Heavy coffee consumption linked to higher death risk

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Read Time:2 Minute, 22 Second

In the study published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, men younger than 55 who drank more than 28 cups of coffee a week (four cups a day) were 56% more likely to have died from any cause. Women in that age range had a twofold greater risk of dying than other women. The study looked at 43,727 men and women ages 20-87 from 1971 to 2002.

"From our study, it seems safe to drink one to three cups of coffee a day," says the study's second co-author Xuemei Sui. "Drinking more than four cups of coffee a day may endanger health," says Sui, assistant professor of exercise science with the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She defines a cup of coffee as 6 to 8 ounces.

The study did not find a higher death risk for adults 55 and older. Sui says there may be a bias — the research may not include unhealthy older people because they might have already died.

The reasons for the higher death risk among younger adults are not clear since experts through the years have found both health benefits and problems associated with coffee.

Sui says the caffeine in coffee can elevate heart rate as well as raise blood pressure and blood sugar levels. However, coffee is a major source of antioxidants, she says.

Sui says the study didn't find a significant association between coffee consumption and heart disease death. Further research is needed to look at any connection between coffee and cancer, she says.

Gregg Fonarow, co-chief of clinical cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, says, "Differences in other dietary factors, marital status and other socioeconomic factors that were not adjusted for in this study may account for some or all of these observations."

Fonarow, who was not involved in this research, says observational studies that survey people about their coffee intake and tie that to how many died from any cause have yielded mixed results.

Consider a 2012 study that found that coffee drinkers ages 50-71 had a lower risk of death than their peers who did not consume coffee. In that study, researchers from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and AARP found that the more coffee consumed, the more a person's death risk declined.

Joseph DeRupo, a spokesman for the National Coffee Association of USA, says the new study "presents findings that are out of step with prevailing science as well as with widely accepted research methods."

Because coffee still stirs debate, Sui says more research is needed. In the meantime, people should watch their coffee intake, she says. "Avoid excessive coffee drinking."

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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34 children a day treated for food-related choking

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Read Time:4 Minute, 14 Second
Many of the foods that kids regularly eat and enjoy — from fruits and vegetables, to hot dogs and candy — have long been known to pose a choking hazard and to sometimes be fatal.
 
A new study shows just how common the risk is: On average, 12,435 children under age 14 are treated annually in hospital emergency departments for a non-fatal choking involving food — the equivalent of 34 children a day.
 
Kids younger than 4 are most often endangered, and hard candy causes the most non-fatal choking episodes (16%) among all children under age 14, followed by other types of candy (13%), meat other than hot dogs (12%), bones (12%), and fruits and vegetables (10%), says the study in the August issue of Pediatrics, published online today.
 
"Other high-risk foods, such as hot dogs, which can totally block the airway of a small child, or seeds and nuts, which can be difficult for them to chew, are more likely to lead to hospitalizations," says Gary Smith, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
 
Although the study focuses on choking incidents that were not fatal, "that doesn't mean they're not serious," Smith says. In 10% of these cases children had to be hospitalized and often had to go to the operating room, be put under general anesthesia, and undergo a bronchoscopy — "a serious, invasive procedure" — to have the food removed from their airway, he says.
 
The study, conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, analyzed hospital emergency department data from 2001-2009 from the federal government's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program.
 
A previous CDC study showed that among children younger than 14, 60% of non-fatal choking cases involved food; 31% involved toys, coins, batteries or other non-food-related items. (The source of the choking was undetermined in the remaining 9% of cases.) According to the most recent CDC data, 66 children younger than 14 died from choking on food in 2010.
 
The total number of non-fatal food choking cases remained stable over the nine years of the new study, which also found:
 
• Kids under age 4 accounted for 62% of all non-fatal food-related chokings; kids under age 1 accounted for 38%.
 
• Boys accounted for 55% of cases.
 
• The top four food types alone accounted for more than half of all choking episodes.
 
• Seeds, nuts and shells, and hot dogs accounted for 7% and 3% of the non-fatal choking cases, respectively, but were more likely to require hospitalization than any other food category.
 
The physical characteristics of certain foods, such as hot dogs and grapes, present unique challenges and added risks to young children who are still developing coordination and chewing and swallowing abilities, says David Walner, a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
 
He and his colleagues have to remove the "hot dog pieces, nuts, popcorn kernels and vegetable matter that kids have choked on" and that get lodged in their airway, says Walner, who was not involved in the new study.
 
