DRINK MORE WATER
Drinking proper amount of water every day is not just because it keeps our skin hydrated or helps prevent overeating by helping us feel fuller. A small study in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition found that drinking water can actually lead to weight loss, possibly because it can increase metabolism. ‘The more water, the more calories you need to expend.’ She suggests aiming for around two liters a day, but the exact amount depending on your activity level and age.

START STRENGTH TRAINING
Experts recommend strength training two or three times to build lean muscle mass. ‘A pound of muscle burns up to nine times more calories than a pound of fat,’ says nutritionist Lisa Stollman.

INCREASE PROTEIN INTAKE
Eating a sufficient quantity of protein at each meal is almost unanimously agreed upon as a critical component of maintaining a rapid metabolism. But that doesn’t mean you should go to town on a juicy steak every night. ‘You can only absorb about 30 grams of protein at a time to utilize it for muscle group and repair,’ says Pincus, who recommends that you spread protein consumption throughout the day, about 4 ounces with each serving. Stollman suggests 2 tablespoons of nuts or nut butter, 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, either dairy or soy, 2 ounces of tune, 4 tablespoons of hummus, 4 ounces of tofu, or 1 egg, with each meal or snack.

BE MINDFUL WHEN EATING
While most of us might have our meals at our desks or in front of the TV, savoring your food is better for achieving a healthier weight. Recent research shows that the faster people ate, the more they ate because the hormone that signals that you’re full, cholecystokinin (CCK), takes about 20 minutes to kick in.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP
Don’t cave into that extra episode of Stranger Things: Getting a quality night’s is a critical component of a healthy metabolism. ‘Too little sleep appears to wreak havoc with leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that regulate appetite,’ says nutritionist Elisa Zied. ‘When you don’t sleep well, you feel hungrier and you tend to eat more and choose more nutrient-poor foods.’

LIMIT SCREEN TIME BEFORE BED
It’s no secret that experts recommend putting away blue-light devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, at least an hour before bed to improve sleep quality. Moreover, a recent pilot study from Northwestern University shows that exposure to blue-light at night can impact glucose metabolism. ‘It resets melatonin levels so that getting to sleep becomes harder, and too little sleep means weight gain for most people,’ says Dr. La Puma.

ENJOY A CUP OF COFFEE AND TEA
‘Caffeine can increase your metabolism up to 8 percent,’ says Stollman. ‘Brewed tea kicks it up another notch by boosting your metabolism by 10 percent.’ Green tea goes above and beyond thanks to its catechins, and the effects add up. Pincus recommends three to four cups a day to potentially burn up to 50 to 100 calories.

DON’T OVERLY RESTRICT CALORIES
Severely limiting caloric intake can tricking your body into thinking it’s starving. Anne Fletcher writes that ‘if you cut back on calories, your body protects itself from this state of semi-starvation by slowing down the rate at which it burns food.’

DON’T FOREGO BREAKFAST
‘If you skip protein at breakfast, you lose the opportunity in your day to feed your muscles,’ says Pincus. ‘You can’t double up at dinner since your body can’t utilize more than four ounces at a time.’

SPICE IT UP
Capsaicin, present in spicy foods like chili and red pepper flakes, might boost metabolism by up to 8 percent. ‘Sprinkle on red pepper flakes on eggs in the morning,’ advises Gans. ‘You could even make fish, chicken, or lean beef a little spicier for dinner.’ Look out for these common foods that are messing with your metabolism.

KEEP MOVING, EVEN IF YOU’RE AT YOUR DESK
To integrate more movement into your everyday routine, Pincus suggests opting for a standing or transitional desk, or just making sure you don’t spend the entire workday sedentary. ‘Set a timer to walk around your office every half an hour, do a few squats, something to keep the body moving,’ she says.

CHANGE UP YOUR COMMUTE
Though some people might not have the means (or the climate) to avoid driving or public transportation, subbing in walking or biking for part of the trip could have you feeling more energetic and lean. Make sure you avoid these simple habits that slow down your metabolism.

