A variation of the traditional push-up, the pike push-up zeroes in on your arms and shoulders. You won’t have to worry about what’s your best angle in your wedding photos—your arms will look sexy from every angle.
How to do it: Begin in push-up position with hands in a wide diamond (fingers pointing toward each other).
Bend at waist, lifting hips up and coming onto toes (walk them in a bit if needed) so body forms upside-down “V”. Bend elbows to lower head toward hands.
Press back up; do 10 reps. For even more of a challenge, do 10 reps with right leg raised, then repeat with left leg raised.
Nothing says summer like sleeveless tops and strapless dresses. But the idea of showing so much skin can be daunting. Our solution? Get started early with these six sculpting exercises from Nike trainer Lauren Williams. They will sculpt your upper body stat, so you’ll feel good at your next wedding or outdoor social event. Watch this video and try Lauren’s best get-fit moves for awesome arms, strong shoulders, and a beautiful back.
1. Wide hand walkout: Start in a plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders. From here, walk your hands out to a wide push-up position. Return to plank and repeat.
2. Tricep drops: Start in a plank position with your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Gently drop your elbows to the ground. Return to high plank and repeat.
3. Front and side dumbbell arm raises: Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand. Raise both to chest level to create a 90-degree angle with your torso, then lower back down. Next, raise both arms out straight to each side on the diagonal, stopping at shoulder level to create an open T shape with the arms, palms facing each other. Lower back down and continue to repeat this combination, moving the arms up and down as they extend in front of you and to the sides.
4. Bent-over tricep kickbacks: From standing, lean your upper body forward so you’re slightly bent over with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend arms at the elbows until dumbbells reach chest, then straighten arms back out as the weights reach back behind the upper body. Repeat.
5. Bent-over alternating rows: From standing, lean your upper body forward so you’re slightly bent over with a dumbbell in each hand. First raise your right arm up so your elbow bends deeply and the weight is next to your chest. Return arm down to center, then repeat the row movement on the left arm. Continue alternating arms.
6. Inverted push-up: From a downward dog, bend the elbows out wide to create a 90-degree angle, keeping the hips raised high toward the ceiling. Extend arms to return to starting position and repeat push-up.
The birth of my twins 13 years ago coincided with the death of any semblance of privacy or personal space.
First there was the nursing, which kept at least one of them dangling off my body for a good part of the day and night. Then, once they could crawl, I was afraid to shut the bathroom door for fear they’d bring a bookshelf down on their heads or eat the refrigerator magnets and get stuck to one another at the belly.
I was a nervous mom to begin with, and the two of them, constantly in motion and mischief, made me anxious and hypervigilant. Unfortunately, my open-door policy with my toddlers led to their begging to sit on my lap, even when I was peeing. I said no, but I was too ridden with working-mom guilt (bad mommy, earning money to support your children!) to boot them out and too exhausted to deal with the ensuing meltdowns if I tried.
I’d gotten myself into a bad pattern in which the kids felt entitled to a 24-hour all-access mommy pass, and I didn’t know how to break it. I loved them to the moon, but I was depleted and not exactly a joy to be around.
That’s when I started saying, “Mommy has to go to the gym.” I’m not sure whether my husband was more thrilled to afford me the free time or to just be rid of me, but it didn’t really matter. For a full hour, I’d go downstairs to our building’s gym and do… whatever. At first, I’d simply sit in the ladies’ room and marvel at what it was like to not have to rush out—pants open, hands unwashed—to avert some impending crisis. I’d noodle around on the bike and then head back upstairs, a saner person for it. Sometimes I made uninterrupted phone calls, and occasionally I cried from the stress of it all.
But eventually I began to use my time efficiently, doing 40 minutes of cardio and either stretching or using the weight machines. I’d been a regular before I had my kids, so getting back in shape wasn’t hard. And just going to a place where I could have myself all to myself was amazing.
Now my children are teenagers, and when I text them through the closed door of their bedroom to say, “Mommy’s going to the gym,” I’m lucky if I get a thumbs-up emoji in reply. But it’s all good, and the gym is still my sanctuary, a place I will forever associate with blissful escape.
The UTEP softball team will take a break from league action to host rival NM State in the FirstLight FCU Battle of I-10 on March 28 in a two-game set starting at 5 p.m. at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
Fans who wear to orange to the contests will get in free.
The Miners (8-21) and Aggies (10-16) will face each other for the 40th time after the game one first pitch. UTEP defeated NM State, 5-3, in Las Cruces on March 1. It was the first win up the road for the Miners against the Aggies since Feb. 15, 2010.
Head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk has beaten NM State twice during her four seasons at the helm, which includes a victory in 2014.
“It’s nice to know it’s a rivalry game, knowing that the girls will be fired up to play this one. Going into this game, they will try to prove something like they always do,” said Echo-Hawk.
UTEP pounded out a season-high 15 hits in its 12-2 (5) run-rule game-one victory against Southern Miss on March 25, but only tallied a combined 10 hits the next two contests. However, the Miners have shown they can rack up knocks against the Aggies as 11 hits were recorded during the March 1 triumph.
And following the team’s loss on Sunday in which four hits were tallied, Echo-Hawk had a post-game talk with the squad to get back in the swing of things against NM State on Tuesday.
“We were just talking about thing to do offensively so we can get back on track,” Echo-Hawk said. “Hitting is a hard thing to do. It’s hard to remain consistent. It’s hard not to let one at-bat carry into the next at-bat. I know we are a better hitting team than that.”
UTEP is currently hitting .294 in 2017. Since Echo-Hawk’s arrival prior to the 2014 campaign, the Miners are hitting .296 in 188 games played.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NM STATE
UTEP is 11-28 all-time against NM State, dating back to March 24, 2004. UTEP recently ended a seven-game losing streak to NM State after coming out on top, 5-3, on March 1 in Las Cruces. The Miners are 8-10 all-time in El Paso, while losing the last three contests at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Orange and Blue last won in the Sun City on March 4, 2014 by the score of 5-1. Overall, UTEP is 2-7 in the last nine contests since the 2014 victory. The Miners last won consecutive contests against the Aggies during a three-game stretch (UTEP def. NM State 12-7 on Feb. 19, 2009, 22-5 on Feb. 15, 2010 & 5-0 on March 23, 2010).
LAST MEETING
UTEP defeated NM State 5-3 on March 1 in Las Cruces. The Miners struck first as they jumped out to a 5-0 advantage. Hope Moreno put her squad on top 1-0 in the fourth when she was hit by a pitch in a pinch-hit situation with bases loaded. The Miners then jumped out 3-0 after Kiki Pepi lined a two-run home run over center in the fifth inning.
Pepi came up big again in the sixth, this time with a two-run single lined up the middle. The Aggies kept things interesting when they scored three runs in the sixth, but Devyn Cretz and Erika Harrawood combined to keep the victory intact. Cretz earned the win, hurling 5.2 frames and fanning five batters, and Harrawood earned her first career save in 1.2 innings of work, while striking out the last batter to seal the deal.
SCOUTING NM STATE
The Aggies have racked up a 10-16 record and are coming off a 5-2, 7-3 double header loss to PAC-12’s no. 21 Arizona State last Wednesday in Tempe, Ariz. Together, the Aggies are hitting .296 to rank third among the WAC. Reigning 2016 WAC Freshman of the Year Kelsey Horton, now a sophomore, is leading the lineup, batting .391 that includes four home runs, 10 doubles, and 22 RBI.
Horton’s numbers rank fourth in batting, third in RBI, and third for doubles in the WAC. The pitching staff has tallied an ERA of 4.05, with sophomore Kayla Green leading the crew with a 3.97 ERA to rank fifth in WAC, as well as leading the team in wins (six).
