Tuesday, June 7, 2011
'It was my mom's dying wish': Man, 23, loses almost half 459lbs body weight in just a YEAR
'It was my mom's dying wish': Man, 23, loses almost half 459lbs body weight in just a YEAR
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A face in the life of Kate Moss: The coarsening effect of drink, drugs and non-stop partying
A face in the life of Kate Moss: The coarsening effect of drink, drugs and non-stop partying
Cindy Crawford treats her mirror image daughter Kaia to a night out in Hollywood
Cindy Crawford treats her mirror image daughter Kaia to a night out in Hollywood
Friday, May 27, 2011
Fighting fit: Michael Douglas healthier and stronger as he walks daughter Carys to school
Fighting fit: Michael Douglas healthier and stronger as he walks daughter Carys to school
Monday, May 23, 2011
Superslim Princess Beatrice keeps shedding pounds thanks to 'water and fruit diet'
Superslim Princess Beatrice keeps shedding pounds thanks to 'water and fruit diet'
Thursday, May 19, 2011
22-stone bride-to-be orders size 12 wedding dress... and then SLIMS to squeeze into it
Monday, May 9, 2011
Justin Bieber: American healthcare is evil
Justin Bieber
Pop sensation Justin Bieber may only be 16-years old, but he knows he has no interest in becoming an American.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine the Canadian declared he had no interest in trading in to become an American.
“Canada's the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you're broke because of medical bills. My bodyguard's baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it. In Canada, if your baby's premature, he stays in the hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home,” he said. “You guys are evil.”
Bieber further explained his opposition to dictatorships, highlighting “whatever they have in Korea” as “bad.”
While he may be out of touch with American Republicans on healthcare, he is not on abortion.
"I really don't believe in abortion. It's like killing a baby,” Bieber said.
Even in the case of rape, Bieber opposes abortions.
“Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason,” he explained.
It is unclear if Bieber’s stance will have any impact on US healthcare policy. But, unlike most Americans, let alone most 16-year olds, Bieber has met with US President Barack Obama on at least two occasions.
Apparently, Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia are big fans.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Demand-side Organomics
By Pakac Luteb
In The Star, the Health Minister describes the shortage of donor
organs for ill people on waiting lists.
He attributes the shortage to people's unwillingness to donate organs.
People may indeed be unwilling to donate their organs but why do so
many people require new organs?
The Health Minister should do some "Demand-side organomics" to reduce
the need for new organs.
Many of the new kidneys may be required due to diabetes.
The Health Minister should act to reduce the sugar intake of
Malaysians and also to educate diabetic Malaysians on proper control
and monitoring of their blood sugar.
Many of the new livers may be required due to reactions to medicines,
some herbal medicines and antibiotics can cause liver damage.
Patients may be poorly informed by clinics regarding medicines they
have been given and suffer liver damage from inadvertent over-dosage
of Paracetamol.
Too few doctors explain to patients about medicines and their side
effects. Too few patients ask questions of doctors regarding their
health and their medicines.
Doctors and patients must act in partnership and there must be
emphasis on maintaining health, not simply going to hospital or clinic
ONLY when become ill.
Medical school's curricula must include the role of the doctor as
educator of patients. Doctors must be trained how to effectively
communicate with patients.
It's a matter of national urgency. Healthcare costs are rising, ill
people are less productive workers, if many people are ill there will
be a big drain on the economy of Malaysia.
Health Minister, Health Ministry, Medical Schools, Doctors, members of
the Public, act NOW to prevent catastrophe!
Thank you.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sugar: Killing Your Skin From Within
I'm sure you've all seen or heard about the reports published a few weeks ago on the effects of sugar in our diets. Most of us think of fat as our number one enemy to looking good and feeling healthy, but evidence shows that sugar in our diets will prematurely age skin, as well as contribute to causing other conditions such as tooth decay and diabetes. Sugar is proven to be as addictive as heroin, with tests showing withdrawal symptoms like headaches, cravings and forgetfulness when it's removed from the diet. Have you ever felt like that after a bowl full of broccoli?
