Eat light
Healthy cereals

Reach for the same box of cereal every morning? Choose your breakfast wisely with our guide to the healthiest choices…..
EAT NATURAL FOR
BREAKFAST TOASTED OATS, CAPE GOOSEBERRIES AND PECANS, £2.99 FOR 450G
This is made with 44% oats, with honey and maple syrup to sweeten, plus seeds, fruit and puffed rice. The cape gooseberries give it a nice citrussy tang. It’s completely free from artificial ingredients, and the seeds, nuts and fruit provide essential fats and magnesium. But, despite the oats, it won’t fill you up for as long as porridge would, as the 26% sugar content, albeit natural, raises the Gl too high for it to be sustaining. PER 40G SERVING: 173CALS,7GFAT(1G SATURATED), 10.6G SUGARS, 2.7G FIBRE, TRACE SALT
KELLOGG’S SPECIAL K BLISS CREAMY BERRY CRUNCH, £2.79 FOR 375G
These Special K flakes come with vanilla-flavour cereal clusters and freeze-dried cranberries and raspberries. It has 35% more sugar than standard Special K, but still has added vitamins, including
B complex. C and D. It actually fills you up quite «d, probably as it has a relatively high protein content It’s good if you’re pregnant, as contains about a third of your RDA
PER 406 SERVING: 153 CALS. 1.2G FAT (0.6G SATURATED), 9.26 SUGARS. 1G FIBRE. 0.36G SALT

DORSET CEREALS TASTY, TOASTED SPELT, BARLEY & OAT FLAKES, £3.49 FOR 690G
This delicious combination of barley and spelt flakes, made with 45% nuts, seeds and fruit, may be a good option if you’re mildly wheat intolerant (spelt is more easily digested), but it’s unsuitable for true coeliacs. Also, there’s sulphur dioxide in the pineapple, which some asthmatics can be highly sensitive to, and it contains salt – about 7% of your daily maximum per 40g bowl. Tasty, but doesn’t quite tick all the free-from boxes. PER 40G SERVING: 148 CALS, 4.5G FAT (1G SATURATED). 10.5G SUGARS, 3G FIBRE, 0.4G SALT
for
LIZI’S ORGANIC GRANOLA. £4.99 FOR 500G
If you’re looking for a low-glycaemic-load brekkie that isn’t porridge or ^^^^ eggs, this is a great option. It’s made with oats, Best seeds, rapeseed oil and TOT desiccated coconut. Plus, it’s sweetened with Agave syrup, a natural sweetener with a low G Despite being carb-c-ased, one bowl has the same effect on your blood glucose as just one spoonful c* s jgar. That means it should keep you go all morning-and it’s deliciously crunchy, too. PER 40G SERVING 97 CALS, 11.2G FAT (36 SATURATED), 4G SUGARS, 3G FIBRE.
JORDANS SUPER BERRY MUESLI, £3.18 FOR 700G
This muesli consists of raw and toasted wholegram cereals (including wheat flakes) and is packed with cranberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, morello cherries and whole almonds. As mueslis go, it tastes really tangy and interesting. It’s a source of magnesium, iron and antioxidants, too, but despite sugar not appearing in the ingredients list, it contains 25% sugars, so watch your teeth. Good as a quick snack rather than a particularly sustaining breakfast option. PER 40G SERVING: 139 CALS, 3G FAT (0.4G SATURATED), 10.2G SUGARS, 3.2G FIBRE, TRACE SALT

KELLOGG’S ALL-BRAN CRUNCHY OATBAKES, £2.29 FOR 375G
The high fibre content of these baked oat and wheat bites, with cinnamon and nutmeg, will help a sluggish bowel (though there’s nothing like original All-Bran, with twice the fibre, to get your digestive system moving). One serving has 25% of your RDA of vitamin D, iron and most B vitamins added, and 50% of your RDA of folic acid. It’s 32% sugar, though – that’s two teaspoons per bowl – so be sure not to add any extra. PER 40G SERVING: 158 CALS, 6G FAT (3G SATURATED), 12.8G SUGARS, 4.8G FIBRE, 0.26G SALT

…read more…

Visceral fat, sounds wicked doesn’t it? It’s the level of fat that circles the internal organs of your abdomen. In other words it’s your “pot belly” or “beer gut.” Excesses of fat are risk factors for heart illness and Type 2 diabetes.

What causes stomach fat so important over other kinds of body fat are the inflammatory molecules that visceral fat creates and goes into the bloodstream. These inflammatory molecules circulate through the body and can start a situation recognized as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome presents with symptoms such as elevated blood pressure and decreased HDL cholesterol.

The first and most common suggestion to fight metabolic syndrome is to create alterations in lifestyle, specifically to decrease calories in the diet and increase activity levels. A new research by the University of Illinois has presented that exercise alone may be just as effective as the mixture of diet and exercise.

The twelve-week research was done on rats in four divisions: a sedentary control division, a diet-only group, an exercise-only group, and a group that combined a low fat diet combined with exercise. The only big differences in the visceral fat in the mice at the conclusion of the study were seen in the two divisions that incorporated exercise. Even though the exercise-only group maintained a high fat diet, the exercise established to be enough to decrease the inflammatory belly fat.

This is encouraging news for individuals with a “pot belly” who are starting to show symptoms of metabolic syndrome. The exercise program created for the study was at a very unexceptional level. The human equal of the exercise would be a 30 to 45 minute walk five days each week. The same amount of exercise is recommended by the U.S. Department of Health to reduce the risk of other chronic diseases.

