Why is Proper Nutrition Important?

Like a finely-tuned racing car, your body needs the right fuel (food) and regular maintenance (exercise, lifestyle and mental attitude) to achieve its true health potential. Nothing is more important than healthy eating! Put in the wrong fuel or let it go without regular use and there's no way it can deliver its full power and performance. Without healthy eating, your body's engine will cough, splutter and eventually stall. 

Maintaining a balanced diet by healthy eating can:

• Give you vitality and energy for life
• Help you stay at a weight that's right for you
• Boost your immune system
• Delay the effects of aging
• Keep you active and fit into old age
• Help beat tiredness and fatigue
• Enhance your ability to concentrate
• Improve sports performance
• Ward off serious illnesses like heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes,  gall bladder disease etc

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disorder that reduces patients’ quality of life and imposes a significant economic burden to the healthcare system. The disorder is characterized by the presence of a cluster of symptoms and signs including cramping, increased gas, abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, food intolerance, and bloating. For some people, IBS involves incontinence or a feeling of incomplete evacuation. Some patients have no abdominal pain in the morning, and get stomachaches in the afternoon. Others go for two weeks without pain, and then have a day of crippling pain. These effects of IBS may cause you to feel you're not living life to the fullest, leading to discouragement or depression.http://www.thesunweekly.co.ke/index.php/health/item/265-irritable-bowel-syndrome

Dementia cases to nearly triple by 2050: report

The number of people with dementia worldwide will nearly triple from 47 million today to 132 million in 2050, a report said Tuesday.

 

Dementia is an umbrella term for degenerative diseases of the brain characterised by a gradual decline in the ability to think and remember.

 Accounting for well over half of cases, Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.

As the world gets older, the number of people with dementia is set to increase exponentially, notes the World Alzheimer Report 2015, produced by Alzheimer's Disease International. http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/health/Dementia-cases-to-nearly-triple-by-2050-report/-/1954202/2845128/-/fagucj/-/index.html

More evidence that fried food raises heart attack risk

People who eat lots of fried food and sugary drinks have a 56 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to those who eat healthier, US researchers said Monday.

The findings in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States.Researchers found that people who regularly ate what was described as a Southern style diet — fried foods, eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham, and sugary drinks — faced the highest risk of a heart attack or heart-related death during the next six years.

http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/health/More-evidence-that-fried-food-raises-heart-attack-risk/-/1954202/2828118/-/11n5w4wz/-/index.html 

Breast cancer risk is higher among women who drink a glass of wine a day say researchers

BY Mirror

Updated Wednesday, July 29th 2015 at 21:41 GMT +3
Alcohol Concern fears 3,000 cases each year of the killer disease could be the result of alcohol consumption, which is thought to increase oestrogen production.
New research has highlighted the link between alcohol and breast cancer prompting new warnings to women to drink less
More than a million British women aged over 50 took part in the Oxford University study which saw them fill in a questionnaire after having a breast scan.
The study found those who drink a glass a day were between 7 and 12 per cent more likely to get breast cancer, according to a fact sheet published by charity Alcohol Concern.
Experts encouraged women to have more alcohol free days and drink less. 
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/article/2000170906/breast-cancer-risk-is-higher-among-women-who-drink-a-glass-of-wine-a-day-say-researchers 

5 ways to keep stress — and blood pressure — down

When it comes to preventing and treating high blood pressure, one often-overlooked strategy is managing stress. If you often find yourself tense and on-edge, try these strategies to reduce stress.

• Get enough sleep. Inadequate or poor-quality sleep can negatively affect your mood, mental alertness, energy level, and physical health.
• Learn relaxation techniques. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, deep breathing exercises, and yoga are powerful stress-busters.
• Strengthen your social network. Connect with others by taking a class, joining an organization, or participating in a support group.
• Hone your time-management skills. The more efficiently you can juggle work and family demands, the lower your stress level
• Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask for help from people around you. If stress and anxiety persist, ask for professional help.