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Light ahead in fight against degenerative blindness...Once doomed to a life of darkness, dozens of people stricken by re...
19/12/2016

Light ahead in fight against degenerative blindness...

Once doomed to a life of darkness, dozens of people stricken by retinal diseases are rediscovering a world of light as scientists push ahead on cures for blindness.

Already, bionic retinas enable blind people to “see” sidewalks, doorways and even oversized text while gene therapy has allowed a small boy to put away his white cane and take up Little League baseball. Drugs are being used to halt some age-related forms of blindness, and in lab dishes, stem cells are being coaxed into forming retinal tissue in early proof-of-concept work.

“Things that were thought impossible a few years ago are a reality today,” Maria Canto-Soler, director of the Retinal Degeneration Research Centre at Johns Hopkins University in the United States told AFP. “It wouldn’t be appropriate to say that we will find ways to cure retinal degenerative diseases in just a few more years, but we are surely on the right track… it is just a matter of time.”

Retinal degenerative diseases like retinitis pigmentosa (RP) affect more than 30 million people around the world, according to the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), based in Columbia, Maryland. The tally includes age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 in developing countries, and Usher syndrome which is the main cause of combined deafness and blindness.

Scientists hope that soon, diagnosis with a degenerative retinal disease won’t amount to a sentence of life-long disability. No longer in the realm of science fiction, bionic retinas are already changing the lives of several dozen people who use them today in the United States and Europe, where they are available for sale.

The system is built around a chip implanted in the eye to mimic the function of photoreceptor cells, typically combined with a miniature camera mounted in a pair of sporty-looking sunglasses. The camera sends images via a mini computer to the chip, which converts them to electrical signals to the brain, where they are interpreted as vision. In one patent, the chip itself functions also as photoreceptor and transmitter. After a short re-education, implant recipients start making out shapes and light patterns, allowing them to avoid obstacles in their path and even read large signs.

“It’s changed everything. I can stop at the curb edge now, cross the road and find the other curb on the other side,” says “Mr. K”, who received the Argus II prosthesis manufactured by California-based Second Sight in 2009. “If I go to the pub, I know where people are. I can’t make out the faces but I know there are other people around instead of sitting in a darkened room never knowing if you’re talking to yourself or someone next to you. It’s just uplifting, it’s just great!” he said in a video testimonial. Yet, the device remains off limits for many at more than 100,000 euros ($135,000) apiece.

Quitting smoking makes you happier…Moderate or heavy smokers who quit to***co get a boost in mental wellbeing that, for ...
18/12/2016

Quitting smoking makes you happier…

Moderate or heavy smokers who quit to***co get a boost in mental wellbeing that, for people who are anxious or stressed, is equivalent to taking anti-depressants, a study said Thursday.

British researchers examined 26 published investigations into the mental health of smokers. They looked at standardized scorecards for symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and quality of life, derived from questionnaires completed by volunteers.

The smokers were 44 years old on average and smoked between 10 and 40 ci******es a day. They were questioned before they tried to give up smoking and again after their attempt — an average of six months later. Those who succeeded in quitting reported reduced depression, anxiety and stress and had a more positive outlook on life…compared with those who continued smoking.

“The effect sizes are equal or larger than those of anti-depressant treatment for mood and anxiety disorders,” said the study, published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Quitters who had been diagnosed with psychiatric disorders enjoyed a similar improvement.

Lead investigator Gemma Taylor of the University of Birmingham’s School of Health and Population Sciences said she hoped the findings would dispel a widespread misconception about smoking. “It’s a common myth that smoking actually is good for your mental health — ‘smoking relieves stress,’ ‘smoking helps you relax,’ ‘smoking helps you enjoy things’ — and that common myth is really hard to overcome,” Taylor told AFP in a phone interview.

