Archive Posts

A group of British researchers suggest that consuming a Vitamin D rich diet will benefit pregnant women in preventing infantile diseases such as rickets and infantile hypocalcaemia. Researchers from the University College London Institute of Child Health revealed that Britain was the only country in the list of 31 that does not officially recommend vitamin D for pregnant women.

In fact the National Institute of health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) suggests that pregnant women should not use vitamin supplements even as Department of Health advises that would-be mothers should make sure that they consume at least 10 grams of vitamin D each day.

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Eating a healthy and balanced diet incorporating lots of fruit and vegetables will help maintain healthy eyes. Try to limit your alcohol intake.  Have regular check ups with an optician - everyone is at risk of eyesight problems whatever their age. Visiting the optician regularly means eye conditions can be identified in the early stages and action taken. Between 50-75 years of age, you should have an eye check at least every two years.

Ensure that when reading/working you have adequate light.

Always look after contact lenses as detailed by your optician or ophthalmologist.

Never sleep with contact lenses in your eyes unless advised to do so by your optician.

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Do women really need to eat any differently than men — we’re all humans, right? True, but a woman’s nutritional needs are more specific than a man’s.

Pam Peeke MD, MPH author of Fight Fat After Forty  and Assistant Professor of Medicine at University of Maryland School of Medicine explains why.

“Women are special. They have unique nutritional requirements to keep them energized and focused, especially as they age. And, that means over the age of 30 years! Here’s a great list of foods that every woman needs to incorporate into her weekly diet to guarantee that as each year goes by, she stays as healthy and fit as she can.”

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It is well-known that olive oil and a Mediterranean diet are associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease, but a new research offers a surprising reason why: These foods change how genes associated with atherosclerosis function.

Knowing which genes can be modulated by diet in a healthy way can help people select healthy diets," said Maria Isabel Covas, a researcher involved in the work from the Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group at the Institut Municipal d'Investigacio Medica in Barcelona, Spain.

"It is also a first step for future nutritional therapies with selected foods," she added. Scientists worked with three groups of healthy volunteers. The first group consumed a traditional Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil rich in polyphenols.

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The researchers at the University of California in San Francisco say the cause of diabetes during pregnancy is directly controlled by serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is influenced by the amount of protein in a mother's diet.  The surprise discovery could lead to simple dietary solutions for gestational diabetes which, left untreated, could result in serious problems for both mom and baby.

Serotonin is made from tryptophan - an amino acid that comes from high-protein foods such as milk, eggs, meat and fish – and is a link between the amount and type of protein a mother consumes during early pregnancy and the generation of islet cells needed to protect her against gestational diabetes late in pregnancy, when the fetal caloric needs are highest.

You think diet, you think no fun. But what if you could lose weight by eating pizza every day. Matt McClellan is on the 30-day pizza diet and a bike tour from Florida to New York to promote it. The diet is simple. One slice every 3 hours combined with an hour of exercise each day. Matt lost 24 pounds, 5 inches off his waistline and his cholesterol dropped 86 points. A nutritionist says yes, it's possible to lost weight by eating pizza in moderation combined with exercise.

Even the ones at risk for heart disease could really benefit from a low-fat Mediterranean-type diet that includes nuts, fish, produce and olive oil, many United States researchers have already found. Study author Dr. Jun Dai, an assistant professor of epidemiology.

And nutrition at Indiana University in Bloomington, utilized information from the Emory Twins Heart Study and discovered that men who ate a Mediterranean-style diet had a bigger heart rate variability  differences in the duration interval within heartbeats during everyday life — than individuals ingesting a Western-type diet high in red meat and fat.

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Feng Shui has a powerful impact on the subconscious. That is why it is such a good way to promote weight loss. Instead of counting calories and fighting cravings, you can promote wellness through a careful selection of shapes, colours and materials. Sceptical? Try a few of these suggestions.

Eat a square meal : Square dishes are better than round dishes when you’re trying to lose weight. That’s because squares radiate contentment, while circles invite curiosity. Mellow out: Mellow, earthy tones promote fulfillment, whereas bright colours stimulate the appetite. If you’re serious about sticking to your diet, paint your kitchen or dining room an earthy colour like brown or beige. You won’t be tempted to overeat.

Even settings : The more tranquil your eating environment, the easier it will be to stick to your diet. An even number of table settings will make you feel relaxed, whereas an odd number will heighten your awareness. Mirror, mirror on the wall : Mirrors aid focus. To stay committed to your fitness goals, hang a mirror in your eating area, with a clear vision of your seat. This will make you mindful of what and how much you’re eating.

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People should ensure they are eating a diet that safeguards their eye health, it has been suggested. An article on courier-journal.com noted that wearing contact lenses is not the only way to boost vision and suggested a range of foods which can be effective in staving off sight-related problems.

Dr Emily Chew, deputy director of the National Eye Institute`s division of epidemiology and clinical applications, stated that some doctors recommended people boost their eye health by eating foods which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and oily fish. In addition, dark and leafy greens like spinach and kale are thought to be beneficial for sight, especially for people suffering from macular degeneration.

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A diet rich in olive oil could help breast cancer survivors lose more weight, according to Rhode Island medical researchers. Doctors with the Miriam Hospital in Providence said in a statement that the findings could be important to women with the disease because excess weight at diagnosis, and even moderate weight gain during treatment, is linked with an increased risk of recurrence.

The link is stronger in postmenopausal women. The researchers studied 1,500 women who were prescribed both a conventional low-fat diet recommended by the National Cancer Institute or a plant-based, olive oil diet similar to the so-called “Mediterranean diet.”

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