33 year-old mother of two children went from 87 kg to 65 kg in one year

Agnete Hunshamar (33) went from 87 kg (left) to 65 kg (right) in one year.

This article, which is based on an article, published on August 16, by the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, serves to illustrate how it is possible to lose weight, change your body image (as seen below), and lifestyle, through a combined healthy diet and training. In one year she managed to lose more than 20 kg, in fact she lost 22 kg, or more than 25% of her previous weight, 87 kg, 14 years earlier, and has managed to maintain her new, healthier lyfestyle since.

Each year, in Janury, the training centres get a rush of new members, with a new aim and resolution in their bags. However, by February or March things start to slide. In June the bikini season comes within sight, and a frantic effort and hope to have a body that they can be satisfied with. In August it is time to look through the vacation photos, and once again recognize the fact that the intentions did not work out.

"It takes time to make changes," says training expert Guri Brekke. "Those that make a frantic effort frequently end up heavier in the long run. The result is yo-yo slimming. Dieting most frequently produce short term results. The body needs adjustment over time, with long term thinking and approach.

Agnete Hunshamar experienced this 14 years ago. She was only 19 and vacationed in Greece. Upon her return to Norway she looked forward to viewing her photos from her vacation.

"When I looked through the photos I was surprised to see how big I was. I thought that this was not me, because I felt so sparkling, energetic and young. At that time the photos were not digital, and I had to get them developed before I could view them. It felt quite bad, and I cried", she recalls.

"My self-esteem became very poor, but then I decided that I did not want to look like that anymore. I wanted to do something about it, I wanted to look fit, and healthy. I lost 20 kg in one year.

She did not want to experience the same feeling again, and decided to change to a healthier lifestyle.

I became conscious of what I consumed, and started to train. It was horrible in the beginning; I felt that all the others were so slim, but then I thought it was better that people saw that I was trying to do something about it."

There was no summer in the near future, so she had plenty of time to develop good habits, and felt no hurry to get in really good shape. She quickly discovered that she really enjoyed to exercise.

"It produced a lot of joy, it energized, and gave a sense of achievement."

She started swimming, fitness and strength training. Eventually she felt ready to go to the gym.

"It felt like having become a fitness girl."

The weight went from 87 kg to 65 kg, in one year.

"I lost more than 20 kg in one year", she says proudly.

"I think what she has done is very positive", Brekke says. "She made a decision, and I'm impressed. It is very demanding to lose so much weight in a year. It requires a lot of discipline, and that is what it is about."

Hunhamar maintained the new lifestyle nicely, but had children both in 2004 and 2009. During her last pregnancy she put on a lot of weight, and was back to where she was many years earlier. She knew, however, that she had done a good job before, and wanted to do it again. She did, and now there is a happier woman looking through her vacation photos. Two pregnancies and 14 years after the vacation photos that shocked her, she looks better than ever, as you can see below:

 

Agnete at 19 and 33

"It's cool that I look younger, fitter and better now, despite being 33 and mother of two. I'm quite happy about that. It gives you a very different sense of self, and I think that this is me - sporty and healthy."

"I'm much fitter now than when I was 19, and to me it has all to do with willpower, commitment, discipline and patience. That is what it takes to do this over time; there will be many times when you do not want to. It may be that you are tired, busy with the kids, or whatever. However, you have to set priorities, and you have to find time for what is important in life, and just do it. You will never regret having completed your workout.

Hunshamar knows that there are many people at this time who feel the same as she did.

"Yes, I think so. It is in summer that people care the most about such things," she says.

"We women are not happy anyway. We must learn to like who we are. We can try to eat healthy, and exercise well, but we must not aim at being skinny, and perfect in every way - it is mostly unhealthy for most people. It is important to maintain health, through a healthy diet, and to exercise regularly. It is important to think that you can be sound and healthy, and to have muscles. If we put too many demands on ourselves, we won't meet them," Brekke says, and specifies:

"It may be okay to have some extra kilos, as long as you are in good condition, so it is no big deal. If you are good at exercising, it may well be that you have found your ideal weight."

Hunshamar hopes that those who are experiencing the same dissatisfaction that she experienced take the time to carry out the necessary changes at their own pace, that they find a lifestyle that they can live with, and that they start it now.

"Don't wait till Monday, start your new life today, it takes a long time. You have to prioritize, and new habits have to be ingrained into your new lifestyle. It is also too late to start thinking about summer body in April and May. Think long term and do not give up even if your body weight fluctuates in the wrong direction sometimes."

With the exception of her pregnancies she has kept her weight stable.

"One must find a balance. Make sure that your workouts do not get completely out of hand. and that you establish a lifestyle that you can be comfortable with. You must be able to live with the diet and exercise program that you create. Regardless of what it is," she says.

