Credit: iStock Our bodies undergo millions of chemical reactions throughout the day: building, breaking down and transporting molecules in an attempt to maintain balance, or homeostasis. Many of these reactions require energy. Most of that energy comes from our cells’ energy centers, called the mitochondria. The total of all of these chemical reactions and the … Continue reading Spotlight On: Metabolism
Metabolism
The Surprising Health Benefits of ‘Yo-yo’ Dieting
Credit: iStock It’s not really news that obesity and the trend of increasing waistlines seems to only be heading upward—and outward. Despite efforts to fight the fat, many people end up regaining the weight they lose when they diet in a phenomenon known as “weight cycling” or “yo-yo dieting.” Weight cycling can be frustrating, and … Continue reading The Surprising Health Benefits of ‘Yo-yo’ Dieting
The Jury Is Still Out on Whether Brown Fat Can Make You Thin
Obesity is a major health problem that carries enormous costs to both the individual and society. Being overweight may limit quality of life and work productivity and cause disease, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. It may even lead to premature death. Obesity is defined as the excess accumulation … Continue reading The Jury Is Still Out on Whether Brown Fat Can Make You Thin
Herbal Tea: Healthier Hot or Cold?
Tea—the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water—can be found in almost 80 percent of U.S. households. In 2017, people in the U.S. consumed over 84 billion servings of tea—that’s more than 3.8 billion gallons! Tea is versatile: served hot or iced, anytime, anywhere and for any occasion. Herbal tea is gaining … Continue reading Herbal Tea: Healthier Hot or Cold?
Shhh … I’m Hibernating!
As the days grow shorter, many animals, such as bats, bears and bees, begin getting ready to hibernate. It’s a process that allows animals to spend the winter months conserving energy by reducing metabolism, oxygen consumption and body temperature. So why don’t humans do it, too? Well, a new study suggests that some humans—specifically those … Continue reading Shhh … I’m Hibernating!
Does Weight Have to Yo-Yo? Secrets for Keeping Weight Off
It’s the million-dollar (possibly billion-dollar) weight loss question: How do you keep lost weight off? This question is receiving renewed attention after a recent study reported that most of the contestants on Season 8 of television’s “The Biggest Loser” regained the large amounts of weight they’d lost on the show. Studies in rodents and humans … Continue reading Does Weight Have to Yo-Yo? Secrets for Keeping Weight Off
How Our Bodies Turn Food into Energy
Low carb, high protein, paleo—diet trends often single out a nutrient group as the culprit of unwanted weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle. But our body needs food for energy, and all three groups—carbohydrates, fats and proteins—have important roles to play. What is energy to the body, and how does the body turn what we’ve … Continue reading How Our Bodies Turn Food into Energy