Salmonella outbreak linked to watermelons

A salmonella outbreak may have been caused by contaminated watermelons, health experts said.

Thirty five people in the UK have fallen ill with an infection caused by the same strain of Salmonella Newport since the start of December 2011, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

The people affected in the outbreak ranged in age from six months to 85 years. One person has died, although they had serious underlying health complications, the HPA said.

Other cases by the same strain of bacterium have also been confirmed in Ireland and Germany.

Infection with Salmonella Newport causes illness similar to other forms of Salmonella infection, with symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.

Seventy per cent of cases were women, with the East of England registering the highest number of cases.

Dr Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal diseases department at the HPA, said: "Although it’s too soon to say with certainty what the likely cause of infection is, early indications suggest that a number of people became unwell after eating watermelon.

"This has also been noted in the cases in Scotland and Germany, although further investigation is ongoing.

"It is always advisable to wash fruits and vegetables – including watermelon – before consumption to reduce the risk of possible illness."

Salmonella Newport has been found in many different foods in previous UK outbreaks. The largest one was in 2004 and was associated with the consumption of lettuce in restaurants and takeaways.

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Orthorexia: the “healthy” eating disorder

The idea seems surprising. How can trying to eat well become a health problem? How can wanting to take care of your body by adopting a healthy diet lead to a behavioural disorder?

The answer is that “healthy eating” can become a problem when this well-meaning quest falls into excess, and eating “pure” meals becomes the day’s sole preoccupation. This disorder is known as orthorexia. Doctissimo gives you the lowdown on this quest for the perfect diet.
What is orthorexia?

Orthorexia is a recently identified problem which Dr Steven Bratman was the first to describe in 19971. The term comes from the Greek “orthos” meaning right or correct, and “orexis” which means appetite.2 This eating disorder is characterised by a pathological obsession with eating healthily and ends up with numerous food restrictions. Orthorexics will often exclude any food from their diet which contains pesticides, herbicides or other chemical products from their diet.

Bulimics, anorexics and orthorexics all have a distorted attitude towards their food. But where anorexics begin to under-nourish themselves in order to lose weight and bulimics eat excessively without feeling either hunger or satisfaction; orthorexics put emphasis on the quality of food rather than the quantity. “For orthorexics, the objective is to be in good health. They fear the effects of the environment on the body and seek to reduce these by eating healthy, good quality food,” explains Catherine Dijuste, therapist and specialist in eating disorders.

Another big difference between these three food-related problems is that there is no “physiological” aspect to orthorexia, as there is in cases of anorexia and bulimia. “This is one of the reasons why orthorexia is not considered an illness”, the specialist adds.
Orthorexia: what are the risks?

Since orthorexics refuse all food which they judge to be “impure,” and sufferers spend most of their time developing different meals according to their special rules, their social lives can gradually disintegrate. It is difficult to dine at friends’ houses or to go to restaurants when not knowing where the food has come from and how it was prepared is an issue. It is exactly this social isolation which is the most serious consequence of this obsession.

Catherine Dijuste is more reassuring on the subject of the health risks associated with orthorexia: “Orthorexia is all about wanting to be healthy. As a result, the sufferer will eat “well”, not wanting to risk developing any kind of deficiency,” except for in certain, extreme cases where orthorexia becomes too restrictive and leads to weight loss and serious nutritional deficiencies. Dr Bratman describes this rarer, more serious, and sometimes fatal version as orthorexia nervosa.

According to the specialist, the main problem is dietary education given to children by orthorexic parents: “Orthorexic parents try to transfer their fear of “poisonous” foods to their children and there is a risk that the children might then become anorexic or bulimic in adolescence. The risk of obsessional disorders becomes greater, because eating becomes a source of worry and guilt for them.”
Profile of an orthorexic

Not considered as ill, and therefore not treated by medical professionals, it is difficult to estimate the number of orthorexics. However, thanks to certain studies, it has been shown that orthorexia mostly affects adults, with women and people who play sport regularly being the most at risk. For adolescents, “It can be a way of hiding another problem, like anorexia,” Catherine Dijuste speculates. Young girls will explain their new diet by affecting a concern for eating well and staying healthy.

People suffering from orthorexia are often very fastidious and organised, with a keen eye for detail. They want to stay in perfect health above anything else, warding off illness and staying slim (synonymous with good health for them) and will develop their own strict dieting rules, which they will force themselves to follow.

Fatty foods, sugar, salt, chemicals... Orthorexics flee from everything they consider to be poison for the body. They generally consume organic products, and in some cases may become vegetarian or vegan.

If the rules of the diet are ever broken, orthorexics are seized by a strong feeling of guilt and will try to do everything they can to “re-purify” their body: diet, detox and deprivation...
Are we all would-be orthorexics?

At a time when health warnings urge us not to eat too much sugar or salt, and to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day or risk endangering our health, are we all condemned to become orthorexic?

