Eating slower helps you stay slimmer!! - Experts claim here.

A recent study has suggested that chewing food slowly can cut the risk of obesity by a third. Apparently, people who ate their meals at a "normal" rate were 29 per cent less likely to be dangerously fat than those who "wolfed down their mosh". Those who ate slowest cut their rate by 42 per cent.

The reason, say researchers, is it takes about 20 minutes for our gut to tell our brain we are full - putting those who ate quickly at the greatest risk of overeating. The study also suggested that rushed workers who gobble down snacks and sandwiches at lunch are fuelling the obesity epidemic.

Researchers at Japan's Kyushu University studied 60000 diabetics over six years, getting them to record whether they ate quickly, slowly or at normal speed. Those who consumed their food slowly lost a sixth of an inch from their waistline compared with the fastest eaters.

HMHB promotes healthy nutrition, and that involves not just what you eat, but also how you eat - even things like portion size is important. Lunch is a dangerous meal. It is often taken when you are not at home, and therefore can be processed food, or eaten quickly. Try and prepare in advance, and make suitable time to not only eat but also digest your meal. Eat with others. Conversation can help slow down your eating. Also drinking water can help make you feel fuller.

Can Oily Fish lower the risk of Breast Cancer?

For a long time now we have been advised to include oily fish in our weekly diets, but according to this research it can greatly help fight breast cancer. Let's read more.

Professor David Ma, of the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, claims that eating salmon, tuna or mackerel twice a week can slash a woman's risk of breast cancer.

Fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are an incredible eight times more effective than flaxseeds and other oils in preventing the disease.  In experiments on mice, the marine-based fats reduced the size of breast tumours by up to 70 per cent and the number of tumours by 30 per cent.

Again, this is an interesting study, with incredible findings. Changing your diet to a healthier one does not have to be expensive, and the benefits can be fantastic - and life-saving!!!

Does Green Tea lower the risk of Prostate Cancer?

We are often told we need to drink more green tea. And in a later blog entry we will delve into this. But here we talk about a study that claim it may help with Prostate cancer.

Bristol and Oxford University researchers plan a major trial after earlier studies showed that drinking green tea, or tomato juice, could lower the risk of contracting prostate cancer.  Doctors could be asked to recommend that men at risk drink green tea or tomato juice daily to ward off the disease if the trial is successful.

Tomatoes contain a compound called Lycopene, an antioxidant which has been linked to reducing cell damage and preventing cancer growth.  Green Tea contains antioxidants known as flavoids which are thought to reduce damage to cell DNA.

Anything than can help our immune system fight off illness and disease is great.. This is definitely an interesting study.

Can alcohol improve brain health? A study makes a claim

Only a couple of days ago we posted a blog post re alcohol and dementia. This is what makes this blog so interesting - here is a different view on the matter from a different study. All we can do is present the facts, as they are published. It is up to you to decide what you believe, what is true, and what you need to do abut it all.

Apparently a study claims that drinking a couple of pints of beer a day boosts the brain and cuts the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Scientists say a small daily tipple reduces brain inflammation and flushes out harmful toxins.  Two medium sized wines, or a couple of large vodkas,, would have the same effect.  However, sinking six pints damages the central nervous system.

The team from University of Rochester in New York, led by Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, studied mice to see how their brains reacted to different alcohol levels. Those given the equivalent of two pints of weak beer for an average man had less brain inflammation than booze-free mice. They also had fewer toxins that could lead to dementia-like symptoms. But brain function in mice given the equivalent of six pints was significantly reduced.  Dr Nedergaard said: "Low doses of alcohol appear to improve overall brain health."

The Alzheimer's Society have commented on this by saying "this is not a green light for people to drink more alcohol."

HMHB promotes a healthy lifestyle, which naturally includes a good diet. But we also agree with the adage "everything in moderation"

Careful where you find weight loss information and advice

This is an interesting bit of research, especially as we are including it in our blog.

We are very careful as HMHB not to tell people what to do. We pass on tools and tricks around mindset; demonstrate various exercise and ways to improve your fitness and energy levels; talk about how our body needs certain nutrition in our diets to stay healthy; and look at overall health and targets - all in a new pioneering approach with a unique interactive delivery. But notedly, we do not tell people what to do.

