Posts tagged with "diet.co.uk"

Less Focus on Weight-Loss, More Focus on Healthy Habits

The mass media is often filled with messages about the importance of losing weight. It is particularly frightening for those who may be above the “normal” range of the body mass index. The public are faced with phrases like “get lean” and “eat clean” all with the same message that losing weight is the ultimate answer to everything. Both the mass media and health professionals alike also cite weight-loss as the cure for health issues like diabetes, heart disease and untimely death. Overall Health Should Always be Considered However, some experts are stating that focusing on weight-loss as the only goal is the wrong thing to do....

Why Celebrity Fad Diets Should be Avoided

Celebrities are often a source of inspiration for the public, especially for body image. Famous people are often portrayed at their best and the public wants to aspire to that. As a result, there is a fascination as to what diet they use to keep them looking their best. However, celebrity diets could be setting people up for failure by making it more difficult to lose weight. This fascination with fad diets could potentially do more harm than good. Don't Set Impossible Goals When it comes to weight loss there is an entire industry for it. It can be hard for people to find their way through various fad diets, especially the ones championed...

TV Advertising Increasing Junk Food Cravings in Teenagers

Today, obesity levels are on the increase with young people at risk. According to NHS data from 2016/17, 20% of children are already obese by ages 10 and 11. Even if children manage to remain a healthy weight, they are still vulnerable to dangerous weight gain as teenagers. According to a recent study, TV advertising is a likely problem. Advertising Could Be Fuelling the Obesity Crisis A new report conducted by Cancer Research UK indicates that junk food consumption amongst teenagers directly links to advertising. According to the report, teenagers who watch over three hours of commercial TV daily are likely to increase their junk food...

M&S and Their Misguided Attempt to Sell Cauliflower Steak

In recent years, the amount of people taking on a vegetarian or vegan diet has increased. There has also been a rise in imaginative ways in which people can include vegetables in their food. This has included cauliflower ‘rice’ and courgette spaghetti. As a result, supermarkets have had conform to the considerable demand to include more vegetarian and vegan options on their shelves. M&S attempted to do so, by selling slices of cauliflower steak. However, they were faced by a wave of criticisms from customers. A New Plant Based Alternative by M&S M&S have launched a new vegetarian range. Part of it includes cauliflower...

Why Detox Diets Should be Reconsidered

January is usually the month where the public are dealing with an aftermath of indulgence. Following the festive period, the diet industry is in full throttle. One of the most popular dieting trends that will appear at the beginning of the new year will be the detox. What is Detoxing? Detoxing itself is a natural, biological process whereby the body excretes toxins. Natural detoxing is carried out by the liver, kidneys, skin and lungs. Any harmful toxins are cleared out of the body. The toxins that the body can expel include things such as alcohol or air pollution; as well as toxins inside the body that are part of natural processes. For...

Mindful Eating for 2018

Mindful eating may sound like another diet fad, especially around the New Year. Really, it’s a way of changing eating habits and focusing on eating without distraction. Although it sounds simple it can have a significant impact. Practising mindful eating correctly can help weight loss and improve digestion. Additionally, mindful eating can also benefit dining experiences by enriching them. How to Practice Mindful Eating It may be obvious, but sitting down to eat is very important. During busy days, people will often rely on convenient, on-the-go food. Today, there’s so much variety that almost any type of food can be takeaway....

100 Calorie Snack Campaign to Tackle Children’s Health

Obesity is still a huge cause for concern and more alarmingly, childhood obesity needs to be tackled with some urgency. According to statistics from the NHS, one-fifth of primary school children aged 10-11 years are obese. Worryingly, 9.6% of children in reception in 2016-17 were obese. Obese children face the same health risks as their adult counter parts, including: increased risk of stroke, heart disease, breathing problems and diabetes. Furthermore, children who are obese are more likely to remain so well into their adult life. Unsurprisingly this is an issue that needs to be addressed. As a result, Public Health England have launched a...

Supermarkets Reveal Use of Antibiotics in Meat

Antibiotics are essential to modern medicine. They are possibly the most effective way of treating infections. Antibiotic treatment has immensely benefited human-kind and they continue to prevent, control and treat diseases and infections. However, there is a danger of antibiotics being overused which will result in them being less effective. Antibiotics can also pose a significant risk to human health. They are also used in meat processing which has come under great criticism because of the potential over-use. Antibiotics in Farming Indoor farming industries regularly use antibiotics when processing meat. The drugs help farm animals...

Water Fasting Is the Newest Social Media Trend

Social media continues to play a large part in setting the latest trend for the public to try. This is very relevant when it comes to dieting. New fads appear so regularly, it is hard to know where the real information lies. The latest trend is Water Fasting and dieters have taken to social media in their thousands to share their experience. However, the supposed fad is actually a long-standing practice. Despite this, experts are warning that consumers are putting their health at risk for using a quick fix to solve a long-term problem. Water Fasting Isn't Anything New Fasting has been part of some religious practices for centuries. Water...

Be Careful with Left-Overs This Christmas

Left-overs are an essential part of Christmas. The huge abundance of food that goes uneaten each year, finds its way into people’s fridges. It’s a consumer mindset that we can’t waste so much food. Christmas food is special, and it feels good to still eat it in the following days. Consumers generally throw caution to the wind during the festive period and that will extend until after Christmas Day. However, this is also the time of year where there is a spike in the amount of people who contract food poisoning, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Left-overs are a great part of the season, but consumers need to be more...

