Pasta-rich diet may ‘prevent pounds from piling on’, says study

“Pasta DOESN’T make you fat – it actually helps weight loss,” the Daily Mail reports. In the latest round of the nutrition wars, carbs are fighting back, with a study showing that a diet rich in pasta was linked to lower body mass index (BMI). The researchers used survey data and body measurements taken from over 23,000 Italian adults and found that pasta, as part of a healthy Mediterranean diet, is associated with lower BMI and smaller waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. The researchers speculate that healthy amounts of pasta may…

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Want to Delay Death? Then Swim, Dance or Get on The Court: Study

Swimming, racquet sports and aerobics are associated with the best odds of staving off death, and in particular of reducing the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, scientists said on Tuesday. In a study of various types of exercise and their risk levels, the researchers found that participation in specific sports showed significant benefits for public health, and urged doctors and policymakers to encourage people to take them up. While the research, published in the British Journal and Sports Medicine, showed no added advantage for people who favour…

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Reliance on Food Pantries Can Make Healthy Eating Difficult

One month’s food assistance for one to two people is displayed at the Blackstone Valley CAP food pantry in Pawtucket, Rhode Island December 2, 2008. Reuters/Brian Snyder People who rely on food pantries for their meals may not receive enough dairy, fruits or vegetables to get all the nutrients they need for a healthy diet, two recent studies suggest. Part of the problem is that many volunteer-supported food pantries set up to provide occasional assistance to families during temporary setbacks have instead become the main source of food for long…

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Climate Change Affects Nearly All Life on Earth

Most life on Earth is already being changed by the warming climate, even though the rise in global temperature since pre-industrial times has been rather slight, researchers warned on Thursday. The study in the journal Science found that 82 percent of key ecological processes — including genetic diversity and migration patterns — are being altered by global warming. These effects extend to land, oceans and freshwater environments, even though temperatures have risen just about 1.87 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) over pre-industrial times due to fossil fuel burning. “We now…

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We Can Survive on Fruit Diet, Says Chef Ranveer Brar

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar believes that fruit diet is the only food habit that a human body can survive on for a lifetime. The chef was present here on Tuesday at the launch of Belgian Conference Pears brought to the Indian market by IG International in association with BelOrta. “If you look at our ancient eating tradition, you will see that ‘Phalahar’ is the only eating habit that gives human body everything that it’s needed. So, I strongly believe that fruit diet is the only food habit that a human…

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Discourse on Pollution Only When Delhi Got Affected

Though the problem of pollution in India has been endemic, it is only when the national capital has been affected that the problem has got media attention, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday. “Pollution has captured the media attention only when Delhi is affected. Otherwise, pollution has been an endemic problem in this country since decades,” Jairam Ramesh, a former Union Minister, said at an Indo-US workshop here on air pollution. The workshop, organised by US government’s National Institute of Environment and Health Sciences (NIEHS) and The Indo-US…

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