Taste the
difference
finger on
the pulse
Pile
’
em on
If your kids tend to shun new foods,
try introducing lots of them at once.
Researchers from US-based Cornell
University found that when children
were presented with pictures of different
plates, they were drawn to dishes with an
array of colours and as many as seven
different items. So add baby carrots,
cherry tomatoes or cut up cucumbers for
dinner for colourful, healthy fare.
source:
Good Housekeeping
Are you wiped out even after a full night’s
sleep? Your blood iron level might be to
blame. A study in the
Canadian Medical
Association Journal
reported that tired
subjects with less than 50 micrograms of
ferritin (an iron-storing protein) per litre of
blood who took a daily iron supplement
for 12 weeks had a 50 per cent drop in
fatigue. Your diet could also be to blame:
While heme-iron sources (turkey, beef)
are easily absorbed, non-heme iron (in
chocolate, squash) is more effective when
eaten with vitamin C.
source:
Marie Claire
In winter, vitamin D deficiencies are much worse than in sunnier summer months. The
sun’s rays are too wimpy to have much effect. Yet D3 (vitamin D’s most active form)
is essential. It protects you from brittle bones, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes,
diabetes, certain cancers, and even perks up your memory. So stock up.
•
Start with food. Canned salmon is terrific, and canned tuna’s good, too. Each glass
of D-enriched orange juice and non-fat milk will help, too.
•
Take a supplement. Taking it with your omega-3s boosts absorption.
•
Get a blood test for D3 – the only way to know how you’re doing. If it’s low (below
50),
adjust and recheck in three months. Your payoff: Adults with the highest D3
have the fewest “cardiometabolic disorders,” a cluster of health problems that
includes heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
source:
Real Age
In lieu of
sunshine
Obese children have a less sensitive sense of taste compared with kids of
normal weight, a new study suggests. Their blunted ability to distinguish the five
tastes of bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami (an earthy, savoury flavour) may
prompt obese children to eat larger quantities of food to register the same
taste sensation, the researchers said. Exactly why people have differing taste
perceptions is unclear, but genes, hormones, cultural experiences and exposure
to different tastes early in life are all thought to play a part, say the authors.
Previous research indicates that heightened sensitivity to different taste sensations
may help to reduce the amount of food eaten as less is required to get the same
“
taste hit,” the researchers said.
source:
Today Health
sleepiness
Beat the
22
Playtimes