TV watching most strongly linked to obesity in kids

Among the lifestyle habits that influence the risk of overweight and obesity in children, watching television is the worst, suggests new research. “Identifying habits linked to overweight and obesity in the early stages of life can help us to define preventive strategies against other conditions, such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases during adulthood,” said lead author of the study.

The researchers analysed five lifestyle habits: physical activity, sleep time, television time, plant-based food consumption and ultra-processed food consumption. Children who were less active and spent more time in front of the television at four years of age were at greater risk of being affected by overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome at seven years of age, showed the findings.

The researchers also measured the time spent by the children on other sedentary activities, such as reading, drawing and doing puzzles. However, these activities did not appear to be associated with overweight or obesity. “When children watch television, they see a huge number of advertisements for unhealthy food,” said co-leader of the study. “This may encourage them to consume these products,” he said.

Ultra-processed foods, such as pastries, sweet beverages and refined-grain products, are high in sugar, salt and saturated fat and low in nutritional value. The study showed that high intake of these products at four years of age was associated with a higher BMI at seven years of age. Moreover, television viewing “discourages physical activity and interrupts sleep time”, explained Silvia Fernandez, a post-doctoral researcher at Barcelona Institute for Global Health. As the researchers noted, adequate sleep time in early childhood is essential for weight control later in childhood. The study concluded that adult health depends on the establishment of healthy lifestyle habits during childhood. 

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Seven ways your workout is making you gain weight

Is your workout making you gain weight?

By now we all know that regular workout and healthy eating are the two most important components of losing weight. But unfortunately, sometimes both healthy diet and regular exercise can actually make you gain weight if you are not careful.

If you are doing everything and still feel you are gaining weight instead of losing it, here are possible reasons why it's happening.

You are consuming more calories than your body needs
Eating a healthy diet doesn’t mean only eating greens and healthy foods but also keeping a check on the number of calories you are consuming. Maintain a journal or download an app to keep a check on the number of calories you are consuming.

​Your snacks are unhealthy
There are numerous nutrition bars and snacks available in the market and labelled as healthy/weight loss friendly. But if you know most of these easily available products are loaded with calories, saturated fats and sugar.

Even when you are doing everything absolutely right, unhealthy snacking can hinder your weight loss goals.  

​You don’t keep yourself hydrated
Many a times your body confuses thirst for hunger and thus you end up eating more calories than required. Keeping yourself hydrated is of paramount importance whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Proper hydration keeps your metabolism humming and thus helps in burning those extra kilos.  

Your workout is an excuse to be sedentary for the rest of the day
Many of you think that if you have spent one hour at the gym, you don’t need to be active for the rest of the day. But did you know non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the simplest way to burn up to 200 calories per day. The list of sneaky exercises that can boost the calorie burn includes, taking the stairs, gardening, walking your dog, doing the dishes and cooking. 

​You only do cardio
Cardio is good but lifting weight helps you build muscles, which help you burn fat more efficiently. Increasing muscle mass also increases your body’s metabolism up to five per cent. Not just this, weight training is also good for your overall health. It helps you build strength and endurance and helps boost your mental health and heart health.  

You are obsessed with the scale
Some people are way too obsessed with the weighing scale, which doesn’t tell us the whole story. Our weight can fluctuate up to 2.5 kilos in a day. Sometimes, you are building muscles while trying to lose weight, which can cause your weight to stay stagnant and even increase. It’s important to focus on the way you feel and your energy levels and not on the scale every time.  

Exercising is new for you
If you have just started working out, be proud of yourself for incorporating this healthy habit into your life. Because your body is not used to sweating so often, it may retain fluids for a temporary time. It’s important to ease your way into the new fitness routine, so your body can gradually adjust to the changes happening.
 this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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20 Foods That Are Killing You Slowly

Did you know that there are foods you are eating every day that are killing you slowly? Most of us have a number of these foods on our menu, but if you combine all of these, you’ll get a deadly combo and you need to start making changes to your diet. So analyze what you eat and start making the right choices today. Here’s the list of 20 foods that are killing you slowly. Try to avoid or limit the intake of these foods as much as you can.
Some of these foods lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Not to forget obesity and all the anxiety and depression that can come with it.

