Legumes play an important role in traditional diets in many parts of the world. They are low in fat, are good sources of protein and fiber, and contain a variety of micronutrients and phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Phytoestrogens have received a lot of attention for their ability to fight not only cancer, but also heart disease and osteoporosis. They help balance hormones in the body and thus are thought to be particularly valuable for the hormone-dependent cancers: breast cancer and prostate cancer. It is well known that male hormones play a role in prostate cancer development.

Despite their advantages, legumes play a minor role in most Western diets. The typical Western based diet (lower in vegetables and legumes and higher in animal-based foods) can cause an increase in both male and female hormones (androgens and estrogens), while a plant-based diet tends to lower these hormones. This is the basis for the role of diet in the development of hormone-dependent cancers.

Soy foods, such as tofu, soy milk, soy beans, and vegetarian burgers, seem to be particularly rich in cancer-fighting properties. This is at least partially due to a form of phytoestrogen, called isoflavones, that is found primarily in soy. It appears to help prevent prostate cancer by binding to male hormone receptors in the prostate, thus reducing the stimulating effect of male hormones on prostate cell growth.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high levels of isoflavones are often associated with low rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancer. This has been used to explain why countries such as Japan and China that typically consume large amounts of soy have lower risks of these diseases.

The difficulty with consuming soy for reducing risk of prostate cancer is the lack of clinical trial evidence to support its use. As with any dietary component, it is difficult to isolate the effect of a particular food type to prove its effectiveness. One prospective study, including over 12,000 men, did evaluate consumption of soy milk. It found that those who drank soy milk regularly had a reduced risk of prostate cancer. The relationship held up after other factors were controlled for. Other studies need to be done to further establish the benefits of soy. In the meantime, getting more soy foods into your diet can be healthy for many reasons, and lowering your risk of prostate cancer may be one of these.

Vitamin D Deficiency: A Global Concern

If you live north of the line connecting San Francisco to Philadelphia and Athens to Beijing, odds are that you don’t get enough vitamin D. The same holds true if you don’t get outside for at least a 15-minute daily walk in the sun. African-Americans and others with dark skin, as well as older individuals, tend to have much lower levels of vitamin D, as do people who are overweight or obese.

Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion people have inadequate levels of vitamin D in their blood, and deficiencies can be found in all ethnicities and age groups. (1-3)  Indeed, in industrialized countries, doctors are even seeing the resurgence of rickets, the bone-weakening disease that had been largely eradicated through vitamin D fortification. (4-6)

Why are these widespread vitamin D deficiencies of such great concern? Because research conducted over the past decade suggests that vitamin D plays a much broader disease-fighting role than once thought.

Being “D-ficient” may increase the risk of a host of chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, some cancers, and multiple sclerosis, as well as infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and even the seasonal flu.

Currently, there’s scientific debate about how much vitamin D people need each day. The Institute of Medicine, in a long-awaited report released on November 30, 2010 recommends tripling the daily vitamin D intake for children and adults in the U.S. and Canada, to 600 IU per day. (7) The report also recognized the safety of vitamin D by increasing the upper limit from 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day, and acknowledged that even at 4,000 IU per day, there was no good evidence of harm. The new guidelines, however, are overly conservative about the recommended intake, and they do not give enough weight to some of the latest science on vitamin D and health. For bone health and chronic disease prevention, many people are likely to need more vitamin D than even these new government guidelines recommend.

Vitamin D Sources and Function

Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. Few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D, so the biggest dietary sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and vitamin supplements. Good sources include dairy products and breakfast cereals (both of which are fortified with vitamin D), and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna.

The body also manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol, through a process triggered by the action of sunlight on skin, hence its nickname, “the sunshine vitamin.”  Yet some people do not make enough vitamin D from the sun, among them, people who have a darker skin tone, who are overweight, who are older, and who cover up when they are in the sun. (1)

Correctly applied sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb vitamin D by more than 90 percent. (8) And not all sunlight is created equal: The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays—the so-called “tanning” rays, and the rays that trigger the skin to produce vitamin D—are stronger near the equator and weaker at higher latitudes. So in the fall and winter, people who live at higher latitudes (in the northern U.S. and Europe, for example) can’t make much if any vitamin D from the sun. (8)

Vitamin D helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building bone. Laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth and plays a critical role in controlling infections. Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D, and scientists are still teasing out its other possible functions.

New Vitamin D Research: Beyond Building Bones

Several promising areas of vitamin D research look far beyond vitamin D’s role in building bones. And, as you might expect, the news media release a flurry of reports every time another study links vitamin D to some new ailment. These reports can be confusing, however, because some studies are stronger than others, and any report needs to be interpreted in the light of all other evidence. More answers may come from randomized trials, such as the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL), which will enroll 20,000 healthy men and women to see if taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D or 1,000 mg of fish oil daily lowers the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Here, we provide an overview of some of the more promising areas of vitamin D research, highlighting the complex role of vitamin D in disease prevention—and the many unanswered questions that remain.

Vitamin D and Bone and Muscle Strength

Several studies link low vitamin D levels with an increased risk of fractures in older adults, and they suggest that vitamin D supplementation may prevent such fractures—as long as it is taken in a high enough dose. (9-13)

A summary of the evidence comes from a combined analysis of 12 fracture prevention trials that included more than 40,000 elderly people, most of them women. Researchers found that high intakes of vitamin D supplements—of about 800 IU per day—reduced hip and non-spine fractures by 20 percent, while lower intakes (400 IU or less) failed to offer any fracture prevention benefit. (13)

Vitamin D may also help increase muscle strength, which in turn helps to prevent falls, a common problem that leads to substantial disability and death in older people. (14-16)  Once again, vitamin D dose matters: A combined analysis of multiple studies found that taking 700 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day lowered the risk of falls by 19 percent, but taking 200 to 600 IU per day did not offer any such protection. (17)

A recent vitamin D trial drew headlines for its unexpected finding that a very high dose of vitamin D increased fracture and fall risk in older women. (18) The trial’s vitamin D dose—500,000 IU taken in a once-a-year pill—was much higher than previously tested in an annual regimen. After up to 5 years of treatment, women in the vitamin D group had a 15 percent higher fall risk and a 26 percent higher fracture risk than women who received the placebo.

