Category Archives: Diet

DASH diet: Healthy eating to lower your blood pressure

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bloodThe DASH diet emphasizes portion size, eating a variety of foods and getting the right amount of nutrients. Discover how DASH can improve your health and lower your blood pressure.

The DASH diet focuses on lowering your blood pressure and keeping it under control. DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, could lower your blood pressure by a few points in just two weeks. Over time, your blood pressure could drop by eight to 14 points.

The DASH diet offers other health benefits, too, such as protection against osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The DASH diet is especially effective in reducing blood pressure in blacks and older adults. If adopted early and combined with other lifestyle changes such as exercising more and quitting smoking, the DASH diet can prevent high blood pressure (hypertension). Continue reading →

Nutrition basics

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Do you feel like you can’t keep up with the latest nutrition news because it’s always changing? While it’s true that what is known about nutrition and diet is evolving, there are some nutrition basics you can keep in mind. By knowing these nutrition basics, you’ll be better equipped to sort through the latest research and advice.

Mastering the nutrition basics comes down to understanding the concept of a food pyramid and the roles of fiber, fat, cholesterol, and calories in a healthy diet. Want to go beyond the nutrition basics? Talk to your doctor or a dietitian for personalized dietary advice that takes into account your health status, lifestyle, and food likes and dislikes.

By Mayo Clinic staffs

Many Australian parents oblivious to the fact their children are overweight

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Despite constant warnings about childhood obesity, too many Australian parents are still oblivious to the fact their children are overweight, according to the findings of the national MBF Healthwatch survey.

The disturbing results showed that only 7.9% of children were considered to be overweight by their parents. However, this is a gross underestimation according to the recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report , which showed almost a quarter of all children (aged two to 12) are overweight or obese.

Bupa Australia* Chief Medical Officer Dr Christine Bennett said, “Parents need to be extremely conscious that their failure to recognise these weight problems can be potentially damaging to their children in the long-term.

“Even taking into account recent suggestions that measures of overweight might be including some children on the border, many parents don’t pick up on the risk.

“And once children become overweight, it’s often extremely difficult for them to shed these excess kilos, particularly if their diet is incorrect and they are living a sedentary lifestyle. Continue reading →