1. Canned Tomato Sauce

Canned tomato sauce is a killer in disguise. It’s a hidden source of sugar and it would never even cross your mind that it could lead to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even tooth decay. To avoid these issues, use fresh tomatoes to make the sauce yourself, or switch to pureed tomatoes without the extra sugar or salt and add your own spices. Or at least go for brands with less sugar and sodium.

2. Soda

Carbonated drinks or sodas are one of your worst enemies. They can mess up everything, from your skin, blood sugar levels, to your hormones and mood. Forget the marketing and the labels that say it’s good for you or it contains nutrients or vitamins. All it has is a bunch of sugar, food dyes and preservatives. And sugar-free versions are no better as they’re packed with harmful artificial sweeteners. Buy a blender or a juice maker and make your own juice, please. And if you miss the bubbles, you can always add your homemade fruit juice to some sparkly water, and voila!

3.  Sugar

If you have a sweet tooth, there are much healthier ways to satisfy your cravings. Sugar is highly addictive, and other than spiking your glucose levels and creating fat, it can lead to heart disease. Avoid sugar as much as you can to decrease the risk of diabetes, cancer, obesity, heart disease, and much more. Enjoy a bowl of fruit or add honey to your recipes instead of sugar.

 4. Deli Meats

Deli meats such as salami, ham, bologna, etc. are full of nitrates, sodium, preservatives, and additives. All these substances can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even behavioral problems and learning difficulties in children. To decrease the negative effects, opt for deli meats from your local butcher instead of those from supermarkets. Or even better, learn to avoid them.

5. Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is a part of our cuisine and we don’t even think twice about it. But some of these oils are GMO and we have no idea yet what long-term effects these products can have. Furthermore, vegetable oils contain dangerous trans-fats that can trigger cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Check the label and if the oil is refined, steer clear of it as it contains free radicals that can help cancer growth, speed up aging, and cause all kinds of trouble. Opt for healthy alternatives such as olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.

6. Margarine

Again, marketing is to blame for the BIG misconceptions about margarine. It’s not healthy, people! It’s one of the unhealthiest foods in your diet. So cut it out! Margarine is like a very lousy version of butter that’s made with hydrogenated vegetable oils and it’s more unnatural than you think. It’s pure chemistry. So what’s so bad about it? It’s the trans fats that can damage your heart, blood vessels, and mess up your cholesterol levels.  Switch to butter for a healthier alternative. Other healthy alternatives are olive oil and avocado oil that you can spread on your bread. Just please avoid margarine!

7. Hot Dogs

Hot dogs and similar smoked and salted meat contain lots of preservatives that are bad for your health. But the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine compared the effects of eating hot dogs to the effects of smoking cigarettes. If you’re not convinced yet, you should know that hot dogs are high in sodium and toxins that increase your risk of cancer. If you can’t resist, at least make sure you get your dogs chemical-free from organic butchers or directly from farmers.

8. Potato Chips

All deep fried food contains a dangerous substance called acrylamide. Potato chips are no exception. Acrylamide increases the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and rectum cancer. So avoid the potato chips or make a healthier version at home. Put a little olive oil on sliced potatoes, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and bake it in your oven. We promise it tastes delicious.

9. Bottled Salad Dressings

Bottled salad dressings are full of sugar, artificial colors, and high fructose corn syrup. Once you drown your salad in this nutritional disaster, you might as well eat a bag of potato chips or a hot dog instead. Drop the bottled salad dressings, and use lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar along with some olive oil for a healthy salad dressing.

10.Artificial Sweeteners

No, these are no better than sugar. In fact, they’re often worse. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, neotame, acesulfame potassium, etc. might contain fewer calories, but they can still increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. You may not have noticed but many sugar-free gums contain aspartame, which is considered the most dangerous substance in the world. Sugar has healthy alternatives such as honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup, to name a few.

11. Alcohol

We’re sorry to break this to you, and again, many will disagree, but alcohol has no health benefits. It’s extremely high in calories, can cause dehydration, liver damage, weight gain, depression, and skin problems. Not to mention the bad decisions you make when under the influence. So, if you want to damage all your systems, from the brain to liver to skin, believe the marketing and drink alcohol daily. Otherwise, avoid it.

12.  White Bread, Refined Flours

Grains are good, right? So bread must be good too? Well, not if it’s white bread made from refined flours. White flour is stripped of all the nutritional fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and all you get is grain waste mixed with chemicals to achieve the nice white color. But behind it lies the risk of weight gain, thyroid damage, and organ damage. Go whole grain instead!

