Diet
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Balancing out overeating
Most people will overeat during the holiday period and/or while travelling. This is normal and forcing yourself to resist every single morsel of food can have detrimental effects to your mental health and enjoyment. A better approach is balancing out overeating by following the tips below. Why care about overeating? Eating and drinking more than usual is normal during the end of year holidays. Gaining weight and/or body fat as a result is also normal. For many people, going back to their routine will eventually take care of that. However, you might want to speed up this process if you have health conditions that are worsened by excess weight, you…
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Should you weigh and measure your food?
As usual, the answer to the question “should you weigh and measure your food?” is: depends. There is a time and a place in which measuring is appropriate. However, that level of detail can turn into a detrimental habit for some people. How to weigh and measure food Equipment Kitchen scale Kitchen scales are easy to find in stores that sell homewares and appliances and come at different price levels. As with other appliances, price normally indicates quality but even the most affordable scales are decently accurate. Digital scales seem to be the norm these days and are easier to read. Coffee brewing scales tend to be more accurate, just…
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How to build a healthy grazing board
Grazing boards are great for entertaining and celebrating special occasions such as the festive season. While they are often associated with indulgence, they don’t have to be bad for you. Keep reading to find out how to build a healthy grazing board. What goes into grazing boards Broadly speaking, these are the categories of food that make a grazing board: How to build a healthy grazing board Principles Balance You don’t want to have too many of any of the food categories in your board. This keeps things interesting but also helps even out the energy content. For example, if you only include full cream cheeses and dried fruit, you…
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The effects of nutrients and exercise on mitochondria
The effects of nutrients and exercise on mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles in our bodies, may improve health and performance. What are mitochondria Mitochondria (plural of mitochondrion) are organelles located within all of our cells which are responsible for generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), used for energy. They do so via various metabolic pathways, including the famous Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid beta-oxidation (1, 2). Mitochondria also fulfil other roles, including intracellular signalling, cellular longevity regulation (3, 4, 5), calcium regulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, glucose and lipid metabolism (4). Mitochondria and health There are some genetically inherited mitochondrial health conditions, however their prevalence is low. Given the presence…
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10 vegetarian mistakes
If you decide to adopt a vegetarian diet for health reasons, it is important to make smart choices and avoid the following 10 vegetarian mistakes. 1. Relying on cheese for protein Yes, cheese has protein and calcium but the content varies greatly depending on the specific cheese. Cheeses that are higher in fat are very energy dense, which can be a problem for some people. In addition, eating cheese in large quantities can cause gastrointestinal distress in many people, sometimes due to the lactose content, sometimes due to the fat content. 2. Being content with ordering “the vegetarian option” Many restaurants offer very poorly constructed vegetarian options, e.g. garden salad,…
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What is malnutrition?
Malnutrition affects people affects people of all ages and income levels. In this article we explore what is malnutrition, what are the factors that affect it, how to assess malnutrition and how to address malnutrition. What is malnutrition? “Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions. One is ‘undernutrition’-which includes stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height), underweight (low weight for age) and micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals). The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer)”…
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Do dry challenges work?
You have probably heard of Dry July and Ocsober. These and other one-month alcohol abstinence campaigns are followed by many people worldwide. But do dry challenges work? Campaigns such as Dry July don’t necessarily aim at people quitting alcohol forever but perhaps think about their drinking habits. Most of the alcohol campaigns last for a month, exist in multiple countries, and include Dry January, Febfast, Dry July and Ocsober. Some of these may sound familiar to you. These campaigns come with accountability through social media and sometimes fundraising. This article is based on a study published in the Harm Reduction Journal, which analysed 13 sources which included studies and campaign…
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Health effects of microplastics
Given the rise of plastic contamination worldwide, the health effects of microplastics on humans is a growing concern. As seen in the previous article What are microplastics and nanoplastics?, microplastics (MPs) and (NPs) are tiny plastic particles that can enter the body via foods such as water, sugar, salt, fish, seafood and produce. The good news is that, in theory, we should be able to excrete up to 90% of the ingested particles (1). The extent at which MPs get absorbed into our bodies, organs and cells depends on the size of the particles. The numbers below are estimates: < 150 micrometres in diameter (~0.3% of ingested particles): pass through…
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What are microplastics and nanoplastics?
There is growing interest in the threats that microplastics and nanoplastics pose on the health of humans and the environment. In this article we answer the questions: what are microplastics and nanoplastics? where do they come from? and more. What are microplastics and nanoplastics? Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are tiny pieces of plastics measuring less than 5 millimetres and between 1 and 1000 nanometres in diameter, respectively (1). Where do they come from? MPs and NPs can originate from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic articles that end up in the environment or can be added to manufactured products such as personal care products and clothing (1, 2).…
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Sleep and nutrition in athletes
Sleep and nutrition in athletes is an often overlooked aspect of recovery and performance. In this article, we explore the multiple factors that can affect an athlete’s sleep quality and quantity. Sleep in athletes Many athletes suffer from sleep issues, including short duration of sleep (a.k.a. sleep deprivation) and sleep disturbances (e.g. insomnia, waking up at night) (1, 2). The factors that may contribute to sleep issues in athletes include: Muscle soreness (1) and pain Intense training (1) Early or late training sessions or competition (2, 3, 4) Poor sleep hygiene, including screen use close to bedtime (2, 3) Stress, nerves and/or anxiety due to competition or other reasons (2,…
