8 Expert Tips and Scientific Facts to Help You Burn Fat Fast

Weight loss is all about burning fat, but how do you do that in a way that doesn’t harm your wellbeing? We’ve rounded up the best expert tips and scientifically proven facts to help you burn fat faster and look after your wellness in the process.

 

1. Drink Green Tea: Wellness expert Hallie Levine details, ‘Green tea isn’t known only for its cancer-fighting benefits: It may help boost your metabolism, too. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their metabolic rate increase by about 4%, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.’ Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist and author of Cooking with Joy, comments that because green tea contains catechins, it increases your brain’s levels of the metabolism-speeding chemical norepinephrine.

 

2. Pump Iron: ‘A pound of muscle burns up to nine times the calories of a pound of fat,’ notes Richard Cotton, MA, chief exercise physiologist for myexerciseplan.com. Levine explains, ‘Weight training increases your resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn while sitting on your butt. What’s more, it gives your metabolism an added boost after you exercise: It remains in overdrive for up to two hours after the last bench press, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.’

 

3. Eat Iron: Samantha Heller, RD, a nutritionist at the New York University Medical Centre, warns, ‘If you don’t have enough of this mineral, your body can’t get enough oxygen to your cells, which slows down your metabolism.’ Good sources of iron include lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereal and soy nuts.

 

4. Drink Plenty of Water: ‘A new German study found that when you drink 17 ounces of water (about two glasses) within a certain time frame, your metabolic rate shoots up by about 30%,’ says Levine. ‘Using these results, they estimate that by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 litres a day, a person would burn an extra 17,400 calories a year, resulting in about a five-pound weight loss.’

 

5. Get Your Thyroid Checked: Pamela Peeke, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and author of Fight Fat After Forty, points out, ‘The thyroid gland controls your body’s metabolism, so one of the first signs that it may be off is an inability to lose weight.’

 

6. Avoid Alcohol: While everyone likes a glass of wine with dinner, drinking water instead can help keep your favourite meals from going straight to your hips. ‘Alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system,’ Levine states. ‘A British study found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal, less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.’

 

7. Start Interval Training: Researchers at Laval University in Quebec have shown that high-intensity interval training burns more fat than regular, consistent aerobic exercise. Glenn Gaesser, PhD, director of the Kinesiology Programme at the University of Virginia and author of The Spark, recommends, ‘Even if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout, you can walk at a normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every three minutes.’

 

8. Consume More Calcium: A study published in the journal Obesity Research found that if you eat low-fat dairy products, such as non-fat yoghurt and low-fat cheese, three to four times a day, you can lose 70% more fat than low-dairy dieters. Study author Michael Zemel, MD, director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, explains, ‘Calcium serves as a switch that tells your body to burn excess fat faster.’

Categories: expert tips, fat-burning, green tea, Interval Training, iron, metabolic rate, Metabolism, nbsp, study, study published, Weight Loss

Reasons Why You’re Feeling Faint and Hot During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, most women find that their sexual wellness and wellbeing is affected in numerous ways. Many of them feel faint, lightheaded or hot during pregnancy, due to varying hormones and the extra weight that you are carrying. With rest, these issues should subside, but if the problem continues then it can mean that you are suffering from a nutrient deficiency. If you find that you are feeling faint, hot or lightheaded, talk to your diet and have them check your iron levels, as well as looking at the overall quality of your diet.

 

Inadequate iron levels during pregnancy can mean that the oxygen in your body is reduced, which can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath or irritability. Reducing your intake of caffeine can help, as can reducing your intake of phosphates (which are most commonly found in soda) as these can interfere with the way in which your body absorbs iron. You can also try eating iron-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, leafy vegetables, raisins, red beans, beets and eggs.

 

You can also boost your iron intake with a good prenatal vitamin. Some of them may cause indigestion, so you can switch to a whole-foods-based prenatal vitamin. Nettle tea is another good way of getting iron into your system. Many natural health food shops also sell loose tea that has been formulated specifically for pregnant women. You should, however, make sure that you consult with your doctor before taking any kind of herb or supplement during pregnancy.

 

It’s also important to look out for ketones in the urine, as these can be a sign of inadequate nutrition, as they appear when your body is burning fat to supply the calories that it needs. Physical symptoms of this can include extreme hunger, cold sweats, extreme exhaustion and feelings of sweat or cold.

