Binge drinking has different health affects on men and women

Alcohol consumption has different affects on men and women a new study has revealed. Women who drink heavily are at increased risk of an enlarged heart whereas men experience more arterial and ventricular stiffness.

“Women are more susceptible to developing liver disease than men” says Urbod Nutritionist Amanda Michie. “This is because women tend to be smaller and produce fewer liver enzymes. Alcohol depletes the body of essential nutrients, especially the B vitamins which are important for energy and liver detoxification. We hear on the news that drinking red wine is good for us, but this does not mean a bottle of red wine a night is good for us. A glass of red wine a few times a week may be beneficial for our health because of its high antioxidant contents, however more than a few glasses each week will have a negative affect on our health due to its toxic potential on the liver and other organs, especially the heart."

Breakfast as the main meal of the day may help with weight loss.

A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has unveiled evidence that suggests that eating more calories at breakfast and less calories later in the day may help to maintain a healthy weight in middle aged adults.

Many people prefer to skip breakfast and wait until mid morning or lunchtime before eating.

Urbod Nutritionist, Amanda Michie who practises in the City and Canary Wharf tells us why:

"Skipping breakfast is counter-productive as it slows down your metabolic rate. Calories consumed in the morning will be burned off during the day wheras food eaten later in the day or evening tend to be stored especially if you have a sedentary desk-job. Also, skipping breakfast means you are more likely to eat more at the next meal because you are starving. This is when calories are more likely to be stored as fat in anticipation of the next long stint without food."

Did you know that skipping breakfast is associated with low levels of physical activity and high levels of soft-drink consumption?

Did you know that obese women tend to consume fewer calories in the morning compared with lean women?

As the old saying goes: Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a Pauper.

Flavanols and plant sterols in chocolate beneficial to cardiovascular health.

The Journal of Nutrition has published new research showing that dark chocolate supplemented with plant sterols are supportive of cardiovascular health by helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Previous studies have shown that flavanols found in cocoa products improve insulin sensitivity and blood pressure; however dark chocolate supplemented with plant sterols helped reduced LDL cholesterol as well as blood pressure within eight weeks among subjects who ate dark chocolate regularly.

Urbod Nutritionist, Amanda Michie, explains: “Flavanols are compounds that boost levels of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is needed for maintaining healthy blood pressure by opening up the arteries and allowing good blood flow. Flavanols are a subgroup of antioxidant compounds that play an important part in cardiovascular health and are mainly found in plant based foods and drinks such as grapes, black tea and cocoa found in dark chocolate. Plant sterols are found naturally in all kinds of fruit and vegetables and they help to lower cholesterol by binding and removing excess cholesterol in the gut. Someone wanting to improve their cardiovascular health should aim to have a diet rich in coloured fruit and vegetables as these tend to contain an array of antioxidants and plant sterols. Chocolate should not replace a healthy diet."