"Usually the bronchoscopy is a success and they survive, but the bigger chunks of hot dog or grapes are the ones where they often don't even make it to the hospital" or face other catastrophic outcomes, such as brain damage, he says.
 
"The main thing with these cases is that they are almost always preventable," says Walner. "Some things we can't prevent in medicine, and they're sad stories. But these are the saddest because they are almost always preventable by using common sense."
 
That includes making safe and appropriate food choices, cutting any foods given to children under age 4 into very small pieces, and ensuring that kids are supervised and stay seated when eating, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.
 
In 2010 the AAP proposed additional choking prevention recommendations, including the redesign of foods that pose a high risk, and the use of warning labels on those foods, much like the labels that now exist on toys that are a choking hazard.
 
"We know what works, and now we need to apply that to food," says Smith, lead author of that policy recommendation.
 
Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, says her group supports the academy's call to better educate parents and caregivers about choking prevention, adding, "Many of our member hot dog makers remind parents of the importance of these practices via labeling on many packages already. Suggesting we redesign foods seems extreme and won't address the issue of foods that naturally are cylindrical in shape, like grapes."

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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New Twinkies weigh less, have fewer calories

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Read Time:1 Minute, 33 Second

NEW YORK (Codewit) — Twinkies are back, but they may be a bit smaller than you remember.

The new owners of Hostess have leaner operating costs now that they're no longer using unionized workers. It turns out the spongy yellow cakes may also be a little smaller than the last Twinkies people ate.

The new boxes hitting shelves list the cakes as having 270 calories and a weight of 77 grams for two cakes, or 135 calories and 38.5 grams for one cake.

Right before it went out of business, the predecessor company had told The Associated Press that Twinkies were 150 calories per cake. Photos of past boxes online also indicate the weight to have been 42.5 grams per cake.

A spokeswoman for Hostess, Hannah Arnold, said in an email Monday that the size change was made in "mid-2012" by the predecessor company. That would mean it happened in the months leading up to its bankruptcy, as the company was trying to keep its head above water financially.

Arnold has also said that the longer shelf life of Twinkies reported by The AP earlier this month was made by the predecessor company right before it went bankrupt. The 45-day shelf life, up from 26 days, was a separate change and hit shelves Nov. 1, she said.

For retailers who request it, the company also said it's freezing Twinkies so stores can stamp their own expiration dates on them.

Twinkies and other snack cakes were purchased by private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. after Hostess Brands said it was closing down in November. The firms are known for fixing up struggling brands.

Hostess has said that Twinkies will remain the same price, at $3.99 for a box of 10. Retailers may charge different prices, however.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Pepsi still contains cancer-causing ingredient

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Read Time:3 Minute, 35 Second

(NaturalNews) Last March, a third party watchdog group, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) found dangerous levels of a carcinogen in the caramel coloring of Coke and Pepsi products.

The carcinogen, 4-methylimidazole, is a byproduct created during the production of caramel coloring. As the caramel coloring goes under high pressures and temperatures, sugars react with ammonia and sulfites, forming the 4-MEI byproduct.

When animal studies showed "clear evidence" that 4-MEI was a toxic carcinogen, including thyroid, liver, and lung cancer incidents, the National Toxicology Program threw up red flags.

It was in 2011 that the state of California responded to the lab results, effectively banning the carcinogen from their state. Since then, all cola products in the state of California have been required to be properly marked with a cancer causing warning label, according to Prop 65 consumer protection laws.

Over a year later, Pepsi still contains high levels of 4-MEI
In the wake of their products being exposed, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo began to change their soda formula for products sold in California. They took an even bigger leap forward when they gave CEH their word that they would not only change their California products, but they would also change their nationwide formula as well, eliminating the production of the carcinogenic 4-MEI altogether.

Unfortunately, according to CEH, over a year later, Pepsi hasn't complied. Pepsi purchased from ten states reportedly still contains high levels of 4-MEI, while Coca-Cola has taken drastic measures to rid 4-MEI from their products.

Executive Director of CEH, Michael Green, reiterated the importance of honest state labeling laws that help consumers make informed choices. "We applaud Coke for taking this health protective action for consumers nationwide. Pepsi's delay is inexplicable. We urge the company to take swift action to provide all Americans with the same safer product they're selling in California."

Pepsi: 4 to 8 times more poisonous
After asking 10 volunteers across the country to purchase Coke and Pepsi products from 10 different states, the CEH gathered the samples in early June 2013 and tested them for the carcinogen. Lab tests revealed little or no 4-MEI in nine out of ten Coke products, whereas, all ten of the Pepsi samples contained high levels of the carcinogen. Furthermore, outside California, Pepsi products were found to be 4 to 8 times more poisonous than the Pepsi products sold inside California!