Fellow pitcher Samaria Diaz leads the team with 38 strikeouts, including a season-high seven Ks against Southern Illinois on March 11. NM State ranks second in conference in pitching and fielding.
LAST WEEKEND
UTEP defeated Southern Miss, 12-2, in five frames, but fell 6-2 and 6-1 the next two contests to lose the series. The Miners (3-6) and Golden Eagles (3-6) have the same record in the Conference USA West Division following the weekend series. The Miners bats exploded for a season-high 15 hits in the game one victory and crossed the dish a season-high 12 times against the Golden Eagles. Overall, UTEP hit .309 (25-81) and actually outscored Southern Miss, 15-14, in the three-game set.
Kaitlin Ryder also recorded a career-high five RBI in game one, while Kiki Pepi and Mallorie Cross each tallied four RBI during the weekend. Courtney Clayton and Macey Brown each chipped in with a RBI. Erika Harrawood earned the game one victory, throwing 5.0 frames and striking out a trio of batters.
SEASON HIGH IN RUNS & HITS
A week after tying the season high in runs (10) and hits (13) during UTEP’s 10-7 win against Middle Tennessee, the Miners set their season high in runs (12) and hits (15) during a 12-2 (5) victory over Southern Miss. The most runs and hits tallied during the Tobin Echo-Hawk era was a 16-run outburst against Mount St. Mary’s on March 5, 2016 and a 17-hit barrage against Incarnate Word on Feb. 11, 2016.
BAT WOMEN
After hitting .226 the first nine games, the UTEP bats have picked up the pace, hitting .321 (178-554) the last 20 games. Overall, the Miners are hitting .294 during the season, ranking fifth in Conference USA and no. 79 nationally.
UTEP is one of five programs hitting .290 or better; Marshall leads the pack with a .326 batting average. UTEP ranks sixth in hits (229) and slugging (.406).
DOUBLE TAKE
UTEP recorded five more doubles during the Southern Miss series and ranks tied sixth in Conference USA with North Texas (34 doubles). LA Tech leads the way with 44, while Marshall (43), Charlotte (41), FIU (39) and UTSA (38) round out the list.
UTEP’s 1.17 doubles per game ranks fifth in C-USA and 150 nationally. Marshall leads C-USA with 1.54 doubles and Seton Hall leads the nation with 2.08 doubles per game.
DIGGING OUT TRIPLES
UTEP ranks tied fifth with Florida Atlantic with six triples in 2017. LA Tech leads the way with 10, UTSA ranks second with eight, and Charlotte and Marshall each have seven. The Miners’ .21 triples per game ranks fourth in C-USA and no. 90 nationally.
C-USA OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
UTEP ranks second with a .311 batting average in Conference USA games only. Marshall leads with a .336 batting average. The Miners rank fourth in slugging (.389), fifth in on-base (.349), second in runs scored (41) [Marshall leads with 64 runs], third in hits (76), second in RBI (41), tied second with LA Tech in doubles (11) and third in total bases (95).
GETTING HIT
UTEP was hit three more times by pitches this past weekend against Southern Miss. The Miners rank tied fourth with Southern Miss with 17 HBPs. WKU leads the league with 54 HBPs, while North Texas (24) ranks second and FIU (20) ranks third.
Hope Moreno was hit by another pitch this past weekend, giving her five in 2017, to rank tied seventh in Conference USA with FIU’s Stephanie Texeira. WKU’s Taylor Proctor leads with 15 HBPs.
TOUGH TO STRIKEOUT
UTEP has left the plate swinging or looking only 110 times in 780 at bats to rank 11th in Conference USA. Marshall leads the way with 101, while WKU has struck out the most with 211. Lindsey Sokoloski leads C-USA and ranks fourth nationally, only fanning once in 81 at bats. Sokoloski is one of 12 players nationally to only strikeout once, while Victoria Nelson of Jackson State has not struck out (79 at bats) this season.
