Women Over 40: Are You Doing All the 'Right Things' but Still Not Losing Weight?

There is nothing worse than feeling like you are doing all the right things and still not getting anywhere. When it comes to losing weight, there are a lot of women who are frustrated and demoralised because they feel like no matter what they do, they can't get their weight under control.
How can this be?
I think we need to agree that most weight loss advice, while well-meaning, has not enabled the majority of overweight people to make lasting change to their lives. There is something missing.
Let's take a look at some of the most common things women do to lose weight and why they don't deliver the results they may be looking for.
1. "I eat healthy, fresh, natural foods."
Earlier this year, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver expressed befuddlement that even though he was eating "fresh food" he was still gaining weight. This is a common mistake to make.
As I said at the time:

Of course fresh food is great. It's certainly better than 'processed' food. But this does not mean that you can't get fat eating it. Butter can be fresh. Nuts can be fresh. Olive oil can be fresh. All of these things are great, but you will get very fat if you eat a lot of them.

Even fruit can fall into this category. I have seen many clients who ate lots of fruit for lunch, believing that because it was healthy it was a good thing to do. I'm not saying fruit isn't good for you but if the amounts you eat are not based on your body's needs, then it doesn't matter what the food is, it's still unnecessary calories.
Reassess your food portions. Portion sizes can creep up over time. Are you really eating how much you need, or just how much you have become used to eating?


2. "I go to the gym all the time"
If you ever catch an ad for an exercise or ab machine you would be forgiven for believing that sweating it out was the cure for obesity. Of course, exercise has many health benefits, but if you are relying on exercise alone to lose weight, you will be sorely disappointed.
I have encountered a lot of women over 40, who have expressed frustration that despite regular workouts, their weight has stayed the same.
While men can often balance off very unhealthy lifestyles with lots of exercise, it's very difficult for women over 40 to pull off the same trick.
If you don't cut down your calorie intake, you will really struggle to lose weight, no matter how many times you are hitting the gym.


3. "I have tried every diet out there"
It's a sad fact about our society that we still equate the word "diet" with a solution to being overweight. Diets don't work. Temporarily drastically reducing what you eat is never going to be a long-term solution. Even if you do manage to lose weight, what will you do then? Most people stop the diet and they gain back the weight.
For many women I see, this can be frustrating since they can recall diets working when they were younger, but find that as they get older they stop working.
Well, I've got news for you. They never really worked. Temporary weight loss is not the aim. Your aim is not to lose weight, it's to lose weight and keep it off.
A good question to ask yourself with any changes you make is "Will I still be doing this in two years time?" If the answer is no, then you need to find a more long-term solution.
4. "I know everything there is to know about weight loss"
There are many people who can tell you every single 'fact' about weight loss and yet they are still overweight. This often expresses itself in the statement: "I know what to do, I just don't do it".
I would respectfully say that if you're not doing it, then you actually don't know what to do. It's not enough to "know" that you should eat less chocolate. You need to know how to actually make that behavioural change in your life.
Everyone knows that to lose weight you need to "eat less and exercise more". It's knowing how to do it that is the key to success.
Everyone Else is Doing It
Following the standard advice and not seeing results for it is extremely frustrating. But the fact that we have such a big problem with overweight and obesity in our society is testament to the ineffectiveness of that advice.
Ask most people how to lose weight, and they will tell you to diet, exercise and eat healthy foods. There is nothing wrong with this advice on the surface of it, but as you can see, the devil is in the detail.
You can lose weight and keep it off. But it requires taking a different approach. Your focus above all else, should be on how to make lasting changes in your life.

