Diet and Weight Loss

Despite all the efforts of outreach many Canadians still don't follow healthy diet plans and eating habits. Less than 30 percent of the people in Montreal are conscious about healthy food. People continue to avoid diets that are said to be healthy and include fruits, vegetables, dairy products and whole grains. The Healthy Agency of Montréal noted again this morning showing what types of food the citizens have chosen to consume between 2002 to 2007.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal shows that eating a Mediterranean diet focused on fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds, and olive oil can extend life. Combining a Mediterranean diet with reduced meat intake, and consuming moderate amounts of alcohol can also contribute to longevity.

To preserve your cardiovascular system, it is important to have a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and Omega3 fatty acids. Spanish research finds that Mediterranean diet is good for heart health and metabolic syndrome.

The Mediterranean diet, and a serving of nuts every day, control the metabolic syndrome - including weight problems, high cholesterol or hypertension - among seniors with a high risk of heart disease. This is what shows a Spanish study, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the Laval University have looked at the virtues and benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The research team of Dr. Benoît Lamarche, Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods of Laval University (INAF) has presented the results of research where they measured the virtues of a Mediterranean diet.

We have heard about the many benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Food prepared with Mediterranean diet recipes have shown to to improve heart health, stroke, longevity*, diabetes and now helping COPD according to a Thorax study.

It is expected that by 2020 lung diseases collectively known as the chronic obstructive bronchopneumonia (COPD) will become a major cause of death worldwide.

Results of a new study show that drinking fat-free milk, rather than juice for breakfast, can help cut calories at lunchtime and contribute to overall weight loss. Researchers recently studied 34 overweight individuals, finding the group consumed 50 fewer calories at lunchtime. They found that drinking fat free milk allowed the group to feel fuller and more satisfied longer, leading to less calorie consumption at lunch. Drinking fat free milk in the morning may help with weight loss.

Is weight loss surgery the new 'cosmetic surgery'? Is it now a personal choice for those looking for enhanced physical appearance rather than purely on health grounds? Does weight loss surgery have unwelcome psychological consequences?

Making your diet low carbs and thus, reducing modestly carbs from your food may help weight loss. A new study shows that eating fewer carbs might cut food cravings by making us feel fuller longer. The study has implications for weight loss that go beyond traditional methods of losing weight that focus on calorie restriction and low to no carbohydrate dieting.

The Hong Kong Department of Health called on members of the public not to buy or use a slimming product named "Super Slim (Yani)" which was found to have contained sibutramine and phenolphthalein, both of which can cause serious side effects.

The appeal was made following an investigation into a report by the Hospital Authority concerning a 16-year-old girl with psychiatric symptoms after consuming the slimming product.

Health Canada is warning consumers not to use the unauthorized product Slim Magic Herbal, which is promoted as a weight-loss product, as it was found to contain an undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient similar to the prescription drug sibutramine. Canadians who have this Slim Magic Herbal product are advised to immediately discontinue its use.