Categories: dizziness, faint, feeling faint, Intake, iron, iron levels, nbsp, pregnancy, prenatal vitamin

Could Iron Supplements Prevent Behavioural Problems in Kids?

If you’re baby is born underweight, giving him or her iron supplements may reduce the risk of behavioural problems later in life. This is according to a new Swedish study, published in the journal Paediatrics, which has found that low-birth-weight babies who did not receive iron supplements were 4.5 times more likely to show signs of behavioural problems at the age of three compared with low-birth-weight babies who did receive iron supplements during early infancy.

 

When babies have a low birth weight – meaning that they weigh less than 5.5 pounds or 2,500 grams – they are at a higher risk of developing behavioural problems as well as iron deficiency, albeit this condition has itself been linked to behavioural problems. Therefore, the results of the study suggest that you may be able to partially prevent your child’s risk of behavioural problems by giving them iron supplements, in a kind of two-birds-one-stone situation. Dr. David Mendez, a neonatologist at Miami Children’s Hospital, who was not involved in the study, explains that the findings support the current recommendation that you should provide iron supplements to low-birth-weight babies starting at one month of age.

 

The American Academy of Paediatrics states that healthy babies should receive iron supplements starting at four months of age if they are breastfed, although babies who are exclusively formula fed will receive enough iron this way. However, because babies who are born with a low birth weight grow quite rapidly, and may not have received enough iron from mothers during pregnancy to last them the duration of their first few months of life, they may need to start having supplements at an earlier age. However, as most of the babies in the study were breastfed, Mendez comments that the study needs to be replicated in different populations to confirm the effect seen on behaviour problems.

 

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioural paediatrics at Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Centre of New York, notes, ‘In some ways [the findings are] not surprising because we know iron is an important micronutrient in the diet of very young children.’ Animal studies, for example, have shown that iron is an essential nutrient in the development of the brain. Still, Adesman asserts that the behaviour assessment used in the study could not diagnose behavioural problems by itself, so additional evaluations are needed. He adds that the results would also have been stronger if teacher assessments had been included.

 

The researchers themselves caution that the study was too small to rule out the possibility that iron provided by exclusive formula feeding could have affected their results. Nonetheless, many of the babies were at least partially breastfed for up to six months. However, Mendez points out another reason the study needs to be replicated; iron has a bad taste. It’s often hard to get babies to take iron supplements every day, and this is reflected in the study results. 23% of children in the study had poor compliance, meaning that less than 70% of the supplement doses were given.

 

However, while it is recommended to give iron supplements to low-birth-weight infants, the long-term impact this has on their wellness has not been rigorously studied. More over, studies suggest that too much iron may linked to health risks, such as impaired cognitive development. Plus, researchers have barely even touched upon the specific risks and benefits of iron supplements for babies who are marginally low birth weight (between 4.4 to 5.5 pounds) so it’s important to tread with caution. As your baby’s wellbeing could be at risk from too much iron, it’s important to speak to your child’s doctor about iron supplementation before you proceed.

Categories: babies, behavioural problems, birth weight, iron, Iron supplements, receive iron, Research, study, Supplements, weight babies

Necessary Nutrients: How to Eat Your Vitamins and Minerals

Although pills seem like the easy fix for your wellbeing, the truth is there’s no substitute for diet and nutrition wellness. Sure, you need vitamins and minerals to keep your body functioning at its best – after all, these nutrients are essential in building strong bones; improving brainpower, mood, and memory; and possibly helping the immune system ward off ailments both large and small. Still, according to Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of the antioxidant research lab at Tufts University, ‘Vitamins should be used only as supplements to the diet, not substitutes for healthy food.’ So let’s take a look at the vitamins you need, and how you can incorporate them into your diet.

 

1. Calcium: You need this mineral for bone health, which is vital as you age. Therefore, you want 1000mg every day before you turn 50, and at least 1200 thereafter. You want to spread your calcium consumption out throughout the day, as your body can’t absorb more than 500 milligrams of calcium at a time. The best daily menu is an eight-ounce glass of skimmed milk, one cup of yoghurt, one cup of cooked spinach, and one fig.

