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Healthy snacks – rainbow fruit sticks
How to lose weight
Why Five a Day?
OK! So in the UK we’re told we need to eat 5 fruit and veg a day. It’s a bit simplistic admittedly but it points the general population in the right direction and gets them in the mindset that they need to be eating fresh food and a healthier diet.
5 a day really, in my opinion should be the minimum. In the US they say 9 a day! Doesn’t have the same ring to it, for us, at least, since 5 has been drilled into us since the NHS started a health campaign with the cancer charities way back in 1991.
Anyone reading my blog will be interested in health anyway so I don’t need to bang on about the numerous health benefits to fruit and veg – the vitamins, minerals, digestive benefits, slow release carbs, non processed foods etc etc etc. You know all that.
But what I will point out is – be varied with your choices. Each plant has a different make up and composition so keep it varied, opt for different varieties, try new recipes and ways of eating them, get creative.
Peanut butter and banana patties
Simple, easy to make and great for post workout nutrition.
cut banana into rings and layer with peanut butter (reduced fat would be the best option).
Then place in a tupperware container and pop in the freezer.
When you get in from a workout grab a couple to enjoy!
The 90%
Remember you need a healthy lifestyle
You’ll never achieve your goals if you think it’s all about the 10% of the day you spend working out.
It’s what you do outside of the gym and training that is just as important, the 90% of your day
Eat clean, live clean. Train dirty
Day 7
Confession time
It’s Friday, I’ve had a crap week at work and I’m desperately in need of some comfort food. I’ve done well all week, so it’s time to undo it. It all started so well and healthy, and then someone cracked open an ironic bottle of champers at work at 4pm and it went downhill. So, here it is. My food for the day, I hang my head in shame and head to the cross trainer in the morning.
Breakfast – USN ultra lean protein shake and a banana
Snack – satsuma
Lunch – two hard boiled eggs and prosciutto di speck
Snack – banana and a glass of champagne
Dinner – Pizza – thin crust vegetable pizza with reduced fat cheese, and………two bottles of red wine – ummmmmmmmm!
Oops, but at least I’m honest!
Back on it tomorrow
A glass of wine tonight will undo your good work
Bottle and glass of Malbec wine from Mendoza Argentina (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After saying that I realise I’m now not your favourite person.
But first let me reassure you, as I write this, I am enjoying a lovely glass of red wine. But I’m fully aware of the amount of calories I’m consuming and the fact that it’s sugar base will affect my carb intake for the day.
On a Friday evening, when all you want to do is get to the bottom of that bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to forget the stresses of the working week the last thing we are worried about is the calories, they don’t really count do they? You deserve it don’t you?
You may well deserve a drink, but those calories DO count. And if you ignore them they WILL undo all your hard work in the gym and healthy eating for the last week.
The average glass of red wine will contain 170cals, but let’s be honest, at home, you’re not pouring ‘bar’ measures!
170cals will take you 30mins or walking, 10 mins on the Cross Trainer (flat out) and about half an hour of resistance training to burn off.
And of course, you were just going to have one glass of wine tonight, right!!!
Go on, work out how long you’ll need to spend working out tomorrow to burn off what you intend to drink tonight – Work it Out!
Now, are you going to feel like working out for that long tomorrow? Probably not. So where will those calories end up? Yes, they’re carbs so those little rascals will get converted and stored as fat. Probably replacing the very fat you’ve been successfully burning off Monday – Thursday!
So, by all means, relax on the sofa tonight with your partner, share a bottle of wine as you chat through your week and your plans for the weekend ahead. But remember, you’ll pay for it, either in the gym, or on your hips!
Related articles
- Cut Down On Alcohol For Healthy Weight (medicalnewstoday.com)
- Red Wine Can Prevent Hearing Loss, Study Says (news.softpedia.com)
- Is Drinking Red Wine Actually Good for You? (news.health.com)
- Calorie labels for beer, wine and spirits considered by UK Government (thedrinksbusiness.com)
- Red Wine The Key To Losing Weight? (new102.cbslocal.com)
- Booze calories too often ignored (bbc.co.uk)
10 foods for getting rid of your belly
Day six
Ok so I went running this evening so I made sure I had a carb snack before.
