It's hard to stick to a low-calorie diet day after day to lose weight, but new research shows you don't have to, says Dr. Susie Rockway, a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert in the U.S. health industry.

"Recent studies show you can lose 10 to 30 pounds in eight weeks through alternate-day fasting," she says. "Every other day, dieters in the study ate only lunch - no breakfast or dinner - between noon and 2 p.m. The following day, they could eat whatever they wanted. Not only did they not 'gorge' as expected on the feed days, most had an easier time sticking with it."

Dieting is as much about the mind as it is about the body, and most people have a difficult time staying with any sort of very strict regimen, says Sebastien Hebbelinck, a 20-year-plus veteran of the nutraceutical industry.

In the alternate day fast studies conducted by Dr. Krista Varady of the University of Illinois at Chicago, participants on average consumed only 110 percent of their energy needs on feed days, Rockway says. Lunch on fast days was 400 to 500 calories for women and 500 to 600 calories for men.

Hebbelinck, the CEO of Apax Business Development, which produces the water-soluble fat-binding supplement Lineatabs, www.lineatabs.com, offers these other suggestions for indulging your taste buds while losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight.

• Eat your bigger meals earlier in the day. Avoiding large meals at dinnertime is effective in helping to lose weight, particularly abdominal fat. In fact, another fasting study -- presented at this year's American Diabetes Association conference - showed that dieters who ate big meals at breakfast and lunch and skipped dinner lost more weight than participants who ate six small meals a day.

• Don't belly up to the buffet bar. Whether it's a cheat meal or a cheat day, throw all those studies out the window if you gorge on huge quantities of food. Eat controlled portions of healthy, nutritious foods. You can enjoy a nice lunch with a glass of wine and even a dessert, but don't go back for seconds and don't order the Decadent Chocolate-for-Four if you have no plans to share!

Rockway adds the following tips based on her nutritional and biochemical expertise.

• Include plenty of fiber and water (stay hydrated!). Unlike most nutrients in foods, we don't absorb fiber. It passes through our digestive tract, and if it's soluble fiber, it can help us feel full since it forms viscous gels. High-fiber foods include legumes, beans, avocados, nuts, whole fruits (versus juice), and whole-grain foods such as whole wheat spaghetti. On a cheat day, you may splurge on    a higher fat hamburger or fries, which case this is the perfect time to take a fiber-rich fat-binding supplement such as Lineatabs before the meal to help prevent some of the excess fats from being absorbed. Rockway likes Lineatabs because, unlike other fat-binding supplements, it dissolves in water and is consumed as a beverage, making the fiber soluble in the stomach and immediately available to bind to fats. It then forms a viscous fiber in the small intestines to form a barrier to reduce absorption. AND you get the fluid your body needs!!

• Healthy eating: Plan meals that are higher in lean protein and lower in simple carbohydrates. This will help you avoid a sugar spike that will leave you feeling hungry soon afterward. It also stabilizes your insulin levels, and protein foods are the most satiating.  If you are satisfied after you eat, you will be less likely to snack later. Some great high-protein choices include turkey or chicken  breast, pork loin chop, tuna and salmon and whey protein shakes. Avoid foods high in simple carbs, such as syrups, soft drinks and jams.

About Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S.

Dr. Susie Rockway, Ph.D., C.N.S., is a veteran nutritional and biochemical expert and decades-long health industry expert. Rockway has worked for multiple companies in executive capacities, including as an executive director of product development, a director of research, and a manager for science developing health and wellness products, where she communicated nutrition and new science updates to consumers. She has also designed testing strategies for clinical efficacy studies.

About Sebastien Hebbelinck

Sebastien Hebbelinck is an internationally recognized business entrepreneur who has been active in the nutraceutical industry for more than two decades. He is the founder and CEO of Apax Business Development, a 21-year-old company that has experienced major success in Europe with the dietary supplement Lineatabs, www.lineatabs.com. The product contains Solusitan, an all-natural fat-binding complex contained in an innovative delivery system that dissolves in water, making it immediately available in the stomach to bind with fat molecules in food.