So what happens when we consume sugar? The basic science is that sugar is energy in one of its simplest forms. This means that the body can instantly absorb it without having to convert it or break it down into a usable format, which is why we so often reach for a chocolate bar when we're tired or need an energy boost. But did you know that it takes only half a teaspoon of sugar to pick up our energy levels, when the average chocolate bar contains seven teaspoons? After eating such quantities of sugar, our bodies need to control this energy spike, so insulin is produced to regulate our blood sugar levels. Insulin promotes the storage of fat, so a diet high in simple sugars will mean that you're more prone to weight gain, putting you at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Is that chocolate bar sounding less appealing now?
If that wasn't enough to put you off, how about the fact that sugar contributes to skin ageing? According to Dr Frederic Brandt, "In a nutshell, sugar hastens the degradation of elastin and collagen, both key skin proteins. In other words, it actively ages you." This process occurs because sugar consumption triggers a process called glycation, where sugar binds to the collagen and elastin fibres in our skin, making them less elastic until they break. The collagen and elastin proteins then mutate, resulting in the formation of new molecules called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) which destroy the stronger type II and type III collagens, leaving skin without its spring. What this basically means is that skin sags and wrinkles because there is reduced collagen and elastin to prevent this from happening. Estimates say that a diet without sugar helps people look up to 10 years younger!
I've always known about the health impacts of sugar, and thought that I had a fairly healthy diet (despite my love of white pasta). After researching the impact of sugar on the skin, I have to say, I was shocked to realise that my love of fruit, honey and even the occassional diet drink and glass of wine are all contributing to my continued cravings for the sweet stuff.
Consequently, I have cut down on all sugar sources over the past six days (although I am still keeping some fruit in my diet), and I have to say, I feel great. I am a big advocate of a balanced diet which in my opinion has to include carbohydrates (unless you have a medical reason to exclude them), so I have swapped refined white pasta and rice to the wholewheat 'as nature intended' versions, the teaspoon of honey I have in my daily berry smoothie has been replaced with a squeeze of agave nectar which tastes as delicious as it sounds, and the cans of Diet Coke I would treat myself to every now and again will be skipped to ensure that their artificial sweeteners don't continue to fuel my cravings for sugar.
Here are my top tips for cutting sugar out of your diet:
1. Even those of us who consume relatively little sugar will find this a struggle for the first few days. Headaches and cravings are all likely on days 1-3, and you may feel like crap by day 4. But by day 5, you'll have increased energy and will start to wonder what you ever saw in sugar!
2. If you already consume a lot of refined sugar, this is going to be a tough one. Instead of cutting it out completely and going cold turkey, do it stage by stage. For example, if you have more than one sugary snack per day, try replacing one of those snacks with a slice of wholemeal toast with a thick spread of humous, or a handful of unsalted brazil nuts or almonds, which are packed with good fats and will release energy slowly. If you have one sugary snack a day and don't want to stop straight away, buy a smaller version (i.e. swap a Mars bar for a KitKat - there's no way I'm recommending you eat half and store the rest of it for tomorrow as chocolate can speak to you from the fridge!) for the first few days and then switch over to the snacks suggested above. For sugary drink lovers, fill a two litre bottle of water and drink from that all day. When your energy dips, reach for nuts or seeds instead of the Coke.
3. Check the labels on EVERYTHING you buy, and avoid processed foods as much as you can. Any ingredient that ends is '-ose' is a sugar (i.e. glucose, fructose) and is therefore to be avoided. Fruit juices should be cut out wherever possible, and healthy looking snacks like dried fruit are one of the biggest sugar fiends, so avoid them if you're serious about this! Nothing is safe from sugar: check your 'healthy' breakfast cereals and even your loaf of bread. Sugar is added to so many more products than you would expect!
