Diet & Lifestyle
Clear your myths about Diet & Lifestyle
Type 2 diabetes, Arthritis, Body aches, Muscular pains, Osteoarthritis, spondylitis, Osteoporosis, Obesity, Cancers, High cholesterol & heart problems are mostly caused by lifestyle mismanagement.
Below we provide information related to improving lifestyle in a simple, effective and economical way without needing to spend money on health products which are usually fraudulent..............
Clearing misconceptions for Social cause with safe healthy information without any advertisements or personal benefits.........
Pls use it and share.....open and free
Weblinks to the related information are provided and that too from very reliable scientific resources........
HEALTH
Tasty...........vs...............healthy
Healthy and tasty......salads with spices and lemon..
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210917-why-eating-colourful-food-is-good-for-you
Eating varied colours for fruit and vegetables.
It's also worth noting that artificial colouring in foods, such as cake and sweets, sadly don't count towards a varied healthy diet.
There are other ways, aside from colour, to get a range of nutrients and phytonutrients from your diet, researchers say, such as paying attention to taste.
One study found that participants who ate bitter and strong-tasting vegetables over 12 weeks had lower blood pressure and blood sugar at the end, because of their fibre content and the range of phytonutrients they contain.
The study states: "Root vegetables and cabbages are rich sources of antioxidants such as flavonoids, carotenoids, and other bioactive phytochemicals; ingesting these combined in whole foods may allow for synergistic action, thus providing enhanced health-promoting effects."
Eating all the colours of the rainbow can help boost brain health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
It's widely accepted by researchers that we need a varied diet, and that one way to do this is by eating all the colours of the rainbow.
The proof may be in the Mediterranean diet, which contains a lot of fruit, vegetables and healthy fats as the healthiest diet by scientists.
It's no coincidence that the diet is packed with different colours, says Francesco Sofi, associate professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Florence.
"Eating a traditional Mediterranean diet means you consume different nutrients and phytonutrients," he says.
Phytonutrients are small chemical compounds produced by plants that help us to digest larger nutrients and also play a role in removing toxins from our bodies.
"However, the diet doesn't always contain every colour – it depends on the season, as followers of the diet eat seasonally and locally, and grow their own fruit and vegetables."
The benefits of intermittent fasting
“If you can make the informed decision of eating the evening meal an hour earlier and not snacking, you may be getting into that ketosis state by morning.....helps for removing fat from body.
Autophagy induced by fasting occurs in our sleep, but it is also brought on by exercise and starvation.
Water can cut hunger well.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220110-the-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting-the-right-way
What if the whole world went vegan?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/what-if-the-whole-world-went-vegan/p082l2r8
Vegetarian diet is very healthy in long term for humans.
It also saves the environment, reducing global heating and environment damage.
Ingredients for remarkable longevity......of living to 100?
Getting plenty of daily exercise
Eating LESS - only until the stomach is 80% full.
“Calorie restricted” diets ...... decreases the risk of forming damaging mutations in our DNA, which could lead to diseases like cancer.
“Calorie restriction appears to reduce DNA damage and improve DNA repair,”
Eat plant-based diet.....not even milk and dairy products
Social interaction, friendships and spirituality
Longivity of Okinawa’s residents in two of its most common ingredients: the sweet potato and the bitter melon – that may have life-extending properties.
Rice, the sweet potato has long been the most common carb on Okinawa has a low glycaemic index, meaning that its energy is released slowly into the bloodstream.
It is also dense with nutrients like vitamins A, C and E: antioxidants that can mop up damaging free radicals, and which also reduce inflammation, chances of heart problems ans cancer.
Bitter melon, Nutrient-dense marine organisms like seaweed, algae and kelp – all of which are consumed in Okinawa – are also attracting increasing interest for their potential to stave off age-related diseases, for instance.
A lifegiving landscape
Less researched, but equally tantalising, is the possibility that the very place where these people live may hold some clues to their exceptional longevity.
The Sardinian Blue Zone, for example, lies in incredibly mountainous, and breath-takingly beautiful, regions of the island – often called the “Selvaggio Blu” (Blue Wild) to describe the rugged terrain sweeping straight from the coast.
Most of the centenarians living in Sardinia were farm workers, leading Pes and Poulain to speculate that the steep slopes increased the physical activity of their already demanding day-to-day lives.
They were athletes thanks to the natural landscape and a traditional way of life.
Combination of many factors – some of which are shared between the regions, and some of which are unique to each individual place.
While that may not be as enticing as the discovery of a miraculous anti-ageing elixir or superfood, there are nevertheless many ways we could learn from these discoveries.
Eating moderately with plenty of fruit and vegetables, exercising plenty, drinking coffee and tea, and finding space for spiritual solace (whether that’s church, temple, place of worship or a long mountain walk) – these are things that we can all build into our daily lives.
The secret to a long and healthy life - Eat less
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170601-the-secret-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-eat-less
Permanently cutting the daily calories you consume may turn out to have a profound effect on your future life, according to some tantalising scientific studies.
“Calorie restriction”.... This diet goes further than cutting back on fatty foods.
It’s about making gradual and careful reductions in portion size permanently.
So reduction in the amount of food consumed per day has been linked to longer, more active lives
Eating less certainly seemed to help, but calorie restriction is much tougher for people out in the real world.
For one, our access to regular, high-calorie meals is now easier than ever; with companies like Deliveroo and UberEats, there is no longer a need to walk to the restaurant anymore.
And two, gaining weight simply comes more naturally to some people.
“There’s a huge genetic component to all of this and its much harder work for some people than it is for others to stay trim,”
Epigenetics..................................................Your DNA is not your destiny
You can change it for good
https://www.bbc.co.uk/reel/video/p08lzgyr/your-dna-is-not-your-destiny
Our lifestyle choices have a major impact on our gene expression and our lives
......That is Epigenetics
We can change our DNA and improve the effects of good DNA
Most Indians eat very unhealthy food........compared to rest in the world
Risk factors for Dementia include high rates of smoking, obesity and diabetes
Dementia cases expected to almost triple across the world by 2050
Coronavirus: Obesity increases risks from Covid-19
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53532228
Being obese or overweight puts you at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, experts say after examining existing studies.
Losing weight brings huge benefits for health.............
Ultra-processed foods 'make you eat more'
Ultra-processed foods lead people to eat more and put on weight"
"It's suggestive that this may be playing a role in the larger population."
the "obesity epidemic"..........ultra-processed food more palatable, ate more quickly and consequently more -
possibly because it took longer for them to feel full.
"A very interesting outcome of the study is the cost-per-energy:
the ultra-processed diet was considerably cheaper than the unprocessed control diet, and this is likely to have implications from a public health point of view."
Ultra-processed food linked to early death
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48446924
Ultra-processed foods - such as chicken nuggets, burgers, ice cream and breakfast cereals - have been linked to early death and poor health, scientists say.
Their studies suggesting ultra-processed foods lead to overeating.
Overweight or obese make people ill and sick.
Why is being obese a risk?
The more overweight you are, the more fat you're carrying, the less fit you are and the lower your lung capacity.
This means it is a bigger struggle to get oxygen into the blood and around the body.
This impacts on the heart and blood flow too.
"Because people are more overweight, they also have a demand for more oxygen.
So that means their system is actually undergoing greater pressure," says Prof Naveed, from the University of Glasgow.
During an infection like coronavirus, this can be serious.
"Eventually the obese body becomes overwhelmed by the lack of oxygen getting to the major organs," says Dr Dyan Sellayah, from the University of Reading.
That is one reason why overweight and obese people in intensive care are more likely to need assistance with breathing and support with kidney function.
The ability of the body to fight off the virus - known as the immune response - is not as good in people who are obese.
That's due to inflammation driven by immune cells called macrophages interfere with how our cells respond to infection.
According to scientists, this can lead to a 'cytokine storm' causes excess inflammation and serious harm.
This may explain why people from Asia, African and ethnic minority backgrounds (BAME), who have more of this type of tissue, "have elevated rates of diabetes, and may be more vulnerable to the virus," Dr Sellayah says.
Obesity often comes with other health issues, such as a weak heart, lungs, kidney or type 2 diabetes.
Blood clots are also more likely to develop, but it's not clear why.
What about hospital care?
There can be challenges when it comes to managing patients with obesity, more difficult to intubate them, and to scan them because of weight limits.
What can I do to be healthy?
The best way is to eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly.
Fast walking, cycling are good options, even with social distancing measures in force.
Eat slowly and eat healthy.
How bad is obesity problem?
Clear link with deprivation.............
As well as putting people at risk of complications from coronavirus, being obese is also linked to a higher risk of other conditions - from heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to problems during pregnancy and joint pain.
Supplements: a waste of time?
The majority of clinical trials to date have found no evidence that taking individual or combinations of antioxidants can offer healthy people protection against disease.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zwpyvcw
A quick fix for good health?
Eating a diet rich in some antioxidants has been shown to protect against the development of coronary heart disease, strokes, some cancers and age-related diseases.
Diabetes is no more a life-long condition
An HbA1c blood test count below 6.5 three months after stopping medication qualifies as “diabetes in remission.”
A sugar imbalance disorder that increases a patient's risk to heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney failure among other morbid conditions, diabetes needn't be a lifelong condition as it was once feared to be, according to the new endocrinology guidelines released in August.
An HbA1c blood test count below 6.5 three months after stopping medication qualifies as “diabetes in remission.”
Moreover, on the bright side, unlike cancer which needs months or years of rigorous treatment, diabetes remission could even be reached without medicines.
“Type II diabetes is mainly a lifestyle disease.
There is now enough evidence to state that in the first decade of the disease, remission is possible with lifestyle modifications alone,”
Shed those extra seven kilos andHbA1c levels dropped to 5.3.
“We use the ABCDE rule,”.
‘A’ stands for patient’s age and denotes that younger people have better chance at remission
‘B’ stands for body weight to mean higher the weight, more the chances of reduction.
“C stands for Cpeptide marker to check the working of pancreas
‘D’ is for duration of diabetes. So a person who has had diabetes for 20 years may not be able to get into remission while a patient who is only two years into the diagnosis has a better chance
‘E’ stands for the patient’s enthusiasm.
“If patients monitor their stress, manage adequate sleep and keep off substances, they should be able to get into remission,”
“It is possible to reverse early diabetes in patients who are obese by using diets, drugs and sometimes bariatric surgery in order to lose 10-12 kg weight.
Diet to reverse diabetes must be initiated under expert supervision.
Luckily nature has provided us with a balanced package of antioxidants.
There is certainly no evidence to suggest that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables can be bad for you.
Taking many vitamin supplements can lead to unwanted side effect
The pills could irritate the oesophagus, or allow some stomach acid to creep back up the oesophagus when it enters the stomach.
The pills could irritate the oesophagus, or allow some stomach acid to creep back up the oesophagus when it enters the stomach.
There's no definitive evidence that they confer health benefits.
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, and whole grains, should help to regain the extra nutrients that the body needs……..it may be a good idea to stop taking the supplements altogether.
Liquid vitamins could be an alternative. It will be easier to swallow and minimise irritation.
Vitamin D pills, fish oil no guard against cancer or heart diseases
Vitamin D and fish oil supplements do not lower the risk of heart disease and cancer in healthy adults, says a study.
Vitamin D was no better than placebo for lowering the risk of heart disease and cancer. There were similar conclusions for omega-3 fatty acid supplements, which people consume as fish oil.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51674313
Fish oil pills 'no benefit' for diabetes / cancer
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49419462
"This is really expensive stuff.
If somebody's at risk of diabetes, there are much better things to spend money on, like a physical activity.
Douglas Twenefour, deputy head of care at Diabetes UK, said:
"Eating a healthy, varied diet is incredibly important, - including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, yoghurt and cheese - can help to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Complementary cancer therapy pills 'do more harm than good'
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50409431
Cancer patients should tell their doctors if they are taking herbal products because some of the ingredients could stop their treatment working, a cancer conference has heard.
Garlic, ginger and ginkgo pills, for example, can delay the healing of skin wounds when breast cancer spreads.
There was no evidence that herbal therapies or creams worked.
If in doubt, it was best not to take anything.
With a lot of unproven information available online and little reliable research into these products.
Therapies like yoga, mindfulness could have a positive impact on patients' quality of life.
Scrap 'quick-fix diets and tea-toxes'
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50946224
If you have to lose some weight, avoid fad diets, because they don't work and can be harmful, says NHS England's top doctor.
Diet pills, "tea-toxes" and appetite suppressant products are no quick fix.
Products making this claim can have side-effects, including diarrhoea and heart issues, he warns.
Getting in shape safely takes time and requires eating sensibly, and exercise.
Party drips
Model Kendall Jenner was hospitalised following a bad reaction to a nutrient therapy IV drip, made up of saline solution, magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin C.
In extreme cases, regularly resorting to drips for hangover cures can cause nausea, liver damage, or death due to a toxic overdose of vitamin A.
