Fatty Food May Up Mental Problems in Children

Love to binge on fatty foods such as oily samosas and cheese-laden pizzas? Beware, as a new study warns that such children may be at risk of developing cognitive and psychiatric problems such as schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease in their adulthood. According to the study, diets rich in fat deplete the levels of a key protein known as reelin which help synapses in the brain to work properly. This hampers behavioural flexibility and memory. Low levels of reelin have been associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in…

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5 Everyday Food to Help Control Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Hypertension is one of the most common lifestyle diseases today, with every fifth person we meet suffering from it. A critical step in preventing and treating high blood pressure is making the right lifestyle choices. These lifestyle changes can help reduce your blood pressure along with the use of prescribed medications. Many of us become excessively dependent on allopathic medicines, which can have side effects if taken in the long term. Instead, a holistic approach to wellness and comprehensive coaching can ensure you a better quality of life. A little…

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Peanut Butter Redux: More on Food Allergies

This week, we revisit the enthusiastically debated Oct. 2 column about food allergies in the workplace. To recap: After a peanut-allergic letter writer (LW) asked a colleague to stop bringing peanut butter sandwiches to work, someone deliberately smeared peanut butter on the LW’s desk, causing an allergic reaction. The boss dismissed the LW’s complaint and said the LW shouldn’t be able to dictate what co-workers eat. Many commenters argued that employees with severe food allergies are exclusively responsible for protecting themselves at work. The Americans With Disabilities Act, however, says…

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Lack of Time is Not the Only Reason Parents Buy Prepackaged Food

Many parents may be too busy to cook family dinners, but fighting the clock isn’t the only reason they turn to microwaveable frozen meals, a recent U.S. study suggests. Sure, 57 percent of parents cite lack of time as a reason for purchasing prepackaged processed meals, the study found. But half of them also said they shopped for factory-made food because their family preferred it. And often, parents said they also didn’t feel confident in their ability to cook or plan meals. “Ultimately, as a society, we need to increase…

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Are Some Kids Genetically More Vulnerable to Food Advertising?

Children exposed to food advertisements are more likely to overeat, especially if they have a specific version of a gene linked to obesity, a recent study suggests. A gene known as the fat mass and obesity-associated gene, or FTO, comes in various slightly different versions, and was the first to be linked to obesity by genetic studies, the researchers write October 18 in the International Journal of Obesity. These kinds of genes interacting with an environment full of junk food ads may make children more likely to reach for a…

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French Chef Boulud’s Restaurant Fined $1.3 Million for Wire in Food

A piece of metal wire in a plate of coq au vin could cost award-winning French chef Daniel Boulud dearly: a jury has fined one of his restaurants  $1.3 million after a diner swallowed it and needed emergency surgery. The customer, Barry Brett, went with his wife in February 2015 to db Bistro Moderne on West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan, not far from Times Square. It is one of several Boulud restaurants in the Big Apple, opening in 2001 and known for its gourmet burgers. Shortly after he began…

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