4. Get organised: plan your weekly meals (including lunches at work) and shop for ingredients at the beginning of the week, including buying a good stock of snacks. Knowing what you're going to eat for every meal and being prepared will mean that you are less likely to order a pizza because there's nothing to eat.
5. Swap refined, white carbs for their wholewheat equivalent. Yes, brown rice takes ages to cook, but some genius realised that it can be frozen, so buy yourself a bag and don't give me any excuses about not having time :) The texture and nutty taste can take a little adjustment at first, so plan meals with tasty sauces like a homemade chilli con carne with rice (or 'chilli con Quorn-ay' as the meat-free version is known in our house!) or a pasta bolognese. Remember, pre-prepared sauces will often contain sugars, so source some good recipes (I'm happy to help with this).
6. Cook with beans, lentils and pulses wherever possible, as they are a great source of energy and very filling. Lentil and vegetable soup, a bean stew or even a delicious cassoulet will be great, easy meal options. I tend to throw a tin of butter beans or a few handfuls of red lentils or barley into most of the soups I make, making them go a little further and giving a healthy boost at the same time.
7. Avoid everything with Nutrisweet, Xylitol and other artificial sweeteners like Canderel and Sweet & Low. Keeping those in your diet ensures you're still receptive to sweet tastes, and will consequently continue to crave them. Use agave nectar to sweeten yoghurt, herbal tea and smoothies.
8. Picking up on your snack supply, keep wholewheat crackers like Ryvita, humous, olives, unsalted nuts and seeds, vegetable sticks (carrots, celery and cucumber with humous makes a yummy snack) and cottage cheese at home and work so that you're always able to pick up a healthy snack wherever you are - remember what I said about dried fruit, so don't be tempted! Don't overdo the nuts. Although they contain good fats, fat is fat when consumed in large quantities. A handful counts as a portion, and you should avoid having more than that in a day. I have two snacks a day - one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon - between my three meals and this keeps me ticking over.
9. Most importantly, eat a healthy, balanced breakfast. I make my own oat and berry smoothies using frozen berries, a handful of oats, a tablespoon of natural Greek yoghurt, oat milk and a squirt of agave nectar to balance out the natural tartness of the ingredients. I'm happy to supply the recipe if you'd like it! Other good breakfasts would be a bowl of porridge, wholemeal toast with humous or scrambled eggs: basically anything that has a good balance of carbs and protein.
10. Take it as an excuse to cut out caffeine as well. You may lose the will to live after the first few hours without sugar and caffeine, but so many good things will be happening to your body alongside this natural energy boost that you may as well try and take advantage of this!
11. If you do get a hideous craving and can't escape it, put half a teaspoon of sugar under your tongue. This is enough to boost your energy without continuing the pleasure cycle of devouring your favourite choccy.
12. Cut down your alcohol intake as much as possible, particularly reducing consumption of beer and wine. I'm not saying rule it out: work, the boss, kids, telesales calls and our beloved partners all play their part in pushing us toward the Chablis, but keep it to a minimum, and save that glass of vino for special occasions. Weight loss will follow!
Finally, have a look at the following sugar contents and imagine what each of those teaspoons is doing to your skin and your body. Not so delicious, is it?
550ml bottle of Coke - 14 teaspoons of sugar
One slice of cheap white bread - up to 3 teaspoons of sugar
Average chocolate bar - 7 teaspoons of sugar
250ml shop-bought smoothies - often up to 7 teaspoons of sugar
Takeaway sweet and sour chicken - a whopping 19 teaspoons of sugar
I'm not saying that I'll manage to resist a nice square of chocolate every now and then, but I think knowing the facts will help me to keep to one square rather than a 1kg slab!!
Did you know about the ageing effects of sugar and will you be cutting it out of your diet? Would you like any more info on meal planning/recipes to help you in your sugar free quest?
Image courtesy of 2dayblog.com
