Rapid technological and industrial developments have made our lives easier, causing a steep rise in the occurrence of lifestyle related diseases. Childhood obesity, one of the leading causes of concern among many, can be stopped in its tracks. Read on to find out how.

Diabetes, obesity and heart disease are among the three most prominent health issues today, all of them are linked to certain lifestyle factors and improper diet. Watching your child put on kilos rapidly can be scary, which is why it’s exceptionally important to keep a watch on your child’s eating habits and lifestyle.

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Studies continue to unlock the medicinal benefits of tea, which has been touted to help with everything from headaches to depression since Ancient times.

Nutritionist Patricia Bannan has provided eight reasons to why we should drink tea.

Tea contains a small amount of natural fluoride, a chemical that can help prevent tooth decay, she said.

When fluoride mixes with saliva, bacteria can’t produce the acid by-products that promote cavities. Additionally, fluoride works to repair teeth in the early stages of tooth decay, she explained.

Studies also show catechins (antioxidants) in green tea extract may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat, especially in the abdominal (belly) area.

Thanks to its polyphenols (the antioxidants found in tea), sipping on a cup may have cancer-fighting effects.

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More young women suffer from cardiovascular problems than men, heart experts have revealed.

According to British Heart Foundation (BHF) research, there are 710,000 women across the UK, aged 16-44, living with heart disease compared to 570,000 men, the Independent reported.

Professor Peter Weissberg, BHF medical director, said clear signs of heart complaints are going unnoticed by women.

“There’s a great tendency for women to ignore symptoms because they think of it as a man’s problem. Women are affected by heart disease and sometimes more than men,” he said.

Doctors believe the higher rates among women are due in part to their susceptibility to certain rarer diseases, such as coronary artery dissection, where around eight out of ten cases are women.

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Foods that contain antioxidants have an amazing ability to fight against cardiovascular diseases, cancer, aging and a lot more! Here’s a list of foods rich in antioxidants that will keep you young and away from various diseases!

Medical experts opine that the amount of antioxidants in your body is directly proportional to the number of years you will live. So what exactly are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are actually substances which help the free radicals (an atom or group of atoms) in your body to neutralize by stabilizing their chemical structure. They are also said to slow down aging and prevent heart diseases.

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Don’t go bananas: Lose weight the healthy way!

Crash dieting has side effects

Crash dieting may appear to be an effective way to lose weight in a jiffy, but it is certainly not as far as your health is concerned. Crash diets cause a great deal of harm to the body and mind. They are harmful and lack in nutrition, and are no good for you.

No crash diets, here’s why!

1. Re-bound weight gain: With crash dieting, the body conserves the little energy that it gets and the metabolism slows down. The dieter hits a plateau and loses motivation to do more and starts eating again, and the weight gain this time around is likely to be higher as a result of an already slow metabolism.

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Eating dark chocolate can protect men against heart disease and stroke, scientists have claimed.

The benefits include anti-clotting effects which are activated within two hours in both sexes, and with greater impact in men, the Daily Mail reported.

Having a piece of chocolate a day – not just at Christmas – could be the secret to staying heart healthy, according to scientists at the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health.

Lead researcher Dr Baukje de Roos, from the Rowett Institute, said, “It’s an acute effect in the body that men and women both benefit from, but it’s more diluted in women.”

“These findings are not a carte blanche to eat chocolates as they are extremely rich in fat and sugar.

“But probably eating a little bit of dark chocolate containing at least 70 per cent cocoa every day is going to do more good than harm,” she added.

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