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Six Weeks To OMG Diet 'Really Works' Says Author Venice A Fulton

Forget Atkins. When it comes to the latest diet advice, there’s only one book title on everyones lips.
Six Weeks To OMG: Get Skinnier Than All Your Friends.
The eating plan, which is published paperback today (but has been No 1 on Apple's itunes UK chart for weeks) has come under attack for encouraging competitive weight-loss and extreme diet behaviour such as skipping breakfast, drinking coffee and taking cold baths.
But author Venice A Fulton (real name Paul Khanna), who slightly surprisingly hails from North London, is well prepared to challenge his critics and says that many health professionals are already on his side.
"I've already had doctors say they find it refreshing and useful for them," Fulton said

“I’ve also read reports about my desire to turn women against women, which is literally not even on my radar.”
"And I'm definitely not advocating ice baths, as has been reported - but a cold bath. It should be room temperature, around 20 degrees celsius.
"If you sit in that water, your heart will beat 25 times faster than if you were standing normally in the room. That’s good because it forces your body to increase its metabolic rate and burn fat," he says.
The personal trainer believes that much of conventional wisdom about losing weight is wrong.
“It’s a shame. We’re all running around relying on these scientific cliches that no one ever checks out. I can’t stand that. Life is too short to waste,” he says.
According to Fulton, the way we live doesn't allow our bodies to lose weight.
"Snacking is holding back the whole globe. It’s wholly inappropriate for humans, unless you’re a baby.
"We will not faint or collapse by not having food every three hours. It's a personal trainer driven myth that we must eat more frequently.
“Your body cannot burn fat if there is fuel in your blood stream. That’s not an opinion, that’s the way hormones work. It’s surprising that registered dietitians and doctors, even exercise physiologists, try and refute this fact.”
The 39-year-old advises clients to exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, and eat later on.
“The body has a back-up system called body fat - it’s the ultimate breakfast,” he says.
Fulton started his professional life as a personal trainer in public gyms, after completing a sports science degree at the University of Bedfordshire, but became tired of parroting the “party line” - and so moved into private training.
His methods quickly became less orthodox, as he implemented weight-loss techniques based on research he found personally compelling.
“There are are 21 million journals on the American National Institutes of Health website and I’ve probably looked through 25,000. And yes, of course you can always find research to back up any point of view, but I would not write about this stuff if I didn’t have confidence in it
"This is peoples’ lives, their self-esteem - things that can’t be messed with.”
Fulton believes that if individuals knew more about how their bodies burned fat, weight-loss would be easier to sustain.
"Many personal trainers work like an over glorified abacus, just counting for their clients, which is not enough. It doesn’t last when someone’s not barking at you. Or when you come off the diet.
"It’s all about understanding. That's the long-term key to getting somewhere."
"If you read this book, you’ll become an expert - and it will encourage you to look further. We’re all bright enough to not be talked down to."
So far Fulton has got off lightly from the critics, but he's ready for the avalanche of opinions as the book is published in paperback.
"I expect there will be people who will completely challenge it because it does upset the apple cart in terms of what we’re relying on. And I welcome that debate."

• Skipping breakfast can be healthy

  Fulton says: "In the morning, your body has almost no blood sugar floating around, and you literally have once in a day opportunity to burn stored fat immediately. "That's almost impossible at any other time in the day. "There is evidence to suggest that breakfast skipping in some people is associated with eating more later - but the causal link has never been proven. "We are designed to live off our own structure. Body fat is not meant to be the back-up system. It's meant to be the system that trickles energy into us all day long. Many people eat breakfast out of pure habit.

• Certain fruits instantly block fat loss

  "Fruits and their spin offs like smoothies, certainly contain vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, but they also tend to be rich in fructose." says Fulton. "Fructose stops leptin, our body's fuel gauge, from doing its job. With nothing telling us to pull the gas nozzle out, we keep eating."

• Snacking

  "There's no such thing as a healthy snack," says Fulton. "Anything that is consumed between major meal times is certainly unhealthy. And that covers every single thing that is regarded as a health snack." "Your body must have long gaps between meals to live off its own structure. We're not designed to top up."

• Juices and smoothies cause overeating

  "Smoothies, certainly contain vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, but they also tend to be rich in fructose." says Fulton. "Fructose stops leptin, our body's fuel gauge, from doing its job. With nothing telling us to pull the gas nozzle out, we keep eating."

