Food and Health Room

[Anthea]

WOW

A giant chocolate egg filled with chocolate mousse and strawberries

No Chantilly for me

HANG ON

What about all those weeks of fasting and losing weight

[Piling]

You don't like Chantilly ? It is the most delicious cream.

Pâques is feast, no-diet days.Tuesday, I will control my meal again. But with EGGS, MEAT, DAIRY, CHEESE.

[Anthea]

I am allergic to cream

I am allergic to milk

And only tolerate small amounts of cheese

Sometimes I eat small amounts of butter

But I manage to eat ice cream

[Piling]

But I manage to eat ice cream

There is no milk in English ice-creams ?

If there is, you are not allergic. Or these ice creams have vegetable milk (I imagine an Italian collapsing by reading the ingredients of proceeded ice-creams, gelatti are the best).

[Anthea]

Perhaps I had better check on what exactly the contents of UK ice cream are

[Anthea]

How to lose weight without really trying

It can be hard to lose weight – and don't we all know it

But don't be disheartened if diet and exercise hasn't helped you battle your bulge.

A nutritionist has revealed his three tips that could allow you to take those extra pounds off your hips without much effort.

And the tips from London-based Rick Hay, shared with Healthista, include adding cinnamon to your porridge and eating more broccoli.

Although chromium is usually found in dietary supplements, many foods also contain the mineral. Meat, whole-grain products, fruits and vegetables are considered good sources of chromium. Research has shown that broccoli is high in chromium (11mcg per half a cup)

Put a stop to cravings with chromium

Cravings are often the downfall of successful weight loss. We could have been to the gym, eaten a healthy breakfast but then the office biscuit tin is refilled and those Hobnobs and Custard Creams are calling your name.

Cravings not only aid to the difficulties of losing weight but can also affect you mentally.

When we give in to those cravings we think of ourselves as weak, and so we give up and eat more of those office biscuits. So what if we could lessen or stop those cravings?

The answer is chromium. In fact 'chromium is key where cravings are concerned,' said Mr Hay.

Glycemic control is a medical term referring to a steady state of blood sugar (glucose) in the body.

Chromium improves glycaemic control through its action on our insulin receptors – insulin is the hormone the body uses to process glucose.

Excess glucose not processed properly will be converted to fat and stored in tissues not suitable for fat storage.

This essentially means that chromium can keep our blood sugar levels steady, stopping them from spiking which is what causes those nagging cravings and possible weight gain.

HOW DOES CHROMIUM STOP CRAVINGS?

Glycemic control is a medical term referring to a steady state of blood sugar (glucose) in the body.

Chromium improves glycaemic control through its action on our insulin receptors – insulin is the hormone the body uses to process glucose.

Excess glucose not processed properly will be converted to fat and stored in tissues not suitable for fat storage.

This essentially means that chromium can keep our blood sugar levels steady, stopping them from spiking which is what causes those nagging cravings and possible weight gain.

Although chromium is usually found in dietary supplements, many foods also contain the mineral chromium. Meat, whole-grain products, fruits and vegetables are considered good sources of chromium.

Research has shown that broccoli is high in chromium (11mcg per half a cup). Oranges and apples too may contain approximately 6mcg per serving.

The recommended dietary reference intake (DRI) of chromium is 35mcg (microgram) a day for adult men and 25mcg a day for adult women.

After the age of 50, the recommended intake of chromium decreases to 30mcg a day for men and 20mcg a day for women.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of twenty-five randomized controlled trials found favourable effects of chromium supplementation on glycaemic control in patients with diabetes, again showing that chromium can reduce our blood sugar and therefore our cravings.

The recommended dietary reference intake (DRI) of chromium is 35mcg (microgram) a day for adult men and 25mcg a day for adult women.

After the age of 50, the recommended intake of chromium decreases to 30mcg a day for men and 20mcg a day for women.

Although chromium is usually found in dietary supplements, many foods also contain the mineral chromium. Meat, whole-grain products, fruits and vegetables are considered good sources of chromium.

