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

5 health facts you don’t want to hear

Tough health truths you need to know

Healthy living is tough, especially with the amount of misleading myths and products that surround the industry. These facts might not be encouraging, but you need to know them if you are serious about living healthily. Here are the top 5 health facts you don’t want to hear.

There is no quick fix

Nowadays we are constantly bombarded with promises from the next big thing in fad dieting, with claims of ‘instant results’ or ‘dropping pounds overnight’. As much as we’d like these boasts to be true, they sadly aren’t at all. Studies actually show that fad diets result in weight gain. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the majority of participants who went through fad diets instantly gained weight following the diet due to lowered levels of the hunger suppressing hormones peptide YY and leptin.

Science aside, ask yourself this – are you really going to keep up with those ridiculous eating habits in the long term? Diets with such severe results are 99 per cent of the time completely unrealistic, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you’ll start learning healthy eating habits that actually work.

Exercising doesn’t mean you can eat what you like

Whilst it’s true that exercising frequently means you can enjoy the odd guilt-free treat once in a while, it should by no means be an excuse to eat to excess. In half an hour of running the average person will burn around 250 calories. You can eat the equivalent amount in any range of snacks in a matter of minutes. You’ll notice these time scales don’t balance out, so if you continue to eat unhealthily you’ll soon find that the effects of exercise simply can’t keep up.

A simple way of avoiding this temptation is by counting the calories you burn and consume. Once you see how much effort you have to put in to burn off even small snacks, you’ll realise exercising isn’t a free pass to stuff your face with junk.

‘Health foods’ can be unhealthy

Many supposedly ‘healthy’ foods aren’t quite what they’re made out to be. For example, if it claims to be fat free it’s probably packed with sugar. Sugar free? You can bet it’ll be full of artificial sweeteners. Take cereal bars as an example. This popular ‘healthy’ breakfast choice can contain around four teaspoons of sugar per bar, as well as high amounts of saturated fat. A survey conducted by consumer magazine Which? showed that an alarming 97 per cent of cereal bars on the market contain added sugar.

Drinks aren’t much better either. ‘Diet’, ‘light’ and ‘sugar free’ versions of your favourite drink can seem like a great healthy alternative, but according to a study conducted at the Texas Health Science Center, people who frequently consume diet drinks are 41 per cent more likely to be overweight. It’s thought that this is because the concoction of artificial flavourings and sweeteners found in these drinks can spark the appetite, whilst simultaneously inhibiting the brain cells that tell your body it’s full.

You can’t target an area of your body to lose weight

‘Spot training’, as it’s often called, is a health myth that sadly isn’t true. Losing weight on a particular part of your body with targeted training is not a realistic goal. Yes, that’s why those thousands of crunches you’ve been doing haven’t dented your beer belly. There are plenty of studies that have proven this to be the case, including one carried out at the University of Massachusetts. Participants who ‘targeted’ their stomachs by only doing abdomen exercises were found to lose weight equally across their abdomens, upper backs and buttocks.

Instead of worrying about a certain target area when you work out, you should focus on losing weight all over your body. That means there’s no way of quickly ditching that flabby stomach other than good old-fashioned exercise and healthy eating.

Fruit and veg aren’t what they used to be

It’s a well-known fact that eating fruit and vegetables is a great way of keeping your diet healthy and nutritious. But did you know the fruit and veg available today isn’t as healthy as it once was? Go back just 50 years and you’d find fruit that is higher in six major nutrients including protein, calcium, iron and Vitamin C. This was revealed in a study at the University of Texas, with some modern-day fruits seeing as much as a 38% reduction in certain nutrients.

The researchers put this down to modern farming methods, including hybrid breeding of crops to make them larger, and the range of pesticides being used which have stripped some of the nutrients from soil. However, fruit and veg are still a great source of nutrition in your diet, so until a time machine is invented you’ll just have to make do with what we have available today.

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/5-health-facts-you-don-t-want-to-hear/

Healthy breakfasts (for people who hate breakfast)

Get into the habit of eating breakfast with these simple breakfasts designed to whet the appetite of even the most habitual breakfast skipper.

Not hungry first thing in the morning? Pushed for time? Trying to lose weight? These calorie-counted treats will tempt you to rediscover the pleasure of breakfast.