It’s possible that giving the vitamin D in one large dose, rather than in several doses spread throughout the year, led to the increased risk. (18) The study authors note that only one other study—also a high-dose, once-a-year regimen—found vitamin D to increase fracture risk; no other studies have found vitamin D to increase the risk of falls. Furthermore, there’s strong evidence that more moderate doses of vitamin D taken daily or weekly protect against fractures and falls—and are safe.

So what is the significance of this study for people who want to take vitamin D supplements? A reasonable conclusion would be to continue taking moderate doses of vitamin D regularly, since these have a strong safety record, but to avoid extremely high single doses. This recent finding does present a challenge to scientists who will work to understand why the extreme single dose appears to have adverse effects.

Vitamin D and Heart Disease

The heart is basically a large muscle, and like skeletal muscle, it has receptors for vitamin D. (19) So perhaps it’s no surprise that studies are finding vitamin D deficiency may be linked to heart disease. The Health Professional Follow-Up Study checked the vitamin D blood levels in nearly 50,000 men who were healthy, and then followed them for 10 years. (20) They found that men who were deficient in vitamin D were twice as likely to have a heart attack as men who had adequate levels of vitamin D. Other studies have found that low vitamin D levels were associated with higher risk of heart failure, sudden cardiac death, stroke, overall cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular death. (21-24) How exactly might vitamin D help prevent heart disease? There’s evidence that vitamin D plays a role in controlling blood pressure and preventing artery damage, and this may explain these findings. (25) Still, more research is needed before we can be confident of these benefits.

Vitamin D and Cancer

Nearly 30 years ago, researchers noticed an intriguing relationship between colon cancer deaths and geographic location: People who lived at higher latitudes, such as in the northern U.S., had higher rates of death from colon cancer than people who live closer to the equator. (26) Many scientific hypotheses about vitamin D and disease stem from studies that have compared solar radiation and disease rates in different countries. These can be a good starting point for other research but don’t provide the most definitive information. The sun’s UVB rays are weaker at higher latitudes, and in turn, people’s vitamin D levels in these high latitude locales tend to be lower. This led to the hypothesis that low vitamin D levels might somehow increase colon cancer risk. (2)

Since then, dozens of studies suggest an association between low vitamin D levels and increased risks of colon and other cancers. (1,27)  The evidence is strongest for colorectal cancer, with most (but not all) observational studies finding that the lower the vitamin D levels, the higher the risk of these diseases. (28-38) Vitamin D levels may also predict cancer survival, but evidence for this is still limited. (27) Yet finding such associations does not necessarily mean that taking vitamin D supplements will lower cancer risk.

The VITAL trial will look specifically at whether vitamin D supplements lower cancer risk. It will be years, though, before it releases any results. It could also fail to detect a real benefit of vitamin D, for several reasons: If people in the placebo group decide on their own to take vitamin D supplements, that could minimize any differences between the placebo group and the supplement group; the study may not follow participants for a long enough time to show a cancer prevention benefit; or study participants may be starting supplements too late in life to lower their cancer risk. In the meantime, based on the evidence to date, 16 scientists have circulated a “call for action” on vitamin D and cancer prevention: (27) Given the high rates of vitamin D deficiency in North America, the strong evidence for reduction of osteoporosis and fractures, the potential cancer-fighting benefits of vitamin D, and the low risk of vitamin D supplementation, they recommend widespread vitamin D supplementation of 2000 IU per day. (27)

Vitamin D and Immune Function

Vitamin D’s role in regulating the immune system has led scientists to explore two parallel research paths: Does vitamin D deficiency contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and other so-called “autoimmune” diseases, where the body’s immune system attacks its own organs and tissues? And could vitamin D supplements help boost our body’s defenses to fight infectious disease, such as tuberculosis and seasonal flu? This is a hot research area and more findings will be emerging.

Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis (MS) rates are much higher far north (or far south) of the equator than in sunnier climes, and researchers suspect that chronic vitamin D deficiencies may be one reason why. One prospective study to look at this question found that among white men and women, those with the highest vitamin D blood levels had a 62 percent lower risk of developing MS than those with the lowest vitamin D levels. (39) The study didn’t find this effect among black men and women, most likely because there were fewer black study participants and most of them had low vitamin D levels, making it harder to find any link between vitamin D and MS if one exists.

Vitamin D and Type 1 Diabetes: Type 1 diabetes is another disease that varies with geography—a child in Finland is about 400 times more likely to develop it than a child in Venezuela. (40) Evidence that vitamin D may play a role in preventing type 1 diabetes comes from a 30-year study that followed more than 10,000 Finnish children from birth: Children who regularly received vitamin D supplements during infancy had a nearly 90 percent lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes than those who did not receive supplements. (41)  Other European case-control studies, when analyzed together, also suggest that vitamin D may help protect against type 1 diabetes. (42) No randomized controlled trials have tested this notion, and it is not clear that they would be possible to conduct.

Vitamin D, the Flu, and the Common Cold: The flu virus wreaks the most havoc in the winter, abating in the summer months. This seasonality led a British doctor to hypothesize that a sunlight-related “seasonal stimulus” triggered influenza outbreaks. (43) More than 20 years after this initial hypothesis, several scientists published a paper suggesting that vitamin D may be the seasonal stimulus. (44) Among the evidence they cite:

• Vitamin D levels are lowest in the winter months. (44) 
• The active form of vitamin D tempers the damaging inflammatory response of some white blood cells, while it also boosts immune cells’ production of microbe-fighting proteins. (44) 
• Children who have vitamin D-deficiency rickets are more likely to get respiratory infections, while children exposed to sunlight seem to have fewer respiratory infections. (44) 
• Adults who have low vitamin D levels are more likely to report having had a recent cough, cold, or upper respiratory tract infection. (45)

A recent randomized controlled trial in Japanese school children tested whether taking daily vitamin D supplements would prevent seasonal flu. (46) The trial followed nearly 340 children for four months during the height of the winter flu season. Half of the study participants received pills that contained 1,200 IU of vitamin D; the other half received placebo pills. Researchers found that type A influenza rates in the vitamin D group were about 40 percent lower than in the placebo group; there was no significant difference in type B influenza rates. This was a small but promising study, and more research is needed before we can definitively say that vitamin D protects against the flu. But don’t skip your flu shot, even if vitamin D has some benefit.