• Exercise is more than just how much and how hard

  "We widely debate what kind of exercise works best for fat loss, getting hung up on fine details like intensity and duration," says Fulton. "The important consideration is correct timing. It's critical to move early on, as this once-in-a-day opportunity presents a rare combination of high metabolic rate, lower blood sugar, and plenty of time for continued fat burning before shutdown (sleep)."

• Broccoli carbs can be worse than those from Coke

  Fulton says: "In some, the quantity of carbohydrate can itself determine their chance of skinny success, with the specific source of the carbs not making a noticeable difference. "These lucky few can get skinny on the lowest 'quality' carbs, such as soft drinks, as long as they don't have too many. "Being skinny, as opposed to being heavy, is best for general health, but it's worth seeking out nutrients even if your weighing scales delight in saying otherwise."

• Black Coffee

  Fulton says: "Black coffee is very potent for fat burning." "It encourages your body's fat cells to open up and release their contents and you can use up more stored body fat as a fuel. "Just remember to not to add milk or sugar."

• Cold Baths

  "Cold baths are a completely natural metabolism booster. The bath should be 68F/20 degrees celsius, which is room temperature water. "If you sit in that water, your heart will beat 25 times faster than if you were standing normally in the room. That's good because it forces your body to increase its metabolic rate. "The effect can last up to 15 hours in some people. It's incredible and a great way to eradicate a sluggish metabolism," says Fulton.

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Eating Dessert For Breakfast 'Slashes Food Cravings And Prevents Weight Gain'

It sounds too good to be true, but a group of scientists reckon they’ve figured out how to prevent weight-gain and food cravings – and it involves adding a cookie or a slice of cake to your breakfast.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University’s Wolfson Medical Center in Israel believe that dieters would have less trouble fighting off pesky hunger pangs throughout the day if they ate a carbohydrate-rich, protein-packed breakfast – with a helping of dessert.
During the study, researchers enlisted the help of 200 (non-diabetic) obese adults who were split into two groups.
One group was asked to follow a low-carbohydrate diet including a 304-calorie breakfast containing a total of 10g of carbs.

The second group were given a 600-calorie breakfast with 60g carbs and a small ‘sweet’, such as chocolates, cookies, a slice of cake or a doughnut.
Both breakfasts from the two groups included protein-rich foods like egg whites, tuna, cheese and low-fat milk. However, second group (who followed the ‘dessert breakfast’) consumed an extra 15g of protein than the first group.
Although both groups had lost 33 pounds at the study's halfway point (around 15.1kg per person) - those following the low-carb diet, regained 22 pounds during the final four months of the study compared to the ‘dessert for breakfast’ group who regained an average of 15 pounds.

Furthermore, participants who ate dessert for breakfast also noted a reduction in hunger pangs (caused by a dip in ghrelin levels – or the ‘hunger hormone’) and sugary food cravings. The low-carb dieters, however, did not report a change in either of these factors.
Those who ate dessert for breakfast also found it easier to stick to calorie requirements throughout the day.
"The goal of a weight loss diet should be not only weight reduction but also reduction of hunger and cravings, thus helping prevent weight regain," said study author, Daniela Jakubowicz in a statement.

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Atkins, GI Or Low-Fat: Which Diet Works The Best?

According to new research, a low-fat diet offers the least chance for long-term weight loss.

Over four years, researchers at the Children's Hospital Boston looked at how easily volunteers 'regained weight' after following either a low-fat diet, low-glycemic index diet (commonly known as the GI Diet), or low-carbohydrate diet (or Atkins).
Many people can lose weight for a few months, but most have difficulty maintaining clinically significant weight loss over the long term, explains the report.

In a statement the researcher highlight that, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006), only one in six overweight and obese adults report ever having maintained weight loss of at least 10% for one year.
One explanation for the poor long-term outcome is that weight loss elicits biological adaptations, suggests the research.