The NHS has tips to help people achieve their New Year health goals:
Lose weight: start the NHS 12-week weight loss plan
Quit smoking: download the NHS Smokefree app for advice and a free personal quit plan
Get active: boost your fitness with fun and practical ideas to help you get into shape, including Couch to 5K, Strength and Flex and the NHS Fitness Studio
Drink less alcohol: calculate your units, get tips on cutting down, track your drinking and find out where to get help and support
Eat more fruit and veg: whether you're cooking for a family or eating on the go, our tips and recipes can help you get your five a day
How to spot a fad diet
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) advises people to stay away from diets that promote a magic ingredient or product to solve your weight problem, without you having to change your lifestyle in any way.
Any diet that promises rapid weight loss of more than 2lbs (0.9kg) of body fat a week is also dubious.
Fad diets often promote eating only one type of food or avoiding whole food groups.
And don't be fooled by celebrity endorsement - if it sounds too good to be true, the chances are it is.
The BDA says: "Eat a nutritionally balanced and varied diet, and be physically active."
The notion of "detox" is nonsense, says the BDA
Avoid alcohol and get more sleep, fresh air and exercise.
The body has its own built-in system to detoxify and remove waste.
There are no pills or specific drinks, patches or lotions that can do a magic detoxifying job.
Is it better to avoid milk?
While calcium is good for bones.............................
but extra calcium does not prevent fractures
A number of studies have found no significant decrease in fracture risk from drinking milk.
Some research suggests that milk could actually contribute to fracture risk.
One study in Sweden found that women who drank more than 200 ml of milk daily – had a higher risk of fractures..
The UK National Health Service recommends children between the age of one and three consume 250 ml milk for calcium.
But when it comes to adults, research as to whether cow’s milk helps to keep our bones healthy is conflicting.
“Only very high milk intake can be bad, but there’s no research suggesting that moderate intake is harmful,” he says.
Soya milk is the best replacement for cow’s milk in terms of protein, as it’s the only one with comparable protein content.
But the proteins in alternative drinks may not be “true” protein
Whatever you decide, you won’t necessarily be missing out on vital nutrients if you eat a balanced diet.
In most cases, a substitute, or substitutes, can be used in place of milk.
It’s not necessary to drink milk.
“It can be replaced with other products – there’s no single food that’s absolutely necessary to our health.”
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191123-what-milk-is-best-cows-dairy-free-alternative
Watch out for sports drinks
Sports drinks contain salts and sugars.
Many of them are packed with carbohydrates however – which means they also contain calories.
Unless you have over burnt as professional atheletes, it’s wiser to choose simple water, or a zero-calorie electrolyte drink and avoid the hidden calories.
Activity doesn’t just mean the gym
Moving more doesn’t mean you need to join a gym.
From walking up stairs to gardening, any activity that gets your heart rate going and your muscles moving will have an effect.
Walk your way to weight loss
You don’t necessarily need to take up a high intensity Zumba class to lose weight either.
Research shows that moderate exercise, such a walking, can be just as effective for weight loss since it doesn’t trigger the appetite hormones, which can lead to you reaching for the biscuit tin after a hard workout.
Move more, eat wisely
There’s little point in going to the gym five times a week if you’re going to undo it by eating a poor diet and consuming more calories than you’ve managed to burn.
When it comes to food choices and losing weight, it’s a case of eating less and eating wisely.
Alongside upping your activity levels, eating regular meals, avoiding hidden calories in alcohol, shunning saturated fats, increasing your intake of vegetables and snacking wisely will help you to shed those excess pounds.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/exercise-weight-loss-tips
Remember why you’re doing it
To lose weight, you need to be in calorie deficit from your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
In plain English, the amount of calories you eat needs to be less than the amount of calories you burn each day.
If you’re embarking on a fitness and weight loss programme, it’s worth remembering the basic principle of this energy balance equation.
To understand exactly why that extra gym class may help to remove whatever deposited quickly, but may be harmful as well.
So do it comfortably by eating sensibly, mindfully along with being very active and sleep well.
Also eliminating that daily bag of crisps at lunch can help you lose weight.
Gym - Excess Training 'as bad as no exercise at all'
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-31095384
Training very hard may be as bad for you as not putting on your running shoes at all, a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says.
Scientists studied more than 1,000 healthy joggers and non-joggers over a 12-year period.
The study suggests jogging at a steady pace for less than two and a half hours a week was best for health.
UK guidance says adults should aim for 150 minutes of exercise each week.
'Brisk walking'
"This study shows that you don't have to run marathons to keep your healthy.
"Light and moderate jogging was found to be more beneficial than being inactive or strenuous jogging.
"National guidelines recommend we do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week.
"It may sound like a lot, but even brisk walking is good exercise.
And if you're bit of a couch potato, this is a good place to start."
The dangerous downsides of a fitness addiction
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200117-the-dangerous-downsides-of-a-fitness-addiction
Yet while physical activity and balanced eating are certainly important, the dark side to fitness obsession can pose a serious danger to the people striving for perfection.
Orthorexia nervosa, or addiction to ‘healthy’ eating and over-exercise.
It is a medical condition rising in prominence alongside the #fitspiration Instagram fad.
Untreated, it can lead to malnutrition and mental health complications, and those in the long recovery process are vulnerable to frequent relapses.
“Fitness shouldn’t mean having to work out every day or weighing your damn lettuce,” says Jen Brett, a recovering orthorexia survivor and fitness influencer.
Yoga – More than just an exercise......its YOGIC way of LIVING....... Exercises, Diet and Outdoor mind relaxation activity combined
https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/yoga-more-than-just-an-exercise/83710605
Yoga sounds like a magic pill, doesn’t it? ----- It is a combination of Slow sterching relaxing exercises, Healthy eating of vegetarian diet along with plenty of raw uncooked salads mixed with spices, lemon juice and Outdoor activity for mind relaxation.
Its not just exercises which help alone. Yoga isn't just exercises, its YOGIC way of LIVING.
Well, it is, but only if you stick with it and practise it with consistency.
When regularly done, yoga affects change at three levels --Physical, Mental, and Emotional. Here are the ways yoga goes beyond the physical body and effects our entire being:
Physical: Yoga builds strength and flexibility in equal parts in our bodies: Flexibility is perhaps the first thing that comes to one’s mind when people think of yoga. Good yoga practice helps enhance flexibility by allowing your muscles to go deeper into a stretch. And with improved flexibility, you get to lead a pain- and ache-free life.
Yoga also helps build tremendous strength in our bodies. People often associate strength training with lifting external weights and doing a lot of work in the gym. But tell me, what better way to build strength than lifting your own bodyweight? That is exactly what a strong yoga asana practice trains one to do. Yoga is a complete physical practise, which you likely need not supplement with anything else. It builds flexibility, stamina, balance, strength, and with its breathing exercises, it also builds an incredible amount of lung health.
Mental: Yoga alters the wiring of our brains: When you’re practicing yoga regularly? Your brain cells develop new connections, and changes occur in brain structure as well as function, resulting in improved cognitive skills, such as learning and memory. Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. Think of it as weightlifting for the brain.
According to studies conducted and published in the Harvard Medical Review (HMR), using MRI scans and other brain imaging technology it is now proven that people who regularly did yoga had a thicker cerebral cortex (the area of the brain responsible for information processing) and hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in learning and memory) compared with non-practitioners. These areas of the brain typically shrink as you age, but the older yoga practitioners showed less shrinkage than those who did no yoga. This suggests that yoga may counteract age-related declines in memory and other cognitive skills.
Meditation also reduces activity in the limbic system—the part of the brain dedicated to emotions. As your emotional reactivity diminishes, you have a more thought-through response when faced with stressful situations. Research also shows that yoga and meditation enhance reasoning, decision making, memory, learning, reaction time, and accuracy on tests of mental ability.
Emotional: Yoga makes us happier and more content: The calming effects of the yoga practice that many speak about and maybe even you have experienced personally, can all be linked to a common mechanism
The calm, relaxed, and sociable wellbeing by affecting the states of the body or the states of the mind.
Diet - Healthy balance eating of low oil cooked vegetarian diet mixed with 1/2 kg to 1 kg salads as raw per day. It reduces weight dramatically along with bringing freshness and activity to human body
A regular holistic yoga practice which includes all 3 – meditation, breathing, and performing yoga postures (asanas) . Even a short practice of yoga for 10-15 minutes daily can leave us feeling more content and happy.
So, the next time someone refers to yoga as a workout - do let them know that it is as much more.
Tips for longevity from the oldest people on Earth
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20191218-tips-for-longevity-from-the-oldest-people-on-earth
The secret isn’t medication or specific foods, but a connection with their loved ones, enjoy going on walks and swapping stories with her friends........
Staying active through exercise and socialising.............and having a hobby which is driving force and source of passion.
Residents of Okinawa, otherwise known as the 'island of the immortals’, are more likely to live to 100 than people in most other regions of Japan..................
This area in which some of the world’s oldest people live, and has been home to more than 1,000 centenarians throughout the past 40 years.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200122-are-there-health-benefits-to-going-vegan
The vegan diet could be one of the healthiest diets, because of higher in fruit, vegetables and legumes and the health benefits from this compensate anything else.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables with a variety of colours, nuts, wholegrains and beans and lentils, as well as chia, hemp and flax seeds, which contain omega 3.
“Typically, vegans smoke less, drink less alcohol and exercise more,”
And lower intakes of animal products, scored better on health markers.
These lifestyle factors, which can also contribute to a lower risk of heart disease and mortality..
Staying indoors weakens immunity
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200521-can-staying-inside-weaken-the-immune-system
Sunlight and nature are great healers, and they also come for free.
Getting outdoors can also improve the quality of our sleep.
Shut inside during lockdown could have disrupted our circadian rhythms
Vitamin D enables the macrophages – a first line of defence against respiratory infections – to spew out an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin, killing bacteria and viruses directly.
It also tweaks the activity of other immune cells, such as B and T cells, which orchestrate longer-term responses.
People with low levels of vitamin D, especially NATURAL sunlight, are at greater risk of viral respiratory tract infections such as influenza.
Lungs 'magically' heal damage from smoking
Your lungs have an almost "magical" ability to repair the cancerous mutations caused by smoking - but only if you stop, say scientists.
The mutations that lead to lung cancer had been considered to be permanent, and to persist even after quitting.
But the surprise findings, published in Nature, show the few cells that escape damage can repair the lungs.
The effect has been seen even in patients who had smoked a pack a day for 40 years before giving up.
The thousands of chemicals in tobacco smoke corrupt and mutate the DNA in your lung cells - slowly transforming them from healthy to cancerous.
The study uncovered that happening on a massive scale in a smoker's lungs even before they had cancer.
Is sugar really bad?
A diet of more than 150g of fructose per day reduces insulin sensitivity – and increases health problems like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
But this occurs most often when high sugar intake is combined with excess calories like fat, proteins in form of biscuits, sweets, ice-creams, fast food etc...
So the effects on health are "more likely" due to sugar are from excess calories, not the impact of sugar alone.
“People who drink more fruit juice or soft drinks have bad dietary or lifestyle habits, exercise less which affects brain health.
One recent study found that consuming sugar can make older people more motivated to perform difficult tasks and improve memory & performance in older adults.
We demonise the things we find difficult to resist – including sugar, which may be needed at times.
There was a difference between added sugar and sugar as a carbohydrate as natural sugars found in fruit, vegetables, starches and legumes.
Carbohydrates are must to fuel body cells and function.
Irony is we might be better off thinking about it less.
We’ve really overcomplicated nutrition because everyone is searching for complete, perfect and successful nutition, But that doesn’t exist.”
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180918-is-sugar-really-bad-for-you
Those who drank soft drinks and fruit juices had smaller brain poorer memory function
Those who drank soft drinks and fruit juices had smaller brain poorer memory function
The scary truth behind generic drugs in India
Often, generic drugs manufacturers produce medicines of higher quality for European and American markets...
Because regulation is tighter there....................whilst blithely selling inferior and ineffective drugs in India
Many generic drugs and, particularly, those made in India. A large number are actually ineffective and a few even harmful.
This is the key message of a book to be published next week called Bottle of Lies: Ranbaxy and the dark side of Indian Pharma. According to its dust jacket, its author, Katherine Eban, “relies on over 20,000 FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) documents and interviews with over 240 people to show how fraud and treachery are deeply entrenched in much of the (generic drugs) industry in India and raises troubling questions about some of its biggest Pharma companies”.
At the core of this book is its research into the shameful story of Ranbaxy. In 2013, in a well-covered court case in America, the company pleaded guilty to seven charges of selling adulterated drugs and paid $500 million in fines.
This is what Eban concludes of Ranbaxy’s approach to testing drugs before they are sold – “You had to test the drugs to see if they were properly formulated, stable and effective.
The resulting data was the only thing that proved the medicine would cure instead of kill.
Yet Ranbaxy was treating data as an entirely fungible marketing tool … it was an outright fraud that could mean the difference between life and death …
the company manipulated almost every aspect of its manufacturing process.”
Dinesh Thakur, the man who blew the whistle on Ranbaxy, told Eban: “Testing the drugs for India was just a waste of time …
Because no regulators ever looked at the data …
Companies just invented the dossiers on their own and sent them to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
What was needed for the DCGI was not real data but good connections.”
Eban’s book is full of hair-raising accounts of visits by US FDA regulators to manufacturing plants in India where fraud, insanitary conditions and deliberately poor standards of manufacturing are revealed.