From an energy-boosting "apple pie" porridge and protein-packed scrambled eggs, to a nutrient-rich green smoothie and sugar-free granola bars, there's something for everyone.

Download our 12-week weight loss guide, which combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity, which combines advice on healthier eating and physical activity

"Creating the habit of eating in the morning is something you can build towards," says dietitian Alison Hornby. "Start off with a light bite such as a piece of fruit or a low-fat yoghurt.

"After a while, your morning appetite will naturally increase and you'll probably find you eat less throughout the day, including snacks."

Research suggests that people who eat breakfast are slimmer because they tend to eat less during the day, especially high-calorie snacks.

If you're short on time in the morning, think about ways of gaining time by keeping breakfast simple, either by waking up 10 minutes earlier or getting other chores out of the way ahead of time.

Energy-boosting breakfasts

'Apple pie' porridge

Serves: one adult
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Calories per portion: 345kcal (1,443kJ)

Ingredients:
50g porridge oats
200ml apple juice (with no added sugar)
100ml semi-skimmed milk
1 medium dessert apple, diced
1 pinch of cinnamon

A warm and comforting porridge spiced up with the classic flavours of a homemade apple pie.

Throw all the ingredients into a saucepan. Heat and stir until boiling, then lower the heat and simmer gently for five minutes, stirring often. Spoon the porridge into a serving bowl and add a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Or you could try:

• muesli, fresh fruit and low-fat yoghurt – fruit added to your muesli counts towards your 5 A Day. Low-fat yoghurt provides calcium and protein and is low in fat. Watch out for the sugar content in low-fat yoghurt. Go for muesli with no added sugar.
• porridge with mashed banana and dried blueberries – put oats and a handful of dried blueberries in a bowl and add semi-skimmed milk. Heat in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring every so often. When cooked, stir in the mashed banana. The mashed banana is a healthier substitute for sugar or honey. For best results, use a very ripe banana.
• baked beans on wholemeal toast – not only are they naturally low in fat, baked beans are also packed with fibre and protein, making them a vegetarian source of protein. Look out for reduced salt and sugar ranges.
• breakfast cereals can be high in sugar, with some containing up to 37% of the white stuff. Try switching to lower sugar cereals or those with no added sugar, such as plain whole wheat cereal biscuits, plain shredded whole grain pillows and plain porridge. Find out more aboutreducing your breakfast sugar intake.

Protein-packed breakfasts

Scrambled eggs (with optional wholemeal toast)

Serves: one adult
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Calories per portion:
scrambled eggs: 247kcal (1,033kJ)
2 slices of wholemeal toast: 190kcal (795kJ)

Ingredients: 2 eggs
4 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
2 slices wholemeal toast
2 tsp low-fat spread
1 pinch of black pepper
Optional sprinkling of chopped chives (calories nominal)

The secret to perfect scrambled eggs is to fold them gently in the pan to get curds, rather than a dried, quivering mess.

Lightly mix the eggs and milk in a bowl. Melt the low-fat spread in a pan and add the egg mixture. Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring slowly and gently until they're just set with big soft curds. Serve the eggs on the slices of toast, sprinkle over the chives and season with some pepper.

Tips:

• To make green eggs, scramble your eggs with a handful (40g) of spinach (30kcal/125kJ).

Or you could try:

• cold meat and cheese platter – for a lower calorie option, go for lean meats such as roast ham or turkey, light cheeses such as 30% less fat mature cheese or "light" medium-hard cheese. Accompany with fresh grapes and crackers.
• low-fat Greek yoghurt topped with fresh fruit, such as strawberries and mixed nuts – packed with about 10g of protein per 100g, Greek yoghurt boasts almost twice the protein of regular yoghurt.
• smoked salmon and low-fat cream cheese bagel – halve the bagel and toast it. Spread low-fat cream cheese on one side of the bagel and top it with salmon. Add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of black pepper.

Lighter bites

Green smoothie

Serves: one adult
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: none
Calories per portion: 140kcal (586kJ)

Ingredients: 40g tinned mango slices (discard liquid)
40g tinned peach slices (discard liquid)
40g frozen spinach
1 medium banana
200ml water (or as required)

Smoothies are a great introduction to breakfast if you don't normally have much of an appetite at the "crack of yawn". They're also a good portable option for your morning commute.

