Recently I discovered a great article by the medical historian Ann F. La Berge summing up the development of the low fat ideology throughout the 20th Century and although the dispute is still ongoing I like to share some of the main ideas and arguments of this article as I believe it will help to understand why the judgement whether a low fat diet can help your health and lead to weight loss is still very difficult and may depend on the individual.

Her article looks at the historically predisposed assumption that the low fat diet could not just help with chronic heart disease but also with weight loss and potentially prevent cancer in the general public. She describes how the first low fat diet suggestions were only supportive for heart disease and even here the suggestions by former scientist were pretty careful. Yet over time this diet suggestion became somewhat of a good tone in scientific circles. This process resulted in an ideology supported by doctors, health care professional, the American federal government, the food industry and most importantly the popular media.

Vegetables are not just healthy and support your immune system a recent study from the University of Exeter also suggest vegetables rich in nitrates (such as beetroots, spinach, lettuce or radishes) may help to improve your stamina.

The research team around Professor Andy Jones tested the effects of organic nitrate supplementation or simply a diet with foods high in nitrates (beetroot juice) in 8 males. Their assumption was that the consumption of beetroot juice would reduce blood pressure in the test condition and moreover that with a diet high in beetroot juice the muscle oxygen needs in low intensity exercise (i.e. jogging) would be reduced and in high intensity exercise (sprint to exhaustion). This would lead to greater tolerance or better performance.

Recently the media created a buzz highlighting the healthiness of organic foods. The Food Standards Agency released findings of a large study aimed at investigating if organic foods really make a difference to overall health. This survey looked at 162 different studies which examined the nutrient content of organic foods but not the contaminant (or toxin) content of such foods.

This relatively large research suggests that not all nutrients are found in higher concentrations in organic crops. So for example vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, nitrates, manganese, sodium, β-carotene and sulphur were found in similar concentrations in organic crops as in conventional crops.

Nutritionists commonly refer to Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) when they try to explain to a client how to lose or gain weight. But rarely do they explain what it actually means and why it plays a key role in weight management.

Energy balance to achieve stable weight

As you may know, to achieve a stable weight, it is vital to balance out the energy you consume in form of food and the energy you need for all your daily activities or your total energy expenditure. The total energy you will need during a day consist of energy needed for growth and tissue repair, physical activity, energy needed for digestion and metabolism of foods and the basal metabolic rate.

The Science Behind the Acai Berry

The acai berry comes from the Brazilian Amazon region and was used traditionally by indigenous Amazonian healers for digestive ailments. It is high in antioxidants, fibres and fatty acids. The media praises, particularly, its antioxidants and some people like Opera Winfrey claimed a diet rich in acai berries helped her to reduce weight. But does this new ’super berry’ make all the difference?

Antioxidants are thought to be able to prevent oxidative stress by mopping up free radicals which are produced continuously in the human body and believed to contribute to the ageing process, development of cancers and several forms of degenerative diseases. These chemical compounds are found naturally in high concentrations in many fruits and vegetables and give them their colour and flavour. There are many different forms which allow them to have different actions within the human body. Hence it is important to have a big variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Water is the single most important nutrient for our bodies, it is involved in every function of our bodies, you can live 5-7 days without food, but the average adult can last no more than 5 days without water.

Contrary to popular belief antiperspirants and deodorants are not the same thing, although yes they do both mask a particularly embarrassing case of body odour, your choice can have adverse effects on your health.

Are you feeling frustrated that your body’s mechanics are restricting your golf handicap? Is your golf coach expecting it seems the impossible not because you don’t have the technical skill or ability but that your body just doesn’t seem cut out for what you are trying to achieve.

Stress levels have been rising this week due to the ongoing economic crisis and threat of recession but there is any easy way to get some relief

Going to the gym, some people love it, others hate for a variety of reasons including: It’s inconvenient –