your Butt Off! Buy it now!

javahut healthy feed

The Danger in Googling Your Symptoms

Do you visit Dr. Google more than you do your MD? You’re not alone. In the past year, about 35 percent of Americans have gone online to diagnose themselves or others, according to a new survey from The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

While 41 percent of survey respondents said that a medical professional confirmed their self-diagnoses, more than one in three never followed up with a clinician for a second opinion. And another 18 percent learned their self-diagnoses were wrong after visiting a professional, according to the survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults. While study authors say the purpose of the survey was to determine who looks for health information online, medical experts are concerned what the findings mean for patients’ mental health.

“Every person is about four websites away from deciding they have cancer and are going to die,” says Rahul K. Khare, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “There is just so much bad information on the Internet.”

While searching to see if your sniffles match the symptoms of the cold or of the flu, wandering the web can fuel a sort of Internet-enabled hypochondria, dubbed “cyberchondria.” Unfounded anxieties over common health symptoms are becoming increasingly common as more people visit the Internet instead of the doctor, says Khare, who has treated patients who—after experiencing common symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes—Google their symptoms and convince themselves they have cancer. One patient even reached a self-diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he says.

Still compelled to log on? Follow Khare’s tips for safe self-diagnosing:

Search Trusted Websites
Any quack with an Internet connection can build a website. Make sure the sites you visit for health advice are reputable and vetted by medical experts. Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and The Centers for Disease control and Prevention all have legit and easy-to-find information for self-diagnosers, he says.

Don’t Peruse for Pleasure
Sure, medical pages about obscure fungal infections can feed a sort of morbid curiosity, but when it comes to self-diagnosing, keep your searches targeted and don’t wander, Khare says. Only research the symptoms that you actually have and log off as soon as you find your answer.

Double Check Your Diagnosis
“The last thing people should do is worry for no reason,” Khare says. If online information has you nervous, visit your doc immediately. Share the diagnosis you found online and don’t leave until your concerns are addressed, he advises.

photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Cold or Flu: Can You Tell?
Beware of Quack Doctors
The Best OTC Medicines

Discover surprising walking tips, tricks, and techniques to melt fat fast and get a tighter, firmer butt with Walk Your Butt Off! Buy it now!

javahut healthy feed

The Danger of Leaving Your Phone on Vibrate

If you’re working at your desk and a text comes in, you probably assume a quick glance at your phone is no big deal — but that mere few-second distraction is more destructive than you’d think. Even short interruptions, like shifting eyes from a computer screen to a vibrating cell, can jeopardize your ability to accurately complete your work, according to new research from Michigan State University.

In the study, researchers asked 300 participants to complete tasks in a distinct order, like indicating with a specific keystroke whether a letter falls closer to the beginning or end of the alphabet. Researchers saw a small error rate with zero distractions. However, every so often they would interrupt participants and tell them to type out two letters — taking just 2.8 seconds of their time. After they did this, a person was twice as likely to make an error when returning to the original task.

“When you’re deep in thought, just a 2.8-second disruption is enough to throw you off course,” says lead researcher Erik Altman, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University. “We kept shortening the length of the distraction, and the significant error rate was still there. I’m not sure people realize the extent to which it takes you out of the moment.”

Whether you’re a doctor and your phone goes off while examining a patient, or you work on the computer all day and constantly hear the ping of incoming emails, you can’t afford to be distracted and lose the ability to effectively do your job. Avoid succumbing to interruptions by following these tips:

Eliminate Impulses
Silence the noise as much as possible during your workday, and create a distraction-free space. Not only should you shut your smartphone off, you should also remove it from your line of vision. “We’re guided by our environments,” says Altman. “If your phone is even on the table and you’re looking at it, it introduces a distraction. Reduce the impulse and put it away.” Only check your phone when you’re completely done with a task, during breaks or on your lunch hour.