According to CEH testing, consumers outside California who drink 24oz of Pepsi per week, are ingesting well over the safe level of 4-MEI. In perspective, nearly half of Americans (48%) drink at least 20oz of soda each day. This means that about half of Americans are continuously poisoning themselves each day.

Beyond 4-MEI, phosphoric acid and HFCS pose their own slate of dangers
Apart from consuming the cancer causing 4-MEI, Americans are also ingesting Coke and Pepsi's cocktail of phosphoric acid and HFCS. Phosphoric acid effectively creates a high acidity level inside the body, forcing the body to pull calcium and other minerals from the natural reserves in the bones. This leads to lower bone density.

Alongside that, soda pop contains high fructose corn syrup. Derived from genetically modified corn, HFCS is 80 percent fructose, which is rabidly converted to fat by the liver, leading to an excess concentration of fats and lipoproteins in the body. Causing a rise in triglyceride levels, HFCS promotes a wide array of health problems including atherosclerosis, diabetes, elevated cardiovascular risk, and more.

What's Pepsi going to do?
The carcinogenic production of 4-methylimidazole byproducts may be phased out of America in 2014.
According to PepsiCo Senior Director Aurora Gonzalez, "Our caramel coloring suppliers have been working on modifying the manufacturing process to reduce the amount of 4-MEI. As you know, 4-MEI levels in our products in California are below Prop 65 levels. The rest of the U.S. will be completed by February 2014. In fact, we'll be starting the process and shipping concentrate by the end of this year."

What's next?
Maybe it's time for some honest labeling about the dangers of the GMO high fructose corn syrup.
 

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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5 healthy fast food swaps

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Read Time:3 Minute, 58 Second

This week the World Health Organization criticized the fast food industry for marketing unhealthy fare to kids and families. The global body says the strategy has been “disastrously effective,” allowing the obesity epidemic to spiral out of control.
Ads by CouponDropDown     

Healthy eaters and those who turn to fast food have difficult choices to make, registered dietician Dr. Carol Dombrow told Global News. She’s been a dietician with the Heart and Stroke Foundation for the past 25 years.

“It’s blind, you really don’t know what you’re getting unless you see the nutritional information,” she said.

You’re on a road trip, you slept in, or you stayed late at the office: there are some times where we have to make a stop for fast food or take out.

Dombrow offered these five suggestions to help Canadian diners navigate fast food menus.

“Smaller and plainer certainly works when you are making your burger choice. Pile on the lettuce and tomatoes and go easy on the mustard and ketchup to control the sodium level,” Dombrow suggests.

A double cheeseburger clocks in at 660 calories with 830 mgs. Opt for a single patty cheeseburger and you shave off 360 calories.

Fish is universally seen as a healthy portion of protein, but not when it’s bathing in mayonnaise.

“Fish is good, but in this case, the mayonnaise really adds to the fat content of the sub,” Dombrow said.

A six-inch tuna sub has 470 calories, a whopping 24 grams of fat, and 620 mgs of sodium. A six-inch roast beef sub has 290 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 720 mgs of sodium.

Dombrow says the best bet is the oven roasted chicken sub – 310 calories, a much more reasonable 4.5 grams of fat and 600 milligrams of sodium.

Salads in restaurants have a bad reputation: they come with fat-laden salad dressings, copious amounts of cheese and even fried chicken strips and bacon. But if you pay attention to what’s in the salad, it could be a healthier option than a stir-fry.

“This one is a surprise. Chicken, vegetables and rice should be low in fat and sodium but unfortunately the addition of oil and sauces really increases the fat and sodium content of this dish. Salads can be tricky and will certainly vary in the amount of fat and sodium they contain,” Dombrow told Global News.

In this case, a spinach chicken salad is the best choice, even next to a chicken stir fry.

The stir fry sets diners back 1,170 calories, 40 grams of fat with an astounding 1,910 mgs of sodium. On the other hand, a spinach chicken salad has a mere 270 calories, five grams of fat and 460 mgs of sodium.

Dombrow warns consumers to be wary of saucy dishes – they’re packed with sodium. Salads with bacon, cream sauce or fried toppings are also danger zones if you’re looking to eat clean.

When choosing a steak dinner…

Steak and potatoes are a classic, but Dombrow suggests switching it up if you’re trying to eat healthier.

