We put together a round up of all the things you can eat to keep your youthful appearance and vitality as you go through life. Anti-aging is important to many of us and simple attention to our..

We rounded up some top tips for those of us feeling a little jaded after the hectic summer holidays. The focus is on regaining that lost..

Buying to eat in recession means trying to save those precious pennies on everything we buy, but the upside is that we can use this time positively to lose weight by eating a sensible balanced diet and staying off those..

Recently fashionable, the Raw Food Diet will have you shedding the pounds in no time ! People often overeat because the body is not getting its full vitamin and nutrition requirements. Raw food gives you that full satisfied ..

The Beautiful Skin Diet is unusual in that it tells you what not to eat for best results. Glycaemic load comes into play as the diet shuns foods like baked beans, raisins, and pasta blaming them for..

It is maybe not obvious at first thought but your diet and your lifestyle directly affect how good your hair looks. Hair responds well to a healthy diet rich in protein, vitamins and essential minerals. Avoid coffee and sugary or fatty foods for best..

The ever-controversial animal rights group, PETA, have launched a new billboard in Jacksonville, Florida, which encourage obese people to give up meat and eat their way thin as vegetarians...

Losing weight can be an expensive business at times, as swapping cheap chips for organic tofu comes at a price. However, lots of healthy food can be incredibly cheap, as locally grown vegetables and fruit are often cheap options.
One of the major changes in peoples' diets during this financial crisis has been that they stay at home...

France has always been known for its delectable sweet pastries, croissants and traditional biscuits, yet the French themselves are eschewing traditional products in favour of other products according to the French food agency, AFSSA...

There has been a renewed buzz around the calorie restriction (CR) diet lately as people adopt it not only for weight loss but for its purported anti-ageing benefits. After 20 years of study conducted on rhesus monkeys, scientists have found...

Become a “flexitarian” and flout the rules, say those people who have taken up the habit of eating less meat but who won't commit fully to a vegetarian lifestyle. Flexitarianism is enjoying a high, as diners revel in a new breed of top-class vegetarian restaurants and enjoy a quality of cooking usually reserved for carnivores...

Canadian research team have found evidence to support the idea that being mildly overweight may help with longevity. The study, which followed the mortality of 11,326 adults in Canada over a period of 12 years, found that overweight...

Those Locavores have it so easy nowadays! In the States, Locavores – people who eat only locally-produced food – can now pick up their iPhone and ask it what produce is in season locally and what...

Teas are one Asiatic treasure that has been cherished for centuries now by the Western world, but we are only just realising the benefits that certain teas can have on our health and wellbeing. Green tea is especially potent and studies show that its power to reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and other maladies is not to be ignored...

According to the LA Lakers basketball star Lamar Odom, candy is a great refueller for before a game and helps him to play better. Odom's problem, though, may be that he doesn't restrict his sweet intake to just before a game, instead he gobbles sweets all day long!...

In the years following the second world war, the Spanish population turned to a crop named vetch, or vicia, to sustain themselves. This plant is a type of legume and can be used to make porridge, bread, flour and cereal...

Finally, someone has hit the nail on the head. The true cause of climate chang is not to do with factories or cars, but sheep! They burp and when they do they release methane, the same as cows do...

If you find that there's far too much information regarding how to lead healthy lifestyle around today...

The World Cancer Research Fund has this week made a report to help people maintain a healthy diet while still saving their cash...

You'd be forgiven for thinking that in these economic times, people are likely to hit the bottle harder...

In the States, two senators have put forward a bill to get rid of junk food from school vending machines...

According to research done into the physiques of Europeans, it has been found that...

Revealingly, yet perhaps unsurprisingly, scientists have found that obese people contribute more to global warming

According to a study by various American universities, many people think that if they “consider” ordering a salad...

What is it that gives some people superhuman willpower and others just crumble...

For those opting for a vegan or even just a vegetarian diet, getting the right nutrient balance...

Being able to empathise with one's clients is usually a key solution to understanding their needs and concerns, however one personal trainer...

The Primal Diet is one of the latest fad diets doing the rounds in Hollywood and has a knack of producing results...

According to a report published in the journal Obesity in the States, if we are exposed to images of people exercising...

An ''anti-crisis'' diet has been introduced by one of Russia's principal doctors to calm the nerves of Russians who don't...

Unhealthy eating habits among children is the result of spending hours in front of the television, warn scientists in a study...

Women, those unstopppable eating machines, have officially been proven to have lower control mechanisms when it comes to food. According to groundbreaking new...

According to Germany's federal environmental agency, the German people are eating far too much meat at a time when energy and food are in increasingly short supply...

This holiday season, the British Medical Journal saw fit to blow apart a few myths surrounding our health, which provides surprising reading...

Many a malaise is said to be attributed to eating a diet high in fat, and now scientists have found that the high fat diet can be a hindrance to normal sleeping patterns, too..

According to a survey conducted in November by the British Heart Foundation, the majority of young people in the UK are unaware of the risks associated with eating too much junk food...

Having a slender waist is not only enviable aesthetically, but it could actually help you to live a longer and healthier life too. According to research published in the New England..

Diet books are famous for giving miracle qualities to certain foods, including the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Grapefruit diet and many other fad diets. This time, the Japanese have come up with the Morning Banana Diet..

The new miracle weight-loss pill is just around the corner, according to NeuroSearch, the Danish pharmaceutical company who invented tesofensine. In a study presented in medical journal, The Lancet, research involved 203 obese patients whose..

Thanks to new evidence that has just come out, we can now safely blame our genes once again for being overweight! Researchers at the University of Texas have found that obese people generally have fewer pleasure..

Many people understand the health risks of being overweight or obese as these conditions have been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke and a host of other illnesses. However, it might be said that less attention is paid to the fact that being underweight is actually more dangerous than..

One thing that can hinder the progress of a healthy relationship more than anything is diet, according to a book called Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. The book's co-authors, nutrition expert Cynthia Sass and nutrition/relationship writer Denise Maher, identify nearly 20 food-scenarios which can be points of contention within a relationship, and give advice on how to swerve the..

Researchers in Australia have come up with some groundbreaking news – that men and women may need different diets. To ensure a healthy lifespan, reproductive success and fitness, scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Sydney have found that gender can play a big role in the type of..

Keeping a food diary or simply thinking about the taste of your last meal can aid with weight loss and help people stay on track when dieting, according to a new study conducted at the University of..

This week New Yorkers have been subjected to the terrifying truth about the vast amount of calories they consume with every bite of their favourite foods. All fast-food outlets and restaurants that have 15 or more establishments across the..

If the name of the book Superfast Weight Loss for Women doesn't catch any would-be female dieter's eye, then what will? This is one of the latest diets programs to be brought out in 2008 and it introduces some well-known diet concepts in a new way. Despite its gimmicky name, the book's author; Dean Geddes from..

Whoever said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day certainly has reason, according to one doctor from Venezuela who has trialed the "Big Breakfast Diet" on her patients, to much success.

Lose weight and keep it off
Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz is a clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in the US and an endocrinologist at the Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela. She says that in order for diets to work in the future and be effective at combatting obesity, they have to help people cut out cravings for..

There are often success stories that come out of the woodwork to help publicise new diets, but one story regarding the Zone Diet masterminded by Dr Barry Sears is truly inspirational.

Zone Diet moderate amounts
The Diet itself is described more as a "way of life" rather than a fad diet and its core principle is that the body needs to calm hormonal imbalance by eating moderate amounts of all foods, in order to sustain weight..

Most people who have been through a few "salad" phases know that food when you're dieting isn't particularly fun, sweet or sour and generally doesn't do anything much to excite the taste buds. Now scientists have found a new way to artificially change the taste of what we..

With 50% of Europeans officially counted as overweight or obese, there is reason for the weight-loss industry to be rejoicing, and for us to be worrying. On the 25th and 26th of June the 2nd annual Slimming Ingredients 2008 conference held in Berlin, Germany analysed the latest trends and scientific evidence supporting weight loss products on the market in..

It has been found by a group of scientists in Brazil that the amount of calories we take in before bed can affect the number of times we awake in the night. The findings include late-night snacking and it is advised that fewer calories before bed can help with sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is characterised by heavy..

The pressure on women to lose weight or look a certain way is huge and the desire to drop pounds fuels a multi-billion diet product industry every year. A new study has calculated just how much time women spend trying to shed weight and the results are..