Breakfast – banana and Parma ham
Snack – babybels
Lunch – hummus falafel wrap
Snack – banana and satsuma
Dinner – tomato soup, boiled egg
Snack – usn diet fuel protein shake
Day five
Spin day!!
Breakfast: banana and usn diet fuel protein shake
Snack: satsuma
Lunch: tofu, veggie peanut satay noodle
Snack: banana hard boiled egg
Dinner: tomato soup and toast
Snack: usn diet fuel protein shake
Day four
Ok I forgot to post so I’m going to have to remember
Breakfast: banana and usn diet fuel protein shake
Snack: satsuma
Lunch: avocado, tomato and mustard sandwich on wholemeal bread
Snack: cucumber and hummus
Dinner: tofu, veggie, satay and noodle stir fry
Pre and post snacks
Day three
OK, another good day, I think at least!
Breakfast – banana, protein shake
Snack – banana, two satsumas
Lunch – stir fry chicken, vegetables and noodles (leftovers from yesterday)
Snack – fruit rolls X3
Dinner – two soft boiled eggs, two Total yoghurts with honey
Tax CRAP food
Junk food copy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the UK, doctors today have launched a campaign calling on the Government to tax junk food, and ban adverts for junk food before the watershed (9pm on TV). FINALLY!
But, only if taxation is lifted on healthy foods.
People on a budget have to reach for processed junk food to feed their families, right? wrong! They choose to! possibly because it’s easier, they’re addicted to the sugar, salt and additives, don’t know how to cook, or simply won’t cook. Whatever the reason, it’s not price. How do I know this? Because it’s a fact that healthy food is cheaper already.
Yes, you have to go to the supermarket more than once a week because, hey, it’s not packed full of preservatives so that banana won’t last 10 days like a packet of crisps will.
So, I’m all for it. Tax the hell out of the junk food, but also, offer people cheaper healthier food as a double incentive. Throw into that decent health education and cookery at school, training sessions and taster courses for young parents and free cooking recipes in supermarkets (many are already doing this in store and online).
I should point out this is the same government which introduced tax on healthy goods, supplements and protein shakes etc, so they’re nothing if not a bit confused!
But it is about time people started to take responsibility for their own lifestyle choices. I’m sorry, this is going to sound harsh. But if you’re fat it’s because you choose to be. Somewhere along the line you’ve realised you’re fat and killing yourself but you’ve not done anything about it. And you’re fat because you eat junk, or too much food in general, and don’t exercise at all. Sure there are health issues to consider, mostly caused by the fact you’re already fat, but you have taken the conscious decision to be unhealthy and stay unhealthy. So, if you won’t help yourself to live better and live longer it looks like the State will have to try and force you.
If there was a petition to sign I’d be linking to it right now.
Related articles
- Fit Bottomed Girls’ Launches New Healthy Food Site: Fit Bottomed Eats (prweb.com)
- Bills would limit junk food bought with food stamps (khou.com)
- Fizzy drinks tax needed – doctors (bbc.co.uk)
- VIDEO: Fizzy drinks tax needed – doctors (bbc.co.uk)
- UK News: Medical body demands obesity action (walesonline.co.uk)
- Food ‘Nasties’ TV Ad Lacks Teeth, Warn Campaigners (theepochtimes.com)
- Tax junk food and subsidise vegetables to fight ‘poor obesity crisis’ (telegraph.co.uk)
- UK News: Medical body urges fizzy drinks tax (walesonline.co.uk)
Day two
Ok, day two, hardcore weights session this morning on the upper body. Feel like I’ve been hit by a bus but it’s all good!
Breakfast – pre workout- scrambled egg on toast
Snack – protein shake (post workout protein boost)
Lunch – stir fry Thai chicken, veg and noodles
Snack – total 0% yoghurt with Manuka honey
Dinner – tomato soup and toast
Snack- protein shake before bed
Day one
My attitude to diet has been poor recently, too much fat, meals out and a lack of focus has taken its toll.
So I’m doing the ultimate food diary, sharing it with you lot! Any tips or advice great fully received.
