9 Health Mistakes Women Don’t Realise They’re Making

Attention ladies; even if you think you’re a fitness and diet guru, we guarantee you’ll be making some of these health mistakes without even realising it.

Cut out these bad habits and you’ll be healthier before you know it.

Unhealthy friends?

Having unhealthy friends

Who you’re friends with can have a big influence on your health without you even realising.

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared obesity to a virus. When your friends gain weight, you’re more likely to gain weight yourself.

That doesn’t mean you need to ditch your friends as soon as they put on a couple of pounds – study author Dr Nicholas Christakis suggests instead taking cues from your healthier friends.

Only relying on cardio

“I can’t work out with weights because I don’t want to bulk up!” you proclaim as you follow the familiar route to the treadmill for the thousandth time. But is there any truth behind this popular excuse?

In short, no.

Far from bulking you up, building muscle will help you to shed the pounds. Experts estimate that for every pound of muscle you gain, you’ll burn an extra seven -13 calories per day.

Any fears you have of looking like She Hulk can be put to bed. Because of lower levels of testosterone, women don’t bulk up anywhere near as quickly as men.

Overusing social media

We all enjoy a sneaky Facebook stalk every once in a while, but do it too often and you could become depressed, according to researchers in Germany.

They found that overuse of Facebook can pose a serious risk to our mental wellbeing.

Checking out other people’s holiday photos was the major culprit, with one in three study participants reporting that this made them feel depressed or lonely.

Twitter is no better, with a University of Vermont study finding that Twitter users gradually become more stressed and unhappy the more they use the site.

Relying on diet products

When your sweet tooth is crying out for sugar, it can be tempting to turn to sugar-free diet options. Sadly these substitute snacks aren’t as guilt-free as you’ve been led to believe.

In place of sugar, manufacturers will often use nasty artificial alternatives to provide that sweet taste.

Aspartame, commonly found in diet drinks, was found to increase your risk of obesity by 41 per cent in a University of Texas Health Science Centre study.

Psychologists in a separate study at Cornell University observed that phrases like ‘sugar-free’ can subconsciously trigger overeating. In some cases, this meant people ate twice as many calories as they would have done if they opted for the full-sugar version.Don't become fixated on your abs (REX)

Focusing on stomach toning

All too often we become fixated on trying to develop a rock hard stomach by performing endless crunches. If this sounds like you, you’re wasting your time.

Want to know just how useless crunches are? A Men’s Health study found that you’d have to do a staggering 22,000 of them to lose just a pound of fat off your stomach.

If you want to lose weight, focus on high intensity interval training instead.

HIIT increases your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after you exercise, and boosts fat oxidation.

Wearing high heels too often

Who can resist a pair of killer hills for accentuated legs and an instant confidence boost?

Wear them too frequently however, and your feet won’t be thanking you.

Wearing four-inch heels increases the pressure on your feet by around 30 per cent, leading to damaged tendons, reduced circulation and bone and nerve deterioration.Swap heels for flats occasionally and your feet will thank you (AP)

Not getting enough calcium

A recent survey conducted by Creighton University Medical Centre showed that 85% of women don’t get enough calcium per day, which leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis.

It’s recommended that women between the ages 19 to 50 need a daily calcium intake of 1,000mg.

Topping up on calcium is easy with dairy products like milk and natural yoghurt. If dairy doesn’t agree with you, you’ll also find high levels of calcium in fish such as salmon and sardines and even leafy veg.

Using electronics before bed

That one last game of Candy Crush you squeeze in before you hit the hay could be ruining your sleep pattern, if researchers in Sweden are to be believed.

They observed that people who use mobile phones or tablets directly before going to sleep found it harder to doze off, causing lasting health issues.

As well as displaying signs of insomnia, these pre-sleep tech-addicts suffered from headaches throughout the day.

Eating what your date eats

Next time you’re on a hot date, psychologists suggest you need to spend more time checking what’s on your plate than staring into your partner’s eyes.

University of Birmingham researchers have discovered a link between new relationships and weight gain, particularly in women.

According to their findings, when dining with a new partner you subconsciously mirror their portion sizes, which can lead to weight gain if they eat more than you’re used to.

https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/9-health-mistakes-women-don-t-realise-making-090000295.html

In For A Sugar Shock?

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Sugar has been enemy number one in the media lately – but do you know just how much you’re consuming? The white stuff could be lurking in some surprising places, writes Susan Griffin

There’s no point sugar-coating the facts; we’ve got an obesity crisis on our hands. A quarter of all adults and a fifth of children are classified in this way, and it’s taking its toll on our nation’s health – an estimated one third of UK adults also have pre-diabetes.

Sugar is increasingly being blamed as one of the key culprits in this worrying epidemic, but it’s not just the frosty coating on a doughnut, or the number of teaspoons of the white stuff you add to your cups of tea that’s the problem (after all, the occasional treat is allowed!).

