Government health dept targets fry ups!

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Posted on 19th September 2011 by admin in diet and fitness |health news |healthy living

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In the news today: the government’s new targets for salt levels in food will mean that many products are going to have to contain a lot less of the stuff by next year.

It’s being characterised in the press as a threat to the full English breakfast (or any other UK constituent country breakfast) but if it helps reduce hypertension (and the attendant need for medical treatment ) then it has to be a good thing, I think.

It will be interesting to see how this affects people’s perception of the cooked breakfast. My theory is that salt is really just a habit and that people will quickly get used to lower salt levels in prepared products. The other interesting outcome will be to see whether high blood pressure statistics fall along with the levels of added salt in foods.

 

Tea and weight loss

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Posted on 28th March 2011 by admin in diet and fitness

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Theaflavins and thearubigins? Me neither, but apparently according to this report in the Telegraph, they’re compounds found in tea that possibly help prevent obesity – but only if there’s no milk in the tea.

As time goes by it seems more and more as if tea’s some kind of superfood. Normally it’s green tea you hear about – they’re both made from the same kind of plant, the difference in them being down to how they are processed. Black tea is fermented – (an oxidisation process rather than an alcohol making one) whereas white and green teas aren’t. It’s this that is believed to increase the amounts of the compounds in the drink that prevent the gut absorbing fats, so the story goes.

I wouldn’t start relying on tea as a diet aid just yet though – the findings so far have come from tests on rats.

Diet and fitness on followhealth.

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Posted on 25th March 2011 by admin in diet and fitness

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While this blog is primarily about medical news and opinion, I’m hoping to do a few posts now and then on diet and fitness. In terms of fitness, we’ll be linking out to any interesting stories from the world of keep fit – but don’t worry, it won’t be about marathon training or anyhting too strenuous: just exercise for ordinary folks like us. And diet -it’s an important topic, and probably quite controversial as well. What I want to focus on are the kinds of things people are currently discussing regarding health and put forward my own views – and if anyone wants to add to the discussion, you’re more than welcome – that’s what the comments field was included for :)

Today I want to talk about diets in general – there are a lot of diets out there. You name it, there’s probably a diet based round it. Only a few years ago everyone was doing the Atkins (well, nobody here at Follow Health was, but it was fairly ubiquitous). And the strange thing is, I don’t know how anyone got on with it…? I’ve changed jobs since then and lost touch with the Atkinners. Anyone got any stories there?

Interesting dietary story in the Telegraph this week, primarily about dietary lutein and its effect on eyesight. It’s well worth a read.

Until next time – take it easy and be healthy.