If you’re looking to get fit, you need to know these must-know fitness facts. From getting the skinny on cellulite to warm-ups, cool downs and how to get the best from your workout, these facts are the very foundation for a fit body.

With enough health and fitness jargon coming our way, it’s important to get your basics right, and that’s exactly what this post is designed to do for you. So let’s get started. First on our list, is an old friend of ours – Cellulite.

Cellulite: Subcutaneous fat pushed against connective tissue forms a broken appearance that results in cellulite. Women are more prone to getting cellulite (let’s add it to our list of special woes!), although some men with lower levels of the androgen hormone do get cellulite as well. Contrary to popular belief, surgical procedures to remove cellulite aren’t effective, since they can sometimes increase your body’s chances of forming cellulite. Exercising reduces cellulite, but cannot cure it. Also, anyone, thin, fit or fat, can have cellulite.

The fat burning zone is misinterpreted and misrepresented fitness advice. Low intensity aerobic activity merely uses a larger proportion of fat for energy, than high intensity aerobic or anaerobic activities. But weight loss is a result of overall energy burn. This so-called fat burning zone is a half-truth at best, and will not help you boost fitness musts like metabolic rates, muscle tone or cardio health. Its wide fan-base comes from the fact that it sounds easier than rigirous activity, and is beneficial for those who would otherwise refuse any high-intensity exercise.

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Too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which puts you at increased risk of health problems such as heart disease and stroke. But a few simple steps can help you to cut your salt intake.

You don’t have to add salt to food to be eating too much: 75% of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals.

But a diet that is high in salt can cause raised blood pressure, which around one third of adults in the UK already have. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. But if you have it, you are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Cutting down on salt reduces blood pressure, which means that your risk of developing stroke or heart disease is reduced.

Foods that contain salt

Some foods are almost always high in salt because of the way they are made.

Other foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, can contribute a lot of salt to our diet. But that’s not because these foods are always high in salt: it’s because we eat a lot of them.

High salt foods

These foods are almost always high in salt. To cut down on salt, eat them less often or have smaller amounts:

• anchovies
• bacon
• cheese
• gravy granules
• ham
• olives
• pickles
• prawns
• salami
• salted and dry roasted nuts
• salt fish

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The chocolate company warns that “unless more is done to promote sustainability”, the industry as a whole can expect a shortfall of more than one million tonnes of cocoa in just nine years.

Pledging to use 100 per cent certified sustainable chocolate by 2020, Mars said its new cocoa sustainability drive is focused on “technology transfer that puts farmers first; innovations in agricultural science; and rigorous certification standards.”

Certified sources

Last year Mars Chocolate purchased certified cocoa representing about 5 per cent of its total supply.

“This year, we are on track to buy ten per cent of our cocoa from certified sources. By 2020, our goal is to purchase 100 per cent certified cocoa, and we’ve committed to buy 100,000 metric tonnes each annually from both UTZ and Rainforest Alliance by that time,” said Andrew Pederson, global chocolate manager – sustainability at Mars Chocolate.

Improving certification

He told ConfectioneryNews.com that while schemes such as UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance have already been great partners in advancing the ways certification can support real progress for farmers, the industry now must:

“Increase its investment in evaluating and improving certification programmes according to common goals that prioritize good outcomes for farmers.

Creating a common set of auditing standards and farm-level intervention will take a much more focused coalition of government, industry and civil society partners, and Mars is very interested in supporting future efforts along these lines.”

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Daily consumption of yogurt may boost the immune function in people with weakened defense systems, suggests a new study from Spain.

People with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa are known to have a compromised immune system, due to the poor diet and erroneous eating habits.

According to new findings published in the European Journal of Nutrition, daily consumption of a yogurt containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus andStreptococcus thermophilus during a re-feeding program may boost the immune system of anorexics.

Researchers from the Department of Metabolism and Nutrition at the Instituto del Frio (CSIC) report that the immune boosting benefits of the dairy product were not observed when milk was fed in place of yogurt, an observation that points to the influence of the bacterial strains in the yogurt.

“The findings suggest that the inclusion of yogurt in the refeeding therapy of AN patients may exert positive effects on the immunological markers related to the nutritional status of these patients,” wrote the researchers, led by Esther Nova.