Even in this blog, we are putting research and studies around aspects of health and exercise, and sometimes putting our own take on it, but we do not say if it is right or wrong.

However, some blogs do want to tell you what to do. And for people wanting to lose weight, and are struggling, they may actually be doing harm. Experts have said that slimmers cannot trust weight loss advice in most blogs online!!!

A Glasgow University team studied active weight management blogs which had more than 80,000 followers (we can but dream) on at least one social media site. They found that just one in nine of the most popular gave accurate information. Wow!  Some touted opinion as fact and failed to provide any evidence for nutritional claims. And None of the blogger's meals met Public Health England calorie targets or traffic light criteria. Again, wow!!!!

They scored nine blogs against twelve credibility criteria. Writers only passed the test if they met 70% or more of this criteria.  Researchers also examined the ten latest recipes from each blog for energy content, carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, fibre, sugar and salt content.  Only ONE blog - by a registered nutritionist with a degree - passed overall with 75 per cent. The lowest score of 25 per cent was for an influencer without nutritional qualifications.

Wow - it is in credible. I know people may say that we do not have qualifications in mental health etc, but we are not giving advice. We certainly believe that anyone who is passing on advice on weight management advice to that many people, should be overseen to ensure the advice is accurate, appropriate, relevant and not harmful.

The Physical Effects of Stress

Stress is rightly recognised as a mental health issue. We all go through it, and must learn to manage it in an appropriate way.. But it an also lead to physical problems. Let's take a look.


Heartburn
Stress can increase the amount of stomach acid creating a burning feeling in your throat and chest from the acid rising. This can also be caused by a hernia.  It is good to not eat too late at night. It is possible to make it worse - smoking, alcohol, spicy foods and certain drugs (like aspirin) can all increase the symptoms. You can get antacids and over the counter medicines, but sometimes a glass of milk can help as it neutralises acidity.

Hair Loss
Losing more hair than normal can be due to stress. Shedding hair can happen when hair follicles stop growing due to stress hormones. Trichotillomania - the habit of pulling our hair - is also a sign of stress.

Insomnia
Sleep is often the hardest to do when stressed. You may have trouble falling asleep and/or wake repeatedly in the night or too early in the morning. Try a relaxing evening routine without caffeine or excess alcohol. List your worries before bed, then tell yourself it is tomorrow's agenda, not today's. A little exercise during the day can also reduce stress hormones.

Headaches
Tension headaches, often linked to stress, tend to worsen as the day goes on and are caused by scalp muscle contractions. Meditation and yoga can both help,, as can warm baths or a cool cloth across your forehead. Obviously if these symptoms continue, or get worse, seek medical assistance.

Numb Fingers
The nervous system can be affected by stress. Numbness of tingling in the finger tips can also be caused when you hyperventilate - ie. breathe too quickly.  It happens due to failing mineral levels, especially calcium, but this is normally temporary and will go away when stress levels reduce.

Bowel issues
Your gut is controlled by the autonomic system - part of the nervous system that takes care of many bodily functions. Stress hormones seem to reset this as part of the fight-or-flight  response, and the bowels operate erratically as a result.

Skin breakout
Stress often leads to skin breakouts, especially around the chin and mouth as the stress hormone cortisol tells glands in the skin to make more oil. Use a good face wash and exfoliate to clear dead skin and unclog pores. Also,, drink plenty of water to hydrate the skin.

Should you work out naked??? Let's take a look (not literally!)

closest I could find that was decent!!

HMHB loves to find stories around mindset, exercise, nutrition, health and routine - and some of them can make you frown, giggle, even get angry. Some may even be ground breaking. But I wonder what you make of this one, published last year in national newspapers. HMHB will make their own comment at the end of the posting.

