Alternative Therapies and Health News

According to studies based on a food frequency questionnaire, women whose 40 percentage of calorie intake is from fat, have about 15 percent more risks of having breast cancer than those women whose calorie intake from fat is only 20 percent.  This is true in the case of all types of fat like saturated, monosaturated and polyunsaturated). In laboratory animals, both saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats containing omega-6 fatty acids have shown to increase the growth of breast tumors.

“Other studies have also found these associations; the higher the fat intake, the higher your risk for breast cancer.” says Dr. Anne C. M. Thiebaut from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

In a country like the United States where there are very high incidences of breast cancer, the fat makes up to 34% of their calorie intake. Dietary fat has also shown to increase the risk of breast tumor in laboratory animals. There are studies which have shown that consumption of olive oil reduces the risk of breast cancer. Fish oil also reduces the growth of tumors.

Experts have identified the 5 common mistakes that dieters make, inspite of dieting regularly. There are many reasons why so many people fail at weight loss, and you may be one among such people. Check out these:

1. Eating too many healthy foods. Dawn Blatner, a diet counselor at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute, Chicago says, “Weight loss is about being calorie and portion conscious, many of my clients choose healthful foods, but eat too much of them”.

Solution: When you are eating, you should pay attention to nutrition, but keep track of the calories you are consuming.

2. If it’s not a plate, it doesn’t count. It has been observed that many people try to eat well during mealtimes, but forget about the extra food they had along the way, like a handful of nuts before dinner, or tasting the cookie dough, or eating the food left on your kid’s plate. You should remember that each and every bite counts. Eating four bites a day equals 100 extra calories. So in a month’s time, you nearly add a pound of extra weight.

Solution: To avoid mindless munching, you should eat only at specific times. Try to chew gum while preparing meals or whenever you feel like eating some more. Have a bowl of veggies to nibble when you feel like eating some fries and crunchies.

3. Skipping meals to cut calories. Skipping meals is not a good idea, says Milton Stokes, a nutrition counselor at New York. Skipping the breakfast is the most common. But it is observed that people who don’t eat breakfast, try to compensate for those missed calories by overeating later on.

Solution: Never skip your breakfast or any other meal, to avoid mindless eating later on. Have something healthy in the morning to start your day, it could just be a cup of boiled veggies and toast.

4. Taking the weekends off. Roberta Anding, a clinical and sports nutritionist, in Houston feels that dieting is a 24/7 commitment. She says that her clients follow their diet precisely Monday through Friday, but eat to their heart’s content at weekends.

Solution: Remember that every day is as important as the other. You should not feel guilty about skipping your favorite foods. Try to diet religiously every day of the week.

5. Having Too Many Liquid calories. It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of the calories we consume in a day come from what we drink. And research suggests that these calories do little in satisfying our hunger. Experts warn that by drinking just one sugary soda a day can pack on 15 pounds in a year. And we guess that’s pretty much, don’t you think so ?

Solution: Weight-conscious people should drink low calorie or no-calorie beverages. Even milk should be skimmed or low-fat. Cut down on your intake of alcohol and wine.