13.  Dairy

Yes, milk is the first food we eat when we’re brought into this world. But a mother’s milk is much different than a cow’s mother’s milk. In addition, as we age, we develop lactose intolerance. Dairy products are linked with low nutrient absorption, migraines, arthritis, cancer, allergies, and asthma. So again, forget about those clever marketing tricks. Switch to coconut milk or almond milk, it tastes great and it won’t slowly kill you like cow milk.

14.  Barbecued Meats

The smell of barbecue might be hard to resist, but please try. The chemicals that enter the meat during the process are associated with risk of pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. If you can’t resist, try to limit the intake of barbecued meat and consider adding some rosemary to your hamburger to reduce the amount and number of carcinogens.

15. Energy Bars

Energy bars might be necessary for athletes who need a quick burst of energy, but if that’s not you, try to resist these tasty calorie bombs. Energy bars contain a lot of sugar (we talked about sugar before), high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and can contain trans-fats. So this is basically candy that’s full of calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients. In other words, it’s a ticking time bomb.

16.  Fast Food

Sure, fast food tastes good, it’s fairly inexpensive, and it’s everywhere. But what makes it taste so good? It’s the same things that are slowly killing you: trans-fats, sugar, salt, preservatives, additives, dyes, and other chemicals that enhance the looks and the taste of this food. Fast food can affect your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, mood disorders, weight gain, metabolic disorders, etc. So at least try to cut down on fast food.

17. Wheat

Wheat contains a carbohydrate that suddenly and greatly increases your blood sugar levels. This triggers high insulin production and weight gain. Over time, your pancreas will become overworked and you’ll become insulin resistant, and then you can get diabetes. And high blood sugar levels trigger the production of compounds that speed up the aging process and give you wrinkled skin. So you’ll age faster and be prone to diabetes, which in itself is a big issue.

18.  Breakfast Cereals

Again, we blame it on the marketing. Breakfast cereals aren’t harmless as their happy cheerful colors and toys inside the box might suggest. They actually contain sugar, artificial coloring, preservatives, GMO products, and they’re often stripped of the nutrients they had before processing. Try oatmeal with some fresh or dried fruit instead. It tastes great, and it’s actually good for you.

19.  Commercial Fruit Juices

Don’t believe the big flashy labels that say 100% fruit. Most of the time, the secret is in the fine print. Commercial fruit juice often contains added sugar, coloring, preservatives, and it can lose its nutrients during pasteurization. Your best bet is finding a trusted local juice bar or making your own fruit juice at home. We’d go for the latter. Have some fun and explore new tastes.

20.  Salt

Salt plays a big role in regulating our blood pressure. If you eat too much salt, you’ll have high blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which is among the leading causes of death in the world. So, don’t cut out all salt as your body still needs it, just limit the amount and watch out for sodium levels in processed foods. Just 3.75 grams of sodium per day is a sufficient and safe amount. Anything above 6 grams poses a serious health risk.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/    

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Night owls at high risk of heart disease, diabetes

Night owls — people who prefer staying up late — may have a higher risk of suffering from heart disease and type 2 diabetes than early risers, a study has found.

The first-ever international review of studies analysing whether being an early riser or a night owl can influence your health, researchers have uncovered a growing body of evidence indicating an increased risk of ill health in people with an evening preference as they have more erratic eating patterns and consume more unhealthy foods.

The human body runs on a 24-hour cycle which is regulated by our internal clock, which is known as a circadian rhythm, or chronotype.

This internal clock regulates many physical functions, such as telling you when to eat, sleep and wake. An individual’s chronotype leads to people having a natural preference towards waking early or going to bed late.

The researchers found increasing evidence emerging from studies linking conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes to people with the evening chronotype — a natural preference for evenings.

People who go to bed later tend to have unhealthier diets, consuming more alcohol, sugars, caffeinated drinks and fast food than early risers.

They consistently report more erratic eating patterns as they miss breakfast and eat later in the day. Their diet contains less grains, rye and vegetables and they eat fewer, but larger, meals.

They also report higher levels of consumption of caffeinated beverages, sugar and snacks, than those with a morning preference, who eat slightly more fruit and vegetables per day.

This potentially explains why night owls have a higher risk of suffering from chronic disease.