Health benefits can be reached for most individuals by taking on physical activity. This research furthers that claim by presenting direct connection between exercise and reduced abdominal fat. It’s just additional evidence that you must set aside time in your life for a bit of physical activity each day.

Jason Myers is a professional writer and he writes mostly about diet and fitness news. He’s also interested in giving diet tips for everyone.

5 FOODS FOR ENDURANCE
Wholemeal chicken sandwich
‘If you’re looking for fuel, you want food that’s rich in vitamin B (such as wholegrain bread), but combine it with lean protein because your digestive system breaks this down slowly and you release the energy gradually,’ says lan Marber, nutrition consultant at The Food Doctor. ‘Combine this with the faster-acting wholegrains and you’ve got short- and medium-term energy.’
at light
Never underestimate the power of a sardine. These oily fish contain lots of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that keep your blood flowing freely and boost your mood, and which are necessa’, ‘c the efficient fir:::•- -g of your brain and body at cellular level. Sardines are also rich in iron. esseme for keeping your energy levels up. Make trier” c store-cupt
Watercress
Rich in iron – essential for transporting oxygen in the body – watercress is also packed with vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption. Add it to sandwiches and salads for a midday crunch.
Seedy snacks
‘All seeds are a great idea,’ says Angela Dowden. ‘They are packed with essential fats and so will give you a lift, but they have a lower Gl than many snacks.’ Try mixed packs or seed bars.
Baked potato with baked beans Yes, potatoes are high GI: but the beans bring the GI down to medium. The result is a high-fibre, filling lunch that’ll fuel you up for a long, long time…
5 WAYS TO DROP
Downsize your glasses
Those lovely balloon-shaped wine glasses can hold up to a third of a bottle. Search out some 125ml ones, and one glass of red wine will easily shrink from over 160 calories (a 250ml glass) to about 80.
Brush and spray
Instead of sloshing oil into your frying pan. dip a basting brush into a teaspoonful and carefully paint it on; or use a spray for an even greater saving. There are ten calories in ten sprays of a spray oil, and there are more than 120 in ltbsp of cooking oil. You do the maths…
CALORIES
Go to work on an egg
It’s not an urban myth: if you eat a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast you’re likely to consume fewer calories at the following meal than if you’d had a more carb-based start to the day. Just go easy on the buttery toast!
5 FOODS FOR WEIGHT GAIN
Ground almonds
When absolutely nctf w* do except a pece of cafce, try the luxurious gluter-f*ee actons that are face wits g-ounc almonds. A sneaky way to get 3*. protein and cakaum em your (feet
Dressed salad ‘People who can’t put on weight often just have smaller appetites,’ says Angela Dowden. So, to add calories sneakily be more generous with dressing-it’ll add calories (86 in 2tsp of olive oil) without making you feel full.
Not all high-fat foods are bad for you. Avocados are rich in monounsatu rated fat (associated with lower levels of heart disease. Go for the guacamole’
Mezze
A spread of exciting tastes can encourage you to pack away a surprising amount of food. Make variety your friend at every meal.
L Choose yogurt1**
Don’t ditch all dairy on the basis that it’s packed with fat. ‘Low-fat dairy products can be very useful if you’re trying to drop the pounds,’ says Angela Dowden. One theory is that the calcium in dairy decreases the amount of fat your body absorbs. The fat and protein will also keep you satisfied longer, helping you avoid the starve/binge syndrome
Lamb
The fat content in lamb is fine for you, plus it’s mainly a free range meat and is iron-rich, so you can enjoy it with a clear conscience.
Swap a coupie c’ of brown sugar (30 – for a sprinkling of ground cinnamon on your morning porridge; or add cinnamon to apples cooked in a little bit of fruit juice for a sweet and indulgent pudding. T

With loads of healthy benefits, getting your fill of nuts is a tasty way to good health
The spolight was cast on nuts when walnuts hit the health headlines back in 1993. It was found by New Englanf of Medicine that eating 84g(3oz) a day reduced bad (LDL) cholesterol and improved the ratio of good (HDL) to bad cholesterol. Nowadays, nuts and seeds are well known for their super healthy benefits. Full of omega 3 fats, they are also rich in protein and contain lots of fibrre, which is missing from oter protein rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Theu have a low-Gi(glycaemic index) ranking meaning
they slow carbohydrate digestion and prevent blood suger highs and lows, leaving you energised for longer. They are also a brilliant source of minerals, vitamins and phytoestrogens. And they taste nice. Not bad for such little fellas, we reckon.

Brasil nuts
These big fellas are especially high in selenium, an important mineral that is not always easy to find in the EU diet. Selenium works as an antioxidant with vitamin E, and it has long been used by athletes at the Colgan Institute in California, mopping up free redicals produced after intensive exercise.
IN fact, a recent study from New Zealand revealed that brazil nuts are nearly as effective as selenium supplements in rising selenium levels. And a handful will help you more than reach your quota (the recommended daily intake of selenium is 75 mcg). A recent study found just 2 brazils a day provide 53 mcg of selenium, and raise blood selenium levels by about 60 per cent.
Brazils are also the nut richest in phytoestrohens, which can help protect against osteoporosis. What is not to like ?

Almonds
These contain more fibre and more vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, than any other nut. They are also rich in magnesium, essential for the smooth functioning of the nervous system (magnesium protects the sheath which encloses many nerves in the brain and spinal cord). Plus, around 20 almonds contain as much fibre as an apple or orange, so they are great for digestion.

Walnuts
The king of all nuts when it comes to omega-3 content, walnuts also have one of the highest ratios of polyunsaturated(good) to saturated (bad) fats (7:1) of any natural food. Plus they have a high content of alpha-linolenic acid(ALA), a type of omega-3