But actually, the study showed that “when you stop smoking and you break the ni****ne withdrawal cycle, your mental health improves.” Taylor pointed to a mainstream theory in to***co addiction research: that a smoker’s psychological state fluctuates throughout the day as a result of exposure to ni****ne. The sense of calm or wellbeing from a cigarette is followed immediately afterwards by classic withdrawal signs of a depressed mood, anxiety or agitation.

Smokers, though, tend to misattribute these symptoms and blame them on stress or other factors. And because ni****ne has a calming effect, they perceive that ci******es improve their mental health. Smoking is already blamed for a wide range of physical diseases and disorders, ranging from cancer, blindness and cardiac problems to diabetes, gum disease and impotence.

The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) estimated last July that to***co kills almost six million people each year, a toll that will rise to eight million annually in 2030. About four out of every five deaths will occur in low- and middle-income nations, it said.

Despite a decline in smoking prevalence in some nations, in overall terms the number of people smoking today is greater than in 1980, due to population growth, according to a paper published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Healthy lifestyle key to Hypertension Prevention & ControlAdopting a healthy lifestyle is a critical step in preventing ...
15/12/2016

Healthy lifestyle key to Hypertension Prevention & Control

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a critical step in preventing and treating hypertension. According to the American Heart Association, lifestyle changes may lower blood pressure without the use of prescription medications. Following the below mentioned 10 lifestyle changes can make to lower your blood pressure and control hypertension:

1) Lose extra weight, watch your waistline - Weight loss is one of the most effective lifestyle changes for controlling blood pressure. In general, men are at risk of high blood pressure if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (102 centimeters). Women are at risk if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters).

2) Exercise regularly - Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. The best types of exercise for lowering blood pressure include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Strength training also can help reduce blood pressure.

3) Eat a healthy diet - Eat a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and low on saturated fat and cholesterol.

4) Reduce sodium in your diet - Read food labels and, if possible, choose low-sodium alternatives of the foods and beverages you normally buy. Eat fewer processed foods. Don’t add salt; instead, use herbs or spices to add flavor to your food.

5) Limit the amount of alcohol you drink - Alcohol can potentially lower your blood pressure by 2 to 4 mm Hg. But that protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol. Keep alcohol intake to one drink a day for women and for men older than age 65, or two a day for men age 65 and younger. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can actually raise blood pressure by several points. It can also reduce the effectiveness of blood pressure medications.

6) Quit smoking - Each cigarette you smoke increases your blood pressure for many minutes after you finish. Quitting smoking helps your blood pressure return to normal.

7) Cut back on caffeine - The role caffeine plays in blood pressure is still unclear. Caffeine can raise blood pressure by as much as 10 mm Hg in people who rarely consume it, but there is little to no strong effect on blood pressure in habitual coffee drinkers. Although the effects of chronic caffeine ingestion on blood pressure aren’t clear, the possibility of a slight increase in blood pressure exists. To see if caffeine raises your blood pressure, check your blood pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage. If your blood pressure increases by 5 to 10 mm Hg, you may be sensitive to the blood pressure-raising effects of caffeine. Talk to your doctor about the effects of caffeine on your blood pressure.

8) Reduce your stress - Chronic stress is an important contributor to high blood pressure. Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what’s causing your stress, consider how you can eliminate or reduce stress. Try these stress management tips:
a) Learn to say no and to live within manageable limits. Try to learn to accept things you can’t change.
b) Know your stress triggers. Avoid whatever triggers you can.
c) Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy. Take 15 to 20 minutes a day to sit quietly and breathe deeply.
d) Practice gratitude. Expressing gratitude to others can help reduce stressful thoughts.

9) Monitor your blood pressure at home and see your doctor regularly - Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure, make certain your lifestyle changes are working, and alert you and your doctor to potential health complications.

10) Get support - Supportive family and friends can help improve your health. They may encourage you to take care of yourself, drive you to the doctor’s office or embark on an exercise program with you to keep your blood pressure low.