Baylor’s Lindsey Cargill (102 at bats) and Nicholls State’s Brooke Morris (98 at bats) rank ahead of Sokoloski. Courtney Clayton has struck out two times in 100 at bats to rank fourth in C-USA and tied no. 56 nationally. Taylor Sargent (four Ks in 76 at bats) ranks fourth in C-USA and no. 109 nationally.
#TURNUP
The UTEP defense turned a trio of double plays against Southern Miss – two in game two and one in game three. The Miners have turned 14 double plays in 2017, ranking fourth in Conference USA. FIU ranks first with 17, while WKU and UAB have each turned 16 double plays. Last season, UTEP turned a program-high 30 double plays.
DEFENSIVE RANKINGS
UTEP’s .957 fielding percentage ranks in the middle of the pack in Conference USA, while its 35 errors have been kept to a minimal, ranking eighth in least errors committed in C-USA.
Team SISD and Canutillo ISD leaders, board members, and employees will face off for a friendly flag football match as part of the Socorro Independent School District’s annual Warm the Soul collection drive to benefit students.
SISD’s Warm the Soul event serves to collect shoes for underprivileged children. This year, the district also is collecting blankets, scarves, socks, mittens and beanies.
All participants in the game are donating new shoes, blankets and winter accessories to benefit SISD children. The public is invited to cheer on the teams during the flag football game, and admission is free with a donation of shoes, or three winter accessories.
The Warm the Soul project has collected more than 150 pairs of shoes in past years.
What: Warm the Soul shoe drive and charity football game
Who: SISD and Canutillo ISD leaders, SISD students
Where: SISD Student Activities Complex | 1300 Joe Battle Blvd.
Thyroid disorder is one of the most common disorders. It happens due to under or over functioning of the thyroid gland. According to the statistics on the American Thyroid Association�s website, around 12% of Americans are likely to suffer from some thyroid disease. Moreover, more than 60% of the people are not even aware of their thyroid disorder. There are many kinds of thyroid diseases, and some of them are Goiter, Hyperthyroidism, Thyroid Nodules, Thyroid cancer, and hypothyroidism.
These types of thyroid disorder can be annoying. It is better to treat this type of disorder. First of all, Doctors use various tests to diagnose your disorder to suggest different types of available treatment methods for your thyroid disorder. You should know about the symptoms of thyroid disorder first because you won�t go to the doctor without any reason, will you?
What are the 8 symptoms of thyroid disorder you should not ignore?
As I said before, 60% of the people are not even aware of their thyroid disorder. This shows how important this article is. Here are the 8 symptoms of thyroid disorder you cannot afford to ignore.
Unexplainable Weight Loss
The amount of hormones released by your thyroid gland has an impact on your weight. When your thyroid gland releases more hormones than usual, you are likely to lose weight. This condition is called hyperthyroidism. However, it is the symptom of hyperthyroidism only if it is unexplainable, and i.e. without any change in your regular diet or fitness routine.
Sadness or Depression
Both overactive and under-active thyroid can have an impact on your mood. Too much thyroid hormone can make you feel anxious, irritable, or restless; whereas too less thyroid hormone can make you sad or depressed. It is one of the common thyroid symptoms.
Constipation
If you are having the problem with constipation, and you are not able to kick it, then it could be because of disruption in the production of thyroid hormone. It can slow down your digestion process. This is one of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Heart Rate
Your thyroid has an impact on many organs of your body, and it includes your heart too. If the rate of your heartbeat is more or less than normal, then it is likely to be a symptom of thyroid disorder. The normal heartbeat is between 60-100 beats per minute, and it depends on various factors like weight, age, height, and other physical conditions.
Swelling In Neck
If your neck is swollen, then it is obvious that something is not right with your thyroid. You just cannot ignore this symptom. It should be taken very seriously, and you should immediately see your doctor. The inflammation in your neck could also have the presence of cancer or nodules. Because many people are not even aware of the common symptoms of thyroid.