Swap the potatoes for a salad and a plate of vegetables. Keep your dressing on the side and try to avoid adding sauce for your steak, she says.

A steak with bacon, vegetables, cream sauce and a Caesar salad has 1,058 calories, 77 grams of fat and 1,793 mgs of sodium. That’s more than half the day’s allotment of calories and close to an entire day’s salt intake (the upper limit is 2,300 mgs for adults).

Opt for a portioned out eight-ounce sirloin steak with vegetables and a mixed salad, and you’d cut more than half the calories and nearly three times the sodium. This dish would have 464 calories, 25 grams of fat and 647 mgs of sodium.

When choosing a fish dinner…

Fried fish over baked, grilled or roasted seafood? This one may seem like a no-brainer but Dombrow asks consumers to consider the difference in nutritional value with both plates.

A fish and chips dinner with 2 pieces of haddock and fries has 1,055 calories, 65 grams of fat and 1,814 mgs of sodium. That’s veering on maxing out your day’s calories (about 2,000 for the average man or woman) and your day’s sodium content.

On the other end, a filet of sole dinner comes in at 323 calories, nine grams of fat and 206 mgs of sodium.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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8 Foods You Should Eat For Flat Tummy

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Read Time:58 Second

Check out 8 foods below that you can eat to get a trim tummy;

Salmon:

The tremendous health benefits of salmon can’t be over-emphasized. Salmon is high in Omega-3 and helps fight inflammation.

Watermelon:

According to a study by the University of Kentucky, eating watermelons was found to prevent artery clogging and reduce fat build up.

Yogurt:

Adding yogurt to your diet will aid digestion and thus help give you a flatter tummy.

Olive Oil:

Replace your cooking oils and fatty dressings for olive oil. Olive oil is packed with monounsaturated fatty acids for easy digestion.

 

Green Tea:

Green tea can helps to speed up your metabolism, it also inhibits the absorption of fat  and it is essential to keep that belly in check.

Walnuts:

Another healthy treat, walnuts can also easily fill your stomach up so you can avoid overeating.

Eggs:

Having an egg or two can also help with flattening your stomach. Eggs are filled with lutein vitamins and other amino acids.

Bananas

Bananas are full of fibre and other nutrients so the fill you up quickly and help fight bloating and subsequently a big belly.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Eat vegetables and let your food be your medicine

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Read Time:3 Minute, 23 Second

Although all vegetables have nutrients and some protective powers, for these vegetables, it’s above normal. These vegetables have a special chemical composition: They have sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their pungent flavors.

When they’re broken down by biting, blending, or chopping, a chemical reaction occurs that converts these sulfur-containing compounds into isothiocyanates (ITCs) which prevent and knock out cancer and have infinite proven immune-boosting capabilities.

Many people are familiar with the term “cruciferous vegetables” and can even identify a vegetable like broccoli as belonging to this group. But because research on cruciferous vegetables has skyrocketed over the past years, many people may not be familiar with the latest science on this age-old group of vegetables.

They contain antiviral and antibacterial agents that keep the body disease free. Adding these cruciferous vegetables to your daily plate is like taking an anticancer pill: arugula, beet greens, bok choy,broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards,horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, red cabbage, turnip greens, or watercress.

In terms of conventional nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins,carbohydrates and fats), there is no other vegetable group that is as high in vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, and fibre as thecruciferous vegetables. As a group, the cruciferous vegetables are simply superstars in these conventional nutrient areas.Here are a few of these superstars!

Garlic: powerful and potent  medicine
The active ingredient allicin turns into organosulfurs, which are the compounds that keep your cells safe from all the destructive cellular processes that can cause major chronic diseases. Garlic is a natural antiseptic; it prevents cancer, fights infection, and prevents colds.

Research states that garlic may prevent or decrease chronic diseases associated with age, such as atherosclerosis, stroke, cancer, immune disorders, brain aging, cataracts, and arthritis.

Onions: powerful antioxidants that reduce risk of cancer
Like garlic, onions also contain allicin. Red and purple onions contain anthocyanins, the same antioxidants that make berries so robust in healing powers. In addition to being extraordinary at preventing and healing cancer, the quercetin contained in onion makesthem a safe therapy for allergies; it also helps prevent heart disease and reduce high blood pressure.

Mushrooms enhance activity of natural killer T cells
The natural killer cells attack and remove cells that are damaged or infected by a virus. Mushrooms are associated with decreasing most cancers and significantly reducing the risk of breast cancer in women. They prevent DNA damage, slow cancer or tumour growth, and prevent tumors from acquiring a blood supply.

