The Disney Diet

My friend, Larry has always said that the diet for better health is through pizza, popcorn and hard liquor. Seems he has been right all along for at least for two out of the three. Now all we need are the the results of the popcorn studies. Where are those results? Good thing I stocked up on the way home last night with a heart healthy twelve pack of Sam Adams Summer Brew! Love that lemon zest and grains of paradise... deeeee-lish! Tonight I'll stop at the grocery store and snag some pizzas. Should I get DiGiorno or Red Baron? Either way here's a toast to better health!

ADDENDUM (08.05.03 2:02 PM): Popcorn study results have been found! This just in... Popcorn may help prevent diabetes!! The Disney Diet of pizza, popcorn and hard liquor IS the diet for health! Read more by clicking below.

Popcorn may help prevent diabetes (scroll to bottom of Englemed page or read the whole article here)

July 28 - A diet rich in whole grain, including popcorn, may help prevent the development of diabetes, researchers have reported.
The 30 year study of nearly 3,000 people linked the whole grain diet to a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Reporting in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers said most of the participants consumed whole grain as cold cereals, dark bread or popcorn.

The information was obtained at a relatively late stage of the research - between 1991 and 1995.

The researchers reported small but significant effects of whole grain consumption on levels of fasting insulin - and also on a number of risk factors for heart disease.

The researchers, led by Nicola McKeown, of Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, write: "Some components of whole grains, such as fibre and magnesium, may play a role in improving insulin sensitivity that could be particularly helpful in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes.

"In addition, the high fibre content of a diet rich in whole grains may prevent weight gain or promote weight loss by providing a longer feeling of satiety. "

The above report is Copyright: Englemed Health News at http://www.internationalmedicalnews.com

********************

Alcohol 'helps you lose weight'
August 4, 2003
(c) http://www.news.com.au/

FOR years dieters have been told alcohol is one of the first things they should cut out if they want to lose weight.

But research by a Melbourne team has turned that advice on its head.

It found having up to four drinks a day for men and two for women may help melt the kilograms.

John Dixon, a senior research fellow at Monash University and the Alfred hospital, and colleagues based their findings on observations of severely obese patients who had bariatric, or weight-loss, surgery.

Dr Dixon said histories of the patients' alcohol consumption before and after surgery confirmed previous evidence light to moderate drinking had beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

But the team also found something that has begun to emerge over the past eight years: moderate drinkers seem to have a reduced risk of developing type 2, or adult onset diabetes. This was probably related to the effect alcohol had on improving insulin sensitivity, which appeared to aid weight loss as well as protect against diabetes, he said.

"Most weight-loss programs have found diabetics have problems losing weight," Dr Dixon said. "After surgery, those who were drinking small amounts of alcohol were losing weight."

The report, to be published in the journal Australian Family Physician, advises doctors they should no longer tell obese patients trying to lose weight to give up having a glass or two of wine with dinner.

He said wine had a relatively low kilojoule content and tended to be burned immediately rather than being stored as fat.

The problem with drinking and weight gain was mainly because of associated snacking or loss of inhibition leading to over-eating, Dr Dixon said.

The results did not mean teetotallers should drink to become slim.

Source: Herald Sun