As a dietitian, I frequently have to analyse a client’s diet and troubleshoot certain areas where they can improve. Often, red flags pop up. When I tell my clients to cut back on certain foods, they sometimes stare at me like, “Huh?”

Most of the educating I do focuses on dispelling persistent nutrition myths or poking holes in the “research” behind marketing-generated label claims. Notice I didn’t say that these are foods you should stop eating. No one food is bad or good, but some foods can be detrimental to your health and sabotage your desire to lose weight when consumed in high amounts.

Read more: This common weight loss food might actually be giving you a belly

1. Egg whites

The egg white trend makes me see red. Whole eggs are one of the least expensive, highest-quality proteins on the planet. Though once demonised due to their high cholesterol, better science now shows that dietary cholesterol has no effect on overall blood cholesterol. Don’t believe restaurants and “experts” who say egg whites are heart healthy and that whole eggs are not.

2. Non- or low-fat packaged foods

Fat helps your body absorb nutrients. So when you buy a bottle of non-fat salad dressing, you’re actually consuming fewer nutrients from the greens than if you were to use a little olive oil. Plus, admit it: Non-fat dressing tastes terrible.

Read more: Craving chips? This is how to make your own vegetable crisps and satisfy your junk food cravings

3. Full carb snacks

Crackers, cereal bars, pretzels–these foods offer little nutrition beyond a measly gram or so of fibre, at most. Swap these for snacks that include stomach-filling protein and/or better fibre numbers. Nuts, biltong, apples, cheese, Greek yoghurt, berries, and cottage cheese are all good picks.

4. Peanut butter

I have a friend who can sit with a jar in hand and mindlessly feed himself spoonful after spoonful of the stuff. Yes, peanut butter (and almond butter, and cashew butter) offers a great source of heart-healthy fats, but PB kilojoules can pile up fast. Limit yourself to two spoonfuls. Then close up the jar and back away. If this seems impossible, give any of the popular powdered peanut butters a try.

Read more: These peanut butter protein bombs will make your muscles grow

5. Energy bars

Many of them are nothing more than fortified candy bars – sometimes with more calories. Yes, they’re convenient, but think about packing your snack bag with more nutritious non-perishable options (nuts, shelf-stable single-serving milks) instead.

6. Fruit-on-the-bottom yoghurt

The word “fruit” should be used loosely. It’s more like sugar on the bottom, as some yoghurts can have more added sugar than a soft drink. Instead, stick with plain Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit.

^{Originally published on menshealth.com}

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Bosses ask the PM to honour a pledge to give it the same status as physical health in the workplace.

A campaign group says more than 100 schools did not take up free awareness sessions.

No, you can’t skip that daily shower – your butt needs to be washed, sorry – but you can save some time, effort, and product by washing your bod and skipping shampoo. How? Just wet your mane with plain water. (You can rock a shower cap if you want, though.)

You’re probably thinking that seems unsanitary, but according to the experts, you’re way off.

Read more: 5 rules for styling your facial hair to compliment your face

“Obviously every guy is different, but on average I recommend washing with shampoo every three days,” Dr Susan Bard, a dermatologist at Manhattan Dermatology Specialists, says. In fact, washing daily can actually backfire, leaving your scalp and hair in poorer condition.

Celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves, who’s worked on soccer star David Beckham’s grooming line as well as with stars like Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Simpson, agrees.

“Two to three times a week is best to wash your hair with a shampoo,” Paves says. “For the days in between, I recommend rinsing the hair with water alone. For a fresh feel and smell, you can condition from the mid-shaft out.”

Why shouldn’t you wash your hair daily?

“Neither guys or gals need to wash daily unless their scalps are particularly greasy,” Bard says. “Most people report that their hair doesn’t accumulate enough sebum to feel greasy until day three.”

Read more: Ace your morning routine with these 5 steps from the MH style team

Of course, if you do have a particularly greasy scalp, you sweat a lot, or have super thin hair, maybe washing every other day is preferable, but still don’t do it daily.

“Every other day is okay too if that’s what the individual’s oil production calls for,” she says.

In fact, you can actually benefit from that extra day or two.

“Sebum protects our skin from over drying, so you definitely don’t want to over strip it by washing every day,” Bard says. “Additionally, washing the hair daily takes a toll on the hair as well, not just the scalp.”

When should you wash your hair?

Don’t get carried away with skipping shampoo, though.

“Washing less than that allows for a build up of oils in the scalp, which can lead to an overgrowth of yeast that naturally lives on the skin, leading to dandruff,” Bard says.

Read more: 4 shaving techniques every man should know

And as if those little white flakes aren’t bad enough, it may even lead to hair loss. “It’s also believed that the oils on the scalp can trap DHT the hormone responsible for male (and female) pattern hair loss thereby exacerbating it,” she says.

You should rinse more than you wash

Wetting your hair depends on how sweaty and dirty the hair feels.

If it’s been a little toasty outside, you’re probably fine to either keep it dry or rinse with plain water.

“[If not wetting it in the shower], the hair will dry, you can wash the sweat out the next day. Not a problem if it doesn’t look or feel bad,” Bard says. If it looks gross, feel free to rinse with water.

But if you’re coming from CrossFit and your hair is stinky and greasy, plain water probably won’t cut it. “Sweat alone can be rinsed off but often times water alone is insufficient to remove dirt and oil,” she says.