In the microbiology laboratory of one plant, where they were testing for microbes and bacteria, the actual samples didn’t exist: “They were testing nothing.
The entire laboratory was a fake.”
If even a quarter of what Eban reveals is true, it is frightening.
It means our faith in Indian generic medicines is often misplaced.
They frequently don’t work.
Sometimes, no matter how many tablets you take, they will not treat the disease or infection.
If it’s of any comfort, that’s also true of many Chinese generic drugs.
As a last resort, in 2016, Thakur petitioned the Supreme Court.......but it was not effective.....
Neither the executive nor the judiciary are bothered about this deplorable situation.
You and I may keep taking generic drugs believing they’re efficacious, but we’re being made fools of.
Now, antacids must carry ‘kidney injury’ warning
In a bid to promote patient safety, widely-sold antacids (anti-acidity pills) will hereon need to carry a side-effect warning of ‘acute kidney injury” as part of their package insert leaflets.
Manufacturers of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) — to incorporate ‘acute kidney injury’ as an adverse drug reaction (ADR).
The warning will be inserted in the packaging of these formulations, including Pantoprazole, Omeprazole, Lansoprazole, Esomeprazole, and their combinations.
Recent global studies on anti-acidity pills — for treating “gas” and heartburn — have serious adverse events.
Long use can cause long-term kidney damage, acute renal disease and chronic kidney disease, and in certain cases, even gastric cancer.
Since these reports are mostly restricted to nephrology journals, many physicians may not be aware of these adverse effects, experts pointed out.
Yoga 'can cause serious hip problems'
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50181155
The problem lies in people repeatedly pushing their bodies into "prescribed" positions, when their physiology prevents it.
Moderate the "prescribed" yoga positions, so as not to put too much stress on their joints.
"Yoga is a fantastic activity for people to do, with lots of benefits for your health and general wellbeing.
"However, as with any form of exercise, it's important to do it safely.
Also understanding your own limits, as we are all built differently.
"Yoga is not about being in competition with anyone else.
If you stay aware of your abilities and practise within your own limits, you will gain all the great benefits.
Healthy habits 'deliver extra disease-free decade'
Women can gain 10 and men seven years of life free of cancer, heart problems and type-2 diabetes from a healthy lifestyle, a study in the BMJ suggests.
They must exercise regularly, avoid alcohol, have a healthy weight BMI 19 -24, good veg salad diet and not smoke.
Why focus on these diseases?
Cancer, cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes are three of the most common diseases in old age.
They are also closely linked to people's lifestyles.
Being obese is linked to 13 different types of cancers, including breast, bowel, kidney, liver and oesophagus.
Why consuming excessive protein is not good for health
Health problems that can be caused due to high protein diets.
Recommended protein intake per day
As they say, nothing in excess and everything in balance.
This mantra can help you live a healthy life without disrupting the balance.
The Dietary Reference Intake (DRA) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0.36 grams per pound.
Consult your doctor to know how much protein you should add in your diet. If you consume excessive protein, it can affect your health in the following ways.
Weight Gain If you intake more protein than recommended rather than losing them.
Excess protein gets stored as fat in the body and on the contrary, it leads to weight gain.
Organ Damage
Consuming a lot of protein than required can lead to organ damage.
Excess protein intake can also cause certain digestive problems.
This is because high-protein diets are quite low in fiber which restricts the smooth functioning of bowel movements.
Also, as they have a high-fat content, they become difficult for the body to digest.
This further leads to problems like constipation, nausea, diarrhea, bloating etc. which cause a lot of discomfort.
High Cholesterol from protein diets, especially animal-based, risks heart diseases like strokes and heart attacks.
Dehydration due to high protein diet and puts a lot of strain on the kidneys.
A lot of nitrogen waste may cause problems like dry mouth and dehydration.
Therefore, make sure the amount of protein you consume is not too much but also not too less.
A balanced amount of this essential nutrient can help you remain fit and in the pink of health.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-31095384
Eat a rainbow
Catherine Collins, principle dietician at St George's Hospital NHS Trust, recommends eating more plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, pulses and grains, which are all rich in dietary antioxidants and also a good source of fibre.
No Super Food or Magic Bullet to solve dietary needs
A big problem is our focus on individual nutrients or ingredients.
This takes the focus away from fresh produce and towards processed foods.
Our fixation with specific vitamins or mineral also creates an environment in which manufacturers can add nutrients to food and make health claims for those foods.
Nutritionist Stanton is yet to find an Australian deficient in the sort of nutrients that go into fortified cereals
“Then it achieves a health halo and it sells, and you see this with heavily sweetened breakfast cereals. Stanton points out that she is yet to find an Australian deficient in the sort of nutrients that go into fortified cereals.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161124-why-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-superfood
In general, same age-old dietary wisdom still holds: lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, small amounts of protein, particularly fish and seafood.
What is a vegan and what do vegans eat?
What are the main reasons people go vegan?
There are many reasons people decide to go vegan. They include:
1. Animal Cruelty
Some people become vegan because they love animals and they think harming any animal is cruel.
For vegans, it's not just about animals which are killed for food, but also concerns about the way that cows and chickens used for dairy and eggs are treated, especially in big factory farms.
2. Environment
The United Nations says that farmed livestock accounts for 14.5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions.
This is roughly equivalent to the exhaust emissions of every car, train, ship and aircraft on the planet.
Just one cow gives off enough harmful methane gas in a single day to fill around 400 litre bottles, which is really bad for the environment.
Another argument used for veganism is that meat and dairy production uses too much land.
3. Health
Some vegans worry about getting the right vitamins and minerals from a vegan diet.
The British Dietetic Association, experts in nutrition, says that a "balanced vegan diet can be enjoyed by children and adults".
However, it also says it is important to plan meals to make sure that it includes enough nutrients.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180126-the-100-most-nutritious-foods
Fibre is present in fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread, pasta and lentils
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46827426
What is it? - Fibre in food
Fibre - eating and found there are huge health benefits.
"The evidence is now overwhelming and this is a game-changer, tells BBC News.
It's well known for stopping constipation - but its health benefits are much broader than that.
Naturally it reduces the chances of heart attacks and strokes as well as life-long diseases such as type-2 diabetes.
And it helps keep your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels down.
It's cheap and widely available in the supermarket.
It also showed lower levels of type-2 diabetes and bowel cancer as well as lower weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
And the more fibre people ate, the better.
What is fibre doing in the body?
But fibre makes us feel full and affects the way fat is absorbed in the small intestine - your gut bacteria's dinner.
The large intestines are home to billions of bacteria - and fibre is their food.
Why is this relevant now?
The fact fibre and whole-grains and fruit and vegetables are healthy should not come as a surprise.
Crucial link between the food we eat and health
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190218-how-the-bacteria-inside-you-could-affect-your-mental-health
The current understanding of the gut-brain axis does at least add to the growing evidence that a healthy, balanced diet could be an important preventative measure to reduce the risk of developing an illness like depression in the first place.
“Mediterranean diet” – to describe diets rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts, sea food, and unsaturated fats and vegetable oils, and low in refined sugar and less meat.
people eating the traditional Mediterranean diet were roughly half as likely to be diagnosed with depression over a four-year period.
The unhealthy diets reducing lives every year
Too much salt - three million deaths
Too few whole grains - three million deaths
Too little fruit - two million deaths
Low levels of nuts, seeds, vegetables, omega-3 from seafood and fibre were the other major killers.
How is this killing people?
Around 10 million out of the 11 million diet-related deaths were because of cardiovascular disease and that explains why salt is such a problem.
Too much salt raises blood pressure and that in turn raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Salt can also have a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels, leading to heart failure when the organ does not work effectively.
Whole grains, fruit and vegetables have the opposite effect - they are "cardioprotective" and lower the risk of heart problems.
Cancers and type 2 diabetes made up the rest of the diet-related deaths.
How far is the world off a perfect diet?
No country is perfect and each favours some part of a healthy diet more than others, but this is how far the world is from an optimal diet.
Nuts and seeds missing from healthy diet.
The biggest problems leading to bad health are a lack of whole grains, fruit, vegetables and raw nuts and unprocessed seeds.....
Non- Veg diet 'ups cancer risk'
Even small amounts of red and processed meat - such as a rasher of bacon a day - can increase the risk of bowel cancer, according to research.
The latest study led by Oxford University and Cancer Research UK, adds to evidence, from the World Health Organization.
Eating red meat can be harmful.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47947965
What makes it risky?
Processed meat - including bacon, some sausages, hot dogs, salami - is modified to either extend its shelf-life or change the taste - the main methods are smoking, curing, or adding salt or preservatives.
It is thought the chemicals involved in the processing could be increasing the risk of cancer. High temperature cooking, such as on a barbecue, can also create carcinogenic chemicals.
When it comes to red meat like beef, lamb and pork, there are suggestions that one of the proteins (that gives it its red colour) can damage the gut when it is broken down. .................
"a range of lifestyle factors have a significant impact on the risk of bowel cancer, most notably age, genetics, lack of dietary fibre, inactivity and high alcohol consumption".
Nitrosamines also form from the chemical reactions that occur during high-heat cooking.
As a result, cancer risk can have more to do with how we prepare it.
Grilling and frying are particularly high risk.
The good news?
Choosing a cooking method that reduces the cancer risk, such as slow-cooking, is a preventative measure we can all do.
Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats has been shown to reduce the risk of death by any cause by 19%, however.
So, switching from animal-based oils and fats to sunflower oil can help.
Clearly, then, our foods contribute towards our health risks.
We consume far more protein that we really need – and supplementing your diet with extra protein is pointless.
Most people already get more than their daily recommended protein allowance from their food.
Even the fitness-conscious should not spend money on protein supplements – unnecessary protein is excreted out of the body.
Taking supplements is like flushing money down the loo.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20191002-is-meat-really-bad-for-you
Diabetes increases cancer risk.....
Researchers have found that DNA sustains more damage and gets fixed less often when blood sugar levels are high compared to when blood sugar is at a normal, healthy level, thereby increasing one's cancer risk.
Exposure to high glucose levels leads to both DNA damage and the suppression of their repair, which in combination could cause genome instability and cancer
Which foods can improve your gut bacteria?
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38800977
Homemade foods and products made by traditional methods contained a wide array of bacteria.
"commercial varieties, subjected to pasteurisation to ensure their safety and extend their shelf life.
But kill off the important bacteria, whereas that wouldn't be the case for the homemade varieties," says Dr Cotter.
So if you want to try fermented foods to improve your gut health ................................
it's best look for products that have been made using traditional preparation and processing..................
or make them yourself, to ensure you're getting the healthy bacteria you're after.
Jerusalem artichokes are rich in prebiotic fibre
Soft drink consumption linked to risk of early death
High soft drink consumption may be a marker of overall unhealthy diet.
Also, high soft drinks consumers had higher body mass Index (BMI) and were also more likely to be smokers
Uncontrolled Diagnostic Labs in India.....
puts patients at risk with misdiagnosis and treatment
25 batches of drugs of 18 pharma companies found substandard
The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), which implements the Centre's flagship affordable medicine scheme PMBJP, has found 25 batches of drugs of 18 different pharmaceutical companies to be of substandard quality since January 2018, according to an official document.
While 17 out of the 18 companies are private, one is a public sector unit (PSU) -- Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL), according to the document.
Both the BPPI and the IDPL work under the Department of Pharmaceuticals of the central government.
Once the affordable generic drugs are procured from pharmaceutical companies by the BPPI, they are supplied to various Janaushadhi Kendras that are managed under the Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
The dangerous myth of vitamin pills/ Anti-oxidants....
Far from being the elixir of life, antioxidants could send you to an early grave
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161208-why-vitamin-supplements-could-kill-you
“The idea that antioxidant [supplementation] is a miracle cure is completely redundant,” says Enriquez.
Antioxidants have a dark side. Without free radicals, cells would continue to grow and divide uncontrollably
We now know that free radicals are often used as molecular messengers that send signals from one region of the cell to another.
Without them, cells would continue to grow and divide uncontrollably. There’s a word for this: cancer.
We would also be more prone to infections from outside. When under stress from an unwanted bacterium or virus, free radicals are naturally produced in higher numbers, acting as silent klaxons to our immune system.
In response, those cells at the vanguard of our immune defense – macrophages and lymphocytes – start to divide and scout out the problem. If it is a bacterium, they will engulf it like Pac-Man eating a blue ghost.
It is trapped, but it is not yet dead. To change that, free radicals are once again called into action. Inside the immune cell, they are used for what they are infamous for: to damage and to kill. The intruder is torn apart.
From start to finish, a healthy immune response depends on free radicals being there for us, within us.
Taking Probiotics could back-fire......
Promoted by marketing companies. Lack solid evidence suggesting probiotics actually work.
Researchers have found that taking probiotics after antibiotics in fact delays gut health recovery
“This is the reason why regulatory authorities such as the US’s Food and Drug Administration and European regulators have yet to approve a probiotic for clinical use.
These are unscientifically promoted, Due to heavy marketing by companies.
The group who had a small sample of their own stool – taken before the antibiotic treatment – returned to their colon once the treatment was over.
The surprising finding was that the group who received the probiotic had the poorest response in terms of their microbiome.
They were the slowest group to return to a healthy gut.
