ORLANDO, Fla. (American Health Newswire)--We know we need to cut calories and eat healthier if we want to look and feel better. But some healthy foods may be a lot more powerful than others. If shedding abdominal fat is your goal, there are specific foods you'll want to work into your next meal.

As a busy mom with a full-time job, Liz Dolan never gave much thought to what she ate.

"I would just make whatever was easiest to make, and then all of a sudden, I was 40-something pounds overweight," Liz Dolan, told American Health.

Holistic health coach, Kate Henninger is helping Dolan eat smarter.

"It was Hippocrates, I believe, who said let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food and I don't think people realize how powerful the choices that they make are," Holistic health coach, Kate Henninger said.

New research shows specific foods can blast abdominal fat. A cup of blueberries a day can help you store less belly fat by turning on fat-burning genes.

"You still need to eat. You still need to have calories but you want to make sure it's good quality whole food," Henninger stated.

One tablespoon or more of dried fruit each day can also keep the belly trim. Another power food? Whole grains. Dieters who ate at least four servings of whole grains a day lost twice as much stomach fat as those who ate refined carbs.

"The whole foods that you eat - most of them are really quite simple to prepare," Henninger added.

Like green tea. Drinking up to five cups a day can help shed abdominal fat. Catechins--chemicals found in the tea, may alter fat storage. So far, Dolan has lost 34 pounds.

"I feel more energetic. I really look forward to walking with my dog. I feel great. I do," Dolan concluded.

And those daily walks with her dog Alex are just additional steps in the right direction.

Research shows sour cherries-mostly used in cooking, avocados, vinegar, raspberries and coconut oil are also good foods to include in your diet, if you're trying to banish belly fat. And anything high in fiber, like most fruits and vegetables, will also help slim waistlines.

Alcohol + Energy Drinks = A Bad Combo

(American Health Newswire) -- It's one of the latest trends in drinking: mixing alcoholic beverages with energy drinks. Though research on the effects of combining the two is not extensive, a new study shows that choosing vodka and Red Bull over rum and Coke may lead to riskier behavior.

In the study, 56 college students between the ages of 21 and 33 were randomly assigned to one of four groups: one group drank alcohol, one group drank an energy drink, one group drank alcohol mixed with an energy drink, and the last group received a placebo drink. Researchers then observed the participants' behavior using a task that measures how quickly a person can execute and suppress actions after drinking. The participants also reported their feelings of stimulation, sedation, impairment, and level of intoxication.

Cecile A. Marczinski, assistant professor of psychology at Northern Kentucky University and first author of the study, was quoted as saying, "Our study was designed to demonstrate that alcohol/energy drinks are pharmacologically distinct from alcohol alone and are adding to the risks of drinking."

While the study showed no difference in the level of impairment of people who drank alcohol/energy drinks compared to those who drank just alcohol, the study did demonstrate an enhanced feeling of stimulation in participants who drank mixed alcohol/energy drink beverages. This suggests drinking alcohol and energy drinks together may heighten the risks associated with drinking.

"We found that an energy drink alters the reaction of alcohol that a drinker experiences when compared to a drinker that consumed alcohol alone...," Marczinski said. "The consumer of the alcohol/energy drink felt more stimulated compared to an alcohol-alone consumer. Therefore, consumption of an energy drink combined with alcohol sets up a risky scenario for the drinker due to this enhanced feeling of stimulation and high impulsivity levels."

SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental

Doubling Prostate Cancer Survival

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BUFFALO, NY (American Health Newswire) -- One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and one in 36 men will die from it. When prostate cancer recurs, and spreads, treatment options start to dwindle. Now, there's new hope to stop this cancer.

As a prostate cancer survivor, Ray Caruana is no stranger to doctors. Ray has lived with cancer for 17 years.

"I was devastated being diagnosed with cancer, but it doesn't have to be a death sentence," Ray Caruana told American Health.

He's had a prostatectomy, radiation and hormone therapy. Doctor Roberto Pili says eventually patients stop responding to treatments.

"Inevitably, these cancer cells learn how to survive either without testosterone or with very low levels of testosterone," Roberto Pili, M.D., a professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, explained.

He's now studying a biologic agent, tasquinimod, to help men who are running out of options.

"I would define this new agent as quite promising," Dr. Pili said.

It's one pill, once a day, and it appears to pack a one-two punch. It disrupts the formation of new blood vessels to the tumor and also improves the body's immune response to the cancer.

"The idea is to treat prostate cancer as a chronic disease," Dr. Pili, said.

Ray's been on the drug for a year. His cancer is stable.

"Hopefully, it's going to continue to work," Ray said.

He's learned to appreciate lives little moments like a cup of coffee with his wife. Nearly two decades after his diagnosis, his philosophy is simple.

"I don't worry too much about the future," Ray said. "I just live for today."

Another promising finding, doctor Pili says that tasquinimod was beneficial no matter where the cancer had spread. Doctors saw the same response to treatment in cancer that had spread to bones, lymph nodes or other organs. The phase-three trial is starting to enroll patients.