Source: MSN Health and Fitness

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Although hundreds of projects and trials are still ongoing, here are five recent developments in cancer research and treatment from Israel so far this year.

1. Israeli researchers kill a cancerous tumor with synthetic cells

Israeli scientists have successfully treated a cancerous tumor, eradicating its cancer cells using a “nano-factory” – a synthetic cell that produces anti-cancer proteins within the tissue. Synthetic cells, “are artificial systems with capacities similar to, and, at times, superior to those of natural cells,”says the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

“The artificial cells we’ve developed at the Technion may take an important part in the personalized medicine trend – adjustment of treatment to the genetic and medical profile of a specific patient,” Assistant Professor Avi Schroeder at the Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Technion who co-led the research with doctoral student Nitzan Krinsky said.

2. Harnessing light and gold for drug-delivery in treatments including cancer

Israeli scientists have developed technology that enables drug delivery to target diseased tissue only, using light and gold particles, which can be used to make cancer treatments, for example, more effective.

The system harnesses the particles to specifically target the affected tissue, like a tumor, rather than dispersed throughout the body which is often harmful, the university said.

1. Lemon water May Help You Lose Weight

Drinking a glass of water before a meal fills your stomach, leading you to eat less to fill satisfied. So why not drink a glass of water with a little squeeze of lemon. “The polyphenols in lemon may reduce appetite,” says registered dietician Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE. It can replace your morning glass of orange juice and that will save you calories.

2. It Aids Digestion

Acids of lemon water help to digest food. ‘The citrus flavonoids in lemon aid the acid in the stomach in breaking down food, which may improve overall digestion,’ says Palinski-Wade. ‘Warming the water seems to provide the greatest digestive benefits.’ Aiding digestion is especially important as we get older because the amount of acid in our stomach declines with age.

3. It Help Keeps You From Getting Sick

It’s already known that vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits like lemon, strengthens your immune system. But drinking lemon water is more than that – It also helps to prevent infection. ‘Certainly the acidic environment in the stomach serves as a barrier, deterring pathogens from gaining a foothold and causing illness,’ says Roxanne B. Sukol, MD, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Enterprise. ‘Ingestion of highly acidic foods, including lemon juice, contributes to the acidic environment.’

4. Lemon Water are a Great Source of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells against free radicals, and according to the National Institutes of Health, this could even help protect us again cardiovascular disease and cancer. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a fourth of a cup of lemon juice yields 23.6 mg of vitamin C, about a third of the recommended daily allowance for women and a fourth for men. Vitamin C also prevents scurvy, a disease of weakened connective tissue that is crucial for wound healing and results in bleeding gums.

5. Drinking Flavoured Water May Entice You to Drink More

Some people struggle to drink an adequate amount of water per day simply because they find water boring or do not enjoy the taste, adding Lemon flavour to water may help them to drink more and keep them from dehydration and from heaving kidney stones (moreover, the acid from the lemon can help keep the stones from coming together). It will also increase your metabolism and will be part of a healthy way to help you go to the bathroom.

6. Vitamin C is Associated With Fewer Wrinkles

Drinking lemon water will increae your Vitamin C intake which might help your skin. ‘Because vitamin C is a nutrient that can fight off free-radical damage, it can protect skin,’ Palinski-Wade says. This could be due to vitamin C’s effects on collagen, which helps make up the connective tissue under the skin. ‘In addition, the hydration from the water helps skin stay more subtle and provides a more youthful appearance,’ she adds.

7. Lemon Water May Help Liver Function Better

Studies have found that the citrus flavonoids in lemon may protect the liver against toxins and reduce fat in the liver, protecting against fatty liver disease. Palinski-Wade says. ‘Your liver is the body’s natural mechanism for flushing out toxins; so although claims of ‘detoxification’ from lemon juice aren’t exactly proven, helping the liver to work better could benefit your body.