The fitness expert is in total agreement with this.

"You must have a goal or target for the year, it's not all about the bikini season, it is also extremely short, for our part. We must find a balance, be sound and healthy all year round - and not just focus on spring and summer," Brekke emphasizes.

Hunshamar now has a varied training program: participating in group lessons, she jogs, bicycles, and works with weights.

"Now, I not only train just to keep slim for the sake of looking good. Now, it is as much about training being fun in itself, because it is wonderful to feel strong and vigorous, and not least how good it feels psychologically."

She still allows herself some candy, but she has learned to think.

"I like to stop before I help myself to a piece of cake or something else that is good. I ask myself whether it is worth it. Sometimes it is worth it, but very often it's not. Then I just pass."

46 children have contracted narcolepsy after flu vaccine

Vaccine

So far 46 children and young people have contracted narcolepsy following Pandemrix vaccine

So far this year the Norwegian Patient Indemnity board (Norwegian acronym:  NPE), an indenpendent board within the Norwegian national health department, has received 363 applications for compensation due to disorders resulting from vaccines given against the swine flu.

60 of these applicants have been granted compensation, with 46 representing children and young people that have contracted the serious sleep disorder known as narcolepsy.  Two of these children are from Vestfold, the province of my hometown.

According to Øydis Ulrikke Castberg, the head of communication for NPE, they have received 16 claims from Vestfold.  Eight claims have been rejected, two have been approved, while six claims are still being examined.

In the nation as a whole 14 adults have gotten their claims approved.  Five of those cases involve narcolepsy., three are related to the injection by itself,  one person has developed a fatigue condition  one has developed Guillain-Barre symptoms, while one has been diagnosed as having ME.  

The NPE claim processing is without cost to the claimants.  In the case of claims that disorderws have resulted from a flu vaccine it is enough to demonstrate that there was no other probable cause involved.  It is not necessary to prove that there was something wrong with the vaccine.  The board decisions can be pursued in court.

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally.  It is not caused by mental illness or psychological problems. People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia. Narcoleptics, when falling asleep, generally experience the REM stage of sleep within 5 minutes, while most people do not experience REM sleep until an hour or so later.

One of the many problems that some narcoleptics experience is cataplexy, a sudden muscular weakness brought on by strong emotions (though many people experience cataplexy without having an emotional trigger).  You can read more about the disorder and its treatment in this Wikipedia article:  Narcolepsy.

This Wikipedia article reveals that:  "Currently a weak link between GlaxoSmithKline's flu vaccine Pandemrix and childhood narcolepsy is being investigated due to increased prevalence of narcolepsy in Irish, Finnish and Swedish children after vaccinations. Finland's National Institute of Health and Welfare is recommending that Pandemrix vaccinations be suspended pending further investigation into 15 reported cases of children developing narcolepsy. In Finland in mid-November 2010, 37 cases of children's narcolepsy had been reported by doctors. This can be compared to the normal average of 3 cases of children's narcolepsy per year. In Sweden, Läkemedelsverket (Medical Products Agency of Sweden) conducted a case inventory study during 2009‐2010. They found that "the incidence of narcolepsy with cataplexy in children/adolescents in the Swedish population increased during the pandemic and vaccination period, with a rapid decline in incidence during the post pandemic period." Their conclusion is that these results "provide strengthened evidence that vaccination with Pandemrix during the pandemic period could be associated with an increase in the risk for narcolepsy with cataplexy in predisposed children/adolescents 19 years and younger." More recently, studies done in China and published in Nature Reviews: Neurology have indicated that the influenza infection itself, and H1N1 in particular, can trigger narcolepsy onset."

Breastfeeding for six months can delay breast cancer onset by a decade

Spanish study of 504 women shows earlier onset of breast cancer in women who breastfed for less than six months

Photograph: Justin Paget/Corbis

In an article published by The Guardian on August 15, Denis Campbell says: "Breastfeeding is so protective against breast cancer that it can delay the onset of the disease by 10 years – but only among women who do so for over six months and do not smoke, new research has found.
The authors of a Spanish study of 504 female breast cancer patients aged 19 to 91, published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, say that cases of the disease could be cut dramatically if many more women breastfed.
"Breastfeeding for periods of over six months not only provides children with numerous health benefits, but also protects the mother from serious diseases such as breast cancer," says the research, led by Emilio González-Jiminéz of the University of Granada.
Non-smoking women who breastfed their baby for at least six months were diagnosed on average at the age of 68.4, more than a decade later than both non-smokers who had not breastfed or done so for less then three months who were diagnosed on average at 58 years, and non-smokers who had breastfed for between three and six months (57 years). Breastfeeding reduces a woman's risk of breast cancer by 4.3% for each year she does so, the authors say.
But female smokers who breastfed received no benefit in terms of when they were diagnosed with the disease, regardless of how long they fed their child naturally, the study found.
"Based on these findings, the incidence of this disease could be reduced from 6.3% to 2.7% if women breastfed their children for more than six months," the authors say. A move away from breastfeeding is a crucial factor behind an increase in breast cancer cases, they add.
The findings confirm the results of other studies. Both breastfeeding and pregnancy are thought to help protect women against breast cancer by reducing estrogen levels.