Compared with some hardcore green smoothie recipes, our green smoothie is a softer version that is quite sweet and fruity, while still giving you a healthy serving of greens. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Add more water to achieve the desired consistency.

Tips:

• Instead of tinned fruit, you can also use frozen or fresh fruit.
• 150ml of this smoothie provides two of your 5 A Day. No matter how much you drink, smoothies can only make up two portions of your 5 A Day.

Or you could try:

• banana and oats smoothie – transform your speckled bananas into an energy-boosting liquid breakfast. Blend one banana with 2 tablespoons of oats and 100ml of semi-skimmed milk until smooth. Can also be made using a soya drink.
• 'very berry' smoothie – take one banana, 140g of frozen summer berries or forest fruits, 40g of low-fat natural yoghurt and about 100ml of apple juice. Blend the banana and berries until smooth. With the blades whirring, pour in apple juice to achieve the consistency you like.
• pimp your toast – tired of your usual toppings? Toast doesn't have to be boring. Brighten up your bread spread with these healthier combos: mashed avocado and hard boiled egg, marmite and grilled 30% less fat mature cheese, or banana slices and peanut butter.

Five-minute breakfasts

'Grab and go' breakfast bar

Makes: 6 bars
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Calories per portion (one bar): 300kcal (1,255kJ)

Ingredients:
150g jumbo oats
2 medium very ripe bananas
60g melted butter
60g cherries
60g cranberries
40g sunflower seeds
40g pumpkin seeds

Sometimes mornings can be a bit of a rush. Make a batch of these granola bars, made with no added sugar, in advance for a healthy breakfast on the go.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C, gas mark 6). In a bowl, mix together the oats, cherries, cranberries and seeds. Pour in the melted butter and mix in thoroughly to make sure the oats are well coated. On a separate plate, mash the bananas into a pulp with a fork, add to the oat mixture and mix well. Spread the mixture into a 30cm x 20cm tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool, then cut into six bars.

Tips:

• Press the mixture into the baking tin well to help the binding process, but not too hard or it may affect the flavour.
• If your first batch is more crumbly than you'd like, try increasing the amount of mashed banana to moisten the mixture before baking.

Or you could try:

• banana bagel sandwich – mash a ripe banana and serve it between two halves of a toasted (preferably wholemeal) bagel. Mashing instead of slicing the banana gives the filling a creamier texture, meaning you won't need low-fat spread.
• quick porridge – making porridge is easier than you think. Combine 50g of rolled or instant oats with 200ml (or more for runny porridge) of semi-skimmed milk in a bowl and microwave on full power for two minutes. Top with dried fruit or nuts.
• one-minute omelette – combine one beaten egg, a few spinach leaves and a some chopped lean roast ham in a bowl. Microwave on full power for a minute or until the egg is set.

Weekend treats

English breakfast muffin

Serves: one adult
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Calories per portion: 309kcal (1,293kJ)

Ingredients:
1 wholemeal English muffin, sliced in half
1 poached egg
1 slice lean roast ham
20g reduced-fat or "light" medium-hard cheese
2 tsp low-fat spread
20g fresh spinach leaves
1 pinch of ground black pepper

Oozing poached egg on a layer of cheese and roast ham – what's not to love about this lower calorie version of the classic English breakfast muffin?

Preheat the grill. Toast the muffins on the cut sides only. Poach the egg in gently simmering water for 3-4 minutes until the yoke is set but still runny in the middle. Spread the toasted sides with the low-fat spread and lay on the spinach leaves, ham and cheese. Place the poached egg on one muffin half, season with black pepper and top with the other muffin half.

Tips:

• If you prefer, you can scramble the egg with 4 tablespoons of semi-skimmed milk. Pour the mixture into a heated pan. Cook and stir until the eggs are just set.

Or you could try:

• overnight oats – combine oats and apple juice and let it sit overnight in the fridge. In the morning, add low-fat yoghurt, honey to taste and fresh fruit such as berries.
• baked eggs – put an egg (with yolk unbroken) and some crème fraîche in a ramekin. Put the ramekin in a baking dish and fill with hot tap water so it comes 3/4 of the way to the top of the ramekin. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg yolk is set to your liking.
• healthy full English breakfast – for a healthy version of the king of the morning meal, combining eggs, bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and baked beans, go to ourMeal Mixer.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/Healthybreakfasts.aspx