 |
Diet Bytes
October 2005
By WLR Guest Dietitian
|
Sleep – the next slimming aid?
Are you getting enough
sleep?
‘Enough’ is at least 6 hours a day, according to
Professor Francesco Cappucio of Warwick Medical School. He
considers that getting less than 6 hours means you will show
signs of sleep deprivation, for example, feel tired, make more
errors, increase the risk of accidents, and in the long term
be at greater risk of heart disease – and weight gain.
An increasing body of research suggests that poor sleep
patterns not only leave us feeling less refreshed but could
encourage the pounds to pile on. During a study
carried out by the US National Institute of Mental Health,
which monitored the weight and sleep habits of nearly 500
adults over 13 years, the average amount of sleep decreased
from 7.4 to 7.1 hours a day. There was also an average weight
gain of 5lbs, with the greatest gains experienced by people
who had less than 6 hours sleep a night.
Of course it's possible that having less sleep means you
are awake longer so have more opportunity to eat, or you eat
to combat tiredness. But other studies have revealed that
regular sleep deprivation can upset hormones that regulate
appetite and metabolism, such as leptin, cortisol and insulin.
Studies at the University of Chicago found that
sleep-deprived people (just 4 hours sleep a night) feel
hungrier and crave high fat and sugar foods like cakes, crisps
and sweets to quell their appetite. These hormone upsets may
also make the body more resistant to insulin meaning it
processes blood sugar less efficiently. The end result can be
food cravings, weight gain, especially around the waist, and a
higher risk of developing
type 2 diabetes and
heart health
problems.
WLR says
Busy lives, shift work, travel and the demands of
work, home and children can mean that we don’t get as much
quality sleep as we would like, or find it hard to get off to
sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, try these tips:
- Keep to
regular times for going to bed and getting up.
- Try to work
through any problems or worries earlier in the day.
- Aim to
be active for a total of at least 30 minutes every day.
Exercise is also a great stress beater and weight controller.
- Cut down on stimulants like caffeine. If you are sensitive
to caffeine, you may need a 6-hour gap between your last
coffee and bedtime.
- Keep to sensible alcohol limits.
Drinking a lot can disrupt your body clock (natural body
rhythms) making you wake early.
- Avoid large, or hard to
digest fatty meals near bedtime. But don’t go to bed hungry
either as your brain (and rumbling tummy) will stay alert
telling your body to feed it.
- Avoid exercise or very
stimulating activities near bedtime (sex is the exception!).
- Establish a calming routine; take a warm bath, keep the lights
low, minimise noise and draw the curtains.
Slim down to cut allergy risk?
Another study to hit the headlines
in September added more weight to previous findings that being
obese increases the risk of having an allergic disorder such
as asthma. This finding has been stronger for women than for
men.
Being obese can lead to hormonal and chemical changes in
the body. Over time this seems to trigger a low level of
inflammation in the body. This inflammation may in turn
trigger other problems. for example, it can affect the tiny
muscles that regulate the air passages in the lungs causing
them to narrow more than they should.
This may help to explain
the link between obesity and asthma risk, along with the fact
that the physical pressure of excess weight can cause people
to have under-expanded lungs and take smaller breaths.
WLR says
We are constantly learning more about how our
weight influences our health. Most of us are aware of the
health risks of being very overweight, in terms of problems
such as heart disease or diabetes. But there are other effects
too such as reduced fertility, back pain, snoring, increased
risk of arthritis, and also respiratory problems such as
asthma.
The other fascinating thing about ongoing research is that
it reinforces how important the nutritional quality of the
diet is. Cutting calories by any means might help you to lose
weight. But the added benefits of a healthy diet rich in
fruit
and veg are countless, especially when combined with some
daily exercise such as walking.
In fact a positive way of looking at weight control is to
focus not solely on ‘weight loss’ but more on how you can
achieve ‘health gain’.
Finding a realistic weight were you
feel healthy and comfortable and have the flexibility to both
enjoy what you eat and take of your body, is a great aim.
Eat your way to a longer life
Sounds great doesn’t it!
Fortunately, it doesn’t involve complicated diets or living on
seeds or sprouts. Longevity benefits were found for people who
followed a healthy and varied Mediterranean style diet.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, this study followed the diet and lifestyle of
2,300 elderly people living (70 or older) in 11 European
countries, over 11 years. It found that following a Med-style
diet reduced the risk of death by 23 per cent, a moderate
alcohol intake by 22 per cent, being physically active for
around 30 minutes a day by 37 per cent and not smoking by 35
per cent. Following all of these habits lowered the risk of
death during the 11-year study period by 65 per cent.
Two other studies published in September added more support
to the benefits of Med-style eating. One found that people who
followed it more closely had higher levels of protective
antioxidants in their blood. Another study reported on it
being beneficial for people with a condition called ‘metabolic
syndrome’ which is an early sign of being at high risk of
developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.
WLR says
One thing in life we can be sure of is that we
won’t live forever. But the lifestyle we choose can help us to
live longer, and have a better quality life with it.
A Mediterranean diet centres on colourful fruit and veg,
fish, grains, nuts, and seeds together with moderate amounts
of olive oil and dairy foods, some wine with meals, and small
amounts of red meat. So it really is in line with the healthy
way of eating that WLR recommends.
Being active for 30 minutes a day is also what the Department
of Health’s recommends for health and wellbeing. This could be
a brisk walk, dancing, cycling, an exercise class, or whatever
you enjoy and can fit most easily into your day. It can also
be broken down, say into 3 x 10 minute walks, if that is
easier for you.
Another good reason not to smoke
If you smoke cigarettes
it’s likely that one thing that puts you off giving up is
worry about
weight gain. In fact, some people even start
smoking because they feel it’s an effective way to watch their
weight.
But this new British research might add extra motivation to
your plans to give up. The study, which looked at the body
weight and smoking habits of over 20,000 men and women in
Norfolk, found that while smokers tended to be slimmer than
non-smokers, they also tended to be more apple-shaped. In
other words they carried more fat around their waists.
This is bad news because having more fat around your waist
is linked to a higher risk of health problems such as
type 2
diabetes, heart disease and stroke. And while smokers may
still seem slimmer than non-smokers this may be due to them
losing muscle rather than fat.
The researchers aren’t sure why smoking has this
detrimental effect on where fat is stored in the body. But one
possible theory is that smoking can interfere with the action
of the hormone oestrogen. Overall, they feel that that this
effect of smoking adds to the harmful effects of smoking on
our health and life expectancy.
WLR says
Giving up smoking is tough enough without the
worry about weight gain. But weight gain isn’t an inevitable
part of giving up. For practical and motivational tips and
information go to:
http://www.quit.org.uk/quitweight.htm
Guide to Quitting Smoking from
www.cancer.org
Olive oil – a natural pain reliever?
Research suggests that
another benefit of a
Med-style diet is its ability to reduce
inflammation by helping the body to mop up body chemicals such
as free radicals, which cause inflammation. Inflammation can
trigger pain, for example, the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
Inflammation in the body over many years has also been linked
to the development of long term health problems such as heart
disease, dementia, lung disease and cancers.
The Mediterranean diet’s natural ‘anti-inflammatory’
benefits are thought to be down to the combination of:
- plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit and veg (antioxidants work to
mop up free radicals)
- fish, nuts and seeds which provide
omega-3 fats and have anti-inflammatory effects
- a low intake
of saturated fat
- olive oil as the main source of fat in the
diet.
A recent study in the journal Nature has found that olive
oil may be a more important contributor to the
anti-inflammatory benefits than once thought. Researchers have
found a previously unknown compound in extra virgin olive oil,
which they named ‘oleocanthal’. Oleocanthal works in a similar
way to anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or
ibuprofen, but is far less potent, for example, it wouldn’t
relieve a headache.
WLR says
More good reasons to enjoy plenty of
fruit and veg,
fish at least twice a week, some wine in moderation and have
extra virgin olive oil in the cupboard. Remember that while
olive oil is a healthy oil, it is high in calories (all oils
contain 125 calories per tablespoon), so do use sparingly.
No one food offers big health benefits by itself.
It is the
combination of foods and they way their nutrients,
antioxidants and natural compounds work together that makes
the difference. Eating a variety of different coloured fruit
and veg is vital for that reason too – the different colours
indicated different beneficial antioxidants and compounds. And
plenty of variety makes meals taste great. Bon appetito!
Soya and bone health
Think of soya and health and you
probably think of cholesterol levels and menopausal symptoms
such as hot flushes. Another area of research into the health
benefits of soya is its potential for keeping bones stronger
after the menopause, and this hit the headlines in September.
A study involving more than 24,000 postmenopausal Chinese
women was reported on. Within 10 years of the menopause
starting, it found that the women who ate the most soya foods
reported half as many bone fractures as the women who ate the
least soya foods.
The amount of soya protein eaten by the ‘high consumers’
was about 13g each day – the amount you get in 2 x 200ml
glasses of soya milk or 2 small pots of soya desserts. There
was also a significantly reduced risk of fracture linked to
intakes equivalent to one serving of these a day.
Researchers such as soya expert Professor Ken Setchell feel
this potential benefit may come from both the soya protein and
isoflavone content of soya foods. Isoflavones are a type of
phytoestrogen (phyto=plant) that may very weakly mimic the
effects of oestrogen in the body.
WLR says
More research is needed before any clear
recommendations can be made about soya and bone health. If you
decide you would like to include soya milk or desserts make
sure you choose calcium-enriched varieties, especially if you
use them to replace some calcium-rich dairy foods in your
daily diet.
One thing the researchers are clear on is that soya foods
can’t treat loss of bone strength or osteoporosis. Any role
they may have is in helping to prevent problems in the first
place.
Bones are living tissue and continue to strengthen until
our mid-twenties. From the mid-thirties they begin to
gradually lose strength over time. This becomes even more of a
problem for menopausal women since the hormonal changes (such
as a decline in oestrogen) speed up bone loss. Regular
weight-bearing exercise, a balanced, fruit and veg and
calcium-rich diet, not smoking and not being underweight are
all important for helping to keep your bones as strong as they
can be throughout life.
Top Tip
Adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a
meal, for example, as part of a dressing or lemon juice
squeezed over cooked veggies, could lower its GI (glycaemic
index) by up to 30 percent. This means the meal results in
more stable blood sugar levels. The same can be said for
eating boiled potatoes cold, rather than hot. As cooked
potatoes cool down, more of their carbohydrate content is
formed into ‘resistant starch’, so called because a lot of it
escapes digestion.
Something every teenage girl should know
If you have a
teenage daughter who loathes
breakfast then this news might
motivate them to make time for a bowl of cereal in the
morning.
A 10 year study of 2,300 girls (starting when they were 9
or 10 years old) from different parts of the USA found that as
girls moved through their teen years, the more regularly they
ate breakfast cereal, the healthier their weight tended to be.
The researchers also found that regular cereal eaters
typically had higher intakes of fibre and bone-building
calcium and lower intakes of fat. Cereal is eaten with
calcium-rich milk and often with a glass of juice or fruit –
which all helps with their nutritional intake.
WLR says
Having a healthy breakfast is a great tip for you
too, since regular breakfast eating is linked to better weight
control for people of all ages. It helps keep mid-morning
munchies at bay, and kick-starts your mood and wellbeing in
the morning.
Whether it’s a fruit or juice with a bowl of
whole grain cereal with semi-skimmed milk, a poached egg or
baked beans on toast, a lean bacon roll or a fruit smoothie,
breakfast is definitely worth taking time for.
Kids, TV and weight gain
It will come as no surprise that a
new study has supported the popular view that watching a lot
of television is linked to a child’s risk of becoming
overweight.
Carried out in New Zealand, this recent study followed the
weight and television viewing habits of 1000 children, between
the ages of 5 and 16, with assessments made when the children
were 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 years of age.
At each age, the amount of television watched was
consistent with the child’s weight (or body mass index). In
other words, the more television they watched, the more likely
they were to be overweight. This finding was especially true
for girls.
WLR says
The same research team has suggested that children watch no
more than 2 hours of television a day to help protect their
future health. Other studies they have carried out found that
adults, who watched the most television, as children were more
likely to be overweight, smoke cigarettes and have a high
cholesterol level.
Keep Up to Date
If you'd like your Diet Bytes as soon as they're published,
register for our free newsletter
Diet and Fitness
Monthly.
|
