Online Medicine

If you are looking to lose weight, you need to eat snacks.  I’m not talking about chips and pretzels, I’m talking about healthy snacks that will fuel your body and keep you feeling satisfied.  A common problem is women wait too long before eating, so they become really hungry and eat too big of a meal.  Instead of waiting, listen to your body’s signals and eat when you feel your belly rumbling!  Always keep snacks on hand.  Some suggestions include a couple handfuls of nuts, a banana (they are filling fruit) alone or topped with peanut butter, Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal in a ziplock bag, or a sports bar (I prefer balance bars because they have a “balance” of protien, fat, and carbohydrates).  By eating “snacks” you will keep your body satisfied and will be less likely to eat a huge meal full of calories.

Key Point: Eat healthy snacks= keep your body satisfied= lose weight

Volunteers are being recruited for the study of a new treatment that could spell long-lasting relief for patients with moderate to severe asthma. Performing a new procedure called Bronchial Thermoplasty, physicians apply a small amount of thermal energy to the airway to help patients breathe easier with less reliance on medications. The procedure, being tested by lung experts at Baylor College Medicine and other sites internationally, involves no incisions or major anesthesia. As part of the clinical trial (called the AIR2 Trial), asthma patients with moderate to severe asthma who are between 18 and 65 years of age, are non-smokers, and take medication daily to control their asthma may be eligible to participate. Patients interested in receiving more information can call the Baylor Asthma Clinical Research Center at 713-798-2681 or the national study hotline at 1-866-400-AIR2, or they can visit http://www.air2trial.com/ …

When you want to lose some postpartum pounds, a lot of women fear eating anything that has fat.  Most women will stop eating things that are high in fat because they believe that eating foods high in fat will put more fat on their body.  Well, I have some good news for you…high fat foods can help you lose weight!  I suggest including healthy fats such as nuts,  avocados, and cooking with olive oil.  These fats not only taste good, they will also keep you satisfied longer so that you won’t crave as much food. So bring a small bag of nuts with you to work, or have a bagel with peanut butter, and include a little avocado on your sandwich.  You will enjoy the taste, and your body will stay satisfied longer! 

Key point: Eat what you enjoy= eating healthy for life= permanent weight loss

TAK1, an enzyme known to play key roles in early development and immunity, is a pivotal element in a genetic pathway that regulates cells' ability to sense the need for energy, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "What we found was a totally serendipitous and unpredicted essential role for this kinase (TGF-beta-activated kinase-1) as an indispensable regulator of the cell's energy sensor, known as AMP-activated protein kinase or AMPK," said Dr. Michael Schneider, the M. D. Anderson Foundation Professor in the Department of Medicine at BCM. He credited Drs. Min Xie and Dou Zhang, both postdoctoral students at BCM, with taking the lead in performing the experiments in the study. The AMPK pathway is activated when energy levels fall in cells, said Schneider. "Having high AMP is reflective of energy starvation, and the consequence is to activate the …

Volunteers are being recruited for a cholesterol study at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to raise "good" cholesterol while reducing "bad" levels at the same time. The study, part of an international initiative called AIM HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes), will evaluate the usefulness of a comprehensive solution for cholesterol patients by testing a refined version of the vitamin niacin, a known HDL booster, in conjunction with statins, which lower LDL. A low HDL level is the most common cholesterol problem found in people with heart disease. Men or women with low HDL readings (less than 40 for men and less than 50 for women) are encouraged to enroll. Prospective study participants for the study can call 713-798-3171.