Medicare Open Enrollment Begins Today Across Country

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) joined together to ensure that Medicare open enrollment is not affected by the current reckless and irresponsible government shutdown. In a joint letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, Loebsack and Bustos urged her to make sure that any shutdown related delays or problems surrounding Medicare open enrollment are swiftly addressed.

Medicare open enrollment is the period during which seniors can make changes to their Medicare plan. Starting today through December 7^th, seniors can sign up for 2014 coverage or make changes to their Medicare plan.    

A copy of the Loebsack-Bustos letter is below and HERE.

October 15, 2013

Marilyn Tavenner

Administrator

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Department of Health and Human Services

Room 314G

200 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC  20201

Dear Administrator Tavenner:

We write today to urge you to ensure that seniors across our regions of Illinois and Iowa are able to access the resources that they need to make informed decisions during this year's Medicare open enrollment period.

The open enrollment period is an important time for seniors.  The ability to switch Medicare Advantage plans or move between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare gives seniors flexibility and confidence that Medicare is working for them.  We understand that the government shutdown has resulted in employee furloughs at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  However, the open enrollment period is without a doubt an essential duty, and we stand ready to work with you to ensure that this critical service for seniors moves forward without a hitch despite the reckless politics that we are seeing in Washington.

As seniors explore their options, it is critical that all resources and assistance provided by CMS are as readily accessible as they have been in prior years.  To protect seniors, we urge you to act swiftly if any problems stemming from the government shutdown arise during the open enrollment period.  Should the need arise, we ask you to consider ways to protect seniors such as an extension of the open enrollment period.  We stand ready to work with you to guarantee a seamless open enrollment period.

Sincerely,

Cheri Bustos                         Dave Loebsack

Member of Congress           Member of Congress

Amidst the sad specter of yet another grid-locked Congress, medical research stopped in is tracks at the National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Park Rangers turning away elderly World War II vets trying to visit their hallowed memorial on the National Mall, DC's top Yoga Instructor said "enough is enough".

Jill Abelson, author of the EXTRA LOVE series of Yoga Instructional Books on yoga alignment and nationally recognized instructor, is leaving the DC political gridlock behind for the more sensible folks of Iowa City this weekend, where she'll appear, instruct and sign copies of her best selling "Extra Love" books at the Iowa City Yoga Festival in Coraville.

"It's so bad mentally in DC right now, that this past weekend Whole Foods put the word out for yogi's to come together, and over 200 showed up at the last minute...Democrats, Republicans, furloughed government workers.  It was a sea of multi-colored mats there", says Abelson.  "How cool is it that when our politicians check OUT, yogis check IN to support transcendental public art in the nation's capital?"

Ask Jill Abelson:

-  What the mindset is in DC, with mass shootings, a government shutdown, cars crashing into the gates of the White House and people catching themselves on fire at the National Mall-all in the past three weeks?

-  How Yoga can help in times of extreme stress, and can bring very different people together in unity

-  What a "Downward Facing Dog" is (hint: it's not a nickname for a member of Congress...but maybe it should be!)

-  Why folks in Iowa City are PERFECT to experience Yoga, and learn about its benefits at the Iowa City Yoga Festival this weekend

Jill Abelson is a nationally recognized yoga teacher, workshop presenter and author based in Washington, DC and San Francisco.   Her best-selling series of books on yoga alignment and assisting, EXTRA LOVE, are available at bookstores, on Amazon and at  www.yogaofliberation.com.  Jill is appearing this weekend at the Iowa City Yoga Festival in Coraville.  You can find out more at www.iowacityogafestival.com.

To speak with Jill, contact Allen Media Strategies Jessica Lloyd at (703) 589-8960 or Jessica@allenmediastrategies.com.

The improper use of medicines is the fastest growing form of substance abuse in Iowa. Teens are more likely to misuse or abuse prescription or OTC medicines than illicit drugs due to the ease of access to prescription medicines, according the 2012 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS). More than four in 10 teens nationally who have misused or abused a prescription drug say they took it from their parent's medicine cabinet.

"Iowa parents must be informed of this dangerous and growing problem and start taking the right steps to protect their teens from prescription and OTC medicine misuse and abuse," said Emily Blomme, program manager, Iowa Substance Abuse Information Center. "Prevention starts with talking with your teens, securing these drugs and connecting with our center for help and to learn more. Iowa Medicine TLC is a new kind of TLC we encourage all parents to give to their teens."

PATS results show the most effective way to prevent Iowa teens from misusing or abusing medicines is for parents to discuss the dangers with their teens. PATS found only 14 percent of parents have discussed the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs with their teens, as opposed to about 80 percent of parents who talk to their teens about alcohol or marijuana.

Many parents may not realize that prescription and OTC medicines, when misused, can be just as dangerous or deadly as street drugs like heroin or cocaine. According to the most recent data available from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, more Americans die of drug overdoses than car crashes. The study showed that 60 percent of these overdoses were from prescription drugs and 74 percent of the overdoses were unintentional.

Mary Patch of Dubuque, Iowa, knows firsthand that it only can take the misuse of three prescription pills to take your child's life. Patch was the guardian of her niece, Vanessa, who died in 2007 of an accidental overdose of prescribed medicines?two antidepressants and one painkiller.

Since Vanessa's death, teen prescription abuse has been on the rise. According to PATS, one in four American teens reported having misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime, which is a 33 percent increase from 2008 to 2012. Iowa has had one of the lowest self-reported rates of prescription drug misuse in the past?with only 6 percent of Iowa 11^th graders reporting to have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, according to a 2012 Iowa Youth Survey.

"Although teen self-reporting is lower in our state, other indicators are showing a steep rate of increase of prescription drug misuse and abuse?and this has us very concerned," said Steve Lukan, director, Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy. "During the last decade, the number of Iowans age 12 or older treated for prescription pain reliever abuse has increased more than 250 percent, and overdoses due to pain medicines have increased 1,200 percent."

Taryn Erbes, a 17-year-old Kennedy High School student, was a good student, involved in extracurricular activities like track and wrestling. She was introduced to prescription pain relievers, including the opiate Oxycontin, and the tranquilizer Xanax, at a local "Pharm Party," where kids bring prescription medicines (often their own meds or meds stolen from a parent), mix them in a bowl and take a variety of unknown medicines to get high. Erbes is currently in Area Substance Abuse Council's (ASAC) inpatient recovery program in Cedar Rapids for prescription drug abuse.

Parents need to be aware of the most commonly abused medicines to protect their teens from medicine misuse and abuse. In addition to prescription pain relievers and tranquilizers, prescriptions to monitor carefully include stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall and Ritalin. According to Lukan, college students are more apt to misuse ADHD medicines in an effort to perform better on exams, while tweens are more apt to abuse Dextromethorphan, a cough-suppressant ingredient found in many OTC cold medicines.

An indicator Iowans are more aware of the risks of prescription drugs is the volume of prescription drugs subject to abuse collected through the Iowa "Take-Back" initiative, which includes biannual prescription drug drop-off events. Iowans returned nearly 8,000 pounds of unused or expired drugs during the April 2013 event, versus roughly 5,000 pounds for the September 2012 event. The next series of community Take Back events is scheduled for October 26.

Iowa parents are encouraged to not only talk to their own teens about proper medicine use, but also prevent more cases of teen medicine misuse by properly securing and disposing of medicines. For proper disposal at home, ODCP recommends removing identifying labels and mixing prescriptions with used kitty litter or coffee grounds in a plastic bag, sealing the bag and placing it in household trash.

The ISAIC public education program includes mass-media public service announcements and digital strategies targeting parents, including social media and email campaigns and a new website, IowaMedicineTLC.org, complete with resources and tools. Funding for this project is from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS CFDA #16.710, Grant #2009CKWX0379).

ISAIC is a Cedar Rapids Public Library program funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health. ISAIC, a member of Substance Abuse Librarians & Information Specialists, provides individuals and organizations with educational tools to aid in the prevention and recovery of substance abuse. The Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy improves the health and safety of all Iowans by promoting strategic and collaborative approaches to reduce drug use and related crime. To learn more about the "Iowa Medicine TLC" public education program, visit IowaMedicineTLC.org or call 866-242-4111.

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