After a hungry person eats a meal, blood sugar glucose levels return to normal. In people of normal weight, this causes the shut-down of a neural system that promotes positive feelings toward food. It is the brain’s way of acknowledging satiation and signaling that the need for calories has been met. At that point, normal-weight persons stop eating.

But in obese persons, the system may not turn off following a meal. No matter how much they have just eaten, it still lights up at the sight of rich, high-calorie fare. This can occur even though blood sugar glucose levels have returned to normal. It may contribute to the persistence of obesity in some individuals who have tried and failed repeatedly to lose body fat.

Hosting the series is Michael Greger, MD, the director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture in the farm animal welfare division of the Human Society. A physician specializing in clinical nutrition, Dr. Greger focuses his work on the human health implications of intensive animal agriculture, including the routine use of non-therapeutic antibiotics and growth hormones in animals raised for food, and the public health threats of industrial factory farms. He is a founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, a respected author and an invited lecturer at universities, medical schools and conferences worldwide. To view an invigorating 68-minute video of Dr. Greger conducting a highly informative nutritional presentation, click here.

There are four fascinating volumes in the "Latest in Clinical Nutrition" DVD series. A new volume is added each year. They range in length from 90 minutes to approximately three hours, and cover numerous topics of contemporary interest. For example, volume 4 alone features 99 chapters, including the following examples:

The three preceding volumes address hundreds of intriguing topics, such as:

The Humane Society Press (HSP) points out that the world’s longest life expectancy is found in California Adventist vegetarians. According to the HSP, they live 10 years longer than the general population and enjoy lower rates of many of the chronic diseases that plague Americans, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. For additional details and ordering information on the "Latest in Clinical Nutrition" DVD series, click on HumaneSociety.org/nutrition.

     — Pioneer of the Olympic sport of triathlon, Sally Edwards

A study of nearly 4,000 persons, ages 65-plus, found that those who most closely followed a Mediterranean diet reduced their risk for cognitive decline with aging. The subjects’ cognitive skills were tested every three years for 15 years. Those with the highest adherence to the diet were the least likely to experience mental decline.

The study’s lead author Dr. Christy Tangney, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in an ASN news release: "This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, fish, olive oil, lower meat consumption, and moderate wine and non-refined grain intake. Instead of espousing avoidance of foods, the data support that adults over age 65 should look to include more olive oil, legumes, nuts, and seeds in their diet in order to improve their recall times and other cognitive skills, such as identifying symbols and numbers."

In addition, Dr. Tangney said, "…we want older adults to remember that physical activity is an important part of maintaining cognitive skills."

     — Hippocrates

Although the strongest evidence for nuts’ helpful effects has come from research involving walnuts and almonds, other types of nuts have also been found beneficial. They include pecans, peanuts, macadamias, hazelnuts and pistachios.

Due to their high caloric content, nuts can contribute to unhealthy weight gain if eaten in excess. However, moderate nut-eating can add useful dietary fiber, vegetable proteins, vitamins, antioxidants and cholesterol-lowering unsaturated fat to the diet.

     — Chinese Proverb

Specifically, the researchers sought to learn more about how a diet abundant in "phenol compounds" (found in olive oil, especially the extra-virgin types) influenced the workings of genes. While acknowledging that other lifestyle factors may also contribute to the lower risk for cardiovascular disease in the Mediterranean region, the study’s authors wrote: "These results provide at least a partial molecular basis for reduced risk of cardiovascular disease observed in Mediterranean countries, where virgin olive oil represents a main source of dietary fat." To view this research article, click here.

Participants in the study who enjoyed a small (7.5-gram) square of chocolate daily had lower blood pressure and a 39 percent lower risk for heart attack or stroke, compared to those who ate the least amount of chocolate. Lead researcher Brian Buijsse said that "dark chocolate exhibits the greatest effects, milk chocolate fewer, and white chocolate none."

Buijsse cautioned against eating so much chocolate that it raises one’s overall calorie intake or replaces one’s consumption of healthful foods. Weight gain is undesirable, and it should be noted that a 7.5-gram piece of chocolate is quite small. Even so, dark chocolate can make a good substitute for high-calorie, low-nutrient junk food snacks. To learn more about this study, click on http://www.oxfordjournals.org/news/research/2010/03/30/chocolate.html.

Since this investigation did not prove a direct cause and effect between exercise or body weight and fibromyalgia, more research is being called for. Patrick Wood, MD, of the National Fibromyalgia Association told HealthDay that exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight may be helpful in avoiding the condition, and that doing both are especially prudent for people with a family history of fibromyalgia.

This research was published in the American College of Rheumatology’s journal Arthritis Care & Research (62:12). To read the abstract, click on http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123268508/abstract.

Those who had five or more servings of white rice a week were found to be 17 percent more likely to develop the condition, compared to those who had less than one serving of white rice a month.

Those who had two or more servings of brown rice a week were 11 percent less likely to develop the condition, compared to those who had less than one serving of brown rice a month.

A significant positive association was found between muscle strength change and the consumption of vitamins C and E. This was true even for subjects who started out with low levels of strength. Researchers don’t think it is effective to take high-dose vitamin C and E supplements, which in some cases can be unhealthy. Instead, these findings point to the value of following a well-balanced diet that is high in nutritious fruits and vegetables.

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas."

– Author Unknown