No, the biggest problem is hidden sugar, the – sometimes vast – quantities that’s been heaped into seemingly ‘non-treat’ foods and drinks to add flavour and sweetness.

Because despite efforts to label foods more clearly, it’s still not always possible to know (unless you’ve done a lot of homework beforehand) what’s sugar-laden and what’s not.

Thanks to the recent scary news reports, we do now know that a single can of fizzy drink contains seven to nine teaspoonfuls of sugar – but it’s not simply a case of cutting out the obvious suspects like these drinks, or chocolate and cakes from your diet. There’s a whole heap of hidden nasties lurking in our food these days.

“We are a country hooked on sugar, which has been added to our food to improve taste. Most people are wise to the products that contain high sugar levels, however, they may not be aware just how much they are consuming,” says Zoe Frith, in-house nutritionist for Prestige Purchasing.

“The biggest surprise for consumers is the hidden sugars in savoury products which can be unexpectedly high, such as canned goods, ready meals and sauces. We have got used to these sweetness levels in our food and, as such, are in a viscous circle – a sweet-tooth nation which would notice the difference if sugar levels were lowered.”

The Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition is recommending that around 5% (down from 10%) of people’s daily energy can come from free sugars (those added to food or contained in fruit juices, honey, syrups and sweetened drinks). That would amount to 25 grams of sugar for women and 35 grams, or seven to eight teaspoonfuls, for men.

If you want to keep to this, it’s crucial you know exactly what sugar really goes into what, so the chairman of Action on Sugar, Professor Graham MacGregor, warns of some of the worst culprits you need to be wary of…

:: So focused are we on opting for the ‘healthy’ option that we don’t take the time to read the label properly. Yeo Valley O% Fat Vanilla Yoghurt contains the equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar and the Muller Crunch Corner Strawberry Shortcake Yoghurt fares even worse with six teaspoons.

:: When time is of the essence, most of us will pop into a coffee shop for a quick pick-me-up but without realising what sugar high we’re setting ourselves up for. The Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino with whipped cream (and skimmed milk) contains the equivalent of 11 teaspoons of sugar, while the Pret A Manger Very Berry Latte (with milk) isn’t far behind with seven teaspoons.

:: You might think water is a much safer option – and you’d be right if you kept it plain and simple, but Glaceau Vitamin Water, Defence was found to have the equivalent of four teaspoons of sugar, that’s the same as a packet of Butterkist Toffee Popcorn or a bowl of Kellogg’s Frosties (with semi-skimmed milk).

:: We might already associate quick and easy ready meals with dubious amounts of salt, but sugar is hiding in there too. For instance, Sharwood’s Sweet And Sour Chicken With Rice contains the equivalent of six teaspoons of sugar (the same as Cadbury’s Hot Drinking Chocolate); Heinz Classic Tomato Soup has four; Ragu Tomato And Basil Pasta Sauce comes in at three and Pot Noodle Curry King Pot two.

http://www.silversurfers.com/health/health-features/sugar-shock/

Could I be lactose intolerant?

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If you feel uncomfortable after eating, there’s a chance that you could be lactose intolerant. Have you noticed that your symptoms are more severe when you’ve had milk, cheese or cream?

Do you find that your discomfort normally starts within half an hour to two hours after eating? If the answers are yes, it might be worth finding out whether you’re sensitive to lactose.

Understanding lactose intolerance

People who are lactose intolerant are unable to break down the sugar (lactose) that is found in dairy products. Because the small intestine finds it difficult to digest these sugars, they can’t be properly absorbed into the bloodstream.

A lot of the foods we eat and drink today have dairy products – and therefore lactose – in them. Some are easy to spot, like milk, ice cream and cheese, while others are trickier. Many packaged treats and meals have lactose products in them, meaning you may not realise that you’re eating them. If you think you may have a problem with lactose, keep a food diary to pinpoint the times you feel unwell and be sure to check the labels of everything you eat.

What it means to be intolerant

Being intolerant to lactose is not the same as suffering an allergy to it. Allergies can often be severe and life threatening and are more often immediately typified by itching around the mouth or breaking out in hives. An intolerance, on the other hand, normally manifests as abdominal pain and discomfort after ingesting products with lactose in them.

There are also different degrees of intolerance, so what may be a very mild discomfort for one person may be more intense for another. Some people may also have a partial intolerance, which means they can eat and drink a certain amount of lactose-based products without feeling ill but will develop symptoms if they exceed this amount.

Testing for lactose intolerance

If you keep a food diary, you’re likely to be able to see a correlation between what you eat and how you feel. However, you can also visit your doctor and have blood tests after fasting and ingesting lactose to determine whether you’re intolerant. You may also be able to have a hydrogen breath test, which measures the hydrogen in your exhalations and can tell when you’re not able to digest lactose.