Even at the end of the study – after five months of monitoring – this group had not yet reached their pre-antibiotic gut health.
The good news, incidentally, is that the group who received a faecal transplant did very well indeed.
Within days, this group completely reconstituted their original microbiome.
At the moment, the lack of consistency in the findings on probiotics comes in part because they are being treated like conventional drugs.
When you take a paracetamol tablet, you can be more or less sure that the active component will do its job and work on receptors in your brain, dulling your sensation of pain.
This is because most people’s pain receptors are similar enough to react in the same way to the drug.
But the microbiome is not just a receptor – it is closer to an ecosystem, and sometimes likened to a rainforest in its complexity.
As a result, finding and tailoring a probiotic treatment that will work on something as intricate and individual as your own internal ecosystem is no easy task.
And it’s not so surprising that a dried-out pack of bacteria from market shelf may well not do the trick.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190124-is-it-worth-taking-probiotics-after-antibiotics
Curd / Yoghurt - linked to lower rates fracture and better than milk.......
More milk may be more harmful than curd / yoghurt
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190408-should-we-drink-milk-to-strengthen-bones
In 2014 two large Swedish studies led to headlines.................
That drinking more than three glasses of milk a day – was no help to your bones and might even harm you.
Drinking a glass of milk a day appeared to be associated both with more broken bones, and with early deaths.
Milk probably does have benefits for bone health, but benefits are shorter lived than you might have hoped...
It’s worth keeping your bones strong with exercise and getting enough vitamin D from sunshine....
Swedish studies have shown that yoghurt / curd consumption lowers of bone fractures........
Gardening: Could you extend your life and drop your stress
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20181210-gardening-could-be-the-hobby-that-helps-you-live-to-100
Mood elevator
It is well-known that an outdoor lifestyle with moderate physical activity is linked to longer life, and gardening is an easy way to accomplish both.
“If you garden, you’re getting some low-intensity physical activity most days, and you tend to work routinely,” says Buettner.
He says there is evidence that gardeners live longer and are less stressed.
A variety of studies confirm this, pointing to both the physical and mental health benefits of gardening.
Australian researchers following men and women in their 60s found that those who regularly gardened had a 36% lower risk of dementia than their non-gardening counterparts
How exercise in old age prevents the immune system from declining
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43308729
Doing lots of exercise in older age can prevent the immune system from declining and protect people against infections, scientists say.
They followed 125 long-distance cyclists, some now in their 80s, and found they had the immune systems of 20-year-olds.
Prof Norman Lazarus, 82, of King's College London, who took part in and co-authored the research, said:
"If exercise was a pill, everyone would be taking it.
"It has wide-ranging benefits for the body, the mind, for our muscles and our immune system."
Steve Harridge, professor of physiology at King's College London, said: "Being sedentary goes against evolution because humans are designed to be physically active.
Do it for health, because it's sociable, and enjoy the freedom it gives you."
Cycle for a sense of wellbeing and to enjoy our wonderful countryside."
Diabetes 'barely detectable'
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44368601
In two weeks his type 2 diabetes, which he had had for 17 years, was barely detectable.
And six out of the seven lost 3 kg in 2 weeks.
There are three types - starch, sugar and fibre.
Starch is what we usually understand carbs to mean - foods like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice -
but these "beige" varieties aren't good for you.
Neither are "white" carbs - found in sugary foods such as fizzy drinks, sweets and processed and refined foods including cakes and biscuits.
Most of the starch and sugar in these beige and white carbs are broken down into glucose for energy,
and if you eat too much, the glucose is stored as fat.
Diet tips
Reduce:
Flour, rice, potatoes, pasta, breakfast cereals and other processed grains
White or highly processed brown bread
Replace with:
Cauliflower rice, celeriac, sweet potatoes
Rye or pumpernickel bread
Include:
Unpolished rice, legumes, nuts - raw
And half of each dish should be green or brightly coloured: fresh vegetables, salad greens, tomatoes and aubergines
But there is another type of carb - dietary fibre, found in fruit and vegetables - what we might call "green carbs".
It keeps you full, slows stomach emptying, and is usually the part of the plant that supplies you with vitamins and minerals.
It's good for your teeth and gums and good for your guts, keeping everything moving and feeding your gut bacteria.
And then there is resistant starch - found in high-fibre foods such as lentils, beans and unprocessed whole grains - is also hard to digest in a good way:
it gets right down into your lower digestive tract (your colon) where its main job is not to feed you but rather to feed your gut bacteria.
Healthy gut bacteria are linked to a wide range of benefits, both physical and mental.
And one other tip - reheating can also turn bad carbs into good -
if you reheat starches like pasta or toasted bread from the freezer....
the molecules reconfigure themselves and become more resistant......
allowing them to travel further in your gut and feed your microbiome.
Diet tip - eat whole grains to reduce type 2 diabetes risk
Consuming whole grains of rye bread or oats daily can prevent the development of Type-2 diabetes.
The study, showed that all whole grain product or cereal the participants ate —
ryebread, oatmeal, and muesli, for example, seem to offer the same protection against Type-2 diabetes.
Type-2 diabetes: 'Weight loss arrests disease for years'
Consuming 850 calories a day for three months and then keeping the weight off can arrest type-2 diabetes for at least two years, a study suggests.
The study report builds on earlier work suggesting weight loss is one key solution and offers more time off medication than previously thought.
"All I could see for the future was continuing to take these pills forever."
When he started the trial diet - consuming only low-calorie shakes every day - he found it very difficult.
But he saw rapid results, dropping from 90kg (14st 2lb) to 73kg in just 12 weeks.
"It gets you to the point where you can take destiny in your own hands."
Two years later, his weight is stable at 77kg.
He exercises regularly and hopes to become a lifestyle coach when he retires.
Can single detoxing help your health....
Ans..no
Its lifestyle change for healthy habits...
When it comes to alcohol...... it’s healthier to avoid it all or as much as possible.
Spending a period of time focussing on eating more fruit and vegetables is of course beneficial for your health too.
A quick fix is not going to work as well as pledging to eat a Mediterranean diet and to exercise for shorttime.
Its a lifestyle change for healthy habits, healthy behavious and healthy eating of lots of salads, water and low oil diet the rest of your life.
But the idea of detox is something many find appealing.
If it feels good to punish yourself to compensate for your over-indulgence, maybe it’s your sins rather than your toxins that you’re keen to wash away.
But if you can hack it, it’s possible that psychologically, a detox could provide a new start – a break between your old habits and the new ones you’d like to acquire.
However, you need to have a plan for what happens next or your old habits will return.
Perhaps we should think of a detox as more of a metaphor for shedding your old habits, rather than something that flushes impurities from your gut and your organs.
Your body is constantly detoxing itself without special teas, juices or diets.
But you can help it to do its job by eating a healthily diet, drinking water, taking regular exercise and getting the sleep you need.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190130-can-detoxing-help-your-gut-health
Time-Restricted Feeding without Reducing Caloric Intake Prevents Metabolic Diseases
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190304-how-meal-timings-affect-your-waistline
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Time restricted feeding (8h/day) improves clock and nutrient sensor functions
It prevents obesity, diabetes and liver diseases in mice on a high fat diet
Nutrient-type and time of feeding determine liver metabolome and nutrient homeostasis
It raises bile acid production, energy expenditure and reduces inflammation
Some are advocating a more hardcore approach of forgoing all food for at least 12 hours, and possibly for as long as 14-16 hours overnight.
In a landmark study published in 2012, Panda and his colleagues compared
one set of mice that had access to fatty and sugary foods at any time of day or night
with another group that could only consumed these foods within an 8 to 12-hour window during their “daytime”.
Even though they consumed the same number of calories, the mice whose eating window was restricted appeared to be completely protected from the diseases that began to afflict the other group: obesity, diabetes, heart disease and liver damage.
What’s more, when mice with these illnesses were placed on a time-restricted eating schedule, they became well again.
“Almost every animal, including us, evolved on this planet with a very strong 24-hour rhythm in light and darkness, and the associated rhythms in eating and fasting,” explains Panda.
“We think a major function [of these cycles] is to enable repair and rejuvenation each night.
You cannot repair a highway when the traffic is still moving.”
Human trials of time-restricted eating are just beginning.
For instance, when men with prediabetes eat all their meals between 7 hrs - 8am and 3pm,
their sensitivity to insulin improved and their blood pressure dropped by 10-11 points on average,
compared to when they consumed the same meals within a 12-hour period.
And it’s almost certainly worth fitting a padlock on the fridge overnight.
How to cut your dementia risk
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clldg965yzjo
Things to avoid include smoking and alcohol.
Eating a healthy diet is beneficial
Vitamin pills makes not useful.
Brain activity worthwhile.
Causes
While there is no treatment that can cure it, there are things people can do to lower their risk of the disease or slow its onset.
Old age is the strongest risk factor but not inevitable consequence of ageing.
Genetics also play a role, but many risk factors are modifiable.
Experts have previously suggested lifestyle changes could prevent around a third of dementia cases.
The guidelines recommend:
1) Exercise - At least 1/2 to 1 hrs of outdoor physical activity daily..... exercise, cycling, or everyday housework
2) Stop smoking
3) Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit is beneficial
4) Don't take vitamin pills - there is no evidence that they help lower dementia risk
5) Avoid alcohol
6) Brain training - activities to challenge the brain beneficial
7) Be social - staying connected with friends is linked with good health and wellbeing
8) Keep a healthy weight, fit and healthy
9) Beware high blood pressure
10) Get treated if you have diabetes
11) Beware high cholesterol
"While we cannot change the genes we inherit, taking the steps outlined in this report can still help to stack the odds in our favour."
"It's estimated a third of dementia cases could be prevented
Prevention would be so much better than a distant cure."
Dementia: The greatest health challenge of our time
1 in 3 cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes including:
Treat hearing loss in mid-life |
Keep studying and educating
Don't smoke
Avoid depression
Be physically active
Be Social
Avoid high blood pressure
Avoid obesity, type 2 diabetes
They prepare the brain for flexibility and not getting dementia.
"People who are very healthy and take good care of themselves are the group that I would say is most resilient to Alzheimer's disease," says Prof Spires-Jones.
Eating slowly, eat less, chew more and drink more water to lose weight:
A study has found that eating slowly and having smaller bites makes us feel less hungry an hour afterwards than if we wolf down food.
People who ate slowly also drank more, which helped them feel fuller, the researchers said.
If you're trying to lose weight, eating slowly and more mindfully can help you eat less and lose weight.
Recent research has proven that it takes time for the brain to realize that it is no longer hungry.
When you consume your food quickly, your brain may fail to register how much you've actually eaten and may cause you to end up eating too much.
Many studies have shown that eating more slowly and more mindfully can help you eat less and manage your weight.
Incorporate some easy ways to slow yourself down during meal time to help manage your weight more effectively.
Sweet potatoes are one of the principle ingredients in traditional Okinawan cuisine
a high carb diet may explain why okinawans live so long...
Okinawans may be living longer due to the fact that they are eating (mostly) fruit and vegetables.... its high carb, low protein content.
Okinawans smoke less, and physically active.
Their tight-knit communities also help the residents to maintain an active social life into old age.
Social connection has also been shown to improve health and longevity by reducing the body’s stress responses to challenging events.
Loneliness, in contrast, has been shown to be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
A feeling of social connection can protects health, while loneliness may be as damaging as smoking 19 cigarettes a day
Obesity: Study of 2.8 million shows increased disease and death risks
The study also showed:
BMI of 35-40, the risk of Type 2 diabetes was almost nine times higher, and 12 times higher for sleep apnoea
severe obesity BMI of 40-45 were 12 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea that was 22 times greater
BMI of 40-45 had triple the risk of heart failure, high blood pressure, and dyslipidaemia
BMI of 40-45 was also linked to a 50% higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause
The BMI result is assigned to a standard category:
Less than 18.5 - underweight
18.5 to 24.9 - healthy weight
25 to 29.9 - overweight
30 to 39.9 - obese (split into two categories for the new study)
40 and over - very obese (also known as morbidly obese)
Sugar 'not necessary' for a good cup of Tea / Coffee
It might be a ritual for many but scientists say your cup of tea does not actually need a spoonful of sugar.
A study found participants were able to cut it out without their enjoyment being affected
suggesting a long-term change in behaviour was possible.
The case of a three-year-old girl in the US who developed type 2 diabetes has driven doctors to raise fresh concerns about diet in childhood.
The child had a version of the illness more commonly seen in older people.
She weighed 35 kg OBESE when she saw specialists. And an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise played a large role in her condition.
He says an early diagnosis, changes to lifestyle and in some cases medication can give children better odds of remaining healthy and sometimes reverse the condition.
The Hispanic girl was been given treatment and her family improved her diet and the amount of exercise she took.
Only six months after diagnosis the girl no longer needed medication and her blood sugars returned to normal. She had lost nearly 9 kg (1.4 stone) by this time.
Vitamin D 'heals damaged hearts'
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35959556
Vitamin D supplements helps people with diseased hearts.
A trial on 163 heart failure patients found supplements of the vitamin, which is made in the skin when exposed to sunlight, improved their hearts' ability to pump blood around the body.
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals team, who presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology, described the results as "stunning".
The British Heart Foundation called for longer trials to assess the pills.