 

2. Vitamin D: Not only do you need this vitamin to absorb calcium, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. Before the age of 50, you should be getting 200IUs every day, and 400-600IUs after that. Your body produces this vitamin when your skin is exposed to sunlight, so you only need to get out in the sun (without sun cream) for 10-15 minutes three times a week. Otherwise, you can get 200IUs from a 3½ ounce serving of salmon, or two cups of fortified milk.

 

3. Vitamins B6 and B12: These vitamins are vital for the functioning of your blood, nerves, and the immune system, and not getting enough could increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. You need 1.3 milligrams (mg) of B6 and 2.4 micrograms of B12 every day, which you can get from a cup of plain yoghurt and a banana, one ounce of sunflower seeds, and three ounces of roast beef.

 

4. Folic Acid (Folate): If you’ve ever had a baby, you’ll know how important folate is to your baby’s wellbeing. This B vitamin helps to prevent neural-tube birth defects, such as spina bifida, and deficiencies can increase your risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and stroke. You need 400 micrograms every day, which you can get from a ¾ cup serving of fortified breakfast cereal, or a combination of a cup of peas, a cup of cooked spinach, and about five spears of asparagus.

 

5. Vitamin C: As you know, vitamin C is good for you immune system, but it also boosts you “good” HDL cholesterol. You need 75-200mg every day, which you can almost get from just one orange. Other food sources include strawberries, red and green peppers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach and kale.

 

6. Vitamin E: As a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E is an amazing nutrient, especially with regards to your eye health and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. You generally need about 22.5IUs a day, but anything up to 150IUs won’t hurt. You can get all you need from a cup of raw broccoli coupled with two ounces of either almonds or sunflower seeds.

 

7. Iron: Iron-deficiency anaemia is common in women, as you lose a lot of the mineral during your periods, especially if you have heavy ones. To prevent this, you need about 18mg a day, which is best attained through a large spinach salad, a cup of lentil soup, and a small (three-ounce) serving of red meat.

Categories: calcium, cooked spinach, heart disease, iron, nbsp, ounce, ounce serving, sunflower seeds, vitamin, vitamin c, vitamin e, vitamins

Supplement Saviour: When is Diet Not Enough?

You know that you need to include all the essential vitamins and minerals in your diet, but what about those nutrients that need a little wellness boost? Most of the research suggesting vitamins and minerals prevent cancer and heart disease has been done in dietary sources of nutrients, rather than supplements, so is there ever any point in taking your vitamins and minerals in pill form? The odds are that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fortified food will give you everything you need to enhance your wellbeing, while supplements are more of a just-in-case form of health insurance. Let’s take a closer look at the beneficial nutrients, and if they’re best attained through diet, or whether they could use a helping hand.

 

1. Beta-carotene: Your body converts this antioxidant into vitamin A and uses it for healthy vision, good skin and a functioning immune system. You can get plenty from carrots, sweet potatoes, and green peppers, among other foods, but what about supplements? According to a 2004 study, taking your beta-carotene in pill form may actually raise your risk of lung cancer if you’re a smoker, so it’s best to get all the antioxidant you need from your diet.

 

2. Calcium: As you probably know from every yogurt advert ever, you need calcium to maintain healthy bones and stave off osteoporosis. However, if you’re dairy intolerant, or you’re getting sick of kale and canned sardines, supplements aren’t a bad idea as long as you don’t take more than 500 milligrams at a time, and pair them with vitamin D to improve your body’s calcium absorption. However, you shouldn’t pop the pill version of calcium if you’re a female over the age of 70, or if you’re prone to kidney stones. In 2010, a report showed a link between calcium supplements and heart-attack risk in older postmenopausal women.

 

3. Folic acid: Although the jury’s still out as to whether folate combats cancer, heart disease, or mental illness, this B vitamin – found in fortified breakfast cereal, dark green vegetables, legumes, citrus fruit juice, bread, and pasta – is beneficial in preventing neural tube defects such as spina bifida in babies. This is why it’s absolutely vital to get 400mg of folic acid every day, or 600mg if you’re pregnant or lactating. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) advises that this amount should come from food, supplements, or both.