Vitamin D and Tuberculosis: Before the advent of antibiotics, sunlight and sun lamps were part of the standard treatment for tuberculosis (TB). (47) More recent research suggests that the “sunshine vitamin” may be linked to TB risk. Several case-control studies, when analyzed together, suggest that people diagnosed with tuberculosis have lower vitamin D levels than healthy people of similar age and other characteristics. (48)   Such studies do not follow individuals over time, so they cannot tell us whether vitamin D deficiency led to the increased TB risk or whether taking vitamin D supplements would prevent TB. There are also genetic differences in the receptor that binds vitamin D, and these differences may influence TB risk. (49) Again, more research is needed. (49)

Vitamin D and Risk of Premature Death

A promising report in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that taking vitamin D supplements may even reduce overall mortality rates: A combined analysis of multiple studies found that taking modest levels of vitamin D supplements was associated with a statistically significant 7 percent reduction in mortality from any cause. (50) The analysis looked at the findings from 18 randomized controlled trials that enrolled a total of nearly 60,000 study participants; most of the study participants took between 400 and 800 IU of vitamin D per day for an average of five years. Keep in mind that this analysis has several limitations, chief among them the fact that the studies it included were not designed to explore mortality in general, or explore specific causes of death. More research is needed before any broad claims can be made about vitamin D and mortality. (51)

Every child needs to learn the ABC’s of life. When it comes to establishing healthy habits, you can teach them how to “ABCDE” (Act Boldly to Change Diet and Exercise).

Why is this important?

• Good nutrition and plenty of exercise are the building blocks for strong growth, healthy development, and lifelong wellbeing for children.

• These days, too many children are not receiving the proper nutrition or enough exercise:

  • - They are not eating enough - an estimated 16 to 17 million children live in homes where they are at risk of going hungry (approx. 1 in 6 households).

  • - They are not eating enough healthy food – an estimated 1 in 3 children are overweight and about 1 in 6 (ages 6-17) are obese.

  • - They are not getting enough exercise – only 30% of children (aged 6 to 17) participated in 20 minutes plus of vigorous physical activity on a daily basis. Children need to get 60 minutes of exercise on a daily basis.

What are the benefits of good nutrition and daily exercise for kids?

Mental and behavioral benefits

• Good nutrition is essential to healthy brain development in children which is, of course, critical to learning.

• Children who exercise regularly and eat healthily are likely to:

  • - perform better academically 

  • - feel better about themselves, their bodies, and their abilities

  • - cope with stress and regulate their emotions better

  • - avoid feelings of low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

• Establishing healthy eating and exercise habits early in life can lead to long term healthy behavior in adulthood.

Physical benefits

• Children need a wide variety of nutrients (e.g., protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, minerals, vitamins) to assist in their daily growth and development and to protect them from childhood illnesses.

• Daily exercise also helps children to build stronger muscles and bones and limit excess body fat.

• Healthy eating also cuts down on risk for cavities, eating disorders and unhealthy weight control behaviors (i.e., fasting, skipping meals, eating very little food, vomiting, using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics), malnutrition, and iron deficiency.

• Healthy eating and consistent physical activity help to prevent chronic illnesses that appear in adulthood associated with obesity, e.g., heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and several forms of cancer.

What are the effects of different settings on the eating and exercise habits of kids?

In the home:

• Lack of access to healthy, wholesome foods and inadequate physical activity - contributes to kids becoming overweight and not getting adequate nutrition for their growth and development. Children need at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity in the form of physical play or sports.

• Hunger – kids who do not get enough to eat are at risk of developing chronic health conditions, behavioral problems, academic struggles, anxiety, depression, and even obesity especially if they only have access to poor quality processed food.

• Unhealthy weight control behaviors - have been found to co-occur with obesity. Many adolescents, particularly teenage girls, have body image concerns and engage in these behaviors threatening both their physical and mental health. 

• Media effects –

  • - Food advertising - targeted at children is dominated by commercials for unhealthy food (e.g., candy, sugary cereals, sugary beverages, processed snack foods, fast food restaurants). Food advertising is pervasive and can be found on multiple media platforms (TV, web, and even embedded in computer games).

  • - Advertising by other industries - often objectifies girls and women, contributing to body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression.

  • - TV watching – television viewing is linked to childhood obesity because it displaces physical activity, increases snacking behavior while watching, exposes kids to potentially harmful advertising, and reduces their resting metabolism.

At school:

• Risks to academic achievement - result from children not getting adequate nutrition and physical activity. Hunger can be particularly damaging to children’s progress in school and cognitive development overall.

• Overabundance of unhealthy foods - too many schools offer poor nutritional choices in the form of unhealthy school lunches or even vending machines filled with candy, processed snacks, and sugary beverages.

• Lack of opportunities for physical activity - many schools have scaled back requirements for a daily recess and do not prioritize physical education opportunities for children at every age.

• Peer behaviors – peers can serve as remarkably powerful role models for children and may share their unhealthy eating or exercise habits with them.

• Stigma of being overweight – can lead to social and psychological distress (e.g., depression, low self esteem). Bullying and teasing from peers can be particularly damaging and teachers and school staff may attribute less desirable personality characteristics to obese youth and their families.

In the neighborhood:

• Overabundance of unhealthy foods – there are a growing number of communities called “food deserts” where supermarkets and grocery stores are scarce or charge higher prices for healthy foods than processed foods. In addition, many underserved communities are populated with fast food restaurants that are often located near schools and playgrounds.

