Fad diets could be cutting you off from these vital nutrients

A growing number of young women are suffering with nutrient deficiencies, which leave them feeling tired, run down and at risk of illness, data shows

YOUNG women are missing out on essential vitamins and minerals thanks to trendy new diet fads, new research suggests.

A growing number of young women are suffering with nutrient deficiencies, which leave them feeling tired, run down and at risk of illness, data shows.

Most Brits now lack vital minerals including potassium, magnesium and copper and women aged in their 20s and 30s are deficient in nutrients like iron, calcium and iodine.

According to the new research, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, a quarter of women had iron and potassium intakes lower than the bare minimum recommended.

Other nutrients falling short of the mark in both women's and men's diets included magnesium, copper, selenium, iodine and calcium.

Around one in ten women ate far less magnesium, iodine and riboflavin as they should.

The report, based on data from 3,238 adults who took part in Public Health England’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, found most women are falling short on seven out of eight key minerals.

Men are also falling short too, but not as badly.

The most notable problem for men is a rise in zinc deficiencies, a nutrient that plays a vital role in male reproductive health.

Researchers blame fad diets for the drop in nutrient levels, particularly ones that encourage people to cut out entire food groups.

The most obvious being vegetarian or vegan diets, but there are plenty of others that encourage people to go dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free and grain-free.

WHY THESE MINERALS ARE SO IMPORTANT

OUR body needs a certain amount of nutrients and minerals to function normally, so if we aren't getting those you will see some unpleasant side effects.

Iron: Iron helps our red blood cells form. It also helps our brain function and stops us feeling fatigued. It's found in foods like meat and eggs.

Potassium: This helps keep the muscles and nervous sysmtem functioning normally. It also regulates your blood pressure. make sure you're eating grains, meat, milk and legumes.

Magnesium: Another one that helps your muscles function properly. It also regulates your eletroyes to keep you well hydrated and promotes cells health, bone health and the nervous system. Fill your diet with green vegetables, milk and nuts like cashews.

Copper:  This helps us use the energy from our food. It also transports iron in the body and boosts the colour of our hair and skin. It's also vital for your immune system. Try eating liver, nuts and beans.

Selenium: This will help keep your hair and nails healthy. It's also important for men's reproductive health, boosting sperm. It's most commonly found in seafood.

Zinc: Vital for fertility in both men and women. It also boosts your immune system, hair, skin and nails. Look at eating more nuts, poultry and red meat.

Calcium: Without enough calcium your bones become weka and brittle. It also helps nerve and muscle function. Eat more dairy and gree veg.

Iodine: Important for healthy hormone functioning, especially for the brain and nervous system. It's found in seafood and milk.

The general advice from the NHS and doctors is that unless you have a recognised medical condition that requires you to stop eating a certain food group, or you suffer with allergies, it's not healthy to cut entire food groups from your diet.

Dietitian Helen Bond told The Sun Online: "The common ones people cut out are starch and carbohydrates and also dairy and it;s dangerous for lots of reasons.

"Perhaps the most common one is starch and carbohydrates because people associate them with being fattening, but it's not that they're fattening and more about portion sizes.

"A tennis ball portion of rice or pasta is all that you need, the thing that you will miss in the diet if you cut this out are things like B vitamins, magnesium and fibre.

"With new guidelines that you need 30g of fibre everyday it's very difficulty to achieve if you remove all carbs from your diet."

Helen also warned against relying on expensive supplements to make up your nutrient levels.

"People cut things out and then spend more money on supplements to replace those nutrients, but it's always better to get it from food," she added.

Prof Louis Levy, head of nutrition science at Public Health England, said: "Some people may not be meeting vitamin and mineral requirements, however for most nutrients this will not necessarily have a negative impact on their health.

"Overall it is better to get our nutrients from a variety of foods within a balanced diet than from individual or multiple supplements."

WHY WE NEED TO EAT A BALANCED DIET

Eating a balanced diet is an essential part of maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall health.

The more unbalanced our diet is the more likely we are to be obese.

In the UK about one in four adults are considered obese as are about one in five kids.

Being obese comes with a range of health risks including:

• type 2 diabetes
• heart disease
• some types of cancer
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• liver and kidney disease
• high cholesterol
• asthma

The best way to treat obesity is a healthy, reduced-calorie diet with regular exercise.