Animation about diabetes and the body

Clicking on the image below will launch a video presentation, which describes the two types of diabeter, and effectively explains how they affect the body.  I totally agree with the viewers who have found it the best they have seen on this subject.   It offers an excellent and clear explanation of the processes involved, visually and orally.

Prepare for your doctor appointment

Invariably these days you only have approximately 15 minutes, and in some special cases up to 30 minutes to consult with or discuss your medical problems with your doctor.  It is therefore of great importance to make the most of the time you have with the doctor, to ensure you get the care you need.

The key to a successful consultation is communication.  You need to communicate your needs, understand your diagnosis, and discuss your treatment options.

The more accurately and completely you can describe your symptoms, the more likely it is that your doctor can identify your health problems and prescribe an effective course of treatment.  Before your appointment, write down all your symptoms, noting when they started, and whether they get worse at  certain times of the day or in certain situations.  Also write a brief outline of your medical history, and be sure to list all the medications you are currently taking.

Once you have identified your symptoms, research them.  The more you can learn about the possible causes of your symptoms - and what your treatment options may be  - the better equipped you will be to discuss your care with your doctor and understand his or her instructions.  With practice you will find that you will improve with respect to formulating your search words and descriptions of your symptoms.

This preparation, described above, will not only lead to a better focused communication between you and your doctor, and hence more efficient and effective, but it should also help you lead the conversation with your doctor.  If you have a printer, print it all out, so that the doctor can read it all or follow what you are saying much more easily.

One day, many years ago, when I still lived in Ottawa, Canada, I went into a naturopathy store to buy something, and while I was waiting to be attended I decided to check out a book on vitamins and minerals that was lying on the counter.  I became quite impressed by the index in the back, and quickly determined that it would be a particularly useful book for me, so I bought it.  At home I read it quickly, and highlighted all passages that were of particular interest, so that they would be easy to locate.  I found that some of the information lent itself very well as background material to discuss with my doctor, Michael Phillipowski, in a couple of days, in conjunction with my cholesterol problem, so I typed the extracts, and printed them.  They covered 7 typed pages.  Dr. Phillipowski's office was just down the street from my home, so on my way home from work the day before my appointment I decided to leave the printouts with his receptionist.

I was waiting for dr. Phillipowski in his office when he suddenly opened the door, with a big smile on his face when he said hello.  He quickly went to his desk, and as soon as he was seated he told me he had read all my seven pages, and found it all quite interesting.  He added that nobody had ever presented him with such a synopsis befiore, and he obviously liked it very much.  In fact, he quickly asked me whether I would like to meet the only lipid expert in the city, dr. Ruth McPherson, the head of the lipid clinic at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, currently known as the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.  She is now Director, Atherogenomics Laboratory and Lipid Clinic, and is also Director of Research, Division of Cardiology, at the institute, and Professor, Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, at the University of Ottawa.  You can read about her research and clinical interests by clicking on preceding link with her name.  She is an exceptionally competent doctor and researcher, with great personal, as well as staff accomplishments to refer to, which deserves a separate post later. Both she, and the head of the cardiology unit, that later treated my hypertension, quickly brought my cholesterol and hypertension under control.

If you are likely to need a medical procedure - whether surgery or a diagnostic test, such as a colonyscopy or mammogram - learn all you can about the procedure before your visit so you'll understand your options and be able to discuss them intelligently.  Articles, slideshows, and videos are available for many procedures that explain the purpose of the procedure, how it is performed, the risks involved and what you will need to do to prepare for it.

Your relationship with your doctor is a partnership.  The better able you are to communicate needs and understand your options, the more productive your appointment will be and the more likely you are to get the treatment you need.  The time you have with your doctor is all too brief.  A little preparation will help you make the most of your next appointment.

  

How you can live up to 9 years longer

A study by Loma Linda University (LLU) in California, conducted in the 1970s and 1980s was the first to demonstrate the life extending benefits of being a vegetarian after tracking thousands of Seventh-day Adventists starting back in 1958. Researchers studied this particular religion because of its strong emphasis on a vegetarian lifestyle.