Specifically a decline in energy expenditure and an increase in hunger—that promotes weight.
According to preliminary research published in the June 27 issue of JAMA, a low-fat diet may increase the risk for weight regain compared to the other diets.
In an examination of the effect on energy expenditure and components of the metabolic syndrome of three types of commonly consumed diets following weight loss, decreases in resting energy expenditure and total energy expenditure were greatest with a low-fat diet, intermediate with a low-glycemic index diet, and least with a very low-carbohydrate diet.

The study, conducted between June 2006 and June 2010, included 21 overweight and obese young adults.

The researchers found that energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance differed significantly among the three diets.
"The results of our study challenge the notion that a calorie is a calorie from a metabolic perspective," the researchers write, in a statement.
"These findings suggest that a strategy to reduce glycemic load rather than dietary fat may be advantageous for weight-loss maintenance and cardiovascular disease prevention.
"Ultimately, successful weight-loss maintenance will require behavioral and environmental interventions to facilitate long-term dietary adherence.
"But such interventions will be most effective if they promote a dietary pattern that ameliorates the adverse biological changes accompanying weight loss," the researchers conclude.

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Weight Depends On When You Eat As Much As What You Eat, Claims Research

Weight may depend as much on when you eat as what, research suggests.
The body clock's effect on metabolism could be an overlooked factor driving obesity, say scientists.
New evidence from studies of mice suggests that 24-hour snacking, especially at night, can pile on the pounds.
Restricting eating to sensible meal times, on the other hand, may help fight the flab - even with big helpings.
Researchers compared mice fed the same amount of high-fat food round the clock or over a period of eight hours.
The mice given a restricted time in which to eat were protected against obesity, and also suffered less liver damage and inflammation.
Lead scientist Dr Satchidananda Panda, from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the US, pointed out that every organ has a "clock".
Livers, intestines and muscles worked at peak efficiency at certain times and were more or less sleeping at others.
These metabolic cycles were critical for a wide range of biological processes, from cholesterol breakdown to glucose production.
"When we eat randomly, those genes aren't on completely or off completely," said Dr Panda.
He added there was evidence that eating patterns had changed, with people having greater access to food and reasons to stay up late, for instance to watch TV. When people were awake, they tended to snack.
The timing of food consumption should be given more consideration by obesity experts, said Dr Panda.
"The focus has been on what people eat," he said. "We don't collect data on when people eat."
The research is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

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Experts Say Eating Eggs May Produce 'Satiety Hormone'

Eating eggs for breakfast is more effective at preventing hunger for overweight people than having cereal, according to new research.
The study, funded by the American Egg Board, found that the consumption of eggs reduced hunger and boosted hormones that made people feel full.
A group of 20 people were split in two, with half given an egg breakfast and half given a cereal breakfast. Three hours later they were given lunch to test their hunger.
Dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton said: "This study adds to a growing evidence base which suggests that eggs may indeed be nature's appetite suppressant.
"Previous studies have found that eating eggs at breakfast or at lunch reduces feelings of hunger and helps people to eat fewer calories at a later meal.
"The new research provides information on hormone levels for the first time, showing that consumption of eggs boosts PYY, a potent satiety hormone, while reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.
"The high protein level of eggs, combined with their low fat content, means that eggs are a great choice for those trying to manage their weight."
The study was carried out at the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Louisiana, USA.

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Keeping Your Diet A Secret Helps Prevent Failure, Say Experts

If you want your calorie counting to be a success, keep your diet plans a secret, warn experts.
Researchers from New York University found that keeping your diet a secret is the best way to maintain willpower, and that those who share their weight-loss goals with others are more likely to fail.
The study found that the positive reaction people receive when discussing their diet can be interpreted as accomplishment before they've reached their goal weight. Therefore, dieters are more likely to slack than those who keep regime to themselves.
"The danger is that you feel that you've already reached the goal and because of that, you don't have to act on it anymore," says professor of psychology Dr Peter Gollwitzer from the study.
The solution? "You can keep your mouth shut," advises Dr. Gollwitzer. "Another one is to form different kinds of intentions, not only say what you want to do but also when, where and how you want to do it. Or share you plans with a trusted few who can keep you on course."