8. It Increases Potassium Levels

We generally associate potassium with bananas, but it turns out lemons are a good source as well. ‘Potassium is an element that is essential for cell function and metabolism, transmission of nerve signals.’ Dr. Sukol says. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, potassium, an electrolyte, helps to conduct electricity throughout the body. This nerve-muscle communication helps skeletal-muscular function.

9. Your Breath Will stay Fresh

‘The citrus in lemon water may help to reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth, which may lead to fresher breathe,’ Palinski-Wade says. However, it may be better to drink them through a straw so the acid acid in lemon juice will not, over time, erode the enamel of your teeth.

The article is taken from MSN Lifestyle/Nutrition Section. 

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Source: BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44368601

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Low-carb diets have been popular for a while. But, apparently, the colour of the carbs we eat also matters – and as Dr Xand van Tulleken explains, it’s the beige ones we have to watch out for.

Carbohydrates which are divided into three types – starch, sugar and fibre, are one of the ways our bodies get energy from food. Starch consists of foods like bread, pasta, potatoes and rice – but these “beige” varieties aren’t good for you.

Neither are “white” carbs – found in sugary foods such as drinks, sweets and processed and refined foods including cakes and biscuits.

Most of the starch and sugar in these beige and white carbs are broken down into glucose for energy, and if you eat too much, the glucose is stored as fat.

HOWEVER, reheating can turn bad carbs into good. If you reheat starches like pasta or toasted bread from the freezer, the molecules reconfigure themselves and become more resistant, allowing them to travel further in your gut and feed your microbiome.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b5y6c0/the-truth-about-27-carbs

Diet tips from BBC News:

Reduce:

• Flour, rice, potatoes, pasta, breakfast cereals and other processed grains
• White or highly processed brown bread

Replace with:

• Cauliflower rice, celeriac, sweet potatoes
• Rye or pumpernickel bread

Include:

• Eggs, meat, fish, nuts and legumes
• And half of each dish should be green or brightly coloured: fresh vegetables, salad greens, tomatoes and aubergines

Take the BBC Food test: How carb-clever are you?

The other type of carb – dietary fibre is found in fruit and vegetables and is called “green carbs”. It helps to keep you full, slows stomach emptying, and is usually the part of the plant that supplies you with vitamins and minerals.

It’s good for your teeth and gums and good for your guts, keeping everything moving and feeding your gut bacteria.

The third type is resistant starch – found in high-fibre foods such as lentils, beans and unprocessed whole grains. It is also hard to digest but in a good way: it gets into the colon, where its main job is not to feed you but rather to feed your gut bacteria.

Healthy gut bacteria are linked to a wide range of benefits, both physical and mental.

BBC News. 21 February 2018

Red wine has previously been linked to a range of supposed health benefits, from helping the heart to lowering the risk of diabetes. A recent study suggests it contains chemicals that can help in the fight against tooth decay and gum disease.

Researchers found compounds from the drink, known as polyphenols, helped fend off harmful bacteria in the mouth. Previous studies have suggested that polyphenols are also antioxidants that protect the body from harmful free radicals and recent studies have indicated that polyphenols might also boost health by working with “good bacteria” in our gut.

Researchers found the wine polyphenols and red wine extracts reduced the bacteria’s ability to stick to the cells, but the polyphenols – caffeic and p-coumaric acids – were more effective. When combined with the Streptococcus dentisani – believed to be an oral probiotic, which stimulates the growth of good bacteria – the polyphenols were even better at inhibiting the pathogenic bacteria.

Where do you find polyphenols?

Red wine is rich in polyphenols but they are also found in a range of other drinks and foods:

Blueberries

Raspberries

Kiwis

Black grapes

Cherries

Beans

Drinks:

Coffee

Green tea

Black tea

Cider

Orange juice and lemon juice

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

The British Dental Association’s scientific adviser, Professor Damien Walmsley, said the study was “interesting” but it did not mean people should start drinking more.

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A lot has been said about how the Mediterranean diet is good for our health by reducing the risks of heart disease and high cholesterol. It has now been found to also have a significant effect on how the body stores fat, including in the the liver and the heart.