When we think of getting older, one fear that perhaps comes to mind is that we don't want to end up frail with less muscle mass to hold us up. For sure, becoming prone to falling and accidents doesn't sound like a fun future. New research conducted in Boston, United States, suggests that intake of potassium by way of fruit and vegetables can help those aged 65 and over retain their muscle mass.

Three years of Nutrition research
Bess Dawson-Hughes from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Ageing at Tufts University studied the effects of plant-derived potassium on the muscle mass of nearly 400 elderly volunteers. Throughout a three year of the study, Dawson-Hughes collected..

If you've ever travelled far enough to be out of your normal time zone, you'll be aware of the uncomfortable and often frustrating nature of jet-lag. Now scientists have found a way in which people can overcome the feeling of jet-lag, and it's to do with food.

Fasting to stay awake
Scientists at Harvard University have found that fasting while travelling and on arrival at your destination, can significantly aid in peoples' adjustment to new times zones. According to research done on mice, there is a part of the brain dubbed the "feeding clock" which is..

Long-term support for obese people was highlighted at the 16th European Congress on Obesity as being a key driver in losing and maintaining weight loss. The Congress, which runs this week in Geneva, Switzerland, provided a forum for scientists from all over Europe whose aim was to find the tools to combat the growing incidence of obesity in Europe today.

Dr Séverine Buclin from the University Hospital in Geneva presented the details of her 5-year long study into the effects of long-term patient care in the fight against obesity. Buclin worked with a group of 33 obese..

Anyone looking for a handy diet trick should pay some attention to the latest findings of the European Congress on Obesity. As well as presenting the findings of the Diogenes Project, many other scientists from governments and private companies presented findings related to the issue of obesity prevention.

Gas Stops Hunger
One of the studies presented was by Unilever, whose scientists have found that dieters can help themselves feel fuller by drinking gaseous drinks during meals. The researchers tested 24 people, half drank a full glass of a..

If someone eyes you suspiciously the next time you're diving into a box of doughnuts, you can now happily claim that it's not your fault- it's in your genes! Scientists from the University of Toronto have found a link between the genetic variation of one gene and the increased preference of sugary food.

The experiment
The Department of Nutritional Sciences at the university looked into the effects of the gene called glucose transporter..

Following on from our report on the European intervention into our dietary habits - the Diogenes Project, preliminary results from the study were announced today at the European Congress of Obesity.

Search for the Ideal Diet
The Diogenes Project is a pan-European study working towards lower obesity rates in Europe. It aims to finding a diet or diet-trend that will help people keep weight off in the long term. The project was funded by the EU Commission and is currently testing people in 8 centres around Europe to see..

The hype surrounding eating disorders has been increased following last year's controversy in the fashion world for its use of size zero models on the catwalks, and now the French government are stepping in to take action against what is a growing issue among young women in Europe.

Extreme Diets Outlawed
Last month, the French lower house of parliament approved a bill to outlaw mass communication that gives readers information and tips on how to successfully become anorexic or bulimic. Around 400 sites that extol the virtues of extreme weight loss and disordered eating have sprung up in France. If the bill is passed in the Senate, anyone found publishing..

Among other frightening catastrophes that are happening in the world today, the so-called "obesity epidemic" that Europe and the US is on the brink of, is a worrying one, and it appears that governments are working towards cracking down on fat people. However, there is a growing body of scholars and scientists who discredit claims that this is a killer disease that is spreading exponentially.

BMI now Reduced
The Body Mass Index (BMI), which is the calculation of height squared divided by weight squared, is something that many take to be a truthful indication of "good" and "bad" body types. However in 1997 and 1998..

If anyone's ever been food shopping on an empty stomach, then like me they would probably be guilty of buying lots of things that they didn't need, or at least something that looked appealing at the time.
Now research has found that this impulse is due to the secretion of a hormone that not only causes hunger but makes food look more appetising.
 
The Hunger Hormone
Researchers at the University of McGill in Montreal, Canada, have come up with another reason why we cave in to fast food when we're hungry, or why food advertising can be so effective at drawing us in.

When we are hungry, our brains release a..

