That's Fit

Not all sugars are created equal, and new research shows that eating a certain type of sweet stuff can make you gain weight at an alarming weight. We're talking about Fructose, not to be confused with naturally-occurring glucose. According to the New York Times, regular sugar is normally processed by the liver, which acts as a sort of 'traffic cop' and directs the sugar where to go. But fructose by-passes the liver and heads straight to your hips in the form of unhealthy fat.

I know what you're wondering: Why would anyone eat fructose? The answer is simple -- it's everywhere. It's cheaper than sugar, so many food manufacturers use it. It's your responsibility to read the labels and make sure you're avoiding this tasty poison.

If your dad was obese when he was young, are you at a higher risk of liver disease? A recent study indicates you are.

The U.S. study, including over 1700 participants with an average age of 42, found that "people whose fathers were clinically obese at an early age were more likely to have increased liver enzyme levels, an indicator of liver disease." These findings held ground regardless of the subject's BMI, indicating that the father's weight truly is a factor.

Let's talk liver. No, not that dish that your mom served with onions -- the other liver, the one in your body that cleans your blood. Truth is, life wouldn't be the same without it. Well, life wouldn't exist at all without it. You need your liver. That's why you don't drink too much alcohol or pop too many pills -- because they'll hurt your liver. But there's another way you're hurting your liver and it's more surprising: Eating. Let's clarify though-- eating healthy won't hurt your liver; it's the other kind of eating - the unhealthy eating.

According to recent studies out of Sweden, fast food binges can do severe damage to your liver. In fact, participants in the study had signs of liver disease after only one week of excessive fast food consumption. Yikes!

Want to know more? Read the full results.

I remember taking a supplement called Rocket Fuel when I was a stupid teenager. It came in a medicine dropper bottle, touting itself as a workout energy booster that would surely make you the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like I said, I was a stupid teenager. In reality, all the stuff did was burn the hell out of your mouth, making you want to workout as fast as possible so you could bury your mouth under the kitchen sink. Not that I know for sure -- or really feel like taking the time to look it up to find out -- but, I'm guessing that Rocket Fuel had some sort of chili pepper extract in it. However, the crazy thing is that there is plenty of evidence suggesting that eating foods that contain chili peppers and chili powders can help reduce fat. Granted, the last thing my 130 pound teenage body needed at the time was to lose weight, but it's still pretty funny to think that there may have been something to that foolish Rocket Fuel after all.

This chili pepper phenomenon was examined by Australian scientists, who discovered that capsaicin -- the chemical that makes chili peppers hot -- may improve the liver's ability to clear insulin from the bloodstream after a meal. This is rather important, for it is insulin that signals the body to store fat. With respect to the results of the Aussie's research, they found that their test subjects' insulin levels were 32 percent lower following their consumption of a chili pepper flavored meal.

To receive the benefits of capsaicin, you could try adding Tabasco sauce to your foods. As for Rocket Fuel, that should probably be left in the heaping pile of useless supplements where it belongs.

A story like this is best summed up just like a doctor put it by saying the case is "extremely unusual." After receiving a liver transplant at the age of nine, Demi-Lee Brennan's immune system literally switched over to that of her donor's. She now has a different blood type, and doctors say nothing like this has ever been observed before.

In the beginning, they discovered she had liver failure and required a transplant. But after the operation, stem cells from the transplanted organ made their way to her bone marrow. This is how the incredible switch took place. Now doctors are trying to figure out if they can replicate the same results for other transplant surgeries.

Considering that the human system can reject transplants, it would be extremely beneficial to find a way to make the body change its own makeup to adapt a healthier organ. Demi-Lee is perfectly fine now, so maybe some day we'll see these amazing results on a regular basis!

Are you a consumer of high glycemic index (GI) foods? Probably you are -- most of us are at regular intervals. New research reports, however, that not only will you gain more weight from eating a diet rich in high glycemic foods, but there are risks to liver health as well.

The study involved mice of course, and the liver problems caused by overconsumption of high glycemic foods has already been termed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

White bread, potatoes and refined starches cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, which causes the problems. In fact, I'd go as far as saying everyone should cut out as many refined, white products as possible: bread, rice, potatoes, flour and anything else that contains refined (read: nutritionally worthless) grains and bleached flour products.

An osteoarthritis drug called Prexige has been taken off the shelves and can no longer be sold in Canada after Health Canada decided to pull the product. The drug was approved in November 2006 as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee and later was approved to treat general osteoarthritis symptoms in adults.

However, patients -- including two in Canada -- began reporting serious liver problems after taking the drug. Australia was the first country to pull Prexige and the United States rejected the drug altogether due to concerns over these side-effects.

Those who have been prescribed Prexige who want more information on the story can look here, and should visit their doctors in order to find an appropriate treatment to replace the drug.

For those who take it on a regular basis, and who remember to take it every day at the same time, the pill is a pretty effective form of contraception. It's not for everyone though, so those who are thinking of going on the pill should take a look at this article, which discusses some of the pros and cons of the oral contraceptive.

Some of the more well-known pros include clearer skin, lighter periods and less severe or no cramps. One of the major cons that I've heard women talk about is the extra weight gain associated with taking the pill. However, I've also heard that no one should gain more than a few pounds, if any. Also, the pill protects again some forms of cancer, like ovarian and endometrial cancer, but may increase the risk of breast, cervical and liver cancer. Also, smokers, especially those over age 35, who take the pill are at risk of developing life threatening blood clots.