In 2002, the National Institutes of Health gave the university a grant in order to continue their research on the Seventh-day Adventists, and it is currently halfway through completion. For the study, they are looking at 96,000 Americans and Canadians. So far, the results are just as dramatic as they were in the first study.

Principal investigator Gary E. Fraser, MD, Ph. D, spoke at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2012 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, noting that Vegetarian Adventist women live an average of 85.7 years (6.1 years longer than the California average) and vegetarian men live an average of 83.3 years (9.5 years above the average).

The second study also found that vegans weigh 13.6 kg (30 pounds) less than meat eaters on average, and are generally five units lighter on the BMI scale.

Vegetarians and vegans were also shown to be less insulin resistant than carnivores, and pesco-vegetarians (those who limit animal products to once a week or so) saw “intermediate protection”  against certain diseases.

Researchers also found that obesity shortens an African American’s life by 6.2 per cent, and that – contrary to previous findings – across all races, there was no notable protective qualities found in fat in seniors above the age of 85.

For the study, half the population followed are vegetarian and 25 per cent are African American.
The vegetarian diet is heavy in  fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, which are all found to reduce a person’s risk for serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

According to US & Canadian Dietary Reference Intake guidelines, women aged 19–70 need to consume 46 grams of protein per day, while men aged 19–70 need to consume 56 grams of protein per day to avoid a deficiency. The American and Canadian guidelines recommend a daily protein dietary allowance, measured as intake per kilogram body weight, is 0.8 g/kg. However, this recommendation is based on structural requirements, but disregards use of protein for energy metabolism. This requirement is for a normal sedentary person.


Several studies have concluded that active people and athletes may require elevated protein intake (compared to 0.8 g/kg) due to increase in muscle mass and sweat losses, as well as need for body repair and energy source. Suggested amounts vary between 1.6 g/kg and 1.8 g/kg, while a proposed maximum daily protein intake would be approximately 25% of energy requirements i.e. approximately 2 to 2.5 g/kg.

The foods listed below will go a long way toward allowing you to consume as much protein as your body needs under a vegetarian or vegan diet:

Nuts

Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios and other nuts are healthy choices for a protein boost. 28 grams (g) (one ounce) of peanuts contains 7 grams of protein.

Quinoa

A celebrated superfood, quinoa is a grain similar to rice, and contains 8 grams of protein and a significant amount of fiber per cooked cup.

Spinach

Consider using spinach as your salad base, as one cup contains 5 grams of protein.

Beans

Hummus is a great substitute for veggie dip since garbanzo beans (chickpeas) contain 15 grams of protein, as do black and kidney beans.

Lentils

For as much protein as three ounces of steak, consume lentils. At 18 grams a cup, they are an iron rich superfood.

Greek Yogurt

With between 13 to 18 grams of protein per serving and less sugar than regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is the smarter choice.

Tofu

A half cup contains more than 10 grams of protein.

Tempeh

A firmer version of tofu, soybean-based tempeh contains 15 grams of protein.

Human Genes Affected by Different Types of Happiness

A recent study, conducted by researchers at the Universirty of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of North Carolina (UNC), states that a good state of mind,  a term meaning "mood" or "outlook",  i.e. being happy, affects your genes, and that different types of happiness have  different impacts on the human genome. In this study the researchers have examined the impact of positive psychology.

This study was conducted by Steven Cole, a UCLA professor of medicine and a member of the UCLA Cousins Center, and Barbara L. Fredrickson, from UNC.  Previously, researchers have examined how the human genome responds to fear, stress, misery and other types of negative psychology. 

In the current study, researchers have tried to analyze how human genomes respond to positive psychology.  They even tried to analyze whether a good state of mind activates a different kind of gene expression.  

To proceed with the study the researchers examined the biological inference of both hedonic and eudaimonic well being through the human genome lens - 21,000 genes that have evolved fundamentally to help humans survive and be well.  

Eudaimonic well being is the happiness that one gets from having a deep sense of purpose and meaning in life.  Hedonic well being is the happiness one receives from 'consummatory' self gratification.  

Analyzing the data, the researchers saw that people with greater levels of eudaimonic well being displayed a favourable gene expression profile in their immune cells.  Apart from that, they had reduced levels of inflammatory gene expression and strong antiviral and antibody gene expression.  

The hedonic followers had an adverse expression profile that involved high inflammation and low antiviral and antibody gene expression.   

"Both seemed to have the same high levels of positive emotion.  However, their genomes were responding very differently even though their emotional states were similarly positive.  What this study tells us is that doing good and feeling good have very different effects on the human genome, even though they generate similar levels of positive emotion.  Apparently, the human genome is much more sensitive to different ways to achieving happiness than are conscious minds,"  Cole concluded.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.