Tag Archives: sustaining

Keto diet aids in sustaining weight loss post-Ozempic discontinuation

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Ketogenic diet may help prevent weight gain

Shutterstock / Brent Hofacker

Type 2 diabetics who have stopped taking weight loss drugs such as Ozempic or Wegovy can avoid regaining lost weight by adopting a ketogenic diet. This finding from a small study challenges the concept that people must take these drugs indefinitely to prevent unwanted weight gain.

Ozempic and Wegovy belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which reduce appetite and stimulate the release of insulin. These are commonly prescribed to help people with type 2 diabetes regulate their blood sugar and lose weight. However, the assumption was that people would have to continue taking the drug over a long period of time or they would regain the weight they had lost.

Shaminy Athinarayanan The woman and her colleagues at Virta Health, a US telemedicine company that treats type 2 diabetes, decided to test that assumption. Their inspiration to do so came from previous research showing that low-carbohydrate diets like the ketogenic diet help people with type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar levels and weight.

Researchers tracked the weight and blood sugar levels of 308 adults with type 2 diabetes living in the United States who received nutritional therapy at Virta Health. They were all using GLP-1 agonists at enrollment. Participants were advised to follow a ketogenic diet. They were instructed to eat less than 30 grams of carbohydrates each day, or less than 50 grams if vegan, and about 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. They were encouraged to eat until they were full, regardless of calories. Health coaches and qualified medical professionals communicated virtually with participants as needed.

After 3 to 9 months, half of the participants stopped using the GLP-1 agonist. All participants continued on the ketogenic diet for an additional year. At this point, the researchers found no significant differences in body weight or blood sugar levels between the two groups. On average, participants who stopped taking GLP-1 agonists gained only about 1 kg. In contrast, those who continued taking the drug gained about 2 kg. Most participants in both groups had blood sugar levels below the diagnostic criteria for diabetes.

“This study suggests that continued use of GLP-1 agonists is not necessary for many people if: [they] Appropriate intervention is required,” says Athinarayanan. “You can stop. [these medications] Maintain weight and blood sugar levels safely and effectively. ”

It says this could be helpful for people who can’t take the drug due to shortages or side effects. priya jaisinghani At New York University Langone Health. But she says people should talk to their doctor before starting a low-carb diet, as there can be risks, especially for people with underlying health conditions like kidney disease or eating disorders. He also noted that the study was sponsored by Virta Health and had a small number of participants. So “this is not the be all and end all,” Jaisinghani said. “But it shows the difference that diet makes.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Potential presence of cyanide in the ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus could aid in sustaining life

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Illustration of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft diving through the plume of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

NASA/JPL-California Institute of Technology

The plumes of water vapor spewing from Enceladus’ surface appear to contain hydrogen cyanide, which, perhaps counterintuitively, suggests that there may be life in the oceans beneath the surface of this icy moon of Saturn. It shows that it is possible.

The Cassini spacecraft flew through Enceladus’ plume several times in the early 2000s, capturing samples as it hurtled past. Preliminary analyzes of these samples have revealed several elements and compounds that may be important for life, but many are not, as the molecules tend to fracture after impacting Cassini’s sampling chamber at high speeds. It has been difficult to identify specific compounds.

Jonah Peter Researchers at Harvard University performed a reanalysis of the Cassini data using new statistical methods and were able to extract more compounds present in the plume. They found evidence of several previously undetected compounds, including hydrogen cyanide, acetylene, ethane, and even trace amounts of the alcohol methanol.

All of these compounds could be part of chemical reactions important to life, but hydrogen cyanide is particularly promising.

“We still don’t have a complete picture of the molecules that are there and are necessary for the origin of life. We don’t even know how the origin of life occurred on Earth,” Peter said. say. “But we know a lot about some of the building blocks that are necessary for the beginning of life, and hydrogen cyanide is one of those very versatile building blocks.”

We know that it can be a building block for amino acids, RNA, and other large biomolecules, so its presence in the plume points to the possibility of life in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean. That’s a good sign.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Three-Step Guide to Launching and Sustaining a Cohesive Brand

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David Martin has led businesses through the evolution of brands for more than 40 years, with much of that experience focused on mergers and acquisitions. At a time when most mergers fail to reach their potential, David shares his insights into what creates lasting success when two companies combine.

i have seen The same story is repeated over and over again. Prior to the company’s merger, his marketing and communications teams are working around the clock as he integrates the two brands and prepares for the opening day launch. Two years later, the combined brand was rebranded.

but why?

The answer is simple. No one knows what life is like on the other side of the door until they walk through it. But many times teams come up with a brand strategy before the companies have any experience working together, and they still don’t honestly know who brings what and where the benefits are. You can predict synergies and how merging as one entity will succeed in existing markets or open doors to new markets. Still, it would be helpful if you could work with us before fully understanding and branding it. There are many things to do first.

Editor’s note: This is part 2 of a two-part series by David Martin. Read part 1 here.

Step 1: Manage audience expectations

When companies merge, employees and customers wonder, “How will this affect me?” Will I lose my job? Will a product I know and love be taken away? ”

Most of the time, it comes with a lot of anxiety. So the first job is to provide reassurance to stakeholders. The only way to do this is to follow the first rule. “Always do no harm.” We need to understand what they want, what’s important to them, and then use that understanding to guide collective action once companies come together.

No one knows what life is like on the other side of the door until they walk through it.

First, you need to ensure that no decisions are made or implemented that could lead to anxiety or fear.Remember, your goal is to reassure your target audience that nothing important to them will be lost and that you haven’t changed anything. Until then They had the opportunity to provide their opinions and insights on where opportunities lie. We can further communicate this commitment by giving an active voice through customer, investor and employee advisory boards.

This process can continue throughout much of the first year, once your target audience feels comfortable starting a positive conversation. In many cases, the customer is a customer of both companies, which means they are perfectly equipped to communicate where the synergies are and where to use one company and where to use the other. Masu. Think of this as a Venn diagram. It helps you understand where intersections and forks exist.

Source: techcrunch.com