Stillbirth risk is higher if older pregnant women are left to go over their due date, a study suggests.

Regular “treating” and over-feeding is a common issue, according to a review of parents’ opinions.

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Misleading ads for weight-loss products continue to target consumers desperate for results.

In fact, just the other day I heard an ad that promised to remove “undigested food causing pounds of unwanted belly fat”. Huh?

Read more: You might be taking the wrong form of this common supplement

Nearly three in four people are now “overfat”, according to a 2017 study published in the journal Frontiers of Public Health.

Some of these overweight individuals turn to the many supplements on the market that promise to make weight loss as simple as popping a pill or downing a drink.

Often these supplements say they can increase metabolism, improve body composition, increase the feeling of fullness or suppress appetite.

Aside from the lack of scientific evidence or merit, there are many other red flag alerts when considering if a weight-loss supplement is for you.

Read more: 3 supplements that you really need in your diet and 3 that are just wasting your money

Promise #1: “Lose weight without dieting!”

Supplement manufacturers would love for you to believe that simply taking a pill, potion or rubbing on a lotion would help melt fat off your body.

Unfortunately, permanent results take effort. That effort means making smarter decisions in the kitchen, not at the drug store.

As a dietician for close to 20 years, I’ve never seen a client who could lose weight without making changes in the kitchen. No pill, potion or cream can ever be more powerful than the food you put into your body.

If you’re ready to put in that effort, try BellyOff from Men’s Health – it’s designed to help you burn fat at the fastest possible rate without losing muscle.

Read more: 4 surprising things you can learn from the belly off finalists

Promise #2: “Exercise is not required.”

Too many supplements promise results without training. Just like if you skip changing your diet, you cannot skip exercise if you want to lose weight.

Weight loss without diet or exercise is unfounded and has zero merit or research support.

Read more: This man lost 64kg after cutting out these foods from his diet

Promise #3: “Accelerate your metabolism.”

This is a common claim that started when supplement manufacturers began adding ephedra to weight-loss products. The FDA banned ephedra in 2004 due to safety concerns.

Since that banning, other active ingredients, from green tea to synephrine to caffeine, have attempted to take its place. None of these ingredients has been shown to reduce weight permanently in long-term research.

Read more: Here’s why you should reprogram your metabolism – and how to do it

Promise #4: “Feel fuller!”

Protein, fibre and fat fill you up. Supplements don’t.

The key is to examine how you can add each of these quality ingredients to meals and snacks to reach the results you’re looking for.

Here are a few simple ideas: Swap eggs (protein and fat) and fruit (fibre) for your morning bagel and cream cheese. Pack nuts (protein, fibre and fat) for snacks. Try salmon (protein and fat), greens (fibre) and a baked potato (fibre) for dinner instead of the typical pizza.

Read more: The upgrade you need to make to get a flat belly

Promise #5: “Change your body composition.”

Certain supplements promise a change in body composition, usually by shifting use of nutrients or suppressing certain hormones. While this, in theory, could work, very little research has proven effectiveness.

In one study, researchers found that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) did, in fact, aid weight loss – in rodents.

Read more: Hack your hormones to gain muscle, sleep better and have more sex

Promise #6: “Block the absorption of carbohydrates.”

If you’re looking to lose weight, targeting empty carbohydrates and replacing them with nutrient-rich foods is a good strategy.

Taking a supplement that blocks carbohydrates is a bad strategy because there’s no well conducted research to show it’s possible.

One 2011 review published in the British Journal of Nutrition examined six randomised controlled trials that “all had methodological flaws”, according to the authors.

This review examined the efficacy of bean extract, a commonly purported carbohydrate blocker. This ingredient, and others like it, appears to partially block the carb-digesting enzymes (not necessarily carbs themselves).

The studies that do show any promise also show the benefit is for those who eat the most carbs, which also means more kilojoules.

Pills that make the promises above probably won’t work.

You know what does? Building meals around vegetables (the more the merrier), protein (a handful portion at each meal) and quality fibrous grains (potatoes, pasta, quinoa, rice).

Of course all this has to be rounded out with smart training to truly get the lasting results you’re looking for.

^{This article was originally featured on www. mh.co.za}

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Low-carb diets like Keto, Atkins and Paleo are huge, but it’s understandable that you might not want to be on them forever.

After all, carbs are pretty delicious and it’s crazy to think that you might never, ever enjoy bread again.

That said, people usually lose weight when they ditch carbs, so it’s normal to worry that you might regain weight that you’ve lost when you go off one of these diets.

People tend to lose weight on low-carb diets because carbohydrates are stored with water, says Beth Warren, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living A Real Life With Real Food.

“Once you eat less carbs, your body depletes the excess water weight and that results in weight loss,” she explains.

People also tend to lose weight on low-carb diets because they’re more conscious of what they’re eating, says New York-based registered dietician Jessica Cording.

Read more: 3 signs you need to incorporate more carbs in your diet

But, of course, when you start eating carbs again, that water weight is likely to return.

Plus, you may wind up going overboard on carbs (and kilojoules) after denying yourself an entire food category for so long.