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‘Tree Nuts' Stave Off Heart Disease, Diabetes And Obesity, Claims Study

A handful of nuts a day really does keep the heart doctor away - as ‘tree nuts’ help prevent heart disease, obesity and diabetes, a recent study has discovered.
Almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts are among the ‘tree nut’ family that contain high levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (good cholesterol) and low levels of C-reactive proteins (the main cause of inflammation in the body and heart).
Scientists from the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center are dubbing these health-boosting nuts the latest ‘superfoods’ for healthy hearts after testing their benefits on over 13,000 participants.
Another additional health bonus of snacking on nuts is they can maintain a trim waistline too, as researchers discovered that regular ‘tree nut’ consumption led to lower risk of abdominal obesity.
Researchers also discovered that nut eaters have a 5% lower chance of developing metabolic syndrome (a clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and chosterol).
“One of the more interesting findings was the fact that tree nut consumers had lower body weight, as well as lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers,” study author Carol O’Neil said in a statement, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Maureen Ternus from the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation said in a statement: “In light of these new data and the fact that the FDA has issued a qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease with a recommended intake of 1.5 ounces of nuts per day, we need to educate people about the importance of including tree nuts in the diet.
However, this isn’t the first time nuts have been credited for their weight-loss abilities. Last year, the University of Barcelona discovered that eating a small portion of mixed buts a day helps aid weight-loss.
Scientists have found a link between eating nuts and higher levels of serotonin, a hormone that is most commonly known for boosting happiness but also decreases appetite and improves heart health.
Walnuts hit the headlines recently after scientists hailed them as the latest superfood for reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
According to researchers from the University of California Davis, men who eat walnuts see their prostate cancer risks drop.
They also benefit from the nut's vitamin-packed health boosts, such as omega-3 fatty acids, inflammation-fighting vitamin E and a plentiful of antioxidants.
Health benefits aside, nuts are most notorious for their high calorie-count. Take a look at how many calories your favourite nut contains, according to the WeightLossResource (based on 100g and unsalted):

• Almonds: 611kcal


• Brazil nuts: 687kcal



• Cashew nuts: 584kcal



• Chestnuts: 170kcal



• Hazelnuts: 655kcal



• Walnuts: 691kcal

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Curry could keep your heart healthy

There's never been a better excuse to tuck into a spicy curry because researchers have found that chillies could help to protect against heart disease.

The Daily Mail reports that researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have found that the compounds that give cayennes, jalapeños and other chilli peppers their heat can help to lower blood pressure and reduce blood cholesterol.

Scientists looked at substances called 'capsaicinoids', which is what gives chillies their spicy kick.

In one study they gave two groups of hamsters high-cholesterol diets, before giving one group food with varying amounts of capsaicinoids while the other control group had foods with no capsaicinoids.

They found that the spicy foods lowered levels of bad cholesterol by breaking it down and making it easier for the body to excrete.

They also blocked the action of a gene that makes the arteries contract, restricting the flow of blood to the heart and other organs. This had the effect of relaxing muscles and allowing the blood to flow more easily.

Study author Dr Zhen-Yu Chen said: "We concluded that capsaicinoids were beneficial in improving a range of factors related to heart and blood vessel health.

"But we do certainly not recommend that people start consuming chillies to excess. A good diet is a matter of balance. And remember, chillies are no substitute for the prescription medications proven to be beneficial. They may be a nice supplement, however, for people who find the hot flavour pleasant."

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How cutting calories makes it even harder to lose weight

If you've been struggling with your weight loss - despite adhering to NHS guidelines that advise cutting 500 calories a day from your diet to shed roughly half a kilo per week - you're not alone.

