Does sugar make kids hyperactive?

Do you dread children’s parties because of the effect all those sugary snacks will have on your child? Does sugar turn your little angel into a little monster?

Are you sure it’s the sugar?

We decided to find out. Enter Becky and Niall. Two five year olds whose occasional out-of-control behaviour their parents’ attribute to sugar. Add two parties, one with sugary snacks and the other sugar-free, and mix well.

Day one, the underwater themed storytelling party. To make sure the experiment was impartial we told Becky’s mum Patricia, and Niall’s dad Michael, that we would be feeding their children a sugar-free lunch. Then we swapped the healthy snacks for the sugary ones.

When it was time for Becky and Niall to go home both parent’s were unsurprised at how calm they were since they believed that the children had consumed a healthy sugar-free lunch.

Day two, the crazy, boisterous, food throwing party. This time we told Becky’s and Nialls’ parents that we would be feeding them a lot of sugar and they prepared for the worst.

"they had both eaten the equivalent of 47.5 cubes of sugar"

The dreaded time arrived and we filmed Niall and Becky on the journey home. Both their behaviour was markedly different to what their parents had witnessed the day before and Patricia and Michael were certain the sugar had some influence.

On revealing our double-bluff Patricia and Michael were astounded by the outcome, especially when we told them that on day one, when the children were calmer, they had both eaten the equivalent of 47.5 cubes of sugar.

The theory that too much sugar makes children hyperactive doesn’t stand up to the tests - it may be that the environment your child is in is the defining factor in how boisterous their mood is. This doesn’t mean sugar get’s off lightly though. It may not lead to hyperactivity but it does make your blood sugar drop which could make your children irritable and distracted.

Can eating like an ape improve your health?

he prominence of diseases connected to high cholesterol and blood pressure in the world’s population raises the issue of whether our current western diet is a major factor in the development of cardiovascular illness, hypertension, stroke and diabetes.

Are we paying the price for eating processed foods?

"our group’s total cholesterol fell by 23%"

We took ten volunteers back in time to take a leaf out of the book of our ancestors in order to investigate what impact our short, sharp, shock would have on reducing the risk of fatal illnesses.

At the end of the period we tested the biological markers cholesterol and hypertension as the measures of our success. In just twelve days our group’s total cholesterol fell by 23% and we also saw a sharp decrease in sodium levels.

So, what does this show? That simply by introducing changes into our diet, by aping our ancestors, we can dramatically improve our health.

Which type of food is the most filling?

Many of us think that the best way to fill our stomachs is with a large amount of carbs. But is this the best way to keep us from snacking throughout the day?

We decided to find out. Research shows that eight out of nine subjects ate less after a protein-rich meal than after a protein-poor one.

To illustrate this we recruited three volunteers used to working long shifts and snacking on the job to see if we could give them a meal that would set them up for the long day ahead. We fed each of our recruits a pasta meal - one high in fat, one high in protein and one high in carbohydrates. Then we detained them at Her Majesty’s pleasure just to make sure they couldn’t give in to temptation.

Four hours later we let them loose and carefully observed as they tucked in to a well earned pizza.

"subjects ate less after a protein-rich meal"

The inmate who ate the smallest amount during lunch was the one who had had the protein-rich meal.

So, if you don’t want your hunger getting you in trouble, try a meal high in protein to keep hunger locked away for longer.

Does portion size affect how much we eat?

n 2005 a study in America revealed that the size of a container can powerfully and unknowingly increase how much food a person consumes.

To illustrate this we reconstructed the study to see if a larger container led to an increase in consumption.

We took 150 movie goers and gave half of them large size buckets of popcorn (120g) and the other half extra large ones twice the size (240g). As an added test we even gave half of the audience stale popcorn. Then we waited until the film was over to see just how much they left behind.

"45% more popcorn was eaten"

The results showed that 45% more popcorn was eaten when it was given in extra large containers.

What does this illustrate? That when we supersize snacks our perception of what is an ‘acceptable’ amount to consume increases. So, if you don’t want to eat more than you need, steer clear of supersizing.

The larger the portion the more you will eat.

Does Detox work?