Build healthy ties to prevent Emotional Crisis…The Cagayan de Oro chapter of the Philippine Mental Health Association (P...
14/12/2016

Build healthy ties to prevent Emotional Crisis…

The Cagayan de Oro chapter of the Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA), in partnership with Xavier University Psychology Department and XU Psychology Society, recently conducted a seminar on love, relationships, and emotional crises in connection with the World Su***de Prevention Day.

The seminar, held at the XU Little Theater, was attended by psychology faculty and students from XU, Lourdes College and Liceo de Cagayan University, including psychometricians, psychologists, and other mental health practitioners in the region.

In his message to the attendees, XU Psychology Dept chairperson Jason O. Manaois underscored the importance of building healthy relationships and communities in the prevention of su***des, particularly among the youth. XU guidance counselor Mary Jane L. Belen kicked off the series of lectures with “Love and Relationship: Building Healthy Relationships,” where she asked a few participants of their definitions of love.

She then presented Sternberg’s “Triangle of Love” and the eight types of love; defined what dating is; and debunked some general misconceptions about love. At the end of her talk, Belen advised everyone “not to lose their sense of individuality when in love.”

In another presentation titled “Understanding Depression and Su***de,” Dr. Carolina Uno-Rayco said that when mental health is not promoted, mental disorder takes place. She also clarified that depression is more than just being sad, contrary to how others define it. To aid in the discussion, she enumerated facts and symptoms of depression and su***de tendencies, and how these two are interconnected.

Rayco emphasized how psychology students and practitioners should be aware of these topics. “Psychology is a helping profession,” she said, adding that “we can beat depression because help is available.” She also shared the hotlines of organizations that offer help to those who are experiencing emotional crises and in need of immediate assistance.

Both Philippine Mental Health Association and Natasha Goulbourn Foundation Philippines are private, non-stock, non-government organizations dedicated to the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental disorders.

Autism risk is half genetic, half environmental…A large study in Sweden has shown that genes are just as important as en...
12/12/2016

Autism risk is half genetic, half environmental…

A large study in Sweden has shown that genes are just as important as environmental factors in assessing the causes of autism.

Researchers were surprised to discover that the inheritability of the neurodevelopmental disorder was about 50 percent — much lower than previous studies that put it at 80-90 percent — and that it was equal to environmental causes, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings were based on data from more than two million people in Sweden from 1982 to 2006, and is the largest to date on the topic of understanding whether genes or the environment contribute to autism, which affects about one in 100 children globally, and as many as one in 68 in the United States.

“We were surprised by our findings as we did not expect the importance of environmental factors in autism to be so strong,” said study author Avi Reichenberg from the Mount Sinai Seaver Center for Autism Research in New York.

The study did not pinpoint which environmental factors could be at play, but said generally they could include things like the family’s socioeconomic status, birth complications, maternal infections or medications taken before and during pregnancy.

Co-authors on the study came from Kings College London and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

More research is needed to further probe the causes of autism, which scientists do not fully understand. Recent research has suggested the disorder has a prenatal origin, and may take root while the fetus is developing in the womb.

Lower your blood pressure thru exercise…People suffering from high blood pressure can lower or control it, sometimes eve...
08/12/2016

Lower your blood pressure thru exercise…

People suffering from high blood pressure can lower or control it, sometimes even reduce the need for medication, by making exercise a habit. Regular physical activity can make your heart beat faster, give you more energy and generally make you feel better. It is also a great way to relieve stress.

Since an active lifestyle is good for you, your doctor will likely encourage you to engage in any kind of physical activity and prepare you for it if you are already taking hypertension drugs. You don’t have to go to a gym or join fitness clubs if that is not your inclination. Individual undertakings such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, biking, lifting weights, even gardening and doing household chores can work as long as you are moving around and breathing harder.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or a combination of both each week. You can aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobics 4-5 days a week or break up your workout into 10-minute sessions and get the same benefit as one 30-minute session. AHA says shorter bursts of activity during the day count, too.

