Research has shown that a single serving of 4 brazil nuts almost immediately improved cholesterol levels compared with people who ate no nuts at all.
Levels of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol were 20 points lower just 9 hours after a meal containing brazil nuts. But beware, these nuts can be high in selenium, don’t regularly eat more than 1 or 2 on a daily basis.
Although this is a common belief, for most people there’s no evidence to suggest gluten does them harm.
People who eat gluten-free may feel better due to other changes in their diet. They often eat more veg and adopt a more varied diet.
Try switching up your carbs, rather than ban them completely. For example have oats for breakfast, have a sandwich for lunch then quinoa or rice for dinner.
High blood pressure is the number-one risk factor for death and disability worldwide. It puts strain on your heart, can damage sensitive blood vessels in the eyes and kidneys and can cause bleeding in the brain.
It is now widely accepted that increased blood pressure isn’t just a natural result of ageing, but rather it can remain stable throughout life, or even decrease after middle-age.
Commonly prescribed medication can reduce the risk of heart attack by 15% and the risk of stroke by about 25%. But in a recent study, three portions of whole grains a day were shown to help people achieve the same benefit without taking pills.
People who consumed a few spoonfuls of flaxseeds every day for six months lowered their blood pressure to a degree that could be expected to result in 46% fewer strokes and 29% fewer instances of heart disease over time. It is 2-3 times more effective at lowering blood pressure than exercise (not that you shouldn’t do both).
Sprinkle a spoonful over cereal, soups, salads and stews everyday.
The theory of raw eating is that cooking destroys enzymes and nutrients in food. In fact, some foods actually release more nutrients when they are cooked.
Therefore it is best to eat a good mix of both cooked and raw foods.
Filtering out the biggest caffeine-related myths:
Juice and smoothies are seen as a good way to get a lot of nutrients in one go. However, when you juice a fruit, you remove the fibre.
Juices also have a lot of free sugars, which are high in calories.
You don’t need to ban juice, but just stick to the recommended daily intake of 150ml. Get the rest of your nutrients from whole fruit and veg.
Ounce for ounce, fat has more calories than any other nutrient, so it has been long shunned by dieters. But we just need to know which fats to eat.
Try to eat sources of unsaturated fat, which don’t raise cholesterol – such as oily fish, avocados and nuts – and keep portions small.
If you suffer from these work-related ailments, a Pilates exercise could help.
Sore elbows:
Resting elbows on a desk for too long can lead to over-sensitive elbows.
FIX IT! – Monkey Triceps:
Hold a 1-2kg weight in each hand. Bend knees with straight back. Hug upper arm bones into the side of ribs. Bend and straighten elbows to the maxi range, keeping tops of the arms hugging the midline. Repeat 12 times.
Back pain:
Slouching in front of a computer screen leads to pain in the upper back.
FIX IT! – Swan Prep:
Lie on your front with forehead on mat, hands directly under shoulders and shoulders rolled back and down. Lift abs in and up, lift head and chest and gaze forward. Keep tops of arms hugging midline, with shoulders back and down. Hold at the top, then lower down slowly. Repeat 5-8 times.
Aching wrists:
Repetitive mouse use affects the tendon of the index finger as well as the wrist and forearm.
FIX IT! – Serratus Press Up:
Kneel on all fours, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, gaze forward. With straight arms, lower ribs between arms and draw shoulder blades together. Press hands down as if trying to push the floor away so the upper back rounds and shoulder blades spread wide. Move through these positions with control 8 times.
When it was discovered that cholesterol raised the risk of heart disease, it was thought that eating foods high in cholesterol would increase the levels in our body.
Over the years science has disproved this notion and has in fact found that people who eat two eggs a day as part of a 12-week calorie-controlled diet actually saw their cholesterol levels fall.
So, if you like eggs, eat them!