Research has shown that broccoli is high in chromium (11mcg per half a cup). Oranges and apples too may contain approximately 6mcg per serving.

However, it is important to note that the agricultural and the manufacturing processes can affect how much chromium is in foods.

'Consuming a balanced diet containing a variety of minimally processed foods may help you meet your chromium requirements,' said Mr Hay.

A 2008 study looking specifically at the effects of chromium on food intake and satiety, assessed the effect of chromium in modulating food intake in healthy, overweight, adult women who reported craving carbohydrates.

The double-blind placebo-controlled study randomly assigned 42 overweight adult women with carbohydrate cravings to receive 1,000mg of chromium or placebo for eight weeks.

Findings demonstrated that those who supplemented with chromium, as compared to placebo, reduced their food intake, their hunger levels and their fat cravings. They also tended to decrease body weight.

As well as chromium, an abundance of B vitamins can also found in colourful vegetables. Aim to eat a rainbow of brightly coloured veggies.

Try intermittent fasting (IF)

Intermittent fasting, similar to the well-known 5:2 diet, is a popular go-to for sustainable weight loss.

This style of eating made popular by celebrities such as Beyonce, Liv Tyler, Hugh Jackman and Ben Affleck is shown to promote weight loss.

Intermittent fasting is simple and that's why it's so popular. There are no crazy restrictions, other than the fact you can't eat for 14-16 hours. But we promise that isn't as shocking as it sounds.

If you incorporate this 'fast' time into the time you spend asleep it can be quite easy.

WHAT IS THE INTERMITTENT FASTING 16:8 DIET?

The 16:8 diet is a form of intermittent fasting.

Followers of the eating plan fast for 16 hours a day, and eat whatever they want in the remaining eight hours - typically between 10am and 6pm.

This may be more tolerable than the well-known 5:2 diet - where followers restrict their calories to 500–to-600 a day for two days a week and then eat as normal for the remaining five days.

In addition to weight loss, 16:8 intermittent fasting is believed to improve blood sugar control, boost brain function and help us live longer.

Many prefer to eat between noon and 8pm as this means they only need to fast overnight and skip breakfast, but can still eat lunch and dinner, along with a few snacks.

When you do eat, it is best to opt for healthy options like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

And drink water and unsweetened beverages.

Drawbacks of the fasting plan may be that people overindulge in the hours they can eat, leading to weight gain.

It can also result in digestive problems over the long-term, as well as hunger, fatigue and weakness.

For example, lets say you finish eating at 8pm, if you then don't eat anything until 10am (which is totally doable for most) then you've fasted for 14 hours – congratulations. That would be a 14:10 fast.

You could also stop eating at 8pm and start at midday the next day, fasting for even longer, 16 hours, which would be a 16:8 fast.

The longer your fast period and the shorter your eating window, the more a break you will give your system, or so goes the reasoning.

Essentially, intermittent fasting is eating (fasting) in the way our ancestors typically ate, exposing yourself to intermittent cycles of famine. We had to hunt for our food, it wasn't readily available at our nearest Tesco stores at every breakfast time.

Science now tells us that 14 and 16 hours is the best fasting window for burning body fat and losing weight.

But why do we need to fast for 14-16 hours? Because after 12 hours all the glucose has been cleared from your blood stream and that's when your body switches to using your own body fat for energy. Yes, you'll be burning though your body fat without dieting.

Findings suggest that short term intermittent fasting may be a safe and tolerable dietary intervention for those already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and may improve body weight and fasting glucose levels.

After we eat a meal, our digestive system processes the food we have just eaten; digesting and absorbing, so that the body can use the nutrients the food has provided.

This process takes around four to five hours, during which the body will prioritise using the carbohydrates provided as its preferred energy source, rather than rely on fat stored in the body.

Following the meal, insulin levels will be high and when insulin levels are high, the body is less likely to use fat as fuel.

After a certain point however, between 12-16 hours after a meal, the body will need to use its fat stores as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates, this is where you will burn body fat and lose weight.

Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and so in turn, reduces cravings, according to Mr Hay

Add cinnamon to your porridge

The last little weight loss trick you can try is cinnamon. Cinnamon contains a polyphenol that helps to reduce blood sugar levels in subjects with type 2 diabetes. And as we know, reducing out blood sugar levels will mean less cravings.

'Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and so in turn, reduces cravings. This is especially beneficial for weight management or weight loss,' said Mr Hay.

'By regulating blood sugar, cinnamon can also improve mood and keep it steady, a benefit that has been shown in research with people who have Type 2 diabetes.'

In a study to determine whether cinnamon improves blood glucose levels, 60 people were divided randomly into six groups.

Groups one, two, and three consumed 1/3/6g of cinnamon daily, and groups four, five, and six were given placebo capsules corresponding to the number of capsules consumed for the three levels of cinnamon. The cinnamon was consumed for 40 days followed by a 20 day washout period.

The results of this study revealed that an intake of cinnamon each day reduces our glucose levels. Therefore an inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes specifically, will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Cinnamon also contains an important oil called eugenol, which has antiseptic properties – therefore helping the immune system too.

In addition, studies from the University of Science, Malaysia show that cinnamon is good for cardiovascular health as it was found to have the potential to be used to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Cinnamon can be added to porridge and smoothies to help regulate blood sugar. You can even try poaching pears or apples in some cinnamon and sugar – delicious.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/arti ... rying.html

[Piling]

I've always considered porridge as a disgusting mash for ducks. As all "cereals for breakfast", in fact.

[Anthea]

I've always considered porridge as a disgusting mash for ducks. As all "cereals for breakfast", in fact.

As I do not drink milk I have never eaten many cereals

I have actually tried several of the crunchy chocolate ones without milk

I used to enjoy kippers for breakfast

Now I eat salads

[Piling]

I baked big bretzels yesterday and it is a yummy breakfast or dinner.

[Anthea]

I baked big bretzels yesterday and it is a yummy breakfast or dinner.

Sounds delicious and FATTENING

[Piling]

At LAST a sensible scientific answer to all current fantasy beliefs about healthy diets :

The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right
Mark Bittman and doctor David L. Katz patiently answer pretty much every question we could think of about healthy food

https://medium.com/new-york-magazine/th ... 0096bd1901

[Anthea]

Oklahoma man claims a drug
for DOGS cured him of cancer

In January 2017, Joe Tippens was certain that he would die of small cell lung cancer

But then a veterinarian suggested he try something unconventional, to say the least: a drug for dogs.

The medication, fenbendazole, is an anti-worm compound used to treat hookworms, roundworms and other gut parasites in animals, primarily dogs.

In recent years, studies suggesting anti-worm drugs might have cancer-fighting properties have been cropping up in a growing number of journals.

It's far from a proven treatment, but with three months to live and nothing to lose, Joe decided to take a chance on it.

Joe Tippens was diagnosed with late stage lung caner in 2016. By 2017, it had spread throughout his body and he was given three months to live. Today, he is cancer free - and credits the dog de-worming drug he took while enrolled in a clinical trial

Joe was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in 2016, turning his plans upside down, just two days before he was set to move to Switzerland from Oklahoma.

He kept up a fighting attitude, but in January 2017, he got the news that no one is prepared to hear.

The aggressive cancer was everywhere. It had spread to his liver, pancreas, bladder, stomach, neck and bones.

His PET scan 'lit up like a Christmas tree,' he says on his website.

At that late stage of small cell lung cancer, Joe's odds of survival were less than one percent, and the average life expectancy was three months.

He had a trans-Atlantic move planned. He was expecting a grandson. And now everything had to come to a halt.

Joe's PET scans showed the caner had spread from 'head-to-toe' in 2017

Doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas told him they wouldn't give up, and would put him in a clinical trial that wouldn't save Joe, but might give him a year or so to live.

He might get to meet his grandson.

