HEALTHY LIVING

Why a bit of sparkle may be better, how to help your immune system, why fast food is really not good for you, and a breast implant alert.

‘The body is not a thing but a situation.’ – SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR

FIZZ IS FASTER!

If you want the buzz without (quite as much of) a hangover, stick to bubbly drinks and fizzy mixers: the gas pushes the alcohol through your system faster, so you feel the effects more quickly – and, theoretically, stop drinking sooner than you would have.

NOT SO FAST, LADY

We all know that processed or fast food is bad for us, but why?

1. Too much hidden (and at times, not so hidden) sugar 2. Too much salt

3. Too much saturated fat (not the good kind)

4. Too little fibre, vitamins and minerals

5. We tend to eat junk food faster than we would a meal we have cooked, which is not good for our digestive systems

6. Fast food often contains additives – like high-fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and various emulsifiers – that have been associated with cardiovascular disease

The bottom line? We don’t know exactly what’s in processed foods, and that’s reason enough to steer clear of them.

BREAST BE CAREFUL

Allergan Biocell breast implants have been linked to an unusual cancer called anaplastic largecell lymphoma, and have now also been recalled in the US (they were banned in Europe last year).

This is an extremely rare condition: worldwide, 481 cases have been clearly linked to the implants. The cancer develops in the tissue around the implant but is not breast cancer per se – in most cases, when the implant and the immediate tissue surrounding it are removed, the cancer disappears.

If you have no symptoms, you don’t need to be concerned, says the US Food & Drug Administration. But if there’s fluid and swelling around your implant, have it drained and checked.