Despite the high profile of detox diets, very little research exists to prove whether it has any measurable value. In this study, we put the diet to the test, finding out if following a strict detox plan can really reduce the body’s toxic load and enhance the efficiency of our body’s innate systems.

"relying on a detox isn’t the solution"

We took ten party animals to a country cottage retreat for ten days to see if a detox diet could recharge their internal batteries. The group was split into two and half the girls were put on a balanced diet, including red meat, alcohol, coffee and tea, pasta, bread, chocolate and crisps (in moderation), with the remainder following a strict vice-free diet.

Can a short, sharp shock really change the levels of toxicity in your body in just a week?

After testing the kidney and liver functions and measuring the antioxidant and aluminium levels in their blood we found there were no differences between the groups.

Which just goes to show, in a binge and purge culture relying on a detox isn’t the solution. Your body has its own way of regulating toxins and a week of suffering won’t change that so you are better off sticking to a balanced diet all the time.

Is snacking better for your performance?

What is the best way to consume the right amount of calories but not slow down after eating them? New research suggests that how you eat can prove vital in how long you keep going.

In Montana, Oregon, summers are hot and humid. Amongst 22 million acres of forest wild fires spread, well, like wildfire. For this reason it is essential that the fire fighters controlling the flames are energised and alert at all times.

"those who grazed on FSRs completed 25% more work"

The test was conducted by Brent Ruby, University of Montana, Missoula. He fed teams of forest fire-fighters on either their standard packed lunches which were eaten all at once, or on specially made First Strike Rations (FSRs), designed to be eaten on the go over a long period of time.

He found that those who grazed throughout the day on FSRs completed 25% more work on their 10-12 hour shifts than those on packed lunches.

People in physically demanding jobs need a consistent supply of glucose and other nutrients. If this supply comes all at once blood rushes to the gut to help digest the food. This temporarily reduces the blood supply to the rest of the body, which means the muscles can't work as efficiently. Snacks need less energy to digest so less blood rushes to the gut, which allows it to be used by working muscles and should mean the snackers are able to work harder.

The consultant on the study was Brent Ruby, professor at the Department of Health and Human Performance Exercise Science Program at the University of Montana, Missoula.

Does drinking two litres of water a day improve your skin?

It’s common knowledge that drinking two litres of water a day will keep us properly hydrated. But is this true, or another myth?

We enlisted the help of beauty conscious twins Susie and Alice to see if we could solve the mystery. We asked one of them, Susie, to give up their two litre daily bottled water addiction to measure how their body, and more importantly, beauty was affected. They got their fluids from tea, coffee and soft drinks instead.

"we lose approximately 2 litres of water each day"

Five days later we conducted some rigorous tests to see what had happened to the water-starved twin. Was her skin in a state of stress? Not really, no.

In fact, both Susie's moisture and elasticity showed no major change after five days. Why? Well, a reasonably inactive adult (like most of us who work in offices) loses approximately two litres of water each day through breath, sweat, urine, and faeces, which is where the myth that we need those two litres a day may have originated.

All drinks we have during a day, apart from alcohol, count towards making up this amount - including tea and coffee - and more than a third of our water needs comes from our food.

Is it my metabolism?

From Truth about Food:

Is it my metabolism?

Do you have a friend who can eat anything she wants and never put on weight? Do you simply look at a cake and feel your waistline expanding? Think it’s all down to your metabolism? Think again.

We found two best friends, Becky and Jo, with very different shaped bodies who think that how much you can eat is all down to your metabolic rate.

We decided to dispel this myth once and for all by closely watching, and testing our friends over the course of 10 days. Not completely trusting them to record their food diaries accurately, we also placed cameras around their homes and used our secret weapon- doubly labelled water. Without our volunteers realising, we could see exactly how many calories they were consuming and the energy they used to move around just by examining their daily urine samples. By asking them to keep the food diaries we could also see whether they were being truthful with themselves.

At the end of the week did their urine results match their food diaries? Not quite. Becky and Jo’s urine samples showed that although they did a similar amount of activity Becky ate 50% less per day than Jo.

"the larger you are the higher your metabolic rate"

In fact, the larger you are the higher your metabolic rate, the amount of energy your body uses at complete rest, will be. This is because when your body is at complete rest larger people need more energy to pump the blood around the body and to keep moving. Just as a big car uses more fuel so a bigger person uses more energy.

So, next time you go to blame your metabolism for your weight, remember the cold hard truth - thin people eat less.

Some takeaway tips to help you to downsize:

1. We all know that the bigger the container the more of it we’ll eat. So do yourself a favour and downsize rather than supersize.
2. Examine your portion sizes carefully - keep the evidence around until you have finished eating.
3. Increase the amount of protein in your meal without increasing the calories.
4. If you can’t cut down on the calories you are consuming, try a bit of NEAT activity:

1. 15 min moderate walking will burn 52 extra kcal.*
2. 15 min hoovering / dusting will burn 38 extra kcal.*
3. 15 min weeding will burn 52 extra kcal.*
4. 15 min moderate car washing will burn 43 extra kcal.*
5. 15 min recreational cycling will burn 45 extra kcal.*

(* Based on a 40 year old female of 5’5" tall who weighs 12st 7lb and is moderately sedentary).

1. If you think eating slow might benefit you: Time yourself eating a meal and then eat the exact same meal at another time, 50% slower. See if you are more satiated afterwards.
2. Eat soup as a starter to your meal and water down soups and casseroles.
3. If you’ve tried lots of diets and still find it difficult keeping off extra weight you could try writing down everything you eat in a food diary. Remember, everything counts - sometimes we forget how many calories we’ve actually consumed throughout the day and a diary may help.

how to find your BMR?

BMR means Basal Metabolic Rate. It is used to estimate how many calories you should consume.By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your BMR.

• Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

• Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

• If you are sedentary : BMR x 1.2

• If you are lightly active: BMR x 1.375

• If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 1.55

• If you are very active (You exercise daily.): BMR x 1.725

• If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 1.9

Create a Calorie Deficit:
Lose at a Healthy Rate:

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. Then, to lose weight, you'll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.

We use about 60 percent of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step One : Calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Step two : In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time.

Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound.

If you cut back 500 calories a day, you will lose 1 pound per week.

If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you will also lose 1 pound per week.

Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (e.g. cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).

A healthy weight loss goal is to lose 0.5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision. To find out how you are spending your current calorie intake, keep a detailed food diary for at least one week.

Making little changes like these will really add up in the long run.

Weight loss guidance

Always Think Fit:

First step in exercise is to always Think FIT. To make physical improvements, you need to work your body harder than usual. This is referred to as the overload principle. As your body becomes more conditioned, you need to increase the frequency, intensity, or time of your workouts in order to continue improving your fitness level.

• Frequency of exercise : How often you exercise. For beginners, consider starting with 2-3 sessions per week.
• Intensity of exercise : How hard you exercise. For example, the pace you walk or run, the amount of weight you lift, or your heart rate count.
• Duration of exercise : How long you perform an activity. "Time" can also refer to the number of sets or repetitions you perform in weight training.

Exercise Components:

1. Aerobic Exercise: Aerobic exercise increases the health and function of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Walking, jogging, cycling,swimming, aerobic dance, and stair climbing are examples of activities that use large muscle groups.
   
2. Strength Training: Strength training is the process of exercising with progressively heavier resistance to build or retain muscle. Unless you perform regular strength exercise, you will lose up to one-half pound of muscle every year of life after age25. Muscle is a very active tissue with high energy requirements, even when you are asleep, your muscles are responsible for over 25% of your calorie use. An increase in muscle tissue causes a corresponding increase in the number of calories your body will burn, even at rest.
3. Flexibility: Flexibility is a critical element of an exercise program but it is often overlooked. Stretching is important for a number of reasons; increases physical performance, decreases risk of injury, increases blood supply and nutrients to the joints, increases neuromuscular co-ordination, reduces soreness, improves balance, decreases risk of low back pain, and reduces stress in muscles.

Choosing an Exercise:

The best exercise is an activity that you enjoy enough to really pursue enthusiastically. Experiment with different forms of activity (cross training). Alternating new activities with old favourites will keep your enthusiasm high. Cross training also helps avoid injury due to repeatedly doing the same activity.