'A year (or so) sounds a lot better than 3 months, so I said "let's go for it,"' Joe writes.

Browsing an online forum for his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, Joe saw a post that caught his eye that same month: 'If you have cancer or know someone who does, give me a shout.'

He did, and from the poster, a veterinarian, he learned that scientists had accidentally discovered that a dog de-worming drug seemed to combat many cancers in mice.

The same scientist that had conducted that research, as it happened, had stage 4 brain cancer, and the same prognosis Joe had been given, according to the vet.

A veterinarian told Joe about fenbendazole, a de-worming drug for dogs, which had shown cancer-fighting properties in cell studies

She started popping the dog pills, and within six weeks, as the vet told it, the scientist's cancer was gone.

Joe, who was 'a skeleton with skin hanging off of it' at half his previous weight, he told KOCO 5 News, placed an order of fenbendazole.

His new dosage of dog pills cost just $5 a week. His insurance company had spent '$1.2 million on me with traditional means,' he said.

According to a study published in Nature, the drug compound essentially starves cancer cells and kills them.

It also is, of course, already in production, cheaper, and, according to cell studies and reports from people who have tried it, not very toxic, especially compared to chemo and immunotherapies.

That said, it was a risk.

Joe stayed in the clinical trial (he does not disclose what therapy he received) added vitamin E, CBD, bioavailable curcumin and, of course, the dog medicine.

He didn't mention the de-worming drug to his doctors.

The difference between Joe's PET scans in January of 2017 and in May of 2017 was dramatic

In May, Joe's first grandchild, Luke, was born. Joe was there to meet him.

Two-and-a-half weeks later, he had another PET scan.

'Three months earlier...There was cancer in my body from head to toe. And it was a terrifyingly dangerous metastasis that leaves virtually 100% of its victims dead within 3 months. Here I was 3 months later and the PET scan was completely dark......void of any light.....anywhere,' Joe writes.

He was dumbfounded. His oncologist was dumbfounded, according to Joe's account.

Joe writes that his doctor told him, 'We don't quite know what to make of this as you are the only patient on the clinical trial with this kind of response.'

In September 2017, Joe went for yet another scan, and was still cancer free. At last he told his doctor what he'd been doing outside the hospital.

Joe not only lived to see the birth of his first grandson, Luke, but is still cancer-free and will get to see him turn two next month

There was no way at that point to prove that it was the de-worming drug that vanished Joe's cancer, but his doctor did tell him that he was an 'outlier' of the trial, Joe writes.

Joe's final scan was taken in January of 2018, and when he had a follow-up appointment that April, he writes that his oncologist kicked him out of the cancer center - because Joe had no cancer to treat.

His results seem too-good-to-be true, but Joe claims to have collected over 40 examples of similar success stories.

And his results were good enough to pique the interest of the president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Dr Stephen Prescott.

'I'm usually skeptical, and I was and maybe still am about this one, but there's interesting background on this' he told KOCO.

Now, Dr Prescott and Joe are working on a case study report, according to KOCO.

Joe is careful to note that he's not a doctor, and is 'only one man with limited resources.'

'I am not prescribing medicine and I am not qualified to give advice on medical treatments.

'BUT.....I am qualified to tell my story to as many people as possible.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/arti ... -free.html

[Anthea]

Kurds treasure nutritious and
natural mountain herbs

The mountains of the Kurdistan have hidden nutritional gems in the springtime — vitamin and fiber-filled edible herbs

Hundreds of Kurdish men and women head for the hills and mountains in the Kurdistan Region during spring to forage.

The health desk of Rudaw Media Network arranged an excursion for the students of the Rawanduz Pharmacy Institute.

"There is no doubt that they have health benefits. Some of them have been proven by our forefathers and some are proven by scientific research in academic centers. Then their possible uses were identified. Therefore it’s the duty of academic centers to take care of them," said Dlawar Gallali, the dean of the institute.

The plants include gundelia (kangir), rheum ribes (rewas) and arum (kardu), where the students learned about the benefits of the herbs.