Vitamin D is vital for healthy bones and teeth and may have important health benefits throughout the body but many people are deficient.
http://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/vitamin-d-may-be-useless-study/52792657
Vitamin D medicines may be 'useless'
Those who pop vitamin D pills regularly, may be better off simply spending cash on fruit and vegetables as a recent study has suggested that the supplements give no protection against diseases.
The vital nutrient that comes with the sun's rays is widely seen as an important element to good health.
Many people place strong belief in its potential benefits in treating a number of medical conditions, such as depression or Multiple Sclerosis, and feel a need to supplement their vitamin D intake.
But according to lead author Michael Allan, much of that belief isn't validated by science.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36675460
Gardening improves the nation's health
Gardening can play important role in the fight against chronic health conditions.
Sue Biggs, director general of the Royal Horticultural Society, has spoken of how the beauty of plants in her garden helped her recover from breast cancer.
She says gardening is also a way to heal communities.
"It's not just about gardening and horticulture it's also about happiness, because I can't think of a better thing to make people happy - and they are tough times at the moment - and I think gardening, it's just a joy," she says.
"When you walk out into a garden and you literally smell the roses and see the bees buzzing on the lavender and just look at all that beautiful colour and scent, you feel happier, and that can't be a bad thing can it?"
Obesity-related cancers rise for young
Cancers linked to obesity are rising at a faster rate in in younger generations.
there has been mounting evidence that certain cancers can be linked to obesity.
'Dangers of extra weight' ....
the rates of obesity-related cancers (colorectal, uterine, gallbladder, kidney, pancreatic and multiple myeloma - a blood cancer) all went up, particularly in people under the age of 50.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47061079
Strong evidence of link between obesity and major cancers
A review conducted in the UK finds strong evidence to support a link between Body Mass Index (BMI) and major cancers.
The team now calls for finer selection of people at high risk, who could be selected for personalized primary and secondary prevention strategies.”
Dementia risk factors
The six risk factors are heavy drinking, genetics, smoking, high blood pressure, depression and diabetes.
Physical exercise and healthy eating - Healthy lifestyle protective factors against the disease.
Hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.....can increase risk of cancer
Suffering from chronic diseases including hypertension, heart disease and diabetes together can put you at higher risk of cancer and mortality
Several common chronic diseases including hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, together account for more than a fifth of new cancer cases and more than a third of cancer deaths
They also found that physical activity was associated with a nearly 40% reduction in the excess risks of cancer and cancer death associated with chronic diseases and markers.
Besides, chronic diseases, lifestyle factors like smoking, insufficient physical activity, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, also lead to cancer
Cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39641122
Want to live longer? Reduce your risk of cancer? And heart disease? Then cycle to work, say scientists.
The team in Glasgow said cycling took no willpower once it became part of the work routine - unlike going to the gym
Other explanations include cyclists being leaner (even if they are not weighing any less) and lower levels of inflammation in the body.
Cycling is thought to be better than walking as the exercise is both longer and more intense.
Clare Hyde from Cancer Research UK said: "This study helps to highlight the potential benefits of building activity into your everyday life.
"You don't need to join a gym or run the marathon.
"Anything that gets you a bit hot and out of breath - whether it's cycling all or part way to work or doing some housework - can help make a difference."
Why stress makes you fat
Chronic stress disrupts our sleep and our blood sugar levels. This leads to increased hunger and comfort eating.
And that then leads to further disrupted sleep, even higher levels of stress and even more disrupted blood sugars. In time, this can lead not only to unhealthy levels of body fat, but also to type-2 diabetes.
The reason this happens is that when you are stressed, your body goes into "fight or flight" mode.
Your body thinks it is under attack and releases glucose into your blood to provide energy for your muscles.
some well established "stress-busting" techniques - such as exercising, gardening, mindfulness or yoga.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42788280
Want to lose that extra belly fat?
how to actually cut out sugar and lose belly fat?
One of the most popular diets for those trying to cut out sugar and lose belly fat is the keto diet.
Fighting belly fat is 80% healthy diet.
Reduce calories by vegetables, whole grains.
A great trick is a sprinkle masala / spices without fat, oil, butter in your salads, coffee or oatmeal - to help stabilise blood sugar.
It also slows the rate at which food exits the stomach, which helps you feel fuller longer.
Thus, the conclusion is that if you want to reduce fat in a healthy and effective way...........
it's the age-old advice of a combination of healthy diet with lots of salad, less cooked food and yoga type slow stretching exercises.
The fast way to losing weight?
https://thefastdiet.co.uk/michael-answers-frequently-asked-questions/
Intermittent fasting, often referred to as IF, is an increasingly popular eating plan that involves significantly restricting your food intake on certain days, while eating normally on others
Huge claims have been made for IF around enhanced weight loss, including improved mental functioning, a reduced risk of disease and even a longer life.
So how does it work?
There are a number of ways to approach IF depending on how often you decide to fast each week and how much you eat on fasting days.
One of the most popular IF regimes is the 5:2 plan, where each week is made up of five days eating normally (preferably healthily) and two days fasting. The latter are not technically fasting days, as you're allowed to consume 600 calories on each day if you're a male and 500 calories if you're a female. The final rule is that the two fasting days should not be consecutive.
Some practical tips and considerations
You're obviously going to feel some degree of hunger and even some lack of energy on the fasting days, so you should carefully consider how this will affect your life.
Fasting on days when you're busy can be a good idea so that you don't have too much time to think about eating. Exercising on a fasting day however is not advisable, as your energy levels will be lower and you're likely to feel even hungrier for the rest of the day.
Stay hydrated on fasting days with plenty of water and fruit or herbal teas - this will prevent dehydration and help you to feel more full, as well as have a mild detoxifying effect.
And finally, if you have any medical conditions whatsoever that may be affected by changes to your diet, then you should talk to your doctor GP first before starting.
So how do I lose weight?
The BDA has a fact sheet recommending some of the best ways to lose weight. They suggest:
Keep a food and mood diary to monitor how the two are connected
Make a list of non-food related tasks you can do to distract you from thinking about food
Set realistic goals: losing only 5-10% of your weight has massive health benefits
Avoid eating at the same time as doing something else, such as watching TV, as this can cause you to overeat
Half fill your plate with vegetables/salad and divide the other half between a protein and a starchy carbohydrate like potatoes or rice
https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/Want2LoseWeight.pdf
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42264838
Set yourself realistic goals:
• Realistic goals are achievable and success boosts confidence in your ability to lose weight.
• Losing just 5-10% of your weight has massive health benefits.
Food Fact Sheet Remember there is no quick fix.
Aim to eat more fruit and vegetables – at least five portions (350 gm) of fruit and vegetables each day.
One portion is about a handful.
• Half fill your plate with vegetables/salad and divide the other half with cooked food
• Choose foods and drinks that are low in fat and sugar and limit sweet, fatty and salty snacks.
• If you drink, moderate your alcohol intake. Alcohol is high in calories and dissolves your good intentions.
• Watch your portion sizes especially when eating out.
• Avoid eating at the same time as doing something else, for example when working, TV, as this can cause you to overeat.
• Eat slowly, concentrate on and really taste the food you are putting in your mouth.
• Aim to drink 4-5 litres of fluid per day
. It is important not to ‘diet’.
Diets are often extreme, strict and nutritionally unbalanced
• And finally, it takes time for your brain to know your stomach is full
so wait at least fifteen to twenty minutes before eating more.
Be more active:
Moving your body around means using up more calories than if you are sitting down – every little helps...
Slowly build on the amount of activity you do so that it becomes part of your daily routine and not just a passing phase you find too difficult to keep up.
People who do this are far more successful with long term weight control and maintenance.
Look for easy ways to fit more movement into your day-to-day routine,
for example, stand up when on the phone,
use a toilet further away,
park a bit further away from your destination,
take the stairs or get off the bus a stop earlier.
People who successfully lose weight and maintain diet in realistic way.......
develop techniques to make their new lifestyle and activity habits an enjoyable way of life.
We do not need as much proteins as we eat.......
Many of us consciously eat a high-protein diet, with protein-rich products readily available................................ but how much protein do we really need?
And does it actually help us lose weight?
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180522-we-dont-need-nearly-as-much-protein-as-we-consume
But even if athletes and gym goers may benefit from a post-workout protein boost, that doesn’t mean they should reach for the supplements and smoothies.
Most people get more than their daily recommended allowance from food, says Kevin Tipton, a sport professor of the University of Stirling.
“There’s no need for anyone to have supplements.
They’re a convenient way to get protein, but there’s nothing in supplements you can’t get in food.
Protein bars are really just candy bars with a bit of extra protein.”
Studies also show that eating large amounts of animal protein is linked to weight gain and red meat in particular is linked to an increased risk of cancer as well as heart disease.
The risk of consuming too much protein is small, but the bigger risk might just be falling for overpriced products offering us more protein than we need.
“Some products labelled as high protein aren’t, and they’re quite expensive.
Anyway, consuming more protein than need is wasteful in terms of money, and it’s paid down the toilet,”
Sipping acidic fruit teas can wear away teeth
Sipping acidic drinks such as fruit teas and flavoured water can wear away teeth and damage the enamel, an investigation by scientists has shown.
The King's College London team found that drinking them between meals and savouring them for too long increased the risk of tooth erosion from acid.
The research, in the British Dental Journal, looked at the diets of 300 people with severe erosive tooth wear.
It said the problem was increasing as people snacked more.
Fruit squashes, cordials, fruit teas, diet drinks, sugared drinks and flavoured water are all acidic and can cause wear and tear to teeth, the researchers said.
And continuously sipping or holding these drinks in the mouth before swallowing increased the risk of tooth erosion.
Eat less for long healthy life....
Permanently cutting the daily calories you consume may turn out to have a profound effect on your future life
Calorie restriction involves a permanent reduction in a diet
Balanced diet ---- more salads - vegetables & fruit, less cooked food
They believe that the the key to a better old age may be to reduce the amount of food on our plates, via an approach called “calorie restriction”.
This diet goes further than cutting back on fatty foods from time-to-time; it’s about making gradual and careful reductions in portion size permanently.
Since the early 1930s, a 30% reduction in the amount of food consumed per day has been linked to longer, more active lives in worms, flies, rats, mice, and monkeys.
Across the animal kingdom, in other words, calorie restriction has proven the best remedy for the ravages of life.
And it’s possible that humans have just as much to gain.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170601-the-secret-to-a-long-and-healthy-life-eat-less
Hippocrates, one of the first physicians to claim diseases were natural and not supernatural, observed that many ailments were associated with gluttony; obese Greeks tended to die younger than slim Greeks, that was clear and written down on papyrus.
“We have a lower incidence of diabetes, and lower incidence of cancer in the Calorie Restricted groups,”
Not only did their Calorie Restricted monkeys look remarkably younger – with more hair, less sag, and brown instead of grey – than monkeys that were fed a standard diet, they were healthier on the inside too, free from pathology. Cancers, such as the common intestinal adenocarcinoma, were reduced by over 50%.
The risk of heart disease was similarly halved. And while 11 of the ad libitum (“at one’s pleasure,” in Latin) monkeys developed diabetes and five exhibited signs that they were pre-diabetic, the blood glucose regulation seemed healthy in all Calorie Restricted monkeys.
For them, diabetes wasn’t a thing.
it means that ageing itself is a reasonable target for clinical intervention and medical treatment.”
“If you cured all cancers, you wouldn’t offset death due to cardiovascular disease, or dementia, or diabetes-associated disorders. Whereas if you go after ageing you can offset the lot in one go.”
“There’s a huge genetic component to all of this and its much harder work for some people than it is for others to stay trim,” says Anderson.
“We all know someone who can eat an entire cake and nothing happens, they look the exact same. And then someone else walks past a table with a cake on it and they have to go up a pant size.”
Ideally, the amount and types of food we eat should be tailored to who we are – our genetic predisposition to gaining weight, how we metabolise sugars, how we store fat, and other physiological fluxes that are beyond the scope of scientific instruction at the moment, and perhaps forever.
Calorie restriction may be one of the most promising avenues for improving health and how long it lasts in our lives
I think that delaying the progression of chronic diseases is something that everyone can get behind and get excited about, because nobody wants to live life with one of those.”
Nine lifestyle changes can reduce dementia, heart problems, arthritis and cancer risk
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40655566Media caption
Want to avoid dementia? This might help
Not smoking, doing exercise, reducing obesity, treating high blood pressure and diabetes reduce the risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
One in three cases of dementia could be prevented if more people looked after their brain health throughout life.
It lists nine key risk factors including lack of education, hearing loss, obesity, smoking and physical inactivity.
Nine factors that contribute to the risk of dementia
Mid-life hearing loss - responsible for 9% of the risk
Failing to complete secondary education - 8%
Smoking - 5%
Failing to seek early treatment for depression - 4%
Physical inactivity - 3%
Social isolation - 2%
High blood pressure - 2%
Obesity - 1%
Type 2 diabetes - 1%
"Although dementia is diagnosed in later life, the brain changes usually begin to develop years before," said lead author Prof Gill Livingston, from University College London.
"Acting now will vastly improve life for people with dementia and their families and, in doing so, will transform the future of society."
