[kinein]

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, U.S. researchers said on Monday. In a small study, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or hormone therapy.

The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.
As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements. But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes.

After the three months, the men had changes in activity in about 500 genes -- including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off.
The activity of disease-preventing genes increased while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research was led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health.
"It's an exciting finding because so often people say, 'Oh, it's all in my genes, what can I do?' Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot," Ornish, who is also affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said in a telephone interview.
"'In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?' That's pretty exciting," Ornish said. "The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate cancer."
Ornish said the men avoided conventional medical treatment for prostate cancer for reasons separate from the study. But in making that decision, they allowed the researchers to look at biopsies in people with cancer before and after lifestyle changes.
"It gave us the opportunity to have an ethical reason for doing repeat biopsies in just a three-month period because they needed that anyway to look at their clinical changes (in their prostate cancer)," Ornish said.

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Food for thought ~ How you treat your body will alter your genes - You have a blueprint that is interactive and you determine how it changes, what turns on or off.

Knowledge applied is power!


Some tidbits on what fat can do to you ..

Lose Weight: It's a Lifesaver

Are you a heart attack waiting to happen? If heart disease, high blood pressure, or high triglycerides are in your family (or personal) history, losing weight can change that. You can greatly cut your risk of serious health problems by dropping the extra pounds.

You're Not Alone

Two-thirds of all Americans are overweight; one-third of them are obese. It's created an epidemic of high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart disease, heart-related deaths -- plus strokes and diabetes. Also, many types of cancer have been linked with obesity.

Fat Hurts Your Heart

Every major system in your body feels the stress of excess weight. The heart is the most obvious victim -- as cholesterol builds, blood pressure rises, and arteries get clogged. Also, the blood loses its ability to clot which increases stroke risk.

Fat Ups Male Hormones

Overweight women have higher levels of male hormones, which ups their risk of heart disease. Those hormones also cause male pattern balding, some excess facial hair, and acne.

Fat Triggers Diabetes

Excess weight affects another hormone -- insulin -- which leads to diabetes. Having diabetes increases your heart disease risk. It's a vicious circle.

Fat Ruins Sleep

Overweight people often suffer from sleep disorders. The most dangerous is sleep apnea. With sleep apnea, you stop breathing many times during the night. This makes your oxygen level drops-- which affects the heart, blood vessels, stroke risk, and diabetes risk.

Fat Wrecks Hips, Knees

The sheer impact of excess weight on your lower body creates lots of problems. You're at higher risk for bone-thinning osteoporosis. You develop hip and back problems. Overweight children will develop fragile bones, so they're at even higher risk for these problems.

Fat can raise estrogen levels in guys
Man boobs for you guys, or smurf butt

Fat raises your risk of hemmoroids

Obesity can be a factor by increasing rectal vein pressure. Sitting for prolonged periods of time can cause hemorrhoids. Poor muscle tone or poor posture can result in too much pressure on the rectal veins.

[Miss Vivienne]

That's it, I'm going running too. D:

[Deafz]

Great read! This reinsures me what I'm doing is the right choice.

[sheLLiJiElUn]

Ooh thankxx for posting this! i am motivated! ^^;

[rufflezz]

I am definitely running this evening.

[Kittykitt129]

Okii-dokii, I'm gonna need to start excercising...I DON'T WANNA BE A MAN!!(lmao, but it's true, nor do i wanna bald!)

[kinein]

Okii-dokii, I'm gonna need to start excercising...I DON'T WANNA BE A MAN!!(lmao, but it's true, nor do i wanna bald!)

I saw a very balding lady very very very overweight in class.. I thought it was a high pitched fat boy until I sat closer the next time to get a clear look.

[tinatran_]

i should start jogging in the morning =|

[CaptainO]

Ew, gross, I don't want to be bald or have a beard!!!

Exercise and better diet here I come!