"Our students will conduct scientific research for their graduation. Their professors and supervisors direct them to conduct research in nature. This year we will have a festival; in it we will showcase some projects related to spring herbs," added Gallali.

They went to the heights of Bradost in Erbil province to find rheum ribes.

A Kurdish herbal expert with an MA from the United Kingdom also accompanied the group.

"Rewas has a lot of water content. Despite water, it’s full of nutrients. Concerning the minerals, it has a big amount of potassium and Vitamin C compared to other vegetables," the clinical pharmacist Rawaz Dilzar explained.

Rewas is comprised of a base, leaves, stem and the blossom.

"It’s full of fiber which benefits cleaning the colon and helps digest foods. Concerning the minerals and vitamins, it has Vitamin K. We can get 37 percent of our needed for Vitamin K in 100g of rewas. In addition to Vitamin K, it has a huge amount of Vitamin C," said Rawaz.

Only before summer temperatures increase will the herbs be edible, they'll soon harden and not taste good.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/280420191

[Anthea]

Supplement said to reverse ageing
launches in New Zealand for $59

Is this the secret to eternal youth? New Zealand becomes the fourth country to launch $59 supplement said to reverse ageing

A supplement which promotes healthy ageing has just launched in New Zealand

The vitamin is a less common form of B3 called nicotinomide riboside chloride

Tru Niagen claims to help slow the ageing process by promoting better health

New Zealand has become the fourth country in the world to allow sales of a natural supplement that has been dubbed the fountain of youth.

The product, marketed as Tru Niagen, costs $59 and is made using a less common form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside (NR).

The supplement claims to stop the body ageing at a cellular level by arresting the decline of a molecule linked to metabolism and energy production from food.

What is nicotinamide riboside (NR)?

* Nicotinamide riboside, or niagen, is an alternative form of vitamin B3.

* It is promoted as an anti-aging supplement because it boosts your body's levels of NAD, which acts as fuel for many key biological processes.

The vitamin is understood to slow the ageing process by converting nicotinamide riboside into NAD (NAD is a type of 'helper' molecule that exists inside the body's cells).

The supplement is currently sold in the US, Canada, Singapore and now New Zealand.

Low NAD levels have been linked to health concerns like ageing and chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and vision loss, Healthline reports.

Professor Charles Brenner from the University of Iowa who discovered that nicotinamide riboside (NR) could support healthy levels of NAD told The New Zealand Herald NAD levels start to decline when people are in their 20s.

Those aged 40-plus experienced the most loss of NAD levels with a decrease of up to 50 per cent.

Although the decline was a natural process regardless of age, factors such as eating unhealthy food, drinking too much, overwork, staying in the sun for too long, a lack of sleep or illness sped up the process.

Prior to Professor Brenner's research, it was understood, this decline was irreversible.

However, ongoing work by the professor has shown a positive link between the supplement and raised NAD levels - both of which contribute to better health.

'It's not intended to treat a disease or condition,' Professor Brenner told The New Zealand Herald.

'It's a wellness product but there are lots of reports of sleeping better, recovering from exercise better, going through winter without colds and recovering from scratches and bruises better.'

Can Tru Niagen help slow the signs of ageing?

*Tru Niagen is from nicotinamide riboside chloride (NR) a rare form of vitamin B3

*The supplement works by converting nicotinamide riboside into NAD - a 'helper' molecule that supports the metabolism, converts food into energy and supports healthy ageing.

*Although NR is a naturally-occurring vitamin in milk, it's only found in trace amounts. Drinking 300L of milk would give you the equivalent amount of NR as there is in one 250mg Tru Niagen capsule.

*The supplement claims to support healthy energy levels, brain function, sleep patterns.

The supplement, Tru Niagen, has been recognised as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration.

It does not need approval to be sold in New Zealand as it is a supplement rather than a drug.

In Australia, the supplement is going through an approval process with the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/arti ... nd-59.html

[Piling]

Humans are too numerous on earth. If they stop to age and die, what a mess.