No according to Catherine Dijuste: “We do not all become orthorexic as the development of this disorder requires certain pre-existing conditions.” Conditions that the specialist defines as a certain fragility: “People with fluctuating self-esteem and who are slightly paranoid, always in control and trying to forget certain problems in their lives by projecting them onto food are more likely to suffer from orthorexia than others.”

The Bratman Test: Steven Bratman designed a test in order to attempt to identify people who are orthorexic. If you respond “yes” to four or five of the questions, you should try to adopt a more flexible attitude towards your diet. If you respond “yes” to all the questions, you could potentially be suffering from orthorexia, and it could be worthwhile consulting a nutritional specialist to find out more.

Do you spend more than three hours a day thinking about your diet?
Do you plan your meals a few days in advance?
Is the nutritional value of a meal, in your eyes, more important than the taste and the pleasure of eating it?
Is your quality of life affected negatively when the quality of your diet improves?
Have you recently become more demanding of yourself?
Is your other half forced to eat healthily because of you?
Have you given up foods which you previously liked in favour of “healthy” foods?
Does your diet prevent you from going out, distancing you from your family and friends?
Do you feel guilty when you stray from your regime?
Do you feel at peace with yourself and feel in control when you eat healthily?

1. Dr Steven Bratman’s Orthorexia Home Page
2. "Orthorexia nervosa. A new eating behaviour disorder?" Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2005 Jan-Feb;33(1):66-8

Sources :

Interview with Catherine Dijuste, therapist, eating disorder specialist, member of French study group on obesity and overwieght (GROS)
Orthorexia Nervosa – US National Eating Disorders Association
The European Food Information Council

Article source:http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/orthorexia-healthy-eating-disorder-195041578.html

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The 9 golden rules of digestion

Good digestions help us to avoid from bloating and to keep our digestive system to function properly. This 9 golden rule will help you to achieve a healthy digestive system.
1. Always sit down to eat, and if possible relax
2. Observe good posture – sit up and put your shoulders back, no hunching over the desk typing with one hand whilst cramming a sandwich in with the other
3. Chew like a maniac. It’s free and it’s vital – try to give each mouthful at least 20 chews, which will feel impossible at first but really pays off
4. Don't drink anything for at least 20 minutes before or after food
5. Apart from that, drink at least 1.5 litres of still, plain water daily
6. Keep away from coffee out and have a maximum of 2 cups of real tea daily
7. Avoid fizzy drinks completely
8. Have fruit first thing or around 3pm, away from other food
9. Only eat wheat at one meal, maximum, and never have it white – go for wholemeal everything
Follow the above steps to keep you healthy and stay fit, healthy lifestyle starts with a good healthy digestive system. Happy eating!

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Fresh or dried fruit – which is better?

Fresh fruit comes packaged as nature intended and therefore it contains all the vitamins, minerals, fibre, phytochemicals and antioxidants you might expect. Fruit also contains water — and lots of it. An apple for example is approximately 85% water and grapefruits, water melons and strawberries all contain over 90% water by weight.

This water content can not only contribute to your daily fluid requirement but it also adds bulk and volume to the fruit which helps to make you feel satisfied and full - a real plus point for anyone looking to control their weight.

As the name suggests, dried fruits have had most of their water content removed. This, in effect, concentrates the remaining nutrients into a smaller volume which is why dried fruits, weight for weight, are often richer in fibre, iron and other key vitamins and minerals. However, this also means dried fruits will also be richer in calories and sugar.


This is partly due to the concentrated nature of dried fruits but also because some dried fruits have sugar added during the drying process. This reduction in overall volume plus the increase in calories and sugar content means that, if you are watching your weight, you will need to keep a keen eye on the quantity of dried fruits you consume.

The drying process varies from fruit to fruit but several dried fruits are also treated with sulphur dioxide as it helps to preserve colour and flavour. There is little evidence to suggest this is hazardous to most people however it can cause skin rashes, stomach upsets and asthma attacks in some susceptible people.

Sulfur dioxide also eliminates the Vitamin B1 or thiamine content within the fruit which in itself is not too much or a problem as vitamin B1 is fairly readily available in foods so a deficiency of this vitamin is rare.


Fruits that are dried without the use of sulfur dioxide are often less appealing to look at though as they tend to be more discoloured. For example, apricots dried without the use of sulphur dioxide tend to be brown and far less appetizing to look at than those treated with sulfur dioxide which are likely to retain more of their original orange colour and shape.

If in doubt, select organic dried fruits wherever possible as these will not have had sulfur dioxide added.

The drying process can also deplete other valuable water soluble nutrients such as vitamin C and other B vitamins. However, eaten in smaller quantities to avoid excess calorie and sugar consumption dried fruits still make a really, excellent alternative to most other commercially prepared snacks.