According to experts from the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, cutting calories slows down your metabolism. Losing weight then becomes harder and eventually plateaus, according to the Telegraph.

Scientists from the Institute have programmed an online calculator that helps design a weight loss programme tailored to body shape, diet, age, height, weight, sex and physical activity levels, which can be used by people to calculate how much weight they would lose by making certain lifestyle changes.

According to the experts, eating around 100 fewer calories a day can help you lose 10lbs over the next three years, and up to five pounds in the first year (in contrast to cutting out 500 calories a day, which sees you dropping five pounds in six months).

"The contrast is that the old rule of thumb predicts twice as much weight loss after a year and it gets worse after that," said one of the online calculator's designers, Dr. Kevin Hall, speaking at a conference in Vancouver.

"People have used this rule of thumb to predict how much weight they should lose for decades now, and it turns out to be completely wrong.

"If you cut the calories in somebody's diet their metabolism starts to slow down, and it slows down more the more weight is lost, so eventually you'll reach a plateau."

According to Dr. Hall, the online calculator can help people get a realistic sense of what changes they need to make to their diets and physical activity levels to achieve their weight loss goals.

"If you've expected to lose twice as much weight after a year as you actually lose, I think that's horribly demotivating to people," he said.
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6 Fun Weight Loss Tricks

Mindless munching can end up in extra inches on your thighs, stomach, buttocks, arms and every place you store fat. Use the following 6 fun weight loss tricks to shed extra pounds in the most efficient way.

Re-think your cooking habits and define the changes you want in your look and health condition. Balance portions and take special care of calorie intake. Snack on vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits to get rid of the guilt of overeating and munching. Skim through this list of 6 fun weight loss tricks and start the transformation right here and right now!

1. Start Lunch with Raw Vegetables

If you want to control your appetite on a long term, it is highly recommended to use this simple slimming maneuver. Start your lunch with raw vegetables or a delicious salad in which you combine carrots, lettuce, celery and other ingredients. This is the secret to make sure you consume less from the calorie-rich main dishes.

2. Swap Meat Sandwich for Avocado Sandwich

Opt for easy-to-digest snacks to keep your metabolism and digestive system in top shape. Ditch sausage and other high-fat types of meat for avocado and other veggie wraps.

A similar low-calorie sandwich will do perfectly for lunch or breakfast. Make the most of the antioxidant-content of avocado and lose weight without actually noticing it.

3. Eat Quinoa Pasta

Incorporate quinoa into your cooking plan and enjoy the nutritive benefits of this tasty whole grain. Swap brown rice and other difficult-to-digest elements with this simple diet food you'll find at every grocery store. Look for recipes which require the use of quinoa. Team it up with veggies and coconut oil rather than olive oil or meat.

4. Eat Fruit Before Your Main Meal Not After

This is one of the common mistakes dieters make. Eating a fruit right after finishing a main meal can create a real obstacle for your digestive system. Different fruits are broken down very quickly, therefore if you have them as dessert, your digestive system will be too busy dealing with the nutrients from the main dish and the fruits will actually rot in your stomach before being digested. It sounds pretty scary! Therefore, have your fave fruit either 2 hours later or 30 minutes before having your lunch or dinner.

5. Ditch Cooked Fruit Spreads

Are you fond of delicious cooked fruit spreads? According to specialists, these ingredients can't do anything good for our organism and slimming project. In spite of leaving out artificial sugar and preserving ingredients, cooked fruits will make the spread more acidic. Fresh fruits should be your top diet options instead of spending a fortune on 'homemade' fruit spreads.

6. Sweeten Your Desserts and Food with Stevia

Use this magical herb to rule out the chance of consuming extra calories from artificial sweeteners. Add a delicious and sugary taste to your desserts and main dishes without making any dramatic changes in your blood sugar level. Control your appetite and purchase ingredients which help you achieve your weight loss goals.