So today, day one, included a mega run and weights session in the gym so I needed some carb for breakfast to see me through
Breakfast- two pieces of brown toast with marmite
Morning snack – usn protein shake
Lunch – cucumber and hummus, total yoghurt
Afternoon snack – brown rice and edamame beans
Dinner – jacket potato with cheese
Pre bed – usn protein shake
Lemon herb grilled chicken
We’re all busy so this is a quick and easy weekday meal.
No marinating required. Just drizzle lemon juice over the chicken breast, smooth herbs over the surface and grill on both sides.
Serve with brown rice, green vegetables like broccoli or beans or salad.
We all know that alcohol is hardly one of the major food groups, and certainly something to avoid if you’re trying to lose weight and be healthy.
But, we all like a glass of wine to relax after a hard week at work, or with a meal out with our friends or partner.
Shocking stats from the World Cancer Research Fund show that alcohol makes up nearly 10% of all calories consumed by drinkers.
Consider that large glass of wine you could well be enjoying while you’re reading this – it has about 178 calories, empty, un-nutritious calories, the same as 2 digestive biscuits. And to burn it off? You’ll have to go for a brisk walk for about 30 minutes.
So, if you’re watching your calorie intake and trying to be healthy….lay off the alcohol. And if you’re going to have the odd cheeky glass of wine? Include it in your calorie counting. Reduce your intake by going for smaller glasses, adding soda water or a low-cal soft drink.
Check out the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) Alcohol Calorie Calculator – which shows how much exercise you’d need to do to burn off the calories.
Related articles
- Calories in alcohol often ignored by New Year dieters (itv.com)
- Adults `getting substantial calories from alcohol` (indiavision.com)
- Sugar and Heart Health – The Bittersweet Truth (liheart.org)
- Sipping wine with less calories (heavenlyharlots.wordpress.com)
- 10 Truths About Alcohol (casapalmera.com)
Know your healthy nuts
The best health tracker app around
OK! We’re all on it, the January health kick.
Watching calories and fat content, working out more and promising ourselves this year, it’ll be different, this time you’ll stick with it, this year you’ll get that six pack.
So, if you are serious about it this time, get serious and download this app from the App store, MyNetDiary
It’s completely free, and no I’m not on commission. I use it.
It’s a great of keeping a food diary and it’s database has pretty much every brand and food you can imagine. All with protein / carb / fat content and all the other nutrients too.
It tells you what your daily allowance is given your weight loss goals.
It calculates how many calories you’ve burnt in exercise, which means you have more to consume that day
It analyses your diet to tell you how to improve – too little, too much, too much cholesterol, too little fibre or iron
It tracks your weight loss
It does pretty much everything for you, apart from lose the weight.
Check it out, download it, use it, and watch yourself get healthy.
Then come back and thank me for introducing it to your life!
It’s also online here, but I find the app FAR more useful http://www.mynetdiary.com
How not to pile on the festive pounds
Let’s not kid ourselves. The next few weeks we are all going to eat and drink to excess. And even the most healthy of us will be hardpressed not to put on a few pounds in weight, and forget about our gym memberships until January 1.
But, just because it’s Christmas you don’t have to throw all your healthy eating habits out of the window. Don’t just surrender to the inevitable, because it doesn’t have to be inevitable.
Don’t stop exercising
If you’re away from your usual town and gym, or your gym is shut for the week there are other things you can do. Head out for a run, do toning exercises at home on the beach or in the park. There are Park Runs all over the country which meet every Saturday morning, and some will still by running. Check out their website http://www.parkrun.co.uk . You don’t have to sit on the sofa all day do you! And you’ll feel better for it. Plus, if you’re family are driving you mental it’s the perfect excuse to get out of the house!
I’m heading home to Brighton, so I’m away from my gym in Newcastle for 10 days. But I’ve checked out my local Yoga studio, http://www.yogahaven.co.uk and they’re running classes pretty much everyday except Christmas Day and Boxing Day so I’ve booked myself in for a few Hot Yoga sessions – 30degree heat and yoga, the perfect detox session that makes your body and your mind feel incredible.