The report, which combines the work of 24 international experts, says lifestyle factors can play a major role in increasing or reducing an individual's dementia risk.
It examines the benefits of building a "cognitive reserve", which means strengthening the brain's networks so it can continue to function in later life despite damage.
A cheat's guide to staying active
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36895789
Avoid TV screens......go out.....walk
Watching TV for more than three hours was associated with an increased risk of premature death for all but the most active.
The researchers suggest this is likely to be because people might snack while they watch, or because they are more likely to watch TV after eating their evening meal which might affect their metabolism.
It could, they say, also be a sign of a more unhealthy lifestyle in general.
Those who sat for eight hours a day, but were physically active, had a much lower risk of premature death compared with people who sat for fewer hours a day, but were not active.
Sitting for a long time as well as being inactive carried the greatest risk.
He said: "For many people who commute to work and have office-based jobs, there is no way to escape sitting for prolonged periods of time.
"For these people in particular, we cannot stress enough the importance of getting exercise, whether it's getting out for a walk at lunchtime, going for a run in the morning or cycling to work.
"An hour of physical activity per day is the ideal, but if this is unmanageable, then at least doing some exercise each day can help reduce the risk."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-36912881
Restaurant dishes 'contain more calories than fast-food meals'
The calorie content of meals in UK restaurants is "excessive" and sit-down restaurants are unhealthier than fast-food chains, BMJ research suggests.
Health experts say meals should not exceed 600 calories, but in this study they averaged 1,033 in restaurants and 751 in fast-food chains.
University of Liverpool researchers analysed thousands of meals from places like Hungry Horse and McDonald's.
They said their findings were a cause for concern.
The research team looked at more than 13,500 meals on the menus of 21 sit-down restaurants and six fast-food chains.
'Healthiest hearts in the world' found
Most of the diet comes from family farms growing rice, maize, manioc root (like sweet potato) and bananas
It is topped up with foraged fruit and nuts
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39292389
"The Tsimane get 72% of their energy from carbohydrates.
"The exact opposite to many recent suggestions that carbohydrates are unhealthy."
Prof Naveed Sattar, from the University of Glasgow, said: "This is a beautiful real life study which reaffirms all we understand about preventing heart disease.
"Simply put, eating a healthy vegetarian raw diet very low in fat and full of unprocessed products, not smoking and being active life long, is associated with the lowest risk of having heart diseases.
Here’s why despite exercising women gain weight post-pregnancy
Sleep deprivation, food cravings and not being able to take out sufficient time to work out causes new mothers to put on weight even if they want to follow a healthy diet.
The findings showed that mothers keep the weight on by eating food off their child’s plate or sitting down for longer periods of time. Further, sleep deprivation – increases food cravings, lack of healthy diet leads to weight gain.
Type 2 diabetes and the diet that cured me
When our bodies are deprived of normal amounts of food they consume their own fat reserves, with the fat inside organs used up first.
The idea of diet is to use up the fat that is clogging up the pancreas and preventing it from creating insulin, until normal glucose levels return.
Scientists are cautious, and research is continuing, but evidence is growing that the diet can indeed remove the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
It wasn't easy. Yet water staved off the worst hunger pangs. "If you feel hunger, celebrate the fact with a glass of water, even fizzy water,"
I had stuck to the diet for just 11 days and reduced my blood sugar to a healthy non-diabetic level. It has remained that way for the past seven months.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/12/type-2-diabetes-diet-cure
Diet change could reverse diabetes
Research on animals has shown the condition could be treated with what is called ‘very low calorie diet’ (VLCD).
In a study published online on November 9 in the journal ‘Cell Metabolism’, researchers led by scientists from Yale University found VLCD can rapidly reverse type 2 diabetes in animal models.
The Yale-led team’s study focused on understanding the mechanisms by which caloric restriction rapidly reverses type 2 diabetes,” Science Daily reported.
The team studied very low calorie diet VLCD, consisting of one-quarter the normal intake, on a rodent model with type 2 diabetes.
Researchers tracked metabolic processes that contribute to the increased glucose production by the liver and performed a comprehensive set of analyses of key metabolic fluxes within the liver that could cause insulin resistance and increased rates of glucose production, the two processes that result in increased blood-sugar concentrations.
Researchers found three major mechanisms that explain very low calorie diet VLCD’s dramatic effect of rapidly lowering blood glucose concentrations in diabetic animals.
“In the liver, VLCD lowers glucose production by:
1) decreasing the conversion of lactate and amino acids into glucose;
2) decreasing the rate of liver glycogen conversion to glucose; and
3) decreasing fat content, which in turn improves the liver’s response to insulin.
These positive effects of the VLCD were observed in just three days,” Science Daily reported.
‘Losing weight can reverse diabetes’
The results published in the international journal, The Lancet, show remission of diabetes was closely related to the degree of weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes can be reversed if you can lose weight radically, according to a study by UK scientists who managed to reverse the chronic condition in nearly half the participants who followed their weight management programme.
All participants had been diagnosed with the condition within the past six years.
The results published in the international journal, The Lancet, show remission of diabetes was closely related to the degree of weight loss.
As many as 86% of participants who achieved at least 15kg of weight loss had beaten back the disease while 73% of those with weight loss of 10kg or more had the same result.
Why it’s a big deal: Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of all cases
Doctors withdrew the anti-diabetic and antihypertensive drugs of those opting for weight loss for diabetes remission.
They were put on a total diet replacement phase for three months thereafter, extendable up to five months if wished by participant. During this period, the patients were given a low energy formula diet (825 - 853 kcal/day).
This was followed by structured food reintroduction of two to eight weeks and an ongoing structured programme with monthly visits for long-term weight loss maintenance. There was no increase in physical activity during total diet replacement.
'I cured my type 2 diabetes with 200-calorie drinks' - very low calorie diet daily
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42154666
Nearly half of patients have reversed type 2 diabetes in a "watershed" trial, say doctors in Newcastle and Glasgow.
People spent up to five months on a low-calorie diet of soups and shakes to trigger massive weight loss.
Isobel Murray, 65, who had weighed 15 stone, lost over four stone (25kg) and no longer needs diabetes pills. She says: "I've got my life back."
Why does losing weight work?
Body fat building up around the pancreas causes stress to the beta cells in the organ that controls blood sugar levels.
They stop producing enough of the hormone insulin, and that causes blood sugar levels to rise out of control.
Dieting loses the fat, and then the pancreas works properly again.
The trial looked at only patients diagnosed in the past six years. It is thought having type 2 diabetes for very long periods of time may cause irreversible damage.
Prof Mike Lean, from Glasgow University, told the BBC: "It's hugely exciting."
"We now have clear evidence that weight loss of 10-15kg is enough to turn this disease around.
One in 11 adults worldwide has diabetes, and most of them have type 2.
Eight tips for healthy eating
These eight practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices.
Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates
Eat fish instead of meat
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Eat less salt – no more than 6g a day for adults
Get active and be a healthy weight
The key to a healthy diet is to:
Eat the right amount of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you'll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you'll lose weight.
Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you're getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.
It is recommended that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.
Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates
Starchy carbohydrates should make up just over one third of the food you eat. They include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals.
Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and can help you feel full for longer.
Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.
Keep an eye on the fats you add when you're cooking or serving these types of foods because that's what increases the calorie content, for example oil on chips, butter on bread and creamy sauces on pasta.
Eat lots of fruit and veg
It's recommended that we eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. It's easier than it sounds.
Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?
Unsweetened 100% fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies can only ever count as a maximum of one portion of your 5 A DAY. For example, if you have two glasses of fruit juice and a smoothie in one day, that still only counts as one portion.
Chromosomes are composed of DNA, and telomeres protect the genetic material at either end, playing a role in cell ageing
Sedentary lifestyle in older women 'ages body cells'
Women who lead a sedentary lifestyle have faster-ageing cells than those who exercise every day, research suggests.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38665668
those who spent many hours sitting and exercised for less than 40 minutes a day had cells that were biologically eight years older.
As people age, their cells age, causing DNA protectors to shorten and fray.
But health and lifestyle factors may speed up the process, researchers from California said.
Even in old age, it was important to keep active and avoid sitting for more than 10 hours a day.
"Discussions about the benefits of exercise should start when we are young, and physical activity should continue to be part of our daily lives as we get older, even at 80 years old."
It says adults aged 65 or older who are generally fit and mobile should try to do:
.......At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or walking, every week
.......Strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms)
Older adults at risk of falls, or with poor balance, should also do exercises to improve balance and co-ordination at least twice a week.
Cracking the secret of a longer life
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42791876
there are nine key habits that people living in these places share.
They keep moving
They have a sense of purpose
They have ways of de-stressing
They only eat enough to be 80% full
They eat mainly beans, with vegetables, fruit and whole grains
They drink moderate amounts of wine
They're part of a religious community
Have close family ties
Have good friends and socialise
The improvements came after the city made a series of changes including widening pavements and adding bike lanes to make exercise easier.
Vegan alternative
It's the same approach that Patrick Brown, the founder of US firm Impossible Foods, has taken with his vegan, plant-based alternative to ground meat.
The plant-based material is made from wheat, coconut oil, potatoes and something called heme that mimics the red, bloody colour of meat.
How your mindset determines your health
Even seeing old age as something that begins later in life can help boost health
Comparing our fitness to our friends can lead to negative effects
It’s long been established that beliefs about the strength of a painkiller, for example, can influence its effectiveness in the body. The opposite is the nocebo, where if you have negative expectations, the physiological effect of a treatment is reduced.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180410-how-your-mindset-determines-your-health
Take hotel housekeepers.
Just by doing their daily work they are getting plenty of exercise, walking up and down hotel corridors, pushing heavy trolleys of towels, scrubbing baths, vacuuming and changing sheets.
But a study in 2007 found they didn’t count this as exercise.
Then, Alia Crum, also from Stanford University told half these hotel housekeepers just how much exercise they were getting and why this benefitted them.
Four weeks later, this group of housekeepers had lost weight and had lower blood pressure.
Once they viewed work as an opportunity to exercise, it had more of a physical impact on them. Perhaps they began vacuuming more energetically.
Cipla & Pfizer among 200 under lens for poor drugs
The Drug Controller General of India has launched inspections against 200 drugmakers, including leading firms like Cipla and Pfizer, for allegedly selling poor quality medicines and non-compliance to manufacturing norms.
UK drugs regulator to halt approvals for Indian clinical trials firm
It found several issues with data integrity in a clinical trial Quest had conducted, including discrepancies in Quest’s patient records and instances where electrocardiogram (ECG) data of patients had been deleted or manipulated.
The World Health Organisation told Quest in July last year about similar ECG data manipulation issues in another drug study.
“serious doubt on the integrity of any data produced.”
Similar issues around data at Quest’s larger rival GVK Biosciences led to a recall of about 700 drugs across Europe last year.
Your pathlab report may not be ‘verified’
Delhi Medical Council (DMC) recently ordered removal of a pathologist’s name from the state medical register for one year who was lending his signature to labs without even going through the reports.
“There are many lab technicians who are running standalone lab facilities in the country.
They use scanned signature of pathologists to prepare report.
This practice is more widespread in rural areas where there are not enough qualified pathologists,” he said.
An MCI official said many private labs do sync testing where they test the blood sample for one or two parameters and if they are in a normal range they report all parameters to be normal thus endangering the patient’s life.
Last year, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) also removed the names of four pathologists who were found to be signing reports which they did not test or supervise.
A pathologist’s work involves testing blood, urine or tissue sample to make diagnosis of a particular infection or disease. Based on their report, the doctor decides the course of treatment.
“A wrong or poorly analysed report can lead to wrong diagnosis. It is dangerous,” a doctor said.
He added that patients should beware of small labs that offer a range of tests at a very low cost.
Navi Mumbai : FIR lodged against pathology lab
http://medicaldialogues.in/navi-mumbai-fir-lodged-against-pathology-lab/
The lab technician, despite not being authorized, has appended her own signature on a patient’s test report,” Dr Sandeep Yadav, Maharashtra Association of Practicing Pathologists and Microbiologists informed TOI.
Illegal pathology labs mushrooming in the state as well as some MD pathologists lending their names for renumerations without visiting labs at all.
http://medicaldialogues.in/navi-mumbai-fir-lodged-against-pathology-lab/
Bad Medicine! Pfizer, Cipla, DRL, other 63 drug firms fail quality test
According to the notification, 25 samples by Pfizer, nine each by Dr Reddy’s and Alembic, seven by Cipla and six by Zydus Healthcare were found to be not of standard quality.
Pfizer, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Cipla are among 66 drug makers that have some of their products failing quality tests carried out by the country’s drug regulator.
Samples tested from these companies were found to be not of standard quality during a drug survey carried out through the National Institute of Biologicals over two years, according to a Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) notification posted on its website.
At least five samples of drugs from these companies failed the tests during the 2014-2016 survey, CDSCO said.
According to the notification, 25 samples by Pfizer, nine each by Dr Reddy’s and Alembic, seven by Cipla and six by Zydus Healthcare were found to be not of standard quality. It didn’t specify the drugs that failed the tests.
27 medicines sold by top firms ‘fail’ quality tests
Face charges of false labelling, wrong quantity of ingredients.