 

4. Iron: As the foods highest in iron are liver and other organ meats, you might find yourself wanting to skip your iron intake altogether. However, as women are particularly prone to anaemia – thanks to that special time of month – this mineral is absolutely critical to give your red blood cells the boost they need to prevent this fatigue-inducing condition. Luckily, there are delicious dietary sources of iron, including lean meats, seafood, nuts, and green, leafy vegetables. Still, Jessica Anderson, a registered dietician with the Coastal Bend Health Education Centre, at the Texas A&M Health Science Centre, says you might need a supplement if you are anaemic, have heavy periods or if your doctor has prescribed one before surgery.

 

5. Potassium: If you have high blood pressure, too much sodium or an irregular heart rhythm, potassium can sort you out. While the mineral is found in bananas, raisins, leafy greens, oranges, and milk, you might want to consider a supplement if you’re of African origin, as you’re at a higher risk for hypertension for hypertension and heart disease. People taking potassium-depleting diuretics for a heart condition might also benefit from supplements, but remember that too much potassium can be harmful to older people and people with kidney disease.

Categories: beta carotene, calcium, diet, dietary sources, folic acid, heart, heart disease, iron, nbsp, pill form, potassium, Supplements

Could Too Much Iron be Doing You Harm?

Everyone needs a sufficient amount of iron in order to maintain good health, as the red blood cells require it to carry oxygen to the cells around the body. It’s also needed in the production of ATP or adenosine triphosphate, the body’s energy source. Excess iron is stored in the bone marrow, liver, spleen and muscles. However, it’s been found that excess consumption of iron supplements could lead to an increase in the amount of iron stored in the body. Everyone will react differently to this, but there are various side effects which are particularly common in women.

 

For example, research has shown that too much iron in the body can increase risk of developing cirrhosis or liver cancer. This is because the liver is one such organ where iron is stored. Too much of this nutrient can put pressure on the liver, which can cause irreversible scarring and can be very painful – this can increase the chances of liver cancer developing. This disease can also occur in women who have a disease known as hematochromatosis, which is caused by iron in foods when consumed in large amounts. Excess quantities of iron can also lead to heart failure or arrhythmia, which is caused by the iron interfering with the electrical conductivity of a person. The heart pumps blood around the entire body, and when iron affects this it can lead to heart failure. Swelling of the legs and problems with your breathing are symptoms of heart failure, which you should be observant of.

 

Some women notice changes to their skin which may be caused by too much iron. When the iron moves from the bloodstream to the tissues in the body, it gets stored in the skin cells. This can affect the quality or tone, making it become grey or bronze in colour. Studies suggest that 90 percent of women who had high levels of iron in their bodies noticed a change in the colour of their skin. The hyper pigmentation can also lead to women being more sensitive to the damaging ultraviolet rays.

 

Those with the previously mentioned condition hemochromatosis could also suffer with problems with the pancreas. 75 percent of people with this problem go on to develop diabetes – in fact, anyone with a family history of these two problems will be more prone to developing them. This is because too much iron in the pancreas affects the insulin production, which increases the amount of blood sugar levels in the body. Excess iron can build up in the joints to lead to damaged tissues, making women the victims of chronic arthritis. This is because the tissue damage renders the bone exposed, leading to immense pain as the bones rub together. And because the large quantities of iron in the blood stops the body repairing the tissues, this condition never repairs itself. It simply increases the inflammation and heightens the amount of pain the individual suffers. Women, more so than men, should be wary of too much iron in the body, as this can lead to damage in the ovaries. Studies suggest that this can manifest itself in the form of irregular menstrual cycles and the loss of ovulation. And in adolescent females, it can also delay puberty. If you’re worried about the amount of iron in your body, you should seek the advice of your GP. They will be able to arrange a simple blood test to ascertain the levels in the body, and adjust them with your diet or medication if necessary.

Categories: Blood, body, excess iron, health conditions, heart failure, iron, lead, liver cancer, studies suggest, Supplements, Women

How to Adjust Your Diet According to Your Female Cycles

As a woman, you need different things from your diet as your body goes through certain changes. Changes like menstruation, pregnancy, breast feeding and menopause – basically anything to do with your reproductive wellness – can have an impact on other areas of your wellbeing, and so, during these times, you need to take special measures to ensure you’re getting the right vitamins and minerals in your diet.