Don’t stuff your face
OK! So yes the roast potatos and stuffing look incredible, that Christmas pud and brandy butter is pretty much irrsistable and just about everything on the table could be covered in butter. But you don’t have to succumb. Now, before you all go, but it’s Christmas! Sure, it’s Christmas, but that fat will be on your arse for months. So, if you want to embrace your lardy flabby self then carry on and eat to your hearts content.
But if you actually value the effort you put into your body for the other 51 weeks of the year then temper yourself a bit and exercise your right to have some willpower and say no. And the only people who will say “oh go on” will be those who wish they’d said no 10 years ago and are now carrying their holiday weight from the last decade around the stomach every single day.
Remember – Christmas dinner is essentially meat and vegetables. So have that. Just that, no stuffing, no roast potatoes, no butter. Just stay healthy.
You can do it!
Related articles
- Those extra few pounds (quintesexual.wordpress.com)
- The True Costs of Christmas- 10 Pounds (prweb.com)
- Raise a glass for skinny drinks: The new low-calorie tipples that will help you stop piling on the pounds this Christmas (dailymail.co.uk)
Pre-Christmas detox
OK, so I may have been reaching for the chocs a bit too much recently. I need to get down to my fighting weight before Christmas so this week is very focused on weight-loss.
LOADS of cardio at the gym, and I mean hardcore cardio – sweaty HIIT to really get the blood pumping and the fat melting.
AND a very restricted diet.
Day 1 – fruit only
Day 2 – vegetables only
Day 3 – fruit and vegetables only
Day 4 – vegetables and chicken only
Day 5 – bananas, vegetables and chicken only
Day 6 – eggs, vegetables and chicken only
Day 7 – PALEO
So, starting tomorrow, here I go!
Related articles
- Celebrate Christmas in Good Health – Brand new Christmas Weight Loss and Detox Retreat (prweb.com)
- Pre-Holiday Detox (antiageingsavantess.com)
Hidden sugars
OK, can anyone guess my new obsession is sugar!
Seriously though, it’s easy enough to avoid, or is it?
Should we be avoiding some fruits? Madonna’s dermatologist Dr Brandt thinks so.
He believes that natural sugar can still be damaging to the skin and recommends focusing on fruits that have anti-aging properties.
So you can still enjoy your fruit but focus on raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears and grapefruit.
Avoid bananas, mangoes and melon because they’re high in sugars but low in anti-aging benefits.
Related articles
- Dermatologist-Approved Skin Care Tips For Hands and Feet (bellasugar.com)
- Should You Avoid Fruit Because It’s Full Of Sugar (snack-girl.com)
- 4 Keys to Healthy Aging: Study (articles.mercola.com)
- The Evils of Sugar (fox4kc.com)
- I quit sugar. (hannahthehippy.wordpress.com)
Cut out sugar
Sugar sugar (Photo credit: dhammza)
OK, so I’ve gone Paleo so I’m doing this already. But, if you just want to cut out sugar from your diet, because let’s face it, it’s bad for you, causes diabetes and now I discover makes your skin age too. I mean, really, why would you reach for the sweets now!
So, here’s a few top tips
-stop it, simple
-cut out refined sugar products including packaged breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, cakes and biscuits
-increase your protein intake, it’ll keep the cravings at bay and plump out your skin
-avoid alcohol, or switch to a lower sugar one. Swap white wine for vodka!
-eat foods high in chromium, it controls your blood sugar – wholegrains, nuts, eggs
-if you’re really suffering take L-glutamine as a supplement, it reduces the urge for sweet foods
-stop thinking of it as a reward – are sweets really a reward if they give you wrinkles?
Related articles
- The Sugar Hangover (thesacredcentre.wordpress.com)
- Is Sugar Your Skin’s Enemy? (bellasugar.com)
- A Legal Addiction (lipstickandlemons.com)
- sugar detox (iamprincesssarah.wordpress.com)
Sugar is as ageing as smoking and sunbathing
Forget botox or plastic surgery – if you want to reverse the ravages of time quit Sugar.
That’s right – research has shown that it is as damaging to your body as smoking and sunbathing – well, when it comes to aging. It’s not as linked to cancer as the other too!