The drug regulators alleged that medicines — sold by 18 major drug companies in India including ...........Abbott India, GSK India, Sun Pharma, Cipla and Glenmark Pharma — are of “substandard” quality.................................................... citing grounds such as false labelling, wrong quantity of ingredients, discolouration, moisture formation, failing dissolution test and failing disintegration test.
These include key drug brands of eight top-tier companies, which are the leaders in their respective molecule categories (pharma companies sell the same molecule under different brand names) with a market share ranging from 47 per cent to 92 per cent.
Some of the key brands which were alleged to be substandard are: antipsychotic drug Stemetil and antibiotic drug Pentids from Abbott India, anti-bacterial medicine Althrocin by Alembic Pharma, migraine medication Vasograin by Cadila Pharma, popular cough syrup Ascoril by Glenmark Pharma, worm infection drug Zentel by GSK India, arthritis medication Hydroxychloroquine (HCQS) by Ipca Labs, anti-inflammatory medication Myoril by Sanofi Synthelabo, and Torrent Pharma’s hypertension drug Dilzem.
The 10 other companies that were alleged to be selling substandard drugs are Alkem Labs, Cadila Healthcare, Cipla, Emcure Pharma, Hetero Labs, Morepen Labs, Macleods Pharma, Sun Pharma, Wockhardt Pharma and Zydus Healthcare.
Why a faecal transplant could save your life
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43815369
The interaction between our human and microbial selves is being investigated in nearly every disease you can think of.
The microbiome has been linked to diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, whether cancer drugs work and even depression and autism.
But this means there could be unintended consequences of a faecal transplant.
There was a report in 2015 of a woman gaining 36lb (16kg) and being classed as obese after a transplant from her daughter.
It is possible to make mice thinner or fatter by transplanting into them the microbiome from either a lean or obese human, although the jury is still out on whether the same rules apply in people.
The purpose is to introduce new beneficial microbes to the receiving patient's digestive system.
And it can be life-saving.
It shows just how important microbes, which colonise nearly every surface of our body, are to our health.
The gut is an exceptionally rich world with many different species of micro-organisms interacting with each other and our human tissue.
Down in the dark, oxygen-deprived depths of your bowels is an ecosystem as rich as a rainforest or coral reef.
But a bacterium called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) can take over and dominate the bowels.
It is an opportunist and normally takes hold after patients have been treated with antibiotics.
Antibiotic drugs are one of the miracles of the modern age, but they kill good and bad bacteria alike.
They are like a forest fire burning through the gut's microbiome - the collected micro-organisms living down there - leaving behind a scorched microbial earth on which C. difficile flourishes.
Five things you might be surprised affect weight
Having a healthy and varied diet, rich in different sources of fibre, has been shown to create a more diverse range of gut microbes.....more variety of microbes...more thinner you are...
train your brain to eat healthy and eat slowly.....enjoy sight of food
During the night our bodies struggle to digest fats and sugars so eating the bulk of calories before about 19:00 can help you lose weight or prevent you from gaining it in the first place.
Athletes risking their health by 'under-fuelling'
Endurance athletes could risk their long-term health, stress fractures by under-fuelling and over-training, an expert has warned.
Distance runner has not had a period in more years and was diagnosed with Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (Red-S) and osteoporosis in her late 20s.
Red-S can "affect anybody who is very physically active and takes their sport seriously".
Red-S can affect both male and female athletes and became a recognised condition in 2014.
There have been few studies into the prevalence of the condition, but it is understood to be most common in sports such as athletics, cycling and dancing, where being light could make a significant difference to performance.
The condition can cause a range of health problems, like drop in hormone levels, deterioration in bone density, excess drop in metabolic rate and mental health problems.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-47965467?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story
One cigarette a day 'increases heart disease and stroke risk'
Smokers need to quit cigarettes rather than cut back on them to significantly lower their risk of heart disease and stroke, a large BMJ study suggests.
People who smoked even one cigarette a day were still about 50% more likely to develop heart disease and 30% more likely to have a stroke than people who had never smoked, researchers said.
They said it showed there was no safe level of smoking for such diseases.
But an expert said people who cut down were more likely to stop.
"It's addiction to nicotine that keeps people smoking but it's the tar in cigarette smoke that does the serious damage.....but "Vaping is also harmful
The scan on the left shows my brain activity during cognitive tests after a normal night's sleep, compared with my sleep-deprived brain, on the right
How lack of sleep affects the brain
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40036667
The comparison between the scans was stark: Prof Owen gave the scientific explanation: "There is much less activity in the frontal and parietal lobes - areas we know are crucial for decision making, problem solving and memory. "
We all know that it is dangerous to drive when tired, because our reaction times are impaired and we might fall asleep at the wheel.
Prof Owen told me: "It may be that lack of sleep is having very profound effects on decision making and perhaps we should avoid making important decisions like buying a house or deciding whether to get married when we are sleep deprived."
Why it matters
We spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, and it is as vital to our wellbeing as the food we eat and the air we breathe.
But our 24-hour culture means we are getting less sleep than ever.
Last month, a paper in Nature Reviews Neuroscience said there was "remarkably little understanding" of the consequences on the brain of chronic sleep loss.
It spoke of the "precipitous decline in sleep duration throughout industrialised nations", adding that more research was urgently needed.
Spending time outdoors helps eyesight
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42238691
Kids spend endless hours in BOOKS or on smartphones, games consoles……
Their waistlines /obesity increase and so is the short-sightedness.....
"The main factor seems to be a lack of exposure to direct sunlight, less opportunity to run around outside and are less exposed to sunshine and because of that seem to be at more risk of developing short-sightedness."
"in Asian countries kids are being pushed with very intensive education, little time outdoors……indoor work - like playing with the iPad and iPhone - carries the potential that it could make them more short-sighted."
The best thing parents can do to prevent it is to encourage youngsters to spend more time outdoors in the sunlight.
"Healthy diet is very important - in terms of getting fruits, green vegetables, green leafy vegetables as much as possible.
Ultra-processed foods 'linked to cancer'
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43064290
A link between highly processed foods and cancer has been suggested by French researchers.
They classified foods including cakes, chicken nuggets and mass-produced bread as "ultra-processed".
A study of 105,000 people hinted the more of such foods people ate, the greater their risk of cancer.
A lot of caution is being expressed about the study, but experts said a healthy diet is best.
What counts as ultra-processed
Mass-produced packaged breads and buns
Sweet or savoury packaged snacks including crisps
Chocolate bars and sweets
Sodas and sweetened drinks
Meatballs, poultry and fish nuggets
Instant noodles and soups
Frozen or shelf-life ready meals
Foods made mostly or entirely from sugar, oils and fats
Diet is already known to affect the risk of cancer........weight, smoking, processed meat increase the risk of cancer.
people who ate a lot of ultra-processed foods had other behaviours that have been linked to cancer.......smoke, less active, consumed more calories and taking the oral contraceptive.
the study was a "warning signal to us to have a healthy diet"
but people should not worry about eating a bit of processed food "here and there"
as long as they were getting plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre.
Loneliness affects your health
Loneliness, or feeling that you have no one you can really talk to, even if surrounded by people....affects most people at some point and is associated with poorer physical and mental well-being.
www.bbc.com/news/av/health-43061624/is-loneliness-affecting-your-health
Largest-selling stent in India has been banned in Europe
The development comes in the wake of several studies showing that bioresorbable cardiac stents are not only not superior to existing drug eluting stents (DES), but might even have worse outcomes in some ways.
This was despite their much higher cost of 2 Lacs. Indian cardiologists took to this new stent so enthusiastically that India became one of the largest markets for Absorb in 2014......
India is known for malpractice in anything!!!!ayurvedic drugs, costly new medicines without clear efficiency....
Osteoporosis drugs may make bones weaker
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39122541
Drugs used to treat weak bones in elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis may actually make them weaker.
They found evidence the drugs were linked to microscopic cracks, making bones more fragile and prone to break.
These showed microscopic cracks building up in the bones of patients treated with bisphosphonates.
"The drug is clearly working, but it also leads to the build-up of micro-cracks in the bone and that could increase the likelihood of a fracture."
These showed microscopic cracks building up in the bones of patients treated with bisphosphonates.
Osteoporosis: Are you at risk?
If you answered: "Yes," to more than one of these questions, then you may be more at risk of developing osteoporosis:
•Has anyone in your family ever been diagnosed with osteoporosis?
•Have you ever broken a bone after a minor bump or fall?
•Are you female and aged over 50?
•Do you drink more than three units of alcohol a day?
•Do you miss out on summer sunlight (through being housebound, avoiding the sun, always covering your skin or wearing sunscreen)?
•Do you miss out on doing at least 30 minutes of activity five times a week?
Source: National Osteoporosis Society
Doctors issue cocktail of herbs and alternative remedies detox health warning
Doctors have issued a warning about the potential harms of undertaking a a cocktail of herbs and alternative remedies detox
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38495088
The British Dietetic Association says the whole idea of detoxing is nonsense.
"There are no pills or specific drinks, patches or lotions that can do a magic job"
"The body has numerous organs, such as the skin, gut, liver and kidney, that continually 'detoxify' the body from head to toe.
"Being well-hydrated is a sensible strategy.
"It sounds predictable, but for the vast majority of people, a sensible diet and regular physical activity really are the only ways to properly maintain and maximise your health."
Poison in ayurvedic drugs
Leading gastroenterologist Dr Nilay Mehta said that lead poisoning due to ayurvedic medications with heavy metals, especially those used for treating diabetes is an alarming issue.
Many believe that “herbal” is synonymous with “safe,” but it turns out ayurvedic medicines, if not prepared as prescribed in rasa shastras can, in fact, turn deadly with metals like lead or mercury!
http://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/poison-in-ayurvedic-drugs/57864586
Reusing single-use devices: FDA warns Fortis hospitals
FDA found that these two hospitals were reusing angio-medical devices such as guiding catheters and balloon catheters used for angioplasty, a heart procedure.
They charged a whopping Rs 26,000 per piece, more than four times the MRP of Rs 6,000, he said, adding the devices were, after use, sent to the pharmacy for billing, and later the same devices were sent back to the hospital's central sterile supply department for sterilisation and reuse.
Fortis hospital in Mulund reused as many as 66 of these devices between January and March, the FDA commissioner said.
Raw Fruit and veg:
For a longer life eat 10-a-day…. 800 gm...nearly a kilogram
A portion counts as 80g (3oz) of fruit or veg - the equivalent of a small banana, a pear or three heaped tablespoons of spinach or peas.
"Fruit and vegetables have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of our blood vessels and immune system.
"This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold.
"For instance, they contain many antioxidants, which may reduce DNA damage and lead to a reduction in cancer risk."
CAG's data: No quality control on drugs
CAG report states while several drugs were not sent for quality check, some were sent to hospitals without quality-control test.
Even life-saving drugs and vital medicines were not tested. State health department officials claimed drugs and surgical items were distributed as they were essential to hospitals without waiting for quality test.
The auditor also said quality reports were submitted for 29% medicinal items in stipulated time and 66% came late. Another 5% reports are yet to be received by TSMIDC.
Many essential drugs were not available at government hospitals.
USFDA issues warning to Sal Pharma
The letter to Sal Pharma owner Solomon Amrutharajan said: "During our inspection, we found that two of your suppliers were not registered with the FDA as drug manufacturers at the time of inspection."
http://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/usfda-issues-warning-to-sal-pharma/58563190
US health regulator USFDA has issued a warning letter to drug firm Sal Pharma for its Hyderabad facility for misbranding and deviations from the good manufacturing norms.
The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspected the company's manufacturing facility at Hyderabad from June 27 to July 1, 2016, the regulator said.
"This warning letter summarises significant deviations from current good manufacturing practise (CGMP) for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API)", it added.
Home blood pressure monitors are wrong 70% of time, says study
The findings could have serious implications for people who relying on such readings to make informed health decisions.
“Arm shape, arm size, the stiffness and age of blood vessels and the type of blood pressure cuff are not always taken into account when a blood pressure machine is designed and validated,” said Padwal.
“Individual differences, such as the size, age and medical background of the person using the blood pressure monitor are also contributing factors,” he said.
The researchers said it is difficult to determine precisely why the inaccuracies are occurring in home monitors because they do not have access to the various formulas the devices use to determine blood pressure.
The study was published in the American Journal of Hypertension.
Eating less salt does not necessarily lower your blood pressure
They also found that people in the study who had higher intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium exhibited lower blood pressure over the long term.
People with higher combined intakes of sodium (3717 milligrammes per day on average) and potassium (3211 milligrammes per day on average on average) had the lowest blood pressure, according to the study.
“We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure,” said Lynn L Moore, associate professor at Boston University.
“This study and others point to the importance of higher potassium intakes, present in fruits, in particular, on blood pressure and probably cardiovascular outcomes as well,” said Moore.
Obese kids are at four-fold greater risk of Type-2 diabetes
Children with obesity are four times more likely to get diabetes than normal kids.
A study found children with higher BMI were found to have far greater risk of developing Type-2 diabetes than those with normal weight,” said lead author of the study from King’s College London.
Smoking harms livers of unborn babies
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-40084844
The impact of cigarette damage to unborn babies has been revealed in a new stem cell study.