Source: NHS

Top 6 Vegetarian Foods For Healthy Heart

Plant-Based (Vegetarian) Foods For Healthy Heart:

Broccoli

Broccoli is packed with several heart-friendly minerals like potassium and magnesium. Broccoli's high fibre and omega-3 fatty acids help keep the LDL or bad cholesterol at bay. The potassium in broccoli acts as vasodilator and checks your blood pressure levels.

Ginger

Experts have also linked ginger to lower levels of Low Density Lipoproteins or "bad" cholesterol, which are known to increase risk of heart disease. Add this in your daily diet and watch out for effective results. One of the best ways to add ginger to your diet is to begin your morning with tasty ginger tea. Research says that sipping ginger tea is quite beneficial and may cure many health problems. And, when it comes to blood thinning, ginger is known to reduce inflammation and further relaxes the muscles. Who knew that a single cup of ginger tea can do wonders for your health.

Carrots

The high fibre quotient of carrots boosts heart health removing excess LDL cholesterol from the walls of arteries and blood vessels. According to the book 'Healing Foods' by DK Publishing carrots, "contains a form of calcium easily assimilated by the body that may help lower "unhealthy " (LDL) cholesterol levels." The health benefits of carrots are due to their richness in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B8 and pantothenic acid. Consumption of carrots helps reduce cholesterol and prevents heart attacks.

Beetroot

Various studies around the world have shown that the high content of nitrates in beetroot produces a gas called nitric oxide. This gas helps to relax and dilate your blood vessels which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition. High in vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds like vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, they help in the treatment of heart diseases.

Amla

Amla reduces the risk of heart diseases by regulating the build-up of bad cholesterol. Amino acids and antioxidants aid in the overall functioning of heart.

Cayenne Peppers

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Cayenne peppers are power-packed with properties that help in thinning our blood. And, the credit goes to salicylates, which are found in high amount in cayenne peppers. Adding cayenne peppers to our daily diet, in the form of capsules or in the food, could lower your blood pressure and increase circulation.

5:2 diet what to eat - What is the 5:2 diet plat?

The
Fast Diet, also known as the 5:2 diet, is based on the principle of
intermittent fasting rather than rationing certain types of food.

People
are instructed to eat a normal amount of calories for five days a week – around
2,000 calories per day for women or 2,500 for men, but this varies depending on
physical activity and size – and to fast for the other two days. On fasting
days men should eat no more than 600 calories and women a maximum of 500.

Dr
Michael Mosley, who wrote the book The Fast Diet, says the 5:2 plan could make
people lose at least a pound in weight a week. 

Below
is one of Dr Mosley's example meal plans, based on the Mediterranean diet:

Breakfast: Labneh (strained yoghurt)
with tahini, honey, fruit and seeds

Strain
200g of Greek yoghurt through muslin for 24 hours then serve with two
tablespoons of tahini, four teaspoons of honey, 200g of mixed fruit and four
teaspoons of roasted mixed seeds. Serves four.

Low
calorie: 176

High
calorie: 443 (double the tahini and honey and serve with flatbread)

Lunch:
Cumin and coriander chicken kebab with houmas salad

Mix
olive oil, cumin, coriander, lemon zest and juice, garlic and seasoning in a
bowl then add the chicken and marinate.

Blend
chickpeas, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and some seasoning to
make houmous, and serve with salad.

Low
calorie: 280

Higher
calorie: 513 (Add 100g cooked bulgar wheat to salad and one wholemeal flatbread
per serving)

Dinner:
Flatbread pizza

Stir
garlic, tomatoes and oregano together with some seasoning then spread over
flatbreads. Top with slices of tomato, a drizzle of oil and feta, then bake in
the oven for 8-10 minutes. Scatter basil leaves to serve.

Low
calorie: 248

High
calorie: 378 (Add 100g mozzarella and 50g sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped)

Dessert:
Nutty dark chocolate bark with yoghurt

Line
a baking tray with clingfilm then pour chocolate into a rectangular shape.
Sprinkle nuts, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes until the chocolate has
set. Smash into shards and serve with the yogurt drizzled over.

Calories:
154 

Low
calorie total: 858kcal

High
calorie total: 1,488

5 2 diet results - Is the 5:2 benefit for diabetics?

Fasting for two days a week could help people with diabetes lose weight and control their blood sugar levels just as effectively as dieting every day, a study claims.