But seriously folks, I’ve been saying this forever. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Research published in the British Journal of Dermatology has shown that sugar makes your skin more wrinkled and thinner. And what’s worse, the ageing effects are quicker once you’re over 35 years old.
When you eat sugar Advanced Glycation Ends are formed in the bloodstream. Ironically shortened to AGE, these accumulate and damage collagen and elastin. It also makes your skin more susceptible to damage from other agers including cigarette smoke and UV rays.
Related articles
- Advanced Glycation End Products Linked to Age Related Heart Impairment (extremelongevity.net)
- Aging Skin: Why We Get Wrinkles (everydayhealth.com)
Eating in season
Eating in season is good for you and for the planet. If you eat fruit and vegetable which are in season in your country or continent then it doesn’t have to be transported half way round the world for you to eat it, less air miles, low carbon foods.
But also eating in season means that even if you’re not opting for organic (choice or financial reasons) you’re probably exposing yourself to fewer chemicals since the food doesn’t have to be encouraged to grow at a time when it shouldn’t be.
Here’s a handy chart to show you some basic foods and when they’re in season.
Why Paleo?
Paleo may be the buzz word for healthy eating at the moment but the principles make total sense. It’s not that long ago we were cavemen.
Well, ok it was a LONG time ago but in evolutionary terms its relatively recently and during the intervening million years or so our digestion or body’s needs hasn’t changed that much.
So, why are we ignoring what we were built to eat and opting for processed sugary foods? Laziness? Convenience? Taste? All three? Definitely all three, and taste because we’ve programmed our bodies to crave high sugar low quality foods.
Here’s a list of benefits of eating like our ancestors, food for thought and food for life too
Why Paleo?
Paleo may be the buzz word for healthy eating at the moment but the principles make total sense. It’s not that long ago we were cavemen.
Well, ok it was a LONG time ago but in evolutionary terms its relatively recently and during the intervening million years or so our digestion or body’s needs hasn’t changed that much.
So, why are we ignoring what we were built to eat and opting for processed sugary foods? Laziness? Convenience? Taste? All three? Definitely all three, and taste because we’ve programmed our bodies to crave high sugar low quality foods.
Here’s a list of benefits of eating like our ancestors, food for thought and food for life too
Paleo diet
As of this week I’m trying a new eating regime, Paleo, ok, it’s not exactly new to the market but it’s new to me. This info graphic explains the basic principles. I’ll let you know how I get on
Healthy snacks – avocado salad
Honestly there’s no excuse to put crap in your body when healthy food looks this good and tastes even better!
SO quick as easy to make
Just chop up avocado, cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Put in a bowl with cream cheese, creme fraiche or goats cheese and top off with some cracked black pepper.
Great as a side salad, a starter for a dinner party or a mid week lunch. Turn it into a dinner by adding some chicken breast, tuna or sliced ham for added protein.
Rainbow fruit skewers
Courtesy of backonpointe.tumblr.com
Fruit skewers = healthy snacks
So easy too, cocktail sticks, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, melon, mango, whatever you want!
Great for taking to work for a mid morning snack, or give them to your kids instead of sweets and crisps.
Snacks to help repair your body
Ok by popular request, more snack suggestions for after a good workout session
Protein bar: For a quick, store-bought fix, feed those muscles with a protein bar. Just watch the sugar content. Look for bars with 10-30 grams of protein, less than 10 grams of sugar, and the fewest number of ingredients you can’t pronounce!
Beef and squash: Need something hearty? Try a handful of lean roast beef with an equal portion of butternut squash.
Tuna crackers: Mix up a batch of light tuna salad for a quick bite. Add two heaping spoonfuls to a handful of whole grain crackers.
Milk and cereal: Any time is a good time for cereal. Add 1 cup of low-fat milk to 1 cup of whole-grain cereal.
Chocolate milk: One to two cups of low-fat chocolate milk, good blend of extra carbs and protein.
Cottage cheese crunch: One cup fat-free cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ cup whole-grain cereal, and some cinnamon.
Healthy snack – baked apple crisps
I’m so going to try these, great to nibble on as a healthy snack
Post workout recovery food
Its not enough just to workout, your body needs the right nutrition to make the most out of the effort you just put in.