Prebiotics

There is more knowledge surrounding probiotics than there is for prebiotics. Both are forms of functional food, yet the former is more widely known about than the latter. Prebiotics have potential benefits like probiotics, but they are different. What Are Prebiotics? A form of functional food, prebiotics are specialised plant fibres that nourish good bacteria already present in the gut. Although they are like probiotics, this is where the similarity ends. The function of probiotics is to introduce beneficial bacteria to the gut, whereas prebiotics help the gut bacteria that are already present. Essentially, their function is to help what...

Slimming World Diet Programme Encourages Food Anxiety

Slimming World boasts a significant popularity, with 900,000 members attending groups across the nation on a weekly basis. The website and magazines voice successful weight loss stories. Slimming World is certainly having an impact because the NHS refers overweight patients to their groups. The organisation’s ethos is based on members having free choice so that they can diet without any guilt. However, this has come under fire for having the exact opposite effect. How Does the Slimming World Diet Work? The Slimming World diet programme promotes ‘Food Optimising’. It’s a basic concept whereby dieters need to take in less calories...

Probiotics Explained

There isn’t much awareness surrounding probiotics. They are widely available in the supermarkets and consumers appear to be buying them. You might commonly know them as yoghurts or drinks that have added benefits. Probiotics are said to be essential for good health, but a lot of these findings lack evidence. We are then left with more questions than answers. What benefits are there from consuming probiotic products and how can we avoid products with false health claims? What are Probiotics? Probiotics are live bacteria that are supposed to have health benefits. Generally, they are described as ‘good’ or ‘friendly’ bacteria. It is...

Snacking Could be Making You Hungrier

It is generally viewed that a balanced, varied diet which includes three meals per day is said to keep the body fuelled and ourselves satisfied. If the feeling of hunger ever arises between meals, we will use snacking to help us through. However, snacking can get somewhat excessive throughout the holiday season. During December, we are much more inclined to snack continuously. Furthermore, our snacking choices at this time are less healthy. Consumers are more likely to pick sweets, pastries and cheese.  Ironically, snacking can leave us feeling hungrier than when we started. Consequently, because we’re left feeling hungrier we will...

Functional Foods

In the 21st century we are facing modern age health problems. Indeed, there have been great improvements; health care, hygiene and awareness of diet have all contributed to a better quality of life. Despite this, there are new issues that have arisen, and Functional Foods could be a potential solution. Modern Diseases. An increase in food production, food trends and new attitudes towards consumption have had a significant health impact. Obesity and diabetes are currently proficient. Modern health problems are more concentrated in the west where food production and consumption are both high. However, such health issues are becoming...

Frankenfoods are Taking Over the World

A healthy, balanced diet is the basis of living well. Part of this includes keeping tasty but non-nutritional food to a minimum. Populations have become more reliant on what are known as Frankenfoods and they can be harmful to our health. Along with the presence of fake food, corporations are seriously profiting from processed and potentially damaging food. What are Frankenfoods? Frankenfoods are named as such because they aren’t really food. Indeed, consumers eat them, but they don’t have any nutritional value. There are a lot of frankenfoods that are easily obtained and are being consumed without an understanding of what is being...

Don't Forget Your Vegan Guests This Christmas

If you oversee the Christmas dinner, the task ahead can appear overwhelming. Cooking for a group is daunting enough but on such a significant day seems to add the pressure. If one of your guests is a vegan, there’s no need to panic. The worst thing that you can do is make them feel singled out. Catering for a vegan Christmas meal is surprisingly easy and can keep everyone happy. It's OK to Ask The best thing to do is to simply talk to your guest. On their part, the lead up to the holidays can be stressful especially if this is their first Christmas as a vegan. There is the dread of creating tension when there’s something that sets them...

Let's Be Ethical This Christmas

Food is an essential part of Christmas. Large dinner tables that are full to the brim are normal. Instinctively, we associate a large amount of food with a proper Christmas celebration. Everything is bought in bulk so that there’s enough for guests. Supermarket chains capitalise on this; creating deals and reducing prices so that customers are encouraged to buy in a non ethical way. We are more than likely buying without being conscious of what goes into the food and where it comes from. The Truth About Turkey People often get caught up in the traditions of Christmas. 87% of the British public are adamant that Christmas simply isn’t...

How to Have Yourself a Healthy Little Christmas

When Christmas arrives, there is always some excitement. During December, we act differently to any other time of the year. Being healthy all of the time isn't that fun. As a result, we tend to throw much more caution to the wind because it’s the season of celebration. Why not? It is Christmas after all. We All Go Wild At Christmas Throughout the year, we’ve worked hard and now it’s time to enjoy that. Christmas allows us a free pass to be more relaxed; especially with our diet. It's not just on the day, its all throughout the festive period. Any other time of the year, consuming things like chocolate, pastries and alcohol on an...

Can Diet Help Reduce and Prevent Alzheimer's?

Our brains change as we age. Factors that can influence this include: genetics, neuro transmitters (brain chemicals), hormones and life experiences. Developing Alzheimer's generally depends on age and family heritage. Unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive, scientific way to reduce the risk or prevent it altogether. Nevertheless, dietary changes can possibly be beneficial. What is the 'MIND' Diet? Everyone knows that having a healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone of living well. What if that extended to our brains? Research shows that the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) could possibly reduce the...
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