So, in short, as long as you don't over do it, most dried fruits are a healthy, convenient and nutritious snack. However, fresh fruits are likely to be richer in immune boosting vitamin C and if weight loss is your goal, their high water content will help with hunger control, helping you to feel fuller for longer.

Article source:http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/rachael-anne-hill/fresh-dried-fruit-150344111.html#more-id

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Powerful tips weight loss diet

Everyone knows that most people would like to lose weight, but most don't seem to know the best way to lose weight. To start seeing differences, you have to make some changes in your habit and lifestyle.

Let me share a few very vital weight loss statistics Before I start:

- 64 percent of people in the United States are overweight - Obesity is responsible for 325,000 deaths every year. Alright as you can see Weight Management is a huge Problem in the United States, So we are constantly searching for that miracle drug to help us with weight loss diet.

You may not want to hear, it but it's true - there is no magic spell when it comes to losing weight. However, there are some things that you can do in order to lose fat as quickly as possible.

Here are Six great weight loss tips:

If you favour the traditional route of diet and exercise, then the following tips given below should work greatly to help with weight lose diet:-

1. Eliminate Eating Junk Food.

Most of your efforts to reduce your weight will be unsuccessful of you are unable resist eating junk and processed foods. These primarily consist of fast foods and snack foods such as burgers, pizza, fries, potato chips etc. All of these foods offer very poor nutritional value and it consequently makes no sense at all to carry on eating them. Keep in mind - you will not be able to physically improve on an insufficient diet. You must look carefully at the contents of your cupboard, fridge and freezer and make certain that you switch all sugary and greasy foods with nourishing, healthy alternatives.

2. Drink a Lot of Water- Although you may have heard it over and over again, it is really true. Drinking water not only replenishes your system but also promotes weight loss. How is that possible? Well, as we all know, water is a fluid that directly passes your colon, so drinking water can flush away those toxins and unwanted fats. Drink at least 8 glasses a day for best results.

Water is essential to life and a healthy body. Dehydration will wreak havoc on you and your fitness goals. If you are dehydrated your body cannot function at its optimal level. For example, your muscles will loose strength, you won't burn fat as quickly, and you'll feel tired and fatigued.

3. Reduce the Size of Your Portions-

You should eat five or six small portions each day at regular intervals of about 4 - 5 hours. This will aid appetite suppression and boost your rate of metabolism, causing you to burn additional fat without the need for too much physical effort.

4. Lower Your Calorie Consumption Without Deprivation. Do this by steadily reducing the amount of calories that you get through by a small quantity each day. This will tot up very quickly, but be aware that you will not start to lose weight until you reach the point at which you are expending a more calories than you eat each day. This incremental approach will help to cut down snacking and binging, which would clearly put you straight back where you began.

5. You Want to Start Exercising Regularly-

This doesn't need to be anything excessive, but simply put: working out is almost certainly the most effective way to lose weight and enhance your general heath. Diets by themselves may assist you with losing some weight, but they are not able to improve your stamina, physical fitness, flexibility, mental state and help you achieve numerous other benefits in the way that regular exercise can.

Additionally, exercise is another technique to increase your metabolism, which, once more, helps you to burn off additional fat in less time.

6. Sleep Well- Practice a Good Night Sleep

Sleeping is a favorite quick weight loss tip since it is one of the most effortless. Do not understand the power of having enough sleep. It is vital to your overall weight loss plan. Medical research has proven that sleep deprivation would induce hunger, and improve appetite. This often results in excessive eating. Likewise, having sufficient sleep of at least 8 hours helps to bring a balance to the leptin level and aids weight loss.

There you have the Building block to A Permanent Weight Loss.

There are many ways in which an individual can choose to lose weight. The problem is that diet, and exercise alone for some people still isn't enough, and may leave them struggling to reach their weight loss goals. For many people changing their diet, exercising, and taking nutritional supplements or weight loss products in combination can be the perfect answer to lose weight.

One such supplement is acai for weight loss. Acai is a form of berry that is found in the Amazon, and holds tremendous antioxidant properties. It is also used to increase energy levels, and to improve digestive health. Acai can also help to prevent free radical damage, and diseases like cancer, heart disease, and premature aging. It's the combination of all of these benefits that make acai for weight loss a great option for individuals who need extra assistance.

Acai for weight loss in conjunction with good eating habits, and an exercise routine can be a fast, and healthy way to lose weight. For many, speeding up the process in which they lose weight can help them to feel motivated, and offer them the confidence that they need in order to make the entire weight loss process an easy mental endeavor to embark upon.

One such weight loss product that uses acai is called Acai Berry Select. This is actually offered as a free trial, and is a great way to improve health, and also help to promote healthy weight loss.

Acai berry select can help you lose weight when used as part of a diet and exercise routine-Acai berry contains huge amounts of antioxidants that help to flush the body of toxins, and is most likely the healthiest supplement on the market today.-Acai berry select helps you "lose weight and flush the pounds"

Check this for more information

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