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Why chocolate is better for you than blueberries and low-fat food won't help you slim: The diet myths that could be ruining your health

Blueberries contain more anti-oxidants than other fruit

Blueberries are known as a superfood, due to their high level of anti-oxidants (molecules thought to help protect us from cancer- causing free radicals). But that does not mean they are superior to other fruits.

Angela says: 'Blueberries score highly on the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) scale, but scientists are finding foods that are even higher - including dark chocolate.

'Even if blueberries top the scale, they are only rich in one family of anti-oxidants, anthocyanin, which is found in other fruits, like grapes.'

And the far cheaper red grape is actually higher up the ORAC scale.

Low-fat foods help you lose weight

Whether it be cereal bars, yoghurts or ready meals, low-fat options are always tempting if you are desperate to lose weight. But not only are they likely to be stuffed full of sugar, carbs and synthetic sweeteners, they could also have just as many calories as the 'high-fat' alternative.

'Particularly with sweeter low-fat foods, the extra sugar used means it might have a similar calorie content to the regular option,' says Angela. 'It might be better to just have a smaller serving of the standard dish, with more fat but less sugar.'

Eating at night makes you fat

Calories are calories, whether eaten during the morning, noon or night. Studies using monkeys found the animals stayed the same weight whether they had six per cent of their food at night or 65 per cent - the body burns them off at the same rate during sleep.

But avoiding food in the evenings may still help you lose weight. Angela says: 'People tend to snack all evening in front of the TV, especially if they have eaten very little all day.'

Good for you: A boiled egg has only 75 calories

Eggs raise cholesterol levels

First we were told to 'go to work on an egg', then we were warned eggs are bad for the heart. Now, it seems the first advice was better.

Although eggs contain cholesterol, our body varies the amount it produces, so simply makes less if we eat an egg.

Research by the University of Surrey found that, after eating a two-egg-a-day diet for 12 weeks, none of the test subjects had raised cholesterol levels.

And as well as being low in calories (75 in a boiled egg), they contain vitamin D, vitamin B-12 and other nutrients.

Coffee dehydrates your body

We all know that coffee can make us dehydrated, right? Wrong.

A whopping 50 per cent of Britons limit their intake, believing it's a diuretic (a substance which causes the body to lose fluid by making the kidneys produce more urine).

But, in fact, it has no such effect on regular drinkers. Nutritionist Angela Dowden says: 'New converts could be taking more trips to the loo. But your body gets used to it and coffee counts towards your daily fluid intake.'

Eating margarine is bad for your heart

This used to be true, as marge was previously packed with trans fats - hydrogenated fats that raise bad cholesterol and reduce good cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

But after a consumer backlash the spreads on our shelves have been reformulated with healthy poly and mono-unsaturated fats.

Angela says: 'Margarine is a healthier option than butter.'

Daily fluid intake: Coffee counts

Decaf coffee won't affect your energy levels

It may come as a shock, but decaffeinated coffee does contain caffeine - although only a tiny 5mg compared with the normal 90mg or more in a filter coffee.

But rather than having no effect on you, research has shown it may make you sleepier than no coffee.

Dr Crystal Haskell, of Northumbria University, found levels of caffeine less than 10mg actually made people feel more tired, with weaker memory skills.

She puts this down to the body countering the effect of the expected caffeine high.

Always keep fruit and veg in the fridge

You probably don't give a second thought before sticking fruit and veg in the fridge. But by keeping things cool, you may be losing out.

Scientists in Oklahoma in the U.S discovered that a watermelon left at room temperature had double the levels of beta-carotene and 20 per cent more lycopene - both antioxidants - after two weeks than one stored in the fridge.

Bananas and peaches are also more nutritious at 20 degrees.

Your body needs eight glasses of water a day

If you've been drinking two litres of water a day, it turns out you might have been wasting your time.

When doctors at the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. examined the benefits of drinking this much water, they found no evidence that it led to clearer skin, boosted weight loss or helped the body to detox.

Angela says: 'The amount of water a person needs varies - thirst is the best indicator. Check the shade of your urine - if it's straw-coloured or paler you are probably drinking enough.'