We all know we need to exercise, and there are many "fads" out there, but the latest one may come as a a shock. Apparently, "naked exercise is better for people than working up a sweat in designer gym gear" - says a 'fitness expert',

A Personal Trainer called Keith McNiven, a former wrestling champion, has announced to the media that stripping off boosts body image and makes it easier to see the benefits of working out. He also says it allows the skin to breathe and makes the body more flexible than when in gym gear. He says: "working out in the nude can bring a myriad of physical and psychological benefits. So if you are brave enough, why not give it a go?"

It may seem unlikely, but it is a growing trend that has seen classes springing up around the world, with a celebrity gym in New York and West London's NKD Training among those leading the way.

Keith continued: "we are bombarded with new and innovative types of clothing from a host of different stores. Without the restriction of workout clothes as you exercise, your body is likely to be a little bit more flexible, allowing you to truly maximize your workouts."

What doe we think at HMHB?  Well, of course we actively promote exercise, movement, flexibility - whatever your age or capability there will be something you can do. In the nude?? It's definitely not for everyone, that is for certain. But anything that is going to encourage you to improve your fitness and energy levels is great. Find something you enjoy. Find a group to work alongside too - that is terrific for accountability, as well as encouragement. Have fun everyone!!

Links between Alcohol and Dementia - research here

HMHB likes to show research in this blog, some of which will naturally be controversial. People can agree or disagree. We do have our point of view, and sometimes put it in the entry at the bottom of the entry, and we will do that here.

Experts want the Government to advise people to limit drinking tp one unit of alcohol daily - which equates to less than half a pint of beer, or less than a glass of wine. Seriously!!!  They say, drinking a pint of lager a day could poison the brain and increase the risk of dementia.

The Study of more than 13000 drinkers by Oxford Academic, published in the Journal of Public Health, warned that tiny tipples could result in long-term health problems. It found 10g of alcohol daily was a "more appropriate upper limit to preserve cognitive performance" then the Department of Health's current guideline of 16g.

Professor Simon Moore, one of the Study's co-authors, said: "we cannot hide the fact evidence i9s accumulating sgowing that it does a lot more damage in health than we previously thought. If people want a happy future, they need to know the facts about alcohol before deciding how much they drink."

However, the President of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, MP Nigel Evans, insists the new guideline would do more harm than good. He describes people who have lived into their 100s, and put it down to a daily tot of whiskey. He says: "i think more people are likely to die of stress worrying about drinking rather than getting on with it and working out what is right for them."

HMHB is very much into allowing people to make their own decisions, but also promoting a choice and responsibility to look after their health and well-being. Life is too short to not enjoy it and have treats. Many people use alcohol as a way to cope with the stress of life, and boost their mood. This is not good, of course, and this is why we promote a growth mindset mentality, But also, we would ot tell people what to eat or drink. Everything in moderation is a great adage. Just be responsible!!!

Fat kids - a parent's responsibility

Research suggests that more than half of parents fail to recognize that their child is fat!!!  55 per cent believe their children are slimmer than they actually are - and instead will describe them as "big boned"  or "solid", rather than worried about obesity.

They were less likely to spot the signs of excess weight in boys than in girls, the study found. Fat parents were the least likely to realise their child was overweight or obese. Currently, one in three British children leaving Primary School is fat. Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, strokes and some cancers.

Nottingham University experts looked at the data on nearly 25000 families. Researcher Abrar Alsahrani said: "identifying weight problems in childhood and adolescence is a unique opportunity to have a lifetime impact on health."

The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow. Dr. Max Davie, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: this study adds to the idea that as a society we are becoming blind to the obesity epidemic."

Truth or Fiction? Snacking is bad for you

try not to be like Homer

We all love a nibble. Whether we are on holiday visiting a beach, out shopping in town, enjoying  a film at the cinema, it can be comforting to treat ourselves. And remember, nobody gets fat by eating a doughnut, or loses weight by eating an apple. Treats are good for mental health too.

Eating during the day is actually good for you - but it is the choices we make on a regular basis that is critical.  Low sugar, high protein snacks can help to maintain your blood-sugar levels, keeping you feeling full and preventing your body from storing excess fat. Snacks full of sugar though can have a detrimental effect over time.

So if you are going to snack, try and plan in advance. Take snacks with you - like fruit, nuts, etc.