 

1. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

As you’re probably all too aware, the hormone fluctuations that go on during your cycle affect your body and state of mind. As your period approaches, you generally have higher energy intakes and food cravings, but you can temper or stop these cravings by eating high-protein foods every few hours. During this time, it’s also common to experience fluid retention, as the hormones encourage your body to hold salt, so reducing your intake of salty foods can help you to bloat less. To combat the moodiness, tiredness and constipation that often accompanies PMS, it may help to take B vitamins, especially vitamin B6.

 

2. Iron and anaemia

Iron is a mineral your body needs to create haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in your blood. Although blokes only need 8mg of iron a day, and they metabolise the mineral at the same rate as women, you need up to 18mg or 27mg if you’re pregnant. This is because you lose a lot of iron when you’re on your period, amounting to a loss of 1mg for every day of bleeding. Without iron, you can become anaemic, so you need to consume more red meat, chicken, fish, fortified cereals, legumes, nuts and leafy green vegetables. Also, you may want to avoid alcohol, tea, high-fibre foods and calcium supplements when on your period, as this can mess with your body’s absorption of iron.

 

3. Pregnancy

The concept of “eating for two” can be confusing; it’s not about how much you eat, but the quality of what you’re eating that’s more important than ever now you’re pregnant. You need to meet your baby’s nutritional needs as well as your own, which involves eating a variety of foods from each of the key food groups. You should pay special attention to calcium, folic acid (folate), iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin C. Extra folic acid, for example, is vital for the development and growth of new cells, as it can reduce your baby’s risk of neural tube defects. Iodine is needed for normal mental development of the baby, while vitamin C is important for normal gum, tooth, bone and tissue formation.

 

4. Breastfeeding

You need a healthy diet during this time as you need to provide adequate nutrition to produce breast milk, with particular regard to protein, calcium, iron, vitamins and fluids. The best thing to do is to eat a variety of foods from each of the key food groups each day, but if you were anaemic during pregnancy, you should pay special attention to iron-rich foods so that you can replace your iron stores.

 

5. Menopause

As you start to go through menopause, you’re at an increased risk of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, which can lead to fractures. This is because bone strength largely depends on oestrogen, which dramatically reduces during menopause. However, even though it happens later in life, you need to start consuming the right amount of calcium now, as bone strength in later life depends on the development of bones earlier in life. In order to boost your calcium consumption, you may need to limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you consume, get regular exercise and ensure you get enough vitamin D.

Categories: body, bone strength, diet, folic acid, Food Groups, foods, iron, key food, Menopause, pay special, PMS, pregnancy, special attention

Top Foods for Strong and Silky Hair

Strong, lustrous locks are the desire of every woman, and you only need to see the expense of shampoos, conditioners and serums to see the extent they’ll go to to achieve it. After a while though, shampoos can only go so far. Your diet is the best way to create stronger and more beautiful hair, by providing it with the nutrients it needs to grow stronger from within. A well balanced diet can provide these vitamins and minerals to develop luscious, enviable hair. Supplements can sometimes backfire as they don’t really give you everything that you need. The following foods could be just the ticket though, as well as providing the rest of your body with a boost as well.

 

Green vegetables

Green, leafy vegetables are fantastic sources of vitamins A and C, which helps your body to produce sebum for shiny and healthy hair. They also provide the body with iron and calcium, which are beneficial to the body. You can include broccoli, spinach, cabbage and lettuce for your daily dose of these nutrients. Spinach, in particular, is great for your hair. It’s nutritional profile includes vitamins E and B6, carotene and folates. The iron in this vegetable can help the body to carry oxygen around the body, and to the hair, and works especially well when consumed with vitamin C.

Beans

Legumes are the way forward if you’re trying to improve the condition of your hair. All varieties of beans are good for you, providing fibre, vitamins and iron. Biotin can also be found in them and this is perfect for people who have brittle hair. They can be eaten on their own, in soups and stews, or mashed as a tasty alternative to regular potato mash.

Dairy products

Dairy produce such as milk, cheese and yoghurt provide calcium which is vital for your hair health. However, in order to be good for your health they need to be low in fat. Dairy also offers casein which is high in protein, to build your strength. Try eating a yoghurt or some cottage cheese as a snack instead of some crisps for a healthier choice, both for your wellbeing in general and your hair.

Salmon

Any food item which contains omega-3 fatty acids can be considered a great move for your health and your hair. Salmon is one such ingredient which is considered the holy grail in the beauty world – these essential oils are great for your health, keep your skin supple and boost your hair’s lustre. This delicious food also includes iron and vitamin B12 which supports the health of your hair and scalp. If you’re vegetarian or simply don’t eat fish, you can substitute this for a few tablespoons of flax seeds over your salad or as a snack for your dose of omega oils.

Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein and as such as brilliant for your hair. The proteins in eggs are easily digested by the body, so you’ll get the benefit early on – they also have vitamin B12, B2, iron and folates in them for even more benefits to your health. Try substituting your cereal a few times a week for a filling egg breakfast. Try to avoid fatty fried eggs though, as this will outweigh the benefits of the eggs themselves.

Poultry

Turkey and chicken are lean meats, so you can benefit from the high quantities of protein without worrying about the fat. They also provide iron which has a high degree of bio-availability, meaning that you body will get the rewards of these ingredients immediately.

Categories: body, diet, Eggs, hair, hair salmon, health, iron, vitamin B12, vitamins

Get Sumptuous Skin and Lustrous Locks with these Supplements

Man, don’t you wish there was a pill that will magically give you perfect skin and hair? Why does beauty have to always be such a faff? Sadly, there isn’t a tablet that will have you Beyonce-beautiful in two minutes flat (even if you’re Beyonce herself) but there are certain supplements to give your beauty regime a boost (just make sure you check with your GP before you start supplementing, or they could do more harm than good to your beauty wellness!)

 

According to Jessica Wu, MD, Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of Feed Your Face, fish oil, though it sounds – and tastes – gross, have such excellent anti-inflammatory properties that it can help calm your skin and reduce and prevent breakouts. There’s a hormone that has been associated with oil production and clogged pores, but fish oil works to decrease this hormone. Plus, if you suffer with dry skin or eczema, fish oil can replenish your skin’s moisture. Your stomach absorbs this nutrient better in liquid form, so Wu recommends taking one to two teaspoons 10 minutes before eating breakfast.

 

Every time you have your period, you lose a lot of iron. Not only can this affect your well-being in more serious ways, such as inducing anaemia, but it can also be harmful to your hair. Wu explains, ‘Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of thinning hair in otherwise healthy women.’ Therefore, she suggests that you eat plenty of iron-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, and/or take an iron supplement or a multivitamin that contains iron. While we’re on your crowning glory, a pro-biotic supplement may be able to save you from that embarrassing, itchy dandruff. Wu notes that some studies have shown these supplements to soothe and balance a scaly scalp.

 

Sun protection is all-important in your beauty regime (even though the allure of gorgeously tanned skin can make you think otherwise). Sun damage – apart from increasing your cancer risk – can age your skin and give it unattractive pigmentation, and so you need to certainly slather on the sun cream! Plus lycopene, whether as a supplement or taken from tomatoes, can help to protect your skin against sun damage. Wu comments, ‘There are lots of studies on how eating tomatoes can help you fight sunburn and sun damage. We think that that may be because tomatoes have a high level of lycopene antioxidant, and you can get lycopene supplements.’

Categories: beauty, beauty regime, fish oil, iron, Lycopene, probiotics, skin, Supplements

Vegetarian? Get Munching on These Essential Minerals!

If you’re a vegetarian, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re probably getting more nutrients than your meat-eating counterparts. Sure, you have to be careful about ensuring you have plenty of protein, but with all the fresh produce and nuts you’re now eating, you’ve got vitamin and mineral wellness in the bag, right? Unfortunately, a vegetarian diet can be lacking in some essential nutrients, so watch out for these key players in your well-being.

 

Iron – Iron is so essential because it carries the oxygen in your blood, and without it you can become anaemic. You can find this much-needed mineral in two forms of food; heme sources, including meats, fish, and poultry; and the non-heme sources, such as legumes, vegetables, dried fruit, and seeds. Obviously, as a vegetarian you’ll be going for the latter category, but iron from non-heme sources is not as efficiently absorbed and used as that from heme sources. Therefore, the Institutes of Medicine recommends even higher levels of iron for vegetarians. If you’re a vegetarian man or menopausal women, your daily iron target is 14mg, while childbearing vegetarian women should be aiming for a daily dose of 33mg. Go for spinach, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, turnip greens, molasses, whole wheat breads, peas, and dried apricots, prunes, and raisins.