Conventional, not ‘probiotic’, yogurt

The researchers note that conventional yogurt exclusively fermented by L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus is the most consumed in the world. However,“relatively few studies have looked into the effects of this conventional yogurt, without any additional Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria strains, on the immune system in humans”, they added.

The new study involved 30 anorexic and 33 health adolescents. The anorexic adolescents were randomly assigned to receive either the yogurt or semi-skimmed milk as part of their refeeding diet, while the health adolescents were also assigned to receive either the yogurt or the milk for 10 weeks.

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Weight gain has been linked to 12 foods that offer the worst results for those getting daily or frequent intake of them.Scientists at Harvard undertook a study that analyzed diet and lifestyle habits of 120,877 non-obese people. Their weight was measured at four year intervals for 20 years, and they detailed their diets on questionnaires.

On average, participants gained nearly `17 pounds over the 20 years. For each of the four-year period, food choices contributed to an extra four pounds while exercise cut less than two pounds.

“There is no magic bullet for weight control,” study leader Dr. Frank Hu told the Associated Press. “Diet and exercise are important for preventing weight gain, but diet clearly plays a bigger role.”

The authors recommended eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts while cutting back on the top twelve foods for weight gain, listed below.

12. Butter: Individuals that ate a lot of butter gained about .30 pound every four years.

11. Fruit juice: Even 100-percent fruit juice had too much sugar to be considered healthy–it added .31 pound of extra body weight every four years.

10. Fried Foods: Eating fried foods at home added .36 pound every four years, while eating lots of it at restaurants added .28 pound over the same interval.

9. Refined grains: Daily servings of refined grains added .39 pound every four years.

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A zesty dish not to be confused with lemon chicken. Try serving it with brown rice and some green beans.

• Serves: 2
• Time: 45 minutes

Traffic lights

Each serving contains:

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 dessert spoon plain flour
• ½ red pepper, sliced
• juice of 1 orange, or 75ml orange juice plus 25ml water
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1-2 medium potatoes, cubed
• chopped parsley (optional)
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 130g brown rice, raw

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the onions over a low heat for two to three minutes.

2. Cut the chicken breast into large pieces and coat each piece in the flour. Then add the chicken to the pan and brown for two minutes, stirring all the time to make sure it doesn’t stick.

3. Once the chicken is cooked, add the other ingredients. Then bring it to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

4. While the chicken is cooking, cook rice according to packet instructions.

Nutritional information

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f your child develops an eating disorder, you may feel unsure how to help and how to act around them.

A major international study has revealed that the number of adults with diabetes has increased by more than double in the last three decades.

The study collating and analyzing worldwide data on diabetes since 1980 has found that the number of adults with the disease reached 347 million in 2008, from 153 million in 1980.

Seventy per cent of the rise was due to population growth and ageing, with the other 30 per cent due to higher prevalence.

The proportion of adults with diabetes rose to 9.8 per cent of men and 9.2 per cent of women in 2008, compared with 8.3 per cent of men and 7.5 per cent of women in 1980.

The estimated number of diabetics was considerably higher than a previous study in 2009, which put the number worldwide at 285 million.

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The joint report said commodity prices should fall from the highs of early 2011, but in real terms are projected to average up to 20 per cent higher for cereals and up to 30 per cent for meats, over the 2011-20 period compared to the last decade.

In its ‘Agricultural Outlook 2011-2020’ the OECD-FAO reports that the agricultural commodity market has entered its fifth successive year of high volatility, but added that a good harvest in the coming months should push commodity prices down from the extreme levels seen earlier this year.

“In the current market context, price volatility could remain a feature of agricultural markets, and coherent policies are required to both reduce volatility and limit its negative impacts,” said Jacques Diouf, director-general of the FAO.

The Outlook, which covers fisheries for the first time, forecasts global agricultural production growing more slowly over the next decade than in the past 10 years.

Farm output is expected to rise by 1.7 per cent annually, compared to the 2.6 percent growth rate of the past decade, whilst meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and sugar should experience the highest demand increases, says the report.

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FOOD safety – the connection between health and food – used to be simple: we are, to a great extent, what we eat. But in the 21st century,with global travel, food technology, and profit-driven restaurant chains, it has become more complicated.

These days, it’s not just about what we eat. It’s also about how we eat, how much we eat, what we put in what we eat, and where did what we eat come from.

