Tuesday 29 September 2015

5 Foods You Should Never Eat Before Bed

. Cakes and DoughnutsWe all know that going to bed on a full stomach can do more harm than good, but if you must eat late at night, these are the foods you should avoid. From replacing caffeine with soothing herbal teas and sweet cereal with plain popcorn, you can make sure that eating late doesn’t result in a sleepless night.

1. Red Meats

Any food that’s high in protein such as steak and lamb digest much slower than fresh fruits and vegetables. As your mind prepares to go into sleep mode, your body will be working hard to digest all that protein. If you’re eating late at night, stick to fresh produce and up your protein intake during the day.

2. Cakes and Doughnuts

Sweet, fatty desserts like cakes and doughnuts are digested at a much slower rate than other foods. Avoid sugary snacks before bed to ensure a good night’s sleep. If you must have something sweet before bed, try something like coconut flakes or dried mango.

3. Sweet Cereal

Digging in to a bowl of cereal may seem like it’s better than a burger, but with all that sugar-packed cereal giving your blood sugar a rollercoaster ride, you’ll be storing it all as fat as you sleep. Try a bowl of popcorn instead – and not the caramel-covered ones!

4. Alcohol

Yes, it’s not technically food, but is definitely an important one to remember. You might think that alcohol will send you straight to sleep but in fact, it has a dehydrating effect on the body. This lack of water will slow down all the good restorative work your body would otherwise do while you’re asleep. If you must have an occasional drink before bed, ensure you’re drinking plenty of water too.

5. Coffee

It might sound like an obvious one but there’s a good reason people say you should stay away from coffee at night. And while technically it's a drink and not a food, the caffeine in coffee, fizzy drinks like cola and believe it or not, chocolate will stimulate your nervous system and keep you awake at night. If you must have a hot drink before bed, try something a little more soothing – herbal teas like chamomile are great.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/article/5-foods-you-should-never-eat-bed.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=content

Sunday 27 September 2015

A poor diet – which involves eating too few vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains and too much red meat, salt and sugar - was shown to be a bigger killer than smoking and alcohol.

But for the UK, unhealthy eating is still pipped to the top spot of high-risk factors in early death by smoking. Low levels of activity are at number 5, and alcohol use is at number 9.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in the US has found that high blood pressure, to which diet, exercise and obesity are key factors, is the biggest cause of premature death in countries across the world.

And unhealthy eating overall, characterised by high consumption of red meat and sugar-sweetened beverages, contributed to more deaths than any other factor - because they contribute towards ischemic heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

The study was the most recent update on the 2010 report on the Global Burden of Disease, considered the most authoritative work on the causes of ill-health.

“There’s great potential to improve health by avoiding certain risks like smoking and poor diet as well as tackling environmental risks like air pollution," IHME director Dr Christopher Murray told The Guardian. “The challenge for policymakers will be to use what we know to guide prevention efforts and health policies.”

Data from 108 countries from 1990 to 2013 was used in the study, and the number of risk factors in premature deaths was increased from 67 to 79, to provide a broader study.

Happily, in the UK all the risk factors have decreased since 1990 - with the exception of alcohol, which has increased by 9.5% over that time. Blood pressure and cholesterol saw the biggest drop, at about 55% each.

High-income countries tended to have smoking as their number one cause of premature death. In India and elsewhere in south and south-east Asia, air pollution was a leading problem.

In Latin America and the Middle East, meanwhile, obesity came out as the biggest risk for poor health.

But sub-Saharan Africa has a different pattern of risks from the rest of the world. Its combination of childhood undernutrition, unsafe water, unsafe sex and alcohol use is unseen to the same degree elsewhere.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/the-biggest-cause-of-early-death-in-the-world-is-not-smoking-or-alcohol--its-what-you-eat-10497073.html

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Newly slim Jamie Oliver says we should increase our superfood intake by putting seaweed in salad and drinking THREE coffees a day... to lose weight like him

TV chef has revealed his top five superfoods
He said people should eat all of them as one alone isn't a 'golden bullet'
Seaweed and nuts can help increase life expectancy
Sweet potatoes are 'healthiest veg on planet', coffee aids liver function

By LUCY WATERLOW FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 14:45, 10 September 2015 | UPDATED: 20:23, 10 September 2015

Jamie Oliver has admitted that he has never felt better and has lost nearly two stone after incorporating more superfoods into his diet.

The TV chef revealed on This Morning earlier this week how he has lost weight despite eating more food than before. He returned to the ITV show today to share the secrets of his success.

He said it's simple to swap super foods into your diet and you will quickly notice the difference in how you look and feel.

Jamie, pictured with a fish dish, said salmon, sardines, mackerel and trout should be consumed at least one week as it's full of omega 3

The father-of-four, whose latest recipe book is all about super foods, told presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby: 'Super foods will fill you up and make every part of your body, make it lush and full of goodness.

'Your body is like a loafer, every day you have to fill it up with good stuff to absorb.'

The 40-year-old said the following foods can revitalise the appearance of skin and hair, boost heart health and liver function and help people live longer.

But he added that no ingredient should be considered a 'golden bullet' and each of the below should regularly be consumed as part of a healthy, varied diet...

Jamie Oliver tempts Holly Willoughby with some seaweed on today's This Morning as he predicts we will all be eating it in ten years time as it's so beneficial for health

SEAWEED

Jamie said he has become a seaweed convert after visiting a town in Japan which is home to some of the oldest people in the world for his new Channel 4 show Jamie's Super Food.

He learnt that the secret to their longevity could lie in the fact they eat 200g of seaweed a day.

Seaweed is high in antioxidants, vitamin K, calcium, and iron but has fallen out of favour on British dinner plates because of it's chewy texture and salty taste. But Jamie revealed this wasn't always the case.

Jamie said people in Japan who ate seaweed (pictured) daily had the longest life expectancy in the world

The TV chef shared his top superfoods with Phillip Schofield and Holly on today's show and said we all need to fill our bodies with more goodness

'In the last 40-50 years, it's a choice that has edited how we think about food, our grandparents ate seaweed in a variety of dishes. It is savoury. You can have it fresh or dried, it's great in salad. It can be ground up and used as seasoning.'

He said it can also be added to stews, sauces and soups and predicts that in ten years time, we'll all be eating seaweed.

SWEET POTATOES

Sweet potatoes contain manganese which is good for the bones

Jamie said many people believe the humble sweet potato is the 'most healthy vegetable on the planet.'

While potatoes don't count as one of your five-a-day, sweet potatoes do because they are 'packed full of good stuff' including vitamins and fibre.

They also contain magnesium and manganese that aids heart and bone health, and carotenoids that are powerful anti-ageing and cancer-preventing antioxidants.

Jamie said: 'Most people buy potatoes each week and it's easy to swap them for sweet potatoes, they are good for bone health, good for the heart, high in fibre and full of good stuff.'

He said they can be cooked in the same way as usual potatoes - fried, roasted, mashed or made into chips so are a versatile option in meal plans.

'Swap half of your potatoes this week for sweet potatoes, you can even cook with half and half,' he said.

NUTS

A handful of nuts a day could add years to your life

The TV chef revealed that if people want to add extra years to their life, they should just eat more nuts.

He quoted a study that found a handful of nuts can increase life expectancy because they are full of vitamins and minerals.

'Robust studies have found that people who eat a handful of nuts a day live three to four years longer than the average person because nuts are good for heart health,' he explained.

He added that all these benefits outweigh the fact they are high in fat and that this needn't be a cause for concern if you only stick to a small portion.

He said: 'What would you pay to add an extra four years to your life? You can buy four extra years with a handful of nuts a day. They are good for heart health and proven to help people live longer.

'Smash them up and add them to salads and pesto or they are brilliant as a snack.'

The father-of-four, pictured arriving at the ITV studios, said he has never felt better and has lost nearly two stone after adding more superfoods like oily fish and nuts to his diet

OILY FISH

Jamie said having at least one portion of oily fish once a week - such as trout, sardines, salmon and mackerel - is 'wonderful' for our health as it's full of Omega 3 which is good for heart and brain function.

'Visit your local fishmonger and eat it fresh on the day,' he advised.

EGGS

Jamie recommends eating an egg a day as they contain a 'cocktail of good stuff'

Jamie said it's an old wives' tale that you shouldn't eat a egg a day because they are high in cholesterol.

He said: 'For those that have been told to lower their cholesterol, they know to avoid too much but for the average Joe, it's great to eat an egg a day.

'They contain a cocktail of good stuff, are an incredible source of protein and are quick to cook.'

Eggs contain vitamins and minerals and are high in protein so make people feel more sated so they are less likely to overeat.

In addition to his top five, Jamie added that fruit and vegetables should be eaten regularly and suggests the Costa Rican's set the best example on how to do this.

He said: 'They eat whatever is in season so throughout the year they are eating different fruit and vegetables and getting all the goodness each contains. Don't get set in a pattern of eating the same ones all the time, they eat about 50 different ones a year.'

He also said drinking coffee is good for liver function.

'Drink caffeinated coffee, two or three times a day - your liver loves it and if your liver is happy, the rest of your body is,' he said.