Experts suggest people could benefit from a 5:2 diet in which they eat normally for five days a week then limit themselves to 600 calories or less for the remaning two.

A small world-first study by scientists at the University of South Australia claims the diet could work just as well as limiting calorie intake seven days a week.

Losing weight is important in tackling type 2 diabetes, which affects millions of adults worldwide and is often linked to being overweight.

Changing diet is a common method of treating the condition because it is made worse by eating a lot of calories and fatty or sugary foods.

Fasting on two days – but not in a row – could be easier for people than limiting what they eat every day, so may have a better chance of success, the researchers say.

Diabetes costs an estimated £512 billion (US$673bn) a year in healthcare, according to the study's researchers, and is a 'health epidemic'.

Around 3.7 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes, plus 30 million Americans and 1.7 million Australians.

People with type 2 diabetes are encouraged to eat a healthy, balanced diet to help prevent their blood sugar from getting too high.

Being overweight linked to diabetes so doctors advise diet changes 

And patients are also advised to control how much they eat, in order to help them lose weight – obesity is a major risk factor for the condition and the two are often linked. 

A build-up of fat in the liver can make it less effective at controlling crucial blood sugar levels and make the body more resistant to insulin – the cause of diabetes.

But sticking to a restricted diet for seven days a week can be difficult and people who cannot stick to one might risk making their condition worse.

Now, scientists suggest people could eat what they want for five days and eat very little at all for the other two.

Seven day dieting and 5:2 fasting both improve blood glucose 

In a study which compared those on the 5:2 diet to one which limited them to 1,200 or 1,500 calories a day found people in both groups lost weight and improved their blood glucose control.

On fasting days the group on the 5:2 diet were only allowed to eat 500-600 calories, but they were not restricted on the other five days.

'Diabetes is the 21st century's health epidemic' 

Professor Peter Clifton, who worked on the study said: 'Diabetes is the 21st century's health epidemic and the biggest challenge confronting Australia's health system.

'Conventional weight-loss diets with daily energy restrictions are difficult for people to adhere to so we must look for alternative solutions.'

While fasting is safe for people with diabetes they control with their diet, people on insulin medication should take more care and consult their doctor.

The study looked at 137 Australian adults with type 2 diabetes, who had an average age of 60 and an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 38 – indicating they were obese.

Scientists monitored the people for a year and measured their body mass and blood glucose levels to compare with their diets.

weight loss tips - Going Keto To Lose Weight Or Balance Blood Sugar

mindbodygreen was one of the first to talk about the ketogenic diet, which is quickly gaining fame and becoming one of the most popular diets out there for anyone from people suffering from chronic pain to those trying to maintain a healthy weight. But like any diet, it has its pros and cons and it’s not right for everyone. Here, Dr. Shivam Joshi—board-certified internal medicine physician with an interest in plant-based health, evolutionary diets, and plant-based diets in kidney disease—explains why keto isn’t for everyone and what to look out for before starting a new diet. —The editors  

Obesity is one of the biggest problems facing our world today. And it's not only a health risk in itself, it's been connected to major leading causes of death—like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—as well. As long as people are overweight or obese, there will be no shortage of diets claiming to be the latest, greatest solution to our world's adiposity woes. The ketogenic diet is the latest to capture our attention.

If you haven't heard of it before, the ketogenic diet (also known as the keto diet) has captured the world's attention for its apparent ability to help people lose weight and treat their diabetes by eliminating all carbohydrates and focusing on a high-fat diet. However, I believe that a closer look at the science around this way of eating reveals that the results aren’t as impressive as many other dieting techniques, especially considering how restrictive it is. In fact, it may even have the risk of potentially serious side effects. Here's what I mean:

1. It'll help you lose weight, but it might not be the best way to lose weight.

Proponents of the ketogenic diet are quick to point out that it's the best diet for weight loss, but a large meta-analysis comparing ketogenic, low-carbohydrate diets to high-carbohydrate diets showed less than a kilogram of difference in weight loss between the two dietary strategies after 12 months—a minimal benefit when taking into account how overweight or obese many dieters are and how much effort is required to be in ketosis, the state of producing ketones while on the ketogenic diet. It's also possible that any initial weight loss on the ketogenic diet may be more a product of waterloss from the diuretic effect of ketones. In a randomized, controlled trial of 811 participants, it didn’t matter which diet a person was on as long as they limited their caloric intake.