Hair Loss
Can your hair loss be the result of thyroid disorder? Yes, it can be. The study shows that abnormal function of your thyroid can lead to hair loss. This is a common symptom, which is shared by both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Some people look for many different problems to tackle the problem of hair loss, but they don�t have a clue that it could be because of thyroid disorder.
Too Much Sleep
It is obviously very good for your health to have an adequate level of sleep. However, if you are sleeping too much, then there is a problem. If your thyroid is not functioning in a normal manner, then it can have an adverse impact on your body functions. It can slow down your body functions. You may even feel sleepy during daytime if you have a thyroid disorder.
No Interest In Sex
If your mind and body are in the right condition, then you will feel very excited even to hear the word �sex.� However, if you are losing interest in sex, then you should realize that there is something seriously wrong with your health. The study shows that thyroid disorder may cause sexual dysfunction among men, and it can also affect sexual health of women. If you�re having the problem of low libido, then you should be concerned about your health.
Conclusion
By now you are aware of all the 8 symptoms of thyroid disorder you cannot afford to ignore. If you experience any of these symptoms, then you must be alert. Some types of thyroid disorder demand a regular visit to the doctor along with regular treatments.
Neither you should keep your thyroid disorder untreated, nor you should be careless regarding your treatment by keeping it under-treated because this can lead to serious consequences. This may also result in life-threatening problems. The study shows that thyroid disorder is also linked to the increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Analyze your body conditions and stay safe.
Gluten-free dominates the free-from category, especially the baking mix subcategory. Gluten-free product sales in 2015 grew nearly 10 percent to $25 billion, according to SPINS data.
“Gluten-free is growing,” notes Michelle Lorge, VP of marketing for Chicago-based Simple Mills. “Just in general, I would say that we are seeing the whole allergen-free world growing. What we found was that the allergen-free world is growing not just for people with allergies. Folks are realizing some of this element of bioindividuality and the fact that they’ve got sensitivities. Those sensitivities can be very different depending on the person because we’re all unique human beings; while they’re not necessarily truly �diagnosed’ with an issue, they know that they don’t feel their best, either physically or mentally, with certain food items.”
Contents
Clean and Simple
The free-from category has expanded well beyond gluten-free. “Customers are looking for clean labels completely across the board,” says Joe Hanni, president of PS Seasoning & Spices, Iron Ridge, Wis.
Lorge agrees that consumers want simple, hence, the name of her company Simple Mills. They want ingredient lists with words they can pronounce and can be found in their own pantries, she notes.
“There’s this whole group that is just looking for a cleaner product,” agrees Kasey Moss, senior brand director for Enjoy Life Foods, Chicago. “They don’t want all the fillers and the gums and all of the other ingredients that you find in a lot of mixes on those markets.” Instead, they turn to the free-from category to find the clean ingredient list.
For example, Simple Mills’ Banana Muffin & Bread Mix’s ingredient list only contains seven ingredients: almond flour, banana, organic coconut sugar, arrowroot, organic coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt.
In terms of clean label, consumers are looking further than just the flour used. “It’s beyond just gluten-free; they want non-GMO. They want all of that without giving up any type of function or flavorability,” Hanni says, crediting the company’s R&D department with formulating gluten-free flours that form the basis of the baking mixes and gives them all the function and flavor of traditional flour.
Search for Flavor
Consumers also are looking for more flavor than is just imparted from the flour. “We’re seeing customers looking for more interesting flavors in the baking mixes, not just baking flours,” Hanni says.
PS Seasoning & Spices has introduced a gourmet line of pancake mixes that includes flavors like Cookies & Cream, Fudge Brownie and Salted Caramel. “They’re looking for great, unique fusion flavors. They’re looking for free-from labeling and again, all of this without losing any type of functionality and/or without compromising any of the flavor as well,” Hanni notes. Retailers need to be aware that consumers are looking to recreate that gourmet experience in their kitchen, he says, and they want products that will make it easy to do so.
“Consumers want to be outside the norm,” he says. “One of the biggest pushes we’re seeing that retailers really need to pay attention to is that [consumers] don’t want a standard pancake. They want to try and make some these different baking items a fun, flavorful experience.”
Enjoy Life has taken a different approach to meet consumers’ growing demand for unique flavors. The company deliberately keeps its mixes’ flavor profile neutral and uses digital marketing to show customers how they can customize the end product to any flavor profile they want. For example, the company’s website offers a simple recipe to make a Cherry Coffee Cake Bread that uses Enjoy Life Foods Pizza Crust Baking Mix and consumers simply have to add sugar, vanilla, cherry preserves, flour and oil to create a completely unique and flavorful product.
Importance of Flour
Simple Mills also is looking for its ingredients to maximize nutrient density. “A lot of allergen-free products, especially in the baking world, are made with white rice or potato starch base devoid of all nutrients,” Lorge says. The company uses almond flour because it imparts all of the nutritional benefits of almonds, which have more nutrients than other tree nuts and are a good source of fiber, high in protein and naturally cholesterol free.
Enjoy Life Foods shies away from the nut flours that many manufacturers may turn to formulate gluten-free or other gluten-free products because nuts are one of the top eight allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans) and has instead found teff flour to be an on-trend ingredient that works well in its baking mixes. Probiotics is another on-trend ingredient the company has incorporated to make the mixes as attractive as possible to all consumers.
“We took trends that you hear about maybe outside of baking mixes and put them into our mixes to create an all-encompassing product for multiple consumers, not just those with food allergies,” notes Moss.
Beyond Gluten
Simple Mills products are naturally gluten-free, which helps with the clean label aspect that consumers are looking for, due to the ingredients it chooses to use, but its products are also grain-free, soy-free, dairy-free and corn-free. “We know that a lot of our consumers have issues with these elements,” Lorge says. “Not everybody has issues with all of them, but we just generally try to avoid them because we are seeing increases across the board with these ingredients.”
She notes that grain-free in general is a growing trend, some of which could be due to the increasing interest in the Paleo diet. For example, Simple Mills avoids using rice flour because rice is technically a grain and people can have sensitivity to rice. Sales of grain-free foods grew 242 percent in the past year to account for $44 million in sales, she says, adding “While it still pales in comparison to gluten-free, it is definitely a growing trend we are seeing.”
What’s next in the free-from baking mix category? Hanni notes that plant-based diets continue to be on the rise, which will continue to push dairy out of diets as well as more consumers looking to avoid soy. Also, sales of free-from products will continue to grow as the price of the items continues to go down as manufacturers figure out how to make them more cost-efficiently.
Moss also thinks dairy may be the next big food item that consumers will look to eliminate as well as more consumers who do not suffer from food allergies seeking out the free-from products as a way to find the clean labels they want in order to eat more healthfully.
“In general, consumers are becoming a lot more aware,” Moss notes. “It’s an opportunity for retailers to really offer an alternative to consumers that are wanting to explore a newer, cleaner product.”
New Products
Sweet Potato Pancake & Waffle Mix
Birch Benders’ Sweet Potato Pancake & Waffle Mix features the exclusive seasonal flavor of sweet potatoes. Real sweet potatoes are blended with vanilla, brown sugar and buttermilk to bring flavor to a traditional holiday favorite while only requiring consumers to add water. The mix is made with all natural, non-GMO ingredients, contains no trans fat and is cholesterol-free. SRP: 4.99 Birch Bender, Denver, 303-658-9271 ext. 104, www.birchbenders.com
Cinnamon Sugar Muffin Mix
Among Friends Baking Mixes introduces Francie’s Make It Your Own Cinnamon Sugar Muffin Mix made with Vietnamese cinnamon spice � a perfect snack or breakfast to go. The new muffin mix is gluten-free and made with high-quality whole grain flours that offer superior flavor, texture and nutrition. All of the brand’s mixes are free of high glycemic fillers and gums like tapioca starch and xanthan gum. Other products available include Cora’s Honey Cornbread, Papa Tom’s Perfect Pancake and Alec’s Awesomely Fudgy Brownie mix. Among Friends LLC, Ann Arbor, Mich., 202-276-1909, www.amongfriendsbakingmixes.com
A Natural Cholesterol-Lowering Supplement Red Yeast Rice Poses Same Health Risks As Statin Drugs
a new study contends.
Red yeast rice could increase risk of muscle injury or liver damage, Italian researchers reported after reviewing 13 years of patient data.
“These findings raise the hypothesis that the safety profile of red yeast rice is highly similar to that of synthetic statins and warrants further investigations to finally characterize the safety profile of red yeast rice,” the researchers concluded.
American heart experts said it’s not surprising that the researchers discovered adverse reactions to red yeast rice that are similar to those produced by statins.
That’s because one of the compounds in red yeast rice — monacolin K — has the same chemical structure as the statin drug lovastatin, said Dr. Paul Thompson.
“Statins actually exist in nature, in fungi and molds and stuff like that,” said Thompson, an American College of Cardiology fellow. “Patients need to know there is lovastatin in this product.” (Brand names for lovastatin are Mevacor and Altoprev.)
However, the new report only details 55 reports of adverse reactions during the entire study period. To Thompson, this indicates they are “a very rare problem.”
“It’s a tempest in a teapot,” Thompson said of the new study.
Red Yeast Rice Is Concocted From Yeast Grown On Rice
U.S. sales of red yeast rice dietary supplements totaled about $20 million a year in both 2008 and 2009, the most recent years for which data are available, according to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration views red yeast rice products containing more than trace amounts of monacolin K as unapproved new drugs, since they are chemically identical to lovastatin, and cannot be sold legally as dietary supplements.
But dozens of red yeast rice products remain on the market. And products tested as recently as 2011 have been found to contain monacolin K in substantial amounts, the NCCIH says.
For the new study, the Italian researchers reviewed government data collected on natural health products between April 2002 and September 2015.
Reports of muscle pain came from 19 patients, including some who experienced an increase in levels of creatine phosphokinase, an enzyme released when muscle tissue is damaged, the researchers said.
Thirteen of 14 “serious” cases required hospitalization. Ten patients suffered liver damage, the researchers found.
In addition, 12 patients reported gastrointestinal reactions that included upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The researchers noted that muscle pain and liver damage are common side effects of statins, which countless people take to lower their cholesterol and their risk of heart attack and stroke.
Study Doesn’t Directly Tie Red Yeast Rice To Any Of These Health Problems
“There’s no way to be absolutely guaranteed certain that most of these cases were related to the red yeast rice,” he said. Thompson is chief of cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.
Patients with high cholesterol often buy red yeast rice over the counter when they’re concerned about the side effects of prescription statins, said Dr. Robert Eckel, a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
“You have to let them know that, well, you’re actually taking a statin,” said Eckel, who’s also a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement manufacturer trade group, recommends that people talk with their doctor before taking red yeast rice to lower cholesterol.
“For the small percentage of people who may have an adverse response to red yeast rice, a doctor can help to determine whether it can be tolerated, and if not, to seek other alternatives,” said Duffy MacKay. He’s the council’s senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.
Some clinical trials have shown that people with a history of statin intolerance seem to tolerate red yeast rice, Eckel said.
Thompson said he prescribes a fair amount of red yeast rice in his clinic as a way to ease reluctant patients into statin treatment.
But because it’s a supplement, the amount of active ingredient in red yeast rice can vary widely from brand to brand and even batch to batch, Thompson and Eckel said.