If you want to introduce carbs back into your diet but don’t want to gain weight in the process, Warren recommends taking things slow and watching your portions.

Having good, high-quality carbs makes a difference, too, says Julie Upton, registered dietician, cofounder of nutrition website Appetite for Health.

That means focusing on vegetables, fruits and whole grains for your carb sources versus a big bowl of pasta, she says.

Read more: Here’s what you need to know about counting net carbs to lose weight

You can also try rotating the types of carbs you have like starchy vegetables and whole grains, so you provide your body with an array of different starches and fibres, Warren says.

For example, you can have half a sweet potato for dinner and one slice of a sprouted grain bread with breakfast.

Finally, be aware of your food choices and don’t just go back to how you were eating pre-diet.

“Many people just go back to eating as they were before that low-carb diet, which was usually the diet that caused them to gain the weight they wanted to lose in the first place,” Cording says.

Read more: Exactly how many carbs you should eat if you’re trying to lose weight

Once you focus on having good, quality carbohydrates, “it’s pretty easy to enjoy plenty of carb-rich choices without gaining weight,” Upton says.

Looking for more? Here are seven things that can happen to your body on a restrictive diet. 

This article was originally featured on www.womenshealthsa.co.za

Image credits: iStock

Korin Miller

The schizophrenia tablets have an embedded sensor that tells doctors whether the patient has taken them.

The problem with living with a chronic condition like diabetes is that it’s, well, chronic. It doesn’t go away. Bridget McNulty, type 1 diabetic and editor of Sweet Life diabetes lifestyle magazine and online community, offers 10 tips to make living with diabetes a little easier:

1. Take your medication

This one is so obvious that I shouldn’t have to mention it, but it probably has the biggest impact on any diabetic’s life. Insulin – whether in pill form for type 2 diabetics or injections or a pump for type 1 diabetics – is literally life-saving. Take your medication properly, and you can live a long, happy, healthy life with diabetes. Don’t take your medication and you can get very ill, very fast.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Again, it’s not rocket science, but it is vitally important. People with diabetes don’t have to eat a special ‘diabetes diet’, but they do have to eat the same healthy diet that we should all be eating: little to no fast food, junk food, fizzy drinks, sweets and cakes, lots of fresh vegetables, some fruit, good quality proteins, the right kind of fats and a small amount of wholegrain carbs. We all know that refined carbohydrates like white rice and pasta and doughnuts and cookies are bad for us – as diabetics, it’s important to know this and respect it. That’s not to say there’s no room for treats in life, but I always stick to my mom’s advice: “everything in moderation”

3. Exercise regularly

Moderate exercise three times a week is the magic key to a healthy life with diabetes, in my opinion. We can all find half an hour three times a week to go for a walk, or do a yoga class, or jog around the block. And in the long-term, that’s going to be much better for your health than one big gym session once a week. Slow and steady, that’s my motto!

4. Manage your stress

Stress is bad for all of us, but it’s particularly bad for those of us with diabetes, because it releases the hormone cortisol, which inhibits the effects of insulin. You know what that means? High blood sugar, which makes you feel cranky and tired as well as stressed! A bad combination. I find that short meditations (five minutes or less) work wonders for my stress levels.

5. Get enough sleep

Before I had kids, I thought this was a given: you go to bed, you sleep! Now I know it’s a lot trickier than that for many people. But it’s really important for people with diabetes to get enough sleep. Not only so that they have the energy and mental clarity to deal with life with a chronic illness (on top of everything else), but because while you sleep your body clears cortisol out of the system. We already know that too much cortisol is bad for blood sugar.

6. Go for regular check-ups

I’ve been diabetic for a decade, and I know a lot about the condition. But I still go to see my endocrinologist (diabetes specialist) three times a year to keep my motivation up. I also see an ophthalmologist once a year to check on my eyes, and I get my kidneys checked every year. This is all covered by my medical aid because I’m a diabetic – check out your PMBs (even on hospital plan) to see what visits you can get for free each year.

7. Be informed

When it comes to diabetes, knowledge really is power. The more you understand the condition, the easier it is to live with – and thrive. Check out www.sweetlifemag.co.za for a daily article on all the different aspects of diabetes (exercise, diet, medication, emotions) and for inspiring stories of people living well with diabetes.

8. Ask for support

No matter how well controlled you are, diabetes is hard. It’s relentless and exhausting and constant, and you can’t do it alone. Whether you ask for support from your clinic or your doctor or your family or friends (or all of the above), it’s important that you don’t try to do it alone. Having diabetes is nothing to be ashamed of – hiding it is.

9. Be kind to yourself

Before I was diagnosed, being kind to myself usually meant a bar of chocolate or a slice of cake. These days, it’s more like a cup of tea and a quiet half-hour to read my book… Find what it is that refuels you and gives you energy, and do more of that. Try your best to be as well-controlled as possible but don’t beat yourself up if your blood sugar goes high or low; it is unfortunately part of daily life. Just do your best and be as kind to yourself as possible.

10. Join a community

This is probably my most important tip: join a community so you don’t feel like you’re the only person dealing with all the daily irritations of diabetes!

You are not alone in this! We’re all in it together.

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Bridget McNulty