2. It can help manage diabetes, but it won't treat it.

The ketogenic diet has garnered a lot of publicity for being able to "treat" diabetes. However, withholding all carbohydrates from diabetics is not new and actually was a method of managing diabetes before the discovery of insulin almost a century ago. Although one can control blood sugar spikes with a ketogenic diet, the underlying diabetes remains, which is why meta-analysis analyzing ketogenic, low-carb, and high-carb diets showed no difference in fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c levels (both markers of diabetes) after one year.

3. Not all fats cause heart disease, but some do.

The keto diet encourages its followers to double down on fats, with up to 70 to 80 percent of calories coming from fat. The only population to have even come close to consuming this amount of fat are the Inuit of the Arctic regions, who—contrary to popular belief—had a high rate of heart disease despite eating large amounts of fish and other marine sources of fat. Further, the high amount of fat encouraged by the keto diet puts people who aren't quite as well-versed in nutrition at risk of consuming some fats that are unhealthy, like trans and saturated fats, which increase the risk of cardiovascular complications like heart disease and stroke.

4. When it comes to the standard American diet, there are bigger fish to fry.

Keto diet experts warn their followers that eating foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes will prevent ketosis due to their carbohydrate content and recommend avoiding these foods entirely to gain the benefits of the ketogenic diet. However, the costs of forgoing these foods—which have been associated with several desirable health benefits—could be pretty steep. For example, in a large meta-analysis, fruits and vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of dying with greater benefits with additional servings consumed. Whole grains and legumes have also been shown to be beneficial by reducing the risk of heart disease, death, and cancer. If one were to get rid of certain foods from the standard American diet, getting rid of some of the healthiest foods in our diet doesn’t seem like the place to start.

5. Plain and simple: Prolonged ketosis can be dangerous.

The keto diet, like many other extreme nutrition protocols, comes with its fair share of risks—including kidney stones and mineral deficiencies that can have serious consequences. The diet also comes with its own period of transition as the body adjusts to a state of carbohydrate starvation known as the "keto flu," which includes symptoms such as gastrointestinal disturbances. Other more concerning side effects of the diet include potential fractures, acidosis, and pancreatitis. The potential for harm is the main reason I do not recommend the keto diet to patients.

Readers looking to lose weight may feel hopeless knowing that the keto diet may not be as helpful as they once thought. However, the healthiest and safest diet for humans is one that emphasizes eating whole, plant-based foods, of which there are many healthy variations. And that is something certainly to take comfort in!

Diet Soda Linked To Reduced Colon Cancer Death And Recurrence Risk

Can consuming artificially sweetened soft drinks help reduce colon cancer death and recurrence risks in patients? A Yale study says yes, and researchers want to take a closer look at artificial sweeteners’ health impacts.

Colorectal Cancer And Diet Cola

Researchers of a new study found that consuming diet or artificially sweetened soft drinks may be linked to significantly reduced risks of colon cancer death and recurrence. Their findings revealed that the patients who consumed one or more 12-ounce serving of artificially sweetened beverage a day reduced their cancer death or recurrence risk by 46 percent compared to those who don’t drink such diet soft drinks.

For the purposes of the study, “soft drinks” were classified as caffeinated colas, non-caffeinated colas, and other carbonated drinks such as diet ginger ale.

The researchers gathered their data from over 1,000 patients with stage III colorectal cancer, all of whom participated in a National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trial in which they were followed during chemotherapy between 1999 and 2001, and for the next seven years to track cancer recurrence and death. Participants of this trial were also given questionnaires regarding the consumption of over 130 different types of food and drinks.

Other studies also found similar reductions to cancer recurrence and death risks, but as a result of coffee and tree nut consumption. The researchers, however, chose to focus on artificially sweetened beverages because a previous study showed that consuming sugar sweetened beverages drastically increases the risk for colon cancer development. As such, they wanted to see if a change in lifestyle by consuming artificially sweetened beverages, even with advanced stage cancer, would affect cancer outcomes post-surgery.

Beverage Substitute

In a second analysis, researchers found that the benefit they observed in relation to artificially sweetened beverages is in part because the sugar-sweetened beverages were substituted with the artificially sweetened ones. According to researchers, this is in line with what is already known about colon cancer risk, in that it is linked to factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and a diabetes-linked diet.