High blood pressure and exercise are connected in the sense that the latter makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood and if it exerts less effort to pump, the force on the arteries decreases thus lowering your blood pressure. By becoming more active, your systolic blood pressure (the upper number in a blood pressure reading) can go down by an average of 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) which is effectively the same as taking some blood pressure medication.

Exercise can also help to keep your blood pressure from rising as you age and maintain it at the desirable level of less than 120/80 mm Hg. Maintaining a healthy weight is also another important way to control blood pressure. However, it would take about one to three months for regular exercise to have an impact on your blood pressure since the benefits last only as long as you continue to exercise.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a common condition that one can have for years without any symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels. The long-term force of the blood against the walls of the arteries can be excessive and, if uncontrolled, might damage the blood vessels and other organs of the body thereby increasing your risk of serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke.

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood that the heart pumps as well as the amount of resistance to blood flow in the arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

The condition generally develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, it can be easily detected. Once you are aware that you have high blood pressure, your doctor can help you to control it. Some signs such as headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds may manifest in people with high blood pressure but they don’t usually occur until it has reached a life-threatening stage.

Basically, there are three types of exercise:
• Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, bicycling (stationary or outdoor), skating, rowing, high- or low-impact aerobics and swimming;
• Strength training for building strong muscles to help burn calories; and
• Stretching for better flexibility and better movement.

Aerobic activity is important in controlling blood pressure in the same way that flexibility and strengthening exercises such as lifting weights are essential parts of an overall fitness plan. Any physical activity that increases your heart and breathing rates is considered aerobic exercise. Simply adding moderate physical activities to your daily routine, including climbing stairs and doing household errands, will help lower your blood pressure.

If you’d like to try weight training exercises, get prior approval from your doctor. It is also best to check with your doctor before you jump into an exercise program, especially if:
• You’re a man older than age 40 or a woman older than age 50
• You smoke
• You’re overweight or obese
• You have a chronic health condition, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol
• You’ve had a heart attack
• You have a family history of heart-related problems before age 55
• You feel pain in your chest or become dizzy with exertion
• You’re unsure if you’re in good health

If you are taking any regular medication, ask your doctor if such medication will affect the way your body reacts to exercise. And in order to reduce the risk of injury while exercising, start slowly. Remember to warm up before and cool down afterward, gradually building up the intensity of your workouts. Stop exercising and seek immediate medical care if you experience chest pain or tightness, dizziness or faintness, pain in an arm or your jaw, severe shortness of breath, any irregular heartbeat or excessive fatigue.

Video game offers entertaining new treatment for ‘Lazy Eye’Video game developer Ubisoft and a partner firm announced the...
06/12/2016

Video game offers entertaining new treatment for ‘Lazy Eye’

Video game developer Ubisoft and a partner firm announced the first therapeutic use of a video game to treat amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye,” which afflicts mostly children.

Ubisoft and Amblyotech Inc., used inventions patented by researchers at McGill University in Montreal and subsequently licensed to Amblyotech to come up with the breakthrough treatment, which it said is also “entertaining.”

Amblyopia afflicts an estimated three percent of children worldwide and if left untreated is a leading cause of blindness in adults. The ocular disorder involves decreased vision in one eye as the result of a turned eye or because one eye is more powerful than the other.

Traditional treatments, including patching of the sighted eye, often fail because of social stigmas and long treatment times leading to poor compliance and a high relapse. The video game, called “Dig Rush,” uses both eyes binocularly to train the brain in order to improve visual acuity, instead of training just the weak eye.

A physician simply adjusts the game’s settings, using different contrast levels of red and blue that can be seen through stereoscopic glasses, to allow both eyes to see the gameplay unfolding. Amblyotech chief executive Joseph Koziak said the electronic therapy has been tested clinically to “significantly increase the visual acuity” in patients. The game is awaiting regulatory approval.

