Eat breakfast to prevent metabolic syndrome
Higher fat at breakfast may be healthier than you think, concludes a new University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) study.
According to researchers, the adage "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" can be the best advice to follow to prevent metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease-risk factors.
To reach the conclusion, boffins examined the influence exerted by the type of foods and specific timing of intake on the development of metabolic syndrome characteristics in mice.
The UAB research revealed that mice fed a meal higher in fat after waking had normal metabolic profiles. In contrast, mice that ate a more carbohydrate-rich diet in the morning and consumed a high-fat meal at the end of the day saw increased weight gain, adiposity, glucose intolerance and other markers of the metabolic syndrome.
"Studies have looked at the type and quantity of food intake, but nobody has undertaken the question of whether the timing of what you eat and when you eat it influences body weight, even though we know sleep and altered circadian rhythms influence body weight," said the study's lead author Molly Bray, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology in the UAB School of Public Health.
Bray said the research team found that fat intake at the time of waking seems to turn on fat metabolism very efficiently and also turns on the animal's ability to respond to different types of food later in the day. When the animals were fed carbohydrates upon waking, carbohydrate metabolism was turned on and seemed to stay on even when the animal was eating different kinds of food later in the day.
"The first meal you have appears to program your metabolism for the rest of the day," said study senior author Martin Young, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine in the UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease. "This study suggests that if you ate a carbohydrate-rich breakfast it would promote carbohydrate utilization throughout the rest of the day, whereas, if you have a fat-rich breakfast, you have metabolic plasticity to transfer your energy utilization between carbohydrate and fat."
The study has been published online in the International Journal of Obesity .

Nothing’s sweeter than honey
Instead of reaching out for a can of carbonated energy drink, try honey on hot toast or replace the sugar in your tea with it; this will not only give you a refreshing surge of energy but also set your mood for a wonderful day.
But finding a bottle of pure honey in a metropolitan city like Chennai may be like searching for a needle in a haystack. When you manage to lay your hands on it, don’t hesitate to indulge in it. Just 50-100 g of honey a day can make you buzz like a bee.
Referred to as an ‘intelligent food’, it is one of the most useful and valuable natural remedies for a large number of health problems.
Children’s delight:
Children naturally crave for sweets because they expend a lot of energy and their bodies need energy. Prepare sandwiches with honey and butter to make sure they have enough energy to sustain them through the day.
Energy booster:
Honey can be used as a source of energy as it provides about 64 calories per tablespoon. Further, the sugars in honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs. Honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting performance, endurance and reducing muscle fatigue of athletes. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed slowly providing sustained energy. Honey helps maintain blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.
Weight loss:
Though honey has more calories than sugar, it helps in digesting the fat stored in your body when consumed with warm water. Similarly, honey and lemon juice or honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.
Rich source of vitamins:
The vitamin and mineral content of honey depends on the type of flowers used for apiculture. Generally, honey is rich in vitamins E, D, C, K, A, betacarotene and folic acid.
Reducing cholesterol:
The mixture of honey and cinnamon is known for its miraculous health properties. And the best part is that it does not have any side effects. Take a teaspoon of honey, a pinch of cinnamon powder and mix in a glass of tea; this helps reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. Pure honey is also sometimes used with food to check cholesterol.
Building immunity:
The daily intake of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Researchers have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts and that it strengthens white blood corpuscles.
Longevity:
Ancient cultures used tea made with honey and cinnamon powder for longevity. Four spoons of honey, a spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water are boiled to make this tea. Drink quarter cup, thrice a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and slows down old age.
For sleeplessness:
Use the famous milk and honey remedy. Take a glass of hot milk with a teaspoon of honey to calm the soul and induce sleep. Or, add one or two teaspoons of honey to a cup of tea and sip.
Preserve the goodness
If you use honey as a sweetener in your tea, remember that it loses a majority of its good properties at 60ºC. So, before adding this beautiful source of health into your cup of tea, wait for the beverage to cool down a little.
Treat burns naturally
If the burn isn’t severe, clean the affected area with cold water. Pat the area dry with a soft cloth. Apply honey to the burn and cover the entire area with gauze. The honey will secure the area and help promote healing. Honey also helps fight off bacteria and prevent infection. Change the bandage once a day, applying more honey each time.
Check the area to make sure that it is healing. If you see signs of infection, make a trip to the doctor.
Fight Hangovers
When you get a hangover from drinking too much alcohol, combat its effects by applying the honey remedy. Honey is gentle on the stomach and contains a mix of natural sugars which is known to speed up the oxidation of alcohol by the liver, acting as a ‘sobering’ agent. Drink a mixture of 15ml honey, 80ml of orange juice and 70ml of natural yogurt.