So that's the good and the bad, but what about the stuff they don't tell you? A women quoted in the article insists that she noticed an increase in her sex drive when she quit taking the contraceptive, but admits it could be due to a number of factors. I know a women who insists that her curly hair went completely straight when she went on the pill and another who says that for the first week she starting taking the contraceptive, her emotions went wild.

As usual, the best way to find out if the pill is right for you is to do some research, talk to your doctor and make sure to ask lots of questions and ensure any concerns you have are addressed before you make your choice.

Low-carb dieting is one of the most popular forms of weight-loss out there, and it works! But is it healthy? Fitsugar recently asked that same question and they came up with the precautions for low-carb wannabes:

• Low-carb diets can be damaging to the health of women who are pregnant, as well as those with diabetes, kidney stones or high cholesterol.
• People following a low-carb plan might be missing important nutrients. Take a multivitamin and possibly fiber supplements if you're going to cut out carbs
• High amounts of protein can be damaging to the liver. Be sure to drink lots of water
• Remember to consult your doctor before going on any diet.
  

What do you think about low-carb diets? I think it can be healthy, but I'm not sure that I could follow one on the long term -- I'm too much of a pasta-and-bread fiend.

DiYLife blogger Francesca Clarke wrote recently about 11 foods with the power to increase energy and improve mood. No need for supplements and special drinks, says Clarke. These tasty treats will do the trick all on their own.

As you plan your meals for the days to come, consider incorporating these feel-good items. Some are pretty darn appetizing. Check out the last one. Now that's an invitation for happiness -- but only if pursued with moderation, of course.

• Milk
• Chocolate
• Whole grain rice or pasta
• Mackerel
• Broccoli
• Coffee
• Turkey
• Liver
• Blueberries
• Brazil nuts
• Any food that tastes good

Here's to good food and good moods!

I know some people who swear by detoxing, and go on a major cleanse a few times each year. I've always been skeptical of these -- I think the human body is quite amazing and pretty effective at cleansing itself -- but the subject still interests me.

I think CNN hits the nail on the head with this article on detox diets. In short, they're unnecessary if you're healthy. Your liver can clean itself, and while a lot of stuff might come out with that colonic, keep in mind that you're losing all your good bacteria too. And colonics have been shown to lead to infection. As for those liquid fasts? They might seem like a good idea at the time, but they're just not good for you. But if you must, do a one-day juice fast.

What do you think of detoxing?

A study from this past week stated that African-Americans and those of Hispanic descent, when they suffer from the liver disease cirrhosis, suffer from a more severe version than Caucasian counterparts.

The disease in question was primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), which generally affects young and middle-age Caucasian women more than any other race or gender group.

What wasn't explained (but rather, concluded) was that when this particular type of cirrhosis affected those outside the Caucasian population, it significantly rose in severity at the same time. The researchers noted that the reasons for this were "unclear" at this time.

Potatoes, when they are eaten mostly unadulterated, are excellent for health. They're full of nutrients and make for a great meal. But, a diet rich in them when added to refined grains like white bread and rice may be having a deadly impact on many, and they may not even know it.

Sounds odd, right? These high-glycemic foods may be causing "fatty liver" disease in some, which could turn into a serious condition. It's the starch content in these foods that is the problem, say researchers.

Fat buildup around the liver becomes the problem after eating a consistent diet high in starchy foods, and all that fat buildup causes liver failure in the future. But, like anything, balance your diet out with these foods and others and you most likely won't have an issue.

The debate on whether coffee is good or bad for you has been lobbed back and forth on That's Fit with everything under the sun being discussed including Adams Briscoe's post on how coffee may raise cholesterol and Maggie Vink's discussion on coffee reducing your risk of getting a certain eye disorder.

At the risk of being torn apart by brew-lovers everywhere, I have to admit that I'm not a big fan. Tea has always been my hot, caffeinated beverage of choice. So with my unbiased view I bring all of you fans of a moderate (yep moderate) amount of coffee good news. According to this, a cup (or even a few) a day is pretty darn good for you. The piece states that various studies have found:

• Coffee reduces your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes
• Coffee lowers your risk of getting liver cancer
• Caffeinated drinks including coffee lower the chances of getting Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
• Drinking coffee may reduce the risk of colon cancer, asthma and cirrhosis of the liver
• Coffee aids with endurance in activities such as swimming, running and cycling

So go ahead and enjoy your morning cuppa!

OK, so we all know that water is good for us in a multitude of ways. Debra wrote a great post on some of its major benefits, such as its ability to get rid of headaches, the way it makes your skin look great and how it can help with weight loss. It's this last one that I'm the most curious about. How does drinking the recommended 8, 8-oz glasses of water a day help a person drop pounds?

According to this article, it's all about metabolism. The short and sweet version is (see the article for the detailed explanation) that your metabolism is what helps you burn calories, and water is what gets the metabolic chemical reactions going. If you haven't had enough water, these reactions aren't going to be up to speed. Water helps your kidneys function and when you're not drinking the right amount, your liver -- whose job it is to metabolize fat-- has to help out, meaning that it can't do it's metabolizing fast enough. So instead of getting rid of extra calories, they're being stored as fat on your tummy, bum, thighs, etc.

Sure drinking water alone isn't going to make you lose huge amounts of weight, but it's a pretty great (and simple) aid to a healthy diet and exercise. If you don't want to stop at just drinking lots of water, here is a blog that Maggie wrote about water-rich foods that can help you drop additional pounds. It's all so convincing and so incredibly easy, I think I'll go pour myself a cool glass of H2O right now.