• The built environment – lack of adequate and safe parks, bike lanes, playgrounds, recreational facilities, or walkways can restrict opportunities for children and teens to get exercise.

Why are you critical to establishing healthy behaviors in your kids?

• You are role models

  • - Children are instinctively primed to imitate their parents and caregivers. They are incredibly sensitive to the messages that are sent about eating and exercise. You exert the most influence on your children’s behavior and can model healthy attitudes and habits toward food and physical activity that persist as they grow up.

• You are gatekeepers

  • - Parents and caregivers control the types of food children have access to in the home and can maximize access to healthy, wholesome foods (fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy).

  • - You can also monitor children’s diet, exercise, and limit media consumption (TV/video watching, web surfing, and videogames).

•  You are taste-setters

  • - Parents and caregivers significantly influence the likes and dislikes that children attach to certain foods. These influences can last a lifetime. Each of us can probably remember a favorite home cooked meal from our childhood. There is even research that suggests that this begins in infancy; children who are breastfed may be exposed to different flavors in their mother’s breast milk than the sugars and fats in infant formula. Breastfeeding may provide protection from the development of obesity.

  • - Eating with your children at regular family mealtimes can help establish positive nutrition habits and healthy weights for children.
    

• You are advocates

  • - Parents and caregivers can push local leaders to introduce affordable transportation (e.g., bus or shuttle lines) to supermarkets or grocery stores if there are none in their communities.

  • - You can call for the construction of parks or playgrounds and restriction of fast food places in your neighborhood.

  • - You can push school administrators to introduce after-school programs that incorporate physical activity or nutrition education, healthier school lunches, and policies that eliminate the use of vending machines on school grounds.

  • - You along with members of your community can volunteer to coach afterschool sports.

Stroke is the interruption of blood to the brain. This may be due to blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or rupture of a blood vessel, causing bleeding in the brain or into the space surrounding the brain. The most common type of stroke is ischaemic, caused by a blood clot blocking an artery or blood vessel. The brain cells in the immediate area die and those in the surrounding areas are affected by the reduced blood flow. Once brain cells die, their functions die with them.

An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year.Stroke accounts for around 53,000 deaths each year in the UK. Stroke is the third most common cause of death in England and Wales, after heart disease and cancer. Stroke accounts for 9 per cent of all deaths in men and 13 per cent of deaths in women in the UK. Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other chronic disease. Over 300,000 people are living with moderate to severe disabilities as a result of stroke. The direct cost of stroke to the NHS is estimated to be £2.8 billion. The cost to the wider economy is £1.8 billion. The informal care cost is £2.4 billion. Stroke patients occupy around 20 per cent of all acute hospital beds and 25 per cent of long term beds. Stroke units save lives: for stroke patients general wards have a 14% to 25% higher mortality rate than stroke units. Each year over 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke. About 10,000 of these are under retirement age.

Stroke is influenced by different risk factors. Some of these – age, gender and family history – are beyond your control. However, you can substantially reduce your overall risk by making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle.

TIA or transient ischaemic attack
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is often called a ‘mini stroke’. It is a powerful warning that a severe stroke may follow. The symptoms are identical to those of a full stroke, but disappear in a few minutes and last no longer than 24 hours. A TIA can appear hours, days, weeks or months before a full stroke but is more common within days or a few weeks. Just like full strokes, TIAs need emergency treatment and should not be ignored.

Warning signs
Stroke is a medical emergency. The longer a stroke remains untreated, the greater the degree of stroke-related brain damage. The warning signs of both stroke and TIA include:

• Sudden blurred or decreased vision in one or both eyes

• Numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg

• Difficulty speaking or understanding

• Dizziness, loss of balance

• Difficulty swallowing

• Severe headache.

High blood pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force your blood puts on blood vessel walls as it travels through your body. High blood pressure is medically known as ‘hypertension’ and is one of the most important risk factors in stroke.

Normal blood pressure is around 120/80. High-normal blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90. If your blood pressure is consistently over 140/90, you have high blood pressure. The levels for normal blood pressure are a guide only. In general the lower your blood pressure, the lower your risk of stroke. Your doctor can talk to you about your blood pressure and risk of stroke and may recommend treatment if required.

You can control hypertension by reducing your weight, exercising regularly, eating a low salt, low fat and high fibre diet, and taking antihypertensive medication (if necessary).

Cigarette smoking
Smoking can increase your risk of stroke by increasing blood pressure and reducing oxygen in the blood. Seek advice on how to quit smoking by calling the NHS Free Smoking Helpline: 0800 022 4 332 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm for guidance and support.

Diabetes
Diabetes can damage your entire circulatory system and is a risk factor for stroke. Type 1 usually occurs from a young age and is treated with insulin injections. Type 2 usually occurs from 30 years of age onwards and is treated with either tablets or, in some cases, insulin. Talk to your doctor about controlling diabetes if you are diabetic.

Other important risk factors
Other factors that can increase your risk of stroke include:

High cholesterol
High cholesterol is a contributing factor to blood vessel disease, which often leads to stroke. To reduce cholesterol in your blood, eat foods low in saturated fat. Choose lean meats and low fat dairy products. Your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your cholesterol but diet changes and exercise are still important.

Obesity
Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of stroke. Too much body fat can contribute to high blood pressure and high cholesterol and may lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you are unable to maintain your weight within recommended levels, ask a doctor or nutritionist for help.

Alcohol
Your risk of stroke may be reduced with moderate alcohol intake (one to two glasses a day). Excessive amounts of alcohol can raise blood pressure and increase your risk of stroke.
Diet and exercise
A diet low in fat and salt will reduce your risk of stroke. Eating a balanced diet of fresh foods (wherever possible) is recommended. Avoid processed or canned foods as they can be high in sodium, or salt. Check a food’s sodium content in the list of ingredients on the label (low salt food has a level of less than 120mg/100g).

A good balance between exercise and food intake is important to maintain a healthy body weight. People who participate in moderate activity are less likely to have a stroke. Try to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. Talk to your doctor about an exercise program – people with high blood pressure should avoid some types of exercises.

Irregular pulse (atrial fibrillation)
You are more at risk of stroke if you have an irregular pulse due to the condition atrial fibrillation (AF). Your doctor can diagnose this condition and advise you on how best to manage this if it happens. If you experience symptoms such as palpitations, weakness, faintness or breathlessness, it is important to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Risk factors beyond your control
Stroke is influenced by some risk factors that are outside a person’s control. These include:

• Age – the majority of people who suffer from stroke are 65 years or older.

• Gender – men are at higher risk than women.

• Family history – a family history of cerebrovascular disease may make you more susceptible to stroke.

Statistics on stroke
Each year over 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke:

• One in three people die within a year of having a stroke.

• Stroke kills more women than breast cancer.

• Almost one in five people who experience a stroke are under the age of 55.

• Men are more likely to suffer a stroke and at a younger age.

Things to remember

• Stroke may occur due to blockage of a blood vessel in the brain or rupture of a blood vessel, causing bleeding in the brain or into the space surrounding the brain.

• Many strokes are avoidable and can be caused by unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices.

• Some of the major risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking and diabetes.

Stroke prevention

Strokes can be fatal but the risk can be reduced. Many stroke risk factors are lifestyle related, so everyone has the power to reduce their risk of having a stroke. Some stroke risk factors, such as gender, age and family history, can’t be controlled.

Lifestyle factors that increase your risk of stroke include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, heavy drinking, a diet high in salt and fat and lack of exercise. You can reduce your risk of having a stroke by making a few simple lifestyle changes.

Causes of stroke
‘Stroke’ is a term used to describe the interruption of blood flow to an area of the brain. This can occur in the following ways:

• Haemorrhagic stroke – an artery may rupture and cause bleeding into the brain tissue.

• Ischaemic stroke caused by atherosclerosis – an artery may become blocked by progressive thickening of its walls.

• Ischaemic stroke caused by embolism – a clot blocks an artery and prevents blood getting to part of the brain.

The brain cells in the immediate area are killed because they are deprived of oxygen. The dead area that results from stroke is known as an infarct. Without prompt medical treatment, the area of brain cells surrounding the infarct will also die.

Risk factors
Some stroke risk factors can’t be controlled. These include gender, age and family history. However, many stroke risk factors are lifestyle related. Everyone can reduce their risk of having a stroke by making a few simple lifestyle changes.

Lifestyle-related factors that increase your risk of stroke include:

• High blood pressure

• Cigarette smoking

• Diabetes

• High blood cholesterol levels

• Heavy drinking

• High fat, low fibre diet

• Lack of exercise.

It has been reported that the use of some birth control pills may increase a woman’s risk of stroke, but the evidence is limited.

Reduce high blood pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) is the most significant risk factor for stroke. Blood pressure refers to the pressure inside the arteries. Hypertension means that the blood is exerting more pressure than is normal or healthy. Over time, this weakens and damages blood vessel walls, which can lead to cerebral haemorrhage.
Hypertension may also cause thickening of the artery walls, resulting in narrowing and eventual blockage of the vessel (ischaemic stroke). In atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), the pressure of your pumping blood could ‘hose off’ debris from damaged artery walls. The circulating debris (embolism) can cause a stroke by lodging in and blocking a blood vessel of the brain.

Strategies to reduce high blood pressure include:

• Check your blood pressure regularly and know your numbers.

• Maintain a healthy weight for your height.

• Exercise regularly.

• Choose a low fat, high fibre diet.

• Reduce or eliminate salt from your diet.

• Limit your alcohol intake to two or less standard drinks per day.

• Stop smoking.

• Take antihypertensive medications to help control high blood pressure.

Quit smoking
Smoking can double or even quadruple your risk of stroke. Some of the chemical ingredients in cigarette smoke (such as nicotine and carbon monoxide) accelerate the process of atherosclerosis. Clots are more likely to form because smoking thickens the blood and makes clotting factors, such as platelets, much more ‘sticky’. Cigarette smoke forces arteries to constrict – a narrowed diameter makes it harder for the thickened blood to move through the vessels.

Strategies to quit smoking include:

• Seek advice on how to quit smoking by calling the NHS Free Smoking Helpline: 0800 022 4 332 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm for guidance and support or see your doctor for information and advice.

• Decide on a strategy, such as ‘cold turkey’ or using nicotine replacement therapy.

• Keep a smoking diary so that you are aware of your smoking triggers (such as stress or boredom).

• Decide on a quit date.

• Ask your family and friends for support.

• Don’t be discouraged by a slip-up. If you smoke a cigarette, put it behind you and keep going.

Manage your diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body is unable to utilise blood sugar. A person with diabetes is around twice as likely to have a stroke as someone of the same gender and age who doesn’t have diabetes. This is because the high blood sugar levels contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. It is very important that diabetes be kept under control.

Strategies to reduce the effects of diabetes include:

• See your doctor regularly for check-ups.

• Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly.

• Maintain a healthy weight for your height.

• Exercise regularly.

• Choose a low fat, high fibre diet.

• If you are on medication, make sure you are taking it correctly.

Keep cholesterol levels in check
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is made by the human body. It has many essential roles to play, but it becomes a problem if levels in the blood are too high. Blood cholesterol contributes to the formation of a substance called atheroma, which sticks to artery walls and leads to atherosclerosis.

Strategies to lower blood cholesterol levels include:

• Have your blood cholesterol levels checked regularly by your doctor.

• Switch to a high fibre diet.

• Reduce your intake of saturated fats (commonly found in animal products).

• See your doctor for information and advice. Medications may be recommended.

Avoid heavy drinking
Some studies have indicated that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (such as one or two standard drinks per day) can actually reduce the risk of stroke. However, people who drink heavily are three times more likely to have a stroke, regardless of their age. It is important to limit your alcohol intake.

Suggestions include:

• Limit your consumption to no more than two standard drinks per day.

• Have at least two alcohol-free days every week.

• See your doctor for information and referral if you are finding it difficult to limit your alcohol intake.

Eat a healthy diet
Various studies show that diet is an important risk factor in the development of stroke. Suggestions include:

• Limit or moderate salt intake.

• Choose fresh rather than processed foods.

• Increase your intake of vegetables, fruit and whole grains.

• Cut out or reduce sugary and fatty foods like cakes, lollies and junk food.

• See a dietitian who can help you plan a well-balanced low fat, high fibre diet.

Exercise regularly
A sedentary lifestyle increases the likelihood of obesity, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels. These are all important risk factors for stroke.

Suggestions include:

• See your doctor for a check-up if you haven’t exercised for a while.

• Choose a range of activities you enjoy.

• Start your new exercise program slowly and only increase the intensity and duration as you become fitter.

• Exercise with a friend or join a team sport to add a fun social element to the activity.

• Remember to warm up and cool down.

• Contact a physiotherapist or gymnasium instructor for advice and information regarding appropriate exercise.

• Try to get moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes on (at least) five days of the week.

Things to remember

• A stroke interrupts blood flow to an area of the brain.

• Most stroke risk factors are lifestyle related, so everyone has the power to reduce their risk of having a stroke.

• Some stroke risk factors, such as gender, age and family history, can’t be controlled.

• Lifestyle factors that increase your risk of stroke include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, heavy drinking, high salt and high fat diet and lack of exercise.

Salt

Salt is a chemical compound (electrolyte) made up of sodium and chloride. It is commonly used to preserve and flavour foods, and is the main source of sodium in our diet. A small amount of salt is important for good health – it helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body. However, most people consume much more sodium than they need for good health.

The kidneys are the main regulators of sodium levels in the body. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and many other health conditions. On the other hand, if sodium levels drop too low, the hormone aldosterone is released and this increases the amount of sodium held in the body by reducing the amount lost in urine. Excessive sodium loss is very rare, but low sodium levels in the body can be dangerous if not treated.

Many of us in the UK eat much more salt than we need
As part of its continued drive to reduce people’s risk of developing coronary heart disease, the Food Standards Agency has today published revised, voluntary salt reduction targets for industry to meet by 2012. More challenging targets for 2012 have been set for 80 categories of foods, to ensure the momentum in reducing salt levels is maintained by food retailers and manufacturers. The revised targets also reflect the Agency’s long-term commitment to reducing the daily average population intake of salt to 6g a day. Around 75% of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods. The targets have been set for foods that make the greatest contribution of salt to our diet, such as bread, meat products and cereals, as well as convenience foods such as pizza, ready meals and savoury snacks.

High sodium intake and blood pressure
The scientific literature linking sodium intake to blood pressure is extensive and dates back more than 100 years. Populations with a high average salt intake have a higher average blood pressure and higher levels of hypertension (high blood pressure).

Reducing the amount of salt you have will lower high blood pressure – the extent depends on your age and blood pressure. People with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and those who are older or overweight, are particularly susceptible to the effect of too much sodium on blood pressure. However, sodium reduction may not lower blood pressure in younger people with low or normal blood pressure.

High sodium intake and other health conditions
Excessive sodium intake has also been linked to other conditions, such as:

• Heart failure

• Kidney problems and kidney stones

• Oedema

• Stroke

• Gastric cancer

• Left ventricular hypertrophy

• Osteoporosis.

A high level of salt intake increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, which may also contribute to osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture.

The balance of sodium and water in the body can also be disrupted if there is not enough water. This may be caused by a damaged thirst mechanism or by limited access to water. Hypernatremia is a very serious condition that occurs when your sodium levels rise above 145mEq/L. It can lead to death. A major symptom is thirst and treatment usually involves controlled water replacement.
Salt loss is rare but can be dangerous
The body loses salt through urine, perspiration, vomiting and diarrhoea. If too much salt is lost, the level of fluid in the blood will drop. Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below the normal range of 135–145 milliequivalents per litre (mEq/L). In severe cases, low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Eventually lack of salt can lead to shock, coma and death.

Severe salt loss is very unlikely to happen because our diets contain more than enough salt. The only time this is likely to occur is when someone has acute gastroenteritis (causing vomiting and diarrhoea), severe sweating or water intoxication (from drinking too much water).

Muscle cramps need water not salt
Some people believe that salt has to be replaced during hot weather or strenuous exercise to avoid muscle cramps. This is not correct. What you need to replace is water. The human body can happily survive on just one gram of salt a day, as hormones keep a check on sodium levels and make adjustments for hot weather. A genuine sodium shortage brought on by hot weather or exercise is extremely rare, even among hard-working athletes.

The muscle cramps that sometimes follow a bout of sweating are due to dehydration, not lack of salt. To prevent cramps, drink plenty of water on hot days and before, during and after exercise. This will also help to even out the water–sodium ratio in the body.

Sodium and potassium in the body
Potassium is important for the nerves, muscles and heart to work properly. It also helps to lower blood pressure. However, some people with kidney disease, or who are taking some medications, need to be careful not to get too much potassium in their diet.

Our bodies are designed for a high potassium diet, not a high salt diet. Food processing tends to lower the potassium levels in many foods while increasing the sodium content. So it is better to eat unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals. Foods high in potassium include bananas, apricots, mushrooms and spinach.

Sodium in food
Many foods – whole grains, meat and dairy products – naturally contain traces of sodium, while processed foods tend to contain a lot of salt. Some foods contain higher amounts of salt than you may expect. For example:

• A jam sandwich has approximately 30 per cent less salt that a marmite sandwich because most of the salt comes from the bread.

• Sea salt, onion, celery or garlic salts are not low sodium substitutes.

• A bowl of cornflakes has about the same amount of salt as a small packet of plain chips.

• Some sweet biscuits contain as much or more salt than savoury biscuits.

• Ricotta, cottage, mozzarella and Swiss cheeses are lower in salt than most other cheeses.

Reducing salt in our diet
Some suggestions for reducing the amount of salt in our diet include:

• Avoid adding salt to cooking and at the table.

• Choose reduced salt bread and breakfast cereals – bread is a major source of sodium in the diet.

• Avoid high salt foods.

• Cut back on processed foods.