Post-workout snacks restore energy and rebuild muscle, too!
You need to eat them within two hours of exercise.
These protein packed recipes and snacks help repair the muscles you’ve just used.
Protein pancakes: mix 4 egg whites, ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup low fat cottage cheese, 1/8 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Cook on preheated griddle (medium low heat) until it bubbles, then flip and cook another 30-60 seconds. Top with fresh berries or sliced banana.
Chunky Monkey shake: Monkey around with 1 medium banana, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and 1 cup low-fat chocolate milk blended with ice.
Double Trouble shake: To lengthen the delivery time of nutrients to your muscles, combine ½ scoop of whey protein blended with ½ scoop slower-digesting casein protein, plus a handful of your favorite fresh or frozen fruit.
Bananarama: One medium sliced banana with 1 cup low fat milk — it doesn’t get any easier than this!
Detox time!!
Ok!! It’s time to try a new regime
I’m going Paleo but before I do I need to detox to cleanse the crap out
I’m practising what I preach- no sugar, no processed foods, simples, right!!!
So today is day 1 of detox
Starting weight – 65kg
Day 1 diet, fruit only
Wish me luck!!
Pre workout snacks
Ok…..more ideas of snacks to enjoy before you workout. It’s about getting the mix of slow release carbs and protein you need to push yourself to the max. You wouldn’t head out on a road trip with an empty tank….so don’t expect your body to be at its best when it’s running on empty:
Caffeine shake: Need a pre-workout pick-me-up? blend 1 cup iced coffee (keep the ice) with 1 scoop chocolate whey protein.
Chicken n’ potato: For a fast bite, grab 2-4 ounces (or a palm-sized amount) of sliced chicken with an equal portion size of sweet potatoes
Veggie omelette: Add a little more color to your diet by combining 2 whole eggs shaken with 1 teaspoon of water cooked with 1 cup sautéed seasonal veggies.
Hearty salad: Need some greens? Try 1 cup of salad greens with assorted veggies, 1 hardboiled egg, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or your favorite low-fat dressing.
Healthy snacks
When you’re on the go its too easy to reach for the sugars and crisps, then you’ll feel guilty. With a bit of thought and preparation you can have healthy snacks instead.
Healthy is….
It’s 30% what you do in training and 70% what you eat
Pre workout snacks
Ok, so you’re heading to the gym, going for a run or about to get off your butt and do something sweaty! Make sure you fuel up with something healthy, tasty and worthy of the effort you’re about to put in….here’s a few suggestions
Yoghurt a-go-go: For the perfect blend of carbs and protein, try 1 cup non-fat vanilla bean Greek yogurt — which often packs more protein and probiotics than regular plain yogurt — with ½ cup fresh blueberries.
Eggs n’ Toast; Try 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs with 1 slice of whole-wheat toast.
Fruit and Cottage: Top ½ cup cottage cheese — a low calorie and higher protein option — with ½ cup fresh pineapple, berries, or melon.
PB Apple: For a quick carb fuel-up, slice 1 medium apple and serve with 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter.
Classic fruit cup: Prefer to keep it sweet but simple? Combine 1 cup berries, melon, banana, and oranges.
Dried fruit: For a quick pre-workout fix, try ¼ cup serving of dried berries, apricots, and pineapple.
PB & B toast: Fuel up with 1-2 tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter and half a sliced banana on whole-wheat toast.
Turkey Pasta- Add 2-4 ounces (or a palm-sized amount) of roasted turkey and 3-4 avocado slices to ½ cup cooked whole-wheat pasta for some enviable eats.
A fizzy drink a day linked to strokes
Just one fizzy drink/soda a day could cause strokes in women. Not hearsay, fact.
And it’s not just one study but the most recent study is compelling.
Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research shows that women who said they drank the most soft drinks in the study (thats one a day!) had an 83 percent higher risk of ischemic stroke than those who reported drinking the fewest soft drinks.
Earlier this year, a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine showed a link between drinking a diet soda every day and higher stroke and heart attack risk.
Of course if you’re drinking fizzy drinks sweetened with sugar then the link to strokes makes complete sense. Since sugar consumption increases the risk obesity, diabetes, inflammation.
, then it should, in fact, raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, and that’s what we’re seeing,” Cleveland Clinic’s Adam Bernstein, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters.
The study included 39,786 men and women in Japan between the ages of 40 and 59, who were tracked between 1990 and 2008.
They filled out a questionnaire asking them about their soft drink consumption.
By the end of the study period, 453 people had ischemic heart disease and 1,922 people had had a stroke (1,047 of which were ischemic, the other 859 were hemorrhagic).
80 healthiest foods
Calcium deficiency could cause Hyperthyroidism
Increase your calcium intake and decrease your risk of Hyperthyroidism – says article in British Medical Journal
A study of over 58,000 women at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital as part of the Nurses’ Health Study, a wider piece of research, has shown the link.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism affects one in 800 people, is most common in post-menopausal women and causes bone fractures and kidney stones. It’s also suggested that it’s linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
The research suggested that increasing calcium intake to around 700mg per day cuts the risk of getting the disease.
You can increase your calcium intake by including the following foods in your diet – milk, dairy products, nuts, fish such as sardines and pilchards (where you eat the bones).
However, they warn that taking too much causes stomach pains and diarrhoea.
Related articles
- Higher Calcium Intake Associated with Lower Risk for Hyperparathyroidism. (zedie.wordpress.com)
- Low calcium thyroid disorder link (bbc.co.uk)
- How Healthy Are Dairy Alternatives? (belmarrahealth.com)
- Is There Truth to the Calcium Myth? (belmarrahealth.com)
Asparagus, poached egg and parmesan
Quinoa and bean salad
Healthy Toasties
Avocado, tomato and cheese Toasties
Small daily changes make a difference
Portion control
Detox your body
Cancer fighting shopping list
Detox drink
Lovely and refreshing drink to aid weightloss, general detox and clear skin.
In a large jug:
Two litres of water
1 cucumber chopped up
1 lemon sliced
10-12 mint leaves
Leave it overnight in the fridge
Reduce salt and reduce risk of cancer
Everyone knows that high intake of salt is bad for you, linking it predominantly to heart disease and high blood pressure.
But now research is also linking it to stomach cancer.
The research comes from the World Cancer Research Fund which has shown that people are eating around 8g of salt a day, but reducing it to the recommended daily intake of 6g per day also reduces the risk of stomach cancer.
It’s not just about the salt you add to foods though. Take a closer look at the packets of the food you are eating and you’ll find surprisingly high levels of salt in places where you wouldn’t expect it.
Of course you’ll know it’ll be in crisps, bacon and sauces, but what about bread and breakfast cereals too? Low fat foods also high high salt contents, as well as high sugar contents, to add flavour to an otherwise bland product.
Every year in the UK there are around 6,000 cases of stomach cancer and WCRF reckons that one in seven could be prevented by sticking to the daily guidelines. Cancer Research UK reckon the reduction could be even higher.
So, my advice, try to avoid all packet / pre-made foods and create your own, then you know what’s going in to it. Plus, it’s fresher, tastier, and healthier too. And, for all you people who say it takes too long – ok it takes about an extra few minutes, but what’s an extra few minutes everyday to give you an extra few years of healthy live? Put the packet down and head to the grocers.
Read more about it at BBC Health
Related articles
- Day 9: How strictly I’m eating paleo (paleoperth.wordpress.com)
Simplyshredded.com fat burning tips
I’m always on the lookout for advice from people who actually know what they’re talking about.
So, I stumbled across SimplyShredded.com the other day and I’ve become a bit obssessed with their site ever since. It’s absolutely packed full of really good tips, great inspirational photos, and research-based advice and recommendations. I’m pretty sure they won’t mind me sharing an article I found on there, about the rules of fat-burning, based on proper clinical research, not voo-doo, witch-craft or old wives’ tales like so much of the ‘expertise’ on web.
