Ignorance about calories putting millions at risk
IANS
The Hindu It is important for people to be able to make informed choices about food, says Maya Monteiro, senior education manager at World Cancer Research Fund. File Photo: M. Periasamy
Millions of people are unaware of the calories they take in their daily meal and thus risking themselves to be affected by diseases like cancer, diabetes or heart ailments due to their uninformed choices in everyday life, a study has suggested.
According to a survey commissioned for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), in Britain, two-thirds of adults underestimated the level of calories in foods such as houmous and so-called “light” mayonnaise. Just 32 per cent correctly said houmous was high in calories and only 29 per cent said that low-fat mayo was also high in calories, the Daily Express reported.
The fact is both houmous and ‘light’ mayonnaise are actually high-calorie foods. It shows how there is a “troubling” lack of understanding about the calorie content of foods.
As per the YouGov poll, confusion about terms such as “light” or “reduced fat” was compounding the problem. This is a major concern since being an overweight is a key factor in causing a range of diseases from cancer and heart disease to diabetes.
A fifth — 20 per cent — of the 2,128 adults questioned for the research thought bananas were high in calories even though the fruit contains just 95 calories per 100g on average.
“Many people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight but it is important that they understand how to determine whether a food is high in calories. It is important for people to be able to make informed choices about food,” says Maya Monteiro, senior education manager at WCRF.
Given a balanced diet, iron deficiency should not be an issue
DPA
The Hindu If you eat a balanced diet there is no reason to go without coffee and tea, says Renner-Weber, a dietician based in Bonn, Germany. File Photo: R. Ragu
Eating properly is an essential part of keeping fit and healthy, and has long been a standard part of doctor’s orders.
Making sure you get enough iron is the key to doing so, although a few tips are in order.
“Iron sourced from animal products is more readily taken up by the body than that of vegetable origin. In the case of iron from animal products, take-up is between 15 and 35 per cent, whereas with vegetable iron it is just 5 per cent,” according to Petra Renner-Weber, a dietician based in Bonn, Germany.
Meat in some form or other should thus be on the menu two or three times a week. This can be augmented by consuming vegetable products rich in iron, such as beetroot, pulses and whole grain cereals. Fish is also a good source.
There are tricks to enhance iron take-up from vegetables. “Vitamin C, protein and organic acids like lactic acid promote iron take-up,” Renner-Weber says. “One should drink a glass of orange juice with a meal, eat a salad, or, alternatively, have yoghurt for desert.” She advises vegetarians to avoid drinking either tea or coffee after a meal, as the tannin they contain inhibits the body’s ability to absorb iron. The same applies to substances like phosphates and oxalic acid, which occur in rhubarb, spinach and cocoa.
With iron from animal sources, coffee and tea are less of a problem. “The iron contained in them is stable in the face of external effect, and the body is able to absorb it readily,” Renner-Weber says.
A diet rich in iron could look as follows: for breakfast, wholegrain muesli with dried fruit and nuts, accompanied by a glass of orange juice; for the main meal at lunch a portion of meat, accompanied by broccoli and potatoes; and for a light evening meal, wholegrain bread, some smoked fish and beetroot.
“If you eat a balanced diet there is no reason to go without coffee and tea,” Renner-Weber says. “And a cup of coffee after the midday meal is also fine.”