And your hair type plays a role in how often you should wash

It’s a good idea to use products and a shower protocol that matches your hair type.

“Thinner hair is more delicate and will likely like do well with over-washing, [meaning taking the every other day approach] but also tends to look greasier faster. This requires a delicate balance,” Bard says.

Read more: 12 things you need to treat your beard this summer

“For these men I recommend washing every other night, as freshly washed hair that is less weighed down by grease and dirt gives the illusion of more volume,” Bard suggests.

And it probably feels a whole lot better to touch, honestly. For a thick head of hair, go for the three-day mark – you’ll be fine.

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

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We don’t always realise that our daily habits are making us gain weight. Despite our best efforts, we still struggle to lose the weight. Drop these habits if you’re serious about shedding kilos.

1. You drink diet soda like it’s water

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study found that when people swapped their favourite sugary soft drink for the diet variety, they ate more desserts and more bread than people who swapped their go-to beverage for water. Artificial sweeteners may increase your hunger for sweet things, says study author Dr Barry Popkin.

Read more: Here’s why cutting out sugar helps you lose weight

2. You try too hard

Adopting a very rigid diet almost guarantees that your weight loss efforts will be sabotaged by food cravings, suggests a new study in the journal Appetite. So cut yourself some slack. Flexible dieters have just as many cravings and give into them just as often, says study author Adrian Meule. The difference is that they are more likely to get back on track quickly.

Read more: The science behind your cravings and how to beat them

3. You play call of duty until 2am

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that scant sleep can cause you to overeat fatty foods. When people slept only four hours a night for five days, they took in nearly 1 275 kilojoules more than when they slept nine hours a night. Too little shut-eye may increase your appetite by short-circuiting your brain’s sense of reward.

Read more: 10 easy ways to lose weight without starving yourself

4. You’re too damn optimistic

If you’re like most people, you wildly overestimate the number of kilojoules you burn during exercise. According to a study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, people thought that a workout incinerated about 3 825 kilojoules when it actually only burned 1 275.

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

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Anaemia occurs when there is a lack of red blood cells in your body. One of the most common symptoms of anaemia is fatigue, as your vital organs are not getting enough oxygen to function properly.

Iron-deficiency anaemia is the most common form of anaemia. Apart from the fact that your body is not producing enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells, your body is also working harder to produce energy.

Iron is vital for the production of adequate, healthy red blood cells. If you don’t have enough iron, there won’t be enough red blood cells to carry oxygen through your body.

The risks of constant fatigue

Fatigue is far more than simply feeling a little sleepy. Fatigue is defined as extreme exhaustion, and can have a far-reaching impact on your overall health if the cause isn’t found and addressed. In the case of undetected anaemia, your vital organs suffer oxygen loss, which can impair their function over time.

Anaemia can also lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, which puts your body under strain – it affects the functioning of your immune system, leads to sleep deprivation, headaches and low blood-pressure, and can impair your cognitive skills and productivity.

Fatigue is not the only key symptom of anaemia. People who suffer from anaemia also tend to experience dizziness and heart palpitations.

Combined with extreme fatigue, these symptoms can make a person feel irritable and severely impact concentration. This leads to the risk of hurting yourself, especially in those who need to stay alert on the job.

Could you be suffering from anaemia? Do our quiz to find out.

How to treat anaemia-related fatigue

While research shows that red blood cell transfusions may help with anaemia-related fatigue, it can be a costly procedure.

Other procedures include intravenous iron therapy, where iron is administered to replenish iron levels in the body, or even surgery to stop bleeding that may be responsible for anaemia. These procedures are often done in cases of severe anaemia.

But there are lifestyle measures that you can take to help fight anaemia-related fatigue. Less severe cases of anaemia can be treated by taking an iron supplement recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may also recommend the following:

• Adapt your lifestyle to include a healthy, balanced diet and proper sleep in your daily routine.
• Include iron-rich foods in your diet.
• Increase your vitamin C intake to help your body absorb all the iron it can.
• Avoid black tea as this can reduce iron absorption.
• Reduce your intake of caffeine, sugar and alcohol to keep your energy levels up.
• Avoid dehydration as this can add to your fatigue. Drink plenty of water during the day.
• Try incorporating light exercise in your day, as there is evidence that regular exercise can help combat fatigue. Aerobic exercise can even help regenerate red blood cells. 
• Always monitor your condition and make sure that any additional health conditions that you may have are also addressed. 
• Go for regular checkups to check your level of red blood cells.
• Tell your doctor about any other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, nausea or a rapid heartbeat.
  

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Marelize Wilke

Aged three, Romeo Hadley suffered purpura fulminans, which led to both his legs being amputated.

Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered how to make “superalloys” even more super, extending useful life by thousands of hours. The discovery could improve materials performance for electrical generators and nuclear reactors. The key is to heat and cool the superalloy in a specific way. That creates a microstructure within the material that can withstand high heat more than six times longer than an untreated counterpart.

Color can impact the taste of food, and our experiences and expectations can affect how we taste food, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest this may have implications for how food and beverage industries should market their products.

Today, most of the water on Mars is locked away in frozen ice caps. But billions of years ago it flowed freely across the surface, forming rushing rivers that emptied into craters, forming lakes and seas. New research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found evidence that sometimes the lakes would take on so much water that they overflowed and burst from the sides of their basins, creating catastrophic floods that carved canyons very rapidly, perhaps in a matter of weeks.