Not best served chilled: Fruit like blueberries

When slimming, eat little and often

Which is better for you - three hearty meals or six little ones? Diet books might advise you to 'eat little and often', but you're no more likely to lose weight this way.

Australian scientist Dr Michelle Palmer compared weight loss in people eating in both ways and found they lost the same amount. The only difference was the six-mini-meal group was more likely to put the weight back on.

Angela says: 'Eating little and often can control hunger, but there's a danger that by eating more often you eat more calories.'

Raw vegetables are better

While you may not fancy a raw veg diet, general wisdom maintains that the more you cook vegetables, the more nutrients they lose. But this is not necessarily true.

Carrots are a case in point. Angela says: 'When cooked, the damage to the cells means three times as much betacarotene is released - an anti-oxidant thought to help protect skin.'

White meat is lower in fat than red meat

Often dieters eat chicken as a healthy choice, but it could be fattier than a lean cut of red meat.

'The myth probably dates back to when butchers' cuts were fattier,' says Angela. 'Now, the fat content is virtually the same.'

A lean sirloin steak has as little as 5g of fat per 100g, while chicken thighs may have up to 9g per 100g.

Pale vegetables have fewer nutrients

We've been taught it's best to eat vegetables with vibrant colours, whether it's deep green spinach, purple beetroot or red cabbage.

While this is a good rule, Angela says, white vegetables should not be dismissed.

White cabbage is full of vitamins A, B, C and K, along with calcium, iron and fibre, while cauliflower is a great source of anti-oxidants, vitamin C and folate.

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Mediterranean diet good for brain health

If you still don't believe that a Mediterranean diet plays a role in keeping you healthy - and alive - for longer, perhaps this new research from the U.S. will help sway your opinion on the matter.

A study published in the Archives of Neurology medical journal looked at the relationship between a Mediterranean diet (rich in fish, vegetables fruit, pulses and monounsaturated fats like olive oil) and lesions in the brain (white matter hyperintensity volume, or WMH, which shows damage to the vessels) and found that a diet rich in heart-healthy Mediterranean fare and moderate drinking could help protect the brain from small vessel damage, reports the Daily Mail.

Dr. Hannah Gardener, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, led the study which looked at data on almost 1,000 people and used brain scans to measure the relationship between diet and WMHs in the brain.

She says: "Although diet may be an important predictor of vascular disease, little is known about the possible association between dietary habits and WMHs.

"Studies have suggested that consumption of a Mediterranean Diet is associated with a reduced risk of the metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease, stroke and cognitive disorders, but no studies to date, to our knowledge, have examined the association with WMH volume.

"In summary, the current study suggests a possible protective association between increased consumption of a MeDi and small vessel damage.'

Time to put a salmon steak on for lunch.

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Why eating chocolate cake for breakfast could help you lose weight

On a diet? Steering clear of sweet treats? According to new research you might want to toss aside that muesli and opt for cake instead for breakfast.

The results of a new study have found that eating sweet things early in the day can be beneficial to weight loss.

The researchers, from Tel Aviv University, said people who were given chocolate cake to eat in the morning lost an average of 40 lbs more than their non-cake eating counterparts over a 32-week period.

The obese participants were divided into two sections. One group ate a low-carb 300 calories breakfast, while the other group was given a 600 calorie breakfast which included a chocolate cake (300 calories).

After 16-weeks both groups - who consumed the same total number of calories (1,600 for men and 1.400 for women) were found to have lost an average of 33 lbs per person.

However during the second part of the study the cake-eaters lost another 15 pounds, while the low-carb group gained an average of 22 lbs each.

By the end of the study, the cake-eating group had lost 40 lbs more than the low-carb group.

Professor Daniela Jakubowicz said in the Steroids journal that the group eating the low-carb diet reported "less satisfaction and felt that they were not full."

She added: "The group that consumed a bigger breakfast, including dessert, experienced few if any cravings for these foods later in the day."


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