Tomatoes prevent cancer of the prostate
Tomatoes also have high levels of beta carotene, an antioxidant thatsupports the immune system. They have high dietary fibre and taste delicious raw or cooked.

Spinach triggers immune response to keep you well Spinach prevents cancer and heart disease and is rich in the disease-fighting mineral zinc. The vitamin C helps you resist colds and infection and keeps your skin healthy; the B vitamins keep you calm and more energetic.

Asparagus encourages the body to flush out toxins
Asparagus is both cleansing and anti-inflammatory to the body. It has the antioxidant glutathione, which can lower your risk factor for heart disease and cancer.  It’s useful for all inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Artichoke supports the liver
The substance cynarin gives artichoke its detoxifying qualities. Artichokes’ B vitamins increase mental alertness and strengthen your immunity.

Red bell pepper: a powerful immune builder
Red bell pepper’s high level of beta carotene turns into vitamin A, making it a strong defense against disease. Although green and yellow peppers are certainly healthy, they’re more superfoodish. Althoughthey both have similar amounts of vitamin C, red bell peppers have quite a bit more of the superstar beta carotene.

Sweet potatoes: far superior than white potato
The orange variety contains beta carotene, which makes them filled with robust antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer abilities. They’re also full of fibre and the vitamin E they contain is healthy for the
skin.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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How to eat healthily on £1 a day

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Read Time:5 Minute, 28 Second

Starting on Monday 29 April, 5,000 Britons will be challenging themselves to live on just £1 a day for five days, as part of a campaign by the Global Poverty Project.

But is it possible not just to survive, but also to eat a balanced and healthy diet on that sort of budget?

Over five days, I set out to see if it was possible to include sufficient fruit, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates in my food to do that, spending no more than £1 a day – while trying not to lose sight of the fact that eating should be a pleasure, not just a necessity.

Coffee, alcohol, cakes and even salad are just too expensive. But there are plenty of surprising goodies that are very much on the menu.

Day 1: Amount spent 97p

Did you know you can buy an egg for just 8.7p? It may not be an ethical egg, and of course you have to buy 30 to get that price.

But when you are on a real budget, it still gives you valuable protein and great vitamins.

So including one piece of toast, with margarine and a cup of tea, my breakfast costs me 14p.

Lunch is a ham sandwich, at a cost of 29p. Good protein, but that is nearly a third of my daily budget gone in just a few bites.

And come 3pm, a nasty thought is already beginning to insinuate itself. At first just a question mark, it develops more and more into a certainty. To start with it is mere peckishness. Then, undeniably, it reclassifies itself as hunger.

So I gorge on a value scone (5p) with jam (1p), and feel better. And I eat an apple.

Contemplating dinner, it is time to consult an expert.

Jack Monroe spent a year and a half out of work, and learnt to survive on next to nothing.

According to her blog, Oh My God Dinner is the result of surprise discoveries of anything left in the bottom of the fridge.

With cubes of melting Brie on top and scraps of bacon, it is full of varied flavours. We added peppers for extra colour and texture.

Day 2: Amount spent £1

Breakfast, with porridge and two slices of bread and jam, comes to 18p.

So I splash out at lunchtime, and make myself a morale-boosting BLT. This is only possible with the price of cooking bacon (see above).

But lettuce at 4p for a single leaf, and a tomato at 5p, are real luxuries in this sort of diet, making lunch 26p.

And even more indulgent is a banana. All 14p of it.

Day 3: Amount spent 94p
nettle soup Spring is the perfect time for nettle soup

Today, while walking the dog in our local woods, my wife and I have a brainwave.

The blackthorn is blooming, and everywhere bright green stinging nettles are pushing up through the undergrowth.

It is the perfect time of year for nettle soup.

Not quite free food though: the recipe has potatoes, butter and cream.

And you need plenty of patience to strip each plant of its leaves.

With two slices of value bread and margarine to go with it, lunch comes in at a below-average 17p.

And with dinner of carrot, kidney bean and cumin burger, I can almost believe I am eating meat.
Carrot, kidney bean and cumin burgers

Day 4: Amount spent 91p
Continue reading the main story    
“Start Quote
Custard creams

    For a Brit, there can be no greater comfort food than a custard cream”

Did I mention biscuits?

They are not only a significant morale booster, but cheap as well. A packet of value digestives costs 30p, and contains 30 biscuits.

And for a Brit, there can be no greater comfort food than a custard cream. With a cuppa.

Tea with three value custard creams will cost in the region of 4p (31p buys you 36 biscuits).

