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Dec 12, 2009

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Dec 9, 2009

Coffee, Exercise Fight Prostate Cancer

TUESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Having a few more cups of coffee and running that extra mile each day can reduce a man's risk of dying of prostate cancer, two studies indicate.

The case for coffee and physical activity as prostate cancer preventatives is far from proven, according to the research reported Tuesday at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Houston. But data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study show a clear association with both daily activities.

"I wouldn't recommend that people change their coffee-drinking habits based on this study," said Kathryn M. Wilson, a research fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and lead author of one report. "But if you like coffee, there is no compelling reason to cut back at this point."

Her data on the nearly 50,000 men in the study showed how common a diagnosis of prostate cancer has become since widespread screening began. In the 20 years from 1986 to 2006, 4,975 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed, affecting just about 10 percent of the men in the study.

But only 846 of those cancers were life-threatening, because they had spread beyond the prostate gland or were growing aggressively, Wilson said. And while the study found just a weak relationship between consumption of six or more cups of coffee a day and a reduced risk of all forms of prostate cancer (down about 19 percent), the reduction for the aggressive form was much more marked -- 41 percent.

And there was a clear relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and prostate cancer risk, Wilson said: "The more coffee you drank, the more effect we saw."

The caffeine in coffee doesn't seem to be the link, since the same reduction was seen for consumption of decaffeinated coffee, she said. Instead, "it has something to do with insulin and glucose metabolism," Wilson said. "A number of studies have found that coffee is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes."

This study is just a starting point for establishing a relationship between coffee and prostate cancer, Wilson stressed. "At this point, we would just like to confirm whether it exists in different populations," she said. "We hope that this study drives more research so that we really know what is going on."

The other study, by Stacey A. Kenfield, a research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health, looked at the levels of physical activity among 2,686 men in the study who were diagnosed with prostate cancer. It found, as many other studies have, that exercise is good for overall health, with a 35 percent lower death rate for men who reported three or more hours a week of vigorous physical activity, such as jogging, biking, swimming or playing tennis.

And the death rate from prostate cancer for men who exercised vigorously was 12 percent lower than for those who didn't -- a figure that did not quite reach the level of statistical significance because the numbers were small, Kenfield explained.

Nevertheless, "this is the first study to show an effect of physical activity not only on overall survival, but on prostate cancer survival," she said.

It's already well known how physical activity reduces overall mortality, Kenfield said. "It affects immune function and reduces inflammation, among the major processes involved. But it's not clear yet how it is related to prostate cancer and survival."

Dec 8, 2009

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2009 Miss Arab beauty contest

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Looking for the simplest way to a flat Belly?

Blast belly fat fast

Whether you have a major paunch or just a tiny pooch and want to slim down, we have the answers for you. Looking for the simplest way to a flat belly? Go for this creative 20-minute fat-blasting workout and you’ll begin to see a toned tummy in just three weeks and drop up to two inches from your belly in just four weeks. These four crunch-free moves are the best way to hit all your ab muscles, sculpting your belly into its best shape ever. Do them four times a week, with a day of rest in between.

Work out

Straight-leg scissors: Lie on your back with arms by your sides, legs raised, and toes pointing toward the sky. Flatten your lower back, engaging lower tummy muscles.

Inhale while lowering your right leg, so your toes are in line with your nose. Exhale, switching your legs scissor-like, so your right leg lifts back up and your left comes down. (Don’t touch the ground with your foot.) Do 3 sets of 8–10 reps.

Front plank with twist: Get on your knees and forearms with your elbows directly under your shoulders, fingers interlaced. Stretch your legs long, and come up on your toes into plank position. Exhale while twisting slightly to the left from your waist only. Inhale, returning to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side – that’s 1 rep. Do three sets of 10-12 reps.

Reverse curl plank on ball: Kneel in front of a stability ball, draping your abs and hips over the ball. Place your hands on the ground in front of you, and walk them out until the ball rolls beneath your shins; contract your lower abs and lift your hips slightly, then slowly lower them down. Do three sets of 10-12 reps.

Straight-line side lifts: Lie on your left side with your legs straight and stacked on top of one another and your feet flexed. Rest your head on your straight left arm. Inhale while lifting both legs off the ground, then exhale while slowly lowering them until they’re about 1 inch off the ground. Do 10-12 reps, then switch sides and repeat to complete 1 set; do three sets.

Major paunch: Do 3 sets of 15 bicycle crunches 2-3 times a week, plus 30-45 minutes’ worth of run-walk intervals (2 minutes each) 4-5 times a week. You’ll notice big results in just 4 weeks.

Tiny pooch: Do 3 sets of 12-15 crunches on a stability ball 2-3 times a week to sculpt your belly in 3 weeks.

Eat this

Major paunch: Cut or burn 500 calories and drink 2 cups of green tea daily: Green tea alone helped exercisers drop ab fat in 12 weeks.

Tiny pooch: Eat snacks with belly-busting monounsaturated fatty acids daily: 23 almonds, 6 olives, or 2 squares dark chocolate. MUFAs can reduce ab fat in a month.

Fake it

Major paunch: Dress in a way that your belly flat is kept hidden. Go for lacy camisoles to pull in and shape your middle, plus give your chest a lift.

Tiny pooch: Get a belt that’s at least 3 inches wide and made of a stiff material or leather. A belt that won’t bend like a corset helps to hide your tummy.