Have yourself tested and watch your diet to see if you’re more comfortable and feel better when you avoid dairy products for a happier, healthier you.

http://www.silversurfers.com/health/wellbeing-health-articles/lactose-intolerant/

5 foods for heart health

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It’s always a good idea to incorporate the right foods into your diet to promote a healthy heart.

We all know we should eat more fruit and vegetables and cut down on bad fats, but what can we add to our diet if we want to help our heart?

If you’re on a mission to improve your health you’re hopefully already eating more leafy greens and fruit and less salty, sugary or fatty food. We take a look at five of the most important foods you can add to your diet to help keep your heart healthy.

1. Good Fats

You might think fat is something to avoid when you want to help your heart, but it’s really about eating the right kind of fat. Saturated fat and trans fat can increase the levels of cholesterol in your blood, which can lead to heart disease, so you should look to replace them with mono and polyunsaturated fats.

Cut down animal fats like butter or high-fat cooking fats and switch to extra virgin olive oil, rapeseed or sunflower oil, and margarine. Add other sources of good fats like walnuts, almonds and avocado to your diet. As any fatty food is high in calories, keep your portions small.

2. Whole Grains

You can still enjoy bread, pasta and rice if you’re looking to change your diet to make your heart healthier. The key is to get rid of the low-fibre white grains, like white bread, white rice and white pasta, and replace them with whole grain versions. Whole grains are a good source of B-complex vitamins, which will protect against blood clots and the hardening of the arteries, and can increase the ‘good’ cholesterol in your body. Think a tasty whole grain loaf of bread, a high fibre cereal, oats, or slow cooked brown rice.

Try mashed avocado on whole grain toast for breakfast, salmon and broccoli stir fried with brown rice, or cereal with a portion of chopped almonds on it.

3. Fresh Fish

Including fish in your diet can have great effects if you want to help your heart. Many fish, especially salmon and tuna, are rich with Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.

The fatty Omega-3 acids do great things for the body, like helping to protect against heart attacks, reducing the risk of blood clots, and lowering your blood pressure.

Try grilling salmon and serving with a green salad and sweet potatoes, or making a tinned-tuna and cucumber sandwich on whole grain bread,

4. Lots of Legumes

If you’re vegetarian, not a fish fan, or want to vary your diet, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can get Omega-3 fatty acids from other sources. Legumes are an excellent way to get these heart helping acids as well as fibre, vitamins, and protein, and it’s easy to incorporate them into your meals.

The best legumes to add for a healthy heart are black beans and kidney beans, while chickpeas, lentils, and peas are also a valuable addition to a diet. If you’re using tinned beans and are worried about bloating, just rinse them in cold water to minimise the risk of gas.

Try throwing some chickpeas into a leafy green salad, adding kidney beans to your fajita filling, or including black beans in a winter stew.

5. Brilliant Berries

A star ingredient in a healthy heart diet is the humble blueberry. These tiny treats pack a punch with dietary fibre, important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as well as being low in calories and sugar.

Other berries are good for your heart too, with blackberries, strawberries and raspberries all being full of fantastic health benefits. What’s more, whether you’re buying fresh berries in the summer of frozen berries in winter you’ll find that they are tasty and good for you.

Make a breakfast smoothie from blueberries, raspberries, banana and low fat yoghurt for a great start to the day, or add blueberries to your oatmeal for a tasty porridge.

http://www.silversurfers.com/health/diet-exercise/5-foods-heart-health/

HOW MUCH SUGAR IS TOO MUCH?

Another day, another study about the dangerous effects of sugar. This time, it's your teeth at stake.

Remember back in March when the World Health Organisation made headlines by reducing their sugar intake guidelines from 10% down to 5%?

Now a new study published in the BMC Public Health journal is recommending that people slash sugar intake even further - down to just 3%.

Researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examined public health records from countries across the world in order to look at the cost (both health and financial) of tooth decay.

What did they find?

It's not good news. According to the study, going from near-zero sugar energy intake (or calories) to 5% doubles the prevalence of decay in children. Even more shocking was the conclusion that the treatment of dental problems costs between 5% and 10% of total health expenditure. Add in the fact that sugar is the most important factor of tooth decay (making it a largely preventable disease according to researchers) and that's a lot of money that could be going elsewhere.

But giving up sugar can be hard - trust us, we know.

Sugar is basically in everything - even 0% fat yoghurt! Don't believe us? 

http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/health/symptom-checker/1889/how-much-sugar-is-too-much/

The hidden sugars in your daily diet

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You may think that you’re eating a healthy diet while unknowingly overdosing on sugar on a daily basis, thanks to the high sugar content hidden in some of the most unlikely foods.

Learn more about the most common culprits and you could improve your diet in a few easy steps…

Sugar shockers 

There are plenty of foods that are not quite the healthy option that they seem. The next time you’re picking up a jar of pasta sauce, have a look to see how much sugar you’ll be having along with your spaghetti – you might be surprised!

While these jars may be packed full of vegetables, many brands add a huge amount of sugar to combat the acidity of the tomatoes. Check your favourite condiments, too. Tomato ketchup is similarly stuffed with sugar – often as much as 22g of sugar per 100g (more than 30% of your guideline daily amount).

Fruit flavoured yogurt is another potentially healthy food that is often stuffed with far too much sugar. Many brands add huge amounts of sugars and sweeteners to create fruity flavours. Instead of falling for this sugary trap, buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruits to taste.

What’s more, tinned or pre-packaged fruit can have a much higher sugar content than the normal variety. Even fruit that is stored in 100 per cent fruit juice may have had sugar added to prolong shelf life, partly negating some of the excellent and beneficial natural sugars fruit contains.

Cereal and granola bars have a similar problem in that they can be a great source of oats and grains but the benefits are often outweighed by the large amounts of sugar used.

The fat free trap

Often, when a food is labelled as fat free, you need to have a very close look at the ingredients. To up the flavour of foods that have had the fat content reduced, many manufacturers simply dial up the sugar instead. This means the treat may be no better for you than the full fat alternative, which might have much less sugar.

Low fat biscuits and cakes are particularly bad for this particular problem, so watch out for treats that seem to be too good to be true – they probably are.

The only way to know how much sugar you’re getting in packaged foods is to read the label on the back. Don’t let sneaky, hidden sugars compromise your wellbeing, especially now that offenders the next time you go shopping.

http://www.silversurfers.com/health/diet-exercise/hidden-sugars-daily-diet/

Cooking with Coconut oil

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You’ve probably heard about the rise of coconut oil as a superfood, beloved by chefs and celebrities. Just what is it about this ingredient that’s made it so popular, and how can you get the most from cooking with coconut oil?

Coconut oil has long been a staple in African and Asian dishes, and the rest of the world is coming around to the benefits of using it too. It’s easy to add coconut oil to your ingredients cupboard and enrich your recipes with this versatile product.

What is Coconut oil?

Coconut oil is pressed from the fruit of the coconut palm tree. Until recently many people thought of coconut oil as a cholesterol raising ingredient that was best to avoid, as coconut oil, in its virgin form, is made of 90 percent saturated fat.

However it’s the type of saturated fat in coconut oil that’s important – about half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is thought to have various health benefits and be easy for your body to convert to energy.

As with all fatty oil, you still need to watch how much you use, but a little coconut oil goes a long way.

Where Can I Buy Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is readily available to buy in Asian and African grocery shops. Now that it’s becoming a popular ingredient, you can normally find it in health food shops and some supermarkets too.

Look out for organic, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, and never buy the highly processed product. It’s not as cheap as some oils on the market, but you only need to use a tiny amount in recipes and it doesn’t become rancid easily so it will last you a long time.

Keep your coconut oil in a cool place, like a cupboard, never in the warm sunshine or a cold refrigerator.

What Can I Make With Coconut Oil?

When you buy coconut oil, you’ll find that unlike other cooking oils it’s white and solid at room temperature. A small amount of the ‘solid’ coconut oil can be gently warmed to bring it back to its liquid state, ready to use in your favourite recipes.

Coconut oil is a fantastic addition to your pantry if you like cooking Asian meals, and lends a real authentic flavour to dishes. Try this tasty Prawn and Pepper stir-fry recipe from Delicious magazine, which is rich in vitamins and low in calories.

Curries are particularly good with coconut oil. Try substituting sunflower oil for a little coconut oil in this Chicken, Sweet Potato and Coconut Curry for a richer flavour.

If you want to try using coconut oil to make sweet treats, you’ll find that it adds an extra dimension to the flavours. These delicious Fruity Fridge Flapjacks from River Cottage are made using a tasty combination of dried fruit, seeds, honey and coconut oil.

There are lots of other ways you can replace your usual oil with coconut oil to refresh meals.

• - Fry fish in coconut oil, turmeric and a squeeze of lime for a meal with a twist
• - Spread a tiny amount of coconut oil on toast and top with some mashed avocado for a snack
• - Brush sliced sweet potatoes lightly with coconut oil and bake with seasoning for a delicious side dish
• - Use in place of vegetable oil in your favourite Thai green curry recipe
• - Liven up a dal with a topping of onions fried in coconut oil.

It’s best to use coconut oil sparingly, to add flavour to recipes once a week.

http://www.silversurfers.com/health/diet-exercise/cooking-coconut-oil/