Coffee-Drinkers less likely to die from certain diseases…People who report drinking three to five cups of coffee per day...
05/12/2016

Coffee-Drinkers less likely to die from certain diseases…

People who report drinking three to five cups of coffee per day are less likely to die prematurely from heart disease, su***de, diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, US researchers said. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were shown to have benefits, said the study by researchers at the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health published in the November 16 edition of the journal Circulation.

The study compared people who don’t drink coffee or drank less than two cups daily, to those who reported drinking “moderate” amounts of coffee or up to five cups daily.

The study did not prove a cause-and-effect for coffee and the reduced likelihood of certain diseases, but uncovered an apparent link that aligns with previous research, and that scientists would like to probe further. “Bioactive compounds in coffee reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation,” said first author Ming Ding, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition. “That could explain some of our findings. However, more studies are needed to investigate the biological mechanisms producing these effects.”

No protective effect was found against cancer in this study. Some previous research has pointed to a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of certain cancers. The study was based on data gathered from three large, ongoing surveys including some 300,000 nurses and other health professionals who agree to answer questionnaires about their own medical conditions and habits at regular intervals over the course of 30 years.

In the whole study population, moderate coffee consumption was associated with reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, and su***de, said the findings. Researchers also accounted for potential confounding factors such as smoking, body mass index, exercise, alcohol consumption, and diet. But the fact that the research relied on surveys, which use self-reported behavior, could raise questions about its reliability.

And experts warned that coffee — a substance adored by many devotees, may not be right for everyone. “Regular consumption of coffee can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet,” said senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard. “However, certain populations such as pregnant women and children should be cautious about high caffeine intake from coffee or other beverages.”

Morbidly obese toddler had adult Diabetes…A three-year-old who tipped the scales at 35 kilograms (77 pounds) has become ...
04/12/2016

Morbidly obese toddler had adult Diabetes…

A three-year-old who tipped the scales at 35 kilograms (77 pounds) has become one of the youngest people ever diagnosed with a lifestyle-related form of diabetes that strikes adults, her doctor said.

Weighing as much as an average 11-year-old, and double the average for her own age, the toddler was brought to a paediatric clinic in Texas to examine her weight gain as well as excessive urination and thirst — classic diabetes symptoms.

The girl tested negative for an array of conditions including type 1 diabetes — a chronic illness which is usually diagnosed in children and requires lifelong insulin therapy. She was instead diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a much more common form of the disease — in adults.

Lifestyle factors such as a lack of exercise and being overweight are believed to be contributing factors for type 2 diabetes, which until a few years ago was almost unheard of in people under 30.The girl had been born at a normal weight of 3.2 kilograms. “A review of the child’s diet revealed poor family nutritional habits, with uncontrolled counting of calories and fat,” said a statement issued by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

The case study was presented at the association’s annual meeting in Stockholm. The girl’s doctor, Michael Yafi of the University of Texas, said the incidence of type 2 diabetes “has increased dramatically worldwide in children due to the epidemic of child obesity”. “Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of type 2 diabetes even in very young obese children,” he said. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 can be easily managed through diet, exercise and medicine, and the sooner the intervention, the better, he said.

In this case, the girl was given a daily dose of a diabetes medicine, then put on a diet and exercise regime. She lost about nine kilograms in six months. At 26 kilograms, she still weighed more than the average for her age, but her blood sugar levels had returned to normal and she no longer needed to take diabetes medicine.

Doctors have been warning of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at an ever younger age. Most of them are overweight. This girl, was “thought to be one of the youngest ever people to present with the condition,” said the statement.

Over time, diabetes can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves, according to the World Health Organization, and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Many patients lose limbs through nerve damage and reduced blood flow. Last year, a Global Burden of Disease study said a quarter of children today are overweight.

Too much TV as a young adult may harm brain in mid-life…Too much television-watching in young adulthood could lead to co...
30/11/2016

Too much TV as a young adult may harm brain in mid-life…

Too much television-watching in young adulthood could lead to cognitive problems in mid-life, suggested a study that tracked more than 3,000 people for 25 years. People who reported watching more than three hours of television per day as young adults were twice as likely to suffer from poor cognition down the road, compared to those who were more active and reported less screen time.

The research tracked 3,247 adults, aged 18-30 when they enrolled in the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry.

Scientists assessed cognitive function in the 25th year using three tests of mental processing speed, executive function and verbal memory. Low levels of physical activity and lots of television-watching were linked to slower processing speed and worse executive function, the study found.

“Participants with the least active patterns of behavior (i.e., both low physical activity and high television viewing time) were the most likely to have poor cognitive function,” said the study. Verbal memory, however, did not appear to be affected by the amount of television time. The study was led by Tina Hoang of the Northern California Institute for Research and Education at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco; and Kristine Yaffe of the University of California, San Francisco.

According to Andrew Przybylski, an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the findings, the study contained shortcomings. “First, these data rely entirely on a potentially problematic self-reported measure for television time,” he said in a statement.

Researchers also did not study participants’ cognitive function at the beginning of the study, in order to have a baseline for a comparison. He also pointed out that “nearly one in three participants did not complete the study,” further weakening the strength of the findings.

“Taken together, the work should provoke continued conversation about the nature of different forms of interactive media and underline the value of open science methodology including open datasets, pre-registered analysis plans, and robust and open peer review process,” he said in a statement. “Until these innovations are introduced into this research literature, we will be left scratching our heads at studies like this.”

Memory loss - tips to improve your memory...Everyone forgets things occasionally. Still, memory loss is nothing to take ...
29/11/2016

Memory loss - tips to improve your memory...

Everyone forgets things occasionally. Still, memory loss is nothing to take lightly. Although there are no guarantees when it comes to preventing memory loss or dementia, certain activities might help. Consider the following simple ways to sharpen your memory and know when to seek help for memory loss:

• Stay mentally active - just as physical activity helps keep your body in shape, mentally stimulating activities help keep your brain in shape - and might keep memory loss at bay.

• Socialize regularly - Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, both of which can contribute to memory loss. Look for opportunities to get together with loved ones, friends and others.

• Get organized - you're more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray. Jot down tasks, appointments and other events in a special notebook, calendar or electronic planner. You might even repeat each entry out loud as you jot it down to help cement it in your memory.

• Sleep well - sleep plays an important role in helping you consolidate your memories, so you can recall them down the road. Make getting enough sleep a priority.

• Eat a healthy diet - eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, lean meat and poultry. Not enough water or too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss.

• Include physical activity in your daily routine - physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain. This might help your memory sharp.

How to lose belly fat?A big belly (caused by too much fat) can put you at a much higher risk for many health problems li...
28/11/2016

How to lose belly fat?

A big belly (caused by too much fat) can put you at a much higher risk for many health problems like diabetes, stroke, high-blood pressure, and heart disease.

One study says that men with excess belly fat and a large waistline are more likely to be at risk for what experts call ‘all-cause mortality’ – dying early from any cause. Having a big belly is also linked to erectile dysfunction in men over age 60. We can tackle a couple of ways on how to lose belly fat:

• Exercise - vigorous exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it's brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.

• Moderate activity - raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week - also helps. It shows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to torch visceral fat, your workouts may need to be stepped up.

• Diet - There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first. Getting enough fiber can help. Research shows that people who eat 10 grams of soluble fiber per day - without any other diet changes - builds up less visceral fat over time than others. That's a simple as eating two small apples, a cup of green peas, or a half-cup of pinto beans.

• Sleep - getting the right amount of shut-eye helps. In one day, people who got 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat over 5 years compared to those who slept 5 or fewer hours per night or 8 or more hours per night. Sleep may not have been the only thing that mattered - but it was part of the picture.

• Stress management - everyone has stress. How you handle it matters. The best things you can do include relaxing with friends and family, meditating, exercising to blow off steam, and getting counseling. That leaves you healthier and better prepared to make good choices for yourself.

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