For anyone on a budget, this is surely a piece of heaven.

Jack Monroe's little tip is even cheaper. Have a lemon curd sandwich, for around 3p.

And talking of national favourites, what Brit wouldn't look forward to a curry?

Lentil and tomato curry, with a healthy dollop of Greek yoghurt and chopped coriander, is a delight to the taste buds as well as to the tummy.
Lentil and tomato curry

Day 5: Amount spent £1

The strains show when someone arrives in the office with several large boxes of free crisps. The expensive hand-made kind too. While I tuck into a cream-cheese sandwich, with four slivers of cucumber.
Continue reading the main story    
Top tips in the supermarket

    Look on the bottom shelves
    Special offers are rarely the best value
    Avoid branded goods
    Don't be afraid to do some maths

But my mission is to eat healthily, so I need to find cheaper fruit.

After scouring the supermarkets, the cheapest apple I have come across is 10.3p; the cheapest banana is 14p. Salad is out of the question.

I go to my local market an hour before closing time, where fruit and veg is sold by the £1 tub.

Surely they will be giving it away? No. Despite an attempt at bargaining, the cheapest apple is 14p.

"Fixed prices!" explains the vendor.

Time for a bowl of hearty but nourishing soup.
Italian white bean, kale and pasta soup
I consult a dietician to see how well I've done. She is impressed by the variety of food I've eaten.

"Those dinners looked great," says Alison Hornby, of the British Dietetic Association. "But I would say they may have been slightly smaller than you required. You may have felt hungry at the end of a meal."

After some quick calculations, she confirms that I am well short on my calorie intake.

"You could have done with something a bit more substantial," she says.

While I end up feeling a little virtuous, this has, of course, been an entirely artificial exercise.

"You're doing this as an experiment for five days," says Jack Monroe. "But when it is your way of life, and you haven't got any choice over it, it's not a fun experiment."

SOURCE: bbc

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Garden egg useful for weight reduction says nutritionist

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Read Time:1 Minute, 44 Second

Hajiya Jummai Hassan, a nutritionist with Wuse General Hospital, Abuja, has said that garden egg also known as eggplant could help to reduce body weight.

Hassan on Monday said  that eggplant, also referred to as “aubergine’’ had low calorie, low sodium and low protein, was high in dietary fibre and potassium.

“Egg plant is a fruit but it is classified under vegetables, if you really want to lose weight you should eat fresh garden egg.

“When you take garden egg, it fills the tummy because of its fibre content and it helps reduce the food you consume, thereby reducing the calories and body weight.’’

She added that due to the high fibre content in eggplant, it helped to reduce bad cholesterol in the body, thereby protecting the heart.

The nutritionist said that garden egg helped to regulate the blood pressure, saying that it also helped to maintain and regulate the function of the heart.

“Because of the high fibre and low soluble carbohydrate content of the eggplant, it controls glucose absorption and reduces the risk of hypertension.

“It is very low in calorie content, so when you consume it and you  are diabetic it suppresses the sugar level and brings the blood pressure down.’’

Hassan also said that garden egg had an anti-ulcer remedy, which could be used as treatment for ulcer.

“It is not that it protects you from having ulcer but when you have it and you take garden egg, it has that-anti ulcer remedy that suppresses it.’’

The nutritionist said that patients with glaucoma should eat a lot of garden egg because it served as an antioxidant, which prevented cells in the body from damage.

She said that garden egg leaf was also useful in treating snake bites, “which indicates that every part of the plant is useful.’’

The nutritionist said that garden egg could be eaten fresh or prepared into stew and eaten with yam, rice or any other food.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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Real reason red meat is bad for the heart

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A new study has shown what doctors and health experts have been saying for years, that too much red meat, such as  fatty steaks and lamb chops, lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

It turns out, it’s not so much the cholesterol or saturated fat that’s to blame, according to the study, published in Nature Medicine. It’s a compound found in red meat called carnitine that’s linked to clogged arteries. The bacteria in our guts convert carnitine into a harmful chemical called TMAO that can thicken the arteries.

Though recommendations to cut back on red meat may be nothing new, limiting how much red meat you eat can keep your heart healthier. The study also indicated that it’s not just red meat we need to watch out for: Carnitine is a popular dietary supplement commonly found in weight-loss products and energy drinks.

Overall, the findings reinforces advice to switch to a Mediterranean-style diet for better heart health — nixing processed food and red meat for an uptick in fish, fruits and vegetables. Based on this study, that’s probably the way to go.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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