Eating late in the day was also found to be linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes because the circadian rhythm influences the way glucose is metabolised in in the body.

Glucose levels should naturally decline throughout the day and reach their lowest point at night. However, as night owls often eat shortly before bed, their glucose levels are increased when they are about to sleep.

This could negatively affect metabolism as their body isn’t following its normal biological process.

Every additional hour spent outdoors was associated with 30 minutes of ‘advance sleep’ and that the noise, ambient lighting and crowding of urban environments can make people in some areas more likely to have a morning or evening preference.

The researchers also found evidence that night owls would accumulate ‘sleep debt’ during the working week and would sleep longer at weekends to compensate for this, whereas early birds had smaller differences in their sleeping patterns across the week.

“We have found that your genes, ethnicity and gender determine the likelihood of you being a morning or evening type,” said a researcher.

“In adulthood, being an evening chronotype is associated with greater risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and this may be potentially due to the poorer eating behaviour and diet of people with evening chronotype, “Our review also found that people who have a poorer control of their diabetes are more likely to be evening types,” she said.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

These Foods Are Said to Be Healthy, but They're Not

It's pretty much impossible to eat healthy all the time, but we usually try our best to provide our bodies with food that will benefit it. However, as it turns out, there are a number of foods that are portrayed as being healthy, but are actually not. Here are 9 foods that masquerade as the "good guys."

 

1. Banana Chips

Banana chips are said to be healthy because they contain the same ingredients as bananas: fiber, magnesium, potassium, and iron. However, it's important to realize that the manufacturers of these goods add flavor enhancers and sugar, and often deep fry them.
How to replace: Make homemade banana chips in the oven or air-dried.

2. Crispbread

There are many varieties of crispbread, and you can often come across snacks that look like crispbread, but contain harmful oils.
How to replace: Read the composition carefully. There shouldn't be yeast, preservatives, dyes, starch, or antioxidants in a crispbread. The best crispbread is made from whole grains or coarse whole wheat flour.

3. Gluten-Free Foods

Gluten is a protein that is found in grains - it's the thing that makes it possible to mix flour with water. It's dangerous for those with a gluten intolerance. But if you don't have a gluten allergy it might be a good idea to avoid these foods, as they usually contain a lot of refined additives.
How to replace: Eat common bread. Don't eat a lot of it, but don't be afraid of it either.

4. Dried and Candied Fruit

Dried fruits are healthy, but to protect them from mold and to help them keep their color, they're treated using fungicides and sulfur dioxide. As for candied fruits, their benefit is even less because they contain a lot of sugar.
How to replace: You could try drying your own fruit at home - it's not difficult to do and is a lot healthier.

 

5. Processed Cheese

In addition to the additives that processed cheese contains, there's also a lot of sodium. For example, a sandwich with just three slices of processed cheese will cover 2/3 of your daily sodium requirement.
How to replace: Eat different kinds of quality cheese, such as salted cottage cheese.

6. Canned Vegetables

Producers usually add unhealthy ingredients such as vinegar, sugar, salt, and barbecue sauce to canned vegetables. For example, a can of beans, on average, contains 3 tablespoons of sugar.

7. Starchy Vegetables

Corn, pumpkins, yams, and potatoes all contain less fiber, vitamins, and minerals than other vegetables, yet their calorific value is higher. This doesn't mean that you should refuse to consume these veggies - you're simply shouldn't eat a lot of them, if you're keeping to a diet.
How to Replace: Choose non-starchy (crispy, green, and juicy) vegetables.

 

8. Yogurt

Yogurts bought from the store contain a lot of sugar and very little protein. Furthermore, you don't need to chew them, which creates an impression that you're eating something light.
How to replace: Buy yogurts with a low sugar content (less than 10g per portion) and high protein (about 6g per portion). You can also buy Greek yogurts and add the fruits yourself.

9. Instant Oatmeal

Everyone knows that oatmeal is healthy, but very few are aware that the flakes you only need to cook for 2-3 minutes are not beneficial. The smaller the flakes, the more they have been processed, and the higher their glycemic index, meaning extra calories.
How to replace: Choose coarsely ground oats. It takes a lot longer to boil them, but they will give you everything you expect from real oatmeal.

How to Replace: Choose top quality freshly canned vegetables without salt, sugar, or preservatives. Or grow your own.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations 
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement