Diet

Here's a sobering statistic: more than 55 per cent of those who begin the year planning to lose weight have given up within six months. If that sounds like you, don't despair. Growing evidence suggests that it isn't just willpower that ruins weight loss plans. What if dieting doesn't work and the very act of radically reducing calories to drop kilos triggers a cascade of biological changes that all but guarantee the weight will return the moment you eat normally again? Obesity researcher Dr Nicholas Fuller, from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre for global health, says the changes to metabolism brought on by radical dieting can prompt the body to pull every trick it can muster to return to its starting weight. He has a hot tip for anyone with a goal to drop kilos: do not...

More than 1.5 million Australians now have high blood cholesterol, so chances are you know someone whose blood results have returned with a little asterisk when their GP or cardiologist checked their cholesterol levels. In isolation, elevated cholesterol may not be cause for concern, but high cholesterol levels – in particular high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels – are one of the risk factors for heart disease. And with heart disease still Australia’s No.1 cause of death, especially for older Australians, why would you not make some dietary changes to help lower your risk? What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver and plays a key role in hormone production as well as the natural function of the body’s cells and nervous system. Read m...

The discovery of hundreds of genes that directly influence what we choose to eat paves the way for personalized healthy diet plans, say scientists. They believe new insights into the genetic basis for food preferences could help improve nutrition on an individual basis. In one of the first large-scale studies of genes related to diet, researchers uncovered almost 500 genes that appear to directly influence the foods we eat. They say their findings represent an important step toward using a person’s genetics to develop precision nutrition strategies that help improve health or prevent disease. Research team leader Dr. Joanne Cole told South West News Service, “Some genes we identified are related to sensory pathways — including those for taste, smell, and texture — and may also ...

Swollen arms, legs or ankles can be telltale signs your body is carrying more water and salt than normal, making moving pretty uncomfortable. About 60% of your body is water, and maintaining a healthy balance of fluids is critical for optimal health and normal function, per a 2018 article in BMC Public Health. High blood pressure, heart failure and kidney dysfunction disrupt your body's fluid balance and may require water pills for treatment. Water pills, or diuretics, help eliminate fluids from your body by making you pee more frequently. Without diuretics, extra water can make your organs work overtime, create electrolyte imbalances, and overall become life-threatening, according to a 2022 review in StatsPearls. Diuretics are among the most often used drugs in the medical field, accor...

n a recent Sunday morning in South Los Angeles, Crop Swap LA volunteers and staffers harvested bags of freshly picked produce from the front yard of a residence. Located just steps from Leimert Park Plaza, the Asante microfarm is the first of what will be numerous microfarms created by the organization, which is dedicated to growing hyperlocal food on unused spaces “in the neighborhood, exclusively for the neighborhood”. “Everything we’re growing is nutrient-dense and the food remains in the neighborhood,” says Jamiah Hargins, who founded Crop Swap LA in 2018 as a small monthly swap of surplus produce. After spending years in finance and consulting, Hargins decided to create a local food distribution system to address the fact that his neighborhood was a food desert, meaning most reside...

On the crowded supermarket shelves, food products clamor for attention, donning packaging and labels designed to clinch the deal. Some 72% of American consumers say that product packaging influences their purchase decisions—a statistic not lost on food manufacturers. This applies to not just the aesthetic design of packaging but what the labels say as well. Louis Biscotti, the National Leader for Food & Beverage Services Group at Marcum, writes in Forbes that when the FDA updated its nutrition facts label for packaged foods in 2020, companies found new opportunities to increase sales. “F&B [food and beverage] companies are finding they can use those labels and other real estate on their packaging to provide nutritional and other data to drive growth. The information on the FDA lab...

Survivalist Bear Grylls admitted he is now “embarrassed” by his previous vegan diet, claiming he was wrong to think that it was good for his health or the environment. Grylls, who previously practised both a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, recently revealed that he has begun switching to a diet consisting entirely of red meat, eggs and organ meat, according to Fox News. Prior to this, he went so far as to publish a cookbook Fuel for Life that attacked society’s “unnatural ways of breeding, keeping and killing animals”. But on Wednesday, however, the adventurist told the UK Telegraph that he was “wrong” to attack meat. “I was vegan quite a few years ago – in fact, I wrote a vegan cookbook – and I feel a bit embarrassed because I really promoted that,” Grylls said. Read th...

By making some small tweaks to your diet, you can help manage the common symptoms of menopause, explains accredited nutritionist Faye James. Menopause is a significant period in a woman's life, marked by hormonal shifts and a decline in estrogen levels. This natural transition can bring about a variety of challenging symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, anxiety, sleep disturbances, irritability, and joint pain. Moreover, menopause can negatively impact bone, heart, and brain health. Despite these challenges, making simple dietary adjustments can help ease the menopausal transition. By focusing on a wholesome, anti-inflammatory diet, women can mitigate stress and alleviate menopausal symptoms. A Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains...

The circadian diet is a type of meal plan that follows the body’s natural circadian rhythm, the 24-hour internal clock that regulates various physiological processes. It emphasises eating at specific times of the day to optimise metabolism, energy levels, and sleep quality. If you want to implement this diet, there are certain foods that you must eat, and others that are best avoided. These foods can help regulate your circadian rhythm, boost your energy levels, and promote better sleep quality, leading to an overall improvement in your health and well-being. Here are five foods to eat as well as five food items to avoid while on a circadian diet. FOODS TO EAT Leafy green vegetables Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and broccoli are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants....