2 minute read
Sweet idea
Linda Hall
APPROXIMATELY 3.5 million Britons were using artificial sweeteners twice a day by 2021.
Nevertheless dietitian, nutritionist and author Dr Megan Rossi questioned if this was entirely beneficial.
“Far from saving our waistlines, research suggests that sweeteners may, in some cases, expand them,” she explained recently in the UK media.
The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has published research demonstrating that consuming sweeteners in
BEAR GRYLLS, adventurer and writer recently told an interviewer that he feels embarrassed about his previous promotion of veganism.
In a complete turnaround, the 48 yearold who now shuns vegetables, claims that he has never felt stronger and that his skin and gut “had never been better” after taking the decision to jettison his plantbased diet.
Grylls now eats red meat, blood, bone marrow, salted butter, eggs, fruit and honey while creased the appetite of fruit flies by activating AMPK, an enzyme that plays a part in stimulating the production of hunger
ARTIFICIAL: A little sugar could be a better option than sweeteners.
No silver bullet
HIGHLY effective weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, originally prescribed for diabetes, are not a ‘silver bullet’ for solving obesity global rates.
The kind of communication surrounding these drugs, which implied that a solution had been found, was “wrong”, Francesco Branca, the World Health Organisation’s Nutrition and Food Safety director said.
“Drugs for obesity are helpful but must form part of a holistic approach to weight loss,” Branca declared. “Other interventions, including diet and exercise, remain critical to help manage obesity.”
Sun spot spot-check
hormones.
“If you want sweetness, choose a little sugar over sweeteners,” Dr Rossi advised.
Veg off the menu
avoiding processed foods, bread and pasta.
But despite his claims, nutrition experts argue that a vegan diet can be perfectly healthy and vegetables are essential for any kind of balanced diet.
Cheap and cheerful
PETROLEUM JELLY, invariably identified as Vaseline by Englishspeakers, is a classic budget buy, available practically everywhere and anywhere.
Marilyn Monroe famously applied Vaseline under her makeup, but it’s also great for dry lips as well as feet that have been chafed by new summer sandals.
Still recommended by dermatologists, especially to treat the irritation that can be caused by antiageing retinols, many people are happy to use Vaseline as a cheap and cheerful moisturiser.
VITAMIN C, always a dietary must, is also great skinbrightener and helps to banish hyperpigmentation, too.
This is the time of the year when we all spend more time in the sun, and hyperpigmentation uneven colouring of the skin can crop up. This appears as brown, black, gray, red or pink spots or patches variously described as age spots, sun spots or liver spots. The condition affects all skin types and ages, occurring when pigmentproducing cells become unstable and produce excessive melanin, owing to the sun, hormone changes, pregnancy, medical conditions and even medication. Most will fade if nothing else damages the skin, but extra Vitamin C in your diet and in face creams, moisturisers and serum will all help.
Undemanding mood-enhancers
FORTY PER CENT of dementia cases are preventable, the UK charity Alzheimer’s Society believes.
Preventive measures range from eating a few squares of dark chocolate as well as broccoli, asparagus, peas, lettuce, beans and whole grains, each day.
Experts also recommend moodenhancing and calming activities like stroking a dog a neighbour’s makes a good substitute for those who aren’t petowners as just one of the undemanding things that help to keep the brain from ticking over well into old age.
Reach for the stars
ADOPTING a posture like an astronaut’s in space could give you a great night’s sleep. The zerogravity sleeping position with the head and legs raised above the heart, and the body’s midsection below them, is designed to recreate a sensation of weightlessness. The position, which was conceived to help astronauts to balance their weight and relieve stress on their bodies, helps to reduce acid reflux, opens up the airways and improves the circulation. Achieve the same affect with an adjustable bed or extra pillows to elevate your feet and head.