“We now find that, in terms of colon cancer recurrence and survival, use of artificially sweetened drinks is not a health risk, but is, in this study, a healthier choice,” said Charles S. Fuchs, M.D. of the Yale Cancer Center, senior author or the study.

As a result of their findings, researchers note that it is now important to take a closer look at the real health impacts of artificial sweeteners. So far, there are concerns that the consumption of products that use artificial sweeteners may increase the risks for diabetes, obesity, and cancer. However, Fuchs states that studies linking artificial sweeteners to weight gain and diabetes are “mixed,” and that the epidemiologic studies in humans have not established the connection between artificial sweeteners and cancer.

The study is published in PLOS ONE.

Man loses 280 pounds in two years after walking 6000 miles

A call center manager from shed more than 280 pounds after walking 6,000 miles in just two years.

Dave Lancaster, 45, used to binge every day on sausages, chips, pies and wine for years, ballooning to a nearly 480 pounds in 2016. The Warwick, England man could barely reach the end of his road before running out of breath. But he is a new man after clocking up an incredible 6,000 miles walking - shedding more than two-thirds of his body weight - along the way.

At his biggest, Lancaster struggled into 8XL shirts and had a 66 inch waistline.  (SWNS)

Lancaster, who at his biggest struggled into 8XL shirts and had a 66 inch waistline, now weighs a much healthier 196 pounds and has even reversed a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

He was forced to take action two years ago after his weight - which was more than an adult Pygmy hippopotamus - left him suffering a long-list of painful health complaints. These included type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, crippling joint pain, high cholesterol, gout and sleep apnea – where a person can suddenly stop breathing in their sleep.

"Now instead of meeting friends at my house, they join me for a walk!”  (SWNS)

TIMES SQUARE BILLBOARD FOR 'APPETITE SUPPRESSANT' LOLLIPOPS SLAMMED BY ACTRESS, TWITTER USERS

“I found it difficult to walk to the end of my road, I went out so rarely except for work that I was close to becoming a recluse, and I was nearing almost complete immobility,” he said. “It felt as though as I was getting bigger and bigger, my world was gradually shrinking.”

But Lancaster no longer needs any medication as he ditched fast-food and lost a staggering 280 pounds. He says it’s the little things that the biggest difference to his life.

"I’ve got my life back and I couldn’t be happier. The world isn’t shrinking anymore; it’s getting bigger and bigger by the day!”  (SWNS)

“I can fit in the seat of any car I like and on buses, trains and planes; I don’t have to worry about breaking benches or garden furniture anymore,” he said. “I can buy clothes on the high street and put my own socks on easily; I can walk miles and run up and down the stairs…the list is endless.”

"I’ve got my life back and I couldn’t be happier. The world isn’t shrinking anymore; it’s getting bigger and bigger by the day!”

Lancaster shed the pounds with a grueling walking routine fueled by Weetabix, fresh fruit and vegetables and lean meat and fish. He started small walking going from bench to bench in his local park. But he never gave up and soon covered 10 miles a day - even scaling Wales' tallest mountain Snowdon.

"I like this form of exercise because instead of costing me, like a gym membership or exercise class would, it saves me money on gas. Now instead of meeting friends at my house, they join me for a walk!”

Lancaster said he couldn't have done it without joining his local Slimming World weight-loss group ran by his former neighbor Angie Baker.

He had tried a string of diets having been overweight all his life apart from a brief period aged 16 to 18. But he was left bitterly disappointed after managing to lose weight on a meal replacement diet in 2007, only to put the weight back on, because it didn't educate him about food.

Speaking of his first Slimming World meeting, Lancaster said: “As I walked through the door, Angie instantly recognized me and it was nice that she hadn’t forgotten me despite having not seen each other for years.”

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"However, I got a huge shock when I stepped on the scales and discovered I was nearly 42 pounds heavier than I’d expected – I couldn’t believe what I’d done to my body and, that evening, I’m not ashamed to say I cried.”

The call center manager has now been named its Slimmer of the Year. He marked the day with a celebration walk with all of the friends who’ve walked with him as he clocked up the miles.

And thanks to the changes he’s made Lancaster’s health has also improved dramatically and he no longer needs to take any medication. His blood sugar reading has dropped from 94 to 25, meaning he displays no type 2 diabetes symptoms. He also no longer wears glasses – an unexpected side effect of his reduced blood sugar levels.

This story was originally published by SWNS.