Think About Others
How often do you pop into someone else’s office to see how her weekend was or ask she wants to grab lunch with you? You can be the source of distraction, as well — not just your smartphone. “We can definitely be more aware of the effect we have on someone else,” Altman says. “If we ask a co-worker a quick question, we don’t really realize the impact it will have. Evaluate the trade-offs of interrupting your colleagues.” If she looks busy, think: Can this wait? If it’s not urgent, catch up with her later.

Find an Emergency Method
In case of emergency, you have to be reachable, but even using different ringtones to signal which calls are important will break your train of thought. You still have to momentarily recognize and weigh the relative importance of the call. “Those decisions interrupt, so it’s important to cut off the stimulus if you can,” Altman says. Some apps like Call Filter sift through incoming pings for you, only sending through the important messages. You can also try asking family and close friends to dial your landline in case of emergency, instead of your cell. That way, you’ll know it’s essential to answer.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
How to Get More Work Done
Games That Help Train Your Brain
4 Ways to Make Your Cell Phone Safer

Send your Metabolism Sky-High and Drop 15 Pounds in Six Weeks!

javahut healthy feed

The Diabetes Danger You Haven’t Heard Of

Come January 1st, many of us will resolve to limit sugar in our diets. Of course, then we’ll spot a donut, and all bets are off. But if there was ever a time to seriously reconsider our consumption of the sweet stuff, now would be it: New research is linking one particular sweetener to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

The sweetener in question is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which earlier research has suggested is linked to obesity and heart disease. The syrup is sweeter and cheaper than sugar, making it a mainstay for many US packaged snacks and sodas. But now researchers, writing in the journal Global Public Health, warn that more high fructose corn syrup also means more diabetes. They analyzed data from 43 countries and found a 20% higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes in countries that use it, compared to countries that don’t.

In countries that don’t use HFCS, like India, Ireland, and Sweden, researchers found that type 2 diabetes occurred at an average rate of 6.7%. Big consumers of HFCS, like the US, Hungary, and Canada, had average rates of 8%. The trend existed irrespective of a country’s overall sugar intake or obesity levels.

Might HFCS really be one culprit of diabetes? Study author Michael Goran, PhD, professor of preventive medicine, physiology & biophysics, and pediatrics at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, thinks so. HFCS has about 10% more fructose than sucrose, and fructose is metabolized almost solely by the liver. That’s a lot of work for one organ, and Goran says that this extra kick of fructose might contribute to HFCS’s negative metabolic effects.

Goran adds that he sees several big differences between HFCS and sugar. Though both are highly processed, sugar is purified from a natural source, he says. “High fructose corn syrup is processed from corn. It’s also enzymatically converted, so it’s much more synthetic than sugar,” Goran notes. Another difference is that the syrup is a solution, while fructose and glucose are bonded together to form table sugar—potentially meaning that HFCS is more rapidly absorbed by the body.

Even worse, knowing how much HFCS you’re consuming is nearly impossible, since food companies don’t disclose those specifics on food labels.

Already, the research is inciting controversy. The Corn Refiners Association, before the study had even been published, issued a press release critiquing it as “severely flawed.” In particular, HFCS being associated with diabetes doesn’t mean the syrup causes the disease, the association says.

To be fair, many diet and lifestyle factors contribute to diabetes, and more research is required before we can fully understand how they intermingle. But one thing is for sure: We could all probably stand to eat fewer sweets. Here’s how to start:

Ditch the soda Consider this recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that swapping one sugary beverage for one sugar-free option per day translated to kids gaining 35% less body fat than their peers. Plus, those extra calories from HFCS and sugar don’t make you feel fuller, which can lead to even more eating. (Mulling a diet soda instead? Before you pop the top, read these 7 Side Effects Of Drinking Diet Soda.

Find a sweet substitute Add sweetness, without the sugar or corn syrup, by opting for clever substitutes like grated carrots or organic milk. The subs might seem surprising (beets in brownies?) but trust us—you won’t notice a difference. Check out these 10 Ways To Sweeten Without Sugar for a substitute that’ll suit any recipe.

Exercise Breaking a sweat can help you beat sugar cravings, says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, a nutrition expert and author of The Hunger Fix. Even a walk can do the trick, so get moving! (Cold weather is no excuse to skip it! Find out how to Winterize Your Walking Program.)

photo: Comstock/Thinkstock

More from WH:
The Rise of Type 2 Diabetes in Healthy Women
Make Your Own Health Sodas
The Truth About 4 Natural Sweeteners


Reprogram your metabolism, and keep the weight off for good with The Metabolism Miracle. Order now!

javahut healthy feed

The Scary New Travel Danger

Forget jumping on the bed. The first thing you should do when you book a hotel room is check the locks . A small new tool is allowing thieves to break into locked hotel rooms at some of the most popular chains—and many hotels haven’t been notified their locks are at risk, according to a report from NBC news.

Although only a handful of burglaries have been tied specifically to the use of this device, the specific locks in question—produced by brand Onity—are on the doors of over 4 million rooms across the country, according to security expert Jim Stickley, co-founder of TraceSecurity Inc. and author of The Truth about Identity Theft. The lock-picking tool—often referred to on the Internet as the “Onity hack”—takes less than 20 minutes to build, costs less than $ 40, and everything you need can be found at your neighborhood electronics store, he says. Even though one part of the process requires coding a microchip, easy-to-follow online video tutorials provide simple step-by-step instructions for anyone looking to make they very own lock pick, he says. When the tool is inserted into the small port at the bottom of the locks in question, both the door handle and deadbolt are immediately unlocked, says Stickley.

How do you know an Onity lock when you see one? The brand name is most likely not on the outside of the lock, but may be mentioned on the inner panel of the door, where the deadbolt protrudes, says Stickely. Most of these locks also have digital key cards that are inserted into the lock vertically, not horizontally, he explains.

Since the publicity of this lock breach, Onity has offered assistance to 1 million rooms, but Stickley isn’t sure what that means or how exactly they plan to help. The group has sent small plastic caps that can be inserted inside the lock to prevent a thief from plugging in their device, but the caps can easily be removed with a screwdriver, he says. He thinks a better bet is changing the software. “Onity has a firmware upgrade that will prevent the code from working,” says Stickley. “But the problem is that hotels with these locks may not even know this is a risk because Onity hasn’t notified them.”

Of course not all hotel vandals are using this lock picker—rooms can be burglarized by many other means. To be safe, do some pre-vacation recon, says Stickley. “Call your hotel ahead of time to ask them if they have Onity locks and if have they solved the breach,” he says. “If they do, or they don’t know, don’t stay there. Any hotel that doesn’t have these locks will make it very clear that they are not a part of this breach” he says.

Locks aside, there are many other ways to protect yourself and your belongings when away from home. Keep these suggestions in mind the next time you book a trip:

Use the safe
Hotel room safes are definitely under-utilized, says Courtney Scott, a senior editor at Travelocity. “If you aren’t brining documents, cash, or traveler’s checks with you when you leave the room, they should always go in the safe,” she advises. If your room doesn’t offer a safe, ask the concierge if there is a secure place to store items at the front desk, or if you are staying in a hostel, ask if they have lockers available for rent.

BYO locks and door stops
Besides locking your actual suitcases, chaining or locking your luggage to a heavy, stationary item in the room makes it harder for thieves to run off with big-ticket items, says Scott. When you are in the room overnight, always lock the door with the chain lock. Scott also advises packing a small door stop in your luggage that you can to place under the door to prevent people from coming in.

Leave laptops at home
“If you can avoid it, don’t bring your laptop on your trip and use your smart phone or a small tablet to access the Internet instead,” Scott says. Bulky electronics are usually left in hotel rooms because they are to heavy to carry around during the day, but many won’t fit inside the safe either, which leaves them vulnerable. Only bring them along if you can keep them with you during the day.

Have multiple forms of ID
Scott advises scanning a copy of your passport and storing it in a separate bag or area of your belongings, especially when traveling internationally. Having a back up form of identification will help you book travel back home in case your regular ID is lost or stolen. You can also register with the US consulate in the country you are visiting—an especially important tip if you are traveling to a 3rd-world country, says Scott.

Watch the order of your security trays
Airports are notoriously chaotic and crowded, which makes them prime locations for lost or stolen items, says Scott. A simple trick for keeping your valuables close during the security screening? Place wallets, keys, phones, and jewelry in the last tray on the conveyer belt, she says. That way, if you get held up with a TSA officer for a spontaneous pat-down, your small stuff won’t be sitting out for grabs as long and is less likely to be mistaken for someone else’s belongings who is late for their flight.

Dress down
Thieves don’t only target hotel room as a source for loot—they target people, too. “One of the biggest safety threats when traveling is pick-pockets and stolen wallets,” says Scott. Tourists are easy targets for this type of thievery because they are usually preoccupied with reading maps or corralling family members and carrying extra belongings with them. Try blending into your surrounding as much as possible, Scott says, which means leaving your precious jewels and designer sunglasses at home.

Read the fine print
What about traveler’s insurance? Depending on your risks, it can definitely be worth it, says Scott. But it’s important to read through the coverage to know what exactly you are paying for. “As it pertains to stolen items, or delays and cancellations, you may not actually be covered,” she says. “You don’t want to invest all this money in a plan and then get robbed and have no recourse.”

Image: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

MORE FROM WH:
Stay Healthy When You Travel
Emergency Fixes When You Are on the Road
8 Moves to Help You Get Fit on the Go

You Being Beautiful
Find easy ways to look and feel good fast in Dr. Oz’s book You Being Beautiful

javahut healthy feed

The New Danger In Your Medicine Cabinet

When your doctor takes you off a medication, she probably lets you know. But did she remember to tell your pharmacist? Not necessarily, according to new research that suggests the communication gap between docs and pharmacists is creating a health risk for some patients.

In a study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, investigators reviewed more than 80,000 electronic requests, submitted by doctors, for prescription discontinuations—meant to end the distribution of a certain medication to a patient.

After comparing doctor’s orders to pharmacy records, the team found that roughly 1.5 percent of all discontinued prescriptions—or more than 1,200 scrips—were still being filled. The researchers also discovered that at least 50 people, or 12 percent of those receiving discontinued medications, had experienced some adverse outcome as a result of the faulty Rx. Those outcomes ranged from mild side effects to life-threatening allergic reactions, the study explains.

A communication breakdown seems to be the culprit: Many medical offices fail to notify pharmacies when a physician discontinues a patient’s meds. Surprisingly, electronic medical records—which are increasingly replacing hand-written prescriptions—fail to solve the problem, despite offering a more reliable means of correspondence between doctors and pharmacies. (Keep your own medical records organized with our step-by-step guide.)

It doesn’t matter what kind of prescriptions you’re taking, says study author Thomas Sequist, MD, a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Vanguard. But patients using several drugs are at greater risk: Those taking between 11 and 15 meds were 60 percent more likely to get a discontinued prescription from their pharmacist.

To protect yourself, Dr. Sequist recommends carefully reviewing all of your medications with your doctor during every visit. If your doc makes any adjustments, ask her to contact the pharmacy. And don’t stop there: Do your own follow-up to ensure that the pharmacist is aware of the change.

photo: iStockPhoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
Warning: Dangerous Pain Relievers
The Best OTC Cold and Flu Medications
3 Ways to Have a Better Doctor’s Visit

NEW Abs Diet Cookbook
Lose up to 5 lbs in just 7 days while boosting your mood and controlling hunger! Find out how with The Vitamin D Diet. Order now!


javahut healthy feed