Dark coffee ‘good for your tummy’
Espresso, French roast, and other dark-roasted coffee are not harmful for the tummy as was previously believed because these roasts contain a substance that tells the stomach to reduce production of acid, according to a study.
And people who resist from enjoying that much-desired morning cup of coffee, because of fear of stomach irritation can also take a sigh of relief because scientists have discovered the culprits behind that heartburn and stomach pain in every cup.
The research could lead to a new generation of stomach-friendly brews with the rich taste and aroma of regular coffee, said the scientists.
"This discovery is going to help a lot of people who suffer from coffee sensitivity. As coffee-lovers, we’re very excited about this research," said Dr. Veronika Somoza from the University of Vienna in Austria, and Dr. Thomas Hofmann, from the Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany, who conducted the study.
Doctors think that chemicals in coffee cause the stomach to overproduce acid, while some coffee drinkers take antacids or drink decaffeinated coffee in an effort to reduce this effect, while others turn to a small but growing number of specialty coffee brews marketed as stomach friendly.
Somoza said that the processes used to produce stomach-friendly coffee also could reduce the amount of healthful substances in the coffee, including some that scientists have linked to benefits such as protection against diabetes and heart disease.
In addition, the processing can affect the robust taste and smell of coffee.
To study the irritants in coffee, the scientists exposed cultures of human stomach cells to a variety of different coffee preparations, including regular, dark-roast, mild, decaffeinated, and stomach-friendly. They identified several substances that appeared to trigger chemical changes associated with increased acid production.
These substances include caffeine, catechols, and other ingredients.
"Our data show, for the first time, that caffeine, catechols and N-alkanoly-5-hydroxytryptamides are those coffee components that stimulate molecular mechanisms of stomach acid secretion in human stomach cells. Most of them are indeed removed by steam or solvent treatment of the raw coffee bean. We found out there’s no single, key irritant. It is a mixture of compounds that seem to cause the irritant effect of coffee," said Somoza.
The scientists unexpectedly found that one of the coffee components, N-methylpyridium (NMP), seems to block the ability of the stomach cells to produce hydrochloric acid and could provide a way to reduce or avoid stomach irritation.
Since NMP is generated only upon roasting and not found in raw coffee beans, darker-roasted coffees contain higher amounts of this stomach-friendly coffee ingredient.
Dark- roasted coffee can potentially contain up to twice as much of the ingredient as light-roasted coffees, but its levels can vary widely depending on the variety of coffee bean and the roasting method, noted Somoza.
"Since NMP is generated upon roasting, dark-roast coffees contain high amounts of this stomach friendly coffee ingredient. Now, there is hope for a good morning start with a freshly brewed cup of optimized stomach friendly coffee," said the researchers.
The scientists are testing different varieties of raw coffee beans and different roasting methods in an effort to boost NMP levels to make a better stomach-friendly coffee.
They hope to test the new brew in human volunteers later in 2010.
The study has been presented at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Get glowing skin, thick hair!
You don’t have to starve yourself to look good. All you need is to eat the right foods. Here’s a beauty diet plan carefully put together by our expert to help you look fabulous all thorough 2010!
Eyes
• Green vegetables: Spinach, zucchini, broccoli and brussels sprouts contain a caroteinoid called lutein and a pigment called zeaxanthinan. Both defend your cells from free radicals and help keep your eyes lustrous. Avoid overcooking for best benefits. Steam or sauté, instead.
• Orange and other vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and fibre work against under-eye puffiness.
Skin
• Probiotic yoghurt: It contains good bacteria that help your skin look healthy. Eczema sufferers can benefit a great deal from a daily intake.
• Fish: Oily fish such as sardines and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids that reduce skin inflammation and keep it moisturised. They also promote elasticity, keeping wrinkles at bay.
• Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, etc., contain antioxidant phytonutrients that get rid of free radicals in the blood and guard your collagen, thereby boosting skin repair. Collagen makes your skin supple, smooth and plump.
Nails
• Have chicken, turkey, pork, milk, cheese, yeast, peanuts, beans, wholegrain cereals to avoid brittle nails. Pumpkin seeds are one of the most concentrated non-meat sources of zinc. But many vegetarian foods also contain phytic acid that binds with zinc, making it unavailable to the body. Hence, take a Vitamin C supplement. It will make zinc more available.
Hair
• Poultry: Lean meats like chicken and turkey provide high quality proteins, essential for growth, repair and maintenance. Low-fat milk products such as skimmed milk, yogurt and cottage cheese are great sources too. If you like eggsand don’t suffer from high cholesterol, have one yolk a day. It contains Vitamin B-12 which promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss.
• Salmon: It contains omega-3 fatty acids, B12 and iron.
• Flaxseeds: What salmon does for non-vegetarians, flax seed does for vegans.
• Oysters: Try oysters for faster hair growth. They contain zinc.
• Whole wheat and brown rice: Make sure you include whole wheat, brown rice and fortified cereals in your everyday diet.

A pill to make big bellies disappear
A drug that has been used to treat asthma sufferers for 40 years may help fat people shed up to five kilograms a week, say Australian researchers.
The main ingredient in Ventolin could be the key behind the magical weight loss.
A firm Down Under is planning to develop a slow-release capsule form of salbutamol, known as r-salbutamol. The company claims the drug can reduce body weight by 2 to 3 per cent a week and could be on the market in three years.
Stirling Products says it could prove to be a "massive blockbuster" because salbutamol had been proven safe.
Salbutamol administered to asthmatics acts on smooth muscle to reduce bronchial spasms, but managing director Peter Boonen said a capsule form of the drug could "turn off fat receptors".
"It will move weight fairly rapidly, but it won’t be available over the counter. Doctors will prescribe it for 14 days, then review progress,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.
Salbutamol is a beta-2 agonist, which has the same effect on the adrenergic system as exercise, resulting in weight loss, an increase in muscle mass and a reduced appetite. It is rapidly excreted in urine but tolerance usually develops within days.