How Losing Weight Made This Couple Better Parents

There are lots of reasons to change your diet if you are overweight, but for Neil and Caroline Bowers, it was their two little sons who finally motivated them to change.

Their story really highlights how crippling being overweight can be in all areas of life. But, with the right diet, mindset and a motivating factor, great things can be achieved.

Neil and Caroline wanted to become the best parents they could. And, together they lost more than 9 stone (57kg) between them -- an amazing achievement, which has totally transformed their family life.

I wanted to be the kind of dad who could run and kick a football around, not one who struggled to even get out of a chair and had to watch from the sidelines. Without doubt, the best thing about losing weight is that's who I've become. We love going for family walks and playing with the children - now it's them saying they're tired not us.

So, how did they manage to lose so much weight?

The couple started following Slimming World's Food Optimising eating plan, making home-cooked meals, and going to their local Slimming World group meetings for support.

What strikes me most about this couple is how they are now so much more active as a result of their weight loss, enjoying family life, and feeling happier and healthier as a result.

Have you been successful in losing weight? What was the motivating factor, which finally helped you to shift the weight?

View the original article here

Salt Lovers May Curb Hypertension With Exercise

There's some good news for salt lovers! According to some new research, people who exercise are less likely to have their blood pressure elevated by a high sodium diet.

A diet high in salt has been widely accepted as one of the leading factors contributing to hypertension, but this new research shows that some "salt sensitive" people may have found a loop hole.

The research was conducted by Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans who studied a group of people in Northern China consisting of around 1900 men and women with an average age of 38. None of the participants were on hypertension medication.

During the the first week of the study the participants were given a diet that delivered 3000mg of sodium daily. The next week they were all given a diet consisting of 18,000mg of sodium a day. Everyone's blood pressure was measured 9 times each week and the participants were asked a series of questions to determine their exercise level. Those that had a 5% increase in systolic blood pressure when switched to the high sodium diet were labeled as "highly salt sensitive".

The results showed that the people who were the most active had a 38% less risk of being highly salt sensitive than the least active group. Participants in the next highest activity group had a 17% lower risk and those in the next to least activity group had a 10% lower risk. The researchers concluded that those who exercised significantly reduced their risk of developing high blood pressure due to salt sensitivity. The researchers noted that while this study's results are promising, they need to be repeated and peer reviewed.

While this study is good news for all of the salt lovers out there, caution should be used before using the study as justification to consume more sodium. It's important to note that even those that exercised were still at risk, since exercise only reduced the risk by 38%.

People who exercise should still have their blood pressure checked regularly and adjust their sodium intake accordingly.

View the original article here

U.S. Bans Japanese Food Due to Radiation

As damaged nuclear reactors in Japan continue to spiral out of control and concerns over contaminated food rise, the United States has now banned some food imports from Japan.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the edict on Wednesday, after Japanese officials found radiation in crops grown near the effected reactors. The FDA does not want contaminated food to enter the U.S. food supply.

Last week, Japan feared that radioactive materials released into the air, following the earthquake that damaged nuclear reactors, would contaminate local food crops. Japanese health experts warned that this radiation could increase the risk of certain cancers, such as leukemia, and bone and thyroid cancer.

So the FDA has stopped all imports of dairy products and fruits and vegetables coming from stricken areas of Japan. Also, Japanese seafood will undergo radiation screening before it can be sold.

But according to the FDA, food from Japan accounts for less than 4% of U.S. food imports. For example, sushi restaurants in New York do not import a lot of fresh produce from Japan.

While restaurants have not experienced shortages in supplies, because many ingredients are grown in the U.S., other products, such rice and nori wraps, may soon be imported from places like South Korea.

And Japan faces another challenge. Testing shows tap water in Tokyo contains levels of radioactive iodine double the safe-limit for infants. Radioactive particles are carried by moisture droplets in the air. Health officials announced it is not safe for parents in Tokyo to give their babies tap water.

So far, Japan has banned the sale of raw milk and spinach from states near the damaged reactors.

In 1986, the Chernobyl meltdown in the Ukrainian SSR (now the Ukraine) devastated and displaced large populations, and is linked to widespread and severe birth defects throughout the region.

Government agencies in Japan, however, continue to downplay the immediate dangers to human health, as do officials in the United States; people fear that radiation will reach the West Coast, which it has.

Image credit: Japan Trends

View the original article here