It should be obvious. Animals can be sources of bacteria that may cause food poisoning if they come into contact with the food we consume, and a vendor who has little access to clean running water may be less likely to practise proper hand washing before he handles food.

“Some of these places are so dirty, I don’t know why people can still eat there,” says Easaw-John.

“The health impact to consumers can come in a matter of hours and days in the case of microbial food poisoning, or may take a lot longer (in months or years) in the case of chemical hazards,” says Dr Nik Ismail.

“Generally, if manufacturers adopt good hygiene or safety practices, the food produced should be safe to eat,” says Dr Nik Ismail. But the danger, he adds, is the deliberate addition of additives that are not approved by the regulatory agencies or the use of excessive amount of approved additives.

The problem is, these additives usually do not alter the smell or taste of the food very much, so it may not be detected for long periods of time, as shown in the recent addition of melamine in milk and a chemical called DEHP in juices and other drinks.

As such, there is little we can do besides alert the food safety or health authorities if we know of any of these practices.

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When it comes to reducing your risk for heart disease, we’re used to hearing about saturated and unsaturated fats, but despite the familiarity of those terms, which fats are best remains confusing.

Until now, only the amounts of saturated and unsaturated fat in foods, and their recommended daily intake, have been included on food labels to help consumers make healthier choices. But now, another kind of fat is hitting the headlines – trans fatty acids – and these are also being implicated in the onset of heart disease.

So what should you consider when you’re choosing something to eat? Which is more important: total fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat or trans fatty acids? To help you make wise decisions, here’s a review of all the latest facts on fat:

Why do we need fat?

In our weight-conscious culture, fat is usually viewed as the enemy and for many, cutting back on fat has been taken to the extreme. However, too little fat, like too much, can be detrimental to your health. Fat is an essential nutrient and is needed for:

· The absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

· Healthy skin. A sign that you are not getting enough fat is dry and flaky skin.

· The regulation of body temperature. The layer of fat just beneath the skin acts as insulation. That’s why lean people tend to be more sensitive to cold and obese people more sensitive to warm weather.

· Normal functioning of the nervous system. Fats are a vital part of the membrane that surrounds each cell and nerve fiber of the body.

· Reproduction. Fats regulate the production of sex hormones, which explains why some teenage girls who are too lean experience delayed pubertal development and amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation).

· Satiety. Fat provides a feeling of fullness and satisfaction. With too little fat, you may find yourself craving more foods, especially those high in fat.

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THE FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY of Ireland (FSAI) has issued a warning to people not to eat raw beansprouts.

An E.coli outbreak has occurred in France, which the FSAI says appears to be the same strain as that which caused the large outbreak in Germany. Reuters reports that at least two people are suffering from illness caused by the same strain that caused the deaths in Germany.

Many of those who have been taken ill in France have eaten bean sprouts and French authorities think that is where this latest outbreak has originated. The BBC reports that officials are investigating a possible link between seeds sold by a UK firm and some of the French cases.

The FSAI says that source of the bean sprouts or the seeds from which they sprouted is not known, but says it is possible that the seeds are on the market.

The authority is warning people not to eat raw bean sprouts or other sprouted seeds.

[SOURCE]

Mirror.co.uk Queen Mary 2 fails hygiene inspection Mirror.co.uk Luxury cruise ship the Queen Mary 2 has failed a hygiene inspection after cockroaches and flies were found near one of its restaurants. Shocked inspectors also discovered filthy pool tiles, dirty ice machines, … Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 fails inspectionCruise Ship News all 75 news articles 

Origin: hygiene – Google News

Looking for a new place for tattoo? How about a tooth? IBNLive.com “There are no side effects, but it depends on a person”s dental hygiene. If a person lacks hygiene, then there could be cavities – but this can happen even without a tattoo,” she adds.”The dental tattoo procedures that we undertake costs anywhere … and more 

Origin: hygiene – Google News

Food outlet hygiene impresses inspectors St George and Sutherland Shire Leader “In the past the only people who knew the standards of hygiene in Kogarah were food inspectors [but] now everyone does.” Scrummies cafe co-owner Andrew Caracoglia was among the first to receive an “A” when the council joined the pilot program last July …

Origin: hygiene – Google News