“The products are not as well-controlled and the dosages are variable,” Eckel said.
Red yeast rice also can prove expensive if taken regularly, because it isn’t covered by insurance, Thompson said.
“My advice is people should take regular statins, even if they have to take it at very low doses,” Thompson said.
The new study appears in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
SOURCES: Paul D. Thompson, M.D., chief, cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Conn., and fellow, American College of Cardiology; Robert Eckel, M.D., professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and spokesman, American Heart Association; Duffy MacKay, senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition; Jan. 19, 2017, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, online
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Have you ever wondered why the endless diet plans never work? Find out whether it is a fact or fiction before you follow them religiously!
Hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Rounding up the view shared by weight loss experts, we zeroed on the top 5 dieting myths, that have been making a fool out of you for a very long time.
Contents
1. Gluten Free is The Way to Go:
Whoever got you believing gluten-free products are all you need to lose weight- fooled you big. The products almost always use rice flour that has a tendency to increase the sugar content of the food. The result is altering blood sugar level that leaves you with hunger pangs, reported Women’s Health.
2. Dairy is Not For Diet:
Here’s research that will leave you happy. Full-fat dairy products have shown better weight loss benefits than that glass of skimmed milk you hold. Dairy products are high in protein and are your best bet for weight loss diet. So, next time somebody asks you to ditch the glass of full-fat milk, ditch them instead.
3. Cut Fat to Lose Fat:
Suddenly cutting down on your fat intake will do you no good. There is a good fat and a bad fat. Natural fat and dairy fats are healthy. Avoid processed foods these come with the bad fat.
4. Consuming Food After 8 PM is Bad:
According to The Health Site, this is another dieting myth, which apparently makes no sense. If you are with your friends gorging on oily food, it is bad irrespective of the time. If you can keep your midnight hunger pangs satiated with a healthy snack then, by all means, go for it.
5. Green Tea is Mandatory For Losing Weight:
Have to agree that green tea is good for health but mind you, it is no superfood for your weight loss program. The amount of green tea you have to consume to lose a proper weight is just way too much. Buying expensive green tea weight loss supplements was a marketing technique that got you good.
While there’s scant evidence that herbal medications are safe or effective to treat heart conditions, they remain popular among people with heart disease, a new review suggests.
“Physicians should improve their knowledge of herbal medications in order to adequately weigh the clinical implications related to their use,” said senior review author Dr. Graziano Onder.
Onder, of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, Italy, is an assistant professor in the department of geriatrics, neurosciences and orthopedics.
Physicians Should Explain That Natural Does Not Always Mean Safe
Onder�said in a news release from the American College of Cardiology.
In the United States, herbal medications can be sold without being tested in clinical trials. As a result, there’s little evidence of their safety or effectiveness, the review authors explained.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration can only determine that an herbal medication is unsafe after it has already hurt someone. However, this hasn’t stopped many people with heart disease from taking herbal treatments to improve their heart health, the researchers said.
To explore the issue, the investigators looked at 42 herbal medications that have been identified as a possible treatment for one or more heart conditions, including high blood pressure, heart failure and hardening of the arteries.
Onder’s team found there isn’t enough evidence to determine if herbal remedies are causing potential complications.
Many people don’t tell their doctor they are taking herbal medications, probably because they don’t view these as treatments that could cause serious side effects, the study authors said.
Complicating matters even further, many people taking herbal medications don’t follow through on their treatment plan and fail to take the medication prescribed by their doctor properly, the findings showed.
Doctors Should Talk To Their Patients About Potential Risks Of Using Herbal Medications
researchers concluded.
“Communicating with the patient is a crucial component of the process,” Onder said. “The pros and cons of specific herbal medications should be explained and their risk-benefit profile properly discussed.”
The review was published Feb. 27 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
SOURCE: American College of Cardiology, news release, Feb. 27, 2017
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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