Scientists found that the cocktail of chemicals in cigarettes is particularly harmful to developing liver cells.
They developed a method of studying the effects of maternal smoking on liver tissue using embryonic stem cells.
Cigarette smoke is known to have damaging effects on the foetus, yet we lack appropriate tools to study this in a very detailed way.
"This new approach means that we now have sources of renewable tissue that will enable us to understand the cellular effect of cigarettes on the unborn foetus."
The liver is vital in clearing toxic substances and plays a major role in regulating metabolism.
Smoking cigarettes, which contain around 7,000 chemicals, can damage foetal organs and may do lasting harm.
Novartis, Teva generics suspended
The findings from FDA and WHO inspections called into question the quality management systems at Semler, and so the reliability of data for all bioequivalence studies there, the EMA said today.
Does glucosamine really help joint pain?
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37429050
With such a massive global market, there's plenty of money being made by big companies - and that's problem number one.
Commercially funded trials of products are a well-known issue in medicine, and in the case of glucosamine studies it seems that those that are commercially funded turn out to be more likely to show a positive result than those done independently.
Even putting aside industry-funded studies, though, there have been a lot of decent trials done on various forms of glucosamine compared with pretty much anything you might consider an alternative - painkillers, exercise, other drugs... and placebo.
In the group that were given exercises to do, 80% reported the same reduction in pain. So, the exercises were much more effective than the supplement Glucosamine.
If you've got sore joints, then, you might as well save yourself some money - about half the time a sugar pill will make you feel better, but if you actually want the best chance of making a difference, then Phil's exercises are the way to go. Nothing beats them in studies - and they're free.
As Phil explains: "A lot of the pain is coming from the tendons and structures around the joint. If you have trouble getting out of a chair, or trouble undoing a jar, you're at risk of joint pain because your muscles are weak."
The exercises strengthen those muscles and take the strain off your joints. No need for glucosamine.
No SUPER FOOD or Magic Bullet to solve dietary needs
A big problem is our focus on individual nutrients or ingredients.
This takes the focus away from fresh produce and towards processed foods.
Our fixation with specific vitamins or mineral also creates an environment in which manufacturers can add nutrients to food and make health claims for those foods.
Nutritionist Stanton is yet to find an Australian deficient in the sort of nutrients that go into fortified cereals
“Then it achieves a health halo and it sells, and you see this with heavily sweetened breakfast cereals. Stanton points out that she is yet to find an Australian deficient in the sort of nutrients that go into fortified cereals.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161124-why-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-superfood
In general, same age-old dietary wisdom still holds: lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, small amounts of protein, particularly fish and seafood.
Want to age well - never retire
Richer people live longer, healthier lives and it found, among other things, that older adults in the US were less healthy than their British counterparts at all socioeconomic levels.
"There is no physiologic reason that many older people cannot participate in the formal workforce,"
If our working lives become a seven-decades long affair, then we cannot rely on a single period of education to prepare us for it. Instead, they argue, we will need to constantly retrain and reinvent ourselves to stay ahead of technology and the demand for changing skill sets.
It's a daunting proposal, and one that would pile the pressure on all of us to "age well" - to stay robust and healthy in order to remain a productive member of the workforce.
Diet debate: Are diet drinks a no-go?
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34924036
Meanwhile scientists have argued that low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
So do they have a place in our shopping baskets?
"A lot of people assume they must be healthy choices because they are not sugared beverages, but the critical thing for people to understand is we don't have the evidence," said Prof Susan Swithers, from the US's Purdue University.
Studies looking at large groups of people have shown obese people tend to drink more fizzy diet drinks than those of a healthy weight.
"When the animals get real sugar they're not as good at processing it, their hormonal responses get blunted, their blood sugar levels go up and it leads to weight gain."
She also points out another problem - compensation.
When you know you are taking calories out of one part of your diet you tend to eat more somewhere else.
"I had a diet beverage therefore I can have a cookie," she said - it's the same effect that has been well documented after we hit the gym.
Meanwhile scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel showed that low-calorie sweeteners altered the balance of bacteria inside the guts of rats.
Our body's cells are outnumbered 10-to-one by bacteria, viruses and fungi growing on or in us and this "microbiome" has a huge impact on health.
The study, in the Journal Nature, showed that low-calorie sweeteners altered the animals' metabolism and led to higher blood sugar levels - an early sign of developing type 2 diabetes.
Although experts say that in an ideal world we'd all be drinking water, a study in Obesity journal even suggests "pre-loading" with water half an hour before eating actually helps people lose weight.
But even staunch critic of low-calorie sweeteners, Prof Swithers, argues they may have a role as a halfway house.
"A diet beverage would be useful to have in your diet as a transition, so if you're drinking regular soda every day and find it too difficult to stop"
Kids devouring too much 'breakfast sugar' warning
Rotting teeth, ballooning waistlines and long-term health problems like type 2 diabetes are caused by unhealthy diets.
Around a quarter of five-year-olds have tooth decay and nearly a fifth of children are already obese by the time they leave primary school.
"It's crucial for children to have a healthy breakfast, even with busy morning schedule."
How The Prescription of drugs is manipulated....
That is, drug companies produce incredible drugs that can greatly relieve suffering.
But one way they profit from those drugs is to extend their use to as many people as possible, which frequently means that medications are used in populations with milder and milder versions of a disease, so that the risks of medicating can come to outweigh the benefits.
This has been a story about osteoporosis and osteopenia.
"There's a powerful economic incentive for pharmaceutical firms to expand the boundaries of the use of different therapies. So whether you consider treatments for osteoporosis or treatments for depression or treatments for high cholesterol — in all of these settings — pharmaceutical firms stand to benefit if the therapies for these diseases are broadly used" .
Fake Medical Colleges of India
http://education.medicaldialogues.in/telangana-mci-govt-lock-horns-over-4-medical-colleges/
None of these colleges seem to have the basic facilities. It is reported that these three colleges do not have any attached hospitals.
One of the colleges is declaring a vacant building as hospital whereas there are no beds available in the wards of that building.
The other educational institution which declared a building as hospital is still under construction. In the third educational institution, there is only one doctor and there is not a single patient.
What is half fry vegetable?
Good half fried food Bad deep fried food
https://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-benefits-of-bananas/
Bananas are rich in a fiber called pectin, which gives the flesh its structural form (4).
Unripe bananas contain resistant starch, which acts like soluble fiber and escapes digestion.
Both pectin and resistant starch may moderate blood sugar levels after meals, and reduce appetite by slowing stomach emptying (5, 6, 7).
Furthermore, bananas also rank low to medium on the glycemic index, which is a measure (from 0–100) of how quickly foods increase blood sugar levels.
The glycemic value of unripe bananas is about 30, while ripe bananas rank at about 60. The average value of all bananas is 51 (8, 9).
This means that bananas should not cause major spikes in blood sugar levels in healthy individuals.
Weight Loss
Finding foods to fit into your weight-loss diet can be challenging, but bananas make a perfect fit.
Bananas are naturally sweet and can help curb your sweet tooth if you get that afternoon sugar craving.
A 6-inch banana has a minimal 90 calories, about one-fourth of the calories you would get from a chocolate candy bar.
Additionally, about half of the fiber content in bananas is soluble.
When soluble fiber reaches your digestive tract, it absorbs water and slows digestion.
Food is forced to sit in your stomach for a while, making you feel full.
If you have a banana before lunch, you'll be less likely to overeat when your food comes to the table.
Regularity
Enjoying a banana each day aids in keeping you regular. One 6-inch banana has more than 2.5 grams of total fiber, about half of which are insoluble. As insoluble fiber travels through your digestive tract, it sweeps up waste and helps push it out.
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/25-powerful-reasons-to-eat-bananas
Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.
Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.
High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.
Eating Bananas Aids Digestion - Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.
Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.
Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-one-banana-day-3316.html
10 benefits of consuming the humble lemon
Improves Immunity Lemon is a rich source of Vitamin C which is an essential nutrient for strengthening the immune system.
A great source citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, lemons are a great addition to our daily diet.
Lemon Juice helps to treat cold and flu. It brings down fever by inducing perspiration. Lemon has antibacterial properties and is very effective in fighting throat infections.
Digestive Aid: Lemon contains pectin fiber and its inclusion in your daily diet relieves abdominal pain and helps in digestion.
Due to this reason it is an ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicines for indigestion.
Weight Loss Aid
Hot Lemon Water therapy decreases fat deposition and helps in weight loss. Consume it early morning for a fabulous start to your day.
Belly fat: What's the best way to get rid of it?
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36763102
The clear winner was the diet-control group.
This group lost a collective 35kg between them which was an average of 3.7kg each over just six weeks. Their average waistline reduced by 5cm.
The DEXA scan readings were the most interesting with 5% less body fat and an impressive 14% reduction of the dangerous visceral fat inside the abdomen. This group lost overall body fat as well as abdominal fat. They also saw improvements in the health parameters.
But they did lose some muscle tone from their legs, which is not a good thing.
Thus, the conclusion is that if you want to bust the belly fat in a healthy and effective way, it's the age-old advice of a combination of diet and exercise.
The fast way to losing weight?
http://patient.info/wellbeing/health/the-fast-way-to-losing-weight
Intermittent fasting, often referred to as IF, is an increasingly popular eating plan that involves significantly restricting your food intake on certain days, while eating normally on others
Huge claims have been made for IF around enhanced weight loss, including improved mental functioning, a reduced risk of disease and even a longer life.
So how does it work?
There are a number of ways to approach IF depending on how often you decide to fast each week and how much you eat on fasting days.
One of the most popular IF regimes is the 5:2 plan, where each week is made up of five days eating normally (preferably healthily) and two days fasting. The latter are not technically fasting days, as you're allowed to consume 600 calories on each day if you're a male and 500 calories if you're a female. The final rule is that the two fasting days should not be consecutive.
Some practical tips and considerations
You're obviously going to feel some degree of hunger and even some lack of energy on the fasting days, so you should carefully consider how this will affect your life.
Fasting on days when you're busy can be a good idea so that you don't have too much time to think about eating. Exercising on a fasting day however is not advisable, as your energy levels will be lower and you're likely to feel even hungrier for the rest of the day.
Stay hydrated on fasting days with plenty of water and fruit or herbal teas - this will prevent dehydration and help you to feel more full, as well as have a mild detoxifying effect.
And finally, if you have any medical conditions whatsoever that may be affected by changes to your diet, then you should talk to your doctor GP first before starting.
Pregnancy multivitamins 'are a waste of money'
The researchers said pregnant women might feel coerced into buying expensive multivitamins in order to give their baby the best start in life.
But they would do well to resist the marketing claims, which did not seem to translate into better outcomes for mother or baby, they said.
"The only supplements recommended for all women during pregnancy are folic acid and vitamin D, which are available at relatively low cost," they said.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-36765161
Janet Fyle, from the Royal College of Midwives, said: "We would encourage women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant to have a healthy, varied diet including fresh fruit and vegetables, alongside taking folic acid supplements.
"We would also stress that there is no need for pregnant women to 'eat for two'. "This is a myth, and all that is required is a normal balanced amount of food."
What to do if you have a cold or flu
Honey and lemon or a hot toddy?
Neither is proven to help, but honey and lemon might be a better option than the whisky, particularly if you plan to have more than one drink.
Doctors recommend plenty of fluids - by which they mean water - plus the odd cup of tea or coffee.
The advice is that you should try to eat some healthy food to keep your strength up, but don't feel that you have to force it down if you're not hungry.
Soldier on or go to bed?......Listen to your body. Don't push yourself too hard and get some rest.Paracetamol or ibuprofen? Both work.
You can even take paracetamol and ibuprofen together to ease your symptoms - it is safe to take both doses at the same time or spaced apart.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38287013
Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper
Can changing your mealtimes make you healthier?
There's an old adage: "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper," and it appears to be true.
If you must have that fry-up, have it for breakfast.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35290671?post_id=10206223851050095_10206667924071643#_=_
What we found is that the group who had eaten breakfast later and dinner earlier had, on average, lost more body fat and seen bigger falls in blood sugar levels and cholesterol than the control group.
So it was very positive result and the first randomised trial of this sort carried out in humans.
Sticking rigidly to a reduced eating window may, for many people, not be entirely practical. But there does seem to be benefit from doing it when you can - and it is certainly a good idea to avoid the midnight cheeseburger.
The blood tests showed that after my morning meal my blood sugar level returned to normal pretty quickly, while the levels of fat in my blood began to drop after about three hours.
In the evening, however, after exactly the same meal, my blood sugar levels stayed high for much longer and the fat levels in my blood were still rising four hours after I finished eating.
So Johnston is right - our bodies really don't like having to have to deal with lots of food late at night. A midnight snack will have a worse impact on your body than the same food eaten earlier in the day.
Why an iron fish can make you stronger
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-32749629
Anaemia is the most common nutritional problem in the world, mainly affecting women of child-bearing age, teenagers and young children.
The tablets are neither affordable nor widely available, and because of the side-effects people don't like taking them.
Dr Charles had a novel idea. Inspired by previous research which showed that cooking in cast iron pots increased the iron content of food, he decided to put a lump of iron into the cooking pot, made from melted-down metal.
Iron cooking vessel good to cure anaemia of Iron deficiency
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Tasty and Healthy below