If you want to read about it in far more detail head to http://www.simplyshredded.com
What you eat
1) Protein – high protein diets make you feel full, and research showed that people eating high protein diets for eight weeks lost significantly more bodyfat, particularly abdominal than those on lowfat / high carb
2) Slow digesting carbs – if you are reaching for carbs opt for slow digesting ones like brown rice, oatmeal and wholewheat bread – they keep insulin levels steady
3)Some fats promote fat loss. Choose fatty fish like salmon and trout as well as other sources like olive oil, peanut butter and walnuts to boost your fat loss
4)Eggs – their packed with protein to promote muscle strength and mass
5)Grapefruits – drinking 8oz of juice or eating half a grapefruit three times a day can boost fat loss
6)Milk – dairy is rich in calcium which can spur fat loss, particularly around your abs
7)An apple a day – they’re a great slow digesting carb with beneficial antioxidants, apple polyphenols have been found to boost muscle strength, endurance and fat loss
8)Feeling hot hot hot – hot peppers contain capsaicin which has been shown to promote calorie burning at rest, as well as reducing hunger and food intake. It’s effects are greatest when combined with caffeine, and it boosts fat burning during exercise
9)Go nuts– a diet rich in almond fat has been shown to increase fat loss, particularly around the abs. Brazil nuts, macadamias and walnuts work well too
10)Multi-organic – organic produce has more beneficial nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids and CLA – both of which have been shown to help you drop fat
11)Add avocado – they’re rich in monounsaturated fat and mannoheptulose, a sugar that blunts insulin release and helps calcium absorption, critical for fat loss
What you drink
1)Green tea – prevents norepinephrine being broken down, a hormone which keeps your metabolism high
2) Black tea – reduces cortisol levels which encourage fat storage
3) Oolong tea – enhances metabolisms due to polyphenols
4) Water – drinking two cups of cold water can boost metabolic rate by 30% – due to increase in norepinephrine
5) Energy drinks – some boost fat loss. Those containing caffeine and EGCG from green tea extract
6) Whey protein – drinking protein shakes between meals enhances muscle growth and fat loss
7) Soy protein – is a fat burner possibly due to decreasing appetite and calorie intake
8) Get thick – whipping up the protein shake so it uses less water leads to more prolonged reductions in hunger
9) Not so sweet – diet drinks mess with your brain’s ability to regulate calorie intake
What supplements
1) Green tea – EGCG from the supplement is absorbed more effectively than from tea, 500mg in the morning and afternoon
2) CLA – aids fat loss and enhances hypertrophy and strength gains
3) Omega – 3 – promotes fat loss enhanced by exercise
4) Astaxanthin – it protects the systems that transport fat into the mitochondria of muscle cells.
5) Carnitine – it carrys fat away from the mitochondria cells, where it’s burned away for good
The way you train
1) Go heavy – training with heavier weights for fewer reps produces a greater rise in resting metabolic rate
2) Go light – training with lighter weights burns more calories during your workout
So – combine the two – do two sets with heavy weights, two sets with lighter weights
3) Rest less – Rest for around 30s between reps and you’ll burn 50% more calories than if you rest for 3 mins
4) Force it – Rep to failure, forced reps then static contraction causes more body fat loss than a lower intensity programme
5) Be free – free weights burn more calories than machines – because you’re using your stabilizer muscles too
6) The need for speed – Fast reps burn more calories. choose a weight around 30% of your one-rep max. Do 3-8 fast reps then 2-3 sets of slower reps
7) Tune in – listening to music boosts your workout intensity
Cardio
1) Go after – do your cardio after the weights, you burn significantly more fat – even if it’s just for 15 mins
2) HIIT it – the best way to burn fat is through high intensity interval training
3) Stagger it – intermittent cardio burns more fat and calories than continuous exercise
4) Fashionably late – training in the evening boosts your postworkout calorie burn
Other rules
1) Take a picture / keep a diary – they’re motivating so keep a record of your journey, as well as an honest account of what you’re putting in to your body
2) Portion – eat large portions of lean protein and smaller amounts of starchy carbs
3) Beauty sleep – if you sleep for 5 hours or less you’re more likely to put on 30 plus pounds. Try to get 7-9 hours every night to enhance recovery and aid health
4) Chew it – chew gum between meals, you’ll eat less
5) Vibe – power plates burn fat
Related articles
- High protein low-carb diet menu (foodlowcarb.wordpress.com)
- Best Exercises For Belly Fat (answers.com)
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