 

Calcium – Your body needs calcium for muscle contractions, blood clotting, nerve conduction, and bone strength and integrity, to name a few. If you’re under the age of 51, you need roughly 1000mg of calcium every day, and you need an extra 200mg if you’re over that age. As a vegetarian or vegan, you can get the calcium you need from calcium-fortified soy-milk, calcium-fortified breakfast cereals and orange juice, tofu made with calcium sulfate, and certain dark-green leafy vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, bok choy, and mustard greens.

 

Zinc – This mineral is vital for maintaining your senses of smell and taste, supporting healthy skin and hair, and arming your body for resistance to infection. Most people need 40mg of zinc every day, but vegetarians may need 50% more zinc than this – according to the National Institutes of Health – as there is a lower absorption level of zinc from plant foods. Therefore, you need to eat plenty of beans (such as white beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas), zinc-fortified breakfast cereals, wheat germ, and pumpkin seeds.

Categories: breakfast cereals, calcium, calcium fortified, essential minerals, fortified breakfast, heme sources, iron, kidney beans, turnip greens, Vegetarian, vegetarian diet

What Everyone Ought To Know About Teenage Nutrition

Teenagers grow and develop at such a high rate that their diet and nutrition becomes extremely important. The best way to protect their wellness and well-being is through their diet, and so as a parent it is very important to know if your child is adequately nourished. To do that you need to know what it is that their bodies require.

 

For a start, teens require around 50 percent more calories per pound of their body weight than adults to facilitate their growth and development. Boys in particular need to have a high calorie intake because they grow faster and gain more lean muscle than girls.

 

Boys begin their growth spurt at around the age of 14, whilst girls begin at the age of 12, but peak sooner than boys. When determining calorie requirements it is also important to work out what kind of activity level your teen has – either low activity, moderate activity or high activity level.

 

Teenagers also have special nutritional needs and require more nutrients, especially iron and calcium. Girls in particular need increased iron due to the onset of menstruation. They require an increase of around 50 percent iron at this time, which equates to around 15 milligrams of iron per day. Some teenage girls may struggle to get enough iron in their diet, and this can lead to them becoming anaemic.

 

Boys tend to consume more calories than girls, and they usually have no trouble meeting their iron requirements, which increases by 20 percent during puberty, due to the amount that they eat.

 

Teenagers also require 25 percent more calcium than anyone else. The recommended daily allowance for calcium is usually 1,200 milligrams, and the RDA is recommended to be increased to 1,500 milligrams for teenagers. According to research, a very low percentage of boys and girls actually take enough calcium in their diet each day.

Categories: activity level, boys, diet, girls, iron, nbsp, nbsp boys, nbsp teenagers, nutrition, require, teenager

How an Iron Deficiency Can Lead to Health Problems

Iron is one of the most vital nutrients for the body, an essential mineral that transports oxygen throughout the body as an important component of haemoglobin. It is also one of the common nutritional deficiencies, especially in women.

So it’s vital that everyone gets enough iron because you need it for energy levels and if you are iron deficient, your body can’t make enough healthy oxygen-carrying red cells and you are likely to be anaemic. When you’re anaemic, you’re likely to be easily tired, perhaps even exhausted by doing simple things such as walking up stairs and this fatigue can affect brain function and your immune system.

An iron deficiency will also affect your hair, skin and nails so it’s important to get this sorted out as quickly as possible. At-risk groups include menstruating and pregnant women, the elderly, vegetarians and those who don’t eat red meat.

The recommended daily amount (RDA) of iron for adults in the EU is 14mg. Babies need more iron than adults to deal with their fast-growing bodies, while boys and girls should get 10mg daily until aged eight and then 8mg daily from 9-13. However, excess iron can be toxic so keep iron supplements away from children at all times.

Most people will get all the iron they need from their diet – from the likes of red meat and from leafy green vegetables and dried fruit. However, these are two different types of iron. The haemoproteins found in red meat are the most easily and effectively absorbed. The inorganic iron in fruit and vegetables comes in two different forms – ferrous and ferric.