Here are some suggestions:

• Indoor (Facility) Activities: If the treadmill, stairmaster, rowing machine or stationery cycle doesn't excite you, sample some group activities that strike your fancy. Participate in a group cycling class, beat stress with yoga, find balance with martial arts, stay cool with indoor swimming, or kick some you-know-what with boxaerobics.
• At Home Activities: You don't need to join a gym to experience a variety of activities. Your local video store or library will carry a variety of fitness videos that allow you to workout in the privacy of your home. Some equipment may be required, depending on the activity you select. A few inexpensive pieces of equipment include a jump rope, a set of hand weights (preferably with weight plates that you can add and remove), Dyna-Bands or tubing, or a basic step (for step aerobics).
  If you enjoy working out at home then you may want to consider investing in a larger piece of equipment such as a treadmill, ski machine, stationery bicycle, or elliptical trainer.

Motivation is the Key Factor

Only one-third of those who begin an exercise program are still exercising by the end of their first year. The good news is that with some strategizing and planning, you can beat the dropout odds and make a successful transition to a lifestyle that incorporates exercise.

Here's some tips to help you stay motivated.

• Find a Fitness Partner: Studies show that exercise adherence is generally greater if the family or a friend is included in the commitment to exercise. Find a walking partner, play tennis with your spouse, or go rollerblading with the kids.

• Start an Exercise Log or Journal: An exercise log or journal is an excellent way to chart your progress and provide motivation. Nothing beats the feeling of success as you read through your accomplishments. Exercise logs can take on many forms; a calendar to record your workouts, a daily journal to record your feelings and goals, a computerized exercise log, or a log purchased at bookstore. The key is to select a log or journal that fits your needs and provides you the kind of information that is meaningful to you.

• Toss Your Scale: Ask yourself, "How often has stepping on the scale in the morning ruined my day?" If your answer is "often," consider whether or not you should give that little machine such power over you. The fact is that exercise should not revolve around a number on a scale. Exercise should be about making a commitment to your health and well being, weight loss is a natural side effect of that commitment.
• Dress the Part: Wear comfortable clothes appropriate for exercising, they will help you feel like working out. If you exercise at a gym put your exercise wear in a bag and set it beside the door the night before. When it's time to head out the door, all you have to do is grab your bag on the way out.
• Entertain Yourself: If you exercise alone, consider using a Walkman to listen to your favourite music or books on tape to help keep you entertained during your workout. Many pieces of exercise equipment have racks that fit onto the console to hold reading material. If you exercise at home, turn on some music or bring the television within viewing range.
• Evaluate Your Progress: It's a good idea to test your fitness level when you start and re-evaluate yourself every couple of months. There are a variety of fitness tests that you can administer yourself. Getting a body composition test is another great way to chart your progress and can be done every four to six months. The local YMCA or fitness club can perform this test at a minimal cost, even if you're not a member.
• Make Exercise Non-Negotiable: Think of exercise as something you do without question, like brushing your teeth or going to work. Taking the lifestyle perspective will help you make exercise a habit and will make you live a long and productive life hopefully keeping diseases associated with inactivity at bay.

Why a healthy weight is important !

Healthy weight

If your BMI or your waist measurement is above the healthy range, you're at increased risk of a number of serious medical conditions, especially heart disease and diabetes. You're also more likely to suffer from joint problems and back pain, and you may find you become breathless and may have difficulty sleeping.

The more weight you gain, the more severe these problems may become. The good news is that losing weight will alleviate many of these problems.

Weight Loss

Losing weight is about eating fewer calories than you burn off in your everyday life. Try to make small but permanent changes to your lifestyle, rather than opting for a dramatic new diet. You may lose weight more slowly, but you'll reduce the chances of regaining it again later.

Most doctors recommend that, on average, you should aim to lose no more than 1kg (2lb) a week.

“If your weight stays the same for a week or two, don't abandon all you've achieved”

Some weeks you may lose more weight than others. As long as your weight is continuing to decrease overall, there's no need to worry. If your weight stays the same for a week or two, don't abandon all you've achieved; instead, focus on the amount and type of foods you are eating and try to be a little more active.

Losing five per cent of your initial body weight in three months, or ten per cent in six to 12 months, is an excellent start. Reward yourself with a special treat - a beauty treatment, a new item of clothing or even a bunch of fresh flowers can all mark your success.