The Authors of the new book “The Alternate-Day Diet" have seen fit to write to the Editor at The Independent in London to correct some errors in their original story, we publish below the full contents of their letter as it expalins better the concept behind the suggested diet regime. More information can be found on the Alternate Day Diet website.

Dear Sir,

I am responding to the numerous misquotes and errors in the review by Rachel Shields of our book, “The Alternate-Day Diet". It appears she did not read the book and has an agenda to create controversy rather than evaluate the science fairly. Her most egregious error is that we advocate overeating every other day, or "bingeing" as Ms Shields put it. The most important message of the book is that restraining oneself every other day is psychologically more feasible than restraining oneself every day, which as most dieters will agree, is impossible. Secondly, this method confers huge..

Many dieters think that by bingeing and starving, they are doing themselves a favour by "balancing out" the effects of one on the other. Unfortunately, scientists say that this couldn't be further from the truth and that we are doing more harm to ourselves than once believed.

Stunted growth
Glasgow University conducted experiments into the effects of a binge/starve diet on the life expectancy of stickleback fish, revealing worrying results. It was found that the fish on the extreme diet had only three quarters of the same life..

The feeling of having reached a weight loss goal is usually one of elation and relief. Finally you've got there after all that hard work! However, it's true that many people can lose weight initially but keeping it off is another matter altogether.

Now the EU has stepped in to offer some practical advice and support on keeping weight off in the biggest European "intervention" into our dietary habits.

Diogenes Project
The European Commission is funding the Diogenes Project, which will over 5 years, look into the effects of diet and genes on the obesity..

As if there wasn't enough evidence to suggest that it's healthy to eat lots of fruit and veg, there's another argument to tip the balance further. It has been found that an increased intake of dietary fibre can dramatically reduce the risk of obesity and can also aid with weight loss.

Soluble Fibre
Fibre comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre is found in varying quantities in all plant foods, including vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, fruit and fruit juices, legumes, oats, rye and barley. Insoluble fibre is found..

Sun exposure can be extremely harmful for our skin and can also increase the signs of ageing by giving us more lines and wrinkles. As well as putting on sunscreen, we can also change our diet to include tomato-based products as it has been found that tomato paste, of the cooked variety, can act as sun protection.

The tomato experiment
Research conducted at the University of Manchester, UK, aimed to investigate the effects of tomato paste in protecting human skin from the sun and premature ageing. 10 volunteers were given 5 tablespoons (55g) of tomato..

Maybe the world seems a bit upside down already, but when it's discovered that diet coke makes you put on weight, we seriously need a reality check. It has been found by researchers at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, that artificial sweeteners can actually cause the body to gain weight rather than aid it to lose weight.

Researchers Susan Swithers and Terry Davidson fed 27 rats with either real glucose or saccharin to monitor any changes in weight.

Their findings reveal that the super-sweet taste of..

Who knew that a recipe for a son starts with cereal? Research conducted by the Universities of Oxford and Essex in the United Kingdom indicates that women can influence the sex of their baby before, during and after conception.

Eat Breakfast for a Boy
Fiona Mathews, the research leader as Essex, revealed that after studying the eating patterns of 740 women they found that women who consumed more calories were 56% more likely to give birth to boys. Also, out of the women who ate breakfast..

The potato is having its own 21st century renaissance, and guess where? Ireland of course! Thanks to the efforts of celebrity chefs and a world-famous Irish cooking school, the Emerald Isle is staging a comeback for its delicious, wholesome and hearty traditional dishes.

Glamourising tradition
It has been claimed that one woman has single-handedly brought Irish cooking back into fashion, which seems quite an achievement. In 1964, Myrtle Allen opened..

Alternate Day Diet
Masterminded by plastic surgeon Dr James B Johnson, the Alternate Day Diet instructs dieters to follow a feast and fast principle. This means that you can eat whatever you want one day, then the next day restricting intake to 300 to 500 calories. The idea is that on the "fast" day, dieters will be balancing out the calories consumed during their "binge" day.

How it Works
Dr Johnson explains in his book that this up-and-down diet is extremely easy to follow due to the fact that dieters always have their "no-holds barred" day just around the corner, and practically nothing is off limits.

A promising new study into the beneficial effects of probiotics has revealed that they can be used to treat patients with alcoholic cirrhosis – a disease which scars the liver and is most commonly caused by heavy drinking.

Probiotics Boost
In the early stages of contracting cirrhosis, there are few symptoms and side-effects, but in time the liver function steadily worsens and could deteriorate to leave the patient in need of a liver transplant..

It is well-documented that drinking and related health problems are on the rise in Europe. However, instead of the consumer taking the blame, drinking establishments have recently come under fire for increasingly serving only large measures of alcohol and not giving us the choice to drink responsibly. Hurrah! Someone else to blame!

Irresponsible Bars
According to the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), pubs and bars are acting "irresponsibly" by deliberately increasing the size of their wine glasses and often giving double shots at standard prices..

Sleeping is one of the vital components of getting the most out of our day, and maintaining a regular sleep pattern is just as important as maintaining a healthy and energising diet. Below are the key tips for those who want to get the most out of those precious 8 hours. BANANAS & MILK : Warm milk is an excellent source of tryptophan, an amino acid that has a relaxing effect on the brain, and bananas are great sources of magnesium which is a muscle relaxant so have a little snack around half an hour before going to bed. However, be aware of your own digestion patterns and don't eat a whole banana if you feel it will sit in your stomach and cause discomfort during the night..

After a hard day at the office, the one word that should be on your mind is relaxation and everything you do should be towards the goal of relaxing! This is not only to benefit our bodies and relax our muscles, but to give our brains and our energy levels the best chance of waking up energized and raring-to-go the next day. If you always think in advance of the effects of what you're eating, you can't go wrong. Be aware that what you eat at dinner time has a direct effect on your sleep, so try and choose foods that naturally relax the body and mind. Tryptophan is an amino acid that our bodies cannot make, but the brain needs it in order to make serotonin – a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the brain..

Lunch is the time when many people will either stock up on heavy carbs such as potatoes or pasta because their energy has been flagging all morning, or when people simply skip lunch altogether because there is no time to fit it in between meetings. Either way, the body isn't receiving the treatment it needs and in order to properly refuel, lunch has to be manoeuvred with extreme care. Eating things that can boost your brain functioning and mental agility is a great idea at midday, as this will aid in combatting any afternoon energy slump and keep you revived til closing time..

Forget everything you've ever heard about alcohol being bad for you – it's not, at least in moderation, scientists have now actually proven that alcohol can be beneficial for your heart. In a study conducted at the University of Carolina, it was found that middle-aged non-drinkers were likely to benefit from protection against heart disease if they took to drinking something once a day. The research was conducted over a four-year period and involved 7,500 people, all of whom were tee-total to begin with. Scientists were looking to find a connection between drinking in moderation and the reduction of artherosclerosis, the hardening of..

Obesity is definitely the hot topic of the moment, with people adding on the pounds all over the world and governments struggling to come up with new ideas about how to encourage people to keep their weight down. Well, now it has been proven that simply by eating breakfast you can do just that. Teenagers who often worry about their weight tend to be the worst culprits of skipping breakfast, thereby denying themselves the nutrition and energy they require in the mornings. In a study of over 2,000 young people conducted by the University of Minnesota it was found that those who did not eat anything in the mornings weighed an average of 5lbs (2.3kg) more than those who had breakfast. Mark Pereira, who led the team of researchers, said. "They skip breakfast because they worry about..

It appears that more and more Europeans are putting "healthy chocolate" high on their shopping list- or at least their shopping lists- but can there be such a thing? According to data collated by the Zurich-based chocolate company Barry Callebaut, 27% of people in Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany and the UK buy some sort of "functional" chocolate each month- meaning chocolate that claims to contain a health benefit of some sort. The market research company Euromonitor reports that the market for "functional foods" has grown by an average of 15% each year over the past four years, and over a quarter of us want the "bad" food we eat to be good for us in some way. Types of so-called "healthy chocolate" include those which are pumped full of..

Given the choice, would you eat dairy or meat produce from an animal that had been cloned? It's an ethical question that we consumers will face in the coming years, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has now approved the production of food derived from cloned animals. Under the new ruling, meat and other produce from..

Many people claim that when dieting, you are restricted to such tasteless and boring foods that we are prone to losing our way very quickly. The allure of our favourite fatty foods is perhaps too strong! Well this may be about to change, as scientists are creating a way to "lock in" the fat that creates that great taste in desserts..

It is perhaps slightly unlike the French to conduct a study into the benefits of tea, as they often pride themselves on their fantastic coffee making skills. However at INSERM, France's national institute for medical research, a research program was set up to study the effects of tea on the build up of plaque in the arteries of older men and women, with interesting..

Calorie control has always been something associated with weight-loss obsession and the only people thought to want to count calories are dieters hell-bent on the latest fad. However, research into the world of calorie restriction (CR) has produced evidence that a diet restricted to 1800 calories per day can increase our life span..

People are eating low fat food to lose weight, is the earth shattering conclusion of yet another study into our diet habits. This survey conducted across Europe, US, parts of the Middle East and Australasia included 9000 participants, and found that 66% percent are working on some method to control their weight, with 33% saying they use low fat foods, and 20% relying on giving up carbohydrates as the way to shed the pounds..

San Francisco recently announced a ban on the cities departments using money to buy bottled water, while New York is recommending their citizens use tap water to reduce the high levels of plastic waste. The city has to foot the bill for recycling this junk plastic, and ultimately that bill ends up with us the consumers..

Over 80 per cent of our salt intake comes from eating processed foods. But if we could reduce our intake by only 15% through some simple dietary changes, then many lives could be saved according to research published in the Lancet. Many experts now believe that eating too much salt increases blood pressure leading to cardiovascular problems responsible for almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe..

Three new studies lend convincing support to the Omega 3 bandwagon. All claim that eating Omega 3 rich fish can improve your brain functions. Whilst much past research has focussed on the heart health benefits, the emerging consensus is that this particular fatty acid is also good for the thought processes..

Yet more research has come out in favour of red wine as a powerful anti-oxidant supporting the 'French Paradox' theory that found locals can eat large amounts of saturated fatty acids with little effect on their long term health, providing they also consume regular amounts of red wine with their food. Ah, such hardship ! Michelle Micallef of University of Newcastle, Australia is the author of a detailed research paper (below) describing red wine as containing a naturally rich source of antioxidants..

Men who try not to think about chocolate end up eating more of it, Women however have more self control, according to latest research into thought control. “For example .. trying not to think about having another drink makes it more likely.." says Dr Erskine of Hertfordshire Uni. He decided to research into how your thoughts can affect your actions..

It's no wonder kids don't like what parents dictate. Regardless of being told from an early age what diet we must eat, apparently we all have pre-programmed likes and dislikes written into our genes which override our upbringing. Working with 3,000 twins, Prof. Tim Spector of Kings College set out to see if our food preferences are influenced mainly by our environment or are already pre-determined in our genetic makeup. Previously it was thought our food preferences were formed by our environment whilst growing up, he says: "This (research) has blown that theory out of the water..

“Our message to parents is whenever possible, eat family meals and try to keep television viewing to a minimum.." says a concerned Ph.D, Dianne Sztainer. Dianne heads the Project EAT study which discovered that watching TV has a bad influence on your diet. She believes that the advertisements being watched are directly influencing children..

Nirvana for Switzerlands' Nestle Research centre would be to find out the reason why some people crave chocolate and why some do not. Their recent study which showed a link between what bacteria type we have in our stomach, and the chocolate we crave has got everyone excited. Mr S. Kochar writing the study found that 'glycine', an amino acid, was more prevalent in chocolate eaters, but taurine was higher in those who claim not to eat chocolate..

A study completed by University College London has made a connection between certain centres of the brain and our appetite, suggesting that it is now a simple matter of developing the right chemical and we can all control our weight, through modified eating habits, at will..

We could inceasingly see big brother taxes on food to persuade us what to eat. Applying a so called 'Fat Tax' to unhealthy foods changes peoples buying habits and persuades them to buy more healthy options, so says a study lead by Buffalo Uni in New York. UK academics have also suggested that 3,000 deaths could be avoided if the government were to apply a targetted Fat Tax..

Only 32% of children are taking vitamin supplements and these are normally from non-smoking families that have good income and spend less time watching TV. Vitamin D and Calcium are typically under supplied in a normal diet for a child says the National Institute of Health in the US. Suprisingly 41% kids aged 4 to 8 were reported as taking a supplement making them the most active age group..

Our thinking processes can be sharpened and speeded up by eating more carbohydrate, improving our mood at the same time. Going on low carb diets would seem to impair your speed of reasoning and thought. Dr Brinkworth of the Scientific Research Organisation in Adelaide ran comparison tests on dieiting overweight..

Where in the world are 102 roasted steers, 144,000 pairs of sausages, almost half a million roast chickens, and 43,000 knuckles of pork eaten in 11 days ? Yep, Munichs' Oktoberfest is upon us once more. The great German beer and sausage institution running since the year 1810 should be experienced at least once in a lifetime. Throw away all thoughts of diets..

60% of us European consumers are looking for healthy snacks that are both convenient and indulgent according to a recent Datamonitor report, leaving the food manufactureres scratching their heads. We are apparently now looking for healthy snacks, the idea is to be able to snack freely, but without the downside consequences of high calories and overprocessed junk foods. In contrast to this however ..

New EU studies show that Italians are piling on the pounds as they abandon their traditional Mediterranean Diet in favour of highly processed and fast foods with high sugar and fat content. The EU quotes 35% of the population are now officially obese or overweight. Rising to the challenge a small town in the north of Italy..

Losing weight by enjoying your food would at first glance seem a contradiction in terms, but the combined benefits of better digestion and enjoying a stress free approach to meal times can lose you 20 pounds every year without changing your diet. The Slow Food organisation quotes many benefits to relaxing at meal times..

This time it's the Aussies who are waxing lyrical about our super healthy Mediterranean diet ! They claim that it is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, plant fibre, low in saturated fats and is rich in antioxidants. So what is it we are eating in Europe that is proving to be so beneficial ? Sample ingredients they particularly singled out included; garlic..

Pepsi has decided to openly declare its bottled water branded 'Aquafina' is made from a 'Public Water Source'. The water was never claimed to be from natural Spring Water, but consumers could have had that impression. The Bottled Water industry is increasingly coming under pressure on two fronts; first that it undermines confidence in normal tap water supplies, secondly..

Toxins incease dramatically in your food if you use high temperatures to cook with. Frying and barbecuing are both contributing to high toxin levels in your diet leading to inflammation and stress..

All you wine drinkers out there will be interested in a new book entitled The Wine Diet by author Roger Corder, drinking red wine every day is definitely encouraged as he outlines some major health benefits. His ideas seem to support the latest trends for finding heart healthy foods by associating dark fruits and chocolate with red wine constituents..

Consumers are certainly buying that message.
Dark chocolate sales have increased almost 50% between 2003 and 2006 with a figure of $1.8 billion being quoted by the research company Mintel. Confectionery companies are very happy to market chocolate as a health food, but the reality of high fat content means this is far from the truth..

The most commonly reported superfood is the blueberry which has a thick skin storing large amounts of fibre, folic acid and vitamins C and E. Skin thickness and colour is a known indicator of high mineral content as this is where nature hides the good stuff..

A controversial new study published in The Lancet claims that eating less than 340g of seafood during pregnancy could be directly detrimental to an unborn child. A correlation is made between a childs Verbal IQ at age 7 years and the amount of seafood containing Omega-3 a mother eats

Marketing departments in food and drink manufacturers are being told that you the consumer are more worried about how you look than how healthy you are

A recent study of the European population finds that the more overweight you are the less you can expect to get paid.
The study completed by the University of Padova, Italy, shows the effect is particularly strong in Spain, France and Italy where for every ten percent you add onto the scales you will lose between three and five percent of your earnings

Can we be indulgent and healthy ? According to the latest research that is exactly what we are demanding as consumers.
Two recent seperate reports confirm our growing need for luxury and gourmet fayre at the same time as we demand less processed, more healthy food

A record 70% of all Americans are reported to be attempting a weight loss program this year. 3,800 people responded to a diet survey conducted across the U.S. claiming that only 30% were not on any sort of diet throughout 2006, and that women are the main diet consumers with up to twice as many females on a diet as their male counterparts

Less than 25% will stay the course according to health and science writer Michael Fumento, although 100% start out with great intentions. So, why are good intentions not enough to deliver the results we want ? To help you, we describe how the two powerful tools of