• Cut back on takeaway and fast foods.

• Buy fresh vegetables rather than canned.

• Buy ‘low salt’ (contains less than 120mg/100g) or ‘salt free’ versions of commonly used foods, such as commercial sauces.

• Use herbs and spices such as garlic, oregano and lemon juice to add flavour to meals.

Fortunately, nutrition labels on food packaging now make this a lot easier. Nutritional information labels are usually on the back of the packaging. Look at the figure for salt per 100g:

• High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium). May display a red traffic light.

• Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium). May display a green traffic light.

Many foods also display information on the salt content on the front of the packaging. This may show the salt content as a percentage of your Guideline Daily Amount, or display a traffic light to show whether the food is low, medium or high in salt. Where traffic lights are used, red means high: leave these foods for an occasional treat, and aim to eat mainly foods that are green or amber.

If the amount of salt per 100g is in between 0.3g and 1.5g, that is a medium level of salt, and the packaging may display an amber traffic light.

Some people believe that sea salt is a healthier alternative to normal table salt, but both are composed of sodium chloride.

Avoid processed foods
High salt foods that should be eaten sparingly include:

• Most ‘fast’ foods, such as pizza

• Most snack foods, such as potato chips

• Processed meats, such as sausages, salami, hot dogs and luncheon meats

• Canned vegetables

• Dehydrated or packet foods, such as instant pasta or soups

• Pre-packaged sauces and condiments, such as tomato sauce and soy sauce, and processed tomato products in general

• White bread and bread rolls.

Iodine
Our bodies need iodine to make sure our thyroid gland and the hormones that regulate our metabolism work normally. Iodised salt is probably the most common source of iodine for Australians and can provide enough iodine to avoid low thyroid activity. Another good way to make sure you get enough iodine is to eat seafood at least once a week.

This is especially important for pregnant women, who may need a dietary supplement, as low iodine may cause intellectual disability for the child. However, some types of fish contain high levels of mercury, which is dangerous to a developing foetus. Take care when choosing the types of fish you eat during pregnancy to reduce this risk.

Vegetarians or people who do not eat seafood can get iodine from multivitamin supplements.

Things to remember

• Salt is needed by the body to help regulate fluid levels.

• You don't have to add salt to food to be eating too much: 75% of the salt we eat is already in food when we buy it.

• A diet high in salt has been linked to high blood pressure.

Restrictive dieting sends a signal to the body that there is a food shortage, and the body thinks its survival is threatened. It responds by slowing down its metabolic rate (the speed at which the body burns up energy). This means that body fat loss slows down and it becomes harder to lose weight.

Dieting makes the body respond by conserving fat. When dieting, weight loss is mainly water and muscle. The reduced muscle mass further slows down the rate at which the body uses up energy.

Research shows that people find it more and more difficult to lose weight after repeated dieting, and they rapidly regain weight. Over 90 per cent of dieters regain the weight they lost after they stop dieting, and often regain more weight than they started with.

Weight fluctuations increase the risk of heart disease. It is healthier to stabilise at a heavier weight than repeatedly gain and lose weight. Dieting deprives the body of essential nutrients and energy, and the body responds by wanting to binge. Strict avoidance of particular foods can cause cravings for those foods.

Women need to carry 25-30 per cent body fat for health and fertility. Genetics has a significant influence on each person’s metabolic rate, body shape and size, so dieting is not the only answer.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
The body uses up energy according to its basal metabolic rate, and is influenced by exercise and food intake.

The BMR is the rate at which the body burns up energy to breathe, keeps blood flowing around the body, and maintains body temperature. About two-thirds of the energy used by the body each day is used by the BMR.

BMR varies between people
People with a low BMR are ‘energy savers’, and do not use as much energy for the same body functions as people with a high BMR. Those with a low BMR are more likely to have excess energy to store as fat.

BMR can be changed
The goal for people wanting to lose weight is to increase their BMR, and thus become an ‘energy user’ - where the body uses up more energy for body functions.

Physical activity
Physical activity is the second-largest use of your energy. It is the energy used to move muscles during the day, for example, walking, reading, swimming, cleaning, gardening, and this energy expenditure varies a lot from person to person.

Food
The body uses energy to digest, absorb and convert the food eaten. The type of food eaten affects how much energy the body needs to use up to break down and convert the food. High carbohydrate or starchy foods require more energy to use up than high protein or fatty foods.

What happens to BMR when dieting?
The BMR slows down when the number of kilojoules eaten in food is reduced (as is the case with most weight-loss diets). The body thinks ‘hard times are coming, food seems less plentiful; I’d better start saving energy’. Thus the body becomes an ‘energy saver’. One way the body does this is by breaking down body tissue that needs energy just to exist - your muscle and organs.

The BMR drops, the body gets used to and needs less food. If a person stays on a low kilojoule diet for any length of time, they end up eating a very small amount of food just to maintain weight.

This style of eating is not very satisfying and a person soon begins to eat more. As soon as the body gets more food it says to itself, ‘Whoopee — a bit extra! I’ll save it for a rainy day’, and stores it as fat. Eventually, the body gets back to the weight it was before dieting started, often with a few more kilograms added.

People often don’t realise that they now have more fat and less muscle than when they started dieting (the fat goes back, not the muscle — the only way to get muscle back is through exercise).

People will then try another diet, lose some more weight, then regain it all plus extra; and end up being heavier still. This vicious cycle is called the ‘yo-yo syndrome’ and may result in dramatic changes in the body make up (more fat, less muscle), plus a very low BMR. (Remember, a low BMR means it is easier to gain weight.)

Remember - Fat needs no energy to exist - it just sits there!. So a lot of the weight lost on a diet is not fat, but muscle.

That's why at Gym In Motion, we believe in a lifestyle change which is a long term approach to nutrition and not one off dieting fads.

If you think back about 10 years, no one knew what the word gluten meant, let alone given any thought to avoiding it. Today gluten free diets are being touted as the cure all for tummy aches, weight loss, sluggishness and everything else you can think of. Take a stroll down any isle of your local Whole Foods and you will see the vast array of gluten free foods available. It is safe to say the food companies have found another way to market their wares.

