Big changes like cutting out all carbs or training for a marathon are great—but you don’t have to remake yourself to have a dramatic impact on your health. Try a few of these baby steps to get you started in the right direction. Add a fruit or veggie to every meal Not ready to give up a bad habit yet? Start by creating an easy good-for-you habit instead. “Less than one in three individuals gets even two servings of fruits…
Grade school kids may be more likely to develop asthma if they consumed lots of drinks sweetened with sugar and high fructose corn syrup or if their mothers drank these beverages often during pregnancy, a recent study suggests. To assess the connection between childhood asthma, sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages, researchers examined data about eating habits from about 1,000 mother-child pairs as well as information on kids’ health, including whether they had an asthma diagnosis by ages 7 to 9….
Excess sugar in the diet could play an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, new research finds. Too much glucose (sugar) in the diet damages a vital enzyme which helps fight the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Omar Kassaar, the study’s first author, said: “Excess sugar is well known to be bad for us when it comes to diabetes and obesity, but this potential link with Alzheimer’s disease is yet another reason that we should be controlling…
(CNN) There’s no magic pill that will cure you of your cravings. But there is something that may help the effort, and it’s all-natural. Research has shown that simply spicing up your diet may help you consume less salt and possibly less sugar, while potentially improving your health even beyond the reduction of salt and sugar. There is more consistent evidence that spicy food helps curb salt cravings than sugar. In a study involving more than 600 people from China…
Half of North Americans use a drink linked to dementia on any given day. Both sugary and artificially sweetened ‘diet’ drinks are linked to dementia by two new studies. People who drink sugary beverages tend to have poorer memories, smaller brains and a smaller hippocampus (an area vital for learning and memory). Diet sodas, though, don’t seem much safer. A follow-up study found that people who drink diet sodas are three times more likely to develop dementia and stroke, compared…
Previous studies have shown that sugar can be just as addictive as cocaine, but recent research suggests the sweet stuff may not be doing any favours for our mental health, either. According to a recent report by the University College London, published in the Scientific Reports journal, men who consumed a high intake of sweet food and drinks were more likely to develop common mental health disorders like anxiety and depression after five years. “Our research confirms an adverse effect…
Your food and beverage choices can have a big effect on your energy levels throughout the day, an expert says. As our energy levels decrease because of our overstressed lifestyles, many people look for a quick fix to combat fatigue. Energy drinks mask the symptoms of fatigue and dehydrate the body. The majority of energy drinks contain excess sugar, high levels of caffeine and other stimulants. Relying on caffeine and energy drinks makes us feel worse in the long run…
Obesity is a major problem in Canada. And though it’s not as pronounced as in the U.S., among advanced economies, the Great White North ranks with the fattest countries. A new study suggests that may have something to do with NAFTA. The research, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), found that lower import tariffs on high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) implemented under the free trade agreement resulted in a larger supply and likely consumption of added sweeteners in Canada….
Government is also revising the Canada Food Guide to include foods that should be avoided altogether The junk food advertising ban for everyone under the age of 17 would cover most cheeses and foods that are high in fat and salt such as chips, frozen waffles, fruit juice and even granola bars. Health Canada is considering a widespread ban on the marketing of unhealthy food to kids under the age of 17. It could cover everything from TV, online and…
No more meal math: Eating high-quality foods—including plenty of fat—is the new golden rule of weight loss. Keri Rabe, a 41-year-old elementary school librarian in Austin, Texas, used to be a hard-core calorie counter. Each day for a year, she logged everything she ate, squeezing in caloric space for twice-baked potatoes and tater tot casseroles by making them with low-fat dairy, believing fat would make her fat. She studied the menu before eating out at restaurants, choosing a dish by…