If you have an iron deficiency, you can try to redress the balance by eating iron-rich foods but many people use supplements, often in combination with vitamin C, to improve their iron levels.

How an Iron Deficiency Can Lead to Health Problems

Categories: Deficiency, iron, Supplements

How Does your Iron Intake Affect your Cancer Risk?

Researchers have discovered that your iron levels and a faulty gene in the body could be associated with developing bowel cancer. Deborah Alsina, the CEO of Bowel Cancer UK, made a statement in which she said that the development was an exciting one for the charity and could offer a real breakthrough for patients with the disease. Research is still being carried out in order to further examine the link, but it could help prevent thousands of deaths each year. It highlights the need for a balanced diet, so that everyone gets the nutrients they need for a healthy functioning body.

 

It’s thought that high levels of iron could increase your risk of bowel cancer through switching on a key pathway in people who have faults with the anti-cancer genes. The study, carried out by University of Birmingham and the Beaston Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, discovered that bowel cancer was up to three times more likely to develop with a faulty APC gene in mice who had a high iron diet, compared to those who still had a functioning APC gene.

 

The study could help explain why high-iron foods such as meat could increase the risk of this form of cancer. Two proteins are switched on when the APC gene is deleted, meaning that a key cancer signalling pathway called WNT is also switched on – this causes the cancerous cells to multiply and grow out of control. Researchers hope that these findings could help prevent cancer for millions of people each year and, with further exploration, it could help determine which foods we need in our diets in order to fend off the disease.

Categories: Bowel Cancer, diet, iron

Could Nanoparticles in Your Vitamins Affect Your Wellness?

Researchers from Cornell are now warning about the wellness risks posed by nanoparticles in vitamins and food that are consumed every day. The new research turns on its head everything that we thought we knew about the safety of additives, as it seems to show that an FDA-approved substance that is present in some additives and vitamins may cause an iron deficiency in the body that has not previously been known.

A nanoparticle is a very tiny molecule and is something which is used in vitamins to help the body to absorb them as well as possible. Researchers have been looking into these molecules to see if there is a way that they can be utilised to transfer cancer drugs directly to cancer tumours in the body. The molecules are also added to sunscreens in order to transfer titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, although concerns have now been raised about the safety of these.

The study, led by the department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University looked at the effects of large doses of polystyrene nanoparticles on iron absorption, using chickens as the test subjects.

Chickens were used because iron is absorbed in their guts in the same way as it is in humans, and they are also susceptible to micronutrient deficiencies, much like humans are.

The study showed that nanoparticles seemed to inhibit the absorption of iron in the gut, which can lead to all kinds of serious health conditions and cause a number of problems in the human body. This may lead to calls for regulation of nanotechnology, as nanoparticles are not currently required to be labelled when present in any food substances or vitamins.

 

Could Nanoparticles in Your Vitamins Affect Your Wellness?

Categories: iron, Nanoparticles, vitamins

Iron: Everything You Need to Know About This Nutrient

Iron plays an important role in the body, as it helps to create new red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. If you become deficient in iron, it can lead to anaemia. Iron can be found in many foods but is most commonly associated with red meat – however, foods such as beans, nuts, dried fruit, soy, dark-green vegetables and wholegrains also provide a great source of this nutrient. Interestingly, although people think that spinach is the ultimate provider of iron, it also contains a substance which makes it difficult for the body to absorb it – while you shouldn’t stray away from spinach, be sure to top it up with other foods as well.

Men need just over 8.5mg of iron each day, while women need 14.8mg – this is because women lose blood each month due to their menstrual cycle, so it’s important that they get plenty of iron in order to stop the body from struggling without it. Iron supplements may even be advisable in a female diet, but speak to your GP who can advise you whether or not you will need these.

Too much iron can actually be bad for you –  a high dose is considered to be anything over 20mg and it can lead to nausea, constipation, vomiting and stomach pains. In severe cases, an extremely high dose of iron can even be fatal. This is especially the case in children, so be sure to monitor your child’s diet carefully and make sure they don’t take any supplements that could cause them to overdose on this nutrient. Generally, you can get all of the iron you need from a balanced diet that’s rich in fruit and vegetables, but if you’re concerned that you may be iron deficient, speak to your GP who can run blood tests and see if your levels are too low.

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Categories: diet, healthy lifestyle, iron