A gluten free lifestyle, while being touted by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, is said to contribute to increased energy, a thinner body, less intenstinal discomfort and reduced belly fat. What is gluten you ask? It is the protein found in grains, barley, wheat and rye. It is what gives bread its spongy texture, makes pizza dough stretchy and is used in sauces and soups to thicken them.

Gluten free diets have basis in science, and there is a segment of the population who suffer from a chronic digestive disorder called Celiac disease. To them gluten is truly evil as it illicits an immune response from their bodies which regard even the tiniest crumb as an invader. This immune system reaction leaves the intestinal tract damaged and if left untreated causes great discomfort, nutritional deficiencies, intestinal cancers, infertility and osteoporosis.

Once upon a time this disease was thought to be very rare, but recent advances in detection have concluded that one in 10,000 people are affected. In many cases it is still undiagnosed as the disease and gluten sensitivity mimic alot of other diseases. Now there is emerging data that non celiac gluten sensitivity is on the rise. It’s symptoms are similiar to celiac disease, but unlike celiac disease it does not damage the intestine. For years we have known that the disorder existed but until recently the number of afflicted persons(estimated around 30 million) was not widely acknowledged.

Without being an alarmist, I want to make people aware of the facts and not have everyone jump on the gluten free bandwagon. As was stated in a previously with regards to milk, the way to exclude a possible culprit is to remove it from your diet for a period of time. Monitor the way you feel, and then introduce it back in after 2 weeks. If the symptoms return after you have re-introduced the offender back in your diet, then you have a starting point

There is nothing magical about a gluten free diet, so please don’t jump on the latest fad without research. A gluten free product can leave you with nutritional deficiencies and in many instances has more calories, fat and sugar in order to make up for taste. And just because you give up bread doesn’t mean you can replace it with gluten free cakes. I personally limit the amount of bread, whole wheat or otherwise that I allow into my body. I just don’t do well on high carbohydrates and I feel that my body responds better to a high protein diet. I have not excluded gluten from my diet, mostly because it is a giant pain in the butt. It is everywhere from salad dressings, to bread, sauces, and seasonings. Also for many people gluten foods are the only way they get fiber in their diet.

What you can do is limit the amount of processed foods in your diet. Carefull meal planning will help you avoid the overprocessed foods that clutter the supermarket shelves.

I have listed some of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity below:

Chronic diarrhea or constipation

Abdominal pain and bloating

Anemia

Fatigue

Unexplained weight loss

Infertility (celiac disease)

Having one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you are gluten sensitive, but it would not hurt to check with your health care provider.

Are You Powerless to Holiday Pounds?

The season of deck-your-waist-with-extra-pounds is officially here.

So what are you going to do about it?

Will you join the masses who faithfully gain 5 pounds between November and January?

Or will you do something different this year?

It is entirely possible to avoid the dreaded holiday chub by following this simple strategy:

All About Power
To begin, it’s important that you approach your goal from a place of I can rather than I can’t.

Most diet and weight loss plans begin by outlining everything that you can’t eat. You can’t enjoy the buffet at your office holiday party. You can’t taste the fudge that your aunt Frances made. You can’t partake in the seasonal coffee drinks. You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.

It shouldn’t be surprising when the diet only last a few days before your inner rebel breaks out and defies all the rules by mowing through an entire plate of Christmas cookies in one sitting.

When you begin from a place of can’t, you forfeit all of the power.

On the other hand, when you approach your goal from a place of I can, the power swings back into your favor. Use these 3 steps to re-gain your power:

1. Focus on positive action.
Rather than obsess over what you can’t eat this holiday season, I want you to take the positive action of exercising into your own hands. Every time that you complete a workout feel the surge of empowerment that comes with the accomplishment.

2. Schedule positive action.
The next step is to concretely schedule your workout sessions. I advise that you exercise even more during the holiday season than normal, since you will be taking in more calories. If you normally exercise 3 times each week for 30 minutes, then plan to exercise 5 times each week for 45 minutes.

3. Reward yourself for positive action.
At the end of each week take the time to reward yourself for successfully completing each scheduled workout. Don’t use food as a reward, since you’ll be taking in extra calories as it is. A massage, a new outfit, a leisurely hour spent at a coffee shop, or even a well deserved nap are all great ways to reward yourself.

What You Believe
The people who won’t gain any weight this holiday season already know it. How? They’ve decided not to gain weight, and they believe it.

Do you believe that you won’t gain weight this year?. Or are your past failures keeping you less than confident?.

Let’s create a strong belief that you won’t be powerless to holiday pounds.

4 steps needed to create a belief:

Step One: Identify the basic belief. I won’t gain weight this holiday season.

Step Two: Reinforce your belief by adding new and more powerful references. This means focusing on the reasons that you don’t want to gain the weight. Get out a sheet of paper and list all of the cons to you gaining an extra 5 or 10 pounds over the holidays. Spend a lot of time on this step. Reiterate to yourself over and over why you don’t want to gain the weight.

Step Three: Find a triggering event, or create one of your own. Disturb yourself. Try on your bathing suit, or better yet go out and try on bathing suits in dressing rooms with that awful lighting. Try on your skinny jeans. Try on last year’s cocktail dress. Try on that outfit at the back of your closet that you still can’t fit into.

Step Four: Take action. Get started on your exercise program – right now. Taking action is the most important step, and the most rewarding.

Call or email me right now, I’ll help you get started on an exercise program and guide you step-by-step all the way to success. Who knows?. I may even get you to your New Year’s Resolution before January even starts.

Give yourself the power to overcome holiday pounds – get started now.
Don’t Stress

The holidays can become a stressful time, with places to go, presents to wrap and parties to plan. There is ample evidence that stress has a negative effect on your body and your metabolism. When your body is under stress it produces cortisol, a hormone related to the fight or flight response. This increase in cortisol causes weight gain, decreased metabolism and even depression.

